Amy's weight loss diary

I think I must be ill. I've had quite a lot of sleep in the last few days (way more than even normal) and I just keep feeling worse and worse. I'm also not hungry- eating fruit to try to get something down because I can't come at lunch (I had a normal breakfast, but it's now closing in on 3pm)
 
Last night I came down with a full blown migraine (I get those very infrequently) and have only just decided that (pain or no pain) I need to get out of bed. Unfortunately it's a glorious day outside so the medication I've taken (cocodamol/ panadeine) is having little effect (although the fact I can look at the screen without wanting to scream is an improvement, I suppose). Obviously no gym yesterday or today. It's nearly 3pm and I've only had breakfast so far today.

Yesterday's food:

Thursday 21 April

Breakfast: 45g oats, 150g milk, 75g berries. Subtotal: 232 calories, 10g protein, 38g carbs, 3g fat
Snacks (over the course of a few hours): 2 clementines (total weight 140g), and a 125g gala apple. Subtotal: 128 calories, 1g protein, 31g carbs, <1g fat
Lunch: ate this very late, was craving comfort food (chips and/ or lollies), this was as close as I had. 236g boiled potato, 400g can of chopped tomatoes, 15g of parmesan cheese. Subtotal 322 calories, 15g protein, 56g carbs, 4g fat
Dinner: eaten very late, my boyfriend (who'd come over to look after me) talked me into eating. A portion of the Moroccan chicken, 50g couscous, and 80g Greek yoghurt. Subtotal: 617 calories, 42g protein, 52g carbs, 26g fat
Total: 1300 calories (69%), 70g protein, 179g carbs, 35g fat, 28% of total salt allowance
 
Food diary before I collapse today. This is what I've eaten, I'm well aware it isn't good.

Friday 22 April

Breakfast (fed to me by my boyfriend at about midday): 45g oats, 154ml milk, 80g summer fruits. Subtotal: 235 calories, 10g protein, 39g carbs, 3g fat
Snacks (as I haven't really been hungry, in the awareness I need to eat): a 64g plum, 2 rye crispbreads with 50g Branston pickle, an 136g gala apple. Subtotal: 221 calories, 3g protein, 50g carbs, <1g fat
Dinner (still not hungry, and have been nauseous for a few hours, but am out of painkillers to take today, and don't want to wake up hungry and in serious pain): 2 slices of toast and 50g strawberry jam (something I could hold down/ comfort food). Subtotal: 346 calories, 8g protein, 69g carbs, 2g fat.
Total: 803 calories (43% of total), 22g protein, 158g carbs, 7g fat, under sodium allowance
 
No one can really expect you to eat normally when you are ill. YOu did well to avoid the craving the other day by having the potato thingy instead.

I hope you are better soon.
 
Thanks :)

I've lost another kilogram, although given my calorie allowance is based on working out 3-4 days a week I suspect this week that it's muscle rather than fat. I have been noticing some changes in my size (notably a jacket I couldn't resist at a charity shop a few months ago now actually fits me, comfortably, rather than me not being able to do it up), but I wouldn't be surprised if this coming week I put some weight on if I can get back to the gym (I'm starting to feel better but am in no state to be doing very much at all right now).

I have a block of very good chocolate in my fridge for Easter, but I'm not touching it until I feel better- I don't see the point of doing that sort of thing when I'm not entirely with it. It'll be my first experiment as to whether I can just have a couple of squares rather than half or all of the block.
 
Am slowly but surely improving. I overestimated my abilities and went grocery shopping earlier today- it was fairly hellish, to be honest, especially given the store's going to be shut tomorrow and it was heaving. Sapped me of a lot of energy. Headache's almost gone now, and I can see going to the gym either tomorrow or the next day. Got some more cooking on the agenda too.

Saturday 23 April

Breakfast: 45g Quaker oats made with milk and with milk on top (total 448ml), with 41g berries. (Decided to have more milk in case I was way under my calories like yesterday, and berries were what was left in the pack). Subtotal: 328 calories, 20g protein, 51g carbs, 4g fat
Snack: 2 clementines (111g)- subtotal 52 calories, 13g carbs
Lunch: Not really hungry but not nauseous, trying to be closer to normal. 2 slices rye bread with 60g low fat cottage cheese with pineapple (had heard people raving about it, decided to give it a go- don't hate it, but not all that fussed either), and under a gram of dried mint and pepper (counted as 0.3g each). Subtotal: 238 calories, 10g protein, 44g carbs, 2g fat
Snacks (not together): a plum (52g) and a mango (309g). Subtotal: 224 calories, 1g protein, 58g carbs, <1g fat.
Dinner: a portion of the chilli I made with 288g boiled potato, 253g steamed carrot, and 252g steamed zucchini. Subtotal: 634 calories, 38g protein, 98g carbs, 12g fat
Dessert: my boyfriend bought me some chocolate for Easter (a block of very nice stuff). First properly planned treat of the diet. 2 squares (8 and a bit grams- counted as 8.2 for the purposes of) of very nice milk chocolate. Subtotal: 45 calories, no protein, 4g carbs, 2g fat. (I want more, but I can control it, maybe have a piece of fruit later)
Total: 1523 calories (81%), 73g protein, 270g carbs, 22g fat, under sodium allowance.
 
Trying to decide whether I'm well enough to go to the gym. Got up late because I figured I needed the sleep, the sun coming through the blinds doesn't hurt my eyes, and in general I feel more fuzzy than in pain. I suspect the first gym session after a week off will be hard, and I have a hard program already. Can't work out what to do.
 
Glad to hear you are on the mend.
Dont push yourself hard until you're completely well.
 
Thanks :) The plan is to take a brisk walk around a nearby park later in the day, and see if I can get to the gym tomorrow. I don't want to risk it today and I had people on Facebook tell me that if I really had a migraine (I get them very infrequently so I'm not entirely sure, although I think I did) that the high blood pressure from exercise might bring it back again. I don't want that.
 
Yeh. You certainly don't want that.
Also, congrats on your weight loss!!!
 
Thanks :) Slowly but surely wins this race. And I'm enjoying it, which means I'll be able to keep it up.

Here's my next meal:

Alterations:
* making this to serve 6
* using 401g of skinless chicken breast instead of 450 (that's what the packet is, and I try to limit my meat per serving
* replaced spring onions with leek (236g) as my local supermarket didn't have any spring onions
* using a can of mango and a can of pineapple (the syrup with the mango has gone down the drain, I saved the 91ml of pineapple juice and I may use it in the sauce
* adding 250g mushrooms and 310g beansprouts
* may need extra soy sauce or sweet chilli sauce depending on how it turns out
* will reduce the oil, 4 tablespoons is insane
* may not bother serving with rice, there's quite a lot there already

The stir fry mix I'm using with it is Tesco Oriental Stir Fry mix, with pak choi, carrot, courgette (zucchini), brocolli, babycorn, lemon grass, and chives

I'm also under no illusions that the calorie count on the webpage is right (even for the original recipe), and so am going to recalculate it based on what I actually use. Tentative estimate at this stage is between 280 and 300 calories per serve.
 
YUM.
That is going to be amazing.
You're such a little Delia.
 
The stir fry was good, but it wasn't as good as I was hoping. The canned mango was very bland (I think I'll skip it next time and add extra pineapple, I can't come at putting fresh mango in, such a waste). I also didn't have a frying pan big enough for the ingredients and ended up putting it in a 5 litre pot (which barely fit all the ingredients), and it ended up sort of stew-y. Still tasted nice, just... not what I was expecting (the stew liquid was absorbed by the rice, which made the rice less bland, which was a plus). As I made it, it was 333 calories per serve (to serve 6). My boyfriend enjoyed the flavour too, although was wailing and gnashing his teeth over the technique (apparently his step-dad was quite the gourmet).

Went for a gentle stroll around the park (had intended a brisk walk, but there were kids and dogs everywhere, there was no way fast was happening), which was good for the spirit if not for the waistline. Was a lovely day today. Will try to go back to the gym tomorrow and possibly do something a little more gentle. Don't think I'm ready for the full program yet. Still a bit fuzzy in the head and I'm tiring very easily.

Sunday 24 April
Breakfast: 45g oats made with water, topped with 154g milk and 60g blueberries. Subtotal: 233 calories, 10g protein, 38g carbs, 3g fat
Snack: a 58g plum. Subtotal 26 calories, 6g carbs
Lunch: 2 slices rye bread with light cottage cheese with pineapple, topped with 10g honey (a good experiment, will repeat), 80g tomatoes, and a gram combined of dried mint and ground pepper. Subtotal: 264 calories, 11g protein, 47g carbs, 2g fat
Snacks (didn't have together): a 141g apple and a 201g orange. Subtotal: 168 calories, 2g protein, 41g carbs, <1g fat.
Dinner: Chicken mango and pineapple stirfry (333.5 calories), 50g basmati rice. Subtotal: 511 calories, 19g protein, 75g carbs, 15g fat.
Dessert: realised with horror that my Greek yoghurt is about to expire (was going to have chocolate). 161g light Greek yoghurt, 11g honey, a 78g plum (steamed), an 11g apple (steamed) and 80g blueberries. Subtotal: 256 calories, 10g protein, 40g carbs, 4g fat.
Total: 1460 calories (78%), 54g protein, 251g carbs, 26g fat, over sodium allowance.
 
"fuzzy in the head" reminds me how i feel when i am having antidepressant withdrawals.

Well you survived that recipe. No way i could eat that. I don't like pineapple in my savouries, although i did actually enjoy a fish burgher a few weeks ago that had pineapple in it. I was really surprised i like it.

Sounds like you need to buy a wok. I cook most things in my wok.

What a lot of people call migraines are actually tension headaches. Relaxation techniques help keep these away.
 
I really like sweet foods like pineapple in stirfry and such, which is precisely why I tried it. I'll make it again, but perhaps closer to the original recipe with extra veggies on the side.

I already have some fairly decent pans and not a lot of room/ money for new ones. I also hear horrible stories of woks bursting into flames. I have an enormous saute pan, but it wasn't big enough for all of this (the ingredients barely fit into my 5 litre pot!). I think I was just overadventurous with the sheer number of ingredients.

I get tension headaches a lot. I drink some water, possibly have a hot shower, take a painkiller if it's particularly bad, and then get on with things. This was different- a couple of days mostly in bed with something in the window to keep it dark (a big piece of cardboard, I'm sure it looked horrible, I don't care), an eye patch, a piece of clothing over my face because the eye patch wasn't making it dark enough, excruciating pain even with codeine, and struggling to make it to the bathroom and feed myself.

My boyfriend was commenting last night about my weight loss- specifically lamenting that my butt was disappearing. I really tried not to smile when he was looking, because I know he likes it, but I'm pleased that I'm changing shape. He's completely supportive of me, he just wishes that he could preserve certain parts of me and just shrink the ones I'm really not happy with (he knows it doesn't work like that). I'm also seeing a good friend today (one of the first friends I made when I moved here) who I haven't seen in a couple of months, hopefully he'll notice a difference too.
 
Oh wow your boyfriend is noticing your butt getting smaller/your body changing shape? That's fantastic.
All your exercise and strict calorie intake must be really working.
Pictures?? :)

And MMM now i really want to put pineapple in my stirfry.
 
Oh, and I'm making Anzac biscuits today (there's something about being an expat). Going to try not to eat them though as they are seriously not diet food. Nosiree. Just calculated the calories on a calorie counter and one measly biscuit has 128 calories. I'm making them for someone else, which will be hard because I love them.

Edit to add: Anzac biscuits are in the oven. I didn't lick the bowl, the spoon, or save any batter to eat on its own. Or, as I have been known to do in the past, make two lots of batter and eat one. I feel like a saint. Now, the next challenge is to take these to my friend and not eat any of them. Ho hum. The things we do for health/ beauty/ whatever.
 
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Oooooh check you out, baking.
if i bake, i eat it all. I dont have your discipline.
Anzac day. People are writing 'lest we forget' all over facebook. I guess that has something to do with it.

I hope you enjoy this historic day.
 
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