I am well chuffed with how this is shaping up. It seems that the previous bunching-up problem was easily resolved by simply reading and following the pattern correctly. Duh.
Now let's move on to the yawntastic topic of - dieting. YAAAAWWWwwwn.
Last weekend, once more, I reached tipping point and trundled off to a Rosemary Conley class to stave off the extra half a stone which has become my unwanted friend. Really, I shouldn't be surprised that a noticeable and defiant decrease in exercise and a steady increase in wine and cakes should be a-showing on the old tum, but it leaves me heavy-hearted to part with over twenty quid a month and count calories in a little black book for weeks on end.
It works, course it does - less intake and exercise upping is bound to do the job, but it's dull, and an anal topic of conversation because that's all you want to talk about to any poor sod who lends an ear. But at the end of it, my jeans will hang a little, and not need undoing sat in a restaurant like they did last weekend before I could shovel in the next course. Ahem.....
Yesterday I was reading in the sunday papes about the 5:2 diet - you know, the one that's the latest thing in diets, and wondering if I could give it a whirl. I have nothing to lose - I'm already bloody calorie counting anyway, in for a penny and all that. I was previously put off because it contains the word 'fasting' for two days, and images of hippy-fied well-intentioned students all living off of a cup of water for 48 hours sprung to mind and scared the living bejaysus out of me.
At present, I am working off of a 1500 calorie day diet, supposedly everything being under 5% fat with a few exceptions. It's certainly do-able, and a piece of piss without having to take wine into consideration, but the idea of two days of 500 calories (gulp) and then five days of 2000 calories makes me feel insanely cheerful.
According to research, fasting is a good thing with many benefits to the body, which I will not bore you with here, but appeal to me big-time. You could read more absolutely fascinating facts here.
Sue blogged about it here, too.
So today is my first fast day. It is 1pm and so far today, I have consumed 2 cups of coffee with milk , and 3 apricots. Whoop-di-doo-dah. And at the moment, I feel pleasantly hungry. It is much, much easier to do this knowing I only have to make it til the end of the day. Porridge and latte for brekkie tomorrow. I have just been to Sainsburys and purchased 6 tubs of their soup, just for fast day purposes. I have done a bit of recipe searching and I know I can rustle up a cauldron of soup for about 3 calories, so that's a-brewing I can tell ye. And I have bullied Mark into giving this a go too. Feel a bit worried that 600 calories with a fairly physical job may not be sufficient, but he is pretty gung ho, so we shall see.
Will report back.
Provided I haven't eaten the keyboard by then.
Your hooky blanket is gorgeous - really must have a go at some white-edged blocks - they look fantastic. As to the dieting, mmm it's a very sad fact of life that the older one gets the less one can eat without it ending up where one doesn't want it. I think as one gets older it would be much better if one could eat extra as compensation for the other disadvantages of getting older! And the excercise thing mmm again! I thought when I moved from London to the country I would always be walking but in fact I walked more in London than I do here and have been turning into a real couch potato. Have taken up walking first thing in the morning every day as a way of ensuring I get moving properly at least once a day and it's brought real results that surprised me. I get much less out of breath and can keep up with H's very long legs without huffing and puffing like a walrus! Hoping this will keep my sweet tooth and my jeans in equilibrium, for a while anyway! Good luck with the fasting thing - as you say it makes all the difference if you only have to manage one day like that at a time. E x
ReplyDeleteFunny how you would walk more in a city, you would imagine the opposite. Probably a lot to do with the horrors of driving in London and the distances one would have to cover on foot in the country to get anywhere!
DeleteKeep up the early morning efforts - get a dog, that's my advice to you!
the blanket is looking gorgeous, a real wow factor. As for the 5:2 my friend is on that and has done very well, though I think it is easy for her as her hubby does all the cooking. I wouldn't be able to cook and fast at the same time!!! I'll stick to walking and smaller portions. good luck though look forward to hearing how it goes. x
ReplyDeleteThanks Karen. Most people seem to have heard of this diet, clearly it's very trendy. Not unlike my good self. Haaa haaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
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