What an experience

I cannot believe ninety days is up, before starting the project I found it quite a daunting thought that for three months there was to be serious commitments on the exercise and diet front.
From my position now I know that it was just a thought and the mind is perhaps our strongest muscle.

The greatest struggle early on was being organized enough to sort out the food prep, this meant buying the right things in the supermarket and then ensuring that when it was cooked and boxed there was enough for both Sasha and I to live off for a couple of days to avoid having to spend too much time in the kitchen. We also tried to avoid too much of the same food to keep it interesting which in itself is a challenge.

The exercises were built up very well over the three months and although the creeps, floor jumps and lunges really were not my idea of fun I understand how important they were in building up the power and strength of my legs. This pain clearly helped me develop the strength to really enjoy the jumprope which I now see as the best way for me to stay in great shape going forward. I can understand why boxers use it so much to keep fit, if you need any more convincing get on YouTube and check out mayweather, pacquio and Ali doing their sets in
training.

The times I found it the toughest to keep going were when i was ill with flu and when the distractions of work and other stress were keeping my mind on other things not PCP related.
The motivation to get through these moments came from the group ( a huge congratulations to everyone you all did brilliantly) and the guidance and comments on the blog which I now know is a very clever social tool for keeping a sense of team spirit and responsibility to everyone else that you cannot let them all down.

Patrick your comments and insights were very well timed and often proved to be the difference between picking myself up in the tougher moments and carrying on and just doing the exercises half heartedly knowing that they would not really be changing much.

Knowing that sasha and the rest of the group were experiencing the same struggles provided further determination to prove to myself that it is possible to push the boundaries.

I have never previously had the discipline that I have maintained over the last three months most definitely not on the food front so I am proud of the fact that to a set and to a gram I have kept as tight to the project as I could.
I really didn't sneak in any cheeky extra food but there were one or two sets I think mostly on the plank front that I have to admit I swerved.
Not sure why but those planks really played with my back and I felt very sick after one or two of them so if I let myself down it was there. I think as well that the pull ups have been the
toughest exercise for me, long skinny arms and heavy body are not a good combo for a good pull up.

I have to say that I think I would have struggled a lot more if sasha had not been doing the project with me, she has been brilliant and I know that she found it very demanding physically and mentally but I have to say my biggest thanks are for my amazing wife. To have completed the project together enhances the pride and sense of achievement and it has been very tough on her whilst doing the PCP she has been looking after me and out two little boys.
I know that she could have done with at least two hours more sleep a night and often the thought of doing her sets was the last thing she wanted t be doing.

The results speak for themselves she looks amazing and there is no way she looks like someone who has had two children in the last two years....WELL DONE YOU xx

I am convinced that during the last three months I have learned a huge amount about myself and I want to thank jasper and bill for talking to me about the project before and keeping me going during it, big respect and what a way to change my life I owe you both a very large drink.

I feel different, I look different, and I look at my life differently. There is so much that has changed and it feels oddly novel. I think that having our two little boys around has given me extra encouragement and just being able to enjoy my weekends more with increased energy is a huge positive.

Funniest moment of the ninety days was going to the tailor and him explaining to me that in order to make my trousers fit he was going to have to remove one whole leg and then use the remaining leg but cut in half to fit the other leg back on in order to try and save the trousers.

I started at eighty seven kilos I am today seventy seven kilos. I have lost I think around eight inches of my waistline, two inches around my neck and I have discovered muscle groups that I had no idea existed.
I enjoy eating all foods but I understand about portion control, I can focus for far longer at work, I sleep better and I really enjoy skipping with music on.

I cannot stress how much PCP has done for me but I will load up my photos tomorrow and you can be the judge, the changes on the outside are mirrored by some big fundamental changes on the inside too and it think this is where I am humbled by the experience.

Patrick what a journey, I encourage anyone that reads this to sign up for the next PCP, and in fact I know at least five people that have done just that since our trip began back in January.

I am looking forward now to future challenges perhaps a triathlon or some action endurance racing and I will not easily forget the lessons I have learned in the last ninety days.

This has been a very interesting and educational period in my life and I will miss the interaction with the other members of the group in the blogosphere, it has been incredibly rewarding and I thank all of you for your support and your commitment to our project.

I hope the pictures show how I feel and I know you will all enjoy the summer :)

Patrick muchas gracias compadre, it has been extraordinary.

Peace and love, in sets, jump rope and delicious fresh food, for now,

James.

Hit the wall

Officially hit the wall on friday morning, lost my voice so completely useless at work, could not keep my eyes open for any serious amount of time, keep nodding off during the day today as well.
Throat is agony and I didn't have the power to do full sets yesterday or today, fulfilled my skipping quota but ache a lot, I need as much sleep as possible tonight and a quiet day tomorrow to recharge a little for the final week of PCP and to be able to function properly at work. The thought of stumbling through the last week is annoying me so like Patrick said one set at a time. I am fractious and am basically having a sense of humor failure which is Sh$t because it's a beautiful weekend here in Hk and I dont want to feel like this around my family.
there was a bake sale in the playground today to raise money for the kids in japan affected by the earthquake our little boy devoured a chocolate chip cookie and I could not hold back I ate a brownie and an oatmeal cookie, I qualify under PCP that they were two dollars each to buy off the kids and I gave them 80 Hkd for the cause, they tasted amazing I will skip and extra five mins tomorrow to get rid of it.
Hoping to feel a lot better tomorrow and want to say how very proud I am of Sasha for keeping up the program, there was a couple of wobbles along the way and I know how tough it has been,
You look amazing and me Rafa and Felix are very very proud of you. One more week mummy keep it going !!!!

blog on the go

i know my blogging hasnt been great recently but my mind has been filled with all kind of bullsh$t, i have struggled to get through my sets without outburst of rage which are not cool or zen whatsoever, focus for the remainder is to unclutter my brain before i sleep and then explode into the workout at 6am, our indulgence on monday was off the scale but it messed around with my digestion a bit, too much olive oil and bread i think after a long time without either really and i snuck in some chocolate more due to my i dont give sh%t attitude than actually thinkning that i wouldl like some chocolate...doh - S T O O P I D.
DETERMINED TO FINISH STRONG AND ON A HIGH summer is on its way will post some photos end of this week.
keep it going people !

weekend

another week done reaching a magic time now i feel with the challenge of the heavier exercises and really pushing the boundaries, another three of my friends have signed up for the april 15th edition having seen me last weekend at the rugby, a mixture of disbelief, jealousy and inquisitiveness ...i may not have been so zen in my response but they are all jacked up for PCP.
forecast for the weekend is 25 degrees with clear skies, la dolce vita.
Big Chief Patrick loving the emails this week mate, keep them coming in, i will take a picture of my new resistance band tomorrow its insane.
keep up the intensity people we are sooooooo close, heading to the newly reopened Ritz Carlton here in HK for our indulgence dinner on monday night, will blog it up afterwards, the restaurant is on the 103rd Floor cannot wait will take some pictures and put them up,
peace and love.

Feeling the strain

Was the weekend of the Hk sevens rugby tournament, a weekend that normally sees me drunk by seven pm on friday night and not really sober until Tuesday morning, this year I managed the entire weekend without a drop and it's a huge result.
I had my usual box and it was full of other guys from the company from the singapore and Tokyo offices with lots of our customers. Needless to say there was some fairly insane scenes involving jugs of beer, pimms and vodka red bull, washed down with crisps, meat pies and greasy chicken.
Now I used to be heavily involved in all of the above and I have to say it was incredibly tough not getting involved perhaps not in the drink but in the food, it didn't help having my clients who know I am doing PCP, wafting meat pies under my nose! I entertained for the entire weekend without dropping the ball and did my exercises in the morning on friday and in the evening on sat and Sunday after all day at the rugby, did my sets this morning too and by mid day I was asleep in my chair at work.
I really hit the wall for the first time since week two I think, physically and mentally there hasn't been much rest for a while and I have to say I'm looking forward to some downtime.
What I realized though and I think it's important to share is that one is capable of resisting the temptations of old on the alcohol and food front without too much will power, I had my food with me and I just ate that quietly while all else around me poured All the things I used to enjoy down their throats.
At one stage I came v close to destroying a meat pie but I thought about what was in it and I backed off, realizing that it just makes extra work for me if slide back into it,
I'm feeling the extra load on the sets now and there are some seriously tough moments, finding that some upbeat tunes on the iPod make a world of difference on those too as well as during the skipping.
I'm not sure I have managed to skip more than about twelve mins before my calves give in, I am currently jumping both feet at the same time, with then some running jumps at intervals after that, any tips on how to get that more like twenty mins would be great,
The end is so close I can taste it but I know quietly inside that things have changed forever and I'm looking forward to the next challenge with my new improved PCP-ass whipped body,
Keep putting up the sets guys we are almost there,
Photos on their way I realize we have skipped a week. Aiming to be asleep before nine tonight to get the rythmn going again at six!!

Holy Sh$t

In the middle of my fourth set of curls yesterday my left arm caught fire, not literally that would be hideous, but there was a searing pain on the inside of my bicep, I actually cried albeit briefly and with a smile on my face, I know a bit joker-esque but it happened so I thought I would share it.
I remembered what Patrick had said about pain being temporary and I reloaded and managed to get three quarters of the way through the final sets, the outside curls actually loosened it up a bit so must have been a barrier of some sorts...a small stick of dynamite going off in my arm!
Sunday was one of those days where everything went wrong at least that's how it felt, by the time the kids were in bed I basically couldn't open my mouth to talk I was that washed out. Consequently when the alarm went off this morning at six it got smacked, just couldn't do it first time that's happened for six weeks, did my sets tonight just doesn't sit well so will do back to back and do them tmrw morning. It's too late after getting home at seven to work out for an hour then shower eat twice before bed and try and relax.
Have discovered the joy of skipping to really loud music, fifteen minutes now flies by its basically four really great songs, when a crazy beat kicks in I can run skip at never before seen speeds at least for me anyway. There is also a cunning plan of skipping with weights in the handles for ten minutes and then for the last five take the weights out you can absolutely tear it apart because your arms now feel lighter than air.
I think ninety second planks suck balls.
Loving my new diet sheet for this week patrick am craving huge quantities of fruit though....struggling with 150 grams a day.
Straining at the leash for the finish line now team, change gears again and punish those sets....GO GO GO.

blogging from work

this week i have been mostly in the doldrums emotionally, exercises and sets done to a tee but my heart wasnt in it for some reason....where there was joy this week there was nothing...which is strange more than anything and although the feeling is there that we are all doing something great for ourselves every day my mind has been elsewhere.
I think being stuck in front of screens all day and then watching the disaster in japan unfold on the television really got me, the helplessness of the situation and those poor people, i think humbling maybe the expression i am looking for. What it demonstrates is the fraility of human kind and that is tough to quantify, what it makes me believe though is that if you give it your all, 100% everyday then whatever happens you know you have tried your hardest and put your heart into it. if you leave nothing on the table then the contentment starts to spread but sometimes the getting to that point is the real test.
I think that is what i am learning from this project apart from the nutrition and the belief in a solid exercise structure, it requires you to examine yourself everday for an hour, to stress test your frame and mind, something that we all do far too infrequently.
I know there is a quote out there about idleness but its more than that, it is a beep test of ones character everyday to get out there and do it, to be organised about the food and exercise to actually care about how you feel and how you look, although not of all these things are a novelty to me i see the simplicity of it and due to the way i feel and look now it just seems to make sense.
Quite often before i would hit the gym for an hour at lunchtime to do some cardio and lift dome weights but i never saw any results. i considered myself to be realtively fit albeit too heavy but couldnt get what i wanted.
The combination of what we are doing now has cracked this cycle and the belief in it is self-reinforicng, you do it and you feeel better simple. You look better, you sleep better. I take pride in the fact my giant shopping trolley is overflowing with fruit / veg / low fat milk / youghurt / eggs / fish and chicken and thats it, no health food products / no tins / no atrificialallnessmadeinafactory rubbish at all. It feels good to bring that home to my family!
A clearer mind has led me to be on the one hand more reflective about things that actually matter and on the other more driven and convinced that there are certain things that are changing and will be changed due to my actions in the future.
This week has been a fruitless exercise at work but the wheels keep on turning, in my personal life i feel as though i have achieved a lot and it matters so much more, a brilliant revelation that i had to share with you all.
I now am excited about the last four weeks and i hope you all are too, for those of you that i know my amazing wife included you all look fantastic, for those of you that i dont you all look great too, i feel a post pcp coming out evening in HK if you are all keen, happy to organise to swap war stories,
keep up the hard work everyone, prayers to those in japan and in the middle east, the karmic wheel is spinning just keep the faith.
ENJOY THE WEEKEND ONE AND ALL.

IMG00046-20110316-2047.jpg

Post dinner snack- sweet potato mushrooms green and yellow pepper carrots and beans !!!

Weekend too short

When the weather is like this it should be law around the world that work starts on Tuesday and stops on Thursday, everyone could benefit from more time to exercise, be with their families and just not be so wound up the whole time. Those that want to work could but the law would be three day week.
I watched in horror on Friday as that tsunami hit the Japanese coast line and it places a lot in perspective. I hope that all those affected can begin to rebuild their lives from today and that nature gives them a break. All those who were caught up in the nightmare I pray that they find their friends and family and if they can overcome this horror with the help and love of others then their lives will be forever changed.
With so much conflict and suffering in the middle east and japan and new Zealand sets are just what they are from now on, a small amount of time dedicated each day to making me stronger no matter how painful or challenging. I remember not so long ago staring at the wall thinking what am I doing, now if I am thinking while I do them it is about how lucky we are, to have the chance to do this, to have made the choice to pursue the project and make a genuine difference.
If for whatever reason we were confronted with such a monumental challenge that now faces so many in japan I know that I am slightly better equipped with everyday that I am doing PCP. You don't know when life can flip on it's head but it's better to be sharp physically, which clearly leads to a sharper mind. I have no doubt that these last four weeks will be tough but there is good reason to accept the challenge.
Very good emails recently Patrick, I hope that the group sticks at it we have all come so far,
Finding it very motivating that I now have friends and colleagues who are at the end of their week one and they are asking me about the weeks to come, also everyone that I see who I haven't seen for three months is incredulous at how much my shape has changed, best comment so far was that I looked like I was twenty one again.
I know we should not be vain but in the spirit of PCP I think everyone in the group looks fantastic and is it worth it? HELL YEAH.....six am never looked so good...got wunder radio app on the iPhone and it gets you going at that time off day...internet radio from anywhere in the world...brilliant,
If you want something sweet for veg asmuchasuwant....sweet potato/avocado/yellow pepper/vine tomatoes and carrots ....B E A U T I F U L...have a good week everyone dont quit don't stop double the intensity....embrace the burn it's your new found friend!!!!

end of another week

i have discovered that my threshold for incompetence is getting lower and lower, i dont know whether this if because i am getting older and grumpier or whether i havent woken up to the fact that there is a whole new generation of people that are fifty times as pushy and bad mannered than anything the world has ever seen.
it is not possbile to be sh%t at something and still be so expectant that the world owes you a free lunch....i am in the middle of what feels like an emotional whirlwhind and i need to do somehting about it so im sharing it with you.....i am angry with myself when i dont complete my skipping without tripping and i get wound up when there is failure in any of my sets. i did 5 minutes extra skipping this morning at double speed until it felt like my arms were going to drop off and my back was cramped up and then did as many pushups and sit ups as i could until i couldnt move....it feels good now but not sure its the right way to approach the project.
work is a pain in the A$$ at the moment and i sick and tired of doing sh%t for other people....
i want to feel good about the exercises but there is a negative vibe runnning through me and it reeks of fcuk this and i dont give a sh%t...which i hate .....i might need some yoga to calm me down but right now i want to take a sledgehammer to a china shop with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE at 1000 decibels....
hoping tomorrow there is a bit more sunshine in my mind.

Here comes the rain

Wet Hk tonight hope its not the start of the rainy season.....o'reilly's prize came sixth in the nz derby which is a great effort ...england sneak past south Africa in India...getting stuck into the new exercises still enjoying the variations...interesting that when you can eat as much veg as you want you don't go mad and eat three lbs at one sitting, there is only so much veg you can eat in one go.
Back into the six am slot tomorrow before playing golf nice for a monday, I think that the wend sets need to be done early too I'm just not a fan at lunchtime or in the evening.
Should be interesting week PCP wise.keep up the hard work team.adios

Time for a bit of cheeky marketing

My elder sister is having her book launch tonight in London, as I have emailed and face booked about it I am now blogging it up....WE All RAN INTO THE SUNLIGHT by Natalie Young is available on amazon and other retailers worldwide from tomorrow onwards....it's a culmination of many years of hard work and I have a feeling that it will be life changing....PCP is changing my life one day at a time so I thought it would be ok to spread the love on here. It's not everyday you have a book published and I wanted to share her achievement with those who are sharing their achievements with Sasha and I everyday on PCP....if you get a chance read it...if you like it tell your friends and families about it....if you would like signed copies of it because you like it so much I will see what I can do....:) if you don't like it feel free to vent at me but I won't be sending you a refund :).....it's on the web,it's been reviewed in the newspapers in the uk and I will be endeavoring to bring it to Hk and maybe the rest of Asia.....if anyone works in the literature world or for a book store hit me with your contact details.....
Ironically the title of the book is a little how I feel about our group of pcp'ers, everyday we complete sets and skipping, it hurts it's tough the diet can be tedious and take time, it's tiring it's stretching our sinews but at the end of everyday I feel as though we are one step closer to reaching our goals, there is the sunlight peaking at us but it will be tough as hell to get there, every completed rep, every completed set, every proper delicious fresh healthy meal that we are preparing and enjoying is edging us closer to the sunlight, I absolutely love my egg whites in the evening they are my reward for a good day well fought in my sets and my office which can be a battleground at times, when I go into the bathroom and I pass under the pull up bar I am now hurling myself onto it to do a few cheeky reps, for someone that could not do one six weeks ago it's a good feeling to know that I can now do plenty,
I am testing myself everyday with new physical challenge and there is nothing boring about it, at school I used to play sport everyday for at least three hours I now weigh nearly what I did when I was 21 which is insane....for ten years I have sat in a chair at work for up to and sometimes longer than ten hours a day....followed swiftly by another four hours in the bar and at a dinner table....literally blowing myself up with booze and ridiculous amounts of all the richest and most delicious foods on the planet....in doing this I ballooned to 94 kilos which for someone that is six feet tall is not loads but it sat like a rubber ring around my waist and like sealion fat around my face and neck....compound that lifestyle with plenty of cigarettes and caffeine to get me through the day I feel sick at the thought of what my body looks like on the inside even now....it is a more distant memory now than I imagined possible and although I will no doubt indulge in these treats again save the cigarettes and coffee which i can't stand the smell of or drink anymore bcos I shake and sweat after about a minute I know that there is a balance to my life and certain things like really good apple crumble and custard oysters rare steaks spicy bloody mary's good red wine cold chocolate bars from the fridge melting smelly cheese that you can eat with a spoon whole bags of kettle chips ( yes I could easily polish one of those big bags off on my own) baby back ribs full rack obviously with a side of chilli and big fries with garlic mayonnaise, dim sum in all shapes and sizes Singapore noodles butter chicken curries samosas Kashmiri naan bread with lashings of spicy chutney and raita monster pizzas with everything on them......they are treats now and not the norm and I sense a very different mindset to all of it.....Sasha and I have made some delicious meals during PCP so far and I genuinely love my food now ....it's not a source of indulgence more an experiment to see what tastes amazing in it's natural state...and what makes us feel strong and full of energy consistently over a period of 14 or so hours....
I haven't blogged like this for a while and it feels good to have a blab about all sorts of stuff it's all part of the experience I suppose
The week is over for me work wise it's golf tomorrow with an old friend who is in hong kong seeing his family so I am really looking forward to that as far as the skipping is concerned I will do it before the rest of the building wake up in the morning quiet which is by far and away the best time of day to exercise...happy in the knowledge that I am doing something good to start the day....I will probably squeeze in some cheeky push ups and maybe an 8 minute ab session too....I love that video it is spot on right down to the cheesy music slightly grainy picture quality and acres of spandex it's like the club tropicana video by wham ...except for exercise...timeless classic....bring on the weekend....for all of you who like to have a flutter on the gee gees I have a friend whose horse is running in the new Zealand derby in Auckland on Saturday...his name is o'reilly's prize....he has form and class and is currently 8/1 being hauled in all the time from the 40/1 he started at.....the trainer says he has never seen a horse eat or sleep so much....he has the lights turned out in his stable at four pm to get a good kip oh what a life .....But when he gets to a racetrack he knows only one thing...in the immortal words of the king of asphalt and the oval racetrack Ricky Bobby " I wanna go fast" ....if he wins and I did not share it I would feel bad ..if it doesn't go well then the money you lose betting on him if you use tab nz I think goes to the fund that has been set up to help the people of christchurch rebuild their lives and their city so it's win win....if u make bundle on him then donate some of it to the charity anyway.....with the Irish beating England at cricket in India and kevin o'brien smashing 100 runs in fifty balls a new world record for world cup cricket.....who would bet against a horse named o'reilly's prize....in a week like this.....the stars are aligning and all we need is a little leprechaun magic.....think of all the greatest cricketers that have played in world cups..........Botham richards gavaskar waugh Lara yuvraj tendulkar ganguly klusener chanderpaul Hayden gilchrist amla ponting sewhag gayle gower all towering strikers of the cricket ball and legends of the game....sitting atop that list now with a century that was sixteen balls faster than any other which is incredible...is a,up until tuesday a little known Irishman,who are typically associated more with gaelic football rugby and horse racing than cricket named kevin obrien....miracles happen everyday the karmic wheel spins England beat Australia in Australia eight weeks ago and they now lose to the Irish.....brilliant !!!! And I am English....
Time for bed enjoy the weekend the book the horse race the cricket the PCP and your food....
Bring on next week...:)....god's speed OP!!!!

speed blog

needed to get one up to avoid being ejected by the blog police:), been stupidly busy at work the last ten days admin is something that is not liked but necessary...a bit like creeps and kung-fu sit ups that was off the scale tough this morning have a question about that too....tonight will be blog / apple / egg / milk / veg - bed before 10....gotta keep up the burn team....you have the power.

HAVE TO SHARE IT WITH YOU

went to diesel to buy jeans....before been in there and tried on the 36...for some reason in HK they make them smaller than europe, anyway before couldnt even begin to button them up...my london 36 have been  round my knees for 10 days so not a good look....popped on the HK 34 and fit like a glove......genuinely makes me feel like a different person.....super happy its friday afternoon...sun is shining in HK bring on the weekend :) hit me with the new diet Patrick and the fresh sets !!!!

BLOGMISSABEAT

I havent been as up to speed with my blogging recently due to very busy time at work, doing my sets at 6am and then getting home flat out exhasuted, the thought of turning on the iphone/ipad for an update gives me a headache.
anyway i am enjoying the new exercises the variation from previuos weeks is very good to keep the interest level high and i can sense new patches of muscle where before there was nothing, which is great. i find the shoulder based exercises the toughest obviously needs more work to strengthen, and creeps and me just dont agree with each other...i perversely enjoy the floor jumps although if i dont concentrate i have a tendency to wipeout...i think thats the balance issue.
pcp has become the norm now and i really look forward to my exercises, there is a great sense of accomplishment with the completion of every set which i think psycologically compels me to have a good day whatever i might be doing....i am sure there is a scientific explanation for it ( chemicals in the brain) but i didnt pay much attention in that class at school.....loving my new iphone 4...so much better than blackberry for flickr / internet / music and so much more, makes pcp easier too with the graphics to show how the exercises are done...the blackberry spat them out all reversed with no pictures....
would love to know anymore great music to skip too......have found wunder radio on the iphone a superb app for listening to radio from all over the world... a couple of friends have signed up for the march edition of PCP after all my ranting about it, SPREAD THE LOVE, keep up the hard work team, shred that fat.....be selfish about it every day is a better,stronger version of you !

Fruitilicious

SKIP TO THIS...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOyfLBYtuU....BOOM BOOM.....:) HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE.

The power of the blogosphere

Having read and taken on board the support I got yesterday I had a very different day today...I did feel less burdened generally by the flu and by the dark clouds of anti PCP participation ...had a spring clean at work which my team thought was a bit weird but it felt good to throw away old paperwork clean up the desks and sort out where some of the computers printers were sitting...I find a much better feng shui exists when there is less clutter and no rubbish strewn everywhere....did my sets with Vittorio which was great temperature also up at least five degrees which helps....I purged the little devil on my shoulder by doing 2000 skips and adding one or two extra reps to my curls and kAtanas...felt good to have more strength and drive whilst doing the exercises...the flu just nukes the energy levels....
Looking forward to skipping early tomorrow morning it's Eric Clapton concert tomorrow so no time in the evening....bring on the new diet for next week please....need to become a vegetable mixologist at the moment the skin on my fingers is orange from the insane carrot consumption....better than nicotine ones....urgh....Sasha's new leather skip rope is a hit and the new resistance bands ares in...onwards and upwards team...looking at evryones pictures the project is really making a difference.....keep it going, have a great weekend everyone.

Struggling to stay motivated

on the back of a week feeling like sh%t with the flu and now being totally congested with sore throat / chest etc ( the usual hong kong flu like symptons that everyone in this town seems to be living with at the moment), and with the weather being so rubbish, it was howling wind/rain this morning i had full underarmour on / shorts / tshirts/hooded top and ski hat and was still cold, i am tired/sore/ lethargic and snappy to be around which basically makes me a walking hand grenade, combine that with the fact that sasha and i are up till 10 or 11pm doing food preperation for ourselves and for the boys the sleeep cycle is a bit out of sync.....in thailand when it was warm i was leaping up to do my exercises at 7am, so we are in a trough...with heavier sets and more skips its taking me longer to do the exercises and although i see and feel results, my mental approach is taking a kicking and i am trying v hard to keep it in perspective, i also wonder whether i did the right thing by starting this program, whether or not i can finish it / keep up the intensity the food prep, it was all ok when feeling strong and blasting thru the sets.
I snapped the resistance band i bought for sasha last night too which doesnt help, about how i feel about it or the fact that she had to improvise on some of her sets, will repalce today if i have time to get to the sports shop.
i dont know where this self doubt is coming from but it needs stamping out asap.....hoping for warmer weather / more sleep / better energy levels and a renewed sense of direction and drive.....in the pcp doldrums for now, James.

A month really??

Does not seem like four weeks but kind of glad that it has flown by...perhaps as Patrick says the real PCP starts now...I certainly havent been feeling hungry and I think I prefer the fruit egg milk dinner to one with no carbs and just veg and protein...will be snacking on carrots with mushed avocado dip later:)...I have been enjoying my exercises and the zombie toe is no more I am struggling with the pull ups and the v sits but I believe they will improve everyone I do them. Was very good to do my sets with Vittorio on thurs evening there is nowhere to hide and a good sparring partner helps keep the tempo and energy up...important when the burn kicks in.....I am noticing some interesting changes in my body shape...for the better which is great which reminds me I need to put up the weekly photos for sash and I...I am now determined to see out the remainder of the program and really pleased that both Sasha and I have been so strict about it so far.
We indulged this afternoon in some carrot cake and although it tasted very good on the way in both of us felt fairly average afterwards..I honestly felt sick and I could have happily done without it...will do at least 100 more skips tomorrow to purge myself....I am sleeping like a log which is great but I think that feeling sick all week has not been helping my motivation, a few sessions I was wondering what the hell I was doing whereas before it was just do it and enjoying it, this is where I aim to be once the sinuses / chest etc have cleared up.
I mamnaged to do some skipping with different speeds and on both feet individually today which is refreshing change up until thi point have been doing both feet at the same time which was getting a little repititive and tiring to be honest....breaking it up seems a little easier.
Three people who i saw this week have remarked how much trimmer I am looking so I felt inwardly satisfied, it's good to get complements about ones appeareance having been for a long time the butt of too many jokes about over indulgence in food and wine,
There were all fair comments I have over enjoyed myself for the last eight years and perhaps longer just on the booze front so I keep these thoughts in my head as fuel for my motivation and it works, life is very different even after one month and with two small kids to look after Sasha and I are really stretched out to fit in the PCP but I feel this combined determination to see it out which is great, they need our energy and attention for most of the day being only two and six months but if we stick to it everyone benefits so like I said at the beginning this is about them as much as it about me and thats more than enough to keep the engine fired up,
The weekly video is spot on patrick really helpful, judging by everyones pictures in the group the results are clear for all of us to see, keep it up everyone, if anyone has any tips on v sits pls let me know, hopefully the temperature in Hk goes up next week it's cold at six am but I suppose not as cold as new England right now and it gets me moving, looking forward to seeing England put fifty points past Italy in the rugby tonight sorry Vittorio but you should really stick to football....I hopefully won't be regretting that tmrw morning....really excited for all those Egyptians viva la revolucion let's hope it spreads to some more countries in that region where tyrants have for too long ruined the lives of so many people....
Looking forward to seeing some greater definition and lean muscle mass.....in sweat, eggs and veggies we trust....adios.

have u seen the scene in ghostbusters when the guy gets slimed ?

thats how i felt this morning while skipping...there is a river of unknown substance pouring our of my nose....no way my body produces that much.....been through a box of tissues already at work and its only lunchtime....now just hot no cold ...and aching like hell....was fine on holiday sometimes i wonder whether Hong Kong is so filthy that as soon as i get back here my sinuses and eyes react to the pollution and i live permanently in a state of unhealthiness.....i am snacking on panadol / afrin and clarinase....when i hit the pillow last night i was asleep in about 25 seconds...there is some fairly intense rage burning through me at the moment so i though i would try and blog it out.....i hate feeling weak and snotty...its so boring !!!!!! any suggestions for superfoods i can hammer on my indulgence to knock this sh%t on the head NOW....

First day back

At work...did my sets at six am...was cold compared to Samui and although I was kitted up in under armour,by lunchtime I had serious cold...runny nose hot and cold sweats...light head....not the best way to get back into it.busy day too so left feeling like I had done a few rounds with iron mike....not sure whether tmrw morning is good idea but I don't like the idea of doing evenings at all...starting to notice changes in body shape a bit more which is encouraging.....I understand what patrick said about no sets should be easy but on push ups for example when in week one I could barely manage the full complement and now I can do them fine does that mean the muscles are not getting worked or surely it must be because I am stronger in those areas?...do we change the way we do the push up to make it more difficult or keep at it?
Need to say huge thanks to jen Ed Shane and Katie you know who you are for being so supportive and understanding on holiday when you all could have been so much meaner about the food requests and portion control....big question is are any of you tempted?
If anyone has any mad suggestions for breakfast I am keen to experiment....was contemplating blending carrots celery and peppers with milk and egg then pouring over porridge....any takers?
Congratulations to the packers for winning the superbowl.....cheesehead nation goes wild...
Enjoying the new exercises although I have been warned by past pcpers about the jumps and creeps that await us....I am now a leeeetle bit scared.....the zombie toe is back from the dead it ain't broken but it hurts like he'll when I skip and squat and lunge....no pain no gain...
Hoping for uptick on general well being tmrw ...keep at it team....out!

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Feeling good having come back from thailand without any indulgence at all well done sasha for sticking to it with me time to shred !!!

Back in HK

Long day started at six forty five when the boys woke up flight from Samui to Hk was fine three hours direct but the to and from airport adds another hour both ends so it's more like five and half by the time you have done check in and customs etc...quick tea for the kids unpack hit the supermarket to load up for the week....not one unnatural thing in the trolley...that felt very good by the way...actually proud of my purchases weird...did my sets between 835 and 900 pm tried to skip but the purple toe was giving me no love at all...some pain message stopping me from making one jump....will make it up with thirty mins in the pool tomorrow....Sasha did her 1050 in record time time and then did her sets finishing at nine forty five pm....really big show of determination we both could have collapsed into bed at half eight....good supper of salmon lettuce carrots and celery....don't mind not eating carbs at night at all....veggies chopped for breakfast.....kids asleep....eggs boiled....blueberries raspberries orange for snackerooooo.....down to eighty four kilos....that's three in three weeks we have said goodbye to....will put up photo tomorrow of me,the toe and the huge python that scared the living wotsits out of me on the beach in Samui....will tell more when I can keep my eyes open tomorrow......keep up the good work team would love to see some recipe ideas on the blogs guys....cheers.

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Smashed my toe against metal sofa leg yesterday woke up this morning and cannot get my trainer on ...noooooooooo fly back to hk today so will retry later will tape it and do those skips on one leg if I have to...I think it may be broken bcos I caanot bend it....thinking cortisone injections or just slicing it off....won't give up now no way in hell!!

Food glorious food

Apples bananas pineapple mango papaya oranges limes lemons blueberries raspberries blackberries kiwis grapes pomelo coconut tomatoes avocados corn onions celery carrots peppers chilli broccoli lettuce cauliflower potatoes chicken eggs fish beef oats cereal brown rice with jasmine wholeweat pasta wholewheat bread....
Top recipes so far:
Breakfast- wholewheat toast/poached egg/tomatoes carrots and celery / chilli garlic and lime blend dripped on top of the toast tomatoes and chopped up egg...carrots and celery on the side washed down with ice cold milk...BOOM.
Lunch- brown rice with some of the same chilli garlic lime from above/steamed baby corn broccoli snap peas and carrots / pan fried snapper no oil...
Both fruit snacks- banana pomelo pineapple mango papaya apple in any combination.
Dinner- brown rice/roasted peppers/salmon steaks-drizzle of balsamic and lemon.
A delicious fruit snack in the evening is blueberries raspberries banana with orange and lime squeezed on top....light tangy and full of goodness.
Stuff dreams are made of:)

The day today

PCP from seven till eight am ...in the pool from nine till ten with the kids...eleven till twelve feeding elephants the boys absolutely loved it got some great video...thirty minute nap before lunch..three till five digging pools trenches and canals on the beach then built huge bonfire which is burning in front of me now at seven thirty, five till six playing tennis six till seven roasting marshmallows for the boys while listening to the beach boys....watch the sun go down with my boy Rafa...priceless, shower, blog, dinner stars are out so will watch those for an hour by the beach fire before bed, a great day, PCP really sets me up for a fun filled energetic day, feeling a little hungry right at the end of the break between fruit snacks and proper meals but I guess that's normal,quite a lot aches at the moment but it's mind over matter and I keep reminding myself of the goal.....get fit,get healthy eat properly,work harder enjoy the benefits of feeling ten years younger, love life my wife and my kids and look SMOKING on the beach this summer:)....from a sun kissed Samui by the fire....a bientot.

Unwinding

First day of the holiday that I snuck in a nap at lunchtime just for twenty mins...felt not great afterwards,really starting to unwind here which is lovely but trying hard not to drop the intensity of my sets, I think the lack of sugar and maybe more importantly salt is giving me a dull headache, I am drinking a lot of water but I am really sweating hard by the end of my workout, doing it from seven till eight in the morning and it's still WARM....
On a list of my most favorite foods glass noodle salad black pepper prawns and Thai green curry are probably all in the top ten....I am resilient but it's tougher than I thought...in holidays past I would have eaten these three everyday all week....I am pleasantly surprised at my dedication however and the fact that Sasha is here with me and sticking to her program and diet as well is a huge support and motivation for me so big thanks to my amazing wife...I think her day 16 photo was brilliant you look amazing already my love keep it going....my hamstrings are a little tight but I think the heat may be allowing me to overextend and then they stiffen up afterwards.....keep up the good work team stick to your guns and keep the blogging up it is by far and away the best motivational tool knowing you are all going through it as well...as the sun goes down over the andaman sea I wish you all strength and perseverance on this PCP!!!!

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Buenas dias

PCP from thailand

Here in koh samui for a week with the family and some friends who have four little boys, mad busy day butterfly farm,pool beach frisbee general mayhem did my sets this morning after funny night of baby interrupted sleep, was twenty nine degrees ninety nine percent humidity so heavy sweat by the second hundred jumps, did my incline chin ups on the back of a jeep bumper no chin up bar felt good to keep at it on first day of holiday would not have been so dedicated if I was on my own sasha doing a lot better with the skipping which is great I think leather skip rope is on shopping list for when we get back to Hk one of our friends Ed brought his skip rope with him so we kicked off the day with some group jumping.
Sticking to the food plan is tough with all the curries pad Thai and spring rolls on offer...got our brown rice with jasmine from the supermarket and fruit snacks are mango papaya melon yuuuuuum....will post my weekly photo later or tomorrow....going to get up e a r l y tomorrow to beat the heat...keep up the good work team....hast a luego

FIRST DAY OF PCP - AIMING TO BE 10KGS LIGHTER AND HITTING THE BALL 50 YARDS FURTHER BY DAY 90.....SWING BATTER BATTER SWIIIIIIIIIIING !

running late

have been doing my sets at 6am hit the dismiss buton on the alarm this morning and started at 6.30...not good...skipped like maniac...didnt really rest between sets...was doing squats/pushups as combination instead of breaking...rushed my breakfast not great veggies in the taxi....120 grams of cornflakes is a mountain im not sure its right but then if i had the milk to the cornaflakes i will just have milk and three cornflakes...confusing....any advice there would be great....might just do toast with avocado/tomato/egg/chilli a little spicy superfood bomb to get me going....bed earlier is key as well didnt feel good getting up this morning after crashing at 11pm last night....tons of energy at the moment which is good hope it continues as work is busy and i am enjoying the tightness of all my muscle groups.....onwards and upwards !!!

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Everything goes through me now amigo...it aint weighed it aint going in!

RESPECT

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_sp_ot/us_obit_jack_lalanne
..may he rest in peace....1000 push ups in 23 mins at age 47 !!!...brown rice/wholewheat/vegetables....done/ done and done....dont need any more motivation than that....porridge / eggs / celery / carrots / milk for breakfast...tuna/wholewheat pasta / more celery and carrots for lunch...crunchy / fresh / colourful...and tasty as :)....
as our little boy likes to say GO GO GO!!!

6.30am sets

Completely different day after that, will continue to do them in the morning from now on, allows plenty of time in the evening to sort out next days food, porridge oats/celery/eggs/carrots/milk for breakfast....super fuel for peak performance:)...can't say I dislike it at the moment....week 2photo coming up...hope everyone enjoyed the weekend keep up the hard work.

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New week new diet new dawn

Really pleasantly surprised with the quantity of my food, a small moment whilst eating brocolli for breakfast washed down with egg and muesli....I know there is method to this madness, did my sets at lunchtime good to get the resistance bands going to work on other muscle groups busy afternoon with the kids but glad the exercises are in the tin and I can put my feet up tonight....wondering whether I can blend the cereal, egg, milk and veg to make breakfast super food!!! Really appreciate the comments and support on the blog...looking forward to my next set, watching the oz open tennis while the brown rice simmers in the kitchen..vamos Rafa!

New year...new project...

New season of American idol...new season of glee....should keep us entertained thru the tough nights of PCP to come....bouncing into the year of the rabbit...it's a new state of mind ! Looking forward to new week already.

I wonder what happened to my stomach muscles

Sit ups today were not a joke...had to use legs,neck and back to get myself off the floor, can i really be that weak, enjoying the jump rope push ups and leg exercises though...looking forward to changing my diet and building up some washboard abs...so far so good....

Push up bars

Make a big difference doing push ups....aiming to kick start the 6am workouts from Saturday onwards. I am not the best morning person...patrick any super snack I can look forward to to lessen the effect of getting out of bed that early :)...prefer leg ups to sit ups by a factor of ten at least..bonne nuit.

Evening sets

The pain from yesterday subsided as I got into my routine, hoping tmrw the sinews don't ache twice as much...plenty of temptation from my "friends" at work with chocolate biscuits and cookies...could be a long ninety days with that going on....feel good about doing the work...keep the goal in my head....I like the fact it needs working on everyday...mañana.

MORNING OF DAY 3

The muscle fiber in my legs is screaming at me this morning...trying to work out whether its better to get up at 6 to do my exercises or do it in the evening and risk the post work battle of not having the drive to crush my sets....for some reason amazon wont ship resistance bands with door anchors to HK.....urgh...sort of feeling hungry....

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first day

Up at 630 for golf in china back home at 745 a four lane highway became 9 lanes due to accident in shenzhen free for all,
Did my sets in 20mins won't jumprope in barefeet again almost lost tow toes! Half dinner now and bed...good day to start!

the night before the 90days

Feels like the night before a big rugby match at school 80 percent excited 20 percent nervous :) really can't wait to get into it...awaiting instructions captain patrick....