Confessions of a lazy bum!

Good afternoon! It's been eight days since my last confession.

I have had a bit of a week to forget, which makes it two weeks in a row. This isn't the start that I had envisioned when I first started this challenge. That being said, I've had a mix of emotions this week, as I have seen the worst, and the best of my running and dedication to 'the cause'.

I started the week with good intentions, to eat smart, and to get a few good runs in. My run last Saturday left a lot to be desired, after all I had a ten minute break in the middle of my run, and still struggled with 2.65 miles. That knocked me quite a bit, and for some reason, also did some damage to my hip. With the sore hip, I decided I would take a couple of days off to rest it, which turned into seven. At this point, I'll accept anything you're going to throw at me, just try not to hurt the legs in the process please.

So... two weeks, with very little results. The beauty of this blog (or so I like to think) is that I am a real person, with real issues. I am not a perfect guy, or someone without any faults, nor do I claim to be, and I think the last couple of weeks has shown that. I don't want to paint a glowing picture around what I and millions of other people are dealing with. It's an everyday struggle for even the best people to focus on themselves long enough to make life better for themselves.

Life is tough enough with work, and 'extra-curricular' activities, or perhaps school for some of you. It's incredibly tough turning your life upside down, and implementing some major changes to the core of your lifestyle, and I am experiencing that now. It's so much easier to say ' I'll do it tomorrow' than to be accountable for what it is you're doing, and therefore get something accompolished. I never thought that this would be easy, but I thought I'd be stronger at this point. Disappointing to say the least.


Yesterday was another day of triumph though, and a great way to close out a forgettable week. Yesterday, I managed a whopping 4.1 miles, or by my calculations, 6.5kms. That is nearly 1/3 of the distance I will need to cover on May 23rd which is incredibly motivating. I say this every week, but I look back across the years of my life, and I don't think there is any time that I ever thought I'd run for over forty minutes without stopping for a break. That alone proves to me that the human body is pretty incredible, and is able to adapt so quickly to any challenge thrown its way! I am proud of myself for yesterday's effort, but disappointed with the rest of the week as I had some issues with my diet as well. I managed to get one good meal into my diet this week that I can share with you, which I will do a few paragraphs down.

Now, I'd like to make mention of a few people have had a great impact on me in the last couple of weeks especially. These people are people that I owe a thank you to for their support, no matter what form it comes in:

- The Facebook Group - This has provided a number of comments that have offered some motivation, and verbal support. Besides that, it is great to see that there are currently 112 people who care enough about what I am doing to join the group. Whether you post or not, knowing that you're catching the headlines I post is good to see!

- My lovely girlfriend Alicia - She has been putting up with my change of schedule, my interest in eating healthy, and offers the odd massage to a strained leg muscle. She's there everytime I hit a new high, and it's great to see, and even better to have such support so close to home.

- Jacqui Rouse, Meredith MacRitchie, and Tracey Wilkie - These ladies have provided me with some great nutritional information which I can implement over the coming weeks, and improve my diet properly without depriving my body of what it needs, or feeding it too much of what it doesn't need. Thanks for the tips, an keep them coming!

- Tina Haining - Tina is the first person to donate to my cause, and has done so by laying down an incredible donation of £200! This is astonishing, and I can't thank her enough for her donation. This is not to say that any other donations need to match that amount. I never expected to see a donation of even a quarter of that sum, so please do what you can to help, quite literally if it only means £1.

- To whoever else is watching, and keeping tabs, keep it up! I love having people see this, and hopefully there are some people who can benefit from it as well. I would love to no end knowing that I've helped someone get off their arse and get it moving. If you're that person, get in touch, and I'll do what I can to help! I had a message from someone on Facebook this week to commend me for what I've done. It was a message from someone I've never met before, so it's great to see that this might start growing arms and legs soon.

Again, a great big 'thank you' to all of you who come back to read these messages, and thanks even more to those who choose to leave a message.

Without further ado, let's do something a bit different, let's set some goals! That way, I can be held accountable for what I haven't done. I think it's only fair that if you guys help me, I need to help you by giving you some results.

I am proposing that for every aspect of a goal that I fail to complete, I will need to chip into the donation fund. Please see below for the goals, and also the associated penalties that will affect me:

Goal 1: I will run four times this week, between Monday and Sunday. Even if it's only a mile, I am getting my arse outside and getting my legs moving. For every run I miss of the four, I will donate £10 to Maggie's.

Goal 2: My next big run will again be 4 miles, which will likely be on Saturday. I am only aiming for 4 miles, because with the added running I know my body will be quite upset with me on Saturday, and to avoid injury I want to match my distance. For every 10th (0.1m) of a mile missed on the big day, I will pay £1 to Maggie's.


This should make me a bit more diligent, and should mean that this time next week, I am happy to post as opposed to being scared to post.

Also, I would like a bit of feedback if possible, I'd like to know what it is that you guys like to see, and what you'd like to see more of. Do I post enough? Would you like to see more recipes? Let me know what you think by either dropping a comment off here, or by jumping onto the Facebook group to leave a message.

And now... onto the recipe:
__________________________

Roasted Red Peppers Stuffed with Mediterranean Couscous

I wanted to try doing something a bit different this week. Taking into account what some people had told me, and by using a recipe that I have cooked before, I wanted to give you something that is easy, and relatively quick to make that is healthy for you. Again, to those nutrition experts amongst you, tear this one apart! Couscous is a surprisingly good vehicle for flavour, and has some good nutrition behind it. It's a good source of Calcium, and is fairly high in protein which will appeal to any vegetarians out there! It contains no cholesterol, very little fat (no saturates), and has a reasonable calorie count. I love couscous for its ability to pick up flavour, and its ease of cooking. That means that this meal is quick, cheap, easy to make, healthy, and tasty. What more could you ask for out of a meal?

• 2 Red Peppers


• 1 cup of dried couscous


• 2 cups of boiling water


• 1/4 small red onion


• 1 Small Red Chili


• 1 clove of garlic


• Spices: Cumin, Salt and Pepper


• 1tsp of tomato purée


• 1 small handful of sultanas/raisins


• 1 small handful of toasted pine nuts


• 3oz of crumbled greek goat's cheese

To kicki this meail off, preheat your oven to a blistering 220 degrees. We'll need to roast the peppers first, before we stuff them to ensure that they're sweet, soft, and slightly smokey. While the oven is preheating, cut the tops off your peppers, and carefully use your knife to seperate the seedy core from the four points it uses to hold onto the outer shell. Once it's detached, remove it, and shake out any leftover seeds that might be hidden in the bottom. This is easiest by turning the pepper upside down onto your hand, and tapping briskly. Set both of the peppers and their tops onto a clean baking tray, no oil is necessary. Take the cheese out of the fridge as well so that it is nearly at room temperature when you need to start using it.

Next, start chopping your chili, your garlic, and your onion. It helps to do this all at the same time because when you're cutting each of them, the oils and therefore the flavour of each item will transfer to the blade of the knife. This means that as you're mincing them, the flavours from all three components will join together, and form one hell of a flavour base for the couscous. Once those guys are nice and small, do the same to the pine nuts and sultanas. To toast the pine nuts, simply get a pan on the stove over a medium heat, and let the nuts brown. You'll smell them when they're ready, but be careful not to burn them.) When you're done mincing these little gems, move them all to one side, and move on.

At this point, hopefully the oven should be close to temperature. Get your peppers in the oven, and give them a ten minute head start before moving on to the next step.

Next we'll get the couscous ready. Get a small pot on the stove with nothing more than thin air in it. Pour in the cous cous, the salt, and the pepper. With the cumin, either use your knife or your hands to break it up, and start the flavour moving as you toss it into the pot. At this point, it's a flavour free-for-all. Toss everything you've got into the pot, and get the kettle on to boil your water. The beauty of couscous is that it just needs some boiling water for a few minutes to cook. No sirring, no waiting, no mess!

While the water is boiling, use your hands and mix up the contents of the pot to ensure that a little bit of flavour goes everywhere. When the ettle is boiled, pour enough water over the couscous to cover it, with about a cm or two to spare. Cover the pot, and let it sit for five minutes. Check again, and if cooked, let it rest.

At this point, open the oven and sniff your peppers if you can't already smell them. Feel the sides, they should be fairly soft to the touch, and if you tried, you should be able to squeeze one side into the other, but don't do this, as it will bugger up the end result... and we all hate ruining the presentation! If the peppers are done, pull them out, and start the next step. If they're not quite soft enough then pop them back in for another five minutes or so until you're happy with them. When they're done roasting, trn the oven down to 180 degrees.

Now we can start stuffing the peppers! I like to layer the couscous and the cheese. Take a Tablespoon and start putting in the couscous, and then a bit of cheese crumbld up as fine, and evenly as possible. Create three or four layers for the best results, and then top it all off with a bit of extra cheese on top.

Pop these puppies back in the oven and get them roasting! Set the table, and in about 6-7 minutes, pull them out and plate them up!

Pardon my presentation as it doesn't exactly make them look amazing, but believe me, these are tasty, and healthy, and really easy to make!

__________________________

Remember, if you decide to make any of my recipes, or have recipes you'd like to share, drop me a line, and let me know!

As always, thanks for dropping by and I'll see you again mid-week with an update on how things are going. Here's a Week 3 Onion-skin... as requested by some!

It's been a rough week!

Hello again! This week has been a bit of a tough one! Since my three mile run last weekend, I just haven't been feeling the same! I have felt short of breath, and tired most of the time. I think that I need to make some more changes to my diet to include some natural sugars, as at the moment, I have cut out all fizzy juice, and no longer take any milk or sugar in my coffee. I have some dried cerial with my breakfast every morning, but besides that, most of what I am consuming are carbs... mostly pasta.

I've been told that carbs are great for running energy, but the flip side is that starchy carbs don't seem to be a great way to lose weight. Perhaps if anyone has some more information about either of these statements, please let me know, as I would love to find the energy, and and lose weight at the same time!

SO what have I accomplished this week? Not much if I am honest! I had a decent run on Tuesday (2.04 miles), and then another run today (2.65) miles, and have lost one more pound. I am hoping to get measurements up by the end of the weekend to see where I stand this week. I'd also like to get another run in tomorrow to ensure I make my initial goal of three per week.

In addition to the running related accomplishments and issues, I have had a fairly busy week at work including a trip to London for the day on Wednesday which kind of did me in for running on Thursday. Perhaps that is what has slowed me down for the end of the week? WHo knows, but hopefully it won't be affecting me this coming week, and I can get more than one blog post done, and up for you guys!

I was also able to get in touch with Maggie's again in regards to sponsorship this week, and got some great information back from them. It's because of this that I have added a JustGiving widget to my blog, and to my Facebook page. This means that I am officially running in aid of Maggie's! I have set myself a goal of raising £1000 for Maggie's, and would greatly appreciate anyone who can afford a small donation! If you'd like to donate, you can click on the 'donate' button on the JustGiving widget on the right hand side of the page, or visit my JustGiving page.
Beyond Maggie's, I'd also like to add a recipe to the blog, as it's been quite some time since I've done that, so without further ado, I present my latest healthy creation...

__________________________

Spiced Turkey Burgers with Pesto Mayo, Home-style Chips and a Carrot and Cucumber Salad

I've been fighting the fight for turkey for quite some time now, and again, I fly the turkey flag with this recipe. Turkey is a great meat, and a great source of vitamins. In fact, only a five ounce serving of turkey meat contains your daily recommended intake of folic acid, and includes good amounts of Vitamin B, B1, B6, Potassium, and Zinc. Studies show it has effect on reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, and helps the prevention of cancer, and heart disease! It really is a magical bit of meat! That being said, ensure tha minced turkey that you're buying is in fact minced turkey breast, and doesn't include any dark meat or skin, as that's where the fat, cholesterol, and sodium lies. This recipe boasts a healthy alternative to a commonly enjoyed North American treat, hamburgers!

• 1 package of minced turkey breast (250g)
• 1 small red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Spices: Cumin, Corriander Seed, Mustard Seed, Smoked Paprika, Salt and Pepper
• 3oz bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2 healthy rolls/buns
• 1oz light mayonnaise
• 2oz Low-Fat Basil Pesto
• 1 Gem Lettuce
• 1-2 Large Carrots
• 1/2 a Cucomber
• 1Tbsp Fresh Corriander
• 1Tsp Apple Vinegar
• 3Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3-4 Maris Piper Potatoes

First we'll need to create our burger patties. To do this, finely dice half of the red onion, and the garlic. Add them both to a pan on medium heat in some of the oil until they're soft, which should take about five minutes on low-medium heat. Allow the mixture to cool on a sheet of paper towel to eliminate as much of the oil as possible.

While the micture is cooling, we can get our spices mixed. Get a pestal and mortar or if you don't have one, you can use a cup and a rolling pin, or use the side of your chef's knife to crack the spices together in a plastic bag. Add 1/2tsp of each of the spices to the mixture, and grind them until you've got nothing more than a powder, taste, and season accordingly. Note the mixture will be quite potent, so don't taste too much of it.

With your spices ground, and the onions and garlic cool, add both to the minced turkey, and use your hands to combine all the ingredients into one big party! When you're happy with the mixture, add the breadcrumbs and the egg. Again, use your hands to squish everything together, ensuring that the egg and the breadcrumbs are distributed evenly through the micture.

Shape the mixture in your hands into burger patties, trying not to make them too thick, as they'll have trouble cooking. When you've shaped all the required patties, place them on a plate and cover them with cling film. Fire them into the fridge to set for a half hour.

To prepare the carrot and cucumber salad, take a potato peeler, and use it to peel both the carrot(s) and the cucumber. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise, and use a small spoon to remove the watery seeds from the center of the cucumber. Continue to use the peeler to peel thin sheets of both carrot and cucumber into a mixing bowl.

Next, for the vinegraitte, combine the apple vinegar, and double the amount in oil. Season with salt and pepper, and taste. Finely dice the fresh corriander, and add half to the dressing, and leave the remainder to top the salad when it's on the plate.

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

By this point, the burgers should be set. Pull them out, and let them relax at room temperature for thirty minutes prior to cooking if possible. This ensures that the centre of the burger is already warm enough to start cooking, ensuring a uniform cooking heat across the entire burger.

While the patties are warming up, simply add the pesto to the mayonnaise in a bowl in order to ready it for the buns. Slice the gem lettuce, as well as the rest of the onion for garnishing the burger. Next, slice the rolls, and get them ready to go in the oven. Pop the chips in the oven in a pan with a small bit of oil, salt, and pepper, and some rosemary if you've got it. Allow them 20-30 minutes to go crisp and golden, flipping them every 10-15 minutes.

Once all of the prep work is done, get your pan ready to go with a thin film of oil, and a low-medium heat again. When the oil is up to temperature, get the patties in the pan, and move them around to ensure they don't stick to the bottom. Allow 5-6 minutes to cook on each side, or until golden brown, and not burning.

When you've cooked both sides of the burger, pop it into the oven with the buns as well. This toasts the buns, and finishes the burgers.

At this point, you should be able to begin plating the salad, and the chips, and get the crisped buns out of the oven, and onto the plate, dressed with the pesto mayo, and the veg garnishes. When the plate is ready, remove the burgers from the oven, and check the centers are done cooking. If they are fully cooked, sit them atop the freshly toasted bun, and present to your loved ones.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!
__________________________

Thanks for staying tuned, and I will be back in touch shortly!

Week 1 in Review

Well, I've reached the end of my first official week of training for the Half Marathon in May, and I am pleasantly surprised, and proud of my results thus far!

I have run three times this week, and here are the results with one of last week's runs to compare:



As you can see, I have hit the three mile mark! I am unbelievably chuffed with this! Never in my life would I have thought that three miles would be possible, let alone running for thirty minutes solid! Ask anyonein my highschool, and they'll know of my allergy to running on the annual Milk Run. We were asked to run a mile or a mile and a half, and I would shit it long before the finish line. Take that, and our weekly run which might as well havebeen a trot down the block and back, and some how I could never do it.

In the words of a boy from Illinois, "Boy I'll tell you what" (extra emphasis on the w in 'what')... this is so good for someone's confidence, and for their esteem! Not to mention, it'saddictive! I want nothing more than to see my 'score' next week. What a rush!

So the runs have been good, but what about everything else? Let's start with my visit to te doctor to get the results of my blood test.

On Wednesday, I visited the doctor again who had some reasonable news about my blood. She told me that I have high blood pressure (149/89 for you medical geeks) and high cholesterol (6.1 Overall, 4.4 LDL - again for the geeks). This isn't great, but what is great is that I don't suffer from any of the other bits and bobs that I have worried about (cancer, diabetes, AIDS, Hep, etc). This means I have some work to do, but at least the issues I have are issues that I can fight. This will mean that there will be an impact on my food choices, but also the fact that I am exercising regularly now should take the sting off those numbers. I have a follow-up appointment on 4-5 months to see where my numbers are at, which happens to coincide with a certain Half Marathon that I'll be running in.

So medical results aren't great, but far from terrible... what about my diet?

We kicked off the week with Spiced Turkey Burgers with Pesto Mayonnaise, a carrot and cucumber salad, and home-style chips... the recipe is to follow. This set the tone as it was both tasty, and nutricious! From there, I broke down slightly and opted for a cmall takeaway order from a Chinese restaurant, and a 'bake yourself' pizza from Asda (The equivilent of Save-On Foods) loaded with veg and chicken. We then had some spaghetti with leeks and white wine (potentially another recipe to add down the road), and for lunches, I've been taking it easy with a 'Pasta Snack' that weighs in at around 200 calories and a bag of Snack a Jacks Rice Cakes (209cals), and a piece of fruit. I've been veraging about one cup of coffee per day (just recently with no milk or sugar), and 1.5L-3L of water daily. All in all, there are improvements to be made, but with the calories I am burning from running, as long as what is going into me is good stuff, I should be alright! This leads me onto my next point... weight.

My weight has changed over the last two weeks... to the good! I have lost half a stone (which for the overseas crowd is 7lbs) in two weeks. This brings me down to 16 stone, which is 224lbs), this is two stone or 28lbs heavier than my lightest weight which I achieved nearly two and a half years ago. All things considered, I could not be happier with the loss! I feel a definite improvement in the waistline of my work trousers, and instead of creeping down the dreaded belt hole ladder, I am climbing back up it, ready to attack that last hole with a vengeance!

So... I think it's time to start the old photo system again... it's good for me, and hopefully it's good for you guys to see a difference, and for some of you to make the decision to get fit with me, whether it be by Wii Fit, or running, or who knows... maybe even by washing your goldfish!

As always, keep the comments coming! It's really helpful to know people are watching! It makes me accountable, which is something I need at the moment. Also, please feel free to add any tips, tricks, recipes, or ideas my way!

Without further ado, I present a shattered Fat Kid after his first ever three mile run, wearing a currently unflattering compression top from More Mile (review to come)





And in the words of a very famous Mr. Clarkson "And on that bombshell, see you next week!"

And away we go...

Wow... two posts in one week... maybe this means we're back on track!

In the coming weeks I will be getting the measurements and scales back on track as well as the progress images. In addition to this, I will be posting some information about the runs I will be doing, how I will be doing my training, and what I'll be eating to get to the start line. I welcome all advice and suggestions that you guys may have, so please feel free to drop a comment or an email in the coming weeks!

It's almost official now, as I have committed myself to a half marathon on May 23rd, 2010. The run in question is The Scottish Half Marathon. I am partnered by Richard who will no doubt finish in front, but I look forward to the support of having someone training along side. He has ambitions of running a full marathon in October, and has told me again that I should do the same, but let's cross this bridge first, shall we?


This week also included a visit to the doctor to get all of my facts in order before I get to crazy. I haven't been to the doctor in ages, and it's been even longer since someone has taken blood and tested for things, so as prescribed by every workout routine... I have gone to check with my GP before things get too far along. That being said, I don't foresee any issues, except for my asthma, but I'll do my best to fight that one.

I went for a run on Tuesday night in a -3 chill that got the best of my lungs and my head. I made it to the 1 mile mark, and stopped, feeling fire in my lungs. The good news is that it wasn't my muscles or joints that stopped me, which have been the biggest issue in the past. I managed to continue on with a light jog up to the 1.6 mile mark, but had to quit, and get some water in me... slightly disappointing, but more importantly, it's a start.

I went for another run at the gym yesterday, on a treadmill, which is the first time I have used my Nike+, or my new shoes on a treadmill. I had better results, getting near 1.5 miles before I stopped, and mixed it up with some sprinting and fast walking. At this point, I can't stress enough the value of having a pair of running shoes that are suited to your weight, your arches and your running style... my shoes have been my biggest boost in confidence, because for once, it's not my feet or legs or hips, or back that are causing me to rest... it's my tired lungs.

At this point also, I couldn't be happier with myself for quitting smoking 586 days ago... because I know I am running and living better without it! More importantly, it shows me that I am well and truly able to accomplish something that might seem a bit too difficult at first glance.

In addition to bettering myself, I want to do my bit for helping a group that have helped someone very close to me. I would like to run this half marathon in support of Maggie's Cancer Centre who have helped my Mum in her fight against Cancer in 2007. They provided support for people, and didn't ask for a paycheck at the end of it all. The service they offer to Cancer sufferers, and their families is top notch, and priceless, though unfortunately it does demand an overhead cost. I have not been able to get an official link with maggie's as of yet, as I am awaiting a response from their team, but when I do make an arrangement, I will post details on here, as well as the Facebook group in order to get them a little extra exposure to those who may not know about them, or for those of you who might be across the Atlantic in my native Canada, to have a look at, and contribute if possible. More details of course to come...

Stick around, and see you soon!

So long, I even forgot my password!

Wow... here we go again!

I dropped the ball big-style two years ago with a punishing finish to what should have been my biggest triumph. I got the job of my dreams, the girl of my dreams, and what I thought was the life of my dreams, but yet... I slipped.

For that, I owe you an apology, and more importantly, I owe myself an apology. At the end of the day, the only person who benefits from what I do is me, and I have let myself down in a big way.

Recently, I have been getting into a form of exercise called running. Perhaps you've heard of it, you've maybe even attempted it! For those of you that know me best though, you know I am allergic to it! So how did it start, and what am I doing just now?

On a recent trip to Canada to visit friends and family, and introduce my darling girlfriend Alicia to everyone, we made a short-break down to Oregon, namely Portland, and the surrounding area. It was here that I visited a Nike outlet, and came across the most comfortable pair of shoes I had ever worn, so I bought them, and then I bought Nike+, and then I bought an armband for my Nano, my new best pal.

I brought it all back to the UK, and went for my first run, and found that it had done something that no other thing in this world could do... it made running fun! I was partially hooked, and ran a couple of times a week, or once weekly, saving every run I did, tracking all sorts of valuable information.I will write about this in the future, I have decided! In any case though, back to the issue at hand, running.

I have only run a measly 11 miles with my Nike+ kit, but an odd seed was also recently planted in my mind... the dreaded 'm' word... yes, none other than the pinnacle of all running accomplishments, the 'marathon'. I have a friend and co-worker named Richard who has decided that he is going to run a full marathon, and says that I should try to do the same! 'The boy must be joking!' I thought to myself, but he wasn't! It was at this point that something in my mind, next to the crisp obsession and the sofa memories, switched on, and said 'Hey! I can do that!'. I almost pooped in my drawers, but I definitely caught a case of verbal diarrhea and spat out a 'Maybe'.

It is now, January 12th at 18:22 that I am committing to this. I will run a half marathon! This is my promise to myself, and if you guys want to join along for the ride, I'll do my best to entertain you with information, results, and hopefully some witty banter along the way! If you're interested in backing me again, I would be very grateful, and I look forward to providing us all with a little bit more to enjoy in life.

Thanks for your time, and your patience, and I look forward to bringing you more details about the training, and the results, and who knows, a few more of my recipes might sneak their way back onto this page as well, but for now... only commitment.

In the beginning...

Well, I might as well call it that! The last four weeks have gone to shame. I've spent all of those weeks making decisions I would eventally regret! This last week wasn't too bad, but I still don't feel like I am committed enough to getting this done!

I blame it on work, when in fact, I should be placing the blame on my own shoulders! Work stands in the way of the normal means of watching what I eat, and exercising, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a way to get around that, and still do this the healthy way!

A huge bonus to my new co-workers is that they are all fairly health-savvy. Two of them regularly go to the gym, and invited me to go with them this past week. I happily obliged, and went for the first time in years, to try and wreck myself! I can honestly say, I loved it!

With the exception of my poor hip, everything felt great! The workout was just over an hour I guess, with ten minutes on a stationary bike, and another ten on a cross trainer (five minutes forward, two minutes backward, another three minutes forward). That was easily the closest I have been to death in awhile... but of course it felt great when I was finished! I hit the weights too, skipping over a resistance machine that I didn't see to begin with.

I have no real fitness, or weight information to fill you in on! I've lsot track of where I am in the program, as I never really stuck to the original plan anyway. I'd say I'm out of the running for America's next Muscle Mang... Bummer! Well, when I first joined Arnel's group, I was thinking of just having the guidelines, and hopefully a common goal amongst men to boost me far enough ahead to actually get this thing done. Now that I am six or seven weeks into it, I feel as though, even though i haven't really talked to anyone, I've made a bit of family... and for those of you who pay attention to this blog, it means the world to me, and ultimately, I think it's going to be you guys that push me to getting to where I want to be. I always thought that in the beginning, but I had more confidence in the fact that I would just do it by myself, with your motivation as an extra boost. While this was true in the beginning, it has certainly changed! I look forward to the weeks to come though, as I am still not going to quit. I've taken a pretty lengthly pause, but I am going to let it slide, and get back to work. that has to be the most over-used cliche on this blog, but it's true. The longer I stick to this mentality, the more successful I will be in getting back to work.

I don't know why I am teasing myself so badly, as I currently weigh 196lbs, and have for the last month. This is the lowest weight I've ever weighed in my memory, and that was a few years ago. One more pound, and I'm at the lowest I've been in my teenage/adult life... why can't I just stop fucking around, and make it happen?

I've had a go at making some food before hand, and trying to stretch it, and it seems to work better than trying to prepare some restaurant-class meal every night after a 10 hour day at work, and a two or three hour visit with my Mum in the hospital... I guess thus is life!

This weekend, I hope to get some good stuff done, some portioning of snacks, and I want to make some protein flapjacks that are healthy, but good for an on-the-go kind of snack. I've also been trying to recreate some of the sandwich toppings at a local sandwich shop that I enjoy, to save money, and control nutrition.

While I am not going to be wearing a stomach rippled with abs by the end of these sixteen weeks, I will not be out of the game. I am in this, to win it... for myself.

Thanks again to all who keep checking in! I love reading your responses, and it must take some good energy to write something for someone who won't write back! Cheers guys and gals! I appreciate it, like you don't even know!

Now, for photos from week six, or seven?!

Damn Me All to the Heckness!

Alright, I am sorry!

It's been far too long since my update, and I've missed a Week 4 update altogether. I could sit and make excuses all day, but I won't... instead I'll state that I'll simply have to try harder to keep on track with personal progress, as well as my blog.

I am nearing the end of week four, and I am feeling ashamed as I've yet to really do some tough physical work! I've been walking loads, in fact to my calculation 24.9kms in the last seven days. That being said, I've faulterd on my diet a bit as I have had a bit of an unpredictable week!

I got the job I was dying to get! I recieved a call last Friday informing me that they were offering me the position, and I jumped at the opportunity to start on Monday! I've now worked for Icelantic (www.icelantic.com) for a full work week, and I am quickly realising why it might be hard for other people to deal with a diet and fitness on a full work schedule! This brings me to my original point, my nutritional habits have slipped unfortunately... I'm aiming at convenience, rather than health! Don't get me wrong, I am not filling my body with saturated fats, but I had three small packets of crisps this week, which is not approved on this diet, and I've also dipped into the convenience of prepackaged chicken wraps... which are wrapped in white flour wraps. I know I am being ridiculously anal, but I have the kind of mentality that if something's worth doing, it's worth doing right! That's me, all or nothing! Haha.

I've also been missing out on proper scheduling with my meals, which has buggered me a bit. I am going to start cooking and portioning in advance to try and avoid these issues, and stay on track, as I have no real progress to show after another two weeks. the trouble is though, that while I have started this job, I have kept my obligation to my weekend job, as well as nightly visits to my Mum who has been in hospital for nearly two months. That seems to leave me with about two or three hours on weekdays, and nearly the same on weekends to deal with everything else in my life. With that in place, I suppose now is the true time to shine! I didn't realise how easy I had it before I started working through the week. Naughty naughty!

With all the issues aside, let's look at progress, which really isn't much of anything!

I haven't lost anymore weight, as I guess I've not really been keeping up with the diet, and I seem to be at a plateau of sorts with my walking heart-rate, and thus progress.

I have been on anti-inflamatories for about two weeks now I guess, and I seem to be fixed in terms of my hip, but with efforts of jogging, shinsplints have reared their ugly head... but with enough stretching, and hopefully muscle building... that should pass, and I should be running full-force soon. I am looking forward to it, so that I can start seeing more losses! I am loving my new 34 inch waist. It's an interesting thing, that. When you're a 36, or 38 you have trouble finding trousers, but 34s are everywhere... if only you could fit in them! Now that I am a 34, you wouldn't believe how many 36" trousers I am finding! Silly trouser demons!

Even though there hasn't been much progress, there should still be progress pictures, so without further ado, Week 3 photos, with an onion skin! First though, I'll subject you to another wicked recipe, this in fact might be my favorite dish yet, as it's something I love in 'the real world'.

__________________________

Sensible Caesar Salad with Turkey Breast



So you're craving 'real world' food, but your calorie budget won't allow for the hankering you've got! Maybe you've gotten to the point where you want to reward yourself with an off-limits meal, but don't have to ability to give in, and go get a burger... there comes this option, the low-fat Caesar salad!

Hold up! A Caesar Salad that we're allowed to eat, that actually tastes like a Caesar salad? Haha! Yeah right! No really, it's delicious! Try it for yourself, and you will not be disappointed! Add an optional turkey breast, however you like it... for a little protein!

• 1 Large Head of Romaine Lettuce
• 1 Small Red Onion/Shallot
• 1/3 Cup Low-Fat Greek Yogurt
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp White Wine Vinegar
• 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• ¼ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Cloves Fresh Garlic Minced

Preparing the Salad:

Wash your head of lettuce thoroughly under a cold tap, and place it on your cutting board. Cut straight down the middle of the head making sure you don't cut through the base, to keep it still in one piece. Turn the head 90° wither way, and cut it the same way, essentially to divide the head up into quadrants.

Now, whilst you have the head firmly gripped, start slicing it lengthwise now, from the top to the base, about 1.5" apart. Once you reach the core of the head, you'll be left with almost perfect lettuce leaves, ready for dressing duty. That'll have to wait though, as your shallot needs prepping first.

Take your shallot and slice off either end, and then half it with your knife from the top, down. This leaves you with two halves skin, still intact. Cutting the onion in half will make peeling the skin off a whole lot easier! Once your halves are peeled, you can simply make thin slices with your chef's knife to produce transluscent slices to sit atop your salad! The salad's base is ready, it's now time to work on the dressing!

Preparing the dressing:

The dressing is ridiculously easy to make! All you have to do is add all the ingredients! Start with your yogurt as the base, and then add you lemon juice, white wine vinegar, olive oil, worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and then finally your minced garlic, and a good seasoning of freshly cracked black pepper! When combining these ingredients, use a whisk! It improves the ability to introduce air into the mixture to help it stay fluffy, as well as emulsifying the oil with the rest of the mix!

Assembly:

Simple! Toss your romaine, and onions in the dressing, and plate it! You can then stack your turkey/chicken if you chose to include it with the meal... and give it a light bath of freshly grated parmesan cheese for a delightful meal! Bon Appetit!

__________________________

Week 3 Photo Updates: