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This made me chuckle…

Intermittent Fasting

I could do with losing a few pounds.  These pounds have hung around too long, they seem to stick to my middle and I want them gone.  This is an ongoing battle as these pounds don’t seem to want to leave.  When Fred was nearly two, I realised the ‘I’ve just had a baby’ excuse was starting to wear a bit thin.  I also had the added incentive of a family wedding in Thailand and the thought (the horror, the horror) that my (winter) body would soon be exposed for all to see.  I joined Weight Watchers and lost 6lbs in the first week, then another half stone in the next few months and it is that weight I find myself now, despite my best (sporadic) efforts. I have, at least, another stone to lose.

The thing is, I like food. I like food too much sometimes.  The thought of permanently denying myself cheese, wine, cake is a depressing one. That is why the 5:2 diet seems such an appealing idea. Did you watch the Horizon TV programme spelling out the benefits of intermittent fasting? It seems too good to be true.  You fast on 2 non-consecutive days. By fast, I mean eat less than 500 calories so we’re not talking complete starvation.  On the remaining 5 days, you can eat what you like.

The Horizon programme explained that fasting lowers your IGF-1 levels.  This hormone is linked to cancer, diabetes and other illnesses and seems to be connected with ageing.  Scientists believe that if you lower your levels of IGF-1, your body starts to repair itself and fat burning is increased.  In addition, they also think this could lead to a lower risk of developing Alzheimers and Parkinsons.

Michael Mosley (who recorded the Horizon programme) writes about his experiences here.

So I’ve been doing this for a couple of weeks now. I always find weighing myself a bit problematic as my weight seems to fluctuate wildly depending on time of day, time of month and what I did the night before.  So I’m going to wait for a bit to do this. However I do feel good, in fact I feel amazing the day after I’ve fasted; alert, full of beans, not too hungry.  The fasting itself is a bit all-consuming; you can find yourself thinking about food and hunger pangs more than is strictly healthy.  But it’s do-able. So I’m going to continue with this for now and hopefully those extra pounds will finally be lost forever.

Feel the Fear

I’m back. did you miss me? I’ve spent a couple of weeks with my son before he starts school. In this time, I have rarely had five minutes  without the words ‘What can I do?’ being uttered. Unless he is in front of the TV, he seems unable to entertain himself. This is not a good state of affairs, as obviously I don’t want him watching an endless stream of Scooby Doos. Thankfully, he is now in school (all going well) and it their job to keep him stimulated and entertained for hours on end.

September is the new January as far as I am concerned, but with better weather. It’s a time for new terms, resolutions and a metaphorical shiny new pencil case. The leaves are falling off the trees, there is a crispness to the air and a few changes are afoot.  Firstly, I’m going to blog more and about more than my adventures in London. Of course, London continues to be an inspiration and a source of great days out. It gives so many opportunities for great experiences;  food, coffee, art, architecture, it’s all there.  But I want to blog a bit more about ideas, things I’m reading (or trying to read) and something a bit ‘deeper’.

I’ve never really been one for self-help. It’s always seemed a bit touchy-feely, a bit Oprah (cue weeping on the sofa) and dare I say it, too American.  I’m British, we don’t do positivity and affirmation. We are cynical and questioning.  We like complaining and queuing.  So far, so stereotypical.  However, I’ve realised that perhaps I do need some self-help in my life. I’m a procrastinator extraordinaire. I’m embarking upon a period of change where I will need to act, be proactive and deal with knock backs (and failure). So I’ve decided to ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. I bought a book called ‘Stop Talking, Start Doing’.  It’s title called to me. I’ve talked a lot. Where is the doing? So first step, read the book. Next step, report back.

It seems ironic that I need to read a book to do things but in reality, I think what I need is a kick up the arse.  Perhaps this book could be that kick?

There’s a good quote on the front of the book, which I will leave you with;

‘To achieve anything in life you have to start somewhere, be it writing a book, starting a business or climbing a mountain, this book will set you on your way.’ Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE