Archived entries for 12 Week Program

Good news… No. Great News.

Day 65 of 84- Week 9 of 12

For 20 plus years I’ve been on pills for high blood pressure. 4 weeks ago I stopped taking them but hadn’t told my doctor. Today, I made an appointment and went.

I sat down, he asked ‘How are you?’ I said “Good, and you?” He said “OK thanks – what you doing here then?”

My doctor, Dr Mc, is a top fella, tells you how it is, caring and always takes time and a genuine person with a rye sense of humour. As a family, we like and value him very much. I told him I’d stopped the tablets and he said that I look well and to roll up the sleeve. He did two BP readings. Both were fine. Absolutely fine. Then weighed and measured and referred to previous readings. I’d lost plenty. He said I looked well.

“It’s OK, no more tablets” he said “That’s remarkable and very uncommon” he went on. I was proper pleased with myself. After a while, after my inflated ego gave way a little I reflected on his comment about it being ‘uncommon.’

Each and everyday we are surrounded with information and images that show us the benefits of a healthy life, good food, and the real benefits. The information is accessible but what I’ve done, lost weight and got fit is… “uncommon”.

I feel quite sad about that.

That so many, choose, that’s choose, to make themselves feel crap.

That’s how I felt before, crap and down most of the time. Low energy, low self esteem with the world something to battle against and when that days war was fought, justifying filing my face with treats because I deserved nay, won them. The treat could be choc, seconds, thirds, and late night nosh to give me energy for the next days fighting.To add to my amour.

If I’m honest I used to find myself standing, looking inwards at the contents of the fridge. I don’t remember getting there but there I was, ready to pick morsels and more. The good news, no great news is I’ve found myself somewhere else entirely and it feels good. Proper good. Continue reading…

7 Pounds Down

Day 64 of 84- Week 9 of 12

Weigh in -  7lbs lost :)

Louis Thompson sent me a message yesterday on Facebook. He said “Where’s the blog”?

This last few days have flown, in fact the last week has flown so sorry for the noshow on the blog.

There’s one thing with training early is you get a full day of stuff and sleep well before it starts again. Sometimes there aren’t enough hours, but there are really. It sounds like a chore but its not. Yes the training aches and takes effort but its worth it. Especially this week.

After the disappointment of gaining a couple of pounds the previous week I was on track again losing a half a stone. I won’t tell you I ate less as I didn’t but I got back to eating smart again. The evidence of last week suggested me and sandwiches should  no longer be best buddies because I think it was there conspicuous consumption that fettered last weeks efforts.

So I did what I was supposed to. This included take-away pizza on Saturday night, four pieces, and the odd cake cooked by my daughter. I’m not on a diet. I’m eating well. Eating to be well. Eating to be fit.

Sunday, my neighbours, Stacey and Ian joined me running a ten miler. They have only been running three months and on Sunday they ran from Coventry to Kenilworth. That’s from a city to a town. It was a privilege to see them achieve.

That brought me to Monday’s weigh in and the tale of the tape says it all. I’m well chuffed and feeling fine. This Louis Thompson bloke knows a thing or to. I’ll just have to share his wisdom on the blog. Continue reading…

Two out of three aint bad

Day 58 of 84

For the third time I had re-arranged the dentist appointment and after this morning’s run we, the girls and me, were due there at 8:20. Trouble is I forgot that one of my girls had an examin, I was due to walk the other and her friend to school and I’d forgot. On realising I got the sinking feeling of having to eat humble pie on thephone to the dentist and re-arrange again. The moment I thought the moment the phone rang. The dentist wasn’t in today and they needed to re-arrange. That’s one out of three.

Two out of three came when I got back from town when moments later the door bell rang and Mr UPS was there with a parcel. I’d forgot about my Amazon delivery and fortune was smiling fondly down.

On a roll I thought, it’s the Euro Million rollover, time to get a ticket.

Suffice to say, back to work tomorrow but two out of three ain’t bad.

One other thing of note today was finding out a great great grandad won a medal from the Royal Humane Society for bravery. This is what the record says.

 

Anderson, William, aged 67 Case 34578

On the 12th May, 1906, a boy fell into the estuary of the Ribble at Lytham, and was quickly carried away, the depth being 14 feet. William Anderson, aged 67, at great risk, plunged in, and, after a swim of 400 yards, caught the boy, and then swam another 300 yards to the shore, where he at once used means to restore the boy, and was successful.

Aged 67 he pulls a lad out of a fast flowing river. Wow.

Continue reading…

Weight gained

Day 57 of 84- Week 8 of 12

Weigh in – 2lbs added :(

I was worried this would happen after the weekennd of celebrating my nieces wedding. What a great weekend. Everything was superb and Ryan and Katie look radiant and happy. Although I didn’t go mad I did fall off the wagon. The wedding meal was delicious, the buffet, the hotel breakfast, all was just great and I did indulge with some beer thrown in.

On Thursday before I had a sneaky peek and weighed in at 13st 8lb then Sunday night last thing that was 14st 4lb. I couldn’t believe it. Then Monday moning 13st 13lbs I think it meant I put on 2 lbs. What was gob smacking was the variation in the short time. I was feeling dodgy Monday but that soon went when I got stuck into the training at which we weighed again at 13st 11lb.

There are many lessons to be had in this expeience for me. One is obvious with the weekend excess but more pertinent is how your body weight naturally varies and not to be become too hung up on that fact. It is what it is. It has given me extra now as I’m into the final four weeks of pain and training and I want to be at 13st by the end. Time to run with that blessed tyre some more.

Continue reading…

Decisions, decisions

Day 54 of 84

My niece gets married tomorrow and there were some last minute preparations to do and a few business bits to sort. She’s my favourite niece in the whole world which is good. She also my only one. Early doors with Louis I’m sure he’s trying to do me in with his killer exercises. Just when you think it’s getting comfortable he adds some new twist. No tyre pulling today though. I kind of missed looking at the faces of the people who to their surprise see a bloke pulling a tyre in the middle of Earlsdon high street. They look at me as if I’m doing something mad silly.

What do they know.

So with the training and the shops out the way Friday shaped up to be well Friday. I’m already worried about Monday’s weigh in. With a weekend of celebration ahead there’s going to be some tough choices to make. Beer and wedding cake or just beer. Ummm. Decisions decisions.

Continue reading…