
To put it in simple terms, I’m a big person and I have been for years. At least (on and off) since my early 30s. I’m currently 45.
What do I mean by big? I’m 186 cm tall and I weigh about 130 Kg. [Edit 19 Nov 2014: I probably weighed closer to 136-7 kg] I have a significantly big gut, though I’m not really fat anywhere else. I don’t have a fat face and I don’t have a “fat” look at all.
The reasons why I’m fat (I’m not shy about calling myself that – I’m not in denial about my size at all) – the reason why I’m fat is ludicrously simple. I eat too much relative to my energy output. That is, the same reason as anyone else plus-sized. I love my food. I have an undying admiration for certain kinds of smallgoods – you know, salamis, silverside – factually most meats. I like the savoury taste of meat. As much I’d like to go full vegetarian I know I’d miss that taste and I’m not clever enough with my food choices to conjure up a palatable substitute in a hurry.
And I eat too much of everything. It’s not what I eat, it’s how much of it. I struggle with portion sizes, I usually finish off what my kids won’t eat and so on. I’m the garbage guts of the household.

I know why I’m fat and I know what it takes to reduce my weight. So why haven’t I? Well, it’s called the Couldn’t Be Assed Syndrome, or also known as the Too Hard Basket Syndrome. There’s quite a bit of not finishing what I started too.
So I’ve come up with Operation 47. I’m currently 45 as I said (45 and 7/12 to be precise) and I turn 47 in December 2015. Can I lose 40 kilograms between now and then? I’m sure I could. That’s about 70 weeks away. 40 kilograms in 70 weeks is about 0.57 kilograms a week weight loss. Which is neither particularly difficult to do nor injurious to one’s health.
Not only do I want to lose weight, but I want to become stronger. I have what’s called an endomorphic build according to constitutional psychology theory (which see) and so I’m “big-boned” and have a proclivity to pack it on. So I want to start pumping iron. I’m aware that I’m probably going to put on weight due to muscle mass being heavier, but once the fat starts coming off, it’ll balance itself out.
I don’t currently have a diet plan or anything like that in mind, but I have a better than fair idea of what works. So that’s covered. So when does Operation 47 start? Right now.
Let battle commence.