* Healthy For My Horse *

[excitableequine]

Hi everybody! :wavey:

I'm Lynds, currently studying music at university and thoroughly enjoying life! Except for one thing...my weight. It's been the bane of my life, the millstone round my neck (and stomach!) for as long as I can remember. I don't ever remember being at least at a normal weight, I've always seemed to be in the overweight or obese category.

Enough was enough, and tonight I joined my local SW after a fair bit of mental cajouling from myself! Once I'd made the decision, I got very very excited and wanted to find out about it before I got there. I had a look around the boards, got some ideas and then went shopping this afternoon for lots of nice healthy (colourful!) food.

The meeting tonight was brilliant, not overly busy which is good for me as I tend to get quite anxious in new situations. We even had a taster night which was nice! Parsnip crisps are on the menu this week The people also seemed nice, including the consultant who is a little bit bonkers, but also completely approachable and understanding, but who also seems nicely strict with us!

I weighed in at 15st 2lbs. I need to tell people my weight because that makes it real, and I'm hoping it might provide some incentive to drop some pounds! My first target is the Club10, so I've got 22lbs to lose.

There's one incentive which is providing the stimulus for the weight loss. I ride twice a week on a gorgeous highland pony. She's a little star, always looks after me when I'm on her yet has a bit of personality as well. She's perfectly capable of carrying my weight as I am now, but I want to make it as easy as I can for her, and I know losing weight would help my own riding too. One of my riding ambitions is to do long distance endurance riding, and it would be so much easier for the horse if I was lighter.

I've had a look through the SW books, and have settled on doing EE for the next week. It appears to be the best way to get me cooking and eating well to start off with. I'm amazed at the amount of free and superfree food there is. If I get hungry, it'll only be my fault for not eating enough of those.

Sorry for the essay, if anybody reads this, thanks!

Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life, and today is the heaviest I will ever be!

L
x

 

[excitableequine]

Today has been brilliant. Taxing on the mind, but not on the belly

I've enjoyed it though, mixing all my veggies up and creating rainbow on a plate. So much different to my old meals, which were all beige and boring. It was amazing having eggs, mushrooms and spinach for brekkie too, I felt like finally I was actually looking after myself and caring what I put in my body. I've stopped loading my engine with the wrong fuel, now we have to see if it drives better!

One thing I've really struggled with is fitting syns in. Mid afternoon I wandered out to buy a curly wurly for my evening treat, but I ended up helping my family with some stuff and not feeling like eating it by the time I got home. However, I know they're important, so I had a Highlights hot chocolate and a couple of dairylea triangles to stave of nighttime hunger and get my syns in!

I really feel as if the first corner has been turned, that acceptance of knowing I have to lose weight, and the understanding and impetus to start SW. It's wonderful for my head to finally feel ready

Looking forward to tomorrow, it's back to uni for my first departmental meeting before lectures start on Monday. Summer has gone so fast!

Job for the weekend: plan (and cook) lunches for the week. Anything I can carry in a flask or tupperware is feasible! Either that or I can buy a lovely jacket spud with a free or low syn topping.

Falling asleep on the computer now, my bed is calling...night all :4635:

 

[excitableequine]

I love SW, I really do. I'm halfway through my first week, and have already seen some results. I'm far less bloated, have more than enough energy and am loving food more than ever, and that's saying a lot!

It's just so easy! I went out with my boyfriend yesterday, we always have something to eat, and usually my choice is something that I really really want. To be fair, I usually enjoy it, but yesterday I chose something based on what it contained - a chicken and bacon salad. You know what, I flippin' loved it. Every single bite was utter heaven, and even my fella noticed that I was enjoying it, probably due to me not talking as much as I usually do when we're eating! I am a bit of a dinnertime natterer

It was easier than I thought to find something I could eat too. I was a bit gutted later on in the day to discover I'd been devouring two alpen bars as my HEXB, only to find they were not the light ones Still, they must be better than having a bag full of goodies from the corner shop every night like before I started SW?!?!

Back at uni tomorrow, looking forward to it, but have so much work to do already. That's what you get when you go into 2nd year I suppose.

Still fired up and raring to go :bliss:

 

[excitableequine]

It's my first weigh in in 45 minutes. I'm a little bit scared, even though I know I've been sticking to the plan consistently. It feels as if I've lost some weight, but the scales can lie sometimes, as we all know!

I've been enjoying my food immensely, although I seem to be struggling to fit enough in when I'm at uni. Commuting really narrows my options, I haven't got use of a microwave, or even a kettle. Last year I occasionally took a flask of water, but it weighs too much to carry when I've got books with me.

Ah well, I'll stick to my handy pre-packaged fruit - a banana! And I've got some Alpen lights now rather than the 129cal Alpen bars, they're good too.

Getting nervous! :cross: Wish me luck!

 

[Trefoil]

Good Luck!

I'm sure you will have done really well! Will check back to see how you did!

Ruth
X

 

[excitableequine]

Thank you

I lost 5lbs! So relieved, and amazed at the same time! The amount I've eaten this week, I honestly can't believe that so much food can equal so much weight off!

My head's changed a bit in the past week too. Just now, I was making tea and fancied some rice. The only rice I had in the cupboard was a Tilda Egg Fried rice. When I saw it had vegetable oil in, I put it back in the cupboard and got a tin of carrots instead...bonkers!

Bye bye 5lbs, and bye bye 15 stone somethings! Don't come back!

 

[Trefoil]

Well Done You!!!!!

I've made odd decisions like that! I always have the same thing when it comes to a Chinese and found myself ordering chow Mein and Soup when I went to order lol! Weird!!!

Hope you have a really good week

Ruth
X

 

[excitableequine]

Thank you Trefoil! Getting healthy means making odd decisions I guess, in contrast to decisions when I wasn't bothered - usually the choice between chocolate bars!

I'm having a very good weekend so far in regards to food, well, in regards to everything!

Yesterday evening, instead of flopping on the sofa after a full day at uni, I went into the kitchen and cooked a SW cottage pie. I felt as if I was really looking after myself, making sure that all the ingredients were healthy, and it felt like such a treat to be sat an hour later with a steaming plate of food later on. It's only now I really understand how much I've neglected my body.

For the past few years I've rarely cooked, I'd go to the shop and buy 4 bags of crisps, a couple of chocolate bars, some penny sweets and some kind of fizzy drink. Nearly every day I'd spend around £5 on this crap! Today, I went to Aldi and bought tons of fruit and veg for under a fiver! Not only is it better for me, but it lasts loads longer too.

After my little shopping trips to Aldi and Morrisons, I came back and made the most gorgeous carrot and corriander soup. Again, it felt like such a treat!! And there's loads left for some other meals. I finished the day with some leftover cottage pie, with broccoli and cauliflower. I've come to adore cauliflower at the moment, it's just divine!

I love this. I've got a spark for cooking again. I've not quite found the love of washing up yet though

I think this might work

 

[excitableequine]

Flippin' heck!

Today has been crazy. 3rd weigh in tonight, lost 4lbs! 10lbs in total over 3 weeks...I can't quite believe it! Got my half stone shiny too!

Plus, slimmer of the week AND slimmer of the month! Crazy!

And I also won a prize when we had a halloween pass the parcel!

I'm shocked!

I need a lie down...

 

[excitableequine]

Last night was my first complete dive off the wagon. It started with my usual little chocolate bar, I have it practically every night, and it usually keeps the cravings to a minimum. Last night it kicked off a massive binge.

It's like my brain switched, it was like a ball had started rolling down a small hill which turned into an uncontrollable boulder travelling at breakneck speed. It was terrifying, the lack of control, the inability to reason and more importantly, stop.

I used to have problems with food. Well, to be frank I think I've always had some kind of issue. When I was a teenager I used to not eat at school, I couldn't face munching in front of my thinner, prettier friends. But obviously, after 8-10hours no food, I'd hop off the bus and go straight into a shop close to home, spend my lunch money on a whole bunch of crap, and take it home hidden in my bag to devour in my bedroom. My mum used to notice that HUGE packets of chocolate biscuits would go 'missing'. I denied it every time.

As a young adult, I was hospitalised a few times. I remember one stay where I didn't eat for 32 days. Nothing. Not one little bite. I barely drunk anything either, maybe a sip of water ever couple of days. Then it snapped, and I ate more than enough for a few months.

This is the first 'diet' where I've been unrestricted in choosing food, it's just been so easy being able to choose pasta and rice, potatoes and meat, and of course tons of veg. It's working so well, but I suppose there's still underlying issues going on.

That binge isn't important now, but it is important to learn from it. Thanks to the person that replied to my emergency thread I'm now preparing a list of 'safe' foods to eat if the binge monster rears it's head. Pasta, rice, bananas, baked beans, yoghurt, fruit, mugshots and soup.

I've yet to decide if my daily chocolate bar is going to stay...

Today is a brand new day

 

[Tishbish]

Last night was my first complete dive off the wagon. It started with my usual little chocolate bar, I have it practically every night, and it usually keeps the cravings to a minimum. Last night it kicked off a massive binge.

It's like my brain switched, it was like a ball had started rolling down a small hill which turned into an uncontrollable boulder travelling at breakneck speed. It was terrifying, the lack of control, the inability to reason and more importantly, stop.

Hi, I just want to say you're not alone, I have a problem with binge eating and most of the time it's in secret. I'm finding SW is helping because I'm full of healthy foods and can feel my body is grateful for the change in diet, I think I'll always have to fight the urge to eat the wrong foods but we can just take each day as it comes, hope you feel ok today and are back in control. Take care x

 

[excitableequine]

Thanks Tish I'm still not eating the way I should, I need to get back on it. It's WI tonight, I might have a word with my consultant.

I've got butterflies! Not only is it WI tonight, but I'm supposed to be getting a call back from my Tesco interview yesterday letting me know if I've got the job. Seriously, I've never had butterflies this bad, I almost feel like I might puke, and I can't seem to concentrate on anything for more than a couple of minutes. She said she'd call after finishing her late shift, but I don't know when that is!

I want this job so much, the people seem perfect, the store is brand new and not yet opened and I feel like just as Tesco are starting afresh in my town, my life is starting afresh too. It seems like such a little thing, a job, but this will (hopefully!) be the first employed, paid job I've ever had.

Oooooo, hurry up please!! :jelous: