Sam Sinfield

Well, I’ve done 3 days already and surprisingly, its gone quite quick. I did all the usual things right today, just like yesterday with the flush and the lemonade etc etc.

I’m a bit achy today after going to the gym last night, My arms and shoulders have gone into shock at the workout after not being used for so long. My brother, Steven phoned me this afternoon to see if i wanted to go jogging, I was reluctant, he owns a body building and boxing gym and when it comes to training, he is sadistic. I said I’d go but I’d do 2 miles tops and it would have to be slow.

We didn’t go till 9pm cause I wanted to leave it for at least an hour after I’d drank a couple of pints of lemonade, I knew I’d be needing the energy!!

We set off from home in Old Colwyn and started off at a nice pace, jogging through the park, it was pleasant enough, despite the rain and hurricane winds. By the time we got to the end of the park, my lungs were burning and i felt like i couldn’t get my breath, like my chest was in a clamp and though it was because of asthma. Despite my protests, Ste kept the pace and carried on running and just told me to breathe deeper. I was not gonna be outdone and carried on running, thankfully, we were soon going downhill and I started to get my breath back. I caught up with and kept the pace up and then the bastarrd turned the corner and started going up this steep hill. There was no way I could keep up. I slowed it right down but still kept jogging. We ran up and down some roads till we got to his flat in Colwyn Bay where we had a 3 minute breather while he showed off his new carpets,

Then it was off again, up and down some more roads, this was completely in the wrong direction that I wanted to be going, we’d already done a mile and a half, we should’ve been heading back, but we were still heading away. I’d warmed up at this point and found it suprisingly, much easier than I though. We ran another mile or so to West End. Its reasonably flat and I was going ok so we carried on to Rhos Point, about another mile.

By the time we got to Rhos Point, I literally felt my body run out of fuel and muscles became very difficult to move. We then ran home along the prom back to Old Colwyn which was another 2 to 2.5 miles. The hurricane winds were blowing against us and I found it difficult to get my breath but at least the rain had stopped. Ste started getting further and further ahead of me. It took every bit of my strength and if it wasn’t for the banging tunes I had on my Ipod Shuffle, I probably would’ve given in, but I carried on slowly, but relentlessly. Ste waited for me on the prom at Old Colwyn and then we walked up the last bit home. I couldn’t feel the muscles in my legs at all. I got home, stretched and had a long soak and then felt great.

6 miles we did, its the furthest I’ve ever run, inside or out and the most difficult run I’ve ever done, with the hills and the wind. It was torturous but I enjoyed it and now I feel a sense of achievement. I didn’t think I had it in me. Goes to show, a good personal fitness trainer can make all the difference to your training so I have to say thanks for that to my brother, he’s a sadistic bastard but a bloody good trainer.

weight at 6pm: 140lbs

loss: 3lbs

Got up this morning and made my lemonade for the day. Juiced 5 lemons and mixed it with 250ml Maple syrup and half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to make the concentrate and then took about 400ml concentrate to work with me. I then dilute to taste throughout the day. I find it makes just over 2 litres of ‘lemonade’ when mixed with water.

I drink my litre of nasty warm saltwater when I first arrive in work, it usually takes me about 20 minutes to drink it, there’s no way I can drink it faster than that.

Half an hour later I start slowly drinking my lemonade to maintain my energy levels through the day. I supplement it with hourly cups of peppermint tea. I felt fine all day and wasn’t even tempted by all my colleagues heading over to the KFC, Actually, that’s a lie, I was slightly… but i resisted.

When I got home, I diluted the remaining 100 ml and drank it all and then went to the gym. I had a mixed work-out with 15 minutes cycling, followed by some weights, followed by 15 mins on this new machine thats a bit like a skating motion, it took a bit of getting used to but was a really good work-out, this was again followed by some weights and then 15 minutes on the cross-trainer and then some stretching.

I had no trouble pushing myself on the cardio equipment, the weights were a bit more difficult but then it has been about 4 months since I’ve been to the gym, I’m hoping that doing some weights while on the fast will prevent any muscular tissue from being broken down and only mainly fatty tissue being utilized for energy, but then the lack of protein in the diet over these 2 weeks will prevent any growth in the muscular tissue. Following the fast though, the switch to healthy balanced diet, should then allow the muscles to develop, (not that I want to look like a bodybuilder!!!)

Stats at 6m today:

weight: 142 lbs

Waist: 30 inches

Hips 40 inches

Bust 38 inches

Chest 33inches

Thigh: 22.5inches

Upper arm: 11.5inches

Its official. I am a fat bastard. I need to lose about 4 inches from everywhere, except the bust of course;-)

I had my Laksatee last night. I really like the taste of that stuff, shame of the effect it has on you.

I woke up this morning with agonising stomach cramps which lasted for about half an hour. I must have put my digestive system into shock, actually drinking something that didn’t have alcohol in it, as well as the fact that its a laxative.

Anyway, it’s a sunday and I didn’t have to time to do the saltwater flush as i had plans to go swimming with the kids, I didn’t think swimming and post-flush effects would be compatable so I thought I’d wait till after. I survived on just water till about 3, till i got home and then did the flush. God that stuff is disgusting. Thats’ got to be the worst part of the cleanse. 1 litre of warm saltwater, drunk as quickly as possible. It’s impossible not to gag, but it does fill you up. You feel stuffed for about half an hour, as it works it’s way through your system, until half an hour later, when you need to stay very close to a toilet for another hour or so. Gross!

I ended up not making the lemonade and just surviving on water all day. I kinda thought, the state my body is in at the moment, it needed a bit of a kick so today was just a water fast day.

I wasn’t too difficult, I’m determined. I even went out to the pub with a mate, and i drank soda water all night. That is a real accomplishment for me, anyone who knows me will no doubt agree!

Weighed myself at about 7pm - 143pounds. I’m taking that as my starting weight. I’m aiming for a stone this time, as I’m going for a bit longer than last time, during which i lost 11 lbs, before i put a couple back on. To all you skeptics out there, I stayed at least 7 lbs lighter than previously starting the fast, that was until Christmas!!

It’s been ages since my last post. I’ve not really had anything going on that i felt I wanted to share with anybody on the internet or anything that would be of any interest to anybody else till now.

Since I last did the master cleanse back in May, I’ve now managed to put all the weight back on, especially over christmas. I’m now 143 pounds and feeling quite sluggish and heavy and probably like most other people after christmas, feeling in need of a detox, so I’m back on the lemonade.

This time, I’m on a mission, I’m determined. I’ve got flabby bits that wobble when i walk and it’s disgusting. My brother, who as also put loads of weight on, has had a £100 wager with hims mate on who can get the best 6-pack abs by 1st June. I can’t have him looking better than me. This cleanse is the first step to getting my summer body

I’m going to try and do 12 days this time, with days 13 and 14 as recovery days, drinking only fruit juices and eating vegetable soup and I’m going to keep a kind of diary for support, so I’m more determined to complete it!

Here goes, round 2!

Having programmed in Python for the last year and now moving over to csharp, one of the things that irritated me about csharp was how it handled strings.

For example, in python, assigning a comma seperated object representation to a string variable would simply be:

var = “%s,%s,%s”%(obj1,ob2,ob3)

whereas in c#, it would be:

var = obj1.ToString()+”,”+obj2.ToString()+”,”+obj3.ToString()

This still pisses me off and I still haven’t found a more elegant way to do it and it’s only basic stuff.

The other is multiline strings.

eg, a multiline in python would simply be

var = “”"this is

a

multiline string”"”

in c#, until now, I’ve been using the longwinded way of:

var = “this is \n”

+”a \n”

+”multiline string”"
Until I’ve now discovered you can do it like:

var = @”this is
a
multiline string”

Wow, you learn something new everyday, how could I have not known this before, something so basic. I still prefer to code python and some things in c# and the .NET Framework really bug me but things are getting better

I’m not a great believer in things like Astrology. I don’t really believe that the position of the stars when you’re born determines the person you are and maps out your life for you. I’m not saying it’s definitely not true, just that I find it unlikely, so don’t normally bother reading horoscopes etc. However, I saw an astrological profile on someone else’s blog and thought I’d have ago for a bit of fun. It’s actually quite accurate, of course there’s some bits that I strongly disagree with, which I have highlighted in red, but I’d agree with about 85% of it. So here it is, me, according to astrolabe
Name: samantha carol sinfield
March 7 1975
4:30 AM Time Zone is UT
colwyn bay, UK

Rising Sign is in 12 Degrees Capricorn
You are practical and reserved but very ambitious. An achiever and a hard worker, you respect success. Older looking and very serious as a youth, things lighten up and you relax more as you mature. You have a serious view of the world as being a difficult place to be in. Very envious of those who seem to have an easier life than you have, relaxation and play do not come easily. It is important that you had abundant parental support as a child so that you do not feel lonely and isolated as an adult. Generally, you have a good, earthy sense of humor that can carry you through when times really do get tough. You are purposeful, self-willed, industrious, realistic and responsible.

Sun is in 15 Degrees Pisces.
Extremely sensitive and emotional, you absorb the emotions of others (whether positive or negative) like a sponge. Emotionally vulnerable, you are easily upset and tend to cry readily. You are at your best when you can structure your environment in such a way that you are surrounded by positive, upbeat people. You are very helpful and understanding of the needs of others. Indeed, at times this can be a disadvantage, because you can be a sucker for anyone who needs help. Shy, dreamy, romantic in nature, you delight in retreating into your private fantasy world. Just be careful that you do not get lost in it! Trust your intuitions — you may be quite psychic.

Moon is in 12 Degrees Capricorn.
You are serious and shy and very uncomfortable in those situations where spontaneous and exuberant emotional reactions seem called for. An achiever, you prefer doing practical, worthwhile things that produce tangible results. You need role models to respect, love and emulate. You tend to feel that you’re a failure unless you get an important and highly respected position in life. Don’t be so hard on yourself! For you, practical needs always win out over emotional considerations. Remember that you too have the right to comfort, security and love. Dutiful and patient, when you make an emotional commitment, you sign on for the long haul — your love is long- enduring.

Mercury is in 18 Degrees Aquarius.
You tend to be very opinionated — you have strongly felt notions about things and are quite vocal about expressing and defending them. Yet you are also an original thinker — you enjoy shocking others with your offbeat, original thoughts. You appreciate and need mental and intellectual stimulation. Your judgment is usually fair and impartial — you can be a good critic because you can remain objective and unemotional about most things.

Venus is in 14 Degrees Aries.
You are a very affectionate person but you hate to be tied down. You are more than willing to be the aggressor in initiating new relationships. Indeed, once you have set your sights on someone, you tend to pursue him or her ardently and passionately. But you do demand your own way in a relationship. Try to give in to your partner’s needs and desires once in a while.

Mars is in 02 Degrees Aquarius.
Your ideas and opinions are usually inventive and original, but sometimes they are merely eccentric and offbeat. You are altruistic — you will work hard for the attainment of group goals, as long as they meet your high standards. You tend to resent traditional authority figures because you think that your ideas are better thought out and more valuable than theirs. Very idealistic, you are a rebel WITH a cause!

Jupiter is in 27 Degrees Pisces.
You are at your best when you give of yourself and what you have — try to avoid being a martyr about it, though. You’re a true idealist, but you must learn not to be upset when life does not cooperate with the way you think things should be. Very concerned with spiritual truth and growth, when you practice what you preach, you make an excellent role model for others. You are so devoted to altruistic ventures and concerns that you tire easily at times. It then becomes necessary for you to go off by yourself to recharge your batteries.

Saturn is in 11 Degrees Cancer.
The most important issue for you is emotional security. You have a deep and gnawing fear that those on whom you depend for emotional support will prove to be unreliable in the long run. When you are unloved and insecure, you distrust others and tend to feel isolated and lonely. Very cool, detached and objective, you can be counted on — in situations that are inherently stressful or full of tension — not to lose your self- control. That is a great and welcome gift at such times.

Uranus is in 02 Degrees Scorpio.
You, and your peer group, demand to confront life at its deepest and most meaningful levels. Very compulsive and obsessive in your approach to everything, you will avoid anything that is casual or superficial, especially when it comes to relationships. You will seek out and explore new methods of healing as well as different ways to deal with deep-seated emotional problems.

Neptune is in 11 Degrees Sagittarius.
You, and your entire generation, are heavily involved in investigating and idealizing foreign and exotic intellectual systems and religious philosophies. The most extreme ideals will be pursued with gusto. You will be at the forefront of humanitarian attempts to improve the lot of those who are in need of assistance. You will be comfortable with the concept of the “global village.”

Pluto is in 08 Degrees Libra.
For your entire generation, this is a time of radical changes in society’s attitude toward marriage and interpersonal relationships. There is a general fear and awe at the power inherent in making emotional or contractual commitments — they will not be entered into lightly.

N. Node is in 04 Degrees Sagittarius.
You will probably have many different contacts and acquaintances throughout your life. You’re quite gregarious by nature and your natural curiosity about others lets you take the lead in forming new relationships. You’ll form close ties with those who have similarly idealistic ideas — especially those who can stimulate you intellectually in your chosen field of interest. Your enthusiasm for learning new things may also cause you to do quite a bit of traveling. Because you probably will have many wide-ranging interests and concerns, you most likely will have contacts and connections in various parts of the country (or world).

Following on from previous posts (alcohol and memory loss and back to old habits), I have been researching the phenomenon of alcohol-induced black-outs. A couple of weeks ago, I proposed the theorem that the degree of memory loss is directly related to the type of alcoholic drink consumed and used myself, of course as the test subject.

After a good night out with all (most) of my colleagues from work, and having a decent meal before drinking, I spent all night drinking vodka and red bull and putting my theory to the test. I drank shit loads of vodka and red bull and can remember most of the night, to a point. It then becomes a bit sketchy after about midnight. I didn’t have complete memory loss, probably about 60% memory loss. My memory came back 100% after about 4am.

I therefore revise my theory about the type of drink directly affecting your degree of memory loss and amend it to the type of drink affects how drunk you get, and this isn’t necessarily linearly related to the percentage of alcohol in that drink. How drunk you are, and also how tired you are, are directly related to the degree of memory loss.

If you don’t want to suffer from alcohol-induced black-outs, my advice would be:

1. prepare for a big night out several days before by getting loads of sleep and adjusting your sleep routine as much as you can so you’re used to staying up late.
2. Have a medium sized meal before you go out, not too much though. A high carb meal is a good choice, such as pasta or rice.
3. Drink slowly during the night, I know you’ve heard it a million times before, but you have to pace yourself and try to drink the odd soft drink. Remember, a forgotten night is a wasted night!
4. If you think you’re approaching the black-out limit, test yourself by trying to remember what happened 15 minutes ago. If you don’t care, you’ve probably drunk too much!!
5. If you’ve hit the black-out limit, it’s not necessarily time to go home. Bring yourself back to under the limit by drinking a couple of cans of red bull, slowly, with no vodka in, it might be difficult, but it still tastes good, especially with lots of ice.

Remember, the best nights out are ones where you are slightly drunk but still have full control over your actions and your memory. If you can’t remember the whole night, not only is it a waste of money getting to that point, it is a waste of time. That’s time out of your life. Time that you can’t get back. It really isn’t worth it!

In relation to my post from last week (back to old habits), I’ve been wondering if alcohol in general causes memory loss or if it’s related to the type of drink.

If i get really really drunk, invariably, i lose my memory and have no recollection of the night at all. However, if I’m drinking cider and black, i only need about 3 pints and i lose my memory, even though I’m not particularly drunk. If i drink lager, i lose my memory after about 6 pints, maybe less. If I drink vodka, i don’t seem to lose my memory so much, especially if I’m drinking it with red bull, i never lose my memory. After drinking a couple of pints of cider and black last night, and then switching to double vodka and diet coke, and having 3 or 4 of these, I was drunk, I did enjoy myself, I didn’t do anything stupid (although I nearly did), I went home at closing time (didn’t have to be reluctantly chucked out) and I remember everything.

I’ll have to put it to the test next time I go out on the weekend in a couple of weeks, all in the name of research, of course

I never normally post twice in a day, Brain can’t cope with that much creativity or thinking. This is just a short post to say happy 5th Birthday to my daughter Tara. Can’t believe how quick it’s going.

After spending nearly 2 weeks detoxing and reaching a point where i felt really good and was happy with how I was looking, in typical ’sam’ style, i have gone and f**ked it up.

I went down to Somerset this weekend and was looking forward to it. Got a couple of days off work, kids were with their dad all weekend and it was supposed to be a gorgeous weekend. I was looking forward to doing a bit of sunbathing, catching up with friends and generally relaxing with a couple of pints here and there.

I’m now back, and feel that I’ve wasted a whole weekend of my life as I can’t remember hardly anything and I’ve really paid for it. It has cost me a fortune, my foggy head is back after it taking about a week to clear on the detox. I am feeling pretty lousy again and have been a complete knob with my mates, most of them know me well and are forgiving of my many shortfalls, some however are not and i feel terrible. I won’t go into the details of my behaviour because what I can remember, I’m too ashamed to publish on the web.
The thing that makes it worse, is although I do binge drink when I go out and go over the top, i only go out 2 or 3 times a month, this is the only side of me they see and even though I don’t even live down there and only go down every couple of months, I’ve already got a bad reputation.

Why can’t I restrain myself to just having a few drinks and enjoying myself, as when I get hammered, i don’t enjoy myself, i just end up regretting it. Why do I do this to myself? How does a person be able to get a point during the night and say ‘no more, I’ve had enough’ without that point being them physically being unable to drink due to them lying in the gutter