I’ve set myself a new challenge! Thanks to all the suggestions on a recent blog – mid-life crisis blog.
Having pondered them for a few days I’ve decided this is the one to pursue first. Although it’s far from impossible I don’t suppose it’ll be easy. I remain optimistic!
Here are the details…
What’s the Target?
In a slightly different vlog, here are the details…
Why Make Life Hard?
So I’m giving myself 3 months to drop 10kg’s and around 8-9% fat. Will I do it?
I really think I will.
The way I see it; setting goals and achieving them is a relatively simple process, providing you have the right resources and time (and it’s a realistic goal).
If you’re losing weight, building wealth or learning to trade it’s an in-out equation…
- Lower food intake, increase exercise.
- Lower spending, increase earnings.
- Lower mistakes, increase edge.
It’s not quite rocket science. Granted, some of those things are easier said than done – they take real effort.
If you relate this to trading and look back to earlier blogs, I didn’t start out making £500+ on day one. It was done by picking up the small wins first… £2, £4, £5.
However, as mentioned in the clip above – it’s important to keep track of progress, measure it fairly (like for like where possible) and set a deadline. No deadline means no intention to complete!
You can keep track of this little challenge via the challenges category on the sidebar of the site!
Is There a Better Way?
There probably is a more efficient path to my goal, I don’t claim to be a specialist in the area. If any of you are, please help me out in the comments below…
Wish me luck!
Start point:
Weight: 98.7kg
Fat: 29%
Water Retention: 52%
BMI: 28.5
Deadline:
Weight: 88.7kg
Fat: 20%
Water Retention: 52%
BMI: 24
First Update:
So I’m just over half a week in to the challenge, and already hating it…
I expected it would be a bit of a journey ‘learning’ but I’m going to spend a whole lot more time reading up on how I can make this effective and satisfying at the same time. Knowledge is power and all that.
So far I’ve had two days where I have been in a calorie deficit, leading to feeling like complete crap. One of those days I put in a heavy weights session in the gym – I was left with the shakes and extreme hunger. Not much fun at all.
Several followers have suggested a keto diet and taking time to check ‘macros’ so I’ll be swatting up.
On a slightly more positive note, I felt a lot ‘clearer’ today whilst trading. It could be a coincidence but I wondered if the diet was having an effect on my mental effectiveness.
7 Day Weigh-in Results:
So in week one, the diet slipped a touch in places and exercise wasn’t that fun as previously mentioned.
The results, however, have blown me away…
Expecting to have just about scraped it, I’m shocked. For me, this reiterates just how important it is to keep track of progress. I’m now fully motivated for another week!
A few things I’ve learned this week:
- It’s deceptive how many calories are in some foods.
- It’s even more deceptive how many carbs are in most foods.
- Going for a hard run on low calories is a really bad idea.
- Eating before working out imperative if I’m to feel good.
As always, educating myself as I go is proving invaluable. Possibly I won’t be so hard on myself this week!
Weight: 95.8kg
Fat: 28%
Water Retention: 53%
BMI: 27.7
Onward to week two…
14 Day Weigh-in Results:
After a wobbly week (no pun intended) I wasn’t so keen on the weigh-in this week…
I’ll admit it, I had a pretty big lapse on one night which inevitably led to a couple of days getting back into the swing of things. It started with ‘just one or two beers’ which led to a meal out, a whole heap of beers into the early hours, a McDonalds and a fryup the next morning (to cure the hangover). Bad times.
That said, results could have been worse:
Weight: 97.1kg
Fat: 26%
Water Retention: 54%
BMI: 28.1
With water retention up at 54% it probably counts for about 1.5kg extra weight. However, fat is down 3% and muscle is 2% up since the start of the challenge.
I’ve also noticed quite a change in the way I feel this week. Focus and energy levels are up a fair bit!
Hopefully, this week will be a bit better!
21 Day Weigh-in Results:
Another successful week, but not without its struggles…
I’ve come to realise my two main issues regarding health/diet/weight:
- Eating Out
- Alcohol
They crop up again and again. Admittedly I’m a bit weak in these area’s (I like being social) but they’re proving to be the main resistance in weight-loss. Recording what I eat is really highlighting it.
Similar to last week, I slipped off the wagon a couple of times. They weren’t big ‘blowouts’ like last week but still. This week there was literally no exercise either…
Weight: 96.1kg
Fat: 25%
Water Retention: 56%
BMI: 27.8
So whilst I’ve lost another kilogram of weight, it seems to have slowed right up… but has it?
Water Retention:
Looking at previous results, it’s hard to ensure a level playing field when it comes to water retention. The food I’ve been ingesting is lower in carbs than usual, which has led to increased thirst (I’ve been really guzzling at times). This means that overall water retention is on the up. 4% when compared to the first week’s weigh-in.
So, with that in mind, I had a look at the water retention analytics week-on-week.
In comparison to the very first weigh-in I found the difference in water weight is as follows…
- Week 1 -0.8kg (thus the bigger drop maybe)
- Week 2 +1kg
- Week 3 +1.67kg
With that in mind, it’s fair to assume I’ve lost more than it looks on first glance.
This week I added a post here about it, but I noticed a big difference in alertness and energy.
For now, all seems well. Over the next week, I’ll aim to eat out a little less (just once maybe) and do a little exercise to see if there is much impact on the bottom line. I’m also toying with the idea of trying out some ‘Musclefood’ as readers have suggested.
As ever, success is rarely a straight line. However, the measuring stick shows progress in the right direction!
28 Day Weigh-in Results:
Will keep the update brief this week!
Was a better week, stuck to the regime. Did pop out for a meal and drinks but stuck to Steak, Avacado, Bacon, and Brocolli. It seems to have made the difference!
Weight: 93.7kg
Fat: 24%
Water Retention: 55%
BMI: 26.6
Gradually getting there now.
35 Day Weigh-in Results:
Another week and some more weight. A little surprised I lost so much this week as I did cheat and go all-in on a Chinese at one point. I can only think its the assistance of ketosis and being routined for the rest of the week.
The results…
Weight: 92.5kg
Fat: 24%
Water Retention: 55%
BMI: 26.2
Going to try really hard to have a disciplined one this week. Nearing a weight now, according to the gym machine I am now out of the ‘obese’ bracket.
42 Day Weigh-in Results:
Second belt-loop down this week, and it’s been a good one on the whole!
I was a little surprised at the weight results as it was a clean weak of eating and a bit more exercise than normal. The majority being weight training. Body fat is down and muscle is up though, which could be why I’ve only lost half a kilo. I’m not too concerned as I felt I’d actually lost a bit of muscle in previous weeks.
Here are the official results…
Weight: 92kg
Fat: 23%
Water Retention: 56%
BMI: 26
I’ve started to notice a visual change in the mirror now, and those around me have also commented.
Here’s today’s delivery (courtesy of musclefood.com).
Let’s see how the changes go!
49 Day Weigh-in Results:
This week has been the best yet, for many different reasons. However, I can’t help but feel it’s not just a ‘good week’ but a week where much of my previous efforts have started to show their value.
It’s been said a million times in the past and cliche, but underrated…
“motivation gets you going, results keep them moving“
This week is seeing me live out the second part. I’ve dropped several belt loops now and started to notice a real change visually.
Weight: 88.7kg
Fat: 20.3%
Water Retention: 52%
BMI: 24.9
This means I have now lost 10kg exactly since the first weigh-in. Although I’ve only lost 9% body fat (target was 10). Also, I’ve only used 7 out of 12 weeks to achieve it!
I will continue as yet…
Thoughts on the week:
Switching over to the ‘muscle food’ was a move I enjoyed. I’ve still lost the weight (and water retention) while being able to eat a little more. I have also attended the gym more this week, I found the switch to the pre-ordered food allowed me a bit more energy which was good. The only downside being, I did feel a little more hungry in general.
Trying a Keto diet certainly worked too. It helped drop weight fast and brought some other cool benefits like feeling super-alert, although I couldn’t do it long-term. Eating clean with pre-ordered food is certainly a better option for me. It’s not just because of the nutritional value though…
I feel the weeks food from muscle food was a real winner because I didn’t have to think about what I would eat. Recently I’ve found myself shorter on time with a busy schedule, so eradicating several trips to the supermarket, getting distracted buying the wrong things and all the messing about that comes with it was a welcome bonus.
56 Day Weigh-in Results:
Another decent week, having exceeded the goal motivation has dipped a little on the weight-loss.
Have focused primarily on gaining a bit more muscle as I felt I had lost some there too…
Weight: 87.9kg
Fat: 19.6%
Water Retention: 53%
BMI: 24.6
Not to be sniffed at. This week I’ll try and keep it lean with more weights, increased protein and less Chinese takeaways!
63 Day Weigh-in Results:
This week is no update! Unfortunately, the measuring equipment at the gym is unserviceable.
I think it’s likely I will have become slightly leaner though, even if overall weight has not dropped much. Will update again next week.
70 Day Weigh-in Results:
Again, frustrating but no accurate weighing machine. I’m assured it’s back next week.
77 Day Weigh-in Results:
Finally, it’s working again!
Weight: 88 kg
Fat: 19%
Water Retention: 55%
BMI: 24
Level-pegging this week. I can feel the urge for mince pies kicking in already too.
84 Day Weigh-in Results:
Weight: 90kg
Fat: 20%
Water Retention: 57%
BMI: 24.7
90 Day Weigh-in Results:
Weight: 90.5kg
Fat: 20%
Water Retention: 56%
BMI: 24.8
…turns out it wasn’t that difficult. Although the festive period has taken it’s toll I’ll be back into the habit for the new year!
Recent Blog: Guide to Profiting From 2Up Offers (Early Payout)
42 thoughts on “New Goal: Will I Do it? (90 Days) | Caan Berry Strategies”
Hi Caan, to be honest this target is very realistic, I did lost 14kg ( I could see muscles which I haven’t seen for years ) in 3 months without a diet in the past. I was doing freeletics ( check out app, I recommend it to anyone ) 4 times a week, as I said I didn’t have any diet but after about a week I decided to give up sweets and alcohol ( alcohol is full of sugar ) and junky food ( kebebs, etc ). Be aware that in the first weeks You may not lose any weight if ( if You will workout hard ) because Your fat will turn into muscle which are heavier but Your shape should change and You will notice disappearing doughnut 🙂
I suggest to take the pictures tomorrow and after every week ( front and side ) as it gives extra kick once You will see results, Your posture will change drastically ( in positive way ) in 3 months. I hope You will update that target over time ( extra 5 kg 🙂 ). I wish You good luck. It’s motivates me as well 🙂
This is a good point and raises some issues I hadn’t thought on, or noted from articles I’ve read…
I shall grab some pics too.
Good luck Caan I will follow this as I need to lose a few lbs! I think it is a tough target but you can do it.
If the first few days are anything to go by it’s certainly tough! I felt terrible after working out the other day, was so hungry!
Hi Caan.
Your determination will get you where you want to be by the 1st of January, of this I have no doubt.
I also hope that it helps to give you a new aspect in regards to your “mid-life crisis”
I am not going to wish you luck as you will not need it, but I do hope that you enjoy your journey to your goal.
Regards
Miro
Yes Miro, I think I should make sure I find a way to enjoy it, it’s a worthy point…
Hi Caan.
No salt + above average water intake = less water retention.
More vegetables and less rice, pasta, yams = same carbs and more vitamins and Fibre and protein.
More protein = more saciety.
Artificial sweetners trick your mind and won’t stop your cravings.
HIIT sessions are shorter than resistance training and endure throughout the day.
Beans are great to store glycogen in the muscles.
Hoping to have helped you because you’ve helped me in my trading journey. Good luck
Health and fitness is something that interests me so I’m interested to see how you get on with your challenge. I’m sure you’ll smash it!
As well as tracking your weight you should do your measurements too as a way of tracking, as sometimes you might not see a big difference on the scale if you’ve lost body fat and gained muscle, but you would see a difference with your measurements (1kg of fat takes up more space than 1kg of muscle, you prob already know this).
Are you going to lift weights? This would also help as building muscle increases the metabolism.
Good luck!
Thanks Kerri, yes someone above suggested something similar. I tend to go through stages of weights a lot or running a lot…
The firmer is probably ideal as running makes me really hungry, I tend to have one pace so can’t just jog a-such. Having done weights earlier in the week I got the shakes so I think a lot of this will also be a journey of learning and tweaking…
Those measurements need doing I guess. Cheers
Dear Kerri. I read you post with interest and would like to reply. For me my preferred option to weights is Resistance tubes and a good set will cost a lot less than one months subs to a gym. Weights rely on gravity which has to be overcome whereas tubes/bands rely on tension which comes directly from the item itself. The main advantage here is NO strain on joints and you also get a full workout as the tension in the Band is constant and you can’t do the lifting technique wrong which can happen with weights. Bands/Tubes can be taken anywhere and can be used numerous times a day try doing that with going to the gym.. Your thoughts would be appreciated as I could be wrong in my thinking as this is just my opinion
Good luck Caan.
I’ve tried so many different methods in the past, keto etc.
I think the best things you can have are food scales and my fitness pal.
Track everything that you put in your mouth.
You can lose weight on diet alone, but I’d highly recommend some resistance exercise too, and no crazy cardio workouts over long periods, all they do is make you ravenous an hour or so later.
Good luck
Cheers Rich, I can sympathise with running and being ravenous.
Keto is something that’s come up quite a bit too. I need to read up more on it, it sounds interesting.
Would you say it was effective ?
I hope this is not considered as advertising but a fantastic company for “Clean Foods” is Musclefood.com. A massive choice of really good nutritious foods to choose from from Breakfast to main lunches and everything in-between. No carbs no sugar and nothing the body can’t use. Very reasonably priced too. check it out
Thanks Graeme, several have said similar. Going to give it a crack in the coming weeks…
Regards weight loss, its calories in v calories out.
Keto/low carb etc is still the same BUT the higher fat/forced to naturally eat more protein helps stave off hunger and very easy to remain in a defecit.
Intermittent fasting is something I personally use.
16/8 Skip breakfast, drink black coffee till 1pm.
First meal is small. Chicken salad and a bit of fruit.
Workout about 5. Eat big steak with potatoes and veggies.
Then about 9pm my desert is a bowl of low fat cottage cheese with chocolate whey.
It works for me, but you need to experiment and just find the easiest way you can stay in a caloric defecit for the long term.
Keep checking calories and look to adjust them if need be 🙂
That isn’t going to be easy! Good luck
Fingers crossed Gareth!
You should smash it. I did something similar about 5 years ago when I found myself the wrong side of 14.9. I lost about 16 lbs in about 7 weeks. My goal was a stone for my impending beach holiday. On the bike almost daily & restricting my food intake or should I say reduce my plate size, so 500/1000 calories a day. I used myfitnesspal app, which can get a bit anal sometimes when logging & measuring the food, but after a while I just Mk 1 eyeballed it. There is a lot to be said about eating the correct macros. Search for any macro diet website if you want to go to that level.
Macros in relation to Keto? Have seen this several times… 500 calories a day is savage, self torture.
Good luck Can…I mentioned to you a few weeks back to get a road bike and the weight will come off rapidly
2,1 hour rides a week at pace and a slightly slower 2 hour ride taking in s few hills will suffice
Thanks Dave, I have tried in the past but never really got into cycling. Might try again, it’s just the time…
For what it’s worth here is my opinion. If you want to lose weight over time then you need to restrict yourself to no more than 600 to 800 calories per day. Cut out as many carbs as you can and I mean close to everything bread and pasty related must go. This is only a suggestion but drink Two Meal replace shakes per day with a moderately high protein meal at night. As for exercise, the platinum standard equipment for me is resistance tubes. The main advantage here is there is NO strain on your joints as the bands/tubes rely on TENSION, not gravity which free weights do. Going virtually keto will be difficult for a while and will take about 12 weeks to complete with the first two weeks a bit difficult to over come in the head. Once the 12 weeks is complete then you can then go to a maintenance diet of around 1’200 calories. BTW NO SUGAR or booze at all, if you can’t stick to this, don’t bother starting
All fair advice there I thing Graeme… 600-800 a day though?! Jesusss, I don’t think I could. I have always eaten a lot but at 6’2 and 98kg I don’t think 600 cal would be possible? That’s a drop of 2,300 maintenance calories!
thank you for your reply Actually for your height the ideal weights are: 171 – 209 lb
(77.5 – 94.8 kg)so you’re actually not far off already. the toughest challenge you have at the moment is all in the head and “re-educating” yourself mentally that your not going to starve if you restrict your calorie intake to the 800 level each day and then battling your stomach that has become used to always having food. Carbs are now considered very bad and do nothing for you. aeons ago when our food saw us it ran away and if we did not catch it we went hungry so the body can actually cope very well with a restricted diet. Before closing what you also need to grasp is that this is a whole life alteration to your life and not just for a few weeks where you take a few kilo off and then go back to your old ways. You have far to go so good luck not many make it so as the Koreans say “fighting” (Keep going and never give up)
800 calories a day is it good. Dont listen to this advice Caan. Long term this will mess up your metabolism. Instead, Eat as close to maintenance as possible, at a slight defecit. Keep protein high and try to eat good quality nutrient dense foods.
600-800 calories is too low, I don’t think Caan would be able to function only eating that much every day. I’m a slim 5 foot 5 inch female and I would struggle on calories that low. My maintenance calories are about 2100.
Looking at the calorie tracking, and knowing myself, I could never manage that low!!
I have been reluctant to comment on this video as l don’t want you to view this as negative. I understand it is about discipline and goal setting which is directly related to trading. I just thought it took you to long to get to the point. Your videos are normally always straight to the point with no waffle, your reference to Wayne Rooney mum still makes me smile.
Cheers Caan, looking forward to more videos.
Sure no problem, it’s hard as some say they’re too quick too! 🙂
Only advice l could give you on eating is cut back on dairy products and only drink water no food for 12 hours before you get up in the morning, good luck. Good luck is just the 6 P’s.
6 P’s never let anyone down… or was it 7?
Jo Wicks is great! there are loads of free videos and recipes. Great if you dont want to spend hours on the exercising and prep your food for the week. Based around HIIT, weights and diet. Science proven that HIIT is more effective than hours in a gym! yay I say.
Thanks JP, never been a fan of HITT, personally I find a solid run (hard) is effective… although makes me very hungry.
Hi Caan, an avenue to explore is ‘insulin resistance’, as you mentioned shakiness after exercising? (Apparently almost half of the adult population in the Western world are eating more carbs than their bodies can handle, and this is what has been driving the obesity epidemic).
I’ve lost 15 kg by doing keto (in 5 months, so it is effective!), my estimated intake was 1300-1500 calories daily whilst losing (I’m smaller than you and female!) and not scared of putting butter on my veg. Just by eating real food (including natural fats, meats, dairy; nothing processed, starchy or sweet) and relearnt to cook in the meantime!
Yes, thanks I’ll read up. Only thing that frustrates me is all the time it takes… I’m often busy this last year.
Hi Caan. My tuppence worth… You probably won’t need to gain too much muscle but you certainly don’t want to loose any, so weights are key: Perhaps a simple 4 day split (with stretching) I would start with 12-15 reps upper body (UB), 18-20 lower body (LB), then increase intensity over the weeks by going to 10-12 UB and 15-18 LB before finishing on 8-10 UB, 12-15 LB, (Increasing weight when you hit the top of the rep range). I’d suggest swimming or cycling on the off days (to take it easy on your joints) or just rest.
I would, personally, come up with a diet you can live with forever (and that includes beer), you might not hit your goal but it should help prevent the yo-yo effect. I’d suggest 20-25% protein in your diet to support your muscles (no need for supplements except maybe a cod liver oil derivative and a multivit). Food wise an easy way to eat the right things is to stick to the outside isles in the supermarket and rarely venture onto the inner isles, always cook from fresh/freezer and always natural foods over processed.
I would be really interested, if you took on a program like that, to see how it affects your trading. My guess is, once you have stabilised your weight and are no longer in calorie deficit, that it would actually provide a slight improvement in your performance due to increased health and vitality. Good luck whatever you decide.
All valid points! I like the bit about maintaining it forever. The last few weeks of this has certainly had me reconsider eating habits.
All of you focusing on diet are wrong imo. I take a bicycle/walk unless it’s over 15 miles or terrible weather 90% of the time. I had the opposite problem to all of you, I was trying to keep weight on by drinking extra pints of milk a day. The sad truth is modern society is set up to make you fat by preventing exercising. You would not believe how easy losing weight is if you do half hour to an hour of exercise a day.
Very true also. Last year I got into running a hell of a lot and that put me on track, it’s just having time what with trading, this site, the new MB product etc. I need to incorporate more activity certainly. Thanks!
Hi Cann, sorry if I’ve missed it. What do you use to get your stats (weigh, water etc)?
Cheers mate – doing well and have inspired me to get of my arse 🙂
Hi David, it’s a fancy machine at the gym… have never seen one anywhere else.
no worries, cheers Caan, good luck