When I wrote my Week 2 update, I was sitting in a slightly strange place.
On one hand, I had already reached my first milestone of getting below 17 stone and had seen my weight drop as low as 236.8 lbs.
On the other hand, my official Week 2 weigh-in had bounced back up to 238.4 lbs and I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about it.
Part of me knew I was making progress.
Part of me wondered whether things had already started slowing down.
Fortunately, Week 3 helped put that concern into perspective.
The Scale Doesn't Move in a Straight Line
One of the biggest lessons from Week 3 has been learning that weight loss doesn't happen in a neat, tidy downward line.
After seeing 238.4 lbs at my official Week 2 weigh-in, I returned to my normal Monday to Thursday routine and carried on doing exactly what I had been doing before.
A few days later I weighed in at:
235.0 lbs
A few days after that:
235.2 lbs
Which means I'm now sitting almost exactly at my lowest recorded weight.
Looking back, it seems increasingly obvious that the earlier increase wasn't fat gain.
More likely it was:
- Water retention
- Exercise recovery
- Carbohydrate intake
- Alcohol
- Salt
- Normal fluctuations
The important thing was that I didn't panic when I saw the higher number.
I simply carried on.
That might not sound remarkable, but historically I think I would have found that much more difficult.
Current Position
Starting weight:
247.0 lbs
Current weight:
235.2 lbs
Total loss:
11.8 lbs
Current weight in old money:
16 st 11.2 lbs
Next milestone:
16 st 7 lbs (231 lbs)
Distance remaining:
4.2 lbs
That target feels much closer now than it did a few weeks ago.
Food Noise Update
The biggest success still isn't the scale.
It's the continued reduction in food noise.
I've noticed a slight change during Week 3.
For the first time in quite a while I experienced a couple of genuine hunger pangs in my stomach.
I've also found myself occasionally seeing things online like pizzas, kebabs or takeaway food and thinking:
"That would be nice."
The key difference is what happens next.
The thought appears.
Then it disappears.
There isn't a long negotiation.
There isn't a growing obsession.
There isn't an urge building throughout the day until it eventually turns into action.
The thought comes and goes without much effort.
For me, that's a huge change.
Food hasn't become unattractive.
I've simply stopped feeling controlled by it.
I think that's a much healthier outcome.
Side Effects Have Settled
Week 1 brought some mild nausea, a stomach cramp and slower digestion.
By Week 3 most of those issues have largely settled down.
The nausea has been almost non-existent.
The low-energy feeling has also mostly disappeared.
At first I worried that might mean the medication was working less effectively.
However, the food noise remains significantly improved, so I no longer think those things are directly linked.
In fact, being able to enjoy food without constantly thinking about food is probably where I was hoping to end up anyway.
Exercise Continues to Improve
One of the most encouraging developments this week has been my training.
I completed another full weights session and increased my volume to four sets.
The session included:
- Squats
- Calf raises
- Mountain climbers
- Dumbbell bench press
- Overhead tricep extensions
- Bicep curls
- Shoulder press variations
- Front raises
- Crunches
Workout stats:
- Duration: 1 hour
- Calories: 543
- Average HR: 121 bpm
- Maximum HR: 156 bpm
The important thing isn't the calorie number.
The important thing is that while losing nearly 12 pounds, I'm still progressing in the gym.
The move from three sets to four sets suggests that I'm at least maintaining strength and work capacity rather than seeing them collapse.
That gives me confidence that the weight coming off is largely body fat rather than large amounts of muscle.
Cardio has also continued.
One treadmill session included:
- Duration: 1 hour
- Distance: 5.25 km
- Steps: 6,935
- Calories: 490
Exercise is becoming routine again instead of something I occasionally do when I feel motivated.
The Weekend Test
This was probably my most indulgent weekend since starting.
Friday included:
- Nando's chicken pitta
- Peri salted chips
- Half a regular popcorn at the cinema
Saturday involved a birthday experience day arranged by my partner.
That included:
- A sharing platter at a fine dining restaurant
- Smoked salmon
- Haggis bon bons
- Mini fish and chips portions
- Creamy mushroom dishes
- Cranachan
- A couple of vodka and diet cokes
Later in the evening we had:
- Chicken pakora
- Chicken chaat drumsticks
- Poppadoms
- Spiced onions
And yes, there was a fair amount of vodka throughout the day too.
Objectively, this was undoubtedly my highest-calorie weekend since starting.
Yet something interesting happened.
The old pattern never emerged.
There was no:
- "Sod it, I'll start again Monday"
- Late-night chocolate binge
- Packet after packet of crisps
- Feeling completely out of control
I enjoyed the weekend.
Then I moved on.
The scale remained around 235 lbs.
To me, that's incredibly encouraging.
Food Choices Continue to Evolve
One thing I've noticed is that my idea of "good food" seems to be changing slightly.
Earlier in the journey I was constantly looking for protein bars, shakes and processed protein products.
Some of them are useful.
Many of them don't taste particularly good.
I'm increasingly enjoying simpler meals:
- Steak with vegetables
- Chicken and salad
- Fish and potatoes
- Beans and omelettes
- Seabass with broccoli
One of my favourite meals this week was simply:
- Pan-fried seabass
- Baby potatoes
- Stem broccoli
- Garlic and chilli seasoning
Nothing fancy.
Just proper food.
I'm also becoming more aware of the importance of fibre.
Improved digestion has coincided with increasing:
- Beans
- Oats
- Vegetables
- Wholemeal options
That may not be the most glamorous part of the journey, but it has made a noticeable difference.
The Biggest Realisation So Far
Perhaps the most important lesson of Week 3 came from looking back at my old eating habits.
Before starting this journey, lunch often consisted of:
- A packet of crisps
- A zero-calorie drink
- Sometimes a Kinder Bueno
At the time I viewed that as sensible because I wasn't eating many calories.
The problem was what happened afterwards.
I would become ravenous by dinner.
Dinner portions grew.
Snacking became easier to justify.
Food occupied more mental space.
Looking back now, it wasn't helping me.
It was just moving the problem later into the day.
The goal isn't to feel as hungry as possible.
The goal is to lose weight in a way that feels sustainable.
That's a subtle but important difference.
Looking Ahead
Month 2 of treatment is approaching and I've already ordered the next dose, increasing from 1.5mg to 4mg.
I'm not expecting miracles.
More importantly, I'm not expecting the medication to do all the work.
The biggest change of the past three weeks isn't really the medication.
It's the habits.
The routines.
The reduced food noise.
The exercise.
The better food choices.
The fact that I now seem capable of enjoying weekends without turning them into a free-for-all.
If I can continue building on that while moving towards my next milestone of 16 st 7 lbs, I'll be very happy with the direction things are heading.
End of Week 3 Snapshot
Starting Weight: 247.0 lbs
Current Weight: 235.2 lbs
Total Loss: 11.8 lbs
Current Weight: 16 st 11.2 lbs
Next Milestone: 16 st 7 lbs (231 lbs)
Food Noise: Still significantly reduced
Training: Improving
Digestive Health: Improved
Clothing Fit: Improving
Energy Levels: Good
Biggest Lesson: Trust the process and don't judge progress by a single weigh-in.