Day 28 - Progress

Firstly, congratulations to everyone, 4 weeks done and dusted. It feels good to have got here and I'm genuinely looking forward to the 'middle stage' of the programme. Next weeks' exercises look tough and I whole heartedly believe Patrick when he says things are about to get a whole lot tougher.

Secondly, it's been exactly 4 weeks to the day since a drop of alcohol last passed over my lips (my longest period without booze since I started drinking as a teenager). At the outset, this was really the one requirement I was worried about, I truly doubted my ability to cut the booze out. I must admit, I've had the odd urge but I've so far managed to stick to my guns and I'm feeling fantastic for it. It's fair to say that it dictated far too much of my lifestyle and was doing me no favours whatsoever. I'm not going to cut it out of my life altogether, but when I'm finished PCP I think me and the old bottle are going to have a very different relationship going forward. I could go on for while about this but that's enough on the subject.

So today was my one-month-in stat check at the gym, and I'm really pleased with the results....... so far. All the key indicators are moving in the right direction. I've refrained from keeping track of these on purpose as I wanted to concentrate on the programme and trust in the diet and exercises. I really want to get that body fat % down towards 10% so I'm going to have to make a concerted effort over the next month. Anyhow, stats are below.
                                         

	Day 1	Day 28	Change
Weight	81 kg	76.3 kg	- 4.7 kg
Body Mass Index	25.0	23.8	- 1.2
Fat Mass	18.7%	16.8%	- 1.9%
Waist to hip ratio	0.92	0.86	- 0.06
Vo2 Max	36	60	+ 24
Resting Heart Rate	70 bpm	63 bpm	- 7

I must admit that I haven't stuck to the diet as much as I should be. I've missed quite a few dinners and I know this is bad as I need to get my proteins in to help those muscles recover. I'm going to really focus on eating everything I'm meant to.

I've wanted to post about this TV programme I've seen called 'Man vs Food'. It's a US show about this guys who goes around the States to a bunch of different restaurants and undertakes 'food challenges'. Basically each restaurant is locally renowned for a particular dish; sandwiches, pizza, steak, seafood etc. This guy then has to try and beat the house 'record' by eating x amount of the said dish in under a certain time. It truly is disgusting and I find it quite offensive, on so many levels, that such a show exists. The quantities are obscene and I can't believe places serve this crap. 'Challenges' have included eating 180 oysters, 72 oz steaks, 5 kg sandwiches and pizzas topped with more meat and cheese then one human should consume in a year. It's just wrong, both health wise and morally / ethically especailly when you consider the food shortages in some parts of the world.  It annoyed me.

Finally, a huge congratulations to all the guys who will be finishing tomorrow. Well done, and your results are a massive motivator!

Day 24 - In the Big Brother House

Still feeling positive and really enjoying the exercises....except for the lunges, but I know how important leg exercises are so I don't begrudge them too much. I'm having the odd craving for certain foods but nothing too extreme and nothing I can't deal with, and I'm happy to report that I still haven't touched the grog.

We're not too far from the first month end. I've got another stats check at the gym on Sunday and I'll be interested to see how I've done. I haven't been weighing myself as it's not about losing weight per se, more about getting my fat % down. I know I've lost a few pounds as trousers and belts are a bit looser, but I can't really see much change in my gut. Just got to keep on trucking......

Day 22 - Burn baby, burn

Forgive me Father for I have sinned. I'm being really slack with my blogging, I need to get my act together and post a few more times a week.

I've got a few friends who have completed / about to complete PCP and all of them talked about the satisfaction of completing a session, muscles burning and collapsing on the floor in total exhaustion. Over the last 10 days I've been really pushing myself and I now know exactly what they're talking about. There is something incredibly satisfying about the feeling you get after you've pushed yourself to your limit. A lot of this is obviously to do with endorphins but I think there is something psychological at work here too. It's knowing that what you're doing is hugely positive and will reap results if you keep it going. I now look back and cringe at my days in the gym when I hardly broke a sweat.

I'm starting to see a lot of things very differently now, and this makes me happy. I may not look like an Olympic swimmer by the end of this, but my mindset will be vastly improved

Day 15 - Amazing Grace (in a non happy clappy way)

So having thought I'd got to grips with the jump rope, I've found the last couple of days a bit more difficult. I've been trying out different ropes to see which one i prefer and I think it hasn't been a very good idea. I need to settle on a rope so I can get used to it etc. Anyhow, tonight was a bit better so I'll persevere with this one.

I missed yesterdays jump rope session as I was feeling really rough, came down with some sort of bug. This also means i've lost my appetite a bit and haven't been following the PCP amounts, but I'm sure I'll be back on track tomorrow.

I'm finding these Flickr updates a bit of an ego grounder. Uploading photos of yourself looking far from athletic is a complete leveller. Let's hope that in 10 weeks time there's a bit of an improvement and we can look back and laugh at these photos.......otherwise I'll be in for plenty of stick!

I went out on Saturday for a friends birthday lunch, which ended up lasting all day and all night. During the lunch I was itching for a drink, but as the day moved on (and everyone else became more and more oiled) I found it easier to abstain. I am really pleased about this as it was my first properly big night out with out drinking and I thought this would be the one area I'd find really hard. Don't get me wrong, it still is difficult, but I'm finding, much to my surprise, that I don't miss it nearly as much as I thought. I'm really enjoying the clarity of mind and not to mention no longer waking up in the morning ridden with angst about what I said to people or stupid things I've done. I'm starting to realise that a good night out doesn't have to involve bucket loads of booze - "I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see".....well perhaps not that evangelical, but my mindset is certainly starting to change.

Till next time my fellow PCPers

Day 7 - Watch out Rocky

A joyous day today, I managed to master the skipping 'cross over'! It's far from graceful but it's progress non the less.

I spent the evening prepping veg etc for the week ahead. I'm glad I've got it all done as it means it is one less thing to worry about. I'm looking forward to starting the new exercises tomorrow looks like we're stepping it up a gear.

Went out last night and stayed off the booze - it wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I think it will probably be a different story though in a few weeks time when I hit a low point. But, I now know that it's not that difficult so I just need to make sure I stick to my guns.

Day 5 - How times have changed

It's Friday night...and my birthday. Normally both are great reasons to go out, but not now! I did my exercises after work and then headed home. I knew if I went out then temptation would probably have got the better of me. There will be plenty more Fridays and another birthday next year.

Day 3 - All the gear, no idea

So I bought the last of the kit that Patrick suggested. The pull up bar is in position and some how it manages to support me without pulling the door frame off the wall, an ingenious peace of kit that even Isambard Kingdom Brunel would have been impressed with.

The exercises are all going well and I managed to bash out another 360 skips on top of what was required. The legs were a little stiff at the start but they soon eased out. Feeling a little tired tonight and I'm going to try and do my work out tomorrow morning before work, which means a 5:30 am start...ouch. But as a friend in a balaclava once told me "who dares wins".

And they're off....

So, day one is done and dusted.

I've been psyching myself up  about starting this for a couple of weeks and I'm really pleased to have started it. October the 30th seems like a long way off. The biggest area of concern is the booze...and salt. Two things I definitely over indulge in, but as they say, you've got to be in it to win it. I know the booze is what's holding me back in terms of progress in the gym, so I'm really hoping that PCP is the focus I need to cut back on this most enjoyable vice!

The exercises today were fine, I know Patrick is easing us in to this, they will get a lot tougher. My first 100 skips were a complete shambles, but I seemed to get the hang of them eventually, but I had no idea they could be so tiring. I've got images in my head of skipping like a boxer by October but I think this could be wishful thinking.

Day one vital stats are as follows

• Weight - 81 kgs
• Body Mass Index - 25.0
• Fat mass % - 18.7%
• Waist to hip ratio - 0.92
• VO2 Max - 36
• Resting Heart Rate - 70 bpm

I'm only really interested in points 2 and 3. I'd really like to get my fat % down to below 10%.......we'll see where we are in 3 months time.

Good luck everyone!