Christmas and New Years are over so hopefully the world returns to a more ”normal” pace and activities. This means that I can start to pay attention again to what I am eating and how much exercise I am getting. I have a very bad habit of letting exercise be the first casualty when I am extra busy.

So it has been a few weeks of not really paying close attention to what I am eating, or drinking. Drinking has been one area I think where I have let the side down so to speak. It is rare that I would normally drink either alcohol or soft drinks but over the party season I have had a bit of both. This is an area where it is all too easy to consume excess calories without noticing.

Eating when you are not in charge of what is being prepared is also a challenge. I have eaten more bread and pasta and potatoes (chips) in the past few weeks than I have in a long time. This all adds up.

But the travelling is done. I am home again and though I will be at home looking after the kids for most of January I am hoping I can get into a good eating routine again. Minus all the fast convenient foods that are full of the things I don’t want or need to eat. Though, in my favour, I did manage to take my protein powder with me and ensured that I had at least 15gm of protein within ½ hour of getting up, despite when the official breakfast may have happened, or what it contained.

While travelling I didn’t take my scales with me (that would be just a bit too much dedication), so it was with a bit of trepidation that I stepped on them for the first time after we returned. Only 1.5kg up. Whew. I was kind of expecting more than that given the lack of focus over the holiday period.

So now back to the diet. Back to the exercise. Back to wanting to get below 100kg for the first time since I was pregnant with my eldest (who is now nine).

Susy

I have been so busy in the past few weeks that I really have not had time to do anything – including strictly watch what I have been eating. At this time of year as you can image that has included having to eat at Christmas functions and visits with friends etc.

I was so busy because I took on a rush commission for one of our national institutions. They required stuff before the opening of an exhibition so, foolishly, I said “sure no problem”, and busted my gut to get things finished. So with all the tempting eating locations coupled with the stress of this commission, school ending for the year, Christmas tomorrow … Diet? What diet?

Consequently my weight has fluctuated from 102.9 up to 104.3 and back again. I was 103.0 kg this morning. So the damage has not been that bad. I have unfortunately not done nearly enough exercise, or even my “regular” exercise over this period so I’m not sure if the staying stable in weight has been fat increase with muscle loss or just staying stationery. I’m not sure I want to check with the scales.

We leave on Boxing day for a 10 day road trip holiday to visit family about the country. It will be interesting to see how I pull up after that!

Marry Christmas to you all. Don’t stress about eating all the right, or not eating all the wrong things. Take your cheat day Christmas as totally guilt free and enjoy the holiday season.

Susy

This has been a bad week! I have been nearly 40 days on this diet and this morning I weighted 99.3 kg! Not great!

So what’s been happening well it’s funny how you lose your motivation when things aren’t happening.  I have been doing the kettlebells every day and I have noticed shape change in my arms but it has been hard to stick to the diet!

I do actually think that I probably don’t eat often enough and then I get really hungry early afternoon and frankly peanuts are my weakness!   I know I should probably eat every 4 hours but sometimes I go 6 or more hours.  In the mornings I have changed and I am now having a protein shack with about 15gms of protein within 1 hour of waking up but sometimes that’s all I have till lunch besides my 1 coffee!!! If I am hungry I tend to drink more water but I haven’t worked out a snack type meal yet!

What do you eat when you are snacking! I know Tim says carrots but it’s just not the sane.  Please can anyone help me!!!!!!

Ok moving forward this weekend we are going away so it’s going to blow everything out of the water because we are staying at a friend’s house.  I am going to try and be good but I really can’t go through the whole diet thing as we are only there for 2 days!  What does that mean well 2 days of cheating! Ha that’s a laugh I have been cheating a ll week….. It has been hot here and red wine just doesn’t cut it….i must have beer…. I know I know it’s not on the diet but…….

So wish me luck for the weekend I am actually looking forward to it and there will be no weighing for 2 days which is kind of scary but I am sure I’ll survive!

Jo

That is a very good question I was speaking to a lady today who has lost 40 kg in the last 2 yrs and she said to me that what helped her was listening to her body and to work out why it is that she actually eats.  How we didn’t get in to details because I don’t know her that well but it did make me think about that very question!

Have you ever asked a naturally thin person what they think about food?  Well I have and the thing is THEY DON’T THINK ABOUT FOOD!

Light Bulb!!!!! I think about food a lot!!!!!!

Why well that I am still trying to work out.  Is it because I am actually hungry on this diet?  Is it because I don’t eat enough on this diet? Or because I am bored? Or maybe because I’m stressed? Or just because I have always thought about food……And I have always been fat?

Well that’s not exactly true I think that I really started to put the weight on after about 14 when I got a part time job and had some cash to spend!  I have since then been 70 kg twice once when I was 19 and then right before I got married at 32! Pretty said really….

The thing is in my 20’s I was about 85 kg for 10 yrs then I lost the weight for my wedding and since then I have managed to pile the weight on.

But back to my original question why do I eat well I just haven’t figures that out yet so maybe that’s my problem.

As for weight loss the week…very very very slow I was up then down then up again like the last few weeks and finally today I was 98.3 kg!  But tomorrow is cheat day so we will start the cycle again!

Jo

Slowly slowly – that is what is happening. Off a bit on a bit but the trend is downwards so this is all good.

Why is the weight not just falling off? Well I get hungry on this diet. Then I snack. Only the foods I am “allowed” but too many almonds are too many almonds even if they are allowed. Recently I have discovered spiced dried peas. The spiciness means that I do not eat too many. The dried bit means that they are actually hard to eat and so take linger – and they get all over my hands so it is harder to snack and do things at the same time. Almonds are a much cleaner and easier food!

But weight wise what is happening? Tuesday I was 104 kg, Wednesday 103.8, Thursday 103.3 now today 103.6! I would like to think that is because I went to the gym last night and did a step class so the slight increase in weight is actually increase in muscle. Though yesterday I did eat more that I “should”.

It has gotten cold again here. We should not still be using lots of blankets on beds at the beginning of an Australian summer. So I think my feeling hungry may also be triggered a bit by the cold.  Cold is supposed to be good for weight loss but I’m not that fond of it.

They always say that you can do without one, but not two of: sleep, warmth or food and still function properly. By dieting I am down in the food department. Now I have been skimping on sleep as well to get a commission finished for one of our national institutions. It was a bit of a last minute thing and I do not have a lot of time to get a lot of things done so I have stayed up late. The things we do.

Susy

I am 104kg this morning. Only 3kg less that when I started this how many weeks ago? I feel discouraged. Last week was a bit of an all over the place week. I did not stick very closely to the diet I will admit – but I am down from104.6 kg this time last week. And I was up to 105.5 kg on Wednesday!

Tuesday I went out for dinner & movie with my husband. This does not happen all that often so I was not all that concerned about thinking about sticking to the diet. I just enjoyed myself. Dinner was short and long Chinese soup, and we had fried prawn fritters for starters. We went to “Happy’s” in Civic – great little restaurant tucked away downstairs. The food was great. Ok – I did stick to the diet in that I gave most of the noodles to my husband. I did eat all of the plentiful wantons though!

Movies was different. Popcorn and coke. This time though we shared a large – not like we would have in the past with an box of enormous popcorn between us and a coke each. So while I was not strictly sticking to the letter of the law my behaviour was different this time than last time we went out to the movies together (probably about 6 months ago).

All of this though means that weight loss has slowed down. I was feeling concerned about this – but then I remembered that my clothes feel a little less tight so I went and measured myself on Saturday. Virtually no change! Oh No! But something MUST be happening!

So yesterday I did the whole analysis with my fancy new scales. OMG. Something is definitely happening. My fat % was down from 46.2 % when I started this (a number that was fairly close to what the DEXA scan had my percentage as) down to 41.6%!!! That is a loss of 5% body fat! So the fat is being turned into muscle – which weighs more than the fat – thus the slow weight loss. The lack of reduction in inches I can’t really explain except to think that the reduction is happening in areas that I am not measuring. I am definitely thinking that my clothes fit better. So I will be reshaping my figure at the moment rather than reducing it.

All of which is good. And gives me incentive to keep going!

Susy

What is going on it seems as if my body is saying NO you are not allowed to lose weight!

Well maybe I need to start at the beginning! 12 months ago I was actually 110kg and I thought that maybe I could lose 40 kg by the time I was 40 which was in 10 months!  A little unrealistic when I look back but points for aiming high, I didn’t make it.  I managed to lose 12 kg by my birthday which was in September but I lost most of it by May and then I seemed to get stuck.  I knew by then my goal was unrealistic so I kind of lost interest.  Fast forward to this and when I got on the scales I was as you know 101.5 kg and that scared me to realize that I struggled to get the weight off and in a flash it could all be back on!

When I go look back and all the times I have weighed myself in the last 10 years I haven’t been under 98 kg since 2008!   It is almost like this is my set point!  So to be less than 98kg is BIG!

What every weight lost doctor (well everyone I’ve seen) will tell you if you have a lot of weight to lose that the first bit comes off the easiest so for me that first 10kg but because my body has been on a low calorie diet for a yrs I think it has decided that it needs to hang on to every last bit of fat that it can!

When I think about things though I am at 98.4 kg today and that means a total weight loss of 3.1kg in 25 days less than a month and if I was to lose 3 kg a month that is pretty good going so maybe I should be so hard on myself.  I think the weigh yourself every day is a little mind game everyday….For example last night I just had to have some chips and it was late like 10pm and I ate 160gms of this vegi chip things so not totally unhealthy but not good then today I am 500gms lighter go figure.

I think the key is even when I feel like it tough and I have something I shouldn’t is to stop and get back on track because this is for life for me I never want to be over 100kg again but I don’t even want to be anywhere in the 80’s or 90’s so a lot of work to go but I will get there and when I do I am going to do my hardest to stay there this time!

Jo

How is it that I can be 99 kg again!  So early last week was good and on Friday I was 98 kg and I was thinking that finally my body had decided that it was ok to lose weight.  Then Saturday was my cheat day and yes I cheated but I didn’t think too much.  I had normal breakfast of eggs then lunch I had a ham and cheese sandwich in nice bread which I couldn’t even eat as the bread stuck in my mouth.  Then I had beer and pizza at dinner with chocolate ice cream for dessert and boy did it all taste so good!

Sunday weigh in 99 kg!!! Even worse this morning after being back on the diet 99.2kg!  Totally unfair…..

What else have I been doing well the kettle bells every morning I have been using the 12 kg and doing 70 swings each morning before breakfast.  I think this week I am going to change things up a bit?  What I am not sure yet but something!

I might have to do some extra walking for the week or even add in the 2 other exercises that Tim suggests that you do in the morning.

I need something to shift as this is week 4 and I am stuck at99kg which would be 2.5 kg for the month! Not quite the 9 kg in 6 weeks that Tim suggests you can lose. It is like my body is hanging on to every bit of fat it can!

The good points so far are that I can tell a difference in my arms they are defiantly changing shape and I will have to go and measure myself to hopefully make me feel better for the day!

This is not a good start to Monday!

Jo

I was so excited last week. I went from 105.9 kg at my last post to 105.4, to 104.9 to 104.6! Wow. Things were finally happening! Weight was coming off at the rate of 500gm a day!

I think I got a bit too excited because I then thought: “Things are working so well I don’t have to be so diligent”. Believe me these are bad thoughts to think while on a diet. I stopped losing weight. I have been 104.6 kg for the past three days.

Ok there are reasons for this – I won’t call them excuses because that makes it seem like I had no control over them. I had cheese and cookie dough when I was making gingerbread for the kids. Not a lot but I was picking. I also went to two Christmas parties on the Thursday evening and had champagne (supposably something you should not drink on this diet). I did ration the finger food I chose to the skewers of meat and vegetables. It was hard but I was feeling that what I was doing was working so I was motivated to try to stick to “ok” food even if I didn’t stick to the drinks regime.

I have also been sort of doing kettle bells. Yes I know I said I was not going to but I stumbled across (literally) the two little 4kg ones that I use for doorstops and thought that I could use them. I have been doing twenty swings up and down between my legs with one of these kettle bells in each hand. Then 20 back and forth arms (front to back swings), and 20 twisting swinging side to side once again with a bell in each hand. But I did not do that Friday and Saturday – and the weight loss stopped.

So perhaps that is the weight loss secret. I will start again tomorrow. It has been taking only about 5 min each morning. I walk the kids to school (20 min round trip) then come back inside to swing the bells before taking myself off to work. I should also mention that I deliberately park 10-15 min walk away from work so that I have to walk each morning and afternoon, and I walk up the four floors to the office. I also have 5 kg of weights in my back pack. These are in the form of a small barbell and some flexible leg weights.

So it is not as if the kettle bell swings have been the only exercise I have been doing. I mentioned in an earlier post that I also do one session of weights at the gym each week along with a spin class and a step class. This coming week might be the test to see if this is the magic weight loss bullet.

Today is cheat day. Lamingtons, cheese, yogurt, fruit, English muffins and we will have pumpkin lasagne for dinner. Oh and chocolate. Not much but a little. I have not had an excessive amount to eat today but it has definitely been different types of food than that which I have been eating all week. We shall see what the results have been tomorrow.

Susy

That is the question I ask myself each morning! I am struggling with different things to have at dinner that don’t include pasta, when I think about what we usually ate 3-4 meals a week included pasta and usually mixed up all together.  Tonight I have gotten the slow cooker out again and added red lentils and hopefully I can just have rice with it for the kids and just by itself for me and hubby.

Yes that’s right news flash my hubby has started the diet on Monday and he forgot to weigh himself on Monday but so far so good on the other days.  He loves beans and he hasn’t really missed all the bread he use to eat because he has been so surprised at how full he has been after a can of baked beans.  It is always better when you have someone doing it with you and although this is Susy and my journey to have hubby on as well is even better.

The kettle bells have arrived! Fantastic so this morning hubby and I got up at 6.00am (This was really hard for me I am NOT a morning person) and we did our kettle bell lifts.  Tim says to do 20 and if you can do 30 then your weight is not heavy enough.  So I started with the 12 kg and hubby the 16kg, we also did 3 sets of five as Tim suggests to learn how to do the kettle bell swing.  I was really surprised at how elevated my heart rate got and how hard it actually was.  There are 2 other exercises that I need to add but all in all it should only take 20 min.  I wonder how my arms and legs will feel tomorrow….. I am almost temped to do it every day…..we shall see!

As for my weight this week what a joke I am back up at 99kg! it is so disappointing to be seemly stuck on a weight!  What am I doing wrong well I know too many peanuts and to late at night!  The snaking the we do after the kids are in bed I am sure is my downfall but I have been hungry….well I think I am….tonight I am going drink a heap of water instead of having peanuts and hopefully hubby can refrain as well!….Ha we shall see…..