CONSISTENCY in a public fitness regime has troubled Ballarat mayor Des Hudson the past month. That, and he has not yet come to terms with the thought of attempting to wear lycra.
Forming a stricter health routine is what Cr Hudson is determined to improve this month in his open, unabashed ‘Strip the Mayor’ campaign. Since New Year’s Day, Cr Hudson has blogged his unfolding story via social media so his constituents could hold his accountable.
Once the school runs and full council agendas picked up the past month, Cr Hudson’s flying start has hit hurdles. When Cr Hudson feels “cheated” for not exercising one day, he tries to exercise a little longer the next.
“It’s all still going well. I guess that’s all aspects of normal life,” Cr Hudson said. “It’s not about finding reasons to not exercise but finding ways I can get more exercise into my routine.”
Forming healthier eating routines are also a key part of the mayoral campaign now. Cr Hudson met with Ballarat Community Health dietician Kerri Gordon this past month to realise he actually needed to eat more often during the day to keep losing weight. Skipping meals was weighing him down.
Like exercise, for Cr Hudson this is about changing ingrained bad habits.
"To a degree, I am my own worst enemy,” Cr Hudson said. “I’ve not been eating often enough and kick-starting my metabolism. I need to be much more disciplined in making sure I eat breakfast, lunch and a healthy tea, which I am accustomed to.”
To start, Cr Hudson has been getting up 15 minutes earlier, to ensure he starts the day with breakfast rather than just showering and rushing out the door.
Daily laps of the lake have become Cr Hudson’s trademark. His journeys, often joined by family and friends, have proven popular with constituents. He enjoys encouraging words, even just a ‘hi’ as he powers the shoreline. Social media has also offered Cr Hudson a source of motivation with his postings attracting plenty of support. He was surprised in the reach of his campaign, including likes for his photos from different lake spots.
This month, Cr Hudson was planning to work in personal training sessions at Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre. He was particularly keen to get back into some boxing – a higher intensity workout to help combat the common “male problem” of a large waistline.
Cr Hudson weighed in the New Year at 99 kilograms. He has not weighed himself the past three weeks, but said quite a few people were saying he looked like he had dropped a couple of chins.
Follow: @BallaratMayor, #FitMayor2016 or Mayor of Ballarat on Facebook.
