Let battle commence!

I’ve had to sit down; I don’t know if it is a result of the physical exertion of climbing onto the bathroom scales, or the shock of the reality that I weigh the heaviest I have in my entire life!

Whilst in recent weeks I have been diligently planning for my big trip next year, and ensuring my gear will be as light as it can be without compromising comfort, I have been distracted and unforgivably ignored the most important factor; shedding the copious excess weight from myself and not just the backpack!

The hard facts are that whilst I have shaved off a few pack kilos through better/lighter equipment, I have just redistributed that weight to the waistline!

I’m beating myself up about it. I’m pissed off at my indifference to tackling it sooner, but in my defence I have had a few issues; Shoulder problems over the past two years have restricted any regular upper body exercise. I have also struggled, for the past six months at work, with a task that has left me with bouts of stress, insomnia and little motivation for things like exercise!

Admittedly not a strong case, but ill health, unhappiness and frustration can breed a mind-set where you come home from work of an evening and think; “Hmm.. a set of leg presses, sit ups, wall squats, 20 minutes on the stepper and a 45 minute session on the rowing machine? Definitely… but first, I’ll just have a quick doze whilst watching The One Show!” An hour later, I’m waking from my slumber, feeling like I’m in the early stages of a hangover, and then reassuring myself; “I’ll start my exercise regime tomorrow..”

Add to all this, I haven’t had a holiday this summer, I’ve taken few weekend trips to the hills,  and my core source of exercise is walking.

With a culmination of all the aforementioned, I guess there is little surprise that I’m facing more of a challenge before I set foot on the Bibbulmun next September.

There are positives now, though; all is not lost. I am recognising and acknowledging the issue now, and not a month before I fly down under. Work has settled back into a semblance of normality, and I have not only seen, but reached the light at the end of the tunnel. My shoulder problems have abated, for now, thanks to the wonders of cortisone, and so I can begin to partake in some form of upper body exercise.

If I really want this trip to go well, I simply have to get off the couch and sort myself out. The biggest step is breaking through that seemingly impenetrable force field of lethargy that protects any assault on obesity; do that and the task will only get easier, won’t it?

Let battle commence!!