A friendly conversation with a good friend of mine turned inito what is now a 30 day challenge with the hoped for result of being a more defined mid section (i.e. "abs"). My friend Kheli mentioned in passing that I should lay off cake and alcohol in order to increase my chances of getting some much needed definition in the mid section area. To the normal person this appears to be quite easy but for me it is a challenge for two reasons. Firstly i am a cake feind. I will eat cake at any time of day for any occasion and in any quantity. Just writing about it is making me feel queasy about not being able to eat cake,the withdrawal symptoms are already beginning to kick in. But alas the wheels of progress have begun to turn. The second reason is simply embodied by two words "its summer".
The Back Story
I was born into a family that embraces the culinary arts and appreciates the bliss that is a home cooked meal. With a mother who was a cook and a father who had an appetite that rivals that of a Lion in the jungle I was predisposed to a gigantic appetite and a waist line to suit. By age 12 I was wearing size 40 and had two of the rosiest cheeks you could find in my village. To add food to the plate I lived near to a Grandmother and a Great-grandmother who were never bashful at offering a second dinner plate or other snacks. A trip to town by mother or grand or great grand mother would most often result in KFC or patties and meatballs or bun and cheese or a Roti or some other treat. Needless to say that even if I was under punishment for not completing a chore these delicacies would be consumed at a later time.
Being the fat kid meant that you were the last to be picked for any sport being played in the village and at times I lacked the enthusiasm to even try. But alas at age 15 I discovered a magical place called "the gym". I went hard for about six months before the rigors of trying to finish secondary school set in and I had to quit. But my journey did not end there. I took to jogging, biking, and even assembled a home gym with weights with all manner of household items. I joined an aerobic class where I was the lone male who was remarkably more flexible than some of my female counterparts. Throughout University I was on and off of the gym depending on course load and finances. Now add in weekend hikes than range from an hour to two to sometimes three. Couple that with a renewed gym membership and now my thirty day challenge to build a better body.
Whoever said progress was a slow process was probably talking about me. For a fat kid who has been trying to get a six pack for almost 10 years now, the time has come. Its do or die and no turning back. The timing is perfect as summer is just about to begin and every one is going to be hitting the beach for a BBQ, party or just to lime. Tis the season to be shirtless.
The Challenge
Between now and July 15th I will refrain from alcohol and cake/pastries in an effort to boost my chances at the all illusive "pack". Add a morning routine that includes crunches and stretches and a 4/5 day gym week and I'll hopefully have a winning combination.
The challenge will not be an easy one as the summer parties have begun and the sporadic beach outings have begun to take place with much fanfare and excitement.
M expectations however are realistic. I do not expect to have a wash board stomach but simply more definition. I hope with the cutting back on sweets and booze that this will reduce the amount of empty calories that I will be consuming and boost my chances considerably. My weekend hikes should add the cardio to move that extra stubborn inch or two while my ab routines at the gym should do the trick with sculpting.
So cheers to a healthier happier me. Do I want to be the guy who walks in the room in his 10 year old nephews shirt, no I simply want to be the guy who is comfortable with taking his shirt off at any given time of day in front of a crowd.
Look out for a biweekly/weekly update to see how much progress I've made and feel free to add your two cents as you see fit.
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