Day 90 - End of Days

That 90 days went pretty quick - along with the rest of 2011. It is amazing what you can do with a little willpower and a bit of help from some guys who know what they are doing.

I started the program on holiday in Bali on June 1st after our friends' wedding and although I was pretty strict on the exercises in the first week, I found it hard to restrict my eating to 1/2 portions as a lot of the eating was buffet style - and was soooo good.

From then on, the hardest part was probably finding the time to do the exercises and preparation of food for the meals. Also hard was not being able to go out for dinner/breakfast on the weekends. I didn't really find myself hungry at all with the diet especially with the regular meals.

Fruit and Vegetables

I have probably eaten more fruit and veggies over the past 3 months than I have in the preceding 38-odd years. It wasn't easy either. My vegetable intake was usually limited to the Potato food group (consisting of chips, fries, crisps, baked, mashed and roast). Even when I was a kid, Mum tried to make me eat different types which was very difficult. I can remember her putting 6 peas on my plate and making me eat ALL of them before finishing - I used to get around this by swallowing each one as you would a panadol tablet - with a big gulp of water. I think I even tried fennel at one stage even though I am still not sure what it is.

Fitness and Exercise

My main purpose to do this project was to be in better shape as Finn gets older(and heavier). I want to be able to run around with him, carry him when he is tired and most of all teach him how to catch and kick the footy.  He is such an amazing little boy and I can't imagine missing out on things because it takes me 5-10 seconds to get up off the couch.

I did a quick calculation and I probably did around 120,000 jump ropes over the past 90 days.

Weight


I lost just over 17 kgs over the 90 days. This was pretty consistent over the whole project losing 1-1.5 kg a week. I cannot believe that I was carrying around the equivalent of one and a half of my son


Starting Weight - 116.7kgs
Ending weight - 99kgs


Before and After shots


Final WordsA big thank you to all who helped over the past 3 months especially my wife who was very supportive and helped a lot with the vegetable cooking/preparing and looking after the boy while i went and jumped rope. To Patrick (and Chen) thanks for all your motivation and sharing your knowledge. To all the guys i know who have done the PCP previously - Tony, Pat, Brendon. You guys were a great help and it was fantastic to have someone to talk to who knew what was going on. Also, to all those who have commented on my new physique. It is very refreshing to hear the compliments and shock in some peoples voices. Good luck to all doing the program this time around and for those that feel they need to lose weight and/or get fit then this could be the right program for you..Out! 

PCP Day 88 - Shopping

After coffee with the family, went shopping along Keiyakizaka in Roppongi Hills to see what I could find that would fit me. During the  4 years I have been in Japan, I can count the number of times i have bought clothes on one hand and this was limited to 2 shops - the Big and Tall Zenmall shop in Shibuya and FCUK in Omote Sando(now closed). Having a 40" waist is just not conceivable to Japanese fashion and the size police.

First stop was Hugo Boss and tried on a few shirts and a couple of pairs of jeans. The 36" jeans were too loose around the waist so I am getting some in from another HB Store next week. The regular fit XL's shirts were swimming around the middle so had to move to the slim fit models which was just right. Managed to find a belt as well which is just as well because all my shorts are falling off.

Might have to go to a more price-conscious shop to get some more of the staple items ie. t-shirts and shorts

The shopping was obviously a little too much for Finn - he was zonked.

The daycare at Citi, where I work, had their Matsuri festival yesterday which was really good fun. All the older kids were carrying the mini-shrine around the buildings and chanting. Looking forward to next year when Finn will be able to help with the carrying.

PCP Day 85

Only 5 days left....

The workouts this week are going to be hard especially with the introduction of Supersets - the combination of 2-3 exercises immediately after each other. Going to push through and finish to try and lose the last couple of pesky kgs to reach my goal of 100.

Short one today.

PCP Day 80

Indulgence

The plan was to go to an italian restaurant but ended up at Pizzakaya instead. Was very restrained and only had half a medium pizza with a side salad and a couple of chicken wings.

I reckon my wife's vegetarian half was actually bigger

PCP Day 77

Well almost there. 2 weeks to go. Have managed to stay off the grog for the past 2 and a half months and have only missed a handful of the workouts. Looking to stick to the system for the last 14 days to try and maximise the weight loss and muscle building.

Weight is currently hovering around the 102 kgs mark which is a drop of 15 kgs since the start of the PCP. Very impressed with the results and my will power to keep going. Would love to drop another couple of kilos and get below the ton so will be working extra hard in the next 14 days. I have not been this weight since before 1997.

Have been getting a heap of comments in the last week or so which has been great. I have to stop myself talking too much about it and to try and use Patrick's theory that if they ask once or twice just tell them I am exercising and eating well but if they ask the 3rd time tell them the details.

Still thinking about the final indulgence meal which will probably be tomorrow night. Thinking an italian dinner with the wife(if she can get out of the office early enough) - La Bisboccia in Hiro-o might be the easiest and it is one of the best.

Out.

PCP Day 75

Well, it's been a whole week with no blog. Has been pretty hectic with the plans for the little boys first birthday. Had a big BBQ Brunch with loads of sausages, bacon and champagne. Was reasonably good with the food. Cooking the BBQ didn't help but restrained myself to my required protein amounts - even if it was in bacon and sausages - the first I have had for 2 and a half months.

The cake was huge and there is so much left in the fridge, having to pretend that it is not in there every time I walk past it.

Finn riding his new Trike down to the shops.

Haven't been able to do the jump ropes this week as the knee is still very sore. Tried a few tonight and really couldn't get into a rhythm as trying to keep the knee from jolting and taking any weight. Will try again tomorrow to see if it is any less painful.

Just over 2 weeks left now. Out. 

PCP Day 68

Have been struggling with getting time for the exercises this week as work has been pretty busy. Having to do late at night and really struggling to get the motivation to do.

Played basketball with some mates from work yesterday and hurt my knee. Have been having issues with it doing some of the leg exercises - crawls and the floor jumps and I think this just made it worse. Will be icing it all day to try and get ok for the jumprope this afternoon.

Went to Bills in Odaiba for breakfast today - this is the 3rd restaurant in Japan by Aussie chef Bill Granger. Had the scrambled eggs with roast tomatoes and avocado which was probably the best choice considering the other items on the menu - ricotta pancakes, coconut bread and corn fritters. There was probably a little too much cream in the eggs but I felt like I didn't overdo it with the sides ie. bacon, sausages etc..

Have got a new bike for my wife this week(Mama Chari as they call them in Japan). Will be good to go for rides with the not-so-little-one. Finn turns One next Saturday so doing a lot of prep for the party. Having people over for a BBQ brunch. Is going to be difficult to cook the sausages and bacon without sampling the goods.

Out.

PCP Day 64

Welcome to all the new PCPers out there that started this week, I know you are just starting but stick to it - it is well worth it. Special mentions to Rob and Charlie in Hong Kong(I started the PCP while on holiday for their wedding in Bali 2 months ago) and Steve D and Sagar at work in Japan.

Got very excited at the change in diet this week. Was getting a little sick of egg whites.

Out.

PCP Day 60

Well Day 60 is upon us and we are now officially two thirds through the program. My weight and and body shape have changed a lot over the past 2 months. I have lost around 12 kgs so far and am very happy with it. Hoping to lose a little more to maybe get under the ton for the first time in nearly 20 years but will not be too disappointed if the weight doesn't reduce too dramatically - I am more interested in the muscle building and making sure my body is in its peak state.

My thoughts on food at this stage have changed a lot especially around snacking. My old habits when hungry would have been to eat some chips or chocolate but i am now thinking more about fruit and vegetables as snacks and as the biggest thing on my plate(rather than the huge piece of meat)

Am starting to get very tired and realize that I need to make sure I get my sleep. Currently having 6.5 to 7.5 hours a night but think I need to make sure that this goes up to 8 hours a day. Is a little hard with juggling work and looking after the little one then trying to squeeze the exercises in before having a late dinner. The wife is extremely busy at work at the moment as well which adds my time needed with Finn.

By the way, I have a new hero to look up to. He is a superhero and like to play Aussie Rules.

Out.

PCP Day 55

Did one full pull-up tonight. Enough said.

Out.

PCP Day 53

Today we celebrate our Indulgence Day.

So, we have organised a babysitter and my wife is as excited as I am about going to dinner and having a 'normal' meal. We are heading to The Oak Door Restaurant in the Grand Hyatt in Tokyo. Is very close to our place and the cinema is just next door so a movie is in the plan as well.

I had a steak with mashed potatoes and spinach as sides(shared with the wife) with a salad and soup as starters - see below. Didn't put extra salt on the steak and restrained from ordering the fries as a side.

The meal came as a set so there was a dessert as well which I had some of. Overall, I think I went a bit over the goal calories but was a lot better than what I would normally do. Also had a bit of popcorn which I am sure is off the list - couldn't help it though.

Feeling a bit bloated and heavy now and looking forward to the workout tomorrow.

Out.

PCP Day 50

Very busy today as on a course for the next 2 days with work. Have to make sure everything will run smoothly while I am gone.

Did the skipping in the Typhoon this evening. Was very interesting with the wind actually blowing the skipping rope around. Was making some interesting noises as well. I have switched jump ropes as the counter is no longer needed. Finding it a lot easier with this one as it is a bit heavier but the 5 minute sets are quite difficult.

Very tough workout today. Will feel tomorrow for sure.

No pics for today.

PCP Day 47 - over half way

Am in Singapore for the Japan long weekend so have been a little bad on the diet. Struggling to contain myself at the breakfast buffet but think I have maintained a balanced meal of fruit, veggies and eggs without weighing everything.

The exercises have been the getting done around all the sightseeing and shopping. We are staying at The Fullerton Bay Hotel in the Marina and view is awesome. Here is a pic from where I was doing the jump rope this morning -

Heading back to Tokyo tomorrow so will be able to get back on track with the eating. Very proud to say that I still haven't had a drink.

Out.

PCP Day 44

Had my Health check today. In Japan all companies provide a free health check for employees to make sure you are fit and well so that you will be able to do your job for life. It sort of reminds me of the war movies where the new recruits walk from station to station getting everything checked out before they are sent away to fight. You get your own set of comfortable clothes and slippers and you get checked out by numerous doctors and nurses.

The tests include, blood tests, blood pressure, chest xrays, height, weight, vision, hearing, ECG, Barium xray(for gastro intestinal tract check). I am sure there were more but I was walking around in a daze. The Barium Swallow test was by far the worst - see below if you want to read more about it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barium_swallow

I'll have to ask Patrick in this week's questions about the properties of this drink and if I have blown my calories/grams for the day.

The good news from the health check is that my weight is now 106.8kgs. This is 10 kgs lighter than last years health check and actually 10 kgs lighter than the start of the PCP.

A big shout out to the guys who finished today. Especially Tony, Pat M and Brendon who have been a great support to me and answered a lot of the questions I had both during and at the start of the PCP. Looking forward to tomorrow as we will officially be at half way.

Out.

PCP Day 41

Been very slack on the posts. Bought a new car on the weekend so spent a crazy amount of time at the car dealership. Everything takes soooo long in Japan and they still give you 10 different forms to fill in - all in Japanese of course so it takes another few hours to fill those in(with the help of my wife). Will pick up in a few weeks and really looking forward to having a bit more room.

Did the skipping early morning Sunday but it was so hot I had to postpone the rest of the workout  for the afternoon/evening. Unfortunately, the wife had dinner plans which meant I was looking after the little one and could not go downstairs to finish the workout. This is the first workout I have missed in the 40 days so far and was a little disappointed. Will push Sundays workout to Monday and do Mondays on Tuesday which is normally the skipping only day.

Getting a bit sick of the Apple and Egg Whites for dinner. More so that it doesn't let you have dinner together with anyone. Heading to Singapore this weekend for 3 days and not sure how I will go in the hotel. Will give it a try.

Out.

PCP Day 34

Indulgence - Have been thinking about this for a while. We have been allowed to go off-piste and eat a menu item that is not on the PCP diet. I think i thought about this for so long that i thought I would just skip it. I was googling calorie counts for all sorts of things but still couldn't decide.

1/3 a box of BBQ Shapes is around 350
1 Choux Creme(read Custard Profiterole outside of Japan) is about 375
80gms of Cadbury Chocolate is around 400

In the end, I chose one of my favourite restaurants in Tokyo, Beacon, for lunch. They are mostly known for their steaks which I miss terribly but also have a great brunch menu and serve some pretty decent sandwiches. This is Finn at around 1 and a half weeks and me at about 117kgs.

I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich on wheat bread with no mayo/sauce (no indulgence there) and a virgin mary. Their Bloody Mary's are the best - very spicy with the rim coated in a salt and pepper mix which was my first bit of "added" salt to anything I have eaten for a month. I can't believe how good it was. I almost licked the salt and pepper straight off the glass but managed to ration it until the end of the drink.

When the sandwich came I was shocked to see that it came with heaps of golden, delicious looking french fries. I managed to push most of them off the plate to give to the hungry kids down the table but kept a few - i think around 15, to eat. They were awesome however I now realise that i can't eat mountains of chips/fries and expect to be healthy and fit. I have always been one for exchanging salads and vegetables sides of meals to french fries/chips/any other type of fried potato but I think this may be a thing of the past.

I did count them as part of my veggies for the meal though.

Out

PCP Day 31

Well one month down now and things are going reasonably well. Been a bit slack on the blog this week. The new diet is a bit weird - it consists of an apple, a banana, 250 mls of milk and 3 egg whites for dinner and 200 gms vegetables for the evening snack. Trying to work out recipes for this combination and feels a bit like TV's Ready Steady Cook!

Going to miss the meat at night. This lamb salad was for dinner a few days ago

Compared to this last night

Finally feeling like my skipping is getting better - can do around 1300 in around 12 minutes depending on my coordination skills and the time of night i can get around to my exercises. My wife has been getting home from work late which means I have babysitting duties until she gets home.

Will be trying to not go out this weekend. I reckon I still managed to get a bit of a hangover last week if only from all the smoke in the bars. Can't believe how backwards Japan is that they still allow smoking in Restaurants and Bars yet some of the city councils ban it on the streets.

Out!

PCP Day 26

Well, I have brought the number of roast chickens successfully skinned to 3 over the last 3 weeks. Have hesitated posting this in case roast chicken is out and it is forever forbidden.

I have added yesterday's lunch picture as it was so nice. Grilled lamb sandwiches with salad and roasted veggies. Tonight am having the left over lamb in a salad with low-fat yoghurt dressing. Lamb is another item that has not been mentioned by Patrick R - I am buying lean lamb loins that have little or no fat so i think it should be ok.

Oh My God! The creep nearly killed me. The first 20 steps were fine but the last 20 in each set were murder and trying to stand up at the end of 40 was extremely difficult. feel that burn.

Still trying to decide on my indulgence food item - thinking of something with salt in it as that is what i am missing the most.

Out.

PCP Day 25

Well starting to get a few comments about looking good/losing weight from people at work and friends which is refreshing. I have sent the Blog and Flickr link to a wider audience now and they are all very encouraging - especially about the Day 1 to Day 21 comparisons in the weekly photos.

Had a work party last night for someone leaving Japan - I didn't go to the first party but met up with everyone at the second(Nijikai) party. Was very weird being the only sober person in the bar watching all the interactions and the very bad dancing. Spent a fair bit of time talking to 2 workmates who are on Day 73 of the PCP and am in awe of how they look and how much weight they have lost. I won't say who but one was showing taking his shirt off to show his newly found abs - having to put it back on as Security came over pretty quick. The shirt buttons remained open for the rest of the night. Looking forward to doing similar in another month or so.

No photos this week. Have been a bit lazy with the preparation and cooking as it is pretty busy at work (read: My wife has been too busy at work so I have been very boring). Hope to try a few new recipes this weekend.

Going in search of a bar to try the pull-ups. Have been unsuccessful so far but will try the local kids parks for something suitable.

Out.

PCP Day 19

Workouts are starting to get a lot harder - the full pull up(chin up) was introduced for the first time yesterday and I couldn't find a place to do as everything in Japan is too low. Not saying that I would have been able to do even if I could. Found a bar where I can get on my knees to try but I couldn't even get one out. Still think the 110 plus kgs I am trying to lift is too much for my arms/back/shoulders to take.  Will continue to do the incline pull-ups in the carpark across the road.

Going ok with the food and not really feeling hungry at any times. Eating quite late still as we usually have to get the boy to bed before we can sort out our own meals. Had open faces chicken burgers yesterday evening. They looked and tasted great -

Bought a nice bit of lean beef and lamb yesterday and had them with vegetables and rice for dinner. Have really been missing red meat as I usually have lamb or beef about 3-4 times a week. Was good but really found I missed the salt.

Out

PCP Day 15

Well the new diets have come through and having to separate the yolks from the egg whites. Starting to look a bit more serious now. Boiled the eggs this morning and extracted the white of one to eat - tried to do just by itself but was a little bland. May have to work something else out here or continue to scramble/omlettise them.

Exercises are going well. Have been doing all with Max reps which has been especially tough on the lunges and push-ups. Still can't skip that well. Have found that if I try and go slow and steady that's when I stuff up. If I go a bit faster then I can last for a bit longer.

Had Fajitas last night with whole wheat tortillas followed by a smoothie or nearly-gone berries and bananas.

Weighed myself this morning and am now sitting at around 114 kg's. Is about 3 down from the start of measuring. Need to get a new set of scales though so went to Costco in Kawasaki and bought some only to find that my feet are too big for the sensors and it wont register that I am standing on it properly. Ideas?

Out.

PCP - Day 11

Well I have been a bit slag on the blog in the last week. Getting used to all the new food (and the preparation of this) and the extended workouts. Finding it very hard to do the exercises until the baby goes to sleep around 10pm. Also finding it hard to get the recommended 8 hours sleep.  Will try to do the workouts in the morning before work this week to see how that works.

Skipping - Starting to get a bit more competent but still not sure I am doing it right. I seem to be able to only do them really fast but then I can't keep up the momentum and the most I have made is around 100. Maybe it will come to me soon.

Salt - Missing salt a lot, especially on my eggs in the morning. Anyone know a good alternative to salt that is allowed?

Food - getting a lot of help from my wife on the food prep and creations. Last night was some Italian style rice balls with roasted chicken breast, baked potatoes with rice stuffing and a salad with lemon and pepper dressing. It was fantastic.

This morning was a vegetable frittata with a whole wheat bagel.

Out.

PCP - Day 5

Back in Tokyo and the holiday is over. Went straight to the supermarket to stock up and ended up buying more fruit and vegies than normal. Going to a friends for dinner tonight - she is cooking shepherds pie. Going to be very hard to refrain from a 2nd and 3rd helping as per my usual ways.


Have been keeping a diary of my food intake over the past 4 days and am seeing the volume and the content change dramatically. Where I would usually have 2 or 3 sausages, bacon, eggs, waffles/pancakes, croissants and pastries I found myself having an egg, muesli, yoghurt, toast without butter and lots of fruit.


Chin-up bars have arrived from The States and a backup skipping rope. Not sure where I can install the bar but will have to check with the landlord before drilling holes into the walls.

PCP - Day 1

Arrived back in Bali after a brief trip to Darwin to visit my parents and to show off the grandson. It was Mums bday and decided to surprise her. Had Finn (my 9 month old)with me to meet his Auntie and Cousins for the first time - especially his new 3 month old cousin Westin. Also, Finn lost his Great Grandmother a few weeks ago so it was good to see Dad and give him our support. Was my first time flying with him alone which was an experience although everyone is very eager to help you out.

My main reason on doing the PCP was because of my family. Being nearly 40 and having a young family is a little scary and I don't want my lack of fitness or unhealthiness to stop me from being able throw or kick the ball to my son when he wants to.

This first week is gonna be hard. In Bali for the first 4 days staying at the Grand Hyatt in a Club room with free breakfast, dinner and snacks throughout the day. Not to mention the happy hour from 5pm - 7pm with free booze. Struggling to limit myself to half of what I normally would eat but think I am not too far off. Usually I will gorge myself at buffets until I can't move from the table and the drinking, well I am from Darwin.