• 18May 13

  New Beginnings

  Hey guys! I just wanted to jump on here and thank you all for your support recently. Some of you may have seen the report on MCV -- if you haven't, please check it out. Loads of people have since been in touch with some very kind messages, mostly expressing their opinions on what happened, and what's happening to GameSpot UK in general. The GameSpot UK Podcast page offers some particularly interesting feedback, all of which I've been paying very close attention to.

  Subsequently, a lot of people have been in touch asking what I'm up to now. The last couple of weeks have been really exciting -- I've put out the first episode of my new weekly podcast, which not only reunited me with Jane Douglas, Lucy James and Dan Maher, but also went to number one on the iTunes chart. I've also been busy writing for Wired, appearing on BBC and Sky News, and updating my YouTube channel with new videos. In the next few weeks I'll be sitting on a BAFTA games journalsim debate, interviewing Rhianna Pratchett at the Hay Festival, talking about the next Xbox on CNN and BBC, and of course heading out to E3. If you're going to be attending any of those events, please say hi, and if not, I look forward to hearing from you over on my website or on Twitter. There's loads more coming down the line, but for now, please let me know what you think! See you all again soon.

  
  Jane, Lucy, Dan and I recording the first episode of my new podcast.

  • Posted May 18, 2013 2:04 pm GMT
  • Category: Games
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• 5Aug 11

  UFC Personal Trainer Update -- Week 4

  It's the final day of the UFC Personal Trainer programme--here's my final update!

  After four weeks, the UFC Personal Trainer competition is over. I'm a little bit sad to be honest, but I can't deny I'm also looking forward to a pint of beer and a pizza binge this weekend! After slower results last week, I made a really hard push this week. Training-wise, it's been more difficult than ever, with UFC Personal Trainer really upping the difficulty and length of my workout sessions.

  However, the results have made the hard work pay off--I've gone down from a 34-inch waist to 31-inches, and I've been able to fit back into medium-sized clothing with ease. I dediced to treat myself to some new clothes on the weekend to celebrate! Today's weigh-in also provided better results. I went down to 75.5kg, another 1kg over last week. This means that after a month using UFC Personal Trainer, I've gone from being substantially overweight to within healthy BMI levels, which has made me very happy indeed.

  The best way to show my weight loss, though, is in pictorial form. Apologies in advance for the topless photos, but hopefully they show how using UFC I was able to change my body. Here are the images I submitted to MCV magazine on 8th July, followed by the ones I took this morning on 5th August.

  BEFORE

  

  AFTER

  

  I'm still a few kilogrammes away from my ideal weight, but I'll be sure to keep you updated on my progress as I embark on a new UFC 60-day programme!

  Friday 1st July
  Weight: 84kg

  Friday 8th July
  Weight: 80.5kg (-3.5kg lost)

  Friday 15th July
  Weight: 79kg (-1.5kg lost)

  Friday 22nd July
  Weight: 77kg (-2.0kg lost)

  Friday 29th July
  Weight: 76.5kg (-0.5kg lost)

  Friday 5th August
  Weight: 75.5kg (-1.0kg lost)

  Total lost: 8.5kg (1.34st)

  • Posted Aug 5, 2011 3:43 am GMT
  • Category: General
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• 29Jul 11

  UFC Personal Trainer Update -- Week 3

  Welcome to my penultimate UFC fitness update--not long to go!

  My third week of UFC Personal Training has been a mix of highs and lows. I've completed challenges that would have seemed impossible at the beginning of the month, but I've also indulged more than I should have. Overall, though, things are still on track.

  I suffered two slip-ups this week when it came to being healthy. On Sunday, I went for a picnic with a blanket full of food and drink, including bread, wine and sweets. The weather was great, and I happily gorged in the lot. On Tuesday, I got an overwhelming urge for ravioli pasta, so I went and filled up on a large serving accompanied by more bread. I even had a cupcake for desert.

  While I do feel guilty about these treats, I balanced things out with a great week of exercise. I've been completing the UFC challenges faster than ever before, and even earned an achievement for a total of five hours spent using the game. V-ups are no longer a chore, but I've been introduced to a new form of torture--the T Press Up, which the game makes me do more reps of than the already-painful standard press up.

  I also managed to run 10km on Monday--an achievement I would have thought impossible only three weeks ago. I was also restrained at both a birthday party and a leaving party this week, turning down beers and shots anddrinking Diet Coke instead.

  In terms of weight loss, I've only managed to lose 0.5kg this week--my lowest loss to date. However, I'm confident that fat is turning into muscle, as my clothes are starting to become too big. I'm really looking forward to splurging on some new clothes, but first I need to focus on the final week of the challenge. Check back next week to see how I fare!

  Friday 1st July
  Weight: 84kg

  Friday 8th July
  Weight: 80.5kg (-3.5kg lost)

  Friday 15th July
  Weight: 79kg (-1.5kg lost)

  Friday 22nd July
  Weight: 77kg (-2.0kg lost)

  Friday 29th July
  Weight: 76.5kg (-0.5kg lost)

  Total lost to date: 7.5kg (1.18st)

  • Posted Jul 29, 2011 7:30 am GMT
  • Category: General
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