Tuesday 13 October 2009

Me and my monkey...

We had a long dusty drive up to Kasane on a badly potholed road - we had to stop accasionally though to record giant termite mounds - D was unimpressed by my climbing - "If they swarm out and bite you and I have to drive to hospital, I won't be happy!!"

D chilling in the pool while I did laps - my first chance to exercise in 5 days!

A fellow guest at the lodge.

Sunset on the River Chobe at the bottom of the lodge garden


I don't know what most of them are but I like snapping flowers as they really remind me of different places - they're more evocative than other scenes I find.



Well, I'm not doing badly but I'm not doing very well either. I still feel differently towards food, more in control and less likely to want want want nameless foods just for the sake of it. BUT, I'm also conscious that I haven't made much real progress since filming finished at the end of July.

Stats: (on new scales so there might be some inconsistencies from prior posts but I've decided to go with these now)

I weighed 13.5 at the end of July.
I gradually got down to 12.12
I gained initially 4 but actually 5 lbs while on holiday
I've lost 3lbs of those so am now 13.1

Objectively, 4 lbs is a very small overall loss over a period of 2.5 months. Now, I'm not beating myself up for this because I'm happy to be losing slowly and carefully and keeping the weight off. But it is also important for me to keep on losing weight as well and not be side-tracked by my chimp into accepting less than I can achieve. And I think that's what has been happening.

For example, I used to be happy with a breakfast of muesli and fruit or yoghurt and fruit but recently I've been adding a small slice of toast; I've taken to buying a McDonalds cappucino on my drive in to work; I've added a biscuit to my lunch; I have the odd glass of red wine in the pub; and I occasionally add a carb-y type snack in the evenings. Individually and occasionally, none of these additions are particularly noteworthy but as they have become part of my routine they collectively can add up to an extra 500 calories per day!! That is outrageous!!

I've known in a vague, unquantified manner that these extras are not a good idea but it is only as I type it now that I realise what I have done. My chimp has snuck these extras in gradually and sneakily and can justify each addition when it happens. What she cannot justify is the fact that the occasional justifiable extra has become a habitual part of my diet. And strangely, it coincides with my stopping losing weight. Well dur...

So - harden up Lesley and cut out the extras.

Phew - it's tough!

Exercise-wise I'm really happy with my routine. I do personal training twice a week; swimming twice (but am going to try for 3x) a week; a long mountain bike session most weekends; and either a run, long walk or gym session once or twice a week. So that comes to 6 or 7 sessions per week and there is talk of dance classes to come.

The mountain biking is brilliant - I'm really beginning to get the bug. My friend Vicky bought a bike a couple of weeks ago and we're about the same level so I've got a pal to play with. She is happy as her husband is super-fit, super-brave at mountain biking and they would both find it frustrating going out together all the time.

On Sunday afternoon we did our first proper technical ride up Win Hill. It was brilliant - we had to push up one section (which I've since found out is called "the Beast"!) but then it was a series of muddy, rocky tracks, steep climbs, scary downhills and breath-taking views. We were both giddy about how much fun we were having and took pics whenever we could actually stop. If anyone had heard me as I was on some of the downhills they would have laughed - it was a constant stream of whimpering, swearing, giggling and just generally exhorting myself onward. I must have sounded mad!

So, as ever, there is good and bad but mostly good.

2 comments:

Peridot said...

Great pics as ever - the second one is bougainvillea I think, and the third one looks like some type of convulvulus and the last one I've seen alot in Turkey (in orange too) but I can't remember what it is - really gorgeous though.

The exercise sounds INCREDIBLE - are you super-woman or not? I say yes! I too whimper and swear on my bike occasionally - never whooped though, I guess commuting doesn't lend itself to that. I have also borrowed an expression from my mother's uber-cute chocolate labrador - when she's confused, she tilts her head on one side. I find this expressive when some a**ehole is doing something crazy on the road coming towards me - I realised they couldn't actually see my eyebrows raised!

I SO know what you mean about calorie creep. This is why I feel I have to count calories all the time. It's too easy for me to have a few little extras, thinking they make no impact, but as you've said, they really can.

Go Lesley!

love
Peridot x

Unknown said...

The blue one is morning Glory - very easy to grow and a very fast climber. Loved the programme - cried with you = I lost 6 st and put 4 back on - What the ****!!! I learn all over again but leave the ketosis alone - this time I will do it properly and learn. Love Am xxx