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5 WEEKS TO FITNESS DAY 2

I’d swear the pastries and cakes were talking to me, then suddenly I remembered…

Welcome to 5 Weeks To Fitness, the publication where I’m sharing the steps I am taking to lose 10lbs, reduce body fat from 16% to 12%, and run a 5k in under 22 mins, all within five weeks. If you’re in your forties and you’ve let your fitness slip, follow my progress and test out the methods I share for yourself. Join my mailing list to stay up to date on new articles.

(please remember to always consult a doctor before starting any diet or exercise regime. I am not a health professional, and I do not provide advice to those suffering from physical ill-health or weight problems).

I was getting a coffee, and there, sitting nonchalant beside the coffee machine was a basket of cunning pastries; Danish, pain au chocolat, croissants, and jammy doughnuts, ready to pounce for my throat. For a second I thought, oh yeah, I’ll have one of those. Then I remembered, well, I can’t can I? To add insult to my self-inflicted injury, they were free. My supplier puts a basket of these things out every day to manipulate their unsuspecting customers.

So I made my coffee strong and milky, and I left.

I remember I had the same feeling when I gave up smoking about twenty years ago. Although, the withdrawal from the temptation of cigarettes was much more significant than my talking doughnut encounter.

It’s the inevitable fallout of exchanging unhealthy habits for healthy ones. You must go through it until the old neuronal pathways in the brain die, and new ones supporting the new behaviour are formed. Until then, it’s going to be difficult, so if you want to succeed, you’d better get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Remember that reluctant no.2 I mentioned yesterday? Well, it arrived, thank god. I started eating again after Day 0 36-hour fast and although I didn’t feel great during the day, by evening things were better.

I ran 4k or so last and pushed it out over the middle 2k. I felt like shit, but I pushed it out to the finish nonetheless. I knew it wouldn’t be easy having taken in minimal calories in the previous 36 to 48 hours, so no surprises.

When I got back from the run, I did three rounds of strength work, which I also found tough. The body was in a kind of shock from no food, and as it changes from a glucose-for-fuel machine to a fat-for-fuel machine, there will continue to be a difficulty.

Once the change is made, it will get easier — I hope.

One thing I need to prepare for is muscle cramps. The last concerted and dedicate effort I made eating paleo, I suffered from cramps in my arms, hands and back. It’s uncomfortable, especially when they hit your hamstrings in the middle of the night!

• Note to self; find a solution to muscle cramps before it’s too late.

Here are my stats from Day 1;

Stats recorded using My Weight app for iPhone. I enter my details here on a nightly basis, and the app produces a nice layout and graph of my progress. At the end of Day 1, my weight and BF% are slightly up, which I expected.

Stats from Day 2 weigh-in;

• Weight: 88.2kg

• Body fat: 16.6%

• BMI: 27.84

I have been weighing-in the night before, so the above metrics reflect the end of the last 24 hour period. However, the timing might be better done in the morning. Tonight’s weigh-in will reflect my gains for today, Day 2, and I will report in tomorrow’s article, my stats for the beginning of Day 3.

You can copy and download this chart and associated spreadsheet here. Enter your stats in the fields to map your own progress or edit the spreadsheet to suit your needs

Download the weight-loss progress sheet here. (Click file > make a copy to make and save a copy)

Day 2 Food

This morning I had a strong coffee and a protein bar — that’s been it so far today, and it’s 15:30 now. I go an eat something shortly, probably steak and eggs, and that will do me until training later. Afterwards, I’ll have something small and drink plenty of water throughout the day. Cutting out carbs means the body doesn’t hold onto enough water, so drinking 2.5 to 3 litres of water is essential.

Breakfast: This morning, I had a glass of water, a cup of strong coffee and a protein bar. I could have made a better choice, but I was on the move and hadn’t prepared.

Lunch: Steak and eggs

Dinner: My dinner will be my lunch, and later I’ll have some fruit and nuts, and maybe I’ll make some paleo buns made from almonds and peanut butter.

Here’s a complete list of foods on my menu. (Click file > make a copy to make and save a copy of the food list).

Day 2 Exercise

I haven’t worked out today yet. I train better in the evening. Here’s what today’s session looks like.

Exercise for today

• 3 x 10 x Pressup rotate

• 3 x 10 x Jump squat

• 3 x 10 x Front lunge

• 3 x 10 x Burpee

• 3 x 10 x Hillclimbers

• 6k Hill Run

Here’s a complete breakdown of my exercise regime for the five-week period. (Click file > make a copy to make and save a copy of the exercise regime).

If you are trying to lose weight and get fit, then follow me daily here in 5 Weeks To Fitness and try out what I’m doing for yourself. If it’s too challenging for your current fitness level, pear things back a bit on the workout, for example; you could drop the run and only do the strength work.

Remember though; change is difficult, it’s not supposed to be easy, especially when you’re changing a lifetime or many years of bad habits. So stick with it, and I’ll see you on the other side.

Until tomorrow, 👋

Thanks for taking the time to read my stuff. Every morning you’ll find me sharing a new thought on life, art, work, creativity, the self and the nature of reality on The Reflectionist. I also write regularly on The Creative Mind. If you like what I’m creating, join my email list to receive the weekly Sunday Letters

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