Anyone needing to get fit, have more energy and lose weight just needs to ask if any local stables need help with mucking out. I muck out four or five horses in the winter most days and I  eat what I like, more or less.  I have good energy levels, am pretty fit and yes… I’m what you might call thin.  It helps, I guess, that I happen to like good food. But what is ‘good’ food and how can we define it?  I have been heavier than I am now and I have been unfit and fatigued.  Over the years, though, I have learn’t what works for me and have managed to maintain a fairly healthy lifestyle and I kinda like what I see when I look in the mirror (not first thing in the morning though and preferably clothed).  Bearing in mind that no food or drink is totally off limits, my diet includes mostly ‘good’ food and some food items that would not fall into that category (like real ale and dark chocolate ginger biscuits). .

Vegetable love

When I think of ‘good’ food I’m thinking here of healthy food – mostly high fibre, low fat and low sugar food and drink which would comprise mostly of water – and plants.  this would include lots of cereal, vegetables and fruit . Blimey, this sounds boring….. but wait,  as far as I’m concerned ‘good food’ also includes bread, potatoes, pasta,  rice and lots of healthy tasty food to accompany these  (butter, cheese, pasta sauce, chillies, curry etc).  If you take a lot of exercise, such as mucking out and riding horses every day,  then your diet can also include the occasional whatever you might fancy – in my case this would be a pint of real ale, dark chocolate ginger biscuits, steamed treacle sponge pudding, fish and chips, kebab*, curry*).  Good food is synonymous with home made food  made with locally grown, fresh  ingredients. I have a Cae Tan veg box every week which is £7.50 of pure vegetable luxury. With this I make (mostly) vegetarian curries, soups, pasta bakes, bubble and squeak  etc.  I spend a morning or evening each week cooking and filling the freezer. This suits my lifestyle as I’m too busy burning calories to find time to prepare them and eat them.  It’s really low calorie and nutritious, incredibly filling, ridiculously cheap and easy. To be honest, if I didn’t subscribe to the vege box everyweek I would probably exist on beans on toast and bacon and eggs – which i still enjoy now – but not every day.   Since adopting the ‘box and bake’ system I have lost half a stone and have had to incorporate the odd pork pie or two lest I fade away and disappear altogether.   Generally, I don’t eat processed food or pies but am partial to the occasional slice of quiche or chorizo sausage. I hardly ever eat meat but every now and again really enjoy a good sunday roast after a couple of pints of Gwendoline’s pitchfork.   When I was a kid we had fizzy drinks or pop only with Sunday dinner  –  my favourite was dandelion and burdock.  It seems that  things we used to have as occasional treats people now have every day  so it’s hardly surprising that people are carrying a bit more timber  now than they did in the past.

Cravings and white breeches

I have cravings for things and I almost always give in to them. It might be green and blacks chocolate, salmon and cream cheese, fresh peas, steamed kale, chestnuts with garlic butter, pickled dill cucumbers, fresh pineapple juice, chillies, coco pops, or pinot grigio. Sometimes there’s wine in the fridge but I often forget to buy it when I’m shopping so I often have to make do with a cup of tea. I never get tired of beans and cheese on toast and I love tinned tomato soup. The only craving I deny  myself is crisps… if I eat crisps it’s not long before I can’t get into my breeches.  I like crisps but I like to look good in my white breeches more.  I love cheese too – especially of the non-pasteurized variety – but this is rationed too as its up there with crisps in its ability to turn to fat on my ass.

Kettle chips and chronic vanity

Nothing is out of bounds – even kettle chips  – but I eat small portions. I stop eating when I’m full. How do I  do this people ask? I don’t know if I am exerting will power in these instances or if this denial or deferred gratification comes from an almost overwhelming sense of chronic vanity.  It is a terrible affliction I know – especially in one so young  – but I have learnt to live with it. When trying to stay slim it helps not to have fridges and pantries full of food  – sometimes when I’m feeling peckish – I look in the fridge and find nail polish and mold.  There might be a jar of lime pickle and enough milk for a hot drink but you can’t snack on unhealthy food if there isn’t any.  If will power is weak then try not to buy things you know you should not really eat.  Don’t have these things in the house. I try not to eat late at night. sometimes I go to bed hungry. Sometimes I go without breakfast. There are some days, when I’m competing, when I hardly eat at all.  I can’t eat when I’m nervous or about to get airborne. I get so busy sometimes that I forget to eat.  Sometimes I don’t eat until I’m about to pass out. There’s nothing like tucking into great food when you have worked up a massive appetite. When I’m really very hungry there is very little I wont eat and I have been known to eat other people’s leftovers

I’m size 8/10, weigh between 50 and 55 kgs and am 5’4″.  I have been this size forever – apart from a long stay in hospital when I was 21 after breaking my back.  I left hospital with an ass the size of a small spaceship and I had two double chins.   My arms and legs, however, remained skinny and so I looked like Humpty dumpty.  A similar weight gain happened about five years ago when I broke my ankle. As soon as I was able to walk I went to Cardiff to buy a new wardrobe including a stretchy maxi ‘fat’ dress. The only good thing that happened to my appearance during this time was that whilst the beam became broader the boat race looked a lot less wrinkled (see below)  How cruel is it that fat seems attracted to areas where its not required (hips, thighs, ass) and then when we lose weight it goes from where we need it most (calves, forearms, face, tatters).  Even now – I have the legs of Despicable me – sort of ice-cream cone, parsnip shaped legs – but they’re OK- I’d just like more shapely calves. I’m reasonably fit – I could have better cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure.  I could possibly be more supple and have less achy knees. I’m quite strong and have good core strength which is essential for persuading half a ton of  horse to do the right thing. I am hoping to work on these aspects over the coming months.  When I leave work at the end of September I’ll have more time to get fit and maintain fitness. My plan is to get fit for the 2018 event season. Nutrition and fitness are fairly important as far as I’m concerned  – there’s no way I would expect my horse to carry me round if i was fat,  unfit or both and I’d be worried I might just catch up with that ambulance I chase around at weekends!

 

I often get asked about what I eat or if I follow a diet… well, this is it. There are certain choices I make – they happen, generally to be good choices.  I have some easy recipes I follow  and some staples that provide the basis for these- i’ll add these later if anyone is interested.

*kebabs – check out ‘Baraka’ in Penclawdd – shawarma kebabs to die for – Taufik cooks a pretty mean curry too. Other than this marvellous establishment , try to avoid takeaway curries as these are often not authentic and  are greasy as fcuk. While we’re on the subject, avoid ready meals – especially low calorie  or ‘diet’ meals – these often contain more calories/100gms than the standard ready meals and usually cost more.  I’ll add my own recipe for   curry in a later post on this topic

Breakfast like a king (or a Queen) 

Tea or coffee (preferably in bed) plus x2 dark chocolate gingers .  These are not for everyday…it’s just a treat.  If you have been  saving these for ron then you’ll need to find a good hiding place  or there won’t be any later on.

Competition mix:

Imagine the effect of  putting a few oats in your horses feed bucket –  most of us wouldn’t dare.  We feed horses oats for energy and oats can have the same effect on us. So, if you like getting your oats then instead of having them warm try cold instead – it tastes great!  To make it  a bit more interesting, add some different cereals to the oats such as spelt wheat and barley, add a few seeds, dried fruit and nuts.  For anyone in training for competition  – even if you’re just aiming for a personal best – try this high energy, high fibre, high essential oil muesli mix.  Or just buy a box of muesli.

Cereal: puffed brown rice, organic toasted wheat flakes, spelt flakes, oats, barley – any cereals like these will do in varying amounts – just try different combinations.  This is quite a light base and very crunchy. Try adding coco pops.  These are not for everyday – just competition days when  early starts or nerves leave you with very little  appetite. It is important to eat something as low blood sugar can make you feel weak and lacking in concentration.  Interestingly, Coco pops actually contain the same amount of calories as Special K.  Another reason why you should never eat ‘diet’ food although Special K with red berries is quite lush – it is a pity they have removed all the good oils from the wheatgerm and replaced it with sugar – I love a midnight bowl of special K – i think it might be slightly lower in calories than crisps!

Seeds: poppy, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, linseed, millet.

Dried fruit: – raisins, dates, apricots, papaya, pineapple, goji berries

Nuts:  Brazils, almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, cashew

Fresh fruit – banana, blueberries, raspberries – all taste fab on this cereal

I have recently swapped cow juice for unsweetened almond milk – or milk made from multi-cereal and it tastes better than fresh milk even – it is lower in calories and has less saturated fat – it also lasts longer than dairy and is about the same cost.

 

 

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