The LSD of my weight loss plateau

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Bo

As every runner knows, if you want to improve your time, your pace and endurance, you need to work on three things: hills, speed work and LSD’s (long slow distances). In my opinion, the easiest of the three is definitely LSD’s. There’s nothing better than heading out on a fresh Sunday morning and running at a gentle pace as far as your body will take you.

It was on one such Sunday morning recently when I happened to be thinking about all the things that were on my mind and bugging me. The one issue consuming me is my weight, or rather my weight loss.

If you had told me at the beginning of the year what I would be weighing now, I would never have believed you. I would’ve thought it impossible, especially since the last time I weighed what I do was before I got married 12 years ago. But, as with my running, I stuck to a #LCHF (low carb high fat) program, experienced the pain of the hills and giving up carbs, then was delighted by the speed at which the weight fell off but I’ve somehow landed up plateauing. My LSD as I’ve started to call it.

I’ve been stable at this weight for two months now. No matter what I do, nothing budges. A slow and steady pace. Going far but not in any rush. I know it’s good for my body to be able to maintain this weight and not put any weight back on. But it’s frustrating. Damn frustrating. I’ve started to experiment – cutting out dairy (that didn’t last long), eating less nuts, trying bullet proof coffee (Google it) – and I’m hoping something kicks in.

I guess what I’m realizing is that I need to just hang in there. I need to be patient and go the distance. I reckon my body will eventually sort itself out. But I need to approach it as I do with my LSD’s. Enjoy it. Take the time to appreciate the scenery and thank my body for coming this far. Because who knows, maybe the next downhill is right around the corner.

Declaring your goals in running, at work, in life

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Bo

KK has decided to run the full Two Oceans next year. He’s run six half Oceans before and has been ‘thinking’ about doing the full one for ages now. But it’s as if all of a sudden, it’s become a reality and he has set his sights firmly on the goal. There’s something quite powerful about declaring your goals and telling others of your intention.

I know this because it’s something I’ve been doing at work for the last 10 months.

I decided last year to move my career into a different direction. I chatted to mentors, friends and decision-makers about my thoughts and finally decided to make it happen. Things don’t happen overnight in a corporate, I’m afraid and so for a few months now, I’ve needed to be patient and wait for things to fall in to place.

It did not stop me from telling people of my intentions. I started reading up, researching and engulfing myself in conversation with colleagues in this field. I set my eyes on the goal and did not look away, even when there were bumps along the road and it looked as if it might never happen.

Having a vision, a dream, a destination that you set your mind to is important. Putting the steps in place requires patience and planning. Being surrounded by those that believe in your goals and want you to reach your dreams is perhaps the most important part.

The months leading up to next year’s Two Oceans will be exciting and I’ll be there for KK every step of the way! Thanks to all those who have walked this journey with me too…

It’ll happen. Just calm down…

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Bo

I do not have any patience. Fact!

After starting my eating plan (diet is a dirty word!) at the end of July, I expected to see the weight dropping off, especially since I had stuck to the rules, denied myself chips and chuckles and ensured I kept my daily salads exciting and fresh.

At my last appointment with Melanie, my dietitian, I complained bitterly. It’s really disheartening to see others around me losing 1kg a week and making it look so easy. I’m not even able to lose 1kg a month!

I am busting myself at gym with my personal trainer, I’ve added in a spinning class. I have also tried to keep up the running training. But it’s starting to get to me.

She listened and then methodically went through my daily eating schedule and made one or two adjustments. Then she sat back and smiled and said, “Bron, a watched scale doesn’t drop. Stop stressing…”.

I think if anything, sticking to a strict eating plan is teaching me more about patience than anything else. I’m okay with the discipline. I’m good with my portion sizes. In fact, I even enjoy the gym and watching how hard I can push myself.

But once again, it’s never about the physical, it’s always what’s going on in my head and keeping that in check. It’s about calming down and keeping at it. It’s constantly reminding myself that I will lose weight and that I am doing everything right.

I know this! If anything, my running training has always taught me this. It doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s the hard work that pays off. Eventually.

Patience Bron.

Taking my slippers off

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Bo

To say that I am feeling miserable is putting it lightly. I’m in a dip, a low point…

I woke up on Sunday morning to the tweets of fellow runners who had just completed the Pirates 10km running race. I remember the race from last year when a great running tweetup had been organised. This year, I lay in bed sleeping, feeling sorry for myself. Worse is that I had promised a fellow tweep that I’d run with her and seeing her joy as she finished her first 10km race really made me feel crap.

The fact is that I haven’t run for ages. My last race was the RAC 10km in June. Firstly, I’m not the biggest winter runner. I hate getting cold. (My ears ache). Secondly, like most people, I was hit with flu which set my training, both running and gym, back for a couple of weeks. Thirdly, I hate my body at the moment. I’m overweight and I feel heavy, irritated and downright miserable.

It’s a vicious cycle. The less I run, the worse I feel. If I don’t get to gym, I feel guilty (and then I eat). It’s a bad place to be. So, Monday is always a good time to make a change, which I did. I got to gym lekker early and decided to do a ‘light’ run before the spinning class started.

To my surprise I managed to run 2kms around the running track without stopping. I was hot, drenched in sweat, aching, out of breath. OMG! It felt fantastic!

Yeah, so it’s only 2kms. But it’s exactly what I needed to do! It’s as if I needed to flick that switch in my head.

I may not be the best runner in the world. I know that I don’t run very far compared to most other runners. I know for a fact that I may even be the slowest runner I know. But I’ve come to realise that running makes me feel good. It makes me feel fit. It makes my body work and my mind work even harder. And that’s what matters.

In life, if you find something that motivates you, pushes you and makes you get off that couch and work towards a goal, don’t ever stop. It doesn’t have to be running. Just as long as it’s a passion that lifts you out of that dip and keeps you going.