Bodywise pound foolish

Hello it's little ol' me again, my regular (18 monthly) fighting of flab and flouncing about at the gym clarion call. Actually, reading back on old entries, it's strangely reassuring to learn that I was even worse than I am now. The weight had already crept up to 11 stone 2 years ago (I had a memory of being much thinner/lighter for longer and that my girth was a recent phenomenon). My historic self was barely able to commit to the gym or running without making a big kettlebell and zumba about it. Whereas I feel like now my regimen is much more ingrained; a habit has formed. If you will. (And I will if you will.)

So what's been happening? Well still off the fags - it's been nearly 3 years which is a major achievement. Don't miss it but I am at the point where it sneaks into my subconscious and I find myself thinking "What if I had just a teeny little one?"  I am also going to the gym like a good citizen - after Easy, Better am now messianic about Pure Gym and I am an ogress without my lunchtime spin.

Still running  - well entering races and cramming a few riverside trots in the week before.  Did a Greenwich Park 10k 2 weekend's ago and it was about 1hour 09 which was actually an improvement on the one I did the previous November.  However the small turnout (around 280) and my large finishing number (around 260) made me seek solace in 'just being one of the best for your category'  that well known beat-combo Ladyvets50. So I had a look, and the highest finisher of the LVD (Roman Numerals) turned out to be a Pro-Athlete, finishing in 00.50 mins. So now seeing if the LV60's will have me. I hear they're a nice bunch. 

To add to my plethora of spinnings and runnings I had my first yoga class at Triyoga in Kingly Court yesterday. V beginner-y. The worst bit was sitting cross-legged, as always. And resisting the urge to go to Senor Ceviche's afterwards for a bucket of chips.

Foodwise, and after chucking money at Weightwatchers (and at £12.95 pcm it's not cheap) for several years increasingly Watching my Weight not go anywhere, I cancelled, citing financial reasons though really it is the crap search facilities and clunky app that put me off. I kind of liked the blurring of points rather than using calories but I think it didn't like me as I couldn't sustain on 23 points a day without eating my own arm off.  I also never understood properly how the points got transferred from weekly and how fitness points translated into daily.  Moreover judging by the connect pages, it's obviously aimed at obese people, some of whom I would suggest are using pictures of someone else's/their daughter such are the before/after transformations.

I am now back on My Fitness Pal, superior searches and still brilliant and free. I especially like the summary at the end of each day when you complete your food diary - 'if you ate like this every day you would be quite heavy'. Quick, don't eat any more, complete diary, go to bed.

I am aiming for half a kg a week loss so it's pegged me at 1750 calories which should be quite comfortable but I'm still going over due to wine/bars of whole nut and family sized portions (for a family of 4) of mac n cheese. Trying to overcompensate by logging it as exercise every time I walk across the room which gives you extra calories so I think I'm skating on thin ice. I am trying to take it easy on myself though and I know that cutting my calorie limit dramatically just brings out the hangry rebel in me and I will binge. I've also discovered a stockist of frozen edamame and the joy of a toasted seed so trying to live without bread.

Doing other things ie:

• Long walks (10 miles last weekend, 3 of them accidentally due to 'wrong bus at Kidbrooke incident' at the end of our inaugural Capital Ring Walk - Woolwich to Falconwood.) Dinner when I got back was a family sized bar o' Whole Nut, preceded by 2 pints of Guinness. Feet bealing, shoes in ma hand. Also walking to the tube quite a lot (2 miles). Punctuality is a thing of the past.

• Wii - J bought one after Santa Claus brought one for our little niece. Initially scathing, now I love it! And have been known switch off Saturday Kitchen in favour of a bit of virtual tightrope walking, arm flapping or boxing. It doesn't seem to burn many Kcals though but it's a bit of a warm up for an actual run, and time spent off the sofa, not eating crisps. It logs you're progress, BMI, weight loss and balance. Went from a Balance Age of 68 to 43 in a week. Lost 2 lbs, put 1 back on. 2 steps forward, 1 step back. Oops, careful of the cat. Do you feel Nunchuk?

Bodywise I feel reasonably trim but my weight is around 11 st 4. Facewise I'm just avoiding looking in the mirror but photos taken are and I quote myself  'purdy depurssin'  I've been known to blame changes to the earth's gravitational force.  But in truth I reckon my metabolism has really shifted since I got older and I'm a 1800 calories per day kinda gal but stuck in a mindset that still thinks it can eat 2300 and be thin as a rake, so long as I canter the half hour to the tube thrice a week. As long as no-one offers me a seat when I get there. Is it because I'm fat or old though? "No thank you. I'm just au natrel these days and if you look more closely you'll see the badge says Baby I'm Bored..."

I like this bloggin lark. Takes my mind off eating. And Brexit.