500 Days of Slimmer - and Some Other Crap Too...

[Tiplodocus]

Fitbit was offering a 90 day free trial on premium recently.

Since returning from Spain I've upped the running (up to 13k), reduced the booze (mostly only Friday and Saturday) and started daily exercising with Team Body Project in YouTube. Seems to be working so far... but still a chunk of work to get me back to my April level.

[Buttonman]

Fitbit was offering a 90 day free trial on premium recently.

Since returning from Spain I've upped the running (up to 13k), reduced the booze (mostly only Friday and Saturday) and started daily exercising with Team Body Project in YouTube. Seems to be working so far... but still a chunk of work to get me back to my April level.

Yeah, I think 2020 scuppered everyone's plans. I was on a trajectory for an all time high, so I'm glad to at my pre-pandemic level. If It wasn't for that month of everyday boozing and takeaways I'd be home and hosed by now.

[shaolin_monkey]

It definitely scuppered it for me!!



Over 17 stone - now! My ideal weight is 13 stone. Thinking of getting wider door frames.

Getting back on it though - first sunny day in weeks, so straight on the bike for a cycle around Cardiff, and I'm just waiting for the sun to drop a bit so I can go out in the garden for some VR space racketball.

[Funt Solo]

I totally raxed my knee last year and am still recovering (after an op to trim back a torn meniscus), plus I'd started to get higher blood pressure readings, so I actually managed to lose a few pounds and go back from being overweight to being at the high end of normal (as the chart has it).

Unfortunately, this has involved eating less and exercising more. Surely there's some other way to achieve good health? Like drinking heavily, or something?

[Tiplodocus]

I'm genuinely loving the Team Body Project workouts. Me and the wife get up and go at it for 15 or 30 minutes each morning*. Longer sessions on the weekend. Especially good now it's miserable and dark and we can't work around the block before work.

* oo-er!

[Funt Solo]

I'm genuinely loving the Team Body Project workouts. Me and the wife get up and go at it for 15 or 30 minutes each morning*. Longer sessions on the weekend. Especially good now it's miserable and dark and we can't work around the block before work.

* oo-er!

I know you Finbarr Saundered that one yourself, but dude! There's no way to read that paragraph politely. Candid photography, eh? Nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more...

[Proudhuff]

Butt'man, Tharg is crying out for letters in the Prog and the Megazine editorials... Shirley you could try a bit better?

[Buttonman]

Another month goes by and we hit the first day of advent. Good time for weight loss schemes. ice to see some interaction last month - love the photos Shaolin Monkey - need one of those slave girl Leias though..

Let's see what happened this month (tl:dr : not much).

Lose Weight: Got to the hallowed land of 15 stone. Probably two pounds down on the month which isn't great given I was at the gym a dozen times and kept my steps up. At least I moved from 'obese' to 'overweight' on the BMI scale. Small victories and all that.

Part of my downfall was pillaging aquarterof.com and Portugal vineyards. Hard not to over indulge when there's naught all else to do. 4 months to got and still 2.5 stone left. Let's call it two and it's a goer. Obviously Christmas will be quieter so hopefully status quo for now and a really miserable January.

Update Blogs Regularly : Well semi-regularly - managed 5 'W' films and 4 'Definite articles. Pretty slim picking with The Stranger (TV) being top 'The' title and Whiplash  the best 'W'. No it's not a bondage film.

18 to go to see these done, so this will be crossed off sooner, rather than later.

Update the Letters Thread : No Letters at all this month. They are officially extinct in the Megazine and are akin to hen's teeth in the Prog. Poor show, although circumstances may be dictating this terrible situation.

Walk 12,000 steps a day : Not fallen below 10,000 any day for months and the rolling average is now 12,705. The gym has shut so I've had to start pounding the streets for my running days, which I can feel in my joints already. Do enjoy a good walk with a podcast - Clinton Baptiste is the current favourite.

Get on a Game show - Still awaiting Tipping Point and some Irish bloke got my Chaser job!

Have 105 Letters Published : No chance of this unless they publish an all me special which seems unlikely at best. Not writing in so much so that won't help. No letters being published at all creates a vicious circle of no letters!

Bag 50 Munros : No Munros in my post code unfortunately!

So there you go another month but not many to go. If progress was a word, I'd say 'sluggish'. See you in 2021 if we're spared!

[Colin YNWA]

Don't forget if you are hitting the gym alot weight lose might not go down but you BMI might be improving as you are turning into a ripped adonis and muscle has weight?

I say this with absolutely no real knowledge but with a reassuring smile!

[sheridan]

Another month goes by and we hit the first day of advent. Good time for weight loss schemes. ice to see some interaction last month - love the photos Shaolin Monkey - need one of those slave girl Leias though..

Nah - the advent calendar needs a 2000AD connection.  What's the 2000AD version of slave girl Leia?  Durham Red?  Anderson sexily waking up having had a nightmare and walking around in a silky nightie?*


I wonder if silky nighties are Justice Department issue for Psi-Judges?

[Buttonman]

Don't forget if you are hitting the gym alot weight lose might not go down but you BMI might be improving as you are turning into a ripped adonis and muscle has weight?

I say this with absolutely no real knowledge but with a reassuring smile!

I mostly just run at the gym - try to do about 10k in an hour - I like the smooth surface and regular pace - and no hills (unless you want them) potholes or dog shit.

I would say I am slightly more toned and clothes are fitting better - muscle does weigh more than fat!

[Buttonman]

Nah - the advent calendar needs a 2000AD connection.  What's the 2000AD version of slave girl Leia?  Durham Red?  Anderson sexily waking up having had a nightmare and walking around in a silky nightie?*


I wonder if silky nighties are Justice Department issue for Psi-Judges?

Anything by Ian Gibson and you can sign me up!

[sheridan]

I wonder if silky nighties are Justice Department issue for Psi-Judges?

We never did get to see Judge Omar off-duty...

[Buttonman]

Well here we are, finally in 2021. 2020 was like a bum wipe that never seemed to end, despite the mountain of toilet paper we filled out the garage with during several panic buying sprees. More importantly I hit 50 on April 1st , so there are only three further instalments of this thread to come! Oh and Happy New Year!

Just when it was starting to develop too, with people finally coming on board having gorged on everything X-Hamster has to offer.

No weight update this month as Christmas was always going to be a bust. I was actually OK and the family's agreement to do a secret Santa only meant that the chocolate haul was markedly down this year. Yay! I haven't checked but I suspect I've added a pound or two to the already behind schedule 15 stone. With three months to go, 13 should be achievable at a push. I will be the belle of the ball at my 50th party, in my man cave with just the wife to marvel at me getting back into the 32" waist jeans!

There was also nothing to report on the letters front although I understand that there was a double page spread in the Christmas issue. Alas, I've still to receive that one so we had a blank month on the LETTERSENTERTAINYOU publishing schedule. I also didn't write in at all as all my comics were at least a week late and the early bird catches all the published letter worms unfortunately.

Things did progress on the Movie blog front with The Definite Article Blog hitting the target 250 reviews 3 months early. 7 December entries took us over the line with Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen being the surprise pick of the month. I plan to upset my reader by mothballing this blog as it was a lot easier than I thought. My TV planner, Amazon Prime and Netflix watch lists are all jammed up with 'The ...' films. If I was a better planner I'd do a themed month of animals or something but instead I'm going to watch stuff because I want to and not because of some self imposed challenge.

Over on the 'W' blog, five reviews saw us to 344 entries meaning that this should be cleared off by next month's update. Pick of a runtish litter was the Austrian entry for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars What We Wanted

Which was pretty good but a bit depressing.

The steps average fell a bit to 11,938 but the gym is shut again and have you seen the weather? I have maintained a 10k minimum for each day for a further month and know the streets 2 miles in all directions like the back of my hand.

Nothing back from Tipping Point and there are still no Munros in my council area.

I am planning for a dry January (after celebrating the Rangers win on the 2nd) and will cut out all the rubbish as well as most bread and milk in my tea. A fun month awaits.

I hope you are all doing well?

[Buttonman]

Hurrah! Only two of these to go after this one. It's been good to have something to answer to and I'd recommend keeping a diary of your weight loss or similar ambitions, although maybe not a public one.

WEIGHT LOSS : I was 14st 12lb this morning which is two stone off the lockdown high. The 12.5 stone target seems a bit remote but if I can get to something starting with a '13' I'll take it. Haven't had a drink since January 2nd and have kept the exercise up. Going to stay at it for the next sixty days with the odd interruption allowed - Valentine dinner and the wife's birthday can't be ignored.

I haven't had any issue staying off the rubbish but the weight hasn't come off as it once did - possibly due to my heart meds and the slower metabolism they create - let's say that anyway.

STEPS : Average is now 11,729 steps a day which is pretty good seeing as it's the winter. Still not missed 10k steps since July yet and trying a bit of weights work for some toning - and power! Saw a rib the other day, but it may just have been a barbecue leftover.

UPDATE THE BLOGS : Completed it mate. The 'W' Blog reached its target of 350 entries with six January ruminations. The best of these was Who You Think I am , a sexy French mystery drama with Juliette Binoche.

Over on the Definite Article Blog the 250 target was reached last month with The Ripper ending it's troubled life. Both these are now on hiatus and I'm enjoying watching new stuff because I want to. Look up 'The Same Sky' on More 4 - very good!

TV Appearance : Nothing back from Tipping Point. C'mon Ben, you know you want to.

MUNROS : Still in total lockdown - down the local speed bump a few times but it's not the same.

UPDATE THE LETTERS BLOG : A frantic month with two, count 'em, two letters pages to digest  Here and
Here.

Over a thousand reads for the Christmas edition and 600 already for the last Prog. If you write it they will come. Be unimpressed and then head off somewhere else.

To fill some of the void I've taken up Chess - no, I'm not bandwaggoning on 'The Queen's Gambit'. Well not much. Just always fancied it and the interface on Chess.com is really good. The base rating level is 100 and I'm at about 200 after 100 games. Let's say 500 for the birthday celebrations! Buttonman1969 if you want some easy points.

Anyway I hope my loyal reader is well and all your own plans and schemes are on target.

See you next month for the penultimate edition.