Yesterday was supposed to be a fast day. However, since John was going to be working last night too, my dad invited me over for dinner. As a result, I decided to have another feast day. I was hoping really that if I ate freely, and didn't restrict at all, my next fast day might have bigger weight consequences.
So, for breakfast, I had a bowl of soup, and as a big treat, I had a small white roll with some butter and honey. 361 calories.
For lunch I had... wait for it... some more soup, with wensydale and cranberry cheese and multigrain crackers. That's the last of that cheese though so I'll have to come up with a new snack! That came to 229 calories.
For dinner, my dad had bought crisps as nibbles. The pack was 150g so I assumed that I had half that - which came to 379 calories. Crazy! For dinner we had two small chicken and mushroom pies each, 840 calories (I was on a roll) and for dessert we had strawberries. He had his with cream but I had mine with milk and no sugar. The strawberries were 81 calories and the milk was about 300. So that meal came to 1600 calories, and 2190 for the day in total. Which, considering I didn't restrict myself wasn't too bad really, but to be honest, if I didn't have dieting in the back of my mind, lunch would probably have been a toastie which would have driven things way up!
I didn't weigh myself this morning and I fasted all day. Apart from milk in coffee (123 calories) I just had a small dinner there of a tin of tuna, two tomatoes, some lettuce and some light mayonnaise. 336 calories and 456 for the day in total.
That's it now for today so tomorrow morning will be the test. It'll be interesting to see if the odd cheat day like that will kick my body into losing weight again. It had better.
Surely restricting calories should be enough. I mean, even if it's slow, I can't survive on 2100 calories every two days and not lose weight... Surely!!!
Fingers crossed for the morning anyway...!
Sunday 30 June 2013
Friday 28 June 2013
AAAARRRGGHHH!!
I've been struggling a bit the last few days. I've stuck to the diet but it hasn't been as enjoyable as in previous weeks. I think it stems mainly from my weight barely moving.
I was reading up on weight plateaus online - seems that being consistently under your calorie count can cause it. So I was wondering if I'm eating enough on feast days. But I do get to about 1600 or 1700 calories most feast days. So my body's hardly in starvation mode. Maybe I just need more patience. I mean, I've lost 11 kilos in a month. That's 24 pounds. Obviously, that's really good. It's just that it all flew off at the beginning and it has slowed down a lot in the last two weeks.
So yesterday, for my fast day, I made mushroom soup and had that with my favourite snack of the moment - wenslydale and cranberry cheese with multigrain crackers. That came to 310 calories. We had dinner early as John was on the night shift, so by about ten o'clock I was hungry again. I was going to have more crackers but I held off. I had a two spoonfuls of soup and a big glass of water. It did help.
I was working in the bookshop today. I had a few messages to do so I left home early and ended up with half an hour to spare. Since I'd had no breakfast, I was starving, so went into a restaurant and got breakfast. I'll admit my eye paused on the Irish Breakfast but my extreme lack of funding stepped in there. I did consider a scone but whilst I knew I could have it, I really felt that I should eat something nutritious. So I had a fruit salad served with natural yoghurt, and a coffee. It was really nice and about 149 calories. Whilst the Irish Breakfast, or the scone might have been even nicer, I still would have felt a bit guilty, feast day or not, and I really do need to get more vitamins. My diet is still very high in carbohydrates which don't supply much else.
Lunch was limited, as I was in the shop and a kettle is all we have access to. So I had a powdered mushroom soup and a multigrain demi baguette. 198 calories and lacking in any goodness whatsoever!
For dinner, I made a pork and apple stuffing roast, with carrots, baby potatoes and mushrooms. That came to about 964 calories and I left quite a bit on my plate - which is pretty much unheard of for me. So the day came to 1311 calories in all. I should probably eat something else. I read a blog (can't remember where) about a girl who at 1200 calories reached a weight plateau. She upped her calories to 1700 and started losing again. So, in light of that, I'm going to have a late night snack. I am hungry - it's eleven o'clock and we ate at half five again as John had to go to work. But now I'm tormented by the idea of eating late at night. Arghhh....
As well as following ADF, I'm also trying to break a lifetime of bad habits - snacking in between meals, and late at night, especially when I'm on my own.
What do I do???
I was reading up on weight plateaus online - seems that being consistently under your calorie count can cause it. So I was wondering if I'm eating enough on feast days. But I do get to about 1600 or 1700 calories most feast days. So my body's hardly in starvation mode. Maybe I just need more patience. I mean, I've lost 11 kilos in a month. That's 24 pounds. Obviously, that's really good. It's just that it all flew off at the beginning and it has slowed down a lot in the last two weeks.
So yesterday, for my fast day, I made mushroom soup and had that with my favourite snack of the moment - wenslydale and cranberry cheese with multigrain crackers. That came to 310 calories. We had dinner early as John was on the night shift, so by about ten o'clock I was hungry again. I was going to have more crackers but I held off. I had a two spoonfuls of soup and a big glass of water. It did help.
I was working in the bookshop today. I had a few messages to do so I left home early and ended up with half an hour to spare. Since I'd had no breakfast, I was starving, so went into a restaurant and got breakfast. I'll admit my eye paused on the Irish Breakfast but my extreme lack of funding stepped in there. I did consider a scone but whilst I knew I could have it, I really felt that I should eat something nutritious. So I had a fruit salad served with natural yoghurt, and a coffee. It was really nice and about 149 calories. Whilst the Irish Breakfast, or the scone might have been even nicer, I still would have felt a bit guilty, feast day or not, and I really do need to get more vitamins. My diet is still very high in carbohydrates which don't supply much else.
Lunch was limited, as I was in the shop and a kettle is all we have access to. So I had a powdered mushroom soup and a multigrain demi baguette. 198 calories and lacking in any goodness whatsoever!
For dinner, I made a pork and apple stuffing roast, with carrots, baby potatoes and mushrooms. That came to about 964 calories and I left quite a bit on my plate - which is pretty much unheard of for me. So the day came to 1311 calories in all. I should probably eat something else. I read a blog (can't remember where) about a girl who at 1200 calories reached a weight plateau. She upped her calories to 1700 and started losing again. So, in light of that, I'm going to have a late night snack. I am hungry - it's eleven o'clock and we ate at half five again as John had to go to work. But now I'm tormented by the idea of eating late at night. Arghhh....
As well as following ADF, I'm also trying to break a lifetime of bad habits - snacking in between meals, and late at night, especially when I'm on my own.
What do I do???
Wednesday 26 June 2013
Am I? Aren't I?
So, woke up and weighed myself - down a kilo after all. Kind of. The bar was kind of hovering depending on how my feet were placed. But I'm saying it is a kilo to keep myself happy.
I know you shouldn't weigh yourself every day, but it's the most exciting part of my day! (Though John wants me to mention that it comes second to spending time with him... :) ) I've lost another inch from my hips too which is nice but I haven't noticed it in my clothes yet. Everything else has been the same for the last two weeks. Which makes sense as I haven't lost much weight...
Today was a feast day. I was saying yesterday how James B. Johnson, who wrote "The Alternate-Day Diet" warns against counting calories on feast days, in case "diet fatigue" sets in. I was thinking about this, as I've mentioned before that I'm really careful on feast days and count everything, trying not to go above 2000 calories, at most. I've decided not to worry about my way of doing it. If I do really want something, I do feel free to eat it on feast days. The only difference is that I count it and try to take only a bit so that I don't go over my calories. And if that teaches me portion control, it can only be a good thing!
So today I had A LOT of coffee - I'm going to allow myself to do that on feast days and try to abstain or have one cup only on fast days. That was 240 calories.
I didn't feel like breakfast as I got up late. For lunch I finished my vegetable soup and had a bread roll with it. 285 calories.
Dinner was a feast! I had chicken and wholegrain noodles with peanuts, raisins, green peppers and mushrooms, all in a Thai red curry sauce. 597 calories.
I also picked a little throughout the day but counted it. I had half a shortbread biscuit, a TINY bit of chocolate, and as a snack just now I had 33g of wenslydale and cranberry cheese, 4 multigrain crackers and 30g of a fruit tart I made for John. 360 calories in all. So that comes to 1452 calories for the day which I'm very happy about.
I checked my RMR, and it's 1908 calories. I'm going to try to stay below that on feast days if I can. That doesn't allow for any movement at all - even for a sedentary lifestyle - with no exercise and a desk job, it would go up to just over 2000 calories. However, as I'm the laziest person ever, I'm not even going to allow for that much movement. For example, I literally moved from chair to chair today and that was the extent of my exercise.
As I said in a previous post, I had very bad eczema when I was about 12 or 13. My arms, knees and chest were so itchy that I would scratch till they bled, and I ended up with huge scabs everywhere. Sexy. Anyway, at that time my mother took me to get an allergy test done, to see if we could help it. I was allergic to lots of things but the two main ones were sugar and yeast. Sugar is the one that actually caused me to itch everywhere, but I found that, as I got older, it generally didn't cause me any problem as long as I drank a decent amount of water every day. (Perhaps a pity, in terms of weight...) Yeast causes me to get very bloated and have awful stomach cramps, which sometimes double me over. However, as with sugar, as long as I don't eat bread all day long, and drink water, it rarely troubles me. I usually would have about two slices of bread a day, or else a small roll, and that was fine.
All that to say, however, that since starting my diet, nearly four weeks ago, my intake of bread has lessened considerably since it's so calorific. I think that possibly, as a result, I've become more intolerant to it. I had a roll for lunch and I'm really crampy now.
So I'm going to not eat bread for a few days, and then try again in about five or six days maybe. If I get cramps again, I'll know and it'll be bye bye to yeast. I'm crossing my fingers that this is just a fluke cramp because I love my bread!!!
I have also found that I've become much more intolerant to rich food. I get heartburn now much more easily on a feast day. Whilst what I'm eating now is SO much healthier than before I started this diet, I'm still having cheese and pate on feast days and I think my body is not appreciating it as it used to. It doesn't really bother me though. Anything that discourages me from eating fatty foods can only be good!
I know you shouldn't weigh yourself every day, but it's the most exciting part of my day! (Though John wants me to mention that it comes second to spending time with him... :) ) I've lost another inch from my hips too which is nice but I haven't noticed it in my clothes yet. Everything else has been the same for the last two weeks. Which makes sense as I haven't lost much weight...
Today was a feast day. I was saying yesterday how James B. Johnson, who wrote "The Alternate-Day Diet" warns against counting calories on feast days, in case "diet fatigue" sets in. I was thinking about this, as I've mentioned before that I'm really careful on feast days and count everything, trying not to go above 2000 calories, at most. I've decided not to worry about my way of doing it. If I do really want something, I do feel free to eat it on feast days. The only difference is that I count it and try to take only a bit so that I don't go over my calories. And if that teaches me portion control, it can only be a good thing!
So today I had A LOT of coffee - I'm going to allow myself to do that on feast days and try to abstain or have one cup only on fast days. That was 240 calories.
I didn't feel like breakfast as I got up late. For lunch I finished my vegetable soup and had a bread roll with it. 285 calories.
Dinner was a feast! I had chicken and wholegrain noodles with peanuts, raisins, green peppers and mushrooms, all in a Thai red curry sauce. 597 calories.
I also picked a little throughout the day but counted it. I had half a shortbread biscuit, a TINY bit of chocolate, and as a snack just now I had 33g of wenslydale and cranberry cheese, 4 multigrain crackers and 30g of a fruit tart I made for John. 360 calories in all. So that comes to 1452 calories for the day which I'm very happy about.
I checked my RMR, and it's 1908 calories. I'm going to try to stay below that on feast days if I can. That doesn't allow for any movement at all - even for a sedentary lifestyle - with no exercise and a desk job, it would go up to just over 2000 calories. However, as I'm the laziest person ever, I'm not even going to allow for that much movement. For example, I literally moved from chair to chair today and that was the extent of my exercise.
As I said in a previous post, I had very bad eczema when I was about 12 or 13. My arms, knees and chest were so itchy that I would scratch till they bled, and I ended up with huge scabs everywhere. Sexy. Anyway, at that time my mother took me to get an allergy test done, to see if we could help it. I was allergic to lots of things but the two main ones were sugar and yeast. Sugar is the one that actually caused me to itch everywhere, but I found that, as I got older, it generally didn't cause me any problem as long as I drank a decent amount of water every day. (Perhaps a pity, in terms of weight...) Yeast causes me to get very bloated and have awful stomach cramps, which sometimes double me over. However, as with sugar, as long as I don't eat bread all day long, and drink water, it rarely troubles me. I usually would have about two slices of bread a day, or else a small roll, and that was fine.
All that to say, however, that since starting my diet, nearly four weeks ago, my intake of bread has lessened considerably since it's so calorific. I think that possibly, as a result, I've become more intolerant to it. I had a roll for lunch and I'm really crampy now.
So I'm going to not eat bread for a few days, and then try again in about five or six days maybe. If I get cramps again, I'll know and it'll be bye bye to yeast. I'm crossing my fingers that this is just a fluke cramp because I love my bread!!!
I have also found that I've become much more intolerant to rich food. I get heartburn now much more easily on a feast day. Whilst what I'm eating now is SO much healthier than before I started this diet, I'm still having cheese and pate on feast days and I think my body is not appreciating it as it used to. It doesn't really bother me though. Anything that discourages me from eating fatty foods can only be good!
Tuesday 25 June 2013
Stuck
So... Weighed myself yesterday - had gone up one kilo. But since I suspect the two I had lost on Sunday were water retention, I was quite happy. Until I weighed myself this morning - up another kilo. So haven't moved in over a week now. Bit fed up.
I decided to carefully calculate how much that quiche I made was and was horrified to discover that it was 4000! Since I had a quarter on Sunday, a fast day, I had 1000 calories instead of my usual 500. Just shows how off food estimations can be. No more guessing.
Yesterday, I had a lot of coffee, which means a lot of milk. Fat-free but still. Uses up a lot of precious calories. I had focaccia and guacamole like I'd been promising myself for days for breakfast, which came to 215 calories. I'd had a big pint of water before which helped to fill me up faster.
For lunch I had some mushroom soup, three multigrain crackers and 30g of wenslydale and cranberry cheese. 375 calories.
For dinner, John and I finished the quiche with some salad. So that was another 1000 calories.
I also had half a shortbread biscuit and a piece of chocolate through out the day - 108 calories.
So that came to 1787 calories for the whole day. Which is fine and still under 2000. But since my weight hasn't moved, I feel like I've been overindulging and I can see myself getting hung up on my feast days. Which you're really not supposed to do. I bought the book, "The Alternate-Day Diet: The Original Fasting Diet" by James B. Johnson M.D. and he specifically says not to be too careful on feast days, or it just becomes another diet and you'll get bored of it too.
I don't know. He also says that three weeks seems to be the sticky part. Weight tends to not move and people become lazier about food choices, with calories creeping back up. It's important to be really, really strict about tracking everything that passes your lips, even if it's a quarter of a biscuit. I think on fast days I'm ok, I still am very careful but I can see how on feast days, my total might be 100 or so calories more than I calculate, if I take an (albeit tiny) taste of John's dessert, or forget to count one cup of milky coffee.
So as of today I'm going to make sure EVERYTHING is noted. Today is a fast day, and I made vegetable soup for myself. I'm not going to eat anything until dinnertime, and then I'll have a big bowl of that, which is 114 calories. Maybe I'll have some crackers and cheese - 187 calories, or maybe not. No harm in stopping at 114 calories either.
Just wish I could see some more results - it's exciting and pleasurable to do when things are moving but otherwise... not so much.
I decided to carefully calculate how much that quiche I made was and was horrified to discover that it was 4000! Since I had a quarter on Sunday, a fast day, I had 1000 calories instead of my usual 500. Just shows how off food estimations can be. No more guessing.
Yesterday, I had a lot of coffee, which means a lot of milk. Fat-free but still. Uses up a lot of precious calories. I had focaccia and guacamole like I'd been promising myself for days for breakfast, which came to 215 calories. I'd had a big pint of water before which helped to fill me up faster.
For lunch I had some mushroom soup, three multigrain crackers and 30g of wenslydale and cranberry cheese. 375 calories.
For dinner, John and I finished the quiche with some salad. So that was another 1000 calories.
I also had half a shortbread biscuit and a piece of chocolate through out the day - 108 calories.
So that came to 1787 calories for the whole day. Which is fine and still under 2000. But since my weight hasn't moved, I feel like I've been overindulging and I can see myself getting hung up on my feast days. Which you're really not supposed to do. I bought the book, "The Alternate-Day Diet: The Original Fasting Diet" by James B. Johnson M.D. and he specifically says not to be too careful on feast days, or it just becomes another diet and you'll get bored of it too.
I don't know. He also says that three weeks seems to be the sticky part. Weight tends to not move and people become lazier about food choices, with calories creeping back up. It's important to be really, really strict about tracking everything that passes your lips, even if it's a quarter of a biscuit. I think on fast days I'm ok, I still am very careful but I can see how on feast days, my total might be 100 or so calories more than I calculate, if I take an (albeit tiny) taste of John's dessert, or forget to count one cup of milky coffee.
So as of today I'm going to make sure EVERYTHING is noted. Today is a fast day, and I made vegetable soup for myself. I'm not going to eat anything until dinnertime, and then I'll have a big bowl of that, which is 114 calories. Maybe I'll have some crackers and cheese - 187 calories, or maybe not. No harm in stopping at 114 calories either.
Just wish I could see some more results - it's exciting and pleasurable to do when things are moving but otherwise... not so much.
Sunday 23 June 2013
Hurray?
Went out last night - had quite a bit to drink but stuck to the vodka and orange juice. Also resisted Salt and Vinegar Pringles that someone brought to the house - big hurdle! So I definitely didn't go over 2000 calories.
Got to bed at ten o'clock this morning... Got up about three, and weighed myself. Two kilos lighter! However, as John pointed out, considering I drank quite a bit and didn't have much water, I'm probably dehydrated and it was water retention. Might have gone back up a bit tomorrow.
Made a quiche for our dinner today - I had about a quarter with some lettuce leaves too - since it's homemade it's hard to guage so I'm just counting it as 500 calories.
I've found today to be tough - really want some chocolate. I came very close to having a chocolate which would only take me 33 calories over the 500 but I didn't. Figured it's silly to eat it when I can just wait until tomorrow.
Tomorrow I'm finally going to have some of that guacamole!
Got to bed at ten o'clock this morning... Got up about three, and weighed myself. Two kilos lighter! However, as John pointed out, considering I drank quite a bit and didn't have much water, I'm probably dehydrated and it was water retention. Might have gone back up a bit tomorrow.
Made a quiche for our dinner today - I had about a quarter with some lettuce leaves too - since it's homemade it's hard to guage so I'm just counting it as 500 calories.
I've found today to be tough - really want some chocolate. I came very close to having a chocolate which would only take me 33 calories over the 500 but I didn't. Figured it's silly to eat it when I can just wait until tomorrow.
Tomorrow I'm finally going to have some of that guacamole!
Saturday 22 June 2013
Oh Come On!!
Weighed myself this morning - nothing. Haven't moved at all in the last week. I'm quite disappointed. I mean, I did eat well in France, and even the days where I splurged a bit weren't too bad, considering it was the only meal of the day. My mum thinks it might be the wine - she says that she finds that whilst it's not too bad in calories, it seems to stop her losing weight. Blast.
I have to go out to that birthday tonight and I do want a few drinks. I'm going to have vodka with orange juice, as it should help my stomach not feel too sick but after tonight I'm not drinking again for a couple of weeks. It was very disheartening to have made a big effort all week to find that I haven't moved.
It has been just over three weeks now though since I started dieting - maybe I've reached my first plateau phase. It had better not last too long!
Got up late this morning - John made me two soft-boiled eggs which I had with a pint of water and a cup of coffee. I was stuffed after that so ended up not having any guacamole or anything else. He's making pork medallions with apple compote and mashed potatoes for dinner tonight and once I've eaten and changed we'll be rushing out the door as we're meeting friends early. So in spite of it being a feast day, it sounds like I won't be going overboard too much.
I'll have the guacamole on Monday.
I have to go out to that birthday tonight and I do want a few drinks. I'm going to have vodka with orange juice, as it should help my stomach not feel too sick but after tonight I'm not drinking again for a couple of weeks. It was very disheartening to have made a big effort all week to find that I haven't moved.
It has been just over three weeks now though since I started dieting - maybe I've reached my first plateau phase. It had better not last too long!
Got up late this morning - John made me two soft-boiled eggs which I had with a pint of water and a cup of coffee. I was stuffed after that so ended up not having any guacamole or anything else. He's making pork medallions with apple compote and mashed potatoes for dinner tonight and once I've eaten and changed we'll be rushing out the door as we're meeting friends early. So in spite of it being a feast day, it sounds like I won't be going overboard too much.
I'll have the guacamole on Monday.
Friday 21 June 2013
Tomorrow's the Test...
So, back in rainy Ireland.
I was good today. Only had cups of coffee in the airport and on the plane, despite having to wait at the boarding gate for two hours and being right next to a café with pains au chocolat...
I looked longingly at the flight menu and really considered getting a toastie and skipping dinner tonight but I didn't. I resisted, got a coffee, and then had a breast of chicken, steamed peppers and mushrooms and a bit of pesto for dinner tonight. Really relieved that I'm back into it.
However, I weighed myself when I got back and I had gone up five kilos! I was dressed though and after a pint of water as well as all the coffee whilst travelling so tomorrow morning will be the real test. Having said that, I put on a pair of jeans that I haven't fit into in two years and while they only got halfway up my legs last week, they now go all the way up though I still can't close them. So they can be my new test jeans. Losing weight is nice but it's seeing a difference in clothes that really clinches it for me.
Feast day tomorrow and John has barely touched a lot of the food I brought back from Sunday's big dinner. He ate all the healthy salmon but didn't touch the desserts or guacamole. Typical! The desserts are gone mouldy, (the crime!!) so they have to be dumped, (which is probably good for me but still...) but the guacamole looks ok, as do the pieces of focaccia bread. So I totally intend to have some of that tomorrow. Maybe for lunch.
I'm in the bookshop tomorrow afternoon, and then we have to go straight out to that friend's 30th birthday. I'll drink a bit but I never have too much anyway. Tend to get sick after about five drinks. Which is both annoying and good. Stops me from ever drinking too much. It would be nice to get even a bit tipsy sometimes though.
Sunday will be tough. I always want to eat when I'm tired. And John always treats his hangover day as his weekly treat day with pizza and crisps...
Oh the temptation... Wish me luck for my weigh in tomorrow morning!
I was good today. Only had cups of coffee in the airport and on the plane, despite having to wait at the boarding gate for two hours and being right next to a café with pains au chocolat...
I looked longingly at the flight menu and really considered getting a toastie and skipping dinner tonight but I didn't. I resisted, got a coffee, and then had a breast of chicken, steamed peppers and mushrooms and a bit of pesto for dinner tonight. Really relieved that I'm back into it.
However, I weighed myself when I got back and I had gone up five kilos! I was dressed though and after a pint of water as well as all the coffee whilst travelling so tomorrow morning will be the real test. Having said that, I put on a pair of jeans that I haven't fit into in two years and while they only got halfway up my legs last week, they now go all the way up though I still can't close them. So they can be my new test jeans. Losing weight is nice but it's seeing a difference in clothes that really clinches it for me.
Feast day tomorrow and John has barely touched a lot of the food I brought back from Sunday's big dinner. He ate all the healthy salmon but didn't touch the desserts or guacamole. Typical! The desserts are gone mouldy, (the crime!!) so they have to be dumped, (which is probably good for me but still...) but the guacamole looks ok, as do the pieces of focaccia bread. So I totally intend to have some of that tomorrow. Maybe for lunch.
I'm in the bookshop tomorrow afternoon, and then we have to go straight out to that friend's 30th birthday. I'll drink a bit but I never have too much anyway. Tend to get sick after about five drinks. Which is both annoying and good. Stops me from ever drinking too much. It would be nice to get even a bit tipsy sometimes though.
Sunday will be tough. I always want to eat when I'm tired. And John always treats his hangover day as his weekly treat day with pizza and crisps...
Oh the temptation... Wish me luck for my weigh in tomorrow morning!
Thursday 20 June 2013
Uh oh...
Oh no... Today was a fast day and I just lost it. Had only water and soup all day but then we had to go to a friend's house for dinner. I had three (very small) glasses of wine, a slice of quiche, salad and a couple of bits of cheese with a slice of bread. Nothing too bad but way over 500 calories.
We came back to my grandparents' house and since I'm going tomorrow morning, I started tasting bits of food that I hadn't let myself eat all week. So I ended up having 3 heaped teaspoons of Nutella and a big chunk of Caprice des Dieux. Now I am riddled with guilt and tomorrow will have to be a fast day. Thank goodness I'm going home where there's way less temptation around the house.
That Nutella was delicious though...
What have I done???? That's two days now in a row now... Not feeling too good about myself.
We came back to my grandparents' house and since I'm going tomorrow morning, I started tasting bits of food that I hadn't let myself eat all week. So I ended up having 3 heaped teaspoons of Nutella and a big chunk of Caprice des Dieux. Now I am riddled with guilt and tomorrow will have to be a fast day. Thank goodness I'm going home where there's way less temptation around the house.
That Nutella was delicious though...
What have I done???? That's two days now in a row now... Not feeling too good about myself.
The Perils of Pigging
My diet has been a bit all over the place recently.
Some friends of the family came to dinner on Tuesday night - we had sushi, a lot of wine, and salad. It came to 1641 calories. Not too bad really. But I may have miscalculated the wine as I wasn't exactly measuring my glasses.
Yesterday was the funeral. Although it was supposed to be a fast day, I felt sick and weak before going to the church so I had a bit of bread with some camembert cheese.
We then had people back to the house for the lunch and I didn't eat much but I did have about 5 mini slices of quiche. However, once we were on our own again last night, we all threw ourselves on the leftovers and devoured everything. I ate a LOT of bread and cheese, pate, and I even had Nutella! So much for the fast.
Today is a fast day so, but we've to go for dinner at a friend's house tonight. I'm going to not drink though and whatever she serves, I'll try to avoid the carbohydrates.
Tomorrow I return to Ireland. As I said before, I'll be travelling alone which always leads to me eating but I'm going much earlier than I thought so I'll resist and eat normally once I get home.
It's funny but I've noticed now that every day where I've eaten a lot in the last week - Sunday and yesterday - has been followed by a day of feeling sick and hungry the next day.
I mean, as I type now, my stomach is rumbling and I feel like I'm starving. Even though I've had lots of water. When I do a fast day, I normally extend it to lunchtime of the next day, so I am able to go quite a while without food now and feel fine. However, I wonder if eating heavily is the reason I feel so hungry now. My insides working overtime to get rid of the food. If there's any truth in that, it just shows how over-eating every day becomes a vicious cycle. I'd devour some bread now if I could - whereas normally I really don't feel a need for anything.
It's also slightly worrying me how I slipped so easily back into eating rubbish yesterday. For the last three weeks I've been careful on feast days but yesterday... I had about four slices of bread with pate alone. That's not counting the other three slices with cheese or the roll I had with Nutella...
I'm not going to beat myself up over it though. It was exceptional circumstances and I'll get back into the swing of things tomorrow. Going out for a friend's 30th on Saturday - I'll have to consume any alcohol before midnight. Or do I count a day as ending when I go to bed? Because that could easily be halfway through Sunday...
Some friends of the family came to dinner on Tuesday night - we had sushi, a lot of wine, and salad. It came to 1641 calories. Not too bad really. But I may have miscalculated the wine as I wasn't exactly measuring my glasses.
Yesterday was the funeral. Although it was supposed to be a fast day, I felt sick and weak before going to the church so I had a bit of bread with some camembert cheese.
We then had people back to the house for the lunch and I didn't eat much but I did have about 5 mini slices of quiche. However, once we were on our own again last night, we all threw ourselves on the leftovers and devoured everything. I ate a LOT of bread and cheese, pate, and I even had Nutella! So much for the fast.
Today is a fast day so, but we've to go for dinner at a friend's house tonight. I'm going to not drink though and whatever she serves, I'll try to avoid the carbohydrates.
Tomorrow I return to Ireland. As I said before, I'll be travelling alone which always leads to me eating but I'm going much earlier than I thought so I'll resist and eat normally once I get home.
It's funny but I've noticed now that every day where I've eaten a lot in the last week - Sunday and yesterday - has been followed by a day of feeling sick and hungry the next day.
I mean, as I type now, my stomach is rumbling and I feel like I'm starving. Even though I've had lots of water. When I do a fast day, I normally extend it to lunchtime of the next day, so I am able to go quite a while without food now and feel fine. However, I wonder if eating heavily is the reason I feel so hungry now. My insides working overtime to get rid of the food. If there's any truth in that, it just shows how over-eating every day becomes a vicious cycle. I'd devour some bread now if I could - whereas normally I really don't feel a need for anything.
It's also slightly worrying me how I slipped so easily back into eating rubbish yesterday. For the last three weeks I've been careful on feast days but yesterday... I had about four slices of bread with pate alone. That's not counting the other three slices with cheese or the roll I had with Nutella...
I'm not going to beat myself up over it though. It was exceptional circumstances and I'll get back into the swing of things tomorrow. Going out for a friend's 30th on Saturday - I'll have to consume any alcohol before midnight. Or do I count a day as ending when I go to bed? Because that could easily be halfway through Sunday...
Tuesday 18 June 2013
I Should Live in a Hot Climate
Catch-up of the last couple of days.
On Sunday, I fasted till half six or so, when the Americans arrived, and then ate, like I had planned. It was nice, I had nibbles, dinner and a bit of dessert but no cheese. I enjoyed it but I must say, I felt SO sick and full driving home. Actually felt unwell. So, pigging out has lost a bit of its appeal.
I got up at 4 yesterday morning to go to the airport. I felt strangely hungover, as if I had been drinking all night. It was a fasting day and I think it was my hardest one to date. I really wanted to eat at the airport and I ALWAYS want to eat on the plane. But, I resisted and didn't eat until dinner time, when I just had lettuce, tuna, cucumber and a bit of béarnaise sauce. I also had a fifth of a chicken breast with some spinach in an attempt to up my iron a bit. Including semi-skimmed milk in various cups of coffee, I had about 530 calories. It's tougher to measure in France because the My Fitness Pal app won't pick up most of the French barcodes when I scan them and a lot of the measurements are given in cup sizes, which we don't do here.
Today is a feast day but it's so warm and heavy that I'm still eating lightly. It's 27 degrees Celcius and very thundery and heavy. We had a massive thunderstorm yesterday but it hasn't cleared the air and more are forecast for today and tomorrow. So I had a cup of coffee for my breakfast, more tuna, lettuce and cucumber for my lunch, and a bit of spinach with a mushroom and fromage frais salad. But then as a treat I had a small chunk of brie. For dinner I'm going to have MORE tuna and lettuce with cucumber and green beans but I'm also going to have something nice. Maybe some chocolate or some more cheese. I'll see how I feel.
The funeral is tomorrow, which is supposed to be a fast day. I'll try my best but there will be a lunch back at the house for close friends which might be hard to resist. However, it being France, and summer, a lunch is consisting of a buffet of salads and fruit. The hardest thing to resist will be the mandatory cheese plate but I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to do without. I can always tell myself that I just have to wait till Thursday.
Must say that I'm looking forward to all this being over. My grandfather died leaving no life insurance or savings so the funeral costs are becoming a huge strain on my mother who is having to spend money she doesn't have and that she owes elsewhere. I don't have any spare money either, what with paying rent and having to buy the ticket to get here so I can't help, which is frustrating.
So if anyone reads this and is feeling religious - a little prayer wouldn't go astray.
On Sunday, I fasted till half six or so, when the Americans arrived, and then ate, like I had planned. It was nice, I had nibbles, dinner and a bit of dessert but no cheese. I enjoyed it but I must say, I felt SO sick and full driving home. Actually felt unwell. So, pigging out has lost a bit of its appeal.
I got up at 4 yesterday morning to go to the airport. I felt strangely hungover, as if I had been drinking all night. It was a fasting day and I think it was my hardest one to date. I really wanted to eat at the airport and I ALWAYS want to eat on the plane. But, I resisted and didn't eat until dinner time, when I just had lettuce, tuna, cucumber and a bit of béarnaise sauce. I also had a fifth of a chicken breast with some spinach in an attempt to up my iron a bit. Including semi-skimmed milk in various cups of coffee, I had about 530 calories. It's tougher to measure in France because the My Fitness Pal app won't pick up most of the French barcodes when I scan them and a lot of the measurements are given in cup sizes, which we don't do here.
Today is a feast day but it's so warm and heavy that I'm still eating lightly. It's 27 degrees Celcius and very thundery and heavy. We had a massive thunderstorm yesterday but it hasn't cleared the air and more are forecast for today and tomorrow. So I had a cup of coffee for my breakfast, more tuna, lettuce and cucumber for my lunch, and a bit of spinach with a mushroom and fromage frais salad. But then as a treat I had a small chunk of brie. For dinner I'm going to have MORE tuna and lettuce with cucumber and green beans but I'm also going to have something nice. Maybe some chocolate or some more cheese. I'll see how I feel.
The funeral is tomorrow, which is supposed to be a fast day. I'll try my best but there will be a lunch back at the house for close friends which might be hard to resist. However, it being France, and summer, a lunch is consisting of a buffet of salads and fruit. The hardest thing to resist will be the mandatory cheese plate but I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to do without. I can always tell myself that I just have to wait till Thursday.
Must say that I'm looking forward to all this being over. My grandfather died leaving no life insurance or savings so the funeral costs are becoming a huge strain on my mother who is having to spend money she doesn't have and that she owes elsewhere. I don't have any spare money either, what with paying rent and having to buy the ticket to get here so I can't help, which is frustrating.
So if anyone reads this and is feeling religious - a little prayer wouldn't go astray.
Sunday 16 June 2013
Time to Eat
Ugh, what a horrible couple of days.
An American branch of the Georgian Society is coming to see our house tonight. It's an old family house, built in the 1700s so it's of interest to them. However, there are ten of them coming, and we're supposed to give them dinner. My mum was in charge of all that but now she's gone to France to be with my grandmother so I'm doing it.
So I spent all yesterday cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms, peeling 40 potatoes, chopping about 20 red peppers and doing the shopping. In addition to that, my dad realised that his passport is out of date, and he's booked to fly to Paris for the funeral on Wednesday. So there was huge panic and worry there, because my mum would be so upset if he didn't come. I think we got it sorted, but being the weekend, we won't know for sure until Monday morning. I really hope it works out - he HAS to come.
As a result of all that, even though it was supposed to be a feast day, I didn't eat, apart from two Weetabix with fat-free milk for breakfast, and John made me a salad with 3 slices of ham, 50 grms of smoked salmon, one hard-boiled egg, a green pepper, lettuce, a tomato and about 20 grms of low-fat mayonnaise. So my total calorie consumption for the day was 592. Essentially another fast day.
So, I'm taking today as a feast day instead. I will also be at the dinner for the Americans so I'm going to eat to my heart's content. In an effort to keep control of myself, I'm going to fast until dinner - instead of treating today as a pigging out day. But I will help myself to whatever I like tonight.
To start with, we're having nibbles - my sister and I will make guacamole, hummus and smoked mackerel pate. We also have some crisps, focaccia bread that we'll tear into strips, carrot and cucumber sticks, and... I think that's it. Needless to say, I love every single one of those things, and there is nothing I love more than nibbles. So, for the first time in two and a half weeks, I'm not going to even count calories and I'll have a thoroughly enjoyable feast day.
Dinner will be mashed potatoes, with ratatouille and baked salmon, served with a mustard and cream sauce. Not too bad really. Dessert will be courtesy of my sister - a chocolate tart and a baked lemon cheesecake. Neither of which are at the top of my dessert preference so considering I'll probably be full anyway, I won't have any of them.
Right - it's half ten and they're coming at half six tonight. I'd better get ready and drive down. Busy day ahead!
An American branch of the Georgian Society is coming to see our house tonight. It's an old family house, built in the 1700s so it's of interest to them. However, there are ten of them coming, and we're supposed to give them dinner. My mum was in charge of all that but now she's gone to France to be with my grandmother so I'm doing it.
So I spent all yesterday cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms, peeling 40 potatoes, chopping about 20 red peppers and doing the shopping. In addition to that, my dad realised that his passport is out of date, and he's booked to fly to Paris for the funeral on Wednesday. So there was huge panic and worry there, because my mum would be so upset if he didn't come. I think we got it sorted, but being the weekend, we won't know for sure until Monday morning. I really hope it works out - he HAS to come.
As a result of all that, even though it was supposed to be a feast day, I didn't eat, apart from two Weetabix with fat-free milk for breakfast, and John made me a salad with 3 slices of ham, 50 grms of smoked salmon, one hard-boiled egg, a green pepper, lettuce, a tomato and about 20 grms of low-fat mayonnaise. So my total calorie consumption for the day was 592. Essentially another fast day.
So, I'm taking today as a feast day instead. I will also be at the dinner for the Americans so I'm going to eat to my heart's content. In an effort to keep control of myself, I'm going to fast until dinner - instead of treating today as a pigging out day. But I will help myself to whatever I like tonight.
To start with, we're having nibbles - my sister and I will make guacamole, hummus and smoked mackerel pate. We also have some crisps, focaccia bread that we'll tear into strips, carrot and cucumber sticks, and... I think that's it. Needless to say, I love every single one of those things, and there is nothing I love more than nibbles. So, for the first time in two and a half weeks, I'm not going to even count calories and I'll have a thoroughly enjoyable feast day.
Dinner will be mashed potatoes, with ratatouille and baked salmon, served with a mustard and cream sauce. Not too bad really. Dessert will be courtesy of my sister - a chocolate tart and a baked lemon cheesecake. Neither of which are at the top of my dessert preference so considering I'll probably be full anyway, I won't have any of them.
Right - it's half ten and they're coming at half six tonight. I'd better get ready and drive down. Busy day ahead!
Friday 14 June 2013
Upheaval
So yesterday was a feast day again. To try to up my calories a bit on feast days, and to feel like I was treating myself, I had some breakfast - two Weetabix and 200mls of fat-free milk. 216 calories only!
Since breakfast was so low, and since John was at work, I decided to go all out and have one of my favourite meals. Pasta, pesto and cheese. As a nod to eating healthily, I had 150 grms of wholegrain noodles instead of pasta - similar taste and lower in calories. I had 24 grms of pesto and TWO servings of low-fat cheddar - 60 grms. It came to - 629 calories only!
So for dinner I made my fish-pie - smoked Coley, prawns, white sauce made with cornflour, butter and vegetable stock, TONS of vegetables, and mashed potato made with fat-free milk and butter. I weighed everything, thinking that it would be nice to know the calories, even though I figured it would be high and I didn't care - it came to 347 calories. It's unbelievable. 1192 calories for the whole day. Way under what I should be at on a normal day - dieting aside. It just shows - some careful substitutions and portion control is a huge part of losing weight.
However, I am still going to carry on with the ADF as I actually enjoy fasting and I want the option to pig out to be there.
I woke up this morning to hear that my grandfather had died in the night. He was 88 and lovely. I got on really well with him - he had a great sense of humour. So that was upsetting.
Since my grandparents are French, we spent the day running around booking flights to Paris and getting things sorted. Which was good - kept me busy and mind off my stomach amongst other things. I just had a bowl of soup with some soda bread for lunch. With milk in coffee, my day came to 505 calories.
The next week will be a bit iffy I'd say. I'm flying out on Monday and returning on Friday. I would imagine that there'll be a lot of sitting around and eating with various relations. On Monday, I fly out with my sister but on Friday I'm returning to Ireland alone. Travelling alone is one of my worst times for pigging out. However, it will be a feast day so maybe I'll let loose. I'll see. (To the consternation of John who just read that over my shoulder… :) )
Anyway, to make things a little better, I had lost another kilo this morning. At last. I was a bit discouraged yesterday, because I hadn't lost any weight in a good few days. However, thinking about it, I only started dieting at all two weeks ago yesterday. So I've lost nine kilos in 15 days.
Pretty happy overall!
I must say though, I'm dreading going to France. Apart from the obvious upset of the situation at hand, all my cousins will be there - and they're all so tanned and slim and petite. And then there's me - towering over everyone, pasty white, and waddly. Life is so unfair!
Since breakfast was so low, and since John was at work, I decided to go all out and have one of my favourite meals. Pasta, pesto and cheese. As a nod to eating healthily, I had 150 grms of wholegrain noodles instead of pasta - similar taste and lower in calories. I had 24 grms of pesto and TWO servings of low-fat cheddar - 60 grms. It came to - 629 calories only!
So for dinner I made my fish-pie - smoked Coley, prawns, white sauce made with cornflour, butter and vegetable stock, TONS of vegetables, and mashed potato made with fat-free milk and butter. I weighed everything, thinking that it would be nice to know the calories, even though I figured it would be high and I didn't care - it came to 347 calories. It's unbelievable. 1192 calories for the whole day. Way under what I should be at on a normal day - dieting aside. It just shows - some careful substitutions and portion control is a huge part of losing weight.
However, I am still going to carry on with the ADF as I actually enjoy fasting and I want the option to pig out to be there.
I woke up this morning to hear that my grandfather had died in the night. He was 88 and lovely. I got on really well with him - he had a great sense of humour. So that was upsetting.
Since my grandparents are French, we spent the day running around booking flights to Paris and getting things sorted. Which was good - kept me busy and mind off my stomach amongst other things. I just had a bowl of soup with some soda bread for lunch. With milk in coffee, my day came to 505 calories.
The next week will be a bit iffy I'd say. I'm flying out on Monday and returning on Friday. I would imagine that there'll be a lot of sitting around and eating with various relations. On Monday, I fly out with my sister but on Friday I'm returning to Ireland alone. Travelling alone is one of my worst times for pigging out. However, it will be a feast day so maybe I'll let loose. I'll see. (To the consternation of John who just read that over my shoulder… :) )
Anyway, to make things a little better, I had lost another kilo this morning. At last. I was a bit discouraged yesterday, because I hadn't lost any weight in a good few days. However, thinking about it, I only started dieting at all two weeks ago yesterday. So I've lost nine kilos in 15 days.
Pretty happy overall!
I must say though, I'm dreading going to France. Apart from the obvious upset of the situation at hand, all my cousins will be there - and they're all so tanned and slim and petite. And then there's me - towering over everyone, pasty white, and waddly. Life is so unfair!
Wednesday 12 June 2013
Subliminal
I feel so good these last couple of weeks. It makes such a lovely change from feeling guilty, fat and full. Now I feel fat but thinner and my self-confidence has sky-rocketed. Even though I'm still about six stone overweight, the knowledge that I have lost weight and am on a good, sturdy path has made me feel so much better about myself.
Today was another fast day and I survived it easily. About four o'clock I was feeling a little weak and shaky so I had a coffee with a bit of fat-free milk and I was fine. Again, keeping busy is really the best - if I'm sitting at home my mind does tend to think about my empty stomach a lot. But I worked in the morning, did a few messages, and had to go to the doctor for a prescription, so I was kept going.
For my dinner, I was feeling tired, so I bought John and I two soups in a carton. Not the best, I know, in terms of nutrients, but I just didn't feel like cooking and I really had a taste for some soup with a fresh roll. I've stopped putting butter on my roll too - I find that since I dunk it in the soup anyway it doesn't really need it.
Anyway, that came to about 350 calories for the day, including the milk in my coffee. I might have an orange or something to bring it up a bit more and to have something nutritious!
I know I keep going on about "My Fitness Pal" app but it really is great. I can keep an eye on the main nutrients and see how my intake is. My iron and Vitamin A are always low - I need to see about upping them.
Feast day again tomorrow - I don't know myself I'm so spoilt with feast days. Every single other diet I've ever done has made me feel limited and restricted. With this one, every other day is nearly exciting, as I plan what I want to eat. And yet it's so free that the lure of the forbidden is gone and I actually eat quite well. Mental games!
I haven't lost any weight in a couple of days - I know I should only be checking once a week but it's too tempting to see if I've gone down anymore. Hope I see a change again soon.
My jeans are so much looser though that I can now take them off without opening the button. Now that's progress!
Today was another fast day and I survived it easily. About four o'clock I was feeling a little weak and shaky so I had a coffee with a bit of fat-free milk and I was fine. Again, keeping busy is really the best - if I'm sitting at home my mind does tend to think about my empty stomach a lot. But I worked in the morning, did a few messages, and had to go to the doctor for a prescription, so I was kept going.
For my dinner, I was feeling tired, so I bought John and I two soups in a carton. Not the best, I know, in terms of nutrients, but I just didn't feel like cooking and I really had a taste for some soup with a fresh roll. I've stopped putting butter on my roll too - I find that since I dunk it in the soup anyway it doesn't really need it.
Anyway, that came to about 350 calories for the day, including the milk in my coffee. I might have an orange or something to bring it up a bit more and to have something nutritious!
I know I keep going on about "My Fitness Pal" app but it really is great. I can keep an eye on the main nutrients and see how my intake is. My iron and Vitamin A are always low - I need to see about upping them.
Feast day again tomorrow - I don't know myself I'm so spoilt with feast days. Every single other diet I've ever done has made me feel limited and restricted. With this one, every other day is nearly exciting, as I plan what I want to eat. And yet it's so free that the lure of the forbidden is gone and I actually eat quite well. Mental games!
I haven't lost any weight in a couple of days - I know I should only be checking once a week but it's too tempting to see if I've gone down anymore. Hope I see a change again soon.
My jeans are so much looser though that I can now take them off without opening the button. Now that's progress!
Tuesday 11 June 2013
Fasting Feasting
Second feast day today. I can't seem to get into them, funnily enough. I had no breakfast - just wandered around the kitchen, looking in cupboards and in the fridge and choosing nothing. I didn't feel that hungry and none of the usual temptations jumped out at me. I think I'm still a bit worried about gaining weight. I thought about having a bowl of cereal but considering 30 grams is a serving size and I would want a lot more than that, the number of calories it would use up scared me off.
I ended up having two slices of toast with some smoked salmon for my lunch, which was 600 calories, (bread is a demon!) and we went for dinner at my parents. My mum said she was making tagliatelle carbonara, which I love and fully intended to wolf down. In the end though, to suit my fussy sister, she just made tagliatelle with a cream and rasher sauce, and ratatouille on the side with a bit of cheese grated on top. It was lovely, but only came to about 700 calories. And that included 3 little chocolate eggs as dessert!
The My Fitness Pal app is getting worried about me! I'm consistently under my daily calorie allowance. I know I should probably up my calories a bit, just to keep my metabolism going, but I hardly think I'm going into starvation mode. I mean, I am full after each meal.
I must say though, that this diet is so lovely to follow. This morning I couldn't believe that I was on another feast day already - I was quite prepared to fast for another couple of days.
Still haven't done any exercise. The short Irish summer we were enjoying has disappeared - it's been raining non-stop for the last two days. Also, the dog has hurt her elbow and the vet said not to walk her for the next week. News I was secretly delighted to hear...
I ended up having two slices of toast with some smoked salmon for my lunch, which was 600 calories, (bread is a demon!) and we went for dinner at my parents. My mum said she was making tagliatelle carbonara, which I love and fully intended to wolf down. In the end though, to suit my fussy sister, she just made tagliatelle with a cream and rasher sauce, and ratatouille on the side with a bit of cheese grated on top. It was lovely, but only came to about 700 calories. And that included 3 little chocolate eggs as dessert!
The My Fitness Pal app is getting worried about me! I'm consistently under my daily calorie allowance. I know I should probably up my calories a bit, just to keep my metabolism going, but I hardly think I'm going into starvation mode. I mean, I am full after each meal.
I must say though, that this diet is so lovely to follow. This morning I couldn't believe that I was on another feast day already - I was quite prepared to fast for another couple of days.
Still haven't done any exercise. The short Irish summer we were enjoying has disappeared - it's been raining non-stop for the last two days. Also, the dog has hurt her elbow and the vet said not to walk her for the next week. News I was secretly delighted to hear...
Monday 10 June 2013
Loose Jeans
Feast day one is over. I was a bit worried that eating what I want would be hard to stop the next day but it's fine.
I ended up only having about 1400 calories yesterday. We didn't go to the barbeque in the end as John was too tired, so as well as my chicken wings, I had soup and a roll, and then a roll toasted with peanut butter and a fruit salad. Way too high in sugar, fat and carbohydrates and lacking in everything else but so nice to eat!
I think for my fast meal tonight I'll have a salmon fillet with broccoli and asparagus. And maybe a bit of pesto for a kick. Nice and healthy. Maybe an orange for dessert.
I'm supervising exams at the moment which is a pain - means I can't fill up in water throughout the day as I can't leave to go to the bathroom.
Hope my stomach doesn't start rumbling loudly!!
Sunday 9 June 2013
Mmmm... Foooood....
Today is my first feast day in ten days! It started, very pleasantly, with another two kilos lost! So that's eight kilos now so far since the 30th of May. I'm so happy with myself. I can see it in my jeans, the bottom has become a bit saggy and I have to keep pulling them up. Not too attractive... but motivating!
John came in last night after dinner with his father at about half eleven - he was merry in the merriest way. He decided to have a few glasses of wine so I stayed up with him. I ended up getting to bed at five o'clock! However, I'm very proud of myself - I drank two pints of water and ate nothing. Normally when I'm up late, I get very eatey and munch around me.
Got up about midday today and went to do the weekly shop. I bought loads of vegetables and fish, and even though it's a feast day, and my first one in so long, I completely bypassed the crisps, pizzas and chocolate. I looked at them all, and thought to myself, "You can if you want" and I found that I wasn't that fussed. It's as if knowing that I could have them made the temptation less. I know that if I had looked at them sadly, thinking, "Never again", I would have bought the lot. Or else come home very grumpy.
Stopped in Centra on the way home to get John a roll and I did buy myself six chicken wings as a treat. I also had two squares of chocolate that I had saved up for myself.
We have to go to that barbeque later and I'm in two minds about whether to have some soup for dinner, (mushroom soup; delicious) or else let myself go altogether and have some barbequed meat. I really want that soup. But I know when I'm there smelling all those delicious aromas... I'll really want a sausage. And yet I'm still a bit scared of eating. I've only had 450 calories today so far though... Hmm...
I told John about this diet last night. He's a bit iffy about it. He keeps saying that I should do a calorie-controlled diet every day. I think the fact that I had chicken wings and some chocolate is making him think that this can't possibly be a diet. And I don't think he understands the utter boredom and depression of facing into a lifetime of daily calorie counting. I know he does it but he doesn't revel in food as I do.
I have a feeling that my feast days are going to be a bit of a tense subject for the next couple of weeks. Every time I eat something not "diety" I'm going to get comments; "You're eating chocolate??!!" He might settle down if I don't go all out and once he sees that I'm still losing weight.
To be fair to him, I think he's just concerned about my intake of nutrients, but I am going to be very careful about that.
I downloaded an app called "Fitness Pal" - seems great. You put in the food you had, (or scan the packet with the included barcode scanner) and it tells you what you've had in terms of iron, sodium, etc... Very handy, instead of trying to work it all out.
Right, soup or sausage, soup or sausage? Or... both???
John came in last night after dinner with his father at about half eleven - he was merry in the merriest way. He decided to have a few glasses of wine so I stayed up with him. I ended up getting to bed at five o'clock! However, I'm very proud of myself - I drank two pints of water and ate nothing. Normally when I'm up late, I get very eatey and munch around me.
Got up about midday today and went to do the weekly shop. I bought loads of vegetables and fish, and even though it's a feast day, and my first one in so long, I completely bypassed the crisps, pizzas and chocolate. I looked at them all, and thought to myself, "You can if you want" and I found that I wasn't that fussed. It's as if knowing that I could have them made the temptation less. I know that if I had looked at them sadly, thinking, "Never again", I would have bought the lot. Or else come home very grumpy.
Stopped in Centra on the way home to get John a roll and I did buy myself six chicken wings as a treat. I also had two squares of chocolate that I had saved up for myself.
We have to go to that barbeque later and I'm in two minds about whether to have some soup for dinner, (mushroom soup; delicious) or else let myself go altogether and have some barbequed meat. I really want that soup. But I know when I'm there smelling all those delicious aromas... I'll really want a sausage. And yet I'm still a bit scared of eating. I've only had 450 calories today so far though... Hmm...
I told John about this diet last night. He's a bit iffy about it. He keeps saying that I should do a calorie-controlled diet every day. I think the fact that I had chicken wings and some chocolate is making him think that this can't possibly be a diet. And I don't think he understands the utter boredom and depression of facing into a lifetime of daily calorie counting. I know he does it but he doesn't revel in food as I do.
I have a feeling that my feast days are going to be a bit of a tense subject for the next couple of weeks. Every time I eat something not "diety" I'm going to get comments; "You're eating chocolate??!!" He might settle down if I don't go all out and once he sees that I'm still losing weight.
To be fair to him, I think he's just concerned about my intake of nutrients, but I am going to be very careful about that.
I downloaded an app called "Fitness Pal" - seems great. You put in the food you had, (or scan the packet with the included barcode scanner) and it tells you what you've had in terms of iron, sodium, etc... Very handy, instead of trying to work it all out.
Right, soup or sausage, soup or sausage? Or... both???
Saturday 8 June 2013
Do I look thinner yet?
And here we are, day one!
I finished my Forever Living nine-day detox last night and today woke up to my first day of fasting. So far it's not very different to what I've been doing for the last nine days. I still have some things left over from the detox so I took two supplements and some aloe vera gel, mixed in a pint of water and orange juice.
I feel fine so far, not even hungry yet. I work part-time in a bookshop and today's my day there which is probably good. If I'm distracted I won't think about food. The sun is blazing down too which helps. I get all lean-feeling when it's sunny. I have images of bronzed bikini babes in my head that I aspire to.
I'll be home at half six tonight, and John is going to see his dad, so I'll be on my own for dinner. I think I'll have some leftover bolegnese that I made last night, with a boiled potato. That should get me to 500 calories quite easily. I should probably also walk the dog... Bane of my life!
I woke up yesterday with FOUR cold sores around my mouth and nose. It's awfully disfiguring and embarrassing - I've always been prone to them but never four at once! So now I'm a bit reluctant to go to the barbecue tomorrow. There'll be a lot of people there that I don't know and I look awful.
But I really do need a cheat day I think. I haven't lost weight in about four days, since losing the amazing six kilos at the start of the detox. I find often that a day of normal eating (and a little bit more) can kickstart another weight loss. So if I don't go to the barbecue, but sit and hide at home, I'm going to have a nice feast day. Maybe pasta for lunch with cheese and pesto. And some chocolate.
I'm a bit scared about eating though I must say. I've been so restricted for the last nine days that I've nearly forgotten how to eat without caring. Terrified I'll put some weight back on.
I finished my Forever Living nine-day detox last night and today woke up to my first day of fasting. So far it's not very different to what I've been doing for the last nine days. I still have some things left over from the detox so I took two supplements and some aloe vera gel, mixed in a pint of water and orange juice.
I feel fine so far, not even hungry yet. I work part-time in a bookshop and today's my day there which is probably good. If I'm distracted I won't think about food. The sun is blazing down too which helps. I get all lean-feeling when it's sunny. I have images of bronzed bikini babes in my head that I aspire to.
I'll be home at half six tonight, and John is going to see his dad, so I'll be on my own for dinner. I think I'll have some leftover bolegnese that I made last night, with a boiled potato. That should get me to 500 calories quite easily. I should probably also walk the dog... Bane of my life!
I woke up yesterday with FOUR cold sores around my mouth and nose. It's awfully disfiguring and embarrassing - I've always been prone to them but never four at once! So now I'm a bit reluctant to go to the barbecue tomorrow. There'll be a lot of people there that I don't know and I look awful.
But I really do need a cheat day I think. I haven't lost weight in about four days, since losing the amazing six kilos at the start of the detox. I find often that a day of normal eating (and a little bit more) can kickstart another weight loss. So if I don't go to the barbecue, but sit and hide at home, I'm going to have a nice feast day. Maybe pasta for lunch with cheese and pesto. And some chocolate.
I'm a bit scared about eating though I must say. I've been so restricted for the last nine days that I've nearly forgotten how to eat without caring. Terrified I'll put some weight back on.
Friday 7 June 2013
The beginning of the rest of my life - attempt number 193...
So, here I am again, about to embark on another effort at dieting.
My weight has risen dramatically in the last two years and I am now at the heaviest I have ever been. It doesn't feel good. My clothes don't fit, I hate clothes shopping, and as I'm getting older, I'm starting to worry about my health. I'm also worried about my fertility - I hope to get pregnant in about two or three years and I know that being significantly overweight will hamper that.
I'm 27 and 5 ft. 8. I don't really want to state my weight yet, as it shocks and humiliates me, but it is waaaaaay over what it should be.
I live a very sedentary lifestyle. I much prefer reading a book with a packet of biscuits and a mug of coffee than moving.
I live with my boyfriend, John, who is about 5 ft. 6, and weighs about 60 kilos. He's very into exercise and healthy eating, and must make an effort to keep weight on.... hence I feel like an ogre next to him. It would be nicer to feel like a lithe goddess...
Having ALWAYS been overweight, I've been on numerous diets. Some have been hugely successful, others not, but I have always put the weight back on and a bit extra. It depresses me and makes me very insecure. I always have guilt in the back of my mind and tell myself every day that I really should diet but... I never want to give up the food I love. I love cooking and food in general. Cheese, pate, pasta, crisps, chocolate... I also love vegetables and soups, however, I find that I can't live without the other luxuries. Everytime I go on a diet I find being in a shop incredibly hard. I find myself eyeing up the chocolate bars, the Pringles, the pizzas, and getting a bit down that I can't eat them as I'd like.
So, a new dawn has broken!! Three weeks ago, my eczema, a condition I've had since childhood, but rarely in the last decade or so, flared up on my upper arms, above my elbows. It was so scratchy that it was waking me up at night, and looked very unsightly - a big, red rash on my white, flabby skin!
It was always caused in the past by eating too much sugar, which I had been eating in huge quantities recently. I work in a school and the end of year had brought vast arrays of biscuits and cakes, donated by grateful parents.
I decided that I needed a detox. Now, I know detoxing is considered a bit of a myth but I figured that following a program that would encourage me to drink lots of water and eat only healthy foods could only do me good. I also knew that this would help me lose some weight and hoped that it would be the kickstart I needed to keep losing.
My mother is a distributer for Forever Living products, which base themselves on the health benefits of Aloe Vera. They also do a nine day detox programme, involving protein shakes, Aloe Vera gel drinks and a 600 calorie meal daily. A friend from work had done it and found it good, so I bit the bullet and took the plunge!
The first two days did not allow for any eating at all - just one protein shake, and various supplements. After that, I progressed to seven days of supplements, two protein shakes and one meal in the evening. Today is actually my last day.
I feel great and found it so easy to follow. It sounds torturous and the first two days were but after that I settled into it and could do it for much longer if needed.
I lost six kilos (roughly 13lbs), as well as two inches from my waist, one from each arm, one from my thighs, one from my hips and two from my chest. That's nine inches!
After having done so well, I obviously don't want to go back to my old ways. In fact, I'm a bit nervous of being let out on my own again, so to speak. So, I've been researching different diets, trying to find one that I feel would suit me. I looked at the Fast Diet and the Two Day Diet, both of which sound similar. I've got into the routine of fasting and feel that I could do that. However, with both these diets, the other five days are still quite limited. You can't binge out - you still have to follow a healthy but restricted diet. I know this is good but I also know that this is what I've tried in the past. It worked for a few months, I got bored and ... it was back to the old ways. I need something that will allow me to eat pasta (albeit in smaller portions) or a bag of crisps without feeling that I've ruined everything.
This is why I have settled on the alternate day fasting. It consists of fasting one day, apart from a 500 calorie meal for women (which I've been doing for the last week with ease), and eating normally the next day. I realise that, again, "normally" does not mean binging, or eating two days worth of calories but I don't think this is something I'll do. My stomach has already shrunk in the last week and I'm having trouble eating even 500 calories in an evening meal. I think this diet will allow me to eat healthily but without beating myself up if I have a slice of cake or a few biscuits. I will calorie count anyway, and if I see myself going over the recommended daily amount, I'll have to rejig things a bit.
I usually eat healthy enough meals - lean protein, vegetables, etc... I think the problem is that my portions are too big, and that I add creamy sauces and cheese if I can. I also snack a lot. Crackers and blue cheese... Mm mmm mmmm.....
I think I might try to make my feast days fairly healthy - count calories and so on - with one celebration feast day a week, where I don't count and I have whatever I like for dinner - roast chicken or pork sound very good after a week of tuna and steamed chicken breast!
I'm also going to try to walk the dog for 20 - 30 minutes a day. If that sounds short, it's because I have to start somewhere and I HATE exercising. I find it terribly boring and long to get home to my couch and book. I feel that a little goal at the beginning has less chance of being dropped.
So! All that essay to say essentially this: I will start my alternate day fasting (ADF) tomorrow. We have to go to a friend's barbecue on Sunday and I will let that be a feast day. Hoping he has burgers...
If you have read this far, you must be very interested and so might also be interested in this blog: "Lauren Tries Out Alternate Day Fasting - http://tryingadf.blogspot.ie/. After reading so many articles on all the different diets and seeing so many conflicting views, this was the blog that made me realise that anyone can try it and it does work. And her feast days seem epic!
So, onwards and upwards! Wish me luck!
My weight has risen dramatically in the last two years and I am now at the heaviest I have ever been. It doesn't feel good. My clothes don't fit, I hate clothes shopping, and as I'm getting older, I'm starting to worry about my health. I'm also worried about my fertility - I hope to get pregnant in about two or three years and I know that being significantly overweight will hamper that.
I'm 27 and 5 ft. 8. I don't really want to state my weight yet, as it shocks and humiliates me, but it is waaaaaay over what it should be.
I live a very sedentary lifestyle. I much prefer reading a book with a packet of biscuits and a mug of coffee than moving.
I live with my boyfriend, John, who is about 5 ft. 6, and weighs about 60 kilos. He's very into exercise and healthy eating, and must make an effort to keep weight on.... hence I feel like an ogre next to him. It would be nicer to feel like a lithe goddess...
Having ALWAYS been overweight, I've been on numerous diets. Some have been hugely successful, others not, but I have always put the weight back on and a bit extra. It depresses me and makes me very insecure. I always have guilt in the back of my mind and tell myself every day that I really should diet but... I never want to give up the food I love. I love cooking and food in general. Cheese, pate, pasta, crisps, chocolate... I also love vegetables and soups, however, I find that I can't live without the other luxuries. Everytime I go on a diet I find being in a shop incredibly hard. I find myself eyeing up the chocolate bars, the Pringles, the pizzas, and getting a bit down that I can't eat them as I'd like.
So, a new dawn has broken!! Three weeks ago, my eczema, a condition I've had since childhood, but rarely in the last decade or so, flared up on my upper arms, above my elbows. It was so scratchy that it was waking me up at night, and looked very unsightly - a big, red rash on my white, flabby skin!
It was always caused in the past by eating too much sugar, which I had been eating in huge quantities recently. I work in a school and the end of year had brought vast arrays of biscuits and cakes, donated by grateful parents.
I decided that I needed a detox. Now, I know detoxing is considered a bit of a myth but I figured that following a program that would encourage me to drink lots of water and eat only healthy foods could only do me good. I also knew that this would help me lose some weight and hoped that it would be the kickstart I needed to keep losing.
My mother is a distributer for Forever Living products, which base themselves on the health benefits of Aloe Vera. They also do a nine day detox programme, involving protein shakes, Aloe Vera gel drinks and a 600 calorie meal daily. A friend from work had done it and found it good, so I bit the bullet and took the plunge!
The first two days did not allow for any eating at all - just one protein shake, and various supplements. After that, I progressed to seven days of supplements, two protein shakes and one meal in the evening. Today is actually my last day.
I feel great and found it so easy to follow. It sounds torturous and the first two days were but after that I settled into it and could do it for much longer if needed.
I lost six kilos (roughly 13lbs), as well as two inches from my waist, one from each arm, one from my thighs, one from my hips and two from my chest. That's nine inches!
After having done so well, I obviously don't want to go back to my old ways. In fact, I'm a bit nervous of being let out on my own again, so to speak. So, I've been researching different diets, trying to find one that I feel would suit me. I looked at the Fast Diet and the Two Day Diet, both of which sound similar. I've got into the routine of fasting and feel that I could do that. However, with both these diets, the other five days are still quite limited. You can't binge out - you still have to follow a healthy but restricted diet. I know this is good but I also know that this is what I've tried in the past. It worked for a few months, I got bored and ... it was back to the old ways. I need something that will allow me to eat pasta (albeit in smaller portions) or a bag of crisps without feeling that I've ruined everything.
This is why I have settled on the alternate day fasting. It consists of fasting one day, apart from a 500 calorie meal for women (which I've been doing for the last week with ease), and eating normally the next day. I realise that, again, "normally" does not mean binging, or eating two days worth of calories but I don't think this is something I'll do. My stomach has already shrunk in the last week and I'm having trouble eating even 500 calories in an evening meal. I think this diet will allow me to eat healthily but without beating myself up if I have a slice of cake or a few biscuits. I will calorie count anyway, and if I see myself going over the recommended daily amount, I'll have to rejig things a bit.
I usually eat healthy enough meals - lean protein, vegetables, etc... I think the problem is that my portions are too big, and that I add creamy sauces and cheese if I can. I also snack a lot. Crackers and blue cheese... Mm mmm mmmm.....
I think I might try to make my feast days fairly healthy - count calories and so on - with one celebration feast day a week, where I don't count and I have whatever I like for dinner - roast chicken or pork sound very good after a week of tuna and steamed chicken breast!
I'm also going to try to walk the dog for 20 - 30 minutes a day. If that sounds short, it's because I have to start somewhere and I HATE exercising. I find it terribly boring and long to get home to my couch and book. I feel that a little goal at the beginning has less chance of being dropped.
So! All that essay to say essentially this: I will start my alternate day fasting (ADF) tomorrow. We have to go to a friend's barbecue on Sunday and I will let that be a feast day. Hoping he has burgers...
If you have read this far, you must be very interested and so might also be interested in this blog: "Lauren Tries Out Alternate Day Fasting - http://tryingadf.blogspot.ie/. After reading so many articles on all the different diets and seeing so many conflicting views, this was the blog that made me realise that anyone can try it and it does work. And her feast days seem epic!
So, onwards and upwards! Wish me luck!
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