Cheltenham winners, Bath Buns and a half way win

My racing tip for Imperial Commander in the Cheltenham Gold Cup came good, as Kauto Star and Denman, were both, metaphorically, struck by lightening.

A delayed arrival, on course, meant that the Guinness consumption estimate was lower than planned, but two full English breakfasts, a drizzly open top bus tour of Bath and sampling their traditional buns, coupled with a meeting with a Woodfordes Brewery Rep meant that I was expecting this week to have to put money into the fund, as a penalty for putting on weight.

I was therefore surprised, and delighted, to weigh in today, and find another 3lb loss on the scales, bringing the total loss to 23lbs - now over half way to the target of 43lbs.

With one week to go of the "cheese and chocolate abstinence for Lent programme" I am looking forward to Easter when I hope to return to these in moderation, whilst at the same time maintain the more gradual loss programme.

The Kearns Diet continues to focus on fruit snacks, exercise, a high fibre cereal and yoghurt breakfast, and low fat meals. It does include some wine and real ale, but includes walking to the pub and work whenever possible. The change in habit's is beginning to become normal. Avoiding the biscuits with coffee breaks, the late night snacks, and the pastry snacks at corporate buffets are all coming together to make this work.

The impact is still a reduction in neck, chest and waist measurements. I've dropped a shirt size, will have to buy some new clothes in a few weeks time, and a new belt as I have run out of holes to keep my trousers up. Clothes that I haven't worn for several years are coming out of the closet!!

Others who I know are secretly following seem to be doing well too - so let's keep going!!

Money is still coming in - and thanks to those who continue to support, with new donors coming on board. After Easter we hope to launch the challenge to a wider audience as we push towards the £430 fundraising target.

Target Date 1 - Cheltenham Gold Cup Day

The first date and target is here, with the plan to be a net loss of 14lbs since Valentine's Day to today - the day of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.


It's 5.30am and before I leave for Cheltenham I have to accept that there is no chance that I will ever get down to the weight of a Ruby Walsh or a Tony McCoy as their horses in today's Cheltenham Gold Cup race will carry a maximum of about 11stone 10lbs, and that includes the saddle!


My own target has, to use a racing term "will take some getting, in terms of the going and the trip". With this jockey traditionally putting up a few more that a couple of pounds overweight, and with the handicapper setting me a stiff task, getting up the Cheltenham Hill, will be no easy task.


Form is always a guide on these occasions, and a winning horse will normally have a few wins behind them when going into a championship race like this. This old cart horse has posted some good results in the last few weeks with an aggregate 19lb loss since mid February.


My challenge was to be 14lbs less today than when I started, and my reward will be an assault, alongside the fanatical Irish punters on the Desert Orchid Bar in the Best Mate Enclosure at Cheltenham. There will be no crowd roar, as I fight my way to the Guinness bar - if, and only if, the 14lb target has been achieved.


The news is that with all bets off the aggregate loss as of today is a sustained loss of 20lbs to date, just short of the stone and a half mark.

That's only a 1lb loss this week, put down to a quieter week at home, less exercise (whilst watching racing on TV) and the CAMRA AGM, where it would be bad manners not to sink a few pints of real ale.

A loss is a loss and target one is complete, with 6lbs to spare. The bets are on - Imperial Commander and My Will each way - if, and only if Kauto Star and Denman are struck by lightening.

I think I'm allowed a few pints of the Irish stuff to celebrate!!

Capitals and Canapes

With this week's weigh in recording another surprising 4lb loss, the total loss is now 19lbs since Valentine's Day and well on the way to achieving the first target of being 14lbs lighter by the time I go to Cheltenham for the racing next week.

The Guinness with the huge Irish contingent at Cheltenham next week now looks safe, if the week ahead can be "steady as she goes".

Challenges this last week included a Monday with two work related receptions offering very nice food and wine, courtesy of the Theatre Royal (lunchtime) and the Lord Mayor of Norwich (evening). Polite participation and two days of walking to, and from, work (5 miles a day) helped keep the exercise routine going and make up for a weekend away with good food on a scout training course.

I was in London yesterday taking a couple of people from work on a sightseeing tour, that although ended in Burger King, saw resistance to all things bad - well almost!

A trip to Greenwich Market saw me sampling a Brazilian Doughnut, purely in the name of cultural experimentation you understand. It was about four inches long, and filled with a caramel sauce, and was my only indiscretion as the now regular accompaniment of apples and bananas kept hunger locked up.

It seems that the metabolism is changing. I don't actually feel hungry, or crave anything - which is a surprise, as perhaps I am not eating enough, but the changed habits, including a regular breakfast, snacking only on fruit, reduced alcohol, and increased exercise seems to making the desired differences.

This is the first real week that I have seen inches going of waist and chest, belts are beginning to need extra holes, and trousers seem to be getting a mind of their own in staying where they should. Builder's bum has arrived, particularly when walking up stairs!

The next week needs a bit of planning, and I think that has become one of the tricks of this campaign.

Traditionally, during the Cheltenham Racing Festival week I would settle down in front of the TV for the first three days of the Festival with regular cups of coffee and a packet of biscuits, that just seem to disappear between first and last race.

On day four, an early morning start, an enormous full English breakfast at the M6 Corley Services, and enough Guinness to float back to my Irish ancestry would be followed by a lunch of burger, chips or Chinese, ahead of the racing and then a post racing three course dinner and wine at the hotel on Friday night.

Time for change I guess - as another habit needs to be consigned to history - but I will allow myself some reward for the hard work to date.

So at the start of one of my favourite weeks of the year, I guess a tip is required and it is................apples and bananas. They take time to eat, easy to carry, and fill you up.

Friday means "Weigh Day" and a more realistic loss in the last seven days of 3lbs making a running total loss since Valentine's Day of 15lbs.

That's the first stone gone, and the hard work begins to get the other two off, and keep the momentum going.

Again this week I would say its about changing habits. Eating more of the good things and less of the rubbish. I have allowed myself a couple of glasses of wine this week (well three actually!!) and last night I ate chips, in a meal out. With no starter or pudding and a reasonably healthy main course, it seemed realistic.

As is a normal part of my work, I attend a lot of meetings that offer buffet lunches, coffee and biscuits or cakes, and again this week all have been resisted. Even that little tub of sweets they annoyingly put in hotels on the conference table was overlooked.

The timetable this week hasn't allowed for walking to work, or any other real exercise, so that will have to be addressed in the coming weeks if the momentum is being kept up.

I've started to notice a few changes, like belts needing extra notches to keep my trousers up, and shirts not bulging as much as they used to, so that must be a good thing.

A new challenge this weekend as I lead a residential training course, where traditionally, a fair amount of wine has been consumed, cheese suppers last well into the night, with an healthy over-indulgence in pringles almost guaranteed in the past. Last night I found myself in Tescos buying a box of grapes and a bunch of bananas (and a couple of bottles of wine!!) and although it seemed strange, it felt strangely gratifying.

With a good chef cooking this weekend, I can't guarantee abstinence from all things good, but the lent denial of cheese and chocolate has kept going, and with the first target achieved two weeks ahead of schedule, I need to keep focused.

Congratulations to those people who are secretly following my progress, both of whom reported losses last week - lets keep this going together, and then arrange a meal out in the summer to celebrate maybe!