Wooooaaahhhh, we're halfway there...
WOOOOAAAHHH, LIVING ON A high protein, high carb, diet is proving to be an effective, albeit monotonous lifestyle choice. After my last post, I was flooded with suggestions on how to make sweet potatoes more interesting, for which I must thank my readers. Paprika has worked a charm, making my lunch breaks slightly more enjoyable.
However, the nutrition remains the most time consuming and dull aspect of the entire regime. Never have I had to spend so much of my free time cooking, storing, freezing and defrosting boxes of the same meal. "What's for lunch today, Reubs?", my colleagues will ask. "The same as yesterday, my friend, and the day before that: chicken, rice, and green vegetables." "Gains," they reply. Yes, I think to myself, it's all in the name of gains.
And the gains maintain on track. I've gained 6kg in the past six weeks and people are - I hope not sarcastically - pointing out small differences that they've noticed. Slightly broader shoulders, slightly bigger arms. And that's enough to make me not want to pack it all in.
I also have two holidays booked in October, too, just after this process finishes. Those trips away, to Valencia and Marrakesh, are acting as an extra source of motivation. One of the main reasons that I chose to do this was to make myself feel more comfortable in those poolside situations when it's almost obligatory to be half-naked. With that sort of time-bound goal set in my mind, I will hopefully not slack off too much in the gym, where it can be very tempting to do the bare minimum.
My personal trainer at
Ultimate Performance gave me a piece of advice that stuck in my head. "Every rep counts," he said, as the intensity of my reps began to wane during a particularly gruelling set. It's not particularly groundbreaking advice, admittedly, but it's true, and it stops me from cutting a set short. If I do a rep half-arsed, I make myself do a 13th to make up for it.
As I've said before, the exercise is the fun bit, except for the seated row. The seated row can fuck off. But it's not all about working the glamour muscles, as much as I would like to focus on bis, tris and chest, if GCSE PE taught me anything it's that core strength is just as important.
Now that I am halfway through the transformation process and I am more or less on track, I am anticipating a less stressful second half to it. I'm used to the routine, enjoying the exercise, just about managing to get as many calories as possible down, and content with the results.
