Moonwatcher's JUDDD diary

[moonwatcher]

Morning all. Have been a bit AWOL the last day or two. First week of term been busy, so not had much time! Had a reasonable DD yesterday - around 650 cals in total from home-made cauliflower cheese soup with a piece of wholemeal bread and beans on toast. I find Fridays the most difficult of the three down days though, so I'm happy enough with that. Beans on toast seem to have been a major part of my diet this week! Still looking at the wheat/grains thing though, as suffering with the after effects again this morning.

Official WI this morning is 14 12 - down another 1.8 lbs. That's 2 pounds in 2 weeks so I am quite content with that. Would just be happy if it carried on at that rate!

Off out in a mo for the fortnightly food shop and a breakfast/brunch with the OH. I really enjoy the food shopping so much more now that I can buy treats and exciting food with no guilt. Will try and catch up with some diaries over the weekend. Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[Atomic pink]

Wooo! Congratulations on the loss moonwatcher! Great stuff. And nice to be in the next stone bracket I am sure.

I've been a bit AWOL for most of this week as well. Ended up veering off plan a little as my heart just wasn't in it, feel much more positive for the new week today though so it might have been just what I needed.

Enjoy the food shop. Report back on any tasty purchases!

 

[Irish-Ozzie]

well done, what a fab loss.

Keep going. x

 

[moonwatcher]

Thanks folks. Was pleased after all my previous ups and downs.

Atomic - I think sometimes some proper time off is exactly what we need.

The food shop was a pretty basic one with the usual piles of fruit and veggies! Did get some nice flavoured bries - one with chilli and one with blue veins, and if course we picked up the ubiquitous chorizo link! Am determined to clear out the freezers so no meat or fish to freeze. Also found in Aldi some linseed cereals with berries and fruits, so I got a couple of them plus quite a few almonds to grind to 'flour' as part of my move to cut down the wheat.

I believe a blueberry cider slipped into the trolley too.

 

[Atomic pink]

Blueberry cider? Don't think I have seen that but it sounds nice. Although I don't think anything really tops the lime and elderflower cider for me.

The brie with chilli and the blue veined brie sounds really good. Where were they from? i don't think I have seen a brie with chilli before (always on the look out for cheese ).

I think time off sometimes makes us appreciate being back on plan doesn't it? I didn't go completely bonkers and eat everything in sight but I did have a few more nibbles of bread and cheese than i should and got rebellious and refused to weigh my wholemeal rice and stuff. Feel much more positive and controlled since yesterday, have lots of tasty but healty stuff planned for the week so fingers crossed for a better week.

 

[moonwatcher]

Refusing to weigh your wholemeal rice? Get off you rebel.

The bries were from Aldi - small round ones, but I have also had them from Lidl. Not tried the blueberry cider yet - that was from Lidl. It is an extremely vibrant blue colour!

Sort of enjoyed my double UD weekend, but I am really suffering with my stomach. It seems that within half an hour to two hours of having bread/pastry etc , my stomach is blowing up and I get the most horrible pain across the top of my stomach for hours after, plus gas.. When I first thought of giving up the wheat I planned to use up the wheaty stuff I have at home first, but am so uncomfortable that I don't think I will bother to do that now. I also think I should do it sooner rather than later, in case I'm on the wrong track and there is some other cause. Having had issues with it for years though I am pretty sure I am on the right track.

DD today was beef and veg soup for lunch and omelette with toms, pepper, red onion, chilli, chorizo and smoked cheddar tonight. Completely forgot to take a picture though.

Packed lunch for tomorrow will be a chicken salad with pineapple, new potatoes, olives, chillies, roasted sesame seeds, lettuce etc., and lemon chilli mayo. Caramelised onion beefburger in the evening, probably with wedges and some kind of sauce, plus veggies or salad.

 

[Irish-Ozzie]

Hi Moonwatcher,
Sounds like you need to stop eating wheat asap, i bet it will make such a difference to how you feel. What about gluten free products, you could try and see if they help or hinder.
Your menus looking good, i cant have 2UD's together as i get too greedy. You seem in control though. Well done.

 

[Atomic pink]

Its a shame that the wheat appears to be having such an adverse affect on you as I know how much you enjoy your bread (pretty much as much as I do by the sounds of things!). But if its having such drastic side effects probably best to cut it out to make sure that's what it is.

Will have to have a look out for the brie next time I am in Aldi, the chilli one especially sounds really really good.

 

[moonwatcher]

To be honest cutting the wheat right down is something I want to do because I think it will make me feel a lot better, but don't want to do because it will be more effort, and mean changing certain things I eat, just when I have got used to the idea of nothing being forbidden on JUDDD.

The thing is though, since I have been on JUDDD I have hammered the wheat on my UDs. Prior to that I had been more careful, but over the last month especially I have had a lot of bread, cake and pastry products, and I think it has just built up to an unacceptable level for my body. When I had a couple of stints on the Atkins diet a few years ago, which cut out bread and grain products, I felt a load better and the IBS and sinus problems all but disappeared.

Anyway, yesterday I went into our local health food shop and got a few gluten free flours, coconut flour and some buckwheat pasta. I'll feed the wheat products from the pantry to Mr Moonwatcher! I don't think it is severe enough to consider that I am coeliac, but more likely a wheat intolerance, and in the past I haven't had to be so particular as to cut out ready made sauces like HP or tomato etc, as I seemed OK with the small amounts of wheat they contain. I am hoping it will be the same this time. Initially I'll mainly cut out the 'big' wheat products and maybe cut down on other grains - will have to switch the couscous for buckwheat and maybe quinoa. The OH is working this Saturday so I am planning to have a few hours of play time in the kitchen with some wheat free baking!

 

[Irish-Ozzie]

Sounds like a plan Moonwatcher, i hope it helps.

 

[moonwatcher]

So, food diary for today - Tuesday 23rd April, UP day and first day of operation low wheat JUDDD!

Lunch - the salad I wrote about above - deliciousness in a plastic box!

Dinner - two Tesco finest caramelised onion burgers with blue veined bries melted on top, new potatoes, peas and a creamy onion sauce. The burgers do have a small amount of breadcrumbs in them, but I had already defrosted them, so decided to have them anyway. Fried apple and pineapple pieces with dried cherries and berries, nutmeg and ginger, greek yogurt.

Snacks and drinks - half a packet of cheesy curls (maize, so should be OK with these) cadbury's dairy milk chocolate bar, one coffee with cream, several teas with milk, water and one strawberry and kiwi flavoured water.

So far so good. I still have some stomach pain - I can only describe it as like an extreme version of the feeling you get when you are painfully full. It has eased quite a bit today though, so I am hoping it will continue to improve.

Pics for you Frona!

Caramelised onion burgers with blue veined brie, peas, new pots and onion sauce


Fried apple slices and pineapple with brown sugar, ginger and nutmeg, dried cherries and berries and greek yogurt.


And dinner from last Thursday - giant sausage and caramelised onion roll, leek and parsnip gratin with nutmeg and cheese, sweet potato wedges.

Tomorrow's DD lunch

Tuna pasta salad ready in lunchboxes - the large one is the OH's with ordinary pasta. Mine is the smaller one with some of the buckwheat pasta.

 

[Atomic pink]

There is much drooling looking at your burgers with brie and giant sausage roll. Nom!

 

[moonwatcher]

Wednesday 24th April

Hmmm. Well today started well as a DD, with 2 tspns of greek yogurt as a mini breakfast. I don't usually bother with breakfast on a DD, but was extremely hungry first thing, and three cups of green tea and a glass of water wasn't doing it! The tuna pasta salad was very tasty, with an ounce of the buckwheat pasta. I was pretty impressed with the pasta. It had more flavour than normal wheat pasta, so that is a keeper.

Had to go out straight from work with OH to collect something. Popped into Tescos on the way and got some lunch for tomorrow and a few wheat free breads and biccies to tide me over until I can get baking some of my own. Managed to stick to a small boring coffee at Costa's, but by the time we got home I had just had enough of the day, so we caved in to chips from the chippy (half a portion each, so could have been worse I suppose) and wrapped them in a piece of the new seeded gluten free bread with butter and HP. Don't think I can still call that a good DD! Am now quaffing plenty of water!

Will stick to my plan of an UD tomorrow and a DD on Friday but not expecting great things on Saturday at WI.

OH kindly made us both a horlicks last thing last night, and just as I finished it I wondered what the ingredients were -65 % wheat flour. Aarrrgh! So had a bit of fresh pain overnight but not too bad. I will try harder Miss! As far as I know today was wheat free apart from the HP sauce. The pain is definitely easing though so I am hoping I will crack it this way, which will mean it is something I can sort out myself, and not have to start having tests for anything else.

Going to bed soon. Had a brilliant couple of days at school, but pretty tiring, so going to get an early night. Feeling a bit guilty that I haven't visited many diaries this week, and have a training session again tomorrow after school. Will try and catch up with everybody over the weekend and see how you are all doing.

 

[Irish-Ozzie]

Hi Moonwatcher,
That buck wheat pasta sounds like a good alternative. Necer tried it myself.
We all have weeks where down days dont go to plan, never mind. Today is a new day.

 

[Atomic pink]

I agree, not the worst of DDs at all. Less calories overall than you would eat on a "normal" day so hopefully you will be fine.

 

[moonwatcher]

Hi Moonwatcher,
That buck wheat pasta sounds like a good alternative. Necer tried it myself.
We all have weeks where down days dont go to plan, never mind. Today is a new day.

Wasn't the worst of DDs you had... wasn't like you emptied the fridge like I have on occassion! Call it an ID and you'll be fine xx

I agree, not the worst of DDs at all. Less calories overall than you would eat on a "normal" day so hopefully you will be fine.

Thanks. Yes, definitely could have been worse! I weighed in at 14st 13.4lbs this morning, so may scrape in a STS on Saturday if tomorrow's DD goes according to plan.

Food for today Thursday 25th April - UD

Lunch - Tesco's smoky butterbean and potato salad with turkey tikka pieces and a raspberry and white chocolate yogurt

Dinner - one smoked mackerel fillet, mash and peas, orange and wholegrain mustard mayo dressing

Snacks and drinks - couple of earl grey teas with milk, one coffee and cream, one coffee with milk, one blueberry cider, loads of water with lime juice, chilli rice crackers and a bit of hummous, 4 pieces soft eating liquorice, one Mrs Crimble's wheat/gluten free chocolate macaroon. Stopped at one of these because a) they are quite thick and cake-y, b) I don't want to get into the mindset of having lots of something just because it is wheat free and 'allowed.' I can see that could easily happen!

The Tesco butterbean and potato salad was very tasty. I ignored the biscuits at the professional development training session and just had a coffee instead. The school's coffee is... er... unlike any other coffee known to human-kind, but it is at least better than the tea, and I was in need of something after an afternoon of resisting the urge to grab hold of a couple of pupils by their throats, Homer Simpson style, and shake some sense into them! I settled for being the calm voice of reason instead, and confiscating a tennis racket!

Tonight's meal

 

[Irish-Ozzie]

Hi Moonwathcer,
Your food always looks so tasty. You may get a surprise at weigh in and do even better than a sts. Fingers crossed for you. x

 

[ladybird777]

Just been over for my daily drool at your food piccies.

 

[Atomic pink]

Oooh I love smoked mackerel, although I always tend to go down a fairly Asian route with it rather than mash and peas. Might have to change that as your plate of mashed potato looks awesome

I haven't been the potato and butterbean salad either, it sounds rather intriguing, might have to keep my eyes peeled.

Have you got a double up day planned for the weekend? Any plans?

 

[moonwatcher]

Hehe Frona - my OH is always suggesting a cook book, but I think that is just so he can get to test all the meals! I'm glad you are all enjoying the drooling though.

Well I have a lot and also not much to report really! Was really fed up yesterday as feel I am just not getting anywhere at the moment. We are four months into the year and I still weigh more than before Christmas. Had a long chat wih Mr Moonwatcher last night about it all and how upset I was feeling.

Now, need a bit of history here... a few years ago Mr MW had some blood sugar issues - pre diabetic - and after a lot of research we went on Atkins to help it. We both lost a lot of weight and his blood sugar was back to normal. The idea was to keep an eye on his blood sugar when we came off it. He has been his own worse enemy though, and I'm sure you know what I mean ladies when I say it is not much good me saying much about it to try and tell him. I have known for a while that his blood sugar was too high again but he wouldn't accept it - just said that I ought to check mine too, with my weight and a small history of type 2 diabetes in the family. Right - o - although I have had none of the typical symptoms.

Anyway last night he said that the best he ever felt physically was when we were on Atkins and he would really like to go back to it again, as he wondered about his blood sugar. Eureka! Hunted out the new BS meter and checked us both. Mine was completely normal (yay for me) but his was way too high. So after more discussion where I studiously avoided saying "I told you so", we have decided to go on Atkins from tomorrow, until Christmas probably. I also felt very good on it - my IBS and sinus/heartburn all but disappeared.

I don't think it is a way of eating I want to go for for life, but with giving up the wheat already it is only a small step further. Yes it is strict, especially in the earlier phases, but I think I need to do something now, before I completely lose any remaining momentum and motivation. I also do not want to be thinking about and cooking two lots of meals for two different diet plans. I love JUDDD and the way it fits in with our life, and also the health benefits from the intermittent fasting, but I am not losing - in fact this morning I am up to 15st 1.2lbs again - 3.2 lbs up this week. I would love to be able to maintain on JUDDD, but I have to lose the weight first! Christmas is about 8 months away and I hope to make a fair dent in my weight by then, and then re-assess in the New Year.

A bit fed up with myself tbh - feel like this year has been all about chopping and changing - first from WW to JUDDD, now on to Atkins, which is why I have committed at this stage to going for the rest of the year.

I will probably start yet another diary over on the Atkins part of minis for some support, but will keep this one open and report back here too, as I think I may well come back to JUDDD in the future!