Zeke's Fabulous Forties

[zeke]

Had a bit of a 'non-day' :sigh:

Lots of hanging around and being bored and also a bit pissed off (with DH). We didn't go to Ikea in the end - it became clear that no one was in the mood for it (especially considering it is over an hours drive away)!

Just been dragging up old threads about swapping to a LCD (after the ten weeks - not now!). Didn't really answer my question though and it seems silly to start a new thread now when I have no intention of doing it for another 6 weeks! The bottom-line is I won't know completely what will happen until I actually do it. I am trying to mentally prepare myself though. I know the following:

* I have no intention of doing a re-feed.
* I will gain weight - at least 4 lbs
* I know I will gain for the one day I am completely off any plan but I have no idea how long the gaining will go on for after I swap to a LCD
* I am looking forward to finding the above point out!
* I need to have some time off SnS at least - to exericse, to start cooking healthy family meals, to allow my metabolism to recover
* I won't feel that I have met any of my targets other than the last SnS one until I am well below it or have achieved it whilst eating regular food
* It might be more sensible in the longrun to focus on maintaining or aiming to lose very slowly (0.5lb/week) for a few months
* It will be a million times better to 'settle' for, and maintain, a size 14/BMI 24.9 than to continue yo-yo dieting
* It is important to me to lose the 're-feed' weight before I will be happy with maintaining

 

[lass321]

I think you are right to assume there will be a gain so you're prepared for it but would it be worth staying lowish carbs for a few days and only increasing carbs gradually? It's the water weight from carbs that show the gain so just wondering if introducing it back slowly would be less likely to lead to a gain - just a thought because that's what I'm planning to do on my switch to SW. My weekend food this week did not lead to a gain and I wonder if that was because my carbs were only slightly higher. I totally agree, especially once you are into a 'healthy' bmi, a slower weight loss might lead to a better chance of maintaining. Whatever you decide I know you will be successful

 

[zeke]

Thanks Lass!

Yes, maybe SW red for at least the first few days would be more sensible and easy on the fruit. However, I also plan to have two meals out on my first day off SnS - lunch and dinner and enjoy a glass of wine with both of those (I absolutely do not want to go mad though and have three large courses - I will actively make healthy choices and not over-eat or binge drink)! I may just need to mentally plan for the 'worst'! I could also try not doing a WI for a couple of weeks but the scientist in me want to see the data.

I will almost certainly wipe my stats on the profile and sig and start 'fresh' (I will copy them into my diary first!) on the highpoint of my post SnS gain (hopefully within a week or so) and then set my target as whatever weight I was on my birthday.

I have no doubt it will be a tricky phase but I also know that with the support of my lovely minimins friends that I can travel through it. I didn't navigate it well at all last time so I am looking forward to doing it with a more realistic and concrete plan this time.

Just taken this from the SnS info about refeed|:
When you started your VLCD your body had to use up all of your carbohydrate from the bloodstream
as well as all of the glycogen stored in the liver and muscle, which we now know could account to
around 4lb in weight loss that is not fat. So, when you come off any VLCD programme that involves
ketosis you can expect to regain this 4lb of weight because as soon as you start to eat carbohydrates
they will convert to glycogen and be stored back into the muscle along with the water. Remember 1g
of glycogen stores in the muscle with 3g of water. After long periods of ketosis your body can also
‘supercompensate’ the reloading of carbohydrates and take in more than your body needs.
Supercompensation would be a temporary phase and would regulate itself within a couple of days at
most but initially could account for an extra 2lb in glycogen/water weight gain.
So remembering that this weight you will regain is not fat weight you can allow yourself not to be
concerned about gaining approximately 4-6lb in the first week of re-feeding. If you gain more than 4lb
this would generally be lost within the next week naturally.
The glycogen and water weight you regain has a positive effect on the metabolism due to occupying
muscle cell area and increasing the amount of calories your body burns each day, so this weight gain
is certainly a healthy one!
So hopefully you are now not afraid of gaining a few pounds once you


Why I choose to watch cookery programs whilst I am doing this is beyond me. I've just watched Paul Hollywood's program on iplayer and will probably watch the next episode live this evening...oh yeah. I am strengthening my resistance muscle!

Anyway, looks like I will be about 4 lbs up a week afterwards - if I lose 1 lb/wk after that it will only take four weeks. I can do that.

 

[zeke]

I had an extra pack last night (chocolate shake - not a bar like last time!). I still think it was the right decision. I do feel a bit bloated today but that may have happened anyway. I was starting to have sabataging thoughts - couldn't do this for another 5.5 weeks etc. Again, why did I watch two episodes of Paul Hollywood's bread program?! HA HA! Then I started looking up recipes from the 'Lean and Clean' diet!

Anyway, onwards and downwards! I cannot have another unproductive housebound day again. We are going to attempt Ikea again. Yesterday we all managed to get in the car and drive about 100m before turning back!

I am going to do another stock-take later. I think I have enough packs to take me to 8 weeks - by that point I should be below my last VLCD diet weight and it may be sensible to swap to SW red then and have two weeks on that before my birthday, especially as I am planning on drinking alcohol on my birthday. The more I think about it the more sense it makes...

 

[zeke]

'Interesting day'.

Second attempt at going to Ikea failed! This time we got about half-way; we got as far as the next small city along but met major congestion and decided we didn't want to go to Ikea that much so stopped there for a look round the shops and lunch. There will be no further attempts to get to Ikea! I will just order stuff off the website without seeing it first.

Anyway, it was, of course, freezing cold! DS wanted to go to pizza hut. I was really, really hungry before 12 pm (usually have a shake 1.30/2pm). I made the decision to have something as SnS friendly as I possibly could in pizza hut (I did have a shake pack and container to mix it in with me but the idea of doing that in the street in the freezing cold...). I had lettuce, cucumber, peppers and a bit of beetroot (don't think that is allowed) and a starter of 5 strips of breaded chicken (I scraped off as much of the breaded bit as I could and just had the chicken and passed on the dip). That made me feel better but I still had my normal chocolate shake when I got back at 2.15 pm. I came so close to ordering a pizzetta but managed to catch myself.

So, at the moment I am hanging on with my finger nails! I think the combination of not being at work and the cold has made this quite a bit harder!

I am hoping that the rest of the day will become more like a regular day - meal and veg at 6 pm, bar at 9 pm. I will be 5 meals though like yesterday (not bothered by that tbh as last time I did this I had a few hungry days in a row where I had an extra pack each day and I still lost well - better than I have been losing this time round!).

STOCKTAKE:

Porridge: 27
Shakes: 35
Meal: 37
Bars: 26

So if I get a grip and get back on my standard program for the rest of the day and stick with that I have another 25 days worth after today - which will take me up to the 8 weeks with several packs left over to cope with 5 pack days etc.

I am not going to order more. I think I am about 95% certain my SnS journey will end at 8 weeks (on the assumption that I can find the motivation/willpower to make it until then!) rather than 10 weeks now, if not before. I would much rather switch to SW red whilst I am still firmly in diet-mode rather drag myself on and end up 'losing it'. As soon as I do swith though I will made exercise a daily essential!

Even if I stop today (which I don't plan to) I am still pleased with that fact I have made it over the month and have lost the bulk for my gain from last time.

 

[zeke]

Feel much better now. .

I have finally ordered the ikea stuff I have been dithering about for months!

For my study (I already have a large desk in this finish and have decorated to go with it now so decided to stick with it even though I would have probably chosen a different colour now if starting from scratch!):

A couple of things for DS's room too (he will also inherit stuff from my office which will push stuff out of his room onto ebay!

Hoping it should make a big difference - even though it is cheap Ikea furniture it still added up to quite a lot! It may get delivered next Wednesday but I'm not holding my breath - that would be too good!

I also managed to buy 2x work blouses, 2 x cardigans, 2 x camisoles and 2 x long sleeve thermal vests - all in a size 14!!

 

[zeke]

I just refuse to learn.

Yes, I will be watching Great British Bake Off Easter Masterclass this evening

 

[Lou_G]

Haha I was watching man vs food earlier drool!!!!

Online shopping is much better than driving to ikea

And yay for the 14s!!!!

 

[zeke]

I think if we ever go to Ikea again it will be on the train and then ordered on the internet afterwards! I used to live a 15 min drive from one pre-dc and going was soooo easy then - I would go at 9 pm when it was quiet and be back within an hour.

I am VERY pleased that I made the right decision in pizza hut yesterday and just had the chicken and salad. The rest of the day worked out fine and I stuck to my regular packs at my regular times. Still had 5 meals yesterday though - the chicken wasn't much (when I scraped off all the breadcrumbs and left them all in the bowl at the end it looked like as much as before I started eating!). I am down 0.6 lbs today (1.6 lbs in 4 days - so at that rate looking at 2.8 lb this week - not that that is any reliable gauge at all!).

After yesterday's clothes shopping success I do definitely feel a lot slimmer. My robe that I have worn at every weight (sz 16 I think) is starting to look too big and it looks like I have a shape when wearing it now - BIG change from before! I'm not going to replace it until I am a size 12 though. I have a pair of very comfortable PJs - that were bought on the big size as that is what they had left (sz 20) -they have an elasticated waist but I am going to have to retire them as they are slipping right down and falling off. I may go through my wardrobe today and have a bit of a sort-out.

I MUST get on top of the housework properly today. Including cleaning the oven :wave_cry:

I swear my 40th birthday ticker hasn't moved at all. Maybe I can stay 39 forever? :character00238:I'll have to investigate that later..

 

[zeke]

I swear my 40th birthday ticker hasn't moved at all. Maybe I can stay 39 forever? :character00238:I'll have to investigate that later..

When I go to edit signature my ticker is showing 1 month, 1 week and 1 day until my birthday. However, even when I save it, my signature is still showing what it did the day I put in on: 1 Month 1 week and 5 days!

Maybe I used the wrong code?! I think I'll just ditch it! I will ditch them both - my days since I started SnS doesn't mean much to me now it has gone over the month.

Time to add in all my mini targets I think!

 

[zeke]

DH has just baked a loaf of bread (in the breadmaker not by hand - don't be impressed!). It is cooling. I just picked it up, smelt its loveliness and ran away!

 

[lass321]

Noooo warm bread - is the man a masochist?

 

[zeke]

Noooo warm bread - is the man a masochist?

Quite possibly!

Every night he sits on the sofa with the treat chocolate tin (he has a couple of treat size bars). I am almost immune to that now.

 

[zeke]

Despite my claims I am back to my old ways regarding excess carbonated drinks & probably too much veg and milk (don't bother measuring and weighing)! I'm not going to make any more claims about stopping - clearly that didn't work last time. Maybe this is what is affecting my losses but I did all of this last time round and I must be in ketosis otherwise I would be super-hungry all the time (not just occasionally). I went back down to 4 packs again yesterday.

Only another three weeks and two days to go. It might be sensible to start plannning (not on here - in a folder!) my SW red swap - this is the part of any diet that I really struggle with - the planning and food shopping! I don't think I will do Red the whole time. I will do it for at least the two weeks before my birthday and maybe until I have lost my post-VLCD gain but I think EE will have to be the longterm plan. I am looking forward to starting that later! I could also start making and freezing some SW friendly food but that may be pushing things too far! Anyway, I think it is much more productive to focus my energy onto ensuring that the transition is smooth and I am well prepared as that is where is went completely wrong last time and why I have ended up doing SnS again.

Another excellent reason to come off SnS when I have used up the bulk of my packs is that I need the shelf space! Just had a load of Tassimo pods delivered and I currently have no where convenient to store them!

I have also decided to stop updating my profile and sig every day (I will still do my graph - updating my sig/profile all the time is getting a bit much though!) and keep that to once a week as well as put my full journey on, afterall this is just a phase and the real challenge lies in losing weight using real food and then maintenance! I've set my target as 149 lbs and goal date to be the first Saturday of the Summer holidays. Not sure whether that will be my ultimate goal or whether that goal date is realistic but it is something to aim for!

We have a visitor coming this afternoon so the housework cannot be delayed further!

 

[Emmaline]

Hi Zeke, Just saw your post on Lass's diary and was very impressed with the graph. Can't help feeling now that I have read thro' some of your diary that you are doing yourself a great injustice! Altho' you have had a lot of ups and downs..(and who of us do not?! ) .. you are still on the way down and that deserves much credit! .. :clap:
Sometimes we get soo desperately involved it all the continual watching and monitering what and when we eat we lose sight of what we have achieved..and especially as you have "things" that are very trying..if you get my drift.. :giggle:

Don't give up..forty is not such a specific ordeal..when you get to my age nothing is an ordeal as far as age goes!
Keep it up Zeke..you know it makes sense and you will feel so fantastic when you reach your goal.

 

[lass321]

You're doing great. I may have to take a leaf out of your book and try and ultra organised when I move to SW. Unfortunately it is not really in my nature.

 

[Lou_G]

You're doing great I don't think a bit of extra veg and milk does any harm

And great organising for future! I'm obsessed with paleo that i'm hoping to switch to. Feeling a bit unsure though, can I give up carbs for life? Still crave them so badly even though i'm not hungry!!

 

[zeke]

Hi Zeke, Just saw your post on Lass's diary and was very impressed with the graph. Can't help feeling now that I have read thro' some of your diary that you are doing yourself a great injustice! Altho' you have had a lot of ups and downs..(and who of us do not?! ) .. you are still on the way down and that deserves much credit! .. :clap:
Sometimes we get soo desperately involved it all the continual watching and monitering what and when we eat we lose sight of what we have achieved..and especially as you have "things" that are very trying..if you get my drift.. :giggle:

Don't give up..forty is not such a specific ordeal..when you get to my age nothing is an ordeal as far as age goes!
Keep it up Zeke..you know it makes sense and you will feel so fantastic when you reach your goal.

Thank you for stopping by and your words of encouragement Emmaline

I am quite proud of my graph! Even the up bits because they show that I didn't bury my head in the sand over my weight gain. I vowed those 3+ years ago to weigh-in and record my weight every day or nearly every day, whether it is going up or down, and I am proud that I have achieved that. There is no doubt in my mind that if I hadn't have done that then my 'highest ever' would have continued to rise. It is only in the last three years that the start of a new diet hasn't been at, yet another, highest ever. I think the fact that the start was such a lovely round figure (both in stones and pounds!) helped - I didn't want to lose that.

I am actually quite excited about hitting my forties - most of my friends are already there and loving it. I am pretty sure this is going to be my happiest decade so far. A big part of that is managing my weight better and making a bigger effort with my appearance - both things I believe with have a positive impact in every area of my life. I have given every adult decade a theme name that fits my summary of it:

Troubled Twenties
Fat Thirties
and now....Fabulous Forties! Hopefully it will live up to that - the other two were named retrospectively!

You're doing great. I may have to take a leaf out of your book and try and ultra organised when I move to SW. Unfortunately it is not really in my nature.

Thank you! It isn't in my nature with food and shopping either. I just about manage to be fairly organised everywhere else but these two areas...not a great track record. I've got to keep working at it though. I shall start this evening - little and often - at least there are a few weeks to get organised. I shall definitely be repeating things a lot and sticking to the same basic plan!

You're doing great I don't think a bit of extra veg and milk does any harm

And great organising for future! I'm obsessed with paleo that i'm hoping to switch to. Feeling a bit unsure though, can I give up carbs for life? Still crave them so badly even though i'm not hungry!!

Thank you! I have no idea what Paleo is - I shall look it up shortly! Very low carbs for life does sound a bit difficult - some of the ladies on 'real housewives of .....' seem to live like that all the time though! I hope you are right about the veg and milk (I don't think it is much I am going over by) as I now have no intention of doing anything other.

 

[Lou_G]

well it isn't strictly low carb, but no grains or potatoes can have sweet potato and parsnips, swede and the like

we'll see. Maybe if I can do it 80% of the time it's better than nothing and 20% for treats (say - at weekends or something) like FRENCH STICK!!

Your heaviest weight is the same as mine! Dead on 15 stone - that was the moment I said 'enough' - it was July 2011. I'd just been a bridesmaid (horrific experience) and hen do to Magaluf (yes the fat jolly one - that was me ) Did Dukan until the Christmas, lost 2.5 stone - put all but 12lbs back on until last October when I started S&S.

I think I've got a ticker on my work laptop that I plugged a lot of weights into since 2011 - must look at that graph, I'll post it on my diary when I do. Although I'm only 0.8lbs lighter than I got to in Dec 2011

 

[Emmaline]

Troubled Twenties
Fat Thirties
and now....Fabulous Forties! Hopefully it will live up to that - the other two were named retrospectively!

Love those titles... that's me as well..and adding on Super Seventies! ..

I have the same problem with the carbs. Today I totalled 170 but just find it so very hard to make it less. Like my bread and bananas too much.