Wednesday 30 August 2023

The New Regime

Hello, dear reader!.....


So, you may remember that, around five weeks ago, I made a commitment to try something designed to help me lose some of the middle-age spread, which is spreading a bit too far and a bit too fast.

Emphasis on the last word.

Because, you see, I’ve been giving intermittent fasting a good go, and today, I’d like to share how that has been going.

Fast Forward
For those that don’t know, and haven’t read that post from five weeks ago, intermittent fasting is a fancy expression for a very simple concept. In its simplest form it means ingesting your calories over a shorter ‘eating window’ (more jargon), and, for the rest of the day, restricting yourself to tea or coffee (black, but that’s how I take both, anyway) or water. Do that three days out of seven, and you are intermittently fasting.



The easiest schedule, I have found, is to stop eating before eight at night. This leaves the few hours until bedtime (typically, for me and the erstwhile Mrs. Rankin, that tends to be around midnight), the eight hours or so of sleep, and then four or five hours in the morning. As someone who traditionally enjoys a good breakfast, it was the latter stint I was most dubious about.

Decaf
And I really shouldn’t have worried. As I type (at approximately 12:30 pm, I’m over sixteen hours fasted, and, to be honest, only slightly peckish, and it’s been that way from just about day one. Do I miss my morning routine of breakfast, feed the pets, and then coffee? Well, a bit (Not as much as if the coffee was a no-no, though. Marky does not play well decaffeinated), but then, I’m only missing it three days out of seven, which has allowed me to factor in my birthday, and our sojourn to Leeds without abandoning the plan, and as the saying goes, worse things happen at sea (ever wondered on the specifics of that? No? Just me?).



So, manageable, check. The next question is, is it worthwhile?

Feed Me Now!
Well, it is earlyish days, but I’d say there has been a positive effect, both on my levels of energy, and, dare we say it, on my waistline. There’s a way to go yet, but, if I can keep going, and resist the feeding tendencies of Tina, I think this could be a long term change for long term benefits.

There’s still the rest of the daily diet and a tad of exercise to factor in, and still those naughty niceties to work on avoiding (sometimes), but I think having a structure to follow, one that isn’t as restrictive as it sounds, and gives days off to breathe, could well be the way for me to lose the gut, and keep it off. I guess only time will tell, but I’ll keep you posted of any developments.

Now, what’s for lunch?

Until next time…


Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think

New Tales Of Old: Volume 2

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09TMVTX9H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Death Ship

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/9198684140/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_TWEMTA3KWK7T89QEZPF6?fbclid=IwAR322Fx5nfgVUQAA62ZZ6CUsNnBm8pbSxPanzz6Qkjg3vAv4ESipq7iKKhs

https://www.waterstones.com/book/death-ship/david-green/s-o-green/9789198684148?fbclid=IwAR2gP4CXHSG7wTccO39wOqXFtI81k0259Ep8DUM48Ki6kTUdlKoF3yafojA

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9198684140/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2XZ7JICGUQ1CX&psc=1&fbclid=IwAR2Wa6sGxb82_VCsC7l1CGXwHjsSwTheqba6jDX_G8EDsywZoGpC93nXr2w

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