January is over....

Here is the review of my first month trying to stick to the targets I set at the beginning of this year.

1) Weight Loss minimum 1lb per week.

Over the month, I lost 5lb, which is slightly ahead of target, but I didn't lose every week.









I am happy with the result, but feel that if circumstances had been slightly different I would have done better.


This first week, I had an amazing loss of 4.5lb, I tracked my food all week, I stuck (mostly within the Syns limit) and did plenty of exercise.

The second week, I had a bit of a wobble, I only tracked for two full days and didn't really follow the plan. I did however get plenty of exercise. I started a training course with buffet lunch on the Monday, and had to go to the evening weigh-in instead of my usual morning one, I ended up gaining 1lb.

The third week, I was on a training course with a free buffet lunch, so I didn't track and I didn't get much exercise, just walking to and from the course, 20 minutes each way. I didn't get to the gym over the weekend because of snow stopping the buses. I didn't go to weigh-in because it was cold, dark and snowing.

The fourth week, I was still on the training course with buffet lunch until the Friday, so again I didn't track this week. I did start going to the gym again on the Saturday, so got exercise during the second half of the week. This week, I was back at my morning weigh-in and lost 1.5lb, making a total of 5lb for the month.

2) No Alcohol until the 24th March.

I did not touch a drop of alcohol for the whole of this month. It was temping at times, but I resisted.

3) Run 5km in less than 40 minutes.

I tried to start the Couch to 5km programme early in January, but it made my knees hurt so I had to ease off, then I was on the training course, so I didn't really get started with this. I will get started on this soon.

4) Swim 3km per week.

I didn't manage this once, it is a good target and I am going to keep trying to achieve it.

5) Walk and cycle more.

The weather has been pretty poor, but I have walked 39km this month. I am going to get my bike out during February, and I will try to walk more than 39km during February.

6) Keep a food diary.

Well..... I manage 1 week. Bit of a failure here. I have decided to start logging my food on Cron-o-meter, hopefully I will stick to this better than I have creating a food diary in this blog.

7) Update this blog once per week.

Again I managed 1 week. I am totally blaming the training course for removing the motivation. I am aiming for weekly updates every Tuesday after weigh-in during February.

I am aiming to do better in February, and continue to lose weight.

Week 1 - 1st to 7th January 2013

Well week 1 is over and it went well, really well.

So here is an overview of how I am doing at my aims, stated in this blog post.

1) I lost 4.5lb, which is higher than my 1lb per week target, awesome. My weight is now 18 stone 3lb (255lb).

2) I have not drunk any alcohol, 1 week down, another 11 to go. You can sponsor me and help raise money for Cancer Research UK by going to my just giving page.

3) I have started the C25K programme, I am currently on week 1 (run 1 minute, walk 1.5 minutes, 8 times) and my running speed is 4.5mph. I am going to stick to week 1 until my running speed is 7mph.

4) I didn't swim 3km this week. I only managed to swim twice, covering 1km. I will try harder over the next week.

5) I've tried to go out for a short walk every day, the weather has been cold and miserable so I haven't done any long walks.

6) I kept my food diary all week, which I am impressed with, I usually struggle with this.

7) and I'm updating this blog now, ok I'm a couple days late, but I'm doing it.

I am feeling really positive after this week, and I'm looking forward to having another good week. I went to my usual morning weigh in this Tuesday, last Tuesday I went to the evening one because I was too hungover (it was New Years Day) to make the morning session. Next week I am on a course during the day so it will be the evening weigh in again then. I'm not sure how that will affect my weight loss.

Food Diary 1/1/13 to 7/1/13

Tuesday 1/1/13

Today was my first weigh in of the year. I gained 7.5lb over the two weeks of Christmas and New Year. Which is fair, I was hoping that it was going to be less than 7lb, but I did eat a lot of cheese. No food diary for today because I have a hangover and I'm not at all organised.

As it's a new year and I am actually heavier than I was at this time last year, I am going to start with today being day 1.

Weight Stats
Current Weight: 18 stone 7.5lb (259.5lb)
Weight Lost this week: n/a
Total Weight Lost: n/a


Wednesday 2/1/13

Breakfast
Spicy Beans and a cup of herbal tea

Snack
Yum Yum and some rum truffles - basically I wanted a snack so went to the kitchen to find something and unfortunately found these leftover from Christmas. Bad, bad Tasha!

Lunch
Gluten Free Pasta
20g Pesto - 3 syns (it's 2.5 syns for 1 tbsp, but I weighed the pesto so it's really a guesstimate)

Dinner
Large pack of mini Cheddars (surprise trip to the cinema to see The Hobbit)

Notes
Well I was wrong about all the bad food being gone, there was a Yum Yum and some rum truffles, and instead of hiding them (they would only haunt me) or throwing them away (I can't stand to waste food and I can't really afford to throw perfectly good food away) I decided it would be a good idea to eat them today. I don't really know the Syn values of these. I will just write down that I had them and not worry about the syns for them, I know they are bad, but they are gone now and wont be in my cupboard again.
Well the day ended in a fun, but bad for my diet way with a trip to the cinema to see The Hobbit, and me eating a large pack of mini Cheddars during the film. By the time I got home it was too late to cook and I wasn't hungry. I didn't have any of my healthy extras today either, which isn't the best now is it?

Well today gets a 2/5 mark, 2 of the meals were good, 2 were not, and I didn't exercise much. Tomorrow is a new day. I have also realised that I need to do some veg shopping tomorrow.

Syns for the day
unknown

Exercise
I was planning to go to an Aquafit class today, but the class clashes with a doctors appointment. So my only exercise today is the walk to and from the doctors.


Thursday 3/1/13

Breakfast (pre gym breakfast)
3 rashers bacon (fat removed)
4 eggs scrambled

Breakfast (post gym breakfast)
35g Porridge Oats cooked with water and sweetener (Healthy Extra B)
Frozen Berries

Snack
1 peach
2 banana
1pack honey roast ham

Lunch
Large baked potato
BBQ Beans (spicy beans with sweetcorn and mushrooms added)
70g Mozzarella + Cheddar Cheese (Health Extra A + 5 Syns)

Dinner
Thai red pork curry (5 Syns)
Red rice
Broccoli
salted popcorn (not sure how many syns as I didn't weigh it, and didn't think to until after it was gone)

Notes
Up really early (05:30) to go to bootcamp at the gym, so my breakfast is in 2 parts today, so protein to get me kick started and some nice fruit afterwards.
Had a whoops after dinner when Clive made some popcorn and I snacked on it without thinking, silly woman.
I had both my healthy extras and only had one fail at tracking Syns, and I don't think that will have taken me far over the 15 Syns allowance.

Today gets a 4.5/5, all my meals were good, and I exercised, the only wobble was the popcorn.

Syns for the day
10 syns + popcorn
 
Exercise
Bootcamp - 45 min - Intense
Walking to and from Job Centre - 20 min 


Friday  4/1/13

Breakfast
1/2 pink grapefruit
35g porridge oats cooked with water and sweetener
Frozen Berries
Bacon
Scrambled eggs
BBQ beans

Lunch
Homemade Veg and Lentil Soup

Snack
1 pack Warburtons sandwich thins (and no I don't care how many Syns they have)
1 large bar of galaxy

Dinner
Chicken Curry (8.5 syns) only ate half of it
Rice
3 jam donuts

Notes
Well what a stressful afternoon, see this blog post for details http://livingituponthedole.blogspot.com/2013/01/public-humiliation-is-all-part-of.html  so as I have given up alcohol for the next 12 weeks I turned to bread. Right now, I am so pissed off about what happened that I don't care, if I had cakes or chocolates in the house I would eat them as well. And so the evening went on.

Today gets a 2/5, no exercise and I did well until mid afternoon when it went to pot and I let my emotions control my eating.

Syns for the day
8.5 known, lots of unknown

Exercise
none


Saturday 5/1/13

Breakfast
Curry left from last night (syns already counted)

Lunch
Homemade Veg and Lentil soup
45g mozzarella (Health Extra A)
Muller Light Yogurt

Snack
Honey Roast Ham (part of a pack)

Dinner
4 Weight Watchers Sausages (2 Syns)
2 Potato Waffles (5 Syns)
BBQ Beans
1 bottle Britvic 55 (6.5 Syns - higher than I thought it would be)

Notes
Pretty good day today, exercised, had the right foods etc etc feeling good.

Today gets 4/5 just because breakfast was my leftover dinner from last night and I didn't have my Healthy Extra B.

Syns for the day
13.5 syns

Exercise
30 minutes interval training
20 minutes swimming (0.5km)


Sunday 6/1/13

Breakfast
35g porridge oats cooked with water and sweetener (Healthy Extra B)
Frozen Berries
Muller Light
2 rashers bacon
2 eggs
1 tomato
2 mushrooms

Snack
Honey Roast Ham

Lunch
Homemade Veg and Lentil Soup
45g mozzarella (Healthy Extra A)

Snack
Seafood Sticks

Dinner
Chicken Chasseur Casserole (5.5 Syns)
Jacket Potato

Notes
Good day

Syns for the day 5.5

Exercise
Swimming 20 lengths in 20 min
Yoga 60 minutes

5/5 for today :)


Monday 7/1/13

Breakfast
35g Porridge cooked with water and sweetener (Healthy Extra B)
1/2 pink grapefruit

Snack
Seafood Sticks

Lunch
Pasta
Pesto (3 Syns)
45g mozzarella (Healthy Extra A)

Snack
1 pack D'lites (4 Syns)

Dinner
Chili  (3 syns)

Notes
another good day

Syns for the day 10

Exercise
Jogging 12 minutes
Pilate's 20 minutes

5/5

Review of the week

Not bad, a couple wobbles, but on the whole I am pleased with myself, lets hope it shows on the scales tomorrow morning.

Dryathalon

My New Year’s resolution? I’m giving up alcohol. Until the 24th March (my birthday). For Cancer Research UK.

I’m becoming a Dryathlete. Until the 24th March 2013 I’m not going to touch alcohol. Not a drop.

So instead of buying me a drink, I’d like you to donate. http://www.justgiving.com/dryathlete-natascha-imlay

Every pound helps Cancer Research UK bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.

Of course you all know how I like a drink or ten, so this will be a nice challenge for me.

Cheers.

The Dryathlete’s Oath I promise that I shall take part in Dryathlon™, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern it, committing myself to a month without alcohol, in the true spirit of do-gooding, for the glory of Dryathletes and the honour of Cancer Research UK.

Recipe - Spicy Beans

1 tin baked beans
1 onion
garlic                (I use the Easy Garlic/Chillies that are already prepared, I find that in the long run it's cheaper                   than buying them fresh and it's a hell of a lot easier and takes less time)

balsamic vinegar
sweetener
fry light

1) Dice the onion and gently fry in a saucepan that has been coated with fry light

2) After a minute or two add the garlic and chillies, cook for another minute or so

3) When the onions are soft add a good dash of balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon or so (I never measure  it) of sweetener, mix all the ingredients well

4) Add the tin of beans and cook until the beans are heated through and bubbling

This recipe is FREE on both Slimming World Extra Easy and Green days. It takes about 5-10 minutes to make.

I often have this on its own for either breakfast or lunch and have the whole lot to myself. It is also really nice as a side dish for BBQs, as part of a fryup or on a baked potato.

Weight Loss

Last year was a difficult year for me, at the start of the year I lost around 20lb, but then life decided I needed a good kicking and my weight loss plan went out of the window. I finished the year (well made it to the week before Christmas) only 4.5lb lighter than I was at the start of January 2012. Needless to say I am really disappointed with myself, but I know the reasons and although at the minute life is still giving me a kicking, I am not going to keep gaining weight.

I went to my first Slimming World weigh in of the new year yesterday and weighed in at 18stone 7.5lb (259.5lb) which is a gain on 7.5lb over the two weeks of Christmas and New Year, and leaves me 3lb heavier than this time last year.

All the Christmas food is gone for the house (trying to eat it all before the start of January is probably part of the reason I gained the weight over the holidays) and I am motivated and ready to go.

My aims for 2013 are
1) Lose a minimum 1lb per week for the next 50 weeks, I would like to be under 14stone 4lb (200lb) by Christmas 2013, which means a lose of 1.2lb per week is needed, I think this is doable, but the bare minimum I want to lose each week is 1lb.
2) Not drink any alcohol until my birthday on the 24th March, as part of this I am taking part in the Dryathalon for Cancer Research UK and I am hoping to raise £150 to support their work.
3) Run 5km in less than 40 minutes, last year I ran the Race for Life in May, 5km in 46 minutes. Then I stopped running, which was very silly of me. I am going to start the C25K programme again, but this time I am going to work on speed and endurance. I will sign up for the Race for Life again this year.
4) Swim 3km per week, every week this year
5) Walk and Cycle more, especially when the weather improves (roll on spring, I'm bored of winter now)
6) Keep a food diary, update it daily and keep doing it for the whole year.
7) Update this blog at least once a week to record my progress.

Happy New Year