Weight Loss Challenge: Week 3

Due to various reasons, I didn't get to post the progress of my Weight Loss Challenge last week. I was preoccupied with the Family Day event last Saturday, and as you would note I wasn't feeling well the day after with high fever, which I suspect was due to the strong coffee that I had on Sunday morning. Or maybe it was the 1 and a half Domino's pizzas which I over-sprinkled with chilli flakes on Saturday night. These potentially dehydrating diet, coupled with the fact that I was probably already dehydrated from the exertions of the Family Day on Saturday, probably contributed to the fever that came upon me almost suddenly on Sunday morning.

Ok lah... Maybe I'm making excuses for missing the update. I didn't exactly feel like weighing myself especially after having that 1 and a half pizza that Saturday night.

In truth, I have not been able to give full commitment to my weight loss conquest these last 2 weeks. The work factor is to blame, and I have been stuck in the office till night time for the most part of these last 2 weeks. I do make a point to at least cycle on Saturday mornings, so I guess all is not lost.

I have also decided to make a slight change to the waistline performance indicator. Well, I've figured measuring progress by inches is probably a bit too much to track progress on a weekly basis. You can probably lose a centimetre or two in a week, but an inch? It may be possible, but hey these are fragile moments in the weight loss conquest when even a slight progress is considered victory. So I've decided to measure the progress of my waistline reduction by the centimetre, and hopefully there'll be some progress I can share.

My waistline dropped 0.5cm this week. Hoorayy!!

So here are the results of my Weight Loss Challenge in its 3rd week:

Physical Indicators
Start weight: 81.1kg
Target weight: 72kg
Achieved after week 3: 79.7kg

Start waistline: 38 inches (96.52cm)
Target waistline: 33 inches (83.82cm)
Achieved after week 3: 38.8 inches (98.5cm)

Can't say if there has been much progress. My weight has remained about the same since the last progress check, although you would notice some marginal reduction of the waistline by half a centimetre. Hehe... any progress, though minimal, is cherished here.

Exercise
I have only managed to cycle a distance of 13 kilometres this week, and apart from that one session on the bike, not much can be said here. Work has been taking up most of my time and it seems that the only time I can squeeze in for an exercise would be early in the morning before going to work. The new pair of swimming trunks is still waiting to be used and I do hope I can start swimming as part of my exercise regime soon.

Food
I've managed to reduce the number of times I consume fast food these last 2 weeks, but whenever I did I would unfortunately help myself to a blockbuster treat. Note the 1 and a half pizza bingeing. I've consistently had small helpings for my meals, but I do hope I can control the fast food urges better in the future.

Summary
Generally, I feel a lot healthier ever since I started on this Weight Loss Challenge conquest. I feel fitter, healthier and at the risk of being accused of being delusional, my body looks more toned than before. Although whatever delusion I might have with that regards was quickly dispelled when, looking at my own side profile in the mirror this morning, I asked my wife what she thought:

Me: Sayang... do you think my tummy is a little flatter now?

Wifey: (With a slight glance at my tummy, non-chalantly responded) No...

Yeah, I need to work harder...

Weight Loss Challenge: The 1st Week

Today marks the first week since the start of my Weight Loss Challenge. I wrote in my blog a week ago of my target to lose a certain amount of weight and inches this year, as part of my resolution for the year 2008. Goodbye to the old fat and unfit Izwan, and by the end of this year hopefully we can say hello to a brand new and fit me.

I believe one of the challenges faced by anyone attempting to lose weight would be to manage his/her expectations of the results achieved. You kinda expect to see the weighing scale to show a favourable reading just because you took half the usual portion of your lunch on the first day of your diet, and feel disappointed when the reading still shows the same weight (if not more!). I guess I'm no different here in that sense. I've been looking at my side profile in the mirror more regularly than usual in this last week, and I still look no different from a woman who is 8 months pregnant. Sheeshh... I keep having to remind myself this is only the first week, and I have over 40 weeks left in the year to meet the target. This Weight Loss Challenge is a marathon, not a sprint and it is important to keep that into perspective so as not to get easily demoralised.

So what have I achieved in this first week? The following are the KPIs I've set myself, and the results achieved after the first week:

Physical Indicators
Start weight: 81.1kg
Target weight: 72kg
Achieved after week 1: 79.6kg

This might seem a small reduction to some, but considerably huge leap for me. Breaking the 80kg barrier has been rather difficult for me and ducking it in the first week is a welcome result. One cheer here!

Start waistline: 38 inches
Target waistline: 33 inches
Achieved after week 1: 39 inches!

This has come as a surprise. With my weight pointing downwards, I was kinda expecting the waistline to move in a similar direction. Granted however, I did not actually measure my waistline when I indicated it as my starting weight, only based it on the size the waisline of the biggest jeans I've been wearing. Maybe the starting line was bigger, I don't know. I did get someone commenting saying my tummy looked slimmer recently. Maybe it was the shirt I was wearing... anyways, more work need to be done here.

Exercise
I have been rather bullish on this front. The exercise theme this week was cycling, and I had had 3 sessions of cycling covering a distance of 40km altogether. Bought myself a new pair of swimming trunks, so next week might see some variation to my exercise regime. Another cheer here!

Food
I have to admit that I've not been very disciplined on the food front though. For the record, I've been taking fast food numerous times this week (the most recent being the visit to Domino's Pizza this afternoon), and I've been taking ice creams and cheese cakes (it was Affeedz's birthday last week remember) like no one's business. I guess progress would have been more impressive had I had a stronger will when it comes to restraint on my diet. Gotta try harder on this one...

Summary
Although result has been mixed, the physical exercises have had the effect of making me feel active and more alert, hence having a multiplier effect on most of the things I do in the week. The saying a healthy body breeds a healthy mind is true, and I believe should this Weight Loss Challenge of mine becomes a success, I will reap more than what I am bargaining for. The first week has been a relative success. Hopefully i can shed the image of that 8 months pregnant man from my mirror in a couple of weeks time.

Fit For Life... Not Fat

Nope, I'm not pregnant...

The difference between the word 'fit' and 'fat' is merely the vowel that is between the letter f and t, but in physical terms the difference could not have been more significant. And not to mention the ease and difficulty to transfrom from one form to another and vice versa.

When I was younger, the issue of weight problem seem like someone else's problem. Up to my teenage years, I could munch down up to 3 Big Macs and still had a lot more space for some fries and a big cup of milk shake. And even after all that, I wouldn't feel like exploding like I do now and there would not be even a hint of a bulge on my hard and well-shaped belly.

I remember an incident when I was 13 when my brother, my dad and me were dining at Pizza Hut and we ordered 2 large super supreme pizzas. The waitress who was taking our order, out of a sense of duty, told us that she felt 2 large super supreme pizzas were probably too much for the 3 of us in one sitting. We insisted on our order, and when the pizza came, we gulped everything in less than 20 minutes. And I remember we later ordered some ice cream for desserts...

Those days now feel like distant memories...

Nowadays, maintaining my current weight is a constant struggle, not to mention losing it. Things were probably easier in my pre-married days, when I could gain and lose my weight almost at will. Nowadays, the easier way is always up the weighing scale and going down is tantamount to a small miracle. For the record, I've gained 5 kilos over the last year, 4 inches around the waist... pheww... heck, my belly is even bigger than my wife's when she was pregnant!

So coming to the year 2008, I've made a resolution to at least lose what I've gained in 2007, and maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. A little cut down on the carbohydrates is required, and a little jolt with the physical exercise will be needed here. I've set myself certain key performance indicators in order to achieve this aim of mine, which are as follows:

Physical indicators
Current weight: 81.1kg
Target weight: 72kg

Current waistline: 38 inches
Target waistline: 33 inches

Exercise
On a weekly basis, I aim to do at least two times of any combination of the following physical exercises:
1. Jogging - 3km
2. Cycling - 10km
3. Swimming - 30 minutes

Food
This is probably the most difficult of all the indicators for me to adhere to. I've always been a lover of fatty foods like the skin of a fried chicken or McDonald's chocolate sundae and apple pie. And to make matters worse, I only take vege and fruits out of necessity, which usually means I do not take them at all most of the time. This is where most resolve is needed.

1. Cut down
Carbohydrates
- 1 scoop of rice per meal, and small portions of side dishes
- only 1 trip per month to any fast food joint per month. The Prosperity Burger season at McDonald's is not going to make this easy...
- only 1 sweet desserts per week.

2. Increase
a. Drink 2 litres of water every day
b. Take fruits for snacking at the office

I will be posting my progress here on a weekly basis. Hoping for a small miracle here. With lots of belief and will power, I might just be able to transform myself from fat to fit.

Wish me luck...