The Battle Plan

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Day 4

Today was cooking day. Usually I make 2-3 portions of one recipe, so I'll have ready made meals for a couple of days. I know some people don't like to reheat their meals or eat same things for several days, but I don't like to cook every single meal every day. And it still tastes well, so that's my compromise. Other meals that don't need actual cooking can be then whipped up when needed. I do like variety, though. I don't want to eat the same thing for breakfast, but some people can do that for weeks or even months in a row. Respect. It would make my life a lot easier.

Fish soup was a new recipe. Trout, tomato sauce, oil, broth, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers and cabbage, plus seasoning. Simple, but delicious. One thing I can't compromise on is taste. I can't eat something just because it's healthy, I have to like every ingredient. I know I can have tasty food even when I'm losing weight. That really helps a lot with weight loss.

I also tried bean quesadilla, but I used chickpeas instead. Whole wheat tortilla, cheese, chickpeas, tomato sauce, seasoning. I know I should add vegetables, but I don't like onions, and I didn't have fresh tomatoes or things like that this morning. I do try to add some fresh vegetables with every meal. I guess it's time to do some grocery shopping. So, I just had a couple of pickles as a side. Tasted ok. A bit too much chickpeas, I think. I have another bean quesadilla planned for tomorrow, but I'm not sure I'd use the same recipe again after that. Well, at least I gave it a shot.

To be continued...
 
Logi said:
One thing I can't compromise on is taste. I can't eat something just because it's healthy, I have to like every ingredient. I know I can have tasty food even when I'm losing weight. That really helps a lot with weight loss.
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Seconded. Being able to cook is so helpful!
 
It's great that you cook. So many don't & that surprises me. Sounds like it is time for a grocery shop. Are onions the only veggie you don't like? Is that all onions? I love spring onions.
 
Cate said:
Are onions the only veggie you don't like? Is that all onions? I love spring onions.
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I'm not too keen on mushrooms either. I'd eat mushrooms and all onions in restaurant meals if I had to, but I won't use them at home. It's the texture mostly, and smell with onions. I use onion powder for seasoning, but that's lacking in beneficial nutrients you get from fresh produce.
 
That's not too bad. A lot of people don't like mushrooms. I'm glad you like cooking & like veggies. What do you usually feel like for breakfast? My favourite breakfast is eggs & 1/4 avocado on sourdough oat toast.
 
Logi said:
I know it's fine to have bbq, all I have to do is get the right amount of meat, some salad or fruit as a side and it should be all right.
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I think the trouble is that "salad" can too often look dull (plain old lettuce and tomato) or cold, and thus not needing to be eaten in a hurry, while often at a barbecue the lure is to eat the hot things, which could be blameless lean meat, but might be a patty or sausages with goodness-knows-what in them, or garlic bread, or hot baked potatoes with cheese on top... maybe in your planning you could include some exciting-looking vegetables, like whole cobs of corn, or eggplant?
 
Cate said:
What do you usually feel like for breakfast? My favourite breakfast is eggs & 1/4 avocado on sourdough oat toast.
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I'm partial to eggs as well. As opposed to cereal or granola. And don't get me started on avocado. :D But I don't really have particular breakfast foods or lunch/dinner foods. Mostly I'll just have whatever feels tasty at that moment. It might even be soup, or something that's usually eaten for dinner, or something lighter. I'm following a meal plan where every recipe has similar amount of calories and balanced macros (something like 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbs), and they're not grouped as breakfast/lunch/dinner. It's very versatile, so I can pretty much have whatever I want, and it doesn't make me feel uncomfortably full in the mornings.

aiminglow said:
I think the trouble is that "salad" can too often look dull (plain old lettuce and tomato) or cold, and thus not needing to be eaten in a hurry, while often at a barbecue the lure is to eat the hot things, which could be blameless lean meat, but might be a patty or sausages with goodness-knows-what in them, or garlic bread, or hot baked potatoes with cheese on top... maybe in your planning you could include some exciting-looking vegetables, like whole cobs of corn, or eggplant?
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You're spot on with the hot and cold things, it does make a difference. Grilled vegetables should make things more interesting.

Having others around is a major factor as well. On my own, I'd only bbq the leaner meats I like, but when others are having something else, it's easier to cave and try some. And then it's really hard to stop. Haven't found the right balance yet, how to handle these kinds of situations. Work in progress, I guess.
 
HI Logi,
Was just reading through your diary. Nice to have you as part of the forum--i've found this forum to be so helpful to keep me on track. It's amazing how much it helps just making a habit of reporting in on a regular basis!You sound like you've made an excellent start. It's great you know how to cook and enjoy good healthy food. i'm similar to you in that I like to make a few portions at a time so I don't have to cook for every meal.
 
Logi said:
I'm following a meal plan where every recipe has similar amount of calories and balanced macros (something like 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbs), and they're not grouped as breakfast/lunch/dinner. It's very versatile, so I can pretty much have whatever I want, and it doesn't make me feel uncomfortably full in the mornings.
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Sounds like my kind of plan. Is there a website where people can find recipe ideas or is it all paid?
 
LaMaria said:
Sounds like my kind of plan. Is there a website where people can find recipe ideas or is it all paid?
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It's all paid, unfortunately. But there are no special recipes that you can't find elsewhere for free, it's all real food, no fancy diet foods. It just takes a bit of effort to get the macros straight if you want to do it on your own, and there are free apps for that. So I don't think it's really necessary to pay for some special weight loss programs, if you don't want to. For me it's just convenient, and I've gotten used to it.
 
:) I agree, I´m just always interested in new recipes. Especially ones with balanced macros. But browsing for them is half the fun anyway.
 
Day 5

Cake! I made 'chocolate' cake with eggs, bananas, coconut flakes, coconut sugar, a bit of oil, and raw cacao powder. It's delicious. It's all about the right ingredients and portion sizes. If you can have a savoury omelette and bananas with coconut flakes and cacao powder for breakfast, you can also have 'chocolate' cake for breakfast. Same ingredients and balanced macros.

I guess it depends on individual experiences. I'm not triggered by eating such a cake, but I've triggered binge episodes by just having an apple because eating a good amount of carbs makes my blood sugar spike. This cake has a pretty good balance of carbs, fat and protein, so it's just a different meal to have, a meal like any other. But I can see how it can be triggering when I'm on the edge where all it takes is a bit of crumbs and bingefest it is. It's more psychological than physiological for me.

It probably depends on one's mindset as well. It's still something that's frowned upon. I've heard comments that weight loss and cake cannot possibly go together, you should abstain from everything 'sinful', there are 'good' and 'bad' foods to eat or avoid. I also know people who swear that they cannot get full on these 'healthy' cakes, but an omelette and bananas (or other fruits) is just fine for them even though the meal is made of exactly the same ingredients. As if a cake is not 'real' when it's healthier, and they can't get enough satisfaction from it. I wonder, is it just a psychological effect they're experiencing, or are there any deeper physiological reasons behind it as well? With unbalanced meals it's easier to see why bingeing or cravings can be triggered. And 'healthy' doesn't always mean that it's going to keep you full for longer periods of time. Hmm, food for thought.

To be continued...
 
Hey Logi, just catching up and I can see you are off to a great start! Your food sounds really good.
Logi said:
I'm not triggered by eating such a cake, but I've triggered binge episodes by just having an apple because eating a good amount of carbs makes my blood sugar spike
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It is good that you have an understanding of what triggers your binges. To be honest I do not, not a very complete one anyway. I agree with Amy just because something tastes good we should not automatically assume its bad. Even on my low cal diet I try to find things I like the taste of. I knew a guy once who was on a diet and liked preaching to others about it, his favorite line was "if it tastes good spit it out". Never seemed very sustainable to me!

I am enjoying watching your good progress, keep it up.
 
I´m always happy to find healthier versions of delicious things. Sad to say I can´t always be sensible about them anyway but I do appreciate having the option.
 
alligatorob said:
It is good that you have an understanding of what triggers your binges. To be honest I do not, not a very complete one anyway. I agree with Amy just because something tastes good we should not automatically assume its bad. Even on my low cal diet I try to find things I like the taste of. I knew a guy once who was on a diet and liked preaching to others about it, his favorite line was "if it tastes good spit it out". Never seemed very sustainable to me!

I am enjoying watching your good progress, keep it up.
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Thanks! I can't say that I have a very complete understanding of my binges either. Sometimes I just ignore all the signs and binge anyway. Being an emotional eater anything can really set me off when I'm feeling low. It's still a work in progress.

I've always thought that losing weight shouldn't have to be all pain and misery. It's hard work, that's for sure, but I believe it can still be done enjoyably. It's not a short term process anyway, lifestyle change can help a lot with the progress.

LaMaria said:
I´m always happy to find healthier versions of delicious things. Sad to say I can´t always be sensible about them anyway but I do appreciate having the option.
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Oh, yes, definitely agree.
 
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Day 6

My goals. Why am I doing this?

I know what I want deep inside, but putting it to words seems too...much, overwhelming, not enough?

It's difficult to commit to something. I've failed so many times before with different things. And it's way easier to stay non-committal. That way I will never disappoint myself, because I never made any promises in the first place. Ha, genius.

I don't hate myself or my body (most of the time). I don't have any health problems (yet). I don't care about people being wowed by my transformation (ooh...but, but let's be honest...it would be soooo sweet). I'm not tempted by pretty clothes I can get off the rack (that would be sweet too, obviously). But I don't feel good in my body, like really good. And I think I should. Even knowing that I'm doing my best to feel good no matter what should make things a lot better. I think it's about time because I haven't given my best at all.

I can't predict how my weight loss will influence my life because being overweight is all I've ever known. And it's scary. Will it make things better or worse in some ways? Probably both. In a way, losing weight would probably not change my life that much. I know it's not going to be some Hollywood dream transformation. It's going to bring up a whole lot of different things that can be both good and bad, things I've never had to deal with before, or couldn't even imagine right now. But I feel like I owe it to myself to find out.

I'm sick of feeling like I'm not good enough as I am. I know I am, but there's always that nagging feeling at the back of my mind that maybe I've just been lying to myself for decades. The problem is I can't be sure if all that is going to change with weight loss. I can't really control anything other than what I'm eating. Maybe I will never feel good enough because that's what being a human being is supposed to be like? But good enough for what? Why not do things differently for a change, just for fun, just to live differently and not only in my comfort zone? No matter what the outcome is. Warts and all.

To be continued...
 
Not putting your life on hold until you reach a certain weight is a healthy way of looking at things at least. I know I´ve held off on doing things I thought I ought to want (but really was scared of) with the excuse of waiting until I reached a sensible weight and would stand out less or something. Turns out that becomes a good reason for self-sabotage (because as long as I didn´t reach that weight I wouldn´t have to try the scary thing I´d hyped up in my mind). Accepting yourself, warts and all, and venturing outside your comfort zone enough for it to be exciting but not terrifying sound like good plans to me.
 
Wanting to feel good in your body is how I would describe ( & have before) why I want to be slim. I want to feel comfortable in my own skin again. First time I got to my GW I don't think I was really ready for it, but I know I am now. I like your insights in your diary Logi.
 
Day 7

Measurement Monday
Week 1

Current weight: 295 lbs
Weight lost: 10 lbs

Yay! First mini-goal achieved. Double fiver! First weeks are always great. I know it's mostly water weight, but it's really uplifting to see things working.

Chest under bust: 45''
Waist: 45''
Hips: 52''
Thighs: 31''
Upper arms: 18''
Height: 5'9'' (unlikely to change all throughout this process :D)

I thought it would be good to put down my body measurements as well. I'm not going to take them every week. Let's say another body measurement day will be 3 months from now, in August. I know it takes a while to see the results, but by then it should be exciting to take them. Weight will go down faster week by week, so it'll be interesting.

The scale isn't always your best friend, and your body might want to do things at its own pace. In case my weight doesn't change every week, it would still be good progress if the body measurements show some kind of movement. And even when nothing changes, as long as I've been eating well, there shouldn't be any reason to feel down. It's a long and winding road anyway. Keep going!

So far so good. My mood has been stable. And that always happens whenever I start having balanced meals. It almost feels liberating to get rid of the cravings. It's true that whenever you eat candy, the more you want to eat it, and it turns into a never-ending cycle. The more I eat unbalanced meals, the less balanced I feel overall. Why do I keep forgetting how good it feels, and always fall back on old habits? I should really know better by now.

One of the reasons for starting this diary was the opportunity to come back to old entries when I was feeling low. Maybe that way I can turn things around before they get really out of hand. Now I just have to keep reminding myself to come back and read everything when things start to get weird again. That doesn't sound very difficult, does it? We'll see.

To be continued...
 
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