Weighing on the Mind

I find very random motivations to write blog posts. They are largely sparked by emotions, thoughts, or events. I cannot claim to have any deep reasoning behind this blog other than to avoid nibbling on my own arm. It is that time again when my favourite Mexican and I are embarking on yet another weight loss bet. It actually started back in January when we both came back from breaks in the Americas having clearly over-enjoyed the food and drink on offer. The challenge was to lose 11kg/24.2lbs by May 1st – around 1kg per week.

Armed with a fantastic Christmas gift from my girl, a Nike+ Sport Watch, I have gotten back into my running. I had never really gotten out of it even in the States, but it had certainly dropped off somewhat. I already had a GPS watch, but the Nike one is attached to a fantastic Nike website which has all kinds of information, training programmes and schedules. As many folks will have noted, it has been mentioned by one or two of you, you may have seen my Facebook updates whenever I run. I suspect that may be highly annoying to some people, and I am not one for usually updating my status feeding you the very latest updates on the Esteva/Burns household. However, this one is slightly different. When I am running, I have it in the back of my mind, just when I am about to stop, of just how bad or weak my effort will look to so many people if I stop at that point. So I keep running. Inadvertently, and perhaps annoying at times, it does the job. If it annoys you, I am sorry – you have permission to de-friend me!

So, with around three weeks left, we both need to lose another 4kg each….slightly behind schedule but doable. In contrast to the last one we did, I have still been drinking alcohol at times and been eating reasonably normally – I have just increased the amount of exercise, and cut out the garbage food. With 4kg in 3 weeks, it is time to cut the alcohol and decrease the portions now.

Hence the blog. I cannot quite describe how hungry I am right now but typing is preventing me from chewing on my fingers at the very least. If I thought my fingers weighed 4kg, I could be tempted. I suspect the next twenty days are going to be pretty miserable but I am determined to hit the mark this time when we weigh in however brutal it is going to be. It did get me randomly thinking at what point do we stop worrying about what we eat and drink if it makes us happy? Skinny and starvation of the nation is not really for me. With a head the size of mine, a puny body is never going to work. That said, I know I would not be happy if I piled the weight on neither. As with so much in life, I guess it is finding the right balance. Maybe when I’m 70 I’ll ditch it and just have a house full of crisps and bathe or shower myself daily in Boddingtons. But for now, the mission continues.

Curing Manflu

I am not sure there is a value that can be put on providing a smile for somebody else, or being on the receiving end of something that makes you smile. Unless that is, you are a professional smile maker, or smiler, but I have yet to see that on anybody's CV. This week I have had a serious case of man flu – I’m fortunate I am living to tell the tale.

I have 5 smiles for you this week. A smile a day keeps the doctor away...or so I would like to think.

Monday

Was suffering from a severe dose of man flu and was in need of cheering up. I decided to go for a run....I am losing the battle with a certain Mexican compadre of mine to lose 10kg by May 1st, and I don't like losing. I went on my cheeky 5kg route and halfway through, a gran is pushing her grandson down the road in a pushchair, and the kid, who cannot have been more than two years old, stuck out his hand to give me a high five. Amazing. Smile achieved and the kid had no idea. Hopefully my tap put a smile on his face.

Tuesday

The one and only Suzanne Brodeur sent round an email with this link. I cannot fathom how it only has 65 or so hits, but this is legendary in my eyes! Video aside, SB is a sensational smile-maker....I have yet to meet anybody who has not smiled in her presence. I think she could be a cure for manflu.

Wednesday

HJ came home from Zambia.....despite suffering from a potentially terminal case of man flu, it put a smile on my face. As it always does and always will.

Thursday

Stuck on a plane for 5 hours for a ninety minute flight. Yet I was thoroughly charmed and entertained by the two 50+ year-old air hostesses who looked after us and did their utmost to keep us sane and smiling, when it was probably harder for them. The vodka and oranges also may have contributed to this.

Friday

Stuck in Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 for three additional hours – the fog strikes again. Thankfully, Wagamamas put a smile on my face and belly this time. I think I speak for a fair few people when I say this, but I can become a fraction impatient and restless when I am hungry. On the flipside, I’ll smile all day long after a good meal. So my beloved Sony Shop has been replaced by a London 2012 store – I guess that was the bad karma from yesterday’s blog. Still, I had a good lunch, so I’ll keep smiling.

5 big smiles in 5 days....enough to cure the most serious of potentially terminal manflu diseases.