Grinding to a Halt...

After gaining so much positive momentum the past couple of days my body is slowly grinding to complete exhaustion. Was working at the computer this afternoon and began to doze off. THe combination of the past days exercise, late nights than early starts and dieting I think are taking the toll a bit. However I am quite happy to be falling away on the last night gym session in a week and on the eve of a long weekend. Couldn't have planned it much better really.

Looking forward to a bit of everything again this weekend mainly down time and time free to exercise and sleep. Have crossed many things of my list this week, made changes to my schedule and gained a lot of positive energy. So all in all a very successful week but will be looking out for my rest day on Sunday.

A good long weekend of sport up ahead with the resurgent Reds facing Brumbies in a final berth decider and Broncos a good chance of winning, while the Lions will have it tough against former star forward Dan Bradshaw with the Swans. Keen for big sleep after gym tonight.Alpha and Out!

Sore and Tired but still Going

Absolutely buggered today after 7+ hours of moving furniture and boxes. Helped out movers for a bit of exercise and quite tired and sore as a result. However came home had some food and then about an hour snooze so feeling much better. Best of all I did not have any blow-outs today which is very good considering the amount of exercise I did today.

Had a big day but still got more. I am going to the gym in a couple of hours for my shoulder-back weights session. I am feeling quite positive about myself the last couple of days. After a very good gym session last night I am in a really good place. What made the gym so good was that I finally finshed my 40min cardio intervals. Beforehand I usually went to about 20 mins and then slinked into the warm down. However last night I just got into a good rhythmn and churned it out. I think part of the success has been the changing of exercise time, moving the gym from before dinner to 9ish. Being a quiet sort of person I really enjoy a quiet gym. There is no dramas about waiting for equipment, missing out on workouts, easy access to the shower and also not many egos late at night. I enjoy sharing the gym with people who are there simply to get fit and nothing else and that is generally who is there late in the night. A very good day today, with some more to come. Hopefully can build up more momentum tomorrow. Alpha and Out!

(image from http://1800recycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Abandoning-Treadmill.jpg)

Time for Change...and Focus

After another sleep-in and a seemingly causeless blow-out I am going to change some things.

• Forget about morning cardio at this stage as it is just giving me too much negativity


• I am slowly going to condition myself to wake up earlier and earlier until I can try to go back to morning cardio


• I am going to move my gym time till 9-9:30 pm as I enjoy it most at this time. I enjoy the quietness and it allows me to switch off mentally for the night. It may also help limit my dinner consumption hopefully to the point where I will be able to have a protein shake after training and not exheed 2000 cals.


• For my cardio I am going to attempt to ride to the gym at night which should give me my targeted hour of work. However just to get into a pattern I will drive the next couple of nights to ensure I do actually go and don't put it off.

Regarding the blow-out today, I have very little thoughts on what led to it. It was at normal snack time and I decided to have an early lunch to allow me to snack at storage. Perhaps it was the breaking of routine. I will try to stick to my more regular schedule. This the second blow-out this week so for punishment I have decided to strip myself of my Sunday "fat meal" for this week. I will still have the rest day as I need some sort of reward and time to heal my niggles. On the bright side my calories burnt should be up for today as I spent 3 hours in storage and am heading to the gym after writing this post. I think I also need to develop a denfense mechanism of when I feel such cravings I need to be able to regain focus and weigh up what I really want and how much I want it. Is the quick fix really worth sacrificing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow or in my case the single digit body fat percentage. I will attempt to develop this and will report how I go. Alpha and Out!

Chalk It Up

Another successful day diet wise and weight loss wise. After an average diet yesterday I rebounded with consuming only 1634.9 calories today. However due to time and too many people at the gym I did not finish my workout so my calories burnt was below what I'd like it to be but still it was an improvement on yesterday and it can only go up. My weight loss journey is really gaining momentum an I am quite happy at how I am proceeding particularly how I am recovering from blow outs and set backs.

I still need improvement in waking up and doing my morning cardio. In this department I am not faring too well against the winter chill. This is where my triathalon training began to fail last year which sent me down a slippery slope. I might do some research and try out some "get out of bed techniques" for my next post. So chalk up another successful day and prepare for many more. Alpha and Out!

Slipped One Rung but Jumped up 2

Today was a very mixed bag. It started off well with a long dog walk and perfect nutrition until lunch. The day fell away from there. Had a blow-out at lunch, healthy food but portion sizing was out the window. However I have gained further insight into these blow-outs. They generally occur when I am bored or doing nothing and don't have someone there to act as a physical conscious. I have many things to do from exercising, soucring a new computer, actual work, working on my personal spreadsheets and powerpoints and even working on this blog. I have to stop making excuses and if I feel a blow-out coming on I can just immerse myself in something. Once this was realised the day picked up at a dramatic pace. I worked my butt off this evening to create a difference. Firstly I skipped my mid afternoon meal, not great for my metabolism but need to happen to minimize impact of the lunch time binge, a small dinner followed. I then did half an hour of intervals on the bike at the gym, went to touch and then back to the gym to do weights and more interval cardio. Recovered enough to post a decent loss for today. I can feel myself raring to really get stuck into this and have a good crack at the deadline. Hopefully this will continue when I wake to a cold morning. Just got to be strong and believe.

A2A Quote of the Week

" I have insercurities. But whatever I'm insecure about, I don't dissect it but I'll go after it and say "What am I afraid of?"

Kevin Sorbo, Hercules Actor (TV series)

A2A Tip of the Week

Have a think about what you do to relax and make a list. This will give you a mix of options when you want to relax.

(image from http://buildingstrongerpartners.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/climbing-the-ladder.jpg)

Mmmmm....Rest Day

Had my second deserved rest day in as many weeks including a hot breakfast as my fat meal of the week. Food wise it didn't through off the rest of the day as much as last week but my meals in general were still a bit on the large size. I need to eventualy refine it down so it is only one meal and the remainder of day is business as usual. That said it was an improvement and I roughly burned what I ate making it a almost neutral day.

Planning for a big week this week. Finishing off cleaning my Dads storage, perfecting and refining diet and having a huge week of exercise. Planning a huge day tomorrow to make the most of the public holiday. Thinking of starting with a dog walk then long bike ride tomorrow morning. a bit of a rest then into the gym just before lunch then a quiet afternoon with a bit of place kicking action, sounds great. Will look to build on the exercise of last week and get at least 2 mornings of cardio and 3 straight gym appearances. Also this week should see me dip below 90 kilograms for the first time since my troubles last year. A banging week to come on the Up. Alpha and Out!

I'll Take a Bit of Everything on my Saturday, Please

Had an action packed but relaxing and rewarding day today. Had a sleep in from going to the gym late yesterday night, a quick dog walk and brekky and I was off. Went to storage to find that the bin hadn't been emptied. So I then went got a haircut, did some shopping and relaxed infront of the tv ( with no snacking due to the use of my newly purchased hand grips, which kept my hands busy). I finally watched Micheal Jackson's This Is It! I found this to be a truly great movie which inspired me to want to learn to dance and listen to the king of Pop's music. He seemed like a really genuine guy, gentle and kind but also very professional. I do not believe all the conspiracies surrounding him and I think it is a shame that society and in particular the media cuts successful people down whether they deserve it or not. MJ I will miss you.

My day really kicked off after lunch when the storage bin was emptied. I had earlier siad I would go fishing with a mate at 3pm so the 1pm was a little late. Nevertheless I raced over filled an industrial size bin in 1.5 hours and had to push the full bin down to where it is stored. Lets just say I was buggered after that. I than set off fishing with a mate who was breaking up his study load of Uni exmas with a quick session on squid around the Manly mariner. We fished for about 3 hours fincluding about an hour after dark. I caught my first decent size squid and hooked up to an even bigger one but it dropped off the hook. I even went for an unexpected swim after going in for a snagged lure. Got to his place at about 8pm, had dinner with his family which was delicious and then went home buggered.

Diet was perfect again, ~1702.30 calories today and while I did not make it too the gym ( which I will have a short session tomorrow) I think I made up for it with my full on afternoon. All is Up and Upper in the Alpha Domain. Alpha and Out!

(image from http://bouldermapgallery.com/catalog/images/fishing.jpg)

How Do You Relax? Really Think About It

I was recently asked what I do to relax, have some down time and revive. My go to was TV but since I was having problems with snacking in front of the TV I had to think of another way to relax. Sadly, I couldn't. I am 20 years old and I can't think straight off the top of my head how I relax. This needed some though put into it. After a couple of days of thinking about it I have come up with the following ways I relax.

• TV- the big one, trouble with snacking though


• Kayak fishing with mates- inhibited by Uni and work requirements


• Practising my place kicking


• Reading Health & fitness magazines


• Reading a good book


• Reading the daily newspaper

That took me a long time to think up. Being able to turn off and relax is essential to surviving the Western world. Everyone should have a go to list that they have really thought about to make sure they know how to relax.

One small drive for car, one seismic leap for the Alpha!

I promised everyone the relaxation segment but today I have made another leaping bound towards the persona and the weight I want to be. I decided to put off the gym from 4pm till later again. This week was disrupted by the very same thinking and usually spells trouble. But tonight I finally got up and went to the gym after watching the Broncos stumble to another loss. I have now completed a majority of my workout program and have strung back to back gym sessions for the first time in years. It was interesting what went through my head when I decided to put it off in the first places. My mind went looking for excuses but I was able to stand back and say "why are you looking for excuses, just do it" Gaining insight into your own mind putting up a roadblock for you is a very good indicator that your psyche has evolved into a better mindset. The rest of the day was also good, another day of perfect diet and more work related accomplishments. I have decided to let me sleep in a bit rather than go for a ride as I am up late due to the gym session. Feeling good, feeling strong, feeling in control. Alpha and Out!

(image from http://www.alumni.umn.edu/sites/d2e2f762-6a18-437f-ad49-168669330020/uploads/Becker.jpg)

Why! Oh Why!

I walk in the door as I arrive home and am hit with a bombshell. The news is spouting words like "crisis", "cheats", salary cap" and then Melbourne Storm. THis news has left me totally gutted and has put me ina bit of a downer after a great day. As my favourite non-queensland league team I am shocked and disappointed. 2 premierships that I barracked for them gone, this seasons points gone, the Melboure franchise- GONE? Hopefully not but the situation is not bright. The prospect of a season of meaningless games will kill crowds, kill players attitudes and put strain on a franchise in the alien world of AFL land. I have to say again how disappointed, shocked and gutted by this news. The people I feel sorry for the most are the likes of Matt King and especially Will Chambers. Both left the club after they won a premiership. I believe that both of them left for a new challenge after conquering all that lay before them. That has now been stripped off them. It is particularly bad for Will Chambers as he switched codes to rugby union thinking he had made his mark in the NRL. He now hasn't and most likely will never again. Now personally I am against the salary cap as it cheats players of their worth, tests their loyalties to a club and can leave a club in dire straits if one or two of there star recruits get injured as seen on numerous occasions this season. But still the Storm cheated and that cannot be smoothed over. Storm I will continue to support you through this drama but right now am feeling completely gutted by what has happened.

Had a really good day today, perfect diet, made it to the gym, crossed off many items on my daily checklist and can now relax tonight. Feeling really good in myself at the moment and am pumped up to keep improving and chasing down my goals. I was going to speak about how I relax in todays post but the developments with the Storm has dominated my thoughts since hearing the news so I will make the relaxation post tomorrow. Alpha and Out!

(image from thedailytelegraph.com.au)

On the Mend

A much better day today. Had my first day where I actually hit my target 1500 calories per day goal. Feeling slightly hungry now but no famished. I was kept busy most of the day and used my watch alarm to signal when I could eat which seemed to be really helpfull.

Still did not make it to the gym however. Same story as last night, originally planned to go at 4pm, but computer was playing up so that gave me an excuse. A very poor excuse but an excuse none the less. I said I'd go at 730pm. That became 8pm and then 830pm and then I'll catch up tomorrow. I think I need to make it a regular 4pm timeslot so I can do it then come home for dinner and relax the remainder of the evening. I need to focus on crossing off as many of my goals before 6pm so I can relax in the evening. I sense a new rule coming on. Will try this rule tomorrow and see how it goes. Alpha and Out!

Catch You on The Rebound

Had an average day today including my first blowout in almost a fortnight. I had relaxed my ban on watching TV alone and therefore had a snack attack craving. To make things worse I did not make it too the gym today either. On the up-side my focus has returned to make up for it tomorrow. I am going to address the following tings tomorrow to;

• I need to develop a daily routine and stick with it, difficult at the momment for various reasons but need to think of something.


• I need to return my blanket ban on watching TV alone


• I need to find something that I do when I want to relax and switch down the gears instead of watching TV.


• Need to follow my own advice regarding noting food cravings rather than giving into them

Most importantly I need to have a big day tomorrow to make up for today. A great quote I came across today reflects my position perfectly. " A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn" Well today I grinded up against the road barrier, I need to refocus and put the turn into action. Up and Upper! Alpha and Out!

Brisbane Reigns Supreme

A very successful weekend for the Brisbane sports teams. I went to the Broncos game today to finally see them hit their straps and smash the Sharks. This backs up the Brisbane Lions topping the AFL table and the QLD Reds breaking into the top 4 for the first time in almost 10 years. We are the Sport Champs of Australia, clearly.

Had my rest day today. This week's rest day is definately the first real rest day I've deserved to take. Previously I would have a blow out, say that was my fat meal and then eventually end up having another and sometimes another in a week. My diet has been near perfect the whole week and my exercise is on the rise. It was good to sit back and have a day off responsibilities. This weeks fat meal was a large breakfast of weetbix, milk, egg, toast and strawberry milk. I find having this fat meal is excellent in preventing blow-outs as when I got a craving during the week, particularly Saturday night, I would just think about making it my fat meal. However I did have a small blowout later in the day which I will need to address next week. And fortunately in some ways I have come so far that I still felt guilty tonight but I think that was more the afternoon blowout rather than the fat meal/rest day. On to a bigger and better week. Alpha and Out!

A2A Quote Of the Week

"No man ever became great or good except through many and great mistakes,"

William Gladstone ( Former UK Prime Minister)

A2A Weekly Tip

When you have a "bad" food craving during the week make a note and come your rest day and "fat" meal you will have options to choose from.

(image from footballnews.com)

Ramping it Up Successfully

Have had another good day weight loss wise. Slept in this morning as I was unable to get to sleep early but did not let that sway me I just rescheduled what I wanted to do. In the past I would have skipped what I wanted to do and watched tv. Had a good ride on the bike and a good ab and cardio session in the gym. Did not fully complete my entire cardio intervals but was happy because I decided to do some more intervals but just switched to the exercise bike again showing the improved resilience I have developed. Did not get to the park for a place kicking session but that might be something I can do tomorrow if I have time spare around going to see the struggling Broncos take on the Sharks. Just learned that the Reds have beat the top of the table Bulls and have moved into the top 4 for the first time in daresay almost a decade. So congrats to the Reds, hopefully the Broncos can channel your inspiration.

Have had a slightly larger calorie consumption today but it could have been much worse as my grandma made my favourite food, mince curry for dinner. But again I served myself a decent size but not over the top. In the past I would have 2 or more platefulls. Also on my side was that I had my best day calorie burning wise. Looking forward to the rest day tomorrow and the presence of my "fat" meal of the week. Alpha and Out!

Planning it Out

Had my first session at the gym this afternoon. Unfortunatly I was so busy throughout the day that I didn't come to the gym with a plan. This was annoying initially but I regathered as it was important to get that awkward new gym session out of the way. I ended up doing a cardio session rather than weights. The remainder of tonight I am going to do some research about weight circuits to find a fat burning one I can do 6 days a week, most likely alternating between an arms and leg circuit. Need to properly develop a workout plan before seeing the personal trainer and then bounce the idea of him/her.

Diet-wise today was again nearly perfect apart from a large dinner calorie wise. I still need to cut down the dinners a bit more as I am often even on best days consuming 600-800 calories at dinner. Should be easily done by cutting out desert. This will be my next step.

Pumped up for a big day of exercise tomorrow before my rest day on Sunday. Might go for an early morning bike ride, a weights session and top it off with a place kicking session in the afternoon. Sounds good doesn't it. Alpha and Out!

Success Over Split Milk

I am going to do something different in this post and include an interview from Jack Canfield's (Creator of Chicken Soup Books) How to Get from Where You Are to Where you Want to Be: The 25 Principles of Success.

The story is about a famous research scientist who made several important medical breakthroughs. When asked about why he was so much more successful than his colleages he recounted this experiance from his childhood. He'd been trying to take a bottle of milk out of the refridgerator, when he lost his grip and spilled the entire contents on the kitchen floor. His mother, instead of scolding him, said, "What a wonderful mess you've made! I've rarely seen such a huge puddle of milk. Well, the damage is done. Would you like to get down and play in the milk before we clean it up?" Indeed he did. And after a few minutes, his mother continued," You know, whenever you make a mess like this, eventualy you have to clean it up. So how would you like to do that? We could use a towel, sponge or mop. Which would you prefer?" After they were finished cleaning up the milk, she said, "What we have here is a failed experiment in how to carry a big bottle of milk with two tiny hands. Let's go out in the backyard, fill the bottle with water, and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it" And they did.

What a great lesson, imagine if more parents reacted this way what we could accomplish. This lesson was used by Jack to illustrate not to be scared of making mistakes. He repositioned mistakes as learning opportunities. Just a little story with a powerful punchline.

On the diet and exercise front, today was fairly perfect diet wise and excerise was better due to me cleaning out our storage facilities. My neck seems to be almost 100% again so I will definately be at the gym tomorrow. I have also began to develop a basic excel program to assist me in counting my calories and figuring if I am on the right track. A good day again. Alpha and Out!

A Pleasant Surprise

While doing my daily calorie calculations tonight I came across a pleasant surprise. You see I have been adding only 200 cals for my energy expediture ontop of exercise. Tonight I wanted to get a rough estimation about what the average person expends in a day. The search however led me to a health calculation site (now listed in A2A Links) which once fed the imperial calcuations of weight, height, age etc read out my estimated calorie expenditure before exercise. Now this being only a website and also an estimation it cannot be relied upon 100% but is definately a good starting point. Anyway it turns out my calorie estimation is 3150.02 cal, quite a jump from 200 cals. This means on all those days I had that little bit more then I should have I was still in a negative difference. While I will continue to strive for 1500 calorie day this surprise has given me more motivation that I can and have been successfully dieting even when I thought I wasn't. Boo-Yah.

On the exercise front I have been crippled for another day due to the whiplash injury in my neck from my Oztag incident. It was so sore today I had to turn my whole body to see if it was safe to cross a street or check my shoulder while driving. It has however settled down and if there is no significant improvement tomorrow I will see a physio. This is particularly annoying as I finally joined a gym today and am itching and chomping at the bit to get stuck into the weights and cardio. Perhaps tomorrow arvo if the neck has settled will be appropriate. A great day just got better. Alpha and Out!

Air..It's..It's So Underated!

I open this entry with this priceless quote from Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson after attempting to cross over the American Andes. Just want to mention just how good the Top Gear show is as it was the main factor why I didn't make a post last night. Last Nights Bolivia Special involving the team travelling 1000 miles from central Bolivia to coaastal Chile, was an excellent show. Top Gear has really come of age in the past year or so and is arguably the best show on the box of the momment. I think this is because it shows great cars, goes in some detail to keep the car boffins happy but the details do not fit the whole show, the challenges they are set are extreme and mainly because the three host simply work well together providing the audience with a very entertaining back and forth. While watching the Bolivia special I couldn't help but dream of going in a similar adventure with mates. Perhaps that is something to add to the goal list. Top Gear I Salute You!

On the fitness front, I started the process of joining a gym yesterday to take my progress to the next level both on weightloss and emotional management properties of a gymnasium. Diet was near perfect yesterday but still can improve. My watching TV alone ban has continued strong and I don't feel too many withdrawal symptoms yet (I watched Top Gear with my Grandad). Crippleing my exercise efforts though is a very sore and tight neck from the collision at touch on Monday. It is still quite bad this morning so perhap I will need to see a physio to give it some treatment so these valuable 60 odd days to my goal don't go wasted but I have to remember that my diet has been near perfect the last couple of days which we still help despite the injury. Upand Upper! Alpha and Out!

The Webcke Momment...I mean Wake-up Momment

Have just returned from a tough game of Oztag. I have returned from Oztag with a wake-up momment. Although I've had a few of these moments, I'm am writing this one down so hopefully it will stick. The momment was near the end of the game played in greasy, wet conditions. The opposition went for the cut out pass and I read it and went for the intercept. Being so unfit I failed to get the ball but instead collided front-on Shane Webcke style. To his credit the opposing player got the ball and went until he was tagged then collapsed. Now to the average 20 year guy, this would be a pretty proud momment considering I was largely unhurt while the other guy was winded on the ground but for me it was one of those momments when you realise you really are unhealthy fat. You see the opposition player was a quite trim winger and he was balled up struggling for air while I carrying a layer of fat came off rather ok. I am now feeling really driven not so I can become a skinny winger but a fit athlete cut to the quick. I want to be able to match my team for speed, for stamina, for play making skills and for strength. And thats basically turning a frown upside down! Hopefully this gives me the fire in the belly to have a fair dinkim crack at being the person I really am, the ALPHA!

A2A Quote of the Week:

“Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it.”

Quote from ThinkExist.com, Unknown author, This empitimises how I want this wake up call to kick me into 5th gear.

A2A Tip of the Week:

Create a checklist of all the little things you need and want to do on the basic day so you can cross it off when completed and feel a sense of achievement.

(image from scrum.com)

You Ain't Never Gonna Keep Me Down!

After a couple of days with no diet, no exercise consisting mainly of sleep and eating it is time to pick myself up again and follow my own advice. After this prolonged stuff up I need to consolidate. I need to;

• Adapt my daily/weekly checklist


• Join a gym ( the benefits are just too good to give up)


• Restart my diet


• Analyse why I broke down and why it continued for so long


• Focus on the positives such as- I have proven I can diet and eat in moderation, exercise daily, cross goals and objectives off my list while feeling bad etc


• Bring back the success breeding success which requires me to dynamically alter my goals from day to day to build success progressivly instead of going from zero to 100 and then the wheels falling off.

So although I have had a poor end to the week, it happened for a reason and I just need to stop, consolidate and start again. Things will be alright. Bad blow for my NRL Courier Mail Supercoach with Jonathon Thurston, my best player injuring his shoulder and is suspected to be out for an extended period but I'll just have to replace him, perhaps a Benji Call-up is in order. Anyway, Alpha and Out!

(image is my concept Awkward 2 Alpha Logo)

Hey Stress! You know when I said I'd get rid of you last..I Lied!

After a couple of full on, intense days at work I left for home absolutely drained and tired. This got me thinking about how best to deal with it while multi tasking and incorporating a healthy mindset. You could go get plastered, probs the worst option due to alcohol's downer properties and the late night kebab cant be that healthy calorie wise. You could go home switch on the TV and get stuck into some comfort food. Sadly this was me. My vice was south park and chocolate from Easter. I then topped that off with a fairly large dinner. I think the best option is an afternoon "pump" workout. Something highly intense that you can just fire out, that sucks up your pent up stress and anger. Previously I have found a beachie weight session (the show-off muscles) with large weights the best but the same principle could be applied to running fast, cycling intently, just about anything really. To make this truly effective it needs to occur before you reach home as inevitably after a big day you will get home and veg like I did. But oh well, it is my first blow-out in days and like Arnie, "I'll be Back". Alpha and Out!

Pumping it Out

The last days have gone really well both diet and exercise wise. My ultimate goal is definately in my sights now and I'm mowing it down. Was at work today and being kept busy is definately a great aid when dieting as you don't have time basically to think of food etc until you finish but even then you ok with it. Finding really successful the 5-6 small meals and funnily enough when I start to feel hunger pains, time has usually passed and I am hungry on my outlined scheduled. Calorie counting is definately what is keeping me going. I calculate how many I consume and roughly how much I burn using the websites in my A2A links section. I think that calorie counting gave me the inital shock that I was consuming in excess of 4000 calories per day and then provides me with work to do at the end of the night like a little hobby. Have been flat out today at work and before and I am now buggered and looking forward to popping home for some well earned calories...I mean dinner. Alpha and Out!

The Power of Two not One

Had an excellent day today both diet and exercise wise. Have so far maintained a perfect diet to my specifications for the first time in a long time. Have also done almost 4 hours of exercise from walking to cycling. All in all a great day. Today I had a running session with my little brother. Trust me it is so much easier to work with someone. We ran for about 50 mins but it felt like 20, the time just flew by. Partners are great for motivation, competition and responsibility. Another person increases motivation by having someone to inspire yourself, someone to motivate you when your down and many other ways. The added competition between you and your work out mate is great for the quality of the workout too. It could be who's fastest, whos strongest, who's got the best endurance or who's the most flexible. Most importantly however I reckon the added responsibility is the greatest benefit of bringing along a mate. Even if your having a crap day or your stressed or lethargic, the fact that someone else is expecting and relying on you forces you to put your day behind you and pump out the set. A great day, looking forward to many more on my journey. Alpha and Out!

No Beer and No TV makes Homer go...something, something

Go Crazy? No not exactly. I thought this gem of a simpsons line was a good way to update on my first non-alone TV day. It went quite well, I managed the whole day with barely any thoughts of switching on the telly. I found that when I got the TV "cravings" was when I was getting bored or hungry. Both easily solved. To fill up the new space vacated by TV I did some reading, surfed the net, took the dog for a long walk and read the newspaper. Best of all No TV meant No Binge eating. Today was definately the near perfect diet day. While I did consume a little too many calories, it was certainly much better than previous days and I felt it was an excellent effort considering its Easter Sunday and that meant moderateing my chocolate and hot cross bun consumption. All pumped up for a ripper of a week weightloss wise. Have settled back into a routine this week which seems to make everything else fall into place better than when life is too unpredictable.

A2A Quote of the Week

" Even if you do take a knockback, your no worse off then you were before, so it's always worth it,"

Jim Zanos, founder of EzyDvd talking about asking for advice.

A2A Tip of the Week

Where possible get a buddy to do your workouts with you. This is a great way to make sure you train even if your having a bad day as the other person is waiting for you and you feel compelled to turn up for them. Not to mention the extra competition, commradory and motivation by a friend.

Alpha and Out!

(image from honda-tech.com)

Going Cold Turkey!

While not life-threatening or inhibiting I am suffering from an addiction. This addiction is not smoking, drinking and sadly not exercise addiction. It is being addicted to watching the Television! After another couple of days with blowouts I looked back and one factor remained the same. Watching TV. The problem is that I am watching hours and hours of tv a week which takes time away from other things I could be doing. However the most worst thing is that with the TV comes the binge snacking seriously impedeing my weight loss. I believe I would weigh much less if I lived in a TV free zone. So this week I am going to ban watching television alone. I will continue this until I can feel safe I can start watching again and have the will to not snack and turn the tv off.

Although I have had a couple of days of blowouts there has been many positives from the past couple of days and I am ready for the remaining 70 odd days to my weight goal.

• Discovered the power of calorie counting


• Developed a daily checklist so that I can complete acts


• Realised that I need to pry my self from TV


• I now hold a much more positive outlook


• That I can exercise with my glasses on even if it does annoy me to tears

It can only go up from here, Alpha and Out!

(image from fx.worth1000.com)

Destiny's Child

Everything happens for a reason. I believe this to be true completely, and our mission of life is to find out the reasons for why something happens. This is most evident when early this morning I picked up my Dad from the airport at about midnight only to fall victim to a broken fuel gauge and subsequent running out of fuel. Dad had just got off a 8 hour flight and I had been up from 3:30 the previous morning. Not excatly the best time or place to be fueless. On the positive side we broke down in a carpark quiet due to the time of day and across the road from a servo. Howver a couple of jerry cans of fuel we realised that the scum in the depths of the tank had been flushed into the system and clogged up the filter meaning a call to RACQ and a tow. However back to the everything having a purpose. Will we waited for the tow truck me and Dad were able to have a good chat and talk our way through some issues that arose while he was away which really needed to happen. I can think of thousands of other cases of this throughout my life. The best example is my suffering depression and putting on almost 20 kilograms in 7-8 months. I am now a much stronger person, aware of the signs of burnout and have been kicked up the bum to change direction in my life to an extent and also sending on this weight loss and lifestyle improvement journey.

Right now that I have got the deep and meaningful jargon out of the way I can get back to the Alpha journey. Yesterday night I finally got my act together and did some calorie calculations to figure out what I need to do to burn off my food. I can't believe I discounted the power of calorie counting for so long, it has truly given me another boost in the process. As a science and numbers guy it makes a hell of a lot of sense to go this approach. I think that calorie counting has been given anegative stigma in the press most likely by the tabloids facination with dieting celebs and has given the wholoe process a bad wrap making the counting a somewhat "closet" activity which is sad because I personally found it extremely empowering and have so far followed the diet I set my self.

Always to remeber in both good and bad situations there is a reason for it happening and that you should proactively find out what that is. This will lead to much greater life. Alpha and Out!

(image from prettyshopaholiconline.com/blog4/)