Week 8…all over bar the shouting. The Ultimate Challenge comes to an end.

July 12, 2016

1525

I want to thank all those who have commented,
read my postings or generally made me feel
that I was not doing this Challenge “in a vacuum”.
It would be remiss if I did not single out Natalie Lazarus
for her constant encouragement and comments.
And my daughter, and Team partner, Jayne for setting me on this path.
Without her, I would be “veging” in front of the TV with a packet of crisps.
I am so grateful that she has been there for me,
consistently encouraging me to keep going.
I would really like it if SG would consider a “parent/child”
category in future Challenges.
It has been an eye-opener to see what Jayne has achieved
during this UYC…I am so VERY proud of her.

Think on this:
You are what you eat…or so the idiom goes
That is ONE of the lessons that I will take from this UYC.
I have eaten food that for a variety of reasons, never tried before.
And, lo and behold, I have enjoyed them!
I have learned that less is more.
Heaped plates are not the answer to REAL hunger.
They are merely there to assuage a symptom.
The positive aspect is that one meal can become two
and that the enjoyment of a good meal is not spoiled
by that bloated feeling that you get from over indulging.
Where to from here?
I intend to continue to “eat clean”…
or my version of that anyway.

#thechoiceismine.

This is me in my final challenge photograph!
Well close enough…
I am getting a knitted Bat hood,
watch this space…

BATZ BUDDIES have risen to the occasion.

Dad (David) and Daughter(Jayne) have joined forces

to support and encourage

each other (and the other teams) to do their best.

This is what Jayne had to say:

So, this UYC has been super …well.. CHALLENGING, for me.

Unlike my first UYC I did in the beginning of the year,

where I really achieved each of my 3 goals set out,

I felt like such an achiever.

Maybe it was the fact that it was Winter, and moving becomes

so much harder as the warmth of bed embraces you-

but I have not reached any of my goals, I set out to at the beginning.

In fact I feel further away from then now, than when I started 8 weeks ago

Yet, somehow, I do not feel like a failure;

I feel like I am only learning new things about my body.

I realise the extreme effort it takes to get cut, defined abs.

Is it an effort I would commit to again, I am not so sure.

Come back to me in a month, post cheesecake and pizza celebrations

But I do know some things have shifted:

I haven’t touched a single fizzy drink, I haven’t had my usual pasta and pizza

more than 3 times since January! Where I usually consumed them 3-5 times in a week.

I have been training 4-5 times a week since January too.

Anyone who knows me, will know I haven’t done a stitch of committed exercise before.

So even if the weight hasn’t shifted, and the 6-pack seems elusive,

things are changing and healthy habits are forming.

Last week after a training session, a stranger asked “So, may I ask, why is it you are here?

I mean you have a perfect body.” My jaw hit the floor…

Here I am hating my lack of results, and yet for someone else,

I represent something entirely different.

We all have our own specific (more often than not, negative) body images of ourselves,

if only we could see ourselves -just for a moment- from other people’s perspectives!

This stranger – forced me to recognise that I am still moving forward,

even if I feel like I am going backwards.

I am so grateful that my BatzBuddy sponsored this UYC for me

– as I am so grateful for the opportunity to keep learning about my body

and taking it towards a healthier me!

I feel sad that this challenge has come to a conclusion.
But I do hope that this community will continue to support
those whose Challenges are not yet over.

I could not have said it better myself.

In a sea of cynicism, jealousy and often vitriol,

I find the groups involved the various challenges

to be the absolute antithesis.

May you all attain the goals that you are striving to achieve.

Many thanks to Quantifi for loaning this to me.

www.quantifi.co.za

The Smart Body Analyser can be used as a stand alone device,

which can be used either via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

There is also a phone App that works with both iPhone and Android handsets.

According to the SBA, my current body fat % is 21.6,

My finish weight was 87.5, so not much movement there.

My waist down from 99 to 93cm, and similar losses

in all the other measurement areas!

This is how I will be celebrating…

I hope that the above teams attained all their goals,
and that the various members had a successful Challenge.

It ain’t over till I say it is…
That being said, I will continue with my own
“Spring is coming Challenge”.
Officially the new season starts on September 1,
which is, would you believe, 8 weeks away.