Confessions of a lazy egg

[gudetama]

Confessions of a lazy egg, the prequel​

Hello everyone!

I am now in my third month of weight loss and have decided to start this diary as a way to keep myself accountable and honest, and just for a bit of fun really!

So I guess we should start with the basics such as... 'why is your diary called confessions of a lazy egg?!' That would be because I have chosen the username gudetama. Gudetama is a Japanese cartoon character and he is basically.... a lazy egg haha! He is very cute and we both share a love of bacon and sleep!

Now let's get into my weight loss so far... I moved to China for the second time at the beginning of April. I'm not exactly how much I weighed at this point but I would estimate I was around 18 stone. The first couple of months in China I naturally lost weight from eating better and moving more, and at the beginning of July when I started to seriously focus on losing weight I was 106kg (I realise that I have just made a rather ungracious switch from stones to kg, but my scales here only have kg so kg it is from now on!).

So, as of my last weigh in (Monday 26th September - first week of October is 'national week' and we don't need to work - was away on holiday last Monday) I am 96kg.

So next up is the how? I am not following a diet - I find I am poor at restricting myself and more likely to pack it in/binge when I deny myself. I have tried losing weight many times before and this time I am determined that it will stick so I have made some small lifestyle changes rather than following a diet:

Lazy eggs lazy lifestyle changes
1. No snacking - I stick to 2/3 meals a day (sometimes Iskip breakfast simply because I have no time). I eat what I want but when it's finished I don't eat anything else until my next meal time. noting is off the menu - if I want Burger King or subway I will eat them
2. Stop eating when you are full - I am sure many on here can relate to this, but I have always been someone who will stuff myself until I feel sick rather than stopping when I'm full. I've tried to control this a little by eating a bit more slowly
3. Don't eat after 8pm - this is probably the change I have he most difficulty with as I am a very busy little egg - I work two jobs and a few times a week I don't finish work until 8pm, but I'm trying
4. 10,000 steps a day (preferably 15k) - I have always believed in the simple move more and eat less approach to weight loss - if anyone wants to add me on Fitbit please ask
5. Exercise more - the most drastic change I have made to my lifestyle is exercise. I try to exercise at least five times a week, either jogging outside or st the gym. At the beginning of July I started doing the couch to 5k programme - I am on week 9 and nowhere near running 5k, but I can run for half an hour and I feel amazing. I honestly think for me the exercise is the key - at the start of July I felt out of breathe after dancing to a song for two minutes (work haha) and struggled doing the minute runs on couch to 5k. Now I feel so much healthier and fitter and I can climb stairs etc without being out of breath at all.

​

I guess my diary is mainly going to be a place for me to record my exercise and if I feel it's appropriate my food. I know there are a lot of diaries here and I would like to write a little about living in a China if this is interesting to people. I also plan to include some progress photos of me (though I recently had to factory reset my iPhone and lost a lot of my progress photos) and record my progress with my running. More so than tracking myself though I hope to use this space to socialise with you guys and support each other.

Tomorrow I would like to write a bit about being a fat person in China, as it can be interesting to say the least! However it's gone midnight here, so I am off to bed for now...


good night minimins

 

[gudetama]

Day 1

So today was a pretty average day for me, actually scrap that it was a nice day, as I just had my part time work today. Was up too late to get to work on time AND have breakfast as per usual and was starving by lunch time! Met my friend who took me for some dumplings and a free (much needed) hair cut!

Had to go back to work for a bit later afternoon and got a bubble milk tea (珍珠奶茶) - I used to love this stuff when I lived in Beijing but it would always make my tummy a bit dodgy so I stopped drinking it. Felt like it for the first time in a while today so I had it. Technically this really counts as a snack as I'm pretty sure it's loaded with calories, but I skipped my vanilla latte at Starbucks to compensate.

Dinner was KFC chicken burger and fries and after I spent about 3 hours in the gym. Unfortunately only about 45 minutes of this was spent exercising. Had a new PB on the treadmill, running for 16 minutes - I can run longer and further outside, still adapting to the treadmill, and was on there 35 minutes. Afterwards I was sweating like a pig in a butchers and was just having a few moments to myself before jumping on the cross trainer when my PT 'friend' came up to me. Now he is a very handsome man and I was dripping with sweat - as someone who's shy and lacks confidence at the best of times my inner self was dying at this point!

Bless him, he his a sweet guy. He's told me before I need more variation at the gym and wanted to help me try a couple of other machines today. When I first joined my gym however I had a negative experience with one of their PT's and that combined with my general preference to exercise in peace means I find his well intentioned interventions slightly irritating. He showed me a couple of arm machines, but then in a similar manner to the last time we spoke the conversation gradually became less and less relevant and I wasn't doing anything. He is such a sweetheart and very kind to me, and I do enjoy speaking to him so I don't really have the heart to tell him to bugger off haha, think we spoke for about an hour and a half today (and that is less than last time!).

Overall today was a pretty standard day. Tomorrow I'm back at my full time work - the Chinese government is so bloody mean - they give us a seven day holiday but then make us work a seven day week to compensate!! This means I'll be up at 6 tomorrow - I am not a morning person at all and although have got used to waking up early I still don't do it very well! I just started my current position in September and it is much more demanding than anything I've done before. At the moment I'm still doing my old job part time too and it really is taking its toll as I am working A LOT.

Anyway it is almost midnight here and as I just mentioned I am up at 6 so it's good night from me! Alsooooo apologies for any worries in this - I whack these posts out on my iPad and I'm not the best proofreader! Mentioning it as I'm pretty sure I found a mistake a minute ago but now I can't find it!

 

[gudetama]

Day 2
in which poor little egglet goes arse over tits

Well today I started back at my full time job which meant I was up at 6. Barely made it to work in time so once again breakfast was a no go. Had lunch in the school canteen - the food is much better than what I remember eating in the UK, and even though they are cooked in a lot of oil there is always a lot of veg options and fruit for afters.

Work was pretty good considering it was the first day back and we had school on the bloody weekend! For some reason I found myself a lot less tired than usual today - I was positively chirpy which given I also have my period is somewhat of a miracle.

Finished work at half 4 and had beef noodles for dinner when I got home - I order them from some restaurant and they are gorgeous but greasy. Afterwards I met a friend and his child about tutoring - was a bit weird as me and this guy have previously had a bit of a romantic connection and suddenly I was meeting his parents. Planned to go to the gym after meeting them but I decided to go outside and run instead because it wasn't raining, and recently I have been wanting to do an outside run but we've had a lot of rain.

Run was going well and I was feeling great until suddenly OOPS for no apparent reason I find myself flying through the air and almost face planting the pavement. Luckily I wasn't too injured and I had already run 25 of the 28 minutes I was meant to run (c25k week 8), the pain wasn't too bad though so I stopped my tracker and walked a little before running another km - just to feel liked I'd not failed at my c25k (although technically given the break I guess I did). Overall I ran about 4km, and I feel (semi) confident that I could do 5 if I wanted so going to try that soon - will be chuffed to pieces when I can run 5k! The running is much easier now though still not enjoyable exactly. I have started listening to podcasts as when I'm on the treadmill I don't find music enough to keep me entertained. Running outside is much more interesting and dynamic but I fo feel I push harder and go faster son the treadmill.

Tomorrow I am still trying to decide whether to run outside or go to the gym - am thinking the gym as I have work until 8 tomorrow (gonna be knackered) and if I come home I fear I may not run - gym I can go before coming home. Also I like going to the gym when I'm working late because I can shower etc there so when I get home I am ready for bed pretty much.

Anyway I am all showered and mid drying my hair before I totter off to bed, good night everyone.

 

[Pierce]

Just to you let you know I am enjoying your thread.

Pierce

 

[gudetama]

Day 3

Hello commenting peeps! Nice to meet you both! Cynical girl I will try and include more about China in my future posts - I really want to talk about it as I think it's quite interesting and funny, but the last few days I've just been soooo busy and rushing my entries a little. Will try and improve on that soon though.

Not going to write much today as I am feeling a little tired. Had a long day working pretty much from 07:45-20:00. Went to the gym after and did 220 minutes on the treadmill (5 jogging and 15 walking on incline), but my knee was irritating me a little so I stopped. Wanted to go on the cross trainer but they were all being used, but I found a stationary bike which I didn't think the gym had so I went on that for 30 minutes and did 10km.

Stationary bike is a bit of an odd one one. The machine said I burnt 200 calories and clearly I am exercising and moving my legs, but it doesn't get my heart pumping or get me sweating at all. I know it's still good for me and particularly for my legs, but having got used to sweating so much it was just a bit odd.

Must say though when I was leaving the gym tonight I was jumping around and skipping and it just suddenly hit me how much more energetic and lively I feel than before I started exercising. Before I knew I was unfit but I guess I did realise how that affected me - I would relate it to things like breathlessness when jumping around or up the stairs. But today I realised that just... I don't even know how to describe it, but I just feel so full of energy and so fit and healthy. I think maybe this realisation will help me make the gym/exercise a lifelong habit.

Food was the school canteen lunch (which I'm going to try and work out how to post a photo of in a sec) and a chicken burger for dinner, as I literally had no time to get food and the only food I can get near my work is a not very tasty chicken burger. No breakfast as I was running late this morning.

Just worked out how to insert photos!! Top is my Chinese school canteen lunch, second is my busted knee, and last is the beef noodles I had yesterday - as I wanted to show them but didn't know how.

Anyway I must bid you all good night... has just gone midnight here so up in under 6 hours finish at 4:30 tomorrow though and then maybe going on a date so that will be nice! Have good evenings everyone!

 

[gudetama]

Thanks cynicalgirl! I am on the subway to work now (late again!), lost 1.5kg this morning which makes me under 15 stone in imperial - been awhile since I've been that low!

Not sure what time I'll get on later so good luck for your potential date and hope you have a good Monday!

 

[MsMoo]

Well done on your weight loss.

 

[gudetama]

Thanks guys it's 17:00 here, (we're 7 hours ahead assuming you're in UK) I'm still on the subway actually coming back from work. Gym next and then probably my date xxx

 

[gudetama]

Day 4

Still haven't gone in my date as the guy is at the vets with his dog, expect he will come and stay here later though (I should clarify this is someone I have been dating for several months!!). Just ate a whole pizza and a bag of doriots and I feel really annoyed, simply because I just do not stop when I feel full. It is a horrible habit and now I'm sat on my bed feeling uncomfortably full and bloated! Pizza was lovely and I'm all for eating what I want but stopping when I'm full is really something I need to work on. I'm okay eating other stuff and stopping but things like pizza and crisps I just don't seem to be able to stop!

Work was busy today because my Chinese co teacher went home sick which really threw things off in the classroom. Felt okay afterwards and spent an hour in the gym doing cross trainer and stationary bike for 30 minutes each. I really want to speak to my PT friend about the bike and his opinion on it because it doesn't get my heart rate up (maybe I just need to pedal harder lol) but obviously it's good for my legs. Saw him today when I was leaving but only briefly and he was off on his break so we didn't speak much and I'd forgotten that I wanted to ask him. Will try and remember tomorrow but I don't see him every day.

Food wise I had lunch in the canteen today - was some meat in an orange sauce which made me wretch and an egg thing which is nice. I have a photo but I took it halfway through eating was hungry as yet again I had no time for breakfast. A friend suggested I buy some stuff I can keep in the office so I can quickly eat something when I get in, so bought some bread for tomorrow morning. Other than that I had one m&m that a kid gave me, a medium vanilla latte in Starbucks and the pizza + doritos. I don't feel bad about eating the pizza I really don't - as I've said this is a lifestyle change for me and I don't want a pizza free lifestyle!! Just wish I could exercise a bit more self control and stop eating when I start feeling full...

Today I wore a blouse to work that never used to fit me. I remember buying it in Primark and thinking it looked huge (it's a size 20 I believe) but coming home and finding I could just about get it on and button it up but clearly never actually wear it as the buttons were straining at the boobs and belly! Tried it on about a month ago I'd guess and it fits wonderfully now. It's things like that that motivate me to carry on a sometimes I can't see a difference in myself but I know how that blouse fit before compared to now and so I know that my body is changing and I am gettin smaller. Have attached a pic of the blouse, no boob gap for me!

 

[gudetama]

Day 5

Didn't post last night as I got home after midnight. Nothing spectacular to report - canteen food for lunch and a slice of pizza for tea! Two days in a row isn't ideal as even though I eat what I want I like a bit more variety, but it's hard to get food in my working area and I had work again at half 6 so didn't have time to go home and get something.

Just did half an hour in the gym on the cross trainer yesterday as I didn't get there til gone 9 and I had a little chat with my PT friend about the exercise bike. Buy the time I started exercising it was already half 9 and I like to shower etc before I go home (so I'm ready for bed!). Plus last night I actually went to a bar briefly with someone after the gym. Had a strawberry daiquiri yesterday which was lovely.

Decided I'm not going to the gym tonight and will go running instead because I just feel like I need a break and I think my leg is mostly healed.

 

[gudetama]

Day 6

Think I might just start writing these the following day as I'm usually knackered by the time I'm home. Yesterday was pretty dull anyway, don't have anything much to report.

Ran 3km when I got home, was going to go to the gym tonight but I've decided to run instead - want to try and do 45 minutes and then just carry on to 5k as I should be pretty close by then!

Yesterday I ate some biscuits during my lunch break which was a bit naughty as I am trying not to snack!!

 

[gudetama]

Oh also I drank this tea yesterday - which is super tummy but very unhealthy!! I love milk tea but I hadn't tried an instant one before.

 

[victoriaplump]

Following! I can totally relate to not bein able to stop when full. I never even sure when full is until I'm so stuffed it feels awful.

Would love to hear about life in China and your weight loss journey too of course. X

 

[victoriaplump]

Also very interested in the couch to 5k thing you follow. I would live to run but hate it and struggle with exercise. Does it get easier? Xx

 

[Tibbs]

Day 3

Hello commenting peeps! Nice to meet you both! Cynical girl I will try and include more about China in my future posts - I really want to talk about it as I think it's quite interesting and funny, but the last few days I've just been soooo busy and rushing my entries a little. Will try and improve on that soon though.

Not going to write much today as I am feeling a little tired. Had a long day working pretty much from 07:45-20:00. Went to the gym after and did 220 minutes on the treadmill (5 jogging and 15 walking on incline), but my knee was irritating me a little so I stopped. Wanted to go on the cross trainer but they were all being used, but I found a stationary bike which I didn't think the gym had so I went on that for 30 minutes and did 10km.

Stationary bike is a bit of an odd one one. The machine said I burnt 200 calories and clearly I am exercising and moving my legs, but it doesn't get my heart pumping or get me sweating at all. I know it's still good for me and particularly for my legs, but having got used to sweating so much it was just a bit odd.

Must say though when I was leaving the gym tonight I was jumping around and skipping and it just suddenly hit me how much more energetic and lively I feel than before I started exercising. Before I knew I was unfit but I guess I did realise how that affected me - I would relate it to things like breathlessness when jumping around or up the stairs. But today I realised that just... I don't even know how to describe it, but I just feel so full of energy and so fit and healthy. I think maybe this realisation will help me make the gym/exercise a lifelong habit.

Food was the school canteen lunch (which I'm going to try and work out how to post a photo of in a sec) and a chicken burger for dinner, as I literally had no time to get food and the only food I can get near my work is a not very tasty chicken burger. No breakfast as I was running late this morning.

Just worked out how to insert photos!! Top is my Chinese school canteen lunch, second is my busted knee, and last is the beef noodles I had yesterday - as I wanted to show them but didn't know how.

Anyway I must bid you all good night... has just gone midnight here so up in under 6 hours finish at 4:30 tomorrow though and then maybe going on a date so that will be nice! Have good evenings everyone!

View attachment 184114 View attachment 184115 View attachment 184116

Hi , Food looks devine, and ooo your poor knee! Will be following you, loving your diary.

 

[gudetama]

Well I haven't posted on my diary at least for a couple of days because nothing is really happening! I don't really see the point of posting all the food I eat here as most of it is pretty unhealthy as I don't diet. I do however think I should confess when I balls up with my eating as I think secret eating is/was a big problem for me!

So yesterday at work I ate about 8 biscuits I think - not the end of the world but I am trying not to snack so not great. Today I ate two bread things - right before lunch! Again not good but I am still full now so no dinner today lol.

Exercise wise I have still been good - had a longer session st the gym today doing some arm exercises. Thursday I was shattered and didn't end up doing anything but I don't think one day off during my seven day work week was that bad really!

I bought some salt and vinegar pringles earlier (a big treat because you can't get salt and vinegar anything here!) but not fancying them right now. If I buy the sour cream ones I always eat them immediately, I can remember eating two tubes in one sitting in UK . Sour cream ones are much more readily available here though - Chinese version which taste a bit different and the ones we have back home, haven't eaten them for a while though.

I also got some little apple things. I don't know what they actually are (they're not apples) but they are soooo yummy - really sweet and crunchy! Ive attached a photo but it's certainly not something I'd seen before coming to China.

Also very interested in the couch to 5k thing you follow. I would live to run but hate it and struggle with exercise. Does it get easier? Xx

I 100% recommend it and it gets easier for sure, I still don't enjoy running but when I i first started the minute runs were hard. I have only been going to the gym since the start of September and by that time I'd already been doing couch to 5k for two months, and noticed massive improvements in my health and the weight started really coming off.

I am so, so pleased I did it as it's really kickstarted me and motivated me - I never thought I'd be able to run and sure I'm still pretty slow but I'm still doing it!! Being able to run longer now motivates me to keep going and improve my speed and distance. I don't think I'll ever enjoy running but still so glad I did it.

Hi , Food looks devine, and ooo your poor knee! Will be following you, loving your diary.

Haha bless you knee is healing well xx

 

[victoriaplump]

You have my tempted with the running. I'm not sure when I could find time but definitely one day I will give it a try.

Can you get much UK foods over there? Do you miss anything in particular? I could definitely eat 2 tubes of sour cream and onion pringles. Once you pop you just can't stop! x

 

[gudetama]

You have my tempted with the running. I'm not sure when I could find time but definitely one day I will give it a try.

Can you get much UK foods over there? Do you miss anything in particular? I could definitely eat 2 tubes of sour cream and onion pringles. Once you pop you just can't stop! x

If you find the time honestly just go for it, I am so glad I did and really struggle to believe that I can run for 30 minutes now!

UK food is a little hard to come across but I am lucky as I live in a big city which is popular with expats so I have a lot more choice than many places in China. No one has ovens here so anything you'd cook in an oven is hard to find (and not much use if you can find it). There are some brands we have back home which are widely sold here such as pringles, walkers, skittles, dove (galaxy choc - though it's not as nice as the stuff back home).

I would kill for a bar of dairy milk or something - the chocolate over here isn't great. Also I'm sure they have it but my Chinese is too poor to ask for it - things like minced beef which I'd love to find so I could cook some bolognese or something. I also struggle to find proper orange juice - you can get little bottles which are quite expensive but not the big cartons like you get back home.

 

[victoriaplump]

They don't have ovens? Do they only cook on the hob? Wow that does limit you if you miss foods from home although I could do with not being able to buy dairymilk at times. lol xx

 

[gudetama]

I would love to be able to cook a lasagne!! Occasionally you'll find a little toaster oven or grill but in general no ovens. 1.5kg off this morning