six months

Half a year - down!
All parts still in working order so havent had to call on the warranty ..... YET!

and
596 kms of 1095 completed - 499 to go!

losing it

wow.
25 weeks on ...
and
31 kilos gone ...
61cms down ...
569kms walked!

boom

Fed up with how her diet is going, Charlene takes a more serious aim at her target weight.

half way

the half way point !!
today 548kms was reached...
five and a half months, walking and running:

be careful of side effects:
         ~ weight loss
         ~ positive outlook
                on life
         ~ tons of energy!
         ~ health improvements
         ~ improving fitness
                levels

stellar effort andrew! you will blitz the second half .... looong before christmas arrives.

pretty in pink

lucky andrew, you dont have to make that choice ... well, hmmmm, least i think you dont? :)
though im sure you would look pretty in slinky pink! who am i to judge!

enjoy that delicious ice cream!

progress, progresses!

27.8kgs - :) in 5 months .. consistent, steady weight loss - just over a kg a week. like with any change, some weeks a little more, some weeks a little less ... - BUT - the benefits of regular exercise, far outweighing the kg loss. fitter, stronger, healthier, more energetic! alive!!
and, with that feeling in mind, with the goal of 1095kms for the year remaining, andrew now turns towards an additional goal - to run a 10km race ...
training will adjust slightly - todays session very running focused, what an AWESOME session it was - tough. yet. no excuses. not a single complaint nor a single "i can't" amongst it all. just DO IT - BAM! THAT, is the best growth.

winter begins

winter hits and along with it comes an earlier than expected, milestone .... 500kms!!!! w00t!
nearly half way to the years goal - and with some of those kms now including running spurts - a fantastic achievement :)

routine, consistency, regularity, steadfastness ... how many other synonyms do we require? it all boils down to the same thing - a positive healthy habit has been established with the benefits, compounding!

cheers - to the next 500

making choices

dinner.... for some

another active weekend - out on the water this time.
dinner time ... ? what do you do when you find yourself in a situation where the food choices - are not yours ? the control, not there.
it does show the importance of always pre planning when you know you are going to be faced with that dilemma ... but, would be interested in other peoples thoughts on how to handle such a situation. anyone have any ideas?

bootcamp




bootcamp - running, running, running, running ... and a WHOLE lot more!!

the rain and darkness is no deterrent for the benefits and fun of an early morning session outdoors in the Whitsundays!

VR... to the rescue

Um, there's an elevator to your left ;)

a phone call this evening from a very proud Andrew ... the vertical rescue course at Cape Hillsborough with the SES - a success!

andrews words - "everyone was huffing and puffing... a couple of months ago I could NOT have done this... thank you" :D

you are old father william

colour co-ordination at an optimum!

well, what a lot of fun today was, exercise wise...
a birthday - brings no rest, in fact, if anything - andrew worked harder today - amazing self motivation and drive. the fact he had to workout in a birthday hat with pom poms (minus the cheerleaders dammit!), must have oooozed energy and excitement into him! :P~

birthday bonus ... yet another great outcome on the scales, 2 weeks since the last weigh due to being unwell last week, but another 2 kgs down - bringing the total to a 26kg loss. almost text book perfection.

with a busy, active weekend ahead at cape hillsborough rock climbing - it's gonna be a super start to another great energy filled week ahead.
how awesome andrew - knowing. you are now capable of completing, all that this weekend will place upon you!

that word, again

464kms!
so close to half way. :D

the key to it all has simply been - consistency ...
the walking, has now simply become a habit, never questioned  about whether to 'do it or not' and even on busy days, fitted in as a priority... with optimal health being the ultimate goal.
additional new and varied activities have been added in, slowly.

floodboat course

Floaties on hand, water in sight...bring on the cold swim :)

under attack

with encouragement from fellow ses'er corinne, andrew hit a body attack class at fitness venue this morning ... once again proving, he is open to giving anything and everything a go when it comes to pushing himself and discovering what he is capable of ...
attack is an amazing class for your fitness levels, does absolute wonders for your heart and lungs, and is a fantastic calorie burner! a high energy workout!
all i can say is, well done andrew.
you continue to inspire. keep up with all you are doing!

successful sunday searching

With the late night phonecall, i knew that my plans had to change from the standard 3km walk along the boardwalk to a more remote search on picturesque Hayman Island.

Starting around 2am on the island the walk involved a 6km search of the island's track with a 243m altitude gain.

breakfast at hayman

had to show this andrew ... lolly snakes? AFTER the monstrous breakfast that we had!? really!

I describe it ... a stargazing midnight cruise over to hayman, some great overgrown steep rocky walking tracks for four and a half hours by torchlight, ENORMOUS spiders to contend with, (thanks greg) but the bonus of the fairy like glitter of their eyes ... millions of toads, a gorgeous sunrise, having the most expansive breakfast made for us all at HAYMAN island.. finishing with ... a gentle cruise back, albeit mostly missed due to everyone having nanna naps... all on Mother's Day!?
But the best part? YES, a positive outcome for an elderly man and his family. Happy mother. Happy daughter. Very fortunate Dad. NEVER a more amazing feeling!

lost centimetres

measurements - 5 weeks since done.
39cms... gone!

weight - another 900grams this week
= 24kgs... gone!

kilometres - 421 of them... walked!

denim and lace

andrew & the mottley crew at prossy airport waiting for
the plane to the gold coast for an SES comp - just one of the
gang, in jeans! everyone looking great.
(good luck all of you, represent us well tomorrow!)

andrew: 30 april 9.18am
Great. Thanks Ann. You've cost me $30!

ann:
oh!?! Do I get an explanation or you are now in flight mode?

andrew:
Lost too much weight grrrr :) Bought my first pair of jeans in i reckon 15 years, (not due to only weight, just never worn them before)
Those George Michael swings you give me must be doing it LOL

weekend challenge

david & greg - keep eating like that, you guys will
be next haha :P~

andrew: ‎1st challenge: team feeding frenzy at Australia Fair ... PASS

ann: beaming for you :D !! remember how fantastic you're doing and dont let that funny looking group sabotage your efforts! :P~~ :)
what did you feast on instead though?!

andrew: What, are you checking up on me Ann? LOL .... A salmon wrap, green tea and yoghurt. As the key holder, twas easy to choose the location which had variety ;) Sue's happy also which makes for a happy team LOL
Gotta go shopping now apparently ;)

only a kilometre

one kilometre to FOUR HUNDRED ....

when andrew arrived at the gym to workout today, and the realisation he had only one kilometre to reach 400 for the year, i sent him out to run that 1km ...
5 weeks ago, he did 1km in 7:08, it was the first time he had pushed himself to actually set a time to a distance, and, part running, part walking, an absolutely fantastic effort ...
today. 6:42 - 26 seconds faster! THAT. is awesome. and took his total to 400kms - precisely!

a gym session, a juice again (gonna power up on all those nutrients your body is soaking in! arent they much better tasting now than the pastries of the past!) and, 3kms later in the day, brings the years 3kaday total to 403kms.

consistency. it's a SUPER word. and it IS the word that delivers results.
anyone can create their own similar journey with great results, utilising, consistency .... don't w(eigh)ait for tomorrow to begin, today is here!

under 120! :)

with flooding, ses distresses, school holidays, easter, long weekends, bmx fatherly duties, road trips to cairns, the past couple of weeks have passed very quickly .... on andrews part.

with flooding, ses distresses, easter, long weekends, motherly duties, plane trips to sydney, the past couple of weeks have passed very quickly .... on ...  my part.

therefore, blogging has been neglected while life took over momentarily :D

BUT, despite any excuse most people could make - tired, too much to do, busy so lack of time etc ... there was none. there was adjustments and juggling of other activities, tv watching took a back seat :P and not a lot of time for simply sitting around idly!.... but the 3kaday, remained - clockwork!
the results. have matched. andrew lost another 1.5kgs this week!

it proves if you place yourself as a priority, if you place, your health, as important, no matter how hectic your schedule, you CAN achieve the biggest benefit possible for yourself - fitting exercise in!

total weight loss - now 23kilograms!!!! and looking fantastic :)

incidental benefits

20.2kilos - GONE!!! :D
congratulations andrew. no matter how hard you hunt, may you NEVER find those kgs  again!!

the graph attached?
the red line, depicts a weight loss journey of just under one kilo a week starting from day one of the 3kaday challenge - 1st january 2011 and with a goal date of 1st july ... giving a slow, SAFE, achievable body morph!

339kms plus... more

simply an overdue update :)
26 march, day 85 - 3 kms - total 300kms
27 march, day 86 - 3 kms - total 303kms
28 march, day 87 - 3 kms - total 306kms xtras balance prossy

energised!

Air in tyres, windscreen cleaned!

Had a great weekend.

Was an ideal opportunity to hit the gym for three different classes, some squash, a wet and windy walk & a bike ride to Airlie both days.
Coupled with some great socialising, twas one of those weekends that are enjoyable on many fronts. Feel energised & refreshed now :)

new ways to move

always willing to give new toys a go - this is a prossy gym contraption ... and with all the rain and flooding we have been having, andrew imagines it would be good to strengthen up his freestyle movement in preparation, so he can swim down the road instead of walk!

despite the rain, despite his desperate lack of humour :P the walking, is still consistent!

318kms to date! w00t!

300k

a milestone is reached ... 300kms ! w00t!

that's just an incredible effort so far!
andrew has achieved it with consistency - simply getting out there every day and 'doing it' ... the goal is so clear cut and measurable.
and the reward? the reward is the BEST possible, a journey towards a healthier lifestyle ...

just think andrew ... only 795kms to go ..

sooooo close!

how absolutely awesome, andrew is only 3kms off reaching a 300km walking total for the year, and 1kg off losing 20kgs - all in 84 days!

it is starting to show physically compared to looking back at day one, but more important is andrews ownership to his health and the attitude to keep wanting to do more to keep improving ... it's amazing how just a small start in the right direction can give all sorts of positive changes to our lives that then keeps us moving forwards...

first ever jog

before his first personal training session today at the gym, andrew went out to 'do' 1km as fast as he was able - the only instruction was to do just the best effort he could manage - walk, run, crawl - it didn't matter!

he headed out (in the rain!) with the gps, for a precise km, and stop watch in tow - to the surprise of chris and i, andrew came running in, but then kept running, in the rain, past the front door of the gym ....

a proserpine venture

studying the various routes that can be explored! :P~

main street attack

'balance' bending

day 73 - how quickly the year travels ...

andrew is consistent with his 3kms a day, often going beyond that, and to date has walked 263kms this year with an 18kg weight loss!

fantastic consistency andrew - and proof for anyone of how just 'a little bit each day', can make a  HUGE amount of difference in the long term, adding up to a whole lot of healthy benefits, well beyond any weight loss ...

another bike attack at jims

Yeah, they're my blood stains

I'm having fun, really...you should see me sad ;)

a new recruit

Who puts the start line half way up a hill?

Wrong way guys...sheez, do I have to do everything

introducing - props!



the 2 little companions

tonight, stationery bike. 10kms. i headed out after pump class and joined andrew hopping on a bike alongside... he never shuts up though, i think the brain never switches off from male mode - in just half an hour he 'got a flat tyre', 'ran over a cat' and 'the hill was a beast' - quite the incessant and bizarre chatter comes from him! but he got through the 10k in 29:01! impressive for not having been on a bike in years - and he had the resistance level working pretty tough for him, no easy option.

my new best mate

Jim was a local who I had driven past many a day, we were not really interested in each other, going our separate ways.
I had my life, Jim had his, both seemingly heading in the opposite directions.
Jim was a great fella by all accounts with many a friend hanging around him. The girls loved him, the guys used him, though they all seemed to come away from spending time with him with a big smile on their face. It was time I caught up with my old mate again and see what had changed in his life.

upping the ante at the fitness venue

I wait for noone LOL
Can't wait til tomorrow....must strike now :p
Andrew

message from andrew... the next step taken.
the goal remains the same - the walking will still be done, every day, 1095kms will be conquered! but, the gym is now, under attack!
be warned.
he is being allowed 'access'!

number crunching

the boring part of it all .... statistics. its been a long while coming - havent had an opportunity to sync up - but now, the unveiling of the kms to date ...
AND
total for the year - day 62 - 217kms!!!

manooka madness

bumped into andrew at the green gecko early morn sneaking a breakfast in so he didn't have to prepare it himself at home - fortunately, vegie omelette, he had made the right choice, imagine he was discovered instead at the fish and chip shop across from where he sat :P NEVER know who is watching!!!
after i had finished my chores around the centre headed back to him and we chatted awhile about goals and the whereto's and set an action plan for the week ....
so

15kgs lighter!

an enlightening day.
ordinary start. extraordinary mid morning :)
andrew phones. and the news to reach my ears is superb!
he has lost 15kgs so far :) AND - and its the and that is even better - he is ready to up the ante! i could not be happier for him! superb.

the part i actually like best is that it's a good weight loss - it isn't too fast, it isn't too slow. its consistent with the exercise he has been doing and the food he has been eating. and. its achievable - creating a lifestyle plan that can be held onto for... LIFE! not some fitness fad, that, once it isn't sustained, once life takes over, - results in weight gain, plus some extra luggage.
its been managed and maintained and continued - through - hours upon hours of voluntary work (which would send many of us off to the land of don't care and takeaway), two cyclones, a deployment to rocky to help in the floods, AND the excitement trauma of sending the youngest offspring out into the big wide world of schooling ...
briefer? its been managed, maintained and continued - through - the ups and downs of real, everyday life!

wet & wild

hubs locked in

no stopping

taking a new direction

the floods have come and gone, the cyclones have swept through and made their mark - and now, andrew has been up and running again - well, up and walking. hopefully the weather has settled for a little bit and life can gather some routine about itself again.

got back from townsville yesterday and today we went for a let's catch up walk.
opposite direction for a change - met at the lagoon and walked to iga in jubilee pocket - back to the lagoon - for a hot, sweaty, dive in! well. andrew dived, i didnt. i dangled my feet! :) wheres the fairness that guys can just jump in anywhere anytime!?

new direction in pictures

zig zagging

an uphill struggle!!? haha - ever so slightly exaggerated

cyclone hiatus

i said this year there was 'NO excuses'... narry a one!

however, never counted on a couple of cyclones in the one week that would affect us so much and i guess i have to be fair :D for, hats off to andrew and his ses work. he puts in an amazing amount of voluntary hours to help the community - its endless, often thankless, but ever required. someones gotta be doing all he does!!!!

the f word

guess who was spied in the fruit shop - buying - fruit and vegetables!!! :D

a most pleasing sight - and a long way from the bakery and pie days of not so long ago - huge brownie points andrew :D there is always eyes watching when you live in a small town :D

the journey of health really is about making better choices for ourselves - and most of those begin before we head home with our trolley load of groceries and packaged foods.
food choice, is of utmost importance - we can do all the exercise we want in the world, but it can be for nought if we use that as an excuse to then overindulge

australia day recognition

for my protection! - hello stranger :)

day 26 - 4kms - total 93 kms

Being Australia Day, what better way to start off the morning than to head down to the PCYC with the family for breakfast and to enjoy the Australia Day celebrations.

One of the memorable experiences of the day was meeting Judy, the Healthy Communities Coordinator, who actually recognised me from the blog (looks like I have to pull out of the witness protection program now!)

not missing any

day 25 - 4kms - total 89 kms.

With an afternoon walk planned before attending training at SES, I ended up missing SES training as I was tired and didn't want to sacrifice my walk. Feeling I had let friends down with my non-attendance, I had to make the hard decision and continue on. Sorry...
With a slightly longer walk undertaken, it was an early night to bed for me, something I haven't done for a long time.