Routine

One of the big things you need to be successful with any weight loss goal, is to get into a routine and stay in control. I have found that to be one of the real foundations of success. With this mindset it is very easy then when you do slip out of routine, and lose a bit of control, it is important not to sweat the small stuff.

A case in point. This week for me has been a shocker. Awards Night, State Meetings for two days in a row and now two days of celebration dinners with my team. I have had very little control on my food, other than breakfast. Does it help me feeling guilty about this? NO !!!! I don't sweat the small stuff. One week for the rest of my days is a little price to pay on occasions.  My mind is clear, slip back into routine and get back into your successful habits. Everyone needs to stop occasionally on the journey and celebrate their achievements. Don't feel bad about this, just slip back into your rountine and continue your journey.

Cheers
Curly

Calories and Carbs of Beer

Some interesting facts that I have been uncovering lately in terms of beer/alcohol and weight loss. It is always important to note that NO weight loss or health program promotes the excess drinking of alcohol. The simple fact is that beer DOES add empty calories into your diet and that the body will burn the alcohol first. Which means it will stop burning fat during this period. Understand this and you can make your decisions on when and how to add beer into your life. I was successful in having a few beers most weekends with my mates, but still maintaining a strict FOUR AFD's weekly.

Some interesting facts about Calories and Carbs of beers. The average calorie count for regular beer is 150, while Light beer is 105. This is for a 12oz serving. The average carb content for the same sized serving is 13grams for the regular and 4.5 gram for the light. Looking at this, I hope you can understand and be mindful of the calorie content over the carb content when getting onto the pull. If you drink Low Carb beers, do it for the taste.

Sugar : The Enemy

I was listening to author, David Gillespie on the radio this week and he was providing information to the listeners on his book "Sweet Poison". He has become a leading advocate that sugar is the biggest cause of obesity in the world today. He makes a lot of sense. The body needs the glocose part of sugar, but cannot process the other parts of sugar and just stores it as fat. He talked about Dextrose being just the glucose part of sugar and can be a substitute for sugar in the most part.

This backs up a statement that Geoff Jowett, the founder of Bodytrim, once made to me. He also believes that sugar is the enemy, amongst other things. He once told me that he found it interesting that Coke brought out Diet Coke, some 20 odd years ago. Thinking back, he believes that Coke must have known that sugar was increasing the obesity epidemic, as Coke itself contains NO FAT. So to make their Diet Coke, they took out the sugar.

He also stated that BEER is made from another sugar extract, (as well as from dextrose) which I believe I heard rightly was maltose. (I do stand to be corrected) Therfore in the main, the bad part of sugar is not the reason people get fat from beer. It is the toxins and caloric excess associated with beer, which does put weight on heavy drinkers.

Trouble Brewing

I haven't had the world's best week. I have maintained a fairly good regime for my exercise and activity, but fell out of my nutrition compliance on a couple of days. One of the things about getting your metabolism roaring, is that your body forgives quickly. In saying that, I am close to pushing that friendship. I have a tough two weeks ahead, with State Meetings, Awards Nights and stocktake coming up, then I will really focus on making some tough changes and get focused on my nutrition. I hope everyone is having a great day.

How is Your week Going?

The best plans are sometimes subject to change. When planning my week, I forgot that one of my best mates was having his birthday on Wednesday, and then followed by another mate on Thursday. Will it matter?? I do enjoy my mates and I do plan on having a beer with them on their birthdays. So I guess in some ways, this means that my mini-challenge is a failure. But in many ways it won't be. I know that I have the discipline and desire to continue to change my life.... and a big part of my life is my mates. I can pick up where I left off, and continue to my path, enjoy my celebrations and allow my life to be led. I will ensure I exercise before I catch up with them, and will enjoy an afternoon run as well. So in some ways, I will pay it forward, before I enjoy.

Hope this post finds everyone well, and keep charging forward on your goals

Curly

How is the Week Looking?

I am starting this week with a question. How does the week look for you? Do you make plans to cover for anything out of the ordinary happening? I personally find it is easy to stick to a routine and to be compliant for my nutrition and activity, but sometimes life throws a curve ball, with family, outings, meetings and travel for example. So how does your week look? I know mine is looking pretty sweet, with a day off on Friday and working on Sunday. No additional meetings that will inhibit me at all.

Alarm Bells

I have just finished reading a Leadership article. In it, the author describes a time he had settled into his hotel room after a conference, sitting on the bed, having a few beers and watching a comedy. As is often the case, just in his underwear. When the hotel alarm started going. For a split second he contemplated putting on warmer clothes and checking what was happening, instead he allowed himself to stay, watching the telly. A few minutes went by, when he was started by banging on the door and someone yelling for him to get out.

As he stood on the footpath, with other guests, still in his underwear and shivering, he mused to himself that if he had acted originally, he would indeed be warmer and more conservative as he waited to be given the all-clear to re-enter.

First Choice Have Stone and Wood

In the best news for beer drinkers, First Choice now stock Byron Bay Brewery' STONE AND WOOD in six packs and cartons. They are carrying the Pale Lager and the Draught Ale, in six packs and carton. I now have a carton sitting in my bar and a six pack chilling in my glass door  fridge. This will be my inspiration until after I complete my little challenge.

Friday tomorrow, and another busy day. EPOC resistance workout in the morning, and heading into the weekend.

Hump Day

Halfway through week 1 of my personal mini-challenge and already the time is flying by. Had EPOC on Monday and Wednesday, and nutritionally has been strong. Have a couple of meetings tomorrow, which will challenge me. One being a Breakfast meeting, and the only continuing in the afternoon after lunch. So Lunch is out of my control, and I will have breaky when I get up, and then just have coffee at the meeting.

Two Week Mini Challenge

Team, today I start my two week mini-challenge. During this time, I need to get my 10,000 steps in and on top of this, ensure that my diet is 100% compliant with my very low carb regime, continue running and maintain at least three EPOC resistance sessions weekly.I am also going off the grob for those two weeks. At the end of the two weeks I will weigh myself on my bodyfat scales to determine if I need the challenge to continue.

I am looking at building in towards summer, to ensure I am in the best possible state for enjoying summer. Once the NRL Grand Final is over in early October, I will be doing another six week challenge, with four weeks inclusive being off the grog. This will give me the best possible prelude to having fun this summer. I am an active guy nowadays and I used to feel very self-conscious taking my shirt off, nowadays I don't, and that is purely because of the work that I do maintaining my weight and doing basic exercises to improve shape and structure.

I am 45 this November and I truly want to be in the best shape of my life.

Oh What A Week

This has been an amazingly quick week. I have been flat out with work and really struggling to get my three meals and three snacks in as part of my regime.I started running and my legs have been screaming for a couple of days, and QUEENSLAND won the State of Origin.

Next week I am starting a mini-challenge with myself. Getting real strict with my diet and not having a beer for two weeks. Looking to remove all Carbs from my diet for this time, I will probably increase my good fats and will enjoy my exercise while all this is happening. I will start with a 2 day detox of protein only, to build the disciplines and start my lead in to summer.

Have a great weekend everyone
Cheers
Curly

EPOC will have to waitI

I have woken up a bit still and sorry, but went out for my morning walk. Walking and activity are vital for continued success in controlling your weight after weight loss, and even though I was stiff and sore, it was the right thing to do.Just had my breakfast of scrambled eggs and diced bacon and just writing this blog piece, before jumping in the shower and heading to work.

I have missed my EPOC exercise session this morning and will need to do it this afternoon after work. Tonight is State of Origin with Queensland looking for a cleansweep. So there will be a couple of beers tonight, but feel I deserve it after being very good over the past couple of weeks. I can see continued improvement in my body and look forward to my summer body, when my next batch of photos will be published.

Until next time, cheers Curly

Aching All Over

Yesterday I started running. Today, I wish I hadn't. Went for my walk this morning and felt great. Came home and did a quick resistance workout focusing on shoulders, arms and chest. Took off to assist the Under 13 side that I help coach. Did some work with them on defence and took some of their two man tackles...feeling young and feeling fine.

Came home and made the fateful decision to go for a run. Again. TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW. I ran for about 25 minutes and was pretty pleased with that effort. Must say that my chest certainly isn't screaming, but really started to feel my legs during the run.

Now just two hours later, the legs are screaming.................Ouch. Too much too soon, but it is all a learning curve for me as I really do want to get fitter and miss running around on the touch footy field, so I think this is an important part of my exercise regime. I will miss running tomorrow, but will ensure that I get my walk in. Then tomorrow night is STATE OF ORIGIN with Qld looking for the clean sweep. Have put a couple of PURE Blond Nakeds in the fridge and just cannot wait.

Until next Time, Cheers
Curly

Running?

Today I started running. I don't know why, I just did. Running used to remind me of sore legs, stomach stiches and gasping for air. I figured today that with all my walking, then I must be fitter so I have had in my mind all day that I would go for a run after my EPOC session. Nothing too strenuous, ran for 15 minutes, I just followed my usual daily walk and ran it in 15 minutes. Chalked up a bit of sweat and some muscles screamed, but feel good as I write this for you.

Sunday Rolls Around

I have had a pretty good compliant week. Had some family up which blew my plans for a fifth straight AFD, but overall feel a lot better heading into the week of the final State of Origin. I have made the decision that for the four weeks after Origin, really hold my nutrition to very compliant levels and to even go without a beer for a couple of weeks. I just feel the winter sluggishness, and now need to ramp up, increase my activity and really start looking towards summer. I am aware that I have put on some kilos, and in a way that was to help me for the winter chill, but now need to get back to some form of activity before it gets out of hand.

It doesn't help that the surf has been flat this weekend. I surf most weekends down on the Gold Coast and geared up with new wetsuits to ensure I don't freeze.Here's hoping the surf picks up and I can get in the water next week.

For the week coming up, I have Origin to navigate on Wednesday and it is tradition to have a few beers cheering the Qlders home. Get through next weekend and then head to next summer.