Despite being a scheduled rest day, today was one of the hardest of my time so far.

Day: 35 of 77
Date: 15/06/2013
Workout Day: Rest
Weight (lb): 162.4 (9.4 lb loss)
Body Fat %: 14.2 (2.4% loss)
Health: Slightly sore hip again and a bit tired 8/10

The current MicroCycle is tough. Really tough. And my body is certainly feeling it. In turn I’ve spent the day on the sofa, watching TV and working, hoping that when combined with some good sleep, this rest will keep me recovering well and maintain my progress in the programme.

Recently I slightly injured my hip joint, and although this has felt fully recovered over the last few day, it’s starting to come back again today. As I write it doesn’t hurt too much but it definitely needs some TLC.

Physically I’m pretty much fine, but mentally I’ve been feeling pretty broken today. From the outset it’s worth saying that I did eat well today, but at times I did wonder if it was all worth the effort. One of my issues with short term diets like this is the focus on a vanity based goal. Getting a six pack or big arms or 10% body fat is a pretty meaningless goal for anyone not competing in BodyBuilding. Does it really matter if it takes 15 weeks instead of 12? And how do you judge when you’ve achieved your subjective goal? And is 10% fat so much better than 11%?

Today I had a wobble. I got frustrated with my diet, my constant focus on food, my nightly paranoid dreams about accidentally drinking coke or eating Mars bars, and I got dismayed with the inability to really enjoy food. I think I forgot why I was actually doing this whole thing. I forgot that this “programme” is a limited time experiment for me. I don’t “need” to do it. I can get the body I want over time, but this is just a useful tool for accelerated gains and to test some of the psychology and dietary regimens necessary to make a real impact in just 12 weeks. I do know that once finished I will be pleased with the results. I guess it’s just a lot harder doing something tough when you know you really don’t NEED to do it. Fortunately I have a strong sense of inertia and my current regimen would require a hell of a lot to be broken. In the past 5 weeks I’ve not had any diet drinks, foods containing artificial sugar, more than 30g carbs per day, chocolate, alcohol, gluten, dairy or legumes. I’ve stuck to my plan pretty much 100% and I mustn’t forget the work I’ve put in so far. I WILL continue. I WILL stay strong.

But I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to eating carbs and calories again!