Raring to go...

Happy Birthday to my sister Kim, your card is on my hall table!
SKIPPING ROPE
One of the extra things I have started this week is to introduce exercise into my regime. I started with a skipping rope in the back yard but found it hard going. I like the idea of using this device but I don't think I'm quite ready for it yet.
BALLS REVEALED
Okay, so I failed on the skipping rope task, but I will get back to it in a week or so when I've lost a few more pounds. In the meantime, I have taken up a special exercise program that I devised a couple of years ago. It is a latchkey regime which means that I can do as little or as much as I feel able to do at any given time. The idea is, (1) you purchase a set of those soft tennis ball sized plastic balls that you can buy in a bundle of fifty or a hundred for a pocket money price from your local toy shop. (2) You count out thirty six balls and place them in a bucket or basket. (3) You throw the balls onto the floor. (4) You then start to pick up the thrown balls and put them back in the bucket or basket. (5) You throw the balls on the floor again and pick them all up again. Phew! I think you probably get the idea now!
MINT TEA
Now this is a good one! I divide my day into two halves, during the hours of daylight, I drink black coffee. After dark in the evenings I drink Mint tea. When I say this is good, it must be, 'cos I hardly ever drink tea, however, over the last couple of weeks the mint tea has become an important tool in my quest to lose the weight first and then go on the diet! The amazing thing I discovered was that when you drink this stuff, you don't feel hungry! So, it's ideal for me, as after seven pm, I don't eat again till seven am. when I break my fast.
WATER TRICKS
The water tricks are probably the single most important thing I have learnt. As you should know, you need to drink lots of water just to stay alive! But when you're losing weight, it is essential! You need the water to help flush out your system, your kidneys etc. If you don't drink the water, you die! I'm not being alarmist here, you see you can go without food for a long time but not without water. I drink a minimum of four pints each day and the way I do it, is two pints first thing in the morning and another two pints in the afternoon about an hour or so before I eat.
I also try to drink other amounts of water throughout the day and if I have to drive anywhere I always take a litre bottle with me.
THE COLD WATER TRICK
I mentioned that I drink black coffee and mint tea but being used to having milk in the top of my coffee I now put a little cold water on top instead. I don't suppose it makes much difference really as the coffee soon cools enough to drink anyway, but it's just one of those things I do so I can drink it straight away.
THE HOT WATER TRICK
I drink my (four) pints of water from a beer (pint pot) glass which I fill up about two thirds of the way with freshly drawn very cold water and then I top up the glass with boiling water and drink it down in one go. I find the temperature, doing it this way to be just right.
MORE IN A FORTNIGHT...