At the moment I am 12.5 stone (175 lbs) and am aiming to get down to 11 stone (154 lbs). I plan to do this by eating more healthily and training.If you have read my background then will now that I am prone to calf injury, I used to be 16.5 stone and that I still have some inherent fitness due to past training.
Previously when I lost weight and got pretty fit I did it too quickly which is a classic mistake. My heart could take the extra work but my calf muscles could not. As such I am being careful now. Instead of just running I will incorporate cycling, rowing, kayaking and walking into my fitness regime. I am building my base fitness and strength to give me a body which is capable of training hard and entering races (not to win - just to measure my personal bests and fun).
The most important aspect of what I am doing is mental preparation. If I did not want to lose weight and feel fit then I would not be able to do it. I would fade out after a few weeks (like most people who join a gym) and revert back to being fat again.
You have to be prepared mentally to take on the physical challenge and also to eliminate the desire for bad foods. You need to look forward to training and not have to fight will power to eat cake or chocolate. It is a state of mind. You almost have too feel sorry for someone who is eating junk food.
I will be going into this more deeply over the next few weeks with articles detailing my thoughts and those that I have learnt from others. In addition to this I will be documenting what I have done training wise each day and what I have eaten broadly. I will also include and "bad" items which everyone needs sometimes - the key is moderation and how often...
I will start by telling you my training from the 1st July 2009. You will be able to see my progress as I lose weight and what I have done to accomplish this. You may wish to follow what I do but please consult a Dr first to ensure you are able to do so.
If you do and I say that I have been jogging or running then it is fine if you need to walk/run. In fact if you are starting out with zero fitness this is the best way to start and build up your stamina gradually. There are many website out there that will be able to help if I have not covered something. At the initial stage it is more about moving and eating well than anything else.
This is simply my own training plan that I have devised. I have no qualifications in it but do have some self experience. I have a Garmin Forerunner GPS watch which is how I have all the data. It does not include daily tasks such as walking etc.
Wednesday July 1st
Breakfast - Fruit Smoothie home made.
Lunch - Granary bread sandwich with ham and salad.
Dinner - It was my birthday so I went out for a small curry and one pint of Cobra lager.
2 mile run in 17:58
8.28 mile bike ride in 24:49
50 press ups and 30 sit ups.
Thursday 2nd July
Breakfast - Fruit Smoothie home made.
Lunch - Granary bread sandwich with ham and salad.
Dinner - Left over curry that we bought back from the restaurant (you don't have to eat it all at once!)
2.4 mile run in 23:32
11.53 mile bike ride in 47:26