The Final Post!

I’m a little teary about this being my last post. I was even a little nostalgic doing my last work out on Sunday so I put on a yellow t-shirt in homage to my ‘jump rope for heart’ school days.

I’ve needed a few days for all those endorphins to wear off so I can write something cohesive without punctuating every sentence with “Good job! Woo! [air punch]” or any other motivational outbursts I have found myself becoming somewhat inclined to these last few months. So (deep breath) here goes… These last 3 months have been among the most intense in my life. I don’t think I have been this committed to physical exercise – ever! However, I have also been incredibly fortunate to have gone through all this with a fantastic group. Guys you are truly an amazing bunch of individuals – THANKS Everyone!

Of course particular mention must go to Patrick and Chen (you man of mystery – reveal yourself! Any chance you can cameo in Patrick’s last weekly video? Come on, not even a walk on part?) for completely changing the way I think about diet and exercise and for making me a tad (just a tad) less cynical. Looking back over my posts I do note a hint of growing sentimentalism…maybe she’ll stick around for a while. I hope so. Indeed your workouts border on sadistic at times but they are effective and we are all walking proof of that. A huge thanks as well to the PCP ladies – Yeeman, Kristi, Shirley, Helen – for your ever entertaining blogs, comments and support. Please keep in touch! You’re all extraordinary and strong women and now look absolutely traffic stoppingly amazing. Meow! Gilles, thanks for kicking me out of bed every morning to make me face another PCP day, for putting up with all the impossible moods and keeping my spirits up and for being such a maestro in the kitchen. I won’t go on or you’ll get a big head (to match your new chest measurements). Oh god, something tells me I am going to be hearing about this outburst of gratitude for the rest of my life – “remember when you posted blah blah blah…” maybe the internet will be obsolete by then…

So here are the before and after photos:

ugh wide load, bloated and lethargic - Week 1

Day 91

And the regulation clothing shots:

I also retook my banner shots to see if there would be any difference come day 90….

 

My new stiletto legs!!

Now for a few little tid bits from my post-PCP life

1. 3kgs – The average amount of yoghurt consumed by Gilles and I in one week. I have now tried every available brand out there in HK and the BEST hands down is ‘Farmers Union Greek Style’ – be still my beating heart….YUM! I would choose you over ice cream any day.

2. I am no longer a social pariah. People are inviting me out again! However…

3. PCP has killed my alcohol tolerance – not that it was massive before but now I literally sniff wine and fall down. Great…au revoir social kudos.

4. My 2003 jeans fit me again!!! Woohoooo this is a major triumph. Why buy news jeans when I can fit into old ones.

5. Eggs and vegetables are my new breakfast…

6. Avocados – Our fruit bowl is now heaped full of them. Anything to avoid another encounter with Gilles without his morning avocado...

7. More vegetables and seafood – never would have thought I would crave these two things and yet the impossible has happened. Dinners at home look less like spag bol and now look like this (that was a celebratory wine btw…)

8. Snap out of it! Nothing gets me out of a bad mood quicker than exercise.10 mins skipping or a 30mins run isn’t a big deal at all. I will do everything humanly possible to keep up the exercise if only to avoid having to do the last 3 months again – ever!! Not only do I feel annoyingly energised but I haven’t been sick once during the program.

9. Running (wo)man – I discovered running by default when my legs launched a revolt against the skipping and it’s just what I need to clear all the junk out of my cluttered head. I’m not signing up for any marathons but never in a million years did I see this one coming.

10. I still and will always despise lunges….Even when I did the Day 11 workout on Day 90 I was cursing them.

11. 8mins abs – here to stay. Locked into my favourites on youtube.

12. I am flexible again! I haven’t been able to stretch like this since I was 19.

13. A mini health revolution – without even mentioning PCP, friends and colleagues have noticed I have changed my eating habits and look different and it’s having a knock on effect.

14. I love to blog! What to do when I can no longer ‘blog it out’?? Currently plotting my next blogging adventure…

Without a shadow on my conscious I am proud to say I did this - from beginning to end. The original goal was to get fit for my wedding which is now in only 5 weeks but predictably it has become about so much more (specifically - more cash since I now need to get my dress resized…ha!!).

Patrick and Chen your program is tough and unforgiving but it works and has changed my life. There were times when I cursed you both out loud and wanted to crawl up in a ball and give up in a blaze of Doritos but in hindsight I am so glad I didn’t. I love my new positive frame of mind and feel great in my new strong body. I needed a swift health kick up the bum to get me motivated and feeling good about myself again and this most certainly was it. Domo Arigatou Gozaimasu!!! m(_ _)m

Congratulations everyone!! I hope you all go out and celebrate in a manner befitting this most awesome achievement. Good Luck!

Patrick - how about golden jump ropes for each of us graduates?

Tanya x

Day 91 - New beginnings (but not for the next 3 days....)

I'm still having a tough time letting it sink in. Are we really past the day 90 mark? Last week was a complete blur. Literally all the elements of the universe coverged to make what was probably THE most hectic week of my life and of course it had to be the last week of PCP - I guess somebody or something out there really wanted to test me. BUT I survived so if I can handle last week I can handle anything!!

Pics and final thoughts will be posted in my final blog in the next day or two but before then I just wanted to wish everyone a very heartfelt congratulations!!! It has been TOUGH  and emotional to say the least (and I have at times acted like a complete maniac) but how amazing that we all made it. I am completely elated (and so mightily proud of myself I must say...), everything seems to be falling into place and it's because the last 3 months have helped to put everything in perspective.

I admit I was anxious about not exercising for a few days but that lasted about a minute before I broke out in a celebratory dance. Not to mention the timing couldn't be better - I have friends arriving tomorrow and even though I won't be hitting the booze or gorging myself sick anymore it will be nice to rejoin the land of people where I don't have to decline an invitation and hence constantly convince everyone I am not fostering an eating disorder!! That's right people, you can lose weight healthily (it just takes a hell of a lot of hard work).

Day 45ers hang in there - you are doing tremendously and you will see how much it will be worth it once you come out of the other end. It really is life changing. OK so for what is not a last post this has become just a touch reflective and big picture so I guess the good news is that there'll be less of my musings in my next post!

BRAVO Everyone!!!! Now for the encore?

Day 84 - The stranded skipper

Our last PCP-lite day before the supersets start. I was planning to come straight home after work and do my skips in the park however, the weather had other plans and it started raining so I ended up at the gym instead. Unexpectedly here is part 2 of my gym observation - gyms are so bloody crowded!!!!! Do you think I could find a decent enough square of space where I should skip for 18 minutes and not hit anyone in the head. Nope. Impossible. Everywhere I looked someone was spread out on a a mat or crouched in deep conversation with a personal trainer. The boxing ring offered no possibilities either and the studios were packed with people spinning or engaged in some form of slo-mo calisthenics. Seriously?? You have got to be kidding me. I pay x amount a month to not even be able to find a measly patch of floor on which to skip? So I vote for a skipping zone in gyms. That's right enter and be whipped in the head at your own risk.

Off to a bad start, I decided to run instead, fine, I have confessed to enjoying running except - I forgot my headphones. No problem, I'll just borrow a pair - think again. I was informed I would have to BUY a pair for $50. Gah! I've become quite reliant on my music when I work out. It propels me along and distracts me enough to get through my fat burn so that it seems a lot shorter than it actually is. But the prospect of just me alone with my thoughts and footsteps was pretty awful. Perhaps I need to check out that meditation video Patrick sent around... How do people do this? Without sound I started paying more attention to my breath, the nagging in my calves...the timer.  Eventually I got through it but it seemed twice as long as it actually was!

With that out of the way, I decided to do 8mins abs. But had to circle the gym like I was waiting for a table at a foodcourt at Disneyland during school holidays. Mental note that when I build my dream house (it's good to dream right?) it must have a workout room (and a Japanese bath). I finally managed to stake out a spot and since I had no headphones I just cranked up my phone and shared the gang and the awesome 80s music with my fellow members.

So - that is just me blogging out today's  experience. Tomorrow will be a different story (and thank you Gilles for pacifying me with a delicious meal when I finally got home). Day 85? I'm ready for it!!!

New pics posted.

Day 83 - The final countdown

Day 83, the home stretch. I know I am supposed to be feeling energised and excited that the end is nigh but to be honest I am feeling tired, broken and a tad on the irritable side. My body also hates me and is teetering on the brink of a full scale revolt. EVERYTHING hurts and I am feeling about 80 years old at the moment. Tonight I plan to go to bed early and sleep it off so I can have a good positive final week and finish this thing on a high as I should. But it's not really the end is it? I've already started thinking about what I am going to do to maintain the results for the longterm and am actually a bit bummed that I know day 90 will be the "peak". I won't go on about the anxieties I am feeling about this - is being as neurotic as me about this???

I have been doing some workouts at the gym throughout PCP so this week's assignment wasn't a total surprise and I am did my workout there today since the weather in HK has been complete rubbish these last few days. I am always amazed at the crazies at the gym. Yes you do see some people doing some dangerous back breaking stuff down at the "muscle end" of the gym but I rarely hang out there. There's a tad too much grunting, postulating and general testosterone flying about in that zone so I usually do my workouts in the women's area where you are more likely to have to slalom around people balancing on bosu and yoga balls. In fact, it's a more of a sh1tfight to nab a sit up bench or a stretch mat rather than wait in line for a particular machine.

A while ago the topic of people noticing how much you can lift on a machine which caused much debate amongst the men but pretty much left me cold. I have to admit over all the years I have been a member of a gym I have never paid mind to how much someone can lift. Back in my ballet days (and I'm not promoting ballet as a healthy world at all - that's another thorny topic) the focus was all about being as strong as possible while being as lean as possible.Strength was needed to meet the physical demands however, at least for female dancers, bulk was considered bad - lean body and limbs = clean lines and a better more 'effortless' aesthetic. Which is great it you're a willowy ectomorph but no so great if you have stocky proportions and a tendency to put on muscle. But back to the gym. My overall observation is that yes, there are lot of people there who were making a real half-ar$sed attempt at exercise but that there are also quite a few genuinely fit people (who tend to go about their business pretty quietly). One guy who caught my eye (purely in the name of research Gilles. I swear!) was an older dude who was proportioned, lean and radiated health. He was also busting out pullups like there was no tomorrow - an ex-PCPer perhaps? A few other people also stuck out quite dramatically. The difference is that now I am pretty good at spotting the really healthy people i.e. the ones for whom it is a lifestyle, rather than confusing them with the pumped up peacocks and genetically gifted 20-somethings. Another comment made on Mark's blog really drove home which is the reliance people place on personal trainers. Personal trainers at least at my gym are a lot like hairdressers - most of the training session is spent blabbing with a bit of working out in between. The trainer I went to before PCP was always going on about my lack of fat burning exercise (which was right) but it's true - hardly any emphasis was placed on diet and now I understand one really can't exist without the other.

OK the clock is ticking and it's going to be a HUGE week. Good luck everyone. Make it count!!

Day 78 - No carbs for you!

Today we got our menus for the final two weeks and it appears I have been condemned to a future of no carbs after 2pm. So long risotto...

I haven't done my workout yet for today and plan to hit the gym after work tonight. I wish I had been stronger at getting up early but my body has really been putting up a fight these last two weeks. Tomorrow though I have no choice. It's shaping up to be a nasty day at work and with meetings and conf calls from 9 till 11pm I'll have to get it out of the way early or it ain't going to happen. Having said that I am blogging in my lunch hour at work - ahem!

Yesterday was our PCP-lite day with just skipping / fat burn. I'm still skipping but only a few days a week now instead of every day. I'd like to increase this for the last 2 weeks and will see how it goes but in previous attempts I've had to drop back since my ankles were giving me grief. Things might be different now though.

I've also discovered that I really like running which is a huge surprise because in the past I have despised it with a passion - probably because I was trying to sprint and usually ended up in a collapsed cramp addled heap. Yesterday after a less than satisfying day at work I headed to the gym , jumped on the treadmill and for 30mins just ran. It felt good to empty my head, breathe and let the day just fall away.

For those of you who like to run here are some current favourites on my running man list. There's more than 30mins worth here is you're feeling the juices flowing:
1. Hotel Song - Regina Spektor
2. The Fear - Lily Allen
3. Get Off - Dandy Warhols
4. Soldiers - You Am I
5. Even better than the real thing - U2 (also a great skipping song!)
6. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (obviously)
7. This Modern Run - Bloc Party (for running nirvana)
8. I Predict A Riot - Kaiser Cheifs
9. Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz
10. Ohh La la - Goldfrapp
11. Sinner Man - Nina Simone

I'm still working on my skipping list - still having some tempo problems!!

Day 76 - Just a perfect day, drink sangria in the park

Indulgence day....now we knew this was going to be a big one so Gilles and I decided to get the workout out of the way in the morning so it wouldn't be hanging over our heads. We also planned to get quite drunk which is not really conducive to exercise. Anyway this blog is not about exercise it is about FOOD!!!

It wasn't the most glorious day weather wise but we decided to go down to Stanley to a - this one's for your Jose - Spanish restaurant!! Yep, a spot of tapas, paella, decadent desserts and a bottle of icy cold white wine. Here are a couple of shots from our lazy indulgence, there was actually quite a bit more food involved but posting them all would be blog indulgence. We ended up staying for about 4 hours and were one of the last to leave the restaurant. Was it worth it? Abso-freakin-lutely!!!

View of Stanley Harbour from our table

MMMMelon & prosciutto and pan con tomate

Perfect paella

cheese glorious cheese - how I missed thee

Happiness!!

And the grand finale....

Molten choc orange volcano with
smoooth vanilla ice cream

oh yeah....

After this veritable feast I was truly content, whereas before I may have felt sickened. Not that we made a particularly unhealthy choice. Sure I could have gone for a burger, fries, cholesterol clogging sauces but that's really not my thing at least not anymore. Funny how my taste seems to have changed. It's so great to enjoy a meal knowing that your don't have to feel guilty about it because you've put in the hard work. The best part about it was that when I sat back at the end of the meal to pat my very full stomach instead of rolls I could feel my abs! It's definitely not for every weekend but now when I do happen to have a meal out I really REALLY enjoy it.

Let me introduce you to my lunch date Javier - Gilles' alter-ego. The mo is a stubborn leftover from a Magnum PI party we went to last night and now it refuses to go....I pray it will be gone before the wedding. Creep out!!!

Everytime I look at this it cracks me up. I have to say though Javier is ever bit the latin gentleman. After lunch we wandered around the flower markets and he loaded me up with armfuls of my favorite flowers - gardenias and peonies which now fill our flat with the heady smell of spring. You said it Lou Reed - Such a perfect day!!

I don't care what anyone says - every
girl loves  to get flowers!

Instant pick me up

Day 75 - I heart PCP?

We had been hearing rumours it was on the horizon and today it was officially announced - the third and final (pause for effect) INDULGENCE!!!!! Gilles and I spent a good 20 minutes throwing around some ideas as to where we should go and finally we have come to a decision (no French) and are going for an all out epic lunch tomorrow. More details to follow on the next post. Already I am rubbing my hands together in anticipation. It's gonna be amaaaaazing! Admittedly this week has been a bit rough. I've had a few days where I didn't stick to the diet - yes a few glasses of wine may have been consumed, I've had a few meals out and this evening I went to a b'day and had a piece of cake. I don't want to let myself go so close to the end but perhaps since I am starting to see some good results am being a little self-forgiving but after tomorrow's indulgence I plan to put the blinkers on until day 90 and try and get through all this with as many perfect close to perfect days as possible.

A few weeks ago I sent my blog link to my family to let them know what I have been up to. My mum was in HK when I was just starting all this. She's highly suspect of any and all diets so the weekly photos reassure her that I'm not wasting away into a shell. My sister made the observation that while it seems like it's proving to be effective it doesn't look like all that much fun. Of course she's right - let's be brutally honest. None of this is very fun at all, in fact some days it's an absolute nightmare. So what is it that keeps me going? Sure pride and accountability (since I have fessed up to a few people that I am doing this. I also don't want to get chucked out of the program. I got chucked out of enough when I was at school thanks.) but also because
- I like and need the structure otherwise I would have walked away long ago
- I feel so damn good - perhaps because we are now all natural drug addicts
- I have discovered a new love for vegetables and seafood (my Rick Stein book on complete seafood arrived today. Yay!). Now I actually crave fish - this is a first and I am sure would bring a tear to my ma's eye. All those years spent on trying to make me like fish...
- I have become somewhat hooked on pushing my body to its limit just to see what it is capable of
What I previously considered to be rigorous discipline and what to an objective outsider must seem like madness now just seems routine. Of course having an end date to all this does help immensely. Then I peek out and gingerly rejoin the real world but I'm quietly confidant that I can at least maintain the principles of regular exercise and a good diet. When you say it like that it seems so simple - and it actually is but somehow so many convenient excuses manage to get in the way. Basically what I am trying to say is that in the last 2 and a bit months I have learned to be a lot more honest with myself. I hope it stays that way.

I've been thinking a lot about the fact we only have 15 days left. This fills me with elation,  dread and sadness. The melancholy is probably because checking the PCP blogs has largely replaced the time I would have otherwise spent on facebook! But seriously, going through this with my group and seeing everyone struggle with same exercises, experience the same meltdowns and share in the various triumphs has been hugely reassuring and I'll miss that a lot. I've always needed structure and routine to be successful in diet and exercise so going it alone where it's just the voice in my head and not my weekly schedule or email from Patrick will be tough. What on earth is happening here? Am I in love with PCP? This is all sounding a bit like separation anxiety. Well that's enough musings for one evening - back to self-deprecating wry posts and food fantasies from tomorrow I promise. Let's hear it for indulgence day. Woooooo!!

By the way those FIVE 90 second planks were nasty. I actually thought I was going to pass out during plank no. 5. I now have a fair idea when I am approaching the minute mark (mainly because I start convulsing violently) but when I glanced over to my trusty stop watch I saw I had forgotten to start the timer - I almost burst into tears but vomited a vicious stream of profanities instead. Once composed I started my timer and did a super plank which must have been around 2.5 mins total because it very nearly killed me.