2023 was a lot of fun and the last 3 months were the hardest and worst of my life and I am still dealing with a haze of thoughts and numbness.
So where do we begin?
Let's start in what I do every month.
At the beginning of every month I get my note book I write a few titles.
The Month and the year.
Current Weight.
Current Calories intake.
Current amount of savings.
Good Days.
Tough days.
What I learned.
Quotes/songs/books/advice
I'm not one for writing prose when it comes to journalling and log sentences. As you can tell I like quick, simple and efficient ways of working.
So under each heading (when I remember) of good days, tough days and what I learned. I'll just write a sentence or a word, just as a reminder.
So when it comes to looking back and looking forward I just have quick reminders of what happened throughout the year.
Remember, you don't need a whole essay to bring back a memory. It can be a word, moment, gesture or even a smell that will transport you back 15 years.
So here we go under the headings this is what I learned and how I will try and be a better person for my family next year.
What I Learned:-
Happiness = More social friendships and get together, more sleep, more water
Intention is what makes things happen.
Focus and Intention = good
Fear/greed/excitement = no good
Reject the bad, take a breath and move on. (harder than it seems)
Leaders that are competent and reliable are good leaders too.
Have an inner circle - set your team around you.
Having friends from all walks of life is helpful to keep me grounded.
Go for more walks as the weather gets warmer.
Weather really affects my mood.
Mucis soothes - Landslide, Fleetwood Mac
What are you listening to? - Chris Stapleton
Cowboy Take me Away - The Chicks
When sick spend 48 hours in bed - do nothing else - lucazade and chicken soup
I enjoy coaching fitness classes.
Incline push ups helped my shoulder injury.
I really want to live in Spain or Italy one day
I need to read more.
1700 calories helps me lose body fat but I sleep more.
Peoples eating habits are worse than I thought looking around at the hotel on holiday.
I love rock climbing and rock pooling with the kids.
I love the ocean it calms me.
Boy Meets World, Lost, and Almost Famous are great shows that teach you about life.
Aldi Brownies are the best.
Protein Shakes help me not crave sugary things and help keep me in my calorie intake.
Themos Flasks actually keep coffee warm for 10 hours or so.
Still spending too much money on food at work.
Eating "normal" diet makes me so moody and grumpy.
Dan Johns Easy Strength is the best advice about life and weight lifting.
Saving money is easy once you have met your needs.
Im a leader in the family as well as at work.
Decision making for the adults in the family and trying to keep the peace.
Commitment.
Loyality.
Work Ethic.
Buy tickets for musicians don't 2nd guess - missed out on Springsteen and Bleachers.
Don't run out of multivitamins.
Selling stuff from the loft, decluttering the house is a nice feeling.
Be a better partner.
Nutrition and Weight gain and Fat Loss.
This year has been a year of experimentation with weight gain and fat loss.
Fat Loss happens in the kitchen.
Fat Loss happens in the kitchen.
Fat Loss happens in the kitchen.
Fat Loss happens in the kitchen.
I started the year at 76kg
I got to 79.8kg at my heaviest
I got to 73.9kg at my lightest
My workouts don't change too much frequency and some changes but I will go to that later in the post.
The way fat loss works is that you must burn more calories than you consume. That is science and it has been known since the 18th century.
Get your calories right and you can lose fat! with a bit of exercise once in a while!
Here goes:
Your current body weight in pounds (lbs) x 12 = calories per day for fat loss
Your current body weight in pounds (lbs) x 15 = calories per day for weight gain
so some walking/cycling/swimming a couple of times a week and if you can lift some weights or go to a fitness class as well.
Track your calories.
And I have just saved you hundreds of pounds.
You are Welcome.
Workouts
I have kept things as simple as possible this year, being a father of 2 under the age of 5 does not give you a lot of time to think to much about what you are going to do in the gym.
I have been lucky enough to be able to create the best gym in the world in my back garden. I just need some shelter and some warmth in the winter months! (that is a work in progress)
I have had a good training partner this year who makes me want to improve each time we workout together, towards the end of the year we havent been able to workout together much to do conflicting diaries but hopefully this will improve this year.
It's always good to workout with someone - you don't just workout the muscles but you get to chat and work out things in life too.
I have also been a commerical gym for the 1st time in 4 years with some other friends - I had to show these 20 year olds how it's done.
It seems that commercial gyms are a fashion show, The girls wear clothes that look like they are wearing nothing and the men actually wear nothing but string vests and may as well be topless.
I wear jeans and a t-shirt as the air con is too cold for shorts and I don't have tracksuit bottoms.
I get some looks.
I haven't done any running which I do miss. I need to start this up again.
Keeping workouts simple this is a basic template that I have used.
2 sets of 5 reps for each weight lifting moving and inbetween each exercise do 15 heavy kettlebell swings
Military press
KB Swings
Chin ups
KB Swings
Deadlfit
KB Swings
Incline Press
KB Swings Curls
KB Swings
Dips
This workout can be done in under 20 mins and I have gained muscle and strength.
It maybe the perfect workout.
Books:
All the Sinners Bleed - S.A Cosby (book)
Podcasts:
The Dan John Podcast
The Ramsey Show Podcast We got the Chocolates
The Art of Manliness
How to become a Personal Trainer
The Strength Coach Podcast
The Soul and Blues Show
Films:
Elizabethtown
Jaws
TV Shows:
Frasier (the new reboot)
Cheers
Boy Meets World
My father passed away on the 7th October 2023.
His name was Robin Cochrane.
He was a man of hard work, commitment, Loyalty and came alive around people but needed time by himself to re-energise.
Only in his passing I have realised that I am more like him than I thought.
Right now, all I can say is that when he passed the last 3 months have been the hardest of my life.
I really don't know what else to say about it still.
Chris
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