I’m amazed to discover my last update was in November 2014, 6 months ago. So here’s the latest although not as systematic as some of the earlier ones. The first report was in November 2012 when I recorded that from 17 stone 5 lb in July I was now down to 15 stone 10 lb. Today, just short of 3 years on I am 12 stone 5 lb, a loss of 5 stone. This has not been linear by any means and for about a year I stuck at round 14 stone 6 lb but starting to play racketball, a bit more cycling and regular walking, coupled to starting to log food and calories with MyFitnessPal, I got down to 13 stone by the beginning of April this year. Then I had my accident. When I came out of hospital after 8 days I was down to 12 stone 4 lb. Because of the type of injury and the fitting of a kidney stent so far I’ve been unable to ride or play racketball although I’ve started to do some very short sedate walks and a few exercises. Most of the weight I’ve lost is fat, so a good thing, but I’ve also lost a pound of two of muscle. My plan is to try and keep my weight down to 12 stone 5 lb or thereabouts by going onto a maintenance calorie allowance (1980) but increase the proportion of protein in my diet. Then, when hopefully the stent comes out sometime later this month and I can return to full exercise, I can raise my weight by regaining muscle, up to round 12 stone 7 or 8 perhaps. To this end I may even do a bit of gym work at the squash club.
It was not Ivan Illich, but José Antonio Viera-Gallo, a member of congress in Salvador Allende’s socialist government in Chile who said that socialism can only arrive by bicycle.
Recognizing its beauty and accuracy, Illich used the quote in “Energy and Equity”. In fairness to Gallo you should attribute the it him and not Illich.
Thanks Louis. I stand corrected and will change the attribution. As a matter of interest did you find this post by searching for something else? Do you have any particular interest in the political and cultural significance of cycling?