I will get to my 1 stone weight loss ……

Grrrrrrr.  I lost half a pound!! So I am half a pound off that 1 stone mark.   Soooo frustrating but I am not giving up and I am doing all the right things.  I am keeping a food diary so will ask someone to  take a look at it next week at Slimming World.  I am exercising 4 times a week and before I was doing nothing so surely the weight loss should be showing??

It must be something I am eating.  Yes I do have the occasional treat but I am not going to stop eating those sort of things forever  just eat them in moderation and this is a lifetime habit not just a short term thing.

I will continue what ~I am doing excercise wise and I will just have to keep an eye on what I am eating. Perhaps I am not eating enough?? i.e. my main meal?  I just don’t know.  I have stopped eating bread,  I have 1 x packet of crisps a week (compared to 3/4 packets a day which is what I used to consume), I hardly ever have pasta now. I try and eat salads, chicken, jkt potato sometimes basmati rice, fruit.  My diet is so different now compared to what it was 3 months ago and I seriously am expecting more weight loss than this especially with all the excercise I am doing.

Oh well, next week is another week and I will hit the 1 stone loss next week. Then I have to aim for my next half stone.

Bye for now.

In this for the long term but its tough

My New Forms of Exercise – Davina and Swimming

My Davina DVD is on order and my dumbbells are ready for use.

Swimming This weekend I went swimming. I swam 500 metres and really pushed myself. A couple of hours after the swim I could really feel the muscles tightening and today I feel rather stiff in places I havent felt stiff in before (after running). I even overtook people in the pool so was quite pleased with myself and I also managed to get my heart rate pumping. We have decided we are going to try and go swimming every weekend so Olivia gets time in the water (which she loves) and Simon and I can both get a workout (taking turns at looking after Olivia). I felt so good afterwards for doing it.

The swimming did boost me a little as I feel so de-motivated at the moment with my running. My next run is tomorrow and it is for 30 minutes (my first 30 minutes). I am now on week 9 of the programme which is the last week. Once I have completed this week I will need to find a new App to help me on my runs. I did really like this app as it told you when you had completed every 5 minutes of the run which kept me going especially when you knew you were over halfway etc. I was considering doing an interval training app to increase my pace but after mulling this over in my head for several weeks I think I might be running before I can walk if you know what I mean. So perhaps I should leave the interval training for a few more weeks and wait until I have lost a bit more weight.

Gym
Yesterday afternoon we visited Simon’s gym so I could have a look around and to discuss membership options. After studying the classes they do and the days they do them on which are suitable for me to attend (i.e. when I don’t have Olivia and am not working) we came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t get my moneys worth out of the membership. It’s a shame because there are some classes I would love to do but they would be impossible for me to attend. Plus they didn’t have a crèche so school holidays would be right out of the question. Perhaps when Olivia starts school in September I can review it all again and see if I can fit in more workouts and get my moneys worth.

Walk
I managed to fit a walk in today with Monty through the village. I power walked for half an hour – got out of breath and broke into a sweat. I feel like I have achieved something by doing this and hopefully burned off a few more calories. Every little helps.

Monitoring my food consumption and weight
As well as attending Slimming World where I have to do the humiliating thing of standing on the scales on a weekly basis to be told I have lost or gained weight (mostly lost I am pleased to say). I have started using the My Fitness Pal App on my iPod. On this App I can log everything I consume (nearly every food item is on the list and it includes all the calories, fat, carbs etc so you can log exactly what you are consuming. You input your weight, height etc into the app and it calculates the amount of recommended calories you should be consuming on a daily basis so you can then log what you eat as or before you eat it so you know exactly how many calories you are having. You can also log your workouts and it will tell you how many calories you have burnt. At the end of the day you submit your diary and it will tell you what your estimated weight would be in 5 x weeks time based on your consumption of food (workouts etc) you have carried out. It also tells you if you are eating too much or not enough. I will use this diary from now on so I can keep a record of what I am eating and work out what I shouldnt be eating. The app also works out total sugar, carbs etc for the whole day so you can see what you are eating too much of or not enough of, this should help me check to see if I am consuming enough fibre.

Some of you may be thinking why do I go to Slimming World when I can weigh myself at home and know what I should and shouldnt eat? (why waste my money). Well I think the humiliation of standing on the scales in public once a week makes you focus on loosing the weight as if you have lost you can celebrate your loss with the others in the group. Also if you have gained or not lost anything you have people there who understand what you are going through and make you see it in a positive way so you dont give up. Sometimes when you do not loose it is heartbreaking and you just want to give it all up. The other people there make you see why it is important to keep going and how a small loss in one week is nothing compared to the bigger picture.

Tiredness
I thought that loosing weight and getting fitter would make me less tired. However it seems to be having the opposite effect. I feel so tired. I struggle to get out of bed in the morning and am out like a light when I go to bed at night. Why? I also feel tired during the day even when I have been exercising.

Loosing Motivation to run

Its funny how you become bored of the same thing quite quickly. I am really struggling with my running and I am trying to analyze why that is. I think it is for the following reasons:-
1. Now I can run for 28 mins without stopping my body is finding it harder and so its more challenging.
2. I am beating myself up about the speed I am running. I feel like I run too slowly but I have to keep reminding myself that I am 6 stone overweight and so I am having to carry this excess weight with me. This is also potentially putting a strain on my knees and other places so I need to be careful but at the same time get fit. (A colleague at work weighs 7 stone (she is tiny). I told her the other day that I needed to loose the equivalent of her in weight and she was totally gobsmacked). This made me realise that if need to loose a whole persons amount in weight I have to be in this for the long haul.
3. I need to change the route I am running on. I need to find some other running routes. The route I am running is perfect for winter but now the ground is drying out I can find some footpaths to run on.
4. I am bored of my own company. I am not sure if this is true or not – I do enjoy running on my own and have got used to it but at the same time it is nice to run with someone too.
5. Self Motivation – I am finding it very difficult to motivate myself everytime to go for a run. I do it but the battle I have in my head is huge! If I ran with someone else they would motivate me to run because otherwise I would feel like I am letting them down. On the other hand if they let me down I still need to find that self motivation to run anyway.

A blip but it hasn’t stopped me from being determined

So today was weigh in day. My weight gain was 1.5lb (which is what I lost last week). Although I have upped the time I run for I also upped the amount of food I consumed last week – it was very difficult being stuck in the house with the bad weather and I think one of the contributions to this weight gain was the Pot of Olives with Feta cheese that I consumed on Sunday.
My tummy also felt very bloated and still does. I am going to try and eat a little bit more fibre to see if that helps as I don’t think I was consuming enough.

I am not angry, upset or cross that I put on this week. I have done so well over the last 4 weeks that I am bound to have the occasional blip. I was expecting to either remain the same or put on this week so it wasnt a shock.

I did however go for my Thursday morning post weigh in run and I did work harder than I normally would. I am finding the 25 minute run quite a challenge and it is difficult. 25 minutes seems like a long time when you are running on your own and today I pushed myself by upping my pace on several occasions for short bursts.

This week I will loose and I will not be eating Olives.

Hardly eaten a thing but feel bloated!

I went to bed last night feeling very bloated. I am not sure why as I didn’t eat anything out of the ordinary. I did have a chicken curry at my mums with rice so perhaps there was an ingredient in this which has bloated me, it was rather filling and I couldn’t eat it all but I was hoping that was because my tummy is shrinking!!

This morning after a great nights sleep (a full 8 hours) I was feeling fresh and bright and breezy and ready to tackle what the day threw at me. By 9am I had completed a full 25 minute run (with no walking) and was sitting at my desk ready to do a days work. I was very proud of myself and really pleased that I managed a full 25 minutes without stopping for the 2nd time this week. It was difficult and the thought of stopping did go through my head on several occasions but I managed to fight the thoughts by focusing on the weight I want to loose and how much weight I need to loose. My fellow runner is now on holiday for 2 x weeks so I will be running on my own for at least 2 more weeks. She has promised me that when she returns she will be focusing on her running and will come out with me which will be nice. I am getting used to running on my own but it is so much nicer to run with someone else.

Tonight is countdown to Thursdays weigh in and so the next 30+ hours I will be focusing on eating the right foods and not nibbling on any junk (not that I have been anyway). I have been good this week but feel in myself like a porker. I feel boated and heavy (even on the run today I felt heavy). I don’t know the reason for this but it will be interesting to log this and keep an eye on when it occurs. Perhaps my tummy is getting used to the lower amounts of food and so when I eat it feels full? I really dont know.

Weigh in day is looming

The weeks seem to fly by and before you know it its Thursday again and phew am I glad. This week at work has been manic and I am so relieved that my working week is finished. I can now focus on tidying the house and spending some time with Olivia for a few days.

I am not sure what weigh in will bring tomorrow I am just hoping that I have not put on any weight. I still want to loose 4.5lb in the next 2 weeks so if I have stayed the same tomorrow or put on I will have quite a challenge ahead.

I feel like I have settled into a running routine now. On the days that I dont run I miss it and wish I was running. On a number of occassions I have been tempted to go for a run on my rest day but have decided this is probably not a good idea as I need to rest my muscles (especially as its still early days). When I am running and struggling I focus on how much weight I want to loose and this seems to spur me on. I cant wait to run when I have lost all of this weight, I have this thought in my head that I will feel as light as a feather. Currently I am carrying over 6 stone in excess weight and like my friend Sam said that is the equivalent of carrying a 6/7 year old child so surely when I have lost all this weight I will be bouncing!!

I will update you tomorrow on how weigh in went. Bye for now.

I will weigh less tomorrow – thinking positive

I have had a good few days. Yesterday I did nibble in the afternoon but on healthy snacks. Today I have grazed but mainly on carrot sticks dipped in a tomato salsa. I am thinking positive that I will have lost some weight when I jump on the scales tomorrow. I did however have a glass of wine and a glass of champagne last night. It was purchased for me with the assumption of that is what I will want to drink. The good thing is I can have a glass of wine and then stop and go onto other drinks so it wasnt too painful. I did go out with the intention of not drinking at all though so was ever so slightly disappointed but I couldnt let a glass of wine and champagne go to waste.

Tonight I am having a steak with salad for tea and I cant wait to eat it and hopefully feel full so I am not tempted to graze. I have some items to put on e-bay for sale so that should keep me occupied.

On the Slimming World facebook page today, someone has submitted a post saying – “shall I go to bed for a nap or eat food?”. This is something I have often considered especially before Olivia was born. If you are trying to loose weight it is easier to go for a nap to avoid food however I have now realised that this is definitely not the answer. The best thing to do is to go for a walk or do something that takes your mind off food. Food cravings are like cigarette cravings (but worse) so you need to take your mind off the craving for a few minutes by doing something to occupy your mind like going for a walk, unloading the dishwasher, throwing a ball in the garden for the dog etc until the craving has gone away. Obviously I am saying all of this but am also trying to put these tips into practice myself. People always say its easier said than done and its so true.

Anyway wish me luck for tomorrow.

Should you reward yourself after a successful weigh in?

Do you go and buy yourself a bar of chocolate or a packet of crisps or treat yourself to a chinese or indian takeaway after a successful weigh in?

I try not to reward myself if I loose weight at a weigh in because you are bound to have snacks or rewards throughout the week anyway.

My reward for loosing weight last week was sharing a cake with Simon. If I had rewarded myself on Thursday following the weigh in I would still probably have had the cake with Simon on Saturday too.

There are other ways of rewarding yourself for loosing weight such as treating yourself to a magazine or an item of clothing (if you have lost so much weight your clothes are beginning to get baggy). If you dont have much money reward yourself with a nice walk in the fresh air. Its tuning your brain to think that a walk is a reward. Its probably better to reward yourself with a non-food item and then you dont see food as a pat on the back. Its a bit like children – the advice is dont reward your children with chocolate or sweets but reward them with other things such as a drawing book or a day out or an extra 10 minutes of play time before bed.

Years ago when I used to go to Slimming World I remember one lady used to eat a whole (big) bar of Dairy Milk fruit and nut in one go after weighing in. She still managed to loose weight but perhaps she would have lost more if she hadnt scoffed this whole bar of chocolate.

My overall reward in about 18 months time will be my body and my health and that is a huge reward but until I get there I will reward myself with small but meaningful things when I loose weight, I will avoid rewarding myself with food though.

Thursdays Weigh in Verdict

I stayed exactly the same weight as the week before. Yes I know what a let down. But on the positive side it is making me even more determined. I have already lost some weight so I know I can do it. I am doing the running and am pretty sure I am doing everything right. Maybe the popcorn I ate and the cake I shared with Simon last week were the things that stopped me loosing. The thing is I need the occassional naughty thing surely?

Well I went to this great place this morning called Double Vision for a fee consultation. It is a gym / fitness centre specialising in people who want to loose weight and you can have personal training. They also monitor your weight and you have one session a week talking about your diet etc. It looked and sounded great and the fact that I saw a friend in the gym when I was there made it even more appealing. For the first month you dont pay a penny unless you loose 7lb of Fat (not weight but Fat) if you loose that 7lb of fat you pay £267 and then its approx £240 a month thereafter. You can go as often as you like and for that you have a personal trainer each time you attend. I would so love to do it and I think I would really enjoy it and yes there is a but. I live off £260 a month for my food, clothes socialising etc so I cannot afford to do it. Its such a shame because I really liked the look and sound of it and the nice thing was not all the people in the gym were slim and so I didnt feel out of place and it would have been a good place to be to talk with like minded people with similar challenges. The other challenge I have is fitting my excercise in with work and Olivia. I can only go when I dont have Olivia and that is not very often. If I purchased some weights etc to use at home I have no where to store them. I just dont know. Everything costs money and it gets me down so much.

Anyway I do need to find another form of fitness other than running. I can start the pilates next week on a Thursday but I feel that I need to do more than that too but when and how? I cant afford to pay money for everything. That is the good thing about the running – its free (well its free if I can fit it around Olivia) Sometimes if I have Olivia I do have to pay for childcare which does end up costing quite a lot of money over the course of a month but I really feel that I need to do another form of excercise too.

What shall I do???

Will having a hair cut / shaving my legs help me loose any weight?

Men, close your ears. Anyone squeamish close your ears.

I have not shaved my legs all winter. Do you think shaving them might loose a pound or two? If I have my hair cut will that make any difference? How much does hair weigh?

I am pretty certain that I am not the only overweight person trying to diet that has asked this question. When you are dieting and desperate to loose weight you will do anything to loose that extra pound on the scales (this has given me an idea for another subject on my blog).

I have just had a look on Google to see if anything comes up and there are several forums where people have asked this question
One answer is as follows:

“wow this required some research… anyway what I found is that hair weight can vary based on many things such as the protein compsition (British Journal of Dermatology) , texture, cultural differences in the persons hair being weighed. Some sources said hair weight ranged from 2.5 pounds to 3.5 pounds for a 8 to 16 inches of hair again depending on the type of human hair (texture, thickness and so forth).
I did a Google search and found that also in addition to the various dermatology studies done on hair many advertisers of hair extensions tell you the weight of hair for different types, color, texture hair extensions they sell in various lengths which range from the same I mentioned above from the dermatology sites I visited.
so yes I would say a 2 pound loss is possible…”

So, amazingly you could loose a small amount of weight (this is only one persons opionion though) if you had your hair cut but the amount of weight is minimal it’s not even worth considering – it is rather extreme to cut all your hair off just to weigh less (by about 2lb). I cant see that shaving legs would make any difference at all either. So there is my conclusion on the matter.

Any dieters out there thinking about cutting all their hair off and shaving any other hair on their body off to loose weight – I wouldnt bother – go for a run or walk instead.