Up... and Down!

Isn't that an insane video! I think my eldest would love it. His sense of humour is way out there. Rusty spoons, Happiness and Cyanide type of stuff.

First the bad news; I gained 3 kg this week. Now the good news; I lost 3.3 kg this week, bringing it to 20 kg in total! Yeah! How did this happen?

Remember how I complained about dizziness before? My suspicion was that my fitness was improving and therefore my blood pressure medication was becoming too strong. So on Friday, I decided to go without and to check my blood pressure that evening. It was actually normal: 121/79. A also did not take it on Saturday and Sunday, it stayed normal the whole week-end. But I could feel myself bulging in the process. By Monday, I was up by 3 kg.

So I checked my medication. The tablet I take is Co-Pritor, which actually contains a diuretic as well. By Monday my blood pressure had crawled back up to 140/90... It is clear that I'm not a very good cardiologist after all. On Tuesday I started taking my medication again, like a good boy. Weight dropped the next day by 2 kg and day after by another 1 kg. Mostly in the first 30 seconds after getting up...

Diet-wise, it was a difficult week. I will need to up my game. On Tuesday we had a working lunch at Irene Country Lodge. I went the whole nine yards. Moroccan lamb soup starter, grilled chicken breast with baked basmati rice, french beans and coconut-curry sauce main and fruit salad desert. At least I skipped the ice-cream with the desert... They have some idea how to cook, I can confirm that. What I should have skipped, was the popcorn lollipop.

Today, I need to attend a business lunch at AAD, which has all the potential to turn out sinful again. I need to learn to control myself, I guess old habits are hard to break.

Tomorrow morning the Springboks are playing the Spiritual Guardians of the holy game of Rugby. Good luck boys, you are going to need it. Very, very, very much. If only my weight could drop as quickly as my estimation of the Boks.

May all of you have a blessed week-end. 

Nineteen and counting

This morning I am down by 19.7kg. I was hoping for 20, but missed it by 300 grams. That's ok, still down 1.5 kg for the week. Not to be sniffed at.

Last week I was on my way to the Bulls Lions game, watching it from the company's box at Loftus. I was quite fearful of the snacks and the readily available (free) drinks. Alcohol is loaded with kilo-joules! I also did not give the Bulls much of a chance.

In the end, the Bulls ate the Lions for dinner and I kept my dinner well within control. Bravo to them and me!

This week was a terrible gym week. Work was really hectic and I had to work through lunch on many occasions, missing my regular appointment. All in all just two sessions, plus a few guilt-laden, limp push-ups, sit-ups and stairs last night at home. At least I broke a bit of a sweat, for what that's worth. I may have broken the 20kg barrier if it was not for that lack of exercise this week.

I went through a bit of a depression patch this week. At gym, there is this huge mirror in the change room and I accidentally caught a glimpse of myself in it. As an obese person, you teach yourself to avert your eyes when mirrors are around.

Surprise, I still look really really fat! Even though I've lost almost 20 kg, I am still about 20 kg overweight. And a person 20 kg overweight is still a sad sight to behold, especially without a shirt. As an adult, I've only once weighed less than now, but that was 15 years ago. Basically I feel great inside but still look crap outside. To top it off there were some really well built guys in there at the same time. I stood out like a fat, fat thumb.

My use of MyFitnessPal is tapering off. Using it, I have learned what is bad and what not, so I only use it when I try something new and to track my weight. The novelty has worn off a bit as well. They have a forum where you can discuss your experiences and I actually got a "You have been warned" from the moderators, for inviting people to read this blog. Go figure. Their loss.

To conclude, isn't that song a blast from the past? The last moments are really moving. That little dog's name is Dennis, you can read all about him. He dropped all that weight by cutting fast-food.

The show must go on

It's been a while... 

Since my last blog entry, I've lost another 3.2 kg, for a total of a little over 18 kg. This implies that since starting, my average rate of weight loss is 294 gram per day. I think that is good going.

I am now well entrenched in doing circuit training. I remember that first day in the gym well, thinking it must be extremely painful to spend time on those machines. Now it is my favourite area! What I like about the circuit is that you get to do a lot, without getting over-tired. Just as your arms get tired, you move on to abs, then legs etc. I am slowly adding more routines as well, which I chain onto the end of the circuit. I do a sort of "abdominal turn" on a strange looking machine. You basically lift a weight by rotating your upper body.

I also do a 45 second plank and 20 "half-squats" where I do not bend beyond 90 degrees. Half, because my quadriceps ligaments still hurt like hell and I do not want to risk further knee injury. This is in response to the Linda Kriel 30 days plank challenge that our weight-loss group have taken on.

Exercise is definitely easier now. I think it is due both to improved fitness and reduced weight. My resting heart-rate is down from 95 to 65 now. I think that is quite a dramatic change. I am still taking blood pressure medication, but I think I must see the doctor soon. I am having dizzy spells when I get up quickly, it may be due to blood pressure getting too low. I've been negligent in that regard, as I am doing this whole thing without medical advice.

It is incredible how much harm I have been doing to my body. Every single day that I face the man in the mirror, it becomes more and more clear. Stretch-marks, skin-tags, hanging flab and those are just the obvious things. Add to that high blood pressure, gout, gastric re-flux, worn joints and it is clear that my warranty is well and truly voided by now.

Last night I had the guts to look at my body-shape again. I am still carrying a lot of excess weight in the form of fat, water and lose skin  in my lower abdomen area, but my upper torso is definitely improving. I can see the beginning of my lats forming there! That typical triangular shape is starting to peek at me.

The past weekend, I did an experiment using two bags of 8 kg dog food. I picked it up in the grocery shop and walked around with it for a while... must have looked a bit silly. It was however a bit of a schlep to carry it around. To think I have been doing that for years already and I have another two or more bags to drop on top of that.

I am not sure of what my ideal weight must be. I am not of slender build at all, fat aside. My shoulders are wide and my chest "depth" is quite deep, so much so that a 2XL shirt is the smallest I can wear, regardless of whats going on around my middle. I am 1.87 meter tall, and according to BMI I should be 85kg. Without looking for excuses, I do not think that will be practical for me. I think I will wait until I dropped more weight to properly judge that.

Our weight-loss group has lost 31 kg in total up to now. Congrats to all of you! 

Tonight I will be watching the Bulls take on the Lions at Loftus, in the company's box. Afraid of the free access to food, drink and snacks... I do believe that for this lifestyle change to stick, I must learn to handle these kind of situations, so I am heading to the valley of the shadow of death. I have a feeling it will be that for the Bulls as well. I predict a hard day at the office for them.