I took the above photograph on the recent day trip to Huntingdon. Taken between Warboys and Chatteris, I couldn't resist the shadows that the late sun was making that day. Yashica T2 compact 35mm camera, loaded with Kodak Tmax 400 film, developed in Kodak Tmax developer.
Losing Weight
As I hover over the 12 stone mark (I was 13 stone 9 pounds in late November), the scales teasing me, I am considering weight loss as a subject. Anita recently told me that a friend has just completed a week long fast, and is now embarking on some kind of ketosis programme, before she fasts again!
I guess that it's her health and body. My system is really simple. Eat super healthy and natural, with a large variety of vegetables and fruits, and some regular seeds, nuts, and whole grains. No processed meat. No cheap red meat, instead, more fish, wild meat, some eggs, some dairy. Then start an exercise program that makes you feel good, and that you enjoy. Mine is running like a mad man through the countryside, strapped to a pair of hounds. That burns calories okay.
Does it work? Well I did it before, and I kept up the exercise and pretty much the healthy eating for around four years. Even when I let myself go again, I know that I would make more of an effort to eat vegetables and fruit, so it took another five to six years, before I ended up close to where I started ten years earlier. That effort was worth it. It's not like a fad diet, where you chuck off the pounds, suffer from hunger, then stuff yourself after you hit your target weight - until you were fatter than when you started six months earlier.
I have on rare occasions,taken a 24 hour fast. I'm not even convinced that it is a good thing. A week? I'd imagine that really hits your lean weight as well as your fat. Bone, muscles, organs - your heart, I can see them suffering. Why can't some people just avoid the cakes, and make a point out of getting out of breath a few times per week? I really do not rate any diet plan that does nothing to increase consumption of the greens and berries. If I stopped losing weight, it is either because I'm near enough to a healthy lean mass, or because I either / or need to:
Step up the activity. Keep more active, or increase the exercise
Reduce calorific consumption. Eat enough plants and you shouldn't need to, as they are low calorie and packed with fibre. However, if I want to reduce fat further, I might calorie count, and carefully reduce my calorific consumption.
You know why? Because losing the fat is 90% simply energy in - energy out. Screw shit science and fad dieting.
Running with Dogs No.17
Ran the dog's favourite route this morning, 4.5 miles, 45 minutes. It felt like an average to poor run, but we finally reached an average of 6 mph. When I use to canicross run several years ago, I'd usually get around 6.2 mph, but I'm getting there. I'm not sure if Flint will ever stop trying to piss up every tree though. Loki though - I'd race canicross with that little dog, he'd be fine.
Below is a Youtube video that I made six years ago. I was running with my old dogs, Wolfy, a large siberian husky, and Belle, a small dalmatian. They are retired and living with my ex now. It actually upsets me a little to see these videos, but even now I'm fifty four (so I'm told), there is no reason that I can't do it again.
The Mandolin
I haven't mentioned the mandolin yet have I? I'm on the waiting list for a new, custom made, hand crafted wooden mandolin. I have a very, very good guitar maker and luthier, a mere two or three miles away. Gary Nava of Nava Guitars. I've asked Gary to order some British hand crafted tuners from Robson Tuners, to be fitted to my mandolin. The tuners are perhaps an extravagance. But as much as feasible, I want my dream mandolin to be hand crafted. Gary will be making the tailpiece himself. I'm still considering woods, although I'm thinking Pao Ferro if he still has any, for back and sides. Maybe Spruce for top. This instrument is going to be my one instrument, that I want to use for the remainder of my life.
