Believe it or Not...

This was me last June...

And this is me now...

I have managed to lose just under 3 stone since January 2015.

How did I do it? Mostly by sticking to a calorie allowance. One of the main tools I have used is Nutracheck. This is a phone app and also a website. What it does is simplify calorie counting, and it also has a terrific collection of exercise and nutritition advice, plus masses of online help and encouragement from a flourishing user Forum.

If you are thinking about seriously losing weight, I suggest you take a free trial subscription. Nutracheck is 100 British, and has a vast database of British foodstuffs. There are no gimmicks, no food-substitutes or branded meal-replacement bars pushed at you for profit. The fees are really low, I'm paying less than a fiver a month. The pounds I'm losing are showing on my scales, not my bank balance.

I also use a Fitbit, a device which measures steps taken and activity, a bit like a souped-up pedometer.

Trying to keep up to 10,000 steps a day helps with the motivation levels. Angela (my wife) also has one, and we can encourage  ourselves with gentle competition between ourselves and other friends who have Fitbits. They aren't cheap, but if you can't afford one a pedometer would work just as well. (Try looking at those made by Omron, Amazon usually have them at a good price).

Finally, I have started going to the local gym. If you had told me six months ago that I would be getting up early to hit the gym  before work I would have fallen over laughing. In a couple of days I will be logging my 50th visit since January!. According to Gym Hero Pro, another app I find invaluable, I have shifted over 90 metric tonnes of metal in that time, plus over 100 kilometers on the Rowing Machine, Recumbent Bike and the Treadmill of Doom!

Why am I doing this? Well, I think the letter I had from my G.P. a few months ago offering me a Care Package may have had something to do with it! As I approach my mid-fifties I guess it's finally time to start looking after myself. Angela has lost weight too, even though she was barely overweight, and we are both thoroughly enjoying the compliments we are receiving.

DISCLAIMER: I am not receiving any payment, incentive or material benefit from recomending the products above. I just want to share what works for me.

A Bit of a Ramble

As regular readers will know, we are off to the Lakes in a couple of weeks. We have been doing some walks at the weekend to get a bit of distance under our belts.

We have met Isambard Kingdom Brunel



And an Inquisitive Paddington Bear...



We have been obstructed by Nettle-Infested Kissing Gates



And Prickly Railway Staff who shove Customer Service leaflets under blinds when you complain about them...



Seen Vistas Watery...



And Timelessly English...



We have seen posters outside toilets to raise our hackles...



And to raise a Chuckle...



We have seen nature, improved by the cast-off spray of an aerosol paint can...



And in the unimprovable beauty of a Peacock butterfly on a waterside head of Teasel...




It might be exercise, but by God it's enjoyable!

Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad.

After the shock of the weekend's sudden weight gain I decided I had better get back to doing some exercising. Bernard the visiting cat was in this morning, and joined me upstairs where I was doing my calisthenics.

I was doing some bicep curls when he arrived. He hopped up onto the press bench I have set up and sat there, just watching.

By the time I moved on to press-ups, he was lying on his back, wriggling on the bench. I swear he was laughing at me.

I had my revenge when he wriggled so much he fell off the bench.

He was not going to be outsmarted though.

I proceeded to do some sit-ups. I struggled, I must admit.

Bernard sat up, leant forward effortlessly, and started to lick his bottom.

Checkmate.

New Year, New Age.

Yes, I am back from my Christmas retreat. It is amazing what a diet of freshly-pressed wheatgrass and spring water does for the inner man. I was lucky to have made friends with the Native American in the Teepee next to ours. He plaited me a smaller belt (made from discarded dream-catcher twine) to keep my now far-too-large trousers up.

The days since I last posted have been dedicated to nurturing the Inner Phantom. Three hours a day in the lotus position contemplating the eternal questions such as “Why is Christopher Biggins?” and “What sex are Turkeys?” has honed my spiritual acuity whilst still leaving me time to practice my yoga, especially the Cleaning Dog position. (The first few days are the worst, until the tendons loosen enough to get both legs behind your neck at the same time.)

Only time will tell whether I will be able to keep my New Year resolutions of blogging at least every other day and always telling the truth.

OM.

The Battle of The Bulge

Two glorious weeks of sitting by the sea or the pool with a cold drink in hand are taking their toll. My waistline has started to take full advantage of my "Comfort Fit" jeans.

Work is still exhausting, and we are chasing our tails doing umpteen things at the same time.

I know I should be getting more exercise, but at the moment the 45 minute walk to work is about my limit, and I'm not doing that every day either...

My Learned friend Welsh Dog has decided to start a new blog which may serve as a shining beacon of inspiration to us all. I suggest you point your browser over to Fat man On A Diet.

After a hard days work there is nothing better than relaxing and reading about someone else literally slogging away on a treadmill.

As Mark Twain said, "I love hard work... I could watch people do it all day long!"