High spot

There's a mountain to climb if I am to get fit, lose weight and be relatively flabless! Well, not exactly a mountain, but a very steep hill.

I saw my doctor this week. He whipped out the scales and, to cut a long story short, we agreed that losing two stones was a realistic target to aim for. But how to do it?

Unfortunately, traditional forms of exercise usually bore me rigid - not exactly a good state to be in if you are aiming to lose weight quickly.

"Exercise by doing something you enjoy," he said.

Errr... I sort of enjoy cycling, but riding a bike in these parts is likely to reduce life expectancy drastically, rather than extend it.

One thing I like a lot is walking long distances in the countryside.

"Do it quicker and steeper," he said. "It will take you a while to lose weight, but it will work in the long run."

So I am trying to tackle the extremely steep valley sides that tower above our house here in Gloucestershire. Maybe if I manage them at least once a day, I could surprise the doctor with a more rapid return to fitness than he expects.

Anyway, this is a view from the top first thing this morning. Once I regained my breath, if was a gorgeous place to be.