Changing Of Weight Whilst Waiting On Change

Almost a month has passed since my last post (apologies for that, it's been a busy time), and a lot has changed. I am not the man I used to be, and feel like I have become so much more alive. Fitter, stronger, more disciplined and far more confident, I am so much more than I have ever been, in every respect except one... body mass.

AleXXL - Dec 31st 2015

On January 1st of this year I rather masochistically weighed myself. I had been a glutton over Christmas and New Year, and I think I was almost glad to only be 94kg. I was by no means morbidly obese, but the buttons on my waistcoats were straining, and bending down to tie my shoes was bothersome enough that I had purchased some slip-ons. In the back of my mind I knew I was up for the White Collar Boxing, and would have to do something to get in shape... but it still seemed far away and unreal, and there was little I could do to motivate myself. Then, on January 9th, I went to Vanda Boxing Club for the briefing...

We were only in there for half an hour, but I looked around and saw a room full of people who were mostly a good few years younger and a damn sight fitter than I was, and the thought of facing one of them in the ring filled me with dread. But having been full of beer and bravado over the festive season I had already been milking a mini celebrity status amongst incredulous colleagues and clients, and if I backed out I would never live it down. And so I made a commitment to myself, right there and then, that I would walk what I had talked, and walk it right.

I knew nothing about training, and had never felt comfortable in a gym, so I decided to wait until our official training sessions began so I could learn what I should be doing properly, from a coach. In the meantime I could still go running a couple of times a week, like I used to when I was younger, and I could change my dietary habits, so I stopped drinking alcohol that very day and started using a nutrition app to balance out my diet. Over the next two weeks the weight just melted off me, and by the time we went back to Vanda for the first official training session on January 25th I was down to 88.5kg.

Slimmin' it - Mar 12th, 2016

Over time I came to realise that the diet and exercise regime was benefitting me in other areas as well, and not just in my weight. My eczema all but cleared up, my energy levels and concentration improved, my stamina at work and on stage went up several notches, and in short I began to feel more and more comfortable in my own skin. My clothes, however, were another matter, and by mid-March I found myself having to shop for new trousers and t-shirts... only to have to do so again this week after they had become too baggy!

Now, you may be thinking that I have gone too far, that I am doing myself more harm than good - after all, training to box is not simply about weight loss, and some of my fellow contenders have been bulking up whilst I have been slimming down. But the sluggish, breathless person I was in January needed this, not just for fitness but for pride of achievement. Because back then I expected to be, as the title of this blog suggests, a punchbag. Now? At 77kg I am leaner, faster and more agile... and a genuine contender.

But I'm not the only one. I looked around the room again on Monday, almost three months after that first briefing session, and the difference I saw in my fellow boxers - my fellow contenders - was nothing short of amazing. There are the obvious first-glance physical changes we notice - a more chiselled jawline, or toned stomach muscles, or bulkier arms - but also some big changes in attitude and discipline, which are getting more noticeable every session. In January I am sure I was not the only one writing himself off, but now? There are naturally stronger and weaker fighters, but I don't think there is a single person in the squad who could not win on the night.

This makes me both proud to be a part of the squad, but also apprehensive as to who my opponent will be. Yes, despite much theorising, most of us still don't know which of our friends are about to become our enemy... but that wait is almost over! Tonight is the official Weigh In, where we will find out who is fighting who, and in what order. Tonight, we put a face to the trepidations of the last ten weeks. Tonight, we cast our minds back to all the times we genuinely helped each other in training, in the hope that we may recall some weakness that can be exploited. Tonight we become red or blue, and battle lines will be drawn.



Tonight - everything changes.


The Weigh In is open to the public, so why not head down tonight (April 8th) to The Exchange in Asia Square from 7pm to see just how damn tough the squad is looking, and find out who will be fighting who...