Habits

Regular day working in London, although I went to bed very late last night which reminds me that I’ve got to get something sorted for a time-keeping / sleep pattern habit!

Habit 0: Blog on JustBigBoned.com every day

This (and updated Habits).

Habit 1: Take a different walk through the train station

Not so easy today. My tummy was rumbling from about 17:30 onward, and I did have a ‘pang’ of food lust on entering the station. But I consciously slotted into the habit I’ve been establishing and managed to breeze straight through the station then without too much trouble.

Habit 3: Pause before eating. Take your time and enjoy

Working so well, that I totally skipped having soup with my sandwiches at lunchtime. Just didn’t need it.

Habit 5: Walk a minimum of 30 minutes a day (or 500 steps in bad weather).

Walked total of 30.16 minutes today (station->client and a small round the block when I got back to the home station to make up the time).

No opportunity for the following though:

Habit 2: When I’m feeling poorly I deserve as much fruit to eat as I want
Habit 4: Always choose one of the top 2 healthiest option

Habits

Regular day working in London.

Habit 0: Blog on JustBigBoned.com every day

This (and updated Habits).

Habit 1: Take a different walk through the train station

This is getting easier now.

Habit 3: Pause before eating. Take your time and enjoy

Did well with this again today. Both lunch and dinner were unusually filling, presumably because of this practice.

Habit 4: Always choose one of the top 2 healthiest option

Leek & Potato soup rather than muffins or cake.

Habit 5: Walk a minimum of 30 minutes a day (or 500 steps in bad weather).

Walked total of 35 minutes today (station->client and part of client->station).

No opportunity for the following though:

Habit 2: When I’m feeling poorly I deserve as much fruit to eat as I want

In 3 weeks I’ve lost 3.7 kg, 2cm from my neck, 5cm from my chest, 2cm from my tummy, and just as importantly I’ve enjoyed my food and felt my hunger more satiated during this time, than I have in years. And best of all, I haven’t even started exercising yet!

Some of the blood test results came back yesterday, and apparently my cholesterol level is 6.2. Some googling leads me to believe that is at the top end of ‘Slightly Elevated’. Not a major worry in it’s own right, but coupled with my weight, it’s something else I should be addressing, so it’s on the body feedback list too. I suspect most everything I’m doing will help this anyway, but putting in the body stats helps keep it as a focus.

It’s been interesting to read that in the UK the recommendation is that a level of 5 or lower is healthy, whereas most of the rest of europe think that 4 or lower is healthy. I prefer to err on the side of caution, so I’ll aim for the 4 I think.

Thanks everyone for reading, and stick with me, with your help it’s working well and I’m confident I can maintain the momentum.

Habits

A Sunday feeling quite ill. Sinus and Bronchial grief. In fact I spent most of the day feeling rough in bed. Despite that I uploaded this morning’s Body Statistic measurement. How’s that for commitment to the cause. See the next post for more info on body stats progress.

Habit 0: Blog on JustBigBoned.com every day

This (and updated Habits & Body Stats).

Habit 2: When I’m feeling poorly I deserve as much fruit to eat as I want

To be honest, I didn’t fancy much. But I did have fruit in deference to anything else.

Habit 3: Pause before eating. Take your time and enjoy

Breakfast, lunch & dinner. All filling meals due to the magic of eating steadily and chewing well.

No opportunity for the following though:

Habit 1: Take a different walk through the train station
Habit 4: Always choose one of the top 2 healthiest options
Habit 5: Walk a minimum of 30 minutes a day (or 500 steps in bad weather).

Habits

A Saturday with the family relaxing. Everyone’s got coughs or colds! We did manage to make it out to Polesdon Lacey though, so we all got some fresh air and I managed my first day for Habit 5 (30 minutes walking every day).

Habit 0: Blog on JustBigBoned.com every day

This (and updated Habits).

Habit 2: When I’m feeling poorly I deserve as much fruit to eat as I want

Oranges, Bananas and even crushed pinapple with custard for pudding at dinner time.

Habit 3: Pause before eating. Take your time and enjoy

I’ve been doing this for two weeks now. So why am I still surprised it works so well? (maybe it’s because I’ve got decades behind me of thinking a different way). I just so happy it does work though.

Habit 4: Always choose one of the top 2 healthiest options

Wanted to snack tonight. Not because of being hungry or anything, just because it was late and I wasn’t tired. Chose the Clementine path to happiness though (although this is combined with Habit 2).

Habit 5: Walk a minimum of 30 minutes a day (or 500 steps in bad weather).

Done the first day. A walk through the grounds at Polesdon Lacey with Debs and the boys this afternoon.

No opportunity for the following though:

Habit 1: Take a different walk through the train station

I need to start exercising, but I’m planning ahead a little here. Mainly because I’ve still got a cough, and I can feel my tonsils starting to get sore.

I’m happy with the progress I’m making so far on this journey. The emphasis on Habits is working well. Getting feedback from tracking my habits, and body statistics progress, is definitely helping too. As is the accountability of knowing that friends and family are reading this blog (along with some random visitors – hello).

However I realise that I’m in the honeymoon period right now. The time when it’s relatively easy to lose the last few kg’s I gained. I know that building up my fitness level is what’s going to keep this initial momentum going. I have been chatting with friends recently about their exercise patterns. I’m inspired by friends and family who play sports, and/or have a running machine or rowing machine at home and use it.

I think I need to build up some basic fitness before I’ll be comfortable in any kind of social sports environment. I used to love playing Table Tennis and loved it, and I discovered recently that there is a big league system operating all around where I live. That’ll have to be for later in the year, but I’m really looking forward to it.

Our house is just way to cramped with accumulated ’stuff’ that we need to get rid of, so there’s simply no room for exercise machines. So as a step 1 I’ve just ordered a “Tone Up Wheel” from BornForSports.com (less than £10 delivered). It won’t take up much room in the house, and I think at my stage it will give me much of the benefit of say a rowing machine, but with an emphasis on stomach and buttocks (which is where I really need help). Cheap, storable, and easy enough to start using that there’s very little excuse for not doing it. Well all sounds good to me – I’ll report more here once it’s arrived. You can bet there’ll be an exercise Habit close behind it.

Cycling is something I’ve enjoyed in the recent past too, despite feeling uncomfortable with how I must look perched on a bike. That’s something else I’m going to build up to…

For now I’m going to make do with walking. It’s worked for me in the past, and so I’ll do it again. As it’s the way we do things here at JustBigBoned.com, I’m going to do it in the form of a habit (designed to help me succeed) – so here goes…

I commit to doing Habit 5: Walk a minimum of 30 minutes a day (or 500 steps in bad weather)

Habits

Support shift (early start) working day in London.

Habit 0: Blog on JustBigBoned.com every day

This (and updated Habits).

Habit 1: Take a different walk through the train station

Focused walking, straight to the barrier-gates. Breathing through the mouth, never acknowledging the existence of retail outlets. Worked a treat again today.

Habit 3: Pause before eating. Take your time and enjoy

Still going strong. Still feeling nice and full after every meal.

Habit 4: Always choose one of the top 2 healthiest option

The really early start (being on the support rota) leads to a lack of wifely constructed sandwiches for lunch. In the past this has lead to a tradition of Bacon rolls for breakfast, Asta Fried Chicken Curry or Pret Meatball wrap & lemon cheesecake for lunch, a burger for the trip home, and a takeaway chaser on the settee. But oh no, not today.

Porridge (with skimmed milk) and a skinny cappuccino for breakfast. Moroccan Chicken & Couscous Salad with fruit-a-plenty for lunch, no snacking on the way home, and Cod in Parsley Sauce with Mashed Pots and Broccoli for dinner. Have to say I’m pretty happy with my choices here (although Debs gets credit for dinner choice, purchase & preparation).

No opportunity for the following though:

Habit 2: When I’m feeling poorly I deserve as much fruit to eat as I want

Tomorrow is my turn to do early morning support. I shouldn’t still be awake at 23:42, as I need to get up at 05:00 !!! So the usual routine tomorrow would be get up late, rush out of the house and grab very very unhealthy breakfast at the station in London to ‘make up’ for the fact I’m on support (didums – poor davey wavey!).

I’m beginning to realise that time keeping affects diet, health and habits. I should be doing more walking than I am. But because I’m often late, I don’t have time to walk to the station and end up driving (or catching a taxi from the office after I leave late). Also when I’m in control of time I can plan for eating healthy food, but when I’m in a rush it’s just the vague justification I need to eat something unnecessary. There’s something to this, and I need to boil it down to some positive habits – more on that as I figure it out.

Suffice to say that going to bed late has a serious knock on affect throughout the rest of the next day, and it’s probably something I need to address soon!

Either way, I’m feeling positive generally as I can honestly say I haven’t put a foot wrong in 18 days. Even I’m impressed with that. I know it’s not about being perfect, more about building habits. Having this blog and the record of the Habits feedback, and the supportive messages I’ve received have all really helped. It’s such a simple and effective system for me that I’m genuinely surprised it’s working so well.

Goodnight all, and if you’re reading this on Friday, think of me.

Habits

Regular day working in London.

Habit 0: Blog on JustBigBoned.com every day

This (and updated Habits).

Habit 1: Take a different walk through the train station

Tough this evening. Pangs started before I even got to the station. Locked my eyes and my mind on the target of getting to the platform, and consciously focused on it for my entire journey through the station. Even to the point of only breathing through my mouth so that I didn’t get any wafts of food smells. Made it though, and got straight to work on the computer as soon as the train pulled up and forgot all about being hungry!

Habit 3: Pause before eating. Take your time and enjoy

Almost forgot at dinner time, but remembered at the last minute.

Habit 4: Always choose one of the top 2 healthiest option

Major hunger pangs at 16:50 today, so into the office cafe and brought a plumb, banana and packet of grapes (rather than the traditional blueberry muffin).

No opportunity for the following though:

Habit 2: When I’m feeling poorly I deserve as much fruit to eat as I want

Habits

Day at home (in between contracts). Relaxed, caught up with some sleep and did some coding.

Habit 0: Blog on JustBigBoned.com every day

This (and updated Habits).

Habit 3: Pause before eating. Take your time and enjoy

Still good.

Habit 4: Always choose one of the top 2 healthiest options

Was hungry this evening, wanted a snack. No bananas, but had a weetabix, some blueberries squished up and spread over the top and as tiny amount of milk as I could manage. This in preference to my ‘past life’ evening snack of choice of two rounds of toast with cheese slices on top microwaved for 1 min 30 secs (ie toast in a pool of molten cheese and grease).

No opportunity for the following though:

Habit 1: Take a different walk through the train station
Habit 2: When I’m feeling poorly I deserve as much fruit to eat as I want