I hope you all had a great Christmas and a fantastic new year.
So, how did you take on the party season? Was December well disciplined or did you go off the rails?
For me, events began not in December but November with the BMF Christmas Party which was held at Clapham on the 30th.
I would compare the evening to a Japanese Endurance game show where it’s a question of surviving but not quite thriving. If you can imagine all of BMF’s London instructors in one place and attempting to drink their own bodyweight in alcohol, believing it was macho and repeating to themselves ‘I can handle it...I kin handle it...I cin hanle ip....I ccurr, urrpp, eerrr’.
The morning after was horrendous, I remember lying half-conscious on the sofa with my 18-month old son bashing me over the head with the TV remote control.
The worst thing was I was totally defenceless against him!
Like I said in my previous blog go hard or go home and this rule was to be followed on both fronts, at parties and at the gym. So I did.
Wise words? Hmmmm... Let’s see.
As a result I did not gain any extra weight, which I’m happy about. However, there was a twist, I didn’t gain weight but I did alter my body composition. I was 16% body-fat before December and that increased to 20% when I measured on the 1 January. I lost 3.6kg of muscle and gained 3.6kg of fat. Shocking!
In other words I became fatter and weaker.
What I found was that the further into the party season I got the less inclined I felt to exercise, probably as a result of alcohol consumption, poor food choices high in bad fats and sugar, leading to a lack of energy and quality sleep. I ate the wrong foods and exercised less than once a week.
Let me re-cap, my work-out intentions were ‘go hard or go home’. Sadly, I ended up going home! L
I saw a very similar trend in our BMF classes with numbers dropping dramatically especially in the second and third weeks of December. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my Christmas and New Year party but now I’m paying the price with a little more insulation around my belly.
New Years’ resolutions!
I am committed to battling the bulge this January, are you?
To tackle my weight gain I will use four approaches that I’m pretty sure will kick the fat!
My goal will be to return to 16% body fat or below.
For the next four weeks this is my plan
A Protein shake for breakfast five days a week – The protein shake will consist of whey protein, mixed with water and a dash of full fat milk for flavour. Added to it will be a teaspoon of omega 3 fish oil the most expensive I can afford, (fish oil price and quality are directly related). Fibre will be added in the form of ground flax, almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts and co-enzyme Q10. I get this product from a health food store and it’s a good source of Omega 3, 6 and 9, Selenium and Magnesium.(for more info go to www.linwoods.co.uk) I also add a sprinkling of cinnamon for flavour. Cinnamon also helps control blood sugar levels.
The purpose of this breakfast is to remove my ability to make bad choices. The protein and fibre will fill me up and it’s also quick and easy.
1. I will fast for two days a week - Intermittent Fasting (IF) – A 16 hour fast followed by a feeding window of eight hours where I eat my three main meals a day. For my main meals I will eat whole foods full of lean protein about the size of the palm of my hand, green leafy vegetables and a sweet potato for carbs. This part of the plan I will find very easy as it already forms part of my lifestyle. I usually work Saturday and Sunday mornings at BMF on Clapham Common, and my fast takes place during this time.
The fast allows my digestive system to have a rest. If I train on these days I will have half a protein shake an hour before my own training session so that I don’t train on an empty stomach and sabotage any muscle gain. For more information check out this website www.leangains.com
2. Do three workouts a week
Focusing on compound bodyweight movements like press-ups, squats, lunges, pull-ups and burpees... sounds remarkably like BMF doesn’t it?
And I will also use a kettlebell for swings and snatches; it’s a great tool for working the muscles at the back of the body. Last year we tried incorporating Kettlebell training into BMF session at some parks. It has proved to be popular so we’re looking to introduce this at more venues later this year.
3. I will partake in one of the toughest events of my life, a Dryathlon. No booze for January!
This is a great idea for those wanting to cut down on drink. And knowing that it’s for charity makes it even more worthwhile.
So if you’re planning on turning your body stats around early this year make sure you plan well. Use the SMART acronym to help you set your goals more effectively.
Specific – I want to reduce body-fat from 20% - 16%
Measurable – I use callipers for this measurement
Attainable – Is it within my reach? Yes as I’ve managed it before
Relevant – Does the goal matter? Yes, happiness is a non-elasticated waist-band
Time bound – I want to achieve this goal by the end of January. Two weeks on the protein breakfast and January without booze.
If you don’t give yourself a deadline you may procrastinate and never achieve your end goal.
In the next blog I’ll let you know how I get on, so get ready for the next thrilling installment...
Until then, make sure you get yourself down to BMF and I wish you the best of success with your own goals.