My Weight Loss Journey

Hello to all of you out there in internet land who are reading my little blog. I said at the start of this year I want to go beyond triathlon this year and focus a bit more on weight loss so I figured I would share (publicly) something that I have never really shown to anybody. Why? To keep myself accountable and show you what is capable with some hard work and determination. So what could this tantalising thing be? Well it is nothing other than the photos that capture my weight-loss journey. Now before I start I need to explain that I was probably already 10kgs down when I realised what was happening. So I don't have a proper 'start' photo. But the photo of me in lycra is a pretty good indicator. I will try and provide a little bit of info about what sort of food and drink I was doing at the time to. 

So here we go... 

Me at my first tri. Not sure of exact weight but fair to say big

This is one of the worst photos taken of me. I 'trained' for my race but not well and I also placed a little too much emphasise on the carbo loading required for success. I was eating almost exclusively take-away food and drinking every night and in excess most weekends.

I am probably 10kgs down by this point and about 110kgs

This is the first photo I took when I realised that a. I was losing weight and b. I wanted to keep going. I think the main thing that had changed was my physical activity. I started to train daily and had even started to do 2 sessions a day. Always cycling and a combination of either running, x-trainer or weights. My diet was not drastically different at this point. Still lots of bad food and alcohol.

I was under 100kgs for the first time in years!

When I had lost about 15kgs I noticed that my weight loss sort of stopped. I tried increasing my training but it didn't seem to make a huge difference. It was at this point where I made an effort to change my diet. Now I love food ALOT. I realised that if I was going to be successful I would need to ensure that the food still tasted good. It wasn't anything too drastic but I started to ensure I ate three meals a day, I avoided fried food and creamy sauces. I also basically eliminated alcohol. My training was fairly similar with the majority of it being cycling. At this point I had also decided to sign up for my second triathlon as extra motivation. I was able to run about 8kms without stopping but it wasn't fast.

Abut 85kgs in this picture. Training for my first 70.3 (Half Ironman)

This pic is probably 9 months after the last one. We ha moved house a few times and I was busy training for a half ironman. I had maintained my healthy eating habits and minimal alcohol. There was an increase in my running and I had stopped doing weights. I swam occasionally but was still riding nearly everyday.

About 80kgs and after I started working with a coach

Here is me at the start of 2014 and weighing about 80kgs. I have started swimming a lot more and following a much more structured plan with my training. My diet is pretty much the same but I am a bit more relaxed with the drinking. I am consistently doing multiple sessions a week now. I am not that much lighter in weight but much skinnier. 

This is me at about 76kgs and I think the lightest I have been. This is after a week of intense training in Thailand

This last photo was taken in September 2014 and was at the end of my intense week of training in Thailand. I did not maintain this weight for very long but it was beneficial leading into my Sunshine Coast race. That week I was training 3 or 4 times a day in heat and humidity.

So why have I gone through this? Basically to show you all that it is possible. I am incredibly average and normal. I had no secret tablet, no operation, no shortcuts. Just hard work and sacrifice. I also want to reiterate that I do not stay that skinny and comfortably sit around 78kgs most of the time. I am much more aware of how my body works and am able to drop weight quickly when needed for races. I am also not some super ripped body builder guy. Why? Because I have focused on sports-specific training. Not on getting a six-pack. 

Anyway this weeks has taken a long time to put together but I also want to use it to make myself accountable. If you notice me getting big again or a lot skinnier than this. Shoot me an email or say something. If you have any questions specifically about this feel free to get in touch. This is not the end of my journey. I will keep updating you all on my progress.

If I can do it anyone can. Have a good week and remember to TRI!