Morticia's Musings

[Jezebella]

Hey Morticia Hun

Just wanted to wish you a great trip away, I hope the weather is kind to you. You continue to be as ever, an inspiration to me on how life should be after RTM, hope I end up as level headed as you. Are you still popping into class to check your weight? I am guessing you are pretty stable now.

Min thanks so much for that link, am going to check it out shortly.

Have a great weekend

Jez
xx

 

[Morticia]

Thanks Min for the link. Thanks Kat and Jez for the nice comments.

Well I'm back after a week away. Not sure where to start with these thoughts, they might be rammblings, they might be coherent or they might just make me more confused but I'm going to put them down anyway.

Had a bit of a night just before I left last week. Trying to get packed, fit in making soups to take with me and trying to co-ordinate a bit of a logistical nightmare to get from one thing to another with a few commitments I had on the Saturday before I left. Anyway, the upshot was I got into a tiz, had a temper tantrum and the kitchen sclaes ended up going to the big kitchen in the sky..ie they are dead. I felt out of control (I'm sure it was hormonal) and then I had a bit of an eat-fest. Though nothing like it would have been in the past. It was with what we would think of as good foods even though I don't really like that term. Anyway the upshot is I ate more than I was happy with and ended up pulling out of the commitments for Saturday which in the end alleviated the stress and something I should have done to start with.

Well the bathroom scales came with me for the week and over the full week it turns out I've put on 3lb. This was despite walking some days for 8 miles, running 3 times in the week and upping the running to 36 minutes. I dread to think what it would have been in terms of gain if I had not exercised. Though I'm still at a bit of a loss as to why I've gained as much as 3lb. I have eaten more than I normally would. I did indulge in stuff I've not included in my diet so far but realistically I've not eaten 10,000 calories more to warrant a 3lb gain so I'm wondering if it's due to the type of foods I've had. I'm going to list the foods here to see what others think.

1. Wine, I've had the odd glass in RTM but did indulge in about 2 glasses each evening.
2. Chocolate, this has been Thorntons and I rationed myself to 2 each evening.
3. Risotto, made as a quite low fat option with chicken and once with smoked cod.
4. Bread, this was gorgeous brown/wholemeal bread made by a friend so nothing too processed about it and rationed this too to about one slice per day.

The rest of my diet during the week consisted of low calorie fish dishes, home made soup and salads. The friends I was with both ate the same sort of diet and lost weight...

I'm not exactly freaking over it. However, I can see how easily it can freak you out. I lay in bed last night just thinking and repeating that it's not 3 or 4 stones and it will come off as easily as it has gone on. But the going on is so very easy and I'm worried about other holidays, you know the ones where you want to really let your hair down. Maybe that letting my hair down mentality has left me though I'm not quite so sure yet. Will have to wait and see how other holidays fair. I'm not looking forward to Christmas at this rate.

 

[Jezebella]

Hey babe, I think your food choices were just fine, and with the amount of excercise you were doing it more than covers it. Have you considered the fact that since you are excercising loads you are putting on muscle and toning which does cause a bit of weight gain but does not equate to fat?? Once you are back into routine, it should all revert to normal. I think you have done so well, and your pictures are proof of that

Jez
xx

 

[katalena]

yeah what she said! Could not have put it better!

Kat xx

Hey babe, I think your food choices were just fine, and with the amount of excercise you were doing it more than covers it. Have you considered the fact that since you are excercising loads you are putting on muscle and toning which does cause a bit of weight gain but does not equate to fat?? Once you are back into routine, it should all revert to normal. I think you have done so well, and your pictures are proof of that

Jez
xx

 

[Minerva]

Actually... 3 lbs is not much. It seems a natural fluctuation... I don't weigh myself daily - but I did notice that even when I ate minimally of about 600-900 calories per day, I still saw 3lbs fluctuations in weight, and that was a 3lbs losses and gains from 2 consecutive days! So, honestly, I don't think you gained 3lb of FAT. No. There seems to be some water weight buffer that you have not fully replenished (water weight margin is realistically about 7-9 lbs depending on person at full capacity), plus the question of what and how much is moving through the good ol' intestines. Yes, it's amazing how much weight this waste contributes. Never underestimate your good friend Poo. And never underestimate your body's natural defences towards any kind of change. I do believe stress and tiredness can heavily contribute to how the body holds on to things. Stress and hardship could signal to our animal instinctual 'brain' that times of famine may be coming, hence why a lot of people over-eat when they are stressed. The body prepares for shortages and may be inclined to 'hold on' to things more so, than when we are relaxed.

It is important, to keep calm, and you are doing brilliantly. Well done!!

 

[Jezebella]

Min, you are a very smart girl!!! I did notice and it is in my abstinence blog a few times, that if I was very tired and did not get enough sleep ie at least 6 or 7 hours and just got by on my usual 5 then my weight would go up. I have never really been a big stress eater, I usually don't eat when stressed or I used to starve/binge but I think years and years of too little sleep,, too much stress etc played a large role in helping me keep the weight on. I seem to also fluctuate by about 2 lbs ,and over this weekend had 2 good nights sleep so my weight is right back where I want it.

Jez
xx

 

[Minerva]

I seem to also fluctuate by about 2 lbs ,and over this weekend had 2 good nights sleep so my weight is right back where I want it.

Proof right there of that theory. Heee! Does that make you a little less worried about fluctuations?

And yeah, when I'm stressed I tend not to eat because I forget... Different people deal with stress differently, just like animals. In times of need some curl up in a ball and wait it out, hibernating, and some run around trying to 'fix' it. Our bodies are fascinating things, and it is NEVER as straight forward as *eat cupcake = gain fat weight from cupcake* ... there are so many mechanisms involved in the process, the different chemicals need to be absorbed differently, parts of body needing different TYPES of energy (i.e. from sugars or from proteins), and then the adaptive mechanisms to outside influences... then the emotional and genetical factors coming in to play ...

Ahhh, science. It's great.

 

[Jezebella]

Yup, until I started on this lovely get thin road, I never realised it was all quite so complex. Absolutely it is not just eat cupcake, get fat from cupcake. I never even knew about glycogen.. At least I feel now I am really getting to know my body, and what it needs and how it needs it. Before I took absolutely no notice of what my body had to say because I was in a constant war with it. I do like that I am learning, even though it is a bloody hard learning curve. I will one day come out the other side more aware, more balanced and a healthy eater.

PS: Sorry Morticia, did not mean to hijack ya thread hun

Jez
xx

 

[Minerva]

Well, we're all learning, and not hijacking the thread really!

It is the critical point of this diet, and the most important. The diet itself, LL, I am extremely sceptical of the actual 'health' factor in it. There is nothing healthy about a crash diet of 500 calories per day, nutrition made up of chemicals and chemistry. ... It is by far healthier for the body to lose weight over the period of a few years through exercise and more balanced lifestyle. However, in the modern 'I-want-it-now' culture, diets like LL are successful. But that's not the point. I hope that at least some people who are successful at keeping the weight off from such a crash-diet, they learn very important lessons about our bodies and minds which need to be addressed in the long term.
We are no longer prone to putting sh*t in our bodies. We think about our choices in a more adult way - which without such a drastic plan, we would not have come across.

I think as Morticia points out, and you Jezzy have very much become aware - that certain foods do nothing for us mentally or physically. We have learned to LISTEN to our bodies - something that had got so very lost before.
I think as a rule, food wise, there is nothing 'bad'. As Morticia says, it's not the right attitude. However, based on our own reactions to certain things, I am prone to stay away from white-over-proccessed things because a) they're not very nutritional b) I'd rather go for something wholegrain because I do notice that it satisfies me for far longer (i.e. I don't get such sugar-high's and lows which leads to hunger).
It's just that little bit more important to make informed decisions, but also to be able to indulge a little on certain occasions - sometimes, an apple just isn't enough!

 

[kenshin112]

i fully agree with what you say minerva
especially We are no longer prone to putting sh*t in our bodies. We think about our choices in a more adult way - which without such a drastic plan, we would not have come across

 

[Morticia]

Hey Jez, it's not so much a hijack, more a meandering with thoughts and ideas....all good stuff.

I've had a good day. Weight was down slightly. Stayed at home today and made a gorgeous spiced sweet potato soup which I had for lunch with a slice of rye bread. Then got into baking oat and fruit scones. Have not baked since school days so I'm quite happy with how they turned out. Not as light as ordinary scones but I'm hoping that's to be expected due to the oats. Anyway, I thought they were lovely. Put most of them in the freezer and can defrost one at a time for a low GI goodie with coffee when I feel like it.

I decided to log my calories today just out of curiosity. I have been quite surprised as I've only had approx 1200 cals today despite feeling I've eaten quite a lot.

Hope everyone has had a nice chilled out Sunday....

 

[thin_inside]

Hi Morticia

Glad you are feeling better about things. Some great posts on here by yourself, Jez and Minerva. Wow. Definitely things to think about and take on board as I progress through RTM.

I'm looking forward to lots of soups and sweet potatos in general. Your scones sound delicious too - and a great idea to freeze to be enjoyed one at a time not wolfed down so they are all eaten while still fresh .

Been a busy day here starting with muffin making for the brownies cake sale.... I love to bake.

xx

 

[Jezebella]

Lets open our own bake shop ladies!!!! Up there in lovely Scotland!!

Jez
xx

 

[thin_inside]

Lets open our own bake shop ladies!!!! Up there in lovely Scotland!!

Jez
xx

I would SO love to do that . When are you heading back this way? How about a Scottish meet in late Feb to celebrate my joining you in completing RTM?

 

[Morticia]

Ohh sounds fab...

 

[Jezebella]

Sounds brilliant!! Lets plan for that, you in Morticia?? I am serious about opening a shop though, I reckon we could do it, we can contact Highlands and Islands!!!

Jez
xx

 

[thin_inside]

So we're on girls! Will send a pm sometime to suggest dates and place. xx

 

[Morticia]

Well it's been an interesting few days. My weight has fluctuated and now I'm 4lb heavier than last week. This could be due to a few things but I'm not sure what yet.

1. It could be water retention from Totm....too much info I know but I've no idea where I am in my cycle.
2. I'm doing far more exercise, went to the gym tonight for an hour and did high intensity running and cycling so I could be building muscle.
3. I've had rice every day for the last 4 days and I've realised today (I did not have any today) that it makes me feel hungry and I have spent each evening looking for something more to eat though I've not gone over I just felt that unsatisfied way. So it could be some sort of fluid retention from eating carbs??...no idea if this is a possibility.
4. It could be fat. I'm not overly convinced of this. I have logged my calories for the past few days. The previous 2 days I ate about 1200, today I've had 980.

The good news is my head has not been too much over the place. I know that in the past I would have gone down the all or nothing road. Thinking I was on that road to failure so what the hell. I also realised today that I've had a bar of green and black's chocolate in my fridge for about 6 weeks and there is still 1/3 of it left. This also would be unheard of pre LL. The temptation to finish something because I thought it was winking at me every time I went in the fridge would always be too much. I'm not yet sure if I just don't fancy it now or if the delayed gratification thing we talk about in counselling is playing out. I know I certainly love how my body feels and don't want to put any weight back on (who does) but not even this 4lb. So maybe that's been enough to stop me overindulging.

Anyway, as I've said before I think it will take a full year of things like holidays, celebrations, up and downs to see how each one affects us and how best to cope with it.

At the moment I'm trying to figure out how to have a low fat cooked breakfast on boxing day. It's tradition that my sister et al stay over and have a big brekkie in the morning. I'm sure they only stay over for the breakfast but I do like the social aspect. So far I'm thinking turkey rashers, grilled tomatoes, some baked beans, low fat sausages and possibly some scrambled egg. Then out for a run after it's settled or maybe beforehand. Any other ideas from anyone would be most welcome....

 

[Jezebella]

Hey Hun,

I think you are doing brilliantly And you are right we need to give ourselves time to see how our body really reacts to things, we are so used to looking at the minute details since being on LL and slowly returing to food. Re the breakfast, you can get extra lean bacon, with no fat just meat really, rather like a very thin gammon rasher. Grilled tomatoes, big black fat portobello mushies, baked beans, eggs can be boiled, poached, dry fried, or coddled, wholmeal toast?? Another nice idea is to pop some lightly cooked baby spinach, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes into a little ramekin, crack an egg over and bake in the oven till the egg is done. You can sprinkle with a bit of parmesan and black pepper for extra kick. How about some French toast with wholemeal bread and some lean bacon??? Sorry getting a bit carried away with myself here.....

How did you find the rice in that RTM week, has it changed for you at all since finishing RTM?? Did you feel the cravings when you tried it the first time?

Sorry just curious. Am enjoying the bits of bread I have had so far but will journal about that shortly. Have you been popping into class to keep a check on things?

Jez
xx

 

[thin_inside]

Morticia

I'm guessing water retention. I get that quite a lot and can tell by how swollen my calves and ankles get. Hands get puffy too. You have not had time yet to know what your 'normal' weight range and cycles are. Sounds like you are being aware, but not panicing - which is the goal right?

I plan a full cooked breakfast for Christmas morning to set us up for a day on the hills with only a packed lunch. I already had lean bacon, poached or scrambled egg, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms in mind but am really liking Jez's idea of the ramekin. I won't be on beans or bread, but those will be available for my family and guests, although I'll skip sausages, hash browns and black pudding this year.

Thinking about putting a fresh fruit platter, yoghurts, cold meats and cheeses on offer for boxing day.

I'm sure you will be fine. xx