31 July 2012

July Statistics

The last day of the month : time for a recap and some stats.

My activities

I only started monitoring my steps and walks, when my FitBit was delivered on July 4, 2012.  That's why there are a couple of days missing from the chart.  As for the steps counter, the days where the activity is nearly non-existant, I simply forgot to put it on before leaving for work. I try to reach at least 5.000 steps a day, which is merely half of what the WHO advises, but nonetheless not always easy to achieve (except on days when I go walking).


I try to go walking twice a week and usually (weather permitting) I try to come up with routes that are at least 5K long. The little pace graph (left bottom) shows a clear improvement in my walking pace, from 11"28'/km to 9"05'/km.  I haven't tried running or jogging just yet because I didn't have the appropriate shoes until last weekend.  I might give it a try in August but otherwise definitely in September, when I will join the local athletics club and their Start2Run programme.  Start2Run is the Belgian equivalent of C25K, and after 14 weeks I should be able to run a 5K.  Hard to imagine I will ever be able to do that, but many have preceded me and if they could do it, there's no reason I should fail. Right?


I established a few records this month. I should be able to break at least one of them in August.


This stat really cheered me up :  despite being obese, I did more Ks than the average women my age. Ha ! :o)


My food

At the moment I keep track of my calories as well as my points according to the weight watchers programme.  I don't know which one I prefer, but I do feel that the kcal counting is more accurate.  Even if going overboard on fruits and vegetables is not as bad as overeating on junkfood or sweets, giving them all a zero points value, can be a bit tricky.  Obviously, you shouldn't be eating one kilo of aples or oranges, just because you don't have to count them.  My daily points allowance is 48 points and it came down from 50 points a day when I first started.  I can count the number of days I used up all my points on one hand. Usually, I end the day with 10 to 15 points remaining to be used.  On a kcal level, I hover on general between 1.400 en 1.700 kcal a day. 

My body

On average there is a downward trend on everything.  It'd better be :o)

a. My weight : I lost 4,6 kg since the first of July.


b. My body fat: According to my scales, my fat percentage dropped 2,2%.  More of half my weight is pure fat.  That's gross.  First goal, make it melt to less than 50%.


c. My BMI: My Body Mass Index went down by 1.5 .  It is of course still excessive but I see that it is going the right way i.e. down.


Tomorrow is a new day and a new month. I am ready to start fresh and motivated.

Until tomorrow ...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 8 pts (20 cl halfskimmed milk 3pts, 45g nestlé fitness chocolate 5pts, apple)

Lunch : 9 pts (Epigramme d'agneau bento: 100g lamb epigramme 7pts, 100g potato 2pts, leek & celeriac 0pts, fruits are 0 pts as well)

Dinner :  16 pts (270g baked chicken 7pts, 190g potato 4pts, salad, tomato and cucumber 0pts, 1 tbs olive oil 3pt, 45g 10% mayo 2pts)

Snacks : 3 pts (Royco minute soup Mushroom supreme)

Unused  : 12 pts

Drinks :   2.5L still water

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.672 kcal

30 July 2012

Back to work

Today was my first day back on the job after a week of pure leisuretime.  I can't complain though, because apart from the huge amount of mail waited to be treated, it was a rather laid back day.  A lot of my coworkers are still on holiday and the whole sector is working at a slower pace because of the summer holidays.

On all other levels, things are going great as well.  The weight is going down again and my staying on plan and drinking water is easier when I am in a work routine.  Looking forward to greying out my last sugarpack of the top shelf, I am only 100g away from the -7 kilos. :o)

Until tomorrow ...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 8 pts (20 cl halfskimmed milk 3pts, 45g nestlé fitness chocolate 5pts, apple)

Lunch : 12 pts (BBQ Bento: 100 g steamed potatoes 2pts, 140g chicken filet 4pts, all veggies and fruits 0pts, olive oil dressing 6pts)

Dinner :  15 pts (100g lamb epigramme 7pts, 200g potato 4pts, 300g celeriac 0pts, 1/2 tsp olive oil 1pt, grany chocofruit for dessert 3pts)

Unused  : 13 pts

Drinks :   2.5L still water & 20 cl perrier

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.543 kcal

29 July 2012

Walking in new shoes


I was eager to try out my new shoes today and I don't know if my new records are related to my latest purchase, but the walk went very smoothly.  It was a bit strange at first, because these new trainers are corrective. The gait analysis done in the running center showed that my ankles are leaning inward when I walk/run, so I have shoes now that are forcing my feet in a straight line again.  Oddly enough, I feel that my feet are in a weird angle when I wear them.  

Otherwise, my week's holiday is almost officially over.  I am not really looking forward to going back to work. One gets easily used to having lots of free time, getting up whenever you want, ...  Oh well, one more month and I have another week off. Can't wait !

Until tomorrow ...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : none

Lunch : 16 pts (starter: tomato and mozzarella, main : turkey roast, potatoes and green beans)

Dinner : 21 pts (wasa crispbreads with quark, olives, tzatziki, potatoes and light cheese cake)

Snacks : 4 pts (Grany apple biscuits)

Unused  : 7 pts

Drinks :   2L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.505 kcal

28 July 2012

Nearly Wordless Saturday - New shoes



Until tomorrow ...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 3 pt (1/4 cantaloupe melon and 80g light cheese)

Lunch : 15 pts (starter: 20g pasta and 20g shrimp, main : salad, tomato, onion, chicken skewers, steamed potatoes, light mayo and olive oil)

Dinner : 15 pts (2 wasa crispbreads with quark 8pts, 150g chicken 4 pts, light cheese cake 3pts)

Snacks : 1 pts (Rocket icelolly)

Unused  : 14 pts

Drinks :   2.5L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.394 kcal

27 July 2012

Weekly weigh-in #5 : +1 kg (total -5.1 kg)

The title says it all. 

I am very upset by this whole week, where my weight and fat percentage have been going up and up and up (+1.3kg since Sunday), despite my staying on plan and despite my working out.  

Right now I just want to crawl into a hole and stay there. I feel bloated and fat and closer to tears than anything else.  It sucks.

Until tomorrow ...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 3 pt (apple, 1/4 cantaloupe melon and 80g light cheese)

Lunch : 15 pts (salad, cucumber, tomato, onion, chicken skewers, steamed potatoes, light mayo and olive oil)

Dinner : 9 pts (2 wasa crispbreads with WW duck mousse 6pts, 100g chicken 3 pts)

Snacks : 4 pts (Rocket icelolly and grany chocofruit biscuit)

Unused  :17 pts

Drinks :   2L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.650 kcal

26 July 2012

Hot hot hot

Remember the days when I was whining and complaining that it was friggin cold and that wanted a really sunny and hot summer?  I take it back.  Going from 17 to 32 degrees is just too much.  My world feels like the perrier ad right now.






Weightwise, I am not happy. Even while sticking on plan my weight is steadily going up since  Sunday.  Weigh-in tomorrow, I expect the worse ...

Until tomorrow ...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : none

Lunch : 13 pts (Rigatoni with spinach and goat cheese 8 pts, 2 wasa crispbreads with WW duck mousse 5pts)

Dinner : 23 pts (cantaloupe melon and raw ham, salad, gnocchi and turkey skewers, light mayo and olive oil)

Snack: 4 pts (30g cheeses 3pt, schinkenchips 1pt, onions and gherkins)

Unused : 8 pts

Drinks :  3L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.712  kcal

25 July 2012

Workout day

My day in records. Very happy with these results.


Until then ...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast :

Lunch : 10 pts

Dinner : 21 pts

Snack : 1 pts (1WW cheese)

Unused : 16 pts

Drinks :   2.5L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.564 kcal


24 July 2012

I'm in !

The weather was uncharacteristically warm for our little country, with temperatures topping 30 degrees today.  My staycation couldn't ask any better.  For the kitties though, it was a bit too much of a good thing.  Of course, they have a thick fur coat they can't just remove.  Hence, they ended up spread-eagled on the living room floor, trying to benefit as much as possible from the little draft through the open windows.

The most important part of my day was the appointment I had with the psychologist at the hospital.  I was a bit weary of what I would have to say but everything went smoothly.  It was more a getting to know me interview, than anything else.  I explained my diet history, my current habits and the results of my month of healthy living and my motivation to enter the Obesity Platform Programme.  She was very positive and ... I am in !  First appointment will be just after my week holiday in Madrid in September and I'll have to have a complete check up and bloodworks done before leaving as well.  Besides the follow-up by a multidisciplinary team (dietician, psychologist, endocrinologist, ...), the programme also involves participating in bimonthly meetings about nutrition and workout sessions at the hospital with a physiotherapist.  It stretches over one year, so I hope that it will be an extra help in my weightloss. I'll keep you posted on the next steps in the process.

Until tomorrow ...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 5 pts (greek yoghurt with strawberries)

Lunch : 10 pts (Oriental Couscous 7pts, 2 wasa crispbreads 2pts, 2 WW cheeses 1pts)

Dinner : 20 pts (Minced chicken, potatoes, leek, bellpepper, light cheese and curry mix)

Unused : 10 pts

Snacks:  2 pts (one ice lolly in the afternoon and one after dinner)

Drinks :   2L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.576  kcal

23 July 2012

A day in France


Having a week off, allows me to go wandering around and today the little daytip brought me all the way into Northern France. 10 km from Calais (and just under 200 km from home), we visited the ecomuseum Village St Joseph.  The little reconstructed village features all the tools, shops, etc from the early 20th century.  It was an interesting visit and after weeks of grey and rainy weather, we were blessed by a splendid sun during the whole day. 




Created with flickr slideshow.


On a food level, I used up all my points again. Always hard to make light choices when the menu features only 4 dishes.  I ate the fries on my plate, but didn't touch the bread basket (even though I was dying to eat some of the rustic bread). And because I came home late, I had to do a quick turnaround for dinner and ended up with a delicious although far too rich meal.  Oh well, tomorrow better I guess.

Until then ...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 5 pt (Greek yoghurt with strawberries, and an apple)

Lunch : 20 pts (A Potjesvleesch dish at the Village St Joseph)

Dinner : 24 pts (Ham, ricotto/spinach tortelloni and 5 cheeses sauce)

Unused : 0 pts

Drinks :   2L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.876 kcal


22 July 2012

Sunday walkday

My Sunday started with the usual 5K walk.  Funny, how I start to use words like "usual" when talking about exercise.  How your life can change in a matter of weeks.  Who knew?  My average pace keeps improving too (as you can see on the right).  During the walk, I felt like I was slacking a bit, as if I was walking slower than usual. But every time I checked my pace it was quicker than I expected.  I guess that my body is getting used to working about. 

Today was a very good walk and I broke 4 records: longest walk, fastest 1K and 1M as well as the quickest 5K to date.  I'm proud of myself. There, I said it :o)


Foodwise, the day could have been better.  I had lunch with my parents which was great and foodwise, completely appropriate. We spent the afternoon on the terrace enjoying the lovely weather.  Things got a bit more complicated with an unexpected Mexican dinner. I have no idea how may points/calories I used for this dinner. In between the nachos and guacamole, the fajitas and the tortilla wraps, the salsa, ... I'll assume I used all the remaining WW points of the day and about 1.500 kcal. I have no idea. But it was worth every point and every calorie.  In one month, it's the first time I haven't stayed on plan, so I am not going to beat myself up over it.  Tomorrow, it's another day and I am just starting fresh. 


Until tomorrow ...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : none

Lunch : 12 pts (Tomato, Mozzarella, Shrimp combo as appetizer 4 pts, steak 3pts, potatoes 4 pts, spinach 0pts, 1 tsp olive oil 1pt)

Dinner : Mexican dinner tonight and I have no idea how many points were used up in between the nachos/guacamole and the fajitas.  In doubt, I'm taking up the 34 remaining points of the day.

Snack: 2 pts (1 Wasa Crispbread slices 1 pts, 1 WW cream cheeses 1pt)

Unused : 0 pts (see dinner)

Drinks :  3L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  2.185  kcal (not 100% sure as the dinner part is largely estimated)

21 July 2012

Nearly Wordless Saturday - Happy Holiday


Until tomorrow...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 4 pt (Greek yoghurt)

Lunch : 9 pts (Saladwich with tomato and tuna 7 pts, 1 Wasa crispbread 1pt, 1 WW cheese 1pt)

Dinner : 33 pts (Aperifrais cheese appetizer and Scotch dry aged steak with bearnaise, steamed potato and salad)

Snack : 2 pts (mini mars)


Unused : 0 pts (<- First time in a month !)

Drinks :   2.5L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.976 kcal


20 July 2012

Weekly weigh-in #4 : -2.3 kg (total -6.1 kg)

I am working seriously at depleting my sugar shelf.  Almost, cleared out the top shelf, but even if I am one pack of sugar short, I am happy with my scale achievement : a whopping 2.3 kg vanished in the course of a week.  Who wouldn't be please? :o)

A large part of it, disappeared the day after the last weigh in, where I had been plateau-ing for the better part of the week.  And I have to admit that even though I am happy with the loss (obviously), I really prefer a gradual loss throughout the week (even if it is in 100g increments), than being stuck on a same weight for days and then lose over a kilo all at once (usually the day after weigh-in).  Because plateaus are really demotivating. I know I shouldn't react that strongly to the number on the scales, but I do. And if (important) losses are really boosting my moral, any status auo or gain is throwing me into the throngs of despair.

It was my final day at work, which means I will have whole of next week off.  Without the work routine, I will have to be extra diligent when it comes to drinking my daily amount of water and I should also try to avoid skipping meals.  Dieting on holidays, whether at home or abroad is always a bit challenging.  Hopefully, I'll continue on my losing streak ...

Until tomorrow ...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 10 pt (same as every day)

Lunch : 11 pts (Meatless Friday Toscana Bento :  valess filet 4pts, 60g orzo 6 pts, 1 tsp olive oil 1pt, all fruits and veggies 0pts)

Dinner : 17 pts (the second valess filet that had to be cooked 4pts, 160g mussels 4pts, 1 slice of bread 2pts, goat cheese 2pts, mussel sauce 5pts)

Unused :10 pts

Drinks :   1.5L still water & 1 can of Diet Coke .

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.851 kcal

19 July 2012

Almost staycation

One more day until my


and weigh-in tomorrow as well.  Unless something strange should happen overnight, I expect a nice result tomorrow.  Stay tuned for more news tomorrow.

Until then ...



Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 10 pts (half skimmed milk 3pts, 45g nestle fitness cereals 5pts, a glass of orangejuice 2pts and an apple)

Lunch : 13 pts (Salmon bento : 2 Wasa Crispbread slices 2 pts, 2 WW cream cheeses 1pt, 80g of purple rice 3pts, 100g baked salmon 6pts, other fruits and veggies 0pts, 1 tsp olive oil 1pt)

Dinner : 10 pts (180g steamed potatoes 4pts, 1 lamb chop 3pts, 1 mini tournedos 2pts,1 tsp light cream 0pt, 1 tsp olive oil 1pt, cauliflower 0pts)

Unused : 11 pts

Snack: 5 pts (cup of pumpkin soup 3pts, 1 mini mars 2pts)

Drinks :   2.5L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.660  kcal