Chris is Still Too Fat

Quick summary of yesterday (Thursday) :

Calories : 1696, nearly completing a good week for comparative self-denial and optimistic about weigh-in tomorrow ...

Exercise : 30 mins running.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Wednesday) :

Calories : 1673.

Exercise : 30 mins running. Ran pretty much fully covered as it was only +2C. Got steaming hot though. Still some snow cover here this morning; most unusual for October.

ChrisITF

First, a brief summary of yesterday (Tuesday) :

Calories : 1652.

Exercise : Nil. Shopping with Mrs CITF in morning and struggling with my poorly back bike tyre (3 punctures fixed) in afternoon and then the tyre case split ! So I never got out.

Apart from that just described, it has been a pretty good week so far. Looking forward to weigh-in on Saturday though there are the obstacles of Thursday and Friday plus the rest of today to negotiate first.

I am unsure what has tripped in my head to explain this new sense of purpose on the task but I suppose I should enjoy it while it lasts. The biscuit barrel has been largely ignored and the icecream tubs totally untouched. Am I ill ? Most odd !

However, the biggest surprise of recent weeks occurred this morning when I discovered a carpet of fallen snow outside - in Hampshire, in October !

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Monday) :

Calories : 1694. Just squeaked inside budget.

Exercise : 75+ mins running. A bit cold en route but sorted with a hot bath afterwards. Quietly pleased with sortie.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Sunday) :

Calories : 1777. Creeping upward ...

Exercise : 50 mins bike ride through fallen leaves and scampering squirrels.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Saturday) :

Calories : 1741. Again, not too bad.

Exercise : 30 mins running. Only +4C so I was rather under-dressed in hindsight, so a warm bath wallow on return - one of life's great luxuries - was most welcome. Weather not looking good for outside activities today, so why am I up before the lark on a Sunday ? Answer : hunger, which I suppose is good really.

ChrisITF

Weighed in at 172 lbs this morning, FatFans !

So that is a long-awaited further reduction of 1 lb in weight. I have no wish to depress myself by searching archives to find out when I was last at this weight so I look forward only to continued success.

Summary of yesterday (Friday) :

Calories : 1732. Not too bad.

Exercise : 50 mins bike ride. Finally repaired the fourth puncture my rear bike tyre received last week and it now holds pressure. Perhaps a new tube would have been quicker and less frustrating but, as I have explained before, I was born in Yorkshire.

This has been a week of mixed fortunes in progress. Tuesday and Wednesday were very good, Friday not too bad and the other days terrible. Result : a most welcome weight reduction, albeit small. I have given up even hoping for large reductions. Small is beautiful now, as far as I am concerned, and 'only' 11 lbs to go to long-promised triumph.

I will get there.

ChrisITF

Summary of yesterday (Thursday) :

Calories : 2421 and an estimate at that. Hardly a surprise to go way over the top with a meal out in London, yet my choices were comparatively restrained. A disappointment after 2 such good days but it is only once in a while.

Exercise : Only a 1 hour walk into the village for the bank. Tried to fix my bike but after 3 punctures found and repaired and the tyre still going down, I lost the will to live almost. It awaits further attention in disgrace in the garage.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Wednesday) :

Calories : 1407 including a naughty slice of flapjack. Mmmmm.

Exercise : 75+ mins running. Yup, two days in a row and I can sure feel the effects in my legs coming downstairs just now.

Meal out tonight in London with friends. Gotta be careful here.

ChrisITF

First, a summary of yesterday (Tuesday) :

Calories : 1484. No, not a typo.

Exercise : 75 mins running, though I had to ignore my right leg which protesteth still.

How to summarise the week so far ? Awful, until yesterday, I suppose. Quite surprised myself yesterday but I need a good run of the same to start the downward curve on weight again.

Calorie alerts : distant clouds are gathering for another trip to the USA but my client keeps changing his mind about dates. Also, tomorrow evening is booked for a meal out in London with friends.

Beautiful autumn day again. Cloudless, with a hot air balloon drifting over. But there was ice on the car first thing, so not particularly warm and a sign of things to come, no doubt.

Onward and downward, eh ?

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Monday) :

Calories : 2112. Day out with Mrs CITF made things a bit difficult here.

Exercise : Well, you decide. No specific exercise sortie executed but walked miles on a day out at RHS Wisley Gardens. It was their Apple Festival and guess what we came home with ... ? Just what we don't need - more apples ! Autumn colours of the trees were glorious though.

Back on austerity regime today.

ChrisITF

Gosh, this is a bit late; nearly forgot ! Quick summary of yesterday (Sunday) :

Calories : 2145. Remnants of Spotted Dick Pud still lingered ...

Exercise : Nil, except I helped Mrs CITF in the garden for an hour or so. I got muddy, though not sweaty. Does this count ? Puncture still awaits my attention.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Fat Saturday) :

Calories : 2691. Nearly a record ! Mrs CITF finished work now and made a large, celebratory Spotted Dick Sponge Pudding (with custard). What a scrumptious treat ! She does make exceedingly good puddings. But perhaps I should not have had that second helping ...

Exercise : 30 mins running. Also walked to and from football match 30 mins.

ChrisITF

.. on 173 lbs, folks.

Quick summary of yesterday (Friday) :

Calories : 2198.

Exercise : Nil. Legs protesting with sundry niggles so no run advised .. and of course I have not mended Thursday's puncture yet. In fact, it will need a new inner tube, such was the damage from pushing my bike for an hour.

Nope, I have not given up but I am not making much (any) headway. Just pressing on, trying more to avoid gaining weight than actually losing it. I get good days and bad and some of mixed application with a bias towards the bad at the moment. If only I could avoid incipient injury I believe I could run for hours and it would make my task so much easier. Mind you, sometimes I wish I did not like eating and the problem would be even easier still ...

It's a tricky one, innit ?

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Thursday) :

Calories : 2259. Not good.

Exercise : 30 mins running which, disappointingly, crocked both my legs, as I discover this morning. Dunno how. Took it easy. Old age ?

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Wednesday) :

Calories : 1920.

Exercise : 105 mins. Rain finally stopped so decided to go out for quick ride on bike, got puncture and had to push bike home 4km. Not amused. Missed picking son up (on crutches) from work and Mrs CITF from station. Evening meal very late. Family not amused either.

ChrisITF

Summary of yesterday (Tuesday) :

Calories : 1696. Just made it within budget, naughty ginger biscuits included.

Exercise : 75 mins running. Makes up for Monday's slacking somewhat.

Haven't checked specifically back through my records, but I have the odd feeling that the more I exercise the more there is a tendency towards a lower calorie count ? Puzzled if so, though a long exercise session definitely puts me off food for a while. Yesterday was the longest run for a week yet the lowest food gobbling total. Hmm. Have to keep an eye on this.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Monday) :

Calories : 2104.

Exercise : Nil. Had every intention of getting out there but domestic duties intervened at wrong moments. There's always tomorrow though (ie today !).

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Sunday) :

Calories : 1876.

Exercise : 50 mins bike ride. Also walked down to village and back (1 hour) on small errand with Mrs CITF. Beautiful, warm autumn day.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Saturday) :

Calories : 2138.

Exercise : 30 mins running. Steamy humid yesterday and sweated buckets. Misty this morning too. Ah well; here I go again ...

ChrisITF

Marking time once more on 173 lbs, folks !

For completeness' sake, here is the summary of yesterday (Friday) :

Calories : 2129.

Exercise : 50 mins bike ride.

Ah well. Serves me right for lack of discipline on the food front. Still exhibiting Jekyll and Hyde swings of application to the now boring task of weight loss and the end result is inevitably as above. But I am not despondent; far from it. Just irritated at my own split personality when it comes to food ! Exercise seems to be going OK as I hope you will agree.

So, once again, I stagger onwards and hopefully downwards towards the now mirage-like 161 lbs target. It is easy sat here, having just had lunch (a meagre bean soup and a yogurt) saying I will make a more determined effort in the coming week but I know from much experience now that come 5pm with the evening meal (spagbol) not even started that the Ginger Biscuit Sprites will be whispering to me again ! Why the hell did I buy ginger biscuits on Thursday ? No one else eats them here; well, not much. So it's down to me or the bin - and, remember, I was born in Yorkshire. Only saving grace really is that they are low fat ones.

Nope, I am my own worst enemy with food I have decided, so I have to settle now for a very slow weight reduction at best.

OK. So be it. I know that I am much fitter anyway which is the most important factor. My weight and BMI (24.2) are merely imperfect indicators of it. I can run for more than an hour without collapsing which is probably a darned sight more than most people my age, even if I do run riot in the kitchen a while later.

No. On the whole, I am quite pleased with things the way they are.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Thursday) :

Calories : 2135.

Exercise : Nil. Right leg poorly from previous day's efforts. Gave it a rest.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Wednesday) :

Calories : 1828.

Exercise : 75+ mins running. Yup, a long one.

Busy day yesterday. Spent afternoon down local hospital with number 2 son. Quite bizarre : he had to brake suddenly in his car and a bone snapped in his foot !

ChrisITF

First, a summary of yesterday (Tuesday) :

Calories : 2026. Bit cross with myself there.

Exercise : Nil. Miserable wet day and my right leg not working 100%. Sun came out towards the end of the afternoon, by which time I was busy with other things so I never got out.

Mixed week so far; some good, some pretty poor. Nothing worth highlighting though. Plod on, eh ?

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Monday) :

Calories : 1680. Hooray !

Exercise : 55+ mins running. Lovely day for it, being +12C. Right leg giving me gyp again this morning though.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Sunday) :

Calories : 1767. Yup, reasonably good boy yesterday.

Exercise : 30+ mins running. It was warm enough at +15C, so I went out in the rain. Doubt if I shall be doing that much, over the next 6 months or so.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Saturday) :

Calories : 2096.

Exercise : 30 mins running.

Absolutely ravenous yesterday. Dunno why. Temperature dropped a lot overnight, being +2C first thing and only +4C when I went for my run. Wore gloves for first time since before summer. Winter approaching I suppose .. and I don't lose much weight in winter, going by the last one .. and Chubsy catching me up ! Aaaaargh !

Desperate times call for desperate measures. But what ??

ChrisITF

Still on 173 lbs, folks !

Summary of yesterday (Friday) :

Calories : A disappointing 2055. Thought I had done better than that.

Exercise : Nil. Decided I needed a rest. Legs in general go-slow protest due to over-use.

OK. I am not surprised at weight stagnation because of food intake. Exercise on the whole good but its effects have clearly accumulated and yesterday I went on strike !

But as I have said before, more exercise means I need more food. The trick is to make the food intake less (by quite a margin) than that needed for exercise and everything else. But I was not very successful this past week.

Never mind. Soldier on and be disciplined. Simple. Not easy.

Edit : taken my BP a few times recently and it averages out around 127/78 with resting pulse of around 54. Quite pleased with that. I think.

ChrisITF

Brief summary of yesterday (Thursday) :

Calories : 2133.

Exercise : 30+ mins running.

Decided to give my legs a rest today. Nearly went back to bed .. !

ChrisITF

Bit better yesterday (Wednesday). Here comes the summary :

Calories : 1784.

Exercise : 55+ mins running in morning and 50 mins bike ride in afternoon.

Surprise, eh ? Well, I was pleased anyway. Not feeling too bad this morning either. Bit damp outside but seemingly otherwise fine.

ChrisITF

First, a summary of yesterday (Tuesday) :

Calories : 2144. Not good.

Exercise : 50 mins on bike. Just got home as it started to rain.

Dunno what happened yesterday but I had my snout in the icecream tub again. Fortunately there was not much left and now it will not be a problem for today ..

Otherwise I have been generally satisfied with progress compared to recent weeks. Snacking is not so much a problem these days. The secret ? Have no snacks in the house - not ones I like anyway. So a multi-pack of cheese and onion crisps (yuck !) is not of the slightest interest to me. Marmite crisps on the other hand ... so we do not get these anymore.

The real danger is a gnawing hunger after a run around the woods and murdering a sandwich (2 slices !) which can be easily 250 cals and guaranteed to have bust the calorie budget by the end of the day. So I am now tending to time my runs etc. so that they finish closer to meal times. Not always successfully, mind. It depends what else is on the agenda for the day. Oddly enough, a really long run has me totally disinterested in food for quite some time. Thirsty, yes; but not hungry really. Not until some four hours or so later ...

Yes, I am still learning.

Gotta dash.

ChrisITF