back... from outta space...

...or a field in cambridge, anyway!

yes, I am back from the Secret Garden Party and I had an absolute blast! Lots of fancy dress, lots of fun with friends :-)

I can safely say that the handbrake came off in spectacular style over the past week and a half and I don't *dare* step on the scales right now, lol!!

that being said, I couldn't give a shit really as I've had an excellent past couple of weeks... my boyfriend finished L'etape du Tour in 8hrs 50 and managed to stay up celebrating with beer, wine and champagne until 3.30am! what a legend!! His legs have felt a little tired but pretty much fine... just shows how much good planning and sensible training can help... as the saying goes "he who fails to prepare, should prepare to fail"... I like that, it's a constant mantra of mine

I'll upload pics of his amazing demolition of Mont Ventoux soon but they're on his camera so will have to smile sweetly and say it's for the good of the blogging community... he's a star, and an inspiration :-)

as for me, well, I managed to keep up the strength training a bit in France, employing the use of resistance bands, a stability ball (they pack flat when deflated!), a chair, a bench and not much else (I did take a skipping rope but there was nowhere to skip, the ceilings were too low - nearly took out the light fitting - and there was no privacy outside!)... I took a pic of my 'gym' which I'll post when I've uploaded it from my point+shoot.

in the meantime, I've been looking my levels of Cals from carbs/protein/fats and have come to a balance (50%/35%/15% respectively) which I think will suit me, based on Anita Bean's advice (in her wonderful strength training and nutrition books which have collectively become my fitness Bible!) of a maximum of 1.8g protein per 1kg of me.

Apparently any over 2g of protein per 1kg of bodyweight will not actually be of benefit, in fact the best case scenario is that it gets excreted by the body, but if not, it can be detrimental to your health as your liver and kidneys will need to work overtime to process it. In short

That being said, no two people are the same, and different people require different levels of nutrition. I have naturally low-density bones (I've had a scan, I'm quite scared, one of the reasons why I weight-train and run) and the women in my family are pre-disposed to getting osteoporosis... so I'm not taking my chances!

Plus, I did a lot of research on the Atkins diet a few years and discovered, before they actually admitted the whole 'state of ketosis' that the body goes into, that it was based upon a diet devised for epileptic children called the Ketogenic Diet.

My opinion, and forgive me if I'm wrong (but everyone's entitled to their own opinion on here right?) is that if you follow a really high protein, relatively high fat and really rather low carbohydrate diet... you are in effect subscribing to the Atkins way of thinking.

Carbs are not the energy, they are as essential as fats and protein, I really think they get a bad rap!!

However, I do recognise that I used to eat way too much in the way of carbohydrate, thinking that it didn't matter how much I consumed as long as I kept within my calorie allowance... not realising that the body can only process so much before it stores it as fat - bummer!!

ahh well, we live an learn, just got to get the right balance!! :-)

right, have just been told by my other half who has tired of Tour de France highlights, and QI repeats, and is now ready for beddy-byes, that I really need to get off the PC so will post-and-go

night! x