My diary of my new diet and fitness.. eeeeek..

GEEGEE8

I'm going on a low carb diet from this Wednesday.

I carry a lot of weight around my middle and it's safe to say I eat too many chips and sarnies..

I'm also addicted to Relentless (the energy drink), and failing that, any other energy drink I can get.

I normally feel ill and faint when I go on a diet, so I have one Uni exam tomorrow (Tuesday), and then on Weds I am getting my hair done and beginning the diet, I then have until the following Tuesday to go 'cold turkey' without the need to go anywhere important.

I've tried all sorts of ways to lose weight, and always get major sugar cravings, feel faint and cave in.. I'm tired of it.

So.. this is me..

27yrs old
Female
Size 20-22
Weight - 17st 8lbs (this morning)
Previous happy weight - 12st 4lbs
Height - 5ft 7"
BMI - 38.5
BMR - 1921
Calories required to sustain weight with 3-5 light exercise sessions a week - 2651Kcals
Calorie target per day - 1900Kcals

I aim to exercise every day, I have a nice 1hr walk I can do, and I have a nice mountain bike which I can go out on too. I have flirted with the idea of the Wii Fit game, but just not sure about it yet.

Anyhow, this is me, I'm very unhappy with my weight and hopefully you will see me progress as this diary goes on.

Gem

jenniewb

Well by going on a low carb diet you will almost certainly lose weight. But the bulk of it wont be fat loss, it will be glycogen loss.

Glycogen is energy. Its held in the body inside muscles and around the body for energy, its derived from carbohydrates and if you don't top it up, your body will use what you have stored. Its not good to get this too low or you can end up basily feeling like you want to eat the house and its contence- its one of the pit falls of dieting! It works for a week then your glycogen levels deplete and your famished, then your body has gone into starvation mode, slowed down as your likely eating a very low calorie diet as well. As soon as you reach for the nearest carb BANG! You gain weight very quickly- but its important to remember that just like the weight loss, its mainly glycogen (energy) rather then fat gain.
You'd need to continue to eat carbs normally and eventually the gain would slow and stop, your body would normalise and stop clinging to the carbs in the same way someone who is starving in a famine situation grabs at their food.

To lose weight, there really are no secrets, its about consuming fewer calories then your body needs. Your BMR there, thats whaty your body needs if you were bed-bound so be aware you need more when you exercise- even if its a short walk every day. The amount your body needs would maintain your weight but you want to lose weight so I'd suggest cutting up to 25% of your calorific intake but not too much more or you risk binging or finding things impossible or landing yourself in starvation mode and feeling weak and unable to function properly.

How are you working out the calories for exercise? Just asking as its such a vague area- I wear a heart rate monitor to work out mine and as much as the HRM people say fitness experts rely on their monitors and etc etc, I still feel it over exaggerates- and it already reads less then half of what gym machines tell me!
See the problem with using exercise calories is that your body does not work like a car: with a car you fill it with petrol. It works. If you do not have enough petrol and it runs out of gas it just stops, not slows like the body does: when the body does not have enough calories (gas!) it becomes wise: it learns to preserve itself. It slows down, it works on slow mode and worse: instead of breaking down calories and fat to obtain energy, it starts to break down muscle. It does this because it costs your body more calories to have muscle then it does to have fat, its trying to conserve energy so it gets rid of the most energy expendable thing. So please be careful when undereating not to go too far and please don't rely on calories deriven from exercise, your body is too wise for you to use reliably like that!

Thats not to say don't bother with exercise, it is very important, but be careful not to fall into a rut, change your programme every 6-8 weeks as you will get used to what you do, if you wear a HRM you will be able to see your heart rate decrease from what it was when you began, if you concerntrate on your muscles you will be able to tell there are no new muscle aches or pains as a result of exercising so your body isn't being pushed as much and if your clock watching, your not as in-to what your doing, your not putting as much oomph into things and your not going to be getting as good a results as you could be. Speak to people at the gym and ask for a new programme, try new classes, try going outside in the summer and trying different things: running outside is not the same as running on the treadmill for example, BMF offers some excellent classes that are well suited to the warmer months and exercising with children (if you have them) can be a great way to test your coordination and build a different type of fitness!

With regards to your diet, by all means go with the low carb but be aware to exercise well you will need some glycogen (carbs) in your muscles so you will need some carbs. Eating within an hour of heavy exercise is not the best thing for most people but maybe a carb based drink about an hour beforehand could help? I find that eating protein after a workout with a little bit of carbs within the hour after a workout helps me recover faster so the next day I exercise I am ready to go rather then feeling too weak or unable to do anything. Food in the right places with the correct nutrition really does have an impact!

Rough rule of thumb? 30% carbs, 30% protein, 30% vegetables 10% fat. Make sure the carbs are complex (not sugar or refined) make sure the protein is lean, the vegetables offer different colours (eg green, red, yellow....) and the fat is unsaturated.

And don't forget to stretch!!

GEEGEE8

Wow - what a fantastic post, thank you so much!

My exercise will be an outdoor 1hr walk as much as possible, basically to the train station and back same with the bike, but faster I hope! I was going to time myself and keep trying to bring it down week by week. Counting calories for this I haven't decided yet, I was going to eat the recommended calories and allow the exercise as an 'extra' boost.

I worked out the BMR, which was 2600 Kcals roughly with some light to moderate exercise, so I reduced it to 1900 Kcals and then the added exercise of approximately 400 Kcals a day with the walk and a cycle? As I've hear 1000Kcal defit will give you a 2lbs a week weight loss. Plus I really need to get fitter! I snowboard but I've been doing it for so long now that it doesn't tire me out. Even though I'm a big girl, I can snowboard really well, so it's a shame it doesn't knacker me out, although it makes my cheeks a little red, so every little helps!

I have no idea the calories I eat at the moment, so I wouldn't know how much a 25% reduction would be. Although I have been the same weight for around 2 months now, so I guess it's around 2500-2600 a day. Which a 25% reduction is losing 650Kcals a day, which is about what I'm aiming for with that 1900 Kcal a day target. I already knew I couldn't be too strict as I do get faint and then need to scoff sugars and carbs to feel 'normal' again, not sure if it's hypoglycemia (sp?), but I worry I'm going to be a diabetic if I carry on this mass eating of sugar.

From what you say about cutting carbs all together, it's going to create the hunger situation I'm trying to avoid. So maybe I just need to change the type of carbs and portion it as 30% like you say, then at least I'm not eating around 70% carbs like I am at present.

Any tips on those sugar cravings?

GEEGEE8

I'm also going to go swimming instead of the walk or cycle once or twice a week. Convicing my boyfriend to come and play badminton and tennis lol.

I'm really sporty, but don't seem to know anyone that want's to play sports, and joining a club is out of the question until I'm slimmer.

I used to go scuba diving once or twice a month and I'd really like to get back into it again once I've lost weight. It's just holding me back far too much now and I really do need something that is going to work long term.

Maldives_lover

Hi jenniwb

Great post, very informative. I'm currently dieting and eating around 1200 cals per day which I'm happy with, I don't feel hungry, what I am confused about is carlories from exercise, if I burn 300 calories am I supposed to increase my food in take by 300 calories or not?

Gem - good luck with the diet. I'll look forward to reading your diary

jenniewb

Maldives_lover wrote: »

Hi jenniwb

Great post, very informative. I'm currently dieting and eating around 1200 cals per day which I'm happy with, I don't feel hungry, what I am confused about is carlories from exercise, if I burn 300 calories am I supposed to increase my food in take by 300 calories or not?

Gem - good luck with the diet. I'll look forward to reading your diary

My best advice with exercise calories? ignore anything precise about them! Youd body is an amazing thing and will slow itself down quite easily in order to conserve calories if it feels its not getting enough.

1200kcals is very low- hope your not getting any dizzy spells with that and if you are do seek help as the last thing you want to do is faint on the treadmill! I worry about low low kcal diets as your body will slow down the less you eat and this makes it much harder then if you were eating well and exercising with more enjoyment (having been anorexic myself and existing on stupidly low amounts I know there is a massive difference in exercising with enough energy and without enough energy and it does all boil down to eating well).

So in answer to your question, I'd really think about eating your meal after exercising, within the hour to prevent any faintness but eating well. Protein is great after exercise as your body cannot keep protein, it can use it but what it cannot keep it can either turn to sugars/energy or get rid of so little and often is best for protein, not all at the same time.
As to how many calories to eat, that really is not so easy to answer. Even professionals can struggle with that as every bodies body works slightly differently. Doing the same exercises every day for example, you may indeed burn 300kcals the first few times but after then? its likely to be far less unless you have challenged yourself differently and changed your workout. Then there are days your less able to do as much or you slow down without realising or you haven't slept enough and are on slow mode....Don't rely on a certain amount of calories!

I tend to go by hunger. I allocate an amount after the gym, eat straight away: ie before showering and after my shower and getting changed (typically an hour as I am so vain ) I work out how hungry I am and if I need more or not. Then I take more from my allocation. If I don't eat enough I can go home and feel like I want to devour everything and sometimes cannot stop myself eating more then I planned so I find its in my interest to eat when I do feel hungry as it gives me more control for later. Its not so easy to work out, has taken me years and lots of focusing on how I feel before/after to get to the choices I am at.

Go by how hungry you feel. If you really are OK with 1200kcals then you will be able to go by your appetite, just chose healthy foods and there shouldn't be a problem. But if you do find yourself ravenous then maybe the diet isn't so OK?

jenniewb

GEEGEE8 wrote: »

Wow - what a fantastic post, thank you so much!

My exercise will be an outdoor 1hr walk as much as possible, basically to the train station and back same with the bike, but faster I hope! I was going to time myself and keep trying to bring it down week by week. Counting calories for this I haven't decided yet, I was going to eat the recommended calories and allow the exercise as an 'extra' boost.

I worked out the BMR, which was 2600 Kcals roughly with some light to moderate exercise, so I reduced it to 1900 Kcals and then the added exercise of approximately 400 Kcals a day with the walk and a cycle? As I've hear 1000Kcal defit will give you a 2lbs a week weight loss. Plus I really need to get fitter! I snowboard but I've been doing it for so long now that it doesn't tire me out. Even though I'm a big girl, I can snowboard really well, so it's a shame it doesn't knacker me out, although it makes my cheeks a little red, so every little helps!

I have no idea the calories I eat at the moment, so I wouldn't know how much a 25% reduction would be. Although I have been the same weight for around 2 months now, so I guess it's around 2500-2600 a day. Which a 25% reduction is losing 650Kcals a day, which is about what I'm aiming for with that 1900 Kcal a day target. I already knew I couldn't be too strict as I do get faint and then need to scoff sugars and carbs to feel 'normal' again, not sure if it's hypoglycemia (sp?), but I worry I'm going to be a diabetic if I carry on this mass eating of sugar.

From what you say about cutting carbs all together, it's going to create the hunger situation I'm trying to avoid. So maybe I just need to change the type of carbs and portion it as 30% like you say, then at least I'm not eating around 70% carbs like I am at present.

Any tips on those sugar cravings?

Glad I was of some use!

I don't have any really nifty tips on sugar cravings but I just know for me they happen because my body is hungry, it wants some energy and as fast as possible. Refined sugar type foods (white bread, white pasta, sweets, chocolate, crisps...etc) take the body less time and energy to break down into energy. So when I am really lacking my clever body knows just what to ask for, quick energy with minimal effort.
Thing it hasn't quite latched onto yet is that this leads to a sugar drop...and then whole cycle spikes of again!

What I have found that helps is not allowing myself any refined suagrs. At all. I know I very easily become addicted to simple sugars and this is why. Once I start I really cannot stop. I am able to allow myself complex carbs: non -finemilled-oats are a good one, (do not add sugar or honey as both are refined! Dried fruit cuts it fine so I don't have that either) I found that cutting out sugar was hard the first two weeks but after then so long as I didn't go eating any I was fine. No headaches, no faintness those first two weeks, just irritatingly craving everything! Stick with it, it gets easier.

I also find it helps to predicide what I am going to eat before I eat it, then stick to it. This gives me time to prethink and plan things and its like th stress of deciding is off and I stick to things. Its also easier to ensure you don't eat things you wouldn't want in your body but make sure if your doing this that you are realistic, if you know you are going to want to eat chocolate, plan it in or else risk feeling terrible because you ate it unplanned.

A few tips I have heard (my mum is a weightwatchers leader and I help out at her meetings, I am not a WW but do listen in) are...

Freeze anything you think may be at risk to you: chocolate, cereal bars etc as they become harder to binge on.

Chopped apple tastes sweeter then whole apple. Something to do with the chemical reactions occuring in the fruit. I do wonder though if there is not some sort of breakdown happeneing in the apple and worry about how much closer to refined it makes things so for arguements sake I prefer to bite my apple from the core! Still a better option then junk though.

Drink a glass of plain water before you eat, it helps. If your doing more then 8 tall glasses a day after a week though maybe rethink what your eating as your likely to be hungry for one reason or another and it could be a vitamin/nutrient issue.

If your still hungry after eating what you had planned and are eating sensibly (ie not too low) then try going for a 20 min walk. Nothing stressful just a walk near some green things, it can boost the mood and actually helps with appetite. If your still hungry when you get back then eat something, you obviously need it.

Rest well. (meaning both sleeping and resting after exercise). It helps your hormones and does make a difference to your appetite and what foods you crave.

Don't shop when your hungry. I really don't need to explain that one I think!;)

Good luck

GEEGEE8

Jennie, thanks for the further info.. you are really helping with my motivation!

I have started today! Although, I haven't quite got prepared as well as I thought I would had.

To start with, and to make things a little simple for me to start with, I'm doing 1500kCals a day, and not worrying too much with the exercise for the first week. (I think it'll be too much for me)

So today I got my hair cut and coloured and have so far logged all I've eaten and will post it in the morning for you to tell me how bad I am lol.

Day 1 - finding it hard already.

jenniewb

GEEGEE8 wrote: »

Jennie, thanks for the further info.. you are really helping with my motivation!

I have started today! Although, I haven't quite got prepared as well as I thought I would had.

To start with, and to make things a little simple for me to start with, I'm doing 1500kCals a day, and not worrying too much with the exercise for the first week. (I think it'll be too much for me)

So today I got my hair cut and coloured and have so far logged all I've eaten and will post it in the morning for you to tell me how bad I am lol.

Day 1 - finding it hard already.

Good idea to do things in stages: exercise and massive diet cuts could really make things much harder then they need to be and it is OK to do things bit by bit.

Look its your diet, your choice ultimatly but be careful not to cut too much as you risk putting your body into slow mode where it learns to burn any calories at a super slow rate- you still remain with the same appetite (being that much of appetite is psychological for most). This means you have an uphill battle trying to keep things as cut back as you have and not land yourself in a binge situation.

All I can suggest is keeping a food diary, logging what you eat and when and trying to locate the times you struggle and thinking about what you can do to help yourself to not eat more then you have planned. No easy way out but if your finding it especially hard, do eat more, the longer you leave it to do so the more likely it is your body will have slowed down and therefore be wanting to retain any additional calories (to that 1500) and store them as body fat. It also puts strain on the heart so if you do have any heart issues please be careful not to cut back too far. The last thing you want are additional things to worry about!

I'm sure you know your body best, just be sensible and try to remember there is a bigger picture: weight loss wont happen overnight and you need to make sure you can sustain whatever you chose to do in the long term.

Eric_Pisch

Reduced carb diets work very effectively but more importantly are sustainable in the long term, a lot of weight loss initially regardless of what dieting system you use will be water (and pooh), if you have a sensible amount of fat/oil intake you should not get constipated either (30-40% of cal intake), this is fine since its now been proven that dietary fat does not clog arteries.

more importantly after 2-3 weeks your insulin levels should return to normal which will should pretty much eliminate carb cravings, its pretty important to cut out caffeine as well thou as this causes carb cravings via sugar release from the liver and cortisol spikes.

theres very little chance of you going into starvation mode on 1900 cals a day, I am 290lbs (goal 240) and 6' 1" and only on 2000 cals a day and I do not go into starvation mode. Research has shown that you can burn 6-8k cals a day with exercise whilst sticking to around 1200-1600 cals for women and 1500-2000 cals for men will stop you going into starvation mode, but you do need to eat to loose weight, its good to have a feeding day every 4-7th day just to make sure you keep out of starvation mode

oh and don't fall into the don't eat fat to loose fat myth, we spent 2 mill+ years running around on a high fat/protein diet, we are designed for it, its good for us. Just work it into your cal allowance.

GEEGEE8

Thanks guys, every little bit of info does really help me

Eric - I do think in the long run I'm going to aim for a carb free diet, mainly because it doesn't seem to agree with me, but I'm going to gradually cut down on carbs and go from there, once I've settled into the diet I guess.

So, yesterday was day 1, and I've got to say I struggled. Mostly in my head because I wasn't hungry in reality. I know my main problem is cravings in my head, so I just have to keep going.

I tried 1500kCals, but ate 1745 due to some popcorn I convinced myself I needed

Here is the food log;

Breakfast -
Rice Krispies 154
Milk 1/2 Pint 127

Lunch -
Low fat bacon 225
Salad 0
Bean Mix 60
Tablespoon Olive Oil 119

Snack -
Go Ahead cereal bar 117

Dinner -
Bacon/gammon thing 265
New potatoes 180

Snack -
Popcorn 399

Bad planning meant I had bacon twice yesterday! I normal have it only once a month as I'm not a massive red meat fan really. I have salmon for today.

Popcorn, well I had 150 Kcals left for the day after my dinner and I was planning to have half of the packet, those microwave ones. But ended up eating it all.

Still probably eating all the wrong food, just need to cut down and then make better choices, not entirely sure what to eat most of the time.

I'm not counting vegetables in my count, is this right? I have sprouts, brocolli and carrot with my dinner but didn't count the calories.

I've probably cut down quite a lot compared to a normal day, so I'm pleased with that, just didn't quite get to the 1500.

Gem