Alvoram

I think things like this are important to charities. Sure, people can just donate, but would they if they weren't reminded by campaigns like this? I think without things like this, and other awareness raising campaigns, charities would be much worse off in the long run. I've no problem with the idea of things like this, I just wish they were more tightly regulated, and that the charities got all of the profits. Those involved directly with any campaign like this should not be allowed to make a penny. Costs should only include direct costs paid to suppliers etc.

All the motivation we need right there... If the tories win the next election I'm gone, no idea how, with my EU citizenship stolen from me, but I'll find a way... Not gonna happen though, is it? Surely not!

Thanks bud... I'm dreading Mad Friday. Although this year, our toughest day is looking like Christmas eve if the booking system is anything to go by... There's a horrible vibe this year, horrible horrible horrible... Last year was such a nice Christmas, everybody was just happy to have Christmas back, the vibe was incredible, a real coming together and a celebratory atmosphere every single day of December. Up there as possibly the best Christmas ever. This year everybody is just feeling the pressures a little bit, lots of stress, lots of (dare I use this word) discontent. Everybody in almost every trade is over worked and under paid. Staff shortages, strikes, rising costs, all mean people can't have, or do, what they're used to, and they don't like it. #BeKind was definitely left back in 2020/21!

I don't mind 'profits' going to charity. I understand there are costs that 'need' to be paid first. What I do think needs legislating against is people claiming that all profits go to charity, and then paying themselves, or associates, a fee as a 'cost' before profits are calculated. If you're giving the public the impression that you're donating your time / services to charity, then you should not be able to make money off that. (For the record, I'm not suggesting that Mark is paying himself, or his LTD company a fee, I have no idea, but I do know that sort of thing does happen!)

I'm not sure if I even know a Lewis Capaldi song... And I don't mind pop music, quite like some of it. OK, so I obviously googled him after typing that and I do know some songs... One or two I quite like, but they all sound the same, and I find most of them quite boring... Fantastic pipes on the lad though... Not for me however, would be a boring headliner, and I'd be elsewhere.

You'd have probably liked them in their early days, just young, working class, parents struggling to get by and sharing money saving tips and parenting ideas for other struggling families in a (reasonably) humorous way... Those days are long gone now though. It was always a bit cringe, but at least it felt like they had a purpose... Now it's just total cringe, and cringe alone.

There really aint no love in the jungle from you is there? 🙈😂

Ladbaby was massive (and arguably better) before the first single dropped... And back in a time when influencer advertising revenue was at it's highest too. Would be interested in learning your source. If it's the company house filings, then that proves little, as they most likely would have been a sole trader / partnership before setting up their LTD. (The LTD was only setup in 2017/18, probably as a way of reducing tax liability because they were earning way too much!)

Just a quick note to say I've not given up, or gone anywhere, things are still going well (enough) But it is just easy to forget, even for me, just how bloody busy we get in the trade these next few weeks... As a side note, and grumble, don't assume you can just walk into a pub / restaurant and get a table over the next few weeks... Sick to death already of telling people we're full and giving them a business card with the booking link... They treat you like it's your fault they are so disorganised. 😞

The daily weigh in is more to focus me for the day. I don't fret over the actual result, unless something is drastic. I do it first thing (well after a wee, every little helps lol.) And it just means I start the day focused on my goal. If you do pick one up, let us know, we can decide on some challenge days and push each other 🙂 Definitely!!! But it's more bread, potatoes and pasta I struggle to cut, rather than sugar, I can easily live without sugary food and drink. I react very well to Keto, I don't mind doing it for a month or so at a time if I need an extra weight loss boost. The weight loss is drastic, but it's a drastic diet. The problem is I struggle to exercise as well on it, so fitness isn't really helped. I mean, I can walk etc fine, but for some reason I struggle on long jogs when on Keto. Maybe it's psychological. Anyway, I know you weren't suggesting Keto, but I just wanted to get that out there. As for Konjac flour (if that's how you spell it?) I don't mind it, you can get pasta made with it too. Cauliflower rice works well with curries too. If I'm going low carb I make a killer pizza base with mostly baked eggs and cheese, and there's always the '90 second' keto bread. 🙂

The boiler room set is incredible... But this had me...

Well said. Sadly, I've seen first hand what a stroke can do to a person, and it's nothing short of terrifying! It's easy to forget now, reading your posts @Neil exactly what you've just been through, and that's got to be a good thing. A credit to how far you've come. (Although the bad side of that is that it's easy for people to forget your condition and instead jump to the conclusion that you're just being a tosser when you're having a bad day.)

I originally discovered Fred Again through a mention on Efest... And I'm so f-ing grateful!!!

Yeh it's like anything... I know smokers who live to a grand old age... And none smokers who got lung cancer... Doesn't mean that smoking isn't a risk factor.

I actually have multiple reasons... Glasto, obviously. My other hobby is roller coasters and theme parks. I have never had to do what us enthusiasts call 'the walk of shame' yet. But I could sense that towards the end of last season, I was getting close. Needing the ride host's help to close the restraints. 😕 Obviously, I'd be absolutely gutted if I got too big to ride coasters. It was only a few months ago that I was in the states purely for visiting theme parks. So by March I want to be closing my own restraints again. (Thankfully, visiting parks also helps massively with weight loss if I'm eating right, silly amounts of daily steps can be achieved at my home park, Alton Towers.) And of course, general health, I'm nearly 40 now, I'm getting to an age where diabetes will be a factor if I don't start looking after myself. I've been lucky to avoid it this far, I want to take action before my luck runs out. One thing it's never been about for me, is appearance. I couldn't care less what people think about the way I look, take me or leave me. I always said I'd only care about my weight if either my fitness, general health or physical size, prevented me from doing things I want to do. So this is me... Caring.

I'm up for some friendly step challenge days if you want, and if it will help. A bit of friendly competition was another helpful factor for me last time. Back then I was using a fitbit rather than an Apple Watch, and I was noticing I was often getting 30-40k steps. So I spent one day just trying to get the 50k badge, I walked around the country park for most of the day, just for a silly virtual badge. I got it though, before my friends. 🙈😂

Day 4. 5 and 6:Weight: 281lb Daily Change: +3lbTotal Loss: 3lb Weekends are going to be the main struggle through December. They'll ease up in January and beyond, but at the moment I'm extremely busy during the weekend. Thursday was ok, I managed a 4km walk, ate well and then worked the evening shift again. I never did get to walk Friday and Saturday, I was just way too busy, and knowing the dogs had been taken on a decent walk anyway doesn't exactly motivate me. I also did not eat great. Thursday was good, had a home made spag bol, but made with turkey mince. That is what initially put back on the water weight (carbs in pasta.) But like I said in my last update, that means nothing anyway, overall the calories were very low and what I ate was not fatty. Friday was bad, I fell victim to my cravings for a burger. Although to try and be a little bit healthier, and avoid the red meat, I had a vegan beyond burger from the pub kitchen. God I love those beyond burgers, so much more flavour than a real burger. But sadly they come with deep fried skinny fries. 😞 Still, very little damage done, I stayed the same in weight. Yesterday I had a home made masala with rice. Again, a healthy portion of carbs have meant I've stayed the same, and not re lost any of that water weight. Overall I'm happy, I'm 3lb down so far, and that's more likely to be actual weight loss than just water weight 🤞 If I'd kept my carb intake down, no doubt I'd be showing an 8 or 9lb loss, but that wouldn't all be real anyway. Today should be easy. It's our busiest day, so I'll be very busy on my feet. We serve a carvery, so I'll have an evening meal of meat and vegetables, and just cut the potatoes, yorkies and stuffing out. Then we'll go for our usual evening walk. Sorry for the lack of updates, weekends will most likely not be daily updates until January.

Yeh fair play... Last week's match cost me a gig that I'd been looking forward to for months!!! (well, I could have gone alone, but didn't fancy it, there was supposed to be 4 of us. 😞)

Haha, have one now... better late than never. Bloody hell mate, that's an awful few years, so sorry to read about your Brother, Sister and Doggo... Think going through just half of that shit would be enough to fuck anybody up for a while!!! When life has you down on the ground it just keeps on kicking and kicking doesn't it? 😞 Glad you're fighting back though, of course I'll keep posting. My posting here was to motivate myself, I wasn't even expecting anybody to be interested. But if it helps somebody else too, that would be absolutely incredible, and even more motivation to carry on than I could possible have hoped for! I'll update properly later, but it wasn't a bad day yesterday, still on track. 🙂

Thanks buddy, only had one upvote left and read from the bottom up. But I do appreciate your comment 🙂

There was nothing on his laptop... No evidence at all. His card was used to access a network that, amongst other things, had links to child porn... He himself admitted to having accessed the offending sites as part of his research, and to expose the fact that UK banks were complicit in channeling funds to these people. They had no proof at all that it was the child sites he'd accessed and not some other, more innocent ones. Hence he was cautioned and no more. He may or may not be telling the truth... 🤷‍♂️ Don't suppose we'll ever know for sure. So it's up to you if you assume the worst, or assume the best, as long as you're conscious of the fact that all you're doing is assuming.

I'm out of upvotes!!!

You feeling the benefits yet? It's surprising how quickly you start to feel better isn't it? Not just physically either... Got a bit of a mess to sort out with my gym, missed a direct debit, didn't think it was an issue, as I was way over my contract length, and I hadn't been for months, so assumed it would just cancel... Anyway, missed another, they eventually cancelled and I now somehow owe them 3 months plus fees, which is with a debt collector, so I'm not sure if I'm banned. Anytime fitness that is. I assume (hope) I'll just have to pay the debt and then all will be good, which I don't mind doing, I should have assumed there was a notice period to cancel even after your contract is up, everything moves onto rolling contracts these days, so that's on me. I just hope I am not banned. I can't really attend any other gym locally due to my working patterns, that 24hr access was a god send. 😞

Oh that's this evening... Have to rack the weekend's real ales... And again tomorrow on delivery day. 🙂 Friday and Saturday are usually 14 - 15 hour work days for all of us, so a friend normally walks the dogs these days. But I'm gonna try and give them a big second walk in the evening after work. 🙂 Make up for all the times I've fobbed them off with short walks these last few months. Sunday we finish early, pub closes at 8pm, and we usually do either a night time couple or family walk with the dogs... Problem with that is they're too slow, as you hinted at yesterday, they won't raise the heart rate. So apart from a very busy work day, and relaxing walk after, I'm going to consider Sunday as a rest day. 🙂 Sorry, I know I went off on a tangent there, but I'm just trying to plan out my days in my head, and putting it down on (virtual) paper seems sensible. Anyway... I feel like I've killed this thread a little with my pathetic attempts at fitness, which pale in comparison to marathon training and the other things some of you are doing... What has everyone else been doing these last couple of days? It's been a bit fresh outdoors hasn't it?