Artificial Intelligence

Right, that’s it….the scales KNOW when it’s a Tuesday! I have reached this conclusion on the, admittedly limited, evidence of 2 consecutive weeks but it seems compelling to me. Every day this week I have stepped onto the scales first thing to see either a small drop or a maintain. I was looking sweet for a 2lb drop at WI this evening. This morning, however, I step onto the scales to be greeted by a 2lb gain, back to my starting weight for the week! WTF??!



So, it’s back to the “starvation” routine for the last day – grapefruit for breakfast, swimming at lunchtime followed by salad and fruit for lunch and hoping that by WI time, my body will have reverted to its original behaviour of gradual reduction.



To be honest (and fair to the scales), I would be lucky to achieve a 2lb drop this week as I have had a 4 day weekend and, as a consequence, have been more relaxed than normal. But I’ve certainly not given up or gone madly off-plan. There has been some drinking but there has also been a lot of compensatory sensible eating and exercise. Hmmmm, maybe slightly less exercise than usual which could be the key to the slower than usual drop.



My last post took you up to Sunday morning and a very virtuous run over the fields. From there I drove over the moors to Glossop to visit my friend Jenny and her 2 kids. It was the most stunning drive over Snake Pass – the heather is just at its best at the moment. I should have taken photos but it’s tricky to find places to stop on that most windiest of roads and I was a little late (as usual!). I did take loads of photos of our walk with the children and dogs though but then left my jacket with my camera and some blackberries in the pocket hanging on the banister in her hallway…grrr We walked up the steep hill behind Jenny’s house and picked blackberries, and took the kids into some overgrown quarries for a swing on the ropeswing. It was very wholesome and fun with happy kids, dogs and adults. So, not big exercise but not nothing either.



We were incredibly good foodwise as Jen had made a gorgeous sweet potato and chorizo soup for our lunch (not much chorizo in the scheme of things so not a problem SW wise). I will be making that recipe myself as it was extremely tasty and not at all diet-y. Then abstinence until a late supper in the pub of a small portion of homemade chilli and crusty (butter-less) bread. So, foodwise, extremely good.



Drinkwise, erm, not so much. We trawled into town on public transport (bus then tram) and out to Hillsborough to a brilliant pub called the New Barracks to see a couple of bands. The first, out in the beer garden (appropriately for August festooned with gazebos and heaters) was Frank White a local rock and blues guitarist. Excellent as ever, very mellow. The second (thankfully indoors) was called Reasons to be Cheerful and did punk and new wave covers. Very well. The singer was a dead ringer for Ian Dury. What a great atmosphere. Packed out, loud, good music, dancing (well, jumping up and down), beer spilling, fist pumping stuff. Such fun! (Yes, that is a reference to Miranda’s mum….)



I had a good laugh but Rich LOVED it. It was as if the years had peeled away before my eyes and he became 17 again. Really joyful, happy and exuberant. The lead singer clearly recognised a kindred spirit as, on one of his forays onto the floor, they had a bit of a brotherly tussle in a punk stylee….I think that’s good, right?!



I had a couple of pints to start but then switched to white wine spritzers and slowed down. So only 5 drinks in all. Not TOOOOO bad I suppose, especially combined with all the dancing/jumping and the extremely limited food. Rich on the other hand stuck to his much stronger bitter and was wrecked on Monday morning!! Ha ha ha



I was golfing Monday afternoon and he was not, hence my semi-sensible head the night before. I was playing in the Bank Holiday Mixed Foursomes at my club with a mate called Nigel. We didn’t play well which was a shame as I won the comp this time last year. I was going alright but Nigel did NOT shine and I wasn’t doing well enough to make up for him. But it was a nice round with good company and we didn’t get too wet. Rich joined us for the meal afterwards which just made me laugh. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s a little bit stuffy. Not the worst golf club by any means but definitely a bit elderly and conservative. So there we were wearing posh frock and jacket and tie respectively listening to the sound of muted chat and clinking cutlery when the night before we had been watching the be-bondage-trousered lead singer of a punk band pouring most of a pint of beer over his head while singing “I am an anarchist…”!!



Just as we were leaving I was called over by the Lady Captain and the Vice captain who are both really nice women and not at all stuffy. The Vice grabbed my arm and asked me, very earnestly, “Your fella, is he the baldy or the old one?”! When I spluttered that it was the baldy, she collapsed against me and said “Oh thank God!.....Because you’ve been seen with the other chap quite a few times, we were all wondering whether he was your new chap”. Nigel is a nice bloke but he’s a very staid and sensible 60-something. I know age means nothing but I think I’ll stick with Rich, thanks! By this time Rich had wandered over so I was able to introduce him and while I got my coat and bag left them trying to talk him into joining the club!! One day.



In all seriousness, I was really happy to have brought him into the club and introduced him to a few people. D never once came to any club functions in all the years I have been a member (12), not even when I had won a big comp and asked him there for the presentation. He criticised it and the other members and made it hard for me to go and to play. Having a supportive partner who understands how golf clubs work is a refreshing change.



So, all in all, no big blowouts but a few too many “not perfect” days. I’m therefore not particularly hopeful for a decent drop but, as I’ve said before, that doesn’t matter. I don’t think I’ll gain and I’m heading in the right direction albeit slowly. The next couple of weeks should be relatively quiet so hopefully I’ll be able to put some good work in before our holiday and even then, I don’t intend to go madly off plan, just relax the reins a bit. I suppose I could have done without Rich scoffing 2 packs of Haribo over the weekend in front of me, not to mention the Fruit Pastille lolly and that wretched double cheeseburger. But honestly, looking back, they didn’t tempt me much and didn’t spoil my mood so what harm.




Update - Well, I was right - only 0.5 lb off. Given the long weekend I'm not surpirsed or particularly disappointed. But will focus my efforts a little more this coming week.