Thread: Jezebella's Journey Forward

Maintenance Day 32

Another snow day!!! Actually managed to get a fair bit of work done so quite proud of myself, also got some studies done for my life in the UK test. Breakfast was porridge with banana and he usual bits at about 9:30, then cracked the menu inspriation bits. It is very hard to be writing summer menus when we are in the middle of such cold weather and it is all snowly outside. Lunch was another portion of the stoop- soo perfect for this weather with half a bagel and some fat free cream cheese. Headed out for a walk, wanted to make it an hour but after 40 minutes even with 2 layers of thermal socks and thick stockings i really lost all sensation in my feet so headed home. Had my skinny cow hot choc early and put my feet right next to the radiator to warm them up again. Spent the afternoon with more menus and studying, At about 5:30 I had the other half of my bagel with a cup of black coffee then cracked another hour of studies. You guys are sooooo lucky you don't have to learn this stuff!! A nice hot bath and a little reading in it - very treaty to lie in the bath and read. Then prepped the food for dinner later - which ended up being, roast sweet potato wedges, stir fry of cabbage and leek, ratatouille and bbq spiced chicken breast with a splodge of FF yoghurt. Have just had a skinny cow ice cream and cannot believe how good it is. So thats me done for today Cals on just over 1300 and have been just under for every other day this week so not too bad. Weight was a bit less today too, but am trying my best to avoid the scales.

More tomorrow

Jez
xx

thanks jez, will try those, x

Hey Jezzy... I haven't been around much, but reading your last few entries... sounds like you're in the same place as I am, you're doing so well, I'm proud!
You are right to point out your sister's downfalls - snacking on things, giving the excuse 'they're low-cal, so it's ok!!' isn't good enough. You are correct in assuming that it's a very slippery slope. .. I was in that exact same mind-set LAST year (after Christmas/New Years never the less!) after I did my first round of Lighter Life. First came the excuses for the low-calorie snacking, then it just kept going and soon enough, the low-cal became the normal stuff, because the 'healthy' option just wasn't good enough anymore. Too bland, too boring, etc etc... I went back on abstinence in February for a week, then did Lite until June, which really helped to get my head 100% in the right direction.

Granted, my relationship with food has swung too far the other way now (but slowly becoming more normalised and healthy), but, maintaining on my own, I know - that to be a healthy weight, I have to change my mindset - which I have. Like you, I have to justify the food I eat. If there's no reason for it (i.e. I'm not hungry) then, why have it? Sometimes, it's ok to have something for PURE pleasure - but those moments shouldn't become a regular thing. You are 100% correct in watching your 'Skinny Cow' hot chocolate and ice cream treats, alternate the days you have them, because, I expect, you're a creature of habit... once you get used to a routine, you will follow it and grow comfortable with it. It's so easy to add things on to a comfortable daily habit. One skinny-cow hot chocolate will become a standard, and another may creep in, in the morning ... and so on.

Sounds like you had a brilliant (and vigilant!) New Years and Christmas - and, hopefully you're keeping warm in this dreary freezing weather! At times like this, I kind of wish I still had some bodyfat! LOL!

Hi jez
what sort of stuff do you have to study?
daisy x

Maintenance Day 35

Sorry for the lack of posts recently but I have been hitting the books in a huge way!!! Feels quite odd to be studying again but also quite enjoyable. It is all a bit tedious and most of it I know but omg the stats and statistics about population, religion and all the stuff about the European parliament is just painful!!!!! Lucky you lot who are all born here and will never have to learn this stuff!! For example 51% of the UK population is Women, of which 45% of those work and of that 45 % 3/4 have children at school - lol life changing stuff indeed.

Still onwards and forwards I say. Food wise I have found some lovely things at M&S. Not sure if any of you have seen the adverts for the Simply Fuller Longer low GI Hi Protein range? Saw some on special when I was in there and decided to try it - all nicely portioned out and calorie counted. It really is fantastic - so good I almost want to write to M&S and tell them! Yesterday had the meatball minestrone 230 cal and for dinner the chicken with edamame and noodle with miso - 360 cal, today sampled a salad with king prawns, hot smoked salmon, cous cous, lentils and chickpeas - 260 cal again, and dinner tried the chicken and bean casserole with chorizo. The portions are a perfect size, the food is incredibly filling and really does keep the sugar levels balanced. Totally lazy of me I know but some days I just don't feel like cooking. It is really something I would reccomend and I personally will eat again if I need some kind of ready meal. I also found in M&S the perfect little veggie packs, Individual portions of veg normal price 75p each but this was on special 2 for £1! Each one a perfect portion and can be zapped in the microwave. Again all calorie counted so the work is done. The other interesting thing I found (sorry on a bit of a cheffy rant here) is something called a "Nectacot" a new fruit from South Africa which is a combination of a Nectarine and an Apricot - they look gorgeous, are about the size of a large plum, smell even better and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into one later. Yesterday was also my first ever Burlesque class, and it was such fun!! About 14 of us, old young, fat and thin - was quite nice for a change to be one of the thinner ones, but as you are dancing infront of mirrors you are constantly aware of your reflection which is a bit nerve wracking! I still didn't recognise myself half the time. It makes you feel very sensual, it isn't pervy in anyway, just lovely old fashioned flirting I guess. So I can now walk like a minx, pose like a diva, pull off gloves in a very sexy fashion, use a feather fan and twirl a feather boa. Cannot wait for the next class. It is also all done in heels so I guess good for the toning and posture. Have had some mental ups and downs food wise as I just seem to stay the same and cannot shift the last 1lb that shows on my scale, rather irritating, and still considering going back on the packs maybe for a meal or 2 a day. It will be much easier when I am back at work. being at home with all these snow days and it being so cold makes you want to eat warming things.

Min so good to hear from you, I am working hard at loosing my head issues. Am hating my loose skin, flabby arse, legs, arms, and tummy! Hopefully the dancing will help me like myself a little more, but surgery is still something I really want to look at.

Back to work tomorrow and am supposed to be going ice skating tomorrow evening. Will see what the weather does though. Wishing you all a fantastic week, must crack another hour or so of "how the UK is governed" Oh Joy!!!

Jez
xx

the burlesque sounds great jez

don't envy you the studying - sounds riveting stuff! - probably should know this but where are you from originally?

the M&S stuff sounds great if you are feeling lazy, i'm not surprised that you want a day off from cooking every now and then. i might check out our local store and see if there's any on offer i can freeze for when i'm back on food.

daisy x

It is well worth it Daisy... the food was fantastic and really does what it says on the tin. The range will be around for a while though, so no need to stock up. Burlesque was great, hahahah in 3 weeks we do the tassel twirl with nipple tassels omg!!!! Still it should be a laugh if anything and if I ever find a bloke no doubt he will be impressed. Am hoping it goes well and I can then progress to level 2. It feels great to have a hobby/form of excercise that isnt the gym, but feels more like fun.

Btw for anyone interested a few before and after piccies in the gallery..

Have a great week

Jez
xx

Maintenance Day 37

Well a quickie update from me, not feeling hugely in the mood for typing. So far so good on the food front. Had class again last night, which as ever was brilliant. I always feel good and so uplifted after class. Still maintaining my weight, although it is still 2lbs up on my scale from where I want to be. My LLC is really happy with me and says I am doing brilliantly, although listening to all my other classmates who are back on packs makes me itch to join them, I think I kind of miss that Ketosis high. I loved the empty feeling. Exciting news is he asked if any of us would like to go with him to the Lighter Life Stand at the Diet Show in Olympia this weekend and Yay I am going cannot wait!!! I will feel so proud to be there with him as a testament to the fact that yes THIS DIET BLOODY WORKS!!!

Struggled in this morning in the snow and crappy weather, and if I hadnt had a VIP tasting on I wouldnt have gone in, but the client loved the food so much that she has now booked her next Xmas party with us too. So a good day, although I was absolutely freezing. I am soooo sick of wearing 4 layers of clothes, and feel fat just wearing it all. Still quietly amazed though that I can wear stockings, 2 pairs thermal leggings under my size 8 jeans and the jeans are still a bit loose!! Have developed a sudden longing for summer and skimpy t shirts and little dresses and just one quick layer. It takes forever to get dressed and undressed, lol going for a pee, means heading to the bathroom about 10 minutes before you have to go!!

Had a good breakfast of the usual porridgey goodness, lunch was whilst we were doing the tasting so I have just counted the bits I tried as my lunch, not a huge amount but probalby by my reckoning about 300 cal - well according to food focus. Tonight I defrosted some of the Thai curry from last week. Added more butternut and broccoli to it and stirred in a bit of fat free yoghurt to make it a bit more liquid. I added just 1 tablespoon of rice and turned it into a thai curry soup with butternut and broccoli. Very yummy.

Have any of you been watching my big fat diet show? Awesome and those hundred calorie portions in the "shop" are great, wish I could do my normal shopping like that

Friday is the arrival of Mr Chai so we are very excited, not sure if Lil knows whats about to arrive but will keep you all updated. Also have Burlesque class to look forward to on Saturday, and the launch of the Brits on Monday Night - hahahaha I have my posh ticket for the Indigo - should be nice, and a great opportunity for me to put on some posh gear, weather permitting off course!

Have a great day tomorrow everyone

Jez
xx

Hi hon, hope you and Mr Chai have a wonderful homecoming!!! Envious of u!! xxx

Hey hun

I am still here but have become more of a reader than a poster! Love following your journey! We will have to have another catch up on MSN soon.

I am savaging the exercise at the moment. I joined RC again and the gym. Loving it!

Hope everyone else is keeping well.

Kat xx

Maintenance Day 39

Mr Chai has arrived!!!! Albeit very late last night.... He really is the most adorable little man, very small but omg!! What a voice!! He does love to sing if left alone. I was planning to travel with Em to fetch him, but timing wise it was difficult and it seemed pointless for Em to drive from Kent to London and back to Kent again. Chai was the first of his litter to leave so Em spent lots of time with his other Mom Gwen. Then unfortunately hit bad traffic back home so by the time the little boy arrived here it was almost 11pm!

Lily, off course has her nose largely out of joint by the new arrival, but this is only to be expected. So far it has only amounted to hissing and spitting, and at least she is boxing me rather than him. He being a baby, takes no notice and just carries on. He did try to jump up and cuddle with her twice and was quickly rebuffed! Poor little man, he has never seen another cat hiss at him. I will post pictures of the new little man tomorrow. He is currently lying near the heater and he and Lily are just watching each other.

I popped into Westfield yesterday to pick up a different pair of gloves for the Burlesque class today, and oops managed to walk out with a summer dress and new bag too!! It was soo fantastic to see summer clothes coming in. I really am sick of all the layers and layers I have to put on to keep me vaguely warm. I feel about 2 stone heavier with them all on although I know that is not the case. Today was mildly warmer and wow it felt almost balmy compaired to the weather we have been having.

The burlesque class today was amazing.. It is such a huge amount of fun and really makes you feel sexy as hell!! I am absolutely going to do the level 2 classes after this. So today we practiced a bit of last weeks things and then got down to the serious business of how to remove stockings!! Woohoo, it was a laugh and I have met some really nice ladies. A great change in me has obviously occurred. It may be something to do with the confidence I am gaining and being slim. Previously, I could never do anything "just for fun" I was always very competitive and had to be the "best" at it or I wouldn't bother at all. Probably because I felt I had to compensate for being so fat??? This time it is so different, it is just a laugh, and although I am ok at it, I am by no means the best in my class. It really makes no difference now because it is just fun and I am far too busy enjoying every moment to worry about who is doing "better" than me.

Food wise things are going ok, my weight is still absolutely stable. I have had 2 half glasses of wine in the last week, for no other reason than that I felt like them. I enjoyed them for what they were and didn't want any more. I am also finding it a lot easier to balance my eating than I did previously. I have stopped logging again as it seems I am eating well within the boundries and not overdoing it.

I am not sure if any of you have been watching "the diets that time forgot" ? A fascinating look at diets of the past, namely the victoria era, the edwardian and the 1920's. The most successful of the 3 diets (the group experienceing the most consistent weight loss) was the Edwardian or the "chew chew" diet. Whereby they could eat whatever they wanted but it all had to be chewed 32 times before swallowing. The theory behind it is that the food is partially digested before you swallow. I started thinking about this from another point of view. A lot of us, have had problems in the past with eating too quickly and not savouring and enjoying our food. Something we learn to do in RTM. But as we grow more proficient at eating after abstinence sometimes we forget to slow down. So for the last 2 days I have been trying to see what it's like to chew food for that long. Very odd at first but it does make you a lot more conscious of the food going into your mouth and the tastes and textures it also allows ample time to slow yourself down and savour the food. It takes ages to eat.. you notice the feelings of satiety a lot better than usual. Perhaps they really were onto something???

Tonight I had a fabulous shepherds pie with swede and carrot mash. First one I have had since before LL. Breakfast was a bit of a break with the rules for me. I had some wholewheat toast. I am so wary of the stuff because it was my previous staple diet and I don't ever want to get into the habit of living off it again. The half loaf of bread has been in our fridge for ages now - lol previously that would have been gone between bliss and I within an afternoon!!! I had one piece with some anchovette (a south african fish spread and a real treat - also quite low cal!) and the other with a thin spreading of our home made cherry jam!! The first taste of last summers labours. Whilst delicious it was very sweet so only to be had in miniscule portions occasionally. I didn't want to eat too long before leaving for class so I had an apple only. So far so good on the cals today. I might allow myself the "count on us" chocolate dessert I got in M&S on the way home. I will however wait and see if I am actually hungry later before I indulge. I quite like the idea of having dessert in the evenings and do have it most nights. I think knowing that I have something to look forward to in the evenings even if it is only fat free yoghurt and fruit really stops me indulging in other naughtier treats.

So more Chai updates tomorrow and wishing all of you a relaxed and happy Sunday.

Jez
xx

i have to agree about the chew chew theory i chew each piece of my food at least 20-25 times it def digests better aswell and makes you fuller quicker i think

hi there
hope mr chai is settling well.

was that the diet prog where they could eat anything, but not swallow it?

burlesque sounds amazing fun!

daisy x

Hi Guys

Yup Daisy it was the diet where they could eat anything, they could swallow but only after they had chewed 32 times (basically the food almost becomes liquid!! - lol I only know because I tried it myself) I did notice distinct differences between this way of eating and how I normally ate. I still wouldnt eat anything I wanted though - far too risky for me at this stage.

See if there are any local burlesque classes, I think you really would enjoy them. There is a DVD available for about £10 which I am going to order so I can practice at home. Apart from anything else it makes you feel feminine and improves your posture and grace. And the costumes... ooh la la!!!

Chai and Lily relations are slightly improved, I think it will be at least a week or 2 though before there is proper friendship.

Jez
xx

hey jez
good stuff with chai and lily
hows the weekend been for you so far?
have a wonderful day
x