At the beginning of the night I started to think I should try and drink until I get so drunk I never do it again. So bad that I feel terrible. But giving it more thought I have realized that has been done in the past to no avail.

What was interesting is as the night progressed I did have a 3 or 4 drinks and everyone tasted worse or less appealing. By the end of the night I was drinking water.

I came to the realization I really don’t need to drink to have a good night out. If anything it makes the night worse. I am an out going guy so it actually sometimes depresses me or it gives me less stamina.

It was actually the best thing to have happened as it really says to me. “Stephen, you do not need alcohol to have a good time”. It was a good feeling. From now on I am a water drinker. When I go to bars I will just say I am the sober driver and go from there.

I am really happy with the decision.

On another note I have found a Hypnotist who I see for the first time on Wednesday which is exciting. I am really looking forward to that!

It should help me get that edge and get over some of the mental barriers I have been struggling with.

I also want to list my regular diet (the food I eat when not on a special short diet).

• No Alcohol
• No Soft Drinks
• No Fast Food (With a Drive Through or Delivery Service)
• Low intake of Refined White Sugar or Flour (Rice is Preference)
• 1 Portion per Meal (No Starters, Deserts or Additions)
• Always Eat Something for Breakfast

15 Jan 2012: It all starts now is a post from: The Healthy Monk

Back in the swing of things. Time to place my goals for the year down.

I start this year at 118.7 KG.

So I start the year 10 KG (22 Pounds) lighter than last year and much wiser about where I am heading.

Every step is a good step and from my experience I should be able to shed the weight much quicker. I have decided this year to adjust my goal.

I am aiming to be 98KG at the end of the year and very toned (not overly muscular but obviously toned). This is 6KG heavier than last years goal but in my mind it is more achievable.

My goal in the first 6 months of the year is to get to a sustainable 98KG in weight with little to no focus on muscle building (although there will be a little bit thrown in). The further 6 months is to maintain that weight and convert fat in to muscle.

This seems like a much more all rounded plan and with my knowledge of last year I am pretty happy I know what I have to do. The following is a plan and set of Rules for me to follow.

1. I have given up Alcohol - No more at all this year or in the future

2. I have given up Soft Drinks – No Exception. Ice Water is my best friend now.

3. I have given up Fast food – Anything with a drive through (as well as Pizza Joints)

4. At any Meal I can have 1 portion. My big issue last year was my eyes were too big for my body. So I just get 1 portion for 3 meals a day.

5. When ever I need a snack I drink water first.

6. I will be going on diets like the HCG(for all of FEB) and others but I need a diet to surround those short term ones. No More 2 weeks off after them etc…

The Diet will Consist of the above Rules and will aim to remove Most Sugar & White Starch from my diet. With the Exception of Rice & Whole Grains – In Essence because the are the best of the carbs and I like them so there.

I will focus my last meal  of the day on Protein and Vegetables where possible.

This gives me a plan I can stick to because I like the food on it. This diet will not lose me weight but should maintain weight when coupled with some exercise. I will be using shorter diets to push my weight down and the above to maintain.

My thoughts to start the year is:d

Jan – Get used to the Maintain Diet

Feb – HCG goal is to drop 12 KG in Feb (This would put me around the 104 – 106KG mark

Mar – Maintain Diet with a bit of increased exercise

Apr – Atkins Diet/Slow Carb Diet – A Mix of these 2 but really rule out carbs all together – Keep portions reasonable

May – Maintain Diet

June – Re Assess where I am at If I have 5 KG or so left then look at the Lemon Detox Diet or similar to get me to that goal.

Summary

So that is my plan for the first 6 months of the year. I have no doubt at all I can achieve this and will. Maybe even quicker than I hope. All of the above would not have been possible with out last years lessons. I have learned so much about myself, my mind and what I am capable of. 2012 is going to be an exciting year!

13 Jan 2012: My Goals for 2012 is a post from: The Healthy Monk

Wow that was a great break. I have been in Hawaii for the last nearly 4 weeks lying on beaches, relaxing and seeing my girlfriends family who come from there. What a beautiful place.

Lets say I got lots of Vitamin D while I was there. Along with learning how cheap supplements are from Costco. Wow. I went out and bought some Astaxanthin (See my post on Astaxanthin here) It was maybe 1/5th the price of what it is in New Zealand. I also went and had a good look around the different health stores and the choice is just stunning. Being in New Zealand we have a lot of good stuff but due to the population we don’t have the same variety that is up in the US.

So could your self lucky on being on any diet up there!

So I stocked up on a few pills including some Pre Biotics which were also well priced. So my supplements are all up to date.

Sadly at the end of last year I did not manage to achieve my goals. I had a year of learning with wins and losses though out.

Some of the biggest things I have learned are

1. The mind is more important than the diet – It does not matter what Diet you are on. If you mind is fighting you, you will lose long term.

2. The long term diet I need focuses more on Vegetables, Protein with a some of Rice & Dairy

3. I am successful at giving things up for good. I am 13 months no smoking which was a great win last year. This year I am giving up Alcohol & Soft Drinks for good. No Looking Back.

4. I realized that breaks between diets do not work for me, so until I reach my goal I will not go off a simple diet that will encompass some other diets.

5. Short sharp diets did work e.g. HCG, Initial Slow Carb Diet, Lemon Detox (a Year Prior) – So these can be scattered through out.

6. Planning works – The best days last year involved me planning my days with work, play and food. By Doing this I do not leave my food intake to chance.

These are just a few of the lessons I have learned. In the next few days i will be turning them in to goals for the year.

I am today going to go out and buy a set of scales as the last ones seemed to die so might invest in some better quality ones.

I am also on the hunt for a great Hypnotist as The NLP worked in part but as I knew the lady I was working with as a friend I think it was not as effective as we were friendly and not as focussed as I would be with someone I was paying by the hour.

Lets say 2012 is the year my mind gets changed forever!

I hope you join me for the ride.

12 Jan 2012: A Year in Review is a post from: The Healthy Monk

For the last 3 days I have really regained momentum by having the exact same food each day. Which consists of:

Breakfast

3 x Pieces of Bacon

1 x Egg

1 x Glass of Water

Lunch

1 x Can of Tuna

3 x Cups of Salad Mix (Rocket)

1 x table spoon of Mayo

1 x day of lite french dressing

Dinner

1 x Can of Tuna

3 x Cups of Salad Mix (Rocket)

1 x table spoon of Mayo

1 x day of lite french dressing

Exercise

Soccer/Walking

Lessons

• By giving myself no personal choice I do well
• It seems to be all or nothing
• The 1 day off does not work for me. I think I might do 3.5 Weeks on and then have 4 days off in a row.
• Only 2.5 Weeks till Hawaii. Where did the year go!

30 November 2011: Slow Carb – Update is a post from: The Healthy Monk

I am enjoying writing these posts at the moment so will keep them up as they really help me remember what I am doing and why.

Breakfast

3 x Pieces of Bacon

1 x Egg

1 x Glass of Water

Lunch

1 x Can of Tuna

3 x Cups of Salad Mix (Rocket)

1 x table spoon of Mayo

1 x day of lite french dressing

1 x diet coke can

Dinner

1 x Bowl of Lentil/Beef/Tomato Stew

Exercise

15 minute walk

Lessons

• The can and walk seems to work well
• I am happy I managed to stick to it the day after
• Im starting to get more focussed about what I want
• The PAGG seems to be working and by taking a pill 4 times a day (including before bed) it focus’s me and reminds me what to eat

13 November 2011: Slow Carb Diary – Day 7 is a post from: The Healthy Monk

I have been speaking with Bradley at Kirkland Science the guys who I am trialling the PAGG from. He is a nice guy and provided me the following post to give a bit of scientific background on PAGG.

I feel it is working for me as long as I stick to the diet . It is hard to put it in works but it feels the weight is coming off in different places.

So here is Bradley with his take on some of the facts:

Clinical Evidence of PAGG

As with any new idea, there’s controversy surrounding Tim Ferriss’ fitness and health book, the 4-Hour Body. The best way to decide for yourself whether Ferriss’ claims for his program are true is to study the science behind them, and if that scholarship makes sense to you, then try the program for yourself.

One aspect of the 4-Hour Body program is a system of supplements called PAGG. PAGG stands for Tim’s “Four Horsemen of Fat-loss”: Policosanol, Alpha-lipoic acid, Aged Garlic Extract, and Green Tea Extract (EGCG).  But is there any scientific evidence that they work? Let’s look at each one individually.

• Policosanol.  This is a supplement taken from the waxes of certain plants. It combines several naturally occurring fatty plant alcohols. It has been used extensively to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL). Double-blind studies using both policosanol and a panacea have indicated that after receiving this supplement for twelve weeks, subjects showed a significant decrease in bad fats and an increase in good fats.#

• Alpha-Lipoic Acid. This vitamin has long been favored by diabetics# because of its effects in balancing blood glucose levels. That is, in part, its function in the 4-Hour Body program. Alpha-lipoic acid is also a powerful anti-oxidant, which not only helps get rid of those destructive free radicals, it also combines with other anti-oxidants, making them work even better. Studies have shown it to be extremely good for the heart, a muscle often weakened by an unhealthy lifestyle.#

• Garlic Extract. The health benefits of garlic are well known and seemingly without end. It is a staple in Mediterranean diets (along with olive oil and red wine, also permitted by the 4-Hour Body), in populations with long life and low heart disease. Throughout history, garlic has been used as an antiseptic, cleaning the body from the outside while it did the same on the inside by helping prevent blood clots from forming in the arteries. Not only is garlic delicious and healthy, it also has a lot of vitamin E, ascorbic acid and selenium, which makes it a strong and effective anti-oxidant. Probably most importantly, garlic is proven to reduce bad cholesterol and actually heal the injuries to the heart muscle bad cholesterol causes.#

• Green Tea. Green tea is another powerful anti-oxidant, and has been proven to reduce fat and promote weight loss.  In one study, a group of men drank green tea over the course of 12 weeks, and with no other diet modifications, lost inches in their waists, total body fat, and had their levels of bad cholesterol reduced.# It actually increases the rate of your metabolism without the dangerous side effect of increasing your heart rate. You will burn calories and process food faster, not to mention having more energy.

The clinical studies show why Ferriss’ included PAGG into the 4-Hour Body; when combined with electrolytes into an entire 4-Hour Body Stack, it embodies his philosophy entirely.   Focus on the 2% that gets you 95% of the results.

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If you want to find out more about the PAGG Supplement Bradley is part of have a peak at there website here. All I know is If Tim says it works and you can get all the PAGG ingredients plus calcium, magnesium and potassium in one place it makes sense to just take those ones.

As I am lazy. Maybe the blog should be the Lazy Monk lol. Well have a great one guys. Good luck in testing PAGG for yourself.

Clinical Studies Cited include:

Slow Carb Diet PAGG: Facts is a post from: The Healthy Monk

Breakfast

1 x Glass of Water

1 x Chromium Tablet

1 x Fish oil Tabler

Lunch

12 x Pieces of Sushi

1 x Ice Cream Shake

1 x hot dog

4 x donuts

2 x red bulls

Dinner

1 x Thai Beef and Vegetables with Rice

3 x Chicken Satay Skewers

3 x bottles of beer

Exercise

25 minutes at the Gym – 12 minutes of high intensity bike, Chest flys, Bicep Curls

Lessons

• That tasted good.
• At the rate I am going with binge day, on monday morning I will have lost 4.5kg to 5kg this week which is good. Next week will be the test.
• It is good to have a day off once a week as you appreciate things more. Less stuffing your face. More enjoying the taste.
• On PAGG you are surpose to have 1 day off each week so this makes sense. Will have a post on PAGG tomorrow with more.

12 November 2011: Slow Carb Diary – Day 6 is a post from: The Healthy Monk

Breakfast

1/3 x Cucumber

1 x PAGG Pill

1 x Glass of Water

Lunch

1 x Diet Coke

Dinner

3 x McDonalds Quater Pounders no buns

1 x large diet coke

1 x PAGG Pill

Exercise

15 minute of stretching

Lessons

• Fridays can be hard if they are busy but there is always an alternative
• Having cheat day on a saturday makes it easier to stay legit on Friday
• I need to plan snacks for the car if I do miss meals or am out and about all day
• I achieved a week I need to feel proud as I have struggled recently!!

11 November 2011: Slow Carb Diary – Day 5 is a post from: The Healthy Monk

Breakfast

3 x Bacon Strips
1 x Egg

1 x PAGG Pill

1 x Glass of Water

Lunch

2 x Celery sticks

1 Salad with Avo & Chicken from the Japanese Sushi place.

1 x PAGG Pill

1 x Glass of Water

Dinner

1 x Bowl of Tomato, Beef, Lentil, Onion Stew

2 x Bottles of Water

1 x PAGG Pill

Exercise

15 minute walk to the shop and back

Lessons

• If I give my self incentives to go and walk it is a plus
• Ive My exercise ends up being 4 x 15 min walks a week, 2 x Soccer and 1 x Gym I am actually happy with that.
• I am being good and keeping up my blogging which is so important.
• Still feeling good. Being in the 109′s is great. hopefully hit the 108′s tomorrow. My big goal is to be in the 108′s Monday

10 November 2011: Slow Carb Diary – Day 4 is a post from: The Healthy Monk

Breakfast

4 x Bacon Strips
1 x Egg

1 x PAGG Pill

1 x Glass of Water

Lunch

2 x Celery sticks

1 x PAGG Pill

1 x Glass of Water

Dinner

1 x 3 Organic Chicken Thighs in a Marinade or some sot
1 x Side Salad

1 x Bottle of Water

1 x PAGG Pill

Exercise

40 Minute Football game which got the heart pumping. (We won 4 – 1)

Lessons

• Taking every day 1 by 1 is so important
• Having my lunch planned is just fantastic and really helps – Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail
• Have not been doing my 10 minutes a night of Meditation. Big smack on the hand. I need to do this.
• With this being the second week on PAGG I feel my body looks better. It is hard to explain but it does.

9 November 2011: Slow Carb Diary – Day 3 is a post from: The Healthy Monk