Garden Photos

This is how our garden looked prior to us moving in.  Five or six huge conifers encroaching on the garden and making it look a lot smaller than it actually is.

This is how our garden looks now.  I pruned the holly near the barbeque (bottom right) and the holly in the corner (top right) about mid-December.  There is a spiky plant in the middle at the back which was also cut back to within an inch of it's life.

So the spiky plant has budded these green things.

Which ripened to become blue.

S

The holly in the corner has budded and is now flowering.

The holly by the barbeque is shooting new life.

 

We built a raised flower bed from old floor-boards that were left in the loft.  The Fuscia is flowering nicely.

The flower-bed by the barbeque is now cleared out with new plants put in.

The Lilly planted right in Dora's flight path is not looking like it will survive.

With the conifers taken out, we have planted two honeysuckles to climb the trellis and a small apple tree and a small cherry tree.  

Where we have removed all the rubble from the back of the garden, we have removed the hiding places for the frogs so we have built what we call "The Frog Garden" for them to hide in.

The Hollies that are now sprouting new life

The remnants of the old connifers now being turned into firewood for the fire-pit.

Chillis in The Frog Garden starting to flower.

Jo planted a Salvia in The Frog Garden

Slow but Sure

My current weight is 15st and 5lbs.  My starting weight at the beginning of the month was 16st and my target is 12st 7lbs.  The weight is coming off nicely and apart from slight hunger occasionally, I'm not suffering for it.  I'm having the occasional sugar-free Polo and Tic-Tacs which are extremely low in calories especially when compared to chocolate, cakes and biscuits.  I'm also eating bananas and apples as a snack when I'm feeling peckish.  I've been doing a lot of work in the garden.  I will probably get some photos done and put them up here.  I've got a fitness test on the 10th of June so hopefully losing this weight will help me pass that.

Determination and willpower come in steps.

Intermittent fasting:
It has to be said that this is one of the best ways of losing weight but also one of the most trickiest to keep as a life-style change.  It does impact adversely on just about everyone's social life, especially if you have a social life that revolves around food.  Likewise, working a rotating shift pattern does make it more difficult too.  If you can use this method together with your life-style then great.  The second hurdle is riding past the natural hunger you get 1 hour after eating.  If you can ride through that, then the hunger subsides as your insulin levels then balance out.  If I was single and didn't have such impactive shifts to work, this would be my chosen method and showed great results.

Fitbit Flex and a Diabetic Diet:
So, I got the Fitbit Flex a while back now and have been wearing it almost non-stop and apart from nights/days where I have had to put it onto charge, I have been tracking my sleep as well.  This has given me insight into my sleep patterns (or lack of) together with how much exercise I do (or not enough as the case may be).  It should be pointed out that this is clearly designed for the US market as the UK food database pales in comparison to MyFitnessPal.com.  It is possible to link your MyFitnessPal.com account to your Fitbit account however, food entered on MyFitnessPal will show on Fitbit as a summary and not a detailed list.  e.g. Toast entered on MyFitnessPal shows on Fitbit as Breakfast Summary(MyFitness... and then the stats.  It would be really nice if the two fully communicated with each other but hey, they both have their own business models in place.  Well, I have diabetes waiting for me just around the corner and it is without doubt that unless I get my weight down soon, the choice will be taken out of my hands and my options severely limited.  The organisation that I work for will invariably throw me to the wolves if I get diabetes.  I have absolutely no faith in them to look after my best interests or welfare and with that in mind, I am adopting a near diabetic diet now.  This means not eating chocolate, sweets, cakes or biscuits.  This has inevitably resulted in a huge drop in my calories that I am consuming on a daily basis.  I am routinely eating less that 1700 calories each day and the weight loss is slow but steady.  When I get to my ideal weight, I may have the occasional chocolate or sweet treat but I will have to integrate this into my diet.  So far, I have got my weight down to 15stone 7 lbs (217lbs 98.4Kg) thus I still have a way to go.

Determination and Willpower:
This is where just about everyone falls down.  We all know, deep down, why we are overweight.  I have enough intellectual honesty to not fool myself into thinking it is because I have a slow metabolism or that I have a glandular problem.  The issue is really simple, I eat more than I exercise.  The answer is just as simple for everyone, eat less and exercise more.  I'll acknowledge that slow metabolisms and glandular problems are contributing factors and likewise, I know that some medication has the side effect of causing weight-gain but the simple fact is that if you burn more calories than you consume, your body has to attack your fat reserves for the extra energy requirements.  A slow metabolism simply means that you need to eat even less.  People who say that you need to eat more to speed up your metabolism will not be able to point you towards any study that shows this and you only have to look at the starving children in other countries to see that lack of food not increased food causes weight-loss.  Lets all accept that we know how to lose weight and that the actual issue here is putting into practice the theory that we know.  This is where I have been quite fortunate.  I have a very obstinate personality.  Tell me that my goals are unrealistic or impossible and I'll prove you wrong.  Give me a big enough lever and a hard place to stand, and I will move the world.  With this in mind, I was talking about my goals and that my Fitbit had told me that my goal is achievable by the end of October and I was told "That's not possibe."  I am willing to accept that it would be difficult.  I am willing to accept that it would be tight.  However, like F will I accept that it is impossible.  Never give up, never surrender!  So I have a determination in my heart now that motivates my diet and exercise with a solid conviction.  I will do it.  It is achievable and is not impossible.

Folic Acid Deficiency

So, I've got my blood test results and the diagnosis was a deficiency of Folic Acid and slight Anaemia.  Whilst a nutritional deficiency does not come as a surprise to someone who does not enjoy eating vegetables, how it affects my feet does.  It seems that it causes problems with the nervous system and my little toes are right at the end I suppose and thus the first to be affected.  I've been prescribed folic acid tablets.  I asked Jo if it would be cheaper to get them over the counter however it worked out that I've been prescribed 24 times the dose they give to pregnant women.  The thing I probably should not have done next was to look up the effects of taking such a dose and it would appear that long term use leads to increase risk of cancer.  And thus I am now trying to eat more foods rich in folic acid/folate e.g. Spinach.  and rich in iron e.g. Liver.  Now, I hate liver but I quite like liver pate, so this is doable.

I've also been looking at the symptoms of low folate and low iron and strangely enough, it includes poor sleep quality.  As part of my journey of weight-loss and fitness, a change in my diet may also contribute to better sleep.  The fitbit flex has been a real eye-opener in this regard.  

Two of the dashboard elements on the Fitbit.Com site shows the amount of sleep and steps taken.

It also gives a more detailed analysis of my sleep.  I had always thought that it took ages for me to fall asleep but it would appear that I average between 7 and 10 minutes to fall asleep.  I then get between 45 minutes to an hours sleep followed by very broken sleep.  The chart above shows a set of 4 night-shifts and me getting into bed about 8am and waking about midday.  You can also see where I have my afternoon nap.  You can also see the broken sleep even though I am in bed alone, indicating that it is not Jo waking me up.  There are some excellent resources online but very few appear to accommodate shift workers - One of the last things a shift worker wants to hear is "Try to get into a routine, going to bed at the same time each night."

As you can see above, I actually got 4hrs and 49min sleep which is really good for me.  I had been struggling to keep my eyes open for much of the evening and despite the following broken sleep, I do not recall waking up very often.  Obviously, exhaustion helps me sleep but so far I have not found anything else that really helps.  Whisky, rum, cider, ear-plugs, abstinence of caffeine and wearing socks in bed all had pretty much zero effect on my sleep pattern.  Also, regardless of the amount of time I spend in bed (11 hrs yesterday) I still average between 2.5 and 3 hrs sleep.  I think I may well try the intermittent fasting again to see if that helps.  However, this time I could try to not eat during the 16 hours following me going to bed instead of the 16 hours prior to waking up.  I know that this will annoy a lot of people who still subscribe to the "six small meals a day" and "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day".  

Whilst I really detest YOLO, it is important to differentiate between doing something stupid because you only have one life and doing something drastic to prolong said life.  You won't get me jumping out of a perfectly good aeroplane but making dramatic changes to my diet and life-style in an attempt to live longer makes sense to me.  With that in mind, it is now 02:15hrs and I will try not to eat until 18:15hrs.  Might try this for a week and see if there are any noticeable results.

Watch this space as as usual, feel free to leave positive/constructive comment (nobody has yet)

Fitbit Flex Journey

First, a little recap or "Previously, on Book of Cy":
So, I met my wife some 21 years ago and we married 16 years ago.  When I met her, I was 20, slim and fit.  I was working at a solicitors office as an Office Junior which is an affectionate way of referring to the office dogs-body.  I did anything and everything asked of me which involved a lot of rushing around the office and running documents to other offices.  I would cycle 4 miles to work each day and 4 miles home in the evening.  I could eat anything I liked and not put on weight.

I started work at a small publishing company and went from a very active life-style to a very sedentary life-style.  Working behind a computer all day, slowed metabolism and egg & bacon rolls for breakfast, I soon got up to 13st 7lbs and there I stayed for several years.

I started a new career and thus improved my fitness although my weight stayed the same however my new career imposed even more time spent sitting with short periods of activity.  Add to this the rigours of shift-work, not being able to get proper meals at reasonable times.  Here in the UK, and probably the world over, good, nutritional food is expensive and not convenient whilst junk-food is quick and easy and thus my weight had crept up to over 15 stone.

I looked at different methods of weight-loss.  The issues here is that I do not like exercise and do not play sports.  I have looked at PS3 software like EA Sports Active which are good in their own right but I have always had a very small lounge area which inhibits the amount of exercise that can reasonably be done at home.

We have since moved home and have a much larger lounge making the Just Dance a breeze.  We also got a dog a little while back and thus I resolved to walk her each day a decent distance, thereby improving my health.  By this time I was hovering around the 15st 7lb mark.

This is when "disaster" struck.  Whilst out walking Dora,

 I suffered what felt like a fractured toe.  I had broken that toe twice in the past and the feeling is quite distinctive.  I limped home, each step getting progressively worse.  I buddy-strapped the toe up and got on with things, trying to take it easy.  However, after two weeks of limping around at work, my foot had swollen and become extremely tender and I could not wear my work-boots without excruciating pain.  My foot could not take any weight and I had to phone in sick.  Believing that my toe was fractured, I had to rest it.  I won't go into the details of my struggle with the doctors and their demonic receptionists but the X-ray report did not discover any fracture.  I've had blood tests which I am now awaiting the results.  

The end result of not being able to walk properly for a month is that my weight had shot up to 16st 4 lbs.  This is the heaviest I have ever been.  I needed to do something to get my weight down.  There is a definite motivation to lose weight when health issues such as diabetes, heart-disease, arthritis and now potentially gout are sitting in the background.  And thus I started looking at the influx of wearable tech and fitness trackers that are on the market.

My eye was immediately court by the Garmin Vivofit.  It looks smart with exceptional battery life and logs all the data I could possibly want.  Yep, that was the one I wanted and was for sale in Asda for £69.  All I had to do was check the reviews on Youtube and I would be ready to purchase.  Youtube reviews showed it as a very competent fitness tracker and thus back up to Asda to find that the price had jumped to £99.  Well, that required a little more thought and research to which I discovered that the Vivofit does not sync with my phone (Galaxy S3 Mini).  I now discovered that the Vivofit comes with a USB wireless adapter for syncing with a PC but I do prefer the additional ability of syncing to my phone for when I am away from home.

So, back to the drawing board and researching the most suitable fitness tracker for me.  The Jawbone UP appears to sync by plugging into the earphone socket which, after being the proud owner of a palm device with a screwed earphone socket from being over-used, was a complete no-no.  I found that the majority of new wearable tech is only compatible with the newest phones.

This is when I found the Fitbit Flex reduced to £69 in Halfords.  Steps, Calories and sleep all tracked and compatible with the S3 mini?  This was what I was looking for.  I also looked at the Fitbit One however did not like the sweat-band type of strap for wearing it.  The information logged is quite comprehensive and the sleep tracking is a real eye-opener.

It is early days but the wristband is like the proverbial bit of string tied to your finger.  It is a visual reminder of my goals.  The Fitbit dashboard reminds me that I should be drinking more and the food logging reminds me that I need to eat less.  The pedometer reminds me that I need to be moving more.  By setting up my goal of reaching the 12st 7lbs that I had when I was 20, the Fitbit site sets up my calorie limits to achieve this and has an almost holistic approach to reaching this goal.  Is it as good as having a personal trainer setting out meal and exercise plans?  No, probably not.  Is it far cheaper and more accessible?  You bet.

And here is the real eye-opener, no pun intended.  I have tracked my sleep for the last three nights.  I know that I snore, I know that my weight is a contributory factor.  I now know that I am averaging about 3 hours sleep each night.  This is a real motivation to sort my weight out.

It's the start of a journey.  I feel positive and optimistic with regard to the potential results. Comments etc are welcome.

Health and Fitness

I currently have a cold and I'm feeling under the weather.  I've not stuck to my fasting routine but have generally stuck to my maintenance level of calories so my weight is about the same albeit with a few ups and downs.  I've started the EASA2 90 day program on hard level so it will be interesting to see if I get any results from that.  I have not had the time or felt up to doing the UFC training, it is really demoralising when it tells you that you are not completing reps that you are doing more than double on.  Likewise, it really does focus on speed over form but at the same time, if you go too fast, it fails you.  It really is frustrating.  I'm glad I only paid £7 instead of £39.99 as paying full price would have really annoyed me.  It may be that this is better on the Xbox using the Kinect but from what I have read, it is not much better.  I think the next step will be from using bands to using weights.  I remember that the EASA2 issue was that you set the weight that you would use in the menu however I can use heavier weights for some exercises but not for others e.g. I can Hammer Curl far heavier than I can fly or kickback.  The options open to me are that I can either just say "blow it" and leave the weight in the menu at the lowest denominator and chop and change my weights depending on the exercise;  use the lowest common denominator for all exercises and accept that things like curls will be far easier and less effective; or use the highest denominator and have mid set rests for the exercises I'll struggle with at that weight e.g. 2 sets of 5 reps instead of 1 set of 10 reps.  I have set the new programme to have days off on Saturday and Sunday, so not to interfere with Jo's days off and to have Tuesday off so that I'm not working out on Christmas day.  I need to keep an eye out for a second set of sensors so that I can exercise with Ellie.

The Ubisoft's My Fitness Coach Club will get more use when I have got over this cold.  Likewise, the Just Dance 4 will get a hammering too.  We have downloaded Gangnam Style which Ellie is itching to get me doing and should be a lot of fun.  It would be nice to get adept at it in time for Christmas.  Doing the Duets with Ellie is a great laugh for all concerned.

My Fitness Coach:  So, I've had a change to look at this properly now and the one thing that I notice as lacking and it is a biggy, there is no long-term program to follow.  It has a calendar that allows you to see what workouts you have done on a specific day but no way to plan ahead.  The workouts themselves are fun, shifting from one exercise to the next quickly and seamlessly but after each workout there is a good 5 minutes of cool-downs, which if you are looking to do more than one workout in succession, you don't really want a five minute cool-down in between.  It uses the Playstation Move Controller which, as previously discussed adds an extra £40-£50 to the cost of the game however it is possible to use the game without the controller.  Also missing is the ability to work out with a friend which is available on both EASA2 and UFCPT albeit EASA2 would require an extra set of sensors.  This lack of an extra player does not affect me in any way because our lounge is tiny and two people doing kick-boxing in it could possibly end with casualties.  The sensor on MFC seems pretty accurate but then the trainer doesn't appear to care less if you are doing it wrong, just as long as you are making an effort.  MFC is ideal for those that want something that they can pick up or put down as and when their life-style dictates, there are no commitments here.  I think, with a separate calendar, you could plan your workouts and stay motivated.  I think I can use this to top up my workouts when I have the time which will mostly be when I am off work.  There are no built in on-line features with this so it is on par with EASA2 and UFC however there does appear to be DLC available.  Whilst not as motivating as EASA2 and not quite as much fun as JD3 or JD4, it is entertaining and quick to get into.  The only other gripe is that the weight is in metric only which is no big deal but I had to google my weight to work out what it is in Kilos and I'll have to do this each time I lose more weight.