I can do it!

Missed yesterday's meal plan and paid the price in syns. The main meals were SW friendly but somehow the munchies crept in again in the evening. Ideas anyone?

Today

Green day

Breakfast -weetabix, milk (HEA) I am going to avoid sugar today. Not looking forward to it but I am sure that the one slice of cake I had yesterday set me craving more.

Lunch - boiled egg, potato salad, lettuce, tomato, celery and grated carrot

Dinner - out for dinner so will keep my fingers crossed that at least some elements are SW friendly. If not - c'est la vie

Snacks - banana, peach, iced coffee

Walk to beach.
 
Had a wonderful evening out at a friends house, but eating wise it was a disaster. To be fair I have never made a thing about dieting but she knows I am a healthy eater. So what was with the beef stroganoff (with soured cream) bread buns with butter, and trifle topped with cream? It was put in front of us already plated and the trifle was served in individual portions (large enough for three people) I decided that all I could do was relax and enjoy myself. Stuck to water and mint tea and politely turned down seconds of stroganoff and managed to sit on my hands when the after dinner mints came out!

One good thing came out of the evening (food wise). Friends mother in law has garden full of black currants that she can't pick or use and doesn't want them to go to waste. Enter yours truly who is mad about pickles and preserves. Blackcurrant jam, curd, jelly, cordial and syrup here we come! Unfortunately all call for copious amounts of sugar but I give a lot of what I make as gifts. (Saves money and most people appreciate the effort that's been made)


Today is my chance to claw some of those syns back!

Breakfast - fruit salad and yogurt
Lunch - smoked mackerel salad (HEB) tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, celery, apple
Dinner - quorn and mixed bean chilli with rice (green beans, carrots, brocolli) jelly yogurt with strawberries
Snacks - , ryvita, Philly (HEA) and mashed banana, nectarine

Will try to connect my ipad to the TV so I can set up a you tube exercise DVD. Need to increase my stamina as I still wimp out after 12 reps on some of my kettlebell moves.

Watched Pharrells HAppy from Mumbai last night - it was so uplifting. That song is the best!
 
Just been reading a few threads and something has struck me. Most of us talk in terms of good and bad days, success and failure etc. it's no wonder we all feel as if we are on a roller coaster. How can we shake off this approach to one that is more consistent and longer term.

At work I learned that criticising people was unproductive. Pointing out the good things encourages us to do more of them. What do they call it - positive affirmation? Maybe that's what we should do instead of the daily beatings we give ourselves.

So I'm going to start -

Well done for planning meals ahead every day and sticking to them (most of the time)

Great job on the fruit and veg consumption. Eating 8 a day most days

Getting back to kettlebells so soon after op when I could have out if off.

There I feel better already. Balances out dinner the other evening.
 
I decided my weight loss needed a boost so I've signed up to Kay's salad challenge which I start on Monday. I love fruit and veg so eating salads will not be a hardship for me. What I will find hard is drinking 2 then 3 litres of water a day. Didn't get me wrong - I know its good for me and I should be doing it anyway so hopefully the added motivation of recording it will spur me on.

Out for lunch with a friend today but I am confident I will be able to eat healthily. My food plan for today is set out below but I am unsure whether it will end up being a red or green day. Always adaptable!

Last kettlebell session of the week this morning - the dreaded core workout. My aim is to be extra positive about the third repeats and see it as a bonus instead of a chore. Plan to spend a couple of hours picking black currants later on. Super speed I think so worth the effort.

So today's meal plan

Breakfast

Boiled eggs and toast soldiers (haven't had that for ages) (HEB)

Lunch

TBC

Dinner

Fish and SW chips with salad or just the fish with bigger salad (mixed salad)

Snacks

Peach, iced coffee, Freddo choc bar?
 
Feeling good this evening. Chose crab salad for lunch today with a pepper salad. Was a bit of a killjoy as my friend was drinking wine and had dessert. I did neither but didn't make a fuss. She is on a diet too!

Did a big fruit and veg shop this morning so am set for the weekend. Found that very dark cavalo Nero cabbage. Looks lush! Fruit bowl groaning and I have a huge Punnet of those gorgeous donut peaches. Adore them.

Didn't do the kettlebells this morning as had to take hubby out early. Not a problem as London as I complete the session tomorrow.

Tomorrow

Breakfast - beans on toast HEB

Lunch - smoked mackerel and scrambled egg. Salad (4syns)

Dinner - fish, vegetables

Fluids - need to start upping these in anticipation of Kay's salad challenge next week. Mint tea, NAS grapefruit, water.

Exercise - kettlebells core.
 
Disappointed with a STS at weigh in to day. It's possibly last week catching up on me. This coming week should be loads better as I join Kay's salad challenge. I think this will help on two fronts - loads of salad which I love anyway and plenty of water. Having a group supporting each other makes a huge difference to me. I have missed the interaction during the week that II used to get from the Sunday weighers group. Not that I I can complain after going off grid for 9 months!

Sunday is always my treat day. So today we are having slow cooked lamb. The long time in the oven seems to release the fat from the meat leaving a beautiful lean mass that pulls apart with a fork. I am doing it at my fathers request as he adores lamb. Mum is a vegetarian so need to get my thinking cap on - what can I make for her?

These last few days I have been avoiding doing my kettlebells which is downright stupid of me. Will be getting up after writing this and cracking on!


EE

Breakfast - fruit and yogurt

Lunch - roast lamb, turnip, carrot, cabbage, brocolli, oven roasties and parsnips. Fruit salad or Eton mess for dessert.

Snacks - bread and jam. Iced coffee HEA

Kettlebells NOW!
 
Today is day one of Kay's Salad challenge that I have signed up to so I will be completing my meal plan to fit with the slightly stricter rules In essence - low carb, increased fluid, increased exercise (although I'm quite good on that front)

Today is a red day. I usually find these more difficult as meat just doesn't fill me up in the same way as carbs. I need to be positive and pad out my meals with extra veg. I am assuming that the salad base is intended to ensure raw veg are consumed. Take longer to eat as well as being really good for you!

Breakfast - fruit and yogurt

Lunch - pulled lamb, red cabbage slaw in balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, cucumber in yogurt.

Dinner - grilled chicken, mange tout, cavalero cabbage, carrots, turnip. Raspberry and yogurt jelly

Exercise - walking. Cleaning gutters

Fluid - combination of water, mint tea, green tea with cranberries, (started this morning with a large glass of water to wash down my meds)

Weighed myself first thing (184lbs) which is one lb up on yesterday my normal wi day.

This past week I have seen really great camaraderie and support on Kay's thread. That is just what I need to keep me on the straight and narrow. Wish me luck
 
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My first attempt at attaching a photo. Thought I'd better practice before tonight when I post on Kay's salad challenge
 
Reported in on the salad challenge last night , with salad picky of course. I learned a couple of things yesterday.

a). I have not been drinking anywhere near enough fluids. You would think I would have learned this earlier as last year I had a leukemia scare. Turned out that my blood was thicker than normal because I wasn't drinking enough. How stupid can I be. So weight loss or not, that will be one big change to come out of this challenge

b) I can actually manage without snacking all evening. Yes it was tough last night but I didn't succumb. Had a large glass of pink grapefruit squash instead

c) one chocolate biscuit is harder on the system than none. For hours after eating it (4 syns) I craved another. Before then I had been fine. Need to find some ideas for non sugary snacks


Today's plan is Green

Breakfast - egg, beans and mushrooms

Lunch - cottage cheese, tomatoes, grated carrot and dried apricot (1.5 syns) lettuce and spiced lentil wrap

Dinner - stuffed courgette, tomato sauce, new potatoes, mange tout and green beans ( you can tell what is growing in the garden!)

Snacks - donut peaches, 2 ryvita with low fat Philly cheese (HEA) and jam 5.5 syns

Exercise - 30 mins walk, 30 mins kettlebells

Fluid - 2 each of water, fennel, mint, grapefruit squash
 
Today is day 3 of my new challenge.

What else have I learned.

3 ryvita with Philly cheese is better than one chocolate digestive for less syns.

Doing kettlebells in the evening is far harder work than first thing in the morning.

I get equally hungry on green and red days and am now beginning to enjoy the fish/ meat feast.

Had a look at the scales yesterday and this morning. Not a good idea because I will get complacent. But I have to admit I'm quite excited about the impact this challenge is having already. Will not be using the scales again until Monday morning (including missing my WI on Sunday)
 
Day 4

Yesterday was tough but the question is, why? I wasn't in control! Went out for lunch and made good choices but actually found it stressful. My godfather had paid for a dessert before we ate so I felt obliged to have a dessert and the choices were all unhealthy. This meant I didn't enjoy any of the meal because I was trying to work out how to avoid offending him. Next time I will make sure he knows in advance that I want to decide on dessert when I have eaten main course. All of this was made more difficult because hubby was not supporting me. " don't be holier than thou and spoil it for everyone else!" And that was because I asked for water!

Why do other people want to sabotage your efforts? Was I making him feel guilty? Does he want me to stay fat so that he feels better? Not sure but it really hurt me.

Decided I need to restate why I want to lose weight so I stay motivated

- want to be healthy and fit to improve my quality of life

- don't want to stand out in a crowd as the fat one

- to buy clothes that are fashionable and make me feel good

- climb the stairs without getting out of breath

- have energy and vitality so that I feel alive

- control the effects of thyroxine not the other way round


There - feel much better having written something down. Need to make sure I re-read regularly

-
 
Out for the afternoon and evening tomorrow at sons equestrian centre. Need to plan my eats carefully or I get over hungry

Breakfast- fruit salad and yogurt

Lunch: ham quiche and salad

Dinner : barbecue with salad

Snacks: grapes, pineapple,
 
Doing the salad challenge has made me realise how monotonous celery, cucumber , lettuce and tomato can become and think about what a salad is. Raw fruit and vegetables? Protein? Carbs? When I look at it like that it's easier to come up with new ideas.

Maybe if I take an ingredient at a time and think how I can use it differently. Started yesterday with cherry tomatoes and made sun blushed tomatoes by drying out in the oven with oregano. They become really sweet but syn free. Large tomatoes can be stuffed and served cold or baked in the oven.

Just had a thought - BLT sandwich as a salad instead. Lettuce, sliced tomato and basil piled on a plate with crispy lean bacon crumbled on top. Sorted for today

My life revolves around food. Unhealthy?
 
Feels good reaching the 12s today. I've been there before two years ago when I hit 12 st for a friends wedding in September. Doubt I can reach that again this year but who knows????

I've been peeking at the scales on and off this week during the salad challenge which has been bad for me. Great to discover a 4lb loss mid week but since then I haven't shifted even a tenth of a pound. This week I will NOT look at the scales until weigh in. (Monday for the challenge) so I might even change to Monday.

It has hit home what difference it would have made if I had stuck to it. Some of my old friends here on minimins are dong amazingly well and I am really pleased for them. The power of minimins rocks!
 
I hit a target and a switch goes in my head. "You're alright now - go for it" You'd think I'd have learnt by now. Baked for a barbecue last night - what a mistake. Started with finger licking, bowl scraping, crumb clearing and finally tasting! You know the routine......

Feel sick I with myself today and just know I will have blown it for salad challenge on Monday. However, I am not going to give in to it. Today is a green or extra easy day so I will stick to it like glue. Breakfast of beans on toast, lunch - cottage cheese salad and dinner - chicken and vegetable kebab with salad. Will only have two pieces of fruit and no cake whatsoever. Will not drink any fizzy drink until I have drunk my allocated two litres of water. If I achieve this I will feel as if I have made amends.
 
Not doing brilliantly with the salad challenge this week. Life has gotten in the way. Will probably have lost a pound out not expecting more. Next week in Vienna I will give it another go. So looking forward to the oriental supermarket again. - pak choi and tofu xxxxxxx
 
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