Sometimes, the world conspires against me...

Hey,

Yup, I'm still here. Still plugging away. I've had a few setbacks along the way, but I'm making progress again now. New photos soon I think.
I'm in the mood for a rant, and rather than make my long suffering girlfriend listen to my woes, or hunt down the cat and make it sit still for fifteen minutes while I babble on, I thought I'd put it here for the whole world to read instead. And no, it's nothing to do with my girlfriend. Or my cat.
Ok, so the whole weight-loss thing is still a goal for me. I've shifted the timescale (again?, but the quest is still on. I've not spent the last year being idle either. Perhaps I haven't spent as many hours in the gym as I should have, but I have spent many hours exercising my brain.
I've scoured internet articles, browsed a multitude of forums, purchased a book or four, and dozed in front of TV infomercials. I've spoken to personal trainers, gym instructors, marathon runners, martial artists and the most ripped bloke in my gym. I've absorbed it, processed it and filed it away in my mind for when I need it next. Go on, ask me a question on fitness, muscle building or diet. I'll have an answer ready. I can't say it's the definitive answer, because as anyone who has done any research into health and fitness will know, there are few "facts" that every single person will agree with.

That probably has a lot to do with the fact that everybody is different, and that your body may well react to a particular input to a greater or lesser degree than mine. I know this. I also know that when you boil everything down, you need to have a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. You need to consume fewer calories than you burn. Only then will the fat come away. Believe it or not, five minutes on an ab-roller, or any other miracle product, will not give you the body you've dreamed of. Especially if it's followed by twenty three hours and fifty five minutes of eating crap. It's not rocket science, and as mentioned above, I know the theory off by heart. I know the foods to avoid, I know the foods to eat.

The trouble is that I enjoy food. I really enjoy it. To me it is not just a method by which to deliver fuel to my body, it's an enjoyable passtime. But, my will is usually strong, and I can resist. On a normal day I'll stick to my diet and consume somewhere between 1500 and 2000 calories, depending on whether I'm training that day or not. On a normal day.

Last week was full of ABnormal days. I've had two birthday nights out/meals. Two barbeques and a work function including meal. I just can't avoid food! I know the right thing to do would be to stick to a piece of chicken at the BBQ, choose something sensible off the menu for the birthday meals and chosen what to eat and what to leave at the work meal. BUT I CAN'T! It's just too damn tempting. It's like a recovering alcoholic being forced into a pub and constantly offered their favourite tipple! How the hell am I supposed to lose weight when I can't summon the willpower to say no to a burger and a hot dog?

Just a bad week you say? Well this Saturday I have another wedding, and tonight I was invited to a friend's house where they ordered chinese food. I'm either going to have to scrap my social life or summon the kind of willpower I used when I packed up smoking. Truth is, I think I used all that up at the time! How do people do it? If you have any tips, please let me know!

In the meantime, enjoy this very amusing video. It has nothing to do with weight loss, and rather a lot to do with sheep!