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Previous week

With Christmas and New Year slowly fading to a distant memory, this week has seen an attempt to get back on track, ready to tackle the C9.

Knowing that I was starting such a restrictive plan, there was a temptation to food splurge, to have one final week of indulgence. But instead I tried to maintain a balanced eating and exercise plan, with just the odd wobble.

Food Diary

The McDonald’s was unplanned but kept to a modest amount whilst the fizzy drink and popcorn is somewhat of an indulgence but, hey, Star Wars.

I had hoped to reduce my tea intake down to virtually nil by the end of the week, phasing out perhaps a morning, afternoon or evening beverage. I cut out the odd one here and there but frustration and boredom conspired against me so that Friday was pretty much back to normal.

I am nervous but excited to get going with the plan, the weekend set aside for a day 3-9 shop and purchase of some snacks from the ‘free foods’ list.

Goals

Before we get going, time to reaffirm my hopes for these 9 days. These can also be recorded in the information booklet included within the pack.

For a goal to be truly effective, it should follow the SMART principles – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timed.

Skin – tackling my greasy, spotty neck, shoulders and back

Mind – restoring energy and concentration

Body – breaking through the 11st barrier, perhaps slimming down to a 32” waist

For context, it is worth remembering that I am two and bit years removed from therapy for anxiety and depression. I am well aware that issues of the mind are not fixed by a magic pill and that depression in particular can leave you feeling low energy, unmotivated and lacking concentration.

Whilst these issues are not and will not ever be permanently behind me, I am able to recognise the signs and can confidently state that I am not currently afflicted with depression. On that basis, I am hopeful that changes to diet and routine can make a genuine difference to my mindset.

It is important to keep in mind that anxiety is caused by my own thoughts and actions, not external factors, and I am therefore responsible for addressing these behaviours. Perhaps though the C9 can go some way to clearing away the cobwebs, giving me the energy needed to tackle the malaise.

Weigh in & Measurements

These can also be recorded in the information booklet included within the pack and should be taken on days 1,3,6 and 9.

Weight: 11st 3lbs

Chest: 39 inches

Biceps: 10 inches

Waist: 35.5 inches

Hips: 37 inches

Thighs: 21.5 inches

Calves: 13.5 inches

After a previous day weigh in at 11st 4lbs, a pleasant surprise this morning to find I had reached my starting weight target of 11st 3lbs.

Most of the other measurements mean little to me at the moment although it is strange to see my waist come out at 35.5 inches given that I wear a comfortable 34 inch trouser.

Smile For The Camera!

Okay, time to capture this for posterity. Warning, images may contain flab!

So this is me. Handsome fellow, huh?

I would consider myself to be in reasonable overall health. I am overweight but not grossly so, the areas of particular concern around the chest or ‘moobs’ whilst the stomach would benefit from a bit of tightening up.

My skin issues flare up across my back, neck and shoulders, to the extent that I have been reluctant to get my hair cut due to embarrassment at what would be revealed, and concern over what might be clipped.

On the bottom half, my thighs are a little chunky, although my regular walks have definitely contributed to a slimming down here.

I have little in the way of muscle definition but then hey, a guy can’t have everything, right?

First 2 days

These will very likely be far and away the most difficult part of the plan as there is effectively no intake of ‘regular’ food. I will detail each day in full as I go but broadly speaking, days 1 and 2 will look like this;

Breakfast

• 2x Forever Garcinia Plus Softgels

• 120ml Forever Aloe Vera Gel

• 1x Forever Therm Tablet

Lunch

• 2x Forever Garcinia Plus Softgels

• 120ml Forever Aloe Vera Gel

• 1x Forever Therm Tablet

• 1x Scoop Forever Lite Ultra

Dinner

• 2x Forever Garcinia Plus Softgels

• 120ml Forever Aloe Vera Gel

Evening

• 120ml Forever Aloe Vera Gel

• 250ml of water

Snacks

• 1x Packet Forever Fibre

• Snacks from the ‘free foods’ list

Exercise

• 30 min minimum of low-intensity exercise

Fluids

• 8 glasses water (2-3 litres)

Next Steps

Blimey, this is really going to happen, isn't it?

I'll check in each day with a report on what I've had to eat and drink and how I'm feeling whilst on days 3,6 and 9 I will share my weight and measurements.

And don't forget, if you would like to take the plan yourself, search on Facebook for Aloe Vera Dreams or follow @AloeVeraDreams on Twitter.

Just a few days to go until the start of my Clean 9 plan so time to dive in and see what awaits.

What's In The Box?

First impressions are very positive. It's not a basis on which to form an opinion on the efficacy of the product clearly but the pack is well presented in a clean, clear, professional looking package that gives you a degree of comfort that you are in safe hands.

The Clean 9 pack contains the following;

• 2x 1 litre bottles Forever Aloe Vera Gel
• 1x Vanilla flavour Forever Lite Ultra shake mix
• Food supplement kit, including 54 Forever Garcinia Plus Softgels, 18 Forever Therm Tablets, 9 Forever Fibre Packets
• 1x shaker
• 1x tape measure
• 1x information booklet & planner
• 1x brochure

Weigh In

With a week to go until the start of my C9 challenge, time to take stock of where I am and think about some of the specifics.

Post-Christmas and New Year weigh in this morning puts me at 11st 5lbs. That is a 4lb gain from Christmas Eve but actually just 2lbs above what I consider an 'acceptable’ weight.

I have been eagerly anticipating the C9 but this (and in indeed an earlier) weigh in caused me some anxiety. Should I see the benefit of weight loss from the challenge, I don’t want to have gained so much over the festive period that anything lost simply returns me to where I was. My target is to break through the 11st barrier and so I want to be as close as possible to this before I start.

To this end, I strongly considered delaying my start date of 11th January but ultimately decided against it. Instead I opted to make this a healthy week, putting aside the leftover junk and stepping up the exercise. I enjoyed a 30 minute stint on the exercise bike before work followed by a 50-60 minute walk at lunchtime, a pattern that will be broadly maintained throughout the week, weather permitting. My meal plan will return to normal with a low-carb dinner based around vegetables or salad.

The sudden transition from an all out snack-a-thon to careful calorie control has been jarring, the evening period between getting home and dinner particularly difficult as my hunger pangs tried to override my brain to lead me into the sweet filled prmoised land of the kitchen. But I resisted, an important victory given what is to come. I don't rule out the occasional indulgence this week but it will be in moderation.

I have demonstrated to myself that I can shed a couple of excess pounds within a week and so this morning’s weigh in is no reason to delay the start of my C9. In fact I am toying with the idea of bringing it forward.

Start Date

Before starting this blog I was only notionally familiar with the C9 plan and will do a full unboxing during the week, however some background reading gives me pause for thought.

Of the 9 day plan, the first 2 appear the hardest as they are based predominantly around the Aloe Gel. There is a risk of low energy given the limited calorie intake.

Combined with the sheer fact of a fundamental change to diet, I am concerned that starting on a (working) Monday morning may not be prudent. My day has become broadly structured around when I eat certain foods, and of course I need to have a level of mental alertness. For that reason, I am considering starting on a Saturday, giving me the hardest 2 days at home which, although presenting different stresses of family life, may ultimately be easier to manage.

To be determined.

Potential Challenges

Increasing my water intake should not present a problem as I already consume a fair amount. I do however like to supplement this with several cups of tea, which will be a wrench to give up. Not just for the caffeine intake but also the break in the day it provides in making it. I intend to phase it out gradually this week, although I seemed to be staging a silent rebellion today, sneaking in an extra cup or two as a final act of defiance.

General snacking has also been a concern. I consider my current diet to be broadly healthy (Christmas excluded) but am conscious that it includes a number of processed items. Fruit bars may be better than chocolate bars but they are still packed with badness. It was interesting then to read about the number of items that are considered ‘free foods’ as part of the plan with many items of fresh fruit and raw vegetables admissible and which should provide ample snacking.

I am really looking forward to starting this plan, taking charge of my diet and hopefully laying the groundwork for a healthier, happier me.

Still To come

The countdown continues with a unboxing and summary of the C9 pack, a provisional 9 day dietary plan, a final pre-plan weigh-in and some ‘before’ pictures of my target areas.

Background

Having struggled with my weight for most of my life, in October 2014 I embarked on a healthy living campaign, reducing the amount of junk and snack foods in my diet and implementing a regular exercise regime.

From my starting weight of 12st 4lbs, I managed to reach 11st by Christmas 2014, representing 18lbs lost in 3 months.

Now a year later, with the healthy living regime embedded into my daily life, I have maintained my weight at or around the 11st mark, checking in for my final pre-Christmas weigh in at 11st 1lb.

This lifestyle change was driven in part by a desire to see what impact it would have on my mental health, documented in this blog series. But despite the improvements to my figure and mentality, there remain underlying issues with both body and mind.

And so 2016 represents a good place to try something different.

Current Diet

My eating routines are a self-devised plan of relatively balanced eating combined with exercise.

The key aspect is a change to my daily meal plan. Rather than a heavy dinner, I switched my main meal to lunchtime, followed by a brisk walk, ensuring that carbs are consumed during the day and intake limited post-3pm, an admittedly arbitrary deadline. Dinner is then a lighter meal, often containing many of the same elements as before but with the carbs stripped out, pasta or potatoes replaced by salad or extra vegetables.

Exercise normally consists of a lunchtime walk, a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. In the event that this is not possible, I replaced it with a pre-work session on the exercise bike.

With this increased level of activity, I have been conscious that my calorie intake must be maintained lest the pangs of hunger lower my mood and increase the desire for unhealthy binge eating. As such, my morning routine includes regular intake of fruit, fruit bars and low calorie crackers.

Fluid intake consists of a minimum 1 litre of water whilst I am partial to several cups of tea. Soft drinks are consumed on an exceptional basis only.

The plan is broadly followed throughout the week, although the structure of the working day makes it easier to follow Monday to Friday, weekends presenting more of a challenge.

Clean 9 – What is it?

The Clean 9 pack from Forever Living is a 9 day cleansing plan designed to cleanse your body and provide a starting point for improved diet and fitness habits.

Based around Forever’s Aloe Vera Gel drink, the pack includes gels and shakes that form the bedrock of the dietary element of the plan together with tablets, tape measure and information booklet to support you throughout and beyond.

It is important to stress that this is not a weight loss programme. The plan is designed first and foremost as a system cleanse and a means by which to kick-start healthier living. Those specifically seeking a weight loss plan should look elsewhere; whilst weight loss may be a happy side effect, it is not a stated objective of the plan and is in no way guaranteed.

Objectives

With these considerations in mind, what am I hoping for from the plan? There are three core areas that I hope to address;

Skin – My skin is horribly greasy and I am prone to frequent outbreaks of acne. As a 37 year old man, this is embarrassing to say the least. These flare ups usually occur on my neck, back and chest and are often both unsightly and uncomfortable. I will often dress in a way that offers maximum coverage, such as wearing high collars or even adding an extra layer, even when unwarranted by the weather. I am embarrassed to remove my shirt to go swimming and am even somewhat uncomfortable being topless in front of my partner.

These skin issues have had a fundamental impact on my self-confidence and undoubtedly played a role in my ongoing issues with depression and anxiety.

Mind – Perhaps as a side effect of the mental health issues noted above, or simply a standalone symptom, on a daily basis I find myself tired, lacking concentration and motivation. Whilst there are certainly external factors within my life, principally my twins and young son, these are long standing issues and not so easily dismissed.

Body – As satisfied as I am with having shed 18lbs, at 11st I remain just inside the ‘overweight’ category, as defined by the height / weight chart on the NHS website. With the disclaimer stated above duly noted, my target weight is 10st 6lbs, or 65kgs, which puts me squarely in the middle of the ‘ideal’ weight for someone of my relatively diminutive stature (5’5). Ideally I would also like to drop a waist size, from my current 34” to 32”.

Forever Living / Aloe Vera Dreams

The Clean 9 plan has been designed by US based Forever Living, a producer of health, wellness and nutrition products, distributed globally via a network of sellers.

In the interests of transparency, I was introduced to the product by my wife, a seller of Forever’s product range under the business name Aloe Vera Dreams.

Notwithstanding, one of the cornerstones of my writing has been an unflinching honesty, something to which regular readers of my blogs, not to mention this opening post, can no doubt attest.

As such, this blog will be a genuine, honest account of my experience with Clean 9 during each day of the plan; the good and the bad, the successes and the failures, the times the path is followed and any times I may slip.

You can order the C9 pack, and explore the full Forever range, by visiting Aloe Vera Dreams on Facebook, or on Twitter @AloeVeraDreams.

Join me on the journey, starting January 2016.

New year, new me.