August - My 1st Year Anniversary

After riding 24 kms on Aug. 3rd.

Well, hello hello my dear readers! Thank you for the wonderful feedback I get from all of you. Without you, chances are that I would have given up a long time ago. As you can imagine, with any long journey, one has to talk to the next passenger! Before you know it, you've arrived at your destination. Last year August feels like just the other day! So now, I must say I have been encouraged by most of you over the past one year and your comments, emails, texts messages, facebook messages and above all your love for me has made me want to become a better person. And you are one of the many reasons why I started blogging about my weight loss journey amongst other things. 

 

I know how difficult it is to speak about that white elephant in the room. Most people would rather not talk about fatness, weight issues, bulkiness, physical appearance and it is one of those things that one would rather not talk about. But I decided to come out and just speak about it. Speak about me. Because, when I meet you on the streets and you tell me that now you are going to the gym because of what you read on my blog, I feel very elated. When I meet strangers out there who recognize me and who ask me about my blog and how they can start on this journey too, I feel blessed. When serious [smile] organizations and the media start seeking me for interviews so that they can encourage other people with my story, I sleep knowing that I've made some difference in one person's life. Which was my mission from the beginning. That all I need is to reach out to just one person, that is all I care about.  So a big thank you to all of you.

 

This is a special month for me. It is the month I celebrate one year of dedicated and meaningful exercise regime. It has been a long road since the August 2010. I've been in pain, I've gotten injuries, twisted ankles, pulled hamstrings,  knee snaps, bleeding knees, headaches, backaches, sore soles, running noses and just name anything that might go hand in hand with such a rigorous regime and chances are that I have suffered all of them. But the good news is that I emerged a winner. Having partly won over the battle with my laid back lifestyle. I say partly because I am not yet there. I have about 13.9 kilograms to go.  Well, I gave myself a target of total weight loss of 40kgs by December of 2011. [Check out my weight tracker here]. In the last one month my weight has plateaued. Now this is the second time in the past one year that this is happening and boy ain't it crazy. Crazy because I am doing everything by the book, I exercise as I should, I eat as I should, but nothing happening. Well it is said that the last kilos in any program are usually the hardest to lose. However, I've come from far and this will not deter me. I am now more determined than ever to do this. 

My ever faithful cross-trainer.

So, I gave myself a challenge to see whether I can get the scales moving again. To celebrate my one year of this journey, instead of buying myself the biggest bar of chocolate there ever was, I decided to embark on a daily challenge. See, I own this cross trainer, that I keep looking at when I'm relaxing at home that I do not put into so much use. Like I know many of us own such gadgets that have been turned to clothes and handbag hangers. Most of the manufacturing companies just shudder to imagine what else we do with these machines. I placed mine right in my line of sight so that I cannot ignore it but use it. But believe you me, I ignore it most of the days. My challenge and gift this anniversary is that in addition to my one and a half hour work out sessions in the morning, I will endevour to work out on this cross-trainer every day in the evening or when I find time in the course of the day but throughout the month of August as a gift to myself. I know, I know, you are just asking yourself, what a gift! Yes, when you are trying to lose weight this is how weird you can become at times. So to keep myself in check, I also decided to record every day's readings and see what happens to the weighing scale end of August.

So my readings [as per the settings on the cross trainer] are thus so far:

 

1 Aug. 

Time: 60 Mins 

Kms: 21.74  kms

Calories burned: 326.2 calories

2 Aug.

Time: 61 Mins

Kms: 23.1 Kms

Calories Burned: 346.5 Calories

3 Aug.

Time: 61 Mins

Kms: 24.02 Kms

Caloried Burned: 360.03 Calories

So I can't wait to tell you about my subsequent conquests. I know it's not gonna be easy, but with your support, I will make it to the end of the month.

So I welcome you to help me celebrate my 1 year anniversary this whole August! I hope you can join me wherever you are and we see what happens.

Salute!

Lots of Love

dn