Tuesday 20 September 2011

Walking is good

An advantage of walking to work is passing the horse chestnut trees, which took a hammering in the winds last week. I can't resist a conker, that smooth glossy shell nut inside a velvet-lined spiky shell.

So the walking:
Saturday 10th  : 41 minutes around the block
Sunday 11th :  38 minutes into the village
Monday 12th : 2 x 15 minutes
Tuesday 13th : 23 minutes to work; 24 minutes home from work
Wednesday 14th:   23 minutes to work; 29 minutes longer route home from work
Thursday 15th: 27 minutes streets of London
Friday 16th: 23 minutes to work;
Saturday 17th: 32 minutes old running route in Derby
Sunday 18th - 'rest day' - ie I didn't get out
Monday 19th - failed miserably drove to work and forgot we had a visitor at lunch time
Tuesday 20th - 25 minutes - longer route to work, still not 30 minutes

I enjoyed the walking and certainly worked up a sweat and raised heart rate (got the Garmin out too!). I lost a pound too - might have been more if I had a bit of a binge eat on the two days I didn't walk. So clearly the exercise feel-good works when I do it.




Saturday 10 September 2011

30 minutes

My friend N is very good at getting me to think afresh. She has just started a new blog about  her approach.

We have been having a declutter in Derby as we hope to move after 20 years in the same house. But I have not faced my wardrobe for some time. One issue is that I have two wardrobes - most of my clothes have gravitated to York as I am here more than there, but I have to keep some in Derby for weekends. The other issue is that I hate clothes shopping and and I try to avoid looking at myself in the mirror. All to do with the weight issue of course.

To cut a long story short, I have confronted my York wardrobe and reduced the wearing collection considerably. There are now three piles - things I do wear; things I never wear (to go  the charity shop) and things I would like to wear when I lose a stone. There will be similar piles to identify in Derby too. And there is probably a pile to wear when I lose two stone as well.

So what has this to do with thirty minutes?

You may remember this used to be a running blog, but a knackerty knee put paid to that. I loved doing the exercise, but found it hard to fit in to a busy life at times. Since giving up the weight has piled on more. I have tried, I really have but have not found the focus. But this week I got back that 'high' when I walked to work, rather than cycling. And feeling good helps me eat better.

So I going to try to get 30 minutes walking every day. Easy on days in the office when there are no time pressures - I can make that 30 minutes each way. Weekends, are when I am less likely to get out of the house so that's when I have to make the effort.

I'll let you know how I get on (if there is anyone still out there reading).