My weight was one big plateau, but it's not any more thanks to my food diary

Lixida

Full Member
With apologies to Admin if this is in the wrong place

I'm starting this food diary, more so I can see where I'm going wrong, (as if I needed telling), and how I can go right consistently. If it helps anyone else along the way, please subscribe and maybe we can help each other to reach our targets.

I'll post a little bit of background first... (if you want to skip my waffle on how I got to where I am today, scroll down a bit)

Back in 2006 I joined SW for the first time. Prior to that I'd never had to diet - or eat healthily - in my life. I could tuck into what I wanted and I stayed stick thin. I was the sort of person every slimmer hates. Then in 2004 I suffered a house fire and through living in Travelodges for 6 months, then being forced to return to a house for a further 3 years that had no cooking facilities, (thank you Aviva for treating me so badly), I put on quite a lot of weight. With only a tiny, very basic microwave in my bedroom, following any sort of SW eating plan was almost impossible, but somehow I lost all my excess weight within 3 months. The problem was that I set my target way too low and although I was able to maintain it and did so for some years, I was so thin and with a BMI of just 19.2, I looked ill. I wanted to put on a bit of weight, but in order to do so, had to go quite a bit above my 3lb limit. Finances meant I had to stop going to group.

On my own, even without group support, I was able to maintain at my new higher weight and stayed healthy looking until late 2012. Then sadly a long-standing heart condition took a major turn for the worse. I became less active and the weight piled on. December 2013 saw me undergo open heart surgery, after which I suffered severe complications. Even after discharge I wasn't able to walk to the kitchen let alone stand and prepare a meal. More weight piled on until my old SW target was a dim and distant memory some 4 or more stone in the past.

I was horrified.

In June 2014 I decided enough was enough. I was going to shift all those excess pounds. No, I don't want to go back down to the 9stone 8lb waif that I had been when attending group, but I certainly wanted to shed quite a bit of weight.

For 6 months I did really well. I lost 2 stone. then Christmas came along, followed by a 7 week bout of ill health, followed by Easter, followed by a whole load of socialising! Unfortunately, I put back on a bit of the two stone that I lost and since then have plateaued and plateaued and plateaued. However today is a new day and I'm now determined (oh Lord, how many times have I said that in the past 6 months?). I really am going to make a concerted effort to get down to my goal of 10st 10lbs, starting here and now.

I figured if I made myself complete a food diary, it would prick my conscience and stop me cheating.

So here goes. Today is a RED (ORGINAL) DAY

Breakfast
2 grilled rashers of Turkey bacon
Half tin chopped tomatoes
mushrooms, chopped and cooked in the tomatoes
2 eggs scrambled, pan sprayed with FryLight, (nothing added other than a small pinch of salt)
2 slices of wholemeal Hovis from 400g loaf, toasted - HEB
1 Dairylea Original triangle used as a spread on my toast - HEA

Comments: Wont buy the turkey bacon again. Not sure if all brands are the same, but the Bernard Matthews one tasted like a cross between plastic and cardboard. I prefer the thick cut Tesco back bacon. I normally go for the leanest on the shelf and trim off all the fat after grilling and before eating. I THINK I can have 2 Dairylea triangles for a HEA, (can anyone confirm that please?) Only using Dairylea Original instead of Light because they are in my fridge, left over from my grandson's visit. Looks like the mushrooms and tomatoes are SuperFree

Lunch
Honey Roast wafer thin ham
Cherry tomatoes
Mullerlight yogurt
Clementine

Dinner
Grilled leg of lamb steak
150g new potatoes boiled
Cabbage
Carrots
1 lamb Oxo cube

Drinks
Tea with SS milk from my 250mls HEA allowance (measured out in advance and kept separate in the fridge)
Sprite Zero

Snacks
Wafer thin honey roast ham
Clementine

Activity
Hang out washing, (don't laugh, that really does constitute an activity for me!)
1.5 hrs gardening
 
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Hi Lixida, Well done on starting your diary..I'm sure you will find it a great help..I know that I do with mine. It's a place to come and have a good vent whenever necessary and to be able to keep track of the day to day events.

I too have an on going heart problem pus a very bad back so exercise is not on the agenda unfortunately and with all the meds I have to take as well that often scuttles any attempts to keep the weight down.
Just have to keep on trying don't we?!

All the best to you on your journey to slimdom! :)
 
I pray they can do something for your cardiac condition and as far as your weight is concerned....what is it they say 'onwards and downwards'.
 
Day 2 of my 'I'm going to break the plateau' eating plan.

I know we are always told not to weigh in every day, But I'm afraid I've been doing it for more years than I can remember, even before I first joined Slimming World. So I'm addicted to it. Dropped 2.4lbs since yesteday. Now I have to keep it off. Today is going to be a GREEN DAY

Breakfast
Half a tin of baked beans
Half a tin of chopped tomatoes
2 x eggs, scrambled with nothing added
Tin of sliced mushrooms

Comments: I anticipated eating two slices of wholemeal bread spread with one Dairylea Original, but I was so full up that I didn't

Lunch
Home made vegetable curry (onions, leeks, carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, half tin of tomatoes, passata, 1 tbsp tomato puree, (I believe this is free), 2 x beef Oxo, spices and seasoning
Rice

Dinner
Jacket potatoes
Vegetable curry
1 x Dairylea triangle original mixed to a cheese sauce with some SS milk from my HEA
Frozen Blueberries
Clementine

Wow, no snacks all day. Can't believe how good I've been. It's got to be the effect of this food diary keeping me focussed

Drinks
Tea with SS milk from my 250mls HEA allowance
Sprite Zero, sugar free cream soda

Activity
Housework
 
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Day 3 In a rush going up to London for a reunion, so can't expand much on what I'm posting over and above what I eat


Breakfast
14g porrige microwaved wiht 14g Alpen Light
SS milk from 250mls HEA
Clementine, apple, Kiwi fruit (are kiwi fruits still free????)

Lunch
Tesco sliced roast chicken breast
Salad (lettuce, cucumber, radish, spring onions, celery)
Beetroot

Dinner
4 x Ye Olde Oak Premium hot dogs (half syn each = 2 syns)
Cabbage
Carrots
Oxo gravy

Drinks
Tea using SS milk from HEA
Diet cream soda

Snacks - none

Activity
Lots as I travel up to London and back by public transport
​Plus a little bit of housework
 
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Oh dear. I never got to my reunion. Someone threw themselves on the line and all trains were cancelled. We were all disembarked from our train and even though I'd only gone one stop, it took me 4 hours to get back home again. Thank heavens I'd prepared that chicken salad. I was tired, cold and wet by the time I staggered back in through my front door. Still one good thing....I did LOADS of walking. I even have the blisters on my toes to prove it!

Off to fill in my food diary
 
They have organised another reunion for October. But that's months away.
 
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Day 4 of my new determined attempt to lose weight. Another pound off! So it seems to be working. Still don't seem to be able to get my head even slightly around EE let alone EESP, so am going to stick with red today. At least I know it works for me having lost 3.4lbs in three days.

Breakfast
4 x Ye Olde Oak Premium hot dogs, grilled (half syn each = 2 syns)
2 x eggs, scrambled, nothing added
Half tin chopped tomatoes
Tin button mushrooms
Half red onion cooked in FryLite
2 slices wholemeal bread from 400g loaf
1 Dairylea triangle Original, part of HEA

Lunch
Ham
Chicken breast
Salad (lettuce, radish, cucumber, spring onions, celery, red onion)
Cherry tomatoes
beetroot
1tbsp (2syns)
Clementine

Dinner wastn't hungry
Cherry tomatoes
Strawberries
Clementine

Drinks
Tea made with SS milk from 250 mls HEA allowance
Diet cream soda
Herbal tea
 
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Day 5 and another pound off. Am tempted to have a go at EE, but am resisting the lure until I get my head round it completely. I don't want to get it wrong and shoot up in weight. I said I'd start EE and throw in some SPs too once I was well into that next stone down and I am SO close. But for now I'm going to stick to Red today.

Breakfast
14g porridge with 14g Alpen Light (yes I tweak and mix two halves of these HEBs) microwaved with SS milk from my 250mls HEA milk allowance
Melon
Strawberries
Clementine

Lunch
Grilled leg of lamb steak
Cauliflower
Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Oxo gravy
Melon

Dinner
2 slices wholemeal toast from 400g loaf HEB
Bovril
2 Dairylea Original triangles HEA
Cherry tomatoes
Melon
Strawberries

Drinks
Diet cream soda
Tea with milk from HEA
 
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Day 6 and yes, I know I shouldn't weigh every day, but I do and am pleased to say I've lost another .6 of a pound. That means I've lost 4.6lbs since Monday. Really pleased with that. About to go grab breakfast. Not planned anything, so will have to fill in my diary after I've eaten. As I'm a gnat's kneecap away from the next stone down and I simply can't resist the temptation any longer, I am probably going to have a go at EE for the first time and going for SP

Breakfast
Melon
14g porridge and 14g Alpen lught (HEB)
250mds SS milk (HEA)

Lunch
Tesco sliced roast chicken breast (P)
Salad (lettuce, cucumber, radish, peppers, spring onions, red onions, cherry tomatoes, celery) All (S)

Dinner
Scrambled eggs
Bovril
I Kingsmill Wholemeal roll (HEB)

Drinks
Diet cream soda
Tea using milk from HEA allowance
 
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One week of food diary and it has really kept me focussed. I have lost another .6 of a pound since yesterday and am now 12 stone on the nose. That's 5.2 lbs since Monday. I'm really pleased with that.

Doing a boot sale today so wont have time to do my meals on today's daily ramblings till I get back late this afternoon. Just wanted to record the fantastic weight loss. Doing EE SP today

Breakfast
30g porridge HEB
250 mls SS milk HEA
Fruit, apple, pear, clementine (S)

Lunch
Ham and Chicken (P)
Salad (lettuce, cucumber, radish, peppers, spring onions, red onions, cherry tomatoes, celery) All (S)

Dinner
Ham and Chicken (P)
Salad (lettuce, cucumber, radish, peppers, spring onions, red onions, cherry tomatoes, celery) All (S)
Bovril
Wholemeal Roll HEB
Fruit, apple, pear, clementine (S)

Drinks
Diet cream soda
Sugar free strawberry and kiwi squash
 
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Oh dear. I have just found out that the Kingsmill wholemeal rolls I've eaten yesterday and the day before do NOT count as HEB. They are 8 syns each. No wonder they tasked so nice. I've still been within my daily syn allowance but have missed out on a HEB. I've also found out that porridge has now been put up to 35g. I might double check that before I start piling it into my bowl. Not the end of the world as far as Healthy Extras go when on SP, but it would be nice to get this plan absolutely right.
 
I know Hubz, I'm gutted too. The Warburton ones are an HEB, but I've not seen those on sale anywhere around here. Guess I'll have to hunt them down. In the meantime, I'll have my remaining Kingsmill ones as syns. Should still be OK while I'm doing EESP. Will seek clarification from my consultant and pass the info on. Must confess 8 syns each is a whopping chunk of our daily allowance though, so I wont be buying Kingsmill again....booohoooo!
 
I'm not sure Hubz, I'm trying to find a stockist so I can get a pack and weigh them, but either way the Warburton's are definitely an HEB. I think they might sell them in Asda. I've spoken to my consultant about it and even she didn't realise the Kingsmill weren't a HEB. I'm well under on my syns each day, so I'll just eat one a day until the pack's all gone and count them as 8 syns.

My food diary for yesterday was

B - Melon, Clementines, (both S), 30g porridge HEB. 250 mls SS milk HEA

L - Roast chicken (P), cherry toms, melon, clementine (all S)

D - Wasn't hungry so just had Kingsmill wholemeal roll 8 syns, Bovril, cherry toms (S)

Drinks - Diet cream soda, sugar free squash

Snacks - none

Activity - strenuous gardening 2 hours
 
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