Do old dogs get to be this fat?

Since my early 30's and for the last 25 years I've been a desk jockey.  Look at the state of me as a result.  Here are some pictures ( I threatened them before ...)

Lower legs - note the adema related to poor circulation and the effect of type 2 diabetes (skin discolouration) below my calves.  It's taking an age to recover.

These are the scary photos...

Tummy and chest front on.  Fat.  Huge round podge.  Fat under the arms.  Shocking to see me like this in a photo.  I don't know why but the lying toad of a bedroom mirror does not tell me the same story.

Tummy side on - oh dear a view one never really wants to see.  Back braking!  No surprise that I have spine and joint pains too.  I'm a one sided cantilever bridge and the support cables down my back are under excessive strain.

25 yers or so ago (before I became a desk jockey) I was a hard playing fit and strong amateur American Footballer looking absolutely nothing like this.  When did it all go wrong?  And I look like this AFTER losing 3 stone!  So many people are polite to me saying how much slimmer I look.  Pah!  I'm thoroughly disgusted with myself.

So it was uncomfortable riding the bike today was it?  It was hard riding into the headwind was it?  Aw you poor thing.  I'm a fat man looking for sympathy because I had an hour or two of discomfort on the bike today.  STOP!  I'm grossly overweight.  Tell me so.  What should I expect?  Whose fault is it?   Hark lah de dah bloody gunner Tyssen! 25 years of being sat on my arse doing nothing about it and ending up like this and finding it hard at times to ride is my fault.

Let's not get too negative here.  Good news is I'm now doing regular 35 to 45 mile days every alternate day on the bike and that does include some hard climbs (steeper than 1 in 10) without getting off the bike (Garrowby Hill, Brandsby Bank etc..).  I'm determined not to give in.

The creaking 5 bar gate bike with tractor tyres no longer moans now it has been serviced so I'm happier.  In fact I'm ENJOYING the physical exercise.  Thighs are feeling harder; iron like, and my breathing and pulse does recover remarkably quickly after hill climbs.  Even though I continue to take the tablets my blood pressure was down at the best ever last week - 114/75 with bpm of 49.  Wow!  The numbers are reducing!  Kathryn's dad, Howard, jokes how my target should be zero.  Ho ho ho.  Not funny.

How much easier / faster would it be if I wasn't shunting an extra 7 stone of blubber around with me.  Don't get me wrong I'll never be a racing snake.  Nonetheless, the interesting thing will be whether there is any change to my body during my prep rides, whilst riding LEJOG starting mid May or after it in June.  Photo's to follow.  Ulp!

For sure it has not and will not be an easy journey all of the time.  From 3-4 months ago when I started to pull it together through today and into the future.  Both mentally and physically and because of the efforts needed to do it.

LEJOG are two destinations connected by a bike ride.  That describes where.  However it truly is the end to end JOURNEY from the very start several weeks ago to the end of it that matters.

Lets all enjoy the ride.