Like many people I’m entering that pensive time of year where you look back over the last year while thinking about what’s to come in the next year. This year I’m going to see it out 8kg lighter than I started it but 7kg heavier than in the middle. On the one hand I’m pleased with my weight loss and on the other I’m very disappointed with my second-half weight gain. But what went right, what went wrong and what am I planning on doing next year.
What went right?
Without doubt the thing that went most right was my hypnosis sessions. The way hypnosis is dressed up as being a way to focus your subconscious is difficult for some people to swallow but for me it was all about visualising a goal and ways to achieve it. It made a huge difference to my overall aim. Another thing that went right was having a goal to focus on. At the end of June a fair few of us took on the 3 peaks challenge. Having a goal, something tangible to achieve, really spurred me on and having that sense of not letting others down was a great motivator. Failure at the three peaks challenge also was good for me. To only manage 2.5 peaks actually has worked out pretty well. I am immensely pissed off that I didn’t make the top of Scafell Pike and it’s confirmed to me that I really hate failure. I now have a good range of emotion, from the good times on the coast to coast walk to the bad times on the 3 peaks. The first half of the year went extremely well. 15kg loss in 6 months. The focus, the eating pattern, the gym attendance, everything just seemed to slot together.
What went wrong?
An over analysis of how to lose weight. I like to visualise my goals and have a good way of tracking them. At one point though I had graphs coming out of my ears and it was no fun. The second half of the year also went wrong. Letting my routine slip meant over eating and not getting to the gym enough. This wasn’t helped by me catching a horrible cold in December but the cold can’t be blamed for everything. Lack of balance. With my new job came a new routine and I haven’t settled into it fully. I have to squeeze the gym in at lunch time and the shorter sessions are good for some things but bad for more. A goal only midway through the year. HAving noting to focus on at the end of the year was just simply a bad idea.
The plan for next year.
The simple plan for next year is to shift a bit more fat. I’ve yet to figure out how much but I’m thinking of trying for 90kg by the year end. That’s around 14 stones and it will be the lightest I’ve been since I was 14 years old. I also want to focus a little bit more on body shape. I’d like to shift the weight from around my waist and bulk up a little in my chest and arms. I also want to get back into my outdoor activities. Although we did the three peaks last year most of the year was spent indoors doing DIY. I want to get back out on my bike and do some more mountain biking. And since I love biking I’m also thinking of getting out on a road bike at some point. With Kent being so flat it’s much easier to find good road routes. I also want to pick up some more walking weekends too. I used to hate walking but now I love it as a way to spend time with Michelle, chill out and think about things away from work. Challenges will also play a big part in next year. After doing the coast to coast walk I felt an amazing sense of achievement and I want to feel that again. I’ve got a couple of friends who ran the GRIM challenge this year and I would like to get my fitness to a level where I could do that. I’ll also be re-doing the 3 peaks, probably tackling a 50mile walk near Canterbury and hopefully picking up another long distance challenge. Other than I want to get better at self-hypnosis.
I think that’s about it for now.