In his latest column, the Tameside Radio presenter gives an update on his weight loss journey and discusses the impact of the recent storms.

I’ve reached something of a milestone this week on my weight loss journey. I’ve lost 16 and a half pounds, which is the equivalent of roughly 15 tins of baked beans. 

How do I know this random piece of information? Well, Jane and Gail from Slimming World Tameside presented me with a carrier bag full of them.

It’s a really jaw-dropping way of realising how far I’ve come since the start of the year, when I began to follow their plan and cut out a lot of the mindless snacking I was doing before.

If you work in an office, you’ll know that temptations lie all around, and ours is no exception. 

I’ve found that bulk buying herbal tea helps stop me from reaching for a chocolate bar, and the fact we’re only a few minutes’ walk from Ashton Market helps, as I can stock up on fresh fruit whenever the mood takes me. 

I’ve discovered a new love for sushi, pickled eggs, gherkins, blueberries and Weetabix, in place of Monster Munch, red Bounty bars (apparently the fact they are dark chocolate makes no difference to their health benefits, much to my disappointment), and Haribo Supermix.

It’s amazing how much more confident you begin to feel about yourself when you start to get trim and shed the wobbly bits. 

Don’t worry, I won’t be applying for Heat Magazine’s Torso of the Fortnight or anything daft, but the key for me is where you want to be in your own mind. I cringe when I hear remarks like ‘gosh, you don’t need to lose any weight, you’re absolutely fine.’ 

I hasten to add that’s never really been said to me, but I’ve overhead it many times being said to others. Some people struggle to gain weight, and it’s equally insensitive to pass comment on your perception of how thin they are. 

The only person who knows where you’d like to be in terms of your weight on the scales is you. My consultants from Slimming World have been so supportive, and going to a couple of group meetings has been hugely enjoyable too.

I’m trying to include a daily walk as part of my routine, as well as making better food choices, but the weather certainly hasn’t made that easy lately.

Three named storms inside seven days is a record since the storm-naming system began in 2015. Are there more extreme weather events now they are allocated daft names like Dudley, or do we just notice them more in the news coverage? Either way, it seems to me that we need to think very carefully before building in flood-risk areas. 

Figures released in late 2021 showed that more than 5,000 homes had been given the green light in areas located in zones that area likely to flood. I can’t imagine how devastating it must be for your home or business to be destroyed by surging river water. 

Demand for housing far outstrips availability, but common sense must always be applied in terms of where new developments end up being built.

In case you’re interested, the next named storm we can look forward to will be known as Gladys. I think instantly of either the soul singer or the nurse from Open All Hours. Showing my age in both cases, I guess. Here’s hoping we get a bit of respite before she arrives. 

I honestly thought our house was going to blow away during Storm Franklin. It was almost impossible to sleep, and my thoughts go to anyone forced to work outdoors in those conditions. 

It was also really sad to see trees destroyed that had stood proudly against the elements for hundreds of years. 

The roof of the O2 got raised even more than the time I saw Spandau Ballet there, too.

Here’s to hopefully losing another three pounds and getting to the magical 14 stone before I head to Sheffield on March 5 for a beer festival! 

Stout sampling will be much more fun if I can raise a half pint glass to that! 

You can hear my weigh-in every Thursday morning on Tameside Radio just after eight. Anyone for baked beans and Weetabix?

You can listen to Alex every weekday from 7am to 11am and on the 'Super Scoreboard' show on Saturdays from 3pm to 7pm, on Tameside Radio 103.6FM. 

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