The one thing I wish I had more of is time. Working full time, training 4-5 times a week, going out once or twice per week and the joys of food shopping and housework leaves very little time to do much else. Throw in a bedroom to decorate and my husband’s tax return and the pressure is on. And I mustn’t forget the couple of hours it takes to write and upload this blog.

I know that one solution would be to cut down on the training but for me that is non-negotiable. Some weeks due to work and social commitments I am unable to get in my full quota but the following week I’m back on it. It can be a balancing act. I would never turn down an invite to go out except if it is a Thursday. Thursday is personal training. That is sacrosanct.

I train three times during the week with my daughter and Sunday morning if I’m not away.  And I often do Parkrun on a Saturday morning. I also do a lot of walking. I average 14,000 steps on a working day which includes walking the dog and the commute. Even if you are a regular gym goer It is important to stay active outside of it. It is what exercise professionals refer to as NEET which stands for Non Exercise Energy Thermogenesis, which basically means any activity that burns calories that does not involve structured exercise. Housework for example. An hour in the gym won’t make up for a day sitting on the sofa.

Exercise is good for my physical and mental health. Plus it makes me look good. Like most women I will never be 100% happy with my body but I’m pretty damn close.  So exercise will remain non-negotiable.

Now that I have told you that I don’t have much time on my hands I am going to find enough of it to return to Brecon Beacons in Wales next weekend to climb another mountain. I’m not sure how I will fare. My few weeks of feeling unwell may have taken its toll. But what is the worse that can happen. I don’t get to the top. But I’m sure I will.

I don’t much have much planned after that. If I’m going to hit my 60 fo 60 I need to get my thinking and planning hat on.

I am a little bit addicted to health magazines, books and tv programmes. I do try to remain objective as the information and ideas I consume can be conflicting and don’t stand up to close scrutiny. Which is why I occasionally reach for the New Scientist if there is a health article on its front cover. This week’s issue caught my eye. I know many people that have dabbled with intermittent fasting as a way to lose weight with varying levels of success. Years ago I also tried it with some success but was unable to sustain it. But I have remained interested in it due to the claim that it reduces inflammation in the body. There is a strong possibility that my heart condition was caused by inflammation. However, what the New Scientist article concludes is that intermittent fasting is … So maybe I won’t go back there.

A TV programme called Fat v Sugar also caught my eye. Interestingly fat didn’t fare well in their ‘experiments’. There does seem to be a  fight back by the much maligned carbohydrate. What was interesting was an experiment with rats. The rats fed on a sugar only diet didn’t put on weight. They ate what they needed to then stopped. The same with fat. But when fed a diet of cheesecake which was 50/50 fat and sugar they gorged. They didn’t stop eating. They became obese. Such a lethal combination is not found in the natural world but it is a combination that the food industry has made billions out of.