Resolutions 2014

Probably, For the first time I have decided to pen down blog my New Year resolutions. I intend to adhere to them this time so what better way than to make them public and face ridicule if I failed ignored these.

1. Learn Rope Skipping.
   
   No, I do not know this basic kindergarten fun-activity - it is supposed to be great for coordination and cardiovascular fitness, and being a klutz I hope the benefits will carry over to other activities as well.
2. Learn to Punch.
   
   Practiced Goju Ryu for some time, but didn't quite learn to punch correctly, At best my punches were heavy push punches. This year I will learn to punch correctly - in the correct explosive fashion.
3. Learn Olympic Lifts - Clean & Jerk and Snatch.
   
4. I have been above average in push strength but when it comes to power - rapid strength deployment (a recurring theme), I have been sub- par so I hope to change this too.
5. Get my Resting Heart Rate (RHR) to below 70 60 . I always wanted to be fit , while there are several ways of measuring fitness, I feel RHR is the unequivocal measure, I initially set met RHR goal at 70 but I realised that I was already in that range (67-68) so if I  made some improvements it would have to be in sub-60 range .
6. Get my Body Fat Percentage (BFP) to below 20 %. If I succeed in number 4, this will be an automatic but I have not seen this BFP for years now so am eagerly looking fwd to it.
7. Learn Suryanamaskar (sun salutation).
   

Seems a simple movement but currently in my stasis I have been unable to learn it, Aim being to complete 18 cycles in good form without cursing the...
Nothing else comes to mind right now and these seem to be handful.

Dietary Enemies : Food porn & Social pressure

In April 13 I finally introduced sanity into my dietary habit,
I cut down on sugar, alcohol, rice, flour and derivatives.
I started eating typical Indian salad and chicken two-three times a day; to satiate the sweet craving I started taking cold coffee and/or protein shake with sucralose with the meals.
Stuck to this diet till July lost about 15 kg down to 96kg from 111kg.
Then...plateau...cheating...plateau...more cheating...
Sure I am the culprit...
But I'd share a part of it with the rampant food porn on the TV,  print...

'How to Cook' shows,
Reality shows on cookery,
Travel shows on cookery,
Advertisements showcasing Chips, chocolates, cakes, sodas, oils, flour, meals ready to eat,  jams, Restaurants , pizza, burger, sandwiches.......
High time we had statuary warning on all such products - 'Warning : Consumption may cause obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, and may kill you'

The second bugbear is social, peer & better half... pressure,...
Come over for dinner, (why not a hike or a jog or a workout if you are 'real' friends)
Bhai saab ek roti/ thoda aur.
Ek jalebi se kuch nahin hota,
Daaru / chai to sirf paani hai,
Birthday cake hai khana padega
Maine kitne pyaar se banaya hai,
Waste ho jayega, tum khatam kar do please .
... and my favourite - Khalo-2 (this is a personal bugbear)

Had enough of the c ...
Back to basics, now I'm back to being my sullen, solitary, carnivorous self. Dropped a kilo already....

Good times, Times, Great times

Last year (2012) was pretty good for me as far strength was concerned. I lifted and lifted with a plan so for my 36th B'day in August I was the strongest I have ever been. I could deadlift 160kg, press 70 kg, bench press 105 for 5 reps, Squat 115 for 5 reps. Doesn't seem much when you compare with power lifters but for me it was a big ego booster, and one of these days I did 5 pullups at 102-105 kg. Yes I was obese but I could lift and I had 16.5"arms, I moved around like a bull (handsome one though).

In September 12 I realised that my knees & elbows ached, so I switched over from 5x5/3x5 protocol to Dan John/Pavel's 40 days Easy Strength protocol and generally took it easy. I shifted from Jabalpur to Hisar in February 13 (livelihood reasons).

Now instead of picking up from where I left off, I wasted away and my weight skyrocketed to 111kg. Tying shoelaces became an exercise in itself. Doctor advised bariatric surgery. I didn't really relish the idea of doctors chopping away parts of me, so after years of neglect I finally decided to give dietary changes a chance.

In the past I had tried tried out GM diet, low Cal diet but this time I needed something long term. So the primary change I made was - no simple carbohydrates. So no sugar, no sugar products, no rice, no potatoes, no flour products. I eat vegetables, meats, eggs, milk, curd, coffee and artificial sweeteners (sorry naysayers I am not an ascetic, I don't intend to be an ascetic, all I want to be healthy and fit).

It seemingly works; I am down to 103kg. I actually need to lose about 30kg before I can fit into my size 32(yes I once wore them) Levis jeans. I would be very happy to get into my size 34 pants or infact anything which is below 40. I actually intended to follow the Carb Nite protocol, however social obligations and my weak will did mess that up on certain occasions.

Losing weight after being obese, and wasting money on charlatans like VLCC is a big plus but since I am not training not even working out I am weak, weak as a wimp. Today I tried to lifts Bailey jack; couldn't budge it beyond waist. Yesterday I tried to hang from a bar and realised I am officially a sissy.

Now I have to make up goals and reinvent myself.
These are the fitness goals I have for myself:-
1. Reduce my weight to 73kg
2. Do the following Lifts
    Front Squat, Clean, Push press - 100kg
 .  Squat- 140kg
    Deadlift - 190kg
    Press - 85kg (I actually want to press 100kg but first things first)
    Learn and practice - Snatch, Clean & Jerk
3. Run the following
   Mile and half in 12 minutes
   5k or three mile race in 28 minutes
4. Do with a 20kg kettlebell swings in Tabata protocol without wishing I was dead.
5. Build up muscle mass, I really loved it when arms didn't fit in my shirt sleeves.

When we do that those will be Great times- timeline August 13 is a few months away, I will be halfway there by that time (ideally I would have liked to achieve all my goals but then I would need Gods by my side, considering that I am neither a saint nor a genius fiend chances of that happening are slightly bleak). I would be grateful for moral support though...