Tuesday 22 March 2011

I just don't get it

Ok, so weigh day was last Thursday... and it was a bad result noticeable by the absence of any post.

I don't understand it. I was SO good all week, and yet when I jumped on the Wii to weigh in I had put on 1kg / 2lbs!

I was talking to my Aunty about it, and she said that it's probably because I am building up muscle and it weighs more than fat. I get that, I understand it... but I can't even put it down to that.

I've not been exercising!

Shame on me for that... but honestly, when I've cut out potatoes, rice, pasta, juice, coke and even last week chocolate - how do you put ON weight?

ARGH!

It makes me so frustrated!  Why do I even bother?!?!

I went away for the weekend to see my boyfriend this weekend... disappointed in myself, I ate Burger King twice and had three cans of coke.  I regret it now and that's certainly not going to help me get a better result this week.  So why did I do it?

I really need to learn to not get so disheartened and slip backwards but use it to motivate me to try harder.

I'd like to say that I will get up early in the morning and go for a big long walk before work... but let's be honest. I probably won't.

Saturday 12 March 2011

Well, so long 1.5kgs

As I blogged about on Thursday, I had put on 1.5kgs during the last week.  I had been naughty, sure... but I was still confused as to how I could have put on SO much weight in just seven days when the majority of the things I put into my mouth were good.

Puzzled.  Anyway, I had abstained from any kind of chocolate and sugar (aside from the sugar in my tea) since Tuesday and this arvo, I just decided what the heck.  I am going to jump back on those scales and have an impromptu weigh-in.

I don't ever do in-between-weigh-ins, but I was still puzzled and curious if my increase in water intake (I've been drinking 2 litres a day for the last three days), lentil curry and pea soup had had any impact.

And it had!

I was down 1.5kgs back to 120kgs.  So, the weight I had put on in seven days has disappeared in just two days.

I wouldn't say I'm any less puzzled... but I'm certainly less depressed!

Now, I'm hoping to do another 1.5kgs by Thursday.  I know that's probably unrealistic and I should only be striving to lose between 0.5 and 1kgs per week... but I feel like I have time to make up for!

From my graph below, you can see with Thursday's weigh in I am already behind schedule!  I don't want that pink line creeping above the yellow line too often.  I must keep on track.

(the graph doesn't show today's loss of 1.5kg which I'll add in to this coming Thursday's weigh in)

Graph showing weight loss progress in the last eight weeks
















The graph goes from 125kgs to 105kgs as that represents the HALF WAY point! Holy fucking god, there's still another 20kgs from that point to get to 85kgs.  That would still mean I was overweight with a BMI of 28.7... but I don't care about being overweight.  I care about getting my operation once my BMI is under 30.

Trying out new foods - split pea soup

I talked about having split pea soup at a friends house and being pleasantly surprised.  So, I hunted down a recipe that I thought looked and sounded like the one I had and set to making it.  It was dead easily and really really yummy.  The recipe says to blend half of the soup once its made to given a more even consistency but still have the texture with the half not blended, but I didn't do that.  Also, I soaked my peas in water overnight and boiled for about 90 minutes rather than the 20/30 mins called for in the recipe, so perhaps mine broke down more.

I did follow the suggestion of serving with a little bit of paprika and a drizzle of olive oil which was a great touch.  Although just cause I'm trying to lose weight I will go for the paprika and not the olive oil on my next bowl... which will be in about half an hour!

I think mine looks quite a lot thicker than the recipe version, but I don't mind that.  I must admit though, it did take me about half the bowl to get over the fact that I was spooning green mush into my mouth!  Silly, I know.  I ate this with a toasted gluten free pitta which was a nice addition.

So, here's a picture of my soup.  Not quite as attractive and rustic looking at the one over at 101 Cookbooks but I'm sure it tasted just as good :)

Split green pea soup with paprika and a drizzle of olive oil

Thursday 10 March 2011

It's weigh day - No.7

I am really hating myself right now.  I've had a mixed week, I've been good with all my main meals (weekend excluded), but I have had far too much chocolate.  I'm finding that hard to let go if I'm honest.

But, I wasn't entirely sure that I had been bad enough to have seen what I saw this morning.

GAIN - 1.5KG

Shit.

Bollocks.

Fuck.

I'm really upset with myself.  Why can't I get my fat arse out and walking of a morning?  Why can't I resist the urge to buy a piece of chocolate when I go into a shop?

So, that means in almost 8 weeks, I have lost a grand freaking total of just 3.3kgs.  That's nothing, less than 500 grams a week.

This week, I really must be more dedicated.  I want to lose 3kgs next week to make up for it.

I really really really am hating myself right now.

But, then why am I so surprised?  Did I really think that a couple of lentil curries and salads would make up for the junk I ate at the weekend or the chocolates I ate during the week?  I guess I had kind of deluded myself into thinking that.  I used to not think at all about what I ate, and have maintained the weight I am now for the best part of a decade I guess.  So, I figured given that I have changed sooooo much, I would still lose.  Naive.  Stupid.  Fucked up.

Urgh.

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Red lentil curry with spinach and coriander

I definitely struggle with eating a range of different meals, and tend to eat the same meal over and over again.

About six months ago, I was at a friends house for lunch and they served up split pea soup which I was incredibly skeptical about at first but it totally won me over.  I remembered it the other day when I was going through the supermarket thinking I needed to diversify my diet.  I went to the legume section, couldn't find split green peas anywhere but found red lentils.

Not quite sure what prompted me to buy them, given I've never even eaten them before!  But, buy them I did and then I set about looking for a recipe, and I found one for a red lentil curry that looked really good.  I made it last night, it was sooooo easy! I modified it slightly, but also adding 25g of tomato paste and when it was cooked just before serving I added some chopped up baby spinach and some fresh coriander.  I also used about triple the amount of garlic and ginger... cause I'm trying to ward off vampires and a cold right now.  The former is true, the latter is not :)

The recipe recommended eating with basmati rice, which I normally would have done but I am trying to avoid rice at the moment.  Instead, I found some gluten free pita bread and toasted that to scoop it up and eat with.

It was soooooooooooooooo good!  Seriously recommended.  Not sure of the fat, carb or calorie count but the recipe on the site said one serving is less than 200g with 2.6g of fat.  I added extra ingredients, but either way it's still a really low calorie, low fat meal.

Umm... I'm not sure why I'm even talking about calories.  I hate calorie counting!  In fact, I don't do it at all.  Just the other day I was completing a survey in a hospital on the nutrition and calorie content of different types of food.  As an example, a salad with a tablespoon of olive oil.  I had no idea, I guessed around 400 calories. Urgh.

I also have no intention of becoming better at counting calories to lose weight. I don't really subscribe to the idea that you have to be so rigid and severe when it comes to losing weight.  I think (and I may be totally wrong), but so long as you are eating as naturally as can be (i.e. minimising the amount of processed, and pre-prepared meals) and avoiding as much as possible foods that don't work for your body then you can't really go that wrong.  As an example, I really think my body can't handle refined sugars and wheat very well, particularly with my PCOS.  So, I am avoiding those foods as much as I can right now.

In fact, I saw a gastroenterologist (hence the reference to a hospital visit) the other day, and we are doing some investigations into my gut and digestive system because ever since my hospital visits last year I am having some problems.  He suspects it may be IBS, and hopefully it's nothing more serious than that.  But I have a suspicion I may actually be gluten intolerant as well.  Ho hum, sounds like fun.

Anyway, I will come back soon and blog about that lovely hospital visit and the charming people skills of my specialist.  His fat acceptance levels were off the chart..... and not in a good way!

Here's a picture of my red lentil curry.  Yum Yum.

Red lentil curry with gluten free pita bread





























The recipe made quite a bit, at least three decent sized meals worth.  So, that's what I had for dinner last night and lunch today.  I'll have it again for lunch tomorrow.