The day kicked off to a less than ideal start with a 1.50am phone call from a mate asking for a favour. Pick up his son (from Kinglake) and drive him to the airport, by 6.40am! Thankfully I ended up not doing it but it took me the best part of two hours to get back to sleep.
The body and mind felt better today. The headaches that have plagued me for the last few days have subsided and my walk today through the bush was pretty easy. I can actullay feel a tightening up of my skin. Whether it's just my imagination or not is another thing entirely.
I am starting to realise a sense of achievement attached to actually starting something and so far sticking with it. My food hasn't exactly been disciplined but I figure I have to take it a step at a time.
The food regime will begin in the new year when I am back at the gym 5 mornings a week. I find myself looking forward to it. I can't say my workouts last year were that honest with a bottle of wine under my belt the night before. Not a good preparation for any workout.
I won't lie and say I haven't thought about alcohol at all today. The temptations are all there on the TV and radio. Beer ads showing frosty glasses and perfectly poured beers are the bane of my existence right now and tomorrow's heat is not going to help. Nor will the whole New Years Eve theme either. I figure if I don't go anywhere I will be OK. No one drinks in my house.
So another day passes and my solidarity increases.
Alcohol - Nil
Exercise - 5km bush walk
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Day 3 - 29/12/2010
Without a doubt the toughest day so far. The memories of my horrid hangover have faded and the body has started the cravings for sweet, sweet beer. It's OK in the morning but around 2 when I had finished a couple of hours of paint preparation on the eaves of the outlaws house it kicked in.
What goes better after hard work? A cold frothy one. But I resisted the temptation to go to the shops and sought to quench my thirst in the mother-in-laws fridge.
Not a cold drink in sight....apart from one ice cold Carlton Draught! I swear my hand actually reached for it. The excuses started thick and fast.
You've worked hard. It's hot. There's nothing else.
I am proud to say I closed the door, turned my back and wiped a tear from my eye. I then began the 2 hour wait for my sparkling mineral water I had requested from the shop. Finally it got there only for me to find that it was warm, off the shelf, and there was no ice. My thoughts turned to the resident of the fridge.
So it was off to the shop myself for a Coke Zero which I got from the chemist. Why you might ask? Because the chemist is at the opposite end in the row of shops to the bottle-o and far away from temptation.
I then got home and set out for my first jog of the new regime. No time expectation just a condition that I complete three laps of the school ovals which is roughly 750m each lap.
Lap 1 seemed OK. Some stiffness in the knees and ankles but it worked out after half a lap. Lap 2 and the bloating kicked in and my guts felt like it was full of food, which is wasn't. I pushed through a sagging belly and debilitating stitches to complete the 3 laps in what felt like half an hour but was probably around 20 minutes.
A quick drive home and straight to the latrine to eject the offending matter which was much looser than I had thought. It has been the theme in there for the last 2 days which I can only put down to my body's protests of the no alcohol thingy.
Or maybe it was my legs punishing me through my bowels. I think maybe the former.
So another day sobre.
Alcohol - Nil
Exercise - 3km jog
What goes better after hard work? A cold frothy one. But I resisted the temptation to go to the shops and sought to quench my thirst in the mother-in-laws fridge.
Not a cold drink in sight....apart from one ice cold Carlton Draught! I swear my hand actually reached for it. The excuses started thick and fast.
You've worked hard. It's hot. There's nothing else.
I am proud to say I closed the door, turned my back and wiped a tear from my eye. I then began the 2 hour wait for my sparkling mineral water I had requested from the shop. Finally it got there only for me to find that it was warm, off the shelf, and there was no ice. My thoughts turned to the resident of the fridge.
So it was off to the shop myself for a Coke Zero which I got from the chemist. Why you might ask? Because the chemist is at the opposite end in the row of shops to the bottle-o and far away from temptation.
I then got home and set out for my first jog of the new regime. No time expectation just a condition that I complete three laps of the school ovals which is roughly 750m each lap.
Lap 1 seemed OK. Some stiffness in the knees and ankles but it worked out after half a lap. Lap 2 and the bloating kicked in and my guts felt like it was full of food, which is wasn't. I pushed through a sagging belly and debilitating stitches to complete the 3 laps in what felt like half an hour but was probably around 20 minutes.
A quick drive home and straight to the latrine to eject the offending matter which was much looser than I had thought. It has been the theme in there for the last 2 days which I can only put down to my body's protests of the no alcohol thingy.
Or maybe it was my legs punishing me through my bowels. I think maybe the former.
So another day sobre.
Alcohol - Nil
Exercise - 3km jog
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Day 2 - 28/12/2010
Much the same as day one as far as temptation goes with the exception of watching the cricket for the first time in a long time without my constant buddy beer. I have to admit the thought to get some did cross my mind on more than a few occasions and I was making up some pretty good excuses to do it.
It's just while I'm watching cricket.
Why don't you start this on New Years Day?
The list goes on and on but the good thing is I managed to quell the demons and remain sobre and sombre. There is wine in the fridge and cupboard too!
Exercise has been many and varied. Trim, mow and sweep the front nature strips. Oil the outdoor furniture which is a lot of bending over for an old man...
Alcohol - Nil
Exercise - 3km walk
It's just while I'm watching cricket.
Why don't you start this on New Years Day?
The list goes on and on but the good thing is I managed to quell the demons and remain sobre and sombre. There is wine in the fridge and cupboard too!
Exercise has been many and varied. Trim, mow and sweep the front nature strips. Oil the outdoor furniture which is a lot of bending over for an old man...
Alcohol - Nil
Exercise - 3km walk
Monday, December 27, 2010
Day 1 - 27/12/2010
I can't exactly say day 1 has been difficult. Apart from the hangover as the result of two heavy days on the turps. It has made keeping away from alcohol all that easier and the food also. 3am saw me on my knees praying to Huey as the last two days caught up with my digestive system. This morning my mouth felt like a dozen goats has spent the nice crapping all over it. I won't be missing that.
As far as exercise goes I might just take the dog for walk after dinner (garlic prawns). I did spend the day building Lego for Griffin so that counts as exercise right?
And so in summary...
Alcohol - Nil
Exercise - 3km walk (soon)
An encouraging if not diluted start to my journey.
As far as exercise goes I might just take the dog for walk after dinner (garlic prawns). I did spend the day building Lego for Griffin so that counts as exercise right?
And so in summary...
Alcohol - Nil
Exercise - 3km walk (soon)
An encouraging if not diluted start to my journey.
It Begins....
Well, it's the 27th of December and my Body Odyssey begins. One year of discipline and toil to see what I can get out of my almost thirty-seven year old body.
Ten years of abuse and neglect has left me around 30kg heavier and I will soon see how much slower. My football days of only 5 years ago seem a faint memory.
What is the point of this blog? Well it's to document my victories and struggles over the coming year. It's probably more for my own benefit rather than any followers as I think it will be a good tool to release some of my frustrations and emotions at what will surely be a difficult experience at times.
I am not setting any massive goals but I am promising myself that I will be the best I can be in one years time as I strut confidently into the MCG for next years Boxing Day test.
Why have I chosen that date? Well it's as good as any and New Years resolutions are so cliche. I have been wanting to do this for a long time so it's now or never.
And so it will be that I battle my demons and weaknesses as I attempt to beat my alcohol addiction that has become a real thing in my life.
It wasn't until I saw a dietitian and confessed my alcohol consumption that I really saw how much it was to someone who didn't drink. The look on his face told me more than I wanted to know. It made me realise I had been kidding myself for too long. I had made excuses to why I needed wine or beer. The truth is there are many reasons to drink, but only one to not. I don't want to anymore but it's not going to be that easy, I know.
I don't so much have a physical addiction, I don't think. I have never suffered any physical symptoms when I have given it a break but the mental demons are more powerful for me. I will get angry, depressed and frustrated but I will deal with it. With humour and hard work.
As for the body and weight issues I have always been good at physical training so once the drinking is under control I should be able to hit the gym, pool and track with gusto...should.
So join me if you wish and witness the transformation of one man for one year.
Ten years of abuse and neglect has left me around 30kg heavier and I will soon see how much slower. My football days of only 5 years ago seem a faint memory.
What is the point of this blog? Well it's to document my victories and struggles over the coming year. It's probably more for my own benefit rather than any followers as I think it will be a good tool to release some of my frustrations and emotions at what will surely be a difficult experience at times.
I am not setting any massive goals but I am promising myself that I will be the best I can be in one years time as I strut confidently into the MCG for next years Boxing Day test.
Why have I chosen that date? Well it's as good as any and New Years resolutions are so cliche. I have been wanting to do this for a long time so it's now or never.
And so it will be that I battle my demons and weaknesses as I attempt to beat my alcohol addiction that has become a real thing in my life.
It wasn't until I saw a dietitian and confessed my alcohol consumption that I really saw how much it was to someone who didn't drink. The look on his face told me more than I wanted to know. It made me realise I had been kidding myself for too long. I had made excuses to why I needed wine or beer. The truth is there are many reasons to drink, but only one to not. I don't want to anymore but it's not going to be that easy, I know.
I don't so much have a physical addiction, I don't think. I have never suffered any physical symptoms when I have given it a break but the mental demons are more powerful for me. I will get angry, depressed and frustrated but I will deal with it. With humour and hard work.
As for the body and weight issues I have always been good at physical training so once the drinking is under control I should be able to hit the gym, pool and track with gusto...should.
So join me if you wish and witness the transformation of one man for one year.
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