Well, I spent last night planning what I was going to do today. It was quite a list. Today was slightly different in tone and I did very little apart from avoid doing anything on the list. That is, I suppose, an achievement in itself, but not quite the outcome I was hoping for.
Breakfast, which hadn’t been on the list, was quite pleasant, as was lunch. We had bacon sandwiches for breakfast, with mushrooms, fried tomatoes and black pudding. Nutritionally I could have finished after tomatoes. I was tempted to leave the black pudding out of the list and appear more virtuous and sensible, but I am fairly truthful in the blog, and the black pudding presents a more rounded picture of both my character and my figure.
Lunch was fancy cheese on toast. I chucked some eggs and finely chopped spring onions in the grated cheese before toasting. We have been using thick-sliced malty wholemeal, which has been good.
We had vegetable curry for tea. Tomorrow we will be having vegetable curry for tea. Julia hasn’t quite mastered the art of portion control since the kids left home. It’s something I have struggled with over the years. I can still picture myself in the late 1970s with a pressure cooker full of vegetables – enough to feed a family of four, to be precise.
At that point I realised that I had left home, but was still using the portion size I was used to seeing. Four days later, finally free of vegetables, I started to cut back on portion size. I should really have cut back a lot more, but that is a different story.
I have just been reading about a diet that could help me lose a lot of weight. Breakfast is a banana, lunch is chicken, rice and broccoli and tea is a protein shake. It’s a diet developed by someone who has more self-control than I do.
On the one hand I’m looking at a short, increasingly unhealthy life. On the other I’m looking at chicken, rice and broccoli. It’s a tough choice. Well, actually it isn’t. Chicken, rice and broccoli is not a winning combination.
Meanwhile, in a different part of the family (and one where I suspect that chicken, rice and broccoli is a winning combination) Number One Son just did his first Ultra-marathon. Eighty miles in 24 hours. No, I don’t know why either, but I am glad he’s found a sport he enjoys.
LOVE the purple poppy! I’ve only ever before seen red or orange – and rarely in my yard despite yearly attempts.
What an incredible accomplishment! 80 miles in 24 hours? How does that even work? Does he sleep at all or just run/ stop the whole 24 hours?
And what is it about you blogging English gentlemen that produces such sons?
It’s the deepest purple I’ve seen. I think it must have been planted deliberately. We get wild red ones, wild pale purple, wild yellow ans then the orange cultivated varieties that escape. I have tried to grow cultivated poppies and they have usually died off after a couple of years, but the self-seeded ones seem to do well.
It was ten 8 mile laps with sleep and food in between.
There is nothing about my genetics or physique that suggests sporting prowess, I promise.
Chapeau to number one son. My knees hurt just thinking about it.
As for the diet,I repeat my advice based on experience . . . just eat less of what you always eat and you are bound to lose weight if you keep doing the same amount of exercise.
Mine too! I’m afraid I find eating too easy. I should buy a bigger house – with my attitude to exercise I would be less inclined to walk to the fridge. 🙂
I know why and am suffering for it now 🙂 Congratulations anyway – now, stop, tell him.
Words from the wise . . .
🙂 So many replies are possible. Some of them
. . . don’t mention the correlation between white hair and wisdom. But most do. 🙂
I forgot to mention the poppy photo is beautiful. Their centers remind me of sea anemones in full filter feeding mode.
Thank you. Yes, I see what you mean.
Congratulations to No. 1 Son on his ultramarathon!
I seem to remember advice on food and living from David Carradine in one of his books. “Eat 80% well 80% of the time”. That would probably be more successful than the alternative you mentioned. 🙂
Yes, it sounds both good and practical advice – for life as well as diet. 🙂