Forty+ fitness for the future

I'd been floating around all winter. Well for a couple of years really. Eating numerous treats to calm my nerves irritated by the demands of family, work and lack of riding and the  demands of a new born too I suppose. I even developed Shingles during this period.

I was/am forty unfit, fat, and 'fraid of the future ( actually worried a little about my girls and me heart)

About 4 weeks before Christmas I picked up a copy of Mens Fitness mag.

My weight had reached 95kg and I felt bloated. My gut was in the way when I sat down, and I just looked pudgey. The magazine had some timely advice and most importantly it flagged an achievable short term goal. 7kg in 3 weeks via a fairly restrictive diet.

Well I didn't follow it exactly, but closely. It demanded 5 litres of water a day, I got to about 3. I made some mistakes not reading it carefully enough, cheated just a bit, and swapped approximately equal foods to fit in with family life. Though my wife was awesomely supportive.

I managed to shed 5 kg in 3 weeks and have held it off. 7kg in 5 weeks. 5kg to go and out of the diet zone. The diet taught me a bit on managing carbs carefully, portion control, using protein and keeping the metabolism going, and helped me develop some will power.

Lost 6cm of my gut and feel much stronger on my rides - people pay thousands to lose a few grams off their bikes- I've lost7kg!! ( more than half a bike for some!)

This is a link from the us mag 2002 that was regurgitated in the 2010 Australian Mag.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_10_18/ai_91752425

I am now adding more exercise, mostly skipping, body-weight exercises and a small amount of barbell and dumbbell work in the vein of kettle-bell workouts. These workouts are designed to increase the metabolism for hours and burn fat.

Time as ever is the enemy- as is motivation on occasion, will post some workouts and thoughts another time soon.

First Blog - hey don't expect too much

This is going to be a bit of a diary, a rant, some deep thinking and some shallow thinking. I will add to my profile eventually.

I am married and the father of two girls who keep me occupied, and a home owner that keeps me broke. ( aside from my own frivolity).

The things I like are bikes, fitness, outdoors, gadgets, philosophy, religion - if not religiousness, and photography, all of  which I am okay at but don't know a lot about.

So why am I blogging - well to track my own thoughts on fitness, bikes, and philosophy. Record successes and developments and analyze failures.

My goals are to get fitter, ride more, bike less, develop my career or business and be a better husband and father. All of which play off against each other for my time and attention.

So to anyone who reads this welcome.

Bikes - I have too many ,but yet crave more not to ride necessarily but to admire. Though always would like the " right" bike for the ride. Instead of having one bike, where the right bike is the one you have. This has led me to the conclusion that choice creates stress, a theme across many lives in this day and age.

I use the example where I come to you and say " Congratulations you've won an all expenses paid trip to Italy" versus Congratulations, you've won a trip to the value of $5000 dollars, where would you like to go?" 

here ends blog one!