Media System Setup

I've had a request to write something!! Admittedly it's a tech request by a family member, but it still allows me to make use of the blog before it fades into complete obscurity in the face of Google+(https://plus.google.com/104031145895548702140/posts)!

My brother has asked that I detail my lounge media setup. So here it is:

Thecus N5500 NAS in the study connected via a cat6 cable around the outside of the house to a...
Revo 3700 PC. A small, silent little box with a 1.8GHz processor and 2 Gig of memory. The 160 Gig hard drive is largely unused, but it is running...
Ubuntu 10-10 (yes, Maverick) running...
XBMC 11.0 (Eden)
The PC is connected via HDMI to a Onkyo amp, and from there to some speakers and the TV.

The old version of ubuntu is because the repository I use to get a pre-compiled version of XBMC didn't, at the time, support anything newer (http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc/ppa/ubuntu maverick main). The repository now deals with everything up to Oneiric, and XBMC is now in the main Ubuntu Universe repository for Precise.

You have to do some, well documented, hacking with the /etc/asoundrc file to get sound over HDMI, but that's a one off. A quick play with alsamixer should get you tested and running. The internal config of XBMC for sound was a bit trial and error, but there is only a handful of options, so it didn't take that long (it's better documented now as I've just discovered by searching google for "revo 3700 ubuntu xbmc")

The NAS is split into directories for TV, Movies, Music, and Pictures (although I'm not currently using the latter 2), and the config of XBMC points the relevant section at the relevant directory. This works really well, and took no configuration. Go into movies, point it at the movies directory, configure the type of media as movie, and the system went and scanned everything in there, looking up all the relevant details from IMDB as it went. There were only a handful of movies I had to correct it on, and there were down to the directory name being ambiguous.

The system can be controlled by keyboard and / or mouse (the keyboard is how my daughter navigates her "Scooby Doo" episodes), or via an official XMBC Android app(https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.xbmc.android.remote). We have the Android app on both mine and my wife's phones, and it works brilliantly. Layout has the same options as the system, browsing is intuitive, and the "Now playing" option allows direct control of whatever is on at the time. Remote control allows you to browse around the system as though you were using the keyboard / mouse directly, but from the comfort of your seat. The app even pauses the current program if you get a phone call (resuming seamlessly when the call finishes).

XBMC has apps for YouTube and IPlayer both of which we've used easily enough. The YouTube one syncs with your account, so your favourites, playlists, and subscriptions are there when you open the app up. In fact there are many apps and plugins, so if you have a specific need it can probably be met(http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Category:All_add-ons).

Overall the system is low maintenance and easy to use. My 5 year old, and my "non-geek" wife use it without issue. I spend almost no time worrying about it. The only "maintenance" I do is to initiate a scan when I add something new one of the directories. That's a simple menu option, and could be negated if I turned on active scanning (I don't because I don't add stuff that often and don't want the overhead).

I'd highly recommend the system as long as you have the media to support it. It took a while to rip all our DVDs to the NAS, and the options for getting media in a digital format that you can copy straight onto the NAS is still currently limited. Ripping blue-rays is a PITA, copying DVDs makes that new disk redundant almost immediately. The media companies will catch up though. Eventually. And I'll be right there ready and waiting.

I think that covers everything, but if I've missed anything (or you want something clarified), you can put any questions in the comments.

More Links

'Cos that's what it's all about!

Just a girl and her AT-AT
Trololo sing along
Never be a puppet
Game of Thrones - Squeaky Toys edition
Background behind that event you probably missed last week
All the Captains in one picture
Paper Prometheus. Might be better than the original from what I've heard
The Credible Hulk
Anyone got $30,000 knocking about? Brings the lounge together
New Disney Trailer

Closing tabs

These are links I've been collecting since last September or October, and meaning to get around to looking at / posting. Rather than release a deluge of posts onto my social networks of choice I thought I'd be kind and put them into a post that you can bookmark and come back to. Aren't I nice? :-)

The links are in two roughly equal halves. The YouTube videos, and the rest.

Here come the YouTube videos:

Shatner does Bohemian Rhapsody
Aliens! On Ice!
Geek Speed dating! Have to look for this show. There, but for the grace of...
The impossibility of texting and driving. Don't do it!
10 Science party pieces
Proper science! With chemicals and everything!
Optical illusion
Definitely a dumb idea
Portal song (Still Alive) done on an old exercise machine computer
The Portal song done on old Floppy Drives
An, unnecessarily, censored version of a Zelda cartoon
Doctor Who meets Metal
Duck Tales, the Rock version
Don't think of Deliverance. Don't think of Deliverance
Human Jukebox: 90's megamix
George R R Martin reads children's Stories
3 minutes (you won't want more) of a Superman Musical
Minecraft Catsplosion
Bring on the cute! A Baby monkey get's a bath
Flaming waterfall of Mexican Coffee

And now the rest:

Bat-tache
Nothing (apparently) is going to stop me now.
You'll need this after the last link
Doctor Who-of
An elevator Tardis
Relaxing Prisms
Everything Bart's written on a chalkboard
Tasty Breakfast. Have to try this one sometime
Rabbit(!) Olympics
Star Wars font
Empire Strikes Back feature from '81
George Lucas can go to hell!
Uber-meta! Space station built in Space Station!
Bring on the cute!!
A Badger Theremin!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Noses. Click through a few pages.
Clever paper trick
How many can you spot?
Some writing ideas...

Now, aren't you glad I didn't post them in a huge swarm of posts!!

Comments, thoughts, links of your own, all welcome.

Enjoy.

A few links around the #NHSBill. Read, take action, feel good.

Start here, this is what the bill is about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_and_Social_Care_Bill_2011

Then get the breakdown here: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2012/03/grim-meathook-future-english-s.html

Referenced is Ben Goldacre's Post here: http://bengoldacre.posterous.com/what-will-the-nhsbill-do-i-dont-think-youre-w

Both articles are based on the article published in the British Medical Journal: http://www.allysonpollock.co.uk/administrator/components/com_article/attach/2012-03-08/BMJ_2012_Pollock_HealthSocialCareBill.pdf

Some more breakdown is here: http://scruffymutt.posterous.com/the-bill-that-no-one-wants and here: http://nhsvault.blogspot.com/2012/02/why-patients-are-not-objecting-to.html

The Royal College of Surgeons don't like it: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/mar/09/royal-college-surgeons-nhs-reforms. The GPs governing body don't support it either: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/may/13/andrew-lansley-nhs-reforms-unworkable. In fact, as showed here: http://bengoldacre.posterous.com/who-is-and-is-not-invited-to-camerons-emergen most of the key parts of the NHS oppose the bill.

Here was today's political blow: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/mar/10/liberal-democrats-debate-nhs-bill

After all that, go here: http://nhsalert.org.uk/, read more, and click the "Take Action" link to here: http://nhsalert.org.uk/pages/take-action; then, at least, sign the petition http://nhsalert.org.uk/page/signup/nhs-alert-petition, and email your MP http://nhsalert.org.uk/page/speakout/will-you-email-your-mp-now

Any questions? :-)

How a geek gets fit...

...or at least how he starts motivating himself!

I've been faffing about umming and ahhing over getting back into shape for about the last six months. False starts here, good intentions there, but nothing concrete. With the coming of spring I have finally started to do something properly; and those who follow my Twitter stream will have noticed the odd runkeeper report starting to creep back in.

Baby steps so far, a few 1.5 mile runs initially; a couple of 2.25 mile ones this week. Still, something is *far* better than nothing!

Last time I did the "getting fit thing" I started out using "My Tracks" by Google on my Android phone before changing to Runkeeper as a way to track my exercise. This worked to a point, and is working again. Posting regular updates to my stream keeps me honest (even if it may annoy people who get annoyed over automated updates), and the stats show me how I'm improving. Going faster / further is a good incentive. Remebering to take my headphones also helps!

However, this time it just doesn't seem to be enough. I managed to sort my diet out last time by following the Dukan diet, and the newness of this , combined with the strict, easy to follow rules, really helped. I can't do it again! Having done it once I know what awaits me, and I can't face it alone!

But I'm a geek!! Technology is *always* the answer. With this in mind, I've been researching Fitbit. It tracks everything, not just the main exercise. It checks my sleep patterns. It gives *lots* of stat porn! One, minor, problem; apparently the food tracking is very American based. Quick bit of research, and I came up with MyFitnessPal. This links with Fitbit, and tracks your food through their database which either works through keywords, or by barcode scan (if your food comes that way (which most of mine doesn't!)).

I ordered the Fitbit today, setup my account and linked it with Runkeeper. Then I setup MyFitnessPal, linked that with Fitbit, and setup the app on my phone. So far, it works. Obviously the system isn't tracking my movements yet (I haven't got the dongle), but some assumptions are being made to give baseline results. Food is being tracked, and calories counted. Exercise is recorded, and calories dropped accordingly. It all looks good.

The mental side is working too. I went to Subway for lunch, and got one of their Subway club sandwiches. 6 Inch, no cheese, honey and mustard dressing (not fat). On adding it into the app, I couldn't bring myself to add the crsips that I was going to get to go with it; back on the shelf they went. The bottle of water was an easy purchase! The sandwich didn't taste nearly as good as it usually does. I don't think I'll be back at Subway for a while!

The final piece of my geek setup is my Withings scale. I got this last time I was losing weight on a special deal (also, I paid for it, via Amazon, with some returned items). It's a simple thing; but again, the stat porn more than makes up for it. I know my weight over time, how much of that is fat / lean, how it varies against exercise, and, now, how it varies with food, daily routine.

Hopefully all this new geeky stuff will be enough to kick start things to the point where the weight loss / fitness level is itself the main driving factor.

Leaving on a fast train

I'm on a train, leaving Paddington, for the last time (for a while). I am now unemployed.

Four weeks ago I was told that our department had lost my headcount, and that I had a month of employment remaining as per the terms of my contract. That time is now over, and I am returning home.

As the birth of our second child is imminent the timing couldn't have been better (or worse, but who wants to be a pessimist?); so I'm taking some time, and anticipating a new challenge ahead.

I'll start looking for work again when things settle down. Until then, no more data, lots more Daddy.

Top Ten (Well, Eleven) Tracks of 2011

Actually, the top tracks that I've listened to. Not necessarily from 2011, but within 2011.

All stats tracked via last.fm, which includes stats from my PC via Spotify and Amarok, and from my phone via Winamp and Spotify. I think I've tracked over 90% of what I listen to, so this is fairly accurate.

Coming in at number 9 are 3 tracks:

Cee Lo Green with (the clean version) "Forget You"



Brandi Carlile with "Caroline"



and an old favourite
Kula Shaker with "Hush"



Number 7 has 2 tracks:

Diane Birch with "Fools"



Toto Coelo with "Dracula's Tango" (possibly the greatest pop song ever!) (no apologies ;-) )



Coming in a No.6 is Portishead with "Roads"



Number 5 is Moby with "Extreme Ways (Bourne's Ultimatum)

No embedding allowed!


A three way tie at number 2:

Plain White T's with "Rhythm of Love"



Katy Perry with "Firework" (The top favourite of my daughter!)



Yeah Yeah Yeahs with "Zero"



and number 1 is...

Imelda May with "Mayhem"



Special mention should go to R.E.M. as their "Collapse into Now" album has notched up a track listening total of 133, and RJD2 for his "Deadringer" album amassing 74 track listenings like this one:



and finally, coming out of nowhere, the album "Rome" by Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi. This album quickly went to the top of my playlists, and still sounds fresh even after 125 track listenings (This is the one album where the numbers should be higher. I listen to this a lot on the underground, so not all listenings are recorded due to lack of connection. Total plays are probably well over 200!). Featuring vocals from Jack White and Norah Jones, I cannot recommend this enough. I will leave you with this, "Black" featuring Norah Jones

[HOWTO] Change your ASUS EEE pad Transformer dock keyboard layout to be UK even if you change from the default ASUS soft keyboard

And that's a mouthful.

Basically, this is just for me in case I have to look it up again.

The default Asus rom on the Transformer sets the dock layout to US if you pick anything other than the Asus soft keyboard. Why the two are connected is beyond me, but that's what it does.

To fix, 

root the tablet, 

mount system is r/w, 

copy the relevant qwerty kcm mapping (in my case qwerty_gb) from /system/usr/xt9/keychars to /system/usr/keychars

copy the relevant qwerty kl mapping (in my case qwerty_gb) from /system/usr/xt9/keylayout to /system/usr/keylayout

in each directory backup the asusec file and rename your qwerty file to asusec.

Reboot.

Job done.

That's the geekiest post I've written in a while!

If they gave points for willpower...

Today has been tough  Started well, the weight is down to 11 st 10.1 lb. The scales teased me with 11 st 9.x before settling on 10.1, but that's fine.

As the day went on, however, the cravings started. A want / need for that which I can't have. Things reached a peak when I had to go food shopping. I know I wasn't hungry, as I'd recently had lunch, but everywhere I turned there were things I wanted. Things I *needed*!

After the supermarket I needed to head into town to look at a chair my wife wanted me to see; and as I walked through I passed bakeries, newsagents, olde sweet shops, and a burger van. All of this as I passed people enjoying the wares from the various places. It was torchure!

When I came home I had a pint and a half of water and some chewing gum to get my mind off things.

All was fine until I had to prepare my daughter's tea. After her usual bits of veg and tomato she wanted toast. Toast with jam. The smell! The mouth watering! It took absolutely every last bit of willpower not to eat half a slice. Especially when she left half a slice at the end. I had to carry that quickly to the bin. Out of sight, out of mind!

If you got rewards for willpower, I'd be 10st something tomorrow!

As it is, I'll be off for a little jog in a mo, then I have a 5km run tomorrow morning at a running meetup I've never been to. Should be an interesting start to the weekend!

Quick update

Oops, forgot to post today. Need to get back in the habit.

Weight down to 166.7 lb. So that's 11 st lots, but a little less than yesterday.

More tomorrow.

Another day, another weight drop

11 St 12.4 lb this morning. Nice.

I went for another 3 mile run last night, but may have over done things as a result. My calf muscles are in agony, and walking is an extremely painful experience! I may settle for a 1.2 miler tonight. Or even a night off! Makes me feel I should take up swimming or cycling as an alternative, but where's the time?

Anyway, another day, another set of protein meals. Fat free yogurt for breakfast, and I think half a roast chicken for lunch. Fancy something warm for a change. It'll be gruel for tea (oat bran and fat free fromage frais). Joy.

Update on progress and a ripping of bad reporting

So, first things first, today's weight: 12 st 0.4 lb. Down around 4 lb from yesterday. Good start. Should hit 11 st x tomorrow, and 10 st x the day after (I wish!)

I went for a "barefoot" run last night hoping to crack 2 miles, and managed 3.02 miles! Compared to the night before, where I attempted the same thing and gave up with major wheezing after around 1, this was great progress. Running "barefoot" (I'd stop with the quotes if I didn't think someone would deep-link here and get the wrong idea) is a completely different style focusing on landing on the ball of the foot with almost no impact on the heel. This puts extra strain on the calf muscles, and focuses you on staying "up" all the time (I tend to run on my ball anyway, so that wasn't really a change; but I "coast" on my heel which I can't do any more, so I have to run constantly). 3 miles is good, I was hoping to get there by the weekend, so managing it on Monday is great.

Diet is going well. Finished the last of the milk in the house yesterday, and changed the order so that we only have enough for my daughter now. Other than that I stuck easily enough to protein yesterday, and, apart from the oat bran with breakfast, am going protein only again today (and for the rest of the week). Keeping on top of the liquid intake too. 1.5 litres? Pffft 2, 2.5 easily!

I've been reviewing the salient points of the diet again, to refresh my memory. For those new here the diet I follow is the Dukan diet. The diet is low fat, low carb, and starts with a few days of pure protein (bar a table spoon of oat bran to keeps things moving); after the first few days you add in low starch veg every other day (or once in every three if you want greater weight loss). Throughout you drink water and exercise. The key difference between this and Atkins is the low fat aspect.

With all that in mind I was quite dismayed when I came across this article on the BBC website during lunch. Irrespective of my take on the diet, the article is rubbish. It is a long term diet, you are not meant to hit your goals in a week or 2, it is meant to change your eating habits and reduce your reliance on high carb meals, so to include 2 people who've only done the diet for 2 weeks is misleading. Now one of those people may continue on the diet, but another one stuck with it for 2 weeks, gave up, and then put the weight back on! Shock, horror! Someone tried something for 2 weeks, got bored, and saw no benefit! The other 2 participants have done the diet for reasonable time periods, and their experiences reflect mine; food's a bit boring, but other than that you lose weight, and feel fine. The side effects the other 2 list are only present in the first 3 or 4 days as your body transfers from burning to sugars to burning fats entering ketosis. If you only do the diet for 2 weeks these things might stay in your mind, but as they disappear by day 5 of a several month journey they are largely irrelevant.

The BBC then asks if there is too much salt or fat - high cholesterol. Has the researcher not researched the diet?! The diet specifically denies you salt and fat. The book goes as far as recommending you stay away from certain types of bottled water as they are a little high in sodium! As for fat, the whole diet is based on low carb, low fat food. You aren't allowed pork or lamb, carrots, potatoes, beetroot; no ham, no chicken wings, no chicken skin. No sauces, no mayonnaise. All this is in the first part of the book. Researchers, please research!

The poor woman from the British Nutrition Foundation has clearly been asked vague questions, or quoted out of context. However, her comments are fine (if irrelevant to the diet in question in some cases).

This sort of thing really annoys me as people read this sort of stuff, take it as fact, and then have pre-conceived ideas when they find out the diet I'm on. Surely it doesn't take that much more effort to get really representative people to question, and to ask questions that are relevant to the diet.

Ok, rant over. I know it's just a puff piece basically there because Dukan is in the news over a French libel case.

Right, another run this evening, another day on the diet, some more weight loss.

Blogging for I have found my voice!

It's been a while! (Feb 24th fact fans), but I haven't had a lot to say. The diet thing was done, the daily minutiae is on twitter, and the longform post was becoming stale. Time, I figured, to take a break.

Now, things are happening. The diet is bust (This morning on the scales: 12 st 4.3 lb), I have a new interest, and I have been feeling the need to write.

So, where did it all go wrong? Back on March the 16th I weighed 11:3.1. OK, but still an increase from 10:13 in November. To be honest, a 4 lb creep over Xmas, New Year, my daughter's birthday, and my birthday isn't bad! However, the gradual increase from there isn't OK. Once the idea of eating what you like takes hold, the slow increase is easily waved aside. The thought that I'll be good tomorrow is an easy one. Tomorrow never comes!

Be the end of April I was at the top end of 11 st, and the end of June saw me tick over into 12 st, and now 12 st 4.3 lb. Well, enough is enough. My new clothes are getting tight, my new suit is getting *very* tight, I'm not happy with my shape, and something has to give. Seems that's the way it goes. Slow steady increases get ignored, but one day the tipping point is reached, something snaps, and good intentions become good reality.

So that's it. A week of protein awaits, sugar free yogurts will once again be eaten. The sugary snacks, and high carb dishes are gone. Banished. Never to return (yeah, right). Let a downward trending graph be my reward!

As for my new interest, I have started running "barefoot". OK, not really; I am using a barefoot style running shoe called the Vivobarefoot Evo II which has a 4mm sole, and no padding or support. It's great! Much more to follow in a dedicated post, but it's made me run properly again;I can feel what I'm doing, I'm aware of my body, I'm aware of my exercise level.

That's it for now (don't want to burn out on day 1!), I have some other things to write about over the next few weeks / months, but needed to start somewhere. For now, I'm back...

Nurse Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Wheezing and Love the Inhaler

Almost 4 weeks ago my wife and I went to see Apassionata at the O2. Although it was a fantastic show, it also caused my to have a major asthma attack requiring inhaled salbutamol and oxygen. (In asthma terms, anything that straps a mask to your face and makes you inhale medicine and oxygen is bad!) Horses and me just don't mix!

In my defence I though a huge open space, and no close contact wouldn't really affect me. I was wrong! Lesson learned.

Since then I've struggled to exercise. I had no real issues in the gym; but as soon as I stepped outside I'd get about a mile and my lungs would shrink to the size of a six year old's (not really, but use allow the analogy), and I'd be forced to walk home or call my wife for a pick up.

I replaced my Ventolin 100 inhaler (a blue pump that stops the symptoms of asthma) as my previous one had expired in 2005! (I don't have many problems with asthma these days. Well, until recently!) However, stopping the symptoms wasn't enough.

A couple of weeks ago I went out on a beautiful, warm day; got about a mile or so, collapsed in a wheezing heap, and decided something needed to be done.

I visited my local asthma nurse last Tuesday and she prescribed me Cleni Modulite 200. This is a brown pump that contains a strong dose of steroid. 

She prescribed me 2 doses twice a day. This is a lot.

I don't like taking medicine. I rarely take anything more powerful than a paracetamol and even then only rarely. The idea of taking a steroid (and a strong one at that) didn't appeal. However, it was in my best interests. So, from last Tuesday I've took 2 doses, morning and night.

I was going to wait until this weekend to go out for a run, but the weather was so good today, and things have been so bleak recently, that I decided to go for it.

6.2 miles later I have no breathing problems, and I was only 30 seconds off my pace over the distance. You could say I'm happy!

Fitness was a bit of an issue, I have niggling problem with my right shoulder from when I dislocated it years ago kayaking, and it aches when I exercise and I'm not fully fit. That hurt today; twice. I also doubt I could have comfortably run much further. However, for a first run in about 4 weeks (not including some gym sessions, but they always feel different anyway) that's not bad.

Weather permitting I'll be out again Sunday. The countdown to my first half marathon in May is back on!

CalorieLab's take on the Dukan diet

Checking out my feeds this morning I came across a well written article on the Dukan diet by Marissa Brassfield on the CalorieLab website. I thought the article well written, but had a couple of points I thought I'd raise in the comments. I went to the website itself, moved to the bottom of the article, and left the following:

Hi Marissa, 

 

An interesting read, and a good 'take' on the Dukan diet. I, personally, followed the diet for several months and lost 4 stone in weight; but that's me.
My weight loss does bring me to my point though; I don't think the diet was for you! The Dukan diet (as stated by Mr Dukan himself) is really aimed at obese people. My weight when I started the diet was 14 st 8 lb. I'm 5' 6.5''. I was obese! (Just!) The diet worked great for me. I'm now (today) 10 st 10, have a much better diet plan, a healthy exercise plan, and I've got rid of all the 'nasties' that add on the weight. I'm currently in the "consolidation" phase, and it's working well. 

 

However, why do I think it wasn't for you? You mention that you are doing daily runs burning 500 to 700 calories. That equates to a distance of 7-10 kms. No obese (or even heavily overweight) person can do that sort of exercise daily. This is the sort of exercise I can manage now! With an extra 20+ kilos of weight on my body I could barely run 4km at a slow pace.
If I've got the wrong end of the stick, sorry. But I do believe in the diet, several of my friends have followed it successfully, and there is a community of people I follow on twitter that are having similar success (as long as they manage to stick to it!)

 

The point about boredom is well made though. I am lucky, I have the sort of mentality that can eat roast chicken (plain), and low fat yogurt daily for weeks on end, most people can't. This, more than anything, is the diet's failure. Of course, you can't really blame the diet for the boring taste of protein! However, anyone coming to this with a lot of weight to lose is going to be on the diet for some time, and the lack of interest should be a consideration for people up front.

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

Nothing contentious, no weblinks, no spam. I hit submit.

Sorry, but your comment has been flagged by the spam filter running on this blog: this might be an error, in which case all apologies. Your comment will be presented to the blog admin who will be able to restore it immediately.
You may want to contact the blog admin via e-mail to notify him

WTF!?

Anyway, didn't want to waste my effort completely, so thought I'd post it here instead 

Steve's Top Ten of 2010

Having had a quick look at my last.fm stats, discarded all the tracks I use for running, and the ones played multiple times for other various reasons (parties etc), I am left with the following top 10 of 2010 (although the tracks may not be from 2010, that's when *I* discovered them!)

Eliza Doolittle – Pack Up
Starting the list off at No. 10, a catchy tune from one of the number of slightly quirky female singers that have appeared this year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzY0-I4Gq5w

Brandi Carlisle - Dying Day
Coming in at No. 9 is a track I found on the Phill and Phil Spotify list they do through Playdio. An excellent source for music you may not have heard of.


Amy MacDonald - This Pretty Face
No. 8 is a staple of the Radio 2 playlist. I enjoyed her first alum, and this was a good first track from her second.


I Am Kloot – Northern Skies
No. 7 probably came from Radio 2 too (in fact, most of this probably did! So, unless I say otherwise, just assume that's the case). It's a great track, and a band that's on my to-follow-up list.


Cee Lo Green – Forget You
No. 6 is the "clean" version. The other one has seen some play, but I don't think it scans correctly. Very catchy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc0mxOXbWIU

Kirsty Almeida – Spider
Half way, and No. 5 sees a song that saw a lot of play in the early to middle of the year, but not so much recently. Another artist on the to-follow-up list.


K'naan – Wavin' Flag - Coca-Cola® Celebration Mix
Just outside the top 3, and No. 4 sees a song from the World Cup. A favourite of my wife.


Harper Simon – Wishes And Stars
Paul Simon's son swings in to the No. 3 position. Wasn't that impressed with the rest of the album, but the lead single saw a lot of play.


Diane Birch – Valentino
The No. 2 Spot goes to one of my favourite songs ever. It's so well crafted, bouncy, and fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFdEk9oRcS4

James Blunt – Stay the Night
And, finally, No. 1 goes to Mr. Blunt. Not his best track ever, but a decent opener for the new album


Honoury mention:
Toto Coelo – Dracula's Tango
I discovered this track as part of a Hallowe'en special on Dracula, and immediately loved it. I have no idea why; it's so cheasy, terrible, and 80's; but I love it. Makes me smile (and remember some of the terrible dance moves) every time I hear it.

My 6 monthly health appraisal, and why the weight loss phase of the diet is now officially finished

...or how I was defined as a lean, mean, weight-losing machine!

So I had my 6 month health appraisal at the gym today. 6 Months ago I was borderline obese, unfit, unhealthy, and fairly sedentary.

Today, I'm a bit better! I haven't got the results from last time, but here are some highlights from today:

Blood pressure: 135 / 68
BMI (Which is a waste of time, see below): 24.5
Waist to Hip ratio: 0.86 (0.90 or below is the expected norm for a male)
Aerobic Fitness Predictive VO2: 50ml/kg/min (Good apparently)
Total Body fat: 10.2% (Average for a male my age is 13 - 19%) I'm classed as "Very Lean" (downside, I'll get physically cold easier)
Fat Weight: 7.1Kgs (Average 10-14Kgs)
Lean Weight: 62.3Kgs (Average 61-65Kgs) (i.e. perfect :-) )
Total Weight: 69.4Kgs (Average 72-77Kgs)
Water: 67.1% (Average 55-65%) (I'm well hydrated) (Stop worrying honey :-) )
Total Body Water: 46.6L (Average 38-45L)

So there it is, I'm slightly under weight for the average (although I'm not "underweight"), with an excellent ratio of fat/lean/water.

All this shows, once again, how useless BMI is as an indicator. If I was to get my BMI to 21 (The centre of "Normal") I'd be massively underweight with almost no body fat, and probably de-hydrated!

The diet officially ended last Friday. I haven't put on, or lost any weight since then (I haven't tried), but today has shown me that it really is over. My body is now where it wants to be, any further loss would start to impact my physical being in ways that would be detrimental.

It's now all about watching what I eat, not letting things get out of control, and keeping on top of my general fitness. I'll update this blog from time to time to let you know how I'm doing, and of course you can follow me on Twitter to get an idea of what I'm up to.

The Dukan diet has, so far, been great for me. The results are fantastic, I'm a new man!

The #dukan diet and me

For the last 152 days I have been dieting. Those of you who follow this blog will have seen my slow progress from 14 stone 8.25 pounds down to, today, 10 stone 13 pounds. By the numbers that is a weight loss of 51.25 pounds, or 3 stone 9.25 pounds, or 23.3 kilograms. It has also taken me from a BMI (for what the measure is worth) of 31.99 (obese) to 23.96 (normal).

However, all that's statistical. How has the diet been? Well, easy actually. Simple rules, no need to survive on ryvita and lettuce leaves, and never having to feel hungry have all helped. I've read a number of reports around health, diets, and nutrition whilst I've been doing this diet, and I know that it doesn't fit the pattern of a healthy diet. I know that it is meat (protein) heavy, and that the nutrients from fruit and veg are vital to our health; but, over a short time period, with a specific goal in mind, it has worked wonders for me.

Another statistical break, I have dropped from a 38 inch waist to a 32, and from a 44 inch chest to a 36 / 38 (depending on the jacket). All my clothes are now either medium (slim fit) or small. This factor alone has boosted my self-confidence, and my self-esteem no end. I have, to a large extent, stopped snoring (have to check with the wife as to whether I can have the all-clear yet on that), I don't get out of breath putting my socks on(!), and I have much more energy than I had before the start of the diet.

On the energy front, a lot of commentators on the diet (who haven't done it themselves) expect you to be lethargic, slow, and generally struggling. I have found exactly the opposite. After the initial "attack phase" of the diet (which lasted a week) was over, and I re-added veg into my diet, I started exercising. Just small amounts at the gym, a run, a row, a few sit-ups. Never once did I feel that I was unable to keep to my exercise regime; and after the exercise was over I was quite happy to eat protein and drink water. I never felt a "carb slump". As the diet progressed, and the weight fell away, I have upped my exercise. I am now running between 18 and 26 miles a week, with distances of 6 to 10 miles at a time, and a pace of 7.5 mi/h.

Having done some reading on the subject, the commentators assumptions couldn't be more wrong. They assume that we primarily survive on fruit and veg, when the historical record shows us that meat and fish was the primary food of a stone-age individual, and it was this protein that gave them the energy to run down prey over long distances. Protein may not give you that instant energy hit that you get from carbs (and fat), but the energy it does give you last a lot longer, and goes a lot further.

A few questions have raised themselves during this diet, for example; How can I eat 900 calories a day and still have loads of energy, even if I burn 700+ of them during a run? Obviously this isn't sustainable, but there have been days where I have consistently eaten ~800-900 calories a day for a week, and gone for 2 or 3 6 mile runs burning 700+ calories, and yet haven't suffered any fatigue or desire to eat more. Another one; I know, from hiking trips, that a litre of water weighs a kilo (or 2.2 pounds), so how can I weigh myself, relieve myself, and weigh myself again and see no difference in weight. Whilst I'm not measuring my output, I am assuming it around half a litre which should equate to 1.1 pounds or half a kilo.

Enough on that, although one thing that is obviously apparent is that the diet has made me much more aware of what I'm putting into my body. It is phenomenal the things that have added sugar to them (and the quantities of sugar in things to start with). It's no wonder we are a nation of increasing size, the stuff we eat doesn't really lend itself to a healthy lifestyle. The only way you can go healthy is to make stuff from scratch yourself. 

On that front, some tips for the serious carb cutter, Encona hot pepper sauce is all good! Jamie Oliver's brand of cooking sauces have the lowest amount of added sugar (with the Tomato and Chilli sauce having 0 added sugar (there is still some sugar from the tomato obviously)). Waitrose half a rotisserie chicken can give you a hot meal for lunch when the incessant yoghurt, boiled egg and cold chicken gets too much for you.

So, it's worked for me, I would recommend it, and given the chance to do it all over again I wouldn't do anything different. Here's to the final 10 pounds, and the milestone of crossing 4 stone!

Monday 15th November - Day 148 (Week 22)

On the scales this morning*: 10 stone 13 pounds. Delta from last week: 2 and three quarter pounds. Total weight loss to date: 51 and a quarter pounds.

*not strictly accurate. We're staying at the in-laws, and the scales are not the usual ones. I did a run yesterday, and at the end of it I weighed 10 st 13 lb; however, since then I've eaten (Dukan friendly) bolognaise, a pot roast (with multiple Dukan unfriendly potatoes), and a (decidedly Dukan unfriendly) apple crumble! The chances of my weight being the same as after a run are 0, but the numbers are what the numbers are.

All that aside; the week has gone well, focus is returning, and it was very nice to see 10 stone on the scales again.

We're off to Brighton for the night tonight, and I will, no doubt, have a "nice" breakfast tomorrow, but the focus remains. (honest!)

Monday 8th November - Day 141 (Week 21)

On the scales this morning: 11 stone 1 and three quarter pounds. Delta from last week: 0 pounds. Total weight loss to date: 48 and a half pounds.

It's almost over I think. There'll be one final push, but I'm struggling to move any more weight. 5 of the last 7 days have seen me at 11 st 1.75 lb, and straight eating or exercise keep me there.

Taking stock, I'm a 32 inch waist, a 36 inch chest. This is where I wanted to be. A little more weight loss would be nice (10 st 8 lb would be great) but it's only a safety blanket. 11 st 7 lb is where my trousers feel a little tight, and I haven't been there for weeks.

Pushing on regardless, but no longer worrying too much.