2014 - The year of no more excuses!

snowflakes

Full Member
My main aim is change my lifestyle rather than just lose weight - taking stock of things, my diet is appalling, and barely do any exercise. No wonder I feel so tired and sluggish and blah! I love to get to a weight at which I'm happy with how I look, but how I feel is even more important.

My goals are:
  • look amazing for my graduation in July (target weight around about 130 lbs)
  • exercise regularly, at least 3x per week, and improve my fitness levels
  • increase my fruit & veg intake to at least 3 but ideally 4/5 per day
  • take care of myself emotionally/mentally too - get enough sleep, meditation/mindfulness, quality time with family & friends
  • keep well hydrated

The first week of January has been crazy busy, and I've been commuting between 3 different places, so things haven't really got started! Now I'm still splitting my time between London and Essex but back in more of a pattern, so I can start in earnest to change my habits. I also need to buy a new pair of trainers for running in... tried an old pair and they gave me a massive blood blister on a pressure point because they don't fit properly.

Monday 6th January 2014

Food & drink:
  • 400g New Covent Garden Soup Co. Lentil & Smoked Bacon Soup
  • large handful of salad leaves (baby spinach, watercress, rocket)
  • salt & vinegar Crinkly Mini Cheddars
  • Kinder Cereals chocolate bar
  • 3 small clementines
  • about 1.5 litres Robinson's no added sugar squash

Exercise:
  • 1 hr 20 mins brisk walking

Sleep:
  • Not great, slept in too late - I'm attempting to shift my sleep pattern from evening shifts back to early mornings. An early night for me tonight!

Weight:
  • On Saturday 4th I was 164.6 lbs (optimistically low because I quite dehydrated)

Goals for tomorrow:
  • Get up on time and leave enough time to get ready rather than rushing.
  • Prepare healthy lunch in advance.
  • Drink > 1.5 litres, ideally 2 litres.
  • Spend half an hour in the evening on meditation/relaxation.
  • Remember to post letters that need to be sent!
 
Hi snowflakes ... Welcome! God you sound exactly like I did when I was a student. They're all such great changes to make though so well done for getting in the mindset! I have to say though, when I read your food that you had today and I saw the salt and vinegar crinklys... My mouth just started watering right there and then. Mmmmmm, my absolute favourites!
 
Hey! Thanks for replying :) OMG the Crinkly ones are just the best aren't they?! Most places don't seem to sell them, so whenever I find a little corner shop or somewhere that does, I have to buy them lol.

It's only 6pm and I'm dead tired! Just started my anaesthetics placement and although it's not as hectic as being based on a ward, there's still a fair bit going on. And we had teaching that covered the entire lunchbreak too, so I haven't really stopped.

Tuesday 7th January 2014

Food & drink:
  • Breakfast - 2 mouthfuls Alpen blueberry, cranberry & nut porridge, 125 ml apple, kiwi & strawberry smoothie
  • Lunch - white continental bread roll with Tesco Healthy Living tuna & sweetcorn filling & salad leaves (no butter), 10 raspberries & half a small pomegranate
  • Snacks - 2 small clementines, white Kinder Bueno chocolate
  • Dinner - jacket potato with half tin baked beans & chopped orange pepper, tiny bit of grated cheddar, salad leaves, stem ginger cookie for dessert
  • about 1.5 litres Robinson's no added sugar squash

Exercise:
  • 30 mins brisk walking

Sleep:
  • Yay, got up on time, didn't rush & had time to make lunch.

Weight:
  • Won't know until I'm back in London at the weekend, but someone who I hadn't seen since before Xmas asked me if I'd lost weight, so maybe Saturday's reading was that far off! :D

Goals for tomorrow:
  • Get up on time and leave enough time to get ready rather than rushing.
  • Prepare healthy lunch in advance.
  • Drink > 1.5 litres, ideally 2 litres.
  • Walk at least 1 hour (in addition to usual 30 min walk back from hospital).
 
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Yes! I absolutely love them ... They do the cheese and onion ones at work which I have to avoid on a regular basis ... Those and Branston pickle mini cheddars ... Mmmmm! I'm really missing crisps I have to say, if I succumb I try to go for skips or something light and airy! Haha.

2 mouthfuls of porridge ...haha. Not very nice?

Looks like you've had a good, albeit busy, day. Are you doing a nursing degree? Not sure what realm anaesthetics falls under, I've only got grey's anatomy to go by!
 
Hi Saruk! So more-ish aren't they?! The pickle ones are good too. Nah, the porridge wasn't really my cup of tea - I find the texture of the instant porridge pots/sachets a bit too paste-like, but I had it in the cupboard because my Mum bought a load on special offer. I'm doing a medical degree, training to be a doctor... I know, all the different specialities can be confusing. Ooh, I love Grey's! McDreamy or McSteamy? :D

Sooo... today, not so good. My period arrived and decided it would be a good idea to have me curled up in agony and trying not to puke. So I didn't go in to the hospital this morning, which I felt horribly guilty about. Didn't sleep well either. Ended up eating most of a box of stem ginger cookies and 100g Dairy Milk over the course of the morning until I felt a bit better. We get Wednesday afternoons off and I'd already scheduled to go to Patisserie Valerie with my grandma as a treat... so I went along and it was lovely, but more chocolate that I probably shouldn't have eaten! However, we nipped into M&S and I got quite a few of their ready meals and some vegetables hugely reduced, so I can pop those in the freezer to make eating well a bit easier whilst I'm here in the hospital accommodation (the kitchen is really poorly equipped). Feeling a bit better this evening but have a lot of work to do. HAVE to go in tomorrow regardless so really hoping I can sleep better tonight.

Wednesday 8th January 2014

Food & drink:
  • 100g Dairy Milk
  • 6 stem ginger cookies
  • 2/3rds slice of double chocolate gateau
  • 2 cups of tea with milk & sugar
  • 1 small clementine
  • Dinner: M&S corned beef hash & steamed sugarsnap peas, tenderstem broccoli & asparagus
  • about 1 litre Robinson's no added sugar squash

Exercise:
  • 1 hr 30 mins brisk walking

Sleep:
  • Not good, tossed and turned for hours, probably fell asleep about 3-4am and then didn't get up with alarm due to tiredness/period pain.

Weight:
  • Still a mystery!

Goals for tomorrow:
  • Get up on time and leave enough time to get ready rather than rushing.
  • Prepare healthy lunch in advance.
  • Drink > 1.5 litres, ideally 2 litres.
  • Do at least 2.5 hours revision in the evening.
 
Yes! Hence why I try to stay away, haha. Verrrryyyyy nice - do you want to be a GP? Ahhh, McDreamy or McSteamy ... I find answering the chicken vs egg question easier!! I'm going to say McSteamy - but this could easily change by tomorrow morning. Unless you throw Jackson into the mix and then I'll have him! Haha.

Sucks about your period ... I never have a good week when I'm on, I swear chocolate actually starts chanting to me. Hopefully the pains will be gone by tomorrow, I have everything crossed for you! Period + no sleep + revision ... I commend you for even thinking about healthy food! Don't beat yourself up about it, you'll be back on track in no time.
 
At the moment I'm planning on going into trauma/emergency medicine, but I like the variety you see in GP, and the hours are certainly more attractive, so that's not off the table yet; I'm not 100% decided!
It is a difficult choice isn't it? I wouldn't kick either of them out of bed. I've not watched far enough to meet Jackson yet I don't think, only at the end of season 5.
Thank you for the encouragement - things are going much better today! :D Ran a bit late this morning so breakfast was courtesy of a little corner shop on my walk to the hospital. Tomorrow is a later start so should have time for a decent breakfast.

Thursday 9th January 2014

Food & drink:
  • Breakfast - Apple Nutri-grain bar, 2 slices Go Ahead strawberry Yogurt Breaks, 1 small clementine
  • Lunch - white continental bread roll with Tesco Healthy Living tuna & sweetcorn filling & salad leaves (no butter), 10 raspberries, half a small pomegranate, 15 blueberries
  • Snacks - Metcalfe's Skinny Topcorn salt & sweet (what a ridiculous name... but only 115 cals per bag, yay!), 9 small celery sticks with half tub of tzatziki, Whitworths Raisin & Chocolate Shot
  • M&S macaroni cheese & steamed sugarsnap peas, tenderstem broccoli & asparagus
  • 2 litres Robinson's no added sugar squash

Exercise:
  • 1 hr walk (plus what felt like a million flights of stairs at the hospital!)

Sleep:
  • Better. Very tired by mid-afternoon though.

Weight:
  • Still a mystery.
 
Sounds great! Good luck with deciding, must be hard! Well Jackson is an absolute dreamboat ... He arrives in season 6 so you should meet him soon.

Sounds like you're doing really well!
 
Thank you, lovely!!

Oops, getting a bit behind! Food choices weren't the best on Friday, but I didn't go overboard with quantity so don't feel too bad.

Friday 10th January 2014

Food & drink:
  • 3 cream crackers with Tesco Healthy Living tuna & sweetcorn, 125ml apple, kiwi & strawberry smoothie
  • Batchelor's Pasta'n'Sauce cheese & broccoli with sugarsnap peas, tenderstem broccoli & asparagus
  • Milky Way Magic Stars (woke up with such a craving for them?!)
  • Asda kids sized cheese & tomato pizza
  • 1.2 litres Robinson's no added sugar squash

Exercise:
  • 1 hr walk (& plenty of flights of stairs at the hospital!)

Sleep:
  • Didn't have to go in until the afternoon so slept in a bit... need to get out of that habit and stick to consistent bed time/wake up time.

Weight:
  • Still a mystery.
 
Again, not the healthiest choices, but as I was out during the afternoon/evening I was a bit limited. Can't believe I spent a tenner on a drink and packet of crisps at the theatre, but by that point I was getting peckish again...

Saturday 11th January 2014

Food & drink:
  • 1/2 a FAB ice-lolly
  • small portion of homemade chilli
  • Pulled Pork Baguette from Borough Market (OMG it was so good!)
  • Tall Starbucks vanilla spice latte with cream & sweetener
  • Tyrell's salt & vinegar crisps
  • Double gin & tonic
  • 1 litre Robinson's no added sugar squash

Exercise:
  • walked 5 miles along Bankside/Southbank/central London

Sleep:
  • Again, a bit too much of a lie in (11am) and as a result couldn't sleep until 3am that night.

Weight:
  • 166.4 lbs !! YAY! I knew 164 lbs was optimistic but I was half expecting to be up at 168 lbs or something.
 
I cooked a couple of big batches of food in the slow cooker to portion out and take with me back to the hospital accommodation/to work on Sundays. I didn't work out calories per portion, but they're both packed with veggies and beans and I used lean beef. Lamb shoulder isn't the leanest cut but I trimmed the larger chunks of fat and just left the marbling, but at least I know there are no nasty surprises in terms of added fat/oil.

Chilli con carne - extra beans & veggies:
Extra lean beef mince, red kidney beans, black eyed beans, beef stock, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, red onions, white onions, sweet potato, red/orange/green peppers, carrots, cumin/coriander/cayenne/piri piri/cinnamon/salt & pepper.

Lamb bhuna curry:
Diced lamb shoulder, chickpeas, tinned tomatoes, Asda bhuna cooking sauce, white onions, red & green peppers, sweet potato, carrots.
 
It basically sounds like you're following the SW diet without even meaning to!Chana. Have you ever done it before?

Ooooh, what did you see at the theatre? I love going to the West End.
 
I haven't done it before, no. I've had a little look at SW but I can't afford to join any of the club type programmes, but I guess I know how to cook pretty well so I just need to make wise choices! I saw Coriolanus at the Donmar (Tom Hiddleston, Deborah Findlay, Mark Gatiss, Hadley Fraser) - tickets are like gold dust now it's near the end of it's run, but I'd highly recommend seeing the broadcast to cinemas (NT Live) on 30th Jan. A great way to see shows you'd otherwise miss.

Ooops, sorry for going AWOL! It's been such a busy week going back and forth between London and Southend, juggling my placement, work, acting classes, training & audit days. By Wednesday I just wanted to curl up in a ball. My food choices could've been better, but nothing catastrophic happened. I've probably eaten less overall on account of less time!

I can't remember everything from the last 5/6 days so I'll just start again from this morning.

Saturday 18th January 2014

Food & drink:
  • will edit later

Exercise:
  • will edit

Sleep:
  • Still struggling with a normal sleep pattern...

Weight:
  • 164.0 lbs :D And this time I don't think it's from dehydration!
 
Hey! How's it going? Yeah it is annoyingly pricey but it really helps me so the pounds I lose in weight is worth the pounds I spend.

That's a good idea actually! I'm seeing the new cirque du soleil show at the end of this month, I am so excited! Really can't wait.

Sounds like you're crazy busy! You must be shattered. Great job on hitting 164lbs though :)
 
Oh dear, another week of not posting... but this time I let things slide a bit! But I'm back in London for good now and easily got back on track today.

Saruk - Definitely worth the money if it helps! I'm just hoping I can manage the cheap way (lol given how naughty I've been this week, I'm not so sure I can!). Oooh, lucky you, Cirque are amazing! Is that at the Royal Albert Hall? I saw Totem when it toured a few years ago, the stuff the artists/acrobats can do is just incredible.

Saturday 25th January 2014

Food & drink:
  • 1.5 litres Robinson's no added sugar squash
  • strawberry Danio yogurt and raspberries
  • asparagus cup-a-soup
  • M&S rainbow vegetable salad (& dressing pot) with sliced mexican chicken breast pieces
  • Wispa chocolate bar
  • Asda sliced apple & pear fruit bag

Exercise:
  • 30 minute run/walk

Sleep:
  • Good, and a million times better for being in my own bed and not the crappy hospital accommodation one with loads of springs sticking out.

Weight:
  • 166.2 lbs (not good, but not surprising after the last week!)
 
Blah. I'm at work and I don't want to be... I just want to eat out of boredom...

Sunday 26th January 2014

Food & drink:
  • 1.5 litres Robinson's no added sugar squash
  • Lindt chocolate reindeer
  • homemade lamb bhuna curry (as detailed a few posts ago), wholegrain basmati rice
  • Sharwoods sweet & sour chicken and rice ready meal
  • third of a large pomegranate
  • 2 chocolate orange cupcakes as I was baking them to take to work... oops
  • Bisto sausages & mash ready meal (ugh, gave in to boredom eating at work and they provide these awful ready meals for us for free... bleh)
  • handful of vanilla sunflower seeds

I realise I've essentially eaten 3 dinners today... :-S

Exercise:
  • none

Sleep:
  • Good, yay!

Weight:
  • 166.2 lbs
 
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It is indeed at the royal Albert hall! I've never been before - very excited. I love cirque du soleil, I've watched all the DVDs and I know my mouth is just going to be open in awe the entire time!

I hate work and their stupid vending machines! As if we need temptation like that ... Haha.mluckily I stay away and if I really want anything I grab a diet coke. We also have a hot food van that comes every day selling burgers, cheesy chips, wraps, sausage rolls ... All the good yet oh so bad stuff. I have to stay away from that, too! So I feel your pain with that stupid ready meal!

I hope that you're back on track and feeling good :)
 
Oh, it's such a lovely venue! Depending on where you sit though... not good if you suffer from vertigo! There was talk of them not providing the ready meals any more because it was encouraging unhealthy eating... I kinda wish they would stop! But then on a Sunday night if you forget to bring anything in, the only other option is McDonald's. :( It's always the super-processed stuff which is so bad for you but somehow tastes amazing. Cheeseburgers... mmm. Doing a wee bit better now, thanks for the encouragement hun!


Monday 27th January 2014

Food & drink:
  • 0.75 litres Robinson's no added sugar squash, 500 mL sugar free apple flavoured water
  • Tesco tuna & sweetcorn sandwich
  • M&S peanut & chocolate popcorn cereal bar
  • Warburton's 50/50 white and wheat square wrap with homemade bean & chicken filling (see below)
  • M&S sushi snack pack
  • blueberry Danio yogurt
  • Kinder Bueno white

Exercise:
  • none

Sleep:
  • Good.

Weight:
  • Unknown, not weighing again until Saturday
 
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Made a sort of mexican bean/veg/chicken filling that I'm going use for enchiladas (trialed it in a wrap yesterday and it was very yummy!): red onion, red peppers, tomatoes, baked beans, salsa, mexican seasoned chicken breast.

Tuesday 27th January 2014


Food & drink:
  • 1.5 litres Robinson's no added sugar squash
  • oatmeal with raspberries & blueberries & sprinkle of dark brown sugar (made with water, didn't finish it as in a rush but ate all the fruit and about half the oats)
  • medium banana
  • small homemade gingerbread latte (semi-skimmed milk & sweetener)
  • M&S Harissa Chicken & Couscous Salad with extra baby salad leaves, yellow pepper & cucumber
  • blueberry Danio yogurt

Dinner will be..

  • M&S venison steak with red wine & juniper jus (reduced in M&S to 50p! Love a good bargain!)
  • Tesco steam bag green vegetables (peas, broccoli florets, sugarsnap peas, green beans)
  • baked potato

Exercise:
  • 40 minute walk. Ordered new running shoes so excited for them to arrive... looks like I'll have to brave the nasty weather though!

Sleep:
  • Took quarter of a zopiclone to make sure I fell asleep on time but still didn't sleep until 1am (up at 7am).

Weight:
  • Unknown, not weighing again until Saturday.
 
I've been terrible again with updating! But I think I must be doing something right, as I'm back to 164.8 lbs. I'd like to be firmly in the 150's by my birthday at the end of Feb, ideally around 155 lbs... I'm hoping that's realistic. Now my running shoes have arrived I plan to up my exercise. My food choices have slipped a bit recently, so let's see if I can get that under control -- and remember to stay accountable here!!
 
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