Amy's weight loss diary

Ahey/....where have you gone to???does anyone know how Amy is doing?maybe someone has her fb?i hope she is ok
 
ARuthie told me that according to FB, she is just crazy busy with something and is focusing on other things at the moment... so I've heard...
 
OK, after a long time away, I'm going to bump this thing.

I had a nervous breakdown, had to suspend my studies in the UK, and have basically had to deal with all my health problems, particularly my mental health. It's been a really rough 18 months or so. My circumstances have changed fairly radically, and it's only in the last little bit that I've come to hope that things will get back on track.

Weight has been up and down. At most during all of this I went back up to 85kg (nearly 13.5 stone, a bit over 187 pounds). I'm working (within the constraints of my health and other things going on) with getting back to being more active and getting my calorie intake more in order. I can't possibly be as regimented as I was before, but I'm trying to make a change. overtherainbow's return has sparked my own- I can't say I'm back with a vengeance, but I'm back.

edit to add: I'm currently weighing in at 71 or 72kg (my scales aren't terribly accurate so I'm not sure). Aim is somewhere between 63-5kg. I'm in this for the long haul, though, so I'm not in a rush.
 
I concur :)

You gained weight quite slowly... It doesn't have to be a rush to get it off, even if you make small changes that lead to you losing a few pounds every month, you will get there in the end.

I think that when you are feeling down, it is important for you to take care of your personal appearance. If I am feeling all skinny, and in a new outfit, maybe with my hair just done... Its is a great feeling in the world.

I stopped buying new clothes, and was left with a wardrobe of about three outfits that fitted me, as I had got rid of my fat clothes... Not having enough clothes can stop you going out (All in the washing pile lol), which can also contribute to depression.

I am really glad your back :D x
 
Thank you :)

Yes, I had to return to Australia when I fell ill, given the terms I was allowed in the UK. I'm living with a friend and her family.

Ruth, I actually gained weight quite quickly, I just plateaued at a certain point, bumped it up and down a bit. I also may have been higher than 85kg- I didn't have access to scales for a long time. The most accurate I can tell you is that at my biggest since I was last here, I was wearing size 18 jeans and they were a tight squeeze to get into. I'm currently squeezing into size 12 jeans. My aim in terms of body size is to be a small 10 or large 8 on top and a 10 on the bottom, but I'll be reasonably happy to get down to average 10 on top and large 10/ small 12 on the bottom.

Today I did a step aerobics video I found on youtube (about 45 minutes worth- just getting my knees back into shape and raising the intensity beyond walking, which is what I've been doing lately). I had a bowl of home made muesli for breakfast, have had two cups of black tea (skim milk no sugar), an apple, a litre of water so far, and I'm about to have lunch- one scrambled egg (made with no milk), a piece of low GI toast, a small smear of home made tomato sauce, and two raw carrots (I'm too lazy to cook up a whole bunch of veggies). I'll probably have a banana or something of about that calorie density for afternoon tea, and I'm going to make some herbal tea and fill up my water bottle again after I finish lunch). Dinner's not under my control, but I'm just trying to make good choices where I'm making it for myself.

I have no plans to be as regimented as I was- I found out I actually have an anxiety disorder, and becoming regimented like that doesn't work given the way I'm trying to get my life back on track. I have a good idea of what are good and bad choices in terms of satiety, blood sugar, and calorie density, and I'm just working on that basis.
 
Hello sweetie.
I'm gonna read back some of your diary (it'll take me forever if I read it all) and keep up to date with ya..........xoxoxo
 
Oh heavens, there's no need to do that!

Long story short, I was a very regimented calorie counter. It works and it works well, but it's time consuming. Exercise also helps, and I wanted to do that for weight loss and other reasons, but food changes will get you the weight loss if you know what you're eating. I was losing half a kilogram to a kilogram a week most weeks, just steadily chipping away at it. And then I had a nervous breakdown, and here I am some time later.
 
Hey amy, welcome back! I wasn't here when you originally were but happy you came back to this wonderful place! Can't wait to keep up with your progress and ultimate success. Thanks for stopping by my diary and sharing about your struggles with insomnia. I can definitely commiserate (unfortunately).

Anyways, we'll be here for ya. That is what I love about this place. Lots of people to have things in common with. Makes this journey easier and more bearable.

~Camila~
 
Hello my lovely :)

Hope you're having a good day sweetie. so jealous of your egg. I wonder if you think of me when you eat it then i maght get the taste thru thought waves (am i a bit desperate lol)

Anyway, sending you lots of squishy hugs. Here's to looking forward :)
 
Did you go from size 18 to size 12 intentionally? Are you using English or Australian sizes?

Maybe you could ask if you can serve your own dinner, so you have more control over it.

Are you still in your relationship? If you are it must be hard being so far away.
 
Thanks, guys!

I hope the insomnia tips help, Camilla- it's definitely a hard thing to break out of.

I've been so perfect except for that egg! I know it's not the end of the world, and was perfectly justifiable in the circumstances, but I'm a perfectionist. So it goes.

Ruth- English and Australian sizes are pretty much the same (except bras and shoes), so I'm using both. I always had the aim of losing the weight, but I would sort of go on again off again about healthily I was eating and how much exercise I was doing. I didn't have the mental resources to dedicate myself to it properly and was living in a situation with a bad attitude to food and not a lot of opportunity for exercise. That's improved now (I moved- where I am now I do a lot more walking and there isn't such a bad food dynamic), which has led to a lot of my weight loss.

I'm ok with the dinner- I just take it a bit easier during the day and try to take less of things that won't help me- anything fried, high GI starches, that sort of thing. The other night I took a small portion of the quiche that was served and sauteed some vegetables to go with it to make it all healthier, for example.

Yes, we're still together, as such. He popped the question just before I went back to Australia and we're getting married at the end of the year (we've got a date, venue, and most of the major details sorted).
 
And food yesterday. Forgot to add.

Bowl of home made muesli and a cup of tea for breakfast (English breakfast with skim milk).
Then I went to an appointment where I was given a mini easter egg. As I was out most of the day, that was lunch.
An apple for afternoon tea, and a cup of tea (English breakfast with skim milk).
A chicken burger (probably not the best for me, but it wasn't huge) on low GI (soy and linseed) toast with onion, capsicum (pepper/ bell pepper), mushroom, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, and a smear of sweet chilli mayonnaise.
Two litres of water and three cups of peppermint tea.
 
Thanks :)

Exercise today- a 45 minute walk aerobics video, I plan to do that 4-5 days a week (I don't like exercising in front of people, it's bad for my anxiety, and I can get enough guaranteed alone time that often) and increase the impact/ intensity by changing the walking to jogging and jumping. So far I can get through (fitness wise it's probably a bit easy for me) but my knees are complaining until mid-afternoon, so I've got to get them up to speed.

Food for today:

Muesli with skim milk- 3 scoops (normal portion, I was hungry). 3 cups of coffee with skim milk.
Chicken burger as last night (leftovers)- as this is home made I don't think it's too bad, possibly the burger patty was a little fatty, but not the end of the world. A cup of English breakfast tea with skim milk.
Apple for snack.
Chow min for dinner- I took less rice than how hungry I was (am a little hungry as I prepare to go to bed), as it's the high GI stuff, but with dinner, I basically get what I get.
Two litres of water and two cups of peppermint tea throughout the day.

I'm still not calorie counting- just tracking and trying to make good choices. Today wasn't ideal, lunch could have been lighter, but it was pretty good. Tomorrow I'm going to sautee a bunch of vegetables and have them with quinoa and a protein (haven't yet decided on egg or tuna).
 
I'm only just into my new exercise thing and I think I'm going to have to find another one soon. It's good that I'm giving my knees a chance to get back into shape before I really challenge my fitness levels, but I'm struggling to get my heart rate high enough with the walking aerobics video I'm doing at the moment. It's probably an appropriate balance for now, but I'm getting a bit frustrated and bored with it. Today I did it and I was trying to make it more intense, but my knees protested strongly so I cut back (the exercise program is walking and stepping, I was changing it up in places to a very slow jog and jumping, just to increase the impact and intensity).

All the aerobics things I've found seem to be dance ones, too, which bothers me because I'm really uncoordinated and get confused by all the fast moves, and they tend to jump into things without warning- I lose my place and that means I'm not keeping up. And they do stuff on the floor, which I find very difficult.

Just whinging, really. I'll get to the point where I can jog/ jump through half of the routine I've currently got without significant pain after I've finished working out, and then I'll try something else. Getting ahead of myself, I think.
 
Amy where in your knee is the pain ? and what is your balance like ? I am thinking some proprioception exercises may help your knees.
 
My knee pain comes in from the sides of the knee cap (both left and right sides, on both knees)- it's quite sharp while I'm exercising and it continues as a kind of dull thud for hours afterwards. I mostly get it when I try to do anything with impact, but I know from previous experience that I can strengthen them by building up the intensity of my exercise, as long as I take it slowly. Unfortunately I have to take it more slowly than my fitness progresses, which is my biggest problem at the moment- fitness wise, I'm ready for something more intense, but my knees won't have it. I don't know why, but my knees seem to be in different amounts of pain on different days- today my left knee is being a particular pain, two days ago it was my right knee. The two things I find hardest at any fitness level are squats (when my knees are in good condition I can do shallow squats, but never deep ones without quite a lot of pain) and riding a bike (I get the side pain and also it feels like something's grinding behind the knee cap- it's horrible)

My balance is reasonable- I'm uncoordinated so it isn't brilliant, but I don't have any specific problems with it.

I'd really appreciate any suggestions you've got- I'd love to be able to make this easier. I know I can get around it eventually, but the problem always is that my knees are the hardest things to get to an appropriate level of fitness, and if I stop or have a break from exercise for any reason, they lose their condition much, much quicker than the rest of me. It's a constant battle (even when I'm completely off the wagon, I have to work on my knees not hurting even for walking up stairs. It's appalling for someone of my age, and this has been my reality since I was in my teens)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top