Chris is Still Too Fat

I am back, folks. Apologies for this being a day late.

Spent this past week in a holiday cottage in the far north-west of Scotland. Those of you who can remember the weather of a week ago will recall that it was probably one of the coldest, windiest March weeks ever. In short, it was a significant problem keeping warm. We had snow falling/lying on 4 days up there. The wind howled and moaned for 3 days solid. My food intake must have doubled to keep hypothermia at bay and it cost us some £6 a day in electricity to keeep the cottage to just about an acceptable temperature. We nearly did not make it out southwards due to cars and HGVs stuck in snow but mercifully we escaped. Where is global warming when you need it ?

Would we go there again ? Emphatically yes, but not in March ! When the sun finally appeared it was brilliant. So Wednesday and Thursday were brilliant - and cold.

From a calories point of view it was a disaster and I did not count them. From an exercise point of view it was rather better as much scrambling over rocks and rough ground was undertaken on various adventures. Strained my back, got blisters on my feet and then, oddly, ended up sunburned ! However, the net result is that I weighed in this morning at 179 lbs. This is an increase on last weekend's weigh-in by 2 lbs. Not good, but I am hardly surprised. So here we go again : the slow redress of damage has been resumed.

ChrisITF

Got to be quick this morning, folks. Got to battle 700 miles northwards to our short holiday in Scotland. Don't laugh; it's as cold as January and snow is forecast, if not actually falling. Rain has been falling much of the night - horizontally that is - and the wind moaning round the eaves. Oh, OK then, have a laugh.

Anyway, the scales declare once again I have reached 177 lbs in my marathon weight reduction saga. The trick now is to at least maintain this for the coming week so that I can resume the downward trend on my return. Those of you with a deep knowledge of this project will know that that is a big ask. But I live in hope.

Only missed one day exercise and sort of made up for it on Wednesday with a bike ride and a run. On the food front, not too bad with an average of about 1800 cals per day overall. Outside budget by about a slice of bread a day but I will not moan about that.

Caught a snippet of a TV programme while channel surfing last night - or was it Wednesday ? I forget. Something to do with longevity and calorie intake. I missed most of it but stumbled on an interview with a spokesman for The Calorie Restriction Society (!) Their assertion is that eating fewer calories makes you live longer and there are a load of elderly mice and rats still scampering about like teenagers to prove it apparently. Not had a chance to research it properly but thought it might interest you. A google of the title would reveal.

Sorry, that's it for now. Gotta dash. Could not face packing my things last night and am now regretting it, as number one son will be here shortly to pick me up.

Hopefully, I will be back online around the 30th March.

ChrisITF

Not a bad week so far, folks. Managed an average of 1805 cals per day since Saturday. It would have been something rather less and maybe within budget of 1700 if Mrs CITF had not decided that the rhubarb tree (it is that big) outside needed its first harvest of 2008 to provide us with a delectable Rhubarb Crumble at the weekend. But it is just a distant memory with custard now. The odd treat like this is not harmful, I am sure.

From the exercise point of view I have not been slacking - except on Monday when I did not manage to get out at all. So, the usual mixture of bike rides and running with accent on the running, which is improving still.

Going away for about 10 days on Friday. Scotland this time, to a rented cottage up in Sutherland with number one son. The others baulked at a holiday in Scotland in March. Yes, I know the weather forecast is dire for the weekend, so they might have a valid point.

Anyway, this is just to let you all down gently and say that, if I remember, I will bring forward the weigh-in to Friday morning and report dutifully to you all a day early on progress. Then I shall definitely fall silent for a while, being out of range of the internet perforce.

Till Friday then. Set clocks and watches accordingly.

ChrisITF

Still marooned on 178 lbs folks !

But I cannot complain really. The first half of the week went well and then it rather fell apart on the food front. Exercise was OK on the whole; better than average, in fact.

Yesterday's (Friday) data :

Calories : 2244 with some icecream and those devilish ginger biscuits doing the damage. However, my appetite was stimulated somewhat by ...

Exercise : 50 mins bike ride in the morning and 40 mins swimming in the afternoon during which I struggled through 20 lengths (500m ?). Swimming doesn't half make you exhausted and hungry when you have not done it in a while ! Went with number 1 son who did a leisurely 60 lengths to my 20 ... Sigh. I have long since given up competing with him at anything.

I have decided to drop the 'daily reports' and will resume the original reporting schedule of Saturdays and Wednesdays. But I warn myself here and now that they will be reinstated if I go off the rails too much.

As the weather improves, thereby permitting, or perhaps encouraging, more outdoor activity I am hopeful of better progress. I do seem to have marked time somewhat over the winter period and this has been an interesting disappointment. But I only intend to do this weight loss marathon once. So I had better do it good - and permanently !

Just got back from this morning's run and I seem to be pretty much recovered from my illness. So, once again, optimism reigns for progress in the coming week.

We shall see.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Thursday) :

Calories : 2174. Very naughty. Includes some icecream. Some biscuits too. Ginger biscuits; a lifetime favourite. But I kept away from the pavlova which is now gone.

Exercise : 50 mins bike ride.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Wednesday) :

Calories : 2000.

Oh dear. Just when I had thought everything was back under control I was presented with Mrs CITF's latest culinary creation of a Raspberry Pavlova ! Number 2 son had never seen anything like this before and refused it. Number 1 son, you may recall, has left us. Who remains ? Yes, just Mr and Mrs CITF ! There's still some left over too ...

Exercise : 30+ mins running.

Still not back up to running speed but getting there slowly.

ChrisITF

First a summary of yesterday (Tuesday) :

Calories : 1684.

Exercise : 50 mins bike ride.

Apart from Saturday's slightly excess munching I seem to have got my diet under control again at last. It has been a while and I am still having coughing sessions. Really I have had a most virulent session with some kind of respiratory bug and it is still not cleared up fully.

Also the exercise aspect of my project appears to be back on the rails, despite the best efforts of the wildest part of the outgoing (?) winter to restrict me to the house. The wind is still howling around the house as I write. In fact, it woke me up and here I am.

All in all, I am quite pleased. So I press on with optimism for the weigh-in on Saturday. If I can keep this up for the rest of the week satisfactorily I may drop the daily confessions. They must surely be getting just a teensy bit tedious for you also ?

ChrisITF

Quick summary of yesterday (Monday) :

Calories : 1685 including some icecream again but still within budget.

Exercise : 30+ mins running. Some 8% down on speed but I made it. I was lucky to get round in a largely sunny period between heavy showers on a sometimes wild day.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Sunday) :

Calories : 1684 which includes some icecream but still within budget.

Exercise : 50 mins bike ride. But I think I will wait awhile before venturing out today as it is somewhat wet and windy ...

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Saturday) :

Calories : 1891. No special naughties, though started the day unusally with a mug of hot chocolate. Just fancied it.

Exercise : 30+ mins running. Quite pleased to manage my usual distance without giving up and walking. Feeling it this morning though.

ChrisITF

Despite the title, I weighed in at 178 lbs this morning, folks. Still a bit to go to redress the damage while I was abroad/ill but getting there. The title is more to do with how I perceived my resolve over the week, ie not good enough. Far too easily succumbing to the contents of the biscuit barrel, etc.

Nearly forgot yesterday's data (Friday) :

Calories : 1691. Hooray ! Within budget at last.

Exercise : 12+ mins running. It was just a little run to see how I fared. Verdict : OK really, though about 6% down on best speed. I nearly always time myself, you see.

To be fair, I am still not recovered from this vile bug that has laid me low for about 2 weeks in total now and I am still suffering the after effects, but I won't go into clinical details. But quite how that translates into excessive eating I can only poorly understand. I did duck quite a bit of exercise as I doubted its wisdom at times, ie I did not wish to convert a simple, if virulent, bug into bronchitis or pneumonia. So perhaps I should not have sat and watched a football match in the cold wind this afternoon ... For compensation we won 5 - 0. So that's alright then.

No, I got fed up with being indoors most of the time and decided to press on regardless. However, with the weather forecasters issuing dire warnings that I am about to get blown away if I venture out tomorrow (I paraphrase) it might be prudent to remain, once again, indoors or at least find a route less liberally scattered with trees that are just waiting to be blown down on my head. Hurricane winds indeed ! We shall see.

So here we go with week 46. If you had told me last April that I would still be struggling now with a weight a good stone or so higher than target (161 lbs) I think I would have been terminally discouraged. But, having struggled this far, I am most determined to finish the task .. even if it takes until 2010 !

Stick with me and all will be revealed eventually. Sorry it is such a long road ... no, really I am !

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Thursday) :

Calories : 2158. Oh dear. No particular naughties, just too much all round. (Target 1700).

Exercise : 1+ hour bike ride.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Wednesday) :

Calories : 2064. Alas, 3 shortbread biscuits were my undoing here.

Exercise : 50+ mins bike ride. Almost back up to speed on my usual route with this.

As you may judge from the hour, I am still not sleeping too well and woke up feeling need to be vertical to breathe but a cup of tea has hopefully fixed it.

Dunno what happened to my first attempt at this report today. Apologies if you see 2 (or more) versions when I save this one ...

ChrisITF

Quick summary of yesterday (Tuesday) :

Calories : 2038. No particular naughties (seem to be avoiding them mostly) but just one Marmite sandwich too much.

Exercise : 1 hour out on bike (at last).

Not a very good week thus far : only one hour's exercise in total and a disappointing average of 2150 cals per day ! Still got the substantial remnants of a cold picked up some 2 weeks ago now. I rarely become ill but I seem to be making up for it this time with continued coughing and general unwellness which is only very slowly improving.

Given the frost outside right now I shall not be running today - probably not a good idea anyway as yesterday's bike ride left me realising just how weak I still am. I get breathless just climbing the stairs ! Mind you, 9 months ago that was normal for (ex-)fatty here.

So, yes, I feel somewhat sorry for myself and food is an ever present comfort and temptation. Just have to plod on and try to keep occupied and forget my stomach. At least I have no foreseeable work episodes away looming; just turned another one down - not least because it would interfere with a planned week away in a holiday cottage in a couple of weeks time. So there is something to which to look forward, in fact, I am quite excited about it. Bonny Scotland calling ! Yes, I know it is only March .. should have the place to ourselves, then.

But first, a cup of tea then on with the day.

I'll be back tomorrow.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday's (Monday) inactivities :

Calories : 2723. Went out for a family meal at local restaurant (belated Mothers Day celebration) so total here very approximate, in addition to moderately shameful despite picking lower calorie menu options.

Exercise : None whatsoever. My 'cold' grumbles on with hacking cough. I will probably snap this morning and go out on bike anyway. Fed up with being inside these four walls.

ChrisITF

Quick summary of yesterday (Sunday) :

Calories : 1688.

Exercise : Nil - still far from well and never ventured outside at all all day.

Things can only get better, I devoutly hope.

ChrisITF

Yes, I'm back folks !

Spent a week coughing and sneezing around North America perforce and still not right either. Worse, the scales this morning tell me that it is high time I got things under control once more : I am now 179 lbs. So, that is another 1 lb of blubber on my puny frame to be shifted.

This project is resumed once more. Right now.

ChrisITF