Back on the wagon

Thanks to a few close friends our Christmas passed with laughter, fun and a great deal of eating. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending how you look at it) I will be back at work, soon. I am completely non-specific about when because my boss wrote off his van and has been getting back on his feet the last two weeks. Despite my position of uncertainty and near bankruptcy I am filled with a fantastic sense of motivation and urgency.

This new motivation is not because it is January (as a former fitness instructor I don't believe in New Year's resolutions), but is due to the enjoyment of explaining the 4-hour body to our friend Jim. Jim has been staying with us over the last couple of weeks and we have enjoyed many a flat white, Asahi, pastry and delicious dinners with him. On his last night (yesterday) we got onto talking about the 4-hour body (4HB), which Catherine and I had been fans of back in London. By telling Jim the fundamentals of this way of eating (w.o.e) (note: not a diet) I began to remember how effective it was. Yes it had its drawbacks, I remember feeling like I had turned into a lentil with the amount I was eating. But this w.o.e works and as I am determined (no really I am) to break my PB I thought the 4HB would help my drop some kg's and get me there. After all its our diet that lets us down most of the time, not our inability to train.

So tomorrow Catherine and I will be back on the 4HB and what better way to document this small journey than to blog about it! I thought I'd keep it simple and write a small post every day on how I was feeling in the first couple of weeks. This is the time when headaches, nausea, lethargy and any other numerous feelings will surface as we remove the "white" carbs and focus on the 4HB. It will be interesting to see how the weight changes. I just got back from the gym and my measurements stack up as follows:

1. Weight: 89.1kg (probably the heaviest I've been for a year)
2. Waist: 33in (84cm)
3. Chest: 40in (101.5cm)
4. Glutes (mid backside): 40in
5. Thighs (10in up from patella): 23in (58cm)

I don't have my body fat measurement, but I intend to get a DEXA scan done in the next couple of weeks to see how I progress. I will retest the above every 4 weeks and the body fat post marathon in April. 

Aside from writing about our progress I will post photos of the meals and our cheat days (every Saturday as per the 4HB), just so you can see how easy it is to adopt. Check out the 4HB by Timothy Ferriss for the whole story. I will also update you on our marathon training (check out the FIRST program through runners world for more info) as we progress through the weeks. This weeks is only week two, so there's a lot still to come! My target for April is 3:30-3:40 and Catherine is aiming for a sub-3:45 marathon. 

Feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments section or let me know of your own goals this year.

Wishing you all a very happy new year,

Tom :)