h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So, not wanting to be hasty with announcements, but over the last two weeks or so I've lost about five pounds using an amazing programme. I don't suppose anyone is interested?

Either there's a punchline to this, or a twist, or you're selling Herbalife ("Lose weight now - ask me how") for a living

Well. That's certainly not who I expected to be the first person to respond. (I guess Taliesen is off-line)

There is a punch line, but certainly not an original one. And I'm not selling anything.

And it's true.


(and, just to get Taliesen over here, it involves Xena)

As in 'Princess Warrior'?

(I believe the phrase is 'Warrior Princess')

That was just to get his attention.

Seriously, the programme was publicised in newspapers across North America about twenty years ago but was dismissed as too radical. Let's see.

Ah. Here we are:

http://www.randomthink.net/pictures/bloom_county/blm870312.gif

Hmm.

Penquins.. could involve cross-glacial hiking... No, too cold..

Wait! Could involve Linux -- 'Tux', the Linux mascot... Staying up real late, coding, eating junk food... No, that would have the opposite effect, and anyway, it's too ish..

Cartoons! Could be something to do with cartoons... But what cartoons?

.. Bugs Bunny --> carrots --> vegan diet.. No, there's that bison steak thing..

.. Road Runner --> serious jogging --> exercise.... No, that's too... energetic. Also the weather hasn't been conducive to road running...



Eeeerghhhmmm....

I give up

The only thing I can think would involve Xena and some form of exercise can't be mentioned here, but I recall it being a favorite activity of a certain ex husband (tho it didn't ALWAYS involve Xena). Ahem.....

(still don't have the necessary smileys.)


Simply put, the programme is 'eat less, exercise more'. Radical, but it seems to work.



(The key to the exercise part seems to be to watch a couple of episodes of Xena every day while pedalling madly on a stationary bicycle [particularly when Xena and Gabrielle are beating the tar out of all those big Maori men]. I don't know what the key to the 'eat less' part is, except maybe just to eat less.)

It CERTAINLY didn't involve a stationary bike, either... which might have been extremely dangerous, under the circumstances.

Good timing, anhaga!
http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2006/03/14/abdominal-fat060314.html

'The study's authors prescribe better diets and more exercise to shrink abdominal girth.'



What did I tell you? Eat less and exercise more. It's not so hard.

Been doing something similar myself, anhaga. Getting on the bike and watching a very bizarre old Spanish television series that a friend of mine lent me on dvd. It's really kind of crap but it's easier than reading while I pedal and I find I 'go farther' - easily ten kilometres per half hour - than when I read. And I can also practice my Spanish a bit.

Eat less, do more. What a concept!

Think it will catch on?


az

We talked about that a while ago, didn't we Az? Slap the computer on a nearby level surface, plug in a dvd and you're off!



I suspect doing 60 pushups and a bunch of yoga every night before bed is helpful as well.

Plus all that squinting as I paint cityscapes onto pinheads.



And the laxatives.


And induced vomiting.

Ha!

I'd be home and away with the bike thing if I could find a way to balance the laptop on the handlebars. Though perhaps on a nearby surface within arms reach . . . hmmm. Interesting possibility . . .


az

'Though perhaps on a nearby surface within arms reach'

That's what I do.

Of course, you could get that resident handyman to whip up some sort of shelf on the handlebars.

Or, you could just have him stand there holding the thing while you pedal.

Or . . .

http://www.i-glassesstore.com/hmds.html

I had also planned to lose 20 kilos before the Seville mini-meet people arrived (eek - next week!). Guess it's too late now. Instead I posted a 'chubby az' photo for them, in case they might think I still look like my first photo in the gallery (taken six years and many kilos ago).

Weirdly (or otherwise) a sudden change in temperature and other spring-like stuff happening like hearing blackbirds singing in the early morning, the orange blossom starting to appear, being able to wear sandals again, has made me just kind of naturally start eating less and doing more.

Too late for the meet, but perhaps by summer I'll start looking like my 'old self' again.

Noggin certainly seems to be enjoying my switch from warm winter pj's (and socks!) to light cotton nightdresses . . .


az

Resident handyman??? Um . . . huh?

Trust me, philosophers are total cr@p at being handymen, though I could perhaps persuade him to hold up the laptop for half an hour while he's busy THINKING.


az

That way he could get a (very) little exercise as well.

He COULD jog on the spot and you could pretend you are viewing the DVD in the car!

A friend lent me a dvd of the first Friends series, so I watched two of them yesterday whilst Riding The Bike and got in about 45 minutes and about 15 kilometres . . . really depressing when you see how many calories have been burned after all that effort.

Also really depressing watching these Friends episodes. Wow, how did it ever get so popular?


az