Week 5 Weigh-In: No News is good News

There's no change from last week; am still 73.5kg.

I was expecting a slight gain this week, so I'm quite relieved there's no change. With the carb loading and refueling during the 10k race prep and aftermath, and then a friend visiting me during which I partied a bit much, I was worried about this week's weigh-in. 

I think I countered those days well enough with my past  few low cal days, so I'm content with today's result.

However, I'm hoping for 72kg next week, so no messing around!

First 10k Run Complete!

I finally completed my first 10k run! My time was 1:04:33. I was aiming for under an hour, but hey, it's my personal best and I can only improve on it now.

I was super nervous beforehand, and was worried how much slower I would be than others and if I would cramp up and not finish the race.

However, it was EASY. The one thing I realized is your performance does not depend on race day, but rather in your preparation.


I was ready for this run, and that's why it was so easy for me. Not once did I want to stop, not once did I think about quitting. Because I knew I had already done this in my training, so there was no excuse for me to not complete this run.

Always be ready. Put in the work. Because that is what matters. That is the real test. The test of your discipline, your commitment. Reaching your goal is just the inevitable outcome.

"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road - long before I dance under those lights." - Muhammad Ali

Week 4 Weigh-In: Success!

Weighed in first thing this morning. Am 73.5kg. Lost roughly 1.5kg! This is definitely due to readjusting my TDEE. Also, I have only been doing cardio (running) this week, in preparation for tomorrow's 10k race.

I will be back on Arnel's program after the weekend.

Today I must carb-load for tomorrows run. Hopefully I don't stray too far from my TDEE.

I'll update my 10k result tomorrow. Am hoping to make it sub-1 hour, but won't be bummed if that doesn't happen, since this is my first official run.

Gym Musing: Me, Myself & I

One way I motivate myself is by thinking of myself as three people. There is your past self, your future self, and of course your present.

Your look at your future self as your goal. The person you want to become. That's pretty straightforward.

Your past self is the most important for your motivation. You must look at all you've been through. Picture him or her. All the hard work and accomplishments, all the strenuous workouts, and also all the downfalls. The blood sweat and tears. Picture him or her looking back at you. Really put yourself in his or her shoes. See the dreams he or she was seeing. Absorb that emotional blackmail. Look in the mirror and ask your present self, don't you owe your past to continue at full throttle?

Step into the gym and fulfill those dreams. You owe it to yourself not to give up on you now.

There are many speeches and quotes that if you listen to them again with this new perspective, they will give you some new-found insight and renewed motivation.

And example is Al Pacino's famous speech in the movie 'Any Given Sunday'. Watch it with the above approach in mind. (Picture Al Pacino as your future self (who has failed his goals, but is more knowledgeable now because of it) looking back at the past and giving this speech to you. The team receiving this speech is made up of your past, present, and future selves who must rely on one another to accomplish the common goal.)

Week 3 Weigh-In

75kg. No change from last week. Muscle gain might still be the reason, but I have decided to recalculate my TDEE and readjust my calorie intake in case this is the culprit.

I have also decided to participate in the 10k Road Race of the Dubai Marathon next Friday. This will be my first 10k. Time to overcome my fear. I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time. I've only run 10k twice in the past, and that too only on a treadmill (1st run was 1:20, 2nd run time was 1:06). I'm aiming to be around the 1:15 mark for this run. Hoping for the best.

Gym Musing: Make It Personal

In order to not only be motivated, but also stay motivated, you must discover and establish a solid reason for doing so.

This reason (or reasons) must be your own. They must be personal to you, otherwise you will most likely quit down the line.

The reason might be health related, a romantic interest (or interests), greater self-esteem and confidence, etc.

I feel I have only just now discovered my reason. Initially it was weight loss, which then turned into overall fitness and sex appeal, which then turned into wanting better health. But now I have found what keeps me motivated is the need for feeling happier, naturally, without relying on external influences and substances such as alcohol, etc. 

I have been suffering from mild to medium (and occasionally severe) depression and anxiety for over 10 years. It comes and it goes. If I have a late night of drinking, I am completely depleted of dopamine the next day and feeling extremely down. The same thing (though slightly less severe) happens if I am not regularly working out or have skipped a few days of exercise. However, when I am exercising, I am always on a high during those days.

I suppose this chemical balance that causes depression and anxiety is a blessing and not a curse. Just as for other's who get high off an adrenaline rush, which motivates them to push themselves. What better motivation for getting regular exercise? I must exercise to remain happy, thanks to endorphins.  This need drives me in the gym. When I need to push that final rep, to complete that last kilometer. I know I will never stop, because I have been to the dark empty pit that saps my will, my focus, my happiness; and I never want to go there again. Exercise keeps me up here.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his speech at University of California, stated: "What is most important is that you have to dig deep down; dig deep down, and ask yourselves: 'Who do you want to be. Not what, but who. I'm talking about not what your parents or teachers want you to be, but you. I'm talking about figuring out for yourself, what makes you happy, no matter how crazy it may sound to other people."

Even though he meant it more as a life lesson, I feel the core message can be applied to your fitness motivation also, which is that you must ask yourself why you are doing what you are doing. Hence, you must find what really drives you, regardless of what drives others. Make it personal.

Week 2 Weigh-in

Weight today is 75kg. It's the same as last week.

Two possible reasons for this:

Had a couple of cheat meals with a friend who was visiting from out of town and also went on a camping/hiking trip with a few people where I ended up indulging in quite a few Snicker's bars. However, I'm sure I balanced out my calories for each day, regardless.

The other possibility is I may have gained muscle due to completion of Arnel's week 2 of resistance training. It is really kicking my butt; the exercises are strenuous.

A caliper test would give me more accurate results, but even though I own one, I am unable to use it properly.

Overall, I'm content with my results, since just by looking at my physique today I could tell my waist has lessened slightly and my arms look more muscular.

I may incorporate an additional test next week, where I try on previously tight clothes and see if there's any difference. I've found that method to be the most accurate, practical, and motivational as well.

Gym Musing: The Body's Power to Heal

I remember the time I dislocated my shoulder about four years ago; the excruciating pain. When moving it even a millimeter hurt really bad. I remember thinking at the time that I would never recover from such a terrible injury.

Then, slowly and steadily it healed. I was sternly told by my physician to consistently follow certain small exercises; otherwise there was a greater chance of dislocation in the future. It took some tremendous persistence, patience, and at times, frustration getting through those painful exercises. But I followed his instructions to the letter.

Now, that same arm does pull ups, push ups, and everything else it could previously do, and actually even more so than it ever did before.

That is the power of your body. Whether you believe in God, or in mother nature, or in pure science. The fact is, your body has capabilities beyond your imagination. It has a tremendous capacity to heal. You just have to push it. You have to slightly injure it, give it a reason to become better. And it will listen. Like the legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi once said: “The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.”

And Arnold Schwarzenegger also mentions: "The body is very important, but the mind is more important than the body. Because that creates the will, the will that you need to go to the gym everyday. The will that makes you go beyond if you can’t do another rep. It’s the will that makes you go one more time."

Believe. Achieve.

Week 1 Weigh-in

Weigh in after one week:  75kg. One kg down!

Arnel's first week program was hell. And it's only getting tougher. The exercises and supersets change weekly, and they're gradually getting more difficult.

The sprinting at the end is killer, but crucial. The treadmills in my gym give me an 'overload' error and stop working if I try sprinting over 13km/h. Hence, I do 'suicides', which involves sprinting from one end of the room to the other (about 6 or 7 meters) and back. I do this for 20 seconds, then walk for 30-40, then repeat  five more times. I can barely breathe after the last one.