Apologies for the lack of updates here. I have been all over the place since getting back from Egypt – including a quick trip to Paris – and getting back into the swing of work and domestic life.

Yes, I’m still doing well in terms of my health progress. I’m still seeing Tracy for our three hours a week (though this week, due to unavoidable personal matters, we can only see each other twice). I’ve been eating well, with the occasional restaurant trip (the hummus pictured was consumed at a Turkish restaurant a couple of Fridays ago) and the efforts to be sensible that go along with that. I’m trying to create an affection for Guinness, because I read it’s the most nutritious alcoholic drink one can choose (gin and slimline tonics just don’t do it for me) – and no, I can’t just give up alcohol completely. I only drink once every two weeks or so, though, so I’m not going to beat myself up for it.

I’ve also signed up for an Open University nutrition course, which should be interesting. I find that so much of what I read about ‘healthful’ food – and I read a lot about it – is contradictory. One study says chillies are great to fight off colds, another says they wreak havoc on the digestive system. One nutrition guru says that juices are devoid of fiber and so should be avoided in favor of whole fruit, and another recommends lots of smoothies and glasses of vegetable juice. I want to be better able to evaluate such claims accurately, and make the best decisions about what I put in my body. The course might end up being a bit of a letdown, as it’s based on the (deeply flawed) USDA food pyramid, but I should learn some solid basics of food chemistry.

Oh, and last night I saw some friends for the first time since July, and they were gawking over how much weight they think I’ve lost. I mean, I know I have lost a lot of weight since they last saw me, but it’s hard for me to believe the difference is that drastic to other people. That’s one other difference I’ve noticed: I am much more interested in my overall health now, instead of just being purely focused on losing weight. I think that’s a good thing.