It's .... measurement time and the differences to the start day are shown below .....

Weight: - 15st 10lbs ... (-18lbs) ... always weigh-in, ..... fully clothed and with shoes on
Waist: - 40.0" ... (-4.0")
Chest: - 46" ... (-2.0")
Shoulders: - 48" ... (-1.5")
Upper Arms: - 14" ... (-1")
Upper Thighs: - 27" ... (-1.0")
Resting heart rate: - 42 beats per minute ... (-16bpm)
BMI: - 28.6 (-3.3)

My weight has come down 1lb from last week but 18lbs over the last two months ..... a good result. To me what's more satisfying is the reduction in my resting heart rate - down 16bpm. This is very good news and more greatly suggests that small positive changes to a lifestyle can bring big returns to ones overall health and well-being.

Also this week I had my blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked. This is something you should consider if embarking on a lifestyle change! Without going into too many facts and figures, my blood pressure was perfect and total cholesterol levels were 4.40mmol/l which is below the healthy recommended upper level of 5.00mmol/l. Naturally I will monitor these in coming months and perhaps bring my cholesterol levels down a little more.

As my body recovers from a long period of bad use ... I am finding like many others whose lifestyles have changed for the better that my energy levels ar beginning to sore. Additionally I am thinking more clearly and positively which greatly helps confidence.

..... Nutrition can be explained in many different ways and can end up being very confusing. When government steps in, even when acting in the best interests of a population, sometimes the way information can be presented can create a misunderstanding by the people its intended to help. This may have been the case in the way that food pyramids were used when they were first introduced in the early 1990's. Since that time the method to simply explain nutritional needs and exercise has be revised .....

The Food Pyramid

The food pyramid takes into account the years of research and test results that have happened since the old pyramid first came out. The new food pyramid more accurately depicts what portions of food should be eaten in relationship to the other foods.

The new food pyramid includes:

• Grains
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Milk
• Meat and Beans
• Oils
• Physical Activity

Each section is a different size to show how much of that food group you should be eating compared to the other groups. You have to take into account your age, sex and physical activity level when planning your menu. Men usually have more muscle mass and burn calories differently than women do. Older adults may need fewer calories than younger ones. If you need to lose weight, then you need to adjust your portions accordingly. To lose weight, you have to burn up more calories than you eat each day. And you should eat healthy food choices to improve the nutritional value of your diet.

A Closer Look at the Food Pyramid

Lets look closer at each of the new food pyramid groups.

Grains include bread, pasta, oats, crackers, and rice just to mention a few. It is recommended that you have a total of at least 3 ounces of grains per day. To really help you even more make sure that your bread, pasta, crackers, and even cereal have whole grains in them.

Vegetables include all the vegetables or the 100 percent  vegetable juices. You do have sub groups of vegetables, which are: dark green (like broccoli), orange (like carrots), dried peas and beans, starchy ones, and others. You need to eat more from the dark green and orange groups than the other groups.

The fruit category includes all fruits and the 100 percent pure fruit juices. Fruits are our main source of vitamin C so they are vital to our health.

Oils are just fats that are in liquid form when at the temperature of the room. This is like the certain oils we use in cooking. This is the narrowest strip on the food pyramid you need to watch how much oil you consume and try not to go over the daily-recommended level.

The milk group includes most dairy products except for cream, cream cheese, and butter. These three are excluded because they lose their calcium during processing. So choose from the diary sources inside this pyramid that retain their calcium value such as milk, yogurt, and other types of cheese. Also make sure they are the low fat or even fat free choices.

Meat and beans include any of the meats and protein rich beans. Of course with the meat it should be lean meat. Dried beans, fish, eggs, and nuts are part of this group too. To cook the meat or fish you need to grill it, bake it, or even broil it for the low fat way to prepare it.

Physical activity is recommended on a daily basis of at least 30 minutes a day. This should be done at a moderate pace if you are not used to activity otherwise you can get more vigorous with it. It can be anywhere from walking to running to gardening.

If you pay attention and follow the recommendations of the new food pyramid, you may live a longer, healthier life.

..... Fartlek is a funny sounding word so what is it?

Fartlek, a Swedish term that means "speed play," is a form of interval or speed training that can be effective in improving your speed and endurance.

Fartlek running involves varying your pace throughout your run, alternating between fast segments and slow jogs. Unlike traditional interval training that involves specific timed or measured segments, fartleks are more unstructured. Work-rest intervals can be based on how the body feels. With fartlek training, you can experiment with pace and endurance, and to experience changes of pace. Many runners, especially beginners, enjoy fartlek training because it involves speed work. But it is more flexible and not as demanding as traditional interval training. Another benefit of fartlek training is that it doesn't have to be done on a track and can be done on all types of terrains ... roads, trails, or even hills.

To do a fartlek workout, try introducing some short periods of slightly higher pace into your normal runs. Maintain the faster pace for a short distance or time intervals, such as 200m or 30 seconds. The intervals can vary throughout the workout, and you can even use landmarks such as streetlights or telephone poles to mark your segments.

Once you complete a fast segment, slow your pace to below your normal running pace, until you have fully recovered and your breathing has returned to normal. Then return to running at your normal pace, and incorporate more slightly fast intervals later in the run.

Fartlek training puts a little extra stress on your system, eventually leading to faster speeds and improving your anaerobic threshold.

I like the above training as opposed as it adds variety and spice to an active regime ...

Next Time ...

• An early morning swim
• Are energy drinks or gels really beneficial on a long run?