How to Lose a Belly When You're 42 (part 18)

Monday
Weight: 10st 11lbs

Obviously, the big disappointment is that I didn't lose any weight last week. I suppose this isn't too surprising when you consider I consumed 4 slices of cake and 6 bottles of beer over the weekend. I must remind myself that no amount of exercise can make up for a poor diet. Plus, I couldn't train on Thursday because of my injured right foot. Must do better!
I cycled to work, managing to get in before the rain started. I had a carbohydrate-filled lunch of banana loaf with a banana and then cycled home ready to do my 10k run. I got out in the cold and started running. Unfortunately, after three minutes my right leg cramped up! I tried running on but couldn't so I stopped to stretch it out. I tried again, lasted another three minutes but it was too much, the muscles were cramped up good and proper. When I got home I smothered the leg in Deep Heat which made it feel a lot better. I considered doing a weights session but my leg wouldn't stop hurting even when I tried some body-weight exercises. I guess I could have pressed on through the pain but wouldn't I just be making the problem worse?
So I settled for no beer and some healthy eating (I cooked Mexican scrambled eggs tonight.)

Exercise
Cycled to work and back

Food
2 toasted crumpets with peanut butter
Glass of apple and mango juice
2 cups of redbush tea
Three slices of banana fruit loaf
2 small oranges
Banana
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms and homemade potato wedges.

Alcohol
None

Tuesday
A slightly different breakfast today - Lucy has switched me to a 100% peanut butter containing no added salt, sugar or palm oil. It's just peanuts! I didn't know such a product existed. It must be really, really good for me. The only trouble is - it doesn't taste very nice...
I cycled in to work, worked, and then cycled home again.
At the dojo tonight, I was nicknamed "Seahorse" by some of the other karateka. This is because the male seahorse carries the eggs in a pouch and gives birth to the young. Apparently, I look pregnant...I've obviously put on a lot of weight over Christmas!

Me and my "pregnant" karate belly after tonight's session.

The dojo session was a technical one, unfortunately. I was looking forward to getting stuck into something: basics, kata or fighting. It seems that Ruach has decided to change the kicks we use in our kata. We spent the hour relearning and practising the new way of doing our kicks. It could result in chaos at the next grading!
My right leg started to cramp up at the start of the lesson, but it soon eased off. I'm looking forward to trying it out on a run sometime this week.
At home, Lucy presented me with a huge dinner of burgers and veggies!

Exercise
Cycled to work and back
One hour of martial arts

Food
2 crumpets with 100% peanut butter
3 cups of redbush tea
Glass of grape juice
3 slices of banana fruit loaf
Small orange
Banana
2 beefburgers with savoury rice, beetroot and loads of green vegetables.
Coffee

Alcohol
None

Wednesday
I have to drive everywhere on Wednesdays - especially now with my altered timetable: I teach at two different campuses. I taught my usual lessons until 3:30 and then I had some lunch before travelling to Digbeth for my new night class starting at 6:15. After being given the wrong classroom number, discovering my classroom key didn't fit the lock, and then not having a register, the lesson eventually settled down and I realised that I had a great new class of 19 friendly students. Wednesday nights are going to be long but fun. We finished at 8:45.
I made my way home for veggie burgers (the ones made of actual vegetables, not the cardboard ones) and Modern Family on TV.
Lucy had opened a bottle of my red wine but I managed to resist a glass.
It was far too late and I was far too tired to do any exercise after dinner.

Exercise
none

Food
2 crumpets with 100% peanut butter
Glass of grape juice
Cup of redbush tea
Banana
2 slices of malt loaf
Homemade chicken salad sandwich on wholemeal  bread
Vegetable burgers with noodles and green beans

Alcohol
None

Thursday
A long day of teaching from 9 until 6 and then a cycle home for a good D&D session (poor Lightbringer the Paladin is now both blind and unable to speak...)
After dropping the players home I returned at 9:45 to spend some quality time with my girlfriend I returned at 9:45 to do an hour of weight training. I finished lifting at 11pm, sore, happy and wide awake. I eventually forced myself to go to bed at midnight.
No junkfood, no booze.

Exercise
Cycled to work and back
100 push ups
100 leg raises
100 triceps dips
OHP (29kg): 5 sets of 5 reps
DB Curls (17kg): 5 x 5
Shrugs (48kg): 5x5
Deadlift (54kg): 5x5
Squats (38kg): 5x5
Curls (37kg): 5x5


Food
2 crumpets with 100% peanut butter (yuck)
Glass of grape juice
2 cups of redbush tea
3 slices of malt loaf
Banana
Homemade sausage casserole (lots of veggies) with wholemeal pasta

Alcohol
None

Friday
Snow. I left the house on the Raleigh with commuter tyres. I was wrapped up warm but the big mistake I'd made was not wearing cycling glasses. I do have some good glasses but I usually only wear them when mountain biking or on the road bike in the summer to keep the flies out of my eyes.
I needed them today - the headwind was blowing snow right into my face and I was struggling to see ahead. I almost turned back but then I thought, "It'll ease off before I get to work, surely?"
Bigger mistake! The wind gathered force and whipped itself into a blizzard! The snow was being blasted into my eyes and twice I had to pull off on to the pavement simply because I couldn't look ahead on the road. It took me a long time to get to work so it was a rush to get the first lesson ready.
In the afternoon, I cycled over to a meeting in Digbeth. All the snow had gone and the weather had calmed. I cycled home at 4pm (a total of around 14 miles cycling today.)
At home, not really ready to face Sensei Ronnie Christopher after my disastrous grading last month, I went for a run instead. Not wanting a repeat of Monday's failure, I massaged some Deep Heat into the legs before I set off. Again, the leg was quite painful, but I managed to get through the 10K a little faster then last week.


Exercise
Cycled to work and back (around 14 miles today)
10K Run: 68 minutes 49 seconds

Food
2 x wholemeal toast with 100% peanut butter (what a boring breakfast!)
1 glass of grape juice
1 cup of redbush tea
2 bananas
2 crumpets
Pint of semi-skimmed milk
Homemade chicken curry with lots of green beans and basmati rice

Alcohol
None

Saturday
I bounced out of bed at 7:30 ready to take to the lanes with my mates. Unfortunately, there had been some freezing temperatures and snow overnight and the roads looked white from my bedroom window.
This prompted Nigel, a very sensible chap, to send his apologies and stay in bed!
After a naughty breakfast of crumpets and cookies I called for Jonnie and we set off to Wilmcote.
The lanes were a little dodgy! Any water on the road had frozen and so there was a bit of ice about, coupled with piles of slush here and there.
We dropped down The Farm on Fordehall Lane at a steady pace but at the bottom, my back wheel did a little skid across the road! I managed to straighten the bike but when I looked up there was a twat in a Volvo bearing down on me. He felt it necessary to sound his horn at me. I informed him he was a wanker and we went our separate ways...
Today's target was a 13.2mph average speed over 30 miles. This wouldn't normally present a problem but we had decided to include The Farm in both directions and the weather was against us. Although the BBC had predicted sunny spells, it actually rained on us for almost all of the ride. The central heating, hot tea and cake at the halfway point was most welcome!
We left Wilmcote with a 13.7mph average and the knowledge that we had 15 miles of climbing to go...
The way back was hard. I had to really push to keep my speed above 13mph. By the time the road finally flattened out we were at 13.1mph. One last big effort got the average back up to our target before we rolled into Jonnie's front drive. Jonnie beat me in our traditional uphill sprint too!
He told me that he'd experienced a few 'scary' moments in the lanes today but we both agreed that it was the perfect day for Mad March Hare training - considering that there was ice on the road for the event last year!
After a hops-based recovery drink I rode home to clean the bike and tuck into some sausage-based lunch.

Evidence of the 13.2mph average speed.

After a very relaxing afternoon, Lucy and I made our way back up to Jonnie's place where he had prepared dinner. Jonnie, Harry and I had been given some beers to sample from The Boat Lane Brewery. Unfortunately, we're not allowed to air our views in a public forum which is a shame because there was good range of carefully brewed ales to report on!
Lucy and I staggered back home and I fell into bed about midnight.

Exercise
Ride: 30 miles at 13.2mph

Food
Crumpets with peanut butter
Apple juice
Tea
Half a packet of cookies!
Slice of homemade cake
More tea
Sausage casserole with wholemeal pasta
Homemade lasagna with garlic bread and salad

Alcohol
A variety of different ales shared with two good blokes
2 glasses of red wine


Sunday
Woke up with a shocking hangover - I'm not sure why it was so bad. I didn't drink that much! I made breakfast for myself and Lucy and then spent most of the day on the couch. Eric and Jane came to visit but Jane didn't bring any cake with her...
I did manage to motivate myself enough to go to the dojo at 4pm. Tonight's karate lesson was relatively gentle. We had quite a few beginners so Sensei Gary took it easy. I was very glad of that! After an hour's karate I felt much, much better. At home, Lucy had prepared a fantastic Sunday Dinner complete with homemade pudding. I had a few drinks in the evening again...

Exercise
One hour of martial arts training

Food
Bacon and eggs with tomatoes on wholemeal toast.
Tea
Juice
Cookies!
Slice of pork pie
Chicken dinner with Yorkshire pudding, sweet potatoes, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, peas, broccoli, green beans and gravy.
Homemade apple pie with ice cream

Alcohol
1 ale
2 stouts
1 small whiskey
1 large red wine


Summary
Again, the familiar pattern: I train well in the week, binge drink at the weekend. More self control needed...