So yesterday as the conclusion of my second block of 5 fortnights or 10 weeks. I was full of optimism and created some additional plans back during the first review period in April some of which I failed to achieve.

However I did achieve my original goals, losing at least 1 kilo a fortnight and keeping to my very tight loan repayment schedule!

Wealth Update

Still keeping to the $776.12 per fortnight average allowance I managed to stay on track by the 10th fortnight (yesterday) but only 3 of the 5 fortnights during this period.

Outcome: Successful

What I Learned
That I can’t really live strictly on this amount of money. With the use of a credit card and the ability to move money around I was able to cover heavily spending fortnights and catch up the next fortnight.

I still don’t know how people live on a strict budget of under $700 per fortnight. I can see it being doable but with very severe restrictions like limited electricity and never eating anything but basics on sales.

Sales are very much your friend. My sister kindly offer a Kayo subscription for free, and COVID lockdown meant almost no public transport costs for the this second review period. Without this I definitely would not be right on track with my savings and loan repayment plan, but I’m take the positive that I am.

Due to the big loss of weight which started around Christmas 2020, so even before this program, I have now start buying some new smaller clothes. This feels great but occasionally it adds to costs.

Weight and Wellbeing Update

My goal each fortnight is to lose 1 kilo and I managed to do that every fortnight and overachieving in 4 of the 5 fortnights losing a total of 7 kilos across the 5 fortnights. In the first 5 fortnights I lost 6.3 kilos so now 20 weeks / 10 fortnights in I’ve lost 13.3 kilos.

My resting heartbeat average for the year as now dropped to 59 beats per minute with the three month average lower at 58 BPM.

For wellbeing this has been more of a struggle with Melbourne lockdown for some of this period but I feel I’ve kept me spirits up.

The idea of doing regular gym workouts didn’t take, originally it was a struggle being sore after tennis matches for a few days, then COVID lockdown meant the gym was shutdown. I’ll see if I can get into this later in the year instead. I did get my first COVID Pfizer vaccine with limited side effects, I’m back mid July for second jab and another 2 weeks after that I should be covered from getting severe COVID infection.

Outcome: Successful

What I learned
That I need to take this as a marathon and not add too many additional new goals or activities. Having said that dreaming of new long term weight loss and health goals is good.

New Challenges

The next 10 weeks will be difficult on the financial side. I have three major expenditures; Body Corporate ($1,100), City Council Rates ($1,600) and Melbourne Cricket Club membership (approx. $780).

Offsetting this will hopefully be a big tax refund.

On the health side as you reduce your body mass by a big % you need to increase the output by the same % to have the same effect, or reduce your calorie input by that %. I’m definitely finding I need to do more to keep the reduction rate but hopefully that won’t be to big a challenge over the next 10 weeks but I know it will get harder.