Day 28... Spicy Crab

Its all about the portions!

I thought I was doing so well....   Tonight was a colleagues birthday... same guy I took the exam with yesterday.  So what does the team decide to do... go to Causeway Bay for some "Under the Bridge Spicy Crab"... Well that blew it.  I clearly overate my portions.  Not intentional and no carbs... but I feel real full.  Also the garlic sauce has mega salt in it and I can see my ship sinking.

I get out of the restaurant, call Meg and she tells me.... "guess what... your dinner menu for the next week has 1 apple, 1 banana and an egg white on it"  Ahhhh.... PCP to keep me straight.

Day 27... Exam Celebration

I passed.... The exam was a pain and a waste of space at the same time.  If you can say that!  Anyway I was lucky in that I was taking the exam with a colleague and good friend so when the test was done and we got our results - we both passed, we decided to celebrate!!

Off we go to the gym, I do an extra hard run and more ab exercise.  Take a shower and off to Staunton Cafe.  The waitress comes over and its time to celebrate!!!

"Sir, what would you like to order?"
"I would like a very tall glass of Grapefruit juice with a side glass of ice"

The best juice I ever tasted!

Day 27...Exam Cram

So I have been incognito for the last four days.  Friday to Today has seen me studying for the HKG Securities Paper 1.  4 days of 12 hour study... and guess what... when you are studying like that the only time to focus on food is when you eat what you packed.  Good news is that I have been packing all my meals so portions have been right.  Also gym time has been good as well.... concentrated and good technique.  I have moved into weights to supplant my exercises and I like it.  Bands are cool too but weights are my familiar "food".  So overall...good training except...

Oh yeah forgot.  On Saturday, one of my colleagues invited me to his house.  An Indian house.  For dinner.  They knew I was on a diet so the food was easy but the stomach was not ready for the spice in the food.  By evening time... she was not so happy with me.  Ahhhh.... live and learn.

Day 23....Bad sleep

Okay...am not sure why but for some reason I could not get any sleep last night.  Any is a strong word.  Got to bed at 2100 expecting a full 8 hours and simply tossed all night.  I guess it didnt help that the typhoon was rattling my patio doors and gates throughout the night but I turned on the aircon to drown out the night noise and still sleep was rubbish.

I wake up in the morning with a sore throat!  I was PISSED.  The last thing I need is to get sick.  Went into the gym for my early AM workout a little late and decided not to jump/run to keep the throat safe and comfortable.  Rubbish of a day.

PCP....60%, no cardio and lunch and dinner were out...where the weight scale gets fuzzy!

Day 20...Morning Work Outs!

Mornings are the way to go.

So today was the turn of a new leaf.  I got my butt out of bed at 0500 and was in the gym by 0545 for a morning work out!  Wow... what a difference.  Had my work out finished by 0635 and was in the office by 0700 for the start of the day!

Its all about conditioning.  When I lived in Japan I woke up at 0500 every day and that was only six months ago.  What took me so long to get back into it!  This rocks!  Thanks Brent!

PCP...100% a good all around-er and packed all three meals into the office ...perfect measurement.

Day 19...Yep, I got my butt kicked!

Team - I need to admit the truth.  Brent kicked my butt today.  Not gracefully, nor without us flipping into some gym equipment.. but he did it none the less.

One of the main reasons I am doing PCP is to get back into fighting shape.  I was in fighting shape as recently as last October but then I started a new job, moved to HKG, renovated a flat in HKG, managed a dying family member, fell in love, and of course... slacked off on my fight training.  So now I am back in the swing and today was a great morning.

Up early... off to PURE, get in my PCP work out and then shadow box and drills with Brent.  He has been  regularly fighting so I was left playing catch up.  I will get there... and soon.... especially cause he has no technique... but today...Brent kicked my butt!

PCP....100%  First 100%  Great work out, measured food, and an extra fight session....
Extra... 45 min of fight session

Day 18.....All you can eat and drink for HKD500?! WHAT THE....

Yep that is right!  Brent and I were way beyond stupid last night.  Not only stupid but what a great way to waste an evening.  Go to a friend of a friends good bye party where you can get all the booze and pizza you want for HKD500.  So there Brent and I are sitting at the edge of the gaggle drinking water and watching people get drunk!  Real fun.  NOT.  On top of that Brent and I went to the GYM right before the gaggle so we had all our stinky gear in a bag with us!

This is like real torture and I am not doing it again.  Not while I am on  the PCP.  Going back to my Blog on the 12th... the way to do this is as a hermit!  Tendai Mikkyo Buddhism here I come!

PCP.... 95% of target.  I missed 3 reps on one exercise.

Catch up - Day 16...Exams suck!

Am taking my 4th Securities exam in two weeks and have to go to this Kaplan course.  You would think it would be easy by now but the US, AUS and Japan tests are all different!  Ahhhhh.  So this lady leading the course is uber good but what the hell are you doing teaching people the crib note version of an exam when you have a degree from MIT.  Anyway...

I got out of the course at 10, rushed home to train and that is just simply a DRAG!  Yes, a real DRAG!  On  top of that I SUCK AT JUMP ROPING.  I can run the hell out of most people but this rope thing is annoying!  Keep at it you say... yeah yeah yeah.  Still dont agree with Patrick on effect of rope vs. other things... but then I have POLAR on my side and he doesnt.  Will get to him later on this one.

PCP... today at 90%

Catch up - Day 15... Happy Birthday

A birthday celebration...

So if yesterday was a struggle, today was a celebration... or so society tells us!  My father was never a fan of celebrating any birthday or holiday.  Ever!  I tend to follow in suit.  Who really needs an excuse to celebrate with good friends.  I dont.  Especially when it simply means that I am getting older... and that sucks!  Or is 40 the new 30 - who is the arse that came up with that statement!

So I go to the gym and get a good workout!  Then off to GOLD at LKF tower... Harlen,s new restaurant.  For anyone who knows Harlen - amazing chef but the guy is about to die.  Very overweight and you can be mesmerized by the bags under his eyes!  Holy cow.

Great night nonetheless as I was lucky to be out with my three closest friends in HKG... Brian, Brent and Mark.  And the funny thing is these three could not be any more different!  Brian leading the pack and bringing out the best/worst of my NYC upbringing!

Anyway the only violation was ..... only is the wrong word.... maybe three glasses of Chianti, two whiskeys after dinner, a cigar.... but as for the meal itself... Steak and veggies with some pasta.  Portions may have been off a little or a lot but everything was fresh and nothing was processed.  Okay who am I kidding....

PCP - got it in and that in itself puts me at 90% so then subtract the food violations and I am at 65%.

Catch up - Day 14... A personal loss

Now I am in catch up mode so am planning to write out a few blogs in one go.  Its been a long and hard week and the only shame of it is that it has been hard because of life and her many lessons and not due to the PCP.  I lost a vert close family member on this day.  It has been a long time coming so it was not a shock to the system but it still was a hit.  Solace comes in knowing that he is watching me now daily rather than simply putting advice on the wires for us to share.

PCP... at about 80% of where I want it to be.

Day 12... Home at Last

Basically I have been on the road since we started PCP.  That is not exactly true as I had 36 hours in HKG last weekend but now I am back in town for several weeks and looking forward to it.  No more carting my scale out to restaurants... but then no more restaurants either.

The funny thing about this process is really the temptations that come your way.  Onsen food in Japan, Beautiful steak dinner with a client, being bumped up to first class.... all to remind you that the best way to do this is to be a hermit for a few months and get to know your inner self.

Food ready for the morrow and now the debate is do I do my training before work or after.  For fat burning efficiency I believe that a morning session on an empty stomach is the best way to travel.  But then when you have to get up at 0530 anyway... who wants to get up earlier, raise your metabolism and then sweat all the way into work.

As for the food thing... and all the food debates on our chain.  I guess I am just plain lucky... I really dont care if what I am eating during this period is interesting.  Chicken patties, steamed vegies, and pasta every meal will do.

Off to rest... although it wont be the required 8 hours.  Good luck fellow PCPers

Day 9 Its not fatigue its a day for yawning....

Day 9

Just back from the gym and on my way to a client meeting.  I have been jumping between doing the workouts in a circuit and doing them straight sets by exercise.  The mighty polar watch that I take with me everywhere has now shown me an interesting light... If I train by circuits... it reads "Maximal performance inproving".  If I train in straights sets it reads "fat burning achieved".... Ummmmmmm  interesting.

Having a problem during the day with yawning and sudden waves of sleepiness.  Not fatigue but real old fashioned sleepiness... like I could lay down and go to sleep.  Weird is the way that I would describe it although I am living under my base level sleep range right now at 5 to 5.5 hours a night.  Still unusual.

Day 8

Well I have missed a couple blog days due to work travel into Japan.  A lot going on.  Having said that I seem to be on track.  Today I got my diet late in the game but am making up for it.   It is a lot of food... that is surprising!  Again, work outs are fine but now that we have to weigh our food it gets daunting.  Many questions... not about what to eat: is a tomato a fruit or a veg, what is the value of Soy, nuts for fruits... My questions are more along the lines of the theories behind what we are doing and what the diets are based on??  - my age, weight and a photo?  What about body measurements and habits?

Best part of the day... I got to work out with Meg on her exercises.  It was a late day but it was great to see her push the envelope.  Now to set up twitter!

Day 4

Just erased a real pissy blog.  Lets just say its been a bitch of a day with flight delays, system crashes, unpacking and the rest... off to do my work out to keep the head sane before I break something!

Day 2.5/3.0

Never made it to HKG.  Missed my connection in Rome and got stuck for a day.  Now 0345am and just finished my Day 3 work out.  Spent yesterday by the Spanish steps and the Pantheon and now up to field calls for the Asian Trading day.  Food discipline is fine but am frustrated about all my moving around.  Am in Tokyo next week as well....

Day 1 for me and morning of Day 2 for you!

So I am at Kenedy airport getting ready to board an American Airlines flight to Rome and then CX to HKG.  Its going to be a LONG day.  Was able to get through the first work out easily but saved the push ups for the lounge...was rather funny actually!  Day 2 is going to be a bit harder... can do pushups, lunges and ab work on the aisles of  the plane but jump rope will have to wait for the 90 minutes between landing and my connecting flight.  Ahhhh this is going to be fun!

As for the diet.. .shrink the stomach to get you back on track.  Easy enough on this side.