Time for me to be honest

SweetFannyAdams

SweetFannyAdams

Full Member
.... and make some hefty lifestyle changes.

I had a couple of health scares at the end of 2018 and realised I can no longer be blase about my weight. It's not just about looking **** in clothes or my knees sounding like Rice Krispies when I'm going up the stairs. Seeing the words 'grossly inflated BMI' on the doctor's computer screen was humiliating. I don't want that again. So here I am. Last time I lost weight it was via Lighter Life back in 2008/9, when I lost about 5 stone. It was the easiest diet I ever did - no thinking about food at all, no decisions to make. But that's not the right thing for a lifestyle change, and so I need to do something that's manageable for me in the long term. So I'm starting out with a 16:8 eating pattern, combined with 5:2, and cutting out sweets, cakes, biscuits, sugar in my tea. Let's see where that gets me, eh?

So, I fasted from 8.30 last night to 2pm today (had a lie in, which made it much easier!). So far today (one of my 2 fast days this week) I've had a 2 egg omelette with mushrooms and ham, and 2 cups of Berber tea. About 266 calories, I reckon. Don't the little buggers add up quickly? Michael Mosley's new 5:2 is based on 800 calories on fast days. I'm not sure whether I should be doing that or the traditional 500. I'll start off with 500, I think and see how it goes, if I'm losing. I need to do some meal planning as I know I'm going to find myself being very dependent on eggs and I need to get more creative.

Grateful for any conversation along the way. I'm not ready to put a ticker or anything up yet, but I'm aiming for an initial 10 kilos to my first goal.
 
Sod the 500 calories. Been doing some reading this afternoon and it seems 800 works pretty much just as well and you're more likely to stick at it. 800 it is. I'm having a portion of homemade chilli for my dinner (385) with a teaspoon of sour cream (9 calories) and some cauliflower (28 calories) followed by an apple (52 calories). Takes me to about 730ish for the day. That'll do!
 
So, the fasting bit has gone okay. I fasted from about 6.30 last night to 12.30 today. Today is 'eating normally'. Let's see how that works, eh? I've had a toastie with home roasted ham and a little smattering of cheese, and an apple so far today. Need to have a rummage in the fridge for dinner - haven't done a shop since before Christmas so everything's getting a bit grim. Mr Ocado is coming tomorrow so things will be a bit brighter - thank goodness, as it's a fast day. I've ordered salad and avocados so am planning a salad lunch then a homemade curry with cauliflower for dinner. Weighed myself this morning (forgot to take a starting weight yesterday). It's really really not good and I can't write it in here. But knowledge is power, right? Hopefully some changes in my lifestyle will start to turn things around.
 
800 is definitely more sustainable. Think it makes a big difference psychologically.

I've eaten 770 calories today, which comprised a salad for lunch (surprisingly tasty - baby spinach, plum tomatoes, prawns, avocado and a splash of olive oil. Had a Hartleys 10 calorie jelly. Then for tea I had two small hard boiled eggs with a tablespoon of mayo, and a small slice of bread and butter. A Muller Light a bit later. Will be interesting to see whether having carbs on the fast days impacts on weight loss. If I can keep carbs, I'd like to. As I say, it needs to be sustainable. Was 45g of carbs altogether so not hideous anyway.

Went to the cinema tonight and managed to resist drinks and snacks. Fasting now till 12.30 tomorrow. Fridge is nice and full after Mr Ocado's visit!
 
Fast day number 3. Have had some soup so far. I'll conjure up some kind of salad thing later - I've got some parma ham that looks good. Not having any problems with the 16:8 part - I've been making sure I've finished eating for the day by 8.30pm, and not having anything other than green or peppermint tea or water until 12.30 the next day. I've not weighed myself yet. I might attempt a first weigh in tomorrow morning before work.
 
So it's been a sobering few days.

I've always had low blood pressure. The last time I had it measured was 5.5 years ago, which was when I had a Mirena coil fitted. Went for a smear just after Christmas and the GP had asked the nurse to check my bp as well. I was a bit traumatised post-smear, so I expected it to be elevated a bit, but bloody hell, it was at hospitalisation levels. I kept having to go and sit in the waiting room and be called back again, but it kept going higher rather than lower. In the end, I had to see their on call GP and when he took it it had come down enough for them to let me go, but he told me to pop back in a couple of weeks to have it checked. One of my closest friends is a GP so I got her to check it for me on Sunday, and it was still really high :( She said I had to book in as an emergency with my own GP the next day, which I did. The upshot is that I'm on medication, am booked in for a 24 hour bp monitor and a healthy heart assessment, plus have had bloods taken for practically everything.

Went to pick my mum up today as we were going out for lunch, and she said she felt 'woozy'. Took her up to the chemist to get her bp checked and hers was high. And guess where I was this afternoon? At the vet, with my cat, having her bp checked! It's clearly the week for it. Just praying my bloods don't throw up anything horrid (when you're fat, people always assume you're diabetic - I want to prove them wrong!)
 
Hi SweetFannyAdams

Sounds like you’re smashing the 16:8 and 5:2 well done keep at it!
Generally, I calorie count (1200kcals) and try to eat in an 8 hour window (10:30-18:30)
Every now and then I get inspired by different diets, theories and fads so do them within those rules (this week is inspired by 5 bite diet but less strict)

Love the honesty and humour
You’re doing great!
 
Another kilo off - whoop!

Watched Hospital last night. There was a woman on there with endometrial cancer. The consultant said that women with a BMI over 40 are TEN TIMES more likely to get it. Bloody hell. If I get no further, I WILL get my BMI under 40. So, 4.1kg down so far.

I'm wondering if the Mirena could be at the root of the BP issues. The last time I had it taken was when I had the Mirena fitted 5.5 years ago. It was around 110/55 then, which is where it had always been. Google tells me that people with Mirena should have their blood pressure closely monitored - mine literally hasn't been done in all that time until just after Christmas. Alternatively, it could be down to me being a bloater ....

The 800 calorie days have gone well this week. I've bought a couple of healthy ready meals to have for one meal around 12.30 and then had something homemade in the evening. This week it was a Waitrose healthy Thai green curry and a chicken biryani. Both were tasty and around the 400 calorie mark. I roasted a chicken last night and had some of that with steamed broccoli and gravy for dinner. Will make some soup with the chicken carcass, which can be one of my meals on my next 800 calorie day. I'm putting my fast days for next week into the calendar so I can build them into my week and not book anything social in for those days!
 
Hi, well done on loss, your weight does seem to be dropping. I hope you bp sorts itself out. My doc advised even a 5kg weight loss can really make major changes to improve it
 
tipperary said:
Hi, well done on loss, your weight does seem to be dropping. I hope you bp sorts itself out. My doc advised even a 5kg weight loss can really make major changes to improve it
Click to expand...

Yay, well as of today I am bang on 5kg down. I go to the doctor's tomorrow to get a 24 hour blood pressure monitor fitted, so we'll see what happens. Thank you!
 
Another half a kilo off, 5 kilos in total. I've been out for meals loads this last week and succumbed to a bag of jazzies and a huge slice of chocolate cake, so I'm very happy with that. I need to get moving more, I'm way too static, so I'm going to force myself out a little more this week. I have a 'healthy heart' session with a nurse tomorrow - one of those where they tell you how you should divide your plate up between protein, veg and carbs. Yippee. Will also be getting results of blood tests I had done a couple of weeks ago, so just hoping nothing too hideous turns up in those.
 
Best of luck with the heart session and bp monitor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

tobehappyme
New start for a new me
Replies
2
Views
2K
tobehappyme
tobehappyme
jules1981
My Goal is to be Healthier dropping from 26 stone 10 lbs
2 3
Replies
42
Views
4K
tipperary
tipperary
Y
Weight loss journey intro -
Replies
5
Views
2K
Zafira
Zafira
F
Getting fit for 40! My diary (feel free to join me)
Replies
13
Views
3K
AliGal
AliGal
goose
Goose's final road to goal
2
Replies
30
Views
5K
tipperary
tipperary
Back
Top