Holiday’s Over

I didn’t post anything about the week before Christmas, but suffice to say I soldiered on walking the 6 mile route along the old Deeside railway three of the days, but needed my car in the office the other two. I was meant to be going out for lunch one day, but that was cancelled – that’s a positive, but was out with some colleagues for pre-Christmas drinks and eats on the Wednesday evening – but I did drag my weight down to 15st 1lb, when I weighed myself on the Sunday before Christmas.

Christmas week – I sort of kept track of the points, but ignored the alcohol and stuff I wouldn’t want any snooper to know I had consumed. We did get in some decent walks. On Christmas Eve we did a couple of miles round Richmond Park in the afternoon and visited Kew Gardens in the evening and walked around their Christmas Light display. we had seen the same in Edinburgh last year, and it was fantastic – but Kew, with the significantly greater resources, put on something amazing – recommended for anybody in either Edinburgh or West London next December. On Christmas day we took a walk from my daughters up and around Wimbledon Park. And was blown away by some of the mansions that have been built overlooking the park, not sure you would get much change out of £4-£5m for one of them, perhaps more! Back around from these gaffs, past The All England Tennis club and back to my daughters – 4 miles on Christmas day – not too bad. On Boxing Day we walked to the Tube and took that down to Putney Bridge and walked along the river bank westwards. Got to Craven Cottage and Fulham were playing at home. Noted that Full Time was in ten mins, and thought we had best head back to the tube and beat the rush – got 3 or 4 miles in though.

On the Thursday we headed back up to our place in Yorkshire. My wife and I didn’t get any walks in during the period we were there together (other than round the shops), but I forced myself out on a few days and did a 6 mile circuit, that was to ease my conscience a wee bit, as the mince pies, sausage rolls, beer and wine were flowing as if nobody had any concept of weight loss!!

So we headed back to Aberdeen at the weekend, and managed to get time to visit Mother India’s Café in Infirmary Street in Edinburgh – finest Indian food in town – served tapas style – so you have lots of smaller dishes. In for a penny in for a pound I thought, no abstinence here was going to redeem my waist explosion.

So we come to Monday morning. My first weigh in for over two weeks. The walk of shame. I am well pleased to report 14st 5.5lbs, I had only gained 4lbs after all that gluttony, felt a bit chuffed, and I could have had a naan at Mother India’s after all!

Focus now has to be on shedding the remaining 19.5 lbs to get me down to my target weight – maybe manage that in 9 weeks? If I achieve that I will take a view on the NHS’s suggestion that I will still need to lose another 2 stone after that. Maybe a compromise – I will definitely be carrying on the walk to work and I set myself the goal of reaching the Target by Easter, that’s 15 weeks away, so perhaps keep going until then and take a view on what happens next after that.

I have to say the walking isn’t at all bad (although we have yet to get any snow) and I am not really going too hungry except for about 18:30, (and then there is the desire for nibbles when watching telly), so it isn’t a life style that I want to give up entirely – so time will tell……………………sunny afternoons, chilled Chablis, smoky BBQ………….hmmmmmmm.