Fair, forty but not fat!

[The Moog]

I'm new to the forums but very determined that I'm going to succeed with this diet. Having 3 kids and a huge rollercoaster of the past few years has really made me pile the pounds on, but I'll be 40 in the summer and there's no way I want to celebrate my birthday like this.

So I've started.

I've had a long look and a long ponder about lots of different types of diets. In the end I came to the conclusion that they would probably work, but they're not sustainable in the long-run. I need something that not only can I use to lose weight, but I can adjust later on to make sure the weight stays off by keeping control of what I'm eating.

I've downloaded a really nifty little calories tracker for my iPhone (complete with exciting graphs!) and although I haven't lost much weight yet (only 3lbs) I can see it happening. I've got a heck of a long way to go, but I'm determined.

Gone are bulky carbs like pasta, rice and bread. I've replaced them with salads. I'm lean meat and fish all the way, and my kitchen seems to have turned into a soup production line (with a sideline in lowfat bio yoghurt in the corner). Toss in a bit of fruit and an egg or so, and that's what I'm eating for now.

I think it's sustainable. So here's hoping...

 

[bb_31]

hi moog
whats the iphone app called?

 

[The Moog]

Calorie Counter PRO from MyNetDiary. It was only £1.79, so worth a shot, but I quite like it, as no one thinks twice about you tapping away on your iPhone. They don't need to know you're calculating calories

I've only had it for 5 days, so can't make any long-term comments on it. I do like it so far though.

 

[*Shanny*]

Calorie Counter PRO from MyNetDiary. It was only £1.79, so worth a shot, but I quite like it, as no one thinks twice about you tapping away on your iPhone. They don't need to know you're calculating calories

I've only had it for 5 days, so can't make any long-term comments on it. I do like it so far though.

Hello and welcome to minis it's such a great site it's helped me alot I must say.
I have the iPhone too and will search for that app in a bit. I find if I plan ahead I'm a good girl lol.

3 lbs down is all in the right direction well done you .
I will look forward to reading your diary.

Shanny x

 

[lindseydodd408]

Welcome and good luck with your journey xxx

 

[The Moog]

Oooh - it's nice to have the company on here - it's always easier dieting with friends

I'm tending to weigh myself every morning, which I know probably isn't a good thing because you don't lose weight as regularly as all that. I'm a steady maintained weight from yesterday, and hoping to drop a little more over the next day or two. If I could lose 4lbs on my first week, that would be excellent.

Food today has been pretty good. No nibbling as I've been rushed off my feet at work. Cup of tea (white, no sugar) to get me going in the morning, with a small banana. It's only 110 cals, but given that I normally can't stomach breakfast at all, I thin I'm doing a pretty good job. Go me!

Lunch was a mixed leaf salad with anchovies. It should have been a bit more exciting, but the fridge is pretty empty and we're expecting Tesco to deliver this week's stuff tonight. With 100g of bio yoghurt, that's 189 cals.

Dinner tonight... depends on what I fancy in the shopping bags Probably a Covent Garden Soup with an apple to follow.

The funny thing is, because the diet has so many of the things I like in with it, I don't feel like I'm suffering at all. I've had salads with wonderful things like fresh salmon, venison, lemon and herb chicken and so on. I am missing bread a bit - I love bread - warm just out of the oven bread with molten cheese :cry:but carbs really do make me pile on the pounds very quickly.

I'm being good. No chocolate cravings or anything. I will need to spike the calories every now and again to keep the weight loss going, but I need to settle into the rhythm of the thing first.

Besides, if I'm good, there's always a G&T on the horizon for when I'm watching Strictly on Saturday night

 

[The Moog]

Feeling a bit despondent this morning. Second day running and I'm on the same weight. I ate less than 700 calories yesterday and I'm being really good too.

Hubby's trying to keep my mood up and reckoning the weight will plummet off next week, but I'm not so sure.

Off for a cup of tea and some yoghurt. Tomorrow's the day when I've been on the diet for a full week, so here's hoping for even a tiny drop more by then.

 

[The Moog]

My metabolism doesn't really work anyway, so upping the calories has little effect.

I wonder if it's the alcohol. The weight decline stopped after the G&T.

Who knows. I shall persist. It'll have to shift sooner or later

 

[The Moog]

Weekly weigh-in today. Still 197lbs, which is a 3lb drop for the first week. I'm pretty pleased with the overall loss, although a bit worried that it's been 3 days on the same weight. we'll have to see what next week brings with it. I'm off on holiday on 17th for a few days and it would be great to be nearer 190 by then.

Holiday eating is going to be much trickier than dieting at home. Home is easy enough - I've resorted to having food delivered, so I don't start stuffing my face in the middle of the cake aisle in the supermarket. The routine is easier than expected at work - soups are replacing sandwiches quite easily, and in this freezing weather they're much nicer anyway!

Miso soup later today. Can't go wrong really, can you?

Here's hoping for another 2-3lbs next week and that the dreaded stall doesn't continue!

 

[lindseydodd408]

This is why you shouldn't weigh every day... just think if you'd just got on the scales today you would have been over the moon... 3lbs in one week requires a hell of a lot of hard work!!!

Your body could have been retaining water for the last few days, or you might be due a good toilet session, it is not always clear why weight loss is not steady. Sounds to me like your plan is working beautifully I've not lost 3lbs in one weeks since I was really poorly!!! xxx

 

[*Shanny*]

Aww you will get there soon. Carry on with the good work x

 

[The Moog]

Really quick post before work - thank you so much for all your support! You made me smile when I was feeling pretty bleak yesterday.

On the plus side: this morning I weighed myself and I'm another 1lb down! Wooooooohoooo! ***dances***

More later, just wanted to pop in and say thank you!

 

[The Moog]

Today's menu:

2 x cups of tea with semi-skimmed milk: 48 cals
100g of bio low-fat yoghurt: 64 cals
miso soup: 37 cals
small banana: 90 cals
mixed leaf salad, with small plum tomatoes, orange pepper and cucumber: 60 cals
pizza express low fat salad dressing: 35 cals
scallops and prawns 6oz combined: 180 cals

Which leaves me quite a few cals over in case I feel nibbly later. Hubby's bringing some blueberries home with him, so might have a few of those later. I can always pretend that they're in a muffin

 

[The Moog]

And it's working

Down another 3/4lb today, making almost 5lb down since the start of the month. That's just amazing! No noticeable difference in how my clothes fit yet, but that'll come. I'm so looking forward to the point where I can get rid of my frumpy overweight clothes and get into something much nicer. I think that's the biggest lure of all.

I suppose the thing that's worrying me in the short term is the 4 day break to Dublin at the end of next week. Am I going to be able to resist food over there? A lot of it is going to be restaurant eating - I suppose I can stick to soups and salads, but it's much harder to be self-restrained when you're going out to places and having fun.

Does anyone have any good tips on how to stick to a diet whilst on holiday? I have my trusty calorie calculator on my phone, but I'm not sure that's going to be enough.

 

[The Moog]

And down 1 1/4 lbs today! WOW! That's 3lbs since Wednesday. I wasn't expecting that AT ALL! One more lb and it's half a stone gone.

Thrilled to bits. I'm not expecting to keep losing at this rate, but it's such a relief to know that it actually is coming off - I had this horrible feeling that I'd be dieting like mad and not losing anything at all. My jeans are slightly looser around the waist and stomach. It's happening!!!

On holiday from Friday. 6 days before I go. Another 2-3lbs would be lovely, but if I stick again until Wednesday, I'm still chuffed to bits with the 3lbs I've already lost for this week.

Wooooohoooo!

 

[The Moog]

The scales are definitely on my side this week. Another lb and a quarter gone this morning which means...

HALF A STONE has gone! YAY!!

I can't even begin to say how relieved I am that this is happening. I honestly thought I'd not lose anything at all (hence the glooms last week) and was braced for disappointment. As it is... well, I'm a fraction under 193 at the moment. What are the odds of being down to 190 before my holiday on Friday?

That'll be a real milestone. A seventh of the way there!

 

[minusfour]

Congratulations, great effort! I wouldn't weigh myself each day, sort of sets you up, and as you've seen, sometimes it happens in fits and starts. Fantastic work!

 

[The Moog]

I know. I think the main reason I'm doing it at the moment is to reassure myself that it's actually happening. Once I know and believe I'm heading in the right direction, I'll drop it down to once a week. I also want to see a month through like this so I can see what hormonal fluctuations do, in case a future weigh-in lands on one of those!!

I'm away for 4 days at the end of next week and won't have any scales. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the weight when I get back!

Thanks for the encouragement

 

[The Moog]

Today's menu:
Breakfast
Cup of tea x 2 (white, no sugar) with a boiled egg (free range from our chickens this morning!)

Lunch
Mixed leaf salad, with spinach and tomatoes. Low cal caesar salad dressing.
Smoked salmon and prawns.

Dinner
Pea and ham soup
Half a pomegranate.

I was seriously tempted by the venison pate and french bread the hubby was wolfing down at lunchtime, but the kids demolished the remnants before I had a chance

No choc or sugary desserts for almost 2 weeks now. I'm missing savory things a bit more - would kill for some cheesy doritos and/or twiglets :cry:

 

[Emmaline]

That's a very interesting calorie count. Am on 1000 a day myself but seems yours must be a lot lower. Considering I am very sedentary so 1000 is quite acceptable. Don't you feel it hard to stick to? Just amazed at your determination. Well done you!...