A New Challenge

For anyone who knows me (at all) you will know that I'm a passionate lolly eater. Lollies of any varieties. I can even go as far to say that I could fore go chocolate just as long as I could have lollies. Lollies are my weapons of choice, my weakness, my one true love. 

In pursuit of health and fitness however, lollies have not loved me back. They've indulged my sweet tooth, they're opened corridors to eating other sweet stuff that I wouldn't normally indulge in and they've tasted so good to my taste buds that more often than not, I'm going way beyond what a human quota of lolly consumption should/would/could be.

I am a firm believer in goal setting. I function incredibly well with a goal in the not so distant future. So I've set myself a goal. I'm not saying that lollies will stop being part of my life (coz that just brings sad sad tears to my eyes) but what I am saying is that I'm going to quit lollies for a week. That's right! You heard straight. Starting tomorrow I will quit lollies. I will be 7 days lolly free and I'm going to do my best to document what I experience during the process. 

What I hope to achieve from this includes:

• A reduced craving for all things sweet
• Reduced mood spikes
• More stable energy levels

These may be unrealistic hopes for only a 7 day strike...but here goes nothing! What's the worst that could happen?...

When things start to flounder

I have these moments in life when I think to myself ‘wow, you’re a fucking superstar’. When I have these moments what I really should be thinking is ‘chickity check yo’self before you wreck yo’self’.

I haven’t written on my beloved blog in such a long time because I’ve been going through a period of significant transition.

Over the Christmas break I decided I would break the Sydney chains and head west (coz west does it best…or summink like that!). In doing so I left behind the wonderful structure that was my happy, regimented (slightly anal retentive) boxing world and stepped out into the big unknown.

And the big unknown is exactly what it’s been.

I arrived in Perth with just a week to spare before starting full time study. I ran round making sure life was ready for me here and started then started study. In this time I searched high and low for a new boxing home. Every time I walked through the doors of a new boxing gym I expected to find what I had in Sydney – a smiling instructor ready to pass down his glorious knowledge, encourage class attendees passionate about all that is boxing and the glorious smell of decades of sweat. I found none of this.

I’ve had to do a lot of addressing of what it is that I want. In deciding to come to Perth, I knew what I was leaving behind. Luckily I’m studying fitness and in doing so have met like-minded people that are similarly passioned (new word!).

So while exploring the unknown I’ve discovered that I quite enjoy resistance training, have tried to develop an impeccable dead lift technique (which is still most certainly in the developing stage – can I blame genetics?) and have noticed a change in body composition already.

I have, however found the transition has re-introduced bad habits and left me floundering and confused about how I implemented such brilliant strategies in Sydney.

Tonight had led me to look at what it was that kick started the last fitness boost. I thought I’d take a look at the app ‘My Fitness Pal’ and see what information I’d recorded in there from when I last decided to chickity check myself. Did you know (I didn’t, that’s why I’m asking you!) that when I first started using My Fitness Pal in September 2012 I weighed 82kgs – I must have blocked this out of my mind. I’m now between 72.5-73.5 which means whatever I was doing before, I was doing well. 

So the first step will be USE MY FITNESS PAL!

I’m also going to introduce EVERYTHING I did when I was using that app. This means:

1.     Using the heart rate monitor/calorie counter to measure calories burnt during workout

2.     Weighing myself EVERY Sunday morning (regardless of Saturday night (mis)adventures)

3.     Engaging in 3 high intensity exercise classes per week (I’m trying to find a local crossfit gym)

4.     Walking 8km 3 times per week

5.     Exercising with friends 2 times a week for fun

6.     Eat out once per week

It’s nice to know and remember that stuff can be achieved, that goals can be set and that change can be implemented. Thank you Ice Cube for you fine words of wisdom!