So far so good. Although, I started with a headache yesterday that lasted for over 24 hours. I think that it was due to the shock on my system, that being lack of carbs and no sugars. Today I finally got it sorted by taking migraine and paracetamol tablets at 3 am then paracetamol every four hours and hey presto, gone. Thank god that is. Even when I was dieting the last time I was never good, and still had sugars and carbs and just counted calories, and did well as I kept to 1200 to 1500 calories a day. Yesterday I did my first weigh in and was 14.31 stone. I am getting on the scales each day, but will not post about each pound lost, just update each week.
Yesterday, I really was not in the mood for eating anything. I had two eggs and spinach for breakfast and a black coffee. Mid-morning I had a protein drink, lunch was a chicken salad that I struggled to eat. Mid-afternoon another protein drink and dinner was just roasted chicken with jerk spices on it. Lots of water too all day.
Today was a little less food, as I really did not want anything this morning, but knowing I had to have something, just had a small apple. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon were the same as yesterday, lunch two egg salad and dinner was roasted turkey and vegetables, followed by another small apple. I have not managed to drink as much water but still had a good go.
Yes, it is very early days, just the first 48 hours, but I don’t feel like I am on a diet. I don’t feel the need to raid the fridge and eat a block of cheese, consume a big tub of Ben & Jerrys or go to the shops and buy a big bag of sweets/candy.
I have been getting a bit, no, scrap that, a lot lazier the past few months with any forms of exercise and dieting/healthy eating. It can be so hard and let’s be honest, we need some sort of motivation. My last motivation was my mate Mark, we were both on diets and determined to lose weight and get fitter, but doing it our own way and checking in. However, he has totally given up and weighs more now that he did at the beginning of the year. Thankfully, I have not done that, but if I carry on with the lazy streak then I will turn into Ten Tonne Tessy like he has.
M wants to slim down and so that is now my motivation to get moving, get fitter and drop a stone in weight. As such, I have decided to shred for the summer. I have set my goal, that is to lose x amount of weight, tone up completely, and if I end up building muscle mass as a by-product of this, then great. The other reason why, is that I am 50 at the end of the year, and I see quite a lot of men on Instagram and Twitter who either look terrible at 50 or quite fantastic for their age. I am, however, under no illusion that the guys who look stunning are mostly gym rats, they have taken 20+ photos to make sure they look their best, then published it. I have been using social media since 2006, so know the script, but all the same, it is a point of reference for me to look at, aim, and understand that they are goals that I may not reach, but hell, I want to try.
Since it is the last bank holiday in the UK for 3 months we decided to clear out the cupboards and fridge of all the “shite” and either bin it or eat it so that we have no further temptation at hand. I took pleasure in binning a large container of sweets (candy) that had sat there for some time, with me picking at it from time to time. I even check my bedside unit to ensure that nothing tempting was it in. Surprisingly enough there was, so that has now been removed and disposed of.
From tomorrow, we are sticking to protein, lots of it, vegetables and a moderate amount of healthy fats. We are aiming at stating with a low carb diet, but not making the mistake of low fat too as that is one of the failure points, so good fats like nuts, avocado, olive oil, grass-fed butter etc. So, out with the crap and in with good stuff, so the fridge is now full of eggs, chicken, turkey, vegetable. The fruit bowl is full, and the determination is set.
I have also decided to take in more exercise too. I have my new Apple Watch with lots of different apps to make/nag me into getting up off my arse and moving. I also have the dogs as an excuse to get out more and walk the legs off them too. M is going to join me, but due to his disabilities he will be going slow and anything he can do will be at his own pace. One of the things that do not help me is that I tend to go at something at 100 miles an hour rather than gradually building up. M said he would remind me and I am conscious that I need to build up.
So, there it is, my plan for summer, and fingers crossed, something that we keep doing rather than saying screw it today I need cake. I will still have my black coffee, so all will be well. I am not saying that I will be good for the rest of the time either, let’s face it, life without a little treat is really not a good life LOL, but I am not going to go back to my old ways. I am tired all the time, lack energy and with it motivation, and it is all down to being lazy and eating all this crap, sugar being the main problem. I used to drink my coffee with lots of full-fat milk and 2 spoons of sugar, but at the beginning of the year, I decided that it had to go and I now love black coffee without sugar now, in fact, I also love black tea with no sugar too. I stopped buying coke as the sugar tax in the UK made a usual £1.50 bottle of coke £2.50, so that put me off buying it. I missed it quite a lot, to begin with, but now although I do get it on the very odd occasion I do not miss it, and I guess that is why I have fewer headaches too. I have seen all the celebs going on about sugar-free diets, but at the time I was of the opinion that it was a goal that was not obtainable as everything seems to be laced with sugar. I cannot have aspartame as it gives me violent migraines, something that is not considered in these diets, and by our money grabbing government with its sugar tax. Those of you outside the UK have no idea how insane our government is with its taxes, from TV Tax to Sugar Tax, and not forgetting the latest tax to be implemented this year is the self-service checkout tax, no, that wasn’t a joke. I digress!
In conclusion;
I will lose weight/fat
I will get fitter
I will stop eating crap including sugar
I will drink more water
I will stop using excuses
I will post about my ups, downs, successes and failures in order to keep going
I will make it to 50 feeling and hopefully, looking great
After lots of thought and having the three watches in my basket for a few weeks now, I finally went for the Apple Watch 4. I was tempted to go for the Ionos, but the ECG feature was the pulling point. I got it this morning and so far so good. I have tried the ECG and it is very good, showing my heart working well. When my heart next plays up I can record it for my GP which will help with controlling my condition.
One of the features I did not know was there until it alerted me was a breathing app. My watch vibrated, I looked and it told me to take a minute to sit and breath and instructed me when to breath in and when out, this is supposed to help relax and clear your lungs of stale air. I am looking forward to using the other apps and features on it, and am happy to say I love it.
Spring is slowly turning into summer here on the 54th parallel north, I wonder how it is in Unalaska Island who is on the same degree of latitude as us.
We may not have the sprawling majesty of Alaska but our lake is looking very pretty right now. All the wild growth around it is doubling in size each week, the bull rushes are racing to the sky and the herons are visiting to get lunch.
A few years ago I was listening to a podcast called SoulFeed with Shannon Algeo, I think it was the Easter holidays and I was helping a friend moving roofing felt, 30 tonnes of it to be exact. Whilst waiting for him as I was driving us to the yard I was listening to the latest episode entitled “Tim Gunn: How to make it work”. Tim was a guest on the show and talked about his life and how he made it work. Shannon mentioned that he had a few books duly signed by Tim to give away. I thought I would try to win one, and although I am always positive about entering competitions I had resigned to the fact that I was in England and the show was in America, so the likelihood would be rather small. My positivity paid off, and Shannon sent me a signed book. I have a personal rule regarding competitions, and that is only to enter the ones I really want to win. I confess I have been very very lucky in the past due to this method and positive thinking, but that is a post for another day.
In his book “The Natty Professor” Tim talks about the fashion industry, some of the devious ways the production company tries to exploit designers, and of course, his incredible way of teaching and mentoring. Although only 272 pages, it is full of wisdom from the wise old sage.
I was chatting to AJ of A Petite Slice of Life about health tracking watches and mentioned that I do what Tim Gunn does when he is shopping online for non-essential items. He (and I ever since) put things in the basket that I would like, but rather than hitting the pay now button close the browser and return to it 24 or 48 hours later and see if you still want it. Most of the time I will click delete and quietly thank Tim for stopping me from wasting money on something I didn’t really need.
If you fancy listening to the podcast then here is the link.
Stuck in Sydney posting old photos taken with various camera phones on my world travels. Posting in arty Black and White and includes witty commentary 🇦🇺
Stuck in Sydney posting old photos taken with various camera phones on my world travels. Posting in arty Black and White and includes witty commentary 🇦🇺
Mr Knitter 