A Sober Day Out

Friday dawned a lovely blue sky day.

All Souls ChurchIt stayed that way well into the afternoon too. Some of the gorgeous weather was missed while we traveled into the West End.

We were going there for a treat for myself that Kathy had bought for me earlier in the year.  A pampering at Ted’s Grooming Room in Mortimer Street just a short walk from Oxford Circus.

I had my hair cut and styled; hot towels; a cut-throat shave and an arm massage.

Afterwards, we headed around the corner to Byron for lunch. Burger at ByronAs I’m trying to cut out wheat this month, I went for the bunless option with a side salad instead.

Afterwards we took a few photographs around All Souls Church, and then we walked towards Tottenham Court Road and Holborn.

We browsed in a few shops along the way, and then headed towards Neal’s Yard and Seven Dials.

Carrying on, we ended up on Shaftesbury Avenue and then diverted into Chinatown, where we stopped for a meal.

We also picked up some Asian products in a couple of supermarkets along the way too.  We ended up grabbing a slice of cake and a cappuccino by Leicester Square station before taking the Underground and bus home.

Ended up walking around three or four miles in total, and doing over ten thousand steps.

 

Beer & Wheat

I’m still on course for the Sober October thing, but of course it’s early in the month yet. My biggest test will be the forthcoming long weekend off, which is when I usually go out for a least a day or so, and usually find myself in a pub with a pint of craft ale or two, or in a restaurant with a beer or wine to go with my food.

I also have plenty of beer and wine at home, which I don’t touch before work (obviously) and which doesn’t get bothered with by the time I get home around midnight.

It’s harder when I’m on an early shift, as it’s very tempting to enjoy a brew in the early afternoon when I get home, or perhaps a glass of wine if I finish earlier in the evening.

The other thing I am making an effort with at this time is to cut,  or at least drastically reduce, the amount of wheat in my diet. I don’t suffer from wheat intolerance as far as I know, but I was reading an article from a cardiologist convinced that cutting out wheat can help both your gut (I have Crohn’s disease), and weight loss goals (I’d really like to lose around 50-60lbs).

Bacon & Eggs

I’ve dropped a couple of pounds already since the weekend, but we’ll see. It’s been quite hard not reaching for the bread and making a bunch of sandwiches!

At least I can still enjoy a Full English Breakfast, albeit without the fried bread or toast.

No Alcohol: Day One

I’ll be honest. It was easy today as I was unlikely to drink any alcohol today anyway.

Working a late shift and not getting home until midnight usually means nothing to drink. I really am not bothered about booze by that time of night. I normally drink water or perhaps have a cup of Rooibus tea before bed.