Geekiest weight-loss strategy yet?

The problem
I’m overweight. It’s hardly a secret. Have been for years.

I’m not massively obese or anything, but I am carrying a fair bit more weight than I should and I’d prefer that I wasn’t. It’s not ruining my life, but I am aware of it. It fluctuates – and every now and then I go on a diet, but it always ends up back at the same level – or worse.

It’s a very common story.

My line was always “I’m prepared to carry a few extra kg in the interests of good living.” But realistically, I’m in my 40s. You’re supposed to think about your health, and it can start to be a bit of an uphill battle around this point. I gave up smoking about 6 or 7 years ago (I forget when, actually) and I reckon this is something else I can get a handle on, if I just figure out the best way to manage it.

So, I decided a while back, after my last attempt of dropping a fair bit then putting it all back on, that rather than try and lose the weight as quickly as possible or go on a diet, I’d just be a bit more sensible about what I ate, and do a bit more exercise – and aim to hit my target weight in about a year’s time.

No hurry. Gradual. Not dramatic.

And then I thought about ways of making sure that happened. And I had an idea. Quite a geeky idea, actually – and therefore, rather a fun one.

What happens in the tipi stays in the tipi

We’ve been back from Shambala a few days and it was, once again, a very laid-back and relaxed affair. Good music – mostly by bands we’d never heard of, but occasionally there’d be one or two that one of us had heard of (or, on occasion, met).

Here’s a quick glimpse of some the bits I managed to catch:

[Video link]

Today is GCSE Results Day

Just took Jake in to collect his GCSE results. Here’s how he did:

A – English
A – Science
B – History
B – Additional Science
C – Mathematics
C – Art & Design
C – English Literature
C – German

He didn’t get his ICT result – which is a BTEC course, and that comes out later on in the year, but he has already heard about his Music BTEC, for which he got two A’s. So that’s pretty cool. By my count, that’s four A’s and two B’s confirmed.

I don’t think the results have quite sunk in for him yet. The thing he’s most pleased about is that he’s finished with his old school and that he’s off to a new school in September.

But more important things are afoot. He’s dumped his results at home, grabbed his skateboard and headed off into town to hang out with his friends. Tomorrow we’re off to Shambala, so we can enjoy this last bit of school holidays hanging at a music festival, not worrying about exam results.

Very proud, of course.

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• GCSE results (constantlyfurious.blogspot.com)
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