Chris is Still Too Fat

Daily Report : Day 6 Week 134

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:52:08 +0100

Sad summary of yesterday (Thursday) :

Calories : 2400. Having just added it up, it shocked me too.

Exercise : 60 mins on bike; the only crumb of comfort I can offer.

Best get out there and do some more exercise right now and leave the ginger biscuits strictly alone.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 5 Week 134

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:15:29 +0100

Summary of yesterday (Wednesday) :

Calories : 1956. At least I am consistently over the top.

Exercise : 60 mins bike ride.

Hampshire Wildlife Trust has introduced a herd of black cattle (8) to part of the woods through which my exercise sorties pass. It is part of a heathland improvement grazing project apparently. I had wondered why the fences were being repaired and cattle grids introduced. And now I know. I came across my new neighbours munching contentedly away on Tuesday, in fact.

Not too sure about great lumbering animals trampling around the nightjars' nests come next summer but I hope they have thought of that one. Anyway, it adds a new dimension of interest to my excursions and it will be interesting to see how they and their designated area of woodland and heathland fare over the coming months.

I do hope their presence will mean that dog owners will be more considerate about control of their unruly mutts. I might thus get a spin-off benefit of fewer carnivorous confrontations with these latter.

Oh, and to add a little spice here, one of the eight beasts is definitely a bull of the species !

ChrisITF

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Mid-Week Report Week 134

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:07:32 +0100

First, a summary of yesterday (Tuesday) :

Calories : 1989. I know; I should not have had a Mars Bar at the evening football match.

Exercise : 60 mins out on bike at last. So that was a bit better.

Still Jekyll and Hyde syndrome rampant with regard to food. It is like I have two resident personalities; honest ! Take last night's Mars Bar, for instance. Number one son went off to get sustenance at half-time, chips or whatever, and I could not bring myself to go without.

Having had the delicious Mars Bar and for a time sharing a small part with a very brazen but cute wild mouse (it was a rather lack-lustre match and the mouse was more interesting) I had to ask myself why on earth I went for a Mars Bar when I could easily have brought some fruit with me, for example.

Conclusions :

1) same brain, two attitudes;

2) mice like chocolate.

Sigh.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 3 Week 134

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:56:46 +0100

Summary of yesterday (Monday) :

Calories : 1933. It might look a lot but it is an improvement on recent days.

Exercise : 40 mins running. Actually I walked some of it. Just felt really lethargic. Then helped Mrs CITF clear the remainder of the back garden jungle and repaired another bit of damaged fence from Saturday's gale. Looking much better. Still not got bike out.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 2 Week 134

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:54:17 +0100

Summary of yesterday (Sunday) :

Calories : Again, dunno. Never kept a count. Slipping.

Exercise : Nothing specific.

Got dragged in to repair fence blown down by Saturday's storm which affected us and two neighbouring families. It soon became a case of too many cooks, etc. So, I left the younger ones to play with the sledge-hammer and I made the tea and biscuits ! Promised myself that I would get out and about on bike Monday.

And now it's raining ...

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 1 Week 134

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:26:15 +0100

Oops .. another day missed and still no venture onto the scales. So let's catch up with a faux report on yesterday (Saturday) :

Calories : Dunno. Lots. Was up in t' North and later in t' West Country and not a morsel prepared by myself or Mrs CITF. Don't you just love motorway service station catering (Hilton Park) ?

Exercise : 30+ mins running.

This latter was the sole concession to a weekend of exhaustion, culinary disaster and motorway driving (472 miles). The result of this is that the world as we know it has probably 0.05 secs less to exist and myself a deservedly 30 days less. But at least the latter I can redress in the days (if any) to come.

So let's make a start.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 6 Week 133

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:56:58 +0100

Summary of yesterday (Thursday, 12 November 2009) :

Calories : 2147 which reflects partially the meal out in London.

Exercise : Nil except a long wander round the South Bank, then North Bank, of the Thames in the gloom of dusk and increasing intensity rain. Limp mostly gone.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 5 Week 133

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:41:25 +0100

Summary of yesterday (Wednesday, 11 November 2009) :

Calories : 1888 ameliorated by ...

Exercise : 30+ mins running.

Why, oh why, will owners not control their dogs, eh ? Gent with a two-year-old toddler, a muzzled whippet-type hound on lead and a loose (contrary Military bye-laws) mongrel in woods. Mutt believes I am there for its amusement and runs across my path on collision course. I dodge out of the way sideways and feel my knee give. Ten bleedin' months in repair that's been. And I now have a calf strain (t' other leg) as well.

Limped round M&S last night with Mrs CITF; limping round London today in a short while.

So thankyou to the owner of 'Butchy'; thanks a bunch.

ChrisITF

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Mid-Week Report : Week 133

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:53:52 +0100

Summary of yesterday (Tuesday) :

Calories : 1914.

Exercise : Nil. Don't have a go at me. Did you see the weather ?

Another uninspiring week of calorific failure and familiar guilt so far, compounded by a low exercise level. It can only get better. Or worse.

And I have just remembered it is our old work-place reunion meal out for a select handful of us in London tomorrow. Venue uncertain; we decide by squabbling on arrival. It will not be healthy, I predict. Or cheap.

But it's only once a year.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 3 Week 133

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:53:45 +0100

Brief summary of yesterday (Monday, 09 November 2009) :

Calories : 1802. Mini Twix bar did not help (98 cals).

Exercise : 30+ mins running.

Been slacking a bit with my reporting. Not touched the scales recently but it won't be good news. Finally cracked with the exercise and went out for a run yesterday; the first for 3 weeks. Felt quite lethargic - hardly surprising - and just plodded round. Bit nippy too at an autumnal +6C so I replaced shorts with track-suit bottoms. Still a bit underdressed though.

Back tomorrow if I remember. Enthusiasm a bit low-ebb.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 6 Week 132

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:47 +0100

Summary of yesterday (Thursday, 05 November, 2009) :

Calories : 2220. Yup, there are bad days and very bad days ..

Exercise : Nil. See what I mean ?

Actually, I got collared to help in the garden again, thereby minimising the opportunity to slope off out on my bike. Based on this one would think that our back garden must surely be rivalling Kew by now. Not so. The Operation Jungle Clearance is still not finished but I admit it does look better now.

Off out today visiting elderly house-bound relative. Not much chance of exercise there, I suspect. Unless we get the wheel-chair out ? Hmm ...

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 5 Week 132

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:32:05 +0100

Brief summary of yesterday (Wednesday, 04 November) :

Calories : 1955.

Exercise : 50 mins on bike.

Odd how exercise seems to help with reduced food intake ?

Got signed off from hospital physiotherapy too. Really on my own now ...

ChrisITF

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Mid-Week Report : Week 132

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:17:58 +0100

First a summary of yesterday (Tuesday 03 November) :

Calories : 2335. Deja vu : Spotted Dick now finished (with custard).

Exercise : Nil. Poured with rain in morning and I was just getting ready to dig the bike out after lunch when I was leaned on by Mrs CITF to help some more in the garden. And of course it gets dark quite early now.

The month so far : probably the worst start to a month for a couple of years. Not sure that my resting my troubled knee is actually working. So I am in a quandary about it. The intentional lack of exercise has to work or I might as well go back to wrecking my knee on an approximately daily basis. I have more or less given up with the well-meant physiotherapy at the hospital. Not actually told them I am back from the USA yet : Sssh !

What I really have to avoid is an unexplained collapse of morale like that which started approximately a year ago resulting in the gain of some 20+ lbs in weight in a dismayingly short time, just when I was in the finishing straight of my project and things were going really well. I have still got that gain, you see. I must not do it again !

Decision : off out on my bike. Now.

Back tomorrow.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 3 Week 132

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:37:56 +0100

Summary of yesterday (Monday) :

Calories : 2300. Awful. However, I was doing OK until Mrs CITF surprised me by suddenly announcing the addition of a Spotted Dick pud with custard for evening meal when we usually have only the one course. (I thought she had been steaming a Christmas pud for later celebratory consumption). So with heavy heart I munched away contentedly in the nagging knowledge I would have to write this in the morning. She does make exceedingly good puds.

Exercise : Nil. Well, you see, I got collared to help in the garden before I could slink away on my bike. So at least I got a measure of Brownie points for that. But progress on weight loss overall yesterday was negative I suspect.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 2 Week 132

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:27:13 +0100

Summary of yesterday (Sunday, 01 November 2009) :

Calories : 2280. Not a good start to the month at all.

Exercise : Absolutely nil.

Right. That's it. I am off out on my bike before my legs drop off; bad knee or not.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 1 Week 132

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:34:35 +0100

Quick summary of yesterday (Saturday) :

Calories : 1900. Feeling I have forgotten something unfortunately ...

Exercise : Nil. Not putting up with this much longer; worse than dieting !

Nearly forgot : weight back to 190 lbs. Boo !

ChrisITF

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End-of-Week Report : Week 131

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:29:47 +0100

Oops ! Forgot to weigh myself this morning and am now up and dressed, so it will have to wait. Otherwise, yesterday's data (Friday, 30 October) was :

Calories : 1889. A yogurt too far I suppose ..

Exercise : Absolutely nil (as per new regime).

So the week started with me thousands of miles away and somewhat out of control with what I consumed and ended the week much the same way, but for different reasons, and actually at home once more ! Clearly, I am not completely back on the rails of austerity yet.

Not exercising is frustrating I am finding and there is an indefinable malaise in my legs which nags that I should be out doing something, anything, rather than sat here tapping away at this, for example ! However, within the next 90 minutes I shall be off to watch a football match and will probably walk the mile or so each way; a gentle concession to exercise withdrawal symptoms therefore.

Just got back to the UK earlier this week, but already a new foreign jaunt has reached the gentleman's agreement (ie nothing in writing) stage. Feeling most unhappy about travelling to the USA as late as the requested 16 December, I negotiated a more acceptable (depending on to whom you talk) 27 December for winging it westwards to the midStates. Disappearing off does not get me any Brownie points you understand. Disappearing off and possibly missing Christmas here would take years to redress. I ain't risking it !

USA/Canada in December : deep snow, cold and dismal; I can see it now.

Meanwhile got to get my knee fixed which I think should even be a priority over weight loss, don't you think ? Not really thought of it like that before.

Anyway, sun is shining, we should win the football and a not-too-heavy lunch is doing its business inside me.

I will try to remember the scales tomorrow but don't expect miracles. I always brace myself for disappointment.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 6 Week 131

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:38:42 +0100

Summary of yesterday (Thursday, 29 October) :

Calories : 1761. Not too bad, eh ?

Exercise : Nil. Not good but in accordance more or less with new tactics on knee recovery.

I persevere.

Scales again tomorrow.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 5 Week 131

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:06:57 +0100

Still catching up but here is yesterday's summary anyway :

Calories : did not keep a count (but not good).

Exercise : Nil.

Having had a week away from the daily exercise routine, my knee has given me less and less grief. This has inevitably led me to wonder if this 'resting' is exactly what it needs ? It won't help weight loss but I am sick of compensating for a weakness there, especially on stairs. So I am thinking of giving it a rest for a while. It means I shall have to be especially vigilant with eating of course.

So be it. A decision made : I shall drop the running for a bit. Perhaps stick with the bike though which is less like an impact activity on joints. Let's see how that works out.

Supermarket run today but I am relegated now to trolley-pushing by Mrs CITF. She just loves going round at peak customer hour whereas, left to me alone, I sneak round at 0730hrs or so when it is like a private personal facility.

ChrisITF

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Mid-Week Report : Week 131

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:35:00 +0100

Back folks !

Sorry that I have been silent for a while. Never gave this blog a single thought whilst 4,000 miles away or so. Also to my surprise I did not eat more than normal despite the obvious culinary temptations of USA/Canada. In fact, to be specific, I am still at 189 lbs according to the bathroom scales this morning. I think that is some kind of record over this past two years or so, ie to come back not heavier than when I left. Helps to miss out meals you see.

Got into one hotel late at night where the menu was definitely haute cuisine - where 'haute' referred to the prices mostly. Added to which the menu was in French; always a bad sign for a Yorkshireman (with a smidgeon of Scots) like me. Room service, quite often simpler fare, on this occasion was exactly the same offerings but with a 'service charge'. Verging on desperation, I opened the mini-bar and spied a can of Coca-Cola. Evening meal sorted ! I guess I was more dehydrated than truly hungry. Perhaps that is often the case ?

At another hotel I tasked Room Service with providing me with just a bowl of goulash soup. I had stayed there before and it was delicious. This time however it came with what looked like chocolate muffins cut up. However, these muffins turned out to be bread of a very unusual colour - chocolate muffin colour, no less. The bill ? £12 ! I was too tired to care.

So, yes, I missed a few meals and the gravitational result was a relief this morning. However, I am now back to all the temptations of a kitchen not 5m away and all the food is already paid for. And Mrs CITF is out in the garden .. !

However, as I know you are all watching I shall behave impeccably .. for as long as possible.

Back tomorrow, hoping to resume the weary road to my target of 161 lbs (or better).

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 2 Week 130

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:44:23 +0200

Summary of yesterday (Sunday) :

Calories : 1953. Oops.

Exercise : 45 mins on bike.

Also washed Mrs CITF's little car and helped somewhat in garden, mostly tidying up after the mess the apple tree has made of the back lawn by squandering hundreds of apples thereon. Pity there is no room in the freeezer for them. So they had to go. Amazingly found there was a queue at the Recycling Centre before 0900hrs on a Sunday. Can actually see the grass again now, but it will be fallen leaves next. Sigh.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 1 Week 130

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:08:37 +0200

Summary of yesterday (Saturday, 17 October 2009) :

Calories : 2374.
Not as bad as I had feared, given my reluctant pizza evening family nosh.

Exercise : 30+ mins running.

ChrisITF

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Persistence Rewarded : End of Week 129

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:57:31 +0200

Well, folks, it's not a lot but I have lost 1lb over the week. Yesterday's data (Friday) for completeness :

Calories : 1644. Yay !

Exercise : 50 mins on bike.

So I now weigh 189lbs, or 13st 7lbs if you prefer, and this yields a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 26.5 which is creeping towards the 'normal' category. Normal category of BMI is reached for my height when I am at or below 178lbs. A fair way to go yet thus and especially annoying that I have been below it recently but I have to forget that and concentrate on the future.

To my surprise I have kept within my calories budget for 4 days in a row (almost unprecedented) but tonight is takeaway night these days and pizza is the family concensus for a communal nosh. I voted against but was outvoted ! I also voted (vociferously !) against a meal out. I have enough trouble with food I can supposedly control without being faced with totally and suspiciously unknown contents. So, pizza it is. But it's only once in a while ...

Thus encouraged by my slight weight success, I am ready for more. However, the recently mentioned trip to the USA has been brought forward and I will now travel to Minneapolis on Wednesday (21st) in the coming week and I shall mostly likely go silent here for a while.

So, on that slightly ominous note - USA I mean - I will try to stick to my own rules for the project while absent. Traditionally difficult, but not impossible, I suppose.

Let's see how I manage once more.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 6 Week 129

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:40:44 +0200

Brief summary of yesterday (Thursday, 15 October) :

Calories : 1684. Yes, three within-budget days in a row. I have definitely earned myself a Mars Bar !

Exercise : 30 mins on bike to/from gym class. Plus gym class (45 mins).

Not too bad, eh ? But will it translate to weight loss over the week ? Revelation tomorrow if I remember.

The fragrant mistresses in Physiotherapy require me to attend gym class for another two weeks at least. Worse, they have given me more 'homework' in the form of extra tedious and fatiguing exercises. They mean well, they really do. Have to humour them to escape, I suppose.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 5 Week 129

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:00:55 +0200

Brief summary of yesterday (Wednesday, 14 October) :

Calories : 1680. Blimey .. two days in a row within budget ! This, despite :

Exercise : 60 mins running. But I can feel the effects of this still today.

Summat happened to my self-discipline these past two days : much improved. Will it continue ? Tune in tomorrow to read the next gripping instalment.

Off to gym class for my wounded knee this morning. I hope to get discharged as I have discovered they do not have a magic wand after all. Perhaps my next foreign jaunt (25 Oct ?) will provide the rest from all exertion that my knee probably really needs. We shall see.

Exciting times, eh ?

ChrisITF

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Mid-Week Report : Week 129

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:49:01 +0200

First a summary of yesterday (Tuesday, 13 October 2009) :

Calories : 1671. At last; within budget !

Exercise : 45 mins on bike. Got collared by Mrs CITF to help her with a rare visit to launderette with duvets. Managed to sneak out on bike while she was otherwise engaged on hands and knees weeding flower borders. But had to fix a puncture first ..

A mixed week so far. Exercise coming on satisfactorily, rare to miss a day, though nothing special. At least I am not injured, other than my festering knee, which is actually improving. Probably get discharged from gym class tomorrow. Depends how I play it really.

Still ricochetting between gluttony and starvation with food, depending on mood it seems. All I have to do is lean slightly towards abstemiousness and stay there ! But that is now easy to say after munching a bowl of sultana bran flakes ... Yes, problems seem different, trivial even, with a full tummy.

Back tomorrow.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 3 Week 129

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:56:33 +0200

Pains me to recall this day in terms of 'progress'. However, :

Calories : 2470.

Exercise : Nil whatsoever.

Had very welcome visit from close family member, so brought out the fatted calf for celebration. Well, I exaggerate .. beef mince actually. Followed by trifle. Get the picture ? So today is a day of austerity and is already looking a bit difficult to see how I can fit in an adventure in the woods on the bike.

Now that Mrs CITF is no longer gainfully employed, my degree of freedom to lounge around and do what I please, eg nothing, is proving to be limited. Feared as much. But I will give it a try while she is not looking, being glued to the TV watching something she recorded yesterday while, like me, otherwise occupied.

Sssh, not a sound ...

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 2 Week 129

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:38:49 +0200

Summary of yesterday (Sunday, 11 October) :

Calories : 2020.

Exercise : 45 mins on bike.

Also went for a walk in woods with Number 2 Son as it was reported there had been an aircraft accident there. Found it to be true. The wrecked aircraft was still in situ and will require rather more than a lick of paint to fly again. No one badly hurt, though some trees have been put back a few years.

See http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=58692 for photos (not mine) if interested.

Best get on. Visitor coming today so am being sent to supermarket for suitable titbits to eat.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 1 Week 129

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:49:35 +0200

Oops ! Missed end-of-week-report yesterday .. again. So let's catch up.

Friday's data :

Calories : 2137. No comment.

Exercise : 45 mins on bike.

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Saturday's data (10 October) :

Calories : 1945 which, alas, includes a Mars bar at football match in coastal Essex.

Exercise : 30+ mins running, yes, despite the away football match.

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Finally got around to weighing myself and it is a disappointing 190 lbs. So no apparent progress over this last two weeks. Yields BMI of 26.6.

My spreadsheet, which now tracks both calories intake and exercise energy use suggests I should be down to 188 lbs by now. Why is it not so then ? I scratched my head and came up with a list of reasons .. excuses if you wish :

1) underestimating calorific content of food consumed (quite possible);

2) missing recording some food items (highly likely, given I do not dash to the PC every time I take a mouthful);

3) increased muscle mass due to increased exercise (possible, attractive even, but extremely difficult to estimate);

4) exercise not as effective at consumption of energy as I think (also possible).

All in all, perhaps I should not be too surprised at the scales' verdict. I know what I need to do; it is simple, but not easy. Just got to persevere.

And so week 129 starts with renewed vigour.

ChrisITF

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Daily Report : Day 6 Week 128

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:08:30 +0200

Summary of yesterday (Thursday, 08 October) :

Calories : 2046. Another disappointment.

Exercise : 30 mins on bike to/from gym class. Plus gym class I suppose.

A so-so day and I really put my back into it at gym class. But why was I the only mug who ended up dripping with sweat in the gym, eh ?

Probably because you were the fattest, Chris.

Oh, I see ...

Weekly supermarket run this morning, solo : like a kid in a sweetie-shop I'll be.

ChrisITF

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