Super Saturday

Well here we are again, Saturday afternoon which means its weigh in time. Footy and a couple beers beckons (don't worry I'll be sensible I've booked in for a 50km ride tomorrow morning at 6am) so lets review the current state of play .

As you all know April 2011 has not been my greatest achievement in the journey to redemption. I've regressed somewhat but all in all I think when I look back over the last 30 days I clearly see it could have been much worse. I'm proud of the fact that even with a dearth of good behaviour, I managed to string together enough good days to finish the month in the red.

So to the numbers for the week are:

Current weight: 109.1kg,  previous weight: 113.2kg, a loss of 4.1kg
Current Gut: 114cm, previous gut: 117cm, down 3cm.
I'm pretty happy with those figures obviously after I returned from Melbourne with a few extra kilos in my hand luggage. 

Now it's time to review the month of April:

Saturday April 2 figures: Weight: 112.3kg and gut 116cm. So despite the debacle that was April I've still managed to drop over 3 kilos in four weeks which amazingly is nearly the weekly target. All in all I'm down around 24kg in 17 weeks so I remain well ahead of the original target. If I manage to repeat the performance in the next 17 weeks I will be 85kg by August 27 (and wouldn't that be something).

So as you can see the goals are clear and the motivation is easy (I can't wait to be in the 80's again) (either weight or decade!!).

May is a new month and brings with it a new focus. There's a big chance I'll get my new bike this month or next so I'll kick up the km's in the saddle as the month progresses which should really help the whole process. I thought I should start May on the front foot hence the 6am bike ride on a Sunday. With any luck and a bit of focus I intend to wave goodbye to the triple figures on the scales sometime in the next 31 days. That's my new mini goal for May, hit 99.9kg sometime before the end of the month and wave goodbye to the 100's forever.

OK so there you have it. Even in my worst month I have still managed to lose a couple of kilos so it's not all that bad after all. Footy time is upon us so I must bid you all farewell and put my game face on. It's time to get the Tige's home for win number two.

See you soon

P

Back in the Saddle again

I'm back in the saddle again after a week of treating my body like a rubbish tip. Today is by far my best day in a couple of weeks. Not only did I manage to maintain a perfectly healthy eating record for 24 hours but I also kicked in just under 2 hours on the bike. All in all a very satisfying result after the fortnight that was. Too make things even better I put in a solid 6 hours at the Uni library today breaking the back of one of my current assessment pieces in the process.

So as you can see it was a pretty impressive day all round. Time to see if I can string a few days together now. I have to say how much I'm enjoying the time on the bike. Take away the somewhat numb butt and crotch and its all positive. Its another one of those things I avoided for a long time by convincing myself I wouldn't enjoy it. Note to self, "Don't do that anymore". The bike is opening up another world of opportunities for me in both fitness and social activities. I've done a couple of rides with a touring group and am seriously considering an offer from my brother-in-law to join him on a 9-day tour later in the year. It will take some serious commitment juggling to achieve but I think I'd really enjoy it.

So much have I enjoyed my rides that I've now committed to buying myself a starting road bike. I've managed to scrape together nearly $1000 towards it so will soon be ready to make a purchase. Fortunately I have a mate who owns a small bike shop and he's promised to look after me so I may be able to get a bit more for my cash. The next step of course will be to deck myself out in a decent lycra outfit (Yes you'll be the first to see the photos I promise).

My trip to Melbourne may have left me with a mountain to climb in the battle of the bulge but it delivered more positive results regarding future employment. I met with officials at Richmond FC while in town and discussed, amongst other things, possible future media related jobs. It's not my preferred career path but if I had to do a sports media & communications role I'd love to do one at Tigerland. More importantly I had a meeting with Tony Greenberg, ex editor of Inside Football magazine. He's now works full time for Richmond in a content creation and research role but has agreed to help me secure work experience in Melbourne between semesters, utilising his extensive contact book. First stop will hopefully be a week at Inside Football.

I am facing a bit of a dilemma in the next month though with respect to my wardrobe. I have a week of TV news reporting followed by another week of News anchoring for QUT News as part of my practical work for Uni. The problem is that at the moment I'm in between suit sizes. The one I used last year now looks like a hand-me-down from Luciano Pavarotti and my older (slightly less stylish) fits ok but is a bit too black for TV work. I'm really a bit unsure as of what to do. I don't want to invest in anything new yet and hiring for two weeks seems counter productive. So if anyone has any other suggestions, please off them up now, HELP.

OK that'll do for now. I'll give you a break for another day or two from my incessant ramblings. anyway its late and I need to hit the sack.

P

It's all bad but it's all good mate

As we have a Royal wedding in our midst I thought I'd begin today's blog with a royal quote that I think aptly describes my last 14 days (in particular my Easter getaway).

"Tonight we're gunna party like its 1999" (the artist formally known as Prince, circa 1983).

And that about sums up everything that now follows. In 'AA' terms, I've fallen off the wagon and gone on a bit of a food bender. Since cracking that 108kg mark a couple of weeks ago I've pretty much been heading north on the scales ever since. I was in Melbourne over the weekend so chose not to publish weigh in stats seeing as I didn't have a tape measure and was using an unfamiliar set of scales. I guess I hoped the news would be better when I arrived home. It wasn't. So here goes.

Current weight: 113.2kg, Previous weight: 109.1kg - up 4.1kg
Current Gut: 117cm, Previous gut: 112cm - up 5cm

Well there you have it. My greatest fears about this process have been realised. Basically I've proved that if I give myself just enough rope I'll hang myself every time. It's a lesson learnt and a pretty painful and somewhat embarrassing one at that. It's true I had a great time while I was away but was it worth the damage, I think not.

Worse than the physical result is the feeling that I'm back to square one again regarding the craving demons. It seems to take a long time to get into a good routine so I'm confident the next couple of weeks will be very tough again now.

Tomorrow I intend to get up early and crack out around 60km on the bike. Hopefully that will work a few kinks out and give me a kick along the right track again. I'm also going to set myself a meal plan for the week and do my best to fight off the inevitable cravings. With any luck I will be able to get the journey moving again in the right direction.

On the positive side, I was lucky enough to be at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne on Sunday to revel in the glory that was Richmond's first win of the year. It rounded off my 5 night trip south with yet another extended celebration session hence the poor decision making and subsequent weight gain. I look forward to celebrating our victory next week with a  few less beers but an equal amount of cheers.

I also promise to blog every two days for the next two weeks due to my pathetic recent performance in that realm as well.

I'll close by saying I'm disappointed but realistic about where I'm at at the moment. I know that I've achieved a fair bit already and there was always going to be some bumps along the way. Pity they were Ayers Rock sized though. So onward and upward and I'll talk in a day or two, hopefully with some more positive news to report.

P

Drunken Blogging...A dangerous pastime

This poist containes a langiage and honesty warning for anyine squemish (and my Mum)

It's 3.01am. I've just walked in from yet another night out in Melbourne on my 2011 Easter get-away and I've decided to blog. Now while I may regret the move when I wake up tomorrow, I think it's only fair considering I promised honesty and a no holes barred accoubnt of my jounrey way back on January 1 this uyear.

wiht this in moind I request that grammer and speeliing corrections are not highlighted as it's very later, very dartk and I'm very full.

I have a weigh in in a few hours time and I can make this promise to youn all. It won't be pretty.  I've basically spent the last 4 days ensuring a catostrophic result on the scales and I'm very confident I will come through eith the goods in a few hours. If not, it can be considered an Easter miracle and nothign less.

f anything tonight I;ve come to terms with my own failings. regardless of what I have achieved to this point I have a long way to go. I've made more promises to myself more times than I can remember and broklen most of them as well so sooner or later I have to get eith the program and acept  reality. Real chage is the only answer, not half arsed measures.

So, I feel its only fair to issue a warnign to anyone I've promised to party with in te not to sidtant future. I'm not available. I will be dissapointing many a friend in the coming months as I turn down numerous invitations and opportunities in the search for greater good. I'm not promising total abstinance from alcojhol or fun but I have fouund in the last month in particular that I the more rope I allow myslef the more likely I am to finsh strung up.

So its off to bed. I refuse to spell check or proof read this post as that would defeat the purpose of writing it and I'll take whatever criuticm comes with it.

P

Footy, cafe's, wine and Crown

Evening all from sunny Melbourne. Well at least from Melbourne.

Short post tonight because it's late and I'm tired and ready for a kip. Today marks the beginning of my five day sojourn south and the challenge that is holidays. As much as I love getting away and enjoying the good life it certainly makes the weight loss journey just that little bit more difficult. So today began with a 5am wake up call from my super-duper brother as he agreed to be the designated airport run driver. I really didn't hold up my end by sleeping through my alarm thanks to yet another unscheduled pub session the night before.

So day one of the Easter get-away has been a bit of a struggle as I battled my hang-over from the early hours. Fortunately, some more Red wine, a good porterhouse steak for dinner and family company with the Victorian crew has delivered a more positive finish to the day than the start. The grand plan for tomorrow is a day session at the local gym before again enjoying some of the many pleasures Melbourne has to offer. I figure I can't avoid the temptations that come with a get-away and why should I? But unlike years past I understand the importance of balancing out the equation hence the gym session.

Over the next few days I'll be heading to the Yarra Valley for a day of wine tasting, heading to Docklands Stadium to cheer on my beloved Tigers for there first win of the season and enjoying more than the odd good meal in the food capital of our great nation. So please bear with me as I attempt to keep up my required volume of posts while also consuming copious amounts of food and drink with more than a few late nights I'm sure.

I've discovered a set of electronic scales tucked away in the bathroom of my temporary abode so I promise to post my Saturday weight regardless of how bad the number is. And it could be seriously bad. Having said that, there'll be no panic, no self pity, no masochism, just an acceptance that its a fork in the road that need to be negotiated. With any luck I'll be able to minimise the damage tomorrow and Friday and post a number that keeps me close to stable. If so I'll be able to enjoy my Saturday Wine Tour with a clearer conscience.

OK that's enough for now, talk again soon.

P

I Can Also Jump Puddles (A short story)

Let me start by saying tonight that I'm nothing if not consistent. Consistently inconsistent that is. Let me explain. As I mentioned on Saturday I had a bit of a weekend blow-out in the diet immediately following my 4kg loss weigh in. I also mentioned at the time that the resulting 1.1kg gain for the week had reminded me to remain vigilant and ensure I didn't put two poor weeks together. Well, that plan was short lived because not less than 8 hours after that post I was back on a familiar, somewhat destructive path. It began with a few hours at the pub with a beer or two and a counter meal and finished around midnight after a fairly consistent session at home involving beer, take-away food, a bottle of red, my online TAB account, sky racing and numerous Saturday night footy games.

Now, I understand to some of my readers that sounds like a fun filled evening with three faithful friends (the Punt, the Footy and the Grog) and I have to say they've been good friends of mine over the years. But it's become very clear to me that I need to find some new, less destructive friends if I hope to make these changes stick. You see, the main problem for me is willpower and without doubt it takes a holiday whenever I overindulge on the happy juice. Now I'm not saying I'm planning to get on the wagon, but I definitely have to make better choices when it comes to where and when I choose to have a few drinks.

So what does all this mean for the weight loss journey this week? Well, I am again fighting back from another weekend blow-out. The result was not as bad as last week but I can guarantee there won't be any 'Biggest Loser' style numbers on the scales this week. But as I sit here sharing my failing with you tonight I can confirm that I've begun the fightback today with an equally impressive good day to counteract the weekend. So impressive I felt it deserved a brief short-story. Enjoy.

I Can Also Jump Puddles.

By Paul Smeaton (aka Fat Bastard)

For Gail and Hayley who both love it when I write something a bit silly.

Paul woke early to the sound of rain on the roof. He liked that sound, he always had. Living in a sub-tropical climate, mornings like these gave him a rare reminder of those cold, wet mornings from his childhood in Canberra, snuggled up under the doona, warm and content. The problem was, these were great mornings to lie in bed and revel in that feeling but alas there was work to be done. He had made a promise to himself last night that today would be a turning point in his diet journey after a few weeks of overindulgence had weakened his resolve.

He was entering week sixteen of his year long journey to his goal weight and ultimately personal redemption and better health. For three months he had stuck firmly to his eating and exercise plan losing nearly half of his targeted weight, but recently old, bad habits had threatened to undo his hard work. Paul was beginning to understand that this journey was just beginning. Old habits are hard to break.

As much as he loved that sound as the rain tumbled down outside, Paul knew that a difficult decision had to be made. The previous night's promise involved a commitment to a decent exercise session including either a walk to University or a return journey on his bike. The weather then, was a cause for frustration temporarily convincing Paul that he would have to battle the the late afternoon exercise demons and get on the exercise bike when he finally got home from university.

Then suddenly without warning inspiration struck. An idea so unique it couldn't be ignored. Why hadn't he thought of this earlier? It seemed so simple now. Walk. Just walk. Who cares if it was raining. Who cares if you get wet. After all he loved the rain. He fondly recalled those Saturday mornings in the 1970's waking to that familiar sound on the roof above. Back then, he eagerly looked forward to his weekend football match where he could slip and slide around the wide open spaces of Downer Oval and hopefully get a kick or two. The wetter and muddier the better he thought. So why should now be any different.

It wasn't. The decision was made, it was time to get wet. He packed his backpack, careful to ensure the laptop and clothing were encased in Coles shopping bags inside the bag to protect them from the almost unavoidable drenching. Paul had a saying. "Once you're wet, you're not getting any wetter". Despite knowing it was a fairly lame motto for a wet day he liked it anyway and decided to embrace it by leaving the umbrella at home and facing the conditions head on.

Clothed and packed, Paul headed off on the 9km journey to his campus secure in the knowledge he would soon be as wet as he could get. The rain wasn't heavy but it was steady and within 15 minutes or so Paul was soaked through and pretty happy about it. Around halfway into the journey it seemed the weather gods thought enough was enough as the rain eased offering Paul a moment of reflection on his unusual morning decision. It was strange he thought, but as silly as most people would think he was, choosing to embark on a 1 1/2 hour walk in such poor weather conditions, he felt great. He was kid again if only for a moment, jumping puddles and feeling the rain on his face.

The break in the rain was short-lived as the clouds lowered and darkened and shared their bounty with the already sodden landscape below. But the more it rained the more Paul enjoyed his walk. Passers-by looked quizzically as they passed the sodden individual who appeared strangely content despite looking like he'd just completed a fully clothed pool live-saving course. One man commented sarcastically as he passed by, "Bit wet out is it?". Paul just smiled in return thinking, "poor guy just doesn't get it". He was happy and carefree. It was liberating.

After 90 minutes Paul arrived at university getting more sideways glances as he headed to the campus facilities for a warm shower and a dry set of clothes. He emerged soon after to face the day, finally dry, groomed and fitting the narrow societal view of how one should behave on a rainy day.

As he sat in his lecture listening to an equally passionate individual discus the intricacies of video editing and sound mixing he felt a contentment usually reserved for moments other than these. He was happy, truly happy if only for this morning, this moment. He had said "damn what anyone else thinks" and done what he wanted to do and it felt great. As the day continued and returned to the usual Monday ritual of lectures and meetings the feeling dissipated until it was time to head home, this time on the bus.

As Paul left his meeting and began the short walk to the bus stop the rain again tumbled down. At that moment, a thought, a single thought reverberated though-out his mind building in intensity with every step he took. He wanted that feeling again, that feeling of satisfaction, of individuality, of doing something silly but oh so good.

"Bugger it," he thought. I'm walking home.

And he did.



THE END.

Hope you enjoyed it.

P

Back to reality

Well here we are again, yet another Saturday along the long road to redemption.

Its fair to say this hasn't been my most impressive week when it comes to blogging and as it turns out the same can be said for my diet. Coming off the back of last weeks great result I guess it was always going to be hard to live up to that level of expectation. Suffice to say I haven't. As I mentioned on Wednesday I've spent most of the week undoing the damage done by a weekend of over-indulgence in a somewhat misguided celebration of last weeks result.

As far as the limited blogging effort goes, I can only say I'm sorry. Two entries for the week is not up to par and I promise to pick up my game in the coming week. Alright I've delayed the inevitable long enough it's time to admit the numbers.

Current weight: 109.1kg - Previous Weight: 108kg - Gain of 1.1kg
Current Gut: 112cm - Previous Gut: 113kg - Loss of 1cm

Mmmm, not quite sure what to think about those figures. I'd hoped I could get myself back to the 108kg mark after last weekend but alas the damage was too great. Interesting that the gut seems to have shrunk a bit though so I choose to hang onto that result for the week rather than focus on the negative one. In terms of the journey this result is officially my worst result. Its the second time I've gained weight but over one kilo is a shame.

OK, time to move on and put that week behind me, after all today marks 15 weeks since I began this challenge and with 24kgs gone I am really pleased to be where I am. The next two weeks will be a serious challenge for me with a trip to Melbourne for 5 days bound to test my willpower. With a winery tour and a footy match already booked in, and multiple dinners out sure to follow I'll have to make seriously good food choices or my 9kg buffer zone may be gone in a flash.
 
I've set a short term goal to crack the 107kg mark by next Saturday which will be a very significant result. If achieved I will have lost half of my planned weight and it will be all downhill from there. It really is amazing how quickly you can forget where you've come from. I look at myself now and do see a thinner bloke but in reality I still significantly overweight and that is helping me stay focused on the ultimate goal. I think sometimes about the day late last year when I jumped on the scales and saw 137+ and I remind myself of how I felt. That great shame, even disgust at what I had become or even worse where I would go from there.

So as I sit here today I choose not to beat myself up over this weeks gain but instead remind myself of that feeling late last year compared to how I feel now. I'm sure I'll have plenty more wins and a few more losses in the coming months but I will get there, I can promise that. 

That will do for now, its all a little bit deep and reflective today and need to get to KFC for lunch. Only kidding.

Talk tomorrow (I promise)

P

Out of hibernation

I'm back and once again (not for the first time) I apologise for going missing for a few days. I have no legitimate excuse for not posting for 3 consecutive days so let me try a couple of illegitimate ones on for size.

Umm, let's see; I contracted a temporary and very rare medical condition where my arms were completely paralysed from the elbows down rendering me unable to type. Its referred to as 'Loarm 72 hour Paralysis Syndrome.

Or perhaps; On Saturday night I competed in and won Facebook's "International Bejeweled Blitz Championship" and I've just arrived home after a whirlwind 5 continent celebration tour.

Or even; After my recent history of bizarre behaviour (see the long walk post) I went for a bike ride after blogging on Saturday morning and 3 1/2 days later found myself in Sydney where I was got a puncture and was forced to catch a Virgin Blue flight home.

No... the reality is it's been a busy week and I've lacked the necessary inspiration and required energy to write some of my regular dribble for you good folk. But after a recharge and good lie down I'm back into the swing and ready to fill you all in with another thrilling instalment of the diary.

Oh yeah, before going any further let me welcome my to most recent followers, number 16 & 17. Thanks for signing on to the journey its a pleasure to have you on board and its gets me 2 people closer to my goal of 1 million followers by year end, wow it seems so close now.

Well, its been a big week so far, as I said on Saturday I planned to reward myself with a pub dinner and a few beers. Well I did and then some. Add in a big cooked breakfast, a take-away lunch and a Sunday afternoon at the pictures with required movie snacks and the weekend gorge-fest was complete. Suffice to say I've spent the next three days watching my diet like a hawk and exercising like a maniac to undo the damage. It's all good though, I think despite the serious lack of judgement shown on the weekend I should manage to at least maintain last weekend's weigh-in or even better, lock in some sort of loss.

Some of my lycra-clad loyal readers will be pleased to hear I'm beginning to embrace the joyous pastime of cycling. I've now completed a couple of weekend group rides and this week have ridden to Uni and back twice including a marathon effort today. I decided after a 12pm finish, I had the time to extend my 47 minute journey home to get a few more miles into the legs. When it was all said and done the ride home had taken me 2 1/4 hours and taken me from Kelvin Grove to the city, on to Toowong, around to St Lucia, over the green bridge and through Fairfield and Highgate Hill to Southbank. I then travelled over the river through the city back to the Royal Brisbane Hospital and back onto the bike-way and home to The Gap. I have no idea how far but if you add in the morning commute then I did over 3 hours on the treadly for the day and really enjoyed it.

I had an audition for a community radio gig tonight that went pretty well so I'm hoping to be on air at 4RPH within a fortnight or so. It's just another step in my grand plan to create my own media empire by the time I turn 750. Geeze, I hope they find some fountain of youth medical breakthrough soon or I may be in trouble. I continue to work for the Brisbane Broncos on match day and I'm beginning to network with some media types so lets hope one of them leads to a job somewhere. I've had a few more yarns published in the Courier Mail in the last week which is nice as it keeps my name in the mix for a job there sooner or later.

All in all, I'm travelling pretty well considering my flashback weekend, so I can only hope that the scales are kind to me on Saturday. I'm heading back to the basketball stadium tomorrow afternoon to shoot a few hoops. I find it a really enjoyable and tough workout, heaps more interesting than a stationary exercise bike or punching bag, but I try to mix up all the methods so I don't get bored with one or another.

Okey dokey, it's late and I'm stuffed (mostly my quads) so I'm off to dream a little dream (think I'll dial up the one where I dominated the 1995 Second Semi for Richmond, kicking my 7th goal with a left foot banana after the siren to win the match). Yeah that sounds good.

Nighty Night,

P

Oh what a glorious Saturday morning

Saturday morning again and we all know what that means don't we....weigh in day.

Now as you know I been talking myself up all week with good reason. I've been really strict with my diet this week and even managed to avoid beers and footy last night with my temporary house-mate. It was pretty hard let me tell you but I was really determined to post number that truly reflected the weeks work. I even got up at 5.30 this morning and met some people from the BBTA (Brisbane Bicycle Touring Association) for a morning group ride. 50km's before breakfast can't hurt I thought.

So after all that hard work, sweat, tears blah blah blah here are the numbers for the week.

Weight: 108kg - Previous weight: 112.2kg - that's a loss of 4.2kg
Gut measurement: 113cm - Previously: 116cm - a loss of 3cm

Oh yeah, happy dance time. I'm obviously stoked with that result but admit that it's not a sustainable plan. I decided to see what was possible this far into the journey so I avoided all temptation for the week and averaged an hour of exercise a day with a 2-3 hr session Tuesday and this morning. While it would be nice to think I could do that regularly I know that I don't have the time or the will-power to do it every week. So while I'll continue to watch my diet and exercise often I think I'll be happy with a 1-2kg a week loss most of the time.

The big news is that I'm now only a single kilo away from the halfway mark of this journey (a 26kg loss). I knew at the start of this journey that I had it in me to achieve my goals but it's still pretty amazing when I think I've left 25kgs behind since New Years Day.

To refresh the original plan for those who have joined my diary more recently and perhaps missed my early blogs here is the original plan:

I set out to lose 52kg in 52 weeks from a starting weight of 133kg on January 1, 2011 to a goal weight of 81kg by December 31, 2011. The 81kg mark was determined by both a BMI calculation and my own personal experience. At 180cm tall my BMI at the start of this diary was 41 which is well and truly into the obese category. Currently my BMI has come down to 33 and while it's still in the obese category I'm now only 10kgs away from being able to call myself 'overweight' (wow, can't weight to tell you all I'm finally overweight). If I reach the 81kg mark I'll finally be considered normal by virtue of the BMI scale. Incredibly the normal range for my height is 60-80.5kg but if I got anywhere near the low end of that scale I reckon some of you would have me committed. As for the personal experience angle, I am drawing on my own weight loss journey about 10 years ago when I lost a significant amount of weight and got down to 84kg.

So there's a recap of the grand plan. I fully expect to continually re-evaluate my goals the further along this path I go and if I feel I have achieved enough before I reach the target weight I reserve the right to settle there. I do however commit to blog until December 31 regardless of my weight loss. Between you and me though I think 81kg is achievable, so at this stage I am pretty determined to go all the way there.

So there you have it. Another Saturday weigh in has come and gone. I'm pleased to have posted a Biggest Loser type number but I invite you to tune in again during the coming weeks for a more sensible (somewhat less exciting number). For me, it's off to the pub tonight to enjoy watching my beloved Tigers smash the hapless Hawks and I intend to supplement that enjoyment with a few cleansing ales.

So until next time, Carn' the mighty Tige's.

P

Gotta love POETS

Friday....ahhh. What a great day. I woke up feeling pretty crap but have come good as the day has gone on so I put in another tough hour long work out to really cap off a good week. I've really worked hard both on my exercise and what I've shoved into my gob this week so here's hoping for a significant result tomorrow. I am booked in for a ride tomorrow morning but the weather has been a bit dodgy so we may not end up going. Either way the scales will tell a story and I reckon it should have a happy ending.

I'm really beginning to notice a difference in my health now. My knee is giving me less trouble by the day. That's not to say it's healing, I will still need a knee replacement at some time in the future but dropping over 20kg off my frame has taken a lot of stress off the joint and it's certainly allowing me to do more than I've been used to.

Tonight is the final game of the summer basketball season so I'll get a Friday nights off coaching for the next four weeks which will be a nice change. I had great plans this week to do a bucket load of Uni work but alas I couldn't find my study mojo. I did knock over one assignment (a 30sec short silent film) which is for a film and TV unit that all Journalism students now have to complete. It's a bit outside my field but is interesting so I don't mind doing it. At least I'm beginning to understand what all those settings on a camera mean now! I have to give a big thanks to Naomi (daughter) for acting in my little project. She was a little shy (yes Shy) but ended up enjoying it I think.

So assuming I do have a good result on the scales tomorrow and I get my ride in, I plan to reward myself with a couple of cleansing ales while enjoying the footy on Saturday night. I haven't had a drink for a week so I reckon that's ok.

My Diesel Jeans from Thailand

Now I've realised that I promised a photo in my last post but forgot to load it so that's why it's in today.

And if anyone doesn't understand the title reference: POETS = Piss Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday.

Have a great weekend and tune in tomorrow for the numbers.

P

Powering On

Hey everyone, hope you are well.

I certainly am. I've been a weight loss demon this week and reckon I just may break through that 110kg barrier by weeks end. It's been a nice week not having to bust my arse essentially working and studying full-time. I don't have another internship week until June so I can set my mind to Uni work and a decent fitness regime.

As for the latter, I've had a really good week on the fitness front. I've managed around an hour everyday except today (bit of a couch day today but I watched sport so that's ok isn't it) including a ripper 1 1/2 hour basketball session on Tuesday. Thanks to my volunteer basketball coaching with Dragons basketball I get free use of the PCYC facilities during the week and I try to get down at least once a week and have a shoot around on the court. I'm really enjoying getting active again on the basketball court and if my knee allows me I'm even considering a run in the over 35's comp (bloody hell who knew you became a veteran at 35).

The diet's been in check this week as well and with two and a bit days to go before the weigh in, I'm hopeful of cracking another barrier. One thing that becomes more noticeable by the day is the relationship I have with my clothes. I'm beginning to look a bit stupid in a lot of my T-shirts now that my supercharged gut is fast disappearing and I've given up on all of my pants from the start of the year. I've included a partial shot of me from today wearing the jeans I bought in Thailand in November last year. The good news is I've still got some smaller gear to get into so the motivation remains in the closet for now. And even if I run out of existing clothes to aim at, I do have one final piece I haven't fitted into since I was about 19 or 20. My woollen VFL Richmond Guernsey. I think I got it when I was about 17 so if I ever get into that it may be time to call the folks from Guinness (that's the Records ones not the Irish ones).

So as you can see things are rolling ahead nicely. The rest of the week looks great as well with a 50 odd km ride on Saturday and a night at the pub with the Richmond crew for the footy on Saturday night. So its up early for a decent ride tomorrow morning as well which will followed by a day of homework, sub-editing to be precise. Let me show you how important sub-editing can be:

Let's eat, Grandma.  OR  Lets eat Grandma.  See sub-editors and punctuation save lives.

On that note, it's goodnight for now.

P

A lunch to remember

Alrighty then, back to the grind of Uni and starvation (I mean healthy eating).

Yes its a joke. well sort of. You see the thing is these bloody cravings just won't leave. Even though I'm feeding myself better than I have in years, its amazing how I still feel like a good-old-fashioned gorge-fest now and then. The difference between now and last year is that I've found the willpower (most of the time) to ignore that feeling and wait for it to disappear.

Let me explain.

I really have to tell you about lunch today. I haven't been the the Refectory this year until today and because my Monday lecture finished at 1pm I thought I'd check out the 2011 menu. Mmmm, (drool) Roast Pork, and not that pretend thin sliced pre-packaged crap you often get in cafeterias, the real stuff slow cooked tender and a real selection of vegies. Only one problem though.... crackle.... mmmm.... crackle. Now I should tell you that every fibre of my body was screaming at me in unison "YOU DON'T NEED IT" and I knew that this was a make or break moment in the fight against the craving monster. Yes, no, yes, no, the battle raged vehemently inside until a decision was necessary, mainly due to the three people behind me who really wanted lunch. So I'm pleased to say that after struggling with the decision for what seemed like an eternity...

I got the Crackle.

And god it was good.

And I'm not sorry one little bit. You see, in my previous life (that is the one where I did everything at 100km/hr before crashing back to earth) I would have skipped that little pleasure and then a few more in the ensuing days until I reached a critical point and binged. But not any more, it small pleasures all the way and plenty of the good stuff to balance it out. So hopefully this is a sustainable plan this time. It really does feel like it.

Hang on that doesn't explain how I beat my cravings at all.

Oh well who cares, I did love that crackle.

Till tomorrow,

P

Welcome back to the Gabba for the first time today

Saturday again and time for another weigh in. More importantly time to gloat and/or apologise to those who fell for my little April Fools Day ruse. I woke up feeling good and couldn't resist the temptation on offer.

It's fair to say I had a range of responses to my social experiment. From 'Not happy Jan' to 'you bastard', is a fair representation of the types of emails and messages I received. But as I'm sure you all know it was all in good fun and one should never let a good opportunity pass by.

So on to the task at hand the weekly numbers. Geeze I'm beginning to feel like Kochie delivering the weekly financial report. The mining stocks performed well while the banking sector took a hit after the current accounts fell well short of market expectations, The Aussie dollar continues to surge forward setting a 28 year high at close of business in Friday. With retail sales figures due at market open on Monday, unemployment is expected to remain steady at 4.6%.

Bored yet? Yeah me too.

OK now for real..................So the numbers are:

Weight: 112.2kg which is a loss of 1.4kg. Not staggering but still heading south.
Gut:   116cm and I have no idea how that stack up because I can't remember and I forgot top check last weeks before writing this.

As expected things are becoming increasingly tough as the weeks progress. However, faced with such a conundrum one must hang tough and keep forging ahead.

Things will become somewhat slower for me next week as I enter a period without any work experience. It will be a nice break and an opportunity to concentrate on some Uni work which has taken a back seat over the last month. I'm planning on some decent rides and walks to the campus and back next week to restart an exercise routine. The last few weeks have been tough to find exercise time while working plenty of hours at the paper.

Anyway I'll duck off now and catch 40 winks. Don't forget to keep tuning in the the continuing adventures of the Fat Bastard.

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It's Over "update"

Congratulations to those who picked up the gag and sorry to those who didn't.

Please feel free to re-read the post vertically to find the hidden message

Till tomorrows weigh in

P

The Diary is over

After a lot of thought and soul-searching I've decided this is all just too hard.
Privately I've been struggling along for the last few weeks and it's now clear.
Rather than continue on feeling frustrated and hungry this diet will end today.
I know many of you won't agree with this decision but my mind is made up.
Little by little I feel that this process is making me more and more irritated.
Finally, I've found a career path I feel defines me and I think that's enough .
Outside of my work and Uni all I seem to do is worry about food all the time.
Overall, I think this was a worthwhile experience but it's not worth the hassle.
Lastly, I'd like to thank you all for you're support and I hope you understand.

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