It's coming up to nearly 6 months on this diet. And, I hit a milestone this week. After zero loss last week, my body decided to play catch up with a little whoosh. I lost 1.8kgs bringing my grand total loss to... 40kgs!
That means I'm 80% of the way to my goal!
I have been trying to take stock lately - making mental notes of all the things I can do now with much more ease. Working about the house (even just cooking and cleaning) is so much easier now without all that extra weight dragging me down. I used to get such sore a sore back and hips if I spent a couple of hours or more baking. Now, I don't. I'm so much fitter, and I think it is mainly to do with the weight loss. Sure, I have built a teeny tiny bit of muscle and endurance with exercise, but I know the main different is the weight.
I made a decision part of the way through the week - to move to Maintenance (Only 1 meal replacement per day, 1200 calories). Optifast Australia isn't too clear on when exactly you should move to Maintenance. I remember reading that you should lose your last few kilos on Maintenance, but I think this was just someone's opinion on the forums. I can't find anything in any of their literature or on their website that sets a clear timeline.
So, I have just decided to do what is best for me. I feel that I need 1200 calories. I am hitting 1200 most days that I exercise and feeling just awful about it because I've been exceeding my target by 200 calories almost all the time. But, I'm hungry. And, for the most part, it is healthy food I'm having (and needing!).
As I've said before on this blog - exercise is working for me. It's making me feel really good and giving me goals outside of this diet to think about. So, I'm just gonna eat 1200 calories a day of healthy foods and keep up the exercise and be happy. Done.
It's actually been harder than I thought to plan out 1200 calories in a day. But, when you're not eating junk, you can really fit a lot more "food" in.
I expect my weight loss to be slower. And that's a price I'm willing to pay. I've been beating myself up for weeks now by trying to merge Optifast Transition (1000 calories) with vigorous exercise, and it's just not working for me. So, I'm moving the goal posts a little.
10kgs to go. And only a dress size or two left. If this takes the rest of the year, I don't care. I just need to be happy right now.
WIL: 1.8kgs, 40kgs total!!
WIG: Perspective. I don't have to be perfect all the time. I just need to be happy and healthy.
Showing posts with label Transition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Transition. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
The Bucket Is Full
I want to re-post something I wrote on the Optifast forums. It's a slightly more eloquent account of how I've been feeling lately.
My apologies if you've already read it, but I want this blog to be a complete journal. I want to be able to look back on this time and see how I low I felt and how I could make it through. Here it is:
-----
I never thought I'd be saying this, but I'm really struggling at the moment. This is so hard for me right now. Most days I'm eating my 1000 calories by lunch time, and then I have to stop myself eating for the rest of the day because I've already hit my limit. And this is on days I don't exercise.
It's not eating out of hunger. I'm just... sad. Everything feels so hard. And when I think about NOT eating my feelings, I get mad. I get mad at that voice in my head trying to tell me it's a bad idea. I think "Why can't I eat my feelings? Why can't I? I want to. Even if it won't help, I really WANT TO. And I feel so helpless right now, why would you deprive me of this?"
I didn't lose this week - I stayed the same. Even though I totally deserved to gain. I think I'm doing it all wrong. I love running. I just want to run. But, my coworker makes me feel bad for not doing 5 gym classes a week with her. She says "If we skip today, we HAVE to do two tomorrow." When it comes to exercise, I do NOT like tough love. I wanted to do 1 or 2 classes a week max. And right now, I want to do none. I want to sleep.
12 more kilos to go. At least. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I feel it happening - that transition to when people just put all the weight back on. I feel like this is how it happens. These are the days when 1000 cals turns to 1200 and 1500 and 1800 and then I look at myself in the mirror one day and say "Ok, just be fat then". And then I just give up.
Now I get it. Now I understand that it's hard. It wasn't this hard for me before, but I feel like a leaky tap was just drip drip dripping into a bucket. And slowly the bucket filled up. And now that the bucket is full, every single drip makes it overflow. Just one little drip is too much to bear.
I'm so sorry for this post. It's not very inspiring. I'm sorry that I couldn't stay strong.
-----
After writing this post, things got a bit worse before they got any better. I forced myself off to the gym.... where I promptly scraped my car against a pole in the car park. In front of my gym buddy. I was so overcome with embarassment and stress that I just drove away. It was like what I wrote in the post above - one little drip keeps making the bucket overflow.
I drove away for a minute or two, then I pulled over and checked the damage. It was a scrape - pretty big, but I have already scraped it worse in other places.
I got back into the car and just cried. My gym buddy was ringing me, probably to see where I went, but I couldn't answer. I just cried because I couldn't take it.
Then I tried to think what I could do. I was so desperate. I tried ringing my old psychologist, but he was busy. Somehow, I decided I just needed to go back to the gym and do the class. I needed to brave my gym buddy, face the embarassment and work out the frustration.
Monday night we had cancelled the gym because I was tired and grumpy and sad. And that didn't work for me. It just meant that I went home and battled cravings and the urge to stress-eat all night. And I didn't feel any better for it. So, I figured I may as well go to the gym.
When I got there, my gym buddy was really great about it. I was so embarassed, but I managed to joke about it a bit. That helped. She suggested I "take it out on the bike". And I did. That was a really good suggestion.
I drove home and collapsed into boyfriend's arms. Then we went to the shops and bought me some veggies. We chopped them all up so that I could have a huge stash in the fridge. This is my plan. If I can't fight the urge to push things into my face, then those things are going to be veggies. I'm sure I could push veggies into my face all day and still lose weight.
I have a mildly optimistic feeling that yesterday was the lowest point of this trough. I am going to scramble up out of this ditch.
Thank you all for reading and supporting me. I feel the love. Thank you for hearing me and understanding me and making me remember how strong I am.
My apologies if you've already read it, but I want this blog to be a complete journal. I want to be able to look back on this time and see how I low I felt and how I could make it through. Here it is:
-----
I never thought I'd be saying this, but I'm really struggling at the moment. This is so hard for me right now. Most days I'm eating my 1000 calories by lunch time, and then I have to stop myself eating for the rest of the day because I've already hit my limit. And this is on days I don't exercise.
It's not eating out of hunger. I'm just... sad. Everything feels so hard. And when I think about NOT eating my feelings, I get mad. I get mad at that voice in my head trying to tell me it's a bad idea. I think "Why can't I eat my feelings? Why can't I? I want to. Even if it won't help, I really WANT TO. And I feel so helpless right now, why would you deprive me of this?"
I didn't lose this week - I stayed the same. Even though I totally deserved to gain. I think I'm doing it all wrong. I love running. I just want to run. But, my coworker makes me feel bad for not doing 5 gym classes a week with her. She says "If we skip today, we HAVE to do two tomorrow." When it comes to exercise, I do NOT like tough love. I wanted to do 1 or 2 classes a week max. And right now, I want to do none. I want to sleep.
12 more kilos to go. At least. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I feel it happening - that transition to when people just put all the weight back on. I feel like this is how it happens. These are the days when 1000 cals turns to 1200 and 1500 and 1800 and then I look at myself in the mirror one day and say "Ok, just be fat then". And then I just give up.
Now I get it. Now I understand that it's hard. It wasn't this hard for me before, but I feel like a leaky tap was just drip drip dripping into a bucket. And slowly the bucket filled up. And now that the bucket is full, every single drip makes it overflow. Just one little drip is too much to bear.
I'm so sorry for this post. It's not very inspiring. I'm sorry that I couldn't stay strong.
-----
After writing this post, things got a bit worse before they got any better. I forced myself off to the gym.... where I promptly scraped my car against a pole in the car park. In front of my gym buddy. I was so overcome with embarassment and stress that I just drove away. It was like what I wrote in the post above - one little drip keeps making the bucket overflow.
I drove away for a minute or two, then I pulled over and checked the damage. It was a scrape - pretty big, but I have already scraped it worse in other places.
I got back into the car and just cried. My gym buddy was ringing me, probably to see where I went, but I couldn't answer. I just cried because I couldn't take it.
Then I tried to think what I could do. I was so desperate. I tried ringing my old psychologist, but he was busy. Somehow, I decided I just needed to go back to the gym and do the class. I needed to brave my gym buddy, face the embarassment and work out the frustration.
Monday night we had cancelled the gym because I was tired and grumpy and sad. And that didn't work for me. It just meant that I went home and battled cravings and the urge to stress-eat all night. And I didn't feel any better for it. So, I figured I may as well go to the gym.
When I got there, my gym buddy was really great about it. I was so embarassed, but I managed to joke about it a bit. That helped. She suggested I "take it out on the bike". And I did. That was a really good suggestion.
I drove home and collapsed into boyfriend's arms. Then we went to the shops and bought me some veggies. We chopped them all up so that I could have a huge stash in the fridge. This is my plan. If I can't fight the urge to push things into my face, then those things are going to be veggies. I'm sure I could push veggies into my face all day and still lose weight.
I have a mildly optimistic feeling that yesterday was the lowest point of this trough. I am going to scramble up out of this ditch.
Thank you all for reading and supporting me. I feel the love. Thank you for hearing me and understanding me and making me remember how strong I am.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Week 23
Hi there. I'm just checking in.
I'm having a rough trot at the moment. My exercise is all over the place. So is my eating.
I didn't lose or gain this week. Still 81.8. Lucky. I binged a lot this past week, and I didn't drink enough water most days.
I don't feel much like writing at the moment. Just trying to get myself back together again.
I'm still determined. I'm still going to do this. It's just not easy right now.
Hopefully I'll be back with a cheerier post soon!
I'm having a rough trot at the moment. My exercise is all over the place. So is my eating.
I didn't lose or gain this week. Still 81.8. Lucky. I binged a lot this past week, and I didn't drink enough water most days.
I don't feel much like writing at the moment. Just trying to get myself back together again.
I'm still determined. I'm still going to do this. It's just not easy right now.
Hopefully I'll be back with a cheerier post soon!
Monday, April 7, 2014
Week 22
So, Week 22 comes to a close with a surprisingly nice result - a 1.9kg loss! I haven't seen a weekly loss like that in a while. Last time I lost that big was Week 18. But, I'm not complaining. I know it's just a matter of swings and roundabouts.
I can't believe how close I'm getting to being in the 70s. My goal weight is 70 kgs - so getting to 79 will be so strange. The boyfriend weighs around 79-80kgs too - so it will a rather big deal to weigh less than him. Some big milestones to look forward to!
Last Saturday we finished our C25K program. We did the timed version, so we were training to run 30mins. I guess the idea is that a lot of people would be running 5K in 30mins. We ran 4.2K. That's ok. When I started I just wanted to be able to do half an hour of running, and now I can!
We are still kind of unsure about how to continue training. Keep running 30mins and try to run faster. Or just run for longer and get to 5K... then beyond.
Either way, this morning's struggle to get out of bed highlighted to me how important it is for me to have a training program to stick to. Before I finished the C25K program, one of the things that used to get me out of bed was the knowledge that missing a day could set my whole schedule back. Now, I only had the thought of getting my exercise in for the day, and keeping my habit going. I'm scared that it won't be enough motivation going forward.
So, I need to find another program. Maybe just an interim one to get to 5K. Or, maybe to start on the C210K app. It could also be something that the boyfriend and I draw up ourselves, e.g. Run 4.5K this week, 5K next week, 5.5K the next etc.
Maybe we need to bite the bullet and sign up for a race. That would really light a fire under me.
I should also mention that in terms of the food front, and following Optifast properly - I am not quite there. Last week I ate an average of 1200 calories a day. I also exercised A LOT. It was tough, but I really wanted to push myself to see if I could do it. On top of running 3 times, I did 3 Spin classes and 2 BodyPump classes at the gym.
It hurt, and I was tired, but it made me feel so good. I'm slowly starting to see tiny bits of definition showing up on my body. Eating a bit of extra food made me feel confident that I had enough energy to complete the gym classes.
I feel like a bit of a traitor, to be honest. A traitor to Optifast. And a bit of an imposter. I'm still netting the 1000 calories I'm supposed to be on. But, I'm eating more. I'm eating the Optifast products, but only roughly following their nutritional and calorie intake ideas. And so, I just don't feel genuine.
But then, maybe this is all part of it. I'm learning how to lose without Optifast. Perhaps a bit of an early Maintenance/Stabilsation phase. I'm learning how to eat. How to be active. How to be healthy. Isn't that why I did this? Isn't that what Optifast was designed for?
Maybe if I just called it "Maintenance" (which is 1200 calories), I could be done with the whole debate!
At any rate - it's working. What I'm doing is working. I'm going to keep doing it. Eating when my body needs it, but making sure that when I do I'm making good choices. Just because I go to the gym doesn't mean I get an extra 200 calories of chips or chocolate. I need vegetables, protein, dairy. And a few complex carbs.
WIL: 1.9kgs!
WIG: The realisation that I can achieve awesome things if I commit to it. 10 weeks ago, I couldn't run for longer than a minute at a time. And now I can run for 30mins straight, baby!!
I can't believe how close I'm getting to being in the 70s. My goal weight is 70 kgs - so getting to 79 will be so strange. The boyfriend weighs around 79-80kgs too - so it will a rather big deal to weigh less than him. Some big milestones to look forward to!
Last Saturday we finished our C25K program. We did the timed version, so we were training to run 30mins. I guess the idea is that a lot of people would be running 5K in 30mins. We ran 4.2K. That's ok. When I started I just wanted to be able to do half an hour of running, and now I can!
We are still kind of unsure about how to continue training. Keep running 30mins and try to run faster. Or just run for longer and get to 5K... then beyond.
Either way, this morning's struggle to get out of bed highlighted to me how important it is for me to have a training program to stick to. Before I finished the C25K program, one of the things that used to get me out of bed was the knowledge that missing a day could set my whole schedule back. Now, I only had the thought of getting my exercise in for the day, and keeping my habit going. I'm scared that it won't be enough motivation going forward.
So, I need to find another program. Maybe just an interim one to get to 5K. Or, maybe to start on the C210K app. It could also be something that the boyfriend and I draw up ourselves, e.g. Run 4.5K this week, 5K next week, 5.5K the next etc.
Maybe we need to bite the bullet and sign up for a race. That would really light a fire under me.
I should also mention that in terms of the food front, and following Optifast properly - I am not quite there. Last week I ate an average of 1200 calories a day. I also exercised A LOT. It was tough, but I really wanted to push myself to see if I could do it. On top of running 3 times, I did 3 Spin classes and 2 BodyPump classes at the gym.
It hurt, and I was tired, but it made me feel so good. I'm slowly starting to see tiny bits of definition showing up on my body. Eating a bit of extra food made me feel confident that I had enough energy to complete the gym classes.
I feel like a bit of a traitor, to be honest. A traitor to Optifast. And a bit of an imposter. I'm still netting the 1000 calories I'm supposed to be on. But, I'm eating more. I'm eating the Optifast products, but only roughly following their nutritional and calorie intake ideas. And so, I just don't feel genuine.
But then, maybe this is all part of it. I'm learning how to lose without Optifast. Perhaps a bit of an early Maintenance/Stabilsation phase. I'm learning how to eat. How to be active. How to be healthy. Isn't that why I did this? Isn't that what Optifast was designed for?
Maybe if I just called it "Maintenance" (which is 1200 calories), I could be done with the whole debate!
At any rate - it's working. What I'm doing is working. I'm going to keep doing it. Eating when my body needs it, but making sure that when I do I'm making good choices. Just because I go to the gym doesn't mean I get an extra 200 calories of chips or chocolate. I need vegetables, protein, dairy. And a few complex carbs.
WIL: 1.9kgs!
WIG: The realisation that I can achieve awesome things if I commit to it. 10 weeks ago, I couldn't run for longer than a minute at a time. And now I can run for 30mins straight, baby!!
Monday, March 31, 2014
Week 21
This week I lost 0.6kg! Not bad at all. I'm expecting that to drop back down a little this week, because yesterday I weighed in about another 0.6kgs lighter. No matter though - down is good. Plus, being 83.7kgs means I have hit another goal: I have lost 30% of my starting body weight!! Amazing!
Here's a progress photo I had the boyfriend take for me yesterday:
This morning we ran for 30mins straight! This is the last week of the C25K program we're doing. We did the timed version, so the goal was 30mins. And we did it! We are running it two more times this week and will try to improve on the pace a little. Today we ran at 8.3kp/h and ran just under 4.2km. Not bad! We were actually pretty consistent in our overall pace too, which I always hope for. Sometimes we can go out a bit fast and then drag it home, so I liked that we kept it pretty consistent the whole way.
I never thought, all those weeks ago when I started just running 60 seconds at a time (and struggling to finish), that I'd be able to run so far and for so long. Especially after only 9-10 weeks of training. It's a great feeling!
I'm not sure if we'll keep running for 30mins three times a week and try to up our pace, or if we'll try to get to 5km first. I think we might go for the distance first since there is a cool program they run in Australia called ParkRun where you can go run a free timed fun run every week. I just feel like that would be a great thing to do. Then we can work on our pace through those official times.
Running was extra awesome this morning because on the weekend I splurged a little and bought myself some new leggings, a visor, a new sports bra, and a belt to put my phone in that clips around my waist. Much more comfortable than carrying the phone in the bra!
I had really wanted to hold off a little longer before I bought any bras, because I am sure to go down another size or so before I get to my goal weight. But, the lack of support was actually starting to hurt a bit when I ran, so I had to relent. The really wonderful thing was that the lady fit me into a size 14D. The old bras are an 18C (and I was even squeezing into them at my highest weight). So, that felt pretty amazing, I have to say!
I think this is going to be a good week!
WIL: 0.6kgs and another big milestone!
WIG: New running gear!! The ability to run for 30mins without stopping!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Week 20
It feels so weird to be typing "Week 20" in the header there. I remember from Day 1 to something like week 6 I felt like this diet was going to take forever. But the days just go by anyway. And then one day you're typing in "Week 20". Amazing. That means one day I'm going to be typing "goal weight achieved". ;)
This week was rough. I went over calories 3 out of the 7 days. I already spoke about the first two in my last post, but yesterday's eat-fest was the worst emotionally. Damage-wise I went about 500 calories over my goal. My goal on Transition is 800-1000 calories. So, 1500 calories for the day - not such a big deal in the scheme of things. I'm actually not feeling guilty about the food.
It was that feeling. If you are an emotional eater, you'll know what I mean. That voice in your head that drives you to the fridge searching for something to make you happy. Something you can just shove into your mouth. That little idea that eating all the food is somehow the only solution to the problem. It really feels like a compulsion to me. And no matter how much food I gave it, it never seemed enough.
In the end, the choices I made were ok enough to keep the excess calories to a minimum. (Read: I baked and ate a whole batch of cloud bread. Not filling or satisfying - do not recommend). And I skipped dinner to make up for it somewhat. So, about 6pm I decided to try a tip I've heard around the place - I brushed my teeth. It actually worked pretty well. I'd had that kind of mouth-watering feeling going on and it cured that. Plus, it was a kind of mental signal that eating was done for the day. I then settled down with a cup of spearmint and camomile tea, which made me sleepy. And at 8.30 I went to bed early.
Luckily I woke up to some friendly scales, which didn't punish me for my rocky week. I lost 1.2kgs! Yay!
This morning's C25K run was 28mins. I was still grumpy from all the stress I'm in at the moment and I just did not have the willpower to push through. When it got tough, I just stopped. Over and over. I think I stopped 4 or 5 times after halfway.
I told my best friend about the stopping in the run this morning, and he said the most wonderful thing: "Well, that means you started again 4 or 5 times. Even though it was tough." Made me feel really wonderful. Love that guy!
So, I'll be trying to finish it non-stop on Wednesday. But, I'm not too fussed about it. If I need to repeat this week, so be it. I'm actually feeling like a nice non-challenging week would be good for me at the moment.
Thanks for all the love and support you've all been giving me here in the blogosphere, on MFP and on Facebook. I've really been leaning on you all lately, and I appreciate you propping me up a bit! Love to you all.
Here's hoping this is a better week and I can get everything under control a bit more! Better weeks for all, I say! Take care. :)
WIL: 1.2kgs
WIG: Can't think of anything this week... Hmm.
This week was rough. I went over calories 3 out of the 7 days. I already spoke about the first two in my last post, but yesterday's eat-fest was the worst emotionally. Damage-wise I went about 500 calories over my goal. My goal on Transition is 800-1000 calories. So, 1500 calories for the day - not such a big deal in the scheme of things. I'm actually not feeling guilty about the food.
It was that feeling. If you are an emotional eater, you'll know what I mean. That voice in your head that drives you to the fridge searching for something to make you happy. Something you can just shove into your mouth. That little idea that eating all the food is somehow the only solution to the problem. It really feels like a compulsion to me. And no matter how much food I gave it, it never seemed enough.
In the end, the choices I made were ok enough to keep the excess calories to a minimum. (Read: I baked and ate a whole batch of cloud bread. Not filling or satisfying - do not recommend). And I skipped dinner to make up for it somewhat. So, about 6pm I decided to try a tip I've heard around the place - I brushed my teeth. It actually worked pretty well. I'd had that kind of mouth-watering feeling going on and it cured that. Plus, it was a kind of mental signal that eating was done for the day. I then settled down with a cup of spearmint and camomile tea, which made me sleepy. And at 8.30 I went to bed early.
Luckily I woke up to some friendly scales, which didn't punish me for my rocky week. I lost 1.2kgs! Yay!
This morning's C25K run was 28mins. I was still grumpy from all the stress I'm in at the moment and I just did not have the willpower to push through. When it got tough, I just stopped. Over and over. I think I stopped 4 or 5 times after halfway.
I told my best friend about the stopping in the run this morning, and he said the most wonderful thing: "Well, that means you started again 4 or 5 times. Even though it was tough." Made me feel really wonderful. Love that guy!
So, I'll be trying to finish it non-stop on Wednesday. But, I'm not too fussed about it. If I need to repeat this week, so be it. I'm actually feeling like a nice non-challenging week would be good for me at the moment.
Thanks for all the love and support you've all been giving me here in the blogosphere, on MFP and on Facebook. I've really been leaning on you all lately, and I appreciate you propping me up a bit! Love to you all.
Here's hoping this is a better week and I can get everything under control a bit more! Better weeks for all, I say! Take care. :)
WIL: 1.2kgs
WIG: Can't think of anything this week... Hmm.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Debating
So, I will admit that I have been in a bit of a funk. I have been having doubts about whether Optifast is the right program for me right now. It has a lot going for it: mainly - I have lost nearly 35 kilos on it already! But now, with my focus on fitness, I don't know if I can make it work for me.
Despite "recommitting" on Monday I have had the following "cheats":
And now time for the excuses: I have run 3 times this week for 25mins (which has been tough, ok!) and on Wednesday I also did two gym classes. I have been eating a small banana before each exercise session, which has been within my calories (just) and is helping A LOT with my energy levels.
(Aside: I won't bother posting the calories I've burned because between my dodgy HRM and the apps I use, which I believe overestimate a lot, I only have a really rough idea of what I burned.)
So, you could say, in a perfect world where all calories are equal (Are they?? The internet is confusing!) and my metabolism runs like a well-oiled machine, I might have come out even. But, in terms of Optifast and the program, I am not being a good girl. And, I have always advocated that if you customise the program, then you can't blame it for not working.
I'm also not going to lie and tell you that I was super hungry those times I cheated. I wasn't. It was definitely emotional eating. Whether maybe deep down there was some energy/nutritional deficiency that spurred it on, I don't know. Maybe a bit. Or maybe I'm convincing myself I need more food, and using that as an excuse.
So what do I want?
I need to get over it and contact them. I need to have a session with someone who can properly modify my diet for me and take all this guesswork away. I need a big dose of reality. And fast.
Despite "recommitting" on Monday I have had the following "cheats":
- Monday night I ate an extra slice of Vegetable frittata. It meant I went 300 calories over target for the day.
- Thursday night I had an Oat frittata, which is basically rolled oats and egg whites cooked in the microwave to make a sort of pancake-y thing. Recipe is from Runs for Cookies Recipes. I adapted it to use sugarfree maple syrup instead of honey, but it was still 300 calories (including the PB2 peanut butter I had on top!)
And now time for the excuses: I have run 3 times this week for 25mins (which has been tough, ok!) and on Wednesday I also did two gym classes. I have been eating a small banana before each exercise session, which has been within my calories (just) and is helping A LOT with my energy levels.
(Aside: I won't bother posting the calories I've burned because between my dodgy HRM and the apps I use, which I believe overestimate a lot, I only have a really rough idea of what I burned.)
So, you could say, in a perfect world where all calories are equal (Are they?? The internet is confusing!) and my metabolism runs like a well-oiled machine, I might have come out even. But, in terms of Optifast and the program, I am not being a good girl. And, I have always advocated that if you customise the program, then you can't blame it for not working.
I'm also not going to lie and tell you that I was super hungry those times I cheated. I wasn't. It was definitely emotional eating. Whether maybe deep down there was some energy/nutritional deficiency that spurred it on, I don't know. Maybe a bit. Or maybe I'm convincing myself I need more food, and using that as an excuse.
So what do I want?
- I want to exercise. I want to complete the C25k and then proceed to run 5K+ 3 times per week. And I want to go to the gym at least twice per week with my colleague/gym buddy. We have a year's membership, so that's a big incentive. Even if I could write off the cost for myself, I'd still feel terrible leaving her in the lurch a bit. Part of the reason she signed up was that she thought I'd be going too.
- I want to lose weight. I want to lose 15 more kilos. I would prefer it to keep coming off at the nice fast rate it has been, but I am prepared to go slower. Much slower, if it means I can keep exercising at the rate I want to.
- Diet-wise I want something I can stick to. I don't want to do Optifast if it means I have to make so many unsanctioned modifications that there are too many factors involved. For example, if I start plateauing I wouldn't know what to blame or what to change.
I need to get over it and contact them. I need to have a session with someone who can properly modify my diet for me and take all this guesswork away. I need a big dose of reality. And fast.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Week 19
19 weeks down. Getting towards 5 months I've been on this diet. Kind of mindblowing.
This week I lost 100g. My Fat% was down a little and my muscle % up, so that is really pleasing. But, as for the smaller loss - I kinda knew that was coming. With such a big loss last week, I was expecting to make up for it somewhat this week.
I also wasn't the best when it came to food last week. For one of my daily meals (which is usually lunch during weekdays because I like eating real food with my coworkers) I had a pretty large sourdough sandwich with chicken and avocado and cheese. And when I say large, I'm talking one of those sandwiches where the bread is 90% of the meal.
In my calorie estimating afterwards (and I usually try to over-estimate) I am fairly sure I was either still within or close to within my calorie goal for the day. I am not too fussed with being 100 or so calories over (my daily goal is 800-1000) since I do a fair amount of exercise. So I was within my calories and didn't blow everything. But it was the way I acted around that sandwich and afterwards that threw me off.
Basically the whole situation started with a couple of rough workouts. After Monday night's Spin class, I nearly passed out. It was hot in the room (packed full of people) and it was one of the toughest workouts I've had in there. The instructor was relentless - hardly ever letting us turn the resistance down. I am usually determined to keep up until I physically can't. I think I only backed off once against her instructions.
After we cooled down and stretched, I suddenly saw this blackness creeping in around the sides of my vision. I immediately grabbed onto the nearest bike seat to steady myself. Somehow I made it out of the hot room and slid down the wall outside. I put my head between my knees and just tried to get the blood back upstairs again. My gym buddy came and sat with me and I was ok after a while.
I know part of it was a slightly harder workout and the hot room, which isn't usually so full of people. But I was sure part of it was also to do with a lack of calories, specifically a lack of carbs.
Then, Wednesday morning's run happened. And it was stupidly hard too. It was 2 x 10min run intervals, separated by a 3min walk. Not that tough really, considering the Friday before had been a 20min straight run. But it was nearly impossible. I was practically sobbing for the last quarter of it. I came the closest to stopping I have on any run. I was feeling overheated and lightheaded again. It was just horrible.
I have no scientific basis for my assumptions, but I basically came to the conclusion that I cannot keep up this level of exercise without adding more carbs to my diet.
I spoke to the temp at my work who is actually trained as a Dietician, but temping with us while she tries to find her first full time Dietician job. I asked her what kinds of carbs I should be eating to help with giving me more energy when I exercise, because I know simple sugars, bread and pasta are danger zone for me. She gave me a few snack ideas I could have 1-2 hours before exercising. Things like:
- 2 rice cakes with cottage cheese
- Yoghurt with banana
- oats/porridge
- any kind of fruit
Some good ideas!
Unfortunately, when I went out for lunch on Thursday and it was a choice between another boring garden salad and a giant chicken, avocado and cheese sandwich... I chose the death by sandwich. My brain "justified it" by convincing me that I needed those carbs. Fine. Well, it would have been fine if I'd stopped halfway when I was actually full.
My friend is a great 6 foot+ tall man, and he devoured his sandwich, while I ate half of mine. I wrapped it up in the paper it came with, and I wish so much I'd thrown it out there. We went back to the office and I then immediately unwrapped it and ate the rest at my desk. I wasn't hungry. In fact I was pretty satiated. And after stuffing the rest of that thing in my face I was incredibly full. And I was full for hours. Even at 3pm I could tell my body was still trying to force that thing through my system.
Not good.
I managed to up my protein in the following days. And on Friday morning I was testing positive for Ketosis again. So, it can't have had that much of an effect on my weight loss/diet. Also, my run on Friday morning went REALLY well. It was 22mins straight and I was surprised when the app told me to stop - I actually felt like I could have kept going for another minute or two if I'd needed to. So, it felt like those carbs were doing their job there.
But, what also happened, is the floodgates opened a little. Since Thursday I have struggled to keep my calories under the 1000 goal, even under 1100. And when I say struggle, I mean that most of my days were 1000 or 1050 total, but that I had to do some serious work to keep it to that. I hovered round the fridge all weekend and ate a bazillion sugar free jellies and lollies. I just felt like I couldn't be satisfied - which is a hard thing to attain by eating sugarfree things, as they can sometimes stimulate your cravings even more.
Last night I made a very delicious Vegetable frittata, which was exceptionally satisfying. But even an hour after dinner I wanted to grab another serving. Because of cravings, not hunger.
So, I'm making a committment here and now: This week, I am laying off the sugarfree stuff and "extras" in general. I can have a banana before my workouts and a homemade (no added sugar) yoghurt for afternoon snacks. Other than that I can have my usual meal and shakes, water and vegetables. That is all. No weight watchers mousse because I can squeeze it into my calorie allowance. No, sugarfree lollies. Nothing.
I need to get back into the habit of eating vegetables when I need to snack on something. So, I'll be carting around lots of veggie sticks this week!
I don't see this past week as a failure, though. I still had a loss. I didn't gain despite going slightly off track. And I was expecting a smaller loss anyway. You don't suddenly lose 2.2kgs this fair into your diet without things evening out again sooner or later! My loss this week may have nothing to do with the struggles I've had at all, because despite making it hard for myself I still kept my calories fairly under control. But, even if I'd lost more this week, I think this problem needs to be addressed.
I've been able to identify what I'm doing and make a plan to reign it back in. I haven't "fallen off track" or "cheated". I feel I've just wobbled a little bit and learned how to avoid this happening.
I'm going to treat this week the same way I did the first week of the program: Expect it to be hard. I'm going to want sugarfree lollies and all that crap I have been slipping in lately. But, I can't have it. And if I don't have it this week, those cravings should go away. I just need to stay strong for a few days.
-----
P.S ~ My run this morning was 25mins straight! It was so hard, but I made it!
-----
WIL: 100g! A little bit of control. Fat %.
WIG: Muscle %. Recommittment to my weight loss program. Perspective. A plan.
This week I lost 100g. My Fat% was down a little and my muscle % up, so that is really pleasing. But, as for the smaller loss - I kinda knew that was coming. With such a big loss last week, I was expecting to make up for it somewhat this week.
I also wasn't the best when it came to food last week. For one of my daily meals (which is usually lunch during weekdays because I like eating real food with my coworkers) I had a pretty large sourdough sandwich with chicken and avocado and cheese. And when I say large, I'm talking one of those sandwiches where the bread is 90% of the meal.
In my calorie estimating afterwards (and I usually try to over-estimate) I am fairly sure I was either still within or close to within my calorie goal for the day. I am not too fussed with being 100 or so calories over (my daily goal is 800-1000) since I do a fair amount of exercise. So I was within my calories and didn't blow everything. But it was the way I acted around that sandwich and afterwards that threw me off.
Basically the whole situation started with a couple of rough workouts. After Monday night's Spin class, I nearly passed out. It was hot in the room (packed full of people) and it was one of the toughest workouts I've had in there. The instructor was relentless - hardly ever letting us turn the resistance down. I am usually determined to keep up until I physically can't. I think I only backed off once against her instructions.
After we cooled down and stretched, I suddenly saw this blackness creeping in around the sides of my vision. I immediately grabbed onto the nearest bike seat to steady myself. Somehow I made it out of the hot room and slid down the wall outside. I put my head between my knees and just tried to get the blood back upstairs again. My gym buddy came and sat with me and I was ok after a while.
I know part of it was a slightly harder workout and the hot room, which isn't usually so full of people. But I was sure part of it was also to do with a lack of calories, specifically a lack of carbs.
Then, Wednesday morning's run happened. And it was stupidly hard too. It was 2 x 10min run intervals, separated by a 3min walk. Not that tough really, considering the Friday before had been a 20min straight run. But it was nearly impossible. I was practically sobbing for the last quarter of it. I came the closest to stopping I have on any run. I was feeling overheated and lightheaded again. It was just horrible.
I have no scientific basis for my assumptions, but I basically came to the conclusion that I cannot keep up this level of exercise without adding more carbs to my diet.
I spoke to the temp at my work who is actually trained as a Dietician, but temping with us while she tries to find her first full time Dietician job. I asked her what kinds of carbs I should be eating to help with giving me more energy when I exercise, because I know simple sugars, bread and pasta are danger zone for me. She gave me a few snack ideas I could have 1-2 hours before exercising. Things like:
- 2 rice cakes with cottage cheese
- Yoghurt with banana
- oats/porridge
- any kind of fruit
Some good ideas!
Unfortunately, when I went out for lunch on Thursday and it was a choice between another boring garden salad and a giant chicken, avocado and cheese sandwich... I chose the death by sandwich. My brain "justified it" by convincing me that I needed those carbs. Fine. Well, it would have been fine if I'd stopped halfway when I was actually full.
My friend is a great 6 foot+ tall man, and he devoured his sandwich, while I ate half of mine. I wrapped it up in the paper it came with, and I wish so much I'd thrown it out there. We went back to the office and I then immediately unwrapped it and ate the rest at my desk. I wasn't hungry. In fact I was pretty satiated. And after stuffing the rest of that thing in my face I was incredibly full. And I was full for hours. Even at 3pm I could tell my body was still trying to force that thing through my system.
Not good.
I managed to up my protein in the following days. And on Friday morning I was testing positive for Ketosis again. So, it can't have had that much of an effect on my weight loss/diet. Also, my run on Friday morning went REALLY well. It was 22mins straight and I was surprised when the app told me to stop - I actually felt like I could have kept going for another minute or two if I'd needed to. So, it felt like those carbs were doing their job there.
But, what also happened, is the floodgates opened a little. Since Thursday I have struggled to keep my calories under the 1000 goal, even under 1100. And when I say struggle, I mean that most of my days were 1000 or 1050 total, but that I had to do some serious work to keep it to that. I hovered round the fridge all weekend and ate a bazillion sugar free jellies and lollies. I just felt like I couldn't be satisfied - which is a hard thing to attain by eating sugarfree things, as they can sometimes stimulate your cravings even more.
Last night I made a very delicious Vegetable frittata, which was exceptionally satisfying. But even an hour after dinner I wanted to grab another serving. Because of cravings, not hunger.
So, I'm making a committment here and now: This week, I am laying off the sugarfree stuff and "extras" in general. I can have a banana before my workouts and a homemade (no added sugar) yoghurt for afternoon snacks. Other than that I can have my usual meal and shakes, water and vegetables. That is all. No weight watchers mousse because I can squeeze it into my calorie allowance. No, sugarfree lollies. Nothing.
I need to get back into the habit of eating vegetables when I need to snack on something. So, I'll be carting around lots of veggie sticks this week!
I don't see this past week as a failure, though. I still had a loss. I didn't gain despite going slightly off track. And I was expecting a smaller loss anyway. You don't suddenly lose 2.2kgs this fair into your diet without things evening out again sooner or later! My loss this week may have nothing to do with the struggles I've had at all, because despite making it hard for myself I still kept my calories fairly under control. But, even if I'd lost more this week, I think this problem needs to be addressed.
I've been able to identify what I'm doing and make a plan to reign it back in. I haven't "fallen off track" or "cheated". I feel I've just wobbled a little bit and learned how to avoid this happening. I'm going to treat this week the same way I did the first week of the program: Expect it to be hard. I'm going to want sugarfree lollies and all that crap I have been slipping in lately. But, I can't have it. And if I don't have it this week, those cravings should go away. I just need to stay strong for a few days.
-----
P.S ~ My run this morning was 25mins straight! It was so hard, but I made it!
-----
WIL: 100g! A little bit of control. Fat %.
WIG: Muscle %. Recommittment to my weight loss program. Perspective. A plan.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Week 18
Today I just couldn't be happier. I stepped on the scales this morning to see a lovely big whoosh, and an extra special surpise: I am no longer obese.
Not only did I somehow manage to lose 2.2kgs this week (what!?), but my BMI is now 29.6. I really can't believe it. I had to step on and off the scales a few more times to make sure it was right.
Seriously, though: What!?!!!?
It's 18 weeks since I started Optifast. 12 weeks of Intensive (how did I ever do that?) and 6 weeks of Transition. That's 126 days total - over a third of a year! Wow.
I've been through so many ups and downs in the past 4 months, and I really cannot believe that I haven't turned to food to make it better at all. Sure, I've eaten off plan a few times, but I've always counted my calories and made sure it was for the right reasons - like needing fuel to exercise.
I weigh 85.6kgs today. And it seems like I'm closing in on my ultimate goal fast. Of course, I expect things to slow down a lot as I have less to lose. But honestly, even as fast as things have gone for me, I'm no longer in a hurry. The way I'm eating these days feels very sustainable. If I had to eat like this forever, I truly believe I could. I'm never hungry, and I'm well and truly in a routine with things. If it takes another year to get to my goal, so be it. I feel better every day. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.
So, my next goal is 40kgs lost, and also to weigh less than my boyfriend. He is sitting at around 79kgs, so both of those goals are pretty close. I should be there in the next couple of months. Actually - they might get met just in time for my birthday in May! Now that would be a happy birthday!
Oh, and there's one other wonderful thing to report from this week. I finally decided to brave the shops and buy a couple of things to wear to work. My uniform is literally falling off me. The pants, even though stretchy, are finally at the point where they do not stay up. And they don't have loop holes for a belt. Plus, the shirts are so big and gaping, that I'm pretty sure I was at the point of flashing bra on a few occasions. You could have fit another person in those shirts with me, I swear!
So, I pysched up the courage to go to Target on the weekend. For the first time, I did not go into the plus size area. I browsed around the City Dressing section and grabbed a bunch of size 16 shirts and pants to try on. They fit! After the first couple of outfits fit, I decided to quit while I was ahead and just buy them. Being pear-shaped, I've always had a lot of trouble buying pants. But if they were going to fit me first try, I wasn't going to argue! Plus, I think they really looked good!
Today I am at work in my new clothes. My wonderful friend (who always compliments me, because she is just so lovely and kind) has already commented. I am a little nervous that people will notice a big change and, dare I say it, see my FIGURE! But, I think it is worth it for my self esteem to not be looking like a clown in those big clothes. It was really getting depressing putting that stuff on every day.
WIL: 2.2kgs, an "Obese" BMI.
WIG: New clothes! Ability to shop in the "normal" section.
Not only did I somehow manage to lose 2.2kgs this week (what!?), but my BMI is now 29.6. I really can't believe it. I had to step on and off the scales a few more times to make sure it was right.
Seriously, though: What!?!!!?
It's 18 weeks since I started Optifast. 12 weeks of Intensive (how did I ever do that?) and 6 weeks of Transition. That's 126 days total - over a third of a year! Wow.
I've been through so many ups and downs in the past 4 months, and I really cannot believe that I haven't turned to food to make it better at all. Sure, I've eaten off plan a few times, but I've always counted my calories and made sure it was for the right reasons - like needing fuel to exercise.
I weigh 85.6kgs today. And it seems like I'm closing in on my ultimate goal fast. Of course, I expect things to slow down a lot as I have less to lose. But honestly, even as fast as things have gone for me, I'm no longer in a hurry. The way I'm eating these days feels very sustainable. If I had to eat like this forever, I truly believe I could. I'm never hungry, and I'm well and truly in a routine with things. If it takes another year to get to my goal, so be it. I feel better every day. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.
So, my next goal is 40kgs lost, and also to weigh less than my boyfriend. He is sitting at around 79kgs, so both of those goals are pretty close. I should be there in the next couple of months. Actually - they might get met just in time for my birthday in May! Now that would be a happy birthday!
Oh, and there's one other wonderful thing to report from this week. I finally decided to brave the shops and buy a couple of things to wear to work. My uniform is literally falling off me. The pants, even though stretchy, are finally at the point where they do not stay up. And they don't have loop holes for a belt. Plus, the shirts are so big and gaping, that I'm pretty sure I was at the point of flashing bra on a few occasions. You could have fit another person in those shirts with me, I swear!
So, I pysched up the courage to go to Target on the weekend. For the first time, I did not go into the plus size area. I browsed around the City Dressing section and grabbed a bunch of size 16 shirts and pants to try on. They fit! After the first couple of outfits fit, I decided to quit while I was ahead and just buy them. Being pear-shaped, I've always had a lot of trouble buying pants. But if they were going to fit me first try, I wasn't going to argue! Plus, I think they really looked good!
Today I am at work in my new clothes. My wonderful friend (who always compliments me, because she is just so lovely and kind) has already commented. I am a little nervous that people will notice a big change and, dare I say it, see my FIGURE! But, I think it is worth it for my self esteem to not be looking like a clown in those big clothes. It was really getting depressing putting that stuff on every day.
WIL: 2.2kgs, an "Obese" BMI.
WIG: New clothes! Ability to shop in the "normal" section.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Week 16 & 17
Right.... so it's been a little while since I've posted. Sorry about that! Things got a little crazy in my world for a bit there, but I'm back to reality again.
Last Sunday night I got a call from my Dad to let me know that my Papa (grandfather) wasn't doing too well. He'd had a planned surgery to replace a heart valve, and, despite being pretty well after the operation (awake, talking a little, eating), he took a real dive the following afternoon. They had to sedate him and put him on a breathing tube. We were all really worried.
I asked my Dad if I should fly to Melbourne to see him, because it might be the last time. He said that maybe I'd better. So, I did. I took the "Red-Eye" that night at 11.30pm and landed at 6am Melbourne time. We went straight to the hospital.
In short, it was a week long emotional rollercoaster of tests for various organs that seemed to not be doing very well (kidneys, bowels, liver, brain), and slight improvements here and there. It seemed like a constant 1.01 steps forward, 1 step back kind of thing. Stressful, in a word. All of my family were stressed, so that made it tough. I was biting a few heads off by the end of it.
I'm back home now. He is on the improve, it seems, but we can't be too optimistic. He's still critical. He's still in the ICU. But, he is off the breathing tube as of this morning. And, the official stance from the doctors is that "we may never know what happened to make him go downhill".
So, diet/exercise-wise, last week was tough. I spent 80% of my days sitting around the hospital and the other 20% at the mercy of whatever food people made me or bought me. I chose veggies and protein wherever I could, and ate small meals. I had my Optifast bars the rest of the time. I think I averaged about one bar a day and two meals of veggies and meat. There were times when I bought a soup that tasted like it had half a cup of butter/oil in it. There were times I had to eat my chicken wrapped in pastry. There were times I had full cream milk or yoghurt to get a dairy serve. I was very conscious of trying to get my nutrients more than I was that things were higher calorie than I was used to. I managed.
I think I did really well, actually. I made the best choices available to me at all times. And, if the choice was still not very good, I just ate small amounts. I didn't go hungry though. I don't think that would have been good.
I weighed in yesterday (Monday). Since I didn't get to weigh in last Monday (as I flew out the night before), my loss is for 2 weeks...
I lost 3.4kgs! I am down to 87.8kgs. I am in the 80s! I have lost a total of 32.2kgs and so have hit my next big goal of losing 30kgs! My BMI is 30.4 - just above the "Overweight" range. I am thrilled. Thrilled. I proved to myself that I can do this under stress and out of my comfort zone. There are no excuses for me anymore. I can do this. I will do this.
The only thing I didn't do so well on was the exercise. It was pretty impossible. I did bring my jogging gear and my best intentions to keep it up, but it never happened. I guess I could have found ways to cut into my restless sleep even more and get up even earlier to run. It might have helped a bit with the stress. But, at the time, I was exhausted. And by the time we got home from the hospital of an evening, it was dark. I was a little hesitant to run alone at night in a suburb I'm not used to. I might have been fine, but I probably would have stressed out my Nana even more by doing that. So, I'll forgive myself a week off, I think.
We were back into it yesterday. It was a public holiday and a scorcher heatwise. We didn't get up early enough to run in the morning before the heat hit, so had to run at about 4pm. It was still pretty warm, but my best friend was coming over at about 5pm, so we just had to brave it.
It felt a little weird at first. My legs wanted it, but were just a little wobbly. We soon got into it, though. The program was 3 x 5min runs, with a 3min walk in between. The first 5mins felt like a breeze. But the last one was really tough to complete. It felt like the heat was what made it so hard. I was still really proud that we averaged over 8km/h on each of the running legs. Especially since we'd had a week off.
This week is going to be all about getting organised again. Getting the running happening, and seeing about the gym. Maybe just a couple of classes so I don't hurt myself. And, the food. Getting back into 2 Optifast meals and one regular meal again. I'm sure I'll be my old self by next Monday!
WIL: Any doubts I could do this for life. 3.4kgs!!
WIG: Confidence and pride.
Last Sunday night I got a call from my Dad to let me know that my Papa (grandfather) wasn't doing too well. He'd had a planned surgery to replace a heart valve, and, despite being pretty well after the operation (awake, talking a little, eating), he took a real dive the following afternoon. They had to sedate him and put him on a breathing tube. We were all really worried.
I asked my Dad if I should fly to Melbourne to see him, because it might be the last time. He said that maybe I'd better. So, I did. I took the "Red-Eye" that night at 11.30pm and landed at 6am Melbourne time. We went straight to the hospital.
In short, it was a week long emotional rollercoaster of tests for various organs that seemed to not be doing very well (kidneys, bowels, liver, brain), and slight improvements here and there. It seemed like a constant 1.01 steps forward, 1 step back kind of thing. Stressful, in a word. All of my family were stressed, so that made it tough. I was biting a few heads off by the end of it.
I'm back home now. He is on the improve, it seems, but we can't be too optimistic. He's still critical. He's still in the ICU. But, he is off the breathing tube as of this morning. And, the official stance from the doctors is that "we may never know what happened to make him go downhill".
So, diet/exercise-wise, last week was tough. I spent 80% of my days sitting around the hospital and the other 20% at the mercy of whatever food people made me or bought me. I chose veggies and protein wherever I could, and ate small meals. I had my Optifast bars the rest of the time. I think I averaged about one bar a day and two meals of veggies and meat. There were times when I bought a soup that tasted like it had half a cup of butter/oil in it. There were times I had to eat my chicken wrapped in pastry. There were times I had full cream milk or yoghurt to get a dairy serve. I was very conscious of trying to get my nutrients more than I was that things were higher calorie than I was used to. I managed.
I think I did really well, actually. I made the best choices available to me at all times. And, if the choice was still not very good, I just ate small amounts. I didn't go hungry though. I don't think that would have been good.
I weighed in yesterday (Monday). Since I didn't get to weigh in last Monday (as I flew out the night before), my loss is for 2 weeks...
I lost 3.4kgs! I am down to 87.8kgs. I am in the 80s! I have lost a total of 32.2kgs and so have hit my next big goal of losing 30kgs! My BMI is 30.4 - just above the "Overweight" range. I am thrilled. Thrilled. I proved to myself that I can do this under stress and out of my comfort zone. There are no excuses for me anymore. I can do this. I will do this.
The only thing I didn't do so well on was the exercise. It was pretty impossible. I did bring my jogging gear and my best intentions to keep it up, but it never happened. I guess I could have found ways to cut into my restless sleep even more and get up even earlier to run. It might have helped a bit with the stress. But, at the time, I was exhausted. And by the time we got home from the hospital of an evening, it was dark. I was a little hesitant to run alone at night in a suburb I'm not used to. I might have been fine, but I probably would have stressed out my Nana even more by doing that. So, I'll forgive myself a week off, I think.
We were back into it yesterday. It was a public holiday and a scorcher heatwise. We didn't get up early enough to run in the morning before the heat hit, so had to run at about 4pm. It was still pretty warm, but my best friend was coming over at about 5pm, so we just had to brave it. It felt a little weird at first. My legs wanted it, but were just a little wobbly. We soon got into it, though. The program was 3 x 5min runs, with a 3min walk in between. The first 5mins felt like a breeze. But the last one was really tough to complete. It felt like the heat was what made it so hard. I was still really proud that we averaged over 8km/h on each of the running legs. Especially since we'd had a week off.
This week is going to be all about getting organised again. Getting the running happening, and seeing about the gym. Maybe just a couple of classes so I don't hurt myself. And, the food. Getting back into 2 Optifast meals and one regular meal again. I'm sure I'll be my old self by next Monday!
WIL: Any doubts I could do this for life. 3.4kgs!!
WIG: Confidence and pride.
Friday, February 21, 2014
The Week For It
So, it seems like this is the week where suddenly my weight loss is SUPER noticeable. Three days in a row this week I have had someone at work come up to me and remark very seriously on how much different I look. Two of them even said they barely recognised me.
They all asked me about how I've done it and about the Optifast program. They seemed really interested and supportive, and I could tell they were really trying not to offend me. It is pretty hard to tell someone how amazing they look and what a great job they've done without inadvertently implying that they didn't look that great before. But, I know that's not their intention. And they all seemed genuinely happy for me.
It has made me feel, understandably, amazing! I mean, I have had comments before. And my good friend at work tells me every couple of days how much she can notice the difference (I'm a lucky gal!). But, these past few days it really feels like I've blown some people's socks off. Granted, they aren't people I see every day - so the difference is bigger for them. But, you know what? I'm taking it. It's just so lovely and reassuring to know that I really have made a noticeable difference to my body.
So, Wednesday night was a bit tough. I was, as I mentioned in this post, supposed to go to the Okkervil River concert. Well, things didn't turn out that way.
I went to a BodyPump class (resistance/barbells) with my co-worker/gym buddy after work. We had done an RPM (spinning) class on both Monday and Tuesday night. And I had also been running Monday and Wednesday mornings.
Well... my BodyPump class didn't go so well. In retrospect, I can see that I was definitely suffering from some muscle fatigue and general soreness.
What was really upsetting was how when I was doing some arm lifts, my back was tensing up and hurting a bit. I'm terrified of hurting myself, so I had to stop. I hate having to stop for other reasons. I mean... if the actual muscles I was working were too sore to continue, at least I would feel like they'd gotten their workout. But, to stop because another part of my body was sore really sucked.
I also had to do the lowest/easiest exercises on offer for many of the sets. Like when we were doing lunges and squats, I had to do them without the bar. And even then I had to pause a few times. I couldn't keep up with the class, basically.
It really got to me. My friend could tell I was in a bit of a stink, too, which make me feel slightly guilty. But, she seemed to just be able to laugh about it. I'm glad because I didn't want my foul mood to ruin her experience. Or make her not want to come with me anymore!
My problem is that I'm too much of a perfectionist. I expected to be able to complete the class fully - without having to stop at all. On my first time (in 2 years). Looking around the room, it seemed like it was so EASY for everyone else. And they were using WAY heavier weights! I felt like I wasn't giving it my all. But, I also felt like I had nothing left to give.
Time for a reality check?
Not even 4 months ago I was 120kgs and never exercised a single day in the week. I was sweaty all the time, and avoided physical activity like the plague. I sat in dark rooms and stuffed my face with doughnuts, chips, ice cream and litres of sugary drinks.
In just that small amount of time I have gone from walking 30mins every weekday, to running 3 times a week (and walking 2), to now doing an additional 2-3 gym sessions a week. I should be proud. But, instead I was beating myself up for not being immediately amazing at BodyPump.
I talked to my best friend and my boyfriend about it. They both reassured me that I'm doing really well, despite having an off night, and that I need to be kinder to myself. Not only will I probably be better at it the next time, but I also need to stop expecting so much. I'd already worked my body a lot in that week, so even if I wasn't new to the class, I still would have likely experienced some reduced performance.
I've been feeling better about things since then. And I apologised to my gym buddy - who just laughed and said that it was actually kind of entertaining to see me annoyed! Phew!
Unfortunately, after crying my eyes out with my silly tantrum, I decided not to go to the concert. I was really tired and just wanted a rest. Boyfriend was super understanding, thankfully. I felt a little guilty that he had to miss out too, but he said it was ok. And I really enjoyed my early night and nice big sleep.
So I am determined to go back and face my BodyPump demons next week. And take it really easy. Until I get to the point where I can complete the exercises, I am not going to increase the resistance at all. I'm just going to slowly work my way into it.
Wonderfully, all my planned exercise has been completed for the week! And, I have the weekend to fully recuperate. It feels great! Last weekend my legs were kind of itching for a run, but I am quite frightened about next week's C25K plan, so I am going to hold off and reserve my energy. My best runs seem to be on Mondays after I've had a couple of rest days. And today's was pretty good after only doing a 30min casual walk yesterday. So, I want to be able to put the most into the program that I can. If I really need to do something over the weekend, I'll make it a walk.
We have a wedding to attend to on Saturday for one of Boyfriend's really good friends. So, that will be a little challenge. I'm sure the food and alcohol will be very tempting. I have no idea what food they'll be serving, but I'll be keeping away from any carbs. If there is lean protein and veggies on offer I will have those. And if I am sketchy about how they were prepared (too much oil/sauce) I will only have very small amounts. I'll pack a couple of Optifast Bars for insurance, in case I just can't eat anything.
To all you wonderful people who stop by and have a read here, thank you! I wish you all a lovely weekend!
They all asked me about how I've done it and about the Optifast program. They seemed really interested and supportive, and I could tell they were really trying not to offend me. It is pretty hard to tell someone how amazing they look and what a great job they've done without inadvertently implying that they didn't look that great before. But, I know that's not their intention. And they all seemed genuinely happy for me.
It has made me feel, understandably, amazing! I mean, I have had comments before. And my good friend at work tells me every couple of days how much she can notice the difference (I'm a lucky gal!). But, these past few days it really feels like I've blown some people's socks off. Granted, they aren't people I see every day - so the difference is bigger for them. But, you know what? I'm taking it. It's just so lovely and reassuring to know that I really have made a noticeable difference to my body.
-----
So, Wednesday night was a bit tough. I was, as I mentioned in this post, supposed to go to the Okkervil River concert. Well, things didn't turn out that way.
I went to a BodyPump class (resistance/barbells) with my co-worker/gym buddy after work. We had done an RPM (spinning) class on both Monday and Tuesday night. And I had also been running Monday and Wednesday mornings.
Well... my BodyPump class didn't go so well. In retrospect, I can see that I was definitely suffering from some muscle fatigue and general soreness.
 |
| Aaaaand Tantrum... In... 3...2...1... |
I also had to do the lowest/easiest exercises on offer for many of the sets. Like when we were doing lunges and squats, I had to do them without the bar. And even then I had to pause a few times. I couldn't keep up with the class, basically.
It really got to me. My friend could tell I was in a bit of a stink, too, which make me feel slightly guilty. But, she seemed to just be able to laugh about it. I'm glad because I didn't want my foul mood to ruin her experience. Or make her not want to come with me anymore!
My problem is that I'm too much of a perfectionist. I expected to be able to complete the class fully - without having to stop at all. On my first time (in 2 years). Looking around the room, it seemed like it was so EASY for everyone else. And they were using WAY heavier weights! I felt like I wasn't giving it my all. But, I also felt like I had nothing left to give.
Time for a reality check?
Not even 4 months ago I was 120kgs and never exercised a single day in the week. I was sweaty all the time, and avoided physical activity like the plague. I sat in dark rooms and stuffed my face with doughnuts, chips, ice cream and litres of sugary drinks.
In just that small amount of time I have gone from walking 30mins every weekday, to running 3 times a week (and walking 2), to now doing an additional 2-3 gym sessions a week. I should be proud. But, instead I was beating myself up for not being immediately amazing at BodyPump.
I talked to my best friend and my boyfriend about it. They both reassured me that I'm doing really well, despite having an off night, and that I need to be kinder to myself. Not only will I probably be better at it the next time, but I also need to stop expecting so much. I'd already worked my body a lot in that week, so even if I wasn't new to the class, I still would have likely experienced some reduced performance.
I've been feeling better about things since then. And I apologised to my gym buddy - who just laughed and said that it was actually kind of entertaining to see me annoyed! Phew!
Unfortunately, after crying my eyes out with my silly tantrum, I decided not to go to the concert. I was really tired and just wanted a rest. Boyfriend was super understanding, thankfully. I felt a little guilty that he had to miss out too, but he said it was ok. And I really enjoyed my early night and nice big sleep.
So I am determined to go back and face my BodyPump demons next week. And take it really easy. Until I get to the point where I can complete the exercises, I am not going to increase the resistance at all. I'm just going to slowly work my way into it.
-----
Wonderfully, all my planned exercise has been completed for the week! And, I have the weekend to fully recuperate. It feels great! Last weekend my legs were kind of itching for a run, but I am quite frightened about next week's C25K plan, so I am going to hold off and reserve my energy. My best runs seem to be on Mondays after I've had a couple of rest days. And today's was pretty good after only doing a 30min casual walk yesterday. So, I want to be able to put the most into the program that I can. If I really need to do something over the weekend, I'll make it a walk.
We have a wedding to attend to on Saturday for one of Boyfriend's really good friends. So, that will be a little challenge. I'm sure the food and alcohol will be very tempting. I have no idea what food they'll be serving, but I'll be keeping away from any carbs. If there is lean protein and veggies on offer I will have those. And if I am sketchy about how they were prepared (too much oil/sauce) I will only have very small amounts. I'll pack a couple of Optifast Bars for insurance, in case I just can't eat anything.
-----
To all you wonderful people who stop by and have a read here, thank you! I wish you all a lovely weekend!
Monday, February 17, 2014
Week 15
15 weeks down! I had to double-check that. 15 weeks sounds like an eternity. But, it really does fly by. I think the first few weeks dragged the most, but once I hit my stride... it has just seemed to flow.
A friend of mine at work told me that when she lost a lot of weight a few years ago, she used to go to bed wishing she could just wake up thin. Then, one day... she did! After all this time, I'm starting to see how that can happen. For the past 15 weeks I could have NOT been on this diet. I could have not been making changes, and still be in the same old rut. I see the value of progress, however fast or slow it is. And one day soon, I am going to wake up at my goal weight.
The other thing that's been nice has been that I've had something else to focus on for a while. Doing the C25K, and starting the gym with another coworker has given me a great distraction. Instead of watching the numbers, I've been feeling my fitness grow and been focusing on recovering from those exercise sessions. I've also been super conscious of eating good things to help me exercise - keeping the higher carb stuff for pre-exercise and the higher protein stuff for after. It really does feel like I'm eating for fuel now. When planning my meals, I honestly think about how the food will help me, not about how it will taste or how I will enjoy it.
This week I lost 700g! I was so relieved because I'd weighed myself a few times during the week (naughty!) and hadn't been seeing much progress at all. I had kind of been expecting a smaller loss this week since every time I've stepped up the exercise my losses have slowed. Especially when there is resistance training involved. I'm totally ok with it. And I don't think 700g is a small loss at all. I think it's quite a big one - just not 1kg+ like it's been pretty consistently for me.
There is no way I'm giving up this exercise because it makes me feel too good. It's doing wonders for my mood and energy levels. As long as the losses keep coming, whatever their size, I'll be happy. It will actually be interesting to see how the losses continue (smaller, greater or similar etc.)
This weekend I got organised with my food. Boyfriend and I did a big shop and got everything planned for our lunches and dinners. I made some cauliflower pizza bases and topped them with low sodium tomato paste, zucchini, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, capsicum, mushroom and some of the Kraft Live Free cheese. I made two small bases and divided them into 4 servings at 240 cal each. Then I have that with a small side salad for a meal. Yum!
I got given a dozen free eggs at work last week, so I made up some little frittata/muffin cup things with spinach, grated zucchini and home made oven-dried tomatoes. Yum! They're all individually packed in the freezer ready to go as a mini protein snack for my big exercise days. Or I can have a couple with salad for a meal.
I also made some yoghurt this weekend! They had the Easiyo yoghurt makers on sale for $12 at my local supermarket, and I am sick of paying up to $2 for a single serve of low sugar greek yoghurt, so I decided to go for it. The Easiyo packet mixes aren't that economical, but I'd read that you can make your own yoghurt from scratch with just UHT milk, milk powder and a few spoons of a good commercial yoghurt. My first effort turned out SUPER runny, which I have read is pretty common when you only use Skim Milk. So, I just strained it through a tea towel for a bit (like Greek Yoghurt) and it's now super thick and delicious. It's nice on its own, but a tsp of Stevia and some blueberries makes it divine!!
I'm going to try using Almond Milk next, as that has a higher fat content and may make for a thicker yoghurt. But, because it's lower carb, the total calories should still be lower. I think?! It's a bit hard to know with making your own yoghurt. Regardless - it's fun, way cheaper, and pretty satisfying to know you made it yourself.
In running news, I have completed 3 weeks of the C25K! I have been wondering for a while how that would translate to just non-stop running. So on Saturday night when I was feeling snacky and hovering around the kitchen I decided to go out for a test run! I programmed a 2km fun run into my running app and set off. It felt great, then good, then tough, tougher and ouccchhh! But, I made it. I didn't stop. I ran 2km in 15min, which isn't bad for a newbie! I was so proud of myself and told almost everyone, haha!
 |
| 15 weeks in and feeling good! |
A friend of mine at work told me that when she lost a lot of weight a few years ago, she used to go to bed wishing she could just wake up thin. Then, one day... she did! After all this time, I'm starting to see how that can happen. For the past 15 weeks I could have NOT been on this diet. I could have not been making changes, and still be in the same old rut. I see the value of progress, however fast or slow it is. And one day soon, I am going to wake up at my goal weight.
The other thing that's been nice has been that I've had something else to focus on for a while. Doing the C25K, and starting the gym with another coworker has given me a great distraction. Instead of watching the numbers, I've been feeling my fitness grow and been focusing on recovering from those exercise sessions. I've also been super conscious of eating good things to help me exercise - keeping the higher carb stuff for pre-exercise and the higher protein stuff for after. It really does feel like I'm eating for fuel now. When planning my meals, I honestly think about how the food will help me, not about how it will taste or how I will enjoy it.
This week I lost 700g! I was so relieved because I'd weighed myself a few times during the week (naughty!) and hadn't been seeing much progress at all. I had kind of been expecting a smaller loss this week since every time I've stepped up the exercise my losses have slowed. Especially when there is resistance training involved. I'm totally ok with it. And I don't think 700g is a small loss at all. I think it's quite a big one - just not 1kg+ like it's been pretty consistently for me.
There is no way I'm giving up this exercise because it makes me feel too good. It's doing wonders for my mood and energy levels. As long as the losses keep coming, whatever their size, I'll be happy. It will actually be interesting to see how the losses continue (smaller, greater or similar etc.)
-----
This weekend I got organised with my food. Boyfriend and I did a big shop and got everything planned for our lunches and dinners. I made some cauliflower pizza bases and topped them with low sodium tomato paste, zucchini, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, capsicum, mushroom and some of the Kraft Live Free cheese. I made two small bases and divided them into 4 servings at 240 cal each. Then I have that with a small side salad for a meal. Yum!
I got given a dozen free eggs at work last week, so I made up some little frittata/muffin cup things with spinach, grated zucchini and home made oven-dried tomatoes. Yum! They're all individually packed in the freezer ready to go as a mini protein snack for my big exercise days. Or I can have a couple with salad for a meal.
I also made some yoghurt this weekend! They had the Easiyo yoghurt makers on sale for $12 at my local supermarket, and I am sick of paying up to $2 for a single serve of low sugar greek yoghurt, so I decided to go for it. The Easiyo packet mixes aren't that economical, but I'd read that you can make your own yoghurt from scratch with just UHT milk, milk powder and a few spoons of a good commercial yoghurt. My first effort turned out SUPER runny, which I have read is pretty common when you only use Skim Milk. So, I just strained it through a tea towel for a bit (like Greek Yoghurt) and it's now super thick and delicious. It's nice on its own, but a tsp of Stevia and some blueberries makes it divine!!I'm going to try using Almond Milk next, as that has a higher fat content and may make for a thicker yoghurt. But, because it's lower carb, the total calories should still be lower. I think?! It's a bit hard to know with making your own yoghurt. Regardless - it's fun, way cheaper, and pretty satisfying to know you made it yourself.
-----
In running news, I have completed 3 weeks of the C25K! I have been wondering for a while how that would translate to just non-stop running. So on Saturday night when I was feeling snacky and hovering around the kitchen I decided to go out for a test run! I programmed a 2km fun run into my running app and set off. It felt great, then good, then tough, tougher and ouccchhh! But, I made it. I didn't stop. I ran 2km in 15min, which isn't bad for a newbie! I was so proud of myself and told almost everyone, haha!
I was glad I had clocked up a 15min run on the weekend because it helped me feel more confident for Week 4 of the C25K. A few people have mentioned that it might get a little difficult and I may need to repeat weeks. And when I saw what the Week 4 runs were, I understood. Seriously, I think they should re-think Week 3 and 4 (at least in my program) because Week 3 wasn't much of a step up from Week 2 and now Week 4 is a huge increase! It's this:
- 5 min walking warm up (as usual)
- 3 min running, 90 sec brisk walking
- 5 min running, 3 min brisk walking
- 3 min running, 90 sec brisk walking
- 5 min running
- 5 min walking cool down
So... suddenly it goes from 9mins total running time (Week 3) to 16 mins total running time. Bit of a jump, you think? That's almost twice as long! And week 2 was only 9mins total running time too, so it's a little odd. But anyway, we did it. I really really struggled in the last 5min running interval, but I was just detemined to finish it, regardless of the time. And I did finish, and also didn't die - which I was pretty sure was going to happen at the time!
You can see I really faded out towards the end!
-----
Oh... and P.S.~ The concert on Friday night was AWESOME! I've never been to a better gig. SO glad we got there early. What a way to spend Valentine's Day! Under the stars watching one of my favourite bands? Perfect!
WIL: 700g! (Also, must check on those cms!)
WIG: Fitness (yay). Self-esteem and pride from doing things I couldn't do before (running 2km!). Home made yoghurt - nom!
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Spinning and Stuff
Last night a co-worker and I went to an RPM (Spinning) class. It was hard work - the first class always is! My co-worker said she felt it too, so at least I wasn't alone. I'm hoping that the next one goes a bit easier!
I did take it a little easy at times because I could just feel like I was on the brink of maybe being on the brink of passing out (if that makes sense). I was just conscious that I am on a VLCD and also had already exercised that day. Plus, I was due to run the following day. But, I completed it fine and by the end I still felt like I had nothing left to give - which is how I like to feel. (Don't leave anything on the track!)
I tried a Powerade Zero (mostly sugarfree - about 9-10 calories, from memory) to refuel me a bit. A couple of times on this diet I have pushed myself WAY too hard with exercise and gotten really headachey, tired and miserable. I didn't want that to happen. The Powerade Zero was pretty good - it didn't taste too artificial.
After dinner, I also decided to have a couple of eggs too. I wasn't hungry or craving, but I wanted to eat a bit extra to make up (somewhat) for the exercise I'd done and still be able to complete my run the next day. I'm mainly doing this RPM/possible other gym classes to be social and have fun. But, my main exercise goal is to do this 5km in April. So, I didn't want anything to get in the way of that.
I went over my daily calories by about 200 - but I more than made up for that with the extra exercise. So, hopefully my body is cool with that. It was only eggs too. Not like I went and had a chocolate bar and thought "Yeah, I earned that!" I'll keep an eye on my weigh ins and general well being over the next few weeks while I add this exercise in. I don't want to be eating too much or too little.
So, this morning's run was a little tough, but we still improved our overall pace from Monday - which I'm really happy about. I still feel impatient and want to be running 5km already! But, I have to just calm down and go with the flow. Regardless of how far I can run, I'm still getting in a good workout every morning, which is helping with my main goal of weight loss. And, in April, I will do that 5km. I will. So, just gotta be patient and follow the program.
Putting my trust in things other than myself is weird for me. Trusting this diet. Trusting the running program, etc. But it's been good for me. It's been good to just say "You know what? My choices to date have been poor. I have pretty much PROVEN that whatever diet/exercise plans I put into place I have been able to stick to. So, why not trust Optifast? Why not trust the C25K?" Of course, I know there is still an element of knowing yourself and making minor adaptations in some cases. But overall, it's been kind of freeing to just give up control a bit and trust in some experts.
In other news, I'm excited for this Friday! We are going to see The National - one of my favourite bands ever! It's going to be so great. The singer's voice is this beautiful angsty baritone... I'm sure I'm going to cry with pleasure and emotion! It's in an outdoor amphitheatre - so hopefully we can get there nice and early and get the good seats!
I did take it a little easy at times because I could just feel like I was on the brink of maybe being on the brink of passing out (if that makes sense). I was just conscious that I am on a VLCD and also had already exercised that day. Plus, I was due to run the following day. But, I completed it fine and by the end I still felt like I had nothing left to give - which is how I like to feel. (Don't leave anything on the track!)
I tried a Powerade Zero (mostly sugarfree - about 9-10 calories, from memory) to refuel me a bit. A couple of times on this diet I have pushed myself WAY too hard with exercise and gotten really headachey, tired and miserable. I didn't want that to happen. The Powerade Zero was pretty good - it didn't taste too artificial.
After dinner, I also decided to have a couple of eggs too. I wasn't hungry or craving, but I wanted to eat a bit extra to make up (somewhat) for the exercise I'd done and still be able to complete my run the next day. I'm mainly doing this RPM/possible other gym classes to be social and have fun. But, my main exercise goal is to do this 5km in April. So, I didn't want anything to get in the way of that.
I went over my daily calories by about 200 - but I more than made up for that with the extra exercise. So, hopefully my body is cool with that. It was only eggs too. Not like I went and had a chocolate bar and thought "Yeah, I earned that!" I'll keep an eye on my weigh ins and general well being over the next few weeks while I add this exercise in. I don't want to be eating too much or too little.
So, this morning's run was a little tough, but we still improved our overall pace from Monday - which I'm really happy about. I still feel impatient and want to be running 5km already! But, I have to just calm down and go with the flow. Regardless of how far I can run, I'm still getting in a good workout every morning, which is helping with my main goal of weight loss. And, in April, I will do that 5km. I will. So, just gotta be patient and follow the program.
Putting my trust in things other than myself is weird for me. Trusting this diet. Trusting the running program, etc. But it's been good for me. It's been good to just say "You know what? My choices to date have been poor. I have pretty much PROVEN that whatever diet/exercise plans I put into place I have been able to stick to. So, why not trust Optifast? Why not trust the C25K?" Of course, I know there is still an element of knowing yourself and making minor adaptations in some cases. But overall, it's been kind of freeing to just give up control a bit and trust in some experts.
----
In other news, I'm excited for this Friday! We are going to see The National - one of my favourite bands ever! It's going to be so great. The singer's voice is this beautiful angsty baritone... I'm sure I'm going to cry with pleasure and emotion! It's in an outdoor amphitheatre - so hopefully we can get there nice and early and get the good seats!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
PB2 and Veggie Fritters
On Tuesday my order of PB2 arrived!! I am so excited about it. I have been reading about this stuff on all kinds of US-based blogs and recipe sites. So happy that I finally have some! And it's yum! I made up a serve and it tastes so much like regular peanut butter. Mind you - I haven't eaten real peanut butter in over 3 months. But, I reckon it's close enough anyway!A serving size according to the label is 2 tbsp (45cals, 1.5g fat, 5g protein, 5g carbs). But I've found that 1tbsp is plenty for my needs. I have been putting it in my chocolate shakes! It's so delicious, and I've found that the added protein makes the shakes overall much more filling. I can't wait to try it on some veggie sticks!
Also - It's going to be great for making health bars for my boyfriend's work snacks. Can't wait to trying making all the cool things with it!
---
Last night I whipped up some veggie fritters with eggs, a little low-fat cheese, some carrots and some capsicums. Yum! I had them for lunch today with a side of veggie sticks and it was really satisfying. 
Veggie Fritters
3 x eggs
3 x egg whites
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 medium red capsicum, diced finely
1/2 medium green capsicum, diced finely
30g Kraft Live Free cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Italian Herbs mix
I whisked it all together, then greased a hot frying pan with olive oil spray, then cooking til they were golden brown. I used a 1/4 cup to measure them out and it made 6 fritters.
Each fritter worked out to be 81 calories, 4.3g fat, 7.5g protein and 2.8g carbs. Nice! The boyfriend thought they looked really good and swiped one last night! So, I divided mine up into two serves of 2.5 and that worked out to just over 200 calories. Not bad at all.
Most of the recipes I've seen like this use zucchini instead of capsicum - but I just used what I had on hand. I reckon it would work with most veggies. Onion might be a nice one to try. Or broccoli. Yummm!
Monday, February 3, 2014
Week 13
One week of Transition down and I feel great! It's been a mental win this week being able to eat a bit more food. Just that afternoon yoghurt snack in itself is doing wonders for my sanity. I really appreciate everything that Intensive did for me - the detox, the break, the time off thinking about food - but right now I am LOVING the ability to have meat and dairy!
This week I was even pleasantly surprised by an awesome loss - 1.5kgs! Was not expecting that! But I have heard a few people say they have a good week when they move to Transition - must be something the body likes about changing things up.
Pretty awesome having the "kgs to go" be less than what I've already lost! Also the BMI is 32.4 now - creeping creeping towards the Overweight range. Can't wait for that. Oh - and the day my scales stop telling me my body age is 50 will be nice. I think they were saying 54 when I started, but I would very much like them to be a lot closer to my age (28)! Pretty scary thinking that I am getting about like someone nearly twice my age. That must change!!
I did another measure around the waist today too and have happily lost another 2cms. That's 12cms off my waist in total now, which I'm pleased about. I wish I'd taken more measurements in the beginning, but I know that my weight is pretty evenly spaced so there would be reductions everywhere. (Even though some days it feels like I've lost 20kgs exclusively off my boobs!)
The other thing I'm loving is the energy to exercise! It's been great being able to do some runs. We are onto Week 2 of the C25K now and I just did the first run of the week this morning. It was tough. The difficulty has been amped up since last week to 90sec jog and 120sec walk intervals. I did struggle towards the end, but I just slowed up the pace and kept going. The headwind that changed directions so we were constantly running into it was fun (not!) - but I guess I need to learn to run in all conditions. The important thing is that I did it. And next time should be easier.
The endorphins are great. Addictive really. I can see how people become gym junkies. Even though running itself isn't super enjoyable, the feeling of accomplishment and the rush afterwards (which lasts me most of the day) is really wonderful. Is that maybe the Runners High people talk about? Or is that something that happens during running - I should probably look that up!
Oh and today I have finally vowed to get some new undies. My old size 20s are literally falling off me. They are most uncomfortable to run in too. I have my tight leggings over the top, and they are all just a big jumble of loose material underneath. No fun. So, I'll have to grab some new ones this week. Sizing will be interesting - since you can't really try them on at the store! I think I might risk it and get size 16s.
All in all - a great week! Best wishes to everyone reading.
WIL: 1.5kgs and 2cms off the waist! Byebye size 20 undies!
WIG: More food, more fitness, more happiness! Such a great sense of achievement.
This week I was even pleasantly surprised by an awesome loss - 1.5kgs! Was not expecting that! But I have heard a few people say they have a good week when they move to Transition - must be something the body likes about changing things up.Pretty awesome having the "kgs to go" be less than what I've already lost! Also the BMI is 32.4 now - creeping creeping towards the Overweight range. Can't wait for that. Oh - and the day my scales stop telling me my body age is 50 will be nice. I think they were saying 54 when I started, but I would very much like them to be a lot closer to my age (28)! Pretty scary thinking that I am getting about like someone nearly twice my age. That must change!!
I did another measure around the waist today too and have happily lost another 2cms. That's 12cms off my waist in total now, which I'm pleased about. I wish I'd taken more measurements in the beginning, but I know that my weight is pretty evenly spaced so there would be reductions everywhere. (Even though some days it feels like I've lost 20kgs exclusively off my boobs!)
The other thing I'm loving is the energy to exercise! It's been great being able to do some runs. We are onto Week 2 of the C25K now and I just did the first run of the week this morning. It was tough. The difficulty has been amped up since last week to 90sec jog and 120sec walk intervals. I did struggle towards the end, but I just slowed up the pace and kept going. The headwind that changed directions so we were constantly running into it was fun (not!) - but I guess I need to learn to run in all conditions. The important thing is that I did it. And next time should be easier.The endorphins are great. Addictive really. I can see how people become gym junkies. Even though running itself isn't super enjoyable, the feeling of accomplishment and the rush afterwards (which lasts me most of the day) is really wonderful. Is that maybe the Runners High people talk about? Or is that something that happens during running - I should probably look that up!
Oh and today I have finally vowed to get some new undies. My old size 20s are literally falling off me. They are most uncomfortable to run in too. I have my tight leggings over the top, and they are all just a big jumble of loose material underneath. No fun. So, I'll have to grab some new ones this week. Sizing will be interesting - since you can't really try them on at the store! I think I might risk it and get size 16s.
All in all - a great week! Best wishes to everyone reading.
WIL: 1.5kgs and 2cms off the waist! Byebye size 20 undies!
WIG: More food, more fitness, more happiness! Such a great sense of achievement.
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