Green For Go!

[Bean Feast]

My food diary begins.
I started my diet in 1990 and have been on it ever since, gaining and losing hundreds of pounds. When I reached my highest weight of 13 stones [182 lbs] about 4 years ago I decided I really must do something. I lost a stone fairly quickly and kept that off more or less, but didn't lose any more for a long time. Then I lost another stone but kept yoyoing it back on and off for a couple of years. Last year I began to have problems with my legs and feet and decided it was down to being too heavy, so I lost some more weight and the problem went away never yet to return. I was doing extremely well for the last 12 months, going to the gym and joining Slimming World and my current weight is 9 stone 7 [133 lbs]. However, 3 weeks ago I had my Birthday and decided to eat whatever I wanted on that day and not think about dieting and that was a disaster. Ever since then I seem to have been on one unstoppable binge, getting up every morning and promising to get back on plan today, but I seem to have had less control every day. I have put on 8 lbs all together in the last 3 weeks and although I did go to SW to get weighed in a week ago, I was so upset that I had to flee the class quickly before I cried and couldn't face going back this week, which is a very rocky road.
I find the SW plan quite hard to follow mostly because I have no idea of portion sizes and find the idea of having free foods such as SW chips, Linda Mac sausages and beans means that I can actually put on weight even with sticking to the plan. When it says eat as much as you like of these foods, I don't think the designers thought that anyone can eat the volume of food that I can manage. Also, I'm very lazy at looking up syn values and have a habit of just guessing sometimes, which can often lead to eating too many as I never over estimate them.
However, I find that going to the class every week and being weighed invaluable and it really helps me keep on track knowing I will have to face the group each week. Sadly I'm at the stage where if I don't lose this week, I can see myself never going back and that would probably be a disaster.
That's why I've decided to keep a food diary. I became a vegan for ethical reasons in 1992, so my food is always animal free, but it isn't always healthy as I adore cakes and biscuits and don't want to exclude these from my diet. I hope that starting this diary will help me get back on track today. I intend to get my books out this afternoon and go back to basics.

 

[WasMicci]

Hi BeanFeast,

great idea to keep a diary. Regarding the eat as much as you like side of it, are you eating much SF? I suppose that you are doing green days like me? I've found that using the EE principles of always having a third of your plate/meal full of SF which is veggies/fruit/salad help with overeating the SW chips and the Linda McC sausages.

It's the homemade treats that are harder to syn, I've just discovered some little banana versions of the soreen malt loaves which are handily wrapped in 5 syn packages. You can have cakes and biscuits, just not in large quantities. A shame that so many of the SW sweet treats, the recipes that float around the internet are so egg based. Aaargh, the cloresterol even if someone wasn't worried about the chickens. In fact, SW is so egg based it's crazy.

Ah, I do know about those unstoppable binges, you really have my sympathy. Will power is not enough, it takes a whole shift in thinking. I do very much hope that starting this diary will help you get focused on why you want to lose weight.

Something that has helped me in the past is to make a list of everything you dislike about being overweight, and another list of what you would enjoy about becoming slimmer again.

Hugs, you can do this, and even more so, you want to don't you?

 

[Bean Feast]

Thanks WasMicci,
Yes, I need to remember about the 3rd of the plate of veg, sometimes I forget about it and just have, say, dal and rice or baked potato and beans.
I am feeling back on track today and it's mostly thanks to you for reminding me of Minimins and getting me to start the diary. I think we can help each other.

 

[WasMicci]

It's sooooooo very nice to see you here Very very smiley face. I didn't realise at first when you popped up on my diary, but when I saw your post here it was obvious. A belated happy birthday too, I don't hink I realised at the time. Or I did, and have forgotten, I have been known to forget important things before. Sad face.

Looks like you've had a really good day, that's a great start to the new regime. What day is your group?

Looks like you met other vegans here who have seemed to have melted away. What a shame they have gone.

And what a rip off the call call to SW HQ was. Have you asked your consultant? I think the more of us that put pressure on the more they will respond. I surprised my consultant with nutritional yeast last night but she was interested with all the B vits. When you were losing well, were you having a fat free seitan as a free food? It should be, shouldn't it, as so many of the lowish syn foods have wheat gluten in it. I think years and years ago a mutual friend looked up vital gluten flour on the calculator and it came out as really heavy on syns.

I've got the gentle chef cookbook and it's just about all seitan based. He was a meat chef before becoming vegan and that's the sort of food he tries to duplicate.

Stay on track m'dear, we can support each other through this. Eeek, I've four and half stone at least to lose, but am back on track after what you so politely called a hiccup. You'll be back in the eights really soon.

 

[Bean Feast]

I began the day with no syns left over and non to pay back and I'm trying to save some syns now for the bakewell tart I'm planning to make this weekend.
My SW consultant texted me today to see if I was okay, seeing as I didn't go to the last class and she knows I've been struggling.
I had a black coffee for breakfast. Then I put loads of veggies, green lentils and potatoes in the slow cooker for tea and made a loaf of wholemeal bread to go with it.
For dinner I had brown rice, garden peas and a snackpot baked beans.
In the afternoon, to tide me over I made a 2 syn hot chocolate with water and stevia.
A friend came to tea and we all enjoyed the stew and bread, which worked out as my 2 hexbs.
Now I'm planning to have a gingernut with my night time cup of tea and a small whiskey for 5 syns between the two. So saving 5 syns to put towards the weekend cake.
Still very happily on track.

 

[Bean Feast]

My Class is a Tuesday dinner time. They're a very nice group. Did you find the syn value for the nutritional yeast? I use it a lot too, but just went on the calorie count for the syns. I have always used fat free seitan as a free food and never had a problem with it. I syned the gluten flour too and it came out as very heavy on syns, but it doesn't make sense to me, so I'm sticking with it as a free food.
I think we are sounding determined this time.

 

[WasMicci]

Having a nice group makes all the difference. The one I go to now is nice, but I have been to a couple of very cliquey ones. And one that met in a pub. The bar was closed but the atmosphere was eather that of a lively east end pub. I worked out the syn value for nooch with the rule of thumb 1 syn per 20 cals and it's not much although I can;t remember how much. This could be important so will do it again. Maybe make up little containers with a syn's worth in each.

Sounds like you are very focused again, and eating well, and still fitting in your treats. Great news.

 

[Bean Feast]

I have 5 points in the bank for the weekend and intend to add another 5 to that total today.
So, I had twig tea for breakfast, brown rice, baked beans and garden peas for dinner and yesterdays left over veg and lentil stew and 2 hexbs of wholemeal bread for tea.
My Syns will be 7 for today, 2 in the hot chocolate i had mid afternoon and 5 in the whiskey and ginger nut I plan to have for supper. I do miss having several crumpets or potato cakes with houmous on for supper, but maybe I can make room for them at the beginning of next week. Must keep thinking about the Bakewell tart tomorrow!

 

[WasMicci]

Twig tea, I wonder? You sound like you've really got back into the swing of things. Well done, I'm sure it will show on the scales. My current consulatant has a theory about floating weight loss, if you've put it on quickly, it will go again quickly, it's the long seated fat that takes a while to shift. If this has any basis in science I do not know, but it certainly seems easier at the start of the weight loss journey than the last few pounds.

 

[Bean Feast]

I hope you're right as I put this lot on fast enough, so I hope it will come off quick.

 

[Bean Feast]

I did manage to save another 5 syns from yesterday, so now have 10 in the bank for tonight's cake.
Black coffee for breakfast, brown rice, garden peas and a snackpot of baked beans for dinner, [must try and vary my dinner a bit] and 2 Linda Mac Rosemary sausages, SW chips and cabbage for tea with ketchup
I had a 2 syn hot chocolate in the afternoon, the ketchup was probably 2 and I need 2 1/2 for my bed time whiskey. So I have another 5 1/2 to add to my saved total, bringing the syns saved to 15 1/2. I've also decided to borrow another 2 from tomorrow bringing the count up to 17 1/2 syns to spend on my cake for supper.
This afternoon I made the Cakewell tart from the famous Ronny's 'Cake Scoffer' leaflet, although I only made half the recipe as the original is for catering I think
Vegan Bakewell Tart
It's really lovely and came out all puffed up and brown with jam just oozing out round the edges. It works out at 2 1/2 syns per 10 grams, so my serving will be a whole 70g tonight. I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[WasMicci]

Yum, enjoy!

 

[Bean Feast]

Today was a very difficult day. I was fine till dinner time, but after that I could have just carried on eating all day and no amount of food would have been enough. So I've felt quite unsatisfied and angry at having to stick to a plan of any kind. I really feel the injustice of it sometimes, but not enough to throw in the towel today.
Breakfast was a black coffee and 4 SW chips left over from last night that I just spotted and couldn't resist.
For dinner I had a HEXB of porridge with a load of garden peas in, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. However, when I'd finished it, I still felt hungry, so I finished off the bag of peas with some mint sauce.
For tea I had syn-free chickpea dal and rice with my second HEXB of wholemeal bread.
I owe 2 syns to yesterday and am saving 3 from today for next weekend. I had a 2 syn hot chocolate this afternoon and will be having my usual 2 1/2 syns of whiskey before bed. So I still have 2 1/2 spare, just enough for a ginger nut as well. Hope tomorrow will be an easier day. The rest of the Cakewell tart is still sitting there looking very inviting, but I really don't want to eat any more of it and would prefer to save my syns for something different next weekend.

 

[WasMicci]

Hugs BeanFeast. Yeah, it's a bummer isn't realising that the brutal truth is that we can eat all we want, or gain the body we want and can't have both. Yet in my very optimistic moments I feel that intuitive eating and only wanting to eat what will do us good is out there in the air and that somehow it is possible to latch into that way of thinking. How I don't yet know.

You've done really well sticking to plan considering you were feeling so angry and resentful. I hope tomorrow is easier for you.

 

[Bean Feast]

A much better day today.
Black coffee and some left over rice for breakfast, brown rice, baked bean snack pot and garden peas for dinner and tofu/veg curry and wholemeal pasta for tea.
I made a big pot of brown rice and portioned it up for the freezer for myself as hubby won't eat it and I also made a loaf of wholemeal onion and garlic bread. Which I haven't tried yet, I'm saving a piece for my 2 hexbs for supper.
I saved 2 1/2 syns from yesterday and will be saving 7 1/2 from today as my only syns will be my 2 syn hot chocolate and 2 1/2 syns whiskey at supper time. So I've already got 10 in the bank.
However, today I've felt really bloated and fat and am wondering how my weigh in will go tomorrow. I worry that I eat too big portions and will gain even on free foods. I may buy myself a countdown in class tomorrow to encourage me to stop skipping weeks where I think I've gained. Tomorrow I think I remember there's a free cookbook for buying a countdown.
After tea I got my SW books out and did a bit of reading, just to remind myself. Sometimes I get confused. For example, for a long time I thought that oats were free food rather than a HEXB choice and was eating it like it was going out of fashion. So it's good to just go through the books every now and again as I don't think I've really looked at them this year.

 

[Bean Feast]

My absolute dream would be to nail this intuitive eating, but no matter how many times I've tried it, it seems to work wonderfully for a couple of weeks and then I completely lose the plot. Although everyone says it's never too late, I'm not sure that after so many years I can ever get it back again. Though I can remember what it was like to be full and leave food on my plate, but it was 30 years ago. Now I just what ever amount is put in front of me and always have room for more. So I'll stick to my syns for now and if it ever happens naturally, well very good.

 

[Bean Feast]

Today I went to class and have lost 2 1/2 lbs, so I was pleased with that. We had a good chat today and our entire class had lost weight apart from one lady who was below target and had to put on 2 lbs to get back to target.
Today I had brown rice, mashed cauliflower and garden peas for dinner, SW chips, Linda Mac sausages and cabbage for tea and a 2 syn hot chocolate in the afternoon.
I bought a 12 week countdown today, to make sure I keep attending class for the near future.
I feel this diary will get boring with a daily account of what syns I have or haven't saved, so from now on I think I'll do a weekly round up every Tuesday after weigh in.

 

[WasMicci]

Well done BeanFeast

 

[WasMicci]

Today I went to class and have lost 2 1/2 lbs, so I was pleased with that. We had a good chat today and our entire class had lost weight apart from one lady who was below target and had to put on 2 lbs to get back to target.
Today I had brown rice, mashed cauliflower and garden peas for dinner, SW chips, Linda Mac sausages and cabbage for tea and a 2 syn hot chocolate in the afternoon.
I bought a 12 week countdown today, to make sure I keep attending class for the near future.
I feel this diary will get boring with a daily account of what syns I have or haven't saved, so from now on I think I'll do a weekly round up every Tuesday after weigh in.

How was your group today?