Wot No Exercise?

Not unless walking 200m to the shop for cigarettes counts…

The only exercise I do at the moment is a 10 mile walk every month or so with a friend.  Whilst it’s enjoyable, and I feel good after doing it (albeit knackered), it isn’t enough to have a significant impact on my health.

So what will I be doing?  Starting tomorrow I plan to do:

- Sit ups twice a day
- Press ups twice a day
- 15 minutes of step exercise twice a day

All of these will be starting small, working up as I can manage more.  In addition, I will try and do three 5 mile walks a week.  Once my basic fitness has improved, then I’ll look at joining the local gym.

Food Diary - 17th May

Still not enough calories, just can’t seem to get in the habit of eating breakfast.

Breakfast:
Nothing

Lunch:
Alpen - 176
Milk - 50

Dinner:
Breaded Cod Fillet - 265
Garden Peas - 48
Instant Mash - 208
Tartare Sauce - 70

Total Calories: 817

Food Diary - 16th May

The more observant among you will notice that this is exactly the same as I had yesterday.  One of the disadvantages of buying food for one is that it’s difficult to only buy enough for one meal of something.  Still, it doesn’t bother me and means I only have to plan half the number of meals.

Breakfast:
Nothing

Lunch:
Alpen - 176
Milk - 50

Dinner:
Stir fry sweet & sour chicken:
Brown rice - 150
Stir fry - 105
S&S Sauce - 154
Chicken - 200

Total Calories: 835

It’s pretty obvious from this I’m not eating enough.  I don’t want to starve myself, just lose weight gradually.  Cereal, soup and fish should bump this up tomorrow.

Eating Habits

If you were to sit down and think up the most unhealthy diet you could, there’s a fair chance you’d be pretty close to what I used to eat.

Breakfast would consist of whatever cakes or biscuits were left over from the night before or, more usually, nothing at all.  For lunch I would pop to the bakers 3 doors down from my house for a Cornish pasty, bag of crisps and a Belgium bun, then a chocolate bar in the afternoon.  Dinner would usually be a ready-meal, pizza or sandwich, followed by a chocolate bar or bag of sweets; at weekends the ready-meal would be replaced by a takeaway.

Hard to believe I’m overweight, eh?

About the only thing my diet had going for it is that I only drink water - no soft drinks or alcohol at all - for reasons I’ll go in to another time.

I’m not going to go on a ‘diet’ as such, just sensible portions of sensible food; this is supposed to be a whole lifestyle change, not just a quick ‘lose weight then put it all back on again.’

Food Diary - 15th May

Broken the first rule of eating properly already: always have breakfast.  Bowl of Alpen was for lunch then a big plate of Sweet & Sour chicken for dinner.  If I’m honest there was probably enough to feed the whole street.

Breakfast:
Nothing

Lunch:
Alpen - 176
Milk - 50

Dinner:
Stir fry sweet & sour chicken:
Brown rice - 150
Stir fry - 105
S&S Sauce - 154
Chicken - 200

Total Calories: 835