So I've written up a couple of different speak points and I think I decided that today I will write about my current situation in diet and training. I also apologise for the while that it has taken me to write back. I don't want this to be something I forget about and hide away in the dust, I want to be consistently updating you on my progress and how I am going. Without the formalities out of the way, let's take a walk down memory lane... My training actually began a couple of years before I ever joined an actual gym. I was always involved in sports and during the on-season of sport I suppose you could say that I was 'fit', but nowhere near as fit as I am today. Once I'd given up on sport, I remember vaguely beginning a fitness routine at home. I can't remember the exact memories, though I remember it used to involve a lot of bodyweight exercises; planks, pushups, sit-ups etc. This eventually involved into actually investing into a weights and dumbbell kit. It was during my time at McDonald's and at this point I was a big boy. I remember my heaviest being at about 142kg and I'd tried a couple of fad diets at this point. I actually found the Tony Ferguson diet rather successful. It was fairly straight forward, easy to maintain and I didn't find myself hungry or craving food at all. The journey to weight loss and wellbeing had begun. There were a couple of major influences at McDonald's who began to motivate and inspire me to begin taking things more seriously. I'm going to fast-forward a little bit to when I was working at Coles. I used to work the fruit and veg, the fresh produce. It was great, there was a lot of lifting and hard work. It was here that my journey began. I remember being invited out to the gym late at night on a couple of occasions and after a big of nagging, I eventually caved. This happened a few times and I must confess that I was clueless to the fact that I was basically stealing a gym membership. The person I trained with assured me that it was fine that I use his gym tag to swipe in (it wasn't until I began training at my own gym that I realised this was actually forbidden). We trained hard and it was fun but something about it didn't feel right. I must thank this person though, because they started my 'in-gym' obsession that I still have today. I remember that during a couple of sessions, after him leading me through a couple of exercises, there were some he told me not to participate in. I wasn't doing the exercises right and instead of filling me in or teaching me how to correctly perform the exercise, he instead told me to 'just go over there-do that'. This was when I suppose you could say the 'want' and 'desire' to train died a little bit. Fortunately, working in produce at Coles also founded a close friendship, one I will always cherish and remember all the days of my life. I wish I could mention this man and his name. He is incredibly important to me and to this day-consistently helps me, motivates me and inspires me to exceed my potential. I have no words for this man apart from perhaps a hashtag in which only he will ever understand (#5evers). Our friendship will surpass forever and therefore we deemed it 5ever. I love this guy so much. We were both shy towards each other to begin with, though with time we found commonalities and began talking more, joking more and becoming closer as friends. I knew he trained at the gym and I wanted to join a gym as well instead of just going in and not giving back to the business. I originally joined the gym to aid my father. We were going to go together, I had a set routine and although we went a couple of times if often was just myself. I began to train in the mornings with my friend from Coles and let me start by saying that this guy did not ever lose hope or faith in me and my potential. I remember learning how to squat. Something so basic, though having such a technique and form to it (This also was one of the exercises my previous members couldn't be bothered helping with). I remember the exact way he taught me and it spanned over a couple of weeks. We would a stand used for box jumps etc. and I would simply sit down with a bar on my shoulders and stand up again. This was my training on squats. It helped me to keep focused on keeping my heels flat, my back straight and my eyes on the prize. I eventually worked up to increasing weight and I no longer need the aid of a box jump stand (thankfully) We would train often together, mostly early mornings as we had work or TAFE or whatever. He was my stepping stone to the gym, my dictionary and to this day I still seek his assistance, I can only truly lift my greatest when he is there spotting me. We moved from one gym to another together and continued to train, continued to mould a friendship that would last 5ever. We ended up at a 24 hour gym and I was actually looking through my Instagram pictures the other day of the memories. We had a great time and still, whenever we train together we have a great time. I am rambling on so much! I admire this guy as a friend, a training partner and everything else he is. I don't know why I went off on this tangent-I remember, I was detailing my training. Anyway, back to the weight loss and fitness. I remember when I began dating my future wife, my lowest weight was 103kg. This is the PB right now. As long as my adult life, I have never been this low. I actually sprung back up to 120kg at one point. When you are with the person you love, what you eat doesn't matter. You just want to enjoy a great time and we did. Countless occasions we would eat fast food, go out to restaurants, smash tubs of ice-cream and those times with her I cherish. I love enjoying food with the woman I love, however as we get closer to the words 'I do', the time to train hard and shed some serious weight also had to come. I began a diet exactly one month ago. It is called the Carb Nite Solution. One month on and I swear by this diet. I shouldn't call it a diet, but more so a way of life. To put it ridiculously simply, you begin by taking a 10 day introduction cycle to the Carb Nite Solution by getting rid of the stuff inside your body. A cleanse where you would eat 30g of carbs daily and no more. At the end of the 10th day, beginning at about 4pm-5pm, you enjoy a Carb Nite. A Carb Nite is basically a night where you forget the calories, the carbs, the fats, the proteins and you enjoy a naughty meal(s). Once the Carb Nite is over, you revert back to 30g of carbs a day for up to a week until you enjoy your Carb Nite once again. I should point out that when I was researching the diet, I was after a diet that would complement my weightlifting and would also shed fat. So the idea of the diet is that after that initial 10 day cycle-it may take longer for others-your body begins to rely on fat stores instead of carb stores for energy, meaning you are constantly burning fat. I train hard and couldn't afford to do a low carb diet if it was going to detriment my lifting goals. I am happy to say that today, one month on, my weightlifting performance hasn't decreased, instead it has heightened and I am at an all time best. As of this first month on Carb Nite, I started at 114.9kg and now weigh 108.8kg as of today. I've learnt that it works in a pattern. During the 6-7 days of low carb, you lose bit by bit. Nothing quick, but instead you are making your metabolism smaller, eating more appropriate meals and are teaching your body. I can guarantee you will be bloated the day after your Carb Nite and it won't be pretty. My most recent Carb Nite kept me bloated for about 2 days. I enjoyed a German lunch at the Bavarian Bier Cafe and then proceeded to down a couple of bags of M&M's before eating 2 burgers and fries from McDonald's and finally ending with another block of chocolate all while playing Dungeons and Dragons. I'll be honest, I was scared, but alas. Carb Nite Solution kicked in again, and after my big digestion, I was back to my 108.8kg. I really want to add more, but I don't know where to go next. I am going to post this, re-read it and expect another update from me soon. I am excited to write more about this. This is me, my weight loss and fitness. Happy gym junkie and keen for all that's to come. Sorry to leave abruptly. Stay tuned for part 2!