Hello. It's that time again, the first of the month when I hand over this page to the Walking Group, who check in with their miles for the previous months. I'm leaving it up to you to do a running total, so if you could post your miles for January and February here, I will be well chuffed. You can come back to this post at any time if you miss it today, this is where we all chat about how we are doing with our own personal challenges.
Here is my chart, I finished off tonight with two miles to make it a round two hundred. You can see I missed three days, but made it up by doing extra on other days. I have a two and a three mile walk around my village, that can give me 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 miles. On the day I did 8 miles, I added an extra bit onto it and walked a bit further.
We are two months into it now, those who did it last year will be a picture of health and feeling pretty darn good. If you started this year, you should be feeling a bit better, the longer you do it the fitter you become. Don't expect miracles, don't give up because you think it isn't making any difference to your fitness levels. It will come if you give it time. If you have fallen behind a bit, give yourself a kick up the backside, and make up your mind to get stuck in. Make March the month you will succeed. No matter how much I nag you, ultimately it's down to you.
Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip
Hello. Just popping in tonight to remind our Walking Group members that you have one day left to the end of the month. How's it going, have you achieved your targets, or have you been slacking. Ok, it's a short month, I'll let you off if you are a few miles short, but I hope you make an effort next month to catch up.
I am on target to hit the 100 miles again, after doing one longer walk, and adding extra miles onto my daily walks.
69 members signed up for the Walk 1000 miles in one year challenge, at the beginning of January. I am pleased to say that 53 people checked in with their January miles, on the 1st of February post. A jolly good effort. Are we going to get all 69 people checking in on the 1st of March with their total miles? It would be brilliant to see every single person making an effort.
This format will go on for the whole year, checking in on the 1st post of every month. If you miss it don't worry, you can go back to that post at any time during the month to add your miles.
We had such a lot of members staying with it for the whole of the 2016 challenge, lets see if we can increase it for this year.
To feel the benefits of any exercise it should be a continual process. Not just for the New Year, not just for getting in shape for holidays, and not for a few weeks in the summer when the weather is warmer. It is proven that regular exercise is beneficial for the mind as well as the body. Feeling fed up? Get out for a walk, or a run. or a cycle, or a swim.
I often meet other people walking and running around my village. I stopped to chat this morning with a young mum who was pushing her baby in a buggy. I have seen her running. She tells me that she runs 5k five times a week, and feels absolutely great afterwards. She has run several marathons, and she looks as fit as a fiddle, no sign of a mummy tummy.
My walking buddy Paul does a lot of cycling, he goes out at every opportunity, and is very fit for a 53 year old. There is also Christopher who was overweight, he has lost a couple of stone through watching what he eats, and cycling almost every day. Any exercise has to be good for you.
Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip
Hello. Here is a full list of Walking Group members. I will copy and paste the list on the first of every month, to remind everyone who has signed up for it. Members should check in on the first of every month with their own mileage in a comment. Please do your own running total adding the months together so I don't have to do your sums for you. Don't worry if you are late, you can check in at any time but to keep it all in the same place please go to the post on the first of the month. To find it refer to the archive list on the sidebar. There are 69 names on the list.
Amanda in Atlanta - Dinky Jenny - Blue eyes Sue - Shoestring Jane - Amanda - Sally C - Michelle - Margaret in Maryland - Hazel Dxb - Joan in Michigan - Nanny Anna in Canada - Donna from Illinois - Betsy in Baltimore - Boxgrove Girl - Cherie K - Judlike - Juless61 - DixieChick - Frugal in Bucks - Frugal in the Valley - Beachcomber Sue - Kateonthecoast - Jan - alicesav - Trish - Shelly Williams - Sarah Cornwall - Jane J Robinson - PinkFish Sue - Natalie - Scarlett - Ray Nicholson - Jools - Helen Graham - Catriona - Wendy Wdc - Jayne - Patricia Montreal - Odette - Michelle Colorado - Christine Phipps - Kaye Schmitz - Jane C - Vampire Heart - Vicki E Yorks - Christine Neumann - Wanda - Kath K - Dunhamlass - Emma - Lori in Alaska - Linda Martin - Lorraine Washington - Hilde - Hilogene - Nick - Hazel C - Amy in Florida - Sue - Yorkshire Lass - Helen D - Becky - Michele in Australia - Sonja Nth Carolina - Lo - Louise Houghton - Tricia - Wences I have reached 100 miles, a target I set myself in the middle of January. Here's how I did it.
I see someone has commented already in yesterdays post. I can copy and paste it in here, but your name will not show as a link.
Good luck everyone, lets have some numbers. Tell us how you are getting on, the highs and lows, how you feel, fitter or knackered, ha ha. If you are thinking about doing this get off your bum and take the plunge. Do it for yourself, make an effort to fit it in with your daily routine. You know it makes sense. I can add your name to the list on March the 1st.
Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip
Hello. I've had my tootsies tickled today. Hugo has a clinic at the Age UK regional office in town, and charges only £10, so I thought it would be a good idea to get my feet checked to make sure there is nothing terribly wrong with them.
I expected him to be an older man, he sounded older on the phone. I'm surprised that a young man chooses a career which involves getting up close to feet. He was a chatty friendly type, and he loves his job. He goes to care homes and does all the elderly people while they are having a coffee. He does home visits, and will visit groups. Here are his details for anyone in the North Lincolnshire area.
Hugo says he has seem bunions a lot worse than mine. He says if they are not causing any bother leave them alone. They aren't so I will.
Hugo says I have two hard lumps on the balls of my feet, I'll cut them out. He said it's the pressure which causes that.
Hugo says it's ok to drain a blister and put antiseptic on it.
Hugo says do you want me to cut your toe nails. I said no, I've just washed my feet and cut them myself, I can reach them. But you can use your clippers on the two hard nails which I find difficult to cut with scissors.
Hugo says, do you want some moisturizer on them. I said, yes please.
Hugo asked me if I want to make another appointment. I said, no, I will see how they are in six months after I have done some more walking.
Hugo says he has the best job in the world. I said, no you don't I had the best job in the world, a lorry driver. Hugo says he has an HGV licence. I said he could make some money driving a truck. He says no thanks, I like looking after feet.
Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip
Well hello, how are you, welcome, come on in. We have a little celebration going on, the 2nd of January is the anniversary of the very first blog post, eight years ago, so Happy Birthday blog.
After an operation when I was 59 I had 12 weeks off to recover, and when I was ready to go back to work, they announced they were closing the depot. I didn't have a job to go back to. And so I became unemployed. I didn't have much money because I had been reducing my hours at work, which reduced my pay. I had also been living on a pittance, my JSA had been reduced because I was receiving a little bit of insurance money. Those were hard times, but some of it was of my making because I scaled back the driving. It was just unfortunate that I had to take sick leave for a while.
So this blog was started in the January, and I survived on little money until my 60th birthday in May. It was a big sigh of relief when my pension kicked in. Things are much improved now, my thriftyness and penny pinching has helped me to pay off my mortgage, change my car twice, and have holidays and days out. Now I am ticking over nicely living within my means, and happy with my lot.
I think I have had all the mileage updates for the 2016 walking challenge. Counting up, 21 people have passed the 1000 mile mark. I think that's bloomin great, you should all be proud of yourselves. Some of you have come very close to it, also a great achievement, and a lot of you have done so well by sticking with it. As I always say, having a go and doing what you can, is better than sitting on your bum and doing nothing. So well done everyone.
The challenge was not a competition, not a race, but I've picked out two names at random for a prize. So step forward Helen D and Vicki. Big cheer. Send me your addresses and I'll send you a little surprise in the post.
Up to now there are 50 names on the list for 2017. Wouldn't it be good if we could get half of them to the 1000 mile mark. It would be chuffin great. 25 people fitter than when they started at the beginning. I know December is a long way off, but as you can see, it is achievable Good luck everyone.
Right, what's next. My lunch yesterday. Not much food left in the fridge. A spud in the microwave, grated cheese, a tomato, and sliced beetroot. A nice simple cheap meal.
The other day I made this, enough for two days of lunch and dinner. Two smallish onions chopped, handful of Quorn pieces, carrots, Brussels Sprouts, frozen broad beans, sweetcorn, and frozen cranberries. Start it off with a slug of oil, add water and splash of fruit juice. Curry powder, turmeric, vegetable granules, coriander, Danish blue cheese, and cream cheese. Simmer till veg is soft, add water if needed.
I cooked plenty of wholemeal pasta, enough for three meals, and the fourth portion was a topping on a microwaved spud. I didn't bother freezing it, kept it in the fridge, and microwaved it before eating. My goodness it was ever so tasty. I will need to go shopping at some point this week, seems like ages since I last went to the shops. Not much left in the fridge.
Find the cat. Heidi has a new hidey hole, ha ha. Isn't it funny, just when you think they have found the ideal place, they move on to somewhere else.
That's it, all blogged out, nowt else left to say. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip
Hello. Are you ready for the big one? The WALK 1000 MILES CHALLENGE.. It's the 1st of January and this is where we all start. Choose your boots or your trainers depending on the terrain. I use trainers for walking on tarmac around my village, and boots when on tracks and rough footpaths. Make sure you have the right footwear. Note - my home made shoe rack made out of pallets.
So, let's go through the rules. You can walk wherever you like, whenever you like, the aim is to complete the 1000 miles by December 31st 2017. You can break it down to 2.73 miles a day, I have two measured routes of two and three miles, from my front door. This takes me 35 minutes for two miles, and 50 minutes for three miles. I like to do a fairly brisk walk, a saunter or stroll will not do, I aim to work up a bit of a sweat. Sometimes it's cold when I set out but after ten minutes the heart starts pumping a bit harder and I warm up. When I get back I am ready to peel off some clothes.
The monthly total to aim for is 84 miles. If you are somewhere near that figure that will be fine. Some months you will do more, and some less. If over several months you find you are dropping back, you will have to put more effort in to catch up.
You can ignore the daily and monthly totals, and take on some long walks if you like. When on a walking holiday you could walk ten miles a day for eight days and have the rest of the month off.
Of course all this walking will depend on how fit you are, how much you have done in the past, and how much time you can give to it. If you are working full time can you incorporate walking too and from your workplace into your schedule. If not, can you walk during your lunch break.
There will be some people who will not be physically able to 1000 miles. That's ok, it isn't a competition or a race. Set yourself a lower target, even if it is one mile a day. The aim of this is to at least get you doing some exercise. Anyone who has sever mobility problems should consult their doctor first for advice. They may be able to embark on a different exercise routine, eg, swimming, aerobics, or yoga.
You will be checking your own mileage, it's up to you how you do this. Some people use a pedometer, or a fitbit. I use a web site, Bikehike.co.uk Toggle map sizes so the larger OS map is on the right hand side and use your mouse to plot out your route either before or after you have walked.
You can count any miles that you walk in the course of a normal day. I don't know how steps convert to distance, you will have to work that out for yourself. I prefer to count only the miles I set out to walk for the challenge. I don't count in shopping or dog walking, unless it's a big dog that's going to pull me along pretty fast.
On the first of every month you can check in with your miles walked over the previous month. Put this in a comment, then it is all on one blog post. It doesn't matter if you don't get it in on time, it can be updated any day in the month, just go back to the post on the 1st and put it in. This is the only record, there won't be a separate page. So, to start you can comment on this post to say you are in, and for the first day of every month after is where you check in. I want to see those numbers rising.
You will be full of enthusiasm when you start, that's how New Year Resolutions work. A few weeks or months into it you will wonder what you let yourself in for. You will then look for excuses not to do it, and start missing days. Haven't got time, got to go shopping, got to pick the kids up, need to get your hair done, etc etc. If you are opting to walk daily, it is better to build that time into your daily routine and find a slot for it. I am thinking now I had better get off my bum and do it now. If you are struggling, tell the rest of the group. Don't just stop and say stuff it, I can't be bothered. You will feel the benefits if you stick at it. Sore feet, try different footwear. Aching leg muscles, hot bath and massage.
Here's a little bit of inspiration to get you started.
Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip
PS. I think there are still some mileage totals for December to come in. When I have them I will have a complete list for 2016.
Hello. There were a few questions on my diet, snacking, and size, yesterday which I will answer here. Thank you to the readers who asked.
Have I always been slim? I was a skinny kid and a skinny teenager which stayed the same well into my late twenties. I did put on some weight after that due to eating crappy snacks while out driving a truck. In the early days I didn't do packups, that was my downfall, I went in shops and bought crisps, pop, biscuits, and chocolates. I wasn't very organized then due to working 12 hour days. One thing I never did was to pull in a cafe and have a truckers breakfast like many of my male counterparts did. I'm sure later many of them would come to regret that. At one point I was approaching 11 stone, which worried me, because my clothes were getting too tight. My skin was horrible too, sallow and spotty. Eventually I saw the light and thought this can't go on, I have to take my own food with me. Thankfully I lost a few pounds. I have never consciously dieted.
My weight dropped a bit too low when they found a large cyst on my right ovary at age 59. I was concerned that I was becoming very skinny. Thankfully after an operation to remove it, I gained a bit of weight to a more healthy level, and I have been able to maintain that.
Do I snack between meals? Most of the time I don't feel the need to because I try to eat only when I'm hungry. I don't snack for the sake of snacking, just because it's there. Snacks to me are a treat, only to be eaten on odd occasions. My meals are substantial enough to keep me going. I know people say watch your portion size if you are trying to lose weight, but I say you can eat as much as you like if it is not 'bad' food. Look how I pile my plate high with vegetables and salad. I do believe all the accompaniments that go with meals bump up the calories. Gravy, sauces, pastry, dumplings, Yorkshire puddings, all not necessary. And if you have to eat meat only go for the leanest, smallest piece you can find. Avoid fatty cheap cuts, avoid sausages, and avoid any processed frozen pies and pasties. In fact I believe all meat is bad for you, but I am not going to get into the veggie v carnivore argument, it's all been said before.
I have to admit to opening the fridge door and having a couple of cream crackers with cheese. I might have a yogurt, or a banana to keep me going. I might have a single slice of seeded bread with a smear of lemon curd. Or I might have half a tin of rice pudding. I quite often bring a meal forward an hour if I am feeling hungry, or delay a meal if I am still slightly full from the last one. Mealtimes are not set in stone here. As regards snacking, there is so much crap out there, it makes shopping a lot easier if you avoid going down those aisles anyway.
Do I consciously watch what I eat? Yes, I do. I am always aware of what I am putting into my mouth. I know in my mind what is good food and what is bad. I don't go out very much socially so I am not drawn into eating with other people. I don't believe you have to have a starter and a pudding with a meal, just the meal is enough for me. And as for a cheese board, that's plain daft. If I am caught out feeling a bit peckish while I am out, I will look for the smallest snack I can find. They have a small nutty bar in B & M for 19p. I don't have a coffee and cake while I'm out, too many calories. I never have takeaways, never go into burger bars and suchlike. I have been known to hurry back home because I need to eat.
Can we have a more detailed recipe for the veg and blue cheese concoction? I usually start off a meal like that in a medium size pan with chopped onion, mushrooms, and spinach. Soften in a spoon of oil. Then I add whatever vegetables I need to use up, chopped small to reduce cooking time. Throw in any spices I have, then add fruit juice and/or water or both, simmer till soft, add cheese before serving. That's about it, I make it up as I go along.
Is there any hope for the rest of us? Certainly is. If you are not under the doctor for any underlying medical problems then there is no reason why carefully monitoring your diet should not bring about an improvement in health. In fact I believe a poor diet often contributes to health problems. It's all down to what you put in your mouth, and of course getting enough exercise.
Thank you for your questions. I'll get off now, my stomach is telling me to eat.
Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip
Hello. I remembered to take my camera with me this morning to Crafty Club, and called in at the church on the way to get a few snaps of our tree. Eeeee, it does look grand. I think it is better than the conventional tinsel adorned artificial tree they have on display at the front of the church. You can't beat hand made.
There is a children's party on Thursday and they have a competition to name ten of the decorations on our tree.
We were a bit short on numbers this morning, people have other things to do on the run up to Christmas. We are not meeting again until the second week in January because the next two Mondays are Bank Holidays.
Several people have asked about doing the 1000 mile walking challenge next year. I have already mentioned that I will not be making a separate page to log the monthly miles, however, in view of people's interest in the challenge I am willing to give everyone a day a month to log their own miles in a monthly comment. Therefore it is up to you to keep track of where you are, but everyone can see it.
So, starting on January 1st you can register your name as a participant. and on the 1st of every month you check in with your mileage. Note, there are people with the same name, please add something to your name to make it different from the others. Please try and stick to this plan because then it is a group effort and everyone can support each other. You can comment on your walking at any time of the month, but it would be better if you logged your mileage on the 1st, then everyone is in the same blog post.
Basically, I am not going to hold your hand, you need to do it for you. I will be there to urge you to keep going, and to encourage you. I want to see those number increase month by month. It's up to you how you do it, long walks, short walks, and how you check your own progress. Whether you use an electronic gadget, or use a site like bikehike. you check your own miles.
People start New Year Resolutions with good intentions, but run out of steam part way through the year. If there is a good reason why you physically can't do it, don't worry. Maybe you could scale it down and find an exercise plan a bit easier. If there is nothing physically preventing you from walking then get off your bum and make the effort. 2.73 miles a day can be done in just under an hour. Remember, you are doing it for you, for your health, not for me or anyone else. Best of luck.
Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip
Hello. I've got a big smile on my face today, I went for the second part of my free health check at the surgery. My bloods have been checked and all seems well in that department. I weighed in at 59kg (9st 4lbs) and my height is 5'5". The print out says my ideal weight is 8st 13lbs, so I'll have to watch that I don't creep up a bit over winter. My blood pressure is 118/60, and my BMI is 21.67 kg/m. Pulse rate 76 bpm. There are some cholesterol readings, and she did explain to me what they mean, but I am still baffled. Nevertheless she said they are excellent.
All the information fed into the computer gives a score. My risk of having a heart attack in the next ten years is 7.4%, which is below the score of 10.5% for a healthy person of the same sex, age, and ethnicity. My healthy heart age is 63. The nurse questioned me about diet, alcohol use, and exercise. She said, whatever you are doing, keep on doing it. So, I'm a little bit chuffed. Making an effort is hopefully paying off.
I've put these two dollies side by side so you can see the size of the latest one. Little Polly dolly is 7.5 inches tall so will be ok for the Christmas tree. She is not bald at the back of her head, and I have put a narrow strip of plastic inside her body and head, and a bit more stuffing, so she isn't floppy.
She's had some fillers in her lips, ha ha.
I've seen this small lizardy thing in my garden for must be over a year now. Not sure if there is only one, or whether there is a family. It was in a bowl of water outside the back door and I thought it was struggling to get out, so I fished it out. Cute isn't it. I have to be careful when I am walking about in the garden so I don't stand on it. I wonder if it will hibernate.
Plenty of rocks for it to hide under. It moves very slow, does not run away and is easy to pick up. Off you go little lizard.
I forgot to include this map photo in my walking posts. It isn't very clear, but you can see how I fill in the lines with a marker pen for the different walks. When I check the mileage on bikehike.co.uk I trace out the lines with the mouse on the screen and it gives me a total.
A comment came in from Anon.......
Have you ever thought of collecting all your walking wanders up on a map/travel page? That way, if one was ever able to, they might be interested to duplicate some of your jaunts, and this would make it easier to hunt up the details/links.. Hello Anon. Thank you for your idea. Unfortunately I don't have time to do all that. It's the same reason why I don't write recipes, or give detailed instructions on how to make craft items. I write about quite a lot of topics on my blog, and will cover some of the basics with limited details, but can't spend more time on it, or I would never get anything else done. I suggest if anyone has a particular interest in something you goooooglie it, or go on yooootooob. There are specialist web sites/forums/blogs/ videos for just about any topic. Here is one for long distance walking. And a link for the Ramblers. And the Walking Englishman.
I've updated the latest mileage figures to come in, thanks for sending them. All is looking good, and I'm pleased to hear that a lot of you are feeling the benefits of regular exercise. keep it up. It's not just for one week, one month, or one year, it's forever. Look after your body.
Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip
Hello. As we are on the last straight towards the end of the Walk 1000 miles in one year challenge, I thought I would give you a condensed update taken from the original list. Click on the link above for the monthly scores. Thank you for updating and sharing your progress. From the original 64 who signed up, 43 are still on the list. I have deleted those who never really got off the ground. I don't like to give up on people too soon, but as I hadn't heard anything from them it added extra time for me to scroll through when updating. I suspect a few more have given up as I haven't heard anything from them since February. Or maybe they are still doing the challenge but just haven't told me.
Anyway, in no particular order, this is the state of play today. We have some who have already passed the 1000 mark, a fantastic effort, well done, you should be proud of yourselves. You can carry on to the end of the year if you like, to give you a grand total for the twelve months, or stop now, it's up to you.
Ilona 890 Ellen Anderson 669 Lisa in Miami 886 Mrs LH 255 Frugal in the Valley 260 Vampire Heart 1153 Hilogene Oltman 567 Simplesista 876 Julie 691 Juhli 135 Janice C 1008 Laura Blackpool 1002 1111 Sue G 606 Hilde 943 Gillie 872 Cherie 827 Helen D 948 km Shesewsyouknow 347 Jill 1018 Patricia 345 Jules 859 Sally C 808 Sonja 300 Pam 396 VickiEy 957 Amy in Florida 1777 walk/jog/cycl Hazel 916 Annie 178 Tigerlove 159 Clynnestra 97 Momsav 781 Wanda 113 Lizzie L 247 walk/cycl Laegalegle 217 Beachcomber 858 Solo Walker 285 Tracy 129 London Livin 271 Ann Ewart 93 Christine Neumann 692 Scarlett 995 Kay Schmitz 354 Wendy 756 Susan q 577
Some of you are so close, you will definitely finish it, possibly during November, but definitely by the end of the year. Don't worry if you are a bit behind, all kinds of things crop up which can knock you back a bit. The fact that you made a start and did your best is all credit to you.
Any challenge you take on will have it's ups and downs, the fact that this started on January the 1st made it more like a New Years Resolution. A burst of enthusiasm and you're all fired up to give it a go. It's just the same as giving up smoking, or trying to lose weight, or spend less, or save for an expensive item like a holiday or wedding.
Everybody has the idea of creating a new start in January, when in fact you can make a start at any time during the year. Telling yourself that you will do such and such, or give up or cut down is the easy part, it's keeping up the momentum that is hard. I have paced myself with this walking challenge, I'm a steady plodder and prefer to chip away at things rather than go hell for leather then experience burn out. Far better to lose a couple of pounds a month over a period of a year, rather than starve yourself for two months, then binge and put all the weight all back on again.
The key to any challenge is how long can you sustain it for. Looking at the long term to achieve the result you want can be daunting, it means you can often lose sight of your goal. Keeping that in your mind and focusing on the new you is imperative. Take your eye off the game and you can slip back down the slope. If this happens, pick yourself up and vow to do better.
A couple of people have asked, what next? It's looking like a new challenge is needed when this one has finished. I am hoping that some of you will be carrying on with your walking for health. I will always find an excuse to get out and walk. I will keep track of my miles by writing it on my calendar, maybe you could do the same.
I have things to do. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip
Hello. Tonight I have updated 18 names on the Walking Group page. Thank you to... Lisa, Vickey, Laura, Jill, Vampire Heart, Hazel, Hilde, Ellen Anderson, Amy Florida, Cherie, Gillie, Sally C, Julie, Sue G, Jules, and momsav.
Susan q I don't have any previous miles for you. I have a Susan from Massachusetts. I have added you to the bottom of the list, let me know if you are the same person and I will add your 577 to this record. Thanks.
e, I don't have any previous miles for you. I have added you to the bottom of the list.
If you send your comment to the Walking Page it won't show on the list, but I will still get it. I click publish after I have written it down in my notebook and it stays in my published folder, but for some reason it will not allow any more comments on that page. If you want to see confirmation that your mileage has arrived, best send it to the normal blog post of that day.
Some good mileages are coming in, I'm pleased that you are all making an effort, you should be proud of yourselves. Carry on walking ladies, you're doing just great. Toodle pip
Hello. We are at the halfway stage of the Walk 1000 miles in one Year challenge, and I'm chuffed to say, I have made the 500. My size five feet with knobbly bunions have suffered no harm at all. The trainers are comfy, even better because they were free, no muscle ache, no blisters, and I am feeling just hunkydory.
This is how I record my miles. I have a two and a three mile set route. I write daily in the bottom corners of my calendar. On the left, how many I did that day, a cross if none, and the total on the right. I had five no walking days in June. I try not to miss too many as it's hard to catch up. I like to see the numbers rising, a bit like the watching the numbers on my bank statements. Up up up, more miles and more money saved, ha ha.
How are you all doing? I shall expect all members of the walking group to send in their mileage so I can update the walking page. Even if you are lagging behind a bit it's better to do some walking than none at all. Do not despair, do not give up, you owe it to yourself to look after your body and keep fit.
The next six months start tomorrow. It's built into my daily routine now, only 50 minutes to do the three miles. I don't count my normal daily walking, you can do if you walk a lot in your job, I set aside time for walking. and fit it in with whatever I am doing.
I'll leave you with The Proclaimers for a bit of inspiration.
Thanks for popping in. we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip
Hello. Phyllis asked a couple of questions which I am happy to answer. Might as well do it properly in a post rather than squash it into a little box on yesterday's comments page.
Can you say why you chop the bran flakes? Also the nuts and seeds? Apart from the nuts you don't seem to have a big source of protein for the day, do you eat more protein on other days and reckon it up over the week. Also I'm wondering what other sources of protein you have, I don't think I have enough with not eating meat or fish.
Hello Phyllis. Sorry, a bit misleading there, I don't usually chop the bran flakes, sometimes I do, but I don't need to because the milk softens them up. I have no grinding molars on my bottom jaw, I have a denture but do not wear it because it's uncomfortable. I want to hang on to the teeth I have left by not putting unnecessary pressure on them, so to get hard food down me like nuts and seeds I need to whiz them in the mini chopper, which does the job of my missing teeth.
Protien is found in a lot of foods, not just meat. I do eat dairy, probably too much cheese, and I will be eating eggs today. I eat eggs on three days a week, two at each meal.
Here are a couple of quotes from the Vegetarian Society web site.
There are many protein rich foods for vegetarians, rivalling the protein content of meat products. Popular concern that vegetarians lack protein is misplaced and plant protein has the advantage of containing reduced saturated fat associated with meat protein. The protein content of plant origin foods such as nuts, peas and beans (including peanuts) is very high and rivals that of meat and fish. Some vegetarians include eggs and/or dairy products as part of their protein intake. Cheese has similar levels of protein to meat and fish by weight, whilst egg is regarded as the perfect protein food for its ideal balance of amino acids. Here is a link to their fact sheet on proteins. https://www.vegsoc.org/protein
There is an interesting web site called No Meat Athlete. Matt Frazier created it,.here is a quote.
Tell someone you’re vegetarian, and the first objection you’ll likely get is, “But where do you get your protein?” (Never mind what kind of shape the person asking is often in.)
I personally have not let the protein issue affect me, choosing instead to cook and eat a wide variety of foods and trust that I’ll get enough protein and all of the essential amino acids, and I’ve never felt better.
A link on this site takes me to a guest post written by Mathew Ruscigno, a vegan and nutritional professional, and athlete. Protein, a primer for vegetarians. Mathew has his own blog, this is a post he published on June 15th 2011, entitled 15 Years of Veganism.
There you are, lots of reading there. Although my diet appears to be lacking in protein some days, I make up for it on other days. A varied diet is the key I think. I have a guilty secret, I am often seen to be picking from the fridge, so I don't exist merely on the meals I post here. I keep a tub of home made peanut butter and I can't resist dipping into it, ha ha.
Did you see the sunrise this morning? It was amazing for about five minutes. I awoke at 6.30am just as it was about to come into view through the trees at the bottom of the garden. What a glorious start to the day. First picture from an upstairs window, the others from the garden looking up at the chopped down trees in the neighbours garden. Can you spot the wood pigeons on the tree stumps.
A dry day today, time for a Rocky bimble to the church. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
