Blogging it out: Thank you PCP

So it's the end of the PCP (its been over for a month actually) and its finally time to do my last blog.

Over the course of the project:

• I lost 10 Kgs. This is the best part and just excellent. I feel good, I look better and everybody says so.
• I'm still in control of the diet. I've learnt to eat and appreciate real food. This isn't changing.
• I learnt a lot about exercise, general health etc.
• I've remembered that I actually enjoy exercise.
• I've realised that my life generally is out of balance. Too much work mostly. Some days I couldn't find an hour, or even 30 minutes to exercise - I was not a good PCPer when it come to the exercise during the last part of the programme. This has made me realise that I must prioritise myself over work -this must be the future path for me.

I'm immensely happy, and grateful, that I did the project.

I'm looking forward to the next thing. My mates in Hong Kong are talking about The Chisel - and I want to apply and go on this course, if they'll have me. After the PCP I know the kind of commitment that's involved and I'm much more ready this time - I'll find at least an hour a day to exercise, and start doing my own stuff at lunchtime to get prepped.

Thanks everybody,

Matt

PCP in NYC

So I'm in NYC - it's cool I love it here.

I walked around the city today for my cardio.

Then hit the gym at the hotel.

My knee is properly f*cked up though. After a days walking I'm limping around. Going to have to get it lookd at.

Good news is I went on a shopping spree - none of my old clothes fit me.

I had to buy all new trousers and belts. I'm down to a 32 inch waist - I was a 38 at the beginning of the PCP!

So its been a pretty bad week

So it's been a pretty bad week on the PCP.

Managed to injure a knee skipping - don't know how. Wasn't really pushing it - trying a few new moves.
It was bad news. The leg is injured. I was travelling in China limping around.

And then the diet went out of the window. I had some large dinners with clients. Twelve course Chinese banquets. Then tubs of ice cream, pizzas - the lot.

And then I started drinking.

Had a good email chat with Patrick who gave me some decent practical advice:

• Don't beat yourself up too much about it - just make the right choices from now on.
• Take care of the knee - listen to your body. Work on building the muscles up again slowly.
• Swim for cardio.
• If you cant do any cardio (I'm travelling again next week) take out 70 grams of carbohydrates per day from the diet.
• No reason not to do the strength training plus 8 minutes abs.

It's interesting how I can feel the fat coming back around my waist!
But I have decided to be in cotrol of my own body.

I'm back on the diet and the training.

The knee is getting much better fast - no more limping. Although I'm not doing any leg exercises yet - I'll introduce them again this week - very gently. I'll try some walking and swimming for cardio.

I'm back from China so I can blog again - no blogging on the mainland due to the censorship laws.

I'll blog after my training every day - hassle me if I don't.

Matt

Censorship

Dear PCPers, gonna be travelling to China for a few days - will be blogging on my return...

Back on the horse

Well PCP Brothers & Sisters,

It's confession time. I have NOT been a pure PCPer this week. Commitments at work wiped out two days of exercise (like 20 hour days) and then there was the catch up on sleep. I have stuck to the diet though.

It feels good to get it off my (significantly more muscular) chest.

I know it's not cool at all. It means that I won't be getting the most out of the programme. The only thing to do is to have some perfect PCP days. And then repeat.

Check out the latest flicker photo - this sh*t really works. I'm happy for what the PCP has done for me and want to see the next stages.

I did my first 8 minute abs today (Mark made me). Yeah.

The scales say I've lost 8.2 KGs

Which is awesome - very happy with that.
I need to find some time to go through my cupboards to find old clothes.

Bad news is I just pulled a 21 hour shift at work, no skipping today. But I got the job done.

Back on the horse tomorrow. I'm looking forward to what the new diet has in store. And catch up on sleeeeeeeeeep.

Just for the record - I like egg whites. And I love the idea of losing fat faster in the morning...

I do. I like em boiled. I just scarf em down no problem. Woof.
I don't know what the rest of you moaning minnies are making such a fuss about.

I have been feeling a bit achey today so I haven't done the workout yet - so its gonna be another late workout for me.

However, I love the idea of losing fat faster by exercising before breakfast - as per Patrick's post this week. I'm gonna commit to doing it once this week.

I can walk quickly to work in 17 minutes door-to-desk if I take the escalator down the hill from mid-levels into Central. You can bomb down the hill at 6.50am, there's hardly anybody around - just a bunch of other bankers legging it into work.

So the plan is to get up at 6.00am, skip as much as possible in 20 minutes (I won't be able to do the 1,500 in that time, but what ever I can) followed by a shower and pegging it in to work at around 6.55am.

I know it's not Ricky-like levels of commitment, but it's good enough for me. If I do it once, I'll do it again.....

Peace

Matt

Short stories

I was doing my skipping today and had to change my shorts - the ones I was wearing had no tie around the waist so they kept on falling down as I was jumping; does anybody else get that or is it just me?

Anyway, I went to the cupboard and the first pair of shorts I got were a pair of white flannel numbers (part of a costume for last years Rugby 7s when we all got dressed up as giant pieces of sushi - I was rice and salmon - but that's another story) and these shorts had shrunk in the wash.
I still managed to get them on but they have the following effects:

• Making my bum look perky - but not in a gay way.
• Pushing up all of the fat on my tummy so that it hangs over the belt line.
• Making me look like I used to, before the PCP, in my normal shorts.
• Making me realise I've made very good progress, but there's still a way to go - I still have a bunch of fat.
• I'm actually happy that there's 50 days left in the PCP so I can sort it out.

I'm up to 250 skips without stopping

Worked too late at the office - only did half the strength training.

Gonna have to exercise at lunchtimes.

I found out a way to do chest dips

So I found out a way to do chest dips - just use two high chairs. Easy when you try. 4 sets of 4 is my lot for now though.

It's taking me ages to get through the workout. But I get there.

Muscles are a bit achey. Gonna go have massage soon I think - especially my calves as the jumprope makes em burn and then makes em tight.

The scales say I've lost 7 KGs - without my shoes or my belt on.

No nanas for dinner

OK so we know it's getting serious when:

• There's no nanas for dinner.
• I can do 200 skips without stopping.
• I don't really want to stop at 1500.
• I start wondering how far I can get to by day 90 if I'm pure PCP.

All interesting stuff kids.
I can't do more than one and a half pull ups though - gonna have to work on that one.
Finding the diet easy.

Peace,

Matt

I'm becoming a teenager again

I've just looked at myself in the mirror and there's a few changes I would like to share with you - it's like I'm becoming a teenager again:

- I've lost quite a bit of weight, I haven't looked like this in years
- I can get back into my old jeans
- I need to sleep a lot
- I've got spots
- I fart a lot

Ha - and just when you thought I couldn't get any more immature.

Seriously though, can't do the chest dips. I have no chairs with arms. I've looked around the house for a substitute but can find nothing. I might have to go to the gym (which for some reason I still pay for, even though I never used to go before PCP) or do something else.

Everything else is good, apart from the amount of time that I spend at work which makes it difficult to do all of the exercises some days. But there's some kind of life lesson in there....

Peace

Because I live on the 40th floor....

Because I live on the 40th floor of a tower block, does that mean I'm training in thin air and will build up my blood's ability to carry oxygen, a bit like an athlete training on Mount Everest, so that when I get back down to sea level I'll be like Superman?

I've lost 5% of my bodyweight

I've gone from 89.5Kgs to85.1Kgs snce starting the PCP.

This morning first time to get up early and do jumprope.

Nuff said.

Got to run to work.

My trousers are falling off!

So I've lost quite a bit of weight already - and I love it.

Losing weight is main aim of the PCP for me, and it is working! People are saying how I look different, and I certainly am beginning to lose my beerchops! - there is lots of other good and interesting stuff in the PCP too (not to be sycophantic) but this new body thing is very motivational.

Now it's working you start to think:

"Oh yeah baby. I wonder how far I can take this? Can I get a sixpack? How long would it take?"

Do you know what I mean?

The diet is going very well  - I have a great helper who cooks most of my meals, with no salt etc., everything is weighed after cooking (she really is a Godsend) and I take them to work in tupperware boxes.
Plus porridge for breakfast (80gm bowl - no honey) and fruit pots for snacks from Pret A Manger (they measure the milk for me - skimmed of course).

The exercises are cool as well - apart from when I work very late, but that is coming to an end.
I have to be in the office late this week to go through stuff that my team is publishing - but I've already agreed with them that as of this week I'll go home around 7.00pm, eat and workout, and then go back in at around 9.30pm to help them finish off.

Need to stretch though - or my legs will fall off after the jumprope.

My computer is really slow and annoying so I've been crap about blogging - BUT NO MORE!
I'll blog that sh*t every day!

I'll weigh myself and let you know what it says tomorrow.

xx

I've got some mates over from London...

The upside is they're doing the 1,050 jump rope (need to streach so I can walk properly afterwards) and the workout with me (the workout sure goes quicker with two or more in a group).

The downside is that they're trying to persuade me to go out and drink and party and have a good time like a mentalist! I'll see what I can do to resist....

BAD BAD BAD BAD MATTY

So I'm back from travelling in China - been to Shenyang, Anshan and Yinkou in Liaoning Province.

Most people have never heard of these places - and neither had I! But over 1 billion people live in third tier China - and I'm glad I'm not one of them!

OK, it's confession time I've been bad. BUT IT WASN'T MY FAULT!

The diet was OK, as China serves up lots of veggies - and steamed veggies at that - although I'm sure I went over the portion sizes at dinner with my colleagues.

The bad news is I have hardly done any exercises at all. Like none. The days at work were long - starting at 7.00am, and then travelling after work to the next destination, reaching the next hotel between midnight and 2.00am.

I'm back in HK and working out - and liking it.

No sarky comments please.

So that's two weeks

And I can do 150 jumps without stopping - but I do tend to spend a bit of time between sets!

Night night

120 Jumps

Relaxing day today. Stayed in watched TV, ate my rations, worked out. Can do 120 jumps at a time.

Back on the horse

I'm back - don't dought me team.

I'm finding the diet part easy in week one of the PCP proper - thanks to my great helper Goldie (she's looking for extra work if there's anybody in Hong Kong reading this) who prepares steamed lunchboxes for work and dinner for me every day, plus the salads (with no dressing), fruit boxes and porridge (with skimmed milk, and they have the weight of the carbs on the bowl) from Pret a Manger.

Lost 3 KG already, and my pants are starting to get looser.

BUT completely fell down on the exercise this week. I've been working crazy hours - from 7am to past midnight - and I've missed out on three days exercise.

Oh well, it's good to publicly confess. Anyway, back on the horse today with a set of exercise and a walk up the Peak.

I'm actually getting to into the skipping, like enjoying it!

Peace,

Matt

500 jumps

OK so I did the 500 jump ropes in my suit.

Not all in one go but I got there.

I am as high as a kite right now! This natural endorphine exercise sh*t is something else!

Tomorrow it's on to a new level with the diet and exercise - not even any coke zero!

Bet with Boss

Had a very quiet weekend, didn't go out or drink at all!

But I was pressganged into going out with work on Thursday. During which I told my office chums about the PCP and ended up making a bet with the boss of the firm to see who could lose the most weight in 60 days (he wouldn't go for 90 days). The bet is to buy dinner for the whole office (about 100 people)!

We had the weigh in on Friday. We both weigh exactly 89.5kg in our socks.

Still keeping at the exercises. Still taking way too long.

Matt

Day 5 - Ah Ah Ah Ah Stayin Alive!

Thank God for the weekend.

Got a good sleep today, watched a movie, nice and chill.

I'm taking about an hour to get through the exercise set. That's more than twice as long as it should take. Any tips anybody?

The skipping's cool though.

I also have a confession. I missed out the leg ups on day 4 - I was too shagged out and went to bed last night. But I did them as well as the sit ups today. Phew, it feels better to get my guilty secret off my chest.

Definitely going out tonight - but only going to get spangled half as much as I normally do - according to the rules of the PCP.

Peace.

Matt

Day 4

Well I'm still here
Doing the exercises after midnight when I get home from work.

Must organise myself so I do them at lunchtime!

Matt

Day 2, it's still not poo

So finding the only eating half normal food thing easy - probably because I used to eat loads!

Worked late again, got home and did the workout at 10.30 in my underpants.

Skipping gets ya doesn't it?

Day 1. That skipping thing mde me feel a bit ropey Ha Ha

So Day 1. Finished work late, go home and did the workout, started at midnight though.
That skipping thing mde me feel a bit ropey Ha Ha, but it gets easier faster.

I feel great after the exercise.

Eating thing OK too. I was afraid that is was going to be steamed vegies from day one. Only half normal crap easy to deal with.

Peace

Matt

I'm ready for Peak Condition Action!

I'm ready baby