Day 42 - Born a poor young country boy

Today marks my sixth complete week on the big change. I have to say I never expected to have done so much in such a small space of time. This week's weigh-in added another 4.6 pounds to the total and now I have lost a total of a pound over 3 stone. Amazing, I am so pleased.

I am finding renewed interest in long forgotten hobbies and pastimes (photography, walking, reading) and my energy levels as well as my weight loss has been noticed by several people a work.

I am down to the last hole on my belt, down two trousers sizes (indicating a loss of 5 inches off my waist) and feeling very proud.

Getting smaller must be making me nostalgic as I spend more time thinking of life, family and life. Maybe I am learning to love my life a little more?

This song reminds me of my youth. Not because I was born in the country, but in fact in a gritty little mining village in Durham. But it talks of the simple life, where what we are all born with is just life and beauty. When I look back to my younger days and what I did as a boy for fun; much of it involved playing outside down on the beach banks with my friends just breathing in the fresh air and running around playing games in the surrounding fields and beach (well I say beach but it was mostly gravel banks!), a one with nature and the outside. So this is a beautiful song about life and nature and mankind. I listen, remember and learn from this song.

Title: Mother nature's son
Artist: The Beatles
Album: The Beatles (White Album)
Year: 1968

Born a poor young country boy, Mother Nature's son
All day long I'm sitting singing songs for everyone.

Sit beside a mountain stream, see her waters rise
Listen to the pretty sound of music as she flies.

Find me in my field of grass, Mother Nature's son
Swaying daises sing a lazy song beneath the sun.
Mother Nature's son.

Day 37 - been away a long time, but taking one day at a time

Back from Uganda and having my next weigh in, albeit two days later than normal so it had better be good!

But first a little about Uganda - good or what? What a place!

To be fair I didn't see much of Kampala as I was in meetings for most of the time and these carried on from dawn to dusk, but I did get a walk through Kampala high street for a couple of hours. But the best of all was the people, they were fantastic.

Polite, respectful, smiling and very very friendly. All of them insisted on saying hello and shaking your hand, in many cases holding your hand for several minutes while they introduced themselves. And then did it all again every time they met you throughout the day. They always did this to each other too. They are like what British people (usually older ones) say they remember we were like 50 years ago. A great spirit of community and friendship with a lack of cynicism and much courtesy. I loved it and what I mean is I loved the people. I will go back for a taste of real Africa.

As for the diet, I did it! I went the whole time on plan and with no deviations. I learned the trick is to be honest about what I was doing and I received support and help from everyone to maintain my focus and nerve, despite the lovely food and drink available.

Anyway, after using the scales in the hotel room which seemed to tell me I was not losing anything I went along to my LL weigh-in with some trepidation. The results were better than I had dared expect. I have lost another 7.3 pounds since last weigh-in. So now I am below 15 stone for the first time in years and not just below, well below. I have managed to shed over 2 stone and 10 pound, in an amazing 5 and a bit weeks. WOW! Now is the time to use some lyrics from my favourite artist.

This song does it for me and supports me throughout my attempts to change my life.

Beautiful music, poetic words, powerful message and an all from an all round good bloke. Yusuf does the business with this fab song from his latest and most recent album. If you want to be spiritually uplifted get the album...but then I am biased. It is so beautiful.

Title: One day at a time
Artist: Yusuf Islam
Album: An other cup
Year : 2006

One day at a time
We can learn to leave the past behind
One day at a time
We can look the future in the eye
One day at a time
We can learn to live

One day at a time
we can leave all treasures behind
One day at a time
we can watch the clocks unwind
One day at a time
a child is born into this world eyes blind
But one day he will find - his sight, and glimpse
another kind of Light
to live by - one day
One day at a time
we can put machines behind
One day at a time
we can learn how birds survive
One day at a time
we can learn to fly

Day 27 - Finding my beach of gold - weigh in 4 minus 1 day

A day early for the weight in as I am away tomorrow. Hope I have made progress. Also, I am away (in Uganda of all places) next week so this is my last weigh in until late next week.

Weigh in added a further 4.4 lb to the total weight loss, so low I am well over 2 stone in 4 weeks, minus 1 day :-)

This song marks just how I feel right now. I am indeed a beggar on my own beach of gold. The answer to my problem of how I change my life was within me, and now I am doing something about it.


Title: A beggar on a beach of gold
Artist: Mike and the Mechanics
Album: Beggar on a beach of gold
Year: 1995

The problems I encountered
Gave me strength helped me sustain
To know the pleasure
First I had to cure the pain

When I was searching for solutions
I found the answer lay in me
I'm a drifter
But I'm drifting on a silver sea

Oh lord I'm a poor man
With all the riches I can hold
I'm a beggar
And I'm sitting on a beach of gold

Day 21 - Let it grow let it grow...or maybe shrink!!

Day 21 and my third weigh in session of the plan. Three weeks on and going strong. Will I be able to maintain positive progress?

Well my weigh in was delayed a little (which didn't help my nerves) but I need not have worried, am still making good progress.

This week I have lost 6.6 lb, so my overall loss is just about one pound under 2 stone.

So just got to keep going....

How do I feel? Wel I have een feeling a little tired late afternoon, so wil try a shake earlier to see if this helps. Otherwise have been feeling great.

Today's song is about looking for the 'way' in life and needing a friend to be a partner. This is one of Slowhand's best songs and is a good way of describing what I am looking to do in this change of life. Fortunately I have found my partner, my wife, Lesley.

Title: Let it grow
Artist: Eric Clapton
Album: 461 Ocean Boulevard
Year: 1974

Standing at the crossroads, trying to read the signs
To tell me which way I should go to find the answer,
And all the time I know,
Plant your love and let it grow.

Let it grow, let it grow,
Let it blossom, let it flow.
In the sun, the rain, the snow,
Love is lovely, let it grow.

Looking for a reason to check out of my mind,
Trying hard to get a friend that I can count on,
But there's nothing left to show,
Plant your love and let it grow.