Smashing it out!

OK, well in response to Dave's post today I thought I better fill you all in with my activities for the past week. Monday and Wednesday are Taekwondo sessions at our local school. I joined the club in 1987, and I must say that it keeps getting better and better. The people are 100% what keeps me going back, week after week, year after year. I had what I can only describe as one of the best nights ever on Wednesday, doing some traditional training and forms work. Then I paired up with another David which I will call "mini you"! "Mini you" has been training for 20 years or so, and cross trained in Brazilian Ju Jitsu and alike. We played around with self defence and takedown's for 45 minutes or so, and we both learned some pretty cool stuff. Very rewarding! Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays are Jazzercise. Now I know that it is typically a women's domain, but my feminine side has been making a break for it, and I have been dancing around, jumping about having a blast. These 1 hour sessions are awesome, and offer a great cardio workout, plus toning even past of your body. Yep, my whole body aches like a b@st@rd, but in a good way. The instructors are friendly and funny... which turns a "chore" into an activity! I am looking forward to next class already. Did I mention that we went out for brunch afterwards and had eggs, bacon, beans and mushrooms!! Booyah!

Not an embaressing week

Well Steve,
I finally knocked out a decent week, despite lingering man flu.

• a 'body balance' class on tuesday - sort of a tai chi, yoga, pilates inspired thing (I can't help think of 'yogalates" from the OC)
• cardio on thursday - 15 min job on treadmill, 15 mins on the bike then 10 mins in the weights room
• cardio and weights firday - 20 min jog then 3 sets on the express circuit

feeling it a bit this morning, but otherwise golden.  Bit of a lazy day today but might hit the garden tomorrow and back to the gym on monday.

10% Iron Man

Well..I have to say my efforts have been pretty crap.  On the plus side my weight hasn't really gone up either.  I've been pretty steady at 255 pounds.  There has been a bit going on at work that has prevented me from getting out of a day (I am taking over a new section at work and making some radical changes so that is taking a lot of time).  On the plus side, I have talked my 2-I-C (Dave#2) into joining the gym with me and we have been a few times though admitted not quite to our target level :-)

I've also been recently motivated by other factors in life, so I feel the need to take it all a bit more serioously.  Dave#2 was originally aiming for a half iron man (1.95km swim, 90km bike, 21km run) in december but life has gotten in his way too.  So we came up with the idea of a 10% iron man event.  That's our first stretch goal.  So that will be a 390m (rounded up to 400m) swim, an 18 km bike ride, and a 4.22km run.  We figure that is something we can aim for without demotivating ourselves.  Maybe you'd like to join us (virtually) for the 'event'.  I'm not sure what a 10% iron man trophy would look like...maybe a pair of shoes with the legs cut off at the ankles or something hehe.

Food, as you have rightly stated, is the perennial problem here for me too.  We've passed the shortest day now, so hopefully the days will start to become more encouraging.  Although to be honest there is very little encouragement to be found in your average Canberra morning.  Getting up for a pre-breakfast walk demands a little more in the will power department when it's -8 C. 

I am very glad you have reactivated us here, I want to hit the new year as fit and healthy as possible.  I'd be pleased if i could drop below 100 kilos for 2013.  thats 220 pounds or 35 pounds loss.  I've ordered the last parts i need for my "road" bike (its really an old MTB with semi slick tyres and a padded seat).  some parts were failing so I decided to replace and upgrade.  Got some nice shimano XT groupset components which should make it pretty slick indeed.

Thanks for being our conscience Steve!

Primal fear! (Of being overweight)

Hey peeps, long time no post I know. Glad to see that you were on the mend Dave, it's not so nice when people get sick. I have been doing a small amount of exercise during the weeks lately, but the major changes are still with my eating. I am hardy ever hungry. I weighed in yesterday at 234 pounds! And I attribute this to eating primal / paleo type foods for the past 5 months. Google Mark's Daily Apple to see what it is about. There have been a couple of falls from grace where we have had Indian takeaway, or a piece of fish from a restaurant but hey, I feel great. Sugar is gone... And I say that because in the past few months that I have had a sugar binge, I felt totally flat afterwards and almost sick. My pre Christmas weight you might remember was 267.2 pounds, so I am 33 pounds down now and not looking back. So Dave, how is your journey going?

In Flew End Tzar

Ok...so I am starting to feel almost normal again.  After 4 weeks I am not actually coughing ALL night and all day, though I still have to abandon the bed from time to time, just to let my wife get a bit of sleep through the constant coughing.  I had 4 courses of antibiotics, was off work for 2 1/2 weeks and have generally felt completelty crap for a month. 

So I think I might be ready to tentatively re-enter the competition.  I wont be breaking any records exercise wise but I feel up to at least showing up again.  I could do with a proper night's sleep too while I'm making lists.

Apologies to one and all for my absence.

Perhaps you could think about setting a new challenge on Friday evening Steve.  Preferably one that wont kill me.  An eating challenge would suit me best this week (been lots of sick boy comfort food lately).  Anything involving too much exertion sends me into coughing fits that has me dizzy on my feet.

I must be like 12,000 points behind by now.  I weighed in the other day at 254.4 ipad pounds.  Thats a measley 3.5 pounds below starting weight 2 months ago. I didn't even have the good grace to lose 10 pounds through illness!

Be gentle with me Steve! (But I'm still secretly proud of you for doing so well)

Dave

Crack cocaine in moderation....?

OK, so I got your attention. (Couldn't think of anything else to write.)

How are you all going?

I am bludy good, fanks for asking!

Some funny and cool things have happened over the past few weeks, including but not limited to:

1. Quite a few people noticing that I am shrinking. (Yay!)
2. Two people have even rubbed my tummy. (There is no genie in there)
3. Been back to Taekwondo, tearing muscles and getting flexible. <- Love!!
4. Eating well, had pizza, steak sandwich, some pasta, rack of lamb and baked veggies and Sushi.
5. Had some Pear Cider <- Not cool..... I'll explain shortly.

OK, so here is where I just want to put on record that introducing sugar back into my eating plan sent me on a food bender that makes Charlie Sheen look like an alter boy!

We just cannot be friends anymore Sugar! I mean it, you bring out the worst in me.

There has only been a couple of occasions in the past two weeks, but coming off the sugar high, near on makes it impossible to resist eating JUNK FOOD!

If you did not watch the Sunday Night program on Sugar Called Sweet Poison, go and check it out for yourself. http://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/

The information presented comes from http://sweetpoison.com.au/

OK, so that's it for now.... Just wanted to keep you updated.

I am happier, healthier and lighter!!

The new weigh in......

243.6108 Google pounds, down from 245.15 Google pounds on the 20th Feb.
That is all. :-)