Day 53 : Wiped Out

Well, yesterday I said my lie-in didn't really work. Today it did!! After getting up and skipping on the porch (rather nasty, with cold rain coming down and the wind gusting rain into my little sheltered area) and breakfast, I was feeling a bit strange. I was running a mild temperature and decided that a lie down was in order. I emailed the office to say I wouldn't be in until at least the afternoon and went back to bed.

Four hours solid sleep later, I realised that maybe this was more than I thought. So after a quick lunch and another email to the office, back to bed. The next thing I knew it was 6pm!

I was dreaming too. I can't now remember the morning dream (travelling somewhere with someone, I think) but this afternoon's ended with me eating two bars of chocolate, something I wouldn't do consciously, and I was saying to myself, well, I guess this had better be my indulgence. Fortunately, it was alll in my mind so I am still on for my curry.

The curry target is still the best aloo gobi in Tokyo but unfortunately, it is in a restaurant near where I used to live, now in completely the opposite direction for me on my journey home from work. Thinking about it, the non-PCP things will be the out of balance carbs (half the dish is potato and I may have rice with it) and the oil. On the other hand, lots of vegetable and no meat (so maybe a piece of tandori chicken or fish tikka will be in order). But I'll have to schedule it and apart from today, and today is now a bust, I've got another full week of booked evenings.

I guess I've got to take today as my day of rest (I must admit I can't even think about doing a push-up at the moment) and try to make sure I can get the workouts done during the rest of the week. The worst day is likely to be Wednesday. Unless I get it done on the morning, School Board meetings often go on very late in the evening.

Day 52 : Sunday

I tried to have a lie in and I guess by my normal standards, I did, staying in bed until 9am but it didn't really feel so long. I took a long time over the skipping and workout. I'm clearly able to do so much more than at the beginning. Push-ups, for example. I still don't dip too deeply but I'm doing it from my toes with my body straight. And now I seem to have got the right cushion combination, I'm feeling the V-sits where I should instead of in my back.

The morning weather was glorious but it clouded over this afternoon and it has been raining all evening. Looks like skipping on the porch again tomorrow.

Because of the long time I took over the workout, my meals got mixed up. I managed lunch before breakfast and only realised that when I was still feeling hungry in the early afternoon. I know Patrick wants the exercises done in order, I'm not sure about the meals.

One thing I think I've noticed in recent weeks is that I think I'm drinking less. Since I've been off alcohol for about fifteen years, in my case, drinking is mostly tea and water and I think that I am not drinking as much as before. Maybe less salt in the diet.

Day 51 : Just call me Prof

Some months back I was asked to do a series of lectures for an online MBA programme. I finished recording them some weeks ago. Apparently this makes me an Adjunct Professor, whatever that means. Today's reason for not taking it easy at the weekend was the course opening ceremony. I looked very smart in the robe they provided.

It also messed up the diet for the day because I was provided with a lunch box, Judging by the quantities, it didn't look too different from my lunch allowances and certainly looked very healthy (with lots of vegetables, a bit light on protein, if anything), so I ate it but am not really sure exactly how much I ate.

Unusually for me, I actually logged on before Patrick was ready this morning giving me a great excuse to leave the workout until this evening. I must admit I don't like this "until failure" thing. Having said that, I just about failed on the Da Vincis anyway. Chest dips were a bit of a problem. V-sits were a bit easier - I added another cushion. But the side crunches are more challenging because my back just doesn't, well, twist. Maybe it will get better as the week goes on.

And tomorrow, nothing in the diary, so a lie-in is the order of the day.

Day 50 : Or 55%

More than half way and the ratio between time already put in and time still to go will now get bigger so quickly. At the half way mark, obviously that ratio was 100%. Now, on day 50, we have already put in 125% of the time remaining to get to Day 90. By Day 60, in only ten days, it will be 150%. I like playing with numbers and I find making the remaining time feel "less" is a great encouragement to "stick with it" even when the mind (rather than the body) says it is too tired.

Having said that, I did feel tired this morning at the end of the busy week and only did the skipping. There were no fixed plans for this evening so the workout should have been done in good time but I got tempted by a massage on the way home and didn&t finish the workout until 11.15pm.

The weekend doesn''t seem to be too busy for a change. I'm booked up on Saturday but to my amazement, I seem to have a free Sunday, although there is the laundry to catch up on.


I weighed in this morning at 81.8kg and my weight has been plus or minus 82kg all week so maybe it has bottomed out, particularly as my dinner is back on solids again from this week. I must say I will miss the fruit content, although not drinking my dinner from the blender.

Day 49 : Stomach Ache

Not an upset stomach, like Amy (hope you are feeling better, Amy), more of an ache after eating. I noticed it first after breakfast and lunch, the two substantial meals, but now I even feel it after my evening shake. I guess this is the stomach getting smaller and possibly, the tightening of the abs reducing the space the stomach has to stretch into. It doesn't last very long but the feeling is there!!

Other than that, not much to report. Skipped (in warmer weather) this morning and took my rest day. This week I seem to have spent a lot of time watching other people eat while I have politely refused, both at lunchtime and dinner. Dinner time is more difficult because while I can carry my lunch, I don't pre-prepare the shake and so have to wait until I get home.

I still haven't had indulgence one yet (I guess the time has passed) but I will think about indulgence two. Curry (with all that oil) has to be favorite at the moment.

Day 48 : No Rest

I didn't take today as a rest day after all as I managed to do the workout in the morning. As I've just got home after midnight, I think tomorrow is a much better day to rest.

Day 47 : Sounding Like a Broken Record

I guess this doesn't mean much to the younger generation but it means repeating over again. On vinyl records, scratches could cause the stylus to stay in the same groove of the record over and over again.

So here I am, listening to the rain pouring down. Another typhoon on the way, following much the same track as the last one but heading further out to sea so not much chance of it coming ashore, but a lot of wet weather, nevertheless.

Got back late tonight as expected but managed to finish the workout.

When I get home late but have the workout to do, my meals kind-of run into each other. I'm allowed some carbs before the workout and an egg white afterwards. What happens in practice is the carbs are a few mouthfuls of brown rice but then the extra egg white gets thrown into my dinner shake. And then, if I am really late, I can go straight on and have my bedtime snack.

I will have a trip out to the airport tomorrow to meet a business visitor as he has to go straight into a meeting and we have things to discuss first. I hope the typhoon doesn't delay his flight and the transport doesn't get messed up at this end.