LOSING WEIGHT

[Stanley]

Stepped on the scales this morning and was delighted to see I was almost down to 13 stone. It's a long time since I was in that territory! I think I'll be a bit harder on myself and get below that. It will be a great satisfaction! Is that a New year resolution?

[Cathy]

Good on ya Stanley and Good Luck with the rest. Won't be long now...

[EileenDavid]

Good on you Stanley, I am now dieting to shed some weight. Eileen

[Stanley]

Funny isn't it how nothing happens for a while and then you start losing the weight... Did I tell you that when I got into daylight I found my 'new' trousers were a fetching shade of purple and not dark brown as I thought under artificial light? I have decided they are still good trousers!

[EileenDavid]

I bet you look a real bobby dazzler! Do you remember Tony Blair's purple cord suit I think it was only worn once. I must get a few pounds off my jeans feel a bit tight after Christmas. Eileen

[Stanley]

I had another wardrobe triumph yesterday. I found that my waistcoats fitted me again! I like waistcoats but they don't look right with Tee-shirts. I have a cotton long-sleeved shirt on this morning and me Harris Tweed waistcoat and feel quite dressed up! I think the time has come for me to grow up and relegate tee-shirts to warmer weather in summer!

[Wendyf]

I quite like the look of a waistcoat over a tee shirt....

[Stanley]

Yes Wendy, they don't look too bad but the problem is the top hem of the back of the waitcoat is on your bare neck and while it is supportable, it's much better when it's cushioned by the collar of a proper shirt.



Sorry about the frozen expression and the purple corduroys but here's the new 'Stanley is growing up at last' look. By the way, the waistcoat is a very expensive Harris Tweed, part of the three piece suit from Bunney's at Grassington that I inherited from the man who married my wife. I'm not picky! A good suit is a good suit! God alone knows what it would cost today......

[chinatyke]

Stepped on the scales this morning and was delighted to see I was almost down to 13 stone. It's a long time since I was in that territory! I think I'll be a bit harder on myself and get below that. It will be a great satisfaction! Is that a New year resolution?

Happy New Year Stanley.

I'm also delighted to have lost about 1 stone over the last 6 months just by eating more sensibly. Now I'm determined to lose another 2 stones and be a little lighter than when I came to China and then the 3 suits I brought here will fit me again. It's hard to do when beer and food are cheap and plentiful. That's my New Year Resolution and we'll see in one year if I've kept to it. We'll compare notes in 12 months.

Graham

[Wendyf]

Talk of Harris tweed waistcoats has reminded me of John, my friend and neighbour in Scotland who died last year. About 30 years ago a small group of us joined together to buy an old decrepit caravan to put on the site at Ardnamurchan Point. We spent a few months stripping the van out and refitting it completely to suit our rather spartan tastes. My brother was managing Bessacar Caravans at the time and he let us raid their stock of obsolete parts. The best thing the menfolk came back from the factory with was a bolt of glorious Harris Tweed wool in a bright green & yellow check. We covered all the mattresses with it and there was still enough left over for John to get a waistcoat made from it. He wore it proudly on special occasions for many years, long after the caravan rotted away and had to be replaced with a more modern one. I spotted it last at his son's wedding back in 2007, and another son wore it John's funeral last year.

Here is the waiscoat at the wedding.. which took place in the woods on a wet day!


Sorry...a bit off topic.

[Stanley]

Who cares about the piste! Nice weskit and not surprising that it's still being worn. The old tweeds wear for ever and I have quite a lot of it. Donegal tweed is just as good, I have a lovely sports coat made from it. The kids have decided I look like Bilbo Baggins and here's grand daughter Yiota's take on the pic.... (I didn't know Bilbo had mains electricity...)



General approval all round I think but Martha is still sending me the "Sex and Drugs, Obama and Roll" tee shirt issued to Obama volunteers in the Presidential election.

[Stanley]

I think I may have reached the stage where my stomach has shrunk a bit and so isn't sending strong signals of hunger. I doubt if I'll feel hungry at dinnertime but I shall be sensible and eat a butty. (Thin sliced bread!)

[Stanley]

The campaign goes well, I have lost about 12lbs and apart from the expansion in the wardrobe, my knees are much better. Given better weather I can see me doing the walk up to Letcliffe again. Haven't done it for over a year.

[Nolic]

I've lost 6lb in a week. After loosing almost 10 stone 3 years ago a lot has crept back on. Now I'm with you on your campaign Comrade with the help of weight watchers - mushrooms and tomatoes grilled for breakfast. Tuna salad for lunch and a veggie stir fry for tea. OK at the moment. Nolic

[Stanley]

Good Comrade. Well worth it as you well know. I am lucky, I have got the loss simply by eating a bit less and cutting out all the treats! One thing that has surprised me now I am wearing my shirts again is the high quality of them! I'd forgotten them over the years and it's a delight to wear them again.

By the way, I was asked a while ago if you and I were Communists because of our use of 'Comrade'. For those of you who don't know, many years ago we funded OFAL (Old Farts and Lurchers) and Nolic and I are the only remaining active members. Applications for membership to Jack c/o Stanley......

[Stanley]

The weight loss continues but very slowly. I suppose the aggregate is that I'm loosing a few ounces each week, I haven't bothered to work it out. I am under 13 stone now and still eating sensibly. My fighting weight used to be 12 stones and I suppose that I would like to be down there again but I suspect my metabolism will alter before I get there and the weight loss for the present food intake will slow down and eventually stop. My guess is that I'll be lucky to get down to twelve and a half stones. No problem with that, all my clothes fit now and my knees are 100% better. One thing I'm certain about is that the minmimum effort is well worth while, I am in better shape now than I was 12 months ago!

[Stanley]

Losing weight can be strange. I seemed to be stuck at a shade under 13 stone but all of a sudden I find I am down to 12stone 8lbs, lowest I have been for perhaps over 15 years. Chuffed to bits with this and my knees get even better. I once got down to eleven and a half stone in 1982..... (but my mother said it made me look poorly!)

[Nolic]

Lost 1st 11lbs up tonow. Weighing day is Saturday so I hope there's more off. Nolic

[Stanley]

Best of luck with it, though it isn't luck is it, just sheer self-discipline! (And deprivation!) Never mind, the results are worth it.

[Wendyf]

Excellent Nolic.
I've lost 6lbs in the last few weeks by having 2 low calorie (500) days a week and normal healthy eating the rest of the time. It's very easy, and I actually enjoy the low cal days.

[Chrissyp]

I'm on the 5:2 diet too. Finding it easy, though I can't believe what calories are in somethings especially bread!

[Pluggy]

Same trick, I started with it when I saw the preamble on the Beeb website just before the Horizon programme that started it in August. .The press went daft with it just after Christmas. It works providing you don't overcompensate on the 5 days you eat and cheat on the diet days. I suffered on the diet days and put weight on over Christmas, but I found a regime that works for me and the weight is coming off again. 2 pieces of fruit for breakfast, I then stave off hunger by sucking Trebor mints until supper time and then I have 6 oatmeal (ala Nairns) crackers for supper. I get through about 10 mints in the day (17 in a tube) which is about 100 calories. About 120 in the 2 pieces of fruit and 320 in the oatcakes. You don't want too many mints because they burn your tongue if you eat a lot, but they take your mind off eating. I have about 4 cups of coffee and tea in the day with a bit of semi skimmed milk or lemon (in the case of tea, its probably disgusting in coffee) and no sugar.

[rossylass]

I really want to do the 5/2 diet but it doesn't fit in with my lifestyle. I just try to eat healthily, which is ok when I am on my own, but when I go to Ross's he tempts me with Eccles cakes (340 calories), chocolate & red wine, which I am gutted to find out has been re-evaluated at 250 cals a 250 mil glass. I am trying to resist, but Eccles cakes...oh!

[Chrissyp]

Well I'm managing on B/fast, porridge 180. Lunch, cup a soup 120. Tea, 2 boiled eggs 130. Then cups of tea 10 cals per cup

[Stanley]

Interesting how people approach the basic fact of eating less to lose weight. It struck me the other day that my regime includes a 17 hour fast each day because I eat nothing between 6pm and 11am the following day when I have my dinner. Funny thing is that I never feel hungry during that time. The 'experts' tell us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but if I do breakfast I put weight on. I suppose the bottom line is that we all do whatever suits us best and the only criterion is the weighing machine.
Pluggy, watch out for the peppermint, long term use can do strange things to your stomach, it's a powerful herb!