So as we close in on the last few days of 2024 and begin to look forward to 2025, I thought that it might be a good idea to remember what has happened over the last 12 months in the world of slim.

January

The year started in Edinburgh watching Jarvis Cocker entertaining thousands of people in Princes Gardens. An amazing start to the year with some great company. I’d ended 2023 with a 3.5lb gain over Christmas and wasn’t really that hopeful for a loss given the food and beer over the New Year.

It’s one of those months that people say is going to be quiet. Not with my mates! We have four or five January babies so there is much celebrating to be done! There were gigs galore too so it was a bit of a struggle, however I ended the month with 5lb loss.

February

The Six Nations is very much a part of this month. A home game always involves a bit of beer and some incredible food. In the first week of the month, my weight dropped again by another pound and a half.

The rest of the month is the typical story of Rugby, beer and gigs. I ended the month with a 4lb loss so I must have been doing something right during that time.

March

I didn’t have a great start to the month. It was a gain in the first week but that was down to rugby matches, gigs and beers. I rarely drink at home on my own but when I go out socially then it’s a case that I will have beers and it’s a lot of them. I’d been feeling very low and as per usual as I’m a comfort eater, I just turned to food.

I started to get back into the walking frame of mind with a few Thornhill Mile walks and some other brief little yomps around the area. The month included the longest walk that I’d done for a while and a weekend in London to see Skindred for the first of four times this year.

The month ended with a fantastic group visit back up to Edinburgh. Six of us in an Airbnb that was absolutely spot on. A fantastic visit with lots of walking but again a lot of incredible food and beers.

I did come back from Auld Reekie with a stinking cold (quite possibly covid) and that floored me for a week after our visit.

April

After a rather sick start to the months gave me a great boost and a seven pound loss. Huge I know, but as the rest of the year goes on it appears to have stopped there. Lots more social events and afternoon drinkies in the rest of the month kept the weight at a flat level.

May

I think this is the month when my weight loss stopped. From here on out it’s stayed very level. I needed seven pounds to get to three stone off and this has not happened even as I write this in December. The reasons for this really are down to those that have been listed above but there’s a significant portion of my life that just forces me into stuffing my face.

A trip to Blackpool again for the Motorhead weekender again beers and Haribo galore. We had an unusual amount of activity in the sky allowing me to see the Aurora Borealis from my door. No need to go to Iceland to see that anymore!

A trip out to the very West of Wales followed with a lovely visit to St David’s and to Aberporth. It did include fish ‘n chips, a decent breakfast and more food at Cenarth Falls. All massively picturesque and a great spur of the moment weekend.

June

Not a great month. Went out to a friends stag do and came home with a raging hangover but also Covid. Possibly the second time this year. This month there were weddings, more gigs, trips out and getting close to the start of the festival season. My weight bounced around like a fat old bouncy thing. Up and down like a yo-yo. I must admit my updates and blog posts were starting to get a bit sparse and I did miss a few sessions at group.

I mostly maintained my weight through the month.

July

Again plenty of gigs and visits to Caerleon and The Gower, pubs and food again with the first of three festivals this year. Steelhouse was great this year with a tribute evening to the late Bernie Marsden on the Friday night and headline sets from Skindred and The Almighty.

My updates suffered a bit during the month. Lots of things happening that just stopped me from either going to Group of my just not really wanting to go.

August

It was festival month. Three big festivals and gain after gain after gain. Not good news but I suppose by this time, my willpower had all but disappeared. I’d had a great month watching a huge amount of bands play but in respect to the plan it was completely off it! It resulted in a hefty gain and that I suppose needed to be worked on.

September

No music festivals this month but there was a food festival so I suppose you can see the way that this was going to go! More gigs and an evening in Newport watching Hawxx. As I look back there was Brettstock too which was a good afternoon/evening at a mates house in Penarth!

I also headed up to Scotland again and has a fantastic few days camping with Alex in Glencoe. An evening out in town for Sara’s birthday and my weight is going nowhere.

October

ell, it was my birthday month after all. A great little weekend was planned to go to Golf Fang and then over to see Apocalyptica (a band that plays Metallica songs on cello’s!) I know that it wasn’t going to be a great weekend on plan and it wasn’t.

I started to get into the walking with small jaunts up to the M4 and back but two or three times a week. I’ve started to explore the maps and have found little paths that enable little cuts through to other parts of Thornhill. This has allowed me to extend the walk from a mile to two and a half miles.

There were a couple of Museum visits this month too. A lot of travelling but some brilliant exhibits at the Haynes Motor Museum and across the road at The Fleet Air Arm Museum.

November

Again, more gigs and another trip to London. Within Temptation at the Utilita and Anthrax / Kreator at the legendary Hammersmith Apollo. My weight was just gain and gain again. I literally had 1.5lbs to lose to get me to three stone loss.

I never seemed to be able to get there. There was a decent loss where I managed to lose 4lbs in the one week which lifted me slightly but I have however lost my way. This is definitely the wrong way and my mind just doesn’t want to get behind me to push my way forwards. 

December

Christmas has been disastrous. I did resist the Mince Pies until xmas eve but it’s just gone all massively badly over the last few weeks.

So it’s December 30th as I write and my last weigh-in of the year left me with a 5lb gain. I’ve gone back over the 25 stone mark again (only just) but it’s massively disappointing and to be honest I’m not sure whether I want to continue with Slimming World. I’m considering abandoning the journey and thinking that if I can’t lose just 1.5lbs then what’s the point.

I can sit and plan what I’m going to do and eat but I need to make some fundamental changes to my diet and to my life. Getting back out on foot and setting a target to achieve and then reviewing and resetting it. I need to consider driving to more events and giving the booze a miss. Changing the beers for Diet Coke’s again or zero alcohol beer.

Thank you to all those who have spent time with me this year. Your company has been invaluable and incredible. I really do appreciate each and every one of you. 

Thank you all for reading and I wish everyone a very happy New Year. Lets make 2025 the best yet.