Hooray! Day 84

I know many of you want to see all the latest Photos – and I’ll be posting these next week when the totally awesome photographer Laura Cioccia gets me the finished photos next week

Exercise Log

Picked up my new running shoes from Active Feet in Prahran and gave then a bit of a test with a 5km Walk/Jog/Run and I’m very impressed and happy that they will be perfect for the upcoming 14.3km Run For The Kids event.

What did I eat on Day 84?

• Breakfast – Egg Omelette on Wholegrain Toast w/ABC Spread & Tomato
• Snack – Rice Cakes w/Vegemite
• Lunch – Tuna & Beans w/Green Salad
• Snack – Protein Shake
• Dinner – Oven baked Chicken Breast w/roast veggies
• And Supplements as usual

And that concludes this challenge… did you stay ON it?

All About Self Mastery

Self Mastery - Standing Out from the Croud

Most Saturday’s in this Challenge have been my Indulgence Day, where I’m able to Indulge in whatever food choices I want, except on Day 83 which, because of the Lean Up Week, was another day of clean eating – and it isn’t hard to keep being good anyway this close to the end!

What I find so encouraging having travelled this journey is picking up some skills along the way that I will now continue practising:

• The ability to lose weight on my own. This might seem fairly insignificant, but it is actually the most important thing I have learned.  It is the ability to understand what I need to do to lose weight, and the ability not to need any special tricks or “programmes” to do it – I’ve done it before, I can do it again.  As a fat guy three months ago, my mindset was such that it just was the way it was – I didn’t have the skill of Self-Mastery that I have now.
• The lessons about maintaining my body (in particular my knees & feet) – Having spent several sessions at a Physiotherapist, as well as asking so many questions from so many fit and active people that I have come to admire recently, I have been able to take away some tricks & techniques that apply to my own body that allow me to now maintain an injury free existence.
• New Mental Clarity & Focus – Having to write a blog article each day, and publishing something online, has completely overcome my previous fears & inhibitions with communicating in this way.  I have tried all sorts of writing styles and devices, not with any tuition or professional guidance and I have a long way to go – but the concept of Writer’s block no longer applies to me.
• An appreciation for Energy Output and the Finer Things – I’m so thankful to have learnt that when you get serious about something you really can start to see & taste the difference; take a professional Wine-Taster as an example who can distinguish things that many of us have no clue about – the same goes for Fitness & Nutrition and the more you learn about the more you realise that some things that might seem the same just aren’t.  It is rather hard to explain (a bit like the Lean Up Week)!

My next post will be the last for this Challenge, so look forward to it tomorrow!  And until then, stay ON it!

Exercise Log

My boxing style, especially on my left-hook was spectacular today – if I do say so myself.  After weeks of careful tuition from Snow at Fitness Kick, I finally felt the kinetic chain of energy as it leaves my left foot and travels up the side of my body and across my shoulder to connect with what feels like a perfect left-hook.  Awesome.

My strength and stamina – including my ability now to endure and perform hard throughout the equivalent of an Amatuer Boxing tournament (three rounds of three minutes, with a minute rest in between) is absolutely stunning.

What did I eat on Day 83?

• Breakfast – Slice of Wholegrain Toast w/ABC Spread
• Snack – Coconut Water
• Lunch – Tuna & Coleslaw Mix w/Lemon Juice
• Snack – Protein Shake
• Dinner – Chicken w/Zucchini, Cauliflower, Peas & Mushroom
• And Supplements as usual

Until tomorrow, stay ON it!

Getting Ready For The Win (FTW!)

Getting Ready for the Win!

In line with what I wrote about on Day 49 I’m getting ready to relish the feelings of success that will come with crossing the 84 Day mark in this amazing journey.  I’m looking forward to reflecting on this experience and reviewing the new skills that have been learned along the way.

Fitness Kick, the gym that has made this all possible for me is Celebrating their 7th Birthday in a week or so, and I’ll be celebrating with my trainers and sharing stories of success and triumph!

I’ll also be putting together a YouTube video and updating the results on this site for all to see

If you have been participating in the Challenge, and you’re still ON it, I applaud your success also and would love to talk to you about how you went.

Exercise Log

As my right-ankle was still a bit stiff, I had no choice but to take it easy, so my very best intentions of getting the most out of this last “Lean Up Week” has been somewhat diminished  It doesn’t take away the amazing results that I have achieved overall though!

What did I eat on Day 82?

• Breakfast – Rolled Oats w/Vanilla Protein Shake
• Snack – Almonds
• Lunch – Left-over Chicken Meatballs w/Green Salad
• Snack – Protein Shake
• Dinner – Left-over Chicken Meatballs cooked in Tomato Sauce
• And Supplements as usual

Until tomorrow, stay ON it!

No Spray Tan (This Time)

No Spray Tan (This Time)

In some sort of delusional way, before starting this Challenge, I imagined that I might have been able to get all bronzed up and waxed at the end, but the reality is that having started at a weight of 125.3 Kg it hasn’t been possible to lose the amount of body fat in these 84 days that would have me looking anywhere near as well defined as, say the Statue of David.

Oh well, maybe next time.  I do know that my ultimate target body weight is somewhere between 90Kg and 94Kg – so that is something to aim for when I participate in the next Challenge, and it might be possible that all this hard work in the Gym will begin to show off as I get closer to that.

So, for this time around, no Spray Tan.  And, possibly even more fortunately, no Waxing either!

Exercise Log

Tash at Fitness Kick had me doing a fitness circuit as well – her and Matt Thom must have decided to gang up on me this week, since he also took me through something similar two days earlier!  It was great to push through a bunch of maximal exercises, including dragging Tash along the floor while she sat on a 20Kg weight

What did I eat on Day 81?

• Breakfast – Rolled Oats w/Vanilla Protein Shake
• Snack – Almonds
• Lunch – Turkey Breast w/Green Salad
• Snack – Protein Shake
• Dinner – Lean Green Chicken Meatballs w/Broccoli & Brussel Sprouts
• And Supplements as usual

Until tomorrow, stay ON it!

Stretching, stretching, stretching!

Stretching, stretching, stretching...

Okay, so it has only taken me 80 days to learn this lesson… Stretching is important.

Living an active lifestyle requires a higher level of maintenance than I had previously considered, or even fully appreciated…

Running – be it on Treadmill or Road – takes a toll on the human body; knees, ankles, feet & even hips all play a vital role – so it’s no wonder that all the muscles, tendons and ligaments that connect all of those parts together need to be working together in unison.

For me, I’ve learned some advanced stretching techniques that I now do using a Roller on the floor, and also some Dynamic stretching that has me swinging my legs through the air with great speed!

The one tip I did learn was that you should NEVER do stretching when your muscles are Cold – or at least, if you do, make sure you don’t do it too forcefully.  You should do a small warm-up first (usually just a few minutes walk should do it) – then you can get into stretching the muscles in your legs.

Exercise Log

I found myself in the capable hands of my Physiotherapist again – this time she was rolling out my very tight right-calf muscle which was found to be the culprit for my latest ankle injury.  Well, just chalk this up as another lesson on Stretching!

What did I eat on Day 80?

• Breakfast – Rolled Oats w/Protein Shake
• Snack – Almonds
• Lunch – Green Salad w/Tuna
• Snack – Protein Shake & 15 Almonds
• Dinner – Left-over Green Salad w/Chicken
• And Supplements as usual

Until tomorrow, stay ON it!

Feeling Depleted

On Day 79, just two days into a low-carb eating plan with twice the amount of Exercise, and I certainly felt drained of energy.

However, strangely it was more or less my own perception, because when I was in the Gym, I managed to burn 1,023 Calories and Matt confirmed that my output was just fine!

It’s funny that sometimes we can “feel” depleted, but the reality might be quite different.  It’s important to understand that it may just be your perception – so stick with it, and stay ON it.

Exercise Log

In the last training session with Matt Thom on the Challenge, he had me running the gauntlet in several laps on a pretty amazing circuit that included jumping over mini-hurdles, round-house kicks into a bag, squats, pushups, lunges and a total of eight (8) stair runs while holding a 10Kg Medicine Ball above my head (any fellow Fitness Kick members will understand how hard that is!)

What did I eat on Day 79?

• Breakfast – Rolled Oats w/Protein Shake
• Snack – 15 Almonds & lots of water!
• Lunch – Left-over serve of Oven Baked Chicken breast w/Broccoli
• Snack – 15 Almonds & lots of water!
• Dinner – Left-over serve of Oven Baked Chicken breast w/Broccoli
• Late-Dinner – Chinese Steamed Duck w/Bok Choy & Mushrooms
• And Supplements as usual

Until tomorrow, stay ON it!

Lean Up Week

Lean Up Week!

Okay, so the start of Week 12 – the last week of the Challenge and it gets really interesting here!  It’s called “Lean Up Week” and the eating plan and schedule changes with a view to getting a “hard” body at the end of the Challenge - preferably timed to perfection so that it happens on the last day when you get Photos taken!

So, in summary, it works like this:

• The week starts with low-carb eating (only some carbohydrates at breakfast, like rolled oats).
• Not only that, but NO Sugar, NO Dairy products, NO Fruit.
• To offset the dehydration effects of low-carb eating, water intake is significantly increased – up to 3 litres of water per day.
• As the days progress, water intake is gradually reduced, and eating foods like Celery, Lemon, Asparagus (and other diuretic foods) is encouraged.
• Salt is avoided at all costs, as it will cause fluid to be retained in the body; this can also mean avoiding any proteins like red meat that might be high in sodium.
• Exercise is increased with Cardio and a Light-weights workout on EVERY DAY for at least 80 minutes!  This is designed to “deplete” the body as much as possible.
• THEN on the last Day… Carbs are introduced back into the diet and the effect is a “hard body”

The explanation behind why this increases the look and tone of muscles is due to what happens when the Carbs are introduced at the end – instead of bloating you like you’d possibly expect, because your muscles are “depleted” from all the training and low-carb intake, the sudden intake of Carbs is absorbed by the muscles giving the “hard” look.  At least that’s how I understand it!

Exercise Log

To get the jump on the Lean Up Week, I got to bed early the night before and woke at 5AM to go for a Run!  If you’ve ever walked the streets at this time of the morning, you know just how spooky it is.  Sadly, my right ankle was a little sore when I woke (I did recall rolling my ankle just so slight when I was mowing the lawn on the day before), so I rubbed some special Chinese spray to warm it up, but I still wasn’t confident enough to Run so I just Walked/Slow Jogged instead.  Later in the day I did a “Fusion” workout in the Gym with a Medicine Ball and burned over 700 Calories!  A great start to the Lean Up Week.

What did I eat on Day 78?

• Breakfast – Fruit Free Muesli w/LSA & Rice Milk
• Snack – 15 Almonds
• Lunch – Turkey Breast w/Green Salad
• Snack – (skipped due to late lunch)
• Dinner – Oven Baked Chicken (coated in LSA) w/Broccoli & Brussels Sprouts
• And Supplements as usual

Until tomorrow, stay ON it!

Playing Catch Up

Playing Catch Up...

If you’ve been following this blog regularly you might have been wondering why I’ve been quiet for the last few days – especially since I’m now writing about Day 77 while it is now actually Day 83!

Unfortunately I find myself Playing Catch Up!  And I only have myself to blame.

It’s a good blame though, because I’m finding as I get to the end of the 84 Day Body Challenge, which has been such a tremendous experience for me, several wonderful things have started to happen:

• I’ve been learning about my body, and just beginning to get an understanding of how to tweak my energy levels which are getting better every day.
• I’ve been spending a lot more focussed time on business activities – and I’m sorry that I’ve used that as an excuse not to update this blog like I should have.
• While I’m a little sad that this Challenge is ending – I’m seriously considering participating in the next one that starts on May 9th

The hardest thing with Playing Catch Up with anything in life, is that it’s very easy to get tied up in the mental trauma of the “lost time”, the “missed opportunity”, the “day you can’t get back” – okay, so you get the idea.

BUT, I just remembered something that I wrote way back on Day 18…

Just Keep Swimming

Yep, this is my reminder to get back ON it, and keep moving forward.

It’s NEVER too late to start Playing Catch Up.

Exercise Log

Being a Sunday, I mowed the lawn at home and went for a walk.

What did I eat on Day 77?

• Breakfast – Fruit Free Muesli w/LSA & Organic Yoghurt
• Snack – (skipped due to late breakfast)
• Lunch – Tuna & Beans w/Garden Salad
• Snack – Carmens Green Muesli Bar
• Dinner – Chicken Breast & Green Salad
• And Supplements as usual

Until tomorrow, stay ON it!

Last Indulgence Day

Day Seventy-Six!  I can’t believe it has gone by so quickly – and it was my last Indulgence Day on the Challenge.

It was my last Indulgence day, because as I head into the last week it is the “Lean Up” week which is a pretty technical diet that I will explain in the next couple of posts.

Exercise Log

In the Gym with Snow and once again I got to put the Gloves on a go three rounds with a punching bag – which, I must say, is always a great way to finish the week out and release any left-over frustrations.

What did I eat on Day 76?

• Breakfast – Curried Egg Omelette on Wholegrain Toast
• Snack – (skipped due to late breakfast)
• Lunch – Pies & Chips w/Salad
• Snack – Orange Juice
• Dinner – Pizza
• And Supplements as usual

Until tomorrow, stay ON it!

The Good Oil

Are you getting your Essential Fats?

Somewhere along the way, presumably in the 1980′s and beyond, the concept of low-fat dieting took hold and the residual effects of this can still be seen in the recommendations dished out today by some nutritionists.

Sadly, some people still believe that cutting out as much fat in their diet as possible is healthy, but the reality can be quite different.

Our bodies need Essential Fats and there are two that are known called alpha-Linoleic acid (a type of Omega-3) and Linoleic acid (a type of Omega-6).  Not only that, certain Vitamins like Vitamin-A are fat-soluble which means they don’t mix with Water – so you have to eat a fat to get it.

So what are some good sources of Essential Fats?

• Fish (Salmon)
• Flaxseed (linseed)
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Soya Oil
• Chia Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Leafy Vegetables
• Walnuts
• Almonds
• and much more!

Next time you think about cutting Fat from your diet, make sure you’re still getting the right amount of Essential Fats in your diet, otherwise your body might be missing out!

Exercise Log

Went to the Gym and did some Cardio, including Treadmill & Bike doing intervals with 9kg dumbbells every alternate minute I was doing 10 x Should Presses and 10 x Bicep Curls.

What did I eat on Day 75?

• Breakfast – Fruit Free Muesli w/LSA & Organic Yoghurt
• Snack – Apricot Yoghurt & 15 Almonds
• Lunch – Left-over Chicken Soup
• Snack – Apple
• Dinner – Lemon & Dill Baked Salmon w/Zucchini & Salad
• And Supplements as usual

Until tomorrow, stay ON it!