8 Steps to Skinny

Status
Not open for further replies.
Clackedy

Clackedy

New member
Ever since I was a teenager I have found it difficult to maintain a healthy weight. With strict dieting and exercise I was able to stay thin, but as soon as I stopped paying attention to my habits the weight would come back. I am now at my heaviest at 84kg (185lbs) and 160cm (5'3) and this time I want to really focus on addressing the underlying issues that have lead to my weight gain.

My goal is to lose 30kg (66lbs) in 16 months and to maintain a healthy weight for the rest of my life! I plan to take a holistic approach to weight loss by factoring in some of the habits that I have such as drinking too much coffee, lack of sleep, avoidance behavior, burning myself out and emotional eating. I also plan to address my hormone imbalances and nutritional deficiencies. To do this I am going to break my journey down into 8 short goals of losing 4kgs (8.8lbs) at a time. Once I complete a goal I will write a new one.


Goal 1:
Lose 4kg (8.8lbs) by 11/02/2018 (2 months)
Reward: 30 minute massage

My Pledges:
Stick to around 1300 - 1600 calories per day depending on activity
1 scheduled "cheat day" per week (1800 - 2300 calories)
8 glasses of water per day
Include vegetables with EVERY meal
Reduce coffee intake down to 2 cups per day
Practice mindful eating
Make some time to relax or meditate every day
Inspire or support someone every day
8 hours of sleep per night
Exposure to motivational content
Weigh in and photograph progress weekly
Plan meals in advance
One exercise activity per day - swimming, walk dog, yoga, 10 minutes abs, extra house / yard work ect..
Keep a food and progress diary
 
Last edited:
Welcome - I like the sound of your plan; reasonable and achievable. Believe in yourself and I'm sure you'll succeed :)
 
Hi, fellow Aussie & welcome to this forum. I love your plan/pledges. They sound perfectly doable. I may just include most of them in my 2018 plan :D
Clackedy said:
Inspire or support someone every day
Click to expand...
I think you just did that :D
 
You've clearly given this a lot of thought. That's a great start for a long-term solution!
 
cate said:
Hi, fellow Aussie & welcome to this forum. I love your plan/pledges. They sound perfectly doable. I may just include most of them in my 2018 plan :D

I think you just did that :D
Click to expand...
That is awesome! All the best with your 2018 plan
 
LaMaria said:
You've clearly given this a lot of thought. That's a great start for a long-term solution!
Click to expand...
Thanks LaMaria,
I have thought about it a lot because I know that until I address the underlying issues that have lead to my weight gain, I will never be able to maintain a healthy weight. Just hoping that it works! ha ha.
 
Day 1:

I welcome any feedback or advice

Today was a good day.

I took my daughter for a nature walk that actually turned into a double nature walk as I lost my keys! I found them at the farthest end of the track, so had to do the entire walk again just to find them. The positive thing is the extra calories I burnt lol.

I ate loads of vegetables today. Breakfast could use some improvement, but otherwise I was pretty happy with my food choices. My main confession is that I had 3 coffees instead of 2, but that is still much better than my usual 5-6. I am going to work on bring this down slowly as I get headaches if I don't have regular coffee hits. This symptom alone is a good reason to cut back on caffeine lol.

I am very tired today, but that seems to be my new normal at the moment. Hopefully this improves with better sleep, diet and exercise habits. Otherwise my mood is very good and I am feeling confident in myself and my ability to reach my first goal.

Unfortunately I cant take any "before photos" just yet as I accidentally broke my phone and I don't have a regular camera. Once it is fixed I will post some photos.

Food Diary
Breakfast: 1 slice of wholemeal toast, Vegemite, margarine, small serve of honey wheat puffs with milk and a coffee (350 cal).
Lunch: 1/2 cup of left over bolognese (no pasta), 3/4 cup cooked rice, 2 cups steamed mixed vegetables (350 cal)
Snacks: Glass of skim milk with tsp coffee, icy pole, slice of wholemeal toast with margarine and Vegemite (250 cal)
Evening meal: Loads of Moroccan carrot salad, small potato cooked in foil, sprinkle of cheese, 100g lean steak and a coffee (480 cal)

Total calories 1430
 
Clackedy said:
I have thought about it a lot because I know that until I address the underlying issues that have lead to my weight gain, I will never be able to maintain a healthy weight. Just hoping that it works!
Click to expand...
As long as you don't quit it will work. You may need to adjust some stuff and you will screw up occasionally but you will get there and learn the skills you need to maintain your weight on the way.
Is your daughter old enough to find having to go find keys hilarious?
 
LaMaria said:
As long as you don't quit it will work. You may need to adjust some stuff and you will screw up occasionally but you will get there and learn the skills you need to maintain your weight on the way.
Is your daughter old enough to find having to go find keys hilarious?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the encouragement LaMaria :)
My daughter is only 3, but she did seem playing the "find the keys" game lol.
 
Day 2:

Today I made some crappy food choices. It was a really busy day and ended up purchasing a lot of takeaway foods although I did try to make the best choices available to me at the time. The day started with being late for my daughters doctors appointment. She had some bloods taken which was upsetting for her (and me). I regret not being more prepared for her appointment. The positives for today were that I did manage to stay under my calorie quota. I was also proud of myself for choosing sandwiches instead of a hamburger which would have been my usual choice. From now on the plan is to prepare some meals ahead to avoid purchasing fast foods. One thing I was a bit disappointed about was that I ate too much sugar today. When I eat sugary foods I get sooo hungry and cranky between meals. Tomorrows plan is to avoid sugary foods and add some extra protein. I would really love some suggestions for vegetarian protein options? I am not a strict vegetarian but prefer to restrict my meat intake.

Tomorrow will be a big day. I have a ton of Christmas shopping to finish and I have to find some costumes for a Game of Thrones themed Christmas party. I have already made a vegetable tart for tomorrows lunch so there will be no excuse for buying lunch in town lol.


Food Diary:
Breakfast: 3 small home made pancakes with lemon and 2 tsp sugar and a coffee (400cal)
Lunch: Store bough mixed sandwiches with the cheese removed (450 cal)
Snacks: 1/2 glass of milk mixed with water, cocoa and 1/2 tsp sugar; 30g chocolate; celery and 2 raspberries (230 cal)
Evening Meal: 300g Singapore noodles with extra veggies, glass of diet soda , coffee (370 cal)

Total: 1550 calories
 
Well done sticking to your calories regardless. Beans, pulses, nuts, seeds, seitan, tofu and tempeh all pack a veggie protein punch. Prepping and cutting back on sugar are extremely helpful!
 
It really makes a big difference to be prepared. Ugh to Christmas shopping. I'm not doing any this year :)
 
Emilyrose said:
Ooh, who are you dressing up as for the party?
Click to expand...
So glad you asked lol. I'm a bit of a game of thrones fanatic. My partner and I are going as Robert and Cercie. We also bought costumes for the kids lol. They are going as Jon, Daenerys and Lyanna Moremont.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top