The Lazy Journalist at the Prince Regent - Too much fun and not enough quinoa

As sure as night follows day, after a couple of, very super, extra days off work I’ve come down with the dreaded lurgy. ?It’s blatantly obvious that I’m the sort of person who will pop his clogs within a week of retiring, so I guess I’d better keep on hacking!
A subliminal message in Alphabites and lamb shawarma (my own spice mix!)A subliminal message in Alphabites and lamb shawarma (my own spice mix!)
A subliminal message in Alphabites and lamb shawarma (my own spice mix!)

That said, the luxury of time off and some down time weren’t the only things that’s lowered my already feeble immune system.

During Easter I caught up with some dear chums, enjoyed some nice meals, went to a fab gig (the awesome Sleaford Mods), and generally had a good time.

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There were no Bacchanalian excesses, just a few gin and slimline tonics (although I still feel a bit of a plum ordering those) and perhaps a little too much lamb...

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I don’t know how everyone else copes with exercise and dieting, but I think I fall into the category of all or nothing.

I can’t seem to do low-level healthy living and I’m struggling to reconcile it with long-established patterns of behaviour.

Whilst I don’t want to wear a hair shirt and deny myself at all turns, I think I perhaps need to increase the effort.

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Otherwise the nights out have a knock-on effect of reducing the desire to exercise and to eat well.

It’s mental and physical.

Obviously eating too many carbs, fats or sugars , and drinking alcohol will have a physical impact on energy levels and subsequent desire to go the gym/eat kale.

And I’m, belatedly, beginning to realise how important food and drink is to my moods.

I appreciate the more sensible among us will be rolling their eyes and wondering how I managed to make it to my late 40s without realising this, but I’m a slow learner and have, historically, put too much emphasis on food and drink that I enjoy, regardless of the mental and physical impact.

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There’s also a tendency to forgive myself for the odd bad day.

I’m quite happy to tell myself that Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I’ll then give the metaphorical Roman builders the day off, kick down the work they’ve done and sit on the rubble eating chips.

But, I guess I need to remain positive and on the upside, although it hasn’t been a great week, it hasn’t been a complete disaster.

I only ate one piece of Easter confectionary, a super little chocolate squirrel (who says a rodent can’t be a symbol for new life?), managed a couple of very wholesome activities, and played a good round of golf.

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The last of these three might not seem like the greatest of achievements but I didn’t huff and puff on uphill holes, and also didn’t run out of steam on the back nine.

It’s not exactly a three-minute mile or completion of SAS training but it’s a start, and the first real evidence that what I’m doing is having a positive effect on my life.

Small steps and all that. Small steps in funny golf shoes.

So, once this ghastly cold has shifted I’ll be back at the Prince Regent gym, back on the low GI food, and back on the straight and narrow

I wonder how many calories there are in a Lemsip?

To find out more about the gym and classes at the Prince Regent visit www.freedom-leisure.co.uk

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