nzmegs
Silver Member
I thought it might be helpful for anyone who is moving on to maintenance in the coming weeks or months to follow a special diary devoted to my experiences. I found when I was looking around for information that few people seem to have stuck it out long enough to get to this point or they never bothered with keeping a diary about it. I know it would have been great to find out what other people went through.
be aware that this diary will involve lots of FOOD TALK. If this is going to bother you (if you are at the start of your LL journey) you might be better off waiting until you feel stronger before reading. I understand how hard it can be to read about eating when you are avoiding it like the plague!
If you want to read about my 16 weeks on total take a look at my other diary here:
http://www.minimins.com/ll-diaries/246109-nzmegs-last-chance-saloon.html
So lets get started....
Yesterday I went to my weigh in and lost my last pound. reaching my goal was underwhelming. it felt great, but I had expected tears and all sorts. But to be honest, I felt like a weight was lifted (literally) but I also had a realisation that the hard work was about to start. I popped to the supermarket and bought my food for the week. that was odd. I am not used to shopping. I have avoided it for weeks and my husband has done it all online. the supermarket had shifted things around. I avoided the "nasty" aisles and stuck to veg and vege protein choices.
Your choices are one protein option (for me that is tofu, cottage cheese or egg, but meats and fish are allowed)of between 100gms and 150 gms. Plus two servings of vegetables. these include things like salad leaves, radishes, cucumber etc. Each portion is about 80g, but this is lots of volume in the case of things like lettuce. You are given some groovy silicon cup thingees to measure out your portion sizes. But you can weigh them too. You can dress this with fat free and sugar free dressings and other various flavourings, herbs and spices.
So last night was my first meal. I had tofu marinated in soy sauce, celery, rocket and iceberg lettuce dressed with lime juice and coriander. the green part of my meal covered 3/4 of my plate, while the tofu seemed pitifully small. In the end I could not get through the celery (three sticks!). While I was expecting delight at eating something green and crunchy, the novelty soon wore off and i was ploughing my way through it. I think I have become so unused to that level of chewing!
Having four packs on top of this meal was also a chore. I eat my first meal quite late in the morning, so by the time 4pm came along i still had two packs and my meal to eat. I had a shake at 4pm and then my meal at 6.30pm. I wasn't hungry at all. I then had to have a soup before bed. Today I have been a little more organised and eaten earlier.Even though it only comes to about 700-800 calories altogether - it feels like lots of food.
I have bought myself some white fish. I have to tell you that I have not eaten fish since I was a child. MY views on the sustainability of fish and meat are the reason I am vegetarian. but am I also coming to the realisation that I need more protein in my diet to be healthy and maintain my weight. it also fills you up...so I have relented on the fish thing. I may not like it - but I will give it a go.I still don't think I can eat meat or chicken though.
So that is my first day. oh I forgot - for the first time I went "number twos" this morning without having a little "help" in the tablet form. LLT played havoc with my bowels. but just a little bit of the green stuff has really improved that situation already! Has to be a good thing. So don't fear - it is not a permanent thing if you are suffering in that way as well.
I will keep track of this regularly for you all, especially when I move onto each new stage.
I am also keeping track of my weight while I do this. Today it was 10st 7.5 (up .5 pound)
be aware that this diary will involve lots of FOOD TALK. If this is going to bother you (if you are at the start of your LL journey) you might be better off waiting until you feel stronger before reading. I understand how hard it can be to read about eating when you are avoiding it like the plague!
If you want to read about my 16 weeks on total take a look at my other diary here:
http://www.minimins.com/ll-diaries/246109-nzmegs-last-chance-saloon.html
So lets get started....
Yesterday I went to my weigh in and lost my last pound. reaching my goal was underwhelming. it felt great, but I had expected tears and all sorts. But to be honest, I felt like a weight was lifted (literally) but I also had a realisation that the hard work was about to start. I popped to the supermarket and bought my food for the week. that was odd. I am not used to shopping. I have avoided it for weeks and my husband has done it all online. the supermarket had shifted things around. I avoided the "nasty" aisles and stuck to veg and vege protein choices.
Your choices are one protein option (for me that is tofu, cottage cheese or egg, but meats and fish are allowed)of between 100gms and 150 gms. Plus two servings of vegetables. these include things like salad leaves, radishes, cucumber etc. Each portion is about 80g, but this is lots of volume in the case of things like lettuce. You are given some groovy silicon cup thingees to measure out your portion sizes. But you can weigh them too. You can dress this with fat free and sugar free dressings and other various flavourings, herbs and spices.
So last night was my first meal. I had tofu marinated in soy sauce, celery, rocket and iceberg lettuce dressed with lime juice and coriander. the green part of my meal covered 3/4 of my plate, while the tofu seemed pitifully small. In the end I could not get through the celery (three sticks!). While I was expecting delight at eating something green and crunchy, the novelty soon wore off and i was ploughing my way through it. I think I have become so unused to that level of chewing!
Having four packs on top of this meal was also a chore. I eat my first meal quite late in the morning, so by the time 4pm came along i still had two packs and my meal to eat. I had a shake at 4pm and then my meal at 6.30pm. I wasn't hungry at all. I then had to have a soup before bed. Today I have been a little more organised and eaten earlier.Even though it only comes to about 700-800 calories altogether - it feels like lots of food.
I have bought myself some white fish. I have to tell you that I have not eaten fish since I was a child. MY views on the sustainability of fish and meat are the reason I am vegetarian. but am I also coming to the realisation that I need more protein in my diet to be healthy and maintain my weight. it also fills you up...so I have relented on the fish thing. I may not like it - but I will give it a go.I still don't think I can eat meat or chicken though.
So that is my first day. oh I forgot - for the first time I went "number twos" this morning without having a little "help" in the tablet form. LLT played havoc with my bowels. but just a little bit of the green stuff has really improved that situation already! Has to be a good thing. So don't fear - it is not a permanent thing if you are suffering in that way as well.
I will keep track of this regularly for you all, especially when I move onto each new stage.
I am also keeping track of my weight while I do this. Today it was 10st 7.5 (up .5 pound)