I'm a Replica of Me

Hello? Is it me you're looking for?

2011-11-11T22:21:00.000+11:00

A word for the wary: this post is almost nothing to do with my training and/or fitness. It's mostly going to be me griping and meandering through thoughts. Consider thyself warned.

So it's Friday night, and I'm sitting at home watching So You Think You Can Dance (USA version). I love to watch dancing- something about it makes me happy. Meanwhile, in Brisbane, a mate of mine is gearing up for a boxing match he's been training for over the last six to nine months. These factors, plus the influence of a constant niggling in the back of my mind, started me thinking: I need something.

Let me elaborate. For the last ten months, I've been exercising and training mostly to lose excess weight, regain some fitness, and gain a body I can feel happy about. I've gone a long way towards the fulfilment of that goal. I've still got some distance to go, so don't think of this as the end of that. What I'm thinking of is something beyond that. Something where I can put all that I've worked towards to some use. Like my Brisbane mate - he's been training, exercising and working for this upcoming bout. For him, tonight's fight will be the culmination of all he's worked towards for months. Win, lose or draw, he'll have achieved something other than getting fitter/faster/stronger. For that, I envy him.

Don't misunderstand me - I am immensely happy with what I've managed to do over the last year. I can now do things I haven't been able to do for many years, if ever. I can now do push-ups - something I've never been able to do. I can fit into "normal" range clothing (no more Mr Big range). I'm getting muscle definition on my arms and chest. These are not trivial achievements, and I don't mean to portray them as such.

However, I think I need to do something more. Something equivalent to a boxing match to work towards or accomplish, but (maybe) without the pugilism. Basically, I'm looking for something to do on the days when I don't go to the gym. But what can I do? This is where I get really stuck.

For those that know me well, and most of the people who read this blog fall into that category, you know the kind of person I am, and how I approach things like this. Past experience has shown that i have something akin to a six-month attention span when it comes to hobbies or extra-curricular activities. I come at them full of enthusiasm, then six months later I lose interest and give it up. I don't know why. Maybe it'd because, when things are routine, they become obligations and they stop being fun. Maybe it's something else I haven't yet identified. Who knows. Frankly, I'm still quite astonished that I have managed to maintain my gym routine this long - I didn't actually expect it to last.

That last point makes me think maybe I'm at a point in my life where I can handle that kind of routine. I just need to find something that can occupy the available time-slots. And this is where I come unstuck. I can't think of something I want to do that I am capable of. For instance, recently a Jujitsu class started in my neighbourhood. I thought that might be worth investigating. Then I remembered my knee injury, and the primary reason I gave up on martial arts years ago. I watch a dance show, and (apart from the knee problem), I decide that I don't have required grace/flexibility/co-ordination for dance. And this happens for pretty much everything I think about - I can find a reason or excuse (I'll let you decide the difference) not to take it up. I'm becoming spectacularly good at finding excuses for not doing things. If only making excuses was a hobby in itself; I'd be a shoe-in.

My intent in writing this wasn't to come over all "Woe is me!" and whatnot. My objective was twofold. One, I'm trying to purge this mentality of finding excuses for everything and actually start seriously looking for something to fill my time. I guess I'm trying the Voldemort theory - by giving voice to my issues I hope to strip them of some of their potency.

My second objective was to canvas my readers for ideas. So here's where you come in: I need ideas. For those of you who know me well, what kind of things can you suggest that fit in with my personality, abilities and skills. For those that don't, feel free to offer suggestions anyway. As long as it's a genuine suggestion, I will take it seriously and see if it is something I can sink my teeth and/or time into. Some guideline:
- It has to be social (a secondary part of my objective is to meet new people, possibly a future partner if the situation arises).
- It has to be active. That doesn't mean it has to be cross-country caber tossing or anything ridiculous like that. I would just prefer that it weren't a purely sedentary activity so that I can take advantage of my new fitness levels, and possibly continue to improve them.
- Cost is a minor factor, but transportation is a significant one.
- It should be something that takes up a few hours each week, but not necessarily an entire night/day/weekend. A Wednesday evening or Sunday morning (maybe both on occasion) is perfect.
- It needs to be relatively friendly on knees. Again, that doesn't mean a sedentary activity, just needs to be something that poses minor risk of injury.
- It would ideally have an achievement component. For example: if I chose boxing as per my Bris-mate, there would be an end-of-year bout to work towards.

Hopefully there's enough there for you to work on. Don't be surprised if I don't take up a suggestion; rest assured I will consider all of them seriously.

The floor is open...

He who laughs last, thinks slowest

2011-11-03T20:12:00.001+11:00

Well, the time has been and gone. October 26 was the deadline to reach my weightless goal of 100kg. I suppose you're all in an agony of suspense as to whether or not I made it, right? Actually, I know you jolly well aren't because everyone who reads this blog knows that I made it! Woohoo, good show and jolly good, old bean! Or something like that.

That was a week ago, and things have been (mostly) stable weight wise since then. I have to admit though, I think I've slipped my grip on the reins a bit. In the last week and a half, I've twice devoured a whole pizza in one sitting. It also feels like I've been eating more than I should in general, though I don't know if that've completely true (well, the pizza is obvious). I'm not sure if I know why; I can only let the "I just turned 30" excuse ride for so long before I have to start taking control again.

So two things are happening as of this week. First, I am taking control of my eating. I think I need to start making my lunches again. I've been relying on the many fine/alright/dodgy food vendors near my workplace for most of my meals, including large coffees (made with soy milk) most mornings. I think this has to stop, or at least slow right down. I think that no more than two days a week can I have a brekky coffee. By brekky coffee, I mean one bought from a cafe, so it's made mostly from soy milk; instant coffee has bugger all milk in it so isn't anywhere near as bad. Also, I need to do some shopping - I will start taking my lunches again. Not only do I get more fruit and more manageable portions that way, but I know it will save me money too. As I said, I've been relying on the food vendors near work for lunches, and while I can avoid the truly crapulous food, I think I am still eating too much of the stuff I buy. So that needs to stop.

Second, I ratify my next goal and start working towards it. I discussed with my trainer about two weeks ago what my next goal will be, and if I recall correctly we decided that I would aim to reach 84kg by February 17, 2012. While these may seem arbitrary dates and weights to a casual observer, but they represent a total weight loss of 50kg in precisely 12 months. So that is my primary goal. My secondary goal, which I hope to achieve even if I don't make my primary goal, is to reach 90kg by the end of January. It was originally going to be by New Year's, but I think that will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve amidst all the parties, functions, travelling and whatnot.

So there we have it. Take control of the beast that is the appetite, and begin the uphill slog to my next fitness goal. Nothing too terrible now, is it?

Oh, and another thing. Yesterday I redid my bio-age assessment with my trainer. When I first started I had a bio-age of 41 (I think) and my chronological age was 29. I am now chronologically 30, and have a bio-age of 31. Time for another "woohoo" methinks.

Now, what could possibly go wrong from here on in?

Can you make it fire? Um... ...yes.

2011-10-07T18:33:00.000+11:00

Well, as I have been not-so-subtly reminded, it's been quite some time since my last blog post. Almost two months, actually. Oh well. What's done is done, and none shall change the past. Except maybe those neutrinos they found at the LHC...

In my last post, I was 107.8kg. As of this Monday 3/10/11, my weight was 101.9kg. That was a bit of a stunner for me, because it means I'm only 2kg from my next goal. For those that can't remember, my next goal was to be less than 100kg by my birthday on 26/10. For a while there I didn't think I was going to make it, but now it looks a lot more achievable, even likely.

So now I have to start thinking seriously about my next goal. When I was discussing this with my trainer this week, I spontaneously decided that my next goal weight would be 90kg, but I didn't fix a date. However, there's an alternative to this goal. The 18th of February was my official starting date with my gym, so it seems to be to be a fitting date for a major milestone.

So here's what I'm thinking. I have two choices for a new goal (after I reach the 100kg mark, whenever that occurs):
- Goal 3A: Reach 90kg by New Year's. This may have the complication of X-mas parties, dinner, etc. Also complicating this is the fact that at some point over the Xmas break I'll be travelling down north (that's right, not every one's directions are Northern Hemisphere-centric!). So my training routine will almost certainly be disrupted in that period, but to what degree I don't know.
- Goal 3B: Reach 84kg by 18/02/12. The reason for this particular value is that it will mark exactly 50kg loss from my starting point (134kg, according to this very blog).

Now, on the surface, one goal does not preclude the other. However, I don't know which is the better to aim for. I'm actually open to suggestions. Feel free to add your ideas in the comments.

Anyway, that's about all I have to say at this time. Catch you next time 'round the bend...

And now for a word from our alien overlords

2011-08-11T22:35:00.000+10:00

This must come as a surprise to some people: two blog posts in one month. Gadzooks! Whatever next? Well that's a fair call. I've been pretty slack I'll admit. But, at the same time, I have my reasons. It's because I was rationing my Internet time (being on pre-paid wireless sucks), partly it's because I sit at a computer all day and can't be bothered turning on my laptop when I get home, and partly because I'm getting home late and just want to chillax in front of the TV or with a book. So they're my excuses. Some are a bit flimsy, but it is what it is. I think I even mentioned at the beginning of this endeavour that my posts would probably be sporadic; if not, I'm mentioning it now. :D

So Monday was my most recent weigh in, and the figure was 107.8kg. My last official weight was 109.8kg about two weeks ago. So it looks like I'm still losing about 1kg/week roughly, though that can waver.

I thought that just for a change, today I would give a more in-dept look at my training routine. Now keep in mind that I don't work from a set program, so I can't just summarise with weights (legs), pushups, etc. What I do have is a set of different exercises which I group differently depending on how I feel at the time, and what machines are available at the gym.

Warmup
All my sessions begin with a 10min warm up on the treadmill. I walk at 6.5km/hr, 3.5% incline. As a side note, this started much slower I think (around 4km/hr or something I think). Once the current settings stop making me sweat, I increase it.

Monday
Monday is my personal training day with Phil. His main technique at the moment is what he calls German Composition Training. What that seems to mean is two lots of supersetting 2-3 different exercises, each consisting of 3 sets of 12-15 reps at (what appear to be) fairly high weights. So in a single 30min session, I will usually end up doing 6 different exercises. In each set of exercises, there's usually an upper body, a lower body, and a core or composite focus. The reps are usually slower paced more so than high weights; it's usually fast up, 3-4secs down, to maximise the time the muscles are under maximum strain.

The range of exercises he selects from is quite long, but he still keeps finding new ones. Most of them are focused around what he calls the five Primal Movement Patterns: Push, Pull, Lunge, Squat, and Deadlift. So to give you an idea of what I might do on a typical Monday:
1 - Upright row (pull, back and shoulders) - 30-40kg per arm (note - I'm not 100% certain what weights he has on there, as I try not to think about it). 12-15reps.
2 - Forward lunges, with 8-10kg in each hand. 12 per leg, alternating left-right.
3 - "Half-Burpies" - if you've never heard of these, they consist of starting in a basic stand, and going into a crouch with both hands on the ground. From there, you throw your feet out behind you until you're in essentially a push-up postion. You then pull your legs back into a crouch, and back into a stand. 12-15 reps.
Three sets of each of the above, with 10-20sec max rest between exercises, and usually <1min rest between sets.
4 - Bench press - 40kg (I tried 50kg yesterday, but couldn't manage the full 3 sets/12 reps, so I dropped it to 40kg on the last one). 12 reps.
5 - Hack squats (squats with heels raised 2-3inches) with 25kg weight. 12 reps.
6 - Deadlifts - 30kg, 12 reps.
Again, three sets of each of the above.

This is not an exhaustive list of the exercises he gets me to do.

Finish/Warm down
By this time, I'm usually pretty wrecked, but it's not over. After a (too-brief) rest, I have to do a sprint to finish off. This is usually a "tabata" exercise. This is basically 5 minutes (originally 4, but he just upped it) of 20sec @ 100% intensity cardio, then 10sec @ 50% intensity. Repeat until time is up, or you pass out, whichever comes soonest (so far I haven't passed out, though I've often wanted to). This is usually done on something like the cross-trainier, the exercise bike, or some other cardio method. Once it consisted of bouncing a medicine ball as hard as I could for the 100% periods.

Another sprint option is to do 500m on the rowing machine in under 2mins. After 1 minute, I have to do another 500m, but beat my original time.

Wednesday/Saturday
These days are usually similar to Mondays, but nowhere as painful. I'm the first to admit that without Phil there to spur me on, I don't/can't lift the same weights, and I probably rest longer than I should. But I still try to do the same number of exercises/sets/reps as I would with Phil. On Saturdays I might go a little easy, as it is the weekend.

Thursday
Thursday is cardio day. No weights, just plain fat burning. I do 40 mins on the treadmill, starting with my usual 10min warm up (this is included in the 40mins). Afther the warmup, the next 30mins consists of 3min intervals. For 2min I have the incline at 11% (speed usually 6.3-6.5km/hr), then back to 3.5% for 1min. Rinse, repeat until time is up. After the treadmill, I'll try to do one or two sprints, either on the bike, the rower or the elliptical. Then I stumble to the shower and try to breathe again.

Once again, I freely admit that I can't push myself as hard with the sprints without someone to spur me on, but I think I'm getting to abou 85% capacity most of the time.

Conclusions
So there you have it. That's a basic outline of my weekly training routine. It may not have a lot of consistency in terms of knowing what I am going to do each day at the gym, but I have a range of exercises I can choose from to suit my current mood or to work around any injuries etc, so that no two days are exactly the same (except maybe Thursdays).

Going back to the weigh-ins for a moment. It's been a bit up and down (literally) with my weight for the last few weeks. For a long time there I was losing over a kilo a week. More recently, it seems to be less certain if I'll make that drop each weigh-in. I don't know if it's because I've reached a natural plateau, or if my body has adjusted to its current routine and I have to push it even further (god I hope not, at least not yet!). Or maybe I need to make adjustments to my diet. I don't know. I personally think I've got my food under reasonable control. Not perfect by any stretch, but enough that I'm still running a calorie deficit. I want to see how things go over the next few weeks and then make any required changes.

As a curiosity, I plotted my weightloss for the last 3-4 months based on the data I've recorded since April, and it's quite interesting. There are a couple of noticeable bumps where I've gone backwards, but overall it's been a fairly steady trend. And based on the trendline (a very rough approximation), I should be able to reach my 100kg target ahead of my October 26 deadline. But I'm not going to get complacent. If anything, I'm going to have to work harder I think.

Anyway, this has been a bit of a bumper post this time round, so I'm gonna sign off for now.

"And as my old uncle used to say when he was too drunk to fall down, "May the road rise up to meet you!". Cya dudes!

In der haus der Koffeekonig

2011-07-26T21:27:00.000+10:00

Greeting, people (and approximations thereof). Due to popular demand, I am once again blogging on my weightloss progress.

When last I blogged, I had reached my first goal of losing 20kg, and was sitting at 112.9kg. That was a month ago, on June 25.

It is now July 26, and as of Monday (24th) I weighed 109.8kg. However, I feel that may be a slightly artificial number as I had had little to eat that day. It's probably closer to 110.5kg or something. Time shall tell; in this case around 20 hours should be sufficient as I will weigh in after work tomorrow.

In terms of other things going on in my life, the last couple of weeks have been interesting. I travelled up north for a few days for a wedding. I think I managed to surprise quite a few people with how much weight I have lost; I got heaps of really positive feedback all weekend.

On coming back down south I was worried that having a bit of a gym break would stop my progress (I only went twice in the 5 days I was there). However, there seems to have been little harm done. Though overall I think my rate of loss has slowed - it used to be about a kilo a week, now it's slightly less than that. But I guess that's to be expected. On the down side, I somehow hurt my back while up there, which slowed things down a little. It seems to have cleared up now, though can still complain when I sit still for too long.

Since returning my trainer has decided to begin a protracted campaign of causing me untold pain and agony, which is apparently, in his words, a "reward" for reaching my goal... I worry that he may have crossed his definitions of "punishment" and "reward". Oh well. He gets results, so I won't complain. At least, not within earshot of him.

Anyhow, time to go. Until the next time, folks. Stay hip, and don't let your bum fall off!

Return from Goblin Mountain

2011-06-25T18:24:00.000+10:00

Hi folks. Once again I have been remiss in my duty to keep you all informed on my progress. Well , today I shall address that.

When last I posted, my bodymass stood at 118.3kg, and that was in mid-May. It's now late June. My weight? The last number I recall was on Thursday, 23/06/11, and I was 112.9kg. Which means I have officially reached and surpassed my first (admittedly unstated on this blog) goal of losing 20kg.

Huzzah!
Huzzah!
Huzzah!

However, it has not been without its ups and downs. I've had a few weeks where there was minimal loss, others where a case of gastro helped things a little, and so on. But overall the losses have been continuing.

To make things official, my next target is to reach a weight less than 100kg before my birthday, which as you may know is on 26/10. So, that means I have 4 months to lose 12kg. Should be doable, but there's a bit to happen in that time. I have other birthdays to celebrate, weddings to attend, and travel to partake in. It it my hope that these events won't cause any backsliding.

On a practical note, the amount of weight lost has not been without consequences. Nearly all my clothes are now comically large on me, to the point where they don't really look any good. I've had to buy yet another (smaller) belt. I've dropped from clothes in the 4-6XL (depending on cut and age) to 2XL. This puts me back into the mainstream range of men's clothing, something that I am immesely happy with. But it also mean that I will be spending lots of money in the weeks to come in order to replace most of my wardrobe... Sigh.

Anyway, time for dinner methinks. Enjoy life, my fiends.

PS: That wasn't a typo... :D

Welcome to Vapourland

2011-05-16T21:16:00.000+10:00

Holy crap! I didn't realise that it's been nearly a month since I last blogged. There's more than one reason for that; the two main ones are being busy, and being lazy.

So anyway, last time I blogged, I was 122.4kg, and that was on 14/04/11. Today is 16/05/11, and today's measurement was 118.3kg. So that's around 4kg over 4-4.5 weeks. This is a surprising result for me, because I actually thought that my weightloss had stalled over the last week or two. This shows me that I'm still shedding kilos at roughly the same rate. So I am happy. Total loss is now 16kg (approx).

I've had to work for it though. With Melbourne winter steadily encroaching, it's getting colder, and unexpectedly, I've been craving both soups and carb-heavy foods like pasta and potato. I guess the body wants warmth, either from warm liquids or from burning carbs. It's been taking a fair bit of self control not to indulge in lots pasta dishes several times a week. Hopefully as winter progresses, the desires will be easier to control.

Finally (for today), my trainer has shown his true colours - he's mad! Several times now he's pushed me to the edge of nausea. He just keeps upping the ante on me. Today for example, I was actually in danger of dropping a 20kg barbell on my head, because my shoulders were so fatigued that the right one pretty much gave out. He called a halt to the exercise right there; it was at the end of the session anyway, so it was a lucky save for me. And he's just going to get tougher as time goes on. Woe is I!

Anyway, that's it for now. Hopefully it won't be as long between updates next time.

Stay hoopy, froods!

Two months in

2011-04-18T22:23:00.000+10:00

Hello again peoples.

Today's update is a bit of a milestone. By way of a fortunate accident, I discovered that today is exactly two months since my membership at the gym began. According to their records, I started attending on 18/02/11. So two months, or 8 1/2 weeks of attending the ym 4 days a week.

And my progress to date? Well, Saturday and today came in at the same figure (somehow): 122.4kg!

This is a bizarre feeling for me. Actually getting steady loss is awesome. The down side is that all my clothes are starting to look like parachutes on me, and I haven't had a chance to go clothes shopping yet. I've decided that I'm going to raid the op-shops (by raid I mean shop at, not steal from). That way if I end up dropping another size or two I haven't spent a fortune on clothes that are now too big.

To give you an idea of the scale of the amount of weight I've lost, when I left Townsville I had only one belt. I'm not sure what size it was exactly, but it would have been around the 130cm mark I reckon. I was consistently using the second last to last hole (in inner-most two holes) when dressing. That belt is now so large on me that I can remove it without undoing it... on the inner-most hole! I have had to buy a new belt, which when I got it I used the outermost hole. Now I am using the third hole consistently. Assuming that each hole is around 1inch from the nearest, that means I have lost no less that 5 inches (12.5cm) or so from my waistline. In two months! That makes me very happy.

But I don't intend to stop here/ I still have a long way to go before I get clost to my target. So happy hunting until then folks.

(PS: total loss since my "official" starting weight is 11.6kg)

SuperNova Results (Belated)

2011-04-14T23:04:00.000+10:00

Sorry I'm late with this post. I've been caught up with life, which is unusual for me because normally I don't have one. Or at least, not one worth talking about. But the last week has been fairly full on.

Saturday's results were the first high point. Weigh-in was 123.7kg. This made me tentatively happy since getting below 124kg means I have lost a minimum of 10kg since starting at the gym. Monday's result of 123.9kg confirms that 10 kilo mark has been hit. So happy me! On a down note, my weight has been the same since (it's now Thursday) which is a little worrying.

Diet has been a bit up and down over the past week, due to external factors. I went to Supernova on Saturday (a big pop culture expo - lots of geek stuff), and had a turkish bread for lunch. Lots of carbs. Sunday I had yum cha for lunch (my grandfather's 78th birthday). That is a very dangerous way of eating. Tiny portions, but it just keeps coming. Very bad. And because of work committments and visiting friends/relatives pretty much every day since then I've eaten out for lunch and dinner. Not really bad food, just probably too much in terms of quantity. So I've been naughty. Hopefully now that things are settling down for this weekend I can get back on track.

So yeah, I'm happy to have finally hit the 10kg loss mark. Only 24kg to go before I hit my first medium-term goal of 100kg. I'm also starting to notice a small amount of muscle definition, mostly on my legs, which is also good. On the flip side, I am paying the price of my dietary indiscretions... Mostly happy days.

Until next time folks, stay froody!

April Fool

2011-04-04T22:19:00.000+10:00

So this week's weigh-in is a bit of a mixed bag. On the plus side, I haven't gained any weight despite a bit of naughtiness over the weekend (but honey-coated macadamias are just so yummy!). On the down side, my weight was the same today as it was on Saturday. I'm not sure what that means overall, but it was a little disappointing, considering the magnitude of the losses so far.

So what was the magic number? 124.9kg. Both 9am Saturday (before any food), and 4pm Monday (after a day's worth of food and drink. I don't know if that means my weight has plateaued, or if I've started adding muscle (I'm skeptical) or if there's another factor. Probably I've just hit a natural plateau which I need to break through. Or my body has adjusted to the exercises I'm doing and isn't being pushed as hard as it needs to be.

Regardless, I'm not going to let it get me down. It's just one week, and I've still managed to lose some weight. So I guess it's not really a bad week. I'm not even sure I have a word to describe it.

The other thing that has me bugged at the moment is my PT's food plan. For months (years actually) I've been a 2.5 square meal man. I say 2.5 because I don't usually eat breakfast, but I have at least two main meals a day. The rest is either a morning tea, or a supper or a midnight snack or a combination thereof. It's probably more complicated than that, but you get the idea. Since the move I've managed to get my food routine back under control most days. Now my PT wants me to change that again. He wants me to get into the "6 small meals a day" routine, with the right mix of protien, carbs and such at the "right" times. Now, I know that it's the accepted wisdom of the fitness/nutritional industries to do this, and I understand (some) of the reasoning. But to me it seems like more effort, fiddling around with extra food preparation and stuff, all to counter something that I've deliberately cultivated the self-control to combat; that is, hunger.

What also worries me is that at the moment I'm pretty confident that my daily calorie consumption is probably well below the recommented 2000cal/day. Eating more often (even small quantities) means that it will upset the delicate balance I've managed to achieve, and I don't know if it will be for better or for worse. Plus, it tends to make be feel uncomfortably full some days. Maybe I'm just being stubborn, as I usually am when someone wants me to change something I'm not ready to do. I guess the best things\ I can do is give it a shot for a little while, see if there is any merit in it. After that I'll make a decision.

PS: Thanks for all the positive feedback guys! It's appreciated.

Monday Weigh-In

2011-03-29T18:46:00.000+11:00

Hi folks. Just a belated update to record Monday's weight results. I actually wrote (typed?) this one down so I didn't forget.

So at 4:15pm on Monday 28/03/11, I weighed 125.9kg. This is consistent with my Saturday reading, which if you recall was either 125.8 or 126.8kg. I couldn't recall which it was. If it was the former, then the rise could just be a fluctuation due to the fact that I had eaten when I weighed in on Monday. If it was the latter, then it means I dropped even further over the weekend. I think the first is more likely.

As for my workout, I went for a mostly cardio session yesterday.

Warm-up on the treadmill for 10mins (24calories)
Exercise bike - target of 300 calories - achieved in approx. 30mins.
Rowing machine - 3 x intervals of 500m/1min rest. No calorie count available.
Treadmill - 15mins @ 5.6km/hr and varying incline (ranging fro 2.5 to 10% for 2-3min intervals). Approx 150 calories burnt.

Note that when calorie burns are stated, this is going off the calculated consumption provided by the equipment I am using, It uses an estimate based on weight, age and the exercise being performed. Actual consumption is certain to be different. At least this gives a guideline,

Gym again tomorrow, then PT on Thursday. Next (formal) weigh-in will be Saturday.

Until later folks.

It begins

2011-03-26T20:20:00.000+11:00

Greeting folks. I started this blog on the suggestion of a good friend of mine... At least, I am assume he's a good friend. I'll let him be the judge of that. Anyway, the primary aim of this blog is to track my health and fitness progress over the following months. On occasion, I might throw in a random post about nothing or even something in particular.

So, to begin. About 2.5 months ago, I relocated to a new city. On arriving there I decided that a new home, new job, new location etc. was a good place to start with getting my life together. And to make a fresh start on improving my overall health and fitness. As this happened months ago, there's a bit of a backlog, so I'll attempt to bring you up to speed.

Starting point

Finding a starting point is not easy, because I've been making gradual changes to my life for over a year. It started with me giving up on the crap I called lunch every day at work. By crap I meant pies, garlic balls and other fried "food" I purchased from the smoko van. It also meant reducing my fast food intake to maybe once or twice a week (if I was good). I changed my daily morning tea to two pieces of fruit and a single-serve yoghurt. Lunch became a sandwich or leftovers of the previous night's meal. Dinner was (usually) the good old Anglo-Saxon meat and three veg, or something like a risotto if I was feeling creative. Some months later, I started reducing the sugar in my diet. I stopped having it in my coffee. I changed to an artificially sweetened yoghurt, and (hardest of all) stopped drinking softdrink. At times I think this has made the biggest difference.

My exercise was very limited. I work in a sedentary job and drove to work every day. Most of my recreational activities were very limited in terms of aerobic benefit. Hard to work up a sweat while reading a book, no? I played no sport, and drove most places, even short distances.

So where was I at in terms of health and weight at this point? Truthfully, I don't know. I do know that at my heaviest I was bordering on the 140kg mark, possibly more. My clothes were entering the 5-6XL range. Not a good place to be. To be honest, I didn't "feel" that unhealthy. Climbing stairs and things like that were uncomfortable for me, and I was a heavy breather and sweater, though I think the last was due partly to the climate I lived in.

After the move

I moved south chasing a job, and thought to make some other changes as the same time. Some changes I didn't have any option on.

The first major change was that I didn't have a car. I had to walk and/or rely on public transport. As a result, I now get a minimum 20-30 minute walk every day, going to and from the train station or bus stop, plus whatever I need to walk on the other end. So I am now walking far more than I ever have in the past.

The second change is that I joined a gym. I joined the gym in mid-February. I attend the gym a minimum of three times a week, usually four times. I have one personal training session per week. We do a fairly balanced mix of cardio and strength training. My PT is working on a program for me, but I haven't got it yet.

Food wise, I almost took a step backwards. It is much easier for me to eat out here than it was in my old home, just due to availability. And it's not all bad stuff like MacDonalds, Hungry Jacks etc. It's restauraunts, cafes, pubs etc. So for a while I was not doing much good. Now I've settled down a fair bit, and am getting it back under control. Breakfast at work is approximately a half-cup of dry roasted mixed nuts. I don't have an exact measure, but it's a consistent amount. Lunch is a sandwich, a piece of fruit and a yoghurt. Dinner varies. I avoid snacks and dessert, or have more fruit for dessert if I am still hungry.

Progress

For the sake of this blog, I am going to say that my gym work began on Sunday, 20th Feb, 2011. I think it was a little before then, but this works as a good calendar tracking point.

On or around that date, I weighed myself at the gym. I was 134kg. This is to be my starting mark.

Today, on Saturday 26th March, 2011, I weighed in at 125.8kg (I think... I really should start wring these down). Take into consideration that when taking this reading I had not had anything to eat all morning.

My perferred method of gauging my true weight, for the purpose of this blog, is to record on Saturday morning and Monday afternoon. My "true" weight will be an average of these two figures.

So to date, my total lost has been approx. 8-9kg, with some margin of error and Monday's reading still to come. This has been over five weeks. Understandably, I am quite happy with this.

From here on in...

So now you are pretty much up to speed with things. I don't know how frequently I will be updating this blog, but I can pretty much guaruntee that it will be less frequently than daily. I will update with any major changes, setbacks or improvments as they happen. For now though, I think this will do,

Until next time folks, stay froody.