Semi final two: take your pick! The UK can't vote in this semi, but since when has that stopped the fun? Find me on Twitter on Thursday night during the show for live micro comments, and check back for the big five reviews on Friday, before the final this Saturday.
Croatia
Artist: Igor Cukrov feat. Andrea
Song title: Lijepa Tena(Beautiful Tara)
Language: Croation
The reckoning: Arty guitar and orchestration accompanied mostly by black scarves. A proper Eurovision ballad this, with added Christian lyrics.
Ireland
Artist: Sinéad Mulvey & Black Daisy
Song title: Et Cetera
Language: English
The reckoning: Rocky pop Pink style, it’s another catchy tune. Should make a mark on the night but will it win enough votes? Doubtful.
Latvia
Artist: Intars Busulis
Song title: Probka (Traffic Jam)
Language: Latvian
The reckoning: After the Pirate mega-fail of last year, Latvia brings us a bizarre, repetitive ode to rush hour. On the bright side, it’s rocky and good fun.
Serbia
Artist: Marko Kon & Milaan
Song title: Cipela (Shoe)
Language: Serbian
The reckoning: Not so much of a novelty as the title might imply! An afro-haired, Barry White voiced singer serenades a shoe while sunglassed men dad-dance.
Poland
Artist: Lidia Kopania
Song title: I Don't Wanna Leave
Language: English
The reckoning: I can see the far right laughing now. Why, Poland, why? A nice pop ballad, 90s Celine style, and they go and give it that title.
Norway
Artist: Alexander Rybak
Song title: Fairytale
Language: English
The reckoning: Fiddles, dancing, clapping – brilliant. A young singer who delivers nervous English with gusto and some great string work!
Cyprus
Artist: Christina Metaxa
Song title: Firefly
Language: English
The reckoning: There’s a great sentiment behind this song: but it just doesn’t get going and is unfortunately forgettable: more TV theme than winning Eurovision tune.
Slovakia
Artist: Kamil Mikulčík & Nela Pocisková
Song title: Leť Tmou(Fly through Darkness)
Language: Slovakian( ?)
The reckoning: Slovakia seem to be hoping for some of last year’s winning action with this classical, emotional ballad.
Denmark
Artist: Brinck
Song title: Believe Again
Language: English
The reckoning: I heard this and thought Denmark had kidnapped Ronan Keating. Unmistakable Boyzone. Then I found out Ronan was involved, which explained a lot. Catchy but might slip under the radar.
Slovenia
Artist: Quartissimo feat. Martina
Song title: Love Symphony
Language: English
The reckoning: It’s all a bit Vanessa Mae here. Martina only makes an appearance about halfway through, but it’s a great performance.
Hungary
Artist: Zoli Ádok
Song title: Dance With Me
Language: English
The reckoning: Proper 90s pop here. All sorts of shenanigans involving random sailors in the video. Can’t see it winning but good fun nevertheless.
Azerbaijan
Artist: AySel & Arash
Song title: Always
Language: English
The reckoning: Dance duo with the modern/traditional blend which is so popular in the competition. What I’d regard as a good modern bellydance track.
Greece
Artist: Sakis Rouvas
Song title: This Is Our Night
Language: English
The reckoning: Sakis is back. Last year’s Greek entry was brilliant, and Greece clearly feel they were robbed so have wheeled out the winner of 2004. It’s catchy, but maybe a bit, well, desperate?
Lithuania
Artist: Sasha Son
Song title: Love
Language: English
The reckoning: The boy can clearly sing, but I think it’s a little mediocre. Video is strangely sloganised for no apparent reason.
Moldova
Artist: Nelly Ciobanu
Song title: Hora Din Moldova (Dance of Moldova)
Lanaguage: mostly English
The reckoning: A traditional feel with a funky upbeat bridge, giving it an edge. However it may not make the grade by trying to cover all angles and spreading itself too thinly.
Albania
Artist: Kejsi Tola
Song title: Carry Me In Your Dreams
Language: English
The reckoning: Europop rules! No doubt the girl can sing, this is catchy Eurovision fare. Dreadful (not even funny) video, so look forward to the performance.
Ukraine
Artist: Svetlana Loboda
Song title: Be my Valentine! (Anti-crisis Girl)
Language: English
The reckoning: A trumpet section improves any song in my opinion, and this is power pop with attitude. A hit.
Estonia
Artist: Urban Symphony
Song title: Rändajad (Wanderers)
Language: Estonian
The reckoning: Haunting vocals and atmospheric violin and electronic combinations. Good song but lacks the punch and conclusion it needs.
The Netherlands
Artist: The Toppers
Song title: Shine
Language: English
The reckoning: Cheese. Hilarious, comedy cheese. ‘Love will make us glow in the dark’? Genius. Awful outfits, dad dancing – it should win.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Euro fever begins - Eurovision Semi Final One
Eurovision 2009 – the reckoning
I’ve been watching the Eurovision Song Contest for probably 15 years now, and I’ve held a party for friends to celebrate the final every year for the past nine years. There has, admittedly, been a lot of alcohol involved but I’ve picked up a unique appreciation i.e. strange obsession with Eurovision. Here’s my low-down on the songs this year for tomorrow's semi final - the first of two televised semi finals before the grand final on Saturday.Country: Montenegro
Artist: Andrea Demirovic
Song title: Just Get Out of My Life
Language: English
The reckoning: Disco-tastic! Funky and retro – a fun track. Hopefully this will good far in Moscow with its catchy, fresh beat.
Country: Czech Republic
Artist: Gipsy.cz
Song title: Aven Romale (Come on, gypsies)
Language: English and Czech
The reckoning: At first glance the band look like a Czech Goldie Looking Chain. This is a song with great humour but will the whole of Europe get it? It’ll be a huge hit or massive miss in the competition.
Country: Belgium
Artist: Copycat
Song title: Copycat
Language: English
The reckoning: Rockabilly? At Eurovision? Dreadful rock and roll references but enjoyable. Not entirely convinced Europe will be down with it, but who knows?
Country: Belarus
Artist: Petr Elfimov
Song title: Eyes That Never Lie
Language: English
The reckoning: Very Bon Jovi this. Apparently Petr is a bit of a star. Not my favourite but could well be popular with the voters!
Country: Sweden
Artist: Malena Ernman
Song title: La Voix
Language: English and French
The reckoning: Another banging dance tune. Malena has a surprisingly deep voice and range, dinging in both pop and operatic style. Could be popular.
Country: Armenia
Artist: Inga & Anush
Song title: Jan Jan
Language: Armenian
The reckoning: A dramatic, theatrical performance accompanied by traditional instruments and beat. Strong vocally, but perhaps forgettable.
Country: Andorra
Artist: Susanne Georgi
Song title: La Teva Decisió (Get A Life)
Language: Catalan and English
The reckoning: Bubblegum sweet, Alisha’s Attic-esque. Listenable, foot-tappingly funky, but not a convincing Euro-athem.
Country: Switzerland
Artist: Lovebugs
Song title: The Highest Heights
Language: English
The reckoning: U2-style rock – and as it turns out, yes, a U2 member was involved. Technically good, but that counts for little in this competition!
Country: Turkey
Artist: Hadise
Song title: Düm Tek Tek
Language: English
The reckoning: Bellydance, with the emphasis on dance. A fusion of old and new and her hips don’t lie – I’d love something like this to win.
Country: Israel
Artist: Noa & Mira Awad
Song title: There Must Be Another Way
Language: English
The reckoning: A political sentiment perhaps? Gentle lilting pop. Melodic and uplifting despite the title. May find itself overshadowed by showier acts, but pleasant from Israel.
Country: Bulgaria
Artist: Krassimir Avramov
Song title: Illusion
Language: English
The reckoning: Fast-paced, dramatic dance with atmosphere. Perhaps not memorable enough but sure to get the crowd on their feet.
Country: Iceland
Artist: Yohanna
Song title: Is It True?
Language: English
The reckoning: Iceland’s entry last year was my favourite of the competition, but this year’s song didn’t blow me away. Johanna handles the vocals with ease, but it’s a tough year.
Country: F.Y.R. Macedonia
Artist: Next Time
Song title: Neshto Shto Ke Ostane (something will remain)
Language: Macedonian
The reckoning: Heavy rock, inspired by ACDC. Mad hair and rock – could be a popular combination as the popularity of this genre grows in Europe.
Country: Romania
Artist: Elena
Song title: The Balkan Girls
Language: English
The reckoning: At first it appears to be a straight-up, high octane Romanian party tune. However it then becomes slower and sadly, a bit disappointing with dire rhyming couplets.
Country: Finland
Artist: Waldo's People
Song title: Lose Control
Language: English
The reckoning: Billed as ‘ultimate dance’, it’s a bit Scooter for me but remains a good party track which is bound to get the house jumping on the night.
Country: Portugal
Artist: Flor-de-lis
Song title: Todas As Ruas Do Amor (All the streets of love)
Language: Portuguese
The reckoning: This tune showcases Portugal’s traditional instruments and is delivered with passion. Good fun but may find itself overpowered.
Country: Malta
Artist: Chiara
Song title: What If We
Language: English
The reckoning: A bit slow to start, but overall, Chiara performs a strong, uplifting ballad: a classic Eurovision entry from a songstress who’s been here before.
Country: Bosnia & Herzegovina
Artist: Regina
Song title: Bistra Voda (Clear water)
Language: Bosnian
The reckoning: Look like The Killers, sound like Gogol Bordello have been toned down for the Queen’s ears. Traditional guitar, soft beats and inexplicably, marching women with red flags in the video. Very Soviet.
Tomorrow: the reckoning for semi final two here along with live tweeting @charlie_elise. Plus, the Big Five - including the UK - who get a free ticket to the grand final every year as the countries which contribute the most money towards the contest.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Om nom nom - the joy of leftovers
I haven't blogged in ages, I know. And I will be doing a full 'I'm not fat anymore' update soon (in fact, going to have my programme re-examined tonight so will have something to talk about).
As this is my personal blog I should really use it to talk about the more mudane stuff, like, for example, what I'm having for lunch. That's right folks, it's not just the preserve of Twitter, you know! I love Twitter so much but I know, not everyone is on it. You should tweet if you don't already, it's brilliant. Plus, you can keep up with me much better! :-)
So on the menu today - leftovers! I was driving home last night and was feeling pretty down and stressed, so like the good vegan I am I just took it out on all the veg we had in the house. I had been meaning to make a ratatouille for ages and had everything I needed so I just chopped away and had a rant.
I used the marvellous Remoska cooker pan I have and threw in two big red onions all chopped up and fried them in some olive oil on the stove. For those of you who don't know, a Remoska oven looks like a space-age saucepan: it has a lid with a heating element in it and it cooks from above. It makes the best jacket potatoes and some pretty damn good roasted veg, and it's very economical.
You can use the pan on the stove to fry things and then bung the lid on to do the actual cooking, which is what I did last night. I threw in chunkily-cut peppers of all colours, half an aubergine which was lying around, some courgettes which had seen better days and lots of mushrooms (which were also on the way out, truth be told). I sauteed all of this together, then chucked over a can of tomatoes and a good 2/3 of a tube of tomato puree. Seasoned with a vegetable stock cube and a good pinch of Halen Mon celery salt (wonderful sea salt from Anglesea), which comes highly recommended (by me) for all vegetable dishes, and it was time to bung the lid on.
I left it cooking while I got ready for Monday night Masters and just switched the Remoska back on when I returned to heat the food back up and it was delicious. So many vegetables and so tasty. For lunch I'm having some more, as there was more than enough for three meals!
I know it's not a 'traditional' ratatouille, although it's based on quite a traditional recipe. I can't be bothered to cook things separately: having made and tasted both traditional and Remoska-ed I'm afraid this is just as good at a fraction of the hassle.
Altogether now: om nom nom!
As this is my personal blog I should really use it to talk about the more mudane stuff, like, for example, what I'm having for lunch. That's right folks, it's not just the preserve of Twitter, you know! I love Twitter so much but I know, not everyone is on it. You should tweet if you don't already, it's brilliant. Plus, you can keep up with me much better! :-)
So on the menu today - leftovers! I was driving home last night and was feeling pretty down and stressed, so like the good vegan I am I just took it out on all the veg we had in the house. I had been meaning to make a ratatouille for ages and had everything I needed so I just chopped away and had a rant.
I used the marvellous Remoska cooker pan I have and threw in two big red onions all chopped up and fried them in some olive oil on the stove. For those of you who don't know, a Remoska oven looks like a space-age saucepan: it has a lid with a heating element in it and it cooks from above. It makes the best jacket potatoes and some pretty damn good roasted veg, and it's very economical.
You can use the pan on the stove to fry things and then bung the lid on to do the actual cooking, which is what I did last night. I threw in chunkily-cut peppers of all colours, half an aubergine which was lying around, some courgettes which had seen better days and lots of mushrooms (which were also on the way out, truth be told). I sauteed all of this together, then chucked over a can of tomatoes and a good 2/3 of a tube of tomato puree. Seasoned with a vegetable stock cube and a good pinch of Halen Mon celery salt (wonderful sea salt from Anglesea), which comes highly recommended (by me) for all vegetable dishes, and it was time to bung the lid on.
I left it cooking while I got ready for Monday night Masters and just switched the Remoska back on when I returned to heat the food back up and it was delicious. So many vegetables and so tasty. For lunch I'm having some more, as there was more than enough for three meals!
I know it's not a 'traditional' ratatouille, although it's based on quite a traditional recipe. I can't be bothered to cook things separately: having made and tasted both traditional and Remoska-ed I'm afraid this is just as good at a fraction of the hassle.
Altogether now: om nom nom!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Halfway there...
Update on the fitness/weight loss front!
I did the weekly weigh-in today, and the scales tell me I'm halfway towards my goal of getting within the healthy range for my height. I have lost 16 lbs so far.
Now, I'm told BMI isn't everything (and I totally agree: think of all the 'skinny-fat' people you know - those thin people with no muscle tone or fitness) but I haven't yet changed my goal: I'd like to see if I CAN get there.
So what have I been doing?
Well, I've been packing super-healthy lunches for work, for a start. I've cut down my portions generally, and I exercise between five and seven times a week.
My workouts vary from some floor exercises (crunches, press-ups and planks mainly, as my main gripes are my stomach and arms), through to my personal plan at the gym and a master's swimming session which I go to on a Monday night. I also did a spinning class the other week, which was excellent: I'd like to start doing that regularly.
At the gym I do a cardio warm up followed by weight-training. The cross-trainer, which I used to call 'the machine of death' I now love, and the most-hated spot has been replaced by the wave machine, which is deadly dull, and if I over-do it hurts my knee. Rubbish. I've always liked weight-training as I'm quite strong and muscular for my size, and easily lift the same weight as most of the men in the gym. (Not the 'muscle marys', obviously, but the average gym going guy.)
Unfortunately, I've had to keep the running on hold as everytime I go out my knee plays up. I haven't been out for a few weeks now but have been quite focussed on getting my swimming back. With the help of most members of Dai's family, I've re-learned how to do crawl! So I go to master's, which is a really good, social workout, and from that I've taken some routines which I do when I go to the pool another couple times a week. Dai's sister comes to master's too, and she's a great swimmer and has helped me so much with my technique: she's also lost half a stone already which is great news!
I've been logging the distances I swim to raise money to fight malaria: I saw a lot of people suffering with the disease when I was in the Gambia and think it's a great cause. If you'd like to help out, visit my page at www.worldswimagainstmalaria.com/charlie -all donations gratefully recieved.
I will start running again: I hope that having lost some weight there will be less stress on the joints and that the weight training I've been doing to support my knee will help too. I am aware that I have been challenged to do the Great Gorilla run next year in London by a certain group of Magslags, (thanks, guys) and have to admit, I am well up for it! What is it? You'll have to visit www.greatgorillas.org/london to find out!
So at the moment I'm getting back from work around seven and I go straight to the leisure centre to do a workout (apart from Monday: master's is a late class). I worry Dai is feeling like a gym widow as I don't get back until eight or half eight. However, I very rarely do anything sporty on a Saturday, and Sunday isn't so bad as I just pop out if I feel like it. My weekdays are busy! It's a good incentive not to work too late as I want to get home, and it really helps me unwind and switch off, so I think I'm a nicer person at home for it.
I'm still vegan (in case anyone wondered: it's unlikely to change, but you'd be surprised how often I am asked. I have been for seven years since September, by the way) so I've been upping my protein intake to support my exercise (almonds are currently very popular), and I have started taking a calcium supplement alongside the multivitamin with iron and evening primrose oil which I always take, just in case. I used to take a vitamin B supplement and a cranberry capsule as well: I might do so again but I always keep an eye on what I'm eating anyway.
So my plan for the next few weeks involve continuing this plan, but as my bike is finally up here I'll try to squeeze in some cycling as well at the weekend. Also: I will be going bikini shopping soon (had to buy new jeans last weekend: put it this way, I haven't worn this size for maybe ten years) for the holiday in November. We'll be taking the bikes on holiday too and I am SO looking forward to a relaxing week with cycling, swimming, badminton, something to do with high ropes and chilling in the spa.
So far, so good. I'll keep you posted on how it's going - and whether I find a bikini I'm actually happy in!
I did the weekly weigh-in today, and the scales tell me I'm halfway towards my goal of getting within the healthy range for my height. I have lost 16 lbs so far.
Now, I'm told BMI isn't everything (and I totally agree: think of all the 'skinny-fat' people you know - those thin people with no muscle tone or fitness) but I haven't yet changed my goal: I'd like to see if I CAN get there.
So what have I been doing?
Well, I've been packing super-healthy lunches for work, for a start. I've cut down my portions generally, and I exercise between five and seven times a week.
My workouts vary from some floor exercises (crunches, press-ups and planks mainly, as my main gripes are my stomach and arms), through to my personal plan at the gym and a master's swimming session which I go to on a Monday night. I also did a spinning class the other week, which was excellent: I'd like to start doing that regularly.
At the gym I do a cardio warm up followed by weight-training. The cross-trainer, which I used to call 'the machine of death' I now love, and the most-hated spot has been replaced by the wave machine, which is deadly dull, and if I over-do it hurts my knee. Rubbish. I've always liked weight-training as I'm quite strong and muscular for my size, and easily lift the same weight as most of the men in the gym. (Not the 'muscle marys', obviously, but the average gym going guy.)
Unfortunately, I've had to keep the running on hold as everytime I go out my knee plays up. I haven't been out for a few weeks now but have been quite focussed on getting my swimming back. With the help of most members of Dai's family, I've re-learned how to do crawl! So I go to master's, which is a really good, social workout, and from that I've taken some routines which I do when I go to the pool another couple times a week. Dai's sister comes to master's too, and she's a great swimmer and has helped me so much with my technique: she's also lost half a stone already which is great news!
I've been logging the distances I swim to raise money to fight malaria: I saw a lot of people suffering with the disease when I was in the Gambia and think it's a great cause. If you'd like to help out, visit my page at www.worldswimagainstmalaria.com/charlie -all donations gratefully recieved.
I will start running again: I hope that having lost some weight there will be less stress on the joints and that the weight training I've been doing to support my knee will help too. I am aware that I have been challenged to do the Great Gorilla run next year in London by a certain group of Magslags, (thanks, guys) and have to admit, I am well up for it! What is it? You'll have to visit www.greatgorillas.org/london to find out!
So at the moment I'm getting back from work around seven and I go straight to the leisure centre to do a workout (apart from Monday: master's is a late class). I worry Dai is feeling like a gym widow as I don't get back until eight or half eight. However, I very rarely do anything sporty on a Saturday, and Sunday isn't so bad as I just pop out if I feel like it. My weekdays are busy! It's a good incentive not to work too late as I want to get home, and it really helps me unwind and switch off, so I think I'm a nicer person at home for it.
I'm still vegan (in case anyone wondered: it's unlikely to change, but you'd be surprised how often I am asked. I have been for seven years since September, by the way) so I've been upping my protein intake to support my exercise (almonds are currently very popular), and I have started taking a calcium supplement alongside the multivitamin with iron and evening primrose oil which I always take, just in case. I used to take a vitamin B supplement and a cranberry capsule as well: I might do so again but I always keep an eye on what I'm eating anyway.
So my plan for the next few weeks involve continuing this plan, but as my bike is finally up here I'll try to squeeze in some cycling as well at the weekend. Also: I will be going bikini shopping soon (had to buy new jeans last weekend: put it this way, I haven't worn this size for maybe ten years) for the holiday in November. We'll be taking the bikes on holiday too and I am SO looking forward to a relaxing week with cycling, swimming, badminton, something to do with high ropes and chilling in the spa.
So far, so good. I'll keep you posted on how it's going - and whether I find a bikini I'm actually happy in!
Thursday, September 04, 2008
The moment of truth appraoches: goal 1
I've posted this over from my Facebook notes: partly so it's uber official, partly because I had such nice comments from all the lovely people below! Unfortunately it will bounce right back there but, meh, deal with it.
As you can read below, I've dropped half a stone since posting this originally, and gone down 1.5 on my BMI. This weekend is going to be a bit of a moment of truth - I have no idea if I can drop a dress size yet and I'm out shopping for a dress to wear to a friend's wedding. Yes, my clothes are baggier, but is it enough?
I'll let you know!
I've definitely got value for money from the gym membership - at the moment I'm there six times a week, swimming or gyming, and loving it. One of the less expected benefits is that it clears my head from work so I'm not so stressed when I - eventually - get home. I went for a run on the bank holiday and my knee started hurting again so I'm sticking with the swimming for cardio -I'm considering taking up some short sprints instead, just for fun, in the hope the breaks inbetween will mean my knee can cope. However in the meantime I'm learning how to swim again, with the help of Dai and his brother Hywel (who's a qualified swim coach, so, Sam, to answer your question, I am paying a big fat nothing for my lessons, and the Masters swim class is included on my gym membership) so I'm logging my distances and helping Speedo swim around the world against malaria! You can sponsor me in my Charlie to mermaid transformation: http://www.worldswimagainstmalaria.com/charlie
From Facebook:
It's official, I'm shallow
Sunday, July 27, 2008 at 10:09pm
Ok. I'm announcing this on my blog in the hope that I'll actually get on and do this. I want to have a healthy BMI. To do that, I need to lose 2 stone and 4 pounds, or 32 pounds.That's a lot. More...than I thought. You'll probably know I'm vegan, and I'm not exactly adverse to exercise: in fact I'm quite keen on it. However, I also love food and I'm only five foot, which doesn't give me much room for manovre apart from, well, outwards.My main problem with losing weight is not the dieting, or the exercise. It's the shallowness of it all. There's a voice in my head shouting, "Do you want to be taken seriously? Do you WANT to be like these orange people, obsessed with everything they ever eat? This is vainty!" And for me, vainty feel more sinful than anything I could ever eat. Yes I wear make up. Yes I do care how I look. However, serious weight loss is seriously VAIN in my eyes, which makes it a real battle.The same voice shouts, "You've always been overweight! It's not going to change! You'll never do it!" Now. I've been heavier than this. I shed quite a few pounds a couple of years ago and at the time I was having a bit of a general change in my outlook on lots of things. I felt really guilty about it too. I'm lucky with Dai because I know he will support me. It feels different this time. I think I've realised that although cardio-vacsularly (is that a word?) speaking, I am probably as fit or fitter than I've ever been, due to the running, I am STILL too heavy. I'm 23. I need to conquer the voice NOW, and then deal with keeping it at bay before I give in and get bigger, or lose my fitness.I don't even want to be thin. I suspect I will never be thin. But I can be healthy. Being healthy is far from being vain, so my goal is to lower my BMI from nearly 31 to under 25. I'm not asking for 20, or even 22. Under 25 - a healthy weight, will do me fine.By November I hope to have lost enough to feel happier in a bikini when Dai and I go to CenterParcs - a stone, plus some toning would do it. I have no idea how long it will take for me to lose 32 lbs, but I hope to have a better idea soon and set myself a time goal to work towards. In the meantime, I'm joining the gym and going at least twice a week, plus keeping up the running a few times a week, walking in my lunch breaks and fitting in some regular swimming (which I love) too.As to the diet I'm cutting down on the portions. My actual foods aren't too bad, although I'm cutting out the crisps (which were beginning to feature a bit too much) and ice cream (same) and down on the alcohol (two glasses of wine this week, not too bad) and sugar (not too much of a problem).It needs to be something I can live with, but I have found that my health is increasingly important to me: I want to be as healthy as I can be. I'll try to blog my progress. This is the first step in ensuring I actually do it this time: keep your fingers crossed for me!
Add a comment 16 comments View original post
Samantha Wong (Cardiff University) wrote at 8:18pm on July 29th, 2008
Glad to hear you're looking to lose weight to be healthy and not the whole "I wanna look like Mischa Barton/Keria Knightley/Nicol Ritchie and disgustingly stick thin. Getting a fantastic body and looking great in a bikini is always a bonus! :) Anyway, you run loads, (where do you get your motivation??) and my bad food habits not only include crisps and ice cream but cake (lots of it) as well! Hope you manage to conquer that inner voice in you and become as healthy as you can possibly be :) x
Charlie Elise Duff wrote at 9:30pm on July 29th, 2008
Thanks Sam, I went for a run tonight and had some food, have been craving sugar badly tonight. Had a small piece of very dark chocolate - no point in banning it - but your support means a lot so big HUGS! x
Cat Hackforth (University of Bristol) wrote at 9:35pm on July 29th, 2008
Best of luck, Charlie! :DKeira Knightley freaks me out. Maybe she just naturally looks like skin sprayed onto a skeleton, but even so...
Rachel England (Wales) wrote at 10:09pm on July 29th, 2008
Well done Charlie! Like Sam said, it's good you're doing this for health reasons and not to look like a lollipop lady.That said, it's interesting that you say your diet is generally good anyway, and that you feel like you've never been fitter. I know a lot of people (me included) who have a BMI under 25 but eat rubbish constantly, find themselves out of puff after very little exertion and have achy arms for days after a go on the Wii. So who's 'healthier'? It ain't me, that's for sure. So I wouldn't stick too rigidly to guidelines and charts, etc. It's how you feel that matters the most - not scientific recommendations.Still - way to go! :) x
ElizabethAnne Grummitt (Cardiff University) wrote at 1:42am on July 30th, 2008
I think as long as you are thinking about your weight in terms of being healthy there's nothing wrong with that. And wanting to look one's best is no sin, just as long as its realistic. I will say though that BMI is thought to be meaningless by many medical peeps.Obviously I'm not going to join in the 'thin people are vile and disgusting' comments, as being the same size and shape as dear ol' Keira (cept for the boobs, obviously, hurrah!) makes me a hideous skeleton as well. But it is true a fantasy physical size isn't a good goal, as you can never ever win that way. Healthiness and happiness is much better and not shallow at all, in my opinion.
Charlie Elise Duff wrote at 1:54pm on July 30th, 2008
Hee hee. Yes, I do realise that BMI is not everything. I am rather prone to muscle as well, so it's possible I'll always be slightly over: but currently I'm way over. I'm looking forward to going to the gym tomorrow for the first time in ages - Dai is coming too, yay!I don't know how some people eat rubbish and stay within the range. All I know is, if I was a cow, you'd all be eating me, because I maintain good weight on vegetables alone!
ElizabethAnne Grummitt (Cardiff University) wrote at 3:41pm on July 30th, 2008
I misread 'cow' as 'crow' then and was very confused...
Laura Murphy (Cardiff) wrote at 8:02pm on July 30th, 2008
right on charlie. Have you tried having your body fat ratio measured at all? It's better than BMI for working out your overall health and your gym should be able to do it for you if it's one of the bigger ones. You want to get it at around 10-12%, that's the optimum level.I'm meant to be joining a gym at some point once I sort my finances out a bit and get into the swing of budgeting....can't wait til January when my free work membership kicks in and I can go on my lunchbreak with my workmates. If you want any tips on workouts etc then check out the MH website and forums, I know I'm self-promoting but I have seriously learnt shitloads since starting work there about workouts and nutrition and all that kind of biscuit.
Rachel England (Wales) wrote at 9:34pm on July 30th, 2008
*cough* shameless plug *cough cough*
Laura Murphy (Cardiff) wrote at 9:35pm on July 30th, 2008
GET ME SOME PAAAAAGE IMPRESSIONS
Charlie Elise Duff wrote at 9:40pm on July 30th, 2008
I'm going to the gym tomorrow: it's like a proper big one where you get weighed etc. I think I'm full of fat: my arms, back and stomach are testament to that, although my legs are pretty damn toned! But I would like to know what percentage I am. I heard though that women have to be 30% and above to be healthy and concieve etc (which makes me wonder about the infamous Beckham, so that could be crap: or maybe it's 3 or 13 % lol).As token Men's mag fan, I've seen the forums, they ARE really good. Well-populated too! Anyway, as ever, thanks guys! xCx
Bethan Price (Durham) wrote at 4:01pm on July 31st, 2008
Here's where the nutritional anthropologist in me kicks in: You have to have a body fat percentage of 10-15% in order to be able to conceive, although this can vary. It's quite complicated but there's a gradient with conception, so it's not as straight forward as 'if you are below this fat percentage you can't conceive'. I know this because one of my lecturers was obsessed with this stuff so we had loads of lectures on it and I read all the studies and papers. As Laura said your body fat % is more important than your BMI as is your waist measurement. The size of your waist is a good indicator of whether or not you need to lose weight, as it's the first place you put on excess fat. I may be slight but if I put on weight it all goes on my stomach, which is BAD. I'm also one of those healthy BMI people who I suspect has a really bad body fat percentage - all fat and no muscle. Also BAD. But good luck with it all. I hope all goes well and you hit your target BMI/BF%, etc. Bx
Charlie Elise Duff wrote at 1:14pm on August 3rd, 2008
Wow thanks for the info Bethan! I wieghed myself at the same time this week as last, the scales say I've lost a lb. Which is not what the scales said at the gym on Thurs, but I'm sticking with my plan. My waist is below the danger zone, and I do put it on there (but also it comes off there first if I lose weight) I've always had a so-called 'vintage' figure - my hip to waist ratio is bigger than the average. Good for corsets, bad for making anything else fit. No idea what this means health-wise, apart from 'you're a curvy freak'?Meh. Anyway did two 5ks this week plus a shorter run. Plus walking and abdominals (I HATE PLANKS)x
Charlie Elise Duff wrote at 9:46pm on August 31st, 2008
Just posting to say I've lost half a stone! Hooray!I have a few goals:One: wedding on the 13 Sept - I wanted to lose half a stone by then but I already have. I was hoping I would be able to drop a dress size but I won't know if I have until I go to try on dresses next week, eek!Two: beginning of November - I want to have lost at least a stone and feel toned and, possibly more importantly, confident enough to wear a bikini when Dai and I go on holiday.Three: New Year 2009 - a healthy BMI.Four: to discover a way to maintain my new weight - I know yo-yo weights are very bad, and I want to keep to a steady weight and exercise programme, with a diet I can handle. So goal one is partially complete... I'll update with more news when it occurs!xCx
Rachel England (Wales) wrote at 9:37am on September 1st, 2008
Well done Charlie! Good on you.Having recently moved to within 400m of a leisure centre I went swimming yesterday for the first time in about four years. Jesus. Christ.I'm aching so badly this morning it's like I've been hit by a bus. So that's my new goal now; go swimming without feeling like this the day after
Charlie Elise Duff wrote at 2:40pm on September 1st, 2008
Nice goal Rachel! I'm off to Masters swimming tonight, boy, that's going to hurt tomorrow - they really push you in the class and I've only just started re-learning crawl....You should see if they do a Masters class at your pool, then you can join me in the pain, haha! x
Stay tuned, I do a weigh-in every Sunday and will be posting a round up!
As you can read below, I've dropped half a stone since posting this originally, and gone down 1.5 on my BMI. This weekend is going to be a bit of a moment of truth - I have no idea if I can drop a dress size yet and I'm out shopping for a dress to wear to a friend's wedding. Yes, my clothes are baggier, but is it enough?
I'll let you know!
I've definitely got value for money from the gym membership - at the moment I'm there six times a week, swimming or gyming, and loving it. One of the less expected benefits is that it clears my head from work so I'm not so stressed when I - eventually - get home. I went for a run on the bank holiday and my knee started hurting again so I'm sticking with the swimming for cardio -I'm considering taking up some short sprints instead, just for fun, in the hope the breaks inbetween will mean my knee can cope. However in the meantime I'm learning how to swim again, with the help of Dai and his brother Hywel (who's a qualified swim coach, so, Sam, to answer your question, I am paying a big fat nothing for my lessons, and the Masters swim class is included on my gym membership) so I'm logging my distances and helping Speedo swim around the world against malaria! You can sponsor me in my Charlie to mermaid transformation: http://www.worldswimagainstmalaria.com/charlie
From Facebook:
It's official, I'm shallow
Sunday, July 27, 2008 at 10:09pm
Ok. I'm announcing this on my blog in the hope that I'll actually get on and do this. I want to have a healthy BMI. To do that, I need to lose 2 stone and 4 pounds, or 32 pounds.That's a lot. More...than I thought. You'll probably know I'm vegan, and I'm not exactly adverse to exercise: in fact I'm quite keen on it. However, I also love food and I'm only five foot, which doesn't give me much room for manovre apart from, well, outwards.My main problem with losing weight is not the dieting, or the exercise. It's the shallowness of it all. There's a voice in my head shouting, "Do you want to be taken seriously? Do you WANT to be like these orange people, obsessed with everything they ever eat? This is vainty!" And for me, vainty feel more sinful than anything I could ever eat. Yes I wear make up. Yes I do care how I look. However, serious weight loss is seriously VAIN in my eyes, which makes it a real battle.The same voice shouts, "You've always been overweight! It's not going to change! You'll never do it!" Now. I've been heavier than this. I shed quite a few pounds a couple of years ago and at the time I was having a bit of a general change in my outlook on lots of things. I felt really guilty about it too. I'm lucky with Dai because I know he will support me. It feels different this time. I think I've realised that although cardio-vacsularly (is that a word?) speaking, I am probably as fit or fitter than I've ever been, due to the running, I am STILL too heavy. I'm 23. I need to conquer the voice NOW, and then deal with keeping it at bay before I give in and get bigger, or lose my fitness.I don't even want to be thin. I suspect I will never be thin. But I can be healthy. Being healthy is far from being vain, so my goal is to lower my BMI from nearly 31 to under 25. I'm not asking for 20, or even 22. Under 25 - a healthy weight, will do me fine.By November I hope to have lost enough to feel happier in a bikini when Dai and I go to CenterParcs - a stone, plus some toning would do it. I have no idea how long it will take for me to lose 32 lbs, but I hope to have a better idea soon and set myself a time goal to work towards. In the meantime, I'm joining the gym and going at least twice a week, plus keeping up the running a few times a week, walking in my lunch breaks and fitting in some regular swimming (which I love) too.As to the diet I'm cutting down on the portions. My actual foods aren't too bad, although I'm cutting out the crisps (which were beginning to feature a bit too much) and ice cream (same) and down on the alcohol (two glasses of wine this week, not too bad) and sugar (not too much of a problem).It needs to be something I can live with, but I have found that my health is increasingly important to me: I want to be as healthy as I can be. I'll try to blog my progress. This is the first step in ensuring I actually do it this time: keep your fingers crossed for me!
Add a comment 16 comments View original post
Samantha Wong (Cardiff University) wrote at 8:18pm on July 29th, 2008
Glad to hear you're looking to lose weight to be healthy and not the whole "I wanna look like Mischa Barton/Keria Knightley/Nicol Ritchie and disgustingly stick thin. Getting a fantastic body and looking great in a bikini is always a bonus! :) Anyway, you run loads, (where do you get your motivation??) and my bad food habits not only include crisps and ice cream but cake (lots of it) as well! Hope you manage to conquer that inner voice in you and become as healthy as you can possibly be :) x
Charlie Elise Duff wrote at 9:30pm on July 29th, 2008
Thanks Sam, I went for a run tonight and had some food, have been craving sugar badly tonight. Had a small piece of very dark chocolate - no point in banning it - but your support means a lot so big HUGS! x
Cat Hackforth (University of Bristol) wrote at 9:35pm on July 29th, 2008
Best of luck, Charlie! :DKeira Knightley freaks me out. Maybe she just naturally looks like skin sprayed onto a skeleton, but even so...
Rachel England (Wales) wrote at 10:09pm on July 29th, 2008
Well done Charlie! Like Sam said, it's good you're doing this for health reasons and not to look like a lollipop lady.That said, it's interesting that you say your diet is generally good anyway, and that you feel like you've never been fitter. I know a lot of people (me included) who have a BMI under 25 but eat rubbish constantly, find themselves out of puff after very little exertion and have achy arms for days after a go on the Wii. So who's 'healthier'? It ain't me, that's for sure. So I wouldn't stick too rigidly to guidelines and charts, etc. It's how you feel that matters the most - not scientific recommendations.Still - way to go! :) x
ElizabethAnne Grummitt (Cardiff University) wrote at 1:42am on July 30th, 2008
I think as long as you are thinking about your weight in terms of being healthy there's nothing wrong with that. And wanting to look one's best is no sin, just as long as its realistic. I will say though that BMI is thought to be meaningless by many medical peeps.Obviously I'm not going to join in the 'thin people are vile and disgusting' comments, as being the same size and shape as dear ol' Keira (cept for the boobs, obviously, hurrah!) makes me a hideous skeleton as well. But it is true a fantasy physical size isn't a good goal, as you can never ever win that way. Healthiness and happiness is much better and not shallow at all, in my opinion.
Charlie Elise Duff wrote at 1:54pm on July 30th, 2008
Hee hee. Yes, I do realise that BMI is not everything. I am rather prone to muscle as well, so it's possible I'll always be slightly over: but currently I'm way over. I'm looking forward to going to the gym tomorrow for the first time in ages - Dai is coming too, yay!I don't know how some people eat rubbish and stay within the range. All I know is, if I was a cow, you'd all be eating me, because I maintain good weight on vegetables alone!
ElizabethAnne Grummitt (Cardiff University) wrote at 3:41pm on July 30th, 2008
I misread 'cow' as 'crow' then and was very confused...
Laura Murphy (Cardiff) wrote at 8:02pm on July 30th, 2008
right on charlie. Have you tried having your body fat ratio measured at all? It's better than BMI for working out your overall health and your gym should be able to do it for you if it's one of the bigger ones. You want to get it at around 10-12%, that's the optimum level.I'm meant to be joining a gym at some point once I sort my finances out a bit and get into the swing of budgeting....can't wait til January when my free work membership kicks in and I can go on my lunchbreak with my workmates. If you want any tips on workouts etc then check out the MH website and forums, I know I'm self-promoting but I have seriously learnt shitloads since starting work there about workouts and nutrition and all that kind of biscuit.
Rachel England (Wales) wrote at 9:34pm on July 30th, 2008
*cough* shameless plug *cough cough*
Laura Murphy (Cardiff) wrote at 9:35pm on July 30th, 2008
GET ME SOME PAAAAAGE IMPRESSIONS
Charlie Elise Duff wrote at 9:40pm on July 30th, 2008
I'm going to the gym tomorrow: it's like a proper big one where you get weighed etc. I think I'm full of fat: my arms, back and stomach are testament to that, although my legs are pretty damn toned! But I would like to know what percentage I am. I heard though that women have to be 30% and above to be healthy and concieve etc (which makes me wonder about the infamous Beckham, so that could be crap: or maybe it's 3 or 13 % lol).As token Men's mag fan, I've seen the forums, they ARE really good. Well-populated too! Anyway, as ever, thanks guys! xCx
Bethan Price (Durham) wrote at 4:01pm on July 31st, 2008
Here's where the nutritional anthropologist in me kicks in: You have to have a body fat percentage of 10-15% in order to be able to conceive, although this can vary. It's quite complicated but there's a gradient with conception, so it's not as straight forward as 'if you are below this fat percentage you can't conceive'. I know this because one of my lecturers was obsessed with this stuff so we had loads of lectures on it and I read all the studies and papers. As Laura said your body fat % is more important than your BMI as is your waist measurement. The size of your waist is a good indicator of whether or not you need to lose weight, as it's the first place you put on excess fat. I may be slight but if I put on weight it all goes on my stomach, which is BAD. I'm also one of those healthy BMI people who I suspect has a really bad body fat percentage - all fat and no muscle. Also BAD. But good luck with it all. I hope all goes well and you hit your target BMI/BF%, etc. Bx
Charlie Elise Duff wrote at 1:14pm on August 3rd, 2008
Wow thanks for the info Bethan! I wieghed myself at the same time this week as last, the scales say I've lost a lb. Which is not what the scales said at the gym on Thurs, but I'm sticking with my plan. My waist is below the danger zone, and I do put it on there (but also it comes off there first if I lose weight) I've always had a so-called 'vintage' figure - my hip to waist ratio is bigger than the average. Good for corsets, bad for making anything else fit. No idea what this means health-wise, apart from 'you're a curvy freak'?Meh. Anyway did two 5ks this week plus a shorter run. Plus walking and abdominals (I HATE PLANKS)x
Charlie Elise Duff wrote at 9:46pm on August 31st, 2008
Just posting to say I've lost half a stone! Hooray!I have a few goals:One: wedding on the 13 Sept - I wanted to lose half a stone by then but I already have. I was hoping I would be able to drop a dress size but I won't know if I have until I go to try on dresses next week, eek!Two: beginning of November - I want to have lost at least a stone and feel toned and, possibly more importantly, confident enough to wear a bikini when Dai and I go on holiday.Three: New Year 2009 - a healthy BMI.Four: to discover a way to maintain my new weight - I know yo-yo weights are very bad, and I want to keep to a steady weight and exercise programme, with a diet I can handle. So goal one is partially complete... I'll update with more news when it occurs!xCx
Rachel England (Wales) wrote at 9:37am on September 1st, 2008
Well done Charlie! Good on you.Having recently moved to within 400m of a leisure centre I went swimming yesterday for the first time in about four years. Jesus. Christ.I'm aching so badly this morning it's like I've been hit by a bus. So that's my new goal now; go swimming without feeling like this the day after
Charlie Elise Duff wrote at 2:40pm on September 1st, 2008
Nice goal Rachel! I'm off to Masters swimming tonight, boy, that's going to hurt tomorrow - they really push you in the class and I've only just started re-learning crawl....You should see if they do a Masters class at your pool, then you can join me in the pain, haha! x
Stay tuned, I do a weigh-in every Sunday and will be posting a round up!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
It's official, I'm shallow
Ok. I'm announcing this on my blog in the hope that I'll actually get on and do this. I want to have a healthy BMI. To do that, I need to lose 2 stone and 4 pounds, or 32 pounds.
That's a lot. More...than I thought. You'll probably know I'm vegan, and I'm not exactly adverse to exercise: in fact I'm quite keen on it. However, I also love food and I'm only five foot, which doesn't give me much room for manovre apart from, well, outwards.
My main problem with losing weight is not the dieting, or the exercise. It's the shallowness of it all. There's a voice in my head shouting, "Do you want to be taken seriously? Do you WANT to be like these orange people, obsessed with everything they ever eat? This is vainty!" And for me, vainty feel more sinful than anything I could ever eat. Yes I wear make up. Yes I do care how I look. However, serious weight loss is seriously VAIN in my eyes, which makes it a real battle.
The same voice shouts, "You've always been overweight! It's not going to change! You'll never do it!" Now. I've been heavier than this. I shed quite a few pounds a couple of years ago and at the time I was having a bit of a general change in my outlook on lots of things. I felt really guilty about it too. I'm lucky with Dai because I know he will support me. It feels different this time. I think I've realised that although cardio-vacsularly (is that a word?) speaking, I am probably as fit or fitter than I've ever been, due to the running, I am STILL too heavy. I'm 23. I need to conquer the voice NOW, and then deal with keeping it at bay before I give in and get bigger, or lose my fitness.
I don't even want to be thin. I suspect I will never be thin. But I can be healthy. Being healthy is far from being vain, so my goal is to lower my BMI from nearly 31 to under 25. I'm not asking for 20, or even 22. Under 25 - a healthy weight, will do me fine.
By November I hope to have lost enough to feel happier in a bikini when Dai and I go to CenterParcs - a stone, plus some toning would do it. I have no idea how long it will take for me to lose 32 lbs, but I hope to have a better idea soon and set myself a time goal to work towards. In the meantime, I'm joining the gym and going at least twice a week, plus keeping up the running a few times a week, walking in my lunch breaks and fitting in some regular swimming (which I love) too.
As to the diet I'm cutting down on the portions. My actual foods aren't too bad, although I'm cutting out the crisps (which were beginning to feature a bit too much) and ice cream (same) and down on the alcohol (two glasses of wine this week, not too bad) and sugar (not too much of a problem).
It needs to be something I can live with, but I have found that my health is increasingly important to me: I want to be as healthy as I can be. I'll try to blog my progress. This is the first step in ensuring I actually do it this time: keep your fingers crossed for me!
That's a lot. More...than I thought. You'll probably know I'm vegan, and I'm not exactly adverse to exercise: in fact I'm quite keen on it. However, I also love food and I'm only five foot, which doesn't give me much room for manovre apart from, well, outwards.
My main problem with losing weight is not the dieting, or the exercise. It's the shallowness of it all. There's a voice in my head shouting, "Do you want to be taken seriously? Do you WANT to be like these orange people, obsessed with everything they ever eat? This is vainty!" And for me, vainty feel more sinful than anything I could ever eat. Yes I wear make up. Yes I do care how I look. However, serious weight loss is seriously VAIN in my eyes, which makes it a real battle.
The same voice shouts, "You've always been overweight! It's not going to change! You'll never do it!" Now. I've been heavier than this. I shed quite a few pounds a couple of years ago and at the time I was having a bit of a general change in my outlook on lots of things. I felt really guilty about it too. I'm lucky with Dai because I know he will support me. It feels different this time. I think I've realised that although cardio-vacsularly (is that a word?) speaking, I am probably as fit or fitter than I've ever been, due to the running, I am STILL too heavy. I'm 23. I need to conquer the voice NOW, and then deal with keeping it at bay before I give in and get bigger, or lose my fitness.
I don't even want to be thin. I suspect I will never be thin. But I can be healthy. Being healthy is far from being vain, so my goal is to lower my BMI from nearly 31 to under 25. I'm not asking for 20, or even 22. Under 25 - a healthy weight, will do me fine.
By November I hope to have lost enough to feel happier in a bikini when Dai and I go to CenterParcs - a stone, plus some toning would do it. I have no idea how long it will take for me to lose 32 lbs, but I hope to have a better idea soon and set myself a time goal to work towards. In the meantime, I'm joining the gym and going at least twice a week, plus keeping up the running a few times a week, walking in my lunch breaks and fitting in some regular swimming (which I love) too.
As to the diet I'm cutting down on the portions. My actual foods aren't too bad, although I'm cutting out the crisps (which were beginning to feature a bit too much) and ice cream (same) and down on the alcohol (two glasses of wine this week, not too bad) and sugar (not too much of a problem).
It needs to be something I can live with, but I have found that my health is increasingly important to me: I want to be as healthy as I can be. I'll try to blog my progress. This is the first step in ensuring I actually do it this time: keep your fingers crossed for me!
Monday, March 17, 2008
dis obseshon is reachin bibikalist proptshuns, srsly!
K, K, I noes it. I is a bad.
But the LOLCat bible!!!!1
"An Ceiling Cat sayed, Beholdt, the Urfs, I has it, An I has not eated it." LolCat Genesis 1:29.
This is my favourite Pslam (yes, favorit salm, I has one), 121, in LolCat:
1 A song to goez big up. I lookz upz at da big hillsez, I can has halps?
2 Yes I can haz halps, from Ceiling Cat, doer of Ceiling and Urf
3 He not let ur paw slipz, he not sleepz
4 Protektor of All Kittehs no sleepies no dreamies
5 Ceiling Cat ur protektor, He is ur shadows from da windowsill, He is ur right paw
6 In day, sun no make u go bai, moon not make u go bai either
7 Ceiling Cat make u safez from badness, He protektz ur invisible self
8 Celing Cat protektz ur in and ur out, forevaz!
As a procrastinatory device it cannot be beaten.
Have a read and enjoy.
kthnxbai!
But the LOLCat bible!!!!1
"An Ceiling Cat sayed, Beholdt, the Urfs, I has it, An I has not eated it." LolCat Genesis 1:29.
This is my favourite Pslam (yes, favorit salm, I has one), 121, in LolCat:
1 A song to goez big up. I lookz upz at da big hillsez, I can has halps?
2 Yes I can haz halps, from Ceiling Cat, doer of Ceiling and Urf
3 He not let ur paw slipz, he not sleepz
4 Protektor of All Kittehs no sleepies no dreamies
5 Ceiling Cat ur protektor, He is ur shadows from da windowsill, He is ur right paw
6 In day, sun no make u go bai, moon not make u go bai either
7 Ceiling Cat make u safez from badness, He protektz ur invisible self
8 Celing Cat protektz ur in and ur out, forevaz!
As a procrastinatory device it cannot be beaten.
Have a read and enjoy.
kthnxbai!
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