Day 326: 18.8kg!!

Well I snuck on today and I was down some. Only 1.2kg till I hit the big 20kg loss for the year, which is my goal really. To do that well and truly.

I know that my weight fluctuates with water and the rest. As I've said, I don't care, as it certainly didn't fluctuate 18.8kg down when I started.

The curry was great. I've had it two nights in a row. Tastes as good as anything you would like to eat during the week, quick, easy, portion controlled, and dare I say, healthy.

Just over a kilo of lamb has given me 7 meals so far, with at least one more in the fridge. And in a curry a little olive oil produces a whole batch, which is lower in fat than even a stir fry.

I'm thinking about going a little crazy and replacing a good portion of these meals with a curry. Sounds stupid, but people do it on weight-watchers and light and easy meal replacements all the time.

I think a big thing is portion control. You eat too much you fat bastard! This means you only eat what you defrost.

This is another big change in thinking for me. I used to get angry if someone suggested not drinking. That was pretty well impossible, ignorant, and un-Australian. Similarly, if someone suggested I eat frozen food every night.... well, I didn't think much of them either.

But if eating frozen food every night gets me results then the new me says bring it on.

I have my goals. I have to keep making changes to my lifestyle to reach them.

Piss. Food. Exercise.

That's it really.

Day 324: Curry

Well, I'm trying. Walked yesterday, this morning, and home just now. Frozen curry thawing in the microwave as I type. 3 minutes left on the clock.

Will it taste ok?

I hope so. Knackered. Did weights for the first time on Sunday. Arms still a little sore, but good to have started. I don't know how often I will do them. Perhaps only when I'm not walking twice a day.

Can't do any better than walking twice a day, I would think.

Sad things, microwaves. It's not cooking. I almost threw mine out when going through my Italian phase.

I hope it is for the best.

Ding.

Day 322: 6 weeks to go

Well I didn't weigh myself this morning. That is classic head in the sand.

I will tomorrow.

I made up my curry batch last night. Two curries, one was mushroom and pea, in a tomato and spice sauce. It was freaking awesome. The other was lamb and coriander, which was good, but nowhere near as good as last time I made it. I doubled the recipe, and it was too saucey. Next time I'll just go the single batch, perhaps with a little more meat.

Anyway, we had dinner and I still managed to freeze six meals or so. I'll have to reinstate the microwave, which I swore off in my fresh food italian phase. Fine by me.

It will be interesting to see what they taste like after being defrosted.

So 6 weeks to go. I think I'll keep my head rather than going full on. I just want to exercise every day during that 6 weeks. Even if it is to walk to the shop and back. And with my curries, no freak outs or poor decisions. I can take lunch every day. I can cook dinner every night. If I am not well enough prepared, then I just take a damn curry.

Day 321: Sleep

I find it tough to get a good sleep. I know when I went off the piss I noticed I slept better. But I seem to often wake up too early. I think part of it is my girlfriend. She hogs the bed and makes funny noises. That makes it more difficult.

Day 321 today. I'm really aware the end is neigh; creeping along, day by way, week by week. 6 weeks left basically, till I have been off the sauce for a year.

It hasn't been a great week. I was going so well, and then lost a bit of momentum/focus/had some blowouts.

So much of it is mental. I know no one wants to to hear your problems (or perhaps you do, reading this....) but if you are feeling sorry for yourself it is harder to be Mr Fit. I think my dodgy knee certainly made it harder, but it isn't the whole story.

I think if your life is out of whack a bit then it's easier to feel sorry for yourself, and to make poor choices, out of stress, boredom or depression and the like. Big Fat Bastard from Austin Powers? Perhaps.

Had lunch with a client yesterday. He had a few beers, checking if I was ok with it. Strange. I couldn't give a rats he was drinking. No pangs of regret for me. It didn't even register with my brain. At the end of the lunch he was a little fired up and reminisced in the old days it would have been me urging him to drink on.

No chance now. And how would I be feeling right now, if we did that, at 4.00 the next morning?

Shithouse, that's how. And half a kilo fatter from the 10 hour binge.

I need a new hobby or something I think, to make things more interesting. I'm not sure cooking is all that productive, and I'm a little bored with that one. I might look around at canoes and a roof rack, to be able to go off myself and paddle for a few hours on a Saturday morning. That's active and fun and positive. Sounds cool as well, when talking about the weekend, doesn't it, to be off for a paddle somewhere.

Plus it is using my arms rather than my legs.

I should also start using those weights. I bought the bloody things, and a book. I think I just need to start lifting them at nights. I can refine the routine some other time. Using them in any way would be better than not at all.

Anyway, I'm going to try and get back to sleep.

Walk

Back on the saddle. Walked home. Cooked chicken and vege stir fry.

Interesting

http://chrisgibson.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/AC-Perth-Gillian.mp3

Have ordered book. Sounds familiar!

Day 319: Blowout

Well, in the interests of disclosure, I should record I had a blowout last night with food.

A bit of a destructive session, with deliberately poor choices.

Was a bit funny mentally. It is a mental game, isn't it.

I wonder sometimes if hydration has something to do with your brain going out of whack. That would explain why drink gets you feeling funny as well.

Anyway, sane today. Hope to walk after work.

Day 318: More

I'm weighing myself daily now. Just to focus the mind. I know there are fluctuations.

Pleasingly today's reading matched yesterday (a little under). In fact up to 18kg on the first reading, which again I will take.

I'm dead keen for 20 now. Bring it on. Can I get there by the end of next week? No reason why not, if my knee holds up.

Walked once for a bit over an hour yesterday.

Day 317: 1.6kg (17.8kg total loss)

Well, I know you can't lose 1.6kg in a day, and there must be other factors at play, such as hydration, but I don't care. Because when I started this little venture there would be no way that I would fluctuate down 17.8kg so I'm taking it.

This vindicates my decision to change my diet, in my mind.

I have 7 weeks to go. And guess what, I pretty well now have 7kg to lose if I want to hit 25kg for the year. This week will have to be tight, given this fluctuation. I don't want to be deluded because of an extra trip to the toilet and find I'm going backwards this week.

A nicer start to the week.

Day 316: 45 weeks 0kg loss (16.2kg loss)

Well a few things.

1. I think I had a good week. I exercised my arse off. My food was better (but not perfect - I ate out four times). I'm feeling like I'm moving in the right direction.

2. I've changed the monday to Sunday as it is more accurate.

3. No weight loss for this week, which I must say is a disappointing. But I have learnt that when you change things you need to give them a go.

4. I've put a graph up of my weight loss (or not) using an online tool and discovered my base was out, and I've actually lost .7 more than I thought (I'll take it!).

5. My knee has been dodgy since Friday. I had yesterday off because of it. Every fat guy's lament, and a few thin guys. I still hope to walk today, but perhaps not the hills of Cootha.

So what this week then? I think I need to curb the eating out. I might make up a curry today and prepare some frozen meals so I have a choice if I am pressed for time.

Bit down about the weight to be honest. It can be a real cunt to lose. Slow and via hard yards seems to be the only way, for me.

Day 314: Feeling fine

Woke up feeling slimmer. My body shape is changing. Fucking that Italian diet off was the best thing I've ever done (short of fucking the grog off).

Why didn't I do it 12 months ago?

Anyway, everything seems to be coming together:

1. Off the piss.

2. Not habitually eating crap.

3. Exercising every day, preferably twice a day.

4. Eating mainly simple stir fry/noodle dishes with lots of veges and some meats. Also a lot of fruit.

Just got to keep the bastard up. I think what I get up to on the weekend will determine whether or not I slip into the 16kg+ loss category rather than staying in the 15kg+ loss category, where there is a risk of languishing (well, let's face it, I've been dancing with the 15kg area, plus or minus 2kg, for over 6 months - time to fucking move on and guts it out).

I think I'm going to make a curry over the weekend and freeze it for quick meals. Do people freeze the rice with their curries or cook it and just freeze the curry?

Day 313: Compliment

I got a compliment today.

"How much weight have you lost"

"15kg"

"Looks like more"

Can't beat that!

Walked over 2.5 hours today.

Day 312: Part II

Well, I walked in. I didn't break into any runs today although I did yesterday. I know I've eaten less today, which is fine so far. I'll be interested in seeing how that goes into the future.

High hopes.

Day 312: Epifany

It has occurred to me that this weight loss caper is all about the food.

(Often the simple messages take a while to get into your brain).

I need to really really simplify my food, at least during the week, especially at night.

I'm talking a plate of veges with some chicken breast or can of tuna on the side type simple.

Dare I say it, fat camp style simple.

I am 100% sure that if I do this, the weight will fall out.

I think my obsession with cooking has really bitten me on the arse this year. Not that I want to give up cooking, but if my priority is shifting some pounds that really shouldn't be there, then I need to make some sacrifices when it comes to dinners.

It is pointless working my arse off on the road, and giving up the piss, if I'm going to make it excruciatingly slow and difficult by eating loads of calories in my meals.

I want to smash it out now. I think everything is in place, and I still have a lot to shift.

Day 311: Good day

Good day today. Walked both ways. Haven't oven eaten.

Just need to keep it up.

Day 310: Olive oil withdrawal

I'm suffering from olive oil withdrawal. I'm sure of it. I'm very sensitive to fat, and often feel sick if I have the wrong fats. Yesterday I felt weird, in a fat deprivation sort of way, and kept thinking of olive oil.

I've been eating olive oil based Italian dishes for 3 years now. Little wonder my body has noticed that it has gone. I'm also hoping the calories add up a little better without it.

I walked after work yesterday. I'm all set to walk in today. I hope to cook some lunch up before I do (stir fry).

Went out for dinner last night. Not ideal, but there was a birthday involved. Sushi train (which isn't as healthy as it sounds).

Jumped on the scales and was half a kilo up. Shows you can only rely on trends. I guess at the moment I'm looking for them to show in the 16kg-17kg loss mark. Once I'm there I'll look for 17-18 loss, and so on.

Best go cook.

Day 309: 44 weeks 1 kg loss (15.5kg total)

Back on the saddle. Pleased about the reading as feel quite heavy because of all the cooking I did on the weekend including the chicken and vege stir fry and fruit I had last night.

The real test for me with the new diet will be over the next couple of weeks. If I can smash it out to, say, 17.5 loss in the next couple of weeks I'll know it is has made a difference.

I had a dream I was drinking wine last night. I vaguely remembered I was off the drink but then thought I must have started again. I even took in some air to try and increase the taste of the wine.

Not sure what that means. I also dreamed of an ex-girlfriend. No not in that way.

Bottom line is the number went down, and that's where I'm at. Had a break for three days from exercise, not sure why. But going to bust it out every day till next weigh day to see if I can break into new territory. Plus no crap, and try and not eat badly when eating out this week (got 2 functions at least).

Need to focus. I'll report back here each day on both food and exercise I think.

So it looks like I have 8 weeks left. Realistically I will be pleased if I can get the number up to 20k, with 25k as a stretch goal. Somewhere between 20 and 25kg loss for my year off the piss would be just fine, thank you very much.

So a real effort for these 8 weeks is in order.

Day 307: Musings

You know, there really is fuck all content out there on the internet about being off the piss. Not written by sane people, anyway. Sometimes, to feel better or out of curiosity, I google being off the piss, and I always end up reading the same few articles.

I think perhaps it is because most medical types are well and truly ON the piss. Med students are notorious pissheads, who move onto drugs as soon as they get access to the in hospitals (at least the ones I knew). Same as dentists. Huge piss heads.

In fact, here in Australia, pretty well EVERYONE, professionals included, are huge pissheads. Or at least heavy drinkers. Certainly your doctor is, as he sits there lecturing you.

Almost guaranteed he gets pissed regularly.

My own grandfather was a surgeon. He is probably the most alco guy I ever knew. Drank every day, all night. Fosters. Functional. Also smoked like a chimney. Died of lung cancer in his 60s.

Poor bastard lost his wife to cancer in her 30s. That may have driven him to the drink.

Anyway, my point is that pretty well every medical person I know is a huge, or at least moderate, pisshead. Same as lawyers.

Nothing wrong with that, of course. But it's interesting that there isn't more written about not drinking on the web. There is the clinical stuff, of course, written by some guy with a lab coat on or a big pair of glasses, but nothing you can relate to.

Nothing written by a normal person.

Just an observation. You don't need to follow the thinking of others. You shouldn't really. There is so much crap out there, all trying to manipulate you, for your money generally. Or for your body, if you are female and marginally attractive.

Same as advertising for food, and even government recommendations based on food industry interests. All crap.

Look at the diet trends. Some scant research appears on a topic and then a whole industry appears flogging it. Consider the appearance of low fat ice cream followed by low carb ice cream over 20 years. Next will be omega 3 ice cream.

I've told you my plan was to become Mr Mediterranean. But then I noticed the years I tried to live like that resulted in me being heavier. So I'm heading back into South East Asia for a while. To see how I go.

Bit of a shock to the system this weekend let me tell you. I had a Viet meal with healthy soup, chicken dish and cabbage stir fry. I've cooked a noodle dish with beef and thai basil. I've cooked another noodle dish with an egg and soy sauce. I've also cooked some chinese dry shredded pork for fried rice during the week (this stuff is freakin addictive).

Might be some fluid retention for all the sauces.

So anyway. New diet. Olive oil fucked off. See how long I can keep it up, and whether or not there are any improvements in the right direction if I keep up the exercise.

Day 305: Rooted

Today off. Had function at Broncos match for hours. Man, how boring are these things without piss. And the drunk bogans at the end!!! Thousands of them. Pissed. I'm just 100 years away from that shit. In many respects.

I felt a bit nervous just walking among them.

Thank christ I don't have 2 wake up with a hangover tomorrow. Feel a bit like i will, but of course I won't.

So tired.

Part III

Well felt good today. As though I'm moving in the right direction. Dinner was a disaster - just not organised enough, which is key.

Had a rough week or so at work. I sort of feel as though I'm in a bit of a middle age rut to be honest. Does everyone feel the same way I wonder? I'm 36.

How I got to 36 I'm not quite sure. But it would appear that 40 isn't that far into my future.

I think it's perfectly possible to feel isolated at around my age. Most people are preoccupied with kids and the like, and social contact, genuine friendship of the sort you have in your early 20s, becomes pretty hard to come by. At least if you don't have children.

I just worry my life is passing me by.

At least if I keep getting fitter, healthier, and leaner, I see that as a positive.

Part II

ps - Have now walked Sun - 3.5, Mon - 1.5, Tue - 1.5, Wed - 1.5, and with any luck will be off for another 1.5 in 5 minutes.

Day 304: Diet

I'm going to try and move more towards an Asian diet rather than a Mediterranean one. Logically Mediterranean makes sense. They eat a lot of veges and live longer and have fewer health problems. But I've just noticed that when i shifted from Asian to Mediterranean I actually put on a lot of weight, which now is coming off very slowly. When I ate Asian I was thinner, and when I worked as hard as I'm working now, it just fell off.

So what does this mean? More stir frys and soups basically. Sounds boring but Asian cooking is anything but. It means flavour from chili and spice and herbs rather than fat and salt. It means a lot of rice, flavoured with various spells and slight of hand, rather than bulk food. It means more noodles.

And please, no low carb comments. Asians aren't fat. What do you think they eat.

Monday part 2

Ok, so that's depressing. Do I run off and buy a box of light and easy?

No, things were working. What fucked it up was going on that fucking work retreat, being stressed at work, and missing my daily exercise, and eating crap at the retreat.

I also ate out 3 times last week at fancy restaurants! And once at at ok one.

So, my approach is:

1. Exercise every day.

2. Don't eat crap.

3. No piss.

That works. When I'm heading in the wrong direction if I look back at my behaviour I haven't been doing 1 and 2.

For some reason I've been like a champ with 3. Someone at work complemented me on 3 last week, with the absolutely shithouse week I had. I think she wondered how I did it.

I don't know to be honest. Something in my brain just switched and said, that's it, a year off the piss, and I've been able to do it.

Normally I'm not that strong mentally.

If I could work that one out I'd be a rich man.

Day 301: 14.5kg loss (1.7 GAIN)

Well that is a cunt.

Day 301: 43 weeks

Well, into the 300s.

9 weeks to go.

Trying to get back into it after a stressful week at work, which lead to some bad behaviour.

Walked 3.5 hours this morning around Mt Cootha.

Day 296: Back on the saddle

Well, after my half week of shocking behaviour and no exercise I walked home last night. Going to spend the rest of the week in catchup mode, with the goal of being back into the swing of things by next week. Lots of walking on the weekend.

Was a bit down in the dumps for a few days there - stressed, due to work mainly. I think that I am a stress eater, in that if stressed, and placed in a foreign environment (eg a hotel) I will eat poorly.

I have even been having some pro-alcohol thoughts, and reasoning why it was a good idea to have a drink, and even a bad idea not to. Why shouldn't I have a drink with a beautiful woman over lunch, for example?

Another pretty girl at work said I looked a lot smaller than in my picture, which was taken when I started this mad adventure. That pretty well answers why not.

Would a pretty girl prefer the sober, lean, fit guy or the fat drunk guy?

Pretty obvious, which is why I'm walking in this morning and not having a drink at lunch today. I've got 3 flash lunches lined up in a row: Kingsleys, Aria and Alchemy. Sounds flash, but really a fat and booze fest, if you are not careful.

Day???? Health benefits of booze

Interesting reading a couple more articles on how moderate alcohol consumption is a really good idea health wise.

Binge drinking (ie most aussie drinking) is not.