Quiet on here isn't it! - (or Sean's RTM Journey)

[Sean(JSF)]

Forgive me MINIMINS for I have SINNED!

Week 11 Day 2 - Friday

Forgive me MINIMINS for I have SINNED!

OK, first major unplanned blip in 6 months (to the day!!). TBH I was in control all day then the wine took hold and some major snacking. Mostly healthy (raisins) but VHigh calorie, but last thing at night, without thinking I piled into the Kid's chocolate bars and ate 3 (yes that's 3) Breakaway bars!!!

These have been available all year but this is the first time my 'unconscious' has taken control (aided by alcohol I must stress, and the fact that I was very tired). Not proud about it & felt guilty when I woke up on Saturday. BUT at least that's another hurdle over with. I don't think I could cope with the thought of being 100% in control, 100% of the time - that's just not me!

So intake for the day:

Cooked breakfast at Networking event (mostly veg & no fat portions)
Bought a sandwich - another first, was Sainsbury's BGTY Tuna & cucumber on brown bread. Also portion of melon & grapes.
2 Glasses Red Wine in pub
Warm chicken salad for dinner (glass of pastis) and Dry White wine
snacking on raisins & some 'raw' cashew nuts
Glass of brandy
Breakaway bars!!!

~3,100 K Cal

Week 11 Day 3 - Saturday

Guilty feeling so vowed to be better 'controlled' today

LL porridge & a pear for breakfast
Tuna salad for lunch + Muller Light
Small bowl olives & glass of sweet white wine
LL recipe Fish Curry with 2 x small chapati (water to drink)
Snack - Muller Rice (low fat)

Much better total KCal ~ 1,500

Week 11 Day 4 - Sunday

LL Porridge & frozen berries
1.5 x Chapati filled with mustard, & dry fried onions and red pepper, ~ 1/4 tomato
Snack handful of raisins
Evening BBQ, 2 x pastis whilst cooking
3 x pork sausage, BBQ sweet potato, 1 x Jersey Royal, small amount of BBQ sauce (home made), Corn on the cob, small portion savoury rice, couple of glasses dry white wine.
BBQ banana with LF yoghurt & small drizzle of honey
Muller light for snack later in evening

Total ~ 2,000 KCal

So overall average for the 3 days ~ 2,200 which is spot on daily intake I 'should' be having to maintain, although overall balance across the weekend could be much better.

However, I have now deliberately eaten (and bought) a sandwich, also I know that I will lose control from time to time but I have the ability to regain control and take remedial action, so that's a positive to come out of a negative.

I am also well aware that weekends are difficult times, but then provided I stay focussed and keep week days under control than over the course of a week intake intake should balance out, which is what maintaining is all about surely?

So I'm getting more convinced that this is the right time to cut the RTM ties at WI on Wednesday. I'm ready but will discuss with LLC and maybe in group.

 

[Sean(JSF)]

Week 11 Day 5 - Monday

LL Porridge & fruit
Apple mid-morning
1.5 x chapati with pepper & onion filling
Dinner of grilled pork steak, gnocchi and veg
Fruit salad, yoghurt & spoon of honey for a snack

Very good day food wise and only ~ 1,300 K Cal. Week days are so much simpler than weekends as there just aren't the opportunities to 'eat' through the day, and provided I keep busy in the evening that's not a problem either.

Felt really cheesed off & lacking energy today though. I can only assume it's a combination of the hot weather & being run-down (need a holiday & still 4 weeks to wait). Still it is what it is, just keep focussed and keep the goal in mind.

Also feeling really 'fat' at the moment, I think it's a result of the broader food choices sitting heavily rather than anything else, although have been drinking loads of water so that may also be a cause. I don't think I've actually gained any weight which considering glycogen must have been replenished by now is a major achievement. Still WI tomorrow night will confirm or disprove that theory.

So another seriously busy day ahead, don't know what/when I'll be able to eat until fairly late tonight but I'll deal with that as necessary.

TTFN

 

[thin_inside]

Sean - your new avatar shows a whole new person - you look amazing and I love the clean shaven look!

I think fluid retention is an issue in the hot weather and extra water intake adds to this. Inevitably we feel more bloated. I do anyway and have had some 'fat' days too.

From you posts it seems you have a healthy attitude to your food balance and intake. Do you think the awareness you have will ever become a skill meaning you will lead a healthy eating life without too much thought?

 

[Sean(JSF)]

OMG T_I I really, really hope so. I do feel that I am 'overly' analytical at the moment and the thought that it doesn't get any easier is a little disconcerting to be honest. That said though already I am aware of automatically making better decisions, and also stopping myself from 'picking' (except raisins which I adore and haven't eaten since I was about 6 years old). Simple to stop buying them if I feel it's getting out of control though.

Thanks for your kind comments. I'm a little happier now my face has regained some of it's 'shape' as glycogen has come back, and also pleased to have lost the beard

 

[daisydoll]

sean - you look 10 years younger in your new avatar wow!
i'm finding people don't recognise me at times - you must be getting that loads!!

daisy x

 

[Sean(JSF)]

LOL Daisy, that's very kind of you. In my job I get to meet clients every day who haven't seen me for 6 months + and its a continuing pleasure to have their jaws drop and expressions of bewiderment cross their faces. Many have said that they would not have believed it is me if I hadn't talked to them - lol. In fact just last week I was at a conference where I sat next to a chap I had done some presenting for just 3 months ago - sat there for an hour waiting for him to recognise me, in the end had to say hello as there was no way he was going to

Oddly this gives me mixed feelings. On the one hand it's truly great to have achieved the weight loss and it's blatantly transformed the way I look and others perceive me; on the other I always liked myself, never had any self-esteem issues and am a little 'sad' to recognize just how others obviously saw me. Maybe I'm naturally thick-skinned and the weight loss has removed some of the psychological padding as well.

Ho hum, all change, and all change is good.

So back to a very brief log:

Week 11 Day 6 - Tuesday

LL Porridge for breakfast
very busy day in car up to Leeds then @ event until 7.40pm and drive home. Nothing to eat (I did consider eating the penguin chocolate that was on my table, but decided I wasn't really THAT hungry).
Dinner around 9.40 - home made Moussaka (fortunately I'd made this yesterday), and salad. 1/4 melon for desert.

Total ~ 850 K Cal (too low really)

Plenty of water throughout the day so wasn't too hungry but was more than ready by 9.30 to eat - Oh I did have a pint of soda water in the bar when everyone else was swigging pints & wine so quite pleased with that and resisted the free crisps & nuts (which considering I hadn't eaten for 13hrs was an achievement).

So Another hectic day today but am taking LL soup in case lunch is 'squeezed' again, then meeting & final WI tonight. Wish me luck

 

[Anders]

Weight loss on RTM

Hi Sean, glad to see your doing so well! I'm currently on week 16 of abstinence an have about another month to go until I reach my target weight - and then start RTM. In notice though that you have lost quite a lot of weight during RTM ~ 23 lbs.

If I lost that amount on RTM, I would be somewhat underweight I think. Is it typical for men to lose that amount on RTM? I'm not sure whether to get to my target weight (~25 BMI) and then start RTM or start a few weeks earlier? Any suggestions? My LLC hasn't given me a good answer to this - she says I should start RTM when it feels right.

 

[Sean(JSF)]

Ah, well that's a really good question. My feeling was that I would lose a little on RTM as the portions etc are geared towards Ladies who require less KCal than us chaps daily. As a result sticking closely to the first 4-5 weeks should have meant another 7-8lb losses. In reality as you can see I actually lost more over a longer period.

However, when I started RTM I was happy with my weight and if it had stopped their I'd still have been comfortable (although having lost an additional 2 stone now I would be really disappointed to put back on up to my original goal!).

In honesty I think men tend to lose on RTM but ladies roughly STS (or have small losses); will depend on your choice and attitude to following the rules. At the end of the day your LLC is right, do what feels right to you - If you wanted to lose more later there's always LLL or other methods, and if you feel you're losing too much in RTM simply increase serving portions etc. Simples!

 

[Anders]

Hmm, that makes sense - slight complication is that my family and I are off to Disneyland Florida for 2 weeks at the end of August which lands roughly at weeks 4-5 of RTM. We have a Disney Dining plan which means we eat at restaurants the whole time. I think I'm going to have to be very careful.....

 

[Sean(JSF)]

Indeed, at least week 5 RTM introduces alcohol - always helps on holiday

 

[Anders]

Of course, I could start RTM a week earlier so I can have alcohol the first week of the holiday! But I can't say I've missed it that much....

 

[Sean(JSF)]

And so it finishes!!!!

as they say in cartoons....."Thats All Folks" :family2:

I have officially finished LL, (OK i'm not doing week 12 RTM but had final WI last night and agreed with LLC that that's the end). Final photo taken and will not be going back other than pop-in in 3 weeks time (prior to holiday), then plan on popping in again when return from holiday.

I have ~30 packs spare which I'm keeping in case I feel the 'need' to lose a few lb when I get back from my holiday.

I feel absolutely terrific, energised and excited. Similar to how I felt when I first started RTM in fact. There's a World of freedom out there (I know nothing's changed and I certainly don't intend to go mad)...

So yesterday RTM Week 11 day 7 (the final official day) - Wednesday

LL Porridge (I hope 'regular' porridge is as tasty)
LL Soup for lunch as I had one in the office & didn't have time to buy anything else
Salmon steak, salad, potato wedges, pasta coleslaw for dinner
Muller light, apple & raisins
1/2 bottle of dry white wine - celebrating The End, and sitting in garden on a glorious Summer Evening playing cards & chatting

~1,900 KCal for the day. Felt like a lot TBH but in reality perfect. Also 2 x 25 min walks.

Oh, almost forgot. I actually LOST another 3lb over the past 2 weeks which gets me into the 11stone range (11 st 13 lb but still), which I just can't quite believe. Glycogen is well & truly restored so I'm seriously chuffed.

I don't plan on logging food etc going forward and will be interested in seeing how easy I find that in reality.

So what have I learned in RTM?

Well it's taken a while but I know that no food is 'bad', even bread/Carbs have a place in a healthy diet.

Fruit is good (no, its much better than that).

Alcohol can be a trigger for me, so I need to be conscious about what i do when having/had a drink.

I have an obsessive personality (think I knew this already) but I can control food addiction. I need to be aware that there will be other temptations.

I have the control. I can allow myself the odd slip and be responsible enough to take the necessary action within a day or 2 to get back to the straight & narrow.

Oh yes, and fresh food is brilliant. No matter how little time I have it's ALWAYS better to cook something fresh than a 'ready meal'

All in all I'm a VERY happy chap today; I really feel that I have achieved every goal I set myself for this phase in my life, and I like the symmetry of it all.

So a few statistics to close this chapter:

Start date: 01/01/09
Finish date: 01/07/09
EXACTLY 26 weeks, or 1/2 a year

Start weight: 20 st 6 lb
Finish weight: 11st 13lb
EXACTLY 8 1/2 stone (119 lb)

Collar size 19.5" (start) 14.5" (now) - 5" reduction
Waist size 46" (start) 32" (now) - 14" reduction
Chest size 54" (start) 36" (now) - 18" reduction

BMI start - 42.2 (morbidly obese)
BMI now - 24.5 (healthy)

 

[Mel P]

What an amazing achievement Sean - well done and you do look like a different person

I just hope when I start RTM that I can have a similar attitude and reading your posts has made me think that cooking from scratch again might actually be quite fun instead of the never ending ready meals.

Good Luck going solo, but with your attitude, I doubt you'll have a problem

 

[daisydoll]

congrats again sean

you aren't going to disappear from here tho are you?!

you realise you are now being elevated to the ranks of BL and Slendablenda - our resident experts - i hope you will take your new position seriously! and stick about to help us!

daisy x

 

[Sean(JSF)]

LOL

Thanks Mel

Daisy, I could NEVER presume to step into such illustrious shoes as SB and BL !!!

But no, I don't intend on disappearing from Minimins, it's been too much a part of my life for the last 6 months to let go so easily. I am however going to make a conscious effort NOT to post a daily Blog, but I may put an update online every 3-4 days to remind myself as much as anything.

 

[thin_inside]

I'm hoping you'll stick around to provide the sage advice for all the queries and concerns that arise on this forum.

I am still amazed at your new avatar. You look absolutely amazing. A very handsome chap.

 

[Sean(JSF)]

I'm Back - Week 1 flying Solo

Helloo RTMers

As promised I'm back - I've found it quite difficult not to post TBH, but it's now been 7 days since I started flying Solo away from the warm embrace of LL.

The first thing I did was put all my spare packs & bars away in a Tupperware box at the back of the cupboard (1 have 31 of them), which I actually found quite symbolic.

Breakfasts have been the strangest times as I had LL porridge daily right up to the end so have had to find substitutes. I've mixed and matched to keep variety and try & prevent forming any habits, over the 7 days I've had: Cinnamon Grahams & banana; shreddies & banana chips; instant porridge & fruit; whole meal toast & poached egg; whole meal toast & marmite. Most of which I've enjoyed, but still longing for the sweetness of the LL Porridge - I think I have LL to blame for giving me a sweet tooth !!

Otherwise lunches etc have remained broadly similar to before with plenty of salads, veg and fish in the mix. We have eaten from the Olive Magazine "eat for 7 days for £35" menu, which has been really good (actually cost us £32 for ingredients). Lots more Carbs in the recipes than I would have chosen myself but I've gone with the flow and everything has been really tasty.

Have also had some home-made pudds and even a few ginger-nut biscuits (which I admit have been difficult to stop eating after 2-3) - got to keep pushing those boundaries...

Last night was exception & went out for an 'early bird' meal (whilst my group was at their WI - LOL); I had crab cakes to start then cajun chicken & steak - I couldn't order the chips so had a side salad in stead and didn't eat everything even then (I did have 2 of my daughter's chips though as I really want to break as many taboos as possible over these 3 weeks before going on holiday).

O/D on chocolate (with nuts - Yuummm); at the weekend (actually had 1 day with ~ 4,000 KCal) but got up early the next day and walked for 90 minutes before the rest of the house woke up.

Overall in the past 7 days, average daily intake 1,950 K Cal (nets after exercise to 1,778 K Cal) - I can't yet trust myself to stop logging all food & drink but I'm getting significantly more relaxed & I still have 3 weeks to break that habit.

Informally weighed myself last night as weekly routine & had STS +/- 1lb depending on scale reading. So happy with that.

The Real World is not a scary place, but you do need to keep vigilant. I think if I can keep daily intake around 2,100 - 2,200 K Cal then I'll be fine. If I have a heavy day then I simply plan to exercise more over the following 48 hrs to pull back before any damage is done.

Still getting great compliments on a daily basis, but oddly feel much heavier than at any time during the diet :sigh: I guess this is the mix of food sitting heavily rather than real weight, but still a little odd to be getting compliments but not feeling especially 'slim'....

Maybe I'm adjusting to my new size finally.


Keep in touch

 

[Anders]

Well done Sean. Glad to hear you can maintain on ~2000 kCals - some of the guys in my group reckon they need 1200-1400 to maintain which seems a bit low to me. I'm hoping to ramp up my exercise levels as soon as I'm on RTM - I started at a gym recently and overdid a bit and ended up extremely tired.

Good Luck!

 

[daisydoll]

hi sean
you sound like you are doing great
its been quiet on here since you 'left' as minerva is on hols so its been a bit lonely!
i'm getting on better than last week
i'm just realising that food is not the enemy and actually if i have some raisins 2 days before i'm allowed, i'm not going to put 2 stone on, lol!

where are you off on your hols to?
daisy x

 

[Sean(JSF)]

Hi Daisy - it really is quiet on here, but I guess that's the way in the Summer as everyone is off doing their own thing!

Glad to hear you're OK and getting to terms with the more 'relaxed' approach to RTM that I think is an absolute necessity. I think if you're too rigid with the rules then come week 11/12 and you finish then it's a BIG step with no guidance.

I'm still very happy (have walked loads again already this weekend and more to come today then family BBQ ), even allowed myself to share chocolates in the car with family yesterday AND had rice at lunch AND bread with dinner !!!!! (and no, I've not gained 2 stone as a result either LOL).

Holiday in South of France (Provence) near Avignon - we're lucky enough to own a house down there & I've not been for 12 months so can't wait! Only 18 days left now...