Tuesday 8 October 2013

New figures, old figure.

Sorry for the break. I bet you've hardly got any fingernails left.

Been away with work - Vegas for 11 or 12 days. Shitty food, and lots of it. My brother was there at the same time, too, so there was some alcohol involved.

However, before I left I signed up for Sober in October, a scheme supporting UK charity Macmillan, which helps families coping with cancer, usually in the form of nurses visiting and helping with domestic care. Or should that be domiciliary care? They help people at home and stuff. They're very nice and helped an old schoolfriend of mine's family out in a  big way when she was saying goodbye earlier this year. So they get my vote.

Anyway, this is actually my tenth day sober - I landed back in the UK on October first, and I rarely drink the night before I fly as I don't want to fill the plane with farts. And I don't drink while in the air, as it dehydrates enough as it is. So landed with two nights already dry.

And so far, so good.

Anyway, the figures are largely unchanged. Slight rise in muscle mass, probably because I have been using the gym a little in the last ten or 11 days.

p1: Normal person
Weight: 16.06 stone (224lbs) (+0.06lbs)
32.9% body fat (-0.4%)
38.6% water (-0.4%)
37.8 % muscle (+1.1%)
5.2lbs bone. (+.2lbs)

Profile 2: athlete
16.06 stone
27.9% fat (-0.3%)
43.7 water (-0.5)
41.4 muscle (+1.9%)
6lbs bone (+0.4lbs)






The bad news, however, is that we're not doing the marathon that was part of this crazy idea in the first place. Lily sprained her ankle weeks ago, ignored advice, went out dancing etc, and it's still not right over a month later.

Kids, eh?

Monday 2 September 2013

Pizza consumption and the modern man

Turns out eating lots of pizza can add lard to the body. Who knew?

So, weighed on Saturday this week. Mostly because I'm a dipshit and forgot on Friday; interestingly (or not, depending on your view) I weighed after a 6+mile run, so probably lost some weight in fluid.

Right, here we go. Bear in mind, this was a reasonable week of running though nothing spectacular - probably about 15 miles overall, certainly no more - and that volume of pizza.

Profile 1 - normal gadgy:
 Weight: 16 stone (224lbs) (+0.6lbs)
33.2% body fat (+0.4%)
39% water (-0.1%)
36.7 % muscle (-0.7%)
5lbs bone. (same)

 Profile 2: athlete
16 stone
28.2% fat (+0.7%)
44.2 water (-0.4)
39.5 muscle (-0.9)
5.6lbs bone (-0.2lbs) 


I blame the pizza. But it could have been a lot worse... STILL no swimming though. That will be next week now...

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Last Friday

Well, the weekly weigh in drama continues unabated. But due to my strange life, I didn't sit at the computer until today, so here we are.

Life is fucking strange, isn't it?

My knee is sore again, so have hardly run in the past week. I have also eaten a lot of pizza, which has been that delightful combination of unhealthy and tasty. But that shouldn't affect these figures particularly. This Friday though, whole different story.

The knee thing will affect the experiment, as I don't think I will be able to do the training cycle fully, and I doubt I will be doing the crazy marathon I had in mind. You never know, but I doubt it. However I have really been enjoying the running (though I haven't been out in six days now, which is depressing me a bit) so will endeavor to keep up the extra miles.

Still haven't added swimming though.

Anyway, I digress. Kinda.

Profile 1 (normal person weigh-in)
15stone 13.4lbs (223lbs, US Fat Fans) (-2.4lbs I think, 5.4 overall)
32.8% fat (-0.5%)
39.1 water (+0.8)
37.4 muscle (0.3% drop!)
5.0 bone (0.2lbs drop)


Profile 2 (athlete, ha!)
15 stone 12lbs (222lbs, USFF) (fuck knows why - scales were not moved between weighings)
27.5% fat (-0.8%)
44.6 water (+1.1)
40.4 muscle (-0.3)
5.8lbs bone (same)

Somehow, I have lost in the region of 5lbs in a couple of weeks, while drinking heavily and snorting pizza. I think I have found the perfect diet...

Friday 16 August 2013

Round 2

And so the experiment continues.

I didn't manage an entirely sober week - in fact, I had just the one night without alcohol, but another night with just a very small amount. I had intended to do four runs since last Friday's weigh-in and only managed three, due to circumstances beyond my control. And you don't mess about with marathon training and try to catch the miles up another day - the run is gone, look to the next one. Don't encourage injury.

So I ran Sunday, and did about 80 minutes of ridiculous, huge hills, some of which were un-runnable, so we walked up as fast as we could manage. For the race we're training for, it's about time on feet; the 28 miles could take up for 7 hours, even if we're fit. It's a hard race, so I'm training Lily to pick her battles. No point fighting your way up a huge hill on mile four if you have 24 more miles of it afterward. Run smart.

Anyway, that was Sunday. Monday, I missed the group run for good reasons. Wednesday took a beginner up another huge hill, up some switchbacks which included some short walk breaks. Only perhaps a 30 minute run, but a good hard test.

Thursday, we ran one of the biggest hills in the area. Yes, there were walk breaks, but it's another hard one. No shame there. Also, walked the dog for 2-3 hours every day, including a huge one this morning.

So there has been exercise. No more than usual, really, but it's there. And slightly less alcohol, in fact over 1500-2000 calories less, I would say.

I'm stalling.

So, to the unveiling. Drum roll please, Z.

Profile 1 - non-athlete.
Weight 16st 1.8 lbs (-3lbs) (226lbs, US Fat Fans)
33.3% Fat (the same)
38.3 water (.5 improvement. .5 of what, though?)
37.7% muscle (1% drop)
5.2lbs bone (same)

Profile 2 - athlete
Weight: 16st 1.8 lbs
Fat: 28.3% (-.5%)
Water: 43.5 (-1)
Muscle: 40.7 (-1.4%)
Bone: 5.8lbs (-.4lb)

Hmmmm. I guess this was my control week then.

Wednesday 14 August 2013

I'm back

I took the dog round the village, I think he was just bored as he didn't seem desperate to cock his leg, though he did so, of course, during the walk.

Right, back to what I've eaten so far today.  I've used the Google calorie calculator, which I remember finding quite useful before.  iGoogle is vanishing in November, but that doesn't matter, it'll do for now.

Today, I've had muesli for breakfast, about an oz, 30 grammes, which is 2/3 of their suggested portion. But I'm only 2/3 of the average size of person.  I hate milky cereals, so only have a splash, enough to make it undry.  According to the calculator, it came to 141 calories.  For lunch, I had whole lots of cheese, Stilton, the local unpasteurised brie-style and Cheshire.  I guessed 1 oz of each.  I had two Ryvita and about a quarter of a Matzo cracker because I still had cheese left, some cherry tomatoes and some cucumber.  This was 412 calories.  Later, I had a couple of almonds, but the quantity doesn't go down far enough - however 1/16th of a cup is 33 calories, so that will do.  I also had some light beer, which seems to be 102 calories.  That makes 688 calories altogether and apparently I'm allowed 1639.  But it's not 4 o'clock yet, I have cake in the tin and dinner to come, so I think I'll use them.  However if, on average, I'm a hundred or two short of what I use, I suppose it has a gradual effect.

Waisting away

Well, I measured myself again for the first time since February, and I'm 34-26-36.  An inch off the waist.  And I weighed myself and I'm 8 stone 7, which is a pound less than the last time I looked, some time ago.

I'm not restricting what I eat at all, though being moderate in quantity.  Size 10 is on the big side, but I haven't tried an 8 yet, largely because I haven't been shopping for clothes recently.  I don't know why it is I'm still dropping weight, very gradually indeed (no health issues), but it has to be the overall quantity of food I think.

I may keep a food diary for a while, just to see what I seem to be doing right.  I can't remember what I did before, whether I used an app or what, but I'll have a look for one.

Today, usual present breakfast of - hang on, dog needs to go out.  I'll be back.

Friday 9 August 2013

It makes for disturbing reading.

Well, the scales arrived. I'm not totally sure about their accuracy, but I say that because I live in an incredibly old building and there are simply no flat surfaces. Tomorrow I will try them on the ground floor and see if there is any difference.

So, the scales purport to assess weight, body fat, total water/hydration, muscle mass, and bone density/volume or something.

I set them up as per the instructions; interestingly, there are two types of body profile you can choose: normal person, male or female, or athlete, male or female. An athlete is defined as someone doing 11 or more hours of intense physical activity a week. I'm probably only doing about five at the moment, unless you count dog walking, which it probably doesn't. We do walk quite fast though, and there are lots of hills...

I think I am somewhere between the two, so I set up a profile for each type, and the measurements are quite different.

Shit, too.

Anyway, I digress. This was always intended as a balls-out post, let it all hang out and hide nothing. So here we go.

First setting, as normal person:
Weight: 16st 4.8lbs (229, US Fat Fans)
Body fat: 33.3% (as perfect a third as you'll find. Who knew? This, of course, makes me obese)
TBW (water): 37.8 (this is actually 10 points below where it should be apparently, but as I have spent the first half of 2013 drunk, I think this is understandable)
Muscle: 38.7% (yay! This one is ok!)
Bone: 5.2lbs (this sounds incredibly low to me - and according to their ranges, it is, as for my weight it should be more like 7.5lbs)

Then again, as an athlete:
Weight: Same
Fat: 28.8% (4.5% better!)
Water: 42.5 (a lot better but still low)
Muscle: 42.1 (six percent below what is 'unacceptable')
Bone: 6.2lb (much better - still low though)

In a nutshell, I am fucking fat, and fucking muscular. Now to work on that fat part; gym sign up is at the weekend, probably Sunday, and Saturday I have a run planned for 60-80 minutes, I'll see how I go. Then next week, we swim, and run.

I have also just been shopping, largely with breakfast in mind. I bought a few tins of fish, and some smoked mackerel, plus some carrots, oranges, and eggs. I've found that on days when I get my breakfast right, everything else falls into place. My ideal breakfast is quite protein heavy, with a mackerel fillet or two, a couple of hard boiled eggs, and an orange. That really keeps me full and it's all stuff I like eating, and takes no preparation, as long as the eggs are cooked in advance. Having carrots around makes snacking easy too; I have bought some dark chocolate from Aldi, but it's the stuff where it's in five smaller bars, and they're very slim and small. Works for me.

So, that's the plan. Your thoughts?

Monday 5 August 2013

No change

There's still no particular change - that is, I'm not weighing myself and my clothes are still roomy.  However, I realise I'm becoming a bit casual and it would be easy to get into the habit of 'just one won't matter' whether it's chocolate biscuits or whatever, and sooner or later it will matter.  So I'm making every effort not to get into bad habits and am mostly successful.

As for exercise, I'm afraid I've got way out of cycling.  There always seems to be an excuse - and I never did start to enjoy it, even when I resolutely cycled most days.  I've been walking a lot recently though - we've been looking after friends' dog for ten days and it's meant a lot of extra exercise, some of it even for me.

Badgerdaddy and I haven't seen each other for a while, living at opposite sides of the country nowadays, but are planning to put that right before long.  Woo and hoo!

An experiment...

I just ordered some fancy-schmancy bathroom scales that measure bone density, weight, fat content and hydration - allegedly. They will be here end of the week-ish.

I'm about to sign up for a very, very tough off-road marathon - so I plan to map physical changes here, according to what the scales say. Could be fun, could be heartbreakingly awful. Soon find out.

I'll be doing 4-5 runs a week with perhaps four swimming sessions and occasional gym workouts (which will be mostly core focused, or occasionally hamstring), all being well, for the next 15 weeks.

Like I said, it could be fun.

Wednesday 3 July 2013

You'll never guess what!

I put all the weight back on. Every pound.

It's mostly through drinking, self-medicating since my separation. I also had a strange injury, which meant I cut back on the amount of walking I was doing and right back on the running. It's amazing how quickly you can add weight when you consume over 1,000 extra calories most days, and don't walk three hours in the woods with the dog, then go for a 70-minute run in the evening. It can really build up...

Injury seems to be sorted, running is going well so far this week, and life is settling down a little bit too. So it's all coming off, with lifestyle changes to keep it off this time.

Dagnabbit.

Friday 14 June 2013

Z wakes up

It's been a while, sorry if you've been dropping in hopefully.

I did go and buy those new bras, finding that I had dropped a size - 32 instead of 34, that is.

The reason I don't write here often is that there doesn't seem anything to update on a diet blog when one isn't actually dieting. I seem to have settled at my present size for now, though I'm only too aware how easy it is to let a pound or two creep on without taking much notice. I've been working rather harder than I'd wish of late, and the occasional chocolate biscuit has been eaten. Still, no weight gain; or at least, I'm no bigger.

In fact, lying in bed a few minutes ago (that is, I'm still lying in bed), I ran my hand down my side to rub a tickle and realised I could feel all my ribs. I knew that, but I'd forgotten. I'm not used to being the size I want to be. It's nice.



Sent from Z's iPhone

Friday 15 February 2013

pick-me-up

I measured myself today.  34/27/36.  Yes, I know, I was in better proportion before.  How does one whittle down a middle-aged waist?  And I've been putting it off, I must get measured for new bras - they still seem to fit, on the tightest hooks rather than the loosest, but I must be a lot smaller now.

I don't think one should underestimate the importance of nice underwear.  It doesn't matter if no one but yourself sees or notices it (the Sage is not an underwear man), it makes one feel good - and a well-fitting bra does more to make your clothes hang well than anything else.  A while ago, I read someone's blog where she was grumbling about the cost of bras, but she refused to pay more than a fiver and, from what she said, she was quite a big woman - you only have to look at their construction, there's a lot of work in it and, if looked after, one lasts a pretty long time.  I usually buy two or three a year, but that doesn't mean I throw the old ones out because they're normally still perfect for another year.

I've had a chest infection and still can't eat much and I haven't been drinking for nearly a fortnight.  That is, I had half a pint of cider when we went out last night, but I couldn't finish it and only had it to be polite.  We're expecting guests this evening and I'll serve champagne when they arrive.  Champagne puts a spring in everyone's step, doesn't it?

Wednesday 2 January 2013

Another year begins

I rarely write here, I'm afraid because, when I do say anything about weight loss, what I eat and so on, it tends to go on my other blog.  I didn't want that to turn into any sort of themed blog, but it felt quite all right as part of general writing about my life.

However, new year and all that, it's time for an update here.  Which is that I've succeeded in losing the two stone I set out to lose, all of five years ago, though I've fluctuated a bit on the way.  A stone and a half went in a year and the rest went very slowly.  I lost and gained a few pounds, but overall I kept inching down.  Actually, this time last year I bought a size 12 skirt again - it was a straight, fitting style and it went against the grain to go back up a size, but I liked it and it was in the sale ... anyway, it wasn't too good a buy because it's now too big.

And how much too big can be demonstrated by this photo, of the skirt I'm wearing today.
As you see, a size 10 is roomy.  In fact, when buying this, I rejected a couple of others because they were too large.  Of course, makes vary and so do styles, but I can't be less than satisfied with progress.

On the other hand, I still weigh a good half stone more than the weight I used to be comfortable at: 8 stone 4 pounds.  I ate a lot over Christmas and haven't gained anything, but I need to cut down now or I soon will.  I don't think my previous weight is necessarily anything to aim at now - what was good 20 years ago might not give me the resilience to illness I have now - I seem to have a pretty good immune system.  Also, losing weight makes wrinkles show more.  Also, I dread osteoporosis and want to make sure I have a good diet with plenty of calcium, and that means cheese.  I don't take milk in drinks, though I use it in cooking, and I love cheese.  Life isn't worth living without it, frankly.

I will write another post or two here because I do seem to be finding a lifestyle that suits me, that I can maintain (with some care) a healthy weight and still eat what I want, pretty well.  Though it'll take a few years before I know if it's sustainable.  However, that I've managed to do what I set out to and have done it steadily, that I've lost the last few pounds that stuck there stubbornly for so long and that I've lost those that I put on in the interim has to be counted a success.  Not quite xylophone ribs, but at least they are visible.