When I record my videos each week you are meant to email me to say “Tom you have lost weight – well done!” I should not have to prompt anyone (especially the Mrs). But I have lost weight. Well I can’t measure it since, as I noted two years ago, there are virtually no scales in the whole of Greece but I can do the trouser test!
At my shameful 19 stone 6 pounds peak my waist was a disgraceful 44 inches. At my fighting weight (hooker for London Irish Wild Geese) I was a 32 inch waist. Two years ago in Greece I almost got down to 32 inches. I was within spitting distance.
Back in the UK – and blaming the Mrs for leading me astray - my waist expanded again. On leaving I was in 36 inch jeans and they felt tight. Within a few days my Ireland rugby shorts (from a post London Irish age) were so obviously falling down that they had to be retired. But they do not really count – they come from a plump (Clontarf veterans) era.
However, as their replacement – red swimming shorts - went from tight to comfortably loose I tried the trouser test. The 36 inch jeans are now not comfortable they are actually loose enough to pull down without unbuttoning. This is a triumph born of doing manual labour and living for two weeks on a diet of one or two Greek salads a day plus coffee (no sugar), diet coke and water. No alcohol has passed my lips for two weeks.
Today I had meat to celebrate being Steve McQueen. The utterly splendid in every respect Eleni at the Kambos taverna served me up a small plate of meatballs and some utterly incredible focaccia style bread. It was a rare treat and a reminder of why I shall never become a full time vegetarian. Tomorrow, however, it is back to the Greek salads and a hard day of manual labour is planned.
I can see that by next weekend the 36 inch jeans will have been retired and the 34s – which I could not squeeze into – will be comfortable. On the 10th a UK Investor Show Speaker who claims they wish to lose 15 lbs in three weeks at the Greek Hovel arrives and has suggested that our daily regime should start with a “quick” jog to the village and back. Hmmmm. I am not so sure that sounds like my idea of paradise but if that is to be the way then by 10th August I shall be at 32 inch waist fighting weight ( at which point incidentally my Body Mass Index should be in what is terms “normal”) category.
So far I reckon I am just under half way there. Now remember when you are watching my next video….