Avenue, heading in the right direction...

[Avenue1]

Been lurking for a while so it's time I committed to this...here goes.

I've been cycling between fat and slim my entire life but when I hit 40 in the Spring and found myself at my highest weight ever (222lbs) I decided I had to find a permanent solution to this. No more diets; no more quick fixes. I had to make real changes and make them stick.

So, being the all-or-nothing person that I am, I completely cut out all my "old friends" from my life. Out went the chocolate, cakes, pastries, chips, crisps, processed foods, sweet and fatty treats of every kind. I gave up caffeine because I suspected it not only ruined my sleeping pattern but encouraged me to eat sweet things (I was right on both counts). I also gave up milk and by doing so confirmed my long-held suspicion that I am lactose-intolerant. Then I filled the void they left with my new friends: salads, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, fish, and water by the gallon. Hurrah.

I won't pretend it was easy at first because it wasn't. I've been filling myself with junk and stimulants since infancy so there were some serious cravings to break. But the rewards came quickly. My chronic headaches went. I started sleeping better than I had since I was a small child. My sweet tooth diminished very rapidly to the point where I became able to appreciate the natural sweetness of vegetables and fruits, and my predilection for salt went the same way. My acid indigestion problem went away after a couple of months and my IBS has pretty much gone too (see, overweight wasn't the only factor here - I was beginning to fall apart in a whole host of ways) Oh, and my adult acne cleared up in no time - my skin is better now than it's been at any time since puberty!

As for the weight, it fell off me to begin with. With that kind of extreme approach I suppose it was always on the cards. Overnight I'd gone from eating a fat and sugar-filled nightmare of a diet to eating a nutritionist's dream, in the process probably slashing my caloric intake by two thirds if not more. I lost nearly a stone (14lbs) in the first couple of weeks presumably because my body didn't know what had hit it! Since then my weight has moved in fits and starts but it has mostly gone down at a sensible rate - I've lost a total of 42 pounds in five months which is by no means extreme.

My reason for joining this forum is that I feel I'm getting to the really tricky bit. I have a lot less weight to lose now and if I've understood what I've read here I could well be approaching the point where my body starts truly defending itself against this "starvation" it has been subjected to. I've been hovering around the 13 stone mark for a few weeks now and the word "plateau" keeps popping into my head. I'm thinking perhaps eating for health alone may no longer be enough to shift those pounds .

So I've started this diary and set up an account at Fitday to track my calories and I'll see where I go from here. I'm also going to start taking exercise a bit more seriously. At the moment all I do is brisk walking for one hour on 3 days a week so I have plenty of room for manoeuvre!

I weigh myself tomorrow so here's hoping the number I see starts with a 12...

 

[Avenue1]

...aaaaaand....it didn't. Still stuck on 13st 1lb (183lbs)

Having tracked my calories for a few days I appear to be eating about 1300 calories a day, and most likely that's what I've been doing ever since the beginning - my eating patterns have changed very little in the last five months. I'd prefer it to be more so I think I'll experiment a bit by increasing my daily intake a little each week and see how much I can eat without regaining the weight. I'll try adding some running phases during my walks and some weights work as well.

I suppose I should look on the bright side here. Even if I stayed at this weight for ever I've gained a hell of a lot in terms of health. My initial goal was to learn to eat for nourishment and I'm now very well established in that regard. I don't crave the junk and I have no intention of letting it back into my life. Ever. I can now go to my mother's house and watch my nearest and dearest filling their faces with chocolate biscuits, crisps and cakes and not even feel I'm missing out, let alone be tempted to join them, because I KNOW how bad that crap made me feel. That has to count for something. (But I do still want to lose that weight...you bet)

Onwards and downwards..hopefully...

 

[Avenue1]

Rats.

Woke up with a rotten sore throat yesterday which has developed into a full-blown yucky cold today . This is the first time I've been sick since I started this new eating regime so it will be quite a shock to the system...and quite a test. Can I stick to my new diet or will I find myself reaching for all my old comfort foods that used to get me through my lows? And as for exercise...ummm...I think it will probably be a minor miracle if I do any for the next few days. I get SO lazy when the least little thing goes wrong healthwise.

Other than that, things have been going pretty well. I've raised my calories to 1350 for this week and I'll aim for 1400 next week. This process is pretty depressing given that I can hardly expect to lose weight while I'm eating more and more, but I know I need to look at the bigger picture. Not only do I have a plateau to break but since I've been logging my food intake on Fitday I've realised it's not all that easy to meet my nutrient RDA on the low calories I was eating. In fact, it's next to impossible on most days. So all the time I thought I was being so incredibly kind to my body and giving it everything it needed, I actually wasn't. Ya live and learn I guess....

 

[Jess393]

Wow! You did make a complete turn around- good for you We've all gotten to that tricky spot- don't worry, you'll bust thru it, no problem. Are you getting any protein in your diet??

Anyways, just wanted to stop in and say hello, and welcome to the cluuuuub. Have a great day, hope to see great things from ya!

 

[Avenue1]

Hi Jess!

Thanks for stopping by - nice to have some company on this journey

I really had no choice but to turn things around because I was practically falling to bits six months ago - and my doctor was no help with the IBS, she more or less told me to push off and cure it myself So I just went for it, and it's worked...up to this point.

According to Fitday I get about 70g of protein a day - I've been assuming that's a reasonable amount Maybe I should have more? The thing I struggle to get enough of is iron because I don't eat red meat, so I need to look at that. I don't want to go anaemic like I did many years ago when I dieted for six months on 1000 calories a day - that was mad

I did manage to drag myself out for a 3 mile walk this morning and my head feels a lot clearer for it, so this day is definitely getting better

 

[Avenue1]

Friday night. Sitting here dreading stepping on the scales tomorrow because logically I know there is no way I will lose weight (yet still the heart hopes...).

For the total wimp that I am I feel I've done pretty well considering I had a cold and TOTM this week. I've managed to stick to my normal foods and haven't reached for any of my old favourite comfort foods. I've also managed to drag myself out for several long walks and worked pretty vigorously in the garden, so that should have burnt a few calories along the way. (probably won't offset the half bottle of Merlot I drank this evening but hey...we all need the occasional indulgence! and I justify red wine because it's...um...good for the heart)

I'm moving up to 1400 calories as of Monday, and I'll be interested to see how I feel about eating more. I'm in the mindset where I could easily restrict myself to stupidly low numbers (I've done it before) and raising my intake when I am still so far from my goal is a curious thing for me to take on board psychologically. I have always been VERY goal-driven when I've tinkered with my diet in the past so this feels like coasting when I should be putting my foot on the accelerator, but I'm convinced it's for the best. I don't want to end up living on virtually nothing just to shift this weight because that would totally defeat my health goals apart from anything else. Patience, girl, patience...

 

[Avenue1]

...still 183 this morning, so no gain from my increased calories.

I have very mixed feelings though. I've arrived at the point where I want this to be over - soon. Not that I'm going to change what I'm eating when I get to my goal, but I just want the weighing and measuring and counting of every calorie to be over. I've done it too often in my life and it's a pain. I was hoping to get away without doing it this time, but fat chance I see months of it ahead of me

I dream of the day when I'm slim and no longer obsessing over food - even healthy food. I dream of just being able to eat sensibly without worrying whether I'm having a bite too much or too little. I dream of eating naturally and not to a plan. Is that too much to ask...?

*sigh*

 

[Avenue1]

An interesting weekend foodwise.

Kept to plan on Saturday but on Sunday I spent the day with relatives and that was...tricky. Lunch arrived and the chicken had a cream sauce with it (gawd knows how many calories in that), and there was home made apple crumble with ice cream for dessert I am SO not supposed to eat that - even if I weren't trying to lose weight! - but when someone goes to the trouble of cooking for you and they are all eager and expectant that you will enjoy it, how can you refuse?...how? I mean, I can be a bitch at times but I just couldn't do it. My aunt would have been really hurt. I did get away with refusing the cake but only because she'd bought it - had she baked it specially I suppose I would probably have caved and had some of that as well

I think that's the hardest thing for me. Going out to eat at a restaurant is fine because I can order something suitable and leave what I don't want without feeling in the slightest guilty; going to eat at friend's and relative's houses is a ruddy minefield because I don't want to offend.

I wish I were better at handling that sort of thing. *shakes head*

 

[Avenue1]

Soooo...my Plateau Diary continues (would that it were Weight Loss!)

I only managed to eat 1300 calories yesterday. I had an upsetting incident involving my car mid-afternoon and I just couldn't find much appetite afterwards. I've always been like that - I call myself a comfort-eater but when I'm genuinely upset I'm actually far more likely to stop eating than to binge. I suppose my comfort-eating is probably more to do with boredom or general restlessness than actual distress - though whatever the cause it's something I'll need to address if I'm going to be slim for life. After all, even if I'm eating only healthy food I could just as easily get fat again if I'm (ab)using it as a coping mechanism. P'raps I'll take up smoking instead (j/k).

I've had 860 calories so far today so that leaves me 540 to find before the end of the day. That may not sound much but when you've no appetite, it seems like loads Of course, once upon a time it would have been dead easy because, hungry or not, I could happily shovel in a couple of chocolate bars and Bob's your (unhealthy) Uncle. I find with healthy food I actually have to be a lot hungrier to want to eat it, so it can be a bit of a struggle if I'm not in the mood (and I'm not).

Oh well. Tomorrow is another day, and all that jazz. I'll start my long-delayed weights programme and see if that can give me a bit more appetite. Dumbbells, here I come...

 

[Caterina]

Hey avenue,
I am completely there with you healthwise. I was a perfectly healthy person (except for my asthma) until I had my accident (I had a snowboarding accident that left me pretty broken from the belly button downwards on my left side). hen, through the lack of exercise and the food and of course the depression etc... I started to have lots and lots of healthissues that were unconnected to my leg!
I have developed lactose intolerance, Crohn's disease, a severe reflux problem, extreme period pains and constant viruses (the correct word being viri, which no one knows!).

I hope getting back to being active I will regain at least partially my health and reading your diary I am pretty sure I will! Thank you for that!!

Otherwise I think you are doing brilliantly and I think maybe you need to increase your exercise rather than just eat more to lose weight. Increase the exercise and your appetite will increase, then you increase the cals. This way you will get more toned, lose more weight and be on track with everything.

Good luck on your journey even though I think you don't need any, you are doing brilliantly! I wish I had the strength to stop eating all junk (my "junk" at the moment is mainly bread... I just love it!!)... that would certainly help with my weight loss!!
Love, Cat

 

[Avenue1]

Hi Cat,

Thanks for stopping by with the encouragement and advice - much appreciated

Wow...my problems pale into insignificance compared to yours, and I wish you the very best of luck with your recovery. My own experience tells me that one can achieve a lot through optimum nutrition, so have at it and see what you can do.

With my digestive ailments I think in terms of "control" rather than "cure" (I've had to accept that if I want to feel my best there are certain things I must never eat again) and that does mean I have to be strict with myself - unless I want to face the consequences Even "healthy" foods can be dodgy - I tried some commercially-made organic vegetarian sausages a couple of weeks ago and spent the next 36 hours doubled up with abdominal cramping and diarrhoea, so I'm learning (the hard way!) not to trust ANY processed foods. Mostly I stick to whole, fresh foods so that I know exactly what I'm eating...it's safer!

The most frustrating thing to me is how many years I allowed myself to suffer because of my poor eating. I beat myself up about that soooo much. I've often been overweight in my life but in the last five years my general health has been badly affected for the first time and yet I did nothing about it, even though I knew fine well where the answers were to be found. Perhaps I just didn't love myself enough to bother

Things haven't been great on the exercise front this week. I still haven't started my weights, procrastination being my middle name And it's getting harder to drag my butt out the door for a walk now that winter is in the air - with every darker, chillier morning I can feel myself slipping deeper into "hibernation" mode Perhaps I need to set myself some specific targets...or else find a cave to curl up in for the next five months

I've come to terms with eating 1400 calories now - it just takes me a couple of days to adjust to each increment I suppose. I'm making up the difference with extra protein because I thought that would be a good idea if I'm doing weights..."if" being the operative word at the moment!

Heh. I'll get there...

 

[Avenue1]

Hmmm...I seem to have been diary-dodging of late...and scale-dodging

Should have weighed myself this morning but I know I haven't been eliminating properly the last couple of days (no idea why) so chickened out. I know it's pathetic but I just didn't want to see a big gain on the scale after all these months of losing .

I ate 1400 calories most days this week but yesterday the booze got to me and I went up to about 1630 So today I've had a brisk 4 mile walk and eaten only 1100 calories which will hopefully cancel it out - and the funny thing was that I really didn't want to eat any more than that so maybe my body is doing a bit of its own balancing...if I'll let it!

I go up to 1450 calories tomorrow (note to self: try to have the extra as food not alcohol...)

 

[Jess393]

I ate 1400 calories most days this week but yesterday the booze got to me and I went up to about 1630

LOL!!! Yeah, I had a similar ambush this weekend... Only I didn't keep track. BADDD! Don't dodge the diary- its there for you to look back on and go, holy crap- what was I thinkin!!

 

[Avenue1]

Hehehe...yeah, sneaky stuff that alcohol...I got *mugged* by a bottle of strong cider It won't happen again...honest

I'm back this morning to say that I weighed myself and, wonder of wonders, I've actually lost 2lbs this week meaning I've finally broken through the 13 stone barrier...yay!!! And all I've done differently the last couple of weeks is eat more...how does that work??

I have to say I was skeptical, but the message I got from reading the plateau advice on here was clear enough, and it does seem to be doing something. So I'll keep adding and see what happens. I'd certainly rather be losing weight at 1600-1700 calories - I just never thought it was possible!

Have a great day, everybody!

 

[Omega]

Hi Avenue

Thanks for visiting my diary.

Have had a read through your diary. Well done for losing over three stones. You certainly took the "life begins at 40" to heart. Now that I am 48 - my husband keeps saying "50 is the new 40" - I suppose the natural extension to that is "40 is the new 30". And now you are under 13 stones!!! I certainly wish that I had got to be a "teen girl" at 40 - but maybe I will be one before too long.

You have done very well to kick all those unhealthy habits. I cannot quite get off the diet cola yet - so have a rule that I have to drink 2 litres of water before I pour myself a glass full - and the bottle lives in the fridge (before you think I could sit merrily drinking from the bottle all day). I have great difficulty with the cola addiction and you cut out a whole host of things including caffeine.

It is great that you are effectively handling your IBS. My cousin gets that and I understand that it is very painfull.

Plateaus - we all hate them!!! I have broken quite a few plateaus by adding extra distance to what I walk every day. As a solution this may not suit everyone - but I prefer it to weighing myself yet again and seeing my weight continually hover at the same spot - especially when it is just above a milestone.

I had two plateaus in September - the first one I broke by removing weetabix and raisins from my diet (substituting something else) - the second plateau I broke by putting weetabix and raisins back in again. There really is not a great deal of logic to it.

I have got to the stage when I expect plateaus to be just round the corner. I weigh myself every day so that I get early warning of their presence. I know that it is my nature to allow weight to pile on and let things get out of hand so weighing myself every day suits me. I am constantly honing the strategy of what I will do on the next plateau. I know for example that I will swap weetabix out and bring in shredded wheat. I spoke to someone who swears that is better regarding salt. I may tinker with my main meal curfew. I currently try and get my main meal over by 8 p.m. - I may bring this forward to 7.30 p.m. I know someone who swears that she broke a stinker of a plateau by carrying bits of fruit with her and forcing herself to eat say half an apple or a few grapes every hour or hour and a half (I cannot remember which). I accumulate these things then I can pick something out of them and see if I get any results from them.

Eating out at a friend's house is always difficult. You are not alone. I slipped up on Friday and Saturday for exactly the same reason.

Take care
Best wishes
Margaret

 

[kgirl]

Hi Avenue,

I totally know what you mean about eating at someone's house. my mother-in-law prides herself on her cooking and pretty much everything she makes has some form of cream sauce on it. When I decided to loose weight I told her I was going to bring my own food when we go there. She told me to send her recipes that I like and I she would cook them for me but I always found that every recipe I ever gave her she has "altered" it cause she thought this or that would make it taste better. So I told her no that the recipes I eat her husband would not like. He is a meat, potatoes and vegetables (and gravy) man and he now complains every time we invite him over because once I served him shrimp and rice and there were no vegetables (A bit silly if you ask me, I was very insulted that he refused to come over because of that). I always tell people when they invite me for supper that I am trying to loose weight and I always ask what they are having before I accept. I find people are usually very accommodating when I explain it to them that this is temporary and when I am fully on track then I will be less strict with myself but for now it ALL about discipline.

Congrats on breaking through the plateau, I think I am experiencing a mini one myself, can't wait to break into the 180's without bouncing back up 1 pound and being back in the 190s.

 

[Avenue1]

Thank you for your kind words, Margaret.

It's great to come here and chat with people who know what you're going through because they are in the same, or very similar, boat. I've always gone it alone with weight loss in the past, never belonged to a slimming club or anything like that, so it's a nice change to be amongst people who understand.

"40 is the new 30"...I'll run with that Tbh, I do feel younger the lighter I get, though I rather fear that in looks I will be going the other way. I use good moisturisers - have for years - but even so I think my face is beginning to miss that extra layer of fat that was keeping it line-free Oh well...ya can't have everything I suppose, and I'd rather be light, energetic and healthy any day!

I guess I have given up a lot of things but I've found some pretty good substitutes along the way. No-one in my family thought I'd be able to give up normal tea - I drank gallons of the stuff - but I've since discovered lemon and ginger tea and I absolutely adore it. No-one thought I could give up chocolate either - I used to go nuts for it at the time of the month - but after the first few weeks I stopped thinking about it and now it really doesn't bother me. (Mind you, I might change my tune when all the pesky Xmas confectionary ads start infesting the telly - the Lindor ones will probably have me on my knees) So I'm sure if you want to give up the diet coke you can...though do you need to? If it's diet coke it won't hurt your weight loss, surely?

You've certainly found interesting ways to get through your plateaux! I have to say I'm quite enjoying this "re-feed" method I'm doing - I've had no trouble going up to 1450 calories this week and I'm rather looking forward to 1500 next week. I think it's great that you can keep the weight loss going without having to resort to counting every last calorie - I will never find that anything other than a pain in the posterior Good luck with your future plateaux...I will be fascinated to see what works for you next.

 

[Avenue1]

Hi kgirl,

What we have to do to lose weight, eh? That's quite an awkward situation with your in-laws. I'll have to count myself lucky there because my partner's mother is 600 miles away and I almost never have to eat her cooking!

I've come to the conclusion that I have to take the occasional rough with the smooth. As long as what is being served won't upset my IBS I try not to make waves. I reckon if I'm *good* 90% of the time I'll get away with a few sabotaging meals here and there...hopefully!

Good luck with your mini-plateau...I'll nip over to your diary and see what you've been up to.

Thanks for dropping in

 

[Omega]

Hi Avenue

I agree that it is nice to be in touch with people fighting similar battles.

I feel younger as I lose weight too.

The thing with diet coke is that there are quite a lot of postings on this forum that say that all the diet pop drinks that you get are more harmful to weight loss projects than people think. The gist appears to be that although they do not contain calories and people like me think that you can drink them with impunity - they in fact contain a lot of salts and chemicals that cause your body to gain weight by retaining water.

Quite a lot of people are struggling to give up the diet pop drink of their addiction and drink at least 2 litres of cold water.

Take care
Love
Margaret

 

[Jess393]

Hey Avenue! Sounds like your doing pretty good, keep it up, and thanks for visiting me