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.