29 January 2012

Day 14 - Time flies

Hard to image that I already started my diet two weeks ago. For once I don't have the impression that being on a diet is a chore.  Maybe it's all about motivation, and the best motivator is the number indicated on the scales which is slowly but steadily going down.

Hopefully it will stay that way for the coming months ...

28 January 2012

Day 13 - Yeah

Happy happy happy ... despite my NY lunch, I lost 0.4 kg since yesterday.  Sometimes, I really don't need much to be in a good mood. :o)

27 January 2012

Day 12 - Office lunch

Today was definitely not a diet day.  We had our annual office New Year's lunch and it's hard to keep track of the number of points you eat when you're not the one preparing the food.  

Every year on a Friday in January, we close the office at noon and go together to a fancy restaurant. This year the festive table was dressed in the restaurant Bon Bon. We had a menu with a impressive amount of services, so many I lost track of the number of different dishes as well of what we ate exactly. But if you know we had the aperitive at 1.00 PM and I was the first to leave the restaurant at 6.00 PM, you can imagine the extended lunch session we had.

On the other hand, having had such an long lunch, I didn't want to have dinner, so all in all, I think I didn't go too much overboard today.  Hopefully the scales will agree ..





26 January 2012

Day 11 - Muscle ache

Nothing much happened today, the day pretty much moved along as it usually does on a Thursday.  The only difference is that I had sore muscles after yesterday's pilates session.

I quite like the pilates thing but I won't be joining any more of this class, until I lose a significant amount of weight :o(  Because of the excess weight I am carrying, doing the exercises during which you have to rest the whole of your body weight on one hand and knee, is just too painful for my joints.  Another reason to get ASAP to a slimmer version of me.  I'm going to keep on working out though, but it will just be fatburning and cardio from now on.



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 8 pts
Lunch : 6 pts (Nameless Bento)
Dinner :23 pts
Snacks : 6 pts


25 January 2012

Day 10 - Beat

Feeling exhausted and not up to typing a post tonight.  I guess the pilates course took a bit more strength than I expected it to.  Nevertheless, a little post because I need to keep the routine up.  More tomorrow.



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 8 pts
Lunch : 9 pts (Saveurs d'orient bento)
Dinner :11 pts
Snacks : 9 pts


24 January 2012

Day 9 - Back on track

Very glad this morning to notice that the extra weight which miraculously appeared, disappeared in the same manner.  And took an extra 0.1 kg with it on the way out. Good riddance :o)

Otherwise this has been a quiet little day, with nothing to special worth mentioning.




Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 8 pts
Lunch : 14 pts (Shrimp stirfry bento)
Dinner :13 pts
Snacks : 6 pts



23 January 2012

Day 8 - Not a happy bunny

Getting up this morning was already quite an achievement. It was so nice as toasty under the duvet that when the alarm went off at 6.00 AM, my initial reaction was to hide my head under the pillow and pretend it wasn't there.  Pretend that it was Sunday morning and that I could slumber in bed for another couple of hours. Obviously, it doesn't work like that ... especially as I have one of those annoying alarms that gets louder the longer you wait to cut it off.  So after having snoozed the alarm a couple of times, I grabbed all my courage together, threw back that warm, cosy duvet and rushed to the bathroom for the daily routine : the scales.

And that's when it happened.
Shock and horror.
It didn't indicate the right number.

Believing something was up with that crappy piece of technology, I got off, switched it back on, stepped on it again, ... to no avail.  Two tries later, I was forced to admit that something had gone terribly wrong.  I gained 1.1 kg overnight. :o(  Looking back at my food diary I can't see anything special: I stayed well within my points budget, ate my fruits and veggies, drank my water ...  The only thing "out of the ordinary" would be the little bit of toast I had with supper.  I didn't eat any bread since I started dieting last Monday, but I can't imagine that 50g of toast would have that effect on me.  Thinking of it, I might have skipped my thyroid medication on Sunday morning as well.  If that's the price to pay for forgetfulness and a little toast .... that's harsh.

I'll have to see what tomorrow brings.  I was so happy yesterday, being only a breath away from the Jan. 2011 starting weight, that this set back really threw me.   If I ever needed a reminder why weighing yourself on a daily basis is not a smart move, I think I got it.  No need to rub my nose into it...

On the other hand, I did something today I promised myself I would.  I went to a Healthcity club close to the office straight after work and worked out, something I didn't do for several months.


I changed sports club back in September but if I am really honest, I didn't once go in and do a proper workout since the day I signed the papers. There was always a welcome excuse for me to use (horrible weather, feeling sad for myself, bad day at work, no time, ...).  What a change compared to my high motivation days when I was at the gym 5 or 6 days a week.  I didn't spent hours on end at my first club but the hour that I worked out, made me feel good about myself.  And although I am heavily overweight, people there were friendly, never seemed to laugh behind my back or make nasty comments. After a while, I came to recognise the regulars and we had a laugh and a chat, before getting back to our exercise routines.  I think that's also one of the excuses I have used to not go and work out since I changed clubs.  What if people the new place are all skinny bitches and treated me like a freak. Like, what's that fattie doing in our gym?  I have always been self conscious and that mentality hasn't improved with age neither.

The advantage of the premium subscription I have at Healthcity is that I can go to any of the 20+ clubs they have in the country. So I can go to one close to the office after work (thus avoiding trafic jams), one close to home during weekends and pick and chose the group courses I find interesting, no matter which club they are given in.  So on Wednesday, I am going to another club (halfway between the office and home) because they have a Pilates course that starts at 6.30 PM which I would love to try.  Working out tonight was hellish. Like losing weight, acquiring condition is something you have to work hard for but which you loose much faster. Motivation is the key to keep going.




Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 8 pts
Lunch : 10 pts (Scaloppina alla milanese bento)
Dinner :16 pts
Snacks : 4 pts





22 January 2012

Day 7 - Lazy Sunday

Some days, nothing happens and there just isn't a lot, if anything, to say about them. And a lazy Sunday at home is definitely one of those days.

The only thing worth mentioning is that I lost 0.3 kg since yesterday. Isn't life grand? :o)



21 January 2012

Day 6 - Off day

Dieting didn't really went very well today. I knew beforehand that the weekend has always been a dieting minefield but for my first weekend, I really could have done better.  Hard to count points though, when you are at a family and friends lunch, especially as my mum made a lot of different small but delicious courses.  I tried cutting my losses by skipping breakfast (a very bad thing ordinary) and just having homemade zucchini soup for dinner, but I have absolutely no idea how many points I used up today.

We'll see tomorrow on the scales how bad the damage is. This morning, the weight was unchanged for the third day in a row.  *Sigh*  Already feeling impatient, while the finish is not even in view ... not for a very long while.

Tomorrow is another day.  Starting fresh. The only way is up, or rather down in this case.



20 January 2012

Day 5 - Weekly weigh-in #1 (-1,5 kg)

After careful consideration, I decided that my official weekly weigh-in day should be Friday.  This way, if I do slip up during the weekend, I have a week left to straighten up.  With the start of a new week, the 49 bonus point counter gets reset, and that will also come in handy next week : we are having our traditional New Year's lunch at the office and it is always tricky to count points when being in a fancy restaurant with a already fixed menu.

So, 5 days into my diet, it is time for a first assessment.  And the result is quite satisfying : I lost 1,5 kg since Tuesday. I probably lost a bit more since Monday, but as I couldn't weigh myself when I started, that doesn't really count. Bummer.  But I as long as it is a minus, I am really not allowed to complain.  I am now 0,6 kg heavier than on Jan 1, 2012, so I am confident that by next week I'll have broken through that symbolic barrier. 

Dieting today went OK, no hunger nor sugar cravings.  Keeping busy is the key. As soon as I get bored or listless, I am irresistably attracted to the sweet stuff.  Making sure the car is sweetsfree is important as well : bored and stuck in trafic jams is the ideal situation to start munching on toffees or chocolate i.e. not a good thing. Only dozn point of the day, is that I didn't manage to drink my second bottle of water. I have noticed that if I didn't finish my first bottle by noon, I seem to get stuck and don't meet my target. So my intention for next week : drink one large glass of water an hour so that I get the amount of fluid I have to drink.



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 8 pts
Lunch : 15 pts (Ginger & sweet chili turkey bento)
Dinner :19 pts
Snacks : 0 pts


19 January 2012

Day 4 - Nothing to report

Nothing much to tell today.  I had a bit of trouble to finish the 2L of water at work, but otherwise everything moved on smoothly like clockwork.  I have serious problems to eat all my allocated poins though ... I'll have to see if that doesn't affect the weight loss.



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 8 pts
Lunch : 6 pts (Brocoli stoemp bento)
Dinner :14 pts
Snacks : 0 pts


18 January 2012

Day 3 - First results

I know, I know, ... you are not supposed to weigh yourself every single day because your weight tends to fluctuate from day to day according to what you ate, if you retain water, etc etc.  Nevertheless, stepping on the scales and seeing a smaller number than the day before, is a big ego booster. So I admit it, I cheated and I am happy I did. I lost 0.7kg since yesterday and it made me feel happy and content all day.  Fingers crossed that I keep getting this kind of results.



Overview of my day :


Breakfast : 8 pts
Lunch : 6 pts (Terriyaki Beef Bento)
Dinner :18 pts
Snacks : 2 pts

17 January 2012

Day 2 - Wake up call

O...M...G... I had the biggest scare this morning when I stepped onto the scales.  OK, so I figured that over the holidays, I might have gained "some" weight but I wasn't expecting that 2011 had ended with a weight higher than the one I started off with in January.  Eek ! That's 5 extra kilos since last December. Why?!?! Looking back, I can see some office birthday cakes, a piece of chocolate here and there, but nothing really to warrant that staggering number. It's so unfair sometimes. I just wish that losing would be as swift as gaining is.   Luckily, I haven't climbed up all the way up to my all time high (a number I don't ever want to see again) but it is coming awfully close :o(

If I ever needed a wake up call, I think I just got. Thanks a lot.  Even more determined to get this WW train on the roll now.

My to-do list for the day :
Step #1 : Write down everything I put in my mouth.
Step #2 : Steer clear from sugary treats (because I know once I start with a piece a craving starts).
Step #3 : Drink at least two liters of water.
Step #4 would be "Go to the gym" but that will be something for next week.  Because of the important automobile fair going on at the moment and the huge traffic jams it generates on the ring road, it is nearly impossible to get there, work out and return home at a reasonable hour.  Postponing is a dangerous thing,  "van uitstel komt afstel" they say in Dutch. But this really is just a temporary setback.  Next week I am going over to Healthcity and I'll show them what I've got :o)



Overview of my day :


Breakfast : 8 pts
Lunch : 7 pts (Vegetable méli-mélo bento)
Dinner :16 pts
Snacks : 2 pts

16 January 2012

Day 1 - an easy start

After giving myself two weeks into 2012 to get into the "weight loss mood" (if such a thing exists), I finally gathered up the courage to dive in at the deep end.  If I kept on testing the water and postponing the starting day of my "life changing diet" for all kinds of nonsensical reasons (can't start on a weekend, or in the middle of the week, don't feel like it today, ...) , I would never reach my goal of slimming down to a size 42 and showing off that gorgeous dress you can see on the right . If I am really honest, I'd much rather try and aim for a size 40 or even 38 but I need to stay realistic.  I already have quite a Herculean task cut out for me as it is ...  I don't feel confident enough to share my weight with the whole world, so let's just keep it to the fact that I hit the three digits a long time ago and would love to get a symbolic two digits weight again.

I was already a (sleeping) member of Weight Watchers so I merely needed to reactivate my account. I won't be going to any of their meetings, because they always make me feel rather out of place.  People whining about the mere 5 kg the need to lose, tend to work on my nerves. I know it shouldn't (because it is clearly an important issue for them) but in the light of the amount of weight I need to lose, their whining is petty.  So WW online it is.  I keep track of what I eat during the day on the WW website and have a separate blog where I post my daily bento boxes (see on the left), so this blog will mainly be here to document my (hopefully many) weight losses, and other aspects related to my slimming journey.

My first dieting day started with a technical problem : no more batteries in the scales and of course, no spare batteries around the house. So I will only be able to have my weigh in tomorrow morning.  I haven't quite figured out what would be the best day for a weekly weigh in : Monday (to start off the new week) or Friday (before any possible slip ups more likely to happen during weekend).  Something to ponder ...

I am rather pleased with my first day back on WW : I drank my 2+ liters of water, stayed away from the chocolates in the office fridge (very tempting), ate plenty of veggies and stayed within my allocated points budget.  Things are looking good and I hope they'll stay that way.

A successtory from the WW website will be an additional motivator : Johny's story.  If he could loose 82 kg without any gastric surgery or other invasive methods, surely I can reach my goal too (especially as I have less to lose than him).

The first step on my journey to a slimmer me has been taken ...