Tuesday 27 February 2007

Bloated!

Felt so bloated last night- could hardly bring myself to have my shakes (I had two to have at dinner time). This happens of course!

Still enjoying this diet more than any other I have been on- sounds bizarre I know, especially if you have never single-sourced, but the results are so good and it really really is easier just to say no to food altogether. Some wedding cake arrived this morning from one of my team, and I didn't even think about having a bit as its a special occasion, nor am I missing having it. I can see now why some people on the message boards get terrified of going back to food during management- managing food and dieting is very hard compared to no food at all.

The way I feel now I could quite happily go on with this diet and try to lose more than my original target, and get down to my 'ideal' weight rather than being much slimmer but a wee bit overweight. As I sit here with my shirt and trousers literally falling off me, it all seems doable- why didn't I know about this diet before!! Perhaps it is only now that I am older and wiser that I am ready to do it amd stick with it. Though willpower is not really my problem- more defiance! Why shouldn't I be a big girl etc- and of course there is nothing wrong per se in being a big girl and I still am believe me. But when it starts to hurt your legs even to be curled up on the sofa, well then that is the time to make a change I reckon.

Its a miserable day- wish I could have walked yesterday, but never mind. Swim tonight and then on with big slapfuls of Dove firming lotion- all the message boards swear by it so I hope it will do the trick and keep a bit of firmness in my flesh. And when I go to the spa I am going to have the complete Thalgo treatment to firm me up and remove cellulite- too shy to have this before in case the paper knickers were too small for me!!!!

Bring on those paper knickers- by June I will be ready for you!

Monday 26 February 2007

Yippee!




Second weigh in and 15 pounds lost in total- I really hoped I would lose the stone in two weeks, so beat my mini-milestone by a pound. Really pleased- for me! Already have to wave goodbye to one suit- hardly worn so will try to sell it on e-bay. Fitting into clothes that I fit in to a couple of years ago, so no need to go mad on new ones yet.

Had a couple of lemon bars at the weekend- absolutely foul as bars but strangely enjoyable as little biscuits done in the microwave- though I still had the taste in my mouth when I woke up this morning, even though I had brushed my teeth twice.

The weather was foul all weekend but managed a swim, and then on Saturday afternoon got the urge to go for a walk- just a short one in the 'gloaming' (misty dusk for those non-Scots out there). So although I didn't get my gardening exercise I did okay. My average steps for the past week are also up more than a thousand a day on the first week of the diet- I think the energy has finally kicked in! Would love to go for a really long walk today, as the sun is out, but have to work (in fact should be working right now, so had better stop).

Hope all you LLers had a fab weekend and are looking forward to your weigh-ins.

Thanks for blogging and keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Friday 23 February 2007

Day 12- feeling good/bad!

Feeling great about the diet today and what a good decision it has been to undertake it. Also helped by Lesley who sensibly commented on the urge to weigh- come one all of us overweight chicks do it all the time don't we! I have sometimes weighed after every pee- and always pee before a weigh even if I don't really need to. Breaking the realtionship with my scales could be just as important as breaking my relationship with food!

I had a go at putting a ticker into my blog- I will update it after weigh-in every week and no more than that I promise.

That's the feeling good bit- now the feeling bad. Far from having loads of increased energy, I often feel totally pooped. My habit is to get up at 6.15 and be in the pool by 6.45, do 30-40 lengths and then be in work by 8am. This week I have only managed to do that every other day. This morning (like some other mornings) I woke up with a pounding heart and felt totally ill and exhausted. Mind you I ahve been to two gigs this week, and have upped my steps, so I've not been slumped on the sofa every night like the old me. I have decided to listen to my body though (not me head), and if I wake up too tired to relax and not swim. And if I feel okay- I am there at the pool- will up my lengths a bit on those days to help out.

I will go to get my blood pressure checked- it was perfectly fine before the diet, on the elevated side of normal but nothing to worry about. Will be interesting to see if it has gone up! Anyway couple of firsts coming up this weekend- first bar (I have resisted until now) and found a great recipe for a 'milkshake'- without the milk of course. Loads of ice cubes and a raspberry shake in the blender- yum!

I must be a really lucky girl, because I like the taste of all the soups and shakes- some people will only eat chocolate, but to be honest I could take or leave that one. Love the caramel- especially as that is the sweet craving that I have- I am not a sweet-toothed person at all, but fudge and caramel do it for me I'm afraid.

Anyway it is shake time now!

Test

To see if this ticker thin can go into a blog!


Thursday 22 February 2007

Day 11- ten per cent of the way there?

No post yesterday- terribly stressed at work, but did not nibble on stuff as I would ahve done in the past. I am very aware that I normally eat a healthy breakfast and go on til lunch quite happily. Then from lunch time it is a non-stop eating/snacking fest until about 4pm. I think my energy gets low in the afternoons- I know I am very much a morning person, love being up just after 6am and heading for a swim before work, and I love being the first person in- quality time to get e-mails out of the way.

I still feel a bit of an afternoon slump on this diet- yesterday was soooooo bad! I was in a meeting that lasted over 3 hours and there were very nice biscuits. Everyone had one at the start- no problem for me, I had a tea (and had just had a savoury drink). Then about two hours in everyone started getting themselves another bsicuit- and after that there was one left on the plate- I must have looked at that biscuit and thought about that biscuit for over an hour- feeling really hungry and on the one hand telling myself I didn't need it, but on the other thinking- I could nibble a little bit slowly, just to take the hunger away. But I resisted- so glad I did, but it left me in a foul mood until I was able to get home and have a double shake before going out again (saw Joan Armatrading, fantastic!). Anyway, the shake was great- raspberry and chocolate mixed up with a blender, very tasty!

Then I weighed myself this morning, and of course, I have only lost a pound since weigh-in- gutted. So I have done this little list to help myself:

You will lose weight on this diet- you burn off what you eat just by breathing so everything else you do is reducing your weight!

You will probably retain water somedays, especially if you didn't make your 4 litres- so drink, drink, drink

The body goes through all sorts of changes throughout the day, never mind a week- the weekly loss and overall loss are what matter

You are exercising well- keeping your steps up above last week, and swimming 30-40 lengths 4 times per week. All this will make a difference.

If you add muscle, your weight might not drop so much- but remember this muscle will help you burn calories for free!

Some weeks you will drop inches but not much weight- keep getting those measurements.

Anyway that is my little boosting list- and now I need to run to the loo.

And to anyone that has had to work with me during this diet- sorry about the bad breath!

Tuesday 20 February 2007

P.S.

Wore a new (to me) jacket today to work, size 20, won't do up round the front, but fits my shoulders nicely. New clothes are always a boost- how did I get so girly about clothes?

Day 9- being good to myself

It has been very important to me to add in activities and treats to this diet. I have two holidays during the diet and a short break booked in shortly after the 100 days (when I will still be using shakes but adding limited food). The first holiday is the beginning of April when I will be seeing my baby niece for the first time- as a first time aunt I suddenly have this feeling of resposibility towards this little girl- mad isn't it as her parents are going to be fabulous. Perhaps it is because I know I won't be having kids myself. Anyway, I want her to have a slim and fit auntie to play with and visit in years to come. That will be an easy holiday, because we are staying with family and will do a lot of walking and drinking tea and coffee, and it will be easy to fit in my shakes with their meal times. Danger points will be
1) Visiting Lubeck (home of marzipan and where they make the most delicious cream cake I have ever tasted)
2) The Hamburg Dome (or fair) where the smell of hot sugary donuts and apple puffs can make you salivate

So if I can get over those the rest should be plain sailing.

Then in May we are going to Skye for a walking holiday- day 100 falls in the middle of that week and I have promised to take my partner for birthday dinner at the three chimneys. From what I have been reading about the next stage, I should be okay if I stick to one food group that night- which should be fine as they specialise in fish- so plain grilled fish no sauce for me!

In June we will have 2 days at the spa- it is a 5 star hotel with a michelin starred restaurant and by that time I should be able to have dinner, so long as I am very careful about what I choose from the menu.

So all of this sounds like I am desperate to get back to old eating ways, but I don't think I am really. I am amazed at how little I care about 'eating' food these days. Losing the weight and feeling fit is what I focus on- and the treats in store- like completing my indian head massage course and being able to offer friends a treat! All I used to offer friends was dinner- my gift to them- now I will have something else to offer, and they will probably appreciate it more.

Just 91 days to go- it doesn't seem like a big number any more!
Weird...

Monday 19 February 2007

First entry-Day 8

Welcome to my lighter life. I have started this blog because I have been reading the blogs of people on the lighter life diet, which I started on Moday 12th February 2007. I have found reading other blogs inspirational, particularly when the hunger pangs came at the beginning of the diet last week. Now I thought I would start my own, and hopefully help others who are doing this diet. For those of you unfamiliar with it, it is a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD), during which you receive counselling weekly. What does VCLD mean? Well it means c.530 calories per day plus at least 4 litres of water- and that is it. Sounds terrifying? Well it is, but you will not be alone throughout the process and it works- well I have been on this diet for one week and have lost 9.5 pounds! The diet is scheduled to last for a minimum of 100 days, during which time any person doing the diet and sticking to it should lose 3 stone.

My target is bigger than that though- I would like to lose 5 stone, as I weighed 17stone 2.75 pounds when the diet began- even with the weight loss this week I am still 'morbidly obese'. If I get down to 12 stone my BMI will make me 'overweight'- if I want to get down to ideal weight I will have to lose another 2 stone! This is a big challenge for me- the lowest I can remember weighing was 13 and a half stone when I was coming to the end of University (17 years ago). I did Atkins very successfully 4 years ago and lost almost 4 stones, but have put 2 stones back on since then- but am very proud of the weight I kept off, and decided I didn't want to creep back up to nearly 19 stone- I am only 5ft 3" and one of my doctors once told me that I was the most obese person he had ever seen. I hated him for that, but he did motivate me to do something about it! (B******!)

So the vitals as of today:
height 5ft 3"
weight 16 stone 7.25 pounds
size- 20 in trousers, 22 in jackets and shirts
Total weight loss on Lighter Life 9.5lbs


Please feel free to comment on my blog and very very good luck to you if you are trying lighter life. A big up to Lesley the solicitor and to Christine who works in the Nationwide who inspired me to not eat and to start my own blog- go for it gals!