Good News

This is a mixed bag here but i feel motivated so that makes it good news. I have been struggling with binge eating, alcohol and general laziness for the past few weeks. Last week in particular i felt that I'd fallen off the wagon and started to gain weight. Today i weighed myself and got 98KG - this is much better than i expected.

There was a fat tester sitting on the bench left out by the trainers so i thought I'd get a reading on that ('cos often we feel that the gain in weight is 'all muscle' but rarely do we check). So the reading was 30.1% (obese) i was a little shocked by the label but if that is what it is then time to push things a little harder.

I had planned to give up drinking and go hard core for the next 5-6 weeks as we have a regional conference in September and i really want to wow the crowd (plus any target is getter than no target). However i am expected to do some travelling and entertaining in the month which will be boring and un-enjoyable if i keep off the drinks - after all i do want to succeed without giving up completely. Yesterday i was a little down as i thought this might make my goal of under 94 by conference difficult to impossible.

But with today's weigh in i am much more confident. Plus while my body fat seems to be much higher than expected i now have more motivation to drop the pounds.

So, now for the August plan. I will try to really stick to this all month - i really want to see good results. here goes:

• Exercise - three days per week TT including intervals, alternating cardio and BW/DB intervals (i really enjoyed these last round), cardio on off days (either in the gym, stairs or back to running with the boss) but not too high intensity as we don't want to over train, golf practise every day in the evening (not super exercise but better than sitting at home watching tv), if i get comfortable with the golf then i can substitute one cardio day for golf at the course. trying to be very active on weekends but also have an afternoon snooze.
• Food - really stick to the Big Mac format, ESE twice a week, alcohol only if in a social environment for work (just friends doesn't count) and never get drunk. Once i get back from my business trip i will do a full two weeks of no-carb, last ten days also before the conference will go no-carb.

I'm off to a good start as this is still the last day of July and I'm fasting - i will keep dinner clean and go for golf practise tonight as well. I want to be clearly under 94kg by the 8th of September - also, to add to this challenge i set the goal of being 26.6% body fat, which at 94 will mean that i've gained a little muscle.

Please anyone reading give me some words of encouragement! i need help in this pursuit, i will post each week to confirm my compliance.

Motivation

i just can't seem to get motivated today. i'm feel depressed, i gained some weight by pigging out on stuff that i haven't had in ages - chocolate and beer etc. I'm feeling fitter and fitter and have had great confidence comments all weekend but still i'm struggling. What's going on?

Can't really be bothered to write this blog but i guessed i needed to at least put down how crappy i feel. My weight was almost back to the 'obese' level this morning. It's hard to work out what is going on, my clothes still fit right so i guess it's a little body composition thing.

this week is dinner and guests all week, it's also the last week of 2K3. I really need to step all of this up. i need to be down below my best weight by September - we have a regional meeting and i want to get some positive comments at least. Anyway it creates a goal.

So, for the four weeks of 2K4 i need to be on top of my diet - this is key. i also need to have something else to do on off days. let me ponder all this during this week so i can hit the ground running for the start.

Hang Over

Never ever think you can end a fast day at the pub! i didn't think i was that drunk but i have woken up today to the worst hangover ever - feel like i might die.

Yesterday was actually quite good. Lower body workout going super heavy and my dumbbell swing, thruster intervals - went 5 sets. Then i fasted for the day, this also went really well and by the end of the day i was feeling great, no hint of the sick feel from the day before.

No workout today, i think this week I'm doing to do the TT workouts only and skip anything else. will be at the beach for the weekend so that will be active enough.

Sick Day

I do not feel well today. I have taken the day off from working out and i am eating today even though i intended to have a fast day. I hope i feel better tomorrow as it is lower body day and my db swing workout. Feel like I'm coming down with something and need comfort food - i will try to keep it healthy.

Lovin' It

No it's not McDonald's i'm loving but Turbulence Training. These workouts are awesome to say the least. mixing up the combination of the exercises and the types has put some serious progress into my workouts. i like the fact that i actually hurt for a few days after my workouts - today was upper body and man do i feel it. i try to up the weight every time even if it's probably too much - and i seem to surprise myself each and every time.

i was never keen on the three days a week side of the TT programme - feeling that i need to work out every day just to keep the momentum. But now i feel i have to push against the momentum as i would kill myself if i went every day. always keen to hit the gym again but truly need that off day. Not that off days are a pain, i'm going to get serious about my golf so will practise on off days - simple really.

this is week 3 of 2K3 and i really can't wait to get to the next one - 2K4. it's kind of like video games, it really keeps the spark going.

Great Workout

I didn't do anything yesterday. I got dressed for a run and took the car the the service centre, the plan was to run around the park on the way home. But firstly the whole dropping off the car for service took way longer than expected and secondly as i was scheduled to play golf in the evening i got lazy and decided to just walk home - did run across the road though.

Once i got to work i realised that i would need to work all evening and wouldn't be able to join the golf. So a day of nothing. Plus i had a really big lunch - buffet style so today i really need to do some damage control.

This morning was lower body so i thought that rather than working my legs in resistance and then working them again in intervals that I'd try a more upper body interval programme. This is what i cam up with:

• 30 seconds thrusters with dumbbells
• 60 seconds dumbbell swings (30 each side)
• 30 seconds jumping jacks
• 60 seconds rest then repeat 6 times.

Started out easy and i thought i might need heavier weights or longer intervals. But after three sets i was near collapse - i guess the workout was not so upper body as whole body and i was fatigued from the resistance. I did four sets, next time will do five and then six. i want to work up to 6 sets with 20lb weights before moving onto a new format.

I'm fasting today which is good, i can feel my body trying to recover from the workout and as there is no food in the system the fat is burning - burn baby burn.

I'm feeling really fit, strong and healthy this week. I've had many comments about my shape - much more than at the end of the 12 weeks even though I'm about 3 kgs heavier than i was then. I guess composition has changed a fair bit since then as I've really worked hard. I can seriously feel a reduction in my man boobs which I'm very happy about. However i have a long way to go and need to keep off the booze, ESE as much as i can and just avoid fat food.

How i manage over the weekend will be critical for a good weigh-in on Monday.

Back on Track

Had a good day yesterday as far as healthy goes. hi-fibre breakfast, reasonable lunch (Thai Food, small rice) and Irish stew for dinner (my wife has really got the cooking down now) topped off with a low cal yogurt. Eating complete by 7:30 and then just tea till bed.

Today is fast day, started with an interval run. Feeling good, but i know that I'm going to have to skip lunch today with the team whom i haven't seen in weeks, plus the Muslim food here is great and i will miss that. I'm tossing up whether doing ESE after lunch might be better in general as i don't have to compromise lunches - like tomorrow i have lunch with a client. I guess it's just a case of do it when you can. I really love the fact that i was fully fasted when i hit the gym this morning, and now every key stroke is burning fat.

Still struggling to get back into work after my holiday, some say that's a sign of a good holiday - i guess they are right.

All Good!

Well the plan was to eat right and keep up the work outs etc while on holiday. I did most of my TT workouts missing only one, and the kiteboarding and surfing etc. have left me really really exhausted (seriously over trained i think). But as for food and drink forget it! i have pigged out and been really bad on the booze - especially beer which really fattens me up. I did fast a few times but not as many as intended and a few failed due to the arrival of super tasty food that i just had to try - you can't get that stuff here.

So what is the result? 98.6kgs. I am happy with this as it's about what i had weighed before i left, isn't above the obese mark and i feel I've actually increase some muscle with the new TT workout I'm on.

But i must lose more now, i cannot get lazy now that I've gotten back safely - i know that i could quickly find myself up above this if i let my guard down. What's more there is still more to lose and i should be focusing on getting to the target.

So, what is the target now. I want to be below 90kg by the end of the next TT 4 week programme. that gives me 7 weeks to meet my goal.

To break it down, i have one week before i do the marathon. Need to keep focused on that, will do the TT but keep it low weight so that i retain the energy to run.

Then i have two more weeks of 2K3 where i can pump up the weight and go hard on the intervals. Food wise i want to go low carb and do three fasts per week - this will help to drop a big amount as a head start to the race to break the 90.

For the 4 weeks of 2K4 i want to focus on low calorie, three meals no snacks and three fasts per week (one on the weekend to sort out some weekend overeating).

If i achieve my goal of breaking the 90kg mark then i will be able to treat myself to a kiting holiday - I'm thinking of Mauritius.

Holiday

I had hoped to be fit and happy with my weight at this point. Sadly i am somewhat disappointed. I do not have any real proof as the scale at the gym here is no good but i feel I've put on weight. The pictures i took yesterday don't show much but there is something there.

I watched what went on the first few days food wise. I went to the gym and completed my TT workouts. I fasted one full day in the week (second fast i didn't go through with as the baby gave me a cold i wanted to deal with). And most importantly I've been super active. A couple of hours surfing in the morning, several hours kiting in the afternoon. Walks, swims, etc. This should burn massive amounts of calories. I have done so much exercise i really really hurt. Haven't done intervals as i am so active already.

Food intake has been a bit of an issue. I've been drinking a lot of beer too, and I'm sure this does not help but at the end of the day this is my holiday so i should enjoy it. I have the day to myself today so i will fast and do all my activity. I will also rest a lot - lack of sleep on this trip is clear.

I'm off now to start my 2K3 workout - this should kick start a day of fat loss. the Family won't be home till late so i can fast all day. I will keep it low cal tomorrow and keep up the activity. Burn baby burn.