Poundland

For the first half of the pandemic so far, I managed to maintain my weight at a healthy level and was well within the healthy BMI range. However, my birthday in November and Christmas in December saw a few pounds pile on as I binged on chocolates (bought as presents) and guzzled wine (to celebrate my big 7-0). I suddenly found I was half a stone heavier than I should be and doing up zips was a bit more of a challenge. More worryingly, a routine blood test revealed I was nudging the pre-diabetic range and my doctor advised me to enrol in a free set of gym sessions paid for by the good old National Health Service.

With the recent easing of lockdown, I had also been approached by my pilates teacher to see if I wanted to resume sessions with her, so since the beginning of September I now find I have two intense hour-long workouts each week - one for pilates and one on equipment in the gym. In addition to that, I have returned to volunteering at the local food bank serving food to the many customers who attend. It often involves lugging heavy crates each containing some 30 tins or more across the church hall. I reckon I'm getting more muscles than Popeye and ache in places I didn't know I had places. Still, the good news is that those extra pounds are coming off again and I can fit into my clothes again more comfortably. Just in time for my next birthday and Christmas!