Spencer's Diary

Spencer82

New member
Hi Everyone!

I'm very new, I've been getting a 'feel' for the forum and I really enjoy the way that everyone shares and supports one another. I wish I'd found this a couple of months ago at the start of my journey!

I wanted to start a diary for two reasons.
First, I wanted to document what's worked for me and what hasn't, and share ideas.
And most importantly, I really need accountability to make sure that I don't fall back down the rabbithole or lose sight of my ultimate goals.

I'm a tall person, 5'11, and don't have a big frame. I carry my weight all over, but for me the telltale sign of weight gain is my 'pelican' chin.

Since my first pregnancy back in 2008, I have fought a constant battle with PND, anxiety and depression, and anyone else who has been on meds will probably attest to the significant weight implications that they can have. Another issue I battle is with PCOS and the hormonal struggles associated with it.

I tried just about ever weight loss diet, fad, program on the market, from Keto to DIY IF, to Herbalife, Tony Ferguson, OptiSlim... the list goes on. Call me dumb for trying, , but diet and exercise were not cutting it. CICO worked for me for a short tie between DD1 and DD2, but I found it really hard to deal with cravings - I really struggle with savoury cravings, especially after dinner.

Up until last year I was an avid (and pretty good if I do say so myself) Netballer, I have played since I was 9 years old (I've just turned 38), and now that has caught-up with me. I have severe arthritic changes in my right knee and the beginnings in the left (along with a host of other knee issues that I won't go into). Basically I was told in late Marchl when I found myself having a dual MRI after a practice match saw me end up in crippling pain, that I needed to lose weight strengthen my body or I would be needing a knee replacement by 40, if not before.

Then bam! COVID came to Australia, and we found ourselves in lockdown. My job was on hold, and I was stuck at home with three kids remote learning (one is kinder age), and wallowing in my own pit of anxiety, depression and drinking and eating myself into a coma (not literally, but sort of).

Anyhoo, one day just out of the blue, I decided that this was not cool, called a friend who I knew was having some great success helping people with a program (yes, I know, another program), so I decided to have a crack.

In two months, I've lost 11kg (around 24lbs) and I have not felt this good in years. I am starting to be able to see my abdominal muscles, which after three c-sections I thought were surely gone for good, my skin is clearer and I am bouncing out of bed in the morning and actually able to go to sleep at a decent time.

I'm not in here trying to sell any products, I'll keep the program to myself, but here's a bit of a rundown on me, and what I've changed in my daily life to help achieve so far:

Age and sex
38 / F

Weight
Start: 83.9kg / Current: 72.8kg

Height (for BMI calculation)
180cm / 5'11

Bodyfat % (a better guide to obesity levels and calculating nutrition information if available), if you know it.
I really would like to have this done!! While my BMI is now in a 'normal' range, I would like to improve muscle tone and strength.

What your current diet looks like (food, calories and macro information if possible)
I wasn't a very good eater, I'll be honest. It's not like I was racing to McDonalds every day, but I never ate breakfast (1-2 cups of tea instead), and I often wouldn't eat until around 2pm. Then I'd have a huge dinner and be really 'snacky' afterwards. Our meals are primarily meat and three veg, but potato, pasta and bread were a big deal at dinner time. After dinner snacks might consist of a whole box of shapes (savoury biscuits), cheese and bikkies, salami, you get the idea...

Here's a run-down on what I changed so far:
- giving up bread. I still have small portions of brown rice, and low GI wraps etc, but I ate a slice of bread on Sunday for the first time in 60 days, and god I felt bad!
- giving up coffee/tea with milk & sugar. This has been a godsend, I can't believe how reliant I was and how much the caffeine actually fatigued me! Herbal tea all the way (I'm crushing on blood orange flavour at the moment).
- eat small amounts of the right things regularly!
- regular amounts of protein throughout the day. I have mine through a complete shake, and support with my snack and meal options. For example, my lunch today was a falafel salad with hummus, rocket, tomato, pomegranate, red onion and a small amount of soft feta instead of a dressing. It was delicious!
- snack-wise again hummus and veggies, almonds, boiled egg, and if I have fruit I always pair it with a protein. Raspberries (in moderation) are a good fruit to help with weight loss. I snack mid morning and mid afternoon. Generally have a meal for lunch and a shake for dinner, but I'm flexible depending on how my day is looking. At the moment I'm back to a shake for breakfast and a meal at lunch and dinner, with the healthy snacks in between. I'm actually eating more during the day than I ever have.
- I have a straight protein drink with organic greens after dinner. Helps with the bloaty feeling I get and with any naughty cravings I might have!
- Supported intermittent fasting one or two days a week (consecutively) has helped me with balancing my hormones and really does make me feel amazing! The support comes in a calorie-controlled manner which doesn't break the fast, but stops me feeling like I'm turning inside-out. I have read stories of people fasting without any support for 72+ hours, but my reading into it suggests that it's not that helpful and really hard - neither of which appeal to me personally.

I love reading other people's meal and snack suggestions, I think variety is important to stay motivated, so keep them coming!!

Current exercise (type, frequency, duration)
My work is pretty sedentary, I basically sit at a desk most of the day. I'm busy with three kids, so running them around is full-on, and we live a long way from town so most of that is driving.
Prior to this lockdown I was back in the gym twice a week for about 40mins, using the x-trainer for a warmup and some cardio, and then into endurance-style weight training to help tone-up.

My issue during lockdown is that I can't run, I struggle walking too far, I suck at bike riding (I was a horse rider and never got into push bikes), I really can't jump around or do high intensity in-home PT and I don't own any gym equipment. So please guys, if you've read my novel this far and have some great tips on some resistance training I can do at home without fancy equipment to help strengthen my core and legs in particular, I'd be super grateful!

Goals:
In terms of the scales, maintaining under 75kg would be ideal, however I really want to try and strengthen and build lean muscle, and tone up a bit more. I'm getting better but still pretty flappy and floppy from carrying too much weight in the past.

I have attached a progress photo from my first 35 days, see what I mean about the chins?
 

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Hey Spencer, good to see you have started a diary. I think its the best way to get into the flow here. Congrats on your weight loss! The pictures are impressive, a pretty lady with and without the pelican chin! I like that pelican name, may use it myself now.

I don't think mentioning the name of a diet program you use is a problem here, so long as you are not promoting or selling it. Actually I think it helps to know more about what folks are doing and what works for them. I would not post a link to it, that might attract attention as possible spam.

When my gym was closed down I got a BodyBoss resistance based thing, it helped. I still use it on occasion when I do a home workout. I got mine on Amazon, don't know if that works for you in Australia, but I am sure you can find something similar there.
 
Hey Spencer and congratulations on some great weightloss! Nice to have you on the forum. I agree with Rob that just mentioning the name of the program shouldn't be a problem but in the end what I'm interested in is what you did. Looks like you're taking a healthy route, which is always good to see. Has the pain in your knees decreased at all so far?
 
... I never ate breakfast (1-2 cups of tea instead), and I often wouldn't eat until around 2pm.
...
- giving up coffee/tea with milk & sugar.

when you "wouldn't eat until around 2pm", did the tea you had instead of breakfast contain milk & sugar?

i would be curious to know how you feel intermittent fasting failed you.
 
Hi, Spencer. Good to see you starting a diary. :iagree: with LaMa. It is always interesting to read about what works for someone else, but thank you for not putting a link to your friend's program. I can see some similarities to a program I did years ago. Having protein with your fruit was one of the recommendations on reaching maintenance to help reduce insulin spikes. Thanks for telling us so much about yourself. It really helps us get to know one another. It is a very supportive forum and helps keep me on track. I found that once I got to my goal weight I needed support more than ever.
 
Than
Hey Spencer, good to see you have started a diary. I think its the best way to get into the flow here. Congrats on your weight loss! The pictures are impressive, a pretty lady with and without the pelican chin! I like that pelican name, may use it myself now.

I don't think mentioning the name of a diet program you use is a problem here, so long as you are not promoting or selling it. Actually I think it helps to know more about what folks are doing and what works for them. I would not post a link to it, that might attract attention as possible spam.

When my gym was closed down I got a BodyBoss resistance based thing, it helped. I still use it on occasion when I do a home workout. I got mine on Amazon, don't know if that works for you in Australia, but I am sure you can find something similar there.

Thanks so much, I'll definitely check that out!
 
when you "wouldn't eat until around 2pm", did the tea you had instead of breakfast contain milk & sugar?

i would be curious to know how you feel intermittent fasting failed you.

Yep, I know, insane!! I would have white tea with two sugars, so bad ‍♀️

I found that when I tried IF solo, during my non-fasting times I would crave really bad food - fried foods, soft drink, savoury biscuits etc., and let's just say that my self-control is not a strength...
So I was gorging, then I'd feel crap, then I'd fast and be miserable and hungry.

The support fast that I use now seems to be much more gentile, and I always end it with a shake so I don't get that 'heavy' feeling and all the bad cravings.
 
Hi, Spencer. Good to see you starting a diary. :iagree: with LaMa. It is always interesting to read about what works for someone else, but thank you for not putting a link to your friend's program. I can see some similarities to a program I did years ago. Having protein with your fruit was one of the recommendations on reaching maintenance to help reduce insulin spikes. Thanks for telling us so much about yourself. It really helps us get to know one another. It is a very supportive forum and helps keep me on track. I found that once I got to my goal weight I needed support more than ever.

Thank you, yes I'm definitely conscious of falling back into a negative cycle.

I have a strange relationship with food, and a tendency to wallow and eat - thanks Depression - I'm continuing with a maintenance program, I don't want to be the person who falls off the wagon and ends up bigger than when they started.
 
Today has been a challenge!

I may have had a few too many last night, so all day today I've craved comfort food.

What does everyone else do to navigate hangovers or just generally when you have days where you just want to dive into the nacho bowl and stay there?
 
I am not a drinker, however, making sure you fully re-hydrate would be a good start, booze is a diuretic so part of the hangover is being dehydrated.

Hope you feel better soon
 
Water before you go to sleep, water and vit C after getting up, then maybe soup for salt. Also extra sleep. I mostly stopped drinking years ago though.
 
Today has been a challenge!

I may have had a few too many last night, so all day today I've craved comfort food.

What does everyone else do to navigate hangovers
One of the best things I did early in the diet was to cut my drinking back 90+%. I found alcohol was just wasted calories, and after a while I found I did not really need it. That is the best cure I know for hangovers! Now I do still have the occasional drink, and find I have become a very cheap drunk, it doesn't take much to make me feel high, a single whiskey or glass of wine is now my limit. Drinking also lowered my resistance to overeating, not drinking cured that one problem anyway.
just generally when you have days where you just want to dive into the nacho bowl and stay there?
Stopping drinking has not stopped me from feeling that way some days, I suppose I always will have those desires. What I do about is just don't. Resist doing whatever it takes, do something to get busy and distract is a good tactic. I do things like go to the store (ours are all still open), go to the gym, go for a walk, post here, take a nap, whatever I can think of. Sometimes I just have to tough it out, I have learned I can do that. I have also learned to mostly sort out real hunger from cravings. If I am really hungry I feed it with something low calorie, fruit, a seafood snack, but not a lot and not a lot of calories.

You can do this, you have been doing it, I am sure you will find a way! Best of luck with things.
 
Thanks guys!! Made it though and ready to sleep it off!
I haven't been drinking, I don't normally get hangovers but clearly my body was angry with me!!
Tomorrow is a new day
 
Yep, I know, insane!! I would have white tea with two sugars, so bad ‍♀️

I found that when I tried IF solo, during my non-fasting times I would crave really bad food - fried foods, soft drink, savoury biscuits etc., and let's just say that my self-control is not a strength...
So I was gorging, then I'd feel crap, then I'd fast and be miserable and hungry. ...

so i'm thinking you know exactly what i was getting at.... you weren't skipping breakfast and your overnight 'fast' was 'broken' by a simple cup of tea. your insulin level immediately rose and you effectively shut down what might have been a fat burning window until you had your 2pm meal. likely worse was the crash off the small insulin surge which might have been the reason for your "gorging" episodes. ... just a thought.

personally i find intermittent fasting is very effective, but as i have said before, it's not easy 100% of the time. the vast majority of the day i feel no hunger. in fact when my eating window is on the horizon, sometimes it bothers me that i'm not that hungry, but there are definitely fasting times when it's VERY hard to ignore a few minutes of hunger. the desire does fade... sorta like hiccups... once it's gone, you really can't put your finger on exactly when it happens. i hate to relate it to drug use, but i remember times when i was much younger that i made the choice to refuse something because the few minutes of feeling good was severely out of balance with the horrible feeling often accompanying the following day. different drug... same feeling.
 
more on coffee/ tea...

i went through a bit of a tea/ coffee saga a few years ago. when i made an initial diet change a few items were on the black list immediately. among them were sugar and milk. in retrospect, lactose is not a really bad sugar, but i used to drink a LOT of non-fat milk. i wasn't an added-sugar addict as i have always used sweeteners in coffee and tea, but ditching the milk was a minor challenge. for a while i stuck to iced tea, but after a few months i can't really point to a specific day or time, but i first started drinking black (sweetened) coffee and then a few months later, starting doing the same with tea. on occasion, during eating windows, i will add some almond milk. it's certainly different, but i enjoy it... sometimes.

A Wake-Up Call About the Calories in Coffee, depending on what you add...
 
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so i'm thinking you know exactly what i was getting at.... you weren't skipping breakfast and your overnight 'fast' was 'broken' by a simple cup of tea. your insulin level immediately rose and you effectively shut down what might have been a fat burning window until you had your 2pm meal. likely worse was the crash off the small insulin surge which might have been the reason for your "gorging" episodes. ... just a thought.

personally i find intermittent fasting is very effective, but as i have said before, it's not easy 100% of the time. the vast majority of the day i feel no hunger. in fact when my eating window is on the horizon, sometimes it bothers me that i'm not that hungry, but there are definitely fasting times when it's VERY hard to ignore a few minutes of hunger. the desire does fade... sorta like hiccups... once it's gone, you really can't put your finger on exactly when it happens. i hate to relate it to drug use, but i remember times when i was much younger that i made the choice to refuse something because the few minutes of feeling good was severely out of balance with the horrible feeling often accompanying the following day. different drug... same feeling.
Sorry I missed what you meant, I didn't have a tea to break fast, I would break fast with a light meal x
 
Hey guys!

Happy hump day! (Wednesday here).

Over the hangover, but gee I was still bloated on Monday, a good old fashioned belly buster (straight protein powder) before bed and I was a million bucks Tuesday.

Today I'm fasting, plan on going through to Friday Morning (I do a supported fast, so no I'm not starving ). Looking forward to the fresh feels in the morning - love it!!

I am a weirdo, I love cooking when I'm fasting. I get some kind of weird cathartic vibes

Tonight I made lamb shanks and veg for the family, I spent hours prepping and cooking, and the aromas in the house are incredible. Saving myself a serve for Friday lunchtime.

A big win for me has been keeping up the energy to help the kids with remote learning while we are still in lockdown, and work from home, and try to keep the house in some sort of order. It's not a workout, but it's definitely busy!!

That's my week so far, I hope yours has been great x
 
Sorry I missed what you meant, I didn't have a tea to break fast, I would break fast with a light meal x

maybe i misunderstood... if you have a cup of tea with milk and sugar, that will be enough calories to break a fast. during my fasting times i drink water, iced tea (lemon = 1 or 2 calories... it takes about 50+ calories to break a fast), black coffee and hot tea with a 'friendly' sweetener.
 
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