The Birthday “Blip” is gone (and it took some friends with it!)😂

Well, that didn’t take long!

In my last post, I talked about my  “Birthday Blip” – a 1.7 lb gain after a week of entirely expected birthday celebrations.

But even when you plan for a fall the landing still bruises the ego. You know it’s probably just water weight when you see the scale move the wrong way, but it still stings a bit.

However, as I predicted, it didn’t take long to correct it! Not only is the blip gone, it’s been well and truly obliterated.

After just a few days back on my regular protocol I’ve hit a new low: 16 stone 11.1 lbs (235.1 lbs / 106.6 kg). That’s a 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) drop since Tuesday! “What!?” I hear you cry! “That’s just two days ago isn’t it!?!?”

Yes, gentle reader, I’ve dropped 2.5lbs – which is my weekly average weight-loss target – in just two days!!! 🥳🎉🥂🎂

If that isn’t the best birthday present, I don’t know what is!

That’s another couple of milestones ticked off – 10kgs lost since I started in December! 30lbs lost since my type 2 diagnosis in 2023!

At this rate, it won’t be long before I’m under 230lbs, and until I also break through another epic milestone – the 100kg mark!

The Three-Pronged Attack

But a reminder – these results don’t come cheap.

There is no doubt you could get decent results just by intermittent fasting, or just by cleaning up your diet, or just by exercising alone.

But to get these kinds of “aggressive” results that actually move the needle on a regular basis – and not just on the scales, but in terms of reversing type 2 diabetes –  a multifaceted “three-pronged approach” is the best way to do it. For me, this week that meant:

• The Fasting: Getting straight back into my 36-hour rhythm to reset my insulin levels.
• The Fuel: No sugar, refined carbs or ultra processed food. Just high-quality protein and “clean” veggies.
• The Exercise: I’ve had a big 1.25km swim session on Monday (2 x 500m + 250m), then a recovery swim last night (4 x 250m) and also a trail run (walk/run) on Tuesday.

That third prong is huge. Getting into the pool or out on the road isn’t just about burning calories; it’s about forcing your muscles to soak up any excess blood sugar.

A pragmatic side note about fat loss vs water loss

Let’s be real about that sudden massive loss of weight. I didn’t actually burn off two and a half pounds of fat in two days. That would be challenging to say the least (but not impossible!). What I’ve experienced in the last few days is what’s known in dieting circles as the “whoosh effect.”

When I broke my scheduled programming for my birthday (eating more carbs and salt than usual, no fasting, no exercise) just for a few days, my body loaded back up on water like a sponge.

Once I got back to the fasting, the swimming, the running, and the ketogenic eating, my body finally felt comfortable letting go of that water.

But hitting 235.1 lbs means that underneath all that water fluctuation, the actual weight loss hadn’t stopped. Just paused temporarily.

Eyes on the prize: Diabetes is getting on my nerves!

While the scale is a great ego boost, the real reason I’m celebrating is my neuropathy. Every swim and every “clean” meal is a deposit into the health bank to protect my nerves. This all started in December when I had a painful wake-up call – my first symptoms of diabetic neuropathy – numbness in one of my feet which lasted 18 hours!

This was shortly followed by an HbA1c reading of 79 mmol/mol – which told me exactly why I’d had numbness in my foot.

So the reason for such an aggressive approach to weight loss is that my diabetes was literally starting to get on my nerves. I had my wake-up call, and results like these above demonstrate that I’m answering it, loud and clear. Fuck you diabetes!

I’m feeling much fitter, both in the water and on the trail, my blood pressure is doing great, my resting heart rate is excellent for my age, and I’m ticking off weight loss milestones even despite the occasional blip where life gets in the way.

The lesson

Don’t ever let a “blip” become a “slide.” Own these little detours. They are often predictable. If you have a business trip coming up or an occasion like a birthday, or Easter, or whatever it might be – just plan for it. Yes, life gets in the way sometimes! And that’s fine! As long as your plan is solid any minor detours that life presents you will simply be that – detours. You will continue to get fantastic results. Just get back on track, and wait for the whoosh!