Monday 3 September 2012

Attempting a lifestyle change

OK, it's like this. I'm heading towards 'can no longer claim I'm in my mid-forties' territory, and my dad died when he was 49. I don't smoke so I'm not that worried - much - but I'm aware that my weight, for example, is not my best friend.

So, having started to get into better habits thanks to the Fitbit I bought a couple of months ago I'm looking into other areas for permanent change. This Horizon programme, which you can watch until someone who owns the copyright takes it off YouTube, certainly offers food for thought:




It's 50 mins or so long but worth a look. I've also received a pair of sports socks which I'll be testing for this blog and have been promised a digital skipping rope on test, too.

I will let you know how I get on. At the moment I'm wearing 38in waist jeans from Wizard with a certain abdominal overhang (that's claret-gut to most). By Christmas I'd like a considerably flatter stomach and to be getting comfortably into 34in.

Why am I doing it this way? Because a couple of weeks ago I had the house to myself a few days. I thought, right, I can do something about this. I can go to the gym because there's no distraction, nobody to remind me that the lawn needs mowing or something, nothing to get in the way.

And work being work, I didn't. I just couldn't find the time. This tells me that my lifestyle needs changing urgently; if you can't look after yourself, Clapperton, you're going to go the same way as your father. My brother was 14 when our dad died; I'm not going to voluntarily leave my daughter at the same point in our life. But I have to work.

So, 15 mins skipping in the garden before a shower involves no travelling time, no real inconvenience, just getting up marginally earlier. And cutting down to 600 calories two days a week involves very little in the way of interfering with work appointments and soforth - I should be able to fit perfectly happily around other people, they won't notice.

With a bit of luck it'll cost me a fortune at the tailor because everything will need taking in.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes - announcing this in public is intended to help encourage others to do something similar where they need to, but also to embarrass me into keeping it up. I can't tell you guys I'm going to lose weight and then not do so. I'll let you know how it goes.

7 comments:

  1. You can always come swimming with me - http://1000kmstowindermere.wordpress.com/

    But that's exactly why I started my swimming blog - to make it public enough that I couldn't get out of it.

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    1. When my family was away I absolutely intended to go swimming but there was always work in the way. I find 'intending' does very little for muscle structure, body fat or blood pressure so I'm starting this instead for the moment. Delighted you've found a better way.

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  2. I've decided to lose weight to try and get off the Type 2 Diabetes Meds. Started last Monday and it's likely to take over two years. :(

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    1. Do watch the programme, the early evidence is that the twice-weekly 600 cal 'fast' sets blood sugar right fairly quickly. But don't take my word for it or that of the programme makers, they freely admit the scientific research is not yet complete. Massive, massive good wishes for getting your sugars right naturally.

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  3. Great post Guy. When you get more into this fitness lark you might want to try running, specifically, running two half marathons a year. One in Oct and one in April. You train for both but you get 2 summer (May/June) and two winter months (Nov/Dec) off. It keeps the weight down, keeps you in shape and is actually pretty good fun. My mate and I do it (I'm 40 in Jan) and it works well. It's the right distance to force you to train but nothing too serious. Once you can do 10K you can easily get up to 1/2 marathon distance. Anyway, thought I'd share as it's definitely something that's worked for a similarly desk-bound excercise proscrastinator like myself!

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    1. Thanks Paul - if it's all the same to you, I'll start off with the 10 mins skipping plus dog walking every day for the moment. But thanks for the support.

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  4. Day 1, not far from 5pm, I have eaten an apple and drunk two black coffees and a glass of water. Later: low-ish calory curry, 550 cals, should keep me within the 600 cal limit.

    Peckish...

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