When friend and Challenge partner Kate asked Ben to join her on this weight-loss journey, he decided it was time to put his unhealthy ways behind him and look to the future.
Update 10
Whoops! Didn’t find the time to enter my diary this week!
Update 9
On the food and drink part, the Shakes are a part of my life now; a part of my life that I am ridiculously comfortable with and enjoy. They taste great and do their job incredibly well. I don't really get tempted by any foods anymore. Don't get me wrong, some smell good, but I know I would feel bad if I ate them so I just keep on ‘kickin.’ I haven't met any chicks lately either, so Ms Right, if you could make yourself known to me sooner rather than later that would be great!
Exercise is going really well; my fitness is better than ever. When I started on this Program and began to really challenge myself, I had a fair bit of self doubt. I questioned whether I could do it and debated whether I should quit or not. I suppose it’s easier to quit than to really ‘dig in’. Slowly and surely and without even realising it, those negative thoughts have disappeared and I’m just powering with nothing to stop me. At the gym, I used to be one of the slowest and most unfit people around, but now I am generally quite fit – certainly fitter than I have been for many, many a year.
So what else has been happening? Well, I have given a few interviews with local papers and even did a live radio interview. I can't lie, it was terrifying, but I relaxed once things started and did well in the end. It was actually quite fun!
All-in-all things have been going along nicely. I have lifted the pace and energy of my exercise to try and give myself and Kate the best shot we possibly can have to win this thing. Talking of Kate, how good is that girl going? I can’t catch her and I am slowly resigning myself to the fact that she is going to do better than me, which I can definitely handle. If you had asked me at the start of the competition who would do better, I wouldn't have hesitated and said ‘that would be me,’ but I would have been wrong! Kate is doing superbly well and I couldn't be more proud of her. Good on her! She has been the best partner I could have hoped for.
Update 8
Whoops! Didn’t find the time to enter my diary this week!
Update 7
This week, according to the scales, I lost nothing. I can't put it down to fluid retention because of women’s issues (mainly because I am a bloke!), I ate really well and I exercised hard. I did everything I have done in past weeks of this journey but the scales didn’t budge. Maybe it’s a good thing. Perhaps it is the ‘kick in the pants’ I need to spur me on now that we are getting closer to Finale.
On a more positive note, I got to spend some time to visit my parents in Adelaide. It was awesome to see mum and dad; they hadn't seen me for ages and, as expected, mum cried at the airport, which normally sets dad off as well, but he held on. It was really good to see them and they were so happy to see that I have done something to improve my health and this made me feel pretty good.
I had a personal training session with Kate and her trainer Andrew. He is a good bloke but he smashed us! It was good for both of us to get an indication of how much fitter we are now and we had a great chat about being on the right track. Both of us know how hard we are working and how hard we are capable of working.
Anyway Diary, I better get back to it. Before I go I just want to send a quick hello and great big hug to me this week because it hasn't been the easiest week I have ever had. And let’s face it, I am worth it!
Update 6
Dearest Diary,
The weight loss gods have shone on me once again this week. I managed to drop another 2.3kg, which is another cool effort. The scales are fast becoming friends of mine. It’s like when I first met them (the scales) we weren't friends at all and I didn't like what they were saying. I am getting used to them and now we are becoming buds. It’s not quite a pleasure to stand on them yet, but it’s a lot better than it has been for a long time!
The coolest thing to come out of the last week was by far the filming and photo shoot in Sydney. It was right up there with the world’s longest days, but it was a fantastic experience and it was incredibly rewarding to see the changes in everyone. Everyone was looking fantastic and it feels like we all share this bond now. Truly one of the coolest things I have ever done.
I also want to thank Roula and all the crew behind The Biggest Loser Club Meal Replacement Program, because all of the really positive changes that I saw in Sydney last week can be traced back to the awesome and hard work that you put into all of us. I know that I am going to have my work cut out for me at Finale, finding time to dance with everyone, but I am confident I will get there, even if I have to stay out all night!
Something that I am finding difficult that I didn't really expect is accepting compliments. I have now dropped a lot of weight so it’s pretty difficult not to notice there has been a big change for me. The thing is that everyone comments on it and I know it is because people are being nice, but I have been finding it hard to accept. It’s strange because I love attention, but compliments embarrass me. I don't even know if I am making sense, but I know what I mean in my own mind Diary! I guess I will just have to suck it up, because things could be a whole lot worse, hey!
Anyway Diary, you rock!
Catchya next week.
Update 5
Sorry for neglecting you again, dear Diary, but I can be a bit forgetful...
I went for a 61km bike ride on Saturday and did really well. I was ‘running on empty’ about 10km before the end and my bum was killing me. I survived and I managed to box on Sunday with a full tank of energy! It’s great to know that my fitness is improving and my energy levels are high. I am mixing up my exercise more and am getting to the point where I have more I want to do, because I love pushing myself exercise wise now.
The Shakes are still ridiculously easy to drink and still taste nice. I have to admit I didn't really think I was the type of person to do the ‘shake’ thing, especially not over a prolonged period of time, but it couldn't be easier. I have a lot of friends that are into it now. Most have a Shake for brekkie – good idea!
Partner Kate is going along incredibly well. Our attitudes to weight loss couldn't be more different, though. She is really scientific, uses spreadsheets, formulas, weighs stuff, etc. When I talk to her I kind of feel dumb. I think I am just a bit more ‘old school’; I work out hard and watch what I eat. As a team, though, the dynamics work and we are doing well. I am so proud of her.
Some people in the Second Chance Challenge team have been getting upset about not being on The Biggest Loser show. This is rubbish. Out of the 3,000 or so people that applied, only 40 got anything out of it; us and the people at Camp Biggest Loser. Best to use that pent-up energy on exercise instead of whinging. I am definitely one of the lucky ones. I know what I have to do now and am happy in that space and just keep rolling along.
Today is my beautiful mum's birthday, so happy birthday Mum! You rock and I love you with all my heart.
Anyway Diary, I look forward to writing again soon. Missing you already and of course I love my Dad as well!
Update 4
Well, I am officially as good as a person can be! As well as making sure that I didn’t overdo the eating, I also made time to exercise this week.
After playing golf this morning (I played OK by the way!), the boys wanted fried chicken. We all went together and I sat there without being tempted at all. No, I really didn’t have any cravings at all. I passed with flying colours. My mates are now starting to refer to me as a ‘reformed fatty’ which they tell me is the worst kind of ‘fatty’ there is!
I went out partying with my mates and we stayed out until about 4am. This time I chose to drive the drinkers around instead of being one of the drunks. I had a great time sipping water instead of bourbon and dancing the night away. I am quickly coming to the realisation that I don't need alcohol to have a good time.
As I come to the end of this week’s diary entry, I reckon that’s about all I have to report. Everything is still going along sweetly and I am almost looking forward to getting back to work so I can make sure that my exercise routine will be consistent again. I am sorry Diary that I missed my entry last week; I promise I won't neglect you that way again! Missing you already!
Update 3
Whoops! Didn’t find the time to enter my diary this week...
Update 2
This week I felt great! There is no other way to describe it! I am really starting to feel as if I am getting fitter and able to push myself harder, which obviously helps me burn up the calories. The slight soreness I feel the next day doesn't even really matter, so I am being really consistent with my exercise. All-in-all, my energy levels have been awesome, life is good, and it’s getting better day by day!
I am also eating really well. I did have a couple of days when I was starving, but with the help of my awesome online diary I knew that I had ‘room to move’ on my calorie intake, especially on the days that I exercised. So now if I do get hungry I eat something (healthy, of course!) and know that I am not going over my recommended calorie intake for the day. This is a big help!
I haven't had any cravings whatsoever. I don't feel the need (or the want) to indulge in anything that isn't healthy for me, which I think is more to do with my attitude than anything else. Having said that, I wouldn't get between myself and some mashed potato at the moment...
The only thing that I am really keen to add to the mix is a couple of personal training sessions and some weights into my fitness program. For some stupid reason I really would like a personal trainer to smash me a couple of times a week! It’s the only thing I feel that is missing for me at the moment. Other than that, I am spot on and the results will continue to be good, I’m sure.
There have been lots of social get-togethers lately and I have survived them all; I haven’t missed a beat! I am going to keep the exercise up to make sure I stay on track. OK, so I have some small cravings, like hmmm, mashed potato...
Oh, forgot to say, I still didn't find ‘Ms Right’ this week, but I am confident she is waiting just around the corner... Ha ha ha!
So, that’s about all for this week dear Diary. Looking forward to my next entry already. Oh, and I love my mum and dad!
Update 1
Week one and things are fantastic! I am embracing both the exercise and healthy eating side of life and it’s already working, which is a fantastic incentive to keep going during the inevitable difficult days. Even though the difficult times have been few and far between, I think my biggest challenges this week were:
- Being sober at a party. Normally I would be the top 10 most drunk at the party. In fact, over the last decade or so I have never been less than really, really drunk, so to go to the party and drink water was a big step in the right direction for me. And it was only the second day of the Challenge! I had a few dances and a lot fun though, and this helped me to stay on track.
- Not eating with the rest of my work colleagues. The team had a really nice restaurant meal yesterday, but I stayed back and had my soup plus a small salad, then wandered down later. My timing wasn’t great as I rocked up just as this delicious-looking food was being served. Even so, I wasn’t hungry because the food that the Club advises does the job so well and, again my attitude was spot on. I wasn’t tempted by all that food, although it did look nice!
- Having lunch with people who are eating Maccas, KFC and Hungry Jack's. This is a little difficult for me, but I am thinking ahead to the main prize; my own better health and wellbeing.
- Getting to grips with the online stuff, but perhaps that is just me being slack more than anything. After my contact at The Biggest Loser Club, Roula (who, by the way, is my nomination for Australian of the Year!) gave me a smooth talking to, I have been really good and I am using my diary daily.
Like I said, the food has been fantastic and my exercise is going brilliantly, perhaps because I have now actually committed to it fully. I ride on my bike for about 14km or so in the morning and then box or ‘walk a mountain’ or do some other gym class or exercise in the arvo. I am trying to average a couple of hours of exercise each day and I can do this more often than not, which is great. I am going to start incorporating weights into my program soon, which will help heaps for sure. According to my online diary I am burning a lot more calories than I am eating, but I just don't feel hungry. I actually feel as if I am always shoving something into my mouth to eat! My energy levels have been high, so it’s all good! I am loving it! Things couldn't be going better! I guess I just might be more awesome than I thought! Ha ha ha...
Nearly time to finish dear Diary, but I just wanted to also say thanks to everyone who is taking part in the Challenge; they are amazing and really supportive. Thanks also to everyone at The Biggest Loser Club; you guys and gals rock! Thanks to my Challenge partner, Kate, who is doing really well. Oh and I want to thank my mum and dad, because it’s always nice to thank your mum and dad.
See you next week!