We all have to start somewhere and it’s usually at the beginning. Thank you for taking the time to check out my new blog page. I usually have a lot going on in my head and I talk a lot to my partner and anyone else willing to listen about those thoughts (not all of them – let’s be honest, we all have thoughts that should never be said out loud).
We all have something we are passionate about and the more I am involved in fitness and wellbeing, and the more I talk to people, I realise my passion is in educating or at least asking the question of someone about lifestyle choices. There is a known concept called the compound effect, which was “allegedly” coined by Albert Einstein as the eighth wonder of the world. But this was in relation to investment of money. However, compounding can be related to health and wellbeing also. Your lifestyle choices, repeated over time, become the compounded outcome.
This blog is about my honest journey through my own successes and failures by the choices I have made or not made. Also, I will be looking at general conversational discussions, just something for you to think about and perhaps relate to. My first “real” blog post in this shiny(?) new site will be a blog I wrote a number of years ago, July 2016, just to give you a flavour of what my thoughts were back then and how they haven’t really changed – apart from the fact I can’t remember the last time I drank a pint! I made a number of choices about alcohol and food consumption, even after qualifying as a personal trainer I was still making choices to drink and eat, just in smaller quantities but those smaller quantities still made me feel ill. And they still do today. I can have a glass of wine, maybe two. The next day I might be ok – generally, I feel low and hazy and not in control of my thoughts or general health.
Anyway, The title of the blog from 2016 is called 450 CPH (Calories Per Hour)…
450 CPH (Calories Per Hour) – July 2016
Had a couple of beers last night – four and a half pints to be exact! I just couldn’t stomach the fifth – why? Most would agree that drinking 2 litres of water in a single day is too much, so why was it so easy to guzzle 2 litres of ale in a little over 3 hours?
Yes, it was a beautiful sunny evening; the garden at the pub of choice was overflowing with smiles and slightly toasted faces; and the conversation was indulging. Now, a portion of readers will be mocking me in their minds at the poor effort of struggling to get beyond 4 pints. Rightly so, I would have thought the same a few years ago. Admittedly for a large part of my teenage years and adult life I would have carried on drinking beyond four pints, maybe six…seven…eight…nine pints…then a few shots from “the top shelf” to finish the evening (and remaining, healthy brain cells). When it was time to call it a night I would then stagger to the nearest takeaway and purchase a portion of chips and maybe a quarter-pounder with cheese and bacon, freshly flame grilled and dripping with that tasty fat.
Last night made me think about putting my recurring, historic binge weekends into context. Over the course of, let’s say, an average of 7 hours on a night out with the lads (or ladies, whatever your preference) the following would be gulped:
The figures and (units) according to www.drinkaware.co.uk
>8 Pints of lager = 4 Litres(ish) = 18.4 units
>4 spirits (with mixer) = 1 Litre(ish) = 4 units
>A total of 22.4 units which is equivalent to 1700 calories or 5.8 burgers!?
So, I would consume 5.8 “liquid” burgers then grab a solid, tasty burger and chips on the way home. According to www.nutracheck.co.uk the average chippy quarter pounder is about 430 calories, let’s round up to 500 calories with the addition of the bacon and cheese (it’s probably more but who’s counting?) Then comes the bomb – The chips! These tasty, salt and vinegar potato treats weigh in at a HUGE 951 calories or actual weight of 400 grams! Staggering!! Almost as staggering as my wobbly, tiring legs must have been whilst slurring my barely audible order to the guy behind the counter.
So, all in all, the alcohol consumed in calories (bearing in mind alcoholic calories are known as “empty calories” as they have no nutritional value) is 1700 plus the burger which is about 500 calories and the chips come in at 951 calories – A grand total of 3151 calories!! I’m not going to lie; this would also be on top of the three plus meals I would have consumed that day, prior to going out. Maybe closer to 5000 calories in one day!!!
I know we are all constantly bombarded with colour coding and numbers of carbs, fats, proteins, sugars, salts etc. and I’m not going to drown your eyes with more numbers…apart from this one. I personally don’t think there is enough emphasis on the physical weight of food consumed and how long it takes to digest. For example, using the standard night out described above, 5 litres of liquid plus 400 grams for the chips and say 200 grams for the burger would be weighed as over 5000 grams, even if we round it down, it’s 5.00kg! Do you know how much a 5.00kg weight is if you picked it up? Do you know how long it takes to digest FIVE KILOGRAMS? Imagine how it feels to carry that additional weight around in your stomach, over such a short space of time and how it would stretch your intestines, it’s approximately 10 lbs in weight, just shy of a stone (in English money on the scales). And how much of it does your body turn to fat and keep in storage? Not to mention how much it affects your vital organs! If you used the NHS caloric deficit calculation, they suggest you lose 1 to 2 lbs per week. This would take five to ten weeks to burn off. Obviously this isn’t how metabolic rates work as some of the fuel would already be burnt off or secreted and the rest stored elsewhere, as fat or as water retention.
Now, I’m sure those that know me may say that I have never been…um…well…fat! Although I may have said on one more than one occasion that I am a fat man trying to get out. I used to drink most weekends, every Friday and Saturday (and other nights in-between) – Living the dream, right? Wrong!!!
No direction, no purpose, no ambition, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, a day job to pay the bills and not much else apart from my social life.
I believe that as I was always involved in football, playing racquet sports, just generally being active has helped me keep the obesity at bay…I can’t say what the long term internal affects could be though. Maybe I’m genetically lucky! Ha!! We believe whatever we want to believe if it means not being honest with ourselves.
Thinking about last night’s “mediocre” performance on the drinking stage, combined with my reaction to a photo of myself recently discovered when I was in Prague in 2012, drinking and smoking – I looked unhealthy and fat in the face. Even though at the time, I probably thought I was healthy and fit.
Changing habits over the last 24 months has made me realise that although my circle of friends and associations have changed I am still only accountable to myself. I no longer drink heavily or “binge”. I rarely drink; certainly don’t smoke; eat as healthily as I can (still struggling with biscuits) and I exercise regularly. It’s easy to blame others for your mistakes (after all they say that we become the parts of the 5 people we mostly associate with); the only person that can change you IS YOU. The only person that can change me , is ME!
*Sometimes you might have to disassociate from those that harbour the bad habits you want to walk away from.*
I believe I look and feel healthier than ever, even at the age of 37. I also feel emotionally happier and more stable and in control of my actions. You might say “well done you” (or not) but if this is something you have done or want to do, I would be more gracious in saying well done, you! Because, this isn’t about me and the changes I have made, this is about you and the changes you can make/have made.
It’s taken me nearly 2 years – there is no magic pill; there is no get ripped in 6 weeks. Yes you can lose weight and diet for a short time but what about the long term. Old habits die really hard. It’s about Lifestyle choices, gradually and overtime you will become the person you want to be.
I am Chris Vonk, I am a qualified Personal Trainer. My chief aim is to raise awareness for lifestyle changes and wellbeing. Together we can make a difference – it’s up to you to make the commitment for life and your long term health.
Thank you for reading, I am truly grateful for your time
Well Worth The Weight 