Monday 30 April 2012

Finally admitted defeat

For a while I have known I've had to lose some weight.  Since the summer I have gone up at least one dress size, if not two.  A combination of an increasingly sedentary life (too much crafting ;) ), too much snacking on things close to hand (ie cake and biscuits), increasing portion sizes (why did I think that increasing the boys portions as they grow also meant I had to increase my own portion siize?), and an underactive thyroid have all lead to me being the heaviest I have ever been whilst not being pregnant.  My wardrobe was diminishing rapidly as I kept growing out of clothes, and I was starting to find things like walking up both flights of stairs difficult.  No longer could I maintain the myth that I was relatively healthy, I might have been a few years ago, but right now things are far from healthy.  So, after finally admitting to myself that things needed to change, I did nothing!!  I kept telling myself I needed to lose weight, but would still sneak a cake, or finish leftovers from the children. 

A friend started slimming world a while ago, and I looked at the books, but couldn't work out how I could make it fit in with a large family or my ideals about non processed food and no low fat or low sugar products.  But I reached breaking the other day, and took myself along to Slimming World.  I sat through all the spiel, and still wasn't convinced, but joined anyway.  I brought the books home and was feeling so disheartened by it all as it was so heavily based on low fat, low sugar products.  But I feel I have got my head around it now.  I am eating mainly fruit, veg and meat.  Isn't that what we should be eating anyway?  Very little in the way of cakes and bread.  But my evening meal is just how it always has been, cooked with fat if needed, and I do rack up the Syns (negative points) with this, but we are allowed between 5 and 15 each day, and most of that goes on the evening meal.

I have discovered a lovely breakfast that I probably wouldn't have eaten before, porridge made with water, but sweetened with half a mashed banana, the rest of the banana chopped up, an apple chopped up and anything else I can fit in there!!  For lunch I have just had left over roast pork (lean) with salad, a boiled egg, and a dollop of mayo (full fat of course!)  I haven't yet been weighed, but I am actually enjoying this now, it has given me the framework to eat more healthily, and I do feel I have lost weight this week already, but Wednesday will be the day when I find out if my adaptation of Slimming World's programme has actually worked.  Fingers crossed for Wednesday then!!

6 comments:

  1. It's the cakes and biscuits that get me too. Have just nibbled away at a pack of bourbons all morning. Good luck with it - I do need to actively cut back on sugar and bread too. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have, over the last 6 months, managed to loose almost 2 stone, using the Clean and Lean method, which basically boils down to no wheat or sugar or processed junk, its actually easier than I thought it would be. He discourages the lo fat versions of things and suggests that every meal should consist of a protein, veg and good fat, and if in doubt eat fish and greens.
    Good Luck, its hard work to get going, but when you start loosing the weight it feels great :)
    Michelle x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ive lost weight with weight watchers and slimming world in the past and put it back on. Its a total life style change that I need to adapt not just dieting for a while. I found if I walked everyday for 1/2 hour I lost more weight and it stayed of. I think Slimming World is the most healthy diet, as it promotes good eating habits and you dont feel hungry. I always used to give my self a treat day when I would have what I fancied. It did me good.
    Keep with it have a strong mindset its not just a diet its a total lifestyle change you will do it. If you have a bad day and give into the calling of the biscuit barrrerl dont beat self up, its not the end of the world.
    I tend to knit in the evenings instead of snacking (thats the hardest time for me).
    Saying all this I've put on 2 stone so I too am going back to good old slimming world for the umtenth time. Hoping this time will be the last .
    Good luck you've made a positive start.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh I hear you! I've done the same with realising something needed doing and doing absolutely nothing about it. I told myself I would sort it when I turned 40, I'm 41 now so that didn't work. I'm not too bad with the sugary foods, etc - for me it is portion sizes and snacking but I'm more into the savoury.

    Kick up the backside needed here.

    You make a great point about being more sedentary with crafts, hadn't made that link myself with spinning, etc. Need to balance that with more activity.

    Good luck, maybe I will feel inspired soon ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good luck with your weigh in tomorrow, I am sure you will have lost weight.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good luck with your new diet. I'm hoping to start weight watchers this week (but I've been saying that for months!).
    I lost a lot of weight when we were eating veg from the garden, but have put it back on through the winter.
    You've taken the first step, good luck.
    x

    ReplyDelete

Pull up a chair, have a cuppa and some cake, and if you feel like it, leave a comment.
xx