Food and Exercise

Generally speaking I seem to have moved away from the original reason for starting this blog back in 2007 which was to document losing weight and then keeping it off. I suppose it's natural as, when your weight is pretty static, it's hard to find new things to say about it and other things are happening in my life which are much more momentous. But, when I reflect, being able to keep a stable weight, albeit one which is 20lbs or so heavier than I would ideally like, is pretty momentous for me! I have never previously been able to do this.


My weight has always fluctuated daily and weekly and any loss of control or concentration or period of depression or happiness would result in a gain which would then, eventually, have to be followed by a slow tortuous period of dieting and strict exercising as I gradually clawed the extra lbs off.


Since I lost that stone and a bit in the early spring, I have managed to stay within 3 or 4 lbs of that weight (between 13 stone 7 and 13 stone 11), that's 7 months now! But I'm not consciously dieting. I try and have a healthy-ish routine 4 or 5 days each week consisting of cereals/yoghurt/fruit or toast for breakfast; sandwich or sushi with fruit and a couple of biscuits for lunch and a cooked supper but I also have a cappucino most days, drink wine or a couple of beers 2 or 3 evenings a week and occasionally pick at the snack table during the day. At weekends, I have cooked brekkies, bigger meals and sometimes drink more (although don't always). It feels as though I'm eating more but I suspect I'm not. I don't guzzle or have seconds very often, I plate up slightly smaller meals with larger because that is all I want and I seldom buy treats. I tend to make biscuits or cakes when I have some spare time and we share them over the course of a week rather than furtively buying a packet of biscuits and eating them by myself in one sitting.


If I feel a bit podgy through time of the month or because I'm at the upper end of my scale I find I naturally want to cut back and make sure that I do my exercise a little more rigorously and then my weight relaxes back down over the next week or so.


It feels very easy and natural at the moment although I'm trying to stay vigilant as I'm conscious that easy and natural can lead to slovenly and slack....


On the exercise front, I still go to training twice a week although I suspect that I'll have to cut back on that for financial reasons. I have been running a little, going to the gym once in a while, swimming a lot and going for a few strenuous walks at weekends. Ballroom dancing is getting tougher too now that we can actually do the steps. So, all in all, for now I'm happy with this balance. I would like eventually to drop another dress size so maybe next year I'll work on that. Richard says I'm perfect just as I am but I suspect he'll still fancy me as a 12/14 rather than a 14/16 as long as I've still got those curves...