The Challenge

Here beginneth the Ilkeston Cam guide to dieting and weight loss. Since taking the photo below on the opening day of the Autumn Footprints Walking Festival in Amber Valley and Erewash just over a fortnight ago on Morley Moor, I've walked in the region of 45 miles. Much of this has been on guided walks organised as part of the Festival and I've made some new friends and renewed old acquaintances
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To the experienced walker 45 miles in two weeks may not seem a lot but I've always led a relatively sedentary lifestyle. Now if you listen to the health experts, a combination of a good diet and exercise should lead to weight loss, not that I am overweight any way. The healthy diet is not a problem - my wife sees to that! So after a fortnight's walking I would have expected to have lost a few pounds but the bathroom scales this morning showed an increase of two pounds. I shouldn't be surprised really as some years ago I cut out sugar, sweets and biscuits in an attempt to lose weight after a period of inactivity due to a damaged ankle and I even put weight on then.

The Ilkeston Cam guide to weight loss then is a non-starter but I have to admit to feeling fitter than I did this time last month. I suppose the challenge now is to keep walking, enjoy my food and ignore the bathroom scales!

Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. - Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)