I once heard a story from good friend of mine (and wife of former PCPer) which struck me as interesting and instructive. When she was a teenager she went to Germany to help with her language skills and worked as an au pair.
Of course what happened is what always happens; which was that she hung out with all the other foreign students so they could speak English together. When they got together they used to joke about the Germans and their funny phrases and would mimic them to take the piss. As they spent more time there, their ability to mimic the Germans got better and better until one day they realised through their ironic German, they could suddenly speak German rather well.
Thus, they ended up truly skilled even though they didn't feel they were necessarily making a true and committed effort to learn all the time.
I think on the PCP (and especially in the Puck group), we had a tendency to take the piss out of the structure and it's funny rules and strange exercise routines. With my friends here, rather than talk it up like an evangelical, I would tell them it's all a bit silly, and over the top, but - ya know - I have to listen to the cult leader and all - otherwise I'll never achieve fitness salvation. This was a preemptive defence against their potential negativity, by being more negative about it myself and showing the appropriate ironic distance. (N.B. sometimes I was genuinely negative too).
Similarly, I'd be lying if I said I gave every single workout my all. But at least I turned up for 95% of them and did what was written on the sheet. And for 80% of them I did do my honest best. Same with diet - yes I had drinks a few times in the second half, but otherwise tried to stick to the prescribed meals.
Nevertheless, by mimicking the behaviours of healthy people under Patrick's tutelage, even though it was sometimes very clumsy mimicking, I gradually became a better and better simulacrum of a healthy person until at some point I realised I had actually become a pretty healthy person.
Now that the switch has been flicked, I'm loath to go back.
Noel. One of your best posts to day in my opinion. It's so true and I agree with you 100%. It's a very nice way of describing our PCP journey and yes I too am loathed to go back to the "old me's" ways. People keep asking me how I'm going to celebrate when I'm finished my 90 days, "are you going to get really pissed and eat loads of chocolate?" and the truth be told, "No, why would I want to do that?"
ReplyDeleteWell done mate!
Ha, great post! Spot on... Brilliant post.
ReplyDeleteIts been absolutely awesome reading your posts day in day out. I think you said at one point that you do database work or something of that ilk. I'm telling you, you've got a real talent for writing so I certainly hope for all our sakes (and possibly your own sanity) that you have an outlet for that creativity. That you have managed to have such an unerring tide of witty and interesting posts throughout is remarkable. Or perhaps all your chart presentations to the corporate board include Transformers and Satan Claus. Whatever the reality, its been an absolute treat having you in our group and I will be forever grateful to you for introducing me to the vagaries of obscure German toilet design.
Oh, and not to completely miss the point of the whole PCP thing, your gains have been astonishing. I don't know if you had back pain pre-PCP or not but it seriously looks like the curvature of your back has actually changed in pace with your weight loss.
Anyway, congrats again, and if you ever find yourself out here in Colorado definitely look us up... Just keep your potato grubbin' mitts off my woman! And be sure that we may darken your door if/when we get out to Sydney again!
Noel, your wit has been a pleasure. I am looking forward to seeing your pics from Day 90 as your Day 84 pic is awesome. You protest but there has been an amazing result. Well done, and I can see where the thought process changes along the way as you outline above. Here's to hoping that we keep something and make further gains. It has been a pleasure.
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