Golf - not too bad - 84 off yellows

Golf was a little better. Haven't driven as straight as today for a long while, think I only missed one fairway. Sank some putts including a birdie on five, and also chipped quite nicely too. also hit a lot of good irons so thinking about it, it was a damned good round!

Shot 84 off the social tees, front nine had four pars and a birdie, back nine not so good with just three pars. Didn't play particularly brilliantly but weather was awful again (roll on July - can't be as wet as June).

Mileage on the bike is definitely going to be down with the weather and going out with the bride tonight to celebrate 16th weeding anniversary it's not likely to get much above 70 miles this week.

28-06-07 - Food Diary (sort of)

Food Diary 28-06-07

Thought I’d have a go at a proper Slimming World Food Diary. In all the time I’ve been on Food Optimising this is the first time I’ve had a crack at one so please forgive any errors. Food Optimising and Body Magic (SW term for Exercise) has been working fantastically for me so I’ve not seen the point in doing one. The changes I’ve made are now becoming habit so I’m able to deal with temptations pretty well and manage the danger zones through subtle planning. Only real dange is driving home from work where the weapon of choice used to be chocolate or crisps – none of that now but a couple of apples sat on the passenger seat waiting to rescue. Pub was the other danger area now manage that situation using very expensive diet coke (do all pub landlords take the p**s with soft drink prices or just mine - £2.60 for a pint of diet coke - I bet he wonders why I don't go in as much) Total alcohol units since February are 12 units!

Breakfast 5:50am
Weetabix (1 Healthy B Choice) covered in Muesli Optifit Yogurt with WholeGrains topped off with 1 sliced banana (a culinary masterpiece invented by moi). Synfree as far as I’m aware.

Off for a 7 mile bike-ride

Fruit Count during the day:
11111 Apples
111 Banana s

Lunch: 13:00
Strawberry Optifit Yogurt with Wholegrains (and fruit of course)

Tea: 18:30
2 x sausage* and bacon*2 sandwiches on wholemeal with syn-free chips*3.

*1 Morrisons Low Fat sausage,
*2 bacon with all visible fat trimmed off.,
*3 Syn-free chips are a Slimming World legend, made with the one-calorie spray-lite they arre much healthier than deep-fried chips and much tastier than over-chips. I have them most nights cause they’re bloomin magic. For more info see: http://www.slimmingworld.com/healthy_eating/recipe_chips.asp


+ gallons of black coffee and a couple of diet cokes (at supermarket prices!!).

28-06-07 Week 19 Weigh-in : Just a lb??

Bit disappointed this week with just a lb loss. In fact I'm at a loss to explain it as I feel I've ramped up the exercise a bit and really watched the food carefully. Anyway, who know it might be a bigger loss next week. Four stones, a pound and a half gone and am well in the 14st zone now, 2.5lbs would be nice loss for next week to get me to 14 and a half stone.

Current figures:
Start Weight : 18st 11lbs
Current Weight : 14st 9.5lbs (93.30 KG)
Loss this week: 1lbs (avg: 3.02lbs per week)
Total loss thus far: 4st 1.5lbs in 19 weeks.
New BMI: 26.68 (Height: 6ft 1.5in (1.87m))
Blood pressure ten reading average: 117.1/74.5

26th June 2007 Back on the road again & GPSVIZUALISER.COM

Woke up this morning to the silence that follows torrential rain for hours on end. Good, I thought let’s have the bike out. I’ve also been and got a holder gadget that allows my PocketPC to be attached to the handlebars of the bike – “Why, d’ya wanna do that??” you ask. Simple, it gives me TomTom for when I get lost (which is more often than it ought to be for a nearly-forty year old) and secondly it now allows me to log where I been so I can put it onto GoogleMaps. The first of which can be viewed and zoomed in and all sorts see links below (and is also the image shown below). Note this first route was very much experimenting and I got the position log frequency too infrequent so it looks like I cut corners all over the place. I’m going to tinker with it some more and better maps should be just around the corner!!! Note: the little leg that goes up Watery Lane was because it was living up to it’s name and as I went down the road I realised it was flooded and pretty much impassable so did a hasty turnaround and went through Church Mayfield instead.
I made the map with an online utilitiy called GPSVizualizer.com which is so I ace I made a paypal donation to the Author. You pull in your GPS file and it puts your route on the map. Fantastic. Am considering putting the PDA in my golf bag on Saturday just to see how all over the place I am on the golf course – that’d be an interesting picture! (You can see the Golf Course I play at in the bottom right hand corner of the picture, by the way)

25-06-07 Rain stopped play - so debate Muller vs Optifit

Cruddy British summer stopped me going out on the bike today. Never seen rain like it. So went in early to work to use gym for 40 minutes instead of morning bike ride and did a bit of a walk up the golf course this evening. Know, it's not enough exercise though.

Anyway, a bit of a Slimming World post for a change. Don't often post SW food stuff because I don't do it quite properly (never counted syns properly for example) but I've lost four stone so far so let me give a bit of Slimming Worldy advice! Try Aldi Optifit Yogurts with wheat grains - they come in a 250ml pot, they're syn-free (I'm 98% sure of that) so you can have as much as you like and... they're much more filling than the Mullerlites which I think have got more runny in recent times - I know it's Aldi but give em a try - Iused to get through loads of Mullerlites now the missus doesn't even bother buying any as they'll just sit in the fridge. And best of all they're not expensive cause they're from Aldi. While you're there - diet Red Thunder is very good caffeine based stimulant drink at £1.39 for 6 cans (bit like Red Bull), fruit (which I get through tons of now) is really good value - 6 french golden delicious for 99p, bunch of bananas for between 50p and 90p. There's a ton of stuff in there and although it's cheap and cheerful it's not bad either (not like rubbishy lidl).

24-06-07 Bike Stats

Met the 100 mile target this week which is always nice. Total mileage 108.99, average 11.0mph, max 37.3mph (think that was on a fairly short hill from Hulland Ward towards Ashbourne on Wednesday night). Am not bothered about the average being fairly low am now tackling a lot of nasty hills (all hills are nasty but some are just plain evil!) and know my legs are stronger as there are hills I couldn't get up four months ago that are no longer a problem so it's all progress in the right direction even if the average is not improving.

Spent a total of 9hrs 56minutes in the saddle which isn't bad - means I'm doing an hour and a bit a day. Have decided that I'm going to start to use the heart rate monitor for a few rides a week just to see what it tells me.

The figures are somewhat skewed by the fact that I rode back from work on Wednesday night and to work on Thursday morning because it was national cycle to work week last week. Hoever, during summer I'm thinking of making it a regular Wednesday/Thursday thing and making it more value by going straight into the gym on Thursday after biking to work. Good stuff what!!

Am also on the lookout for another bike - this time something aluminium framed and designed for roadwork. Have got my Ebay searches all set up to spot something light and local..

23-06-07 Very Average Golf Performance

Can't work this game out. Played a stableford comp today off the medal tees. First four holes were awful and I scored a total of 3 points with no points at all on holes 2 and 3. Next four holes I parred for 12 points? Back nine starts dismally but again finish pretty strongly with par, par, birdie - how does that work? Definitely need to find some consistancy but don't know where that's going to come from, perhaps need to play more often - must put that forward as a suggestion to the dear lady wife! Ended up with 33 points which is three shots off handicap (not too bad really but should be doing better).

21-06-07 Week 18 - 14st 10.5lbs - Loss 4st 0.5lbs!!!

Weighed in this morning cause I was in really early (Our Slimming World group is a rare in-house one so I can do this!). I’d cycled into work (26 miles Clifton to Alfreton) so the reading might be down a little due to water loss but I don’t really care and in fairness to myself when I checked yesterday I was 14st 11lbs so it’s not going to be that far out.

Anyroad up the scales said 14st 10.5lbs which is a 3lb loss from last week and makes a total loss of 4st and half a pound which is great, I reckon, in just over four months.

I’m setting my final PAT (personal achievement target) to be 13st 12lbs which should just put me into the 20-25 BMI range and should make my Doctor very happy.

Current figures:
Start Weight : 18st 11lbs
Current Weight : 14st 10.5lbs (93.75 KG)
Loss this week: 3lbs (avg: 3.13lbs per week)
Total loss thus far: 4st 0.5lbs in 18 weeks.
New BMI: 26.81 (Height: 6ft 1.5in (1.87m))
Blood pressure ten reading average: 118.1/78


ps. Had my gym assessment yesterday and I didn't agree with the BMI calculation so I asked Shelly the Gym Manager to check my height and it revealed that I'm actually 1.87m high so have fixed that from this week forward to get the BMI right - might mean my final target changes.

Gym Reassessment 20-06-2007

Went down to the Gym today to see Kelly for my Reassessment. Very pleased with the result – blood pressure bang on normal (described as superior on the assessment report) as was physical activity, alcohol (don’t drink any so couldn’t be anything else) and aerovic capacity (71 VO2max whatever that measures I’m not sure but I like the sound of superior! Lung function is described as excellent – the only bad point on the whole thing is the smoking which I need to do something about but it’s my only vice at the moment – I ain’t half righteous!!! Any road up am going to use some of that superior aerobic capacity to bike home 26 miles tonight and then back to work in the morning at 4:30!! If it doesn’t take too long that 4:30 might change!!!

Golf – 18/06/07 – A Respectable Performance

Father’s day I thought my luck was in! Played a very steady front nine of 42 for seven over par, made quite a few pars with just a couple of doubles blotting my copybook. The back nine was another matter although I played most of it reasonably well, parred the 10th,13th and birdied the 14th. It all came to grief on the par three 16th where I took an eight and blew five shots on a single hole. Still shot 90 overall which was four over my handicap so it wasn’t the end of the world.

Funny thing I’ve noticed is that I’m now hitting some of my irons with a hint of draw which is most odd – will monitor the situation and report back!

Great site to checkout.

I was searching on google for something cycle-related I think and came across this great site:-
http://frank.kinlan.co.uk/

This chap has lost a massive amount of weight (7st plus!) using a similiar plan to my own - healthy diet and lots of exercise. His outlook on life is bop on in my opinion and the site is inspirational - certainly made me ride a bit quicker last night when I was out on my 10pm ride!!

Check it out - well worth a look.

16-06-2007 Slimming World Summer Ball 2007

Went to the Slimming World Summer Ball at the ICC Birmingham on Saturday. First big do I've been to where I've not had a drop of alcohol. Brilliant, it was, great speeches, great entertainment, great food, great night out. Part of the charity fund-raising was the opportunity to get your picture on a mock-up OK magazine cover - for a fiver you couldn't go wrong, so had some of that - see above. What was really cool about that though was the fact that the camera the guy had was on a wireless LAN and the picture was already in a pc at the back of the room before we had chance to get anywhere near a printout!!

Also since I look pretty much okay in the picture I though I'd put a 'before' picture up so there's one of me and the good lady in Mallorca in October 2006. Since mid-Feb this year I've made a four stone difference to the way I look through a combo of Slimming World, 100+ miles a week on the bike and a no-alcohol regime - am I chuffed - you bet I am!!

17-06-2007 Two Weeks of Biking Stats

Didn’t update my figures last week as I was jolly busy. Apologies if anyone is even mildly interested in this gumpf being kept up-to-date!!!

I had bike issues this last couple of weeks and had to use Janette’s while mine was in the repair shop which didn’t help in keeping my stats looking good. Bike is back now but crank is still rubbish really (better than it was thought so I suppose that’s something). Think come Xmas time I’m going to get something lighter and betterer but this’ll do for now).

Anyway for week ending 10th June, I managed to do 103.23 miles at an avg of 11.2mph. I also cycled to my parents’ house in Darley Dale which from Clifton is about 18 miles which was good as I’ve driven the road hundreds of time but never actually cycled it until now.

For week ending 17th June I did 83.279 miles at about 11.1 avg mpg. Weather has been diabolical this week but still managed to get out now and again! Avg speed is down cause I'm doing really nasty hill ride which sometimes mean the push-bike is literally that being pushed up hill.

Other cycling news – the Great Notts ride is off – Sean’s been told by his doctor that he can’t ride anymore as the cycling knackering up his knee or something like that and Mike has cried off too. Put that alongside the fact that I’d have to travel thirty miles to Nottingham to do the ride and it’s a no-brainer for me to cancel my participation in this event which is a bit of a shame. However, have decided that I’m going to ride to work and back over two days in lieu of this. The cunning plan is to bring my bike to work one day in the morning and then ride home 25 miles. Then ride to work the following morning (am intending setting off at 5am when it’s nice and quiet which should allow plenty of time to get in to work even if average gets knocked down to 8mph which it probably will with all those hills!

Final cycling news! Have got a helmet that fits my enormous xxl head this week as well but had to pay £25 for the priveledge of being cranially endowed - it's a Bell Triton something or other which is reputedly a good brand. Will post a picture in due course!

14-06-07 Week 17 - into the Fourteens!

Weighed in on Thursday. Really struggled this week which was weird as I thought I’d been good over the weekend. Still lost another pound and now am in the 14st readings am looking at 13 stone 12 as a new target weight now which is the upper side of the 20-25 BMI range for 6ft 1” which is what my height was last time it was measured (with all the weight I’d been carrying up until recently I’m probably only 5ft 8in but then I’d have to get down to something like 11stone 5lbs which would mean losing a limb I think and that’s a bit too extreme!)

Current figures:
Start Weight : 18st 11lbs
Current Weight : 14st 13.5lbs (95.11 KG)
Loss this week: 1lbs (avg: 3.14lbs - almost pi!)
Total loss thus far: 3st 11.5lbs in 17 weeks.
New BMI: 27.66 (Height: 6ft 1in (1.85m))
Blood pressure ten reading average: 134 over 83

07-06-07 Week 16 Weigh-in - nearly great.

Weighed in yesterday (Thursday), been off last week so missed last week's weigh-in. Have lost another 4lbs to take me to 15st 0.5lbs so next week should have a new big number!


Current figures:
Start Weight : 18st 11lbs
Current Weight : 15st 0.5lbs (95.57 KG)
Loss this week: 2lbs (avg)
Total loss thus far: 3st 10.5lbs in 16 weeks.
New BMI: 27.79
Height: 6ft 1in (1.85m)
Blood pressure ten reading average: 129.7 over 80.10

02-06-2006 Better Golf 84 off whites!

Had a better day on the course today (Saturday) weather was beautiful so got nicely burnt. Played much better golf - came home in 41 off the white tees and parred five of the back nine and should have parred six of em if I hadn't managed to three putt the 17th. As it was I hit more green in regulation than for a very long time and if I hadn't made some cock-ups wouldn't have been far off the prizes (ended up with 39 points but three putted three times, had a shank on the 10th and took a three wood out on a par three when I thought I had a five wood in my hand - consequently flew over the green and up the bank behind it and took a nice double-bogey for my efforts). Good thing about it all was that I've started setting up a little bit closed and that's having a super effect on my driving and fairway woods. Am looking forward to next week now.

02-06-2007 Weekly Biking Stats

Just done enough for the hundred miles this week. Which is good because Monday I was at Wembley all day and Tuesday wasn't fit for cycling I decided. I did 30 miles on Thursday and did a Dovedale run on Friday which is damned hard work due to the hills which ruined my average speed which was standing at 12.1 until I had to push the darned thing up the hills!

Total mileage 100.57 miles
Avg 11.7 mph
Max 33.2
Time 8hrs 38mins

Next week won't be so good for mileage as my bike is in the repair shop to get the crank sorted out for so am going to have another go at jogging or might get Missus bike on the road again with seat at it's highest!