My regular trainer had a pre-arranged day off today and so I trained with a substitute. Although I was originally horrified at training with somebody new, it wasn’t actually too bad in the end. In many ways, it was nice: different trainers notice different things and offer different advice, which provides for a more rounded experience. That said, I kind of, bizarrely, and perhaps perversely, missed my own trainer. Perhaps I’m developing Stockholm syndrome…

Had a good session today and my trainer seems happy with my progress. It certainly doesn’t get any easier though. And every time I go to the gym, the weights seem to get heavier.

I have never considered myself to be a chocoholic nor have I considered myself to have a sweet tooth, but today I discovered what a sugar crave is.

Prior to starting this challenge, I had bought (and not eaten) a Tesco Finest Devonshire Cream Yoghurt (I am not sure how accurate the word “yoghurt” is in this context, but that’s what is written on the packaging) and left it in the office fridge. This morning, from waking up, all I could think about was this yoghurt. It was haunting me and calling my name, which is very distracting when trying to work.

Finally, around noon, I could take it no longer. I waited for my colleague to leave his desk, dashed into the kitchen, flung the fridge door open, grabbed the yoghurt and literally poured it down my throat. It was the best thing I have ever tasted!

After washing my face (I had yoghurt everywhere — including a cube of fudge stuck to the bridge of my nose), the guilt set in. Why had I done it? What was the point? I have always been able to control what I eat; why not now? My conclusion: I was receiving a boat-load of sugar every night in the form of alcohol. Only now that I have been sober for over two days do I crave the sweet stuff.

Last night I had insomnia. Getting up at 5:30 am to eat smoked salmon and asparagus was the last thing I wanted to do. I managed to pull myself together, pour coffee down my neck, and chomp my way through my breakfast. It was not a pleasant experience. It is only week two of training and day two of the new diet: goodness knows how I can endure another 10 weeks of this

I started my new diet today. For at least the next two weeks I will be eating five times a day as follows:

1. 100g lean red meat (which includes salmon, apparently), 150g green vegetables (which includes cauliflower, amusingly), 10g fat (in the form of nuts, or coconut oil)
2. See 1
3. 100g white meat, 150g green vegetables, 10g fat
4. See 3
5. See 4

One cup of filter coffee (no milk, no sugar), two green teas, and the juice of one lime. Plus, I get to drink as much water as I want to!

I have no idea how I will cope without alcohol. It’s been only a few hours and the thought of not having a drink tonight is already making me feel quite sad.

Tuesday’s half-session was a walk in the park compared to the pain I endured today. Not only did my trainer insist that we should continue to “find my limits”, I developed a skull-splitting headache halfway through the hour. I honestly felt as if my brain had exploded, which by itself is a pretty scary experience. The fact I was mid-squat when it happened didn’t help matters either. I can only blame the bottle of wine I drank the night before to guarantee a good night’s sleep — I will not be doing that again in a hurry!

Fortunately, I had the day off from work because I was due to meet my brother to celebrate his birthday. I left gym, went home, took a selection of different types of painkiller, and collapsed on the sofa for four hours. I did eventually manage to scrape myself of the sofa, but the headache was with me for the rest of the day. If this happens again, there is no way I can continue the challange.

I received my nutrition guide this evening. Looks like I will be eating meat and vegetables (no additional carbs) for the next few weeks. Fortunately, I like both, so no worries there. What does worry me is the frequency with which I am expected to eat: five time a day!

I normally eat twice a day. And breakfast is not a word I need to use too often — frankly, I find the whole concept absurd, especially breakfast that is red meat and cruciferous vegetables (whatever they might be).