Motivation

It's interesting how motivation works. Or doesn't. I achieved my goals and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in December 2011. The weight loss that facilitated all of this was a result of a strict diet and exercise program that i followed religiously. I was extremely motivated and focused on the goal of falling pregnant and bringing the baby to term. My weight after delivery was 71kg. Most excellent.

But to my shame, I have to report that these last five months I have been on maternity leave have been hard on my ability to will myself into going back on the program. Being tired from the sleepless nights meant that I didn't have the energy or the inclination to watch what I ate let alone exercise. I have grown addicted to the carbs again. I can see it. And even knowing this and deciding to go back on the program numerous times, I have still failed. Being at home with the baby is just not conducive to my discipline.

But no more. The scale was a wake up call this morning. I am now 75kg. I will not allow this to continue. Next week I will be back at work as well. It's time to begin again as I mean to go on. I will count these last few months as a holiday and now its time to get my life back on track. I will not have my child learn bad habits from me. So, here on this blog, for the world to see, I am setting my goal. I will weigh 65kg or less by the end of the year.That is 10kg in 8 months. Very achievable.


The trouble will be staying motivated. When I ask myself why am I doing this (and I know I will) I will need to have a concrete answer for myself. Something bigger and more important that the old "to be healthy". It will be a hard road to walk, but I have done this before. I know I can do it again.

The kilo's - they come off

Two progress updates in a month?? Unheard of, I tell you! But since I had a doctors appointment on Monday and there was PROGRESS, you get another update. Amazing, isn't it?

Starting weight (19 Jan 2011) : 80kg
Last weight check (13 May 2011) : 71.1kg
Current weight check (23 May 2011) : 69kg
Current Loss : 2.1kg
Nett Loss : 11kg

YAY! I broke the 70 mark :) This calls for a celebration. Lets go have cake :P
Actually. Ignore that last part. I don't want to go back to 70 before I get to enjoy being 69.

So. There you go. Good times.

Additionally, the changes I was talking about in my last post are progressing well. Soon, I'll be able to discuss them here.

Soon.

I'll keep you posted.

Progress Report - May

I know I have been quiet on the bloggosphere lately. Real life sometimes takes over and it becomes impossible to keep up a steady stream of posts. Rest assured, however, that I still here. There have been things going on, exciting new things, that I am unable to blog about just yet. I know was on a bit of a backslide on my last post, but I am fine now.. Really.

Here is my latest progress report.

Starting weight (19 Jan 2011) : 80kg
Last weight check (1 Apr 2011) : 73.9kg
Current weight check (13 May 2011) : 71.1kg
Current Loss : 2.8kg
Nett Loss : 8.9kg

Yes, current loss has slowed down a little. There are reasons for that as well as the fact that I've cheated a little more in this past month. There is only so far you can go before you start to go crazy. While I always strive to have "perfect" days, where I eat everything correctly, there are times when I just can't do it anymore. I've learned to forgive those days and get back on that wagon the next day. And the results prove that it is still possible to lose, even with those days.

So, physically, I am doing well and still losing weight. Emotionally, I am also doing well. I take things one day at a time and try not to let my fears overwhelm me.

As I allow myself to hope,
Even when I am scared.
I am happy.

Progress Report

I just got back from the dieticians office. I'm soo stoked! I lost 3.4kg in 1 month!
So just to keep things official heres the progress report :

Starting weight (19 Jan 2011) : 80kg
Last weight check (25 Feb 2011 : 77.3kg
Currrent weight check (1 Apr 2011) : 73.9kg
Current Loss : 3.4kg
Nett Loss : 6.1kg
3 Month goal  (i.e. by 1 June 2011): 68kg
Long term goal : 58-60kg

Looking back over this one month, I can safely say that I have only had one tantrum. It was a public holiday, a Monday. And I just couldn't do it anymore. I sat there crying because it felt like there was nothing I was allowed to eat and I was sick of the things I was allowed. By the next day I was fine once more and wondering what on earth had gotten into me.

I have cheated slightly, here and there. A little bit of popcorn here, a bite of hubby's food (rice or whatever) there. But for the most part, I was strict. And I managed. I never felt HUNGRY.

Anyways, just thought my readers would like to know :D The lifestyle change works.

Tomorrow is a free day. Eat whatever I want with the dieticians blessing. Yippee! I was missing toast :)

Progress Diary - 26 Feb to 8 Mar

Day 1-3 of my insulin reducing plan. Days 1 & 2 were painful and exhausting but I think my body is starting to get used to the idea now
day 4 : spoke too soon on day 3... was finished by the time i got home.. body was craving sugar like you would not believe. Felt faint and dizzy in the evening. I seem to be doing well in the mornings, but by 5pm my body realises its not getting ANY sugar and freaks out. I would have given anything to eat a slice of bread with my meal. ANYTHING!

Day 5 : have discovered that the cinnabalance really does keep the withdrawal symptoms away. Took only one this morning and am feeling the difference. Will take another in the afternoon and maybe the afternoon withdrawal wont be so bad (for those of you just tuned in, withdrawal from carbs and sugars .. not drugs, alcohol or nicotine! It feels like it though :P )
Day 6 : Spreading out the cinnabalance is a good thing.. feel slightly high for the whole day rather than being completely fine until I feel completely sick.
Have discovered papad is made with urad ni dhar (a type of lentil) not flour :D Since lentils are allowed, YAY for me

Day 7 : "I feel good! (nuh nuh na na na) Knew that I would, now" :P

Day 8-10 : Cheated a little over the weekend. Half a slice of pizza. Ugh, Never cheating again. Migraine and much unhappiness followed. Feeling slightly better now. If only my tummy would settle down again.

Day 11: Kinda bored with salad. I never liked salad to start off with and now I'm eating it every day. sigh Anyone got any ideas for interesting salads (within the parameters of the diet)?
On the up side I'm seeing some wonderful side-effects. No more acid reflux/burn. No more migraines (when im good :P). No more food cravings or intense hunger pangs.
 
The weight is definitely coming off though. Even though I am not allowed to weigh myself, I can see a difference. My jeans are looser and I feel slightly smaller. The exercise regimen is soemtimes hard to keep up (life intrudes and I don't get home till late, exhausted) but Im keeping at it. So far I have missed 3 days out of 11. Thats not an acceptable ratio and I will be working hard to drop it. I have found that exercising before bed, then showering gives me a better nights sleep and that this diet has given me more energy and the ability to stay awake later (says the person who used to want to go to bed at 8pm!)
 
Seeing the positive effects of this is whats keeping me motivated to continue, even through the sometimes boredom from the food choices and the difficulty of the exercise.

Tasty Thursday - Crumbed Schnitzels and Creamed Spinach and Feta Sauce

If you have been following the last few posts, you will know that I am on a very strict insulin controlling plan. Part of this plan is a diet that excludes carbs and sugars. No carbs and sugars, you say? How boring!  The food couldn't possibly be yummy without those food items. Surely not!

But it can and it is. This recipe debunks two of the greatest misconceptions of following a diet plan.
Misconception 1 - Following a diet plan makes food tasteless
Misconception 2 - Diet plans are time consuming. It is impossible to whip up a quick tasty meal that still exists within the parameters of the plan.

To the first, I challenge you to try this out and let me know just how "tasteless" it is. And to the second, well, this particular meal took me under 30 mins from deciding what to eat to sitting down and eating it. If that isn't "fast food", I don't know what is.

This recipe balances high protein soy against vitamin rich spinach to produce a healthy low fat meal. And if you want dessert, how about a scoop of Huberto's sugar free ice cream or some delicious Vegan Mousse (recipe next week)?

Crumbed Schnitzels and Creamed Spinach and Feta Sauce

2 Fry's Vegetarian Golden Crumbed Schnitzel
1 Sachet McCains Creamed Spinach and Feta
1 teaspoon crushed ginger and garlic
1 teaspoon crushed chillies
1/4 cup low fat milk
Low fat Margerine
Salt to taste

Heat a non-stick frying pan
Remove frozen Schnitzel from packaging and very lightly smear with margerine on each side
When pan is hot, place schnitzel on pan and cook on both sides
Place cooked schnitzel on plate

While schnitzel is cooking, defrost the spinach mix
Decant into saucepan with milk, ginger-garlic, chillies and salt
Allow to heat through and cook until desired consistency is reached

Ladle sauce over schnitzel and serve.

Change of plan

So, I was supposed to be updating with my weight every week, right? But that plan has been changed.  I finally got an appointment with the dietician last friday and one of the things she said was not to weigh myself. The only place I am allowed to weigh myself is in her office. So there goes that plan. For completeness sake, here is last weeks weight update.

Progress Report : 1 Mar 2011
Starting weight : 80kg
Current Weight : 77.3kg
Last goal met : YES
Goal for this week : Not set.

Crickets, Cliches and Kilograms

Pssst... can you hear the cricket chirrping? Its been a while since I last posted, though the urge to write here has not left me. There has just been some major things going on in my life which I will now fill you in on... if you're interested :) Be aware though, there will be alot of cliches in this post. I can't help it.. they're cliches for a reason!