Things are looking good!

Following a successful interview at Arriva North-East last week I received a phone call on Tuesday asking me to go for a driving assessment at their Jesmond depot on Weds 27th at 13:30h. I duly arrived ten minutes early and waited while the Driving Instructor spoke to some people who had just finished their session. He was very surprised to see me as he thought his next one was at 15:00h. Anyway I did a short test, scoring 9/10, I lost a point over an ambiguous question which I believe according to the Highway Code I answered correctly. I will be interested to see what answer my policeman son gives me to the same question when I see him. Anyway I passed that, we then went out for a drive on one of the most rattly buses I have ever been on. Eventually I took over and drove for 40 minutes or so completing various basic manoeuvres that would be done on service. Needless to say apart from the fact I was a bit rusty having not driven a vehicle that size in normal traffic for a few years all went smoothly. What really made my day was when the instructor made an error that he had 'pulled' me up about not ten minutes earlier, he tried to hide it but I'm not stupid! Now all I have to do is wait for an appointment to see their company doctor and should then be starting a new job around June..... GREAT!

Update on yesterdays post

Had a great work out at the gym yesterday and today. I have changed the order in which I do the exercises and also the amount of effort needed for each. Boy has it made a difference! I came home yesterday and today feeling hungry and exhausted. It's not that I've changed things that much! I have increased the resistance level on both the incline and upright cycles from 5 to 6, doing slightly less distance but working harder. I've also increased the speed from 5 to 5.8 on the treadmill again resulting in a lot more effort needed but walking further as well, I'm already on maximum resistance on the rower so that will stay about the same until I'm capable of increasing the number of strokes a minute or allowed to row for longer. On the weight front, I stepped onto our scales when I got home and on the figure produced I have lost 7lbs this week, making a total of 18 so far

Confused and concerned

I had a telephone consultation on Wednesday with my doctor about the results of my latest blood test. Apparently the results were similar to the ones from July 2010 and she wants me to have a scan on my liver to ensure it is not enlarged. All the symptoms point to the cause as being obese for so many years, exercise and a balanced diet are supposed to be the best 'cure' for a 'fatty liver'. Great! that's exactly what I'm doing now! isn't it? The problem is the last test was taken BEFORE I started my Weight & Exercise Program, I'm due to have more blood taken on the 3rd of May. So do I wait for those results to come back or do I act on what I've been told now? She also mentioned my blood pressure was up... that's strange because the last one I had done it was down five points. I think I need to sort the cycle of tests and results into the correct order before panicking too much. On the weight and exercise front the news is good, I've lost eleven pounds in total in five weeks and broke the 10k barrier again yesterday at the gym, the time for each exercise also seemed to pass quicker, I came away 'glowing' like the embers of a bonfire in the wind (that was a bit poetic wasn't it?) Next session is in just under an hour and another one tomorrow, putting three in this week because I only have time for one visit next week as I'm on nights and going to Bristol on Friday

A milestone (or should that be Kilometrestone?) is reached!

Had a great morning session at the gym today, broke the 10km and 700+ cal mark for the first time. Got to admit it's hard work but I'm enjoying it and feeling great. Hopefully at Monday's weigh-in I'll complete my first stone lost, another benefit has been my blood pressure dropping by five points and of course my BMI although still far too high is coming down, that's down two points which is good. No sign of the 'turkey neck' yet but then there is still a lot there! lol.
19/03/2011 cycles 6km, rowing 1.8km, treadmill 0.8km = 8.6km
14/04/2011 cycles 7.2km, rowing 2.1km, treadmill 0.91km = 10.3km
That's probably about as high as the results will go(maybe an extra 0.5km on the treadmill and the same rowing) as it's all cardio work so the next step is to increase the resistance on the cycles and up the pace on the treadmill but at the same time keeping the heart rate at a level of about 144 bpm otherwise lights flash and warnings appear on the screen plus it's only 12 mins per exercise (10 min exercise + 2 min cool down) Can't wait to see where I'll be results wise in another ten weeks when the course ends :-)

Disappointment reigns!

What went wrong? I don't know! I've stayed below my points every day yet still put a pound on. Lindsay is going to have a rethink on my points total if my weight doesn't alter over the next couple of weeks. I won't be able to make it next week as I'm on lates so it I'm going to have to work extra hard to be good he-he. On the exercise front all is continuing well, I've done a little further in distance but the same calories used, two more sessions this week and the dreaded blood pressure check at the docs on Friday. I must also make an appointment to have a chat with the doc about the results of my blood test last month...... god only knows what news that will bring.

I'm getting there!...........

My Weight Watchers programme is now into it's third week. I'm very happy to say I've lost half a stone so far, just another twenty five pounds in nine weeks needed to get my next lot of free classes. I'm also enjoying the exercise at the gym. Feel really knackered at the end of the session but strangely good. I 'GLOW' for the rest of the day, literally, my arms and face are a very healthy reddish colour for at least twenty four hours. My last session ended with me rowing just over two kms in ten minutes, which is half a km more than my first visit. The distance for the treadmill and the cycles is still just over seven kms because they're set for resistance and time not distance. Next week I have three sessions, Mon, Tues and Thurs. On Tuesday I actually exceeded what was programmed for the first time as I increased the speed slightly on the treadmill plus the extra distance I rowed. Just have to wait and see if the guys change what I'm expected to do on Monday, should be fun! My older brother Alan has finally got himself a lap top computer with Skype so I can now chat and see him at the same time, I think he finds it a bit confusing sometimes. I have booked my hotel for the end of this month's visit to Bristol and Minehead to see family and go to a school re-union. Best news of all this week my Unilever pension is going up 5 per cent per month WOO HOO! pmsl

The hard work starts now!

What a week this has been! Monday I attended my first Weight Watchers meeting and was set my daily points intake, I thought at first it would be hard to eat that many points but as time has shown it isn't. Let's hope I can keep it going! I also attended my first Exercise class this morning, boy if I thought they were going to be easy on me on my first one was I wrong. Did 10 mins each on the upright cycle then the rowing machine followed by the treadmill and finally the 'inclined' cycle. I managed a paltry 1650 metres on the rowing machine which I found the hardest because you have to push with your legs whilst leaning forward at the same time and then lean back and pull with your arms as your legs reach full stretch and with a big belly in the way it wasn't easy. I was feeling rather warm when I finished but twenty minutes after that I was feeling great, roll on the rest of the fifteen week course. Getting back to the diet, I've been very good and not bought any chocolate although I've had the money to do so. I have had a Ripple and Mars Bar but they have been counted as part of daily meal and points, I have NEVER eaten so much fruit in my life as I have this week. All in all it's been very interesting and I hope I get the results I'm hoping for.

Isn't it just typical?

Just my luck, I get twenty four weeks at Weight Watchers offered to me by the doctor and because of my work pattern and WW's restrictions I can't use the offer. I could attend two different classes because I work shifts but I have to attend EVERY week. Even with two there will be times when I can't attend either. I can still do the exercise programme which lasts fifteen weeks and that has an eight week 'nutrition class' attached to it, which is something I suppose. Pauline is going to start WWs on Monday so I'll just work out something for me from what she gets from them. If all goes well in a couple of years (if I'm still around) there should be a slimmer, fitter more wrinkly me.

About time!

It's been a while since my last blog, this has been mainly due to, who knows what? Time just seems to whiz past these days. It seems that my work shifts are going to stay the same as they are now, nobody can find a better alternative, the only difference being the main shift is now made up of 4 not 6, with the seasonals working 04:00-16:00 and 12:00-00:00 shifts. Submitted and had agreed my holiday dates for this year, May, July, Sept and Nov with 3 floating days left. I've decided to take 4 separate weeks this year but that could all change if I get a job with Arriva in April (I've been told that's when they are recruiting again)
We have changed our VirginMedia TV package and now have a V+HD box and faster broadband for less money, which is going to be great when the new F1 and BTCC season starts.
From what I've seen and heard all the grandchildren are progressing along nicely, Izzy insists on calling me granddad and not Pop when she sees me and I've nicknamed Noah as NOSH after a spelling mistake by Caz on Facebook.
One of Pauline's long time neighbours died from cancer on Sunday, she'd been ill a while but no-one knew how bad it was really. I'm feeling pretty proud of Pauline at the moment as she's done really well giving up the smoking and dealing with the side effects of the anti-cholesterol medication she's taking. I'm going around the Doctors later today to see the nurse and get my 'Well Man' programme started, now I can move my right arm a lot more, hopefully in a couple of years or so there will be a lot slimmer and lighter me!

New Year? what's changed?

I spent a lovely four days over Christmas in Bristol with my children and grandchildren, it was really funny watching the little ones opening their presents. Got told off again by my son and d-in-l for spending too much and yet again explained that if I lived in Bristol and saw them every week or so, over a year they would probably get a lot more spent on them! I was full of anticipation, expecting Thom to be really excited when he opened one and found what he had asked for in it, but kids being kids it was 'oh yes I wanted that! but I'm too busy playing with my little toy Woody out of Toy Story' Poor Isabel was just too overwhelmed to get excited, Peppa Pig was EVERYWHERE! Noah was busy playing with all his stuff for a couple of minutes each but always ended up with his kitchen, which was very smart and took his dad AAAGGEEESSS to put together the night before (lololol) Poor Catherine hasn't had her present yet due to a mistake in the delivery address but that should be sorted soon. Pauline had a very expensive bottle of perfume(eau du parfan) and I'll have to spoil her a bit more at the end of this month as it's her birthday. Then came New Year's Eve, I had a few tinnies and a liquer coffee and enjoyed a pleasant evening with Pauline who was not feeling too bright. Nothing has changed at work(yet!) I've still not heard from Arriva and don't really expect to, I think they think I live too far away, still something will come along and there's always the lottery to win