For too many Christmases I’ve felt my trousers shrink.
Why do they do that?
There used to be a time when I could eat and eat and eat and not change weight or size.
It was . . . I don’t remember when.
Strangely, I don’t want to eat quite as much as I used to and take care not to overindulge as I don’t want to replace all my trousers with a larger size at the same time.
Since the sad loss of our two old spaniels in August, we have been joined by a new puppy. He likes to play. He likes to walk. He likes to run.
I am playing. I am walking. I am running.
After an emergency stomach operation four years ago, when I lost 12lbs during a week in hospital, I bought a pedometer to help me regain my strength through exercise without putting on too much weight. I have carried this about ever since.
When the older of our two spaniels had a stroke in January 2013, our walking reduced considerably. I have always aimed to walk 10,000 steps a day minimum, but nursing the dear old fellow meant this was not possible on many days. However, he made a marvellous, if temporary, recovery and we walked more last summer, but still not as much as when he was young.
Now that our new puppy is growing stronger and more energetic, I am often walking 14,000 steps or more a day. One day I walked 22,851 steps.
This was wonderful over Christmas because I was burning off everything as fast as I ate. In fact, I feel ravenous many days and am eating more than I have for a while, although still keeping to healthy food – lots of fruit and veg, few processed foods and lots of home cooking.
I am very pleased to be the same weight I was before Christmas, which is all down to our puppy. What a wonderful way to stay trim, eat with a hearty appetite and have fun.
Not surprisingly, I sleep well too.