The Ups and Downs of Life
I am a level-headed person normally but there are certain things, problems that annoy me occasionally. Today I write a few lines about a regular irritant in my life now that I must rein in my eating habits after my Christmas excesses.
I have always been a wee bit on the heavy side with my weight yo-yoing up and down within certain parameters. This is, thanks to my genes and a fondness for regular visitations to wrong food supplies especially during festive times. I just love Christmas Cake, chocolates, pudding, ice cream and chocolate biscuits, hence I have added a few unwanted kilos and slightly expanded the waistline.
Now as the new year dawns I have decided that what goes on must come off. The plan is very simple. I just must eat less, cut down on the portion sizes and avoid those calory enriched foods and beat the roads, beaches, and forest paths. I thank the good lord that the festive excess supplies are now nearly gone for another year.
I make Friday January 7th my start date. I get that horrible frustrating feeling when you must confront yourself and no one else and face the weight bearing scaley truth commissioner.
This paragon of virtue is conveniently located in the bathroom and never comforts me with an encouraging reading. I look down and am afraid to view the screen. When I pluck up enough courage to have a peep, I gaze at it in disbelief. That must be wrong, I just could not have put up seven pounds since my last period of sensible living pre-Christmas.
I check with senior management, and I enquire if the batteries have been changed lately because I was getting false readings. This was easily checked when `I am asked to step aside, whereupon the senior manager checks her own weight and lo and behold her weight is perfect. This is the one gadget in the house you cannot change or bribe or cajole.
I just must admit to my festive food indiscretions and that my truth commissioner has given an accurate honest reading for me, and I have no choice but to start another weight awareness and diet programme commencing immediately in January 2022.
We went out for a coffee and nothing else last week, but you know when a waitress asks you if you would like something to eat.
Some people can stick with the coffee, but I would not like to insult the waitress when she is poised over the table to take a food order. She lists all the choices they have available, and my eyes are popping out of my head and my mouth salivating when I see all the lovely scones and tarts being served around me. I relent and get a fruit scone with butter jam and cream. It was lovely with my cappuccino.
Now having devoured the lot I felt guilty and promised myself that this was a one-off slippage, and I would confine myself to the coffee on its own on future visits.
That mortal dietary sin was committed in cosy Partridges in Gorey sitting on that lovely snug little table for two inside the door.
Later, after a browse around bookshops we reached home around six o clock. We had a tuna salad for supper, with lettuce, scallions, coleslaw, couscous, beetroot. I felt good about that after my mid-afternoon indiscretion. I was on the proper dietary path again and the extra kilos would just drop off.
And so, having dined and tidied up we watched some TV and lazed about for an hour. We then went for a night-time stroll around the town to stretch the legs and clock up the final steps to achieve our minimum daily target of 10000 steps and maybe knock off a few more unwanted calories on the way.
Yes, I am on the road again towards achieving a new 2022 lighter,trimmer,fitter version of me.
Morning came and I went and reported to the truth commissioner. Now the window was close by, and my unforgiving, unrelenting paragon of virtue and dispenser of generally bad news had the audacity to display to me that I had gained another pound since our last encounter yesterday.
I was genuinely tempted to throw the scales from on high, but I desisted. The fault lay with me and me only. It was time to get serious.
That was hard to believe, so I took out my camera phone and took a photo of the figures and made a solemn silent pledge to myself that those figures would not appear on that weight displaying screen when yours truly checks in with it next time.
It’s at times like this I can empathise with those people on Operation Transformation who pump the roads, adjust their diet, do crazy exercises, and sometimes come in and see their weight increased and revealed to all the nation after all their exertions.
This year’s group of people have really impressed me so far. They are all a great example to all of us.
As I go on my daily walks trying to clock up my 10000 steps, I note a huge increase in the number of people walking around Gorey, Courtown Woods and beach and Cahore.
I often think most of our lives are one continuous series of Operation Transformation. The annual public health and weight awareness campaign on Live national TV is a tremendous positive event for the population of Ireland and does great good for young and old.
I must say I have improved a bit since my scone slippage event, and I am on better terms with the truth commissioner now that I am getting slightly improved readings.
I was really chuffed with myself when I clocked up 16334 steps on one outing last week and 12354 on another day while also meeting some very interesting people on my travels and getting some great fresh air into my lungs.
Yes, I am on the road again like hundreds more people around the lovely town of Gorey.
As the song goes ‘These boots were made for walking, Get walking. Come on Gorey ,Lets step it out together.
Mick O Callaghan 16/01/2022
