Well done & keep going! Good to hear from you and your update. I’m currently visiting my family in the beautiful part of Sussex near the Ashdown Forest and walking the grandchildren to school every morning which is about the limit of my exercise regime at present! Take care.
Yes adders are quite common in heathland areas but lucky to see one but very unlucky to be bitten! My mother-in-law would find them in her garden. You must have surprised it as usually they are very timid & sense vibration through the ground of approaching feet & hide.
Congrats 🙂 keep up the good work.Just a few words of encouragement...and caution...prefaced by some personal references...my wife was a weight coach at YMCA before her govt career took off, and she introduced me to proper and safe usage of weights, gym equipment and resistance training. Ensure you are doing each exercise slowly and correctly. More people give up on weights because they get injured...too much weight...too fast, incorrect form. It is so easy to injure oneself, so if possible, get a trainer to show you the way, and you will be set for life. YouTube can be a wonderful learning tool, but focus on toning, strength, but not mass. It is, and should be a healthy and rewarding part of life, not a chore.
Everyone hits a "plateau" , lose 12-18lbs, and struggle to lose additional weight. That is caused by diets, not excercise. Yes, both are important, but most diets claim " lose 18lbs in 8 months!" Well, yes, that is normal when you start counting calories, and burn more than you take in. Simple math. It's after the 6-8 months that things slow down, and it's harder to lose the fat. And if you have incorporated a weight training program in your fitness regime, remember muscle weighs more than fat.
Which brings me to my second point. Do not fixate on BMI...it was developed by, and for athletes, not us mortals.
According to The BMI scale, I am well overweight...@ 6' even and 185 lbs.
The chart says 135-184 is "ideal" right? If I was 160lbs I'd ring my doctor...I am not overweight.
Many people are extremely fit, yet are not within the "range" according to he BMI scale. Look in the mirror, you will know.
If you you know you are burning more calories than you intake...and keep a daily diary (lots of great free ones out there...I use MyFitnessPal...easy peasy, slow and easy with the weights...always remember...form is so important. And final note, if you feel even a slight pain, tweek, twinge... stop. Stop immediately, and wait until it heals. Never ever try and "work through it" ...and the old...and terribly wrong "muscle man" adage..."no pain no gain" it pure rubbish and dangerous. If it hurts, you are doing too many or doing it wrong. Always start with a weight that allows you to complete 3 sets of 8 reps comfortably...no pain, no struggling, no jerking, just smooth form, and always always focus on each movement. Yes, watching TV can pass the time, but can also distract...try music, and if you must watch, try leaving it on the weather Channel or send channel etc.
You don't need luck, you are well on your way, Pat yourself on the back and carry on...very encouraging that your long term goal is slow and steady. Less mirror and scales, and more "how to I feel?"
I have been reading that the leading contributory factors to so much chronic illness (including arrhythmias and even the body's response to the corona virus) is the cellular inflammatory processes that come along both naturally with age, but which are exacerbated by excessive weight. Your wonderful diet and cast-iron will seem to be proving that quite nicely. Well done - keep it up!
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Weight Loss and Reduced Number of AF Episodes
Weight loss and atrial flutter/Afib 
Weight loss
