Week 3 Day 1

Ex: 10 825
F: bryndza spread, crispbreads, tomato
     Tomato soup, pickled veg, feta
      salmon and tabbouleh
      Sorrel soup
      Octopus and tabbouleh
D: tea and coffee

Week 3: Epicurus

Epicurus: He who is not satisfied with a little, is satisfied with nothing.

For Epicurus the point of life was to attain pleasure which he saw as being a kind of tranquility. His school in Athens was called The Garden.

For Epicurus, pleasure is the result of achieving one's desires and he divided desires into 3 types - natural and necessary, natural and unnecessary and vain and empty desires. Natural and necessary desires such as the desire for food according to Epicurus are easy to fulfill and bring great pleasure such as eating a piece of bread when hungry. Natural but unnecessary desires include desires for luxury foods and people should avoid becoming dependent on these.
For Epicurus vain desires include those for power, wealth and fame. They are difficult to satisfy and have no natural limits on them. Epicurus believes happiness lies in eliminating these desires.
'If you wish to make Pythocles wealthy, don't give him more money; rather reduce his desires.'

Therefore there is great pleasure in eating simple food and this should be enjoyed, but luxury foods, large quantities and hankerings after specific foods should be avoided.

Results of Week 2

Weight loss: 0.4 kg
Remaining: 3.3 kg

Week 2 Day 7

Ex: 12 100 steps
F: porridge and stewed fruit and nuts
      Hunter's chicken, pickled veg, tabbouleh, feta cheese
       Stewed fruit and sour cream
       Mushrooms and scrambled egg, bread and cheese spread
D: tea, coffee, 1x beer, 1xwine

Week 2 Day 6

Ex: 11 880 steps
F: tomato soup and rice
      Hunter's chicken, tabbouleh, pickled veg
     Sorrel soup, tabbouleh, salmon
     Plum, apricot, peach compote and sour cream
D: tea, coffee

Week 2 Day 5

Ex: 11 400 steps + 25 min swimming in the lake
F: tomato soup, rice, chicken
     Jam tart
     Bread, cucumber and salami
     1/2 an orange
     Cauliflower soup
     Wild mushrooms and scrambled eggs
D: Coffee, tea and 2x pear brandy

Week 2 Day 4

Ex: 11 070 steps
F:    Tomato soup, rice, boiled meat
         Lunch with friends - cabbage soup, beef bourguignon, mash, pasta, macaroons
          Salad caprese, feta, onions + stewed plums and sour cream
       

Week 2 Day 3

Ex: 11 250 steps
F: porridge and plums
      Hunter's chicken, rice, braised cabbage and carrots
      Tomato soup with meat pieces, rice and bear garlic pesto
      Stewed plums and sour cream
D: tea, coffee

Week 2 Day 2

Ex: 11 057 steps
F: eggs, Greek salad, ham
      Hunter's chicken, rice, pickled cabbage
      Boiled chicken and pork (from making stock), rice, pickled cabbage, soy sauce

Week 2 Day 1

Ex: 8 600 steps + 30 min swimming in a lake
F: porridge and plums
      Smelt and Greek salad
      Tomato soup, trout and potatoes, a share of chocolate pudding for dessert
D: tea, coffee, beer

Results of Week 1

Weight lost: 1.3kg
Remaining: 3.7 kg

Week 2: Okakura Kakuzo

Okakura Kakuzo is the author of 'The Book of Tea' which seeks to explain to westerners the philosophy of teaism that finds expression in the Japanese Tea Ceremony. With its roots in Taoism and Zen Buddhism, the Japanese tea ceremony embodies the four principles of harmony, respect, simplicity and tranquility.

What does this have to do with my diet? Epictetus helped me start off on my journey - his was the first signpost that said 'get going'. Now I have to work out where. The Japanese live long healthy lives and have the lowest rate of obesity among highly developed countries. I thought I would look there. And what is the craziest, most exotic and utterly ridiculous part of Japanese culture from a practical British point of view? The tea ceremony - all that faff for a cup of tea! But maybe 'all that faff' has something very valuable to say not just about the way to consume food and drink but about what Okakura Kazura calls 'the art of being in the world'.

Okakura Kazura: A master has always something to offer, while we go hungry solely because of our own lack of appreciation.

Week 1 Day 7

Ex: 15 minutes morning exercise
        11 000 steps
F: eggs, roll, butter
     Cabbage soup, rice, lightly pickled cabbage, roast vegetables, fish cakes
     Greek salad and ham
     Compote and sour cream
D: Coffee, tea

Week 1 Day 6

Ex: 10 minute morning exercises, 10 400 steps
F: porridge and plums, apricots and walnuts
Cabbage soup

cheese and tomato roll

Rice and pickles
Stewed fruit and sour cream
Rice, roast veg and a fishcake
Grapes
D: tea, coffee

Week 1 Day 5

Ex: 6 500 steps
F: porridge with plum and apricot
      Cabbage soup, salad, hummus and cucumber roll
     Fish cakes with roast vegetables and quick pickled cucumber

Notes: a light day in terms of exercise as it poured with rain from lunchtime. I used the last of the chickpeas in the fishcakes and rolled each of them in polenta and baked them  at the same time I roasted the veg. I enjoyed the lightly pickled cucumber!