'The Fat Swimmer Bit'

'Diets' Who needs them. Well I guess I have been trying to lose weight since I hit 40 and realised it was hard work once you get 'older'

The recent past has seen me hitting 19st 10lbs in around 2000. I went on a golfing holiday for a week with a non playing Mrs Tewson. Nice 5* hotel with bloody scales in the bathroom. I really did not realise how heavy I had become! To Cap this we all had pics taken on the 1st Tee. To cut to the chase Mrs Tewson said 'Quick go and buy those pics before everyone sees them'. I guess for the next 7 years I yo yo'd up and down between 17 and 20 stone. At the time of my heart problems I weighed around 20 stone 6 lbs. The consultant said for me to concentrate on stopping smoking and hit the weight loss later.

Giving up smoking is easy compared to a successful diet. When someone says you will die within 2 years if you don't stop it gives you will power.  Now diets ! Well you are not stopping something 100% are you , we still need to eat so its just a matter of cutting down or cutting out, simples. The problem is I like food especially the fatty stuff. I have grown used to eating large portions of the wrong foods.

So after my bi-pass I started a Diet. I lost 3 stone 6lbs over the next 15 months. 2 stone 6 lbs of this before I started swimming . I swam at my first competition a fighting 18 stone. I looked huge compared to all these Masters Swimmers who all look trim to me. For the next 2 years I have stayed at around 17 stone. I still look huge in comparison to my fellow competitors and I am sure that by losing another 2-3 stone will enable me to swim faster. This is the key for me. I want to swim faster and win more national events. I will not do it with technique and training alone I need to trim down again.
So as of this morning I had reduced to 17 st 2 lbs. I am in the middle of a diet started after Xmas. I had put weight on after a shoulder surgery enforced layoff.. So having reduced again to present weight from 18 stone 6lbs I am determined to continue at a steady pace until my times improve.
This is as open and honest as I have ever been so I hope no one is reading this.