My Diet Monday: Week 11 - 262lbs (18lbs lost)

It's been a while since I posted about my diet and the reason is, it's been a little bit irregular over the last few weeks. I lost another pound, then put 2 back on, then lost again, then gained it back! But this week I feel confident enough to say I have definitely lost a further 2 pounds so thought it was about time I updated the blog :-)

Now all I have to do is keep it all off over the Christmas and New Year period and hopefully I would love to be able to lose another 3lbs by the 31st (she says very optimistically!) which would make it a stone and a half lost altogether this year (or at least in the last 3 months I've been doing it).

I doubt I'll do a diet post now until after Christmas, but check up again and see how I do when I post again on the 5th Jan (it should be interesting!).

My Diet Monday: Week 7 - 264lbs (16lbs lost)

I can hardly believe I've lost another 2lbs again this week! which makes a total of 16lbs and only 12 to go to my first goal of losing 2 stone by 31st December. And this despite having Spag Bol and a roast chicken dinner at the weekend, although I've got very good at regulating how much I eat when I have my main meal in the evenings. Whereas before I tended to eat whatever was on my plate, now I stop when I know I've had enough, and depending on how much is left it goes to the dogs or in the freezer for another time. As for breakfast and lunch I have stuck to the SlimFast shakes religiously, avoiding all temptations such as a cake sale we had on friday for Children in Need, not to mention the large box of chocolates and bottle of wine I won in the raffle! (Hubby won a DVD of the latest Indiana Jones movie & a set of matching collectors marbles!)

I had my daughter and grandson stay for a couple of nights at the weekend and we went to see Finding Nemo on Ice at the NIA in Birmingham, great show, but I hadn't seen her since this time last year and although I knew she had lost weight - three and a half stone actually - I was amazed at the difference that made to how she looks and has really spurred me on to be even more determined to keep on the straight and narrow.

The only problem I have at the moment is a lack of exercise. If I am honest I haven't been doing any for ages. I did try doing some to a YouTube video, but hubby said I looked like a demented aeroplane, which I had to agree with :-)and let's face it, I didn't need much of an excuse to stop! Now I've said this before so you'll probably take it with a pinch of salt, but I'll try and get more active this week. I'm not going to give myself a certain number of minutes to workout each day but just going to see what I can do and maybe that will work better. It will be interesting to see how it goes. Join me next week to see how I get on :-)

My Diet Monday: Week 6 - 266lbs (1 stone lost)

Delighted to report another loss of a further 2lbs, making a total of 14lbs lost and my first stone accomplished! So well chuffed :-) I have been really good again this week, avoiding temptation like the plague. The girls at work are now very good and know not to tempt me with all the sweets, cakes and other goodies that frequently go around the office. The only cloud on the horizon is a cake sale being held on friday for Children in Need Day, but I was very good and avoided the one they held last month completely, so should be OK this time round.

Still using the Slimfast milkshakes for meal replacements for breakfast and lunch and then having a normal dinner in the evenings. I've had fajitas, spag bol, roast pork and beef strogonoff (with oven chips!) this week. I just eat what I want until I feel full and then stop, irrespective of how much food is left on my plate. This seems to work very effectively and I plan on continuing this regime until the end of the year and hopefully lose another stone. I have definitely noticed an improvement in the size of my bottom and hips (I've stopped doing the Jabba the Hutt impression!) and I can fit into clothes I certainly couldn't a month ago, but there's plenty in my wardrobe I can't fit yet and that's one of my incentives.

Hopefully next week I'll be able to report another loss, but until then I shall stay focused and determined :-)

My Diet Monday: Week Three - 274lbs

In the immortal words of Victor Meldrew "I don't believe it!". That was my reaction when I got on the scales this morning and discovered to my horror, that not only had I not lost any weight - I'd put 2lbs on!!! WTF!?

This is despite the fact I have been as good as gold this week, sticking religiously to my Slimfast milkshakes for breakfast and lunch, with just some fruit (usually a handful of grapes) as a snack and a good dinner of about 600 calories. Usually this makes my daily calorie intake between 1200 and 1500 calories. This should work!

OK so I have not had much exercise. I've been checking out the daily exercise videos that Ranae at Ranaesheart.com has found on YouTube for the 3 Week Challenge on MedHelp. I did do the first couple but the last few days it's fallen by the wayside. But even so!! I am in high dudgeon, especially after the brilliant start I had of 8lbs in the first week!

Anyway, I'm determined not to let it get me down (not too much, anyway!) Onwards and downwards, will be my motto, and keep plugging away - only this week I will definitely be doing more exercise. There is no way I am not going to have some kind of loss to report next week! My journey continues - despite the odd detour!

My Diet Monday: Week Two - 272lbs

Well, so far, so good! I have had a great start for the 1st week and have lost a total of 8lbs, which is not bad going. I have been very good at sticking to my Slimfast milkshakes for breakfast and lunch and then having a good evening meal of c600 cals. Plus some fruit, usually grapes or tangerines for snacks, making a total of c1300 cals per day.

I have signed up with a couple of websites to help me keep track of how I am doing. One is MedHelp.org which has a very good tracker system, journaling and support system. The other is CalorieCounter at About.com. They have a huge database of calorie counted fresh foods and products where you can keep a Food Log, as well as food analysis, tracker, journaling & support system. Both of these websites are free to join and use.

I use CalorieCounter mainly for keeping track of my calories, and keeping a Food Log, and Medhelp for all their tracking charts and tickers, although their support groups and forums are very good as well. It's really just a case of finding what combination of elements of various websites work best for you.

I started using the Slimfast milkshakes as I need a real kick start and fairly quick weight loss to get rid of the first couple of stone. This works well for me as I work full time and don't normally have time for breakfast so often buy something very unhealthy from the canteen for elevenses and then have a sandwich or baguette plus a muffin or similar for lunch. This way all I have to do is open a bottle of readymade milkshake and pop a straw in. My favourite is the coffee flavour, followed by chocolate and vanilla - I'm not keen on the fruit flavours, either the milkshakes or smoothies, as I find them a bit too sweet.

I also have a long term 5 Year Plan worked out! The aim is to lose 2 stone between now and New Year (Yr 1), which I think is doable. Then next year (Yr 2) concentrate on losing another 3 stone and after that 2 stone each year for the next 2 years (Yr 3 & 4), and then Yr 5 work on losing the last stone, which is always the hardest! It will be interesting to see if my Plan works out, but at the moment It seems to me eminently possible:-) But as my old Granny used to say "There's many a slip twixt the cup and the lip"!

Why not follow me on my journey and see how far I get, there will be an update posted each Monday so I hope to see you back soon, and if you are on your own journey leave a comment and I'll visit your blog :-)