My life after 100% TFR

[Emmielou]

Well its day 3 of my refeed and to be honest I'm not sure how im feeling.

Im obviously happy to be tasting food again but at the same time i cant shift this annoying nag of guilt at the back of mind. Im so worried that with every mouthfull I might be gaining weight! :cry:

I know this is daft because im not doing the typical refeed where you introduce carbs towards the end of the week as my pharmacist has advised me to have 1 shake for breakfast and then either 4-6oz of skinless chicken, turkey, white fish or half a small tin of tuna (in brine drained) accompanied with either a small breakfast bowl of salad (no egg or tomato though) or a small spoonful of steamed veg! im not allowed any fruit or carbs until after a full week and even then she said to avoid for as long as possible!

Im also having milk in my tea and balsamic vinegar as a dressing on my food. So how can i put on weight??

Is anyone else going through this paranoia or is it just me!!

Im just wondering if this feeling will ever shift as i cant imagine ever being able to drink alcohol or have a naughty treat at weekend without feeling extremly dissapointed in myself.

Im not due to go back to the pharmacy this week as i go on holiday on sat for a week so she has said leave it a couple of weeks before going back, but im in two minds as to whether to go anyway. If ive lost id be over the moon and want to know but if ive gained ill be so disheartened and would rather not know!

Any advice???

 

[summergurl]

Its natural to go through the paranoia i certainly did. The weirdest thing for me was using a knife and fork again! :giggle: You don't need to cut out everything you once loved but just be cautious of it and have it all in moderation. But i'm afraid your pharmacist is talking out of his or her bumhole!

You are allowed tomatoes and you are indeed allowed eggs. Just substitute 1/2 of your protein portion for an egg or you are allowed 2 boiled eggs in place of your meat all together. Basically you can have 1/2 tin of tuna drained and 1 boiled egg with a salad. Or half a chicken breast and 1 egg. Hope this makes sense when you read it.

I would defo go back before you go on holiday and see how you are getting on. Its always best to keep a check on your weight every week.

Refeed Programme

DAY 1.

Have 2 Lipotrim servings and one meal, as follows (men continue to have 2 servings, as before, while women take 1 less serving of Lipotrim).

You may not have bread, grains (rice) or pasta until Day 4.
Fruit should wait until Day 4 at the earliest (later if you have carbohydrate problems).

You may have milk in tea/coffee.

At lunchtime or evening meal time you may have some skinless, boneless chicken breast or white fish fillet, or some skinless turkey (about 4-6ozs.) The fish or chicken may be steamed, microwaved, baked or cooked with a little water in a non-stick pan. Or you may have tuna fish in water or brine (drained). Vegetarians may use tofu or quorn.

You may also have either a moderate serving of salad (small breakfast bowl) from any of the following:
Lettuce
Cucumber
Cress
Watercress
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Onions
Peppers
Bean sprouts
Celery dressed with a little lemon juice or wine vinegar
Or if you prefer, a moderate serving (2 heaped table spoons - no more)of some cooked vegetables.

DAY 2

You will have only 1 Lipotrim serving and 2 meals, as described for Day 1.

Day 3

Same as Day 2, but you may also have - at one meal only - an 8 ounce potato, plain boiled, mashed or baked, but with no addition of any fat. You may like to top with some skimmed milk, plain yogurt or very low fat fromage frais and a sprinkle of herbs.



Day 4-7

A Lipotrim serving for your breakfast plus:

Up to 3 serving of fruit (if you suffer from the insulin resistance problem, then eat these late in the day and do not snack on them during the day)

Up to 2 slices of bread or 1 pita or 1 roll or 1 bagel (without fatty spread)

Any vegetables you want except avocado, 1 or 2 servings with your meals (2 tablespoons per serving)

Any of the skimmed milk products.

Fish fillet (any size) or 6 ounces of chicken or turkey, as described before, or one tin of tuna in water or brine, drained. Vegetarians may use tofu, textured vegetable protein (TVP) or quorn.

Lean meat with all visible fat trimmed off

Low fat recipes prepared with low fat sauces - e.g. lean mince with low fat bolognese sauce

Medium baking potato or 6 small new potatoes or one serving of instant mashed potatoes (the kind with no added fat- read the label).

Instead of potato, you may have 4ozs of rice or pasta (cooked weight).

Sample menu for days 4 to 7.....


Sample 1

Breakfast: Lipotrim serving.

Lunch: Fish fillet (any type - cod, salmon etc), serving of potatoes ( 1 medium jacket or 6 new potatoes or a serving-spoon mash - no added fat) Yogurt ( low fat).

Diner: 4-6 ozs chicken (no skin), jacket potato, salad. Fruit (if appropriate) or low fat dessert.

Evening: Sandwich (no spread of any sort), consisting of: pickles, fat-free mayonnaise, salad/carrot, slice cold meat (low fat).

Snack 1 or 2 pieces of fruit (evening, if appropriate)




Sample 2

Breakfast: Lipotrim serving

Lunch: Sandwich (no spread) - any low fat filling, e.g. tuna. Bowl of salad. 2 pieces of fruit (if appropriate) or yoghurt.

Dinner: Spaghetti Bolognese, consisting of drained lean mince, low fat sauce, 4 ounces cooked spaghetti or rice, serving spoon of vegetables. Low fat dessert.

Snack or Evening: Tub of very low fat fromage frais, flavoured to suit with either slices of fruit or low fat jelly crystals for a sweet option or herbs and spices with added crunchy vegetable, for a savoury snack.

 

[so so hopefull]

wow that is really good advice. i am no where near ending but its good to see things like that for advice x x

 

[Emmielou]

Thanks for the advice Tanya.

I have seen that refeed plan before and I printed and took to her to see if i could just follow that but she advised me to stick to just 1 shake in the morning followed by a lunch from day 1 and a tea from day 1 for the first week.

The reason she said no tomatoes and eggs for the first week is that tomatoes are a fruit and she said i should leave fruit until the second week because of the natural sugars. She then said although the egg whites may be pure protein the yolk is just fat so as im not supposed to eat fat leave them out for this week.

I havent found it too hard just eating that limited diet but cant wait for next week when i can have more variety in my meats like ham and tomato with cous cous for lunch and tuna steaks for tea.

This diet has definately changed the way i eat food now forever. I actually love veg and fresh fish which are two things i always avoided!! I had sprouts the other night for the first time since being a young child and they were lovely, also a big fan of cabbage and leek! could eat a bowl of that on its own. Im also trying lots of new fresh fish which ive never wanted before. Had halibut last night and am going to try fresh salmon which ive always said i hated but it will probably be lovely now.

I also like raw mushrooms and agian before the diet i couldnt stand mushrooms. I really didnt believe that the diet would make you eat different afterwards but somethings just seemed to click with me.

I am missing the odd treats but right now a treat for me next week will be having greek yoghurt with fresh fruit. Im so excited about that!


OMG ive just worked out that today is day 7!! does that mean i can have no shake in the morning and have a healthy breakfast instead!!!!!

 

[irish molly]

Well done on getting to your refeed. I certainly think you should keep going to your pharmacist for a weigh in. It does help keep you focussed until you have established a maintenance plan to suit your lifestyle.
Defo watch portion sizes. Initially, I weighed everything!!! just to get an idea of proper portion control. I found it amazing at how I overestimated portions before I started weighing them out. Also keep up your water intake. It is a habit you should keep up for life. Much of the time we feel peckish, it is actually water our bodies are looking for.
Keep up your great work and enjoy the new you!!

 

[Emmielou]

Well i took the advice to go and visit my pharmacist for a WI before hols and I'm so pleased I did!

I've lost 5lbs on refeed! Over the moon! Seems it was well worth sticking to what my pharmacists plan as she obviously knows my body better than me!

Going back in 2 weeks for another check so that will be the biggy as i will have been eating all food groups. Will still be healthy though and ive definately got the portion sizes right now.

Today was the first day i was allowed fruit and it tasted of heaven! This is what Ive had:

Breakfast: Greek yoghurt with banana and small amount of honey

Snack: box of fruit i prepared in the morning (strawberries, blueberries, raspberies, apple and pear)

Lunch: Ham, cous cous and salad with some oregano sprinkled on it

Tea: Salmon fillet with home made mojo sauce (mainly paprika, spices and EV olive oil) with small amount of steamed brocolli, sprouts and cabbage and leek

Snack: handfull of strawberries and blueberries

Drinks: Green teas, peppermint tea, 3 litres of water and a cup of normal tea!

So how does that sound? Do u think im going to be ok? Im concerned about the fruit as it has natural sugars, or does everyone think its ok to have?

 

[SandraB]

Sounds delicious, I am salivating as I type!

 

[tashbuckle]

how u getting on?

Hi Emmielou, just thinking about you post your holidays. How have you been getting on? well i've been off l/t 6 weeks now. I have only gained 1lb so i'm really pleased. I've pretty much been eating what I want although still trying to stay away from carbs where I can. I've also got a stash of slim fast for days when I feel like having just shakes and a meal in the evening.. but generally pretty much back to a normal life. constantly concious of what i eat and weigh myself every day to make sure the scales dont creep up. keep in touch. take care tashbuckle x

 

[Emmielou]

Hi Emmielou, just thinking about you post your holidays. How have you been getting on? well i've been off l/t 6 weeks now. I have only gained 1lb so i'm really pleased. I've pretty much been eating what I want although still trying to stay away from carbs where I can. I've also got a stash of slim fast for days when I feel like having just shakes and a meal in the evening.. but generally pretty much back to a normal life. constantly concious of what i eat and weigh myself every day to make sure the scales dont creep up. keep in touch. take care tashbuckle x

Hi Tashbuckle. Wow thats brilliant that you've only gained 1lb!!!

I dont think i'll have done aswell. I dont weigh myself at all, I'm just going to let the pharmacist do it when i go! havent been back since refeed as ive been on hols and then had the weekend away in liverpool last weekend so am going for the first time on friday! so nervous! Just going to go once a fortnight and then drop it to once a month when i feel ive got it under control!

Its been ok, but like you im constantly concious of what I eat. Most of the holiday I wouldnt have anything bad and just stuck to greek yoghurt and banana for breakfast, salads or cous cous for dinner with ham or chicken and then veg and meat for tea with fruit as a snack if i got hungry. There was one night when i took my mum and dad for an anniversary meal and so i had pasta and a glass of wine but felt so naughty after. then on the last night i had all my treats at once. Ended up having 3 glasses of wine and had bread and carbonara for meal! the next day i wanted to cry and then had some chocolate on the plane and more wine!!!

Then I was back to steamed veg and white meat and salads all week which i have to say i really enjoy!

The weekend in Liverpool was a different story though!! As I was there with my best friend (who is also watching everything she eats) it was harder to resist the naughty stuff. But then I thought to myself if Im good 90% of the time why cant I have my treats on occasions when im away etc! Over the whole weekend my list of treats included:

Wine - half a bottle
Pic n Mix - a bag which cost £2 so not too bad
a shared chocolate brownie dessert
a shared plate of nachos
a few malibu and diet cokes
1 cocktail
and a few extra sweets here and there!

All the stuff inbetween was healthy! God it looks really bad now ive written it down.

I was 9st 2lbs before both hols so i doubt i'll be that low now however i dont feel any bigger and have also just started back at the gym so that should make a difference.

Will keep you updated once i have my weigh in!

Are you also allowing yourself treats and stuff or are you strick all the time?

Im going to stay pretty strict on the no carbs and pretty much stick to the refeed menu most of the time and then have treats on a sat night!

My biggest downfall at the moment is fruit...I adore it and it tastes so sweet, really into grapes, melon, strawberries and peach and yet i fell bad for eating them cos of the whole natural sugars thing!!

Ive also been able to keep up with the water intake every day, drinking normally between 2 - 3 litres.

How about you? Can you give me an example of what you eat on a day to day basis so i can see if im going extremly wrong!

xx

 

[tashbuckle]

thats excellent considering your holiday and weekend away. I'm not an angel by any stretch and have good and bad days. For example this week
Mon - 3 slim fasts shakes - 70 lengths swimming
Tue - 2 slim fasts 1 chicken salad - 50 lengths swimming
Wed - 1 shake, ww sandwich with skips and fruit and a low fat bar
thurs - 2 slim fast shakes and a salmon salad.
when it comes to weekend I may have a drink but tend not to eat much during the day to compensate (bad idea i no). I try to stick to that really but have had days in the last 2 months where i have been a PIG!! and had everything and anything I can get my hands on, but fortunately those days are few and far between. if i keep on track of my weight it helps me maintain as if the scales move an inch i'm on the case!! take care and best of luck

 

[Emmielou]

Well It had been 3 weeks since I finished lipotrim when I went to get weighed on Friday and to my suprise I havent gained a pound!! I'm still 9st 2, even after my holiday and weekend in Liverpool.

In fact she even told me off a bit as Im avoiding carbs as much as I can throughout the week, for example when I made cottage pie I made with turkey mince to avoid red meat and then didnt allow myelf any potato on top as I was too scared to have it. I've been told to ensure that I eat from all food groups each day and good carbs are ok!

Still not convinced though! just cant bring myself to eat potato unless its a treat at weekend.

Did do a chilli on friday night as a treat though and used normal mince but brown rice and there was absolutely no difference in taste in the rice so wholemeal is definately the way forward!

 

[SandraB]

Looks like you got it sussed Emmielou.....I wouldn't worry too much about the chemist telling you off for avoiding potatoes, I'm going to try and do that anyway when I finish LT and all white bread products. I know that my downfall is toast and I can easily polish off 4 slices without even thinking about it. I would have soft boiled eggs and soldiers as my last meal on earth!

I think you're doing wonderfully! Are you happy with your weight? I see that you're a few pounds under your intended target, is that intentional?

 

[Emmielou]

Thanks Sandra! I am happy on some levels however if I could lose some more then that would be great! think its just an addiction now though cos Im thinking well if I can just get rid of those 2lbs then I'll be 9st but if i did that then id be thinking if i could just lose a few more so I can be 8st something.... and it will just keep on going! I dont think i will lose anymore though as i enjoy food too much so as long as im exceptionally good all week i let myself go wild on saturday night with treats so its more likely that my weight will just stay the same unless i stop treat night and thats just not going to happen.

I even allowed myself last night (sunday) to have 2 roast potatoes with my sunday dinner (cooked in stock not fat) and then a small portion of apple pie and custard for pud! Got to try and get back to normality without going overboard!

 

[SandraB]

I guess that it would be too easy to get a bit carried away....but I'm sure that you look great and you're a healthy BMI which is the main thing.

mmmmm roast spuds! I like them cooked in goose fat best - but only for Christmas, otherwise it's Betty Crocker's! They're not actually particularly fattening (though no idea about the carbs) and if you only put the amount you want in the oven there's no danger of pigging out!