Day 21 – Week 4

188 pounds. (13st 6 pounds) 3 pounds lost. A total of 10 pounds lost so far.

An excellent week.

And best of all I don’t feel any deprivation. In fact, we continue to eat well. Or if I’m honest, we’re eating better than ever. No rubbish. No appetite destroying snacks. I’m still sticking to my no wheat, fat, salt or sugar, with hardly any deviation. There was one exception; we went to the movies last week to see "Charlie Wilson's War." – a thoroughly enjoyable, brilliantly well written and fantastically well performed movie. Anyone who knows me, probably knows that I’m a “West Wing” fan, owning all seven series on DVD, - this makes me "A Wing Nut!" The movie was also written by Aaron Sorkin who created the West Wing. As far as I’m concerned, he only does great work. Any way, I mention the movie because I did indulge in some sweet popcorn! But instead of the usual ‘medium’ it was a ‘small’ – actually that’s what I was given – it wasn’t what I asked for :-).

This way, it didn’t ruin our Thai meal at an old haunt of mine in Bath called “Yum Yum Thai”. A delicious date!

On Friday night, Peggy brought home two gorgeous, thick fillet steaks from Tuck’s the butchers in Sherston. They were sensational. Grilled to perfection, our ordinary knives cut through them as if they were soft butter. Served with a rough mash of potatoes, sweet potato and leeks, alongside peas and lightly oil-fried chunks of organic onions from the garden.

Saturday we had decided to get up early, read the paper for a short while before heading off to the South coast. Becoming more active, making decisions to get out and about is part o the weight-loss plan. First port of call a coffee shop in Dorchester before heading along the coast to Abbotsbury (where there’s a famous swannery – now closed following an outbreak of avian flu). We parked at the Chesil Beach car park – and put on our boots, warmest fleeces and weather proofs. It was blowing hard, and on the verge of raining – although it didn’t all the time we were out. We set off along the pebbly beach for about 25 minutes, then turned away from the beach and headed up and up towards a hill fort. The uphill climb was hot and sweaty. The old trick of stopping to rest but claiming it was to admire the view didn’t work – there was no view – we were in the clouds. Visibility was only about 20 yards- so we have to take the guide’s word for it when she wrote about the spectacular scene from the top. The fort was worth seeing – the remains of an iron-age settlement. From there, the walk was so much easier, along the ridge before descending below the cloud line into the picturesque village of Abbotsbury. We’d decided not to stop there but finish our walk up to an old chapel that stood majestically on the top of a hill over-looking the sea. As the plaque there said – from afar the chapel looks so imposing on the skyline (I can’t imagine it would ever get planning permission if anyone were to build it today!) but up close – it was quite small. Quite an optical illusion. The wind blew hard off the sea as we walked down towards the beach and along a very muddy path back to the car. By the time we got back to the car – our clothes were splattered in mud up to our knees. It was GREAT! The guide said it would take 3 hours. We did it in 2 hours 30 minutes. Just enough time to drive around the port at Bridport before a well-deserved coffee at “The Green Yard”, just off the main street in Bridport, before heading back for another sumptuous feast – this time it was fresh cod and scallops we’d bought from a fish stall in Dorchester. What a fantastic day. Pleasantly tired.

We both slept like dead things – but without the smell!

Sunday, I was left to my own devices as Peggy was working so I tried to mend our brand new rowing machine. Argos had delivered it during the week. Peggy had assembled it – but there was an important piece missing – no jack plug fitted to the monitor. Meaning the machine couldn’t tell you how long you’d exercised, calorie burn, repetitions etc etc. Not much use. Instead of going to the aggravation of sending it back – I finally managed to find a jack plug of the correct size, and got out the soldering iron. It worked! But I wish it hadn’t in one way – because I learnt a very important lesson – I am CRAP at rowing. After just 1 minute 17seconds I was in bits! And to think Peggy can and does row for up to 30 minutes!!! Look, Peg – let’s get something straight – I’M the one who has to have the six-pack – OK :-) !!

Obviously, I have a lot of work to do on that.

Finally, let me share this advice I received from my pal Si Ekin, a business coach in South Africa – Don’t forget to masticate grandly (50 times per mouthful) and the weight will drop off. Eating constitutes 80% of weight loss, exercise 20%. "Fat needs feeding." Eat half of what you normally do; takes 3 days to break a habit and 21 to build it...” Thanks Si.

In summary, I really get a sense that my lifestyle is changing – from being very sedentary to becoming more active. If and when I/we go on more long walks I can already see that exercise gives MORE energy not less. And that can only be good for getting rid of the remaining 20 pounds.