If we were having a cocktail or coffee, I would tell you I am Back on the Treadmill! As May comes to a close and our vacations to France and England are now behind me I have stepped back on the diet and exercise treadmill with renewed enthusiasm. Trying on all my summer clothes proved to be a good incentive especially when I discovered my shorts were far too tight around my bloated belly. I now wear them as penance hair shirt. I am not buying a larger size.
Diet – I have returned to low carb which after a month of filling my face with cakes, desserts and other naughties is tough. My body craves sugar.
I am also going to speak to my doctor about intermitent fasting.
Exercise is back to the short bursts 15-20 minutes. Get fit with rick,
and my Line dancing, plus some water aerobics. Now I can get UP from the floor I am also looking for some online pilates-based exercises. I am also practising walking up and down the pool steps. Just two. Up and down but as I have balance issues, this is a major breakthrough.
Have you read?Keeping Faith: A Contemporary Romance Novel Exploring Faith, Family, and Philosophy
While I enjoyed the plot, I found the head-hopping multi-character POV in the same scene confusing, as it is not obvious on the Kindle. However, POV aside, the book had an excellent storyline with many twists and turns.
The story about God and how he/she manifests him/herself to others made me pause to question my beliefs. Is God a woman?
Anyone else a fan of Jodi P?
In the News
I’ve abandoned any hope of trying to follow or understand world events, wars and political shenanigans so I try to remember the Serenity Prayer. I am tempted to rename it the Sanity Prayer
“God give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.”
It is heartbreaking to watch scenes of people’s suffering so far away in a world I can’t even begin to imagine.
On a positive note:
I hope Trump takes the hint. Nice one!
What’s made me mad? Like chewing on a wasp MAD!!
Many weeks ago, I went to our local Centre De Suade (doctors’ surgery) to book an appointment. I was told I didn’t have a family doctor, so ‘no’. I had a WTF? moment. My family doctor had retired, and apparently, you are not automatically transferred to their replacement. I stood my ground and the receptionist reluctantly put me on the waiting list.
A couple of weeks ago, I received an email notification of an appointment scheduled for today, Friday.
Today, a few hours before the appointment, I received a telephone call to tell me it had been cancelled. Apparently, the doctor had a problem with his car. I asked to schedule another. Nope, the surgery doesn’t schedule appointments; they are scheduled elsewhere. Now I wait again OR arrive at 8.30 in the morning to wait for an emergency appointment.
What’s made me HaPpy?
There were lots of things. My favourite was when Mr. Piglet surprised me by rebuilding my dilapidated potting bench by repurposing old pallets. Thank you Mr. P
That’s my #weekendcoffeeshare for this week. Do pop over to Natalie’s blog and check out her trip to Sicily and other weekend coffee shares
Piglet in Portugal 
Have you ever heard of Dr. Michael Mosley? He introduced me to intermittent fasting and the benefits. He has lots of good podcasts about it. I find it quite effective. It’s the snacking between meals that gets me. But my summer shorts won’t fit either. I am very much back on track. Great job with the pool steps and the short bursts of exercise.
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Hi Bernie, I’ll check him out. I try not to snack between meals … but …um it’s hard to cut out the apperitivo. Ark suggested I cut out lunch. I am trying that as much as possible as breakfast becomes elevenses. I think it’s finding a strategy that works for us and then sticking to it.
Fingers crossed you get into your shorts.
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That’s great about going up & down the pool steps, anything to help for balance is good news! Ah, breaking the sugar craving is always difficult. I try to stick with fruit after lunch (that seems to be the time I have sugar cravings). It usually helps me get back on track. Big bowl of watermelon or berries.
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I’ve been working on my diet too. I’m tracking how many grams of protein I am eating. My goal is to get to 65-100g of protein per day.
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Hi Julie, that doesn’t sound much protein. What diet are you following?
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I guess I wouldn’t call it a diet, but rather a lifestyle change especially as a woman approaching her 40s. I never really tracked my food but when I do I undereat across all food groups which I am not really proud of. Generally adult should consume 0.8 grams per 1 kilogram of their body weight per day. On the higher end, if one is more active then it is 1.2-1.4g per 1kg per day.
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Carole, The potting bench look great. I hope your Dr’s appointment situation will be resolved to your satisfaction soon. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.
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Hi Natalie, yep I was pleased with the bench. I use it all the time. The Doctors apponitment – they have still not scheduled another.
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Someone very close to me struggled for years with addiction to processed sugar, Carole. She finally committed to deleting it entirely. She said the first couple of weeks were the toughest weeks of her life, but once she got past that, it was easy – all sugar cravings disappeared completely. She says now that processed sugar is her nemesis.
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Hi, Carole – I like your new potting bench and your renewed commitment to your wellness. It is so easy to take care of others, we often have to remind ourselves to take care of ourselves too!
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Hi Donna, yes, the new potting bench was a nice surprise! It is important to renew commitment to my wellness. It is easy to fall off the wagon and harder to climb back on.
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You might enjoy the health and diet info from this chap.
Can’t recall if I mentioned him before?
Dr. Eric Berg.
He has tons of stuff.
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Thanks, Ark. You might have done and I might have initially dismissed intermittent fasting. Looks like he has some interesting videos.
I keep ponding away at this piggin’ weight loss game. I swear one day I WILL crack it!
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Ain’t for me to tell you what to do, but the old adage of burn more fuel than you consume will always work.
So…. A few suggestions. Or pick just one to start.
1.Try cutting our processed stuff, ( no sugar in tea or coffee, no coke,)
2.Stop snacking between meals.
3. Skip lunch.
4.Take as many short brisk walks between meals.
Routine is often the key. Small changes that become at first a part of your life then a way of life.
Short stints of dieting, starving yourself and infrequent over the top exercise tend to demoralize, encourage your body to ‘fight back’ and can hurt more than heal.
I really wish there was a super quick magic formula I could pass on.
Think of it like a tree.
The best time to plant a tree is seven years ago…
Failing that, plant one today!
And you know quickly seven years go by, right?
Whoosh….
😊
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Hi Ark, I like the tree analogy
“Routine is often the key. Small changes that become at first a part of your life then a way of life”
You are right – routine is key.
Thanks for the tips and moral support.
TAking a short brisk walk between meals is a good plan!
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