Phoenyx shifts 20lbs in 10 weeks! (Positive thinking!)

[Phoenyx]

Goal: shift 20lbs - which will take me from 12.8 to 11.2, and down at least one dress size
Deadline: Christmas (10 weeks away)
Method: any! Starting with an adaptation of JUDDD - 3 days at max 600 cals (using slim & save packs), 3 days at 2000 cals and one at 1500 cals (average 1350 ish a day), but if that doesn't work, I will switch (without falling off the wagon in between!).
I will also aim to exercise 6 days a week.

So I started Monday, and today is Wednesday, so far so good:

Mon - 550 cals, 10 mins running, 10 mins abs DVD
Tues - 2000 cals approx, 23 mins running, 10 mins legs DVD
Wed - 570 cals, 10 mins running, 10 mins arms DVD

Plan for rest of this week:
Thurs - 1500 cals, rest day
Fri - 2000 cals, 40 min run, 10 min abs
Sat - 500 cals, 10 mins run, 10 mins legs
Sun - 2000 cals, 20 mins run, 10 mins arms

 

[Phoenyx]

Today went reasonably well (if you don't count dropping my ipad and cracking the glass - boo!). I was hungry all morning nut stuck to mainly healthy things, until the eve when I had a pizza express American hot (small one from the supermarket, and I topped it with extra spinach) and a bar of choc - yum! Just under 2000 cals for the day and no exercise as it's my rest day.

+ healthy during the day, staved off hunger well (snacked on olives and edamame beans)
- not nearly enough water, and too much wheat today

Scales were reading 6.8lbs down this morning!!! But that was after a DD and it's not my official weigh in.

 

[Phoenyx]

So, I had an excellent mon - thurs, then an indulgent evening meal on Fri, which would have been fine except for then I didn't want to do a down day on sat so postponed it till sun, and ended up bingeing for half of sat and all of sun. It was horrible and I really want to stop bingeing - I eat heaps of crap food, and it's so bad for my health (as well as my weight).

Despite this, I got on my scales on Mon am as it's my weigh in day, not expecting much as I had clearly over done it over the weekend, and I was down 4lbs! It may catch up with me this week, but I hope not. I really needed the boost and it helped me stay on track today.

So although 5:2 clearly works for weight loss, I don't think it's doing me any good mentally, as I dread the 500 days, and I'm not sure it's giving me any health benefits as I'm eating slim & save packets (artificial food) and eating 5 x a day so no real break from eating (which is supposedly where the fasting benefits come from).

I went back to the eat, fast, slim book and read some more. I think I'm going to give 16:8 a whirl - where you fast for 16 hours every day (poss one day off a week).

i'm going to try the following:

16:8 Mon-Fri
healthy eating rules (lots of veg, lots of water, lean protein, whole grain carbs, no crap) no calorie counting etc.
2 cheat meals a week (fri eve and one other)
exercise 5 times a week, min. 20 mins, doesn't matter what as long as I'm doing it!

Lets see how it goes!

 

[Phoenyx]

Mon:
Trying to get lots of veg in today to counteract the indulgences of the weekend

b - black coffee
l - vegetable & chickpea soup, 1 tsp almond butter
s - soya latte, pulled pork wrap from costa
t - vegetable & chickpea soup with a chicken breast chopped up

I reckon about 900cals today although I'm really not supposed to be counting! I won't always keep it this low, but I was still stuffed from the weekend. The only time I felt hungry today was about 6 pm when we were out and stopped in costa.

Rest day from exercise. Because of 16:8 I will have to exercise in the evening (my eating window is 1pm-8pm, if I exercise before work as I usually do, at 6am, I then have to wait another 7 hrs before I eat! Ain't gonna happen...

 

[Phoenyx]

Changed my eating hours from 11-7, as that means I can have a snack at break at 11, then lunch at 1 (I'm a teacher so can only eat at set times)

tues

b - black coffee
s - banana, natural yoghurt & honey
l - chickpea, veg and chicken soup, a few ryvita thins
s - guacamole and ryvita thins
t - Waitrose cafe - chicken korma and spinach dahl (no rice), black coffee

exercise - none staff training followed by parents evening

I found today really easy I ate much less than I would have if I hadnt restricted my eating hours (never usually stop at 7!). I also found it difficult to have room for bad stuff - after my dinner for example I promised myself a cake or choccie from Waitrose cafe, as I was there, but it was 6.50 and I only had ten mins left of my eating window ans I was full, so I said stuff it, I'll have it tomorrow! Which is a first for me! Long may it continue!

Exercise is going to be tricky as i usually exercise between 6.15-7am to fit it in, but if I'm not eating until 4 hours later...hmmm

 

[Phoenyx]

Today:

6.30am - 10 min total body circuit

11am iced cinnamon swirl - yum!
1pm ryvita thins & guacamole, chickpea and veg soup
4.30pm 1 tsp almond butter / coffee with a splash of milk

6.30pm 20 min interval training on the treadmill

7pm steak with lots of veg, 1/3 latte (didn't want the rest as I was full, so threw it away. That's a first for me!!!)

so a couple of tricky points to navigate today. I absolutely love this way of eating, but there's stuff I need to learn and adapt.

So exercising, even just for ten mins, in the morning in a fasted state, is supposed to turbo charge weight loss. Sadly it also turbo charged my hunger. Ideally I would exercise at 10.30 just before breaking my fast. But school hours don't allow for that, so I have to wait hours, and I really felt it! I think I would have struggled to stay on track if I hadn't been teaching all morning so no time to think about food. As it was, I forgot my snack so landed head first into a v yummy iced cinnamon swirl.

The second problem came with scheduling my evening exercise. I had to work late but felt motivated to exercise, so I had to either delay dinner until 7pm, which meant my fast wouldnt start until 7.30pm, or skip exercise. I decided to exercise as it'd be beneficial to my health and mental wellbeing. I know its only half an hour, but this could be a regular problem which leads to more decisions. If I do the full 16 hr fast, as I want to, I can't eat until 11.30, but I'm teaching then, so can't eat until 1pm. If I feel like I did this morning, that'll be tough. Also, it then leads on to another decision - do I skip morning exercise to help me go until 1pm? Too many decisions.

I think I'm also going to have a larger, more substantial lunch. I'm still on diet portions.

Teething problems aside, I'm so happy at the moment doing this. After years of dieting, I haven't felt this relaxed about food in ages. And I don't dread the fasting like I did on 5:2. I love the freedom my scales are looking good too, but I won't do an official weigh in yet. I've still got to survive the weekend. Weekdays, much of the time I'm too busy to eat. Not so at weekends!

 

[Phoenyx]

Today was a good day. I wanted to fast until 1pm today so I could eat later tonight as I had a friend visiting, but given my hunger yesterday, I wasn't sure I'd make it. And I also woke up feeling hungry during the night.

I did 10 mins of Ab exercise at 6.30, and felt a little hungry around 7.30am, but just had black coffee and water. I had black coffee and water again at break at 11am and was so busy I didn't even notice any hunger and didn't launch straight into my food at 1pm, fasting for 17.5 hours, but was able to eat in a controlled manner. Yay! I wasn't planning on exercising this evening but I felt full of energy so did half an hour on the treadmill, then only had half a pizza, despite buying a whole one. Feeling suitably indulged tonight but not over full long may this continue. Half term next week which may prove more challenging, but one day at a time.

6.30am 10 mins Ab exercises

8am black coffee and water
11am black coffee and water
1pm big pot of brown rice, kidney beans and mixed veg (courgette, spinach, green beans)
4pm lollipop, skinny latte

6pm 30 mins on treadmill (gentle – incline 1.5 for first 20 mins then 1) 2.7 miles

8pm half pepperoni pizza, crudités (celery, carrot and pepper) with hummus, sticky toffee
pudding for dessert.

Am out for dinner again tomorrow, so will aim to fast til 1pm.

 

[Derbynanny]

Found your diary all very interesting , well done.

I do think you can learn to exercise in a fasted state and not die of starvation later but it takes practice , I have done up to 10 mile runs on fasting days ! ( Not ideal but got through a couple )

 

[steff79]

Have dropped abit of weight recently on the days you are saying 550 you are starving yourself especially if you are adding in running too!! you will literally be running on empty!! I dont actually eat meat but eat fish if your doing any excersize you will need some sort of protien not dissing btw it's great how well you have done just dont fancy excersizing myself when I am hungrey!! I eat before I go to the gym!! is hard enough without being hungrey and going off nothing too

 

[Phoenyx]

Found your diary all very interesting , well done.

I do think you can learn to exercise in a fasted state and not die of starvation later but it takes practice , I have done up to 10 mile runs on fasting days ! ( Not ideal but got through a couple )

Ohhh a visitor! Welcome! Do you eat straight after your run? Good to know its not going to be damaging...everywhere I read about fasted exercise, they talk about eating straight after

 

[Phoenyx]

Have dropped abit of weight recently on the days you are saying 550 you are starving yourself especially if you are adding in running too!! you will literally be running on empty!! I dont actually eat meat but eat fish if your doing any excersize you will need some sort of protien not dissing btw it's great how well you have done just dont fancy excersizing myself when I am hungrey!! I eat before I go to the gym!! is hard enough without being hungrey and going off nothing too

Hi steph! thanks for your comments. I've done quite a lot of reading & experimenting with this. At the moment 500 cal days aren't working for me so I am eating lots every day, just within a certain time frame. You are right though - I do need more protein. That's my new target! I do eat meat, fish and eggs so perhaps I better eat some!!!

 

[Derbynanny]

I do tend to eat after exercising but do 500 cal days . ( not exercising at moment due to pulled hamstring ) but was running a lot when I was most successful at juddd

 

[Phoenyx]

I do tend to eat after exercising but do 500 cal days . ( not exercising at moment due to pulled hamstring ) but was running a lot when I was most successful at juddd

How interesting! I wonder why? I do find running a bit of an appetite suppressant on the day, but i get more hungry the day after...

 

[Phoenyx]

So yesterday I was a piggie! I'm testing this diet now - I can't see how I'd lose weight (and not gain!) if every day were like yesterday...but I'm going to eat healthier for the weekend to undo any damage.

Again I wasn't sure how long I was going to fast, but I knew I was going out to dinner so it would be a good idea to make it to 1pm, and I did, which made me happy.

rest day so no exercise. I did do quite a bit of walking and an hours cleaning at 6.30 am!

9am black coffee & water
11am black coffee & water
1pm baked potato with cheese and beans
followed by a jammy doughnut!
5pm apple & soy latte
7.30pm three course meal - started with scallops & puy lentils, then had burger (no bun) with sweet potato chips, then shared a butterscotch creme brûlée for dessert. Also had half a bottle of white.

i finished by my cut off time of 9pm, so officially I stuck to the "diet" ( not sure that anyone eating that much can call it a diet!) and there are a few bizarre things I'm quite pleased about:

- I really noticed how the jam doughnut made me hungry again a few hours later. I normally have a much healthier lunch and don't need a 5pm snack. Am pleased I stuck to fruit and a low fat latte though, as I was in costa and the cakes were calling!
- I resisted all white carbs at dinner - the bread basket, the bun on the burger, and switched the chips for sweet potato fries (just as calorific but at least I got some nutrients!)
- I didn't binge afterwards...I know that sounds bizarre, but whenever I eat a v large meal I seem to crave sweets after, and usually I think well I've already blown my diet so I may as well eat as much as poss. But I hadn't blown my diet so drank water whilst watching the film.

I weigh daily and the scales have been down every day so I'll be interested to see what they say....

 

[Phoenyx]

Up 1lb on yesterday today, but I'm happy with that, I probably just need a big poo!

Here's my daily weigh ins- official weigh in mon am.

mon - 12.4
tues - 12.2
wed - 12.1.2
thurs - 11.13.8
fri - 11.13.6
sat - 12.0.6

goal for today- definitely skip breakfast then see where the day takes me. Ideal would be just to eat dinner tonight and go for a 3 mile run before, but playing it by ear - I just don't want to binge!

 

[Derbynanny]

I am looking forward to seeing if I can be just as successful with juddd without the intense exercise . As even if my hamstring improves soon ( I hope) it will be Jan/Feb before I am up to 20+ mile running weeks and 2 to 3 military fitness classes.

 

[Phoenyx]

I ran the Paris marathon last April but have list a lot of my fitness (and put on a stone), but I intend to build back up...have entered the Brighton marathon in April so I'll have to pick up my mileage around Christmas time. What did you do to your poor hamstring?

 

[Derbynanny]

Is the Paris marathon nice ? It is on my list but for the past few years it is just one injury after another. My current goal is to get back to running so I can do a 50 k ultra next October. I just pulled my hamstring in a military fitness class almost 3 weeks ago .

 

[Phoenyx]

It was amazing! Course is stunning. The worst bit was the time bands - each wave starts ten mins after the previous, so I was in the 4.30-5hr bracket and crossed the line an hour after the start. That wasn't so much a problem, except that others (who knew the system) clearly lied on their forms so we were weaving in and out from the start right to the finish. As some areas were quite narrow, it was a pain. That said, the beauty of the course more than compensated - the joy of running down the champs élysées with the arc de triomphe behind and the place de la Concorde in front. Plenty of international competitors so lots of people to chat to. I'd do it again in a heartbeat - so if you want company in 2015, you know where to find me

 

[Phoenyx]

Wow, an ultra - I can't image doing anything longer than a marathon! I'm thinking of trying the Hanson method this time round - more runs but not as long.