Diet

Weigh in days are becoming harder to face.

My resolve, particularly on weekends, is becoming less and less. Last weekend, as I said in my last post (that sounds so ominous - “Last Post”) I attended a party and then Mother’s Day meals. I was sure I had stacked on a little and even went to the weigh in feeling “heavy” (I’d say “fat” but that is so politically incorrect )

Anyway, I’d lost another 500g (see graph to the right! ).

The good news is what I am doing is working. It has to be because the weight is coming off.

The key is sustainability.

Can I keep doing what I’m doing in terms of exercise and diet for the long term?

I genuinely think I should cut back on my exercise because, long term, I don’t see myself running 4 - 7 kms every day. Maybe every other day.

Having said that, I am still looking to compete in the August City to Surf (12kms) and then the Triathlon next March. So it’s not like the work is over once I hit my goal weight of 76kgs.

I am also enjoying reading other blogs to gain insight into other ways of keeping up the habit. Andrew is Getting Fit is a favourite and I’m still getting around to the others on a regular basis.

In concert with diet and exercise is the deevlopment of other perosnal habits that go with training and eating differently.

Productivity - David Allen’s GTD is a favouriet as is Stephen Covey’s First Things First and the old faithful 43 Folders.

Watching TV shows that focus on food and lifestyle all of a sudden have a special interest and in particular those shows that make me think “I can do that”. (Watch out for my own cooking show - coming soon! LOL)

And there is the managing people side of things which I do at work. Trying to be more specific and clear about what I am looking for and clarifying further when things move off course. The link to diet and exercise may be a tenuous one but not managing well causes further stress and further work and limits the time I have outside of work to exercise, relax and enjoy life.

So my weight loss is beginning to affect almost everything I do and in a positive sense.

Bring it on.

Another day …

“Tonight’s the night, it’s gonna be alright.” - Rod Stewart

Weigh in #7 and I’m wondering if it really will be alright. The past weekend wasn’t good diet wise but I did increase my run length from 4.6km to just over 7kms.

So, have I balanced things out?

I am no longer fully trusting my scales as one moment I’m nudging 84+kgs and the next I’m back down to just over 82 kg (target is 76kg).

Saturday I went with FBH to her bosses birthday - bottling wine and a hearty lunch. I managed to not indulge in the chips, crisps and nibbles that were on offer but I did do two rounds of salads with dressings!

Sunday was Mother’s Day and while it started off reasonably well we then ventured to MILs (Mother-in-Law’s) in the afternoon for cannelloni, salad, biscuits and roast meat and veg. I felt myself give way mentally as I picked at the food.

I said in a previous post I was at the mercy of gourmet/foreign food and again it proved a thorn in the side.

So my plan today is obviously to eat well, drink loads of water and hopefully have a good result at Jenny Craig’s.

Plus I also have a FULL day of work with little time to rest or snack so that works in my favour.

Do you have any tricks to get your weight down specifically for a weigh in?

I can imagine:

• not eating for the whole day just to get a good reading or;
• doing a very strenuous workout early in the day (that reminds me, I need to go swimming this morning) or;
• perhaps there are other “tricks” in the trade to have a win at the scales.

In the end, we all know weight lose and fitness isn’t brought on by “tricks” but it’s good to know there’s the good old law of cause and effect that can work in our favour!

Bill

Everyone has a downfall. Something that, when they see it, must have it, especially when it comes to dieting.

For some it’s chocolate. For others it’s ice cream (not the healthy kind either!) and for yet others it can be junk food (i.e. fast food).

Mine? Gourmet!

My FBH is Italian and it is hard to go past any style of spaghetti she or her mother cooks. 2 or 3 bowls is not unusual. Then again, when I was in India last year if what was in front of me tasted good, I just wanted more.

Now that I am “Jenny Craiging”, I’m doing okay because the meals are set out for me.

As I move off Jenny’s dishes I need to begin to prepare my own. Tonight, FBH is making a curry. I’m in trouble folks. One bowl is never enough!

Why I write this is because I can easily pass up chocolate, ice cream I can take or leave. In fact if the ice cream is really rich, it’s easier to pass on. Fast food? Only once in a blue moon.

But gourmet food? (”foreign muck” as some say) oh dear!

So, what’s your sin and how do you deal with it?

I’m keen to know. I’m about half way to my goal weight, my exercise is up but when it comes to gourmet food, I go weak at the knees.

Will I be strong enough to say “no”?

Will I treat it with disdain and maintain a good eating record?

Or will I be able to say: “Yes, one day a week is something to look forward to and indulge”?

How do you do it? Does it work?

Okay, how happy am I? I’ve just had my 6th weigh in and it’s another drop of 800g. That means in 6 weeks I’ve lost 5.2kgs! And, I haven’t had it all my own way. I have had times of full meals, I’ve lost track of the diet and there have been days of not exercising as I intended to.

So, why is it “simple really”?

Basically, it truly is cause and effect. It’s also true that some things you can’t do on your own. And, in this case you probably don’t want to do it on your own. You do want help and support.

I do!

Now, I’ve always said this wouldn’t be a promo site but I have to pay credit to Carol at Jenny Craig and the diet the company promotes. I know it won’t be for everyone but it certainly works for me and this is what I like about it:

• It’s normal food - I don’t get the diets around milkshakes or contrived food because you can’t stay on that forever.
• It demonstrates the portions I’m supposed to have
• It promotes very healthy food with the odd occasion for delving into the darker side
• As soon as I hit half way they start me on reducing the Jenny Craig quantity of food. So they ween you off and help you eat “normally”
• In the end I feel confident I’ll be able to continue on my own because I am being taught a new way to eat - a proper way.

(No, this is not a sponsored post!)

So it’s more about a paradigm shift. Well, for me it is. I now work on drinking water during the day, preparing snacks well in advance and taking food to work rather than not eating (bad) or eating junk (worse).

Not many people know I have been conscious of my (over)weight for around 8 years when I saw myself on video. People watching laughed. I just went red!

Now I’m conscious alright but with a goal and the success does breed success.

So, I’m learning to eat better and for that I do have to thank Carol at Jenny Craig. One thing I didn’t want from a weight consultant was preachy, cheap motivational stuff. I’ve heard far too much of that in my life. Carol is genuine and provides support by listening and offering advice where necessary but if I sound like I am on track, she just agrees and supports. There have been a couple of times where Carol has started speaking and then stopped. I admire people who can self assess and manage their own behaviour. I think it is an admirable quality.

So, (I know she might read this) thanks Carol. You really have been, and continue to be, great.

I also have to thank all the bloggers who run and keep fit and tell me of their stories and inspire me to keep running. Hearing, not of athletes, but people like me who are average and struggle with the discipline to exercise every day or at least regularly help me to keep going day by day.

So, it is simple really, read the right the right material, focus on what works and, simply … eat better, move more.

Bill

It’s the weekend and the temptation to be slothful raises its head. My intake yesterday wasn’t bad but it wasn’t strictly diet focused. So I need to up the exercise. (I’m blogging from bed so what does that tell you?)

Exercise yesterday was good though:

• 4km run/walk
• 800m swim

The swimming effort seems to continue to burn well after the exercise has ceased so that is great.

My aerobic capacity isn’t what it should be so the swimming is to help my breathing when I run, apart from the obvious health improvement effects.

I only do breast stroke too, as I can’t seem to sustain the freestyle style for very long. How weak is that? I’m trying to get in a lap of freestyle every now and then (a lap is only 25m!) and eventually be able to swim doing freestyle only. There’s still 10 months to the triathlon so I should be able to achieve that.

What I am noticing is the running is becoming easier and I hope that in the next couple of weeks I’ll be able to jog the whole 4kms without stopping or walking at any stage.

So, as I said in a previous post, I need to think less, do more and enjoy the effects of being healthier.

Oh, one other thing I have noticed … I’m sleeping better. I’ll tell you more about this a little later but suffice to say I was in danger of suffering from sleep apnea. I’m not saying the problem is over but I can’t remember the last time I got two nights of uninterrupted sleep like I just have. Heaven!

Bill

You’ll notice that the graph on the right went DOWN after tonight’s weigh in. Okay, it was only 200g but it was DOWN people!

I think I did everything I could to redeem myself from the splurge I had in Melbourne.

It definitely confirmed how not watching what you eat can lead to weight gain. I mean, if you read the post below, I walked and ran around 24kms in 3 or 4 days and began swimming.

So, the plan from here:

1. keep to the diet
2. drink heaps of water
3. exercise

Looked at in those terms getting and staying fit should be relatively easy.

Mornings are becoming easier to get up and exercise, so I am very pleased with that. However, if I am going to complete the triathlon, I realise I need to extend my runs.

Completing exercise at night after work isn’t always as easy. However, it all comes down to a decision to do it. I know I’m not as detail conscious as some. I tend to approach things fairly basically:

• watch what I eat
• exercise

The graph to the right is about as detailed as I get. However, to ensure I keep up to date I will begin to publish what I do each day to get into better shape.

Bill

Tonight’s weigh in won’t be good. In fact, I’m predicting a 250+gm increase in weight.

The devastating thing is this:

The last 3 days I have worked my legs off in running and now swimming to try and undo the “sins of Melbourne”. And I don’t think it’s going to work completely. It’s the “revelation I had to have” I suppose.

Below I’ve listed the exercise I have completed while in Melbourne and on my return and you’ll see tonight that, even with all that effort, it hasn’t taken off all the weight I put on while away for three measly days!

This all simply goes to reinforce how poorly I ate and what I have to do to counterbalance that type of diet.

I hope my mistake can prevent you from doing the same.

Okay, here’s what happened since last Wednesday:

Starting weight: 84.3kg

Wednesday morning: 4km walk/run

Wednesday meals: 3 course meal at “the deanery” in Melbourne

Thursday morning: walked around Melbourne “briskly” but no distance or time measured

Thursday meals: Weight Watchers breakfast bar, water; Italian pasta for dinner + 2 beers

Thursday exercise: 30 mins on treadmill

Friday meals: eggs, tomato, mushrooms, bacon (yes, I know! )

Friday exercise: walk to War Memorial for ANZAC Day parade. Didn’t measure distance, around 4kms I’d think. 30 mins on treadmill at night, jogged 4kms in 23:20.

Saturday: 4km walk

Sunday: 8 km walk; 400m swim, kept to diet

Monday: 8 km walk; 2 x 400m swim, kept to diet

Tuesday (today): 650m swim

Okay, with all that and just 3 (count THREE!) meals outside of diet guidelines, I think my weight will go up at tonight’s weigh in!

I’d be happy to stay the same but I think the possibility of that is slim.

See the weight graph on thr right? I’ve entered my expectation now. Check back tomorrow and see the formal update.

Bill

I flew to Melbourne on Wednesday for my annual trip to the Anzac Day parade. The flight was late in, my friends were still there to pick me up and take me to “the deanery” for dinner - excellent! Good food, good wine and great conversation.

I also discovered there were no tickets for the Anzac Day game of AFL! The other reason I came to Melbourne! Still there is the film “Gallipoli” on the big screen at Federation Square at 7pm so my time will not be for naught.

The other challenges I have had have been with the diet. I forgot my Jenny Craig meals, picked a up some weight watchers bars but have still caved in where eating is concerned. Italian for dinner, bacon and eggs for breakfast, neither of them small meals.

See? Average, that’s me. The peak performance resilience isn’t there yet.

Thirty minutes on the hotel treadmill helped as did the walk on glorious sunshine to the War Memorial this morning. So I have burnt off some of the calories and did comfort myself at breakfast that a long and brisk walk up the hill was a necessity with such a breakfast.

Never Beat Yourself Up! (Everything is Fixable)

If I’ve learnt one thing: everything is fixable! Everything can be amended and, while it may slow the journey down to better health, if you keep reinforcing the good, you do keep moving forward.

This understanding of “journey” is quite empowering and liberating. There is no arrival. Sure there is “goal weight”, there is also “cardio strength” and “fat ratio (BMI)” but even as you begin to approach the ideal of these you also understand there is still another, different journey of maintenance to complete/endure/enjoy!

Recognise Small Wins Along the Way

I just bought two pairs of jeans, due to a the weight loss. I was I size 36″ waist jeans, now I’m in 32″. I still have around 8kg to lose.

I can’t buy new leathers for bike riding as they come at around $700 for the pants and there’s no point in buying them if I’m still to lose a few more kgs! While I’d love a new pair, the reason I’m holding off is a good one.

My “love handles” have gone! No more male muffin top! Ewww!

My stomach is smaller and, with the ensuing 8kgs to go I might see an ab or two!!

More Challenges Await

As I move more toward 76kgs than 88kgs there will be the challenges of learning to eat smaller, better portions on my own and not with the pre-prepared meals of Jenny Craig.

My 21 day challenge to run 4kms every day is pretty well on track. I think I’ve missed a day all up so the habit of running every day is coming. It’s also the saving grace when I have bigger than normal meals.

So, I’m on my way. The journey. It’s one that nefer stops but it’s not a chore. It’s just how things “are” now. This is what I do.

I eat better.

I exercise more.

I drink more water.

I have a better understanding of food and diet and the cause and effects of how I eat.

Many of us are visuals and, as the saying goes, “A picture paints a thousand words.”

Having a good read through Leo Babauta’s blog he currently has a guest post by Israel Lagares, the Fat Man Unleashed. And in his blog I saw this really cool application that graphs your weight loss progress.

It’s from skinnyr.com.

I’ve started keeping an Excel spreadsheet of my progress but this tool makes things so much easier AND it comes with HTML.

So without further ado, here’s my graph. Talk about motivating.

Get your own graph at skinnyr

I’ll update it each week after my weigh-ins.
Challenges coming up this week:

Flying to Melbourne, Victoria for the ANZAC Day parade and football, subsequently staying at a hotel. Propensity for extravagant eating very high.

Plan: talk with consultant at Jenny Craig tonight to get mostly non-frozen food for this week. That way I can take it with me and keep to the diet.

Alternative: take the opportunity to learn to eat smaller portions and watch what I eat without the need for Jenny Craig.

Exercise:

• Maintain running around 4km each day, or at least 30 minutes with significant running in that time.
• Hit the gym at the hotel for around 30 minutes a day.
• Maintain water intake.

This trip wil be an interesting test of fortitude and to mainatin my exercise regime, which is going pretty well at the moment.