Off the Wagon

Yes, I succumbed to the siren song of Anzac biscuits. But it was Anzac day and it would be unpatriotic to refuse the call. So sweet, so crunchy, mmmmm.
Now jumping back into sugar free with gusto.

Lightbulb Moment

Since I loathe reading labels so much why don't I just stop doing it? If I don't eat things with labels then I won't have to read them. It will mean giving up some stuff altogether and making more stuff myself but that's got to be a good thing. Less sugar, less additives, can't hurt. Gotta be worth a try.

Sugar is Everywhere

I'd almost forgotten how insidious sugar is. That white menace is in just about everything. If I am to have any success eliminating it from my diet I will have to be forever vigilant. I have to admit this is the part I find the most tedious. Once I know where the sugar is hidden I know what to avoid or substitute but until then shopping and cooking is a time consuming drag. Reading every label on every product in a trolley full of groceries seems to take hours. Must persevere and the knowledge will come and with it a lot less time spent reading labels.

Health Goals

The initial point in losing weight for me was to improve my health. Specifically to avoid the family legacy of type 2 diabetes and delay the progression of my (well established) arthritis. Since commencing this blog my efforts have fluctuated with my motivation. So though I might have thought I was being consistent with eating and exercising I obviously haven't. Pain limits my ability to exercise and leads me to break the habit entirely. Weight stagnation, or God forbid, gain, leads me to over or under eat. What I have lacked is consistency.
Having pretty much stayed the same weight for the last 2 months I decided to log my food to see if I could spot where the problem might be. On a whim I typed my diet diary into Calorie King and discovered I eat between 1100 and 1600 calories a day, averaging about 1500. According to all calculations I should be steadily losing weight. But I'm not. I believe this is because not all calories are created equal. However the fact of not actually gaining weight is good and I would not be devastated to accept this is my permanent weight.
However I would be unhappy if I was to remain at this level of fitness, strength and flexibility. I do not want to continue living in pain. And I am terrified of developing diabetes. So what to do?
Firstly-improve my diet. Logging all my food for a couple of weeks has shown me that sugar has crept back into my diet. When I went sugar free I definitely didn't have the level of pain I have at the moment and we all know sugar's relationship with diabetes. So that's my priority. Eliminate sugar.
Since consistency is key I will make a point of daily blogging so that habit, not motivation becomes my driving force.
I will end this year healthier than I started it, even if my weight stays the same.

Holding Steady

After a small initial weight loss the numbers on the scales have pretty much stalled. I must admit to being a bit dissappointed. I'm about 5kg heavier than my usual plateau weight. However, I am plodding along with the regular exercise (bike riding at the moment, running to resume once my leg improves) and maintaining a low sugar/low alcohol diet. So even if the scales are stagnant I know I'm doing myself some good and that's what the weight loss thing is supposed to be about. I'd like to think I will lose the excess weight I'm carrying around but I'm feeling a bit zen about it all at the moment. I can only do what I can do and my body will either respond or it won't. So long as I'm not gaining any more than the half kilo I'm bouncing on at the moment I'm okay with it for now.

Weighing Every Day

So as per my grumpy pants rant I have been weighing myself every day this year. Every morning I hop on the scales first thing and then record whatever number I see.
I know that weight fluctuates daily with differing fluid levels etc and I thought that by seeing that I would somehow manage to break the obsessive hold the scale numbers have over me. Turns out I was right. Instead of weighing myself once a week or month and seeing little or no change I can see that there is change every day. Some days I can drop almost a kilo overnight, others I gain just as much, a few times I've had runs of three or four days with no change but overall the trend is downwards. Slowly but surely downwards.
Seeing the numbers vary is really helping me understand how my body responds to different foods and I'm starting to see a pattern emerge. Lose a little, stabilize, gain a little, lose a lot, stabilize and repeat. It will be interesting to see if this continues.

Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients-
Half a mango
100g yoghurt
passionfruit
a bit of milk (depending on how thick you like your drinks)

Method
Throw together and blend until smooth

It's like a tropical holiday in a glass. Could there be a better way to start the day?

Ignoring the "Rules"

As I leave the year heavier than I entered it, it is blatantly obvious that whatever I've been doing hasn't worked. So this coming year I'm doing something different. I am going to ignore all the received dieting wisdom and break every "rule" I'm aware of.

1. I will not count calories.
2. I will not limit fat
3. I will not exercise regularly
4. I will not keep a food diary
5. I will not drink copious amounts of water
6. I will weigh myself daily
7. If the mood strikes me I will attempt a rapid loss (ie crash) diet

 Now let's see what happens.
If I am not at my goal weight by December 31 2013 I will settle for remaining steady at whatever weight I am on that date. One way or another this year is the end of my struggle with weight.

It's Gotta Be More Than Simple Maths

The experts tell us that losing weight is basic maths.
Calories in < calories out = weight loss.
Really? That's the whole of it?
A calorie is a calorie is a calorie.
I call bullshit!
That's not to say this simple formula doesn't work. It does. I've used it dozen's of times and I've lost weight with it dozens of times: for a while. And then...it stops working.
In dieting circles it's called a plateau. Suddenly the maths stops adding up (or in this case down). Every time I've lost weight I get to a certain point where my body stops responding and I start trying to make it fall back into line. I've followed advice such as eat more, eat less, eat different foods, exercise more, exercise less, exercise differently, get more sleep, focus the mind. On and on it goes. But nothing I've ever done has gotten the weight much lower than this "set point".
It's beyond frustrating-it's infuriating. I'm doing all the "right"things month after month and the results aren't forthcoming. There is no reward for all the effort.
If the maths worked I'd have been back at my prepregnancy weight well before my children hit their teens. And my guess is I'm not alone there.
I've been tempted lately to just give up and accept that I'm a fat, unfit, middle aged housewife and let myself slide into menopause and age gracefully if chubbily. But part of me refuses to accept that fate and a larger part of me knows with my caring responsibilities it's not an option anyway.
Losing weight and gaining fitness is a long, hard and, let's be honest, self indulgent, process. I wish I had the unlimited time to focus on nothing but my own needs. But I can't keep at it indefinitely, particularly if there is little progress to be seen. I find it discouraging and the support of those around me wanes as nothing seems to change-which must be due to my lack of effort: after all it's simple maths and I'm an intelligent woman.
There's got to be more to it than basic maths, experience tells me it's not that simple.

Challenge Completed

Just a quick fly by to report that I did finish the 50 day sugar free challenge. Since then a bit of sugar has returned to my diet though it wasn't the result of desperate sweet cravings, more a lessening of vigilance on my part. Interestingly in the week or so since I've been back on sugar I have noticed a slight increase in lethargy, a general acheyness and decrease in hunger signals. So I've decided to make low/no sugar a lifestyle.

No Sugar Challenge-Half Way

It's day 25 of the no sugar challenge-I'm officially half way through and it's been a lot easier than I thought it would.
While I still miss my condiments, the sugar cravings I thought would come, haven't eventuated. Don't get me wrong. I still fancy the occasional sugary food but resistance is easy. The desire for sugar is a simple mmm...I wouldn't mind a bit of that, rather than a mind obsessing craving for something, anything, sweet.
An interesting side effect-
In the last couple of days I've begun to feel hungry. Not often but definitely. This is something that hasn't happened in years. It has been a bit strange in as much as it doesn't creep up on me. It's just like one minute I'm not hungry or thinking of food and the next I'm starving fit to gnaw my own arm off. And it stays with me until I eat something. I'm really pleased. Once this settles down it will be a lot easier to follow the intuitive eating philosophy.
While the point of this challenge isn't weight loss it has been a pleasant side effect. I'm satisfied to be able to report that my weight has stabilized and started to, very slowly, reduce.

No Sugar Challenge-10 Days Down

It's been ten days since I started the no sugar challenge and so far, so good.
I was off to a rough start when the end of the first day saw the temptation of baked lemon tart. I passed on it but it was quite the trial. I really thought about going for it and starting the challenge the following morning but I reminded myself that there would always be something sugary on offer and I would probably regret the action as soon as it was over. So often things aren't anywhere near as nice as you think they'll be. Having cleared that hurdle I've not had any trouble resisting temptation since. The only food I really miss are condiments and I'm getting used to going without or using sugar free substitutes (usually vinegar or gravy).
The initial struggle has been worth it-I have stopped that creeping weight gain.
Only 40 days to go.

No Sugar Challenge

I come from a long line of type 2 diabetics. (Cheers, forebears) Knowing my age and weight increase my chances of inheriting the family legacy last year I significantly reduced my sugar intake.
Things were going well but lately stress has seen sugar and refined carbs creep back into my diet...in some cases explode back would be a more accurate phrase.
In an attempt to get things back on track I have decided to join Natalie Carter's No Sugar Challenge.
50 days sugar free sounds like a hard slog but my experience was that hunting down the hidden sugar in food was more difficult than not the loss of sweetness.
Why not join me and give it a go.-Lynn

Off the shelf

Since I last blogged I've hit a, not entirely unexpected, plateau and now my weight has began a slow creep up. In an effort to discover what I might be able to do about it, I hit the health shelves at my local library. There I found three books that looked like they might be of some help.

1. Dr Sandra Cobot: The Body Shaping Diet. According to the back of the book All women's bodies belong to one of four types. These determine your trouble spots, and the foods that spell danger for your figure...With your own simple never-feel-hungry-body shaping diet plan, you'll dicover the tools to attack those problem areas and overcome uyour cravings. And as well as fighting the flab, you'll learn how to banish cellutlite, boost your immune system and eat for a healthy heart. I admit upfront that I only read through the section related to my body type (gynaeoid), so cannot comment on the whole book. What I found was a suggestion to avoid fats, sugars and refined foods in general (nothing new here). And a recommendation to keep to approximately 1000 calories a day while trying to lose weight. Hmmm. At least the role of hormones in weight gain and distribution is explained a bit.
2. Edward Abramson: Body Intelligence. In this book Dr. Abramson helps you identify the emotional and psychological knots that keep you tied up in an unhappy cycle of dieting and guilty overeating. More important, he arms you with a simple, three-step program for opening your mind and transforming your body-without diets. I skimmed through this book which is basically about emotional eating, and to be honest didn't read anything I haven't read before. While I believe the psychological aspects of eating play a huge role in weight gain, I don't know that any book can go a long way toward dealing with those issues, since books must by their very nature be general and cannot address any specific issues in detail. It was nice to see it acknowleged that exercise is more difficult for larger people and that overeating isn't only due to hunger but anybody who has ever struggled with weight could have told you that.
3. Villepigue & Rivera: The Boldy Sculpting Bible for Women. This comprehensive guide includes not only exercises but also nutrional tips, psychological tricks, meal charts, workout graphs, different fitness plans, the inside scoop on supplements and vitamins, advice on keeping fit while traveling and fitness information for teens, seniors and expectant mothers. This book sings the praises of weight training intervals, and here I am something of a convert. However I quickly got bored with the repetativeness of the information presented and found myself skipping about the pages. The 14 day body sculpting program advertised prominently on the cover could be a good one but much of it requires gym access, though there are a few free weight options given.

Skimming through the pages of these books I came away with the shocking advice not to eat high fat/high sugar foods, be vigilent about eating only when hungry and exercise is best for body shaping. All stuff I already know but that seems so difficult to put into practice, especially when my efforts are not rewarded by results. And I mean sustained efforts of months, not a couple of weeks.
I know there's no simple way to achieve my weight loss goals and if nothing else this confirms that I am on the right track with what I'm doing. I just wish my body would respond in a more positive way.

How Far I've Come

The scales have been bouncing up and down between 82 and 83 kg for the past six weeks. It's incredibly frustrating, eating well and exercising and seeing no payoff for the effort. I know plateau are to be expected but that doesn't make the situation any less disheartening. I was tempted to try a second round of the kick start diet to see if I could fire things up again but thought before I did I'd reactivate my old Calorie King account. What I found there made me stop and appreciate just how much I've already achieved.
In the past couple of years I've lost over 25kg (35 if I count the 10kg I regained and relost last year). That is a great effort. Back at the start I would have been delighted to be where I am today.
I'm over half way to my ultimate goal, with only 15 or 16 kg to go. I could, realistically, be at my goal weight for Christmas.
So I am committing myself to achieving that very thing. Baby steps-first goal to get the scales moving in a downward direction again by the end of this month. I will achieve this by continuing with daily exercise at an increased intensity and closly moitoring my intake, recording it at Calorie King and eating only when really hungry. If I have made no progress by 21st of the month I will then repeat week one of the kick start diet for the last week of this month.
Further I will report my frustrations, disappointments and difficulties here rather than let them drive me to the fridge.
Goal weight here I come.

Back in the Saddle

I'm still under the influence of the cold that will not quit but it's finally reached the point where the symptoms are more aggrevating than debilitating.
Thoroughly fed up with my enforced break I decided the time had come to get on with reintroducing exercise. To that end, this morning I went out and did C25K week 1 day 1. Even though I took it slowly my impaired breathing made the effort exhausting. But I got through it. As I finished the last of the running intervals I realised that though hard the workout wasn't impossible.
I'm back, baby. Yeah!
I'm also back on solid food. Although I'm limited to soft solids I'm really appreciating texture again. The positive side of a raw sore throat is increased water consumption and a default detox. Now to go forward from here without falling back into old habits.

Still Snuffling

It's been a very long week. I'm still stuffed up, though breathing is less of a challenge and I no longer have to sleep on two pillows. My head is a constant dull ache and my throat has gone from raw to gluey. So overall I'm finally on the improve.
I've pretty much been living on chicken soup (with a good dash of thai red chilli paste to clear the sinuses), so the planned detox has happened by default.
Exercise has been limited to daily stretching. The 30 minute sessions completely wipe me out but I don't want to give up movement entirely when I'm just getting restarted.
Fingers crossed next week I'll be well enough to get back into it.

Inauspicious Start

Over the weekend I have developed a cold and I'm feeling miserable. This has thrown a bit of a spanner in the works of my renewed commitment to getting fit. At this point breathing is a bit of a challenge, running, or riding, is completely out of the question. I suppose it's a good sign that I'm feeling disappointed in this turn of events. I'm consoling myself with the knowledge that the average cold doesn't last more than a week and a bit so this is merely a delay, not an end to my plans. While I'm stuffed up and stiff I'll be focusing entirely on stretching, and if the weather is fine perhaps a bit of walking: just to re-establish the habit of getting out every day.
On the dietary front, instead of the 7 day detox kick start soup I am going for a hot chicken soup. Since my throat is so sore that swallowing hurts, soup for a week has an unanticipated appeal.

Back on track

It will come as no surprise that instead of losing the planned 2kg over the holiday break, I in fact, gained 2kg. Laying about on a beach in Fiji drinking cocktails will do that. But next week school is back and routine returns. It is time to get back on track and in an effort to do just that I have decided to so something this year that I never have before: I'm going to dedicate the entire nine weeks of first term to concentrating on my health and fitness.
In the past I have been foolish enough to think that after an extended break I can simply pick up my exercise routine from where I left off. This inevitably results in injury that puts me back even further than I was but I won't be making that mistake this time. I am devoting the first three weeks of my term indulgence to recovering my fitness levels.
To that end I am going to start the C25K from the beginning, aiming to complete the program in three weeks rather than nine, working on the assumption that I haven't totally lost all condition. On alternate days I will make use of my stationary cycle. This should have the dual benefit of increasing both my leg strength and cardio condition.
On the dietary front I am going to repeat week 1 of the 28 day kick start plan as a kind of detox-something I need after lapsing into my old sugar/processed food eating habits during the holiday break.
This weekend is to be devoted to clearing out the cupboards, making soup and loading up the mp3 player with C25K podcasts.
It all kicks off Monday!

January 31

A mixed day, really - it started well, with 40 minutes of circuit training and two of the ten-minute solution workout (boot camp and kick boxing), but the plans I had for a couple of medium walks fell through because of both running out of time (damn you, Facebook!) and tight calves. I had also planned to go to a stretch class, whcih would help with the calves and add more time in, but that all fell apart because of a friend in distress. I recently read that people aiming for weight loss need to exercise for at least an hour most days, ideally an hour and a half, so I have to lift my game for February.
My diet's still pretty good, though I really need to up the vegies again. Calorie King went down for maintenance this afternoon, so I don't know what my intake for the day has been, but I've been eating through some of my Lite'n'Easy backlog, so it shouldn't be too bad, albeit probably overly processed and too high in salt.
Off to bed, for I have a lot to do and diminishing time in which to do it before I'm back at work on Thursday night. It'll have been ten days between shifts and doesn't feel like anything more than my usual three - how quickly one adapts!
And how quickly one regresses. I had to work pretty hard int he circuit session today, and though I can feel my stength improving, my abdominal muscles persist in being more like junket than anything useful.
Tomorrow is weigh in and measuring day and I think it's probably a good time to set a fitness baseling to compare myself with at the end of the month - taking a leaf from the Excess Baggage introduction I saw last night, I'm thinking of"sit ups in a minute, pushups in a minute, how long I can hold a plank, how far I can reach to/past my toes from a sitting position, and on Thursday I'll compare and contrast cardiac recovery with a baseline I set last year. - Alex