How can I be losing weight?

Simple: thermodynamics.

Over the course of the week, I am expending more energy than I consume. That may be in physical movement, or the production of heat.

It may be due to inefficient locomotion, or inefficient generation of ATP from the chemical energy I'm ingesting.

Whatever it is though, I am running at a calorific deficit, so am obtaining the extra energy from my body's energy stores, using them up, and losing weight.

Today is the 28th January and, as of 7am this morning, I weigh 11 stone, 9 pounds. On the 3rd January, I weighed 12 stone 2 pounds and 8 ounces. That's not bad.

Especially considering - if you look back at my food diary - I haven't really been trying very hard.

What I have been doing, is counting the calories of what I eat, rounding up to the next 50 calories to make it easy to keep on top of, and trying to follow bad days - or atrocious weekends - with good days.

What I've not been doing is recording my calories net of exercise. If I eat 2000 calories and walk 10 minutes, it goes down as 2000 calories. If I eat 2000 calories and walk 90 minutes, it goes down as 2000 calories.

What I don't even consider is the fact I get up at 5.30 most mornings, and - due to having children - spend a lot of time going up and down the stairs.

So, last week, according to the spreadsheet, my daily average calorie intake was 2714. However, consider the rounding error - maybe that takes it to 2650 or 2600, and consider the additional walking to the bus stop on the way to and home from work, and the net figure might be 2300 a day.

Possibly even lower.

And that's why the number on the scales keeps coming down.

Another Saturday blowout day today, but not as bad as last week, and hopefully I'll try and have a more respectable Sunday as well. I need to: it's the first Wednesday weigh-in next week...

Day 26 - 4600 calories

Breakfast
Milk (200)
Ham (200)
Eggs (200)
Toast (100)

Lunch
2x slices toast with cream cheese (500)
Smoked haddock with spinach and poached eggs (400)
Chocolate thins (700)
2x slices cake (500)

Dinner
Haggis (450)
Red wine (500)
3x slices buttered toast (450)
Ice cream (200)
Mystery former party bag chocolate in children's room (100)
2x squares dark chocolate (100)

Exercise
10x sets bicep curls
60m walking

Day 27 - 3850 calories

Breakfast
Milk (200)
2x poached eggs on toast (300) 

Lunch
Haggis (800)

Snack
3x weetabix with raisins and milk (600)
Ham sandwich (200)
3x Biscuit  bar (300)
Piece of cheese (50)

Dinner
2x beef burgers in sandwich (800)
Dark chocolate (100)
Yum Yum (300)
Beer (200)

Exercise
100 press ups
8x sets dips
60m walk