Day 72

I'm really starting to see the finish line now. 
It's been really tough - for about 6 weeks of the PCP I was waking up skipping rope in the AM and getting home to work out before dinner.  That's a 4:45 to 10/11pm day...My knees are toast - unfortunately I've got to make some changes. Small jumps now cause really sharp pains at the front of my knee caps. It's a killer. 
NO MORE JUMPS - funny enough I have better momentum now running a quick 4K before workouts in the evening. This allows me to sleep a good 6 or 7 hrs at night and feel refreshed the next day.  
The fat is still coming off but now really starting to feel the strength improvement. I'd doing 6 sets of 6 unassisted pull ups now and V-sits are in now way a downer. Something has happened there and these two exercises have become something I (kind of) look fwd to in the workout given my improvements. 
I've also decided that now that I'm running... daily cardio will be tough to maintain... will allow for slippage but will anchor in a brisk walk in the evening at absolute minimum.
Hats off to my guys - Arnie, Jerome, Victor, Khoi... it's been a long road but the end is in sight. Well done guys - 'you've come a long way, baby...'

Day 58 - The Valley?

Alright... I'm usually really upbeat, witty, clever and the whole bit. But today i'm feeling it. It's been a long time coming but I think i'm due for a gripe.

I'm up before 5 now and outside on the street jumping rope by 5:30. In the office by 7 - luckily the family is helping me a great deal with food/weighing/groceries etc... but the day now is tough as i'm exhausted by 3pm.  
Eating lunch/light snack and then home as soon as poss to see the little one to bed... dinner (eggs/apple/milk/joy) then off to the gym. Finished at the gym last night at 10:30pm... up again in the morning just shy of 5 to do the whole thing over.  Client outings/conf calls/productivity/mood swings/travel... it's all happening and now i'm really feeling it.  I'm REALLY sore at the knees, arms, shoulders, stomach... And who's doing 8 minute abs on top of all this???

I was making good progress - I've lost 11 kgs and have held on to that loss which I'm very happy about. At 96 KGs now and stuck there for the last 2 weeks... no change and less change in day to day appearance/the fit of my clothes.  Is this the valley?? I'm hurtin'...

A game of inches...

One week from today and we'll be at the mid point... Amazing to have made it this far and without much of an episode or emotional melt down. I'm starting to see the results, and I feel the difference in how my clothes fit in a big way. A few wins below...

1) much stronger... A number of the older exercises are much more familiar and I'm able to do a bit more than what's required in terms of reps for each...

2) SIZE... I reckon a good inch and a half to two inches has come off the waste and I'm on a new hole in my 'goto' leather belt. The last hole, actually and it's still a bit generous... The need to purchase a new belt and safety pins to keep my trousers up would spark a 3 blog blitz overnight! Watch this space...

3) discipline... I was back in Seoul again this week for a short trip. I was up at 5:00 local time to squeeze in my workout before the flight back to hk. In an effort to get things done quickly, I took my jump rope pace to a new high... I'm now starting with 600 straight skips without a break befor finishing the 1500 in 2 sets of 450 pretty quickly. Feeling pretty good about that.

All in, the results are showing up in most of the right places. It feels like week 6 is the most important, impactful week thus far. I'm weighing in on Sunday for the weekly... Looking for good things, man... Keep you posted.

Indulge Me?

Indulgence:  n. - An indulging or being indulgent. The act of indulging oneself, or giving way to one's own desires. A favor or privilege.

This is a crap definition of indulgence.  I give you... 2 glasses of '06 Puligny Montrachet... That's a proper indulgence. Yeah, I did it. In India for 5 days out of 6 and I dodged every calorific bullet I could until my penultimate night... Thursday.  Out with colleagues who had supported me all week... helping me choose restaurants in Mumbai/translate to waiters/deal with odd looks/navigate menus... 'no salt? no butter? I'm afraid that's not possible...' I really dealt with it in Mumbai and I've come out on the other end better for it.  I was allowed an indulgence this week and held firm until my last day - so feeling pretty good about that.  I managed to work out every morning before heading into the office and even stuck to the waters/coffees/daily agenda of meals. Not losing much weight this week... which is a bit frustrating as the workout regime ramps up... I find now the workouts are easily an hour now which will be tough once back to HQ in HK. Either way... so when's the next indulgence...? 

'Keep walking'

My first business trip since I started the program last week... Seoul, Korea. I'm quite proud to say there were no deviations from the plan from start to finish. I woke up early the morning of my flight and did my workout and had breakfast. The trip would be 3 days in duration so early planning could get me well into day 2 without episode. The issues were biz class meals (and the threat of spirits, and Cathay Air garlic bread... Which i love...), dinner with colleagues and /or clients, and of course, schedule.

On day 1 my flight left at 9:30, allowing me the option of leaving from home and heading directly to the airport. After my workout and breakfast i cut fruit for an army. This would be my mid morning and mid day snacks in a pinch. I brought along wheat bread that i measured to be enough for lunch and potentially dinner. I opted to eat on my own as much as possible so as not to explain myself to too many people... Sharing is great and helpful but to some I think we pcp'ers can come off over zealous and way too fitness conscious for my appearance! I woke up both mornings of the trip at 5:30 and made sure to incorporate an extra half hour (to cool down/stop sweating)!before my first meeting each morning.  

There was one rough evening. My last night in town with colleagues... The guys... Bonding... usually over a steak, left bank Bordeaux, and a finishing round of cognac... This time would be different.

Every country in Asia has it's theme or catch phrase to attract tourism... Amazing Thailand... Malaysia, truly Asia... I'm not sure what Korea uses as a tag officially... But as I left for the airport the Johnny Walker Black Label ad 'Keep Walking' was everywhere. How fitting, given the level of Whiskey consumption in that country. I came clean with the guys early the night of my big dinner and told them I was off the booz... Which led to a full 1/2 hour of PCP Q&A. A good time followed but nothing like previous trips to Seoul. All in, I think I've figured out how to travel while on the PCP... 1) plan ahead re: food, meals, snacks... Wheat bread, apples and boiled eggs travel well... Call ahead to restaurants... 'Can you do no salt, no butter on menu items?' etc...  2) be firm on time commitments and get workouts done in the AM... The evening could prove difficult due to fatigue, schedules, too many other priorities colliding  3) communication... Let colleagues know you've not gone 'fitness freak' but rather you're on a mission to getting yourself overall healthy.

I started day one at 107kg... Weighed in at 102.2 this morning... Watch this space.

Begin with the end in mind..

If you were at the 8:00 showing of Hangover 2 at PP AMC on Saturday night... and you wondered who was that chomping on freshly cut apple slices in the third row... hands up. It was me and my wife... Yes it's true - ignored the sweet and/or hot and buttered popcorn and brought our own snacks. A first for me to be sure. We've taken to the PCP idea together and have enjoyed a pretty good start.

The half dinners have been... well... half is relative really. Half of 'what I would usually eat' gives me a good bit of room to maneuver if hungry. I've given it an honest effort to clean up my act - no Sift cupcakes, no desserts in general... no fried bits, lots of meats/vegetables and light on starches (particularly in the evenings).

The workouts have been good but the excitement of end result is what's paramount.  I'm looking forward to slimming down but ultimately feeling better and getting fit.  How many meals have I sat across from peers who 'don't eat this - don't eat that' while I put away the 12oz wagyu and 3/4s of a late 90s Chianti - more than my share I mean to confess. So, i've been off the booze since June 2 and will aim to remain 'largely' off the booze until completion.

I've tried to add a few runs into the mix as well... it seems that the new exercises have made my standard 4 and 5k runs on the weekend really tough. Not sure if it was the heat but barely finished on Saturday and through in the towel on Sunday. Perhaps it's best to just stick with the program for now?

Either way - a college professor once told me 'begin with the end in mind...' It's worked for me in life on many occasions. I'm looking for great results in August. I want to wish everyone the best of luck.  Some of the results I've seen from the guys around me at work are astonishing. I'm looking forward to celebrating with all of you at the finishing line in late August. If you're ever feeling weak and need someone to talk you off the ledge... if you're ever wishing you could tuck into a chicken and mushroom pie - or you're missing that after work cocktail... email me - you're probably not alone! All the best guys - see you on the other side...

Let's Go!