Stabilization CONSOSTAB (shared diary)

[dukandebut]

That's still sounding good and healthy, Anja. As we keep saying, it's all a question of balance, and you really seem to be achieving that.

I'd love to know your couscous recipe, please? Mine contains not only dried apricots but also raisins and toasted almonds, plus orange juice. It is delicious, but too many naughty fruits and nuts for me at this stage!

 

[robinhood]

Nice recipes, Anja - glad the scales are behaving for you!

My first month (not quite finished but this is the last Friday) on consostab/stab has gone well. The scales are pretty constant (I think - I weighed this morning at 6.30 after a disturbed night and didn't note it down and never had time to post before this afternoon but it was definitely 63.something) so I am confident that weighing once a month will be fine from now.

DD - we just have raisins (if any fruit) in our couscous but we do have the meat, chickpeas and veg with it too (no sausages though). Your version sounds nice to accompany grilled chicken or similar though - you could always have that as a gala meal.

 

[dukandebut]

That's fantastic, Laura! I do hope that I can stabilise as well as you and Anja. It's definitely giving me hope.

As for the couscous, yes - I'm sure it will make a gala appearance (sounds like the Royal Variety Show or something) sooner or later.

 

[anjuschka]

Hey Laura - that's great news! I don't think I can go to monthly weighing (yet), my willpower is not yet strong enough, I do need the odd reminder to pull me back when I go to far in the wrong direction!

The couscous (and by that I only refer to the cereal not the whole dish...) was tasty, made by adding 1 ts of Ras-el-hanout (sp?) and about 4 chopped up apricots to the grains (about 80gr dry for 2 portions) before adding 150ml hot chicken stock so soften the grains.
The stew to accompany it was onions, chicken pieces, tin of tomatoes, mushroon and chickpeas (1 tin, drained), seasoned with several teaspoons Ras-el-hanout, extra cinnamon, 1ts of honey (in 4 generous portions). Made by piling in the slow cooker and came out very nice.

The WI on Sat morning clocked in at 63 exactly. STS again but this week I worked quite hard at having virtually no extras whatsoever.

The work lunch on Thursday actually turned out very restrained, a couple of small of baguette sandwiches, on with brie & tomato, the other with salmon (but some butter-type spread), and a small choclate cake for dessert... I did have quite a lot of fruit that day, exceeding even my usual 2 or 3 portions a day!

So on Sat I had a relaxed day including an small (MrK) Apple pie in the day, the couscous and a mini magnum for dessert.
Today back to normal - my one extra consisted of two little chocolate wafer rolls. This morning I had a bowl of muesli (my small carb portion), carefully weighed so I know what 80gr looks like. It does include nuts and raisins and I also added one TB of oatbran to it. Delicious with yoghurt. Tonight baked fish with herby oatbran crust, and baked potato (my 'big' carb portion). Yum

Tomorrow swimming with the girls, I'd better plan the post-swimming snack with care!

 

[dukandebut]

Well done on STS, Anja! I like the way that you're dividing your carb portions and getting to know how to recognise the right weight by sight. Sounds very sensible.

Thanks so much for letting me know how you make your couscous. I've copied and pasted it for future use.

 

[jaqys]

Sounds like things are going well for both of you. Terrific.

 

[anjuschka]

Hello diary people - do I owe you an entry? I'm plodding along, not much to report. Todays result (which was not unexpected see below) has proved again that I need to keep my weekly weighing though to keep me in check. It's too easy (for me!) to become complacent.

Well this week I have gained >1lb - 63.6 up from 63 last Saturday.

Due to all sort of of things, another to put down to experience. No excuses but lots of stupid factors coming together, as well as too many extras again:
A very successful weekend with only one extra a day and good healthy lean meals and long walks.

Monday no swimming (broken car) no cycling (needed to go by car to choir to pick up two crates of stuff).
Monday's meal was quite generous: pork loin and apple stew, low fat but 2 apples each. Followed by a mini magnum type ice-cream...

Tuesday PM feeling rotten hence comfort eating: several choc biscuits and a small portion of rice pudding (made with full fat milk and sugar).

Wed fine, had one small choc brownie bite offered by a friend. Also had 4 dried apricots - transition issues again :-( (still)

Thu PP: evening meal included 150gr Tofu (that's 4% fat) that had been marinading in oyster sauce (poured away marinade), so not the leanest of days I could have had.

So this coming week is planned with lean meals and two more generous days:
Friday: grilled chicken & Veg & rice
Sat: Choir workshop day with bring & share lunch. Evening planned lean chicken stew no extra carbs.
Sun: Fish & courgette parcels
Mon: Beef stirfry
Tue: Pancake day. No comment
Wed: can't remember what I planned!!
Thu: PP: omelette with Prawns

What the Tuesday has shown is that I too can slip into the "ah well what's another extra now I've already done it" I didn't quite sit there with a box of biscuits or ice-cream in front of the TV but through the afternoon/evening I caved in just a few times too many and had something I fancied.

Ha ha now I need to get my head sorted in the run up to Easter!!

 

[robinhood]

Anja, we all have weeks/days harder than others. I can feel myself blowing up like a balloon as I type and I've eaten 2 fruit (0% but still) yogurts this evening whereas I usually have nothing - the cravings are hitting! Just as well I'm not weighing in for a while. I do think it evens out over a few weeks though.

Also, we've had no social occasions for a couple of weeks but have a few coming up in the next month (each weekend at least one meal, sometimes more - this means PP days each Thursday for the next month too, sadly) so I am lucky in that the first month of consostab was light on gala meals and such otherwise I'm sure I'd have had gains (as it is I am 400 gr up from 1st Feb but I'm not counting 500 gr either side as a gain or loss).

You're still under your target weight (and, if we're being fussy, I'm not) so a big well done to you!

 

[dukandebut]

Anja, your mindset seems to be so very similar to my own when it comes to snacks and treats. I can sympathise with how very difficult it is to stop from slipping into it, and how annoyingly easy it is to rationalise to yourself that one little treat can't possibly do too much harm.

The good thing, though, is that you're remembering to compensate for this. As I keep saying, balance is the key. It's inevitable that the initial stages of Stab/Consostab will involve learning exactly what you can or can't get away with, and how best to even things out. It's all unchartered territory, but you will find your way through, I'm sure of it.

Both you and Laura continue to be an inspiration to the rest of us.

 

[Maintainer]

Lovely to read you Anja... I particularly enjoy the honesty, the analysis, and your reasoning.

You know you can pull this back - and without doing anything silly, I hope - just rein in those nibbles and treats, sticking perhaps to a Conso type schedule for a week - and you'll soon see that pound vanish

 

[anjuschka]

thanks DD and Jo,

that's what I'm doing, back on Conso - sort of, but tomorrow evening I'm allowed time off for pancake day with proper pancakes ... Anyway still a few weeks till Easter for me to settle back into proper Stab eating rather than overdoing it one day and then having to over-compensate the next!

But yes yesterday and today no naughty nibbles even though the kitchen is full (brought some premium chocolate biscuits back from the Saturday meet for the family). And today after swimming DD2 stuffing her face with banana and biscuits (and sandwiches and yoghurt) and I didn't have any - just lots of cucumber
No worries for daytime the rest of the week, being at work is always safer.

Right better get ready to pick DD1 up from school....

Have a good week everyone

 

[robinhood]

Morning!

More musings for reference, so thought I'd better write them down somewhere so that I can chart how much I can get away with.

Today is a normal day as I'm PPing on Thursday after a festive weekend .

Changes I've made since on stab so far -

Breakfast - dried fruit in porridge most mornings, sometimes made with ss milk (how creamy does it taste now), still using sweetner but hope to get rid of that soon (see how wi goes next month) and have managed to get used to the bigger portion so no more muffins.

No more restrictions on fruit.

If I have custard, I have the same as the children (normal milk and sugar).

If I want a biscuit, I have one. I rarely want biscuits though that was never my downfall so not much difference from conso there (think I've had a couple). However, have had apple tart every single time we've visited husband's parents (usually every other week).

Have had the odd piece of chocolate with a cup of coffee, no longer need to have the whole bar (very happy with that). Feeding hormonal cravings with fruit yogurt instead of chocolate - big improvement!

Cheese - not restricting myself in that I use more in cooking but still eat cheese (and bread or similar) once a day.

To compensate for the extras, the gala meals are limited to invitations from friends or having friends here and not every week (although expecting several gala meals this month including 2 or 3 in one weekend - PP Thursday will be a regular thing).

Carbs - I can't remember what the good doctor recommends (I should buy another book) but I don't have carbs for both main meals. Not sure if that's a problem long-term or not. I would imagine I'll be having even less as the weather warms up (less soup, more salad).

Alcohol - have been having more of that too! Not excessively though (yet).

Am still walking as much as I can too!

And another waffling session...

 

[dukandebut]

That's sounding really sensible and balanced, Laura.

Do you count the bread as your daily carb ration? Or do you have a portion of carbs with either your lunch or dinner in addition every day (except PP, obviously)?

I really don't miss having carbs with every meal these days. I could happily live with my bread ration plus another carb meal a few times a week.

 

[anjuschka]

Thanks Laura that looks very good - and very helpful too!

What I forgot to add to my 'back on conso' above was: I'm watching the fruit in take again at the moment but I had about 8 Dates over the last few days, they were in my Organic box and I'm the only one who likes them - I tried offering them to the kids! And they were delicious, truly enjoyable. I suppose they are to be classified as 'dried fruit' even when 'fresh'. ** goes to look up carb & sugar content **

Re carbs I think the general guidance is to stick with the Conso quantities - ie one 'bread ration' and one 'main meal' ration. Now I've been interpreting them quite flexibly from the middle of conso onwards and I am sticking with that. Which in effect means one small and one larger portion a day, but this can mean pasta in my small salad at lunch time or muesli for breakfast and an evening meal that includes pulses and smallish portion of rice or maybe fishcakes made with potatoes (then no extra carbs on my plate). It *was* working for me this way... There are also days where I skip the big carb portion altogether.

Oh and I forgot to add - did some clothes shopping this lunchtime, M&S are having a mid-season sale so I spent my birthday money. Pictures coming up later... Now I have to STS through the summer!!!

 

[dukandebut]

Thanks, Anja. During Stab, it shouldn't be a problem to split the carb weight ration in two for different meals either, so that should help.

Looking forward to seeing your new clothes!

 

[anjuschka]

As promised here they are. Gosh it's difficult to get DH to take pictures I am nearly happy with Wearing my glasses at the moment didn't think to take them off at first, they make my eyes look strange in pictures because they're pretty strong.

The dress has a tie-front, I had to really really pull it together (so the ties look a bit long) because at first it was gaping and floppy but I think the end result is really good now.

I also bought a winter coat (purple parka-type). Finally I have one that fits properly, after rattling around in my size 18 all winter ;-)

And it was all half-price

Today normal Conso day with a slice of bread only, but a gala meal of three medium pancakes (made with eggs, flour, full-fat milk), for the filling I did have some jam and honey, but spread on Quark and it was delicious! And of course we own two beautiful non-stick pans so no oil required for frying...

 

[Maintainer]

Oh Anja, you look lovely! I love the white blouse particularly... (and I can't believe you've been rattling around in a size 18 coat!!).

You must feel so much more confident now. I'm so happy for you. Just the other day, reading a newbie post re not wanting to give up alcohol during the diet because she wanted to "have a life", I responded about how, once one's lost weight and regained confidence, one doesn't NEED the alcohol crutch any longer to feel good in oneself... Then I thought it sounded pious so deleted it but I do feel that way myself

 

[jaqys]

Wow! Looking great.

 

[robinhood]

Looking great, Anja. I too have a size 46/48 (18/20) winter coat that I have been wearing all winter (it was new and expensive last winter). I'll buy a new one once I'm sure that I'm staying at size 14! Maybe I should check out M&S if there's a sale on...

 

[anjuschka]

Thanks everyone! Bring on spring! All I need now is a few summery trousers, I think the rest of my summer tops should be wearable.

Re the alcohol - it's not been a problem AT ALL. Now I didn't exactly drink much before so there is no 'night out' habit I had to suppress. Now I have a glass or two at the weekend, like I used to.
No it's the OTHER carbs calling me all the time yesterday evening I had to finish something on the computer and resorted to having a carrot... We still have quite few Kit-Kats sitting in a tin, I think they'll be gone by the weekend (not eaten by me I hasten to add)...