How do I stop eating cakes

Don't try to read Beouwolf! Not in any language! #boring

I've heard that the DWP decision makers are going to get a months training on PIP.
We're going to get a WHOLE DAY,

Galen, the PIP regulations are incredibly badly thought out and there is plenty of room for the assessors to interpret them as the spirit moves them. I predict a bumper crop of appeals. I have done the CAB on-line training and am not much the wiser.

Good for you, margrete. Fifty years ago I was pretty good at Old and Middle English but as soon as I got my degree, I began to forget them - a 'use it or lose it' situation. Are you up to reading Beowulf yet?

Nice to know that as I'm going to have to learn all the new regulations and law for PIP
Whose stupid idea was this new benefit anyway?

Thanks for this. Yes, it IS very interesting. There are different methods of learning it and some suit different learners rather than others. I've got a book called 'Learn Old English with Leofwin' by a bloke who lives in the next town called Matt Love - he takes a 'time travel' approach as if you were going to visit this family who lived near here and wanted to talk to them, find out about their lives etc. Another one, the Teach Yourself' book by Dr Mark Atherton takes an actual historical text, the account of the coronation of King Edward (the Confessor) from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. That's to get the learner into the habit of reading the way they actually wrote 'Here was Edward consecrated to king..' which is a different way of speaking and writing. Another book I tried starts with a different chapter (unit) for verbs, nouns, adjectives etc which is a bit artificial really. I tend to look at them all!

Just seen some research quoted which says that our learning ability does NOT diminish with age: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2330011/Learning-skills-Grown-ups-learn-new-language-play-instrument-quickly-child.html

I'm not surprised you're 'brain tired' after studying Old English, margrete. I expect it's very interesting though as well as difficult. Good luck with it!

Bags, thanks for the above. We have this idea pushed at us all the time - exercise, exercise, exercise! Studying, brain-work - well, I'm trying to learn Old English (as spoken pre-Conquest) and it's not easy. Main problem: 3 genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and inflections - changes in word-endings. A lot more than in the present language. Sometimes, when I've had enough, I say 'my brain is tired' and I usually go and make a cup of tea and watch some completely mindless TV. Usually about fat people: 'Big Body Squad', 'Secret Eaters' and the like.

Exercise isn't really about burning calories. Maintaining body temperature and organ efficiency is what burns calories. I always found that brain activity (studying) made me hungrier than physical activity so, for instance , on a mountain climbing day I'd eat less than on a studying day simply because I felt less hungry.

The exception to this rule was swimming, but perhaps that's because a good deal of the energy used when swimming is to maintain body temperature.

To jump around in the pool for 45 minutes doing aqua-aerobics, which is the most exercise I ever get nowadays, uses up approx 305 calories. Given that a packet of Walker's crisps is 184 calories, that tends to put the whole thing into perspective. People eat crisps and hardly notice that they've had anything.

As for cake, the main problem is the sugar content. Sugar is addictive and it produces an immediate spike in blood sugar and spike in insulin production with a crash soon afterwards. All the up-and-down is not good news.

How to stop eating cake? Don't go anywhere near it! I grew up learning how to make cakes, buns, scones, pastry, any flavour or variety, all those things, but I don't any more. Last week at church we had some iced buns (cup cakes?) thrust under our noses on the way out but we sidestepped and escaped very neatly. Someone had been busily and lovingly making and decorating them, but we didn't any. Otherwise, we don't go where there are any.

I've been using this site for about year and find it very useful - also very alarming when you see just how much walking you have to do to walk-off those extra treats, or large portions!

Walk it

It works out how many miles you walked, after you've keyed-in, postcodes, landmarks, etc., also will plan walks for you.

It maps the walk and shows how many steps, miles and most importantly how many calories you burned-off. Seems it takes about one mile of brisk walking to burn-off 100 calories.

Yes I know everybody else knows what the Florida keys are! #needtoknowbasis

told daughter it couldn't be that as they would be spelt 'quays'.

Some things in life just pass you by.

Often wondered what they were. Just asked DH. #lengthy

What strikes me after reading back through the posts is that so many want to have their cake and eat it, literally. We seem to be living in a culture that thinks 'we deserve it'.
If you just have to have that cake, fine, but then don't then go moaning that you are overweight or have health problems

There is only one way - don't have any in the house at all. Substitute with fresh fruit and eventually (quite quickly in practice) you'll loose the craving.

Re exercise j08 I think you're right - if you work out the maths it is terrifying - you have to walk fast for about 10 kilometres to burn off one slice of lardy cake
Ah is that what the key is bags limes that come from Florida Keys. I had always wondered. Or is it just that the recipe that comes from the Florida Keys?
Grannyknot re treats - they have got completely out of hand haven't they. Morning noon and night. Downside of living in an affluent society?

It looks very similar to the lemon meringue pie my mother used to make. I wonder if they really use native Florida 'key limes' in the UK?

<wonders what on earth key lime pie is>

<heads googlewards>

Also btw, it's regular exercise that keeps your metabolism up. I do it regularly.

I didn't eat a whole pie btw! Just a slice. In a nice riverside cafe. And walked a good three miles at a brisk pace afterwards. #that'lldoit

I don't mind keeping some of the calories Eleothan.

The husband thing works for us. (he doesn't do shopping so has to take what he gets)

grannyeggs I would really like to have the recipe for the Mary Berry fruit cake with ginger if you would share it please -- I've searched online for it and failed

j08 What era are we living in - surely husbands (and wives) need to make their own decisions.

You'd have to do an awful lot of walking to burn the calories in a key lime pie.

Grannyknot "j08 I'm of the belief that I am not responsible for another adult's choices ..."

Not even your husbands?! They need looking after!

Agree with ps about burning it off. I have this afternoon walked off a very nice piece of key lime pie. Why do they call it that?

I guess the secret is not to cut out cakes or other vices we may enjoy but to ensure that we burn off whatever calories we do intake. I confess to having a sweet tooth and the breaking strain of a crunchie bar when it comes to sweets, cakes and desserts but I try my best to maintain activity that can burn it off. It's either that or eat less. A balanced choice of foods must obviously be made to counter the detrimental effects of the sugar and cream intake but why deny oneself lifes pleasures assuming it is not having a clinical detriment to our health and wellbeing.