Wednesday 28 June 2017

Day 2 report

There is nothing like a bit of affirmation to get you going on a diet. I stuck it out yesterday although I suspect I was nearer 700 calories than 600. However, it was not too bad and, if I can get some soup sorted for tomorrow, will get better. 2 salads in a day is a tad "thin". I was hungry by bedtime but not unhappy.

The affirmation came this morning wgen I stepped on the scales. I KNOW a daily weigh in is inaccurate but it was heartening to see 16.8 flash up when I have been hovering around 16.12- 16.13 for the last week. I don't expect that to be my weekly total come Monday but I'm hopeful of a decent drop, provided I don't go mad on non-starve days that is.

There was great temptation this morning to have a bigger breakfast than normal (and chocolate), you know to make up for yesterday. But that woukd have been counter-productive now wouldn't it chimp... so I resisted that temptation and now feel fine.

I should have been golfing but relentless, driving rain has mercifully put paid to that so now I'm wondering what exercise I will do on this grotty day.  Obviously the dogs need walking but they won't want to be out for long in this. I'm thinking either a home workout or a swim in the rain. I didn't get a season ticket for the outdoor pool this year and it is normally too busy in the public sessions but I doubt that will be a problem today!!

Tuesday 27 June 2017

1st starve day since Lighter Life

It was tough making that start. Remembering not to have a proper breakfast and grab a cappucino. Selecting a crappy salad for lunch (which turned out to be quite nice actually). Planning.....more planning....

However, it's not been bad so far. Being peckish is not the end of the world is it?

I have a loooong day at work today due to a site visit at 6-7.30pm this evening so I won't have any temptation at home. We'll see.

I think ramping up the effort is necessary though as doing what I was doing before was a little too "comfortable". I dropped a single lb last week but that rate of progress is too vulnerable to one bad week. I need a few lbs in the bank and I'm hoping 5:2 will assist with that.

Last year I ended the year a stone lighter than I started it. I want to be able to say the same or better this year and head to Australia in the 15s at least. This is do-able but not if I keep fannying around.

So, there are my stern words to myself. Help me keep on the straight and narrow peeps!


Saturday 24 June 2017

Couch to 4.1km

I finally made it out for a run after a hiatus of around 3 months!  I have been thinking about getting back to it over the last few weeks but it has been too hot, too wet, something else was happening, the dog was ill, well, you get the picture.

One episode gave me hope and inspiration: 3 weeks ago, my niece and her fiancee came to visit and on the Sunday we went for a long walk around the Derwent reservoir.  The forecast was for it to be dry all weekend.  At the halfway point around the reservoir, the heavens opened and soaked us.  We tried sheltering under trees until the water came through and it became apparent that the rain was not going to stop.  At this point we were still a good mile from the car.  I couldn't get any wetter so decided to jog to warm me up and I ended up jogging all the way back to the car!  This saved the others a few minutes and ensured that I got to change into the only dry top in the car - Rich's golf top.  I was so wet and chilly that I just stripped my top off standing by the car next to the road - I did not care who saw my flabby tum and bra, just wanted something dry on!  But the jog told me that I still have some residual fitness and helped me get out this this morning.

I utilised the getting dressed straight into running gear to ensure that my chimp didn't talk me out of it.  I told myself we could just do the short 2.5km route over the fields but, when it came to it, I turned the other way and went for the longer, slightly hillier route.  4.1km in total and VERY slow.  When I was running regularly in January and February, I got down to 8.5km per hour average speed.  I'm back up to just over 10km per hour.....whoops.

But, I'm happy to be out there and really enjoyed it.

A facebook friend from the village who is quite a large woman posted yesterday that she is starting a fitness programme to drop weight and get back to fitness.  She is a young woman who has previously dropped many stones of weight but then re-gained them plus more.  I found her post and the comments on it very inspiring.  It is nothing to do with appearance but all about fitness and avoiding the illnesses and lack of confidence which come with being very overweight.  I read the post while I was out walking (which is itself quite weird as I don't usually look at FB while I'm walking) and it inspired me to add an extra, hilly loop to my evening walk.  It also helped this morning to make me get on with the running.    So, even though you probably won't read this, thank you Kate and good luck!!

Weight wise, the scales are heading steadily in the right direction.  I'm down to 16.12 now so that is good news.  My friend Kerry was praising and recommending the 5:2 diet which I have been toying with in my mind for a while so I'm going to give it a go next week.   The difficulty is picking the starve days but, it's like anything, you just have to make it your priority and stick to your guns.  So, Monday and Wednesday it is, despite the fact that I have dancing on Monday and golf on Wednesday.  Gulp!

So,next up is some gardening today and a mixed golf match tomorrow afternoon.  I'm doing a lot of dreaming about how much I can drop before Spain in November (golfing with the girls) and Australia over Christmas but trying to keep my feet on the ground.  I've also got to get back in touch you you lovely bloggers and see what you've been up to while I've been on sabbatical!!

In the meantime, here are some pics from extra long dog walk yesterday evening.


Monday 19 June 2017

The day of reckoning has arrived

I have been feeling better for a few weeks now.  Did I leap straight back onto the diet and exercise wagon, gleefully embracing my newfound healthfulness??  Did I hell!

I enjoyed several weeks of playing loads of golf, dog walking, gardening, drinking and eating and working like a mofo.  I have not been for a run or swimming or anything beyond golf and dog walking for nearly 3 months.  Gulp. However, over the last few days I have started to feel ready to focus again. I've also started to realise that Australia (and Spain) are only a few months away and I am still pretty fat.  Double gulp.

After a few days of this lovely heat I've realised that carrying this extra weight is annoying.  Skimpy clothes don't do the larger lady any favours and it is just plain uncomfortable.  I don't want to be lethargic and uncomfortable on our holiday; I want to be active and at least a little slimmer than I am presently.

So,that means yet another restart.  Today.

I set an alarm on my phone to remind me to step on those pesky scales this morning and did it.  Not horrific.  17 stone dead so about 6lbs on from my lightest this year.  And nowhere near back to my heaviest from last year so the damage is contained.

I'm going to go back to what was working before I started coughing my guts up for 3 solid months - Fitbitting, calorie counting and exercising.  I have done it today and, apart from craving carbs and sweet stuff on and off, it has not been bad.  It was roasty hot at lunchtime and I had a meeting so I couldn't face going out for a walk and getting all hot and bothered so stayed in the office.

BUT I made sure that I took the dogs out for a walk this evening once it had cooled down.  They enjoyed splashing in the stream and trotting through the long grass and I enjoyed walking through beautiful flower-filled meadows and picking elderflowers to make my annual batch of elderflower cordial.  They are steeping now and I'll finish it off tomorrow evening.

Rich is out playing darts this evening which could be a dangerous time for me and temptation but I have limited snacking to some strawberries and natural yoghurt.  It feels good to get going.

Tomorrow brings more temptation in the form of a drive and train journey to Nottingham for a course.  There will be food at the course and of course the temptation to eat contraband in the anonymity of the train and station environment.   But forewarned is forearmed so I intend to be a Very. Good. Girl.  Wish me luck peeps.