Wk 14...Mid-Life Crisis & Renewing ACTION!

Weigh-in: 60.9kg.... Renewed Goal: 57kg.... Amount to Lose: 3.9kg

The amount to lose doesn't sound like alot, and in truth it isn't. But it's like pulling teeth. And when you're maintaining (whatever that is), those few extra kilos can be the difference to falling back into a weight-gain spiral.

To some, this may seem pedantic, but when you think of how you gained weight in the first instant, it was a gradual process. One day your weight was quite healthy and the next, be it, months or years on, it wasn't. It seemed to happen overnight, but in reality, that's how it all started. A few extra kilos...pffffft...nothing to worry about! But then it becomes 5 extra kg's...then 10kgs...and then...and then...

It's when we become complacent and lose sight of what it was like to feel overweight, and why we don't want to go back there, that it becomes dangerous. We can slip back into that routine of deceiving ourselves and saying that this is okay...a few extra pounds won't hurt.

We need to...I need to remind myself of how I felt at my best (body image-wise). And I've been going back to that saying..."Nothing feels better than being in shape feels". I think I can understand a little of how it feels for body builders who compete. The work you put in to get your body into such an amazing state and then seeing the results...how fantastic you must feel! You just want to capture that feeling and never let it go, because you feel just AWESOME! It's not just about the end result, but how you felt on the journey toward that point. It's such a poweful feeling, being disciplined and in control.

So even though I'm about 3kgs over my happy weight (58kg), I really feel yuck! I can start to feel that extra flab around the torso and my hips and thighs, and I really don't like it. For those who have done (body building) comps, even though I haven't actually done one myself, I think you know what I mean. For those who have never aspired to that or have never had the goal of being fit and lean, just maybe healthy, you probably think I'm crazy and just a tad anal.

But you know, I had an AHA! moment yesterday.

I say I'm in denial about getting older, and I figured out that it's actually Mid-Life Crisis. I was reading an article in yesterday's Sunday Mail in Agenda, about guys in the 30's - mid-late 40's who instead of buying sports cars and hitching up with young girls, are getting into triathlons and all sorts of adventure sports, as a way of recapturing their youth.

And I said to AW...that's me! That's what this is all about. And I was quite happy about that, because I thought, what better way to have a mid-life crisis by recapturing your youth by pursuing increased health and fitness. Because after all, this is my last hoorah, and there will come a time when my skin will be so wrinkly, so I want to enjoy this period of life while I can.

I mean, the weight or numbers are just a marker. You use the numbers as a guide to ensure that things aren't spiralling out of control. I no longer stress about the numbers, because I've learnt how to read them and use them to my advantage. Numbers tell a story and there are lessons to learn if we take note.

For example...if my weight balloons in one week it's usually because I've had a heavy carb week and we all know that water attaches to carbs, so it will be inevitable that this is going to happen. I've also learnt that I'm only ever 2 weeks away from stabilising my weight if I fall off the wagon, and that's all it takes to turn any bad habits around that I've slipped back into.

So anyway...I've looked back at the first 3 months of the year. Sure, it's been challenging and I've had a few hiccups along the way. I've learnt that my body just cannot sustain over the long term, the pounding that I've been giving it, due to my hip. I've learnt that I can't sustain a regimen of training hard 6 days per week any longer. However, I can train just as hard, but at shorter durations. And this way I can give my body the recovery-time it needs.

In the last month I've learnt that training in Crossfit on Tuesday's and then lining up for more physical punishment for Army PT is helping me come undone, and I'm continually injuring myself, which does not enable any consistency in my training. My muscles are just too fatigued to ensure enough stability to handle more work on the same day, so as of this week I'm trialling a new training schedule to ensure I'm not setting myself up for continual injury.

I will be changing my week around to make sure I'm giving myself enough recovery time.

Therefore, my present goal is to be able to train 2x pw in Crossfit; 1-2 times pw martial arts and my army PT on Tuesday nights, without recurring injury. And I want to do this for one month consistently! Once I can get to that stage, and I'm happy with my progress and it's working, then...and only then...will I begin to increase volume and intensity.

Meanwhile, I really do have to get my nutrition in order. NO EXTRAS! And I think at this stage only ONE FREE MEAL per month. As I write this, I'm thinking about a double whammy coming up this weekend...Phil's birthday party and combined family birthday party on Sunday! I've done this before, I can do it again! Grrrrrr....

I know just by not have any extras, this alone will see me drop a little weight.

Okay...don't wish me luck...WISH ME RESOLVE!!!

SEXY BITCH mode is being resurrected as of TODAY!