My intention is to list here all the exercise I do and all the meals I eat, keeping track of certain measurements that should provide a good (if imperfect) guide to my progress.


Current Objective:

To minimize body-fat. In the absence of precise scientific equipment with which to measure my fat percentage, I shall judge my progress according to three things: (1) weight (possibly misleading), (2) waist size at the widest point (less likely to be misleading) and (3) - most important - how I look in the mirror. I can currently see very faint lines towards the top of my stomach. I'll be happy if I can see distinct lines all over it, whatever my body-fat percentage may be!

Weight will be logged on a daily basis; waist measurements will be logged on a weekly basis. Other measurements will be given as and when I can be bothered to take them. My reflection in the mirror will be scrutinized, to hazard a guess, about ten times per day, with comments being provided when anything notable is espied.


Starting Measurements:

Height (not likely to change unless I have an amputation): 5 feet, 5 and 2/5 inches.

Post-pee weight this morning: 134.6lbs.

Waist: 31 and 1/4 inches (roughly).

Chest: 39 inches (roughly).

Upper Arm: (roughly) 10 and 3/4 inches unflexed, 12 and 3/4 inches flexed.

Lower Arm: 10 and 1/4 to 10 and 1/2 inches.

Upper Leg: 20 and 1/4 inches (roughly).

Lower Leg: 14-15 inches (depending on whether normal or flexed).

Resting heart-rate: 56bpm when I checked a week or so ago.


Today's Eating and Exercise:

Snack first-thing: almond biscuit (made the previous evening from ground almonds, butter and honey; not as tasty after a night stored in a tub), comprising approximately 15g of fat, 5g of protein and 5g of carbs (c. 175cals).

Pre-breakfast exercise (unplanned, doing whatever I fancied): 50 sit-ups (feet tucked under setee; back never resting on floor), 25 back/hyper/hip extensions (groin resting on stool; feet tucked under opened bathroom chest of drawers), 10 cheaters' glute-ham raises (knees resting on stool; hips permanently bent; only lowering body as far as it would go without collapsing), 50 push-ups, 5 dips (one hand on landing window; other hand on platform of middle column of stair-rail), 5 overarm, wide-gripped pull-ups (hanging from landing at top of stairs; stopping circulation of blood to fingers by gripping them around metal carpet-rim).

Breakfast: 120g of sausage and 80g of bacon, fried in butter and served in stock with mint, rosemary, ginger and garlic. Approximately 45g of fat, 30g of protein and 3g of carbs (mostly alien substances in the sausage). Approximately 537cals.

Post-breakfast snack: 1 small orange containing about 10g of carbs and c. 40cals.

Mid-day snack: almond biscuit (roughly the same nutrients as before). Also a bowl of strawberries (c. 5g of carbs and 20cals).

Afternoon exercises: 100 calf jumps, 50 sit-ups (as before), 25 back/hyper/hip extensions (as before), 40 push-ups, 10 left-legged squats, 10 right-legged squats, 25 back/hyper/hip extensions, 10 overarm, wide-gripped pull-ups (as before).

Post-exercise snack: 25g slice of cheese (7g of fat, 7g of protein and 91cals). Also a bowl of grapes (c. 10g of carbs and 40 cals).

Impromptu late-afternoon exercises: 50 sit-ups, 4 sets of push-ups (10reps, 20reps, 30reps, 40reps).

Post-exercise snack: 25g slice of cheese (nutrients as above)

Pre-dinner exercises (hastily engaged in after contemplating size of dinner): 50 sit-ups, 25 extension thingys, 50 push-ups, 5 overarm, wide-gripped pull-ups.

Dinner: c. 700g of shank-side lamb shoulder with 250g of broccoli (very approximately, 90g of fat, 140g of protein, 5g of carbs and 1210cals).

Post-dinner snack: 2 apples (c. 25g of carbs and 100cals).

Overall eating: according to my admittedly rough estimates, I consumed 179g of fat (60-61% of cals), 194g of protein (29-30% of cals), 68g of carbs (10-11% of cals) and 2659cals.

Sleeping: went to bed exceedingly late, having stayed up pratting around on the internet.

Post-Pee Weight This Morning: 134lbs.


Today's Eating and Exercise:

Pre-Breakfast Exercise: 30-minute run (maintained good pace for the most part, but re-aggravated a right knee-joint injury I picked up when running a half-marathon last month).

Breakfast: 200g of smoked mackerel (50g of fat, 40g of protein) followed by a small orange (10g of carbs).

Snack: almond biscuit (15g of fat, 5g of protein, 5g of carbs) followed by small bowl of strawberries (5g of carbs).

Pre-Dinner Exercise: 50 sit-ups, 25 hip extensions, 50 push-ups.

Dinner: 360g of beef braising steak, 120g of sausage, 80g of bacon, 200g of carrots, roast in water with butter, ginger, garlic, rosemary and mint (c. 90g of fat, c. 100g of protein, c. 15g of carbs).

Post-Dinner Snacks: small bowl of grapes (c. 10g of carbs) and an apple (c. 15g of carbs).

Overall Eating: c. 155g of fat (63%), c. 145g of protein (26%), c. 60g of carbs (11%), 2215cals.

Post-Pee Weight This Morning: 133.2lbs.


Today's Eating and Exercise:

First-thing snack: 2 slices of cheese and a small bowl of strawberries (15g of fat, 15g of protein, 5g of carbs).

Morning/afternoon exercise: calf jumps, 3x10 left-legged squats, 3x10 right-legged squats, 25 hip extensions, 2x10 cheaters' glute-ham raises (didn't work very well: all either too easy or so hard that I nearly pulled a muscle), 2x50 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, 2x7 dips, 4x7 pull-ups, 3x5 handstand push-ups.

Late breakfast: 120g of sausage, 100g of bacon and 100g of carrot fried in butter with mint and garlic (50g of fat, 35g of protein, 10g of carbs), followed by a small orange (10g of carbs).

Snack: almond biscuit (15g of fat, 5g of protein, 5g of carbs).

Another snack: handful or two or three of nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews) (c. 25g of fat, 10g of protein, 5g of carbs).

Irregular late-afternoon exercise: walking to two different supermarkets in two different locations (1 hour to 1 hour and 15 mins combined).

Dinner: 450g of shank-side lamb shoulder with 250g of broccoli and 100g of carrots (c. 55g of fat, 90g of protein, 10g of carbs).

Later snacks: bowl of grapes (10g of carbs), apple (15g of carbs), 250ml of Channel Island milk (15g of fat, 10g of protein, 15g of carbs).

Overall eating: 175g of fat (61%), 165g of protein (26%), 85g of carbs (13%), 2575cals.

Post-Pee Weight This Morning: 133.6lbs


Today's Eating and Exercise:

No proper exercise today, as I like to rest over the weekend. I did, however, walk to the hairdresser's and then the supermarket, totalling an hour.

I didn't have a breakfast as such today. I ate around 100g of almonds (55g of fat, 20g of protein, 10g of carbs) over the course of the day, and also had 250ml of Channel Island milk (15g of fat, 10g of protein, 15g of carbs), a bowl of grapes (10g of carbs), an orange (10g of carbs) and an apple (15g of carbs). I had to go to a restaurant this evening, and so, knowing how puny their meat portions are, I tucked into 250g of rump steak before going (c. 25g of fat, 50g of protein), and then had around 300g of roast duck with the skin on (85g of fat, 60g of protein, and maybe 10g of carbs from the small bits of fruit and vegetable that accompanied it). I had another apple (15g of carbs) when I got home.

Overall eating: 180g of fat (64%), 140g of protein (22%), 85g of carbs (13-14%), 2520cals.

Post-Pee Weight This Morning: 133.4lbs.


Today's Eating and Exercise:

Next to no exercise today. Spent most of it lying on bed reading about violent sports in antiquity.

Snack-turned-into-Breakfast: handful of cashew nuts, then another, then another, until all 150g had been gobbled (70g of fat, 25g of protein, 25g of carbs). Bowl of strawberries afterwards (5g of carbs).

Snack: 250ml of Channel Island milk (15g of fat, 10g of protein, 15g of carbs).

Dinner: 450g of minced beef boiled in butter, mint and garlic and accompanied by 250g of broccoli (100g of fat, 80g of protein, 5g of carbs).

Snack: two apples (30g of carbs).

Overall eating: 185g of fat (68%), 115g of protein (19%), 80g of carbs (13%), 2445cals.

Post-Pee Weight: 133.4lbs.


Eating and Exercise:

Pre-Breakfast Exercises: 50 sit-ups, 50 hip extensions, 4x25 push-ups, 5 pull-ups.

Breakfast: 200g of smoked mackerel (50g of fat, 40g of protein) followed by an orange (10g of carbs).

Afternoon Exercise: 2x25 push-ups, 25 reverse push-ups (i.e. pushing back up from floor with arms stretched back behind shoulders, not horizontal pull-ups), 25 more push-ups (didn't fancy another set of reverse ones).

Snack: 250ml of Channel Island milk (15g of fat, 10g of protein, 15g of carbs).

Another snack: bowl of strawberries (5g of carbs).

Yet another snack: few handfuls of almonds (20g of fat, 10g of protein, 5g of carbs).

Evening Exercise: 60 sit-ups, 100 pelvic thrusts (knees bent, hands holding back and arse off floor, and thrusting the groin area upwards), 40 sit-ups, 4x25 push-ups with 30-second rests, 4x25 push-ups with 2-minute rests, 2x5 pull-ups.

Dinner: 300g of lamb's liver with 250g of broccoli (40g of fat, 75g of protein, 5g of carbs).

Snacks: apple and pear (30g of carbs).

Overall eating: 125g of fat (58%), 135g of protein (28%), 70g of carbs (14%), 1945cals.

Post-Pee Weight: 133.2lbs.


Eating and Exercise:

During course of day: lots of almonds (65g of fat, 25g of protein, 10g of carbs), 2 slices of cheese (15g of fat, 15g of protein) and an orange (10g of carbs).

Afternoon/Evening Exercise: 5-hour walk.

Dinner: c. 700g of shank-side lamb shoulder with 400g of broccoli (c. 90g of fat, 140g of protein, 10g of carbs).

Snack: pear (15g of carbs).

Overall eating: 170g of fat (63%), 180g of protein (29-30%), 45g of carbs (7-8%), 2430cals.

I haven't yet abandoned my ambition to become a sumo wrestler!

But seriously, I don't have an exact goal-weight in mind. I just want to reduce body-fat. In practice, that's likely to mean losing a certain, unspecified amount of weight. But if I could reduce body-fat whilst maintaining or even slightly increasing my weight, I'd be equally happy.



Post-Pee Weight This Morning: 134.2lbs - a whole pound heavier than yesterday! However ...


Waist Circumference: 31 inches - about 1/4 of an inch less than last week.


Today's Eating and Exercise:

Early "snacking": quite a lot of assorted nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, brazils, cashews) (c. 50g of fat, 15g of protein, 10g of carbs).

Breakfast: 300g of venison with 250g of broccoli, in gravy with mint and garlic, followed by an orange (5g of fat, 70g of protein, 15g of carbs.

Quick bit of exercise: 50 sit-ups, 50 push-ups and then a walk to the supermarket (saving myself for a gruelling trek tomorrow).

Dinner: 450g of minced lamb with 250g of broccoli, in gravy with mint and garlic, followed by a pear (100g of fat, 70g of protein, 20g of carbs).

Overall eating: 155g of fat (64%), 155g of protein (28%), 45g of carbs (8%), 2195cals.

Post-Pee Weight: 133.8lbs.


Eating and Exercise:

Breakfast: 300g of lamb neck fillet in butter, gravy, mint and garlic (c. 40g of fat, 50g of protein), followed by two oranges (20g of carbs).

Lunch: "nut porridge" made with almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pouring cream and water (c. 60g of fat, 15g of protein, 10g of carbs), followed by a bunch of grapes (20g of carbs).

Exercise: 2 hours of walking while carrying about 50lbs of weight in rucksack.

Dinner: 200g of smoked mackerel in gravy with 250g of broccoli and 100g of spinach (50g of fat, 40g of protein, 5g of carbs).

Snacks: pear (15g of carbs) and bunch of grapes (20g of carbs).

Overall eating: 150g of fat (63%), 105g of protein (20%), 90g of carbs (17%), 2130cals.

Post-Pee Weight: 135.6lbs! And my waist is back to being 31 and 1/4 inches. It appears that my metabolism has slowed over the last few days. I was planning to have a naughty-eating weekend (i.e. a chocolate binge) too. Ah well ...


Eating and Exercise:

Early snacking: handfuls of nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, brazils, cashews) (c. 25g of fat, 10g of protein, 5g of carbs) and an orange (10g of carbs).

Exercise: 50 sit-ups, 50 pelvic thrusts (shoulders resting against floor; not very effective), 5x7 dips (30-second rest periods), 3x7 pull-ups (same rest periods; perhaps should have done one set fewer on the dips).

Post-Exercise snack: pint of Jersey milk (c. 30g of fat, 20g of protein, 25g of carbs).

Dinner: 600-700g of pork shank with 250g of broccoli and 100g of spinach (c. 100g of fat, 100g of protein, 5g of carbs), followed by four small apples (40g of carbs).

Overall Eating: 155g of fat (62%), 130g of protein (23%), 85g of carbs (15%), 2255cals.


Plan for Coming Week: My body is feeling a bit weary from all I've been putting it through, and my right knee-joint is still a little troublesome. My plan is therefore to rest this weekend, during the coming week and next weekend, and then to come back with a vengeance the week after.

Hope your knee is feeling better soon, and you get a nice rest over the week-end.

Thank you very much.

When I drew up my plan of rest, I did not envisage carrying around sandbags and paving slabs and smashing loads of bricks with a hammer. The brick-smashing was fun, though.


Post-Pee Weight: the first thing I discovered this morning was that my scales are up the wall. I took six consecutive readings, and they were as follows: 136lbs, 133.4lbs, 135lbs, 133.6lbs, 134.4lbs and 131.4lbs!


Eating and Exercise: as promised, a day of degenerate, care-free (theoretically) eating. The result was too much sugar and a neglect of quality protein. I ate 100g of Swiss chocolate, including 50g of refined, added sugar (if something's worth doing, it's worth doing properly). I scoffed a large assortment of almonds, hazelnuts and cashews. I ate a box of strawberries, 6 apples and an orange, mostly in a surreptitious ploy to stop myself eating any more chocolate. I drank half a bottle of Jersey cream, and for dinner I had smoked mackerel in butter and gravy with carrots and parsley. All in all, I'd estimate I had around 150g of fat (56-57%), 75g of protein (12-13%), 185g of carbs (31%) and 2390cals. As for exercise, I planned to rest but in fact spent a good few hours manoeuvring weighty objects and smashing bricks.

Conclusions drawn from today's experience: 1. chocolate is delicious; 2. regularly consuming 100g of it would have a negative effect on my health; 3. consuming any less than that would not be satisfying; 4. occasionally eating large quantities of it might not be too bad; 5. everything else I knew already. I have to say, however, that I did feel full of energy for much of the day. I was even tempted to go for a run on my bad knee.

Today's Erratic Scale-Readings: 135lbs and 133.2lbs.


Eating and Exercise (well, just eating, really): decadent foods were a Twix (the only chocolate I could find in the house) and a large bowl of ice cream covered in mint-chocolate sauce. Other foods were a pint of Jersey milk, quite a lot of almonds, hazelnuts and cashews, five apples and an orange, and around 500g of roast beef in gravy with 100g of broccoli and 200g of carrots. I'd estimate that I had about 130g of fat (46%), 140g of protein (22%), 200g of carbs (32%) and 2530cals. I did a little bit of walking and quite a lot of standing, but no proper exercise.

Today's Erratic Scale-Readings: 134.2lbs and 132.8lbs.


Eating and Exercise: no exercise except walking to the supermarket (in keeping with my intention to do no real exercise this week). Ate a couple of 150g yoghurts, quite a lot of brazils, hazelnuts and cashews, 150g of blueberries, 5 apples, 2 duck legs and a variety of green herb-like things. Estimated intakes: 150g of fat (65%), 80g of protein (15-16%), 100g of carbs (19%), 2070cals.