My weight is becoming a real problem!

I have been slowly but steadily gaining weight right through the summer.

Something is causing this. It could simply be too much sitting down at home, combined with too many calories - although I speak as somebody who has no sweets, soft drinks, crispy snacks, biscuits or naughty salad dressings in the house. I do eat a good, balanced diet at home or when away in the caravan - most often a slender but wholesome breakfast; soup for lunch; and lean meat or fish on alternate nights, always accompanied by good portions of fresh vegetables. My thinking here is that:

(a) I deny myself sex and many other traditional indulgences, but I do take a keen interest in what I eat. Eating is a major pleasure. To adopt a boring spartan diet would be depressing.

(b) I am anxious to eat a wide variety of foodstuffs, to ensure that my body gets all the nutrients it needs, and in ample quantities. So my diet includes all the different things one can eat - just not to excess. I am pretty omnivorous - I think it's natural for a human being to be so.

At home (or in the caravan) I mainly drink water, cold milk or tea. I used to drink coffee, but I've rather gone off its taste. I never touch wine, nor any alcohol, if home on my own.

Eating out, in company or by myself, is of course rather different. Not personally doing the cooking, it's much harder to control the calorie intake; and I will always have something to drink with the food, most often white wine.

Nowadays I might easily eat out two or three times a week - it goes with a decent social life. Hmm...thinking about it, it would be accurate to say that, on average, I enjoy one extra meal per week eaten out, compared to last year. That fact might well account for much of my steady weight gain - for although I don't take enough exercise, that's been the case for a long time, not just this summer. My daily activity level this year is the same as last year, anyway. A bit more brisk movement would certainly be beneficial, but I think over-eating is my main trouble.

So much for the analysis. What do I do now?

1. Eat out less often. Which means that I will drink less too.
2. Eat smaller portions.
3. Sit down less, and find reasons to walk around a lot more.

All three of these things need some willpower. I'm a sociable sort, and so likely to accept an invitation to eat at someone else's home, or in a restaurant. I hate turning invitations down unless I'm genuinely committed elsewhere. But eating out is a certain diet-killer if not curbed.

Smaller portions...that's hard. I will try to imagine what would be a 'child's portion' and eat only that, or be Japanese and eat only just enough to satisfy immediate hunger pangs. Am I strong enough?

As regards walking around more, I've already thought of going out for a brisk walk every day after breakfast, unless the weather is insane. It will wake me up, and freshen me for the day. But I'm not a creature of habit or routine, and I'm easily diverted towards something more interesting than treading the same old streets or pathways. It'll be hard to keep up the initial burst of enthusiasm. I need a goal, a daily reason for walking into the village and back. Some people walk to the newsagents for their morning newspaper, and if I liked reading a paper I could do the same. But I despise newspapers. I'll have to think what else I could need first thing in the morning, that involves a determined stroll.

Coincidentally it's the 1st September tomorrow: I should take advantage of that date. A new month, a new regime, a new woman - you see what I mean. It's a psychological trick, but it might just work.