The 8 month weigh in

a graphic example in insidious weight gain - just returned from a holiday where I never drank more than 2pints/ day, or gorged on french bread, cheese or pastries (for a change!); even swam practically every day (for at least an hour) ... and have yet still put on almost 7lb (3kg/ just under half a stone), to a touch under 76kg. 10 weeks to lose, less than 3 to put back on! By previous calculations, this equates to 24,000 surplus calories consumed (3,600 surplus calories = 1lb in fat gained). or roughly 1,350 surplus calories a day, over the 'weight maintainenance' allowance of about 2,000.

1,350 calories roughly approximates a demi-baguette with cheese, croissant, beach lunch packet of crisps and 1 and a half to two pints of lager over the normal 3 meals a day.

Blimey, doesn't take much. Disappointed that all the swimming didn't counteract it but perhaps a lot of it is water retention from the two days sitting in a car eating picnic food whilst solid driving back from spanish border.  Should become clear over next week.

Post holiday thoughts and pix to follow when a little more time. Health goal this month? To get back to 72-73kg then to try and introduce toning and stretching regime for the last 4 months of the year, and beyond.

Allez tout-le-monde. Bonne Journee x

The 7 month weigh in

Inconceivably, have dropped to 72KG (158.7lb/ 11 and a third stones). Stopped exercising 3 weeks ago (time constraints not laziness) and have not been counting calories .. again, time constraints. but in back of mind, tracking whether old habits creep back in or have been superseded (in a way that sticks) by healthier, newer habits.

A sports nutritionist/ soon to be qualified physio colleague reckons that aggressive weight loss must be followed by 6 months of maintenance of that target weight achieved if the bodies cellular system is to adapt in a lasting way to the new form/ regime. Otherwise they are hungry for reabsorption, if old dietary habits return when new rules fall by the wayside.

well so far so good.Target weight maintained, with a little bonus to boot. 4lbs off optimum long term weight, but I am not 'going for it' at present. Will be more than happy if current weight and habits are maintained for another 5 months.

Now if I could just apply myself with same vigour to phase 2 of my 2011 Health Odyssey - stretching and toning ...

Dudley Moore ...

I know I married an Amazonian woman, but this is ridiculous!

So this is the substitute weekend for the Tom Jones picnic gig that never was. M decided to leave ticket booking till very last minute, not trusting the weather for this outdoor gig (and who can blame her after 2 months of solid rain in June/ July 2011). Weather on the day? Scorchio! Oh well.

The three of us (incl little sis Anna) went to see the Fela Kuti stage biopic, Fela! (look for 'Musical off Broadway' in this link, for the show itself) at the famous dance theatre, Sadlers Wells, in Islington, London. It was pretty good, although more musical virtuosity on display, rather than dancing prowess. Still, some story and Nigeria ... blimey, not a place I'll be putting on my list of places to see before I die ...

M and A @ Tower Bridge - A close 2nd to an open air summer gig in a stately home ...!

Nice day out. Step up Thomas, Mum and Dad. long overdue a meet up x