Day 90 - DONE!!!!

I know I've made quite a fuss about my post-PCP wine arrangements - so I feel that I need to update anyone who's been reading this on what has transpired.  I'm sitting here typing and feeling slightly squiffy with the final glass of the Mouton Rothschild.

There is something worrying about opening the most expensive bottle of wine you've ever bought - a gut (with six pack) clenching concern of corking.  Might it be off?  Do I pretend it's not off - because I can't tip that sort of money down the sink?  taking off the foil, there was a suspicious musty smell and the top of the cork was a mess.  Concern mounted....but after a good wipe down with some water-soaked kitchen roll, we had something to work with.  Tackling the cork I just got on with it...and when it finally eased out of the bottle, the smell was quite simply awesome.  Having not had any wine for 3 months and then to be hit by something of this quality, I was quite literally speechless.  This isn't a wine blog so I won't go into tasting notes, smell etc etc - but it was bang on and a damn good bottle of booze.

Had some Ruinart champagne too....not quite the same though....

Anyway, enough of wine:  this is about PCP.  I loved the whole thing of the last work out - great idea.  And once it was done, I felt incredibly smug...How easy was that!?  Very....

I might blog again - whilst this is my main blog post PCP, I think I might have more to say on what PCP has meant for me and my life.   I will revert on this at some point - the only thing I want to say now is a very big thank you to four people...

First, Naz, my lovely and long-suffering wife.  She is always an inspiration and has continued to be throughout PCP.  For someone who doesn't need the change of PCP that much to commit to do it to support me is a pretty awesome display of love...and shows her as a thoroughly wonderful person.  The fact that her six pack is better than mine will eat at me for years...but there you go!

Second and third, Patrick and Chen.  Great programme.  Great food.  Great exercises.  I can't praise you highly enough for something so simple.  I said in an earlier blog that I am easy to institutionalise...I think that goes for a lot of people - and as a result, I just got on a did what you both said...and lost 12 cms on my waist and 16 kgs!  Thank you both so much.

Finally, Ren.  Ren's a nutter.  With tattoos.  One of them is a big tattoo.  Notwithstanding that, Ren is the person who got me into PCP and he did it exactly the right way - pretty reserved about it at first, but then when I kept asking he gave me more and more - and as a result, we signed up.  Without him, we wouldn't have ever discovered PCP...so he deserves a lot of thanks just for that.  But on top of that, he's been a really good person to talk to when it's got tough - as he's at work, it means we can talk at the time I find most difficult - late morning before lunch, when I'm considering eating the desk...thanks Ren - it's been brilliant!

Right - I'm off now...well done everyone!

Day 83...and into the last week

Things going well I think...Since my last post, Naz and I enjoyed our indulgence - a trip to Osaka and a pretty awesome French meal in the Ritz Carlton....which included two of my all time favourite things - white alba truffle and foie gras...in the same dish!!  That is what I call indulgence!  Anyway - we were there to take the kids to Universal Studios Japan where a good time was had by all.

Back to Tokyo and last week the exercises started getting pretty hardcore I thought - especially the reps to failure, although I was pretty pleased that with sit ups I couldn't really get there - 120 straight through...!  I also managed to skip without a trip or a break for 22 minutes which is a new record for me.  I reckon it was about 2,700 jumps.  To think how absolutely knackered I was after about 50 when we first set out.

On the body front, I've finally broken through the 90kgs barrier so I'm now down to 89.6kgs with one week to go.  Don't expect to lose much more given the weight training but the waist is consistently dropping still which is good.  In old money, I'm down 35lbs which is two and a half stone.  Makes a big difference to everything in life and I feel so much better for the whole experience.  I'm really going to try and enjoy this last week of pushing on....it will be tough I'm sure but having come this far etc etc....!

good luck to everyone else in the last week of PCP - it's all been worth it!

Suits you

I guess this is a sort of PCP thing to blog about - and if I go back over my blogs one day for posterity (or to find inspiration for another required regime change!) then this will help....

Friday was new suit day with Ren in Tokyo.  He's a brilliant help as the tailor speaks absolutely no english at all so his translation services are invaluable - he should get a commission (I will buy him lunch though once PCP's done)...

These guys made me two suits earlier in the year - one of which I had on when we went along.  The trousers fall down on their own now - and when the tailor got his tape measure out it was confirmed - waist size has been reduced by 11cms....that's quite a bit - over 4 inches!  Backside also significantly reduced and jacket size down by 2 - although chest stayed put, with muscle rather than man boobs!  Was really chuffed and picked out some pretty sharp material for new suits and some new shirts - I am going back to London in November (they'll have arrived by then!) so I'm hoping the new outfit will have the desired 'shock and awe' impact.

Until they're ready, I will have to continue to put two pretty big pleats in my current strides - which are becoming a cross between trousers and culottes!

Body fat percentage down to under 20% now too - never thought that would happen....so I'm buzzing for the last two weeks which I understand are pretty hardcore.  Thank godness it's half term for the kids so we don't have to get up at 5am for this week.  Off to Osaka tomorrow and we're going to miss Monday (shock horror) but will be back 'on the horse' on Tuesday.

Keep strong everyone for the last bit. Oh yes - my bottle of wine is arriving on Monday for the end of PCP....a 1986 Mouton Rothschild....get in!

Skipping (as we call it in England)

I am not lacking motivation for PCP - I'm generally enjoying it and whilst I'm looking forward to the end, the number of people who comment on my changed shape make it all worthwhile....

This one's about skipping though and is for people who have just started PCP or who are thinking of doing it.  When I started, I was pretty crap.  I stuck with it though and deliberately didn't do runs or swims or whatever instead of skipping.  I gradually got better.  Patrick doesn't 'recommend' equipment, but I started with an Asics plastic ultra lightweight rope and that was ok but not great.  I switched to a Nike Speed Rope about three weeks ago and it's been a revelation.  To start with it was hell - my shoulders killed me and my arms ached all over!  I've stuck at it though and now I can bang out thousands of jumps in a row - and I'm really enjoying skipping and it will definitely stay with me post PCP.  I get that this is a personal preference thing, but I really struggled to know where to start with jump ropes when I started and so I thought the above might help!

Also did weigh in....91.1kgs so now down 14.2kgs.  Body fat %age down over 10% since the start....

Day 66

Haven't posted for a while....going along ok thanks very much!  Exercises are a total shag - but hey that's what we signed up for.  Egg whites also more boring than anything - I'm glad we've only got just over three weeks to go....as my biggest problem is boredom now.  Haven't got the resolve to think up any funky new ways to eat egg whites or veg...so just hanging in there.