Joy Wizard » Weight Loss

Fitness and weight loss tips and update on personal progress.

Alex Webley — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:17:33 +0000

Please note: this post was originally published on Saturday 29th August 2009, on an old now defunct blog. Please read in that context.

I got a nasty shock this morning when I weighed myself.

I am 97.5 kg, or 214.5 pounds.

With a BMI of 29.6 I am bordering on the obese; though I don’t look it.

What a fat porker!

Fatso, fat slob, fatty, and pig are words which will come to mind in some readers.

And this weight problem is DESPITE efforts to lose it.

In the last year for example I have:

Started on a very good diet program; though I have not fulfilled ALL of it. In that sense I myself suck.
Stopped drinking alcohol. (Previous consumption was low).
Stopped drinking Coca Cola. (Previous consumption was very low).
Stopped eating chocolate, chips (crisps), biscuits, sweet macadamia nuts and cake every week. I was only eating them once a week. Now it is rarely.
Cut back what I am eating severely, in a balanced way.
Had a nasty bout of Urticaria which interfered with my weight loss focus.
Recently started a world class exercise program (just over three weeks ago – around 20 minutes a day).
Started on the Pace system skipping (Less than 4 minutes a day).

You can view my progress on this page:

http://dailyburn.com/locker_room/alexwebley

Daily Burn is a great website for organizing your weight and fitness stuff.

I did get one hugely positive shock while I was entering all my additional data into Daily Burn today (I became a premium member today). My resting heart rate is only 63 beats per minute which is classed as excellent for someone of my age (47); according to this chart here.

Just over three weeks ago I was very unfit and started a new (to me) Fighting Fit exercise program which has been created by a close friend – Martin Day – who is a fitness and self defense expert – he is a former British Special Forces (22 SAS) close combat and fitness instructor. I recall how whenever I had to fiddle with cables under my computer desk I felt creaky – stiff – rusty and OLD. Since starting Martin’s fitness program I feel much fitter and more supple/flexible.

I do not know what my resting heart pulse rate was before I started with Martin’s fitness program, however I would not be at all surprised if my increased fitness has also led to a drop in my pulse rate. I might also add that while I was taking my pulse I noticed it increasing slightly; probably due to the phenomenon known as the ‘white coat effect’. The real rate is therefore likely to be a bit lower than 63 per minute.

Picture me – verging on obese weight classification, yet my pulse rate reveals excellent fitness. Shocking in a way, but expected due to the nature of the exercise programs I am doing.

I am only 6 heartbeats per minute over being classed as having an athlete level of fitness.

I have been doing the Pace system skipping (4 minutes a day) for a while and this will be helping my fitness too, however it is only in the last three weeks that I have done this virtually every day, along with the Fighting Fit program (20 minutes a day).

For more information on my physical exercise routine check out this blog post:

Until Recently, No One INSPIRED Me About Physical Fitness.

I am unsure why I have not made better weight loss progress, however I expect some of the fat has been converted into muscle since starting the Martin Day Fitness Fighting Fit program. I have been wondering if my basic metabolism is slowing down, thus requiring less scoff.

Anyway, I will find a solution to this issue and get rid of my excess fat. I WILL NOT be beaten by it.

In the process, I will have to sort out the “I suck” part above.

If you want to keep an eye on my progress, then you can view it here:

http://dailyburn.com/locker_room/alexwebley

Note the little drop down menu below the graph where you can view the different measurements.

You might notice that the stress level is recorded as 1 out of 10. This is because stress is not an issue to me. Stress is primarily determined by how we think; which is contrary to popular belief.

My energy level is recorded at 10 out of 10. I have enormous energy.

I will be updating some key measurements regularly.

Here is a photo of me – taken today. As you can see, I do not look especially fat or obese. It is warning to those with ears to listen and eyes to see. You can look reasonably good (I look even better with a shirt on ;-0)), and yet have serious weight issues; which might lead to serious health issues.

Fitness and weight loss tips and update on personal progress. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Weight loss and my personal journey (results).

Alex Webley — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:36:40 +0000

I am currently overweight. Yes, a fatty, fatso etc, though as I carry it well I don’t look it. My wife still finds me sexy (phew!).

I am making good progress with losing weight – since late August I have lost over 4 kilos, despite being hindered by antihistamines (which slow metabolism and increase appetite).

My progress can be viewed on Daily Burn here.

Some of the keys to my progress are:

Strip That Fat Weight Loss program. This has been developed by some very smart people. Fortunately I managed to find it after fighting through the fog of so many weight loss fads and half baked ideas. I like smart people. Weight loss programs need to be balanced, sensible, healthy and do-able.
Fighting Fit Exercise program. This program has been developed by Martin Day, a close friend. Martin is a world class athlete, international Karate Master (5th Dan) and former fitness / close combat instructor in the British SAS (Special Air Service). Martin once trained some of the world’s toughest men – it is very hard to gain entry to the SAS and even harder to earn the respect of such men so as to train them. I like learning from the world’s finest.

Quality resources assist with quality outcomes.

What are you doing? And who are you learning from?

And are you digging your grave with a fork?

Note: more weight loss articles will appear on this blog, including material which is being moved and deleted from some of my old blogs. This blog is the only one I am continuing with and the others will be closed in due course.

I have at times needed antihistamines to treat hives (urticaria), however I have uncovered (hopefully all of the) food triggers now and no longer appear to need them.

Weight loss and my personal journey (results). is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Guilt free sausages – living better & healthier

Alex Webley — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:24:29 +0000

Is there such a thing as guilt free sausages?

Yes I guess there is, if you are perhaps a beefcake type person with lots of muscles, high energy needs and no concerns about putting on weight.

I’m no beefcake and am actually actively losing weight at the moment.

In spite of this, I have found a way of eating guilt free sausages!

Lucky, sneaky, wicked me!

So what’s my secret?

Well, unlike the majority of people, I eat the right type of sausages.

Let me tell you more about them…

My wife and I have a friend who is a Chef. On one occasion, when he was with us for an evening meal, we dined on sausages (yes, dined; the quality is that good). Our friend cooked for us. He commented that he had not seen such sausages before – normal sausages he told us, produce a lot of fat in the pan while cooking.

So, a Chef, who has cooked in many establishments including high end hotels, was shocked at the lack of fat in our sausages. He was so used to seeing loads of fat coming out of sausages during cooking.

The secret?

Organic sausages.

Not only are they a lot less fatty, containing much more meat, organic sausages taste so much better than the ordinary sausages you will find at your local supermarket or large grocery store.

My wife and I are not fanatical about eating organic. Not everything we eat is organic. Most is however. Most times, organic food tastes better. In the case of organic sausages, there is a lot less fat and much more meat.

Eating organic food will help your body in many ways. Organic sausages are a classic example. If you want to feel better, a key area to examine is what you are eating. It is not just all about the head stuff. Feeling better, happier and so on is a holistic thing.

Do you honestly think those cheap sausages you buy at the supermarket are full of goodness? If you need further clarification perhaps speak with an accountant who will be able to explain the business model behind cheap and nasty sausages and why you get what you pay for.

Just recently I tried a new flavor…Macadamia Honey Chicken Sausages ** containing certified organic chicken. Yummy! Try finding that flavor at your big supermarket. (I will tell Gold Coast residents where I get mine later in this article). **Made by The Meat-Ting Place Pty Ltd.

Organic sausages are available in a remarkable variety of flavors and meat types. I live on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia and will list some suppliers for my area at the end of this article. If you live elsewhere then I suggest seeking out your local natural/health/organic type food store.

One of the key drivers/dynamics behind why much organic food and drink is so good is that a lot of it (not all mind you) is produced by people who care deeply about their product and their customers. Sure, they make a profit and are in business to do so, however many are not governed by an army of barking shareholders who want to make as much out of you as possible, all the while stuffing you with crap.

Many of the people running and working in organic type stores/retailers care about their customers too – much more so than the often bored souls we meet in the big supermarkets, who long for closing time, smoko or lunch.

If you want to improve your health and that of those you love, and have a much more pleasant shopping experience with a better and wider choice, shop natural and organic.

Here are just some examples of products we enjoy…

Lemonade lemons – these are delicious lemons which you can eat like you would an orange – they are not bitter. Did you even know they exist?

Organic Maple Spread

Honey Roasted Macadamias (I have cut right back on these due to my weight loss!)

Chilli Cinnamon Drinking Chocolate

Check out your local organic or natural food store today.

A local Gold Coast, Queensland supplier:

Wray Organic: Palm Beach and Broadbeach. Click here for my blog article.

Guilt free sausages – living better & healthier is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Nordic diet and obesity – interesting article

Alex Webley — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:31:44 +0000

Reindeer and meatballs for dinner: Researchers promote Nordic diet to curb obesity

This article raises a number of interesting points concerning weight loss, not all from the perspective of the Nordic diet.

Nordic diet and obesity – interesting article is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Weight loss update

Alex Webley — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:24:43 +0000

Currently I am down to 94.9 Kg.

This last month I have lost 100g.

Not terrific in one sense I know, however having a nasty bout of Urticaria did not help; the management of which hindered my diet situation. Examples include: 1) having to eat a big meal before taking steroids, and then more on top, 2) discovering that a key medication I was taking for heartburn was the cause of the Urticaria meant that I had to manage food differently.

On a more positive note; I have not only maintained my lost weight but have dropped slightly. And this is in spite of a drop in exercise due to the Urticaria. This time of year here on the sub tropical Gold Coast is not good for me exercise wise either. This is because I tend to get much of my exercise from walking and cycling and in the hot humid summer we have had this year I have had fewer opportunities to venture out without becoming too hot. Additionally, due to the Urticaria, I have not been able to use sunscreen so as to avoid an extra load for my skin to deal with.

Overall, I am pleased with my progress and am looking forward to increasing exercise now that the Urticaria has virtually gone, and soon the hot, humid weather will be gone.

If you too are in a similar situation with regard to your weight loss progress it is important not to be discouraged. Focus on the positive and if you have ‘excuses’, make sure they are genuine and real. If not, deal with them. Good health dictates that it is important to achieve an optimum weight. Not increasing the problem is of course paramount – from there you can make progress downwards.

In my case then, I am focusing on the positive aspect that I have maintained position with a slight improvement; in spite of difficulties. My focus now is on increasing the rate of progress.

For those who want to see some more of the articles I have written about this subject; here is the link. (Weight loss).

For more information about the Urticaria please click here.

Weight loss update is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Want to be nagged about losing weight?

Alex Webley — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 09:24:51 +0000

Some people find being nagged, or reminded, about losing weight to be helpful.

Whatever works for you, provided of course that it is sensible, legal and doesn’t harm you or others is probably a good bet.

Here is where you can arrange to be nagged once a week about your weight via email. It’s free. They also have a paid text/SMS nagging service.

Over to you:

http://www.weightnags.com/

And if you are someone who finds making a public declaration or pledge helpful in losing weight, but don’t want to go as far as setting up your own blog or website then perhaps http://www.pledgehammer.com/ is for you. Pledge Hammer can be used for other stuff besides losing weight and like Weight Nags, is also free.

Want to be nagged about losing weight? is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Quick weight loss progress update.

Alex Webley — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:21:54 +0000

Today I have hit 95 Kg – 100g less than yesterday and 800g less than earlier in the week.

Some of my other indicators are encouraging too, such as my Body Mass Index (BMI) which is now 28.8.

Having an accurate electronic body fat monitor and scale is a great booster when losing weight because you can see even small improvements – such as my 100g today – and get other supporting/encouraging information as well.

You can read about the special monitor/electronic scales I am using on one of my earlier blog posts.

Key tip: when losing weight, use a good quality, accurate, comprehensive body fat monitor and electonic scale. Get encouragement from even small improvements.

Quick weight loss progress update. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Progress with my healthy weight loss.

Alex Webley — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:36:52 +0000

I survived!

What you say?

The Christmas and New Year festivities! All that food and drink; well, for some anyway. Oink.

My weight is now 95.8 Kg which is 0.3 Kg higher than my best weight of 16th of December.

Disappointing in one sense that I have not made further progress; that said I did eat and drink more than normal over the festive period.

What is good however is that I found the advice in the Strip That Fat diet system to be invaluable in helping me to minimize the excess weight that I put back on. I had much more control over what I was eating and drinking.

Another point I should mention is that since I started the Strip That Fat program I have not been doing a lot of exercise, which is something that the system suggests I attend to (in a reasonable, non excessive manner – unlike some diet programs).

The reason for this is that the only exercise I enjoy these days is walking, cycling and dancing; partly because I find treadmill type behavior to be extremely boring.

Unfortunately, because I live on the Gold Coast in South East Queensland, Australia, my local climate is sub tropical. It is hot, humid and sunny. Skin cancer is a high risk in this region. I like walking and cycling while I am getting things done around town, however at this time of year it is too hot and the risk of skin damage from the sun is worse than in the cooler months. Icky sunscreen is also required. What all this means is that I am just doing limited walking around shopping malls when getting business done and some limited internal, air-conditioned exercise at home. This is not a series of excuses; it is simply that I like to exercise when I am getting things done (otherwise I risk getting bored), or when I go for walks with my wife (too hot at this time of year also). I don’t like the heat, or associated sunburn risk.

I like swimming in the ocean, rivers and lakes, however in this region we have many dangerous or noxious creatures – sharks infest our waterways and canals, as well as being a risk in the ocean (recent story), – the ocean has strong rips and the beaches are attended by lifesavers who rescue loads of people because the waters are so dangerous. Drownings are a regular occurrence here. Due to the need to swim between the flags (lifesavers) one often has to swim in a crowd with the associated hassle and collisions. Swimming outside the flags can not only be highly dangerous, but it is also irresponsible – if you get into trouble and someone tries to rescue you then the risk to THEM can be higher if you are outside the flags. Dangerous snakes are common on our beaches. I avoid public pools because of either health risks or excessive chlorine and in any case I have never enjoyed the thought of swimming in other people’s urine and bodily secretions.

I realize that I need to increase my home based exercise because my body needs it. Longer term we will be moving south to a cooler, more healthy climate. I am originally from England anyway and have never been a fan of heat. I ended up here in this region due to decisions taken by my family when I was younger and kind of got ‘stuck’ in the place.

One of the reasons I have gone into such detail about my lack of exercise is to demonstrate that I am still making progress with my weight loss on the Strip That Fat system despite not exercising in the way I should be.

Since I started my diet in late November my body fat percentage has dropped from 33.2 to 32.8, visceral fat level from 14 to 13, BMI 29.5 to 29.1 and my skeletal muscle percentage has risen from 30.1 to 30.3. The trend is good. I still have a long way to go and plenty of piggy fat to get rid of.

Progress with my healthy weight loss. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Do fit people earn more money?

Alex Webley — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:00:45 +0000

A study published in the British Medical Journal finds the healthier you are, the richer you will become. Researchers examined the link between health and wealth in rich countries, and found that healthier people are more productive at work, earn more, and spend more days in the work force because they don’t take as much sick leave.

It may seem really obvious, but an investment in health produces big dividends for individuals, their families and the economy as a whole.

Exercise and healthy eating improve the blood flow within the most vital organ to your success…your brain.

You, like all of us, most likely want more money and more success, but the very first steps should be incorporating exercise and a regular diet into your schedule.

Here is a quick question for you:

Have you ever been at work and eaten a very unhealthy lunch or snack while sitting at your desk (99% of you are answering yes right now, we all do it)?

What follows this snack or meal however, is what I am talking about…

Did you feel, sluggish, lazy, unexcited about work and uninspired? Chances are you did.

On the other hand, if you ate a healthy lunch and went for a walk, you would have come back rejuvenated, thinking in a positive way, and thinking clearly.

Here are a few interesting facts:

(1) People that are fit earn more money

(2) People that are fit get better jobs

(3) People that are healthy typically experience less stress

(4) People that are fit have a more positive outlook on life

So, if you want more money, a better job, less stress and a better outlook on life, you should incorporate a “fitness” and “health” routine in your diet. (And make sure you get sufficient sleep).

Do fit people earn more money? is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Further progress with my healthy weight loss and key information about scales

Alex Webley — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:27:06 +0000

For those following my progress with weight loss, I have lost nearly a kg and am starting to get close to going down another belt notch; so it is coming off my waist. I feel better too.

In case anyone is wondering what I am using to measure my progress, it is an electronic scale: Omrom HBF500 Body Composition Monitor with Scale. I bought mine from Amazon in the USA, despite being here in Australia. It was much cheaper, even when shipping was taken into account. (Note: Australian customers cannot normally buy certain electronic items from Amazon and I had to use my US mailing service, who then forwarded the item to me).

Click the banner below to go directly to the Amazon website Health & Personal Care section:

During my research phase (I was determined to obtain a good quality electronic scale) I discovered that the Omron range is particularly good. Here are some interesting links I discovered:

Omron Health Care home page

Body Fat Monitors – Comparison Chart (Omron)

Note: mine is the HBF 500. Western means the non Asian physique. If you are not Asian, then the other non western monitors on the page will not work properly for you (and vice versa).

Key information about visceral fat (Omron)

Choice Test – Body Fat Scales (Australian consumer magazine)

Further progress with my healthy weight loss and key information about scales is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Joy Wizard » Weight Loss

Fitness and weight loss tips and update on personal progress.

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Weight loss and my personal journey (results).

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Guilt free sausages – living better & healthier

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Nordic diet and obesity – interesting article

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Weight loss update

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Want to be nagged about losing weight?

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Quick weight loss progress update.

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Progress with my healthy weight loss.

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Do fit people earn more money?

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Further progress with my healthy weight loss and key information about scales

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