Diet is a dirty word

The workaholic surfaced yesterday.
But (there's a great word), when there's a newspaper deadline there is no out. A bit like this exercise commitment and this blog - you've just gotta do it.
The good thing is, after a long working day, I still fitted in a 50-minute walk. Already I'm getting faster and more focused. Sepulchre is getting more interesting too.
For dinner, I cooked (yes, don't be shocked) spaghetti bolognaise and cut right down on my pasta. Did that old trick of using a smaller bowl and it worked. Had a side salad too and made a flax oil and mustard dressing to go on it. Mmm.
One thing I'm not into is dieting. Don't get me wrong, I'm changing how I eat, but I know diets don't work because they simply aren't sustainable. In fact, if I diet, the only thing I think about is food and what I can't have.
This is a lifestyle change and not some fad that's going to last for a few months, but I'll be honest. I will fail every now and then - there's no way I'll say no to chicken tika masala at India Today.
My aim is to eat as much in-season fruit and vegetables as possible, along with grains, legumes, lean meat, fish and eggs.
I'm choosing foods that are low GI, so they will sustain me for a long time. I'm still drinking coffee (of course!), but I am making little changes that will make a big difference. I've replaced toasted muesli with an organic, no sugar, raw version that I soak overnight.
I've also cut right back on cheese, which was a huge downfall, and am not drinking many, if any, sweet drinks. But I won't be going on to artificially sweetened ones because I can't stand them. Weirdly, they make my throat sore and that can't be good.
So I'm doing this slowly, surely, naturally and without buying into fads or food supplements. No 1 is to be happy and mindful of food, of life and each moment.
Making time for exercise is the priority - gotta keep old age at bay.
Sleep will help - and that's where I'm headed now.

Yesterday I:
Worked 13 hours
Walked for 50 minutes
Ate a reasonably healthy dinner, a good lunch and yes, a healthy breakfast that sustained me right through to lunchtime.
Had no snacks
Slept for 7 hours
Wrote my blog (30 minutes only)