186 pounds. (13st 4 pounds) 2 pounds lost.
The week began with a realisation that I was utterly hopeless using my new rowing machine as my body screamed out against its motion. My first day of 1 minute 17 seconds before being in bits was embarrassing. The next time was 5 minutes, then 7 minutes. The third attempt was 15 minutes! Although I’m still trailing behind Peggy – at least its moving in the right direction! Interspersing this with 20-25 minute sessions on the cross-trainer – and walking. More on the walking in a moment.
Nothing new to report on the food front – still no wheat, fat, salt or sugar (except for running out of breakfast (!) and opening an old-stock carton of Bran Flakes with its main ingredient of wheat) Still no alcohol though.
This came in handy at the weekend. On Friday afternoon, we bunked off early from work and in just 2 hours we had arrived in Devon at the home of our friends Joan and Henry who live on Dartmoor, such a stunningly beautiful part of the country.
Friday night we all piled into Henry’s 4 x 4 in our black tie/ball gown best to attend a fancy ‘do’. I avoided the bread, and enjoyed yet another way to cook chicken (being in the conference industry and having attended hundreds of ‘gala dinners’ – by now I MUST have eaten chicken in just about every way it can possibly be cooked!
The drink flowed freely and for many hours. I had volunteered to drive back and so stuck to drinking copious quantities of water. It’s weird being one of the few sober people when surrounded by so called grown-ups who were ‘feeling no pain’. Attending the ‘re-rigeur’ disco took me back in time. Not just the DJs choice of music, but it was just like a school disco – but with A LOT of wrinkles. I also witnessed a couple in their late 60’s and early 70’s grabbing each other’s bums on the dancefloor. I think he’d pulled!
I wish to apologise profusely for what I did to the gearbox of Henry’s Chelsea Tractor on the way home. I don’t think any lasting damage was done! And thank you to my well-lubricated passengers for all their well-meaning ‘help and guidance’ when the clutch seemed to seize up, half way up that somewhat steep, winding road at 2am.
Saturday was a quiet affair. My companions the night before put on a brave face, but I knew better…. After a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, we headed out on a gentle walk on such a bright, sunny day. Who could have believed it was January! The views were stunning as we looked down over Widdecombe one way, Haytor the other - Teignmouth and thesouth coast in the far distance. Peggy was thrilled to have managed to get a just before dusk, 10 minute para-gliding flight from Haytor.
The wine, Bailey’s and port flowed again that evening when we were all joined by another couple; Ken and Daph - friends of Peggy’s for over 25 years.
Fast-forward to Sunday lunch – home made vegetable soup, houmous. We were joined by Robin, one of Peggy’s para-gliding buddies who lived nearby, Mandy a commercial hot-air balloon pilot and her husband, the legendary film cameraman Leo Dickinson who regaled us with countless fascinating stories of filming the seemingly impossible . From filming a flock of ‘tame’ geese following a powered hang glider around Mont Blanc, going over Mount Everest in a hot-air balloon, ‘falling’ out of a hot-air balloon, trying to keep up with a peregrine falcon in rapid descent. What a life.
As soon as lunch was over – no time for coffee and we are all out of the house with 3 over-excited labradors up a long steep pathway through the woods, up on to Rippontor, in the brilliant sunshine in a cloudless sky. A day they call ‘Buckskin and blue’ in Canada – deep blue sky – surrounded by the pale coloured ground cover across the Dartmoor bog. This couldn’t possibly be the end of January for goodness sake. We tried to explain this to a passing butterfly! Acually we saw two of them! Amazing.
By the time we got back after 2 hours of fairly strenuous walking – legs screaming, sweat pouring – it was time for afternoon tea – and my most difficult weekend experience – toasted teacakes and lashings of home-made blackberry and apple jam were laid out in front of me – both of which are my absolute favourites. I don’t know how I resisted temptation. But I did.
We got home at 9pm – in bed and asleep by 9.30! Thank you, Henry and Joan for a fantastic weekend. And I’ve only got 18 pounds to go!
Monday, 28 January 2008
Monday, 21 January 2008
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.
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.
Monday, 14 January 2008
Day 14 – Week 3
191 pounds. (13st 9lbs).
A successful week in that I lost one pound, although disappointing too. I wanted it to be more. Having lost 6lbs in the first week, I ‘relaxed’. Not a bad thing in one way but it was the beginning of a previous pattern. A case of “I can do this, so I don’t need to put as much effort into it.”
So what worked? My ‘diet’ of ‘no wheat, no fat, no salt, no sugar’ was almost entirely successful. My friends Graham and Tony tried unsuccessfully to persuade me to sample the delights of a deep-fried ‘forest’ onion - I stuck with my succulent fillet steak and grilled peppers without fries! And no booze. It has been another booze-free week. On one occasion I poured Peggy a glass of wine, and thought how nice it would have been to join her by pouring a glass for myself – but didn’t. Other than that moment , not drinking has been absolutely fine for me.
Although I did slip for one moment during the week when I dashed to catch a train back from Paddington to Bath – I had 2 minutes to get on board. I had attended a series of meetings all day and hadn’t had time to eat and knew from past experience that the buffet car never stocked anything ‘healthy’ – so I grabbed some food – a chicken and vegetable pasty! As daft as this might sound, it was only when I had chomped half-way through it, and relished every bite, did I realise that the pastry had wheat and fat in it. Damn – I was annoyed with myself but ‘had’ to finish the pasty!! A cruel punishment.
On the food front, we have continued to eat our way through the freezer. Smoothies become a staple of breakfast for a time, using frozen organic strawberries. Although a bit of crunch was lacking. Keeping a bag of carrots in the fridge has proved to be a very useful. A batch of home made smoked mackerel pate remains a weekly priority. The amount of food I’ve bought from supermarkets has really been cut down. I used to go there ‘all the time’ – but not any more. Saving weight, really saves money!
As I’d suspected, once work began in earnest, my exercise regime suffered. I worked out on the cross-trainer a lot less than during the first week. Although over the weekend we were active despite the stormy weather. On Saturday we headed over to Minehead and walked the high cliffs over-looking Porlock. Exhilarating and challenging, breathtaking scenery. Not even a twinge from my bad knee either. When we got back to Minehead, late afternoon a large skinny latte in a fabulous little coffee shop called “Cream” was the end to a perfect afternoon. Passing a bookshop, I found myself a book with a comprehensive list of workouts with weights – which explained in colour, exactly how to do particular weights-based exercises. The best ‘pull-together’ of exercises I’ve seen.
The rowing machine didn’t arrive – a letter of apology from Argos apologized for the delay. It should arrive on 24th January.
In all, my own report would say ‘Could do better’. My priorities this week are; drink more water and alternate cardio-vascular exercise with weights training.
A successful week in that I lost one pound, although disappointing too. I wanted it to be more. Having lost 6lbs in the first week, I ‘relaxed’. Not a bad thing in one way but it was the beginning of a previous pattern. A case of “I can do this, so I don’t need to put as much effort into it.”
So what worked? My ‘diet’ of ‘no wheat, no fat, no salt, no sugar’ was almost entirely successful. My friends Graham and Tony tried unsuccessfully to persuade me to sample the delights of a deep-fried ‘forest’ onion - I stuck with my succulent fillet steak and grilled peppers without fries! And no booze. It has been another booze-free week. On one occasion I poured Peggy a glass of wine, and thought how nice it would have been to join her by pouring a glass for myself – but didn’t. Other than that moment , not drinking has been absolutely fine for me.
Although I did slip for one moment during the week when I dashed to catch a train back from Paddington to Bath – I had 2 minutes to get on board. I had attended a series of meetings all day and hadn’t had time to eat and knew from past experience that the buffet car never stocked anything ‘healthy’ – so I grabbed some food – a chicken and vegetable pasty! As daft as this might sound, it was only when I had chomped half-way through it, and relished every bite, did I realise that the pastry had wheat and fat in it. Damn – I was annoyed with myself but ‘had’ to finish the pasty!! A cruel punishment.
On the food front, we have continued to eat our way through the freezer. Smoothies become a staple of breakfast for a time, using frozen organic strawberries. Although a bit of crunch was lacking. Keeping a bag of carrots in the fridge has proved to be a very useful. A batch of home made smoked mackerel pate remains a weekly priority. The amount of food I’ve bought from supermarkets has really been cut down. I used to go there ‘all the time’ – but not any more. Saving weight, really saves money!
As I’d suspected, once work began in earnest, my exercise regime suffered. I worked out on the cross-trainer a lot less than during the first week. Although over the weekend we were active despite the stormy weather. On Saturday we headed over to Minehead and walked the high cliffs over-looking Porlock. Exhilarating and challenging, breathtaking scenery. Not even a twinge from my bad knee either. When we got back to Minehead, late afternoon a large skinny latte in a fabulous little coffee shop called “Cream” was the end to a perfect afternoon. Passing a bookshop, I found myself a book with a comprehensive list of workouts with weights – which explained in colour, exactly how to do particular weights-based exercises. The best ‘pull-together’ of exercises I’ve seen.
The rowing machine didn’t arrive – a letter of apology from Argos apologized for the delay. It should arrive on 24th January.
In all, my own report would say ‘Could do better’. My priorities this week are; drink more water and alternate cardio-vascular exercise with weights training.
Monday, 7 January 2008
Day 7 - Week 2
192 pounds (13st 10lbs). A loss of 6 pounds in my first week! I must say I’m really pleased/relieved, although I know that this will not, indeed should not happen again. My intention is to lose weight gradually over the next 3-4 months and then maintain it forever. So what happened this week to shed 6 pounds?
I ate well. Really.
I simply didn’t eat any wheat, fat, salt or sugar. I wasn’t obsessive about it – a few foods had traces of these ingredients. And I ate potatoes occasionally.
No booze at all. Thankfully I didn’t miss it – it’s always good to know this, if you know what I mean! The biggest behavioural change has been drinking copious amounts of water. A pint of water before just about every meal. If I ever found myself getting hungry I had a drink of water instead. It filled me up. And I must have walked an extra couple of miles during the week – back and forth to the bathroom! We also decided to eat much earlier; between 5.30 and 6.30pm rather than after 8pm as we normally did. Not sure how easy that will be when I get back into the swing of work, staying at hotels.
I have been amazed (and delighted) to hear from so many people giving words of encouragement and occasionally sharing their own weight-loss stories. Ann sent me a photo of her after shedding 5 stone! I really wouldn’t have recognized her. An amazing achievement. Well done. She’s kept it off too. Another Ann told me how she has lost 120 pounds – but then added “The same 10 pounds every year for the past 12 years!”
In answer to Jeremy's question - I'm 5ft 10ins.
Andy wrote to say he sticks with the the Low C diet– I love this one; anything beginning with the letter C goes out of your diet immediately;
Cheese, chocolate, chips, curry, Chinese, crisps etc etc.
He also added, more seriously, “I think the reality is that we all KNOW what constitutes a healthy or unhealthy diet but choose not to follow it. Addressing these issues is perhaps the greater challenge to remain slim in the longer term. The diet industry thrives because so many people, myself included, feed emotional hunger of some sort with food; it becomes an addiction. You feel low, sad, miserable or unloved so you eat something to make you feel “fuller”, “better” or “happier”. All this does is make you fatter, more miserable etc etc so you eat more. It’s an addictive loop like trying to satisfy thirst with sea water.”
I’ve recognized there are 3 elements to my weight-loss programme; 1) mindset, attitude and behaviour, 2) what I eat and 3) exercise.
My breakthrough thinking has been to adopt my weight-loss as my new ‘hobby’. It therefore become an enjoyable pastime, rather being something you endure; months of deprivation and self-torture!
As far as what I eat is concerned – I can eat anything so long as it’s not wheat, fat, salt or sugar. we have also decided to eat our way through what we have in the freezer. In the past, a quick trip to the supermarket took precedence over what we already had in the freezer – loads of organic vegetables that I’d grown myself had been ignored in favour of a ‘quick’ convenience meal. Quite seriously, we have saved ourselves a small fortune in just the first week. Most of our food was already in the house – how dumb is that?! Rooting around, I found some frozen smoked mackerel fillets the other day and made a smoked mackerel pate. I cannot tell you how delicious it was – fantastic. It took 5 minutes to prepare and lasted 2 days. And SO healthy – Omega 3 oils – brain food.
As for exercise; seeing as I can’t run any more (knackered knee), on the recommendation of my brother I bought a cross-trainer last year. I wiped the dust off it (!) and have done about 20 minutes on it every day. Not too manic – capable of carrying on a conversation is the ideal, I was told. Then I’ve done some work using weights for my upper body every other day. Nothing too strenuous yet. In addition to this I am also working on my ‘core stability’ following my physiotherapist’s advice – lying down (I normally do this before I get out of bed in the morning) – breathing out, further and further, you try to get your belly-button to ‘touch’ the inside of your spine. I can’t describe it any other way! Each time you do it, you hold it for 5 seconds. It’s done 10 times. I want to improve my flexibility so another habit I have to keep reminding myself to develop is to do more stretching – before and after I exercise.
What problems have I encountered in my first week? Not much. I have to look after my knee though. It’s been a little bit ‘achy’ occasionally. I have also experienced a few headaches – which I’ve put down to not eating as many snacks as I have done in the past. Occasionally I’ve chomped on raw carrots for a healthy snack.
I now realize that I have some terribly corny friends – one was wished me future success and said “I’m with you all the ‘weigh’.” (te he) and another wrote “Good luck on your way from ‘flabulous’ to ‘fabulous’.
Thank you for all your emails and phone calls. So far so good.
I wonder if my new rowing machine will be delivered this week?
I ate well. Really.
I simply didn’t eat any wheat, fat, salt or sugar. I wasn’t obsessive about it – a few foods had traces of these ingredients. And I ate potatoes occasionally.
No booze at all. Thankfully I didn’t miss it – it’s always good to know this, if you know what I mean! The biggest behavioural change has been drinking copious amounts of water. A pint of water before just about every meal. If I ever found myself getting hungry I had a drink of water instead. It filled me up. And I must have walked an extra couple of miles during the week – back and forth to the bathroom! We also decided to eat much earlier; between 5.30 and 6.30pm rather than after 8pm as we normally did. Not sure how easy that will be when I get back into the swing of work, staying at hotels.
I have been amazed (and delighted) to hear from so many people giving words of encouragement and occasionally sharing their own weight-loss stories. Ann sent me a photo of her after shedding 5 stone! I really wouldn’t have recognized her. An amazing achievement. Well done. She’s kept it off too. Another Ann told me how she has lost 120 pounds – but then added “The same 10 pounds every year for the past 12 years!”
In answer to Jeremy's question - I'm 5ft 10ins.
Andy wrote to say he sticks with the the Low C diet– I love this one; anything beginning with the letter C goes out of your diet immediately;
Cheese, chocolate, chips, curry, Chinese, crisps etc etc.
He also added, more seriously, “I think the reality is that we all KNOW what constitutes a healthy or unhealthy diet but choose not to follow it. Addressing these issues is perhaps the greater challenge to remain slim in the longer term. The diet industry thrives because so many people, myself included, feed emotional hunger of some sort with food; it becomes an addiction. You feel low, sad, miserable or unloved so you eat something to make you feel “fuller”, “better” or “happier”. All this does is make you fatter, more miserable etc etc so you eat more. It’s an addictive loop like trying to satisfy thirst with sea water.”
I’ve recognized there are 3 elements to my weight-loss programme; 1) mindset, attitude and behaviour, 2) what I eat and 3) exercise.
My breakthrough thinking has been to adopt my weight-loss as my new ‘hobby’. It therefore become an enjoyable pastime, rather being something you endure; months of deprivation and self-torture!
As far as what I eat is concerned – I can eat anything so long as it’s not wheat, fat, salt or sugar. we have also decided to eat our way through what we have in the freezer. In the past, a quick trip to the supermarket took precedence over what we already had in the freezer – loads of organic vegetables that I’d grown myself had been ignored in favour of a ‘quick’ convenience meal. Quite seriously, we have saved ourselves a small fortune in just the first week. Most of our food was already in the house – how dumb is that?! Rooting around, I found some frozen smoked mackerel fillets the other day and made a smoked mackerel pate. I cannot tell you how delicious it was – fantastic. It took 5 minutes to prepare and lasted 2 days. And SO healthy – Omega 3 oils – brain food.
As for exercise; seeing as I can’t run any more (knackered knee), on the recommendation of my brother I bought a cross-trainer last year. I wiped the dust off it (!) and have done about 20 minutes on it every day. Not too manic – capable of carrying on a conversation is the ideal, I was told. Then I’ve done some work using weights for my upper body every other day. Nothing too strenuous yet. In addition to this I am also working on my ‘core stability’ following my physiotherapist’s advice – lying down (I normally do this before I get out of bed in the morning) – breathing out, further and further, you try to get your belly-button to ‘touch’ the inside of your spine. I can’t describe it any other way! Each time you do it, you hold it for 5 seconds. It’s done 10 times. I want to improve my flexibility so another habit I have to keep reminding myself to develop is to do more stretching – before and after I exercise.
What problems have I encountered in my first week? Not much. I have to look after my knee though. It’s been a little bit ‘achy’ occasionally. I have also experienced a few headaches – which I’ve put down to not eating as many snacks as I have done in the past. Occasionally I’ve chomped on raw carrots for a healthy snack.
I now realize that I have some terribly corny friends – one was wished me future success and said “I’m with you all the ‘weigh’.” (te he) and another wrote “Good luck on your way from ‘flabulous’ to ‘fabulous’.
Thank you for all your emails and phone calls. So far so good.
I wonder if my new rowing machine will be delivered this week?
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Day 1, Week 1
168 pounds is my target weight. Down from 198 pounds (14st 2lbs) as it is today!
My congratulations to Jo, a woman I met the other day at a drinks party who lost 50 pounds in 100 days as part of a medically supervised regime. Fascinating to hear what she was prepared to subject herself to. Jo - you are an inspiration. And thank you for plying me with all that drink through the afternoon - large glasses of water! I'm drinking a pint of water right now as I write this.
As part of my plan to lose the weight - we're off for a long hike today. If you have any ideas or tips on how I and any other reader can lose weight - please get in touch.
My congratulations to Jo, a woman I met the other day at a drinks party who lost 50 pounds in 100 days as part of a medically supervised regime. Fascinating to hear what she was prepared to subject herself to. Jo - you are an inspiration. And thank you for plying me with all that drink through the afternoon - large glasses of water! I'm drinking a pint of water right now as I write this.
As part of my plan to lose the weight - we're off for a long hike today. If you have any ideas or tips on how I and any other reader can lose weight - please get in touch.
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