New me Week three.

After saying last week how much more confident and happy I was feeling, I found myself having a low week last week. As I seem to be feeling better now, I’ve put it down to being my time of the month, and the full moon. I still managed to keep on track and lost another 2lbs. I’m now 10st 6lbs. The weight is coming off steadily which I am pleased about.

I’m enjoying the exercise especially the swimming, and on Monday I swam 32 lengths (half a mile) and on Friday I did 34 lengths. I did the Rosemary Conley DVD a couple of times in the week and I’m finding it’s getting easier and easier.

Another aspect of my healthy lifestyle which is getting easier is creating nutritious meals which are fairly low calorie. As I’m getting into the swing of calorie counting, I am concentrating on ensuring my diet is balanced and nutritious. For example, for breakfast instead of having toast every day, I’m trying to have something different on alternate days. One breakfast I’m enjoying is Oats and Yogurt to which I add a handful of summer fruit berries (which can be brought frozen and taken out of freezer the night before) and a tsp of hemp seeds.

In the first few weeks as I was getting used to calorie counting, for dinners and lunches, I was eating lots of soups and salads. Now I’m experimenting more, I have been eating a variety of meals from stir-fries to Quorn mince bolognaise. Quorn is a great filler, and is low in fat and calories, it can bulk out any meal and help you feel fuller for longer. As I’m becoming more experimental, I am finding I am eating lots, but still coming in under 1500 calories a day.

I’ve also read a couple of chapters of my stop smoking book. I am already smoking a lot less than I was. As I said last week, it takes 6 weeks for something to become a habit, so I’ve decided when I’ve done six weeks I will give up smoking. I think this will be a good time to tackle the smoking, as hopefully I would have lost enough weight to be able to put a little bit of weight back on, and the healthy eating will be established enough not to overeat instead of grabbing a ciggy.

So it’s been another successful week. Next week I will do the first months review, and see if I’ve lost any inches off my vital measurements.

New me, Week 2.

It’s been another successful week. I weighed myself, after swimming half a mile, on the sports centre scales last night and I’d lost another 2lbs. It’s not coming off as quickly as the first week, but I expected it to slow down.

After getting my Rosemary Conley DVD in the post on Monday, I’ve done 30 minutes of exercise every other day, and on Saturday I did the whole hour workout. I know I had said I wouldn’t start exercise until I was a few weeks in, however this was mainly because I thought I wouldn’t manage it. I have actually enjoyed the exercise and can feel the results. I do realise this exercise may affect my weigh ins, as exercise can build muscle which weighs more than fat.

However my jeans are not tight any more, and that is what I wanted to achieve. The differences in myself, since starting this healthy living regime, are probably more significant than my weight loss. I am feeling so much happier; and in the two weeks I have only had one low day. I have felt happier with my body and have become more confident as a result.

I treated myself this week by buying some new clothes. One of my local charity shops was having a clear out and all the clothes were a pound. I tried on a pair of pink cords, which were too tight, but I brought them anyway, knowing in a couple of weeks they should be a comfortable fit. I also brought a jumper dress, in the sale at Tesco’s, which is quite figure hugging. I wouldn’t have been seen dead in a dress that showed off my figure a few weeks earlier, as my body was a constant source of distress for me. I was more likely to hide behind baggy clothes.

I also have lots more energy. Instead of staying in bed with a coffee in the morning, I have woken up and got up right away. I’ve managed to get more done in a day. Before the idea of fitting in exercise seemed an impossibility, due to feeling so low and having little energy. Another significant change has been my bowel movements (which you may not want to hear about but I feel is an important change). Previously they were often quite loose, which I put down to anxiety, however now they are normal. Overall I just feel so much healthier than I did before.

Calorie wise I have stayed under 1400 calories most days, apart from Wednesday when I went to the Open Mic and had some drinks at the pub, and Saturday when I opened a bottle of wine. Both days I still kept under 1800 calories. This goes to show how much alcohol adds calories to your daily allowance.

I haven’t read any of my stop smoking book, as I’ve been reading a Joanne Harris book instead. As I finished Joanne Harris last night I aim to pick up the stop smoking book this week. However without thinking about it I have cut down on smoking. My tobacco is lasting me longer, and I think as I’m feeling healthier I’m not reaching for the ciggies as much.

So overall it’s been another successful week, and probably more importantly I’m enjoying my new healthy way of life. I just need to keep it going. It takes around 21 days for new activities to become a habit, and 6 months for them to become part of a lifestyle. I need to keep going, so the changes do become part of my lifestyle. Stopping exercising and calorie counting now would probably see me gain everything I’ve lost and more.

New me Week one

The first week has gone great. I knew I was right to throw myself into it. Previously, when I have just calorie counted, I haven’t had the results, but this time around I’m seeing results already.

After my swimming on Monday, my muscles didn’t ache the next day. However Tuesday was a really stressful day, and I ended up drinking some wine in the evening bringing my calorie count to around 1800, 800 calories up on Monday. I am determined not to give up altogether if I have a bad day, so I started Wednesday feeling positive.

Wednesday I consumed around 1000 calories, and learnt the Lambrini. I had seen the Lambrini dance on an advertisement on the television, and found a step by step guide of how to dance it on www.dothelambrini.co.uk. I probably danced around 30 minutes in all, and felt quite breathless. I did drive to Tesco’s though, which I could have walked, as its only 10 minutes away and I wasn’t getting much shopping.

In the evening as I looked at my diary I noticed I hadn’t eaten breakfast which is an easy trap for dieters to fall into. Much research has been done which suggests skipping breakfast can starve the body of nutrients, and prompt it to store more of lunches and dinners as fat. A study done by the University of Massachusetts concluded you are 450% more likely to be overweight by not eating breakfast.

Thursday my legs ached from the Lambrini the day before, which showed a fun dance was a good exercise. I also found I had lots of energy, and was feeling really enthusiastic about getting fit. I couldn’t wait to write things in my book. I realised I hadn’t been adding in coffee in my calorie count, which I rectified. Reviewing the week I realised apart from Tuesday, I was only consuming around 1000 calories, and decided I ought to be eating between 1200 and 1600 calories if I didn’t want to fall into the Yo Yo dieting trap, so I had 1300 calories that day.

I’ve been eating well all week. I start off with Rye bread (wheat free) toast and reduced fat houmous, as I believe carbohydrates are important first thing. So many diets suggest fruit for breakfast, however this can send blood sugar levels rising, and the energy from it is used quickly, often leading to feeling tired and hungry again mid morning. Complex carbohydrates release their energy slowly and will keep you going for longer.

For lunch I have had anything from salads to soups or oats and yogurt and fruit. Similarly for dinner I’ve had chicken salads, soups or something home-cooked such as roasted vegetables, or bolognaise with salad. I have kept all my portions small. Within my calorie count, I have eaten fruit as between meal snacks or ½ a 9bar which is a mixed seed bar (again good for slow energy release). I’ve felt quite satisfied and eaten when I’ve been hungry, and as the weeks gone on it’s got easier.

Feeling so enthusiastic on Thursday I searched for a calories burnt calculator and found a good one at www.ivillage.com. To get to it click on ‘diet’ top of the home page, and then click on ‘Calories burnt Calculator’ on the right. You put in your weight, the duration of the activity and what it was and they calculate how many calories you have burned.

Friday I was at my laptop most of the day, but met up with my friend, Rach for swimming in the evening. On the Monday I had done 24 lengths (which is 2 over a third of a mile), and I decided I would do 26 this time. However when I had done 26 I thought I’d do a couple more, and then realised it was only 6 more and I would have swam half a mile. So in the end I swam 32 lengths (half a mile) and I was so chuffed. I was even more chuffed when I weighed myself on the scales at the sports centre again, (which I wasn’t going to do till Monday), and found I was 10st 11lbs, which means in 5days I have lost 3lbs in weight. Wow!

I do appreciate I probably won’t keep up this level of weight loss and it will probably start coming off slower, especially as I’ve decided on a minimum calorie intake as well as a maximum.

Saturday, however I felt quite hungry, and with wine in the evening my calorie count was 1739. I was disappointed, but I know I shouldn’t beat myself up if I have a slip up. Also I realised if I have a drink of wine in the evening I am more likely to have a snack. On a more positive note I did 20minutes of the Lambrini.

Sunday I did better. My count was 1452 calories which I was surprised about, as I had a roast dinner and had some wine.

Monday I got a Rosemary Conley fitness DVD through in the post and did 20 minutes fat burning in the morning. I like Rosemary Conley, and have used her DVD’s in the past. The moves are not too complicated and are easy to follow, and you definitely feel like you’ve had a workout, however slow you take it. In the evening I met Rach for swimming again, and at the beginning I didn’t think I would be able to swim as far this time, however before I knew it I had done half a mile again.

On weighing myself I had lost another pound. So after my first week I lost a quarter of a stone (4lbs). I now weigh 10st 10lbs. It was a very successful week. I didn’t however read any of my ‘Giving up smoking’ book, but I have been working hard on everything else, and won’t beat myself up for that. Once my healthy lifestyle is more established I can tackle the smoking then.

New Year New Me

Every year I’ve said to myself; “this is the year I’ll get fit and healthy”. This year I mean it. After the Christmas period, and moving house I have put on around ½ a stone and my jeans, which were tight before, are now uncomfortable.

My want list is to:
Lose at least half a stone
Exercise at least twice a week
Give up smoking

It’s a lot to take on board, and goes against advice which suggests you should tackle one thing at a time. However knowing me, by throwing myself into this new way of life, I will stay motivated. Writing a diary to record my progress will keep me on track, and I will feel accountable to anyone who might read it. I know I have to set realistic goals, so I’ve started by getting myself an exercise book, in which I can record my efforts.

To lose weight, as well as exercising, I aim to calorie count. When I went to University I put on a lot of weight and after leaving I lost 3½ stone with calorie counting. One of the main disadvantages of this method is that initially it is very time consuming. When preparing meals all ingredients needs to be weighed, and the overall calorie content calculated. This is where the exercise book comes in, as at one end of the book I can write down the calories in meals I prepare, and at the other end I can record my daily food and calorie intake. After a while, this does become easier as I memorise the calorie content of the meals I eat regularly.

One advantage of the calorie counting method is that no food groups need to be cut out. Having been interested in, and built up quite an extensive knowledge of nutrition, I appreciate the importance of eating a balanced diet which ensures we get the vitamins and minerals we need to help our bodies work effectively. We need to include all the food groups in our diets including fats, carbohydrates, and protein. We need essential fatty acids, for example, to help maintain healthy weight levels as they help move stored fats from our adipose tissues, and carbohydrates are important for energy production. Any diet that cuts out any particular food group can be detrimental to our health.

Another advantage with calorie counting is that I will be cutting down my alcohol intake, which did increase over the Christmas period. By counting the calories of every drink, I am unlikely to allow myself to drink a whole bottle of wine, which supplies a wasted 510 calories.

Exercising regularly is also important for my new healthy way of living. I’ve decided to take up swimming again, and have hooked up with a friend who goes swimming twice a week. I met her for a swim on Monday, and swam 24 lengths which is just over a third of a mile. I would like to add a couple of lengths every week and eventually work up to swimming a mile. I recognise as I have been quite sedentary for quite a long time, I should build up the exercise slowly, and will add in an aerobics type exercise, as I start to feel fitter, hopefully in a month’s time.

Another way to build up my fitness is to ditch the car and walk more. I live 10 minutes from town, and because I have a big hill to climb, I often take the car. If I don’t have lots of shopping to carry, and its not pouring with rain, I now aim to walk it. I walked it yesterday, and when I got back my legs felt wobbly, which is an indication of how unfit I have got.

Giving up smoking is the scariest of my goals for many reasons. I like smoking and feel it will be the most difficult goal to achieve. I also don’t want to put on weight when I stop. Losing weight and exercising are both important preparations for the inevitable stop date. By getting used to a healthy eating plan, I hope I won’t be so inclined to overeat when I do give up smoking. By exercising, as well as getting fitter, I hope to raise my metabolic rate, so I am burning calories more efficiently when I stop.

I know I need to stop. I have asthma, have had recurring pleurisy, and my doctor says I’m a classic emphysema case waiting to happen. Even though I’ve given up before, (I didn’t smoke for eleven years), I know I need all the help I can get so I’ve started reading a self help book. ‘Free Yourself from Smoking’ by Dr Kristina Ivings takes a three pronged approach, addressing the physical addiction, psychological dependence and the habit of smoking. The majority of the book deals with the way we think about smoking, why we smoke, the pitfalls we come across when trying to stop, understanding withdrawal, and doesn’t get to How to quit till chapter 12. When I am there I will set a date. Hopefully as I get fitter the urge to give up will also increase.

Anyway, I’ve now set my goals and I’ve committed myself to getting and staying fit and healthy. I will write weekly to record my progress which will include my successes and failures, what worked for me and what didn’t, and a summary of weight loss and fitness levels. In order to see measurable results I have recorded vital measurements below. It will be interesting to see if I can achieve any loss on any of these.

At the start of my new healthy lifestyle Monday the 7th of January
I weigh 11 stone
My BMI is 24.80 (approximated by scales at Sports centre)
Vital measurements Boobs 37inches, Waist 32½inches and Hips 40inches.