Partial Success?

It's been a rough year, for a couple very personal reasons. Let's gloss over all the massive failure, though, and focus on the positive.

Back in early July, I got food poisoning. Seriously, that's about as positive as things get this year. Because, you see, that was the catalyst that got me started on some actual weight loss. I spent about 2 days puking my guts out, which naturally caused me to lose a little weight. Normally, one would gain it all right back. It also managed to shrink my stomach a little, so I got full faster. I made a conscious decision to stick with with small meals, in hopes that I could at least keep my sick weight off.

Also, around the same time, my work schedule changed to nights. I was working from 2pm to midnight, 4 nights a week. There's a lot more slack in the night schedule, so I was able to carve out some time to work out. Since my martial arts training had been getting stagnant, I decided to work out on the heavy bag in the dance studio downstairs. Starting with 5 two minute rounds and 1 minute of rest between rounds, I managed to work my way up to 6 two minute rounds, then to 5 three minute rounds. I was starting to feel strong and fast again, like the old days. Then, suddenly, the heavy bag disappeared. I guess it was getting in the way of people actually dancing in the dance studio.

Disheartened, I started using the elliptical machines in the gym at work. I stuck with the 5 x three minute format, walking slowly for the rest period and running as fast as I could for the work period. The elliptical machine just didn't have the same entertainment value as beating the stuffing out of the heavy bag, though, so I eventually got bored with it.

This was about the time I decided to try the Slow Carb diet from "The 4 Hour Body". I also decided to pick up kettlebell lifting, since it's something I'd long been interested in. The diet seems to be more or less working. When I can stick to it, I lose some weight. Even when I go off the rails a bit, I don't gain any weight, and I'm eating quite a bit more than I did over the summer when I lost ~10kg. At this point, I'm about 13kg down from my July 4th weight. I probably still have another 20kg left to go, but the kettlebell work has also been packing on some muscle.

I've only been doing the two handed kettlebell swing, as recommended in 4HB. It's quick, and the form is not terribly difficult to learn by yourself. Especially if you've ever deadlifted. As I have not done a deadlift since my senior year of high school (has it really been over 15 years?), I took the first few days slowly. Since I didn't want to shell out big money for a real kettlebell when I wasn't even sure I'd stick with it, I made a ghettobell out of some weight plates and some parts from Home Depot. The first two weeks, I made slow progress, concentrating on my form. I had a difficult time hitting 50 reps, even in two or three sets. Then, suddenly, gains starting happening faster and faster. On my last workout, I hit 80 reps in the first set, then another 25 in the second set. My current goal is to be able to do 100 reps in one set. Once I get there, I'm going to add another 10lb plate to the bell and work my way back up. I also just rewarded myself with a real kettlebell, this one 40lbs, so I can do some one handed exercises.

All the kettlebell lifting is doing wonders for me. My thighs, calves, and forearms are noticeably more defined than they were before I started lifting. It's also helped straighten out my posture. Like most computer geeks, I tend to hunch over a lot. Now my shoulders naturally pull back a bit more, straightening out my spine when I sit and walk.

So, that's what I've been up to. Not anywhere near the big plans I had at the beginning of the year. I don't see me getting to the 60 or 70% mark on my goals this time around. But, and this is the important bit, I have made some progress. I feel a lot better physically, and that's having a positive impact on my mental health too. Maybe I'll feel good enough by New Year's to put up new goals, or even re-tackle the goals for this year that went nowhere.