Category: Weight Loss

I’ve lost 2 lbs this week. Reflecting on how it’s gone there are things that went well and things that I could improve.

What went well – I did the strength training and running that I planned, plus an extra run. I mostly stuck to the meal plans

What could have gone better – I didn’t do any stretching and I really need to start doing that regularly. I had fish and chips for lunch on Friday then snacked loads at Fe’s that evening. I ate too much pumpkin cake last night.

I really do have a tendency to eat more than I’m comfortable with if I’m not careful. I immediately regret it so I need to work on why I’m doing that – am I feeding an unmet desire? That’s what lots of the stuff I’m reading suggests. I need to think about that but in the meantime, I know having a plan helps me so here goes…….

This time last year, I had just finished 6 months of health and fitness coaching. I felt on top of the world and thought I had made lots of permanent changes. However, although I’ve kept up many of my good habits, I can feel myself slipping into my old ways in certain areas.

When I got on the scales this morning, I was exactly a stone heavier than my goal weight which I reached last year. This stone has crept on slowly over a year. Christmas and two holidays in the sun are the main culprits but each time I haven’t managed to lose all of the weight after each week of indulgence.

I have only had alcohol on 15 days this year which is a significant achievement but I can’t blame alcohol for my weight gain! I’ve developed a bit of a sweet tooth which might be an alcohol substitute. Ulitmately, I have realised that my alcohol infused binge eating was actually not really alcohol driven and that I have a tendancy to binge even when I’m sober. I’ve actually realised recently that I am quite compulsive and, since I’m not drinking alcohol as much, my compulsive behaviour is coming out in other ways. I probably have some work to do on myself to figure out what needs I am trying to satisfy with my compulsive behaviour but that will take time.

Whatever the cause of my weight gain, I’m not where I want to be in terms of my health and wellbeing. With Christmas just 2 months away, I thought it was time to set myself a realistic challenge of getting back to my goal weight so I can enjoy a few indulgences at Xmas.

I find that I am much better at doing what needs to be done if I make a plan so I’m going to use this blog as a planning tool and anyone who is reading this can hold me to account! (Even if nobody is reading this I can’t be sure so it will help as an accountability tool!)

The following is a list of the habits I’ve kept up and the ones that I have let slip to give me an idea of what I need to work on.

Yes, I know the last entry in the table above is the same in both columns – that’s because I do it sometimes but not often enough!

So for the next few months I’m going to post my plans for each week in the hope that it will keep me on track to lose a stone before Christmas.

Wish me luck!!

Another example of a food diary to show how I stay within calories!

People keep asking me what I’m eating and how I manage to stay within a calorie allowance of 1520 so I thought I’d post some examples of what I’m eating on different days. This was a very chicken focussed day so not so great for my veggie friends but you could substitute the chicken for Tofu or Tempeh to get the protein!

I started trying to lose weight last summer and got so far on my own then put a bit on after Christmas. In March, the weight was still creeping back on, so I took the plunge and signed up for a 16 week health and fitness coaching program. Look at the results I’ve got 10 weeks in!! 11 st 10 lb is where I’m aiming so watch this space!