Piglet to Gazelle - My weight loss journey

purpleshoes_2

First_Trouble wrote: »

Thursday Food & Exercise

B: Smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel and a coffee
L: Large Lamb salad wrap with chips
2 slices buttered toast
S: None
E: Walked 11425 (5.2 miles)
Cals: 1261
Carbs:106g

Your food diary still isnt what it could be some days. This day seems quite carb heavy but you arent eating enough. You walked 5 miles and ate 1261 cals?

Id be looking to have an eating day something like, breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner

If you dont feel like eating a big breakfast then have some fruit or a couple of boiled eggs with a bit of veg.

If you are working out regularly what you should be looking to eat is more protein, particularly after exercise.

You also seem as if you are compensating for any day when you are off plan by skipping meals. If I were you Id just have the blow out and get back on plan.

purpleshoes_2

First_Trouble wrote: »

Friday Food & Exercise

B: 2 Coffees with Cream
L: None
Takeaway for Hubbys Bday - Mixed Tikka starter with salad an onion Bhaji and mint sauce, Lamb Bhuna with boiled rice, Spinach side dish and 1 poppadom
S:None
E: 30 Day Shred Level 1 Day 3 with 2kg weights (forgot to wear pedometer)
Cals: 1225
Carbs: 56g

Again, you look as if you skipped breakfast, lunch and had no snacks because you were having a takeaway at night. When you are trying to lose weight its important to keep the metabolism ticking over and that involves eating regularly.

The downside of cal counting is that you get fixated on a number in your head and think, if I go over that I'll put on weight, rather than thinking, is this giving me the nutrition I need.

If you really couldnt eat anything else that day fair enough, but if you lessened your calories to compensate for the takeaway Id suggest not doing that. By all means eat a bit less, but that shouldnt stop you having a breakfast or a snack, a couple of bits of fruit or a couple of boiled eggs/spinach

Even a couple of oatcakes and peanut butter if you like it.

purpleshoes_2

I think it might be beneficial to you to get a heart rate monitor or some kind of device where you can track exactly how many cals you are burning and what you are taking in. You can get cheaper ones than fitbit and jawbone up.

That doesnt mean I think you necessarily need to keep logging calories every day, but it would give you an idea of what you are taking in calorie wise. It is very easy to underestimate what you eat and overestimate what you burn off.

My fitness pal as good as it is still only gives averages for certain foods, particularly takeaways.

Id consider getting rid of the bagels/sandwiches, if you really like them make sure its wholemeal. Start your day with some protein and veg, fruit wise, good things to eat are blackberries and blueberries.

Oatcakes are good, peanut butter, if you eat meat pork, lamb. Fish. Stay away from processed ham and the like if you can.

Swap potatoes for sweet potatoes. Try and get as much green veg in as you can particularly broccoli, spinach, peppers and also make sure you are adequately hydrated as its important to drink water before during and after exercise.

And take your measurements, dont focus so much on the scales, I know you look as if you have taken measurements. The scales dont matter as much as body fat percentage dropping and your waist to hip ratio

First_Trouble

purpleshoes wrote: »

Your food diary still isnt what it could be some days. This day seems quite carb heavy but you arent eating enough. You walked 5 miles and ate 1261 cals?

Id be looking to have an eating day something like, breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner

If you dont feel like eating a big breakfast then have some fruit or a couple of boiled eggs with a bit of veg.

If you are working out regularly what you should be looking to eat is more protein, particularly after exercise.

You also seem as if you are compensating for any day when you are off plan by skipping meals. If I were you Id just have the blow out and get back on plan.

I generally have breakfast/snack/lunch/snack/dinner during the week as it is more structured but on weekends I generally only have 2 meals and its not through deliberately skipping I'm just not hungry enough to eat. I think it's because I don't move as much on a weekend compared to a week day and also because there is no structure to the day.

First_Trouble

purpleshoes wrote: »

Again, you look as if you skipped breakfast, lunch and had no snacks because you were having a takeaway at night. When you are trying to lose weight its important to keep the metabolism ticking over and that involves eating regularly.

The downside of cal counting is that you get fixated on a number in your head and think, if I go over that I'll put on weight, rather than thinking, is this giving me the nutrition I need.

If you really couldnt eat anything else that day fair enough, but if you lessened your calories to compensate for the takeaway Id suggest not doing that. By all means eat a bit less, but that shouldnt stop you having a breakfast or a snack, a couple of bits of fruit or a couple of boiled eggs/spinach

Even a couple of oatcakes and peanut butter if you like it.

I might try the oatcakes and peanut butter as the reason why I am eating more bagels is I just cannot bring myself to eat eggs every day and just needed a break from them. Actually I have loads of ryvita in the cupboard that need to be eaten I wonder how well they go with peanut butter?

I am buying my breakfast more often than not lately and that has to stop as buying food in London is not cheap. Bagels are seeded multigrain.
I take note on being too carb heavy lately I agree.
I don't starve myself if I am hungry I eat if I am not I don't, I note cals only to make sure I eat enough I'm not actually that bothered anymore on cal values. If it's tasty and I want it I will eat it.

Plus also on a weekend I tend to wake up a lot later than my 5-6am on a weekday.

I am trying to eat more but some days I feel like I am eating for the sake of eating rather than because I am hungry. I think this may be down to me being so strict on cals before that my body has learned to cope. Some days I can get up to 1700 but it is a struggle for me. I have managed to source some decent peanut butter so hopefully this should help and I do need to replenish my nuts and dried fruit selection as handy snacks for home and work.

I really enjoy my food so hopefully this will make the task of eating no less than 1600 easier. I cook all my food from scratch so at least I know what goes into it.

First_Trouble

Tuesday Food & Exercise

B: Coffee & yoghurt with berry compote
L: Tuna and sweetcorn jacket potato
HM Lamb Hotpot - Roast lamb, HM lamb stock, onions, mushrooms, salt, pepper, splash of lea & perrins, cornflour to thicken topped with thinly sliced new potatoes with savoy cabbage and broccoli
S: banana and a raspberry macaroon tart
E: Walked 9637 (4.4 miles), stairs
Cals: 1357
Carbs: 99g

First_Trouble

small win for me today I put on a pair of trouser that in the past have always been extremely tight to the point it hurts my tummy to wear them. Well I put them on this morning ....... and they fit :j comfortably. Probably for the first time since I bought them. It's little things like this that spur me on to a healthier lifestyle.

First_Trouble

Wednesday Food & Exercise

B: Smoked salmon & cream cheese bagel - vowed this is the last I will buy for a while must be more prepared for mornings
L: LO lamb hot pot, savoy cabbage & broccoli
3 slices of pizza - called husband on way home from work to say how horrible a day I have had. When I got in he had ordered pizza so I didn't have to cook.
S: None
E: stairs, walked 7194 (3.3 miles), realised that I have forgotten to do workout so will do tonight instead
Cals: 1652
Carbs: 155g

First_Trouble

I have been thinking about only doing a monthly weigh-in rather than a weekly one for some time so I can focus more on my food than weigh-in day. I will trial this, this month and see how I go.
So I started my last weigh in at 11st 2lbs on 23/10/14 my next weigh-in will be 23/11/14 my goals I would like to reach by then:

Be under 11st
Lose an inch off my waist (currently 39 and a half inches :eek: )
Be more prepared for breakfast especially at weekends
Not to eat under 1600 cals

Southern-Girl

Hi.
I find your diary very interesting, but am intrigued to know why you have cream in your coffee? Is it better than milk (maybe more protein)
Also, how do you track your steps / stairs etc. Is it with a Fitbit? I'm looking at (maybe) buying one and would love to know how people are getting on with them

SG