Follow the Yellow Brick Road 2023

SandyShores

Thanks @debtfreeoneday I need all the support I can get!

Had a meal out last night in the end, and there were no calories written on the menu - yikes!  Had a good guess but the weighing scales weren't friendly this morning - probably because I ate later than normal.  I'm not feeling down, though it would have been nice to see a good loss.  I'm eating really healthily and exercising so although it will be slow I'm feeling fitter and ever so slightly leaner   Excited to see what the coming weeks bring.

Editing to add my review:

• 500 calorie deficit every daily x 21 weeks - another week ticked off
• Use calorie counting app every day - yes
• Eat only between 8 and 8 - had a couple of evenings where it went over but only because of an evening exercise class and then an evening meal out
• Drink 3 glasses of cold water daily and one before morning coffee - doing this more but must keep up
• Oats for breakfast - this has become a habit
• Lunch to incorporate beans/pulses or tuna/cottage cheese etc - yes
• Apple/kiwi fruit daily and dark choc to avoid snacking on unhealthier things - yes
• More veg - definitely sticking to 5+ a day
• Follow exercise plan - getting there
• Achieve goals quietly - no-one knows except on here

Its all starting to become habit.  Reaching for an apple instead of a bag of crips or some biscuits is now normal.  Restricting eating times has prevented me from snacking on more than one occasion.  I've increased the amount of exercise I'm doing and am feeling more tired/sleeping better but I know I need to start lifting some weights to really see a difference now.  Over 3 weeks I've lost 2.5 lbs, which isn't amazing but just those few pounds have made a real difference.  

KajiKita

I take a little box (baby food sized) of unsalted Brazil and pistachio nuts to work with me to have with an apple in the afternoons. Useful amounts of fibre and protein and if I eat the apple first, I often don’t finish the nuts 😊

Glad you are feeling leaner and fitter 👏

KK

SandyShores

Thanks @KajiKita.  I like the idea of the nuts.  I don't have an off switch when it comes to food, so I've started buying everything in portion sizes.  I used to buy some KayPee mixed nuts in one portion sizes but that didn't work on my seefood diet (eating everything in sight).  Now I've discovered self control I will see if they are still around.  

I'm trying to build in habits and not give up if I fall at the first hurdle.  Yesterday was a good exercise day, but I ended up eating quite a lot.  All healthy though and I ate less calories than I worked off, and all healthy stuff too.  I think my body is still getting used to lots of fruit and veg because I felt uncomfortably full all evening and this morning. I need to remember not to eat so much that I feel bloated - its definitely that feeling that makes you think you've failed.  Whereas if I keep going it actually won't make a difference to the overall plan.  17 weeks to the holiday goal so I'll keep going and have a chance to lose up to 19lbs before we set off

AgathaSquirrel

I’ve also upped my exercise. Now 3 times a week and protein with every meal. Aiming for 10000 steps per day too. I’m down 5lbs. Definitely feeling better but a long way to go. Needs to become a new way of life and not just a fad to lose weight.

savingholmes

Well done on the weightloss. I need to follow you're example

SandyShores

Those are exactly my thoughts @AgathaSquirrel.  Dr Li talks about adding good things to your diet rather than taking things away.  I've always felt deprived when I've tried to lose weight before, but it feels different this time and its more of a lifestyle change than deprivation .  While I want to look good in a swim suit, I won't be disappointed if I've not reached a certain point - any loss is good and as long as the weight is generally going down I'll be happy.

Thanks savingholmes, its taken me a little while to get to this headspace.  I'm eating the same breakfast and lunch daily, with an evening snack of 20g of dark chocolate with a hot drink.  That just leaves the meal box delivery for evening meals, plus a couple of homemade evenings.  So I don't really have to think about it, which suits me down to the ground.  I can't work out whether its more expensive as I've been buying up stocks of my regular items so the cupboards are bursting, but I don't want to run out of something I need.  Overall I am eating less - there's something about less choice not being so tempting - but I have been looking up some different cottage cheese recipes just in case.

I've started following Sally Gunnell on FB and this weeks video was talking about 'After a weekend of indulging....' which I have slightly done this weekend.  It was helpful to read her tips about temporary weight gain, feeling bloated, guilt or shame, difficulty getting back on track and wanting to give up.  She says that occasional indulgences are part of a sustainable, healthy lifestyle - and I have to agree.  Impossible goals are just that, impossible.  

LadyWithAPlan

Well done on installing healthy long term habits!! Eat as many greens as you like .. I had 5 different greens on my lunch plate today (mange tout, broccoli, peas, pak choi, leeks) 

SandyShores

LadyWithAPlan said:

Well done on installing healthy long term habits!! Eat as many greens as you like .. I had 5 different greens on my lunch plate today (mange tout, broccoli, peas, pak choi, leeks) 

Thanks LWAP.  I'm having two fruits at breakfast, a tomato and beans at lunch and 2 apples during the day.  Plus any veg that I have at dinner time - mind you 5 greens on one plate is brilliant!  I bought 3 varieties of 'just in case' frozen green veg, but have hardly used them so far.  I like the idea of having them all together perhaps with a tiny bit of garlic butter

I've been using the ordinary soya milk for the past week or so, and have been absolutely fine.  Started on the protein one again Monday morning as I ran out of ordinary.  All seems okay so maybe I'd just introduced too many things at one time, but I think I'll stick to ordinary once this one is used up.  I was wondering if I should look into low and high fodmap foods but might not be necessary.  Though I seem to be constantly saying how full I am - who needs weight loss drugs just eat fibre

Hopped on the scales for an unofficial weigh Monday morning expecting them to have shot up because of my weekend indulgence, but they were exactly the same.  Reminding myself this is long term.  I was very lucky not to have to think about my weight when I was younger (!), but noticed a gradual increase post-kids etc. Thinking about it I'd given up sports, was driving everywhere (mum taxi) and had a stressful job.  So probably all hit at once and with menopause 2.5 stones seemed to go on overnight.  Obviously didn't - I was consistently overeating - but I started tracking my weight on an app in 2017 and its been up and down ever since.  I've managed to keep off around 1.5 stones (just silently celebrating that) but keep putting back on about 5lbs and then losing it again.  This time I'm determined to say goodbye to that last stone of wobble. There's around 3 months to our hols, so that's a good push for me.  I just need to keep reminding myself that its long-term healthy I'm looking for.  Its all achievable, just need to keep going - and I'm looking forward to looser clothing

SandyShores

I had sultanas, cherries, a tomato, two apples, green beans and sprouts yesterday.  Nice to get the green veg in and my body seems to be getting used to all the fibre.  But when did tomatoes get so expensive?  Pack of 5 vine tomatoes more expensive than four pack of Pink Lady apples?  I managed to get some cheaper ones £1.19 in MrL for the loose tomatoes and Pink Lady's still on offer in MrA.  Seems incredible a tomato and an apple are virtually the same price though.

Had a good week again, keeping up the exercise and healthy eating.  On average it takes 66 days to form a habit, but I'm through the first 21 days (almost at 28) and should be well set by the time our holiday arrives in a few months

SandyShores

Feeling ever so slightly irked that my weight is the same today.  But the positives are that it hasn't gone up, I've eaten healthily, exercised and my calories were under (so I thought).  I can think of a few reasons why the scales haven't shifted, so I'm remaining positive, will keep on doing what I'm doing and see what happens next week.  I'm in this for the long game and to be honest I do feel better in myself and definitely slightly leaner.