๐ Enjoying a chicken katsu curry here in Sheffield
Accompanied by a delicious IPA from the Purity Brewing Co.
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๐ Enjoying a chicken katsu curry here in Sheffield
Accompanied by a delicious IPA from the Purity Brewing Co.
๐ธ We may have had a couple of beers in the sunshine before the Eurovision semi-final…
๐ Making a Japanese curry for dinner
๐ธ A quick pint of IPA to mark the end of another weekend.
Good evening from Chichester.
My first ever visit. Overnight to speak at a conference. All I can say so far is that the Guinness is excellent.
More to follow…
Bagels, cream cheese and smoked salmon for brunch. ๐ฅฏ
๐บ Hazy Jane IPA is hazyโฆ
Drove out to Puerto Portals, home of the super yachts and badly-parked German sports cars.
The people are often unbearable - loud, garish and ostentatiously wealthy - but it’s the place to get the best pizza in Mallorca. So we did. And now I can barely walk. I’m approximately 98% cheese.
๐ธ Breakfast
Good evening from a very damp and cold Edinburgh.
Time for some liquid refreshment.
๐ธ A mid-afternoon treat: some delicious mini KitKats from last monthโs visit to Japan.
A deliciousus matcha latte here in Sendai.
Just what I needed after wandering around town this morning.
Yesterday I spent a good chunk of the afternoon, soaking in a local onsen here in Shinjuku Tokyo.
It was just what my tired and jetlagged body needed. I could switch off completely - free of my mobile phone, and any other devices - and just focus on relaxing in a series of different baths, a sauna, a steam room and then some more baths.
Half-way through the experience, I put on my fancy onsen โpyjamasโ and headed down to the restaurant where I enjoyed a delicious pork Katsu curry and a bottle of Asahi alcohol-free beer. My focus was most definitely on rehydrating!
After the most leisurely of meals, I headed back upstairs to the onsen, where I completed another round of the baths. My favourite was most definitely the outdoor bath, where I could sit in the water, watch the steam rise from its surface, and feel the misty rain fall on my head.
I then went for a very relaxing stroll around Shinjuku. Itโs an incredibly lively and busy area, but you can still find moments of peace and quiet. I picked up some gifts for family back home and then wandered back to my hotel. Sadly jetlag is still with me and Iโve been awake since 4 am this morning.
Later this morning. Iโm meeting up with a Tokyo based friend and weโre taking the train down to Hakone Onsen for an overnight stay. And yes, there will be more soaking, sauna and generally staying wet!
No photos from inside the onsen, obviously - but hereโs the delicious, ice-cold beer I enjoyed half-way through.
Another booze-free month in the bag.
Today marks the (official) end of Dry January for 2024. A thirty-one day alcohol-free challenge that was really no challenge at all.
In all honesty, I only missed booze on one evening - a friend’s 40th birthday party, where the prosecco was flowing and the AF beer I’d brought along really sucked. It was just awful and I kind of resented it. But within minutes, the birthday boy produced a bottle of AF Prosecco (Nosecco!) and all was right with the world. The rest of the month featured a few AF beers (Guinness 0.0% is far and away the best of the bunch) but not as many as I assumed I’d have.
I marked the occasion in the only way possible: I went to the pub! But… I just had some AF beers and a whole feed of chicken wings. I’m definitely not jumping back in to the world of alcohol and undoing all my good work. I’ve lost 2kg this month and my body fat percentage is heading down in a very positive way. As is my blood pressure.
Yes, I’m getting more exercise and yes, I’m eating healthily - but the absence of alcohol is making it all much easier and removes a pile of weekend calories from my weekly routine. Plus I sleep better, and sleep helps maintain a healthy weight.
It’s a no brainer.
I’m going to continue with my food and exercise and not intentionally have any alcohol for the foreseeable. And just maybe, I’ll lose another 2kg in February. Which my body would really appreciate.
Not to mention my trousers.
Yes, it’s Friday - but let’s hope the day improves as it progresses.
I woke up with a zit - a teenage style zit! - in the middle of my nose. It’s bizarre on a man my age. And it just appeared overnight - there was no sign of it after I showered last night. I’m just grateful I haven’t got any YouTube filming planned for today.
I then stepped on the scales, which revealed some weight gain. Despite Dry January! Despite daily exercise! Despite no snacks! What a disaster…
Just kidding.
I couldn’t care less. I’m sure the weight will return to its downward trajectory tomorrow. Or the day after that. After all, it’s the trend over weeks and months that matters, not a single measure along the way. And my diet and exercise is going to continue. So I will get the results I’m looking for - I just need to be patient.
I can barely express how much better I’m sleeping and feeling in general since the start of the year. I can’t keep my eyes open once I get into bed in the evening. And I rarely wake at all in the night. I’m getting more done at work and feeling better about it. My focus has improved and I think I’m even a little more creative.
And I put it all down to a combination of daily exercise, no alcohol and a much healthier diet. Who knew all that health advice we’ve had for decades actually works!
Sitting back with a cold beer.
Don’t worry, it’s zero alcohol, but with all the taste. Dry January remains intact!
Asahi have done a great job making a tasty alcohol-free alternative. The only other AF beer that beats it (IMHO) is Guinness Zero, which I can’t distinguish from the ‘real thing’.
Despite being on holiday today, my brain woke me up bright and early at 0645 this morning. There’s just no need for that.
Old habits die hard, I guess.
I stayed in bed with a coffee and did some Japanese practice on Duolingo, caught up on the news on Threads and watched some YouTube videos about NotePlan, my newest favourite app.
Since showering and getting dressed, I’ve actually been 100% relaxing!
There are no remaining Christmas errands - which is quite the surprise. I’m normally frantic at this point, but everything has been bought, gifts wrapped and food organised. So I’m going to have an early lunch, then catch up with a local friend and have a couple of leisurely pints.
I’ve also scheduled beers with another friend this evening - but it’s at the local Brewdog, where there will be burgers to soak up some of that beer. I’ve got parties on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve to enjoy, so I don’t want to peak too soon this Christmas season.
And then we enter January - or as I’m terming it, The Month of Deprivation. Based on recent feedback and gentle nudging from my GP, it’s time to up the exercise, down the pint glass, and lose some of the weight I accumulated since the summer. He’s going to check in on my weight and cholesterol in March, so I have a couple of months to make a dent in it all.
But before then, there’s a full fridge and far too much rich food to ignore. Weight loss is next year’s problem.
Trying this for the first time time this evening - and Iโm pleased to report itโs delicious!
Iโll have to get some more tomorrow. The perfect evening drink after a warm day. Very refreshing.
A beautiful, sunny morning here in London.
Just doing some easy work admin before getting my show on the road. We’re walking to a local food market later and I’m hoping to enjoy a food truck burrito ๐ฏ Because I’m classy like that.
Frank is cooking us some delicious Nasi Goreng.
And the smells coming from the kitchen are out of this world. I could eat my own leg I’m so hungry. It has felt like a very, very long day. But one filled with positive points.
Relaxing in the sun in a local beer garden with some excellent alcohol free weissbier ๐บ
The sun made a guest appearance, so it would have been rude to stay in the office and miss it. Right?
My new favourite alcohol-free drink!
Crodino is an Italian aperatif, reminiscent of Aperol - but without the booze, obviously. It’s perfect over a ton of ice. A refreshing, adult option for those of use steering clear of alcohol.
Cheers! ๐น
Decision, decisions.
Which flavour coffee to choose this morning? ๐ง
Taking myself out for dinner in Sitges.
I never mind eating alone. I know not everyone finds it comfortable, but I enjoy the space to think.
Visiting my favourite place here, Bella Ciao. It has been consistently great over the years Iโve been visiting.
My favourite alcohol-free beer while in Spain: Estrella Galicia Tostada 0%.
Perfect after a long afternoon of just lying in the sun.