2013 Exercise and Weight

For the year 2013 I did the following exercise which totaled over 11,000 kilometers: Swimming 302km;Biking 6593km; and Running 4163km.

Despite all this exercise (some would say chronic cardio), giving up beers for many, many months prior to Ironman Japan on August 31st 2013, and being careful with what I ate, I still had love handles and put on an extra 2 to 3 kilos over the Christmas break despite still exercising and being conscious of what I ate.

During 2013 my weight hovered from around 70 to 73 kilos. I ran an average of 80km per week, biked an average of 127km per week, and swam an average of 7.5km per week. I also went to the gym regularly and was conscious of eating “healthily”. My weight was not too high but I had definite excess weight around my waist that I could not get rid of no matter how much exercise I did.

What if I were to get injured, went on work trips, or just didn’t care to train so much? I would gain weight right? You can clearly see that I could not exercise away my bad diet.

2014 Exercise and Weight

At the start of 2014 I felt that I needed to change my nutrition because what I had been doing to that point was not working properly for me. I wanted to lose my “love handles” once and for all. I had no weight goal in mind as I simply wanted to be healthier.

Since following my Primed Lifestyle from March 1st my weight is around 62.5 kilos. I am also doing a lot less exercise than before. My running average is 68km per week (12km less per week than 2013), biking average of 73km per week (54km less per week) and a swimming average of 7.5km per week same as 2013). I have been exercising less, eating more, but my weight dropped by more than 11%. The most important aspect for me though is that I gained more energy.

My Eating Habits for 2014

January 1st to Feb. 12th was a “normal” diet according to traditional food pyramid. I ate what is considered to be a healthy breakfast of a wheat cereal with skim milk and raisins, my lunch and dinner was never too large and would typically include carbohydrates like pasta, rice, bread, potatoes as well as a protein like chicken, beef or fish. I would have sports drinks; iced milk drinks and soft drinks only occasionally. I would sometimes skip dinner in the belief that it was good for my weight loss and was averaging around 25 hours of exercise per week.

My Primed eating lifestyle started as a 50% effort on February 15th to February 28th where I also reduced my exercise to less than 20 hours per week. During this period my weight dropped to 65 kilos from around 70 kilos. I was so happy with my progress that I then adopted my Primed Lifestyle to 100% as much as possible and practical.

After March 1st I was personally eating more good quality food but losing excess fats from my stomach. I felt stronger, was enjoying my food more and having more energy. Even in my long exercise sessions I didn’t need sports drinks anymore, was using less gels and feeling great.

By the end of March my weight was less than 63 kilos (for the first time since I was a teenager) and my love handles were almost gone! My exercise per week averaged only 15 hours for the month of March.

Getting Older but Faster & Stronger – 5 Personal Bests Since Going Primed

Since fully adopting my Primed Lifestyle on March 1st I have achieved personal bests in every triathlon race I have entered (there have been 3 triathlons), and also achieved my long term goal to run a 10km in under 40 minutes.

– Ironman – 14:07:55 (Japan Ironman, Aug. 2013) – New PB of 11:41:37 (Melbourne Ironman March 23rd, 2014)

– Marathon – 3:30:38 (Condura, Feb. 6, 2011) – New PB of 3:28:27 (after 180km bike – March 23rd, 2014)

– 10k – 0:40:27 (April 18, 2011) – New PB of 39:10 (Sat. 12th April, 2012)

– Triathlon 1 – 2:36:37 (Tri-U 3 Oct. 2013) – New PB of 2:35:46 (Tri-U 1 triathlon on March 9th, 2014)

– Triathlon 2 – 2:35:46 (Tri-U 1 Mar. 2013) – New PB of 2:31:03 (SubiT triathlon on April 27th, 2014)

Over-Weight Triathletes and Runners

We have all seen many over-weight athletes. It is good that they are exercising with the goal to enjoy their sports and get fit. However, what damage are they doing to their knees, ankles, hearts etc? Surely the extra weight slows performance and could have adverse effects on their health (an opposite consequence to their goal).

I was one of these athletes but thankfully had limited injuries but I know my weight slowed me down. The other problem here is the chronic cardio cycle. Because we carry extra weight we try to train more to lose more. We often even eat less but this is a counter-productive practice that does more harm than good as it effects your metabolism.

My 25 plus hours of swimming, biking, running and going to the gym in 2013 represented chronic cardio. Despite this chronic cardio and eating what was considered a “healthy” diet I was over-weight with love handles and a lack of energy.

How Did I Change My Habits?

Because I wrote down my goals, and had excellent support from my wife Natasha, I did not find it too difficult to transition to a Primed Lifestyle. I am glad I did it gradually.

The hardest aspect was giving up rice, noodles and beer. Having lived in Singapore and Hong Kong when I was young, and then the Philippines for the past 14 years, I love Asian noodle dishes as well as dishes that go well with rice like curries, adobo etc. I have also been drinking beer since I was 4 years old (I sneakily drank my first one from the InterContinental Hotel mini-bar when I was staying with my Dad back in 1972) and really liked a cold glass of beer or two.

However, once I experienced the success of losing excess fats and gaining more energy due to my Primed Lifestyle it was easy. I also found nice substitutes like Cauliflower “rice” and learned to love drinking green tea (hot and iced).

Conclusion

Due to my Primed Lifestyle I am the fittest I have ever been. My weight is around 62.5 kilos and I did not have to exercise excessively to achieve it (or maintain it). I am also eating more and have more energy.

I have always been interested in cooking (I had my own restaurant in Brisbane for 3 years) and am delighted to share healthy Primed recipes for our readers so they can enjoy them too.

Feel free to email me at primedforyourlife.chad@gmail.com if you you need assistance with respect to any of the following: Primed meals cooked for you; Primed meal plans; Training for your House Help; and Wellness Coaching.