I'm aiming for 59kg

F

fortyfour

New member
I'm female, 47, and 165cm tall. (5'5") I started my diet a bit over a month ago at 69kg. Today i weigh 65.8kg, as at this morning. :)

Briefly my strategies are nutritious food - including no sugar, low fat, - and regular exercise. I'm leaving aside all my temptations and that includes some healthy foods like nuts. I binge and have little self control so doing without totally those foods is my way to handle that. In general i notice that its a good strategy.

I am restarting this diary because i regret the title of my old diary. So here's the link to my first attempt. I've only been here a few days but its spells out my strategy i.n more detail.

http://weight-loss.fitness.com/weight-loss-diary/47854-personal-weight-diary.html

There's a delicious recipe for stewed vegetables on it. I am going to post any recipes i use. If they are any good.
 
April 5 - Day 4 on this site

I thought i'd do my measurements as well. Just to start with.

My measurements
Bust - 37”/94cm
waist - 29”/74cm
hips - 40”/102
thigh - 23”/59
height 165cm
Weight this morning 65.8kg

I wouldn’t bother with my thighs except that they are the main reason i am on a diet. The flesh looks loose and wobbly. I think its to a large extent because of damanged skin so i can’t be fat and firm looking. I mean i didn’t have this when i was in my 20s or 30s that i recall.

Normally i drink coffee throughout the day. I am going to try replacing it with water. I don't know how long this will last but i might as well try. Today is my second day of not having coffee til after dinner. If i were to have one in the morning, it would set me off on drinking it throughtout the day. I'm probably not going to note every glass of water i drink and when after this. But i thought i might as well do it now. I am curious to see how much i would drink if its my only drink. I live in a humid climate so i only need to drink a lot more if i am working out in the heat.

Water and food

1. Get up - glass of water

2. Before breakfast - glass of water with my psyllium fibre

Breakfast usual oats
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup full cream milk 680kj/162cal; saturated fat 6grams
1 small apple
8 prunes. (I’m going to move these to night time if i can remember).

3. 9.15am glass of water

4. 10am glass of water before gardening

Gardening one hour.

5. 11am glass of water after gardening

Lunch
Salad sandwich
White bread roll, no butter. Avocardo, Tomato, cucumber, canned beetroot, lettuce, onion
Large piece of fresh pineapple

6. 4pm Glass of water

5pm glass white wine (all my glasses equal 250ml.)

7. glass of water before dinner

Dinner
Fried rice using 1 cup of cooked vegetables
1/2 cup cooked the day before basmati rice
1/2 bunch of pak choy, steamed already though its probably not necessary. I am using leftovers.
1/2 large carrot julienned. steamed already. I am using leftovers.
1 clove garlic
2 tsp peanut oil or sesame oil if you prefer or other vegetable oil if you don't have either, but preferably not olive oil
1-2tsp fish sauce or light soy

Heat the oil in the wok on high. Take the wok off the heat to cook the garlic so it doesn't burn. Return to the heat and add the rice and cooked vegetables. (if you are using raw vegetables, add them first and cook a bit before adding rice) heat through, tossing frequently, add in the vegies. Keep tossing to get all coated with the oil. Add the fish or soy sauce. Go easy with the fish sauce. I put too much in (3tsp) and it was a bit salty.

Cup expresso coffee with 1/2 cup of full cream milk

8.Glass of water later.

Exercise was pathetic today. I had wanted to do four hours in the garden but i only did one. Its the perfect weather for gardening but i am not motivated to be very active at the moment.
 
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April 6 - Day 4 - Food and recipe

Weight 65.2kg

Breakfast
1/2 cup oats made into porridge with water and a pinch of salt
1 cup of full cream milk on top - no sugar.
1 apple or 1 slice of pineapple after

Lunch
1 cup ratatouille on two pieces of whole grain toast - no butter
8 prunes

5pm Glass of wine

Dinner
2 Chipolata with steamed cabbage and with 1 tsp olive oil and 1 clove garlic
Below is how i should have made it. I got distracted by the tv and lost the plot a bit. I followed a similar method to this but put in too much salt and olive oil instead of peanut etc. I wanted it to have a more asian fragrance, hence the reason against the olive oil.
1 cup expresso made with 1/2 cup full cream milk.


Sausage meat with cabbage
2 beef chipolatas (small sausages)
1 cup of steamed cabbage - start with about two cups of raw cabbage
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
It may not be necessary to add extra oil. But if you think so, then use 1tsp or less of vegetable oil - peanut, sesame or sunflower etc but not olive

Steam the finely chopped cabbage for 10-15 minutes with a pinch of salt. Heat a wok or large frying pan. Break the mince out of the sausage casings and cook through, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Take the wok off the heat and throw in the minced garlic for about one minute. Toss in the steamed cabbage. Cook through for a minute or less tossing the whole time. Now is when you can add more oil if you think its necessary.

*You could also try adding in a 1tsp of toasted sesame seeds instead of extra oil. I might try this next time to give it a more asian flavour.
*You could try adding a little bit of ginger too. I’d say 1/2 - 1tsp finely grated fresh ginger. Too much can be overpowering. Fry with the garlic.
*Instead of extra oil, also consider using a little splash of light soy sauce or fish sauce. Go easy on this though if you don't want to make it too salty. I'd suggest starting with 1/2 tsp.

Exercise
8km walk this morning. I get sore feet from this. Blisters. One reason to go only every second day.

I've done well drinking water today again.
 
Diary for a year and challenging times ahead

I keep forgetting to mention that i want to keep a food diary for a year. I think i need to do it this long to establish a solid habit of eating this way. There will be a period when i am away for two months but apart from that, i hope i can keep it going through my ups and downs but hopefully there won't be many um... downs, weight downs ok ... whatever.

I am happy that this site has challenged me about the water thing. I am happy to be drinking water all day instead of nescafe. I don't know how long this can last though. Its strange to be drinking a cup of expresso at night after dinner.

Down the track my sister and her husband are coming to stay for a few months. My sister is very slim, very fit and painful. She does everything right. I find it very hard not to put on weight when she is around. Because she is on the go all the time and generally doesn't over eat, she can eat tons of butter, cakes, sugar and everything. Although she still never eats as much as i do. But having all these home made biscuits, apple crumble and stuff is going to be really difficult to not crash my diet on. Its like i will be having to say not to temptation every day.

Currently i live with my father. We do our meals. For some reason, what he eats doesn't affect me too much. I mean he keeps a pile of almonds on the bench and eats blue cheese and crackers and tonight he had a yummy smelling pie but i don't find it hard not to want to eat what he's eating. With my sister its a different matter. I would be great though if i could stay strictly to my own program while she is here though. I hope keeping this diet diary will help there.

Another really challenging time will come at the end of my bike trip in July. When i go on my bike trips, i usually find i am good for about two months and then i start to crave sweets and once i start i go on a long binge. Its really bad. I will have to keep my food diary off the web when i am away. And i will need to have a strategy to deal with cravings because i know i can't resist them.

And then there's Christmas which luckily is months away. Last year i put on weight over christmas. I enjoyed making a christmas pudding and fruit mince pies. I still have one pudding in the fridge for this year coming and a big jar of fruit mince. Gosh just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I would not want to go without my pudding that is already made. I think i might have to succumb for say one week over xmas. Either that or forbid it all at the outset. Certainly i couldn't do anything as controlled as eat only one or two pieces of pudding. Not unless there are lots of people to help me eat it so that there is no leftover for me to eat too.

So you see, its a good idea to keep this diary for a long time if i want to truly establish this no sugar diet.
 
fortyfour said:
Hi Stacy. I had a friend like you who was slim up until she got pregnant. She got diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Have you been tested for diabetes. There was an interesting thing on the radio the other day about vitamin D and diabetes. About 50% of the women tested had low vitamin D. This comes from the sunshine. I think it was considered a causative factor.

Anything that interferes with exercise is really miserable. Have you had the spurs treated. I mean can they be removed? I am not too sure what they are but if they can't be heeled, could you try exercise such as cycling or swimming that doesn't aggravate them?

My neighbour has just been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. This means that they are insulin resistant. (a topic to read up in itself - i'm not gonna try explaining it here) She has put on quite a bit of weight in the last year or two she said and she can't shift it. She said her dietician has put her on a diet similar to what the cohen dieters are doing. Its low in the carbohydrates and higher in lean proteins. I was reading the cohen dieters pages the other day.

I don't know if any of that is news to you or helpful but it might be worth checking out.

People who are thick around the waist are more inclined to this sort of problem i believe.
Click to expand...


TY for all the advice/suggestions! :grouphug:

I haven't been tested. I will check that out at my next visit!

RE: my feet.. I will never have the surgery. They even tell you the success rate is very low.

I know two women that had it done at different times and 1 is on crutches (1 1/2 years after the surgery) and the other is in a wheel chair! ( 3 yrs. after surgery.)

Foot Spurs are so terrible! :svengo:
 
April 7 - Day 6

Weight 65kg

Breakfast
1/2 cup oats
1 cup milk
1 apple


Lunch
2 slices wholegrain toast
1 can pea and ham soup made with water 1975.4 kj/

There’s quite a lot of salt in this soup but its high in protein, and carbohydrates. Low in fat. Despite the “ham” in the title, there’s almost no ham in it. 0.5%. I’d say the salt is the lethal ingredient, especially since i ate all 3.4 portions in the one can. I should try to make my own version.

Glass of white wine.

Dinner tonight will be. I'll correct later for details.
Roast vegetables with leftover steamed cabbage

1 medium potato
2 pieces pumpkin, homegrown :)
1 small onion
1 small sweet potato - homegrown too but not that great. A bit dry.
1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
dried herbs
1 cup (about) steamed cabbage from yesterday heated in the microwave.

Thick slice of pineapple and 8 prunes

I think i ate too much. I feel stuffed.

Haven't had this yet...
Cup of coffee with 1/2 cup milk later on.

Exercise. I’ve done zero exercise today. I’ve been extremely sedentary. I am avoiding moving. But tomorrow i will go for a walk.


Stacy
Thanks for responding here. I am sorry to hear about how unsuccessful the foot spur treatment is. I do hope you can find a good way around it.
 
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April 8 - Day 7

Weight 64.6kg

Breakfast
1/2 cup oats
1 cup full cream milk
1 pear

1 cup nescafe w 1/4 cup milk

Lunch
Salad sandwich on wholegrain bread with avocardo, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, canned beetroot
1/2 cup home made yoghurt (w full cream milk)
8 prunes


1glass white wine at about 5pm

Dinner tonight will be
100g pasta
1 cup ratatouille vegetables
coffee w milk


Exercise - 8km walk

During my walk this morning, i thought about how much i want to do a pilates class or some yoga. I don't know if i will do it regularly (because of the money)but if i do a class i might be able to pick up a few exercises i can do at home. I want to do a bit of resistance training. And i know i need to strengthen my tummy muscles.

This walking should be good for my upcoming cycling journey. Normally i don't train for preparation but its good if will start off a bit fitter than usual as i don't really have any time to spare on my journey so i need to be in shape to do good mileage on any cycling day. That is around 100km per day. Maybe a bit less on the dirt roads. But still, i need to do a lot more than 40km which happens when i get sluggish.

I'm hanging out for my glass of wine now. I think i might go and get it. Its about 4pm.
 
Hi fortyfour,

Have you considered switching to lower fat milk? It was easy for me because my mum made me switch when I was very young (8 or so) but you'll save yourself some fat/ calories (I know you don't think in calories, but it's the metric I use) that way. I couldn't go back to drinking full fat milk now, and in fact since I moved out of home 18 months ago I switched from semi-skimmed (2%) to skimmed (0.1%) and I find semi-skimmed a little too creamy for my tastes most of the time. It apparently takes some adjusting in people who aren't used to it- mum tells me she mixed up full cream and lower fat milk with the lower fat milk in increasing quantities until I was only drinking the lower fat milk. If I recall correctly the lowest fat milk is more expensive in Australia (it's the same price in the UK), but even changing to a lower fat option would possibly help you lose weight and have lower fat options.
 
Yes Amy, i have been through the whole low fat dairy and come full circle. I am now against it. The one thing that i don't like about the full cream, is not so much the fat but the fact that its saturated fat which is just a little better than trans-fats. For quite a few years i tried low fat milk and i found it ok on my cereals but not for my coffee. And now i just want all my food to taste the best it can. I think that for my diet, its better to get the calories in my milk. I would only try to find them somewhere else and it may end up being a worse source of calories i end up eating.

Or it may be a good source like say nuts, but they are a weakness and I know that i wouldn't be able to keep control of it for long. I don't have this problem with milk. I don't need to binge with milk but i can binge with every other yummy thing.

There will come a day when i will probably binge on my prunes. lol. Won't it be fun to be around me then! I am only eating those because my doctor told me to for my constipation which results from my antidepressant medication.

I think they did a study with footballers and milk - though i am not sure i think they are the best study group - and it was noted that those who were given the low fat milk made up the calories elsewhere.

Sorry i am raving a bit but i could on and on with my rational for this choice. Its not very long ago that i decided to just quit using low fat at all.

If i wasn't losing weight, i'd have to give it some thought i guess but at the moment things are going fine.
 
Oh, no, if it works for you then do it- it just seemed to be the one thing I'd change if I were having your diet. (I take an attitude with any of my advice that people can take it or leave it, it's no skin off my nose- especially not on an internet forum)
 
I'm somewhat the same. I don't mind if people don't like my advice. I don't mind people giving me advice either. I knew that my choice of full cream milk is a bit unconventional these days and might attract comment.
 
trouble is theres been so many studies that say conflicting things - i always thought that full fat milk would give you well, slightly more fat - but i heard one thing recently that said milk is full of 'good fat' which your body needs.

I mean with conflicting info like that, its really hard to find a way forward.
 
I can suggest using Fitday for your food journal. I've used it in the past. It has Nutritional Facts on just about everything! Also, if your item isn't there, you can add personalized foods and it will save it for you. It also has an exercise journal, info on how much of the RDA you've consumed and other things that I can't remember atm :)
 
Shayne, i will have a look at teh site you mention. I am fairly happy with this place at the moment and don't really want to start again. I'll check it out though. Thanks.

Underhalfofaj, there is no confusion about how good or otherwise the fat in milk is. It is saturated fat. Have a look on the back of the packet and then read up about saturated fat. Saturated fat is animal fat. This is the one that is in butter and meat, cheese. Basically. Its the one that can clog your arteries. Its not good but with exercise the risk of it causing problems is low. If the fat in milk was as good as vegetable oil, they wouldn't be making low fat milk at all most likely.

I think you might just have misread the article. If not, then the article had a printing error or is seriously misguided.

I figure if the only saturated fat in my diet i am eating is from milk, then i don't have much to worry about.
 
April 8 - Day 7

Weight 64.2kg

I seem to be losing weight quite fast. I am surprised that its going this well. I am not going to get into angsting about whether i am losing muscle instead of fat. I think sticking to this sort of diet will sort it out in the long run. I can finally start to see some muscle shape through the flab - except on my thighs and arse of course.

Breakfast - 8am
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup Full cream milk
1 pear


Lunch - 11.30am
Dim sims, cabbage, carrot, leftover roast pumpkin
thick slice of pineapple

2 dim sims, shredded cabbage, sliced carrot (1 cup of vegetables cooked)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp soy sauce
No other salt

Steamed the vegetables and dim sims for 15 minutes.
Heat the oil in a wok. Remove the wok from heat, add garlic and saute one minute.
Return the wok to the heat, add the steamed vegetables and chopped up dim sims. Toss. Add the soy sauce. Toss and heat through.

This was yummy.

Dinner i'm not sure what i'm going to have for dinner now. Maybe lentil soup.

No Exercise But i need to unload the trailer full of dirt this afternoon. If I can have a sleep first i might do some. I am tired at the moment though cause i woke up early.

I've decided to start recording my meal times. This morning i ate breakfast earlier so then i needed lunch earlier. Interestingly, i find that after dinner, i don't seem to need any more food. I think its because i am busy watching tv or some other distraction.

Today i've been reading how fat is digested, absorbed and used in the body. I wouldn't worry about this at all but i want to make sure all that saturated fat is used up on days when i am not exercising. Then i tried to see how much fat i could afford to eat. I found out that i have 26% body fat and that i can eat about 30-40g of fat and i think it was only 10% of this fat should be saturated or was that half. I can't remember. I'm over it. I am just going to keep doing what i am doing but just try to make sure my saturated fat doesn't get high. I know milk is the main (perhaps only) but i have decided I don't want to sacrifice it. Although if i could have a reduced fat milk. I'll see how i go. But for the moment i am doing this. If anyone wants to make this calculation. I used the site healthcentral.com
 
April 8 - Day 7 cont.

4pm glass of wine

Dinner: 7.30pm
2 cups Lentil soup
1/2 cup Yoghurt with chopped mint

Recipe serves 2
100g red lentils
4 cups water or more if needed
1 large potato, diced
1 medium onion
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
lemon

Rinse lentils and drain. Boil in a saucepan with the lid on. Saute finely chopped onions in the olive oil till transapernt. When half cooked, add the diced potato and onion. Cook till all is very soft. Blend with a barmix or food processor. Add salt to taste. Serve with a piece of lemon squeezed in. Stir through.

I'm happy with this recipe. The oil makes it nice and smooth after blending i've just realised. I tried to find an authentic turkish recipe on the net with no luck. I am sure it has almost nothing in it but lentils and salt but i didn't want to make it that plain without seeing a recipe. I spent 7 months in turkey many many years ago. They have wonderful food and lentil soup and mint yoghurt were things we ate often. But its been a long time and I can't remember exactly how it is all done. Not that i haven't made lentil soup before.

I wasn't very hungry tonight after I'd had my wine. Can't imagine why. So anyhow, at the moment, i don't feel the need for my evening coffee, nor the prunes.

I didn't unload the trailer. I just don't want to do anything in the garden at the moment. I am being extremely lazy. I hope my plants don't die from lack of water. Not after all the work i've done to get them in the ground.
 
Temptation tonight

I forgot to mention....

Dad made a fruit cake this afternoon. After dinner he was keen to offer me some of success. I love fruitcake but i am determined to stay away from all my temptations. Its like when i gave up smoking. I can't afford to have one, ever again. I don't know if i will be that strict with sweets and stuff but for now i need to be. This is a strategy that has worked for me and there's no reason why I couldn't give sweets up for life if i felt it was the way to stay slim. So i told dad to save me a piece for Christmas.... Or make another one then.

But when it comes to temptations. Its important for me to keep it to a minimum. How hard is it to give up smoking when you are surrounded by smokers. Its the same with weight gain food. I just don't want to see it. Of course i can't tell people not to eat that stuff but i need to not be offered it and to not see it as much as possible. It makes it easier. Along with feeling satisfied with good healthy food.
 
I admire your resolve, but personally I wonder if I could go this way about it. If my dad made something (ok, maybe not my dad, with him I'd try to tactfully escape his cooking :ack2: ) and I didn't try it, even if I wasn't on a diet, not only would he be hurt (which I don't like doing to anyone), but I'd receive a lot of grief from my entire family for it. My solution (as incorporated into my calorie counting- I know you don't do that) would be to "save" or "pay back" the calorie load, view it as a brief blip that needs to be overcome (in the same way, my boyfriend, who doesn't drink for medical reasons, felt obliged to have a glass of champagne at the wedding we went to in February- he was the best man. He dealt with the consequences, made up for it, moved on). Sometimes there are social obligations that involve food that I think we need to do despite our diets and things- I'm getting to the point where I'm getting some grief for not going to things at university, and the "I'm on a diet" excuse is wearing thin fast. They don't care you're on a diet, they care you're not participating. I wonder if the social cost of not participating in such things will ultimately be a hindrance to a diet (particularly the resolve to see it through long term).

(Again, take it or leave it, just my two cents/ pence)
 
I understand where you are coming from and it makes perfect sense. Particularly the part about avoiding social occasions. I don't do that. I just don't have a social life anyway. I wouldn't avoid occasions. But i need not to look at the food more than necessary and i need not to think about it.

When i am not on a diet, if the thought cake comes into my head, i have a compulsion to eat it. I really can't stop myself anymore. And if i can, i find it painful. I don't need that sort of pain on a regular basis. I guess i've developed this way of responding over the years.

And i find it really difficult to just have a piece of cake. The sweetness triggers some sort of got to have more hormones. Ok there are times when i can be good and not do it and i could probably get away with it now but i also know if i keep doing it, its just tempting fate.

For me sweet food and cigarettes are really very much the same. I gave up cigarettes many times. Each time i failed after i thought i could have just one cigarette a day. I can't. I learnt that by the time i was 33 when i gave up and have never had another one since. The only reason i have never had another one since then is because i knew deep down how it went and i didn't want to smoke again so i more or less promised myself i could never have another cigarette again. And to this day i haven't. Despite any difficulties and stress that have happened. Although i have put on weight by being a non-smoker i am much happier to be a non-smoker.

I don't know if i will quite as rigid with food but i am certainly not going to start by tempting fate.

As to my father. He's ok. I've had his cakes before. I admired the look of it and said it would be good. He's not easily hurt by things like that. Anyway, this means all the more for him. If i were to eat it, i told him, i'd have to eat half the cake and that would mean less for him. He does know what a guts i can be.


As to giving 'diet' as an excuse. Its probably a good idea to come up with another excuse but i wouldn't pass up a dinner out or a party on the basis of being on a diet anyway. If its cake for a wedding or birthday maybe it would be ok to wrap it up and take it home?
 
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