I was overjoyed to do a circular walk round the village this morning, a distance of about one and a quarter miles. This felt strangely exciting and liberating as I've been forced to rest my leg at home for a couple of weeks because of a strained hamstring muscle. Although painful, it was obviously only a very minor sprain, since I can now walk perfectly normally.
In the gardens I saw the fat red seed heads of climbing roses and the papery brown seed heads of dahlias, and also many signs of spring's coming resurrection: purple and yellow crocuses, multi-coloured primulas, yellow jasmine, aconites, snowdrops, catkins, the buds of flowering currant; and tulips and daffodils were pushing up through the earth.
The diet still goes well: my weight is now 14 st 1 lb, so I've lost 12 lb in three and a half weeks, which is good going. The weight loss will slacken off now my body has stabilised — perhaps 1-2 lb per week. But my target of 13 st by the end of April is quite achievable, I think.
I've started exercising again — but I'm taking things very gently indeed. I'm still probably spending too much time on the computer but, hey, you've got to do something, and I enjoy it. And I've been reading loads — Rimbaud, Verlaine, Graham Robb, Jean Giono, Jostein Gaarder.
So far, so good.
You've lost 12 stone?? Maybe a typo...
ReplyDeleteI read that Robb book about Rimbaud a while back - great story!
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MAYBE a typo??? Amended now — in case anyone thinks I'm Daniel Lambert! Yes, I really enjoyed that Robb biography, Rachel. He certainly puts the other biographers in their place. I liked his sceptical tone of voice.
ReplyDeleteSo good to hear that healing is taking place and a new vitality arising! I haven't been out walking as much as usual, and thoroughly enjoyed your description of your 1-1/4 mile walk
ReplyDeleteMy recent plan of limiting my time on the computer has been modified to a simply limiting myself to checking and writing email only for a short period in the early morning and early evening. I don't like the obsessive feeling that was developing with checking email all day and feeling obliged to respond.
What I discovered in my experiment with limiting all computer time during the day was that the computer and the internet have become creative tools for me and a source of inspiration in addition to books (the internet is like a book, isn't it?) and that there is really no need to limit that creative time as long as there is balance with time away from the computer. During my childhood summers, I used to spend hours each day reading books and then more hours outside walking alone -- a rich existence!
Good to hear from you, am. Like you, I definitely see the computer as a creative tool and a source of inspiration. Also like you, I hate getting obsessed about anything, and feeling any pressure or obligation to respond to emails etc in a certain time period. Luckily, I think I've balanced things out quite well now, and, if I'm at home, try to leave long gaps between computer sessions.
DeleteWell done, Robert. Glad to hear that your walking is back to normal. As to the commendable weight loss, I'm inclined to believe that body weight and one's overall sense of well-being go hand in hand. When I lose a few pounds here and there, I always have the lighter sense of being, and my day to day "problems" seem a bit easier to bear.
ReplyDeleteI agree, George. Really we all know the weight we're comfortable with — otherwise we're just fooling ourselves. Though I would hesitate to pronounce on what's the right weight for anyone — there are lots of individual factors, including psychological ones. Our own bodies tell us in the end, if we listen to them. I go by the Mass Body Index (MBI) too — which is a good, rough guide.
DeleteI would have thought actually losing weight while immobilised is quite a hard thing to do - so that 12lb must be good for morale.
ReplyDelete(Currently reading The Gateless Gate and Lovelock's Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth).
I love Lovelock and the Gaia concept.
DeleteThe next two months will be much, much harder, Dominic.
ReplyDelete12 lbs in 3 1/2 weeks is remarkable. I wish I could drop just a few, but they don't seem to want to part with me no matter how much and hard I walk or alter my eating habits. But no matter, I too feel fitter, and that's what counts I guess. In any case, you sound wise in your goals and regimen.
ReplyDeleteI always lose a stone relatively quickly on a diet, Ruth. It must be my metabolism. The next and final stone will take a lot longer.
DeleteGood to check in after a break and see things are going well, injury aside. I did 16.5 miles yesterday, mostly Korean roads, but I daresay you crammed a lot more beauty and nature into your amble than I did in mine. I probably have you beat in the discarded plastic and general filth department, though.
ReplyDeleteOn the plus side, the cherry trees are in bud, it's noticeably milder (though still grazing zero C in the early morning)and a new crop of students is surging chaotically down the corridors, the hunger for knowledge, the thirst for experience emanating from every delightful face.
Discarded plastic (and other general litter including dead pets)... Mmm... that reminds me of part of the Spanish camino, Goat!
ReplyDeleteAh, the new school term! What every teacher looks forward to...