I am so pleased to hear about Rod using the treadmill! Its important to spend the money (good job getting a new one for half price!) on a good piece of exercise equipment (if you can scrape it together of course) otherwise they feel so rickety and are so hard to use it seems people end up throwing their clothes over them in an effort to hide them while making use of them some how.. The other day I noticed one of my co-workers had this cheap stepper thingy without even any handlbars in his office. I stepped on it and it was so unpleasant and impossible to use that I could see why it was collecting dust. I paid around the same for my elliptical and it is so smooth and sturdy, just like the ones at the gym.

I must admit that over the years we have wasted money on the cheap and cheerful end of the fitness equipment spectrum as various weight loss attempts occurred and died. They have gathered dust, eventually moved to the garage to gather cobwebs and finally sent to the dump. I suppose you get what you pay for. We also have wasted money on expensive gym memberships that led to nothing other than unused facilities and a direct debit reducing the bank account. We rarely went after the first month of hectic activity - but generally kept on paying for the following year or more. This treadmill is just like the ones that we used to use at the gym.

Rod is feeling his calf muscles after the last few days - but got on the treadmill for a little while today. He will not get up to 10,000 steps though. I am suggesting that he builds up gradually to it - but makes sure that he does something every day.

It has rained for most of today - and it was so nice to look out of the window at 8.30am and see people with umbrellas and hear the rain - and just decide to do the walk on the treadmill.

I am now going to play catch-up with my food lists. Different format - but the key info is there. The last one was on page 152 of the diary. This carries on from there......

Friday: 06/06/08

At least 3 hours exercise out walking.
Pedometer readings at end of day:
---Steps = 28,886
---Distance = 11.16 miles
My Food / Drink:
2.5 litres of cold water
some diet cola
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
Shape no fat yoghurt - strawberry
4 oz ham, cucumber, lettuce, 1 red pepper, celery, 1 spring onion
chicken breast, gravy, carrot, broccoli, onion, cabbage, celery, cauliflower
1 banana
2 peaches
4 plums
1 pear
27 grapes
1 apple
30 cherries
1 kiwi fruit
sugar free jelly (2.5 sachets)

Saturday: 07/06/08

At least 3 hours exercise out walking.
Pedometer readings at end of day:
---Steps = 29,755
---Distance = 11.50 miles
My Food / Drink:
2.5 litres of cold water
some diet cola
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
Shape no fat yoghurt - raspberry
chicken breast, 3 tomatoes, cucumber, celery, lettuce
1 banana
2 peaches
4 plums
2 pears
1 apple
1 kiwi fruit
sugar free jelly (2 sachets)

Sunday: 08/06/08
At least 3 hours exercise out walking.
Pedometer readings at end of day:
---Steps = 30,746
---Distance = 11.88 miles
My Food / Drink:
2.5 litres of cold water
some diet cola
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
Shape no fat yoghurt - raspberry
4 oz ham, cucumber, 1 red pepper, 1 tomato, 1 spring onion
4 oz pork, gravy, carrot, broccoli, onion, cauliflower
1 banana
2 peaches
4 plums
2 pears
1 apple
1 kiwi fruit
sugar free jelly (1 sachet)
1 piece sugar free gum

calories 1661
fibre 38
protein 110

Monday: 09/06/08

At least 3 hours exercise out walking.
Pedometer readings at end of day:
---Steps = 29,341
---Distance = 11.34 miles
My Food / Drink:
2.5 litres of cold water
some diet cola
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
Shape no fat yoghurt - strawberry
baked potato, 80g quark, cucumber, 1 tomato, celery
dusted plaice, tin of baked beans
1 banana
1 peach
4 plums
2 pears
1 apple
sugar free jelly (1 sachets)
jelly made from 1 sachet gelatine powder and 200ml orange juice

calories 1687
fibre 51
protein 94

Tuesday: 10/06/08

At least 3 hours exercise out walking.
Pedometer readings at end of day:
---Steps = 32,276
---Distance = 12.48 miles
My Food / Drink:
2.5 litres of cold water
some diet cola
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
Shape no fat yoghurt - strawberry
baked potato, cottage cheese, cucumber, 1 tomato, celery, green pepper
pork loin steak, tin of baked beans
1 banana
1 peach
4 plums
2 pears
1 apple
1 kiwi fruit
sugar free jelly (1 sachets)
3 WW sweets (caramel & chocolate melts 68 calories per tube of 10 sweets)

calories 1618
fibre 53
protein 99

Wednesday: 11/06/08

At least 3 hours exercise out walking.
Pedometer readings at end of day:
---Steps = 30,134
---Distance = 11.65 miles
My Food / Drink:
2.5 litres of cold water
more diet cola than normal
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
Shape no fat yoghurt - strawberry
low fat cottage cheese, cucumber, 1 tomato, celery, lettuce
tandoori chicken (2 leg / thighs), steamed white rice, garnish of salad bits, no dressing
1 banana
1 peach
4 plums
2 pears
1 apple
1 kiwi fruit
sugar free jelly (2 sachets)
2 WW sweets (caramel & chocolate melts 68 calories per tube of 10 sweets)

calories 1780
fibre 32
protein 111

Thursday: 12/06/08

At least 3 hours exercise out walking.
Pedometer readings at end of day:
---Steps = 32,629
---Distance = 12.61 miles
My Food / Drink:
2.5 litres of cold water
some diet cola
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
Shape no fat yoghurt - strawberry
4 oz ham, cucumber, 1 tomato, celery
chicken breast, cucumber, 2 tomatoes, celery, green pepper, lettuce
1 banana
1 peach
4 plums
2 pears
1 apple
1 kiwi fruit
sugar free jelly (2 sachets)
2 WW sweets (caramel & chocolate melts 68 calories per tube of 10 sweets)

calories 1601
fibre 35
protein 129

Friday: 13/06/08

At least 3 hours exercise out walking.
Pedometer readings at end of day:
---Steps = 31,603
---Distance = 12.22 miles


My Food / Drink: -- part of the story
2.5 litres of cold water
some diet cola
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
Shape no fat yoghurt - strawberry
baked potato, quark, cucumber, 1 tomato
dusted plaice, tin of baked beans
1 banana
4 plums
2 pears
1 apple
1 cup grapes
1 cup cherries
sugar free jelly (1 sachet)
2 WW sweets (caramel & chocolate melts 68 calories per tube of 10 sweets)

calories 1604
fibre 50
protein 81

Not one of my best days because in addition to the above I had an unweighed quantity of cereal that would increase my calories above my comfort zone. I really could not stop nibbling once that mood hit!!!

At least I got my fibre in and hit my normal nutrition / exercise targets.

Saturday 14/06/08:

At least 3 hours exercise out walking.
Pedometer readings at end of day:
---Steps = 30,230
---Distance = 11.68 miles


My Food / Drink:
2.5 litres of cold water
some diet cola
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
clusters
Shape no fat yoghurt
4.5 oz ham, 2 tomatoes
chicken breast, 2 tomatoes, celery, spring onion, cucumber, lettuce
1 banana
1 plum
2 pears
1 apple
1 peach
sugar free jelly
sugar free gum
4 WW sweets

Sunday 15/06/08:

At least 3 hours exercise out walking.
Pedometer readings at end of day:
---Steps = 28,917
---Distance = 11.18 miles


My Food / Drink:
2.5 litres of cold water
some diet cola
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
clusters
Shape no fat yoghurt
6 oz pork, gravy, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot
1 banana
2 pears
1 apple
cherries
sugar free jelly
4 WW sweets

Monday 16/06/08:

At least 3 hours exercise out walking.
Pedometer readings at end of day:
---Steps = 31,082
---Distance = 12.01 miles


My Food / Drink:
2.5 litres of cold water
some diet cola
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
clusters
2 Shape no fat yoghurts
1.5 oz turkey breast, cottage cheese, 1 tomato, cucumber
5 oz pork, tomato, cucumber, celery, lettuce, spring onion
1 banana
2 pears
1 apple
1 nectarine
sugar free jelly
4 WW sweets

Tuesday 17/06/08:

At least 3 hours exercise out walking.
Pedometer readings at end of day:
---Steps = 34,121
---Distance = 13.19 miles


My Food / Drink:
2.5 litres of cold water
some diet cola
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
Shape no fat yoghurt
chicken, 2 tomatoes, cucumber, celery
pork loin steak, tin of baked beans
1 banana
2 pears
1 apple
1 plum
sugar free jelly
4 WW sweets