I've Lost 31 Pounds - Now What?

I’ve never thought of myself as being fat, or even “heavy” – so when I weighed myself on December 31 last year, hitting a hefty 204 pounds, I thought a little.  I’m not a huge guy.  I’m just a hair short of five foot nine.  I’d climb ten stairs and be, well – kinda breathless.  Not good!  I’d lumber around the gym from time to time, workout and then come home to a beer and a heaping plate of high-carb pasta.  You get the picture – going nowhere backwards – and in fact – just increasing the daily bloat.

I just felt the urge to lose weight, setting myself a somewhat arbitrary goal of losing 30 pounds by July 1, figuring in 6 months, 30 pounds would be reasonable.  Not easy, but reasonable – and maybe even doable.  Maybe!

If you know me well, you’ll know that I am an all-or-nothing kind of guy.  I play to win – not come second.  My methodology?  Simple!  Eliminate all pizza, pasta, rice, bread and potatoes.  Yes, I cut it out completely.  And work out for at least 60 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week.  It’s not an easy commitment.

Six months and 16 days later -    I’ve lost 31 pounds and skipped a total of 9 days this year in working out.  Yup – of the 196 days of 2013, I have been in the gym 187 days – no kidding.

I don’t deserve medals, accolades or even admiration, but nevertheless, I am damn proud and along the way learned … not only about myself, but about others – and that’s what’s most important to me.

• Don’t like squats?  All the more reason to do them!  Hate lunges?  Then do 30 minutes of them - everyday.  There’s only one way to reduce hating a certain exercise – and that’s to do it.  The reason why you hate a specific exercise?  That’s because you suck at it – and the only way to not suck at it is to practice
• Engage with your trainers.  Training people can be lonely.  People show up at your class and grumble. Then they do your class and grumble a little more.  And then they go home.  They don’t share their trials and tribulations either – and trainers don’t like that.  They want to know when they’re too hard or too soft on you. They want to know they’re delivering results and they want to know when a particular class was either very good or bad.  So tell them.  Get to know them.  Tell them you enjoy their classes (or not) – but engage.  It’s good for their morale – and most of all, it’s good for your morale
• Working out seven days a week doesn’t mean a hill-o-beans if you come home and demolish three beers and a pound of potato chips for dinner.  Matter-of-fact --- do that and you’re going backwards.  It’s been said that losing weight is 70% eating and 30% fitness – don’t forget it.  Repeat - losing weight is 70% eating and 30% fitness

So, I’m 31 pounds lighter now – can do a hard 60 minute boot camp with people half-my- age and enjoying life more than ever – and I think that’s a good thing.  

Carpe Diem! 

Ahem - would love to know what my readers have done lately - let me know

It's my anniversary in Canada - a Memoir

Today’s important for me.  And since it’s July 1, it’s an important day for Canada too.  It’s Canada’s 146th birthday and it also marks exactly 25 years to the day that I arrived on Canadian soil for the first time and became a landed immigrant.

I was 22 when I arrived here.  I was fresh-faced, naïve and full of energy.  I’d created a decent life for myself in South Africa, had a girlfriend – left her behind.  Came to Canada – with very little other than an incredible work ethic and my Dad, who’d left South Africa a year or two before me.

Today, while I am still full of energy, I’m not that naïve – and well – my face – I’ve got a touch of grey here and there.  I have my health and a gorgeous family.  I have a lot.

Make no mistake, it has not been easy – nothing worthwhile ever is, is what I tell my kids – pretty much daily – but it’s been ever so gratifying.

I arrived at Pearson Airport on July 1, 1988.  The guys at customs were eating some Pizza from a company called “967-1111” – and were astounded when I asked what “967-1111” was? (This was in the days before 10 digit local dialing even existed).  That I had no idea was a sure tell I was new to Toronto.

Well, I settled in to life in Toronto.  I got a summer job at Sam The Record Man (remember him?) and started moving and shaking – so to speak. I was making $5.75 an hour – I’ll spare the details.

My defining moment of 1988 summer was seeing the Amnesty Concert at Maple Leaf Gardens.  I had no money to buy a ticket ($60 for a ticket in the nose-bleed section), so I scammed my way in.   Five music icons took the stage – The Boss, Sting, Tracy Chapman, Youssou N’Dour and Peter Gabriel.  I felt the warm and salty sting of my tears run down my flushed cheeks during Biko and Chimes of Freedom – 2 anti-apartheid songs – made even more poignant now as Nelson Mandela clings to precious live in Johannesburg.   I only wish him and the Rainbow nation well.

In November 1991, I met Karen Pinchuk, the woman I would ultimately marry in 1994.  Almost 19 years later – we’re going strong.

We’ve two kids – Jason (almost 16) and Amanda (12) – two cats, two cars and a white picket fence … it’s all good. 

It’s a time for reflection now – and 25 years to the day later, here’s four quickies as to what I’ve learned:

• Don’t expect anything to be easy – and the extension to that is the harder it is to accomplish something, the more worthwhile it is
• Learn to laugh at yourself, ‘cause you will screw up
• Embrace the weather – Canadian weather is generally nothing to love, especially coming from South Africa’s warm and balmy climate.  That said, quit the belly-aching about our cold winters.  If you hate them that much, then go someplace else --- no-one is forcing you to be here
• Live in the present and the future – never the past.  This one’s a biggie.  Can’t tell you how many times I have hears fellow South Africans commiserate about “Remember when …”  Those days have come and gone babe!

You know, it’s strange.  I lived in Johannesburg for 22 years.  It gave me the best of everything – an awesome country, but I never felt I belonged.  It saddens me – and to a degree is worrying.  On the other hand, I feel I belong here – in Canada – some days that worries me – most days it doesn’t.  But one thing for sure – I never take my love of Canada for granted – and appreciate this wonderful country – not on some days, or even every other day – but every single day.

And you know what I am going to do right now?  Kick back – pour myself a nice cold beer, enjoy the company of family and friends, sing Oh Canada a few times and salute the country that’s been my happy home for the past quarter century.