Amy's weight loss diary
- Thread starter amy1985
- Start date
Thanks 
I weigh in Saturday mornings. I weighed myself Tuesday out of curiosity and had gone down a kilo, but I'm only going to count Saturday weigh ins. Hopefully it stays off (otherwise I'll rethink trying to aim at my calorie goal- it's not a hard adjustment back)
Feeling much better this morning. It's at least partly psychological but it's getting to the point where my medication will have entered my bloodstream so it's partly physical now as well.
Haven't done my new workout yet- felt like hell yesterday so I didn't go to the gym. I'll definitely go today.
Edit to add: my left hip is aching, just above the bone. I don't know what it is, it started last night and hasn't gone away. On a scale of pain, it's more down at the "irritating" rather than the "painful" end of the scale, but it's starting to worry me a little. Weird that it started yesterday when I didn't even do any exercise.
I weigh in Saturday mornings. I weighed myself Tuesday out of curiosity and had gone down a kilo, but I'm only going to count Saturday weigh ins. Hopefully it stays off (otherwise I'll rethink trying to aim at my calorie goal- it's not a hard adjustment back)
Feeling much better this morning. It's at least partly psychological but it's getting to the point where my medication will have entered my bloodstream so it's partly physical now as well.
Haven't done my new workout yet- felt like hell yesterday so I didn't go to the gym. I'll definitely go today.
Edit to add: my left hip is aching, just above the bone. I don't know what it is, it started last night and hasn't gone away. On a scale of pain, it's more down at the "irritating" rather than the "painful" end of the scale, but it's starting to worry me a little. Weird that it started yesterday when I didn't even do any exercise.
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Sorry to hear you are not feeling so good Amy. I hope you are better tomorrow.
About the beef stew you didn't cook. I opened the link but couldn't see the ingredients list so i don't know how much beef you were using. Is it only cost that made you switch from stir fry steak to the other. Anyway the point i wanted to make was 1 cup of wine sounds like a lot of wine. It will be a really rich dish. I myself don't like my meat dishes to taste too much of red wine anymore. I used to like it when i was younger. But suck it and see, next time perhaps.
When i used to cook baked salmon steaks in alfoil. I never found it necessary to put in any oil at oil. The fish steams itself and is already full of oil. Try it. I haven't made one for a while. I almost did one the other day but then i decided on smoked salmon with pasta.
I like the way you have gone about learning to cook. I think learning from using recipes is the best way when you can't do classes or have anyone around to learn from. Its good you are making good meals for yourself. But i do wonder what did you used to do before? Did you mum cook for you. Lucky you if so.
About the beef stew you didn't cook. I opened the link but couldn't see the ingredients list so i don't know how much beef you were using. Is it only cost that made you switch from stir fry steak to the other. Anyway the point i wanted to make was 1 cup of wine sounds like a lot of wine. It will be a really rich dish. I myself don't like my meat dishes to taste too much of red wine anymore. I used to like it when i was younger. But suck it and see, next time perhaps.
When i used to cook baked salmon steaks in alfoil. I never found it necessary to put in any oil at oil. The fish steams itself and is already full of oil. Try it. I haven't made one for a while. I almost did one the other day but then i decided on smoked salmon with pasta.
I like the way you have gone about learning to cook. I think learning from using recipes is the best way when you can't do classes or have anyone around to learn from. Its good you are making good meals for yourself. But i do wonder what did you used to do before? Did you mum cook for you. Lucky you if so.
The formatting on that site is a bit strange- I see the ingredients list near the top, on the right hand side of the picture- but here they are anyway:
1 onion , sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
300g pack beef stir-fry strips, or use beef steak, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper , deseeded and thinly sliced
400g can chopped tomatoes
sprig rosemary , chopped
handful pitted olives
I'll be using dried rosemary (as it's too expensive to keep buying fresh and I have nowhere to grow herbs), probably about 1/2 teaspoon. I'm using a full cup of wine because the wine I buy for cooking (really the only wine I buy at all- I rarely drink) comes in 250ml cartons, and it's really not fit for drinking (it's really cheap muck, perfect for cooking). The beef change is partly for cost and partly because I like making stuff in the slow cooker- I've yet to have something go wrong in it, and everything seems to come out melt-in-the-mouth.
The last time I did salmon like that I found it stuck to the foil. Did a bit yesterday too, not sure what I'm doing wrong. It could be the salmon- it's very cheap and from frozen, so maybe it's not the same quality I used to be accustomed to in Australia. I'm certainly not going down the butter/ margarine route.
Yes, my mum cooked for me until I left home (partly I didn't want to cook, partly it was just easier for her to cook for everyone rather than have several of us all making a mess). I could do a few things myself, but I really wasn't comfortable around a stove. Then, lo and behold, Mum was on the other side of the world and I couldn't afford to (and didn't particularly want to) eat out. She emailed me some very very basic recipes and tips on how to cook certain things (particularly meat- I was scared I was going to poison myself), and for a long time I rotated those three recipes as I got comfortable with the idea, then I started experimenting a bit. It was only really when I moved out of halls (residential college) and got a place on my own that I felt I was able to experiment (I didn't have the cupboard or fridge space for very much variety in halls- I have a small kitchen now, but a full size fridge, and as compared to halls, at least 10x as much storage space for food and utensils). Most of my serious cooking with recipes has come in the last 6 months or so, and feeling comfortable enough to "play" with them only in the last couple. In fact, I only just feel I'm hitting my stride with it- having to accommodate it into calories has forced me to examine what's in recipes and make me think about how I can change them (although I confess the stew alteration just sounds good to me, it's not really about health).
1 onion , sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
300g pack beef stir-fry strips, or use beef steak, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper , deseeded and thinly sliced
400g can chopped tomatoes
sprig rosemary , chopped
handful pitted olives
I'll be using dried rosemary (as it's too expensive to keep buying fresh and I have nowhere to grow herbs), probably about 1/2 teaspoon. I'm using a full cup of wine because the wine I buy for cooking (really the only wine I buy at all- I rarely drink) comes in 250ml cartons, and it's really not fit for drinking (it's really cheap muck, perfect for cooking). The beef change is partly for cost and partly because I like making stuff in the slow cooker- I've yet to have something go wrong in it, and everything seems to come out melt-in-the-mouth.
The last time I did salmon like that I found it stuck to the foil. Did a bit yesterday too, not sure what I'm doing wrong. It could be the salmon- it's very cheap and from frozen, so maybe it's not the same quality I used to be accustomed to in Australia. I'm certainly not going down the butter/ margarine route.
Yes, my mum cooked for me until I left home (partly I didn't want to cook, partly it was just easier for her to cook for everyone rather than have several of us all making a mess). I could do a few things myself, but I really wasn't comfortable around a stove. Then, lo and behold, Mum was on the other side of the world and I couldn't afford to (and didn't particularly want to) eat out. She emailed me some very very basic recipes and tips on how to cook certain things (particularly meat- I was scared I was going to poison myself), and for a long time I rotated those three recipes as I got comfortable with the idea, then I started experimenting a bit. It was only really when I moved out of halls (residential college) and got a place on my own that I felt I was able to experiment (I didn't have the cupboard or fridge space for very much variety in halls- I have a small kitchen now, but a full size fridge, and as compared to halls, at least 10x as much storage space for food and utensils). Most of my serious cooking with recipes has come in the last 6 months or so, and feeling comfortable enough to "play" with them only in the last couple. In fact, I only just feel I'm hitting my stride with it- having to accommodate it into calories has forced me to examine what's in recipes and make me think about how I can change them (although I confess the stew alteration just sounds good to me, it's not really about health).
I
ItalianGirl
Guest
Hi Amy, you're like a scientist! i think i would go crazy doing this thing! Congratulations for the diligence, I hope I will learn from you!
Thanks ItalianGirl It becomes a habit after awhile- weigh it, write it down (I record it in a program that tells me the carbs/ fat/ protein etc). I'm also sometimes a little less precise than you might think- if I can't weigh or it's very inconvenient I go for average weights (so if I eat a pot of yoghurt in 3 days and that pot is 500g, I say I have 170g each time- rounding up; or if I have an apple while I'm out, I look up the average weight on Google) and estimates (I have no idea how much in the way of herbs I eat, they're guesses)
New program at the gym today. I asked for harder and shorter, and that's exactly what I got. It's about 2/3 the length of the old one, and about twice as hard. I'm absolutely exhausted from it, but in a good way. I'm looking forward to mastering it.
My (probably pseudo) Italian stew is in the slow cooker, and I'm looking forward to having that in a few hours.
It becomes a habit after awhile- weigh it, write it down (I record it in a program that tells me the carbs/ fat/ protein etc). I'm also sometimes a little less precise than you might think- if I can't weigh or it's very inconvenient I go for average weights (so if I eat a pot of yoghurt in 3 days and that pot is 500g, I say I have 170g each time- rounding up; or if I have an apple while I'm out, I look up the average weight on Google) and estimates (I have no idea how much in the way of herbs I eat, they're guesses)New program at the gym today. I asked for harder and shorter, and that's exactly what I got. It's about 2/3 the length of the old one, and about twice as hard. I'm absolutely exhausted from it, but in a good way. I'm looking forward to mastering it.
My (probably pseudo) Italian stew is in the slow cooker, and I'm looking forward to having that in a few hours.
I've just reserved a digital scale from Argos, as the 25g gradations on my scale were getting very annoying (and inaccurate) very fast. It's on sale- £10 instead of £15. Salter brand, which seems to be a reliable one, with a battery which seems to cost about £1 to replace. Not happy as I haven't had the mechanical scales very long, but it's for the best.
You are doing really well and I love the links to the food! I am not an olives fan at all but I think some of the recipes are going to be on my to make list
When my fiance and I got together (wow 7+ yrs ago...) I could not make anything! He only made chicken fettucine, spaghetti, beef burgers and hamburger helper. Now he has added peanut chicken to his array of food making. I got soo tired of eating the same thing that I started cooking and now I can cook so many things and even bake! Thank goodness for the internet, youtube and the food channel. Cooking new things really helps to liven things up.
I wanted to say that it's really nice you are recording all your food and exercises! That helped me out soo much when I first started my journey. I would really want sweets but then I didn't want to have to write it down in the diary! It really helped me mentally. Of course I had sweets but the diary helped me think about it more then I was used to thinking about it and helped me get into better habits. I have gotten to the point where I don't feel the need to write it down but it's nice to know that if I get to a crazy point all I need to do is start recording things in my diary again to get back into control.
Good luck on the weight loss and the gym challenge sounds fun! I love when things that were crazy hard become easy because it makes you feel really accomplished
When my fiance and I got together (wow 7+ yrs ago...) I could not make anything! He only made chicken fettucine, spaghetti, beef burgers and hamburger helper. Now he has added peanut chicken to his array of food making. I got soo tired of eating the same thing that I started cooking and now I can cook so many things and even bake! Thank goodness for the internet, youtube and the food channel. Cooking new things really helps to liven things up.
I wanted to say that it's really nice you are recording all your food and exercises! That helped me out soo much when I first started my journey. I would really want sweets but then I didn't want to have to write it down in the diary! It really helped me mentally. Of course I had sweets but the diary helped me think about it more then I was used to thinking about it and helped me get into better habits. I have gotten to the point where I don't feel the need to write it down but it's nice to know that if I get to a crazy point all I need to do is start recording things in my diary again to get back into control.
Good luck on the weight loss and the gym challenge sounds fun! I love when things that were crazy hard become easy because it makes you feel really accomplished
Thanks Tally
I know what you mean. As I said above, it's only recently I've gotten into the online recipe game (due to previous lack of kitchen space and before that, inability/ unwillingness to cook), and it's great. I used to play around a lot more, just chuck things together, but at the moment I'm finding recipes so much because I'm a bit afraid I'll blow my calories. Although maybe I should stick them through the same recipe calorie calculator I've been using () - it's American, I think, so it's not perfect for my needs, but I reckon it's a pretty good estimate (sometimes I have difficulties with it, but not most of the time). It tells you much more about the nutritional breakdown of a recipe than I'd bother with (it even grades it based on nutrition! although it deducts a lot of points for alcohol- I think the chicken cacciatore went from an A- to a C. I don't understand that if you're cooking the alcohol off, which I am)
I like writing these things down because it helps me to, as you say, stay self controlled. It makes me think about what I'm eating, and asking myself if I really need it or not. I can see a point in the future where I can think "had porridge, 178 cal for oats, 75 cal for milk, about 25 cal for berries", but only for things I have a lot. For other things I think it relinquishes control too much.
The gym is a funny one- I looked at my old program when I first got that and thought "I'll never be able to do all of that in one day!", and felt really good when I did, and it got to the point where, even though I was increasing repetitions and times, I was sort of just coasting most of the time for the last couple of weeks of it. Today, I'm knackered (my arms and legs were shaking for most of the 25 minute bus ride home!), but I'm really pleased to get through all of that, and I know I'll master it, because I did last time. I never thought I'd feel like that- I've always hated exercise. For awhile I was just trying to defeat the beast (that is, exercise/ the goal that was set out for me), now I'm starting to enjoy and look forward to working out. (Most of the time. Yesterday I felt crappy, so there was no way that was going to happen)
I know what you mean. As I said above, it's only recently I've gotten into the online recipe game (due to previous lack of kitchen space and before that, inability/ unwillingness to cook), and it's great. I used to play around a lot more, just chuck things together, but at the moment I'm finding recipes so much because I'm a bit afraid I'll blow my calories. Although maybe I should stick them through the same recipe calorie calculator I've been using () - it's American, I think, so it's not perfect for my needs, but I reckon it's a pretty good estimate (sometimes I have difficulties with it, but not most of the time). It tells you much more about the nutritional breakdown of a recipe than I'd bother with (it even grades it based on nutrition! although it deducts a lot of points for alcohol- I think the chicken cacciatore went from an A- to a C. I don't understand that if you're cooking the alcohol off, which I am)
I like writing these things down because it helps me to, as you say, stay self controlled. It makes me think about what I'm eating, and asking myself if I really need it or not. I can see a point in the future where I can think "had porridge, 178 cal for oats, 75 cal for milk, about 25 cal for berries", but only for things I have a lot. For other things I think it relinquishes control too much.
The gym is a funny one- I looked at my old program when I first got that and thought "I'll never be able to do all of that in one day!", and felt really good when I did, and it got to the point where, even though I was increasing repetitions and times, I was sort of just coasting most of the time for the last couple of weeks of it. Today, I'm knackered (my arms and legs were shaking for most of the 25 minute bus ride home!), but I'm really pleased to get through all of that, and I know I'll master it, because I did last time. I never thought I'd feel like that- I've always hated exercise. For awhile I was just trying to defeat the beast (that is, exercise/ the goal that was set out for me), now I'm starting to enjoy and look forward to working out. (Most of the time. Yesterday I felt crappy, so there was no way that was going to happen)
Food diary:
Friday 15 April
Breakfast: accidentally overpoured the porridge. Not exactly sure how much it was, not quite halfway between the 50 and 75 mark, so I guessed 60g oats. Served with 200ml milk, and 75g frozen berries. (307 calories, 13g protein, 51g carbs, 5g fat)
Snack: 150g gala apple (75 calories, 17g carbs)
Lunch: 2 slices rye bread with 90g cottage cheese (I overdid it today), with dried chives, oregano, and pepper. 251 calories, 14g protein, 42g carbs, 2g fat.
Snack: 100g kiwi fruit (49 calories, 1g protein, 10g carbs <1g fat (registering as 1% of my allowance))
After gym snack: 25g of honey roasted peanuts and cashews. Thought this might help me solve the crashing I'd been feeling. Wasn't terribly happy with it, but at least I measured it out. Not terribly tempted by the rest of the bag right now. (150 calories, 5g protein, 4g carbs, 12g fat). When I got home had 2 clementines (total weight 125g- 58 calories, 1g protein, 15g carbs)
Before dinner snack: Another gala apple (same weight and stats as above)
Dinner: a portion of the Italian stew I wanted to make (minus the beef stock, I forgot), served with 325g boiled potatoes (I broke up the potatoes with my fork- like mash, but with nothing added, and mixed it through. Very nice. Although I couldn't taste the wine in the stew). 548 calories, 26g protein, 76g carbs, 11g fat
Dessert: 170g Greek yoghurt, 5g honey, 75g blueberries (175 calories, 10g protein, 23g carbs, 4g fat)
Total: 1689 calories (90%), 73g protein, 258g carbs, 37g fat.
Legs are still very tired after my workout today, I presume that's a good thing. Looking forward to going back to it. Still a bit tired and headachey but I presume now I have my medication that'll pass. I plan to get an early night (if the idiots yelling outside my window ever shut up).
Friday 15 April
Breakfast: accidentally overpoured the porridge. Not exactly sure how much it was, not quite halfway between the 50 and 75 mark, so I guessed 60g oats. Served with 200ml milk, and 75g frozen berries. (307 calories, 13g protein, 51g carbs, 5g fat)
Snack: 150g gala apple (75 calories, 17g carbs)
Lunch: 2 slices rye bread with 90g cottage cheese (I overdid it today), with dried chives, oregano, and pepper. 251 calories, 14g protein, 42g carbs, 2g fat.
Snack: 100g kiwi fruit (49 calories, 1g protein, 10g carbs <1g fat (registering as 1% of my allowance))
After gym snack: 25g of honey roasted peanuts and cashews. Thought this might help me solve the crashing I'd been feeling. Wasn't terribly happy with it, but at least I measured it out. Not terribly tempted by the rest of the bag right now. (150 calories, 5g protein, 4g carbs, 12g fat). When I got home had 2 clementines (total weight 125g- 58 calories, 1g protein, 15g carbs)
Before dinner snack: Another gala apple (same weight and stats as above)
Dinner: a portion of the Italian stew I wanted to make (minus the beef stock, I forgot), served with 325g boiled potatoes (I broke up the potatoes with my fork- like mash, but with nothing added, and mixed it through. Very nice. Although I couldn't taste the wine in the stew). 548 calories, 26g protein, 76g carbs, 11g fat
Dessert: 170g Greek yoghurt, 5g honey, 75g blueberries (175 calories, 10g protein, 23g carbs, 4g fat)
Total: 1689 calories (90%), 73g protein, 258g carbs, 37g fat.
Legs are still very tired after my workout today, I presume that's a good thing. Looking forward to going back to it. Still a bit tired and headachey but I presume now I have my medication that'll pass. I plan to get an early night (if the idiots yelling outside my window ever shut up).
Weigh in tomorrow morning. Starting to get quite nervous about it- I want this extra kilo to have stayed off.
Edit to add: defeated temptation! Went to my favourite recipe site to look for new ideas (I'm having a cup of herbal tea before bed, basically just to do something while doing that) and there was this gorgeous looking chocolate cake on the front cover. So I ran it through my recipe calorie converter (because naturally this recipe didn't come with nutritional information. 1224 calories... per serve.
And 688 calories from fat. Suddenly that cake doesn't look appealing anymore.
Edit to add: defeated temptation! Went to my favourite recipe site to look for new ideas (I'm having a cup of herbal tea before bed, basically just to do something while doing that) and there was this gorgeous looking chocolate cake on the front cover. So I ran it through my recipe calorie converter (because naturally this recipe didn't come with nutritional information. 1224 calories... per serve.
And 688 calories from fat. Suddenly that cake doesn't look appealing anymore.
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Its great that you resisted the cake and congratulations for keeping that kilo off. Also interesting to read about your new training.
Are you having any time off from the gym. Its a good idea to have rest from time to time. Let your body recover. Especially if you are feeling like that.
Are you having any time off from the gym. Its a good idea to have rest from time to time. Let your body recover. Especially if you are feeling like that.
Sunflower2
New member
Yay, another kilo! Well done and keep it up, you're doing really well
I am now in possession of a lovely shiny digital scale. It's a lot smaller than I thought it'd be, but it was only 10 pounds. And it's flat, so containers will go on it (I can then zero and add things), and it takes up to 5 kilograms, which is more than I imagine I'll need.
Edit to add: Am really hungry and tired, and it's not going away. Going to have to eat. I'm going to be over my calorie allowance for the day, and I'm not pleased.
Edit to add: Am really hungry and tired, and it's not going away. Going to have to eat. I'm going to be over my calorie allowance for the day, and I'm not pleased.
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Sigh. Today's not been a good day. I've been exhausted and starving most of the day, despite eating more or less what I normally would. I have to live up to my principles though. I said at the start of this that if I was hungry, or didn't feel well in a way that would be (at least in part) alleviated by food, then I would eat, as I'd rather be well than be thin, but that I'd make relatively low calorie choices to do that. I'm not terribly pleased with myself as I've been good so far without going over (except for the early break, but some of that was sort of outside my control), but it's what I said I'd do, so I did it.
I think part of the problem was that I had two mains today (had lunch before I started to feel hungry- had a main meal because I got a lecture for leaving leftovers in the fridge for too long so figured I better use them up rather than let them go off and waste them/ get sick). That and I'm really tired today.
So, here goes...
Saturday 16 April
Breakfast: Heh. Figured I could afford this. 50g oats, 500ml milk (300 for cooking, 200 on top), 75g blueberries. (377 calories, 22g protein, 60g carbs, 4g fat)
Snack: 300g mango (195 calories, 1g protein, 51g carbs, <1g fat (registering 2% of daily allowance))
Lunch: Moroccan chicken (I've posted the recipe before I think) with 50g couscous and 170g Greek yoghurt (689 calories- yikes- 47g protein, 60g carbs, 28g fat- double yikes)
Snack: 124g clementines (weighed with new scale- 58 calories, 1g protein, 14g carbs, no fat)
I can't stop eating (over the course of several hours, when my appetite would not go away and I felt awful): 3 wholegrain rice cakes, a 138g apple, a cup of tea with 52ml milk, two slices rye bread, and 79g Branston original pickle (446 calories, 10g protein, 95g carbs, 2g fat, over 100% of my recommended salt intake)
Dinner (I was nearly over before dinner, but I had to eat): A serve of chilli con carne (not weighed, done by portion- will weigh with new dishes) and 236g boiled potato (450 calories, 32g protein, 57g carbs, 10g fat)
Total: 2216 calories (118%, or 169 under maintenance
), 116g protein, 339g carbs, 47g fat (the only metric on which I stayed under recommendations- 99%), and 166% of recommended salt intake
I will stress again, really not very pleased with myself. But as I've said to others, tomorrow's another day, I should be gentle with myself, and given at various stages I've been quite low as compared to my calorie goal, this probably isn't a terribly significant blip.
But still... not happy.
I think part of the problem was that I had two mains today (had lunch before I started to feel hungry- had a main meal because I got a lecture for leaving leftovers in the fridge for too long so figured I better use them up rather than let them go off and waste them/ get sick). That and I'm really tired today.
So, here goes...
Saturday 16 April
Breakfast: Heh. Figured I could afford this. 50g oats, 500ml milk (300 for cooking, 200 on top), 75g blueberries. (377 calories, 22g protein, 60g carbs, 4g fat)
Snack: 300g mango (195 calories, 1g protein, 51g carbs, <1g fat (registering 2% of daily allowance))
Lunch: Moroccan chicken (I've posted the recipe before I think) with 50g couscous and 170g Greek yoghurt (689 calories- yikes- 47g protein, 60g carbs, 28g fat- double yikes)
Snack: 124g clementines (weighed with new scale- 58 calories, 1g protein, 14g carbs, no fat)
I can't stop eating (over the course of several hours, when my appetite would not go away and I felt awful): 3 wholegrain rice cakes, a 138g apple, a cup of tea with 52ml milk, two slices rye bread, and 79g Branston original pickle
(446 calories, 10g protein, 95g carbs, 2g fat, over 100% of my recommended salt intake)Dinner (I was nearly over before dinner, but I had to eat): A serve of chilli con carne (not weighed, done by portion- will weigh with new dishes) and 236g boiled potato (450 calories, 32g protein, 57g carbs, 10g fat)
Total: 2216 calories (118%, or 169 under maintenance
), 116g protein, 339g carbs, 47g fat (the only metric on which I stayed under recommendations- 99%), and 166% of recommended salt intake I will stress again, really not very pleased with myself. But as I've said to others, tomorrow's another day, I should be gentle with myself, and given at various stages I've been quite low as compared to my calorie goal, this probably isn't a terribly significant blip.
But still... not happy.