Disaster has struck and I am on the verge of sinking. With high hopes of continuing my positive streak after weighing in at 77.3kg last week, I ruined it with a lack of discipline and by socialising.
I only have five weeks to go in my 30-week challenge, but after gaining weight this week – and a lot of it – it may all be over now.
Why do I do it to myself?
In one of my earlier columns I talked about how any challenge I take up always seems near impossible. For some ridiculous reason, I need to feel like failure is imminent, so achieving it would appear miraculous. Well, I’ve done it again. The bar has been reset to shoulder height, requiring a Herculean effort or a giant ladder.
I jumped onto the scales knowing it wasn’t going to be great result. I was too scared to even look at Scotty’s face when I got on, in case his “I told you so” finger started waving.
Scotty has warned me off socialising and drinking during the weekends because it’s an unnecessary evil. And to be honest, after the week that I’ve had, I don’t want to go out ever again. My head was cloudy, my feet hurt, I struggled to hold my stomach in and I was totally over small talk. I can happily chat to anybody and everyone, but by the end of the week, I was spent.
So I weighed in at 79kg – nearly 2kg heavier than last week. I felt so disappointed – I had let myself down again. It’s like converting to vegetarianism and then quaffing down a burger. I know vegetarians would be a lot more committed than that, but you get my gist.
So what was I doing to achieve such a memorable result? Well, quite honestly, nothing productive! I exercised once, went to Bikram yoga once, ate every day like there was no tomorrow and struggled to sleep due to too many late nights. on the upside – because there is always an upside, right? – I haven’t failed yet and I won’t give up until the fat lady sings.
Several people have said I’m looking good as I am now. But I believe I could lose a couple more kilograms, settling on 75kg, as Scotty suggests.
I have noticed that during the course of my weight-loss, the first 10kg seemed to come off my upper body and face, the second 10kg trimmed down my midriff, upper body and face, so fingers crossed the final 10kg will turn my bulky muscular thighs into slender pins.
That’s why I want to continue to 70kg – to see where the final 9kg will come off. If I’m wrong and it continues to fall off my upper body, then I will look like a pear, but until then I’m hopeful it will be from my lower body and finally I will be the size and shape I’ve dreamed of being.
But coming into the festive season, every mechanism I have is going to be tested. Before we wind up, next week is my birthday, then it’s a day at the races and the Martinborough Wine & Food Festival.
Like most people, I don’t like working under great stress, but for some reason that’s when I am most effective.
Fifteen years ago when I was broadcasting at the Atlanta olympics, I read a saying that never fails to give me strength when things get tough:
“The lotus is a flower that blooms in the mud. The deeper the mud, the brighter the bloom.” It’s so me!
**A note from Scott Cottier
**Where has it all gone wrong? Last week I was praising April’s continued efforts in training and getting closer to her illustrious goal, and then lo and behold, she does everything imaginable to ruin it. The Rugby World Cup is finally over, the daylight hours are longer and the weather is warmer, so the excuses have run out.
We now head into the crucial zone where motivation, goal setting and action are critical to achieve a healthy balance.
oy tip for the week is to find a route around your neighbourhood that is approximately 7km long. The first time you jog or walk it, make a note of how long it takes you. For the next two times within the week, try and beat your last time. This will not only improve your fitness, but also your determination, which is a huge benefit to getting that balanced and healthy lifestyle back in order. Happy Training.
Scotty
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