Posts Tagged ‘exercise’

Could best be described by my activity over the past 3 months.

I always knew that maintaining my focus on losing weight and getting healthy was going to be tough, but I really didn’t expect to fall off the wagon for three months.

So I’ve finished beating myself up mercilessly for my tardiness and lack of attention to myself and am committed to getting things back on track getting the next 30+ kilos off.

I’ve continued to exercise, but my food / diet has been a shocker, I’ll post later about why I went back to old habits and how I am going to step forward to become the healthier version of me.

I am back, I need your help and support.

Next steps – set a new goal, with a time-line and start getting some visualisation around what it will be like to weigh only 85-90 kilos.

’til later

Welcome to all the readers who have found Saving Alan through the Sunday Age article today (Jan 17, 2010). The article on Page 2 is titled “Super sized desperate to get things into proportion‘ and covers a bit of how I have gone about losing 43 kilos so far.

Amongst the many things that didn’t get mentioned there are two things that I have found to be very importnt to my success so far and they are;

1. Counseling - understanding what is going on, how I feel and think about myself and starting to get some strategies for change. I am of the very firm belief that in a large proportion of obesity cases the mental health aspect is the underlying disease, not simply the issue of being overweight.
2. Bikram Yoga – a low impact yet intense exercise that has been integral on a number of fronts. Firstly to get me moving without putting too much joint strain, providing the opportunity for the mind to be still (meditation) and gaining a great support network without being judged (unlike the feeling I get in a gym).

One more thing, the cartoon The Age decided to put within the article is a prime example of the ridicule that obese people get all the time. I am not overly offended by it, but it does highlight the stupidity of our media at times just being damn inconsiderate to the plight of the obese and holding them up for ridicule. The outcome of stupidity and deliberate ridicule feel the same. What a shame for a serious article to be diminished by a lack of thought from an editor or sub-editor.

If you’d like to follow my story as it unfolds, connect via Facebook as well as subscribing to the RSS feed on this page.

A gift to myself really.

Since the weigh in at the end of November I gave myself a fair bit of leeway on food and exercise and the result was adding 6 kilos over 3 weeks and quite a few cms.

For the first time I can remember the addition of cms felt damn horrible, I did care (that is a big change). My suit felt tight, belt slipped forward a notch and exercise became that little bit tougher (I had some very rough Bikram Yoga classes through that period) and I could see the changes in my shape, specifically my gut.

It was all about my intent and how I was thinking about things, I was getting that old victim / self pity crap going again. Well toughen up young fella!

So at my last weigh in on 21 December I set a target of 117 kilos for weigh in on January 7 (today). Up until Boxing Day things weren’t looking so rosy, I had exercised a lot, but food had been a bit hit and miss but not a blow out.

From Boxing Day onwards I just stuck to my guns, even though I so desperately wanted to eat garbage for the sugar hit or to feel full. Holidays are traditionally a tough time to lose weight as the routine goes out the window, if we look back at my progress and check out the holiday weeks during 2009 I think I added weight in each holiday period.

Not this time though, I set out with the intent of making 2010 a great year on all fronts and most importantly my health. I will get to 85 kilos this year (a total loss of 73 kilos since the start of Saving Alan). I have made a flying start with a 6 kilo loss over the past 2 weeks and I’ve set a target of another 2.5 kilos by next weigh in on January 21, my intention is to surpass that. It’s not that hard to do really, it’s just hard to action, to stay in check, not to give in, not to say “oh, it’s only one thing”. Fat Food Friday helps out a lot in terms of providing a release of anything I may be craving, it gets it over and done with, I feel horrible after it and then I move straight back into the plan.

So I am currently 115 kilos, (-43 kilos), and am really keen on breaking through the 108 mark as quickly as I can, not taking another 20 odd weeks to remove the fifth 10 kilos like it did the fourth.

I am walking every day (40-50 minutes), doing Bikram Yoga three times a week and most importantly eating well. Simple plan, simple outcome.

I ventured onto a tennis court yesterday for the first time in 10 years, it felt good, it felt comfortable and I am looking forward to adding a weekly tennis game to the routine in the near future, I am just not quite mobile enough at the moment .. good news ….. the serve is as mean as ever.

So let’s see what I can achieve in the next two weeks, feeling very motivated after the weigh in.

Sometime over the next couple of weeks is a story on Today Tonight, not sure when as yet but that will keep me on track a little as I couldn’t think of anything worse than walking into a fish and chip shop and someone asking me if I was that guy from that TV story.

So here are this weeks results, enjoy the heat (if you’re in Melbourne)

Very happy, during a time when most people put weight on, I was able to remove 6 kilos. Not as many cms as I would have liked but they will come.

I’m sitting in McDonalds at the moment!

Talk about a test of will power, the smell of fried food is overwhelming and I would love to scoff down a hash brown or two. The simple reason I am here is because they provide free wi-fi, so it is a chance to post the occasional blog.

I’ve just been out for a 50 minute walk along the beach and cliff faces at Mornington, a great way to start the day, and the good news is no blisters on the feet. But I have worked out I can walk about 50 minutes with no problems but if I push out to more than an hour I’ll have the same old problems, so I’ll top and tail the day with a few different walks of around 40-50 minutes.

Last night I went for a walk with my beautiful niece Gemma. It’s always amazing to spend time with nephews and nieces and just to marvel at the adults they have become from the beautiful little babies and todddlers we played with and spoilt. She’s a wonderful and strong woman and a credit to her mother’s sacrifice and struggle (as is Eve of course). I am looking forward to continuing the conversation on tonight’s walk and importantly seeing her spend time with my son and watching their bond grow and develop. One thing is forever .. family.

Sitting in McDonald’s drinking a bottle of water (I had to buy something to overcome the guilts of using their wi-fi) I remember in the late 90’s living in Sydney and catching the ferry to work every morning from Mosman to Circular Quay. There is a McDonalds prominently located between the wharf and the office in Pitt Street and I recall seeing people flocking in there for their breakfast. I could never understand the fast food brands, I was never a fan of McD, Red Rooster, KFC or any of the other corporate fast food joints. I was a more fish and chips sort of guy and that is definitely not a breakfast food, even for me.

One morning I decided to see if there was anything I’d like in McDonalds – error No.1.

I discovered the celebrated hash Brown (celebrated in my mind).

So I bought one, unsure whether I’d like them, added some salt and whammo what a good start to the day.

This soon become a morning ritual, but 2 Hash Browns soon turned to three, then to four, then to six. I’d hide down the corner of the store and eat them in case anyone from the office or that I knew would see me consuming what I knew to be a poor choice breakfast.

Six was about the maximum I thought I could eat, but sure enough it soon became eight Hash Browns for breakfast. I could see the look of surprise and disgust on some of the staff’s face as I ordered, they knew it was just for me, no matter how nonchalant I tried to be.

So there I was, in no time flat I went from 1 to 8 Hash Browns every morning. I was so hooked that when I went and got the newspaper on the weekends I’d nick down to the local McDonald’s and knock back another eight Hash Browns.

Today, I’d still like to have a Hash Brown or two, but the fact is one turns in to eight pretty quickly and the fact is while I like Hash Browns, Hash Brown’s don’t like me!

So here I sit on NYE 2009, just an hour to go until the new year comes and with it more hopes and dreams that I need to find ways of turning into realities. I’m not sure if I am ready, but I wasn’t really ready 11 months ago when I et out on this journey.

It’s been a pretty amazing year by anyone’s standards, here are some of the highlights and lowlights of the year and stories that made it into the 130+ blog posts during 2009.

• Launched Saving Alan, sharing my journey through a blog and social media.
• Appeared on Channel 7 News in January 2009 regarding obesity and genetic research.
• Having a fitness age of 80 and a BMI of over 50 putting me in the “Super Obese” category. (BMI now 37)
• Reducing my risk of heart disease substantially.
• Running a fundraiser for the victims of the vic bushfires with a couple of other local bands and raising over $3,500 in one night
• Lost 40+ kilos from a starting weight of 158 kilograms.
• Sponsorship of $6,400+ for Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute.
• Become a Yogi, loving Bikram Yoga and going on average 2-3 times a week.
• Cooking, skill improved and filmed 8 Cooking with Al sessions, more to come next year.
• Reconnection with old friends and colleagues.
• Generosity, love and support of family and friends.
• Putting myself first sometimes more often.
• Better understanding of what makes me tick and why I make certain choices.
• I like myself a whole lot more.
• Temptations – the failures and the successes, both equally as important.
• On air interview with Richard Stubbs on 774 ABC Radio Melbourne in May.
• Part of Perfect Gift For a Man book for the Inspire Foundation.
• Featured in an article in Sun-Herald on December 13.
• Story coming on Channel 7’s Today Tonight.
• Openly discussing depression and my darkest moments publicly for the first time.
• Started a new band  (a second one)
• Axed from original band of 7 years for personal reasons that they wouldn’t share – don’t you love 30+ year so called friendships.
• Resigned from new band – now selling one of two drum kits.

The key thing was a happy year with lots of time spent with my son. Most of ll I m in a much better and healthier place than this time last year and I have so many wonderful people to thank, which I will, but at another time. It’s getting late, I’m tired and I want to make the 8am Yoga class and set my intent for 2010.

I am enjoying the journey with all it’s highs and lows and twists and turns and look forward to 2010 as an absolute breakthrough year.

I’ll share resolutions / targets with you in the New Year.

Meanwhile have a safe and happy New Year.

If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that I have been having a lot of trouble with blisters on my let foot and it has meant that I haven’t been doing anywhere near as much walking as I’d like to. So the Podiatrist got me into a new pair of running shoes that stopped the lateral movement that was causing most of the trouble. To test it out I went for a 2 hour walk, and of course no lateral movement, but on the left foot I was getting movement the other way causing a blister to kick in at about the 80 minute mark, and so the walking is on hold until it heals.

Luckily, I have an exercise bike on loan from friends, while they live overseas, and it sits in my living room, mocking me most days, but I have been getting back on it the past few days. With only 4 weeks to go, I am motivated to do whatever it takes to move as much weight as I possibly can and I have been able to move my time spent on it from 30 minutes, to 40 minutes, to 50 minutes and tomorrow morning it will be 60 minutes (if I get up early enough).

Not an attractive facial expression when D took the shot, I think he just wanted me to stop so he could hear the TV

I find it boring and repetitive, but for the next month it will be a great fall back to burn off the weight. So the tunes get turned up and I just keep going, trying to work out the amount of calories I’ll burn, the distance I’ll ride and anything else I can do to keep the mind off wanting to give up at 30 minutes. I just have to keep going, it doesn’t hurt that much and the benefit far outweighs the short term discomfort.

Let’s see if I last 60 minutes in the morning!

Well no I can’t!

This evening I had dinner with a former colleague and his ‘Love Partner’, having spoken a little on the phone and communicated via Facebook etc over the past 7 years it was great to see him face to face again. Shame Susan’s voice was lost, but Pete and I covered lots of ground. Always an interesting, challenging and interesting conversation.

The one thing that constantly amazes me is that other people see in me what I don’t see .. need to fix that up!

I ate well, bought dry roasted almonds instead of resorting to a chocolate bar, and ordered grilled fish with vegetables for dinner – tasty and healthy. Now to get on the bike while the washing gets done.

First day for quite a while where I have behaved with food for the entire day, so let’s call today Day 1 and make it all fresh and new again. Food – omelette for breakfast, curry with no rice for lunch and barramundi and vegies for dinner, followed by a little low carb chocolate. Drank loads of water and as a result am going to bathroom quite a bit, every ounce out is a good thing.

I am really annoyed, for the last four weeks I have lapsed back to old behaviours, back to eating crap food and not caring. How can I let myself do that while being so public with this blog I don’t know but I need to tighten up the routine.

If I get back to eating properly and exercising I should be able to claim back all the kilos I’ve added and more, but I wont be able to get to the 50 kilo loss mark by the end of November, which is massively disappointing, but it’s all part of the story. It is so easy to let the old behaviours back in, and keep allowing excuses to become reasons.

So I am about to sit here and do up a schedule for the next week that includes exercise and food. I’ll set up a food diary agaion and make sure I write everything down to bring back a bit of discipline.

I think in the past four weeks I have been able to put 5-6 kilos on, and I reckon I can lose 8 kilos in 6 weeks, so I should end up around the 42-45 kilos lost by the end of November, still a great effort, but it is only the start there is still another 20-30 kilos to lose on top of that. More importntly resolve my issues that keep me switching back to old behaviour patterns.

So here’s the exercise plan for the next week.

• Wednesday AM: Bikram Yoga
• Wednesday PM: 30 minutes on exercise bike
• Thursday AM: Bikram Yoga or 1 hour walk
• Thursday PM: 30 minute on exercise bike (optional)
• Friday AM: 30 minute on exercise bike
• Saturday AM: Bikram Yoga
• Saturday PM: 60 minute walk
• Sunday AM: 60 minute walk
• Sunday PM: Bikram Yoga
• Monday AM: 60 minute walk
• Monday PM: 30 minutes on exercise bike
• Tuesday AM: Bikram Yoga
• Tuesday PM: 60 minute walk

So there it is, can I deliver on it?

The most important thing is the eating, because that is what really loses the weight. I’ve only cooked about 4 times in the past two weeks, so that tells the story right there.

I need some help and support, don’t be scared to drop me a note or get on the phone, that way I know I am not out on my own in this .. it just feels like it.

Weigh ins have moved from Friday morning to Thursday night, I understand you are normally heavier in the afternoon than morning, so I’ll have to discount a kilo or so to allow for that, but the most important weigh in is on Monday 30 November, it’s the only one that really matters.

Anybody up for a cooking lesson, I’ll be contacting those that have said they would – Hoops, Martyn and Stubbsy. If you dont want to be on camera, that’s ok, you can be off camera instructing me what to do.

Let’s see what we can do.

I’m back!

So here we are around 3/4 of the way through Saving Alan and it’s going to be a tight finish to make a 50 kilo loss before the end of November.

In the past two months I have been bouncing up and down in weight, not due to anything other than my commitment to eating well and exercising enough to move the weight, I have a good week followed by a bad week, I really need to put a good patch together again and average just on 1 kilo a week to reach my minimum goal.

Over the past 2 months I have only dropped 2.5 kilos total, an average of 0.31 kilos a week, which would mean only another 4 kilos for the rest of the project for a total loss of 42.6 kilos, short of my set goals, so I really need to step it up and focus more on eating well under all circumstances and making sure I increase the intensity of exercise as well.

Maybe I have been feeling a little satisfied that I have moved close to 40 kilos (25% of my body weight) and have mentally taken the foot off the accelerator.

But now is the time to give it one big hard push through to the end of November and see just how low I can go in that time frame. I am not sure if 60 kilos is possible, but 50 is achievable (another 11.5 kilos) and if I can average 1.25 kilos a week I’ll lose another 16.25 kilos for a total of 54.75.

Things have happened over the past weeks which saw me fall back to old habits and not care so much about me and the outcome, but I’ll write about that in the next few days, it’s no excuse, it’s just what I went through and how I reacted.

Here’s this weeks results.

It’s been a hard haul over the past 4 weeks and the results have shown that, and also the regularity of blogging always drops off when I am struggling, although this past week work has been the cause.

I really resoved to exercise hard this week and not to cheat myself with food during the week, and although I was poor with food over the weekend, I still managed to drop off 2.2 kilos last week. For the first time in probably 5-6 years I am below 120 kilograms. I am now just 12 kilograms away from my minimum target of 50 kilos and somewhere closer to 60 kilograms is looking more like a reasonable target .. imagine if I could get below 100 kilos by the end of November or even by Christmas .. what an amazing change that will be from last Christmas and from where I am right now.

I knew I had a good week in terms of results, I could feel it in my body shape, especially my stomach. An old belt now fits, I am now into my 4th suit in the progression down, jeans that were tight now fit but I still have a bunch of jeans to get back into in probably another 8-10 kilos time. It’s going to get expensive in regards to clothes – suits, jeans, shirts etc and the things I hadn’t thought of are shoe size is reduced so new shoes, underwear is starting to get baggy and uncomfortable – all good problems though.

Off to the footy tonight for the last time in the season to see the Bombers take on the Lions. Food choices may go out the window .. I’ll have to work extra hard over the week to minimise the collateral damage.

Took my 8 year old to Yoga this morning, he joined in for the floor exercises, I love having him there, he’s turned into an amazing support always on the look out for the food choices I make, questioning whether something is ok to eat or not. And oh for his flexibility!

So here’s this weeks results, I’ll post a Cooking with Al tomorrow, with my new invention test – Chicken and Vegetable Stew.

That's better!