5 months have passed since my first post and I have been pondering since what to type in here, my musings are so varied that I was getting lost in my own mind, so I will start from something that is simple, requires consistency and will allow me to practice with the site, a weekly update on diet and training.
I started weightlifting years ago and got into nutrition shortly after, I don’t remember exactly how it all went, this adventure will be a good chance to search through my notes. In these weekly updates I will keep it simple: note my weight, type of training, what I ate and, since folks asked me the questions, I will do my best to track both cost and calories.
As I go along with this exercise I will also address what lead me down this path and why I have chosen certain items. For now, let’s get it going.
Monday, the 19th of June 2023
Had an heavy weekend, drinking isn’t a friend of losing weight and I woke up to a weight of 110.6kg, it’s a couple of kilos over average, probably because I’ve had a few beers in the afternoon and a huge plate of pasta with sausage and my auntie’s sauce for dinner.
Normally I wake up around 7:00, head to the toilet and weight myself afterwards. Today I was a bit tired and rolled around in bed with the cat to keep me company to have a bit of lay in, was watching Mission: Impossible – Fallout last night and ended up staying up late, at the tender age of 46 missing sleep isn’t as fun as it used to be.
My routine at present is Monday, Wednesday and Friday for strength training, Tuesday and Thursday for cardio, at the weekend go for a hike if I have the time. Today was a day for powerlifting.
| Squats | Press | Pendlay Rows |
| 20kg x5 | 20kg x5 | 40kg x5 |
| 30kg x5 | 25kg x5 | 40kg x5 |
| 50kg x3 | 30kg x3 | 45kg x20 – x20 |
| 60kg x2 | 35kg x2 | |
| 75kg x20 – x13 | 37.5kg x17 – x14 |
As for diet, I want to try to reduce some calories in the early days of the week to make some drinking room for the weekend. I know, it sounds unhealthy just saying it, but it’s nice to have some time at the club on the Sunday.
Today I had a single meal for lunch, I went overboard as I was aiming for 800 calories, but I bought yesterday some nice sausages and they are lovely, so had a couple, still lower than I would normally eat.
Note to self: create a reference page to avoid having to research values all the times.
| Food | Calories | Proteins | Fats | Carbs | Cost |
| 2 criollo chorizo sausages (124g) | 503 | 20.8g | 44.5g | 0.9g | £0.77 |
| 5 rashers of streaky bacon (174g) | 411 | 24.4g | 33.9 | 0.0g | £0.97 |
| 3 duck eggs | 390 | 27g | 28.8g | 3g | £1.25 |
| butter (15g) | 113 | – | 12.5g | – | £0.15 |
| total | 1,417 | 72.2g | 119.7 | 3.9g | £3.14 |
Tuesday, the 20th of June 2023
Had an earlier night, no films, read a bit in bed and turned off the light by 23:44, need to start getting up earlier. Was awake just before 7 and read a bit in bed, up by 7:30 and went for a run, 1.77 miles in 22:54, not a great pace but I have added another third of a mile compared to last week, the final elevation broke me and I slowed down to a walk to recover on the last part to the top gate, then run back all the way. Strava says 150ft of elevation gain. Weight today is 110.6kg.
For food I went similar to yesterday, removed a rasher of bacon and had the sausages with an egg for breakfast and the rest for lunch.
Note to self: Need to start tracking proteins and fat to better understand how I eat (done).
| Food | Calories | Proteins | Fats | Carbs | Cost |
| 2 criollo chorizo sausages (137g) | 556 | 23.0g | 49.2g | 0.9g | £0.85 |
| 4 rashers of streaky bacon (141g) | 333 | 19.7g | 27.5g | – | £0.79 |
| 3 duck eggs | 390 | 27g | 28.8g | 3g | £1.25 |
| butter (15g) | 113 | – | 12.5g | – | £0.15 |
| total | 1,392 | 69.7g | 118g | 3.9g | £3.04 |
Wednesday, the 21st of June 2023
Went to bed by 23:30, enjoy a chapter of the Reacher’s book I’m reading and turned off the light just after midnight. Awake just before 7, read another chapter in bed and got up to get started with the day shortly after. Weight is 109.1kg.
Same approach as yesterday, couple of sausages in the morning and will have later bacon and eggs.
| Food | Calories | Proteins | Fats | Carbs | Cost |
| 2 criollo chorizo sausages (134g) | 544 | 22.5g | 48.1g | 0.9g | £0.83 |
| 1 rasher of streaky bacon (34g) | 80 | 4.8g | 6.6g | – | £0.79 |
| half an onion (98g) | 43 | 0.9g | – | 9.7g | £0.12 |
| calf liver (171g) | 227 | 34.2 | 6g | 6g | £1.59 |
| 3 duck eggs | 390 | 27g | 28.8g | 3g | £1.25 |
| butter (15g) | 113 | – | 12.5g | – | £0.15 |
| total | 1,397 | 89.4g | 102g | 19.6g | £4.73 |
Later back to the gym.
| Bench | Deadlift | Parallel Pullups |
| 20kg x5 | 40kg x5 | bodyweight x1 |
| 30kg x5 | 50kg x5 | bodyweight x1 |
| 40kg x3 | 70kg x3 | bodyweight x1 |
| 50kg x2 | 80kg x2 | |
| 55kg 20 – 17 | 92.5kg x7 |
Thursday, the 22nd of June 2023
Went to bed earlier at 23:00 after watching The Order of The Phoenix, the books are so much better, but the films are enjoyable too, then another chapter of Reacher turned off the light by 23:30. Awoke just before 7, I was feeling so tired this morning… not sure if it’s the low calories or the fact that yesterday I really pushed at the gym. Weight is 108.0kg.
No gym, just a run up the top of the bridlepath and back, rather pleased, run nearly all the way, only briefly stopped at the top of the bridleway. Give it another week and I’ll add some more until I reach around 2 miles, at that point I will probably split and use the Tuesday to stick to 2 miles and push for speed, maybe buy a weighted vest, whereas on the Thursdays I want to keep adding some distance.
| Food | Calories | Proteins | Fats | Carbs | Cost |
| 2 criollo chorizo sausages (124g) | 503 | 20.8g | 44.5g | 0.9g | £0.77 |
| 1 rasher of streaky bacon (34g) | 80 | 4.8g | 6.6g | – | £0.79 |
| half an onion (112g) | 49 | 1g | – | 11.1g | £0.14 |
| calf liver (181g) | 240 | 35.6 | 6.4g | 6.4g | £1.68 |
| 3 duck eggs | 390 | 27g | 28.8g | 3g | £1.25 |
| butter (15g) | 113 | – | 12.5g | – | £0.15 |
| ghee (10g) | 90 | – | 10g | – | £0.13 |
| pecorino (10g) | 40 | 2.6g | 3.3g | – | £0.22 |
| total | 1,505 | 91.8g | 112.1g | 21.4g | £5.13 |
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the 23rd, 24th and 25th of June 2023
I was away and should have kept better logs. I really need to get into the habit of writing all down, maybe have a physical food journal the same way I have one for training.
Anyway, weight on Friday was 108.1kg, having a few beers on Thursday night made me go up even with the low calories day, no idea on Saturday and Sunday as I was sleeping at friends.
Friday had my regular bacon and eggs breakfast, then dined at a friend with steak, salami and bread, a fair bit of wine went with it.
Saturday went overboard, and it felt so good after a restrictive week! Bacon and eggs for breadfast, a good slice of roasted ham with a scotch egg for lunch followed by two generous portions of ice cream, 2 burgers and a stupid amount of beer and cider in the evening at a party.
Sunday I kept it low, had a Magnum ice cream for lunch while travelling back, really went heavy on the drinks and wasn’t feeling great, then had some bacon and eggs for dinner.
Observations:
I was considering going very low calories Monday to Friday and unlimited on the weekend, but halfway through the week I remembered that I am due to do a fast and that will be extreme enough, so next week I will eat like I normally would, with the difference that I will keep a record of everything.
With a fast coming up and me going away to Italy for 3 weeks in August will be a struggle to have proper data, but I’ll do the best I can.
This week was fairly cheap with an aberage of £4/5 per day, worth noting that it was low calories and couldn’t track the weekend, with added calories we could talk probably of around a £40 week, with inflation going through the roof and having eating only meat and eggs would not be a bad record, but again, is guess work, I need to aim for accuracy.