Day One - 106 kilos and 4km is enough!

4km run, 1 set sit-ups

I came back from a world tour on 19th March 2010 (the book of the tour is available here). At that time, I was 96 kilos and relatively fit, thanks to plenty of walking and running on the way, helped by fellow traveler Nicki. She’s one of those people who needs to exercise at least every couple of days or she doesn’t feel good, so I was in good company to have a consistent exercise pattern for a long period.

In the subsequent 3 months, everything has gone to pot. My diet has been rubbish and my exercise regime virtually non-existent. But I have reached a point where I say “it’s enough now!”.

Why now? I am not sure. Maybe it’s the way that my stomach is bigger than I have ever seen it. Or maybe it’s the generally lethargic feeling I have most of the time.

Or even it might be that my body actually recognizes that I do need to get my arse in gear or it’s downhill from here on out. After all, I’m 43 (bloody hell, writing that number is a genuine surprise!) It’s not ever going to get easier to lose weight, so if I carry on like this, I’ll be in trouble.

Here’s the current reality. I weigh around 106 kilos, and have just come back from a 4km run which was the maximum I could do without damaging my exercise-starved limbs. My running tops are all too small for me to wear and the one I did stretch over my belly made me look what I am – a middle-aged fat bloke. When I put on my running shorts, the gentle tearing sound of a few stitches being de-stapled made me check whether I was pushing this particular envelope – the one surrounding my fat butt – a little too far.

It’s amazing how far downhill I’ve gone, even for me who has been responsible for it! 10 years ago, I began running again in earnest and in the following years managed to keep going reasonably regularly. I progressed from a couple of 10km runs to my first half-marathon in May 2004, followed by another four half's, the last of which was in May 2006. I also ran the Dam to Dam (16km) in September 2006 and 2007. Since then, I’ve signed up for various 10km runs and half-marathons – mostly intended to give me motivation to get moving - but completed only a couple of the 10Ks.

But that’s the past. One of my main principles is –

“It doesn’t matter where you’re coming from - what matters is where you’re going.” 

And where I’m going is back to fitness and health.

How am I going to do it? By exercising every day, with a goal in mind on October 17th. And by writing about it, to make it real and to put some virtual and actual pressure on myself. More about the goals and my recipe for regaining my fitness in the following postings…