It’s time to get serious.
Over the years I have tried every diet going. I’ve done Atkins, I’ve done South Beach, I’ve done Weight Watchers, I’ve done the Cabbage Soup diet. Low-carb, low-fat, high-protein, good carb, good fat, meal replacements, I’ve read all the books and tried all the tricks.
And the sad thing is – they all work. If you stick to them.
One summer, tipping the scales at almost 200lbs I went on Atkins and lost 35lbs.
Last New Years, tipping the scales at 220lbs I tried Weight Watchers and lost 30lbs.
But see, in between those two successful diets, although I dieted on and off again, I clearly gained back the weight and then some.
This morning, I stepped on the scale and am once again close to 200lbs.
200lbs!! The exact same weight I was that summer of 2002 before I went on Atkins!
8 years have passed and I’m still the same exact weight.
8 years!!
I have wasted 8 years of my life counting carbs, or calories, or points and it’s done absolutely nothing for me.
8 years!!
This morning I wasted £12.99 on the Dukan Diet book. It’s crap. I was sucked into the hype and wasted all that money on a book that says you can burn almost 500 calories a day by sucking on ice cubes, taking a cold shower and packing away your thermal underwear. Seriously, why have I wasted my time running miles if I could burn off the same number of calories by sucking on 10 ice cubes/mile?
So it’s time for a plan of action.
The Weigh In
I will weigh myself tomorrow, Monday May 24th, and will return to my daily weigh-ins. I find that they keep me on track much better than weekly run-ins with the scale.
The Hydration
I will get back to drinking my 10 glasses of water a day. Plus coffee in the mornings, tea in the evenings if I so desire.
The Food
I hate that most diets rule out certain foods. I like my avocados and my bananas and I’m not ready to give them up or feel like I’m cheating because I’m eating a goddamn piece of fruit! The low-carb mentality is the one that has given me the most mental issues with food and I’m tired of it.
While I plan on cutting out white pasta, rice and bread, I’m not ruling anything in particular out. I want to cut back on sugar, but that may still mean I’m eating a couple squares of dark chocolate of an evening.
I’m going to stick to non-fat or low-fat dairy for milk and cheese and eat lean protein in the form of eggs, poultry and meat.
I will be trying though, as Michael Pollan suggests, to eat mostly plants.
The Exercise
Oh, the dreaded exercise. I’m running a half-marathon in 5 months and I haven’t worked out in weeks. I am going to start scheduling in some time to work out, start running home from work a couple days a week and get back into the exercise groove.
The Timeline
The Project 55 plan is a plan for life, but for my own piece of mind, I’m going to track carefully for the next 5 weeks. I can do anything for 5 weeks.
I’m tired of being this weight. It affects every aspect of my life from social to professional, it’s mental and emotional – it’s so much more than just physical.
So tomorrow is day 1 of Project 55. This time, it’s serious.
- CJ
Weigh-in: 189.8 again (while it’s reassuring to not fluctuate, I’m convinced my scale has a built-in anti-neurotic device to stop you stepping on and off again repeatedly!)
Eats:
Breakfast:
green smoothie (3 points)
lunch:
weightwatchers pizza (5 points)
lettuce, tomatoes, pepper and pret dressing (1.5 points)
dinner:
sweet potato (2.5 points)
beans (4.5 points)
eggs (3 points)
evening snack:
chocolate (2.5 points)
Total: 22 points
Water: 96oz
Weigh-in: 189.8!
Eats:
Breakfast:
green smoothie (4 points)
lunch:
weightwatchers pizza (5 points)
afternoon snack:
apple (0.5 points)
dinner:
Singapore noodles (7 points)
beansprouts
lettuce, tomatoes and dressing (1.5 points)
evening snack:
chocolate (2.5 points)
Total: 22.5 points
Water: 96oz
I have been following the cabbage soup diet since Saturday. Tomorrow is the final day. In my head, I know it is a ridiculous, stupid diet to follow.
Saturday I made up massive batches of the cabbage soup and ate it alongside fruit.
Sunday I ate soup and vegetables.
Monday I ate soup, fruit and vegetables.
Tuesday I ate soup, a banana and a massive amount of banana milkshakes,
Wednesday I ate steak and soup and tomatoes.
Today I ate chicken and vegetables.
I have failed numerous times because I ate an extra mini baked potato on Monday, I didn’t eat my soup today and I’ve eaten chocolate both today and yesterday. Regardless, I have seen the scales drop.
Since I was too hungover to weigh in last post, my weight shot back up to 197. I knew it wasn’t legitimate to gain 5 or 6 pounds from my day of hungover eating but it also made me feel like complete crap. For an entire week I failed to post and my weight stayed around the 195 mark. 195 has been my weight pretty much all friggin year. I am so sick of weighing in the 190s.
The rationale part of my brain told me to just get back on weightwatchers and maybe actually work out but the headcase part of my brain decided the Cabbage Soup diet would be more effective.
Today I weighed in at 190, my lowest weight of 2010. If I am 189 tomorrow I will be a very, very happy girl despite my crazy binge episode this afternoon. I will write more about my binge episode another time since it really blew me away with the physical and mental cravings that sparked it.
But even though I haven’t posted in 10 days, I am around and still losing weight, just not in a calm, rational manner. Clearly I need to get my head in order just as much as my body.
-CJ
Weigh-in: unknown – too hungover to think about it first thing
Eats:
Breakfast:
pita with hummus (3 points)
egg bagel sandwich (10 points)
pita with peanut butter and jam (4 points)
chocolate (2.5 points)
lunch:
cheese puffs, sausage roll, two mini scotch egg bites, southern fried chicken wrap and two magnums
dinner:
half a box of nachos
half a chicken quesadilla
Total: no idea but ALOT. I need to not drink ever again
Water: 72oz
Weigh-in: 191 woohoo!
Eats:
Breakfast:
green smoothie (2.5 points)
lunch:
whole wheat english muffin (2.5 points)
egg (1.5 points)
salad of romaine, baby tomatoes, red pepper with honey mustard dressing (0.5 points)
afternoon snack:
peanut butter and half a banana pita (4 points)
dinner:
5 shrimp and two bites of beef (1 point?)
Lots and lots of wine :(
Total: 12 points of food but lost track of the wine…
Activity: 5k in 35:41…my fastest 5k of 2010 so far and almost 2 minutes faster than last week (486 calories)
Water: 30oz :(
Weigh-in: 193 again
Eats:
Breakfast:
green smoothie (3 points)
morning snack:
apples (0.5 points)
lunch:
whole wheat wrap (2.5 points)
hummus (1.5 points)
roasted courgette, yellow pepper and quarter of a red onion
salad of romaine, baby tomatoes, red pepper and quarter of a red onion with honey mustard dressing (0.5 points)
afternoon snack:
apples (0.5 points)
dinner:
quorn cutlet (4.5 points)
bagel (4.5 points)
roasted broccoli
massive salad with sweetcorn (1 point)
chocolate (2.5 points)
mini green smoothie (1 point)
Total: 22 points
Water: 100oz + 2 cups of tea!
Weigh-in: 193 again!
Eats:
Breakfast:
green smoothie (2.5 points)
lunch:
whole wheat wrap (2.5 points)
hummus (1.5 points)
roasted courgette and pepper
salad of romaine, baby tomatoes, red pepper and quarter of a red onion with honey mustard dressing (0.5 points)
afternoon snack:
apples (1 point)
dinner:
pita and hummus (3 points)
2 glasses wine (4 points)
quorn cutlet (4.5 points)
evening snack:
chocolate (2.5 points)
Total: 22 points
Water: 104oz
Weigh-in: 193
Eats:
Breakfast:
green smoothie (3 points – damn bigger banana!)
morning snack:
apple (0.5 points)
lunch:
whole wheat wrap (2.5 points)
hummus (1.5 points)
roasted courgette, yellow pepper and quarter of a red onion
salad of romaine, baby tomatoes, red pepper and quarter of a red onion with honey mustard dressing (0.5 points)
dinner:
2 eggs (3.5 points)
sweet potato (2 points)
beans (2 points)
sweetcorn (0.5 point)
evening snack:
wholemeal english muffin (2.5 points)
banana (1.5 points)
peanut butter (1.5 points)
Total: 21.5 points
Water: 96oz
Weigh-in: 194 (1.8 gain from last week – I’m blaming TOM)
Eats:
Breakfast:
green smoothie (3 points – damn bigger banana!)
morning snack:
apple (0.5 points)
lunch:
whole wheat wrap (2.5 points)
hummus (1.5 points)
roasted courgette, yellow pepper and quarter of a red onion
salad of romaine, baby tomatoes, red pepper and quarter of a red onion with honey mustard dressing (0.5 points)
afternoon snack:
honey and yogurt (2.5 points)
dinner:
pesto and mozzarella quorn cutlet (4.5 points)
sweet potato (2.5 points)
peas
salsa (0.5 points)
evening snack:
wholemeal english muffin (2.5 points)
jam (0.5 points)
peanut butter (1.5 points)
Total: 22 points
Activity: went for a walk after work (up to 8,300 steps for the day)
Water: 72oz
My new year’s resolution for 2009 was to take up running.
I’d tried before, I’d started the Couch to 5k program at least twice, but this time it stuck.
I’ve just logged into my nike+ account (apparently for the first time in 2010) and it had all these fun summary stats for me:
I usually ran in the night and I ran most often on Sundays (makes sense, after work mid-week and long runs on Sundays)
My average pace was 7.53/km (which it says is quick like a cat – which to me sounds like it’s taking the piss!)
I ran a total of 551km (that’s over 9 marathons!!)
I burned 50,606 calories (that’s enough energy to power my iPod for 20 days of partying!)
Not bad for a new year’s resolution!
- CJ
Weigh-in: 195 (seriously?? my starting weight again??)
Eats:
Breakfast:
green smoothie (2.5 points)
lunch:
whole wheat wrap (2.5 points)
hummus (2.5 points)
spinach and tomato
dinner:
pesto and mozzarella quorn cutlet (4.5 points)
sweet potato (2.5 points)
broccoli/cauliflower/courgette/carrot mix
salsa (0.5 points)
evening snack:
chocolate (2.5 points)
green smoothie (1.5 points)
Total: 19 points
Activity: 5k in 37:33 + Body Pump
Water: 72oz
It’s not about what you’re eating, it’s about what’s eating you
I’ve just eaten three nakd cocoa orange bars – 7.5 points of snacking…for breakfast…and more than 2 days worth of points in total today.
so what’s eating me?
As Dr. Jensen asked the morbidly obese person in this week’s Supersize vs Superskinny, is it habit? loneliness? boredom?
I think it’s all three. My green smoothie didn’t work this morning. I ran out of spinach and instead of going to the store first thing I tried frozen spinach which doesn’t blend as well and it was really thick and gross…so then I ate three nakd bars and some ryvita and cheese…
Not long after I ate a microwave meal and a pizza. At that point I went shopping and bought everything necessary to have a zero point dinner and actually stay on track but I didn’t feel like cooking.
I ordered sushi – I had a lot of internal struggle about it first. I’ve been really good at budgeting my food spending this month and I wouldn’t be able to accurately reflect the points. Then 40 minutes after ordering the restaurant called and said it’d be extra to deliver so I cancelled it – it was a sign?!
Instead, I ate a relatively healthy dinner of veggies, salsa, a couple of points of cheese and some fruit…it would have passed…except for the chocolate. AN ENTIRE BAR OF CHOCOLATE! 16 POINTS!!
TMI – that time of the month started today, I flaked on my volunteering today, I let them down and then I continued to let myself down ALL DAMN DAY.
I was bored, yes. I was lonely, yes. I was frustrated at myself, yes. I was (am) hormonal, definitely.
I want to succeed at this. I really, really, truly do. I just want these 30lbs GONE. But today I didn’t act like that was the case. Today I didn’t help myself at all.
I deserve better than pizza and microwave meals and chocolate bars. I deserve to feel cute and happy. I really, really, truly do.
- CJ
Weigh-in:
Eats:
Breakfast:
half a nakd cashew cookie (1.5 points)
Green smoothie (2.5 points)
lunch:
tuna mayo salad (4.5 points)
dinner:
chicken pasta with cheese (9 points)
Massive bowl of zero point cabbage and onion soup
my final reese’s egg (3 points)
courgette fries made with flax seed (1.5 points?)
berry bomb smoothie made with cocoa, frozen berries, milk, banana and honey (3.5 points?)
Total: 25.5 points
Water: 72oz
Weigh-in: 191.2lbs again (it flitted in the 189 range, then 190, then settled back on 191.2…I even tried twice haha)
Eats:
Breakfast:
Green smoothie (2.5 points)
lunch:
tuna mayo pita (6 points)
salad (0.5 points)
5 mini chocolate bites (5 points?)
afternoon snack:
ryvita (1 point)
laughing cow (0.5 points)
apple (0.5 points)
dinner:
chicken and pasta (6)
Massive bowl of zero point cabbage and onion soup + cheese (1 point)
banana and custard (3 points)
Total: 26 points (got to stop digging into that office candy!)
Water: 84oz
Weigh-in: 191.2lbs
Eats:
Breakfast:
Green smoothie (2.5 points)
lunch:
tuna mayo pita (6 points)
salad (0.5 points)
chocolate biscuit (2 points?)
afternoon snack:
ryvita (1 point)
laughing cow (0.5 points)
apple (0.5 points)
babybel (1 point)
dinner:
chicken and pasta (8) because this time I added cheese!
Massive bowl of zero point cabbage and onion soup
Total: 22 points
Water: 96oz
Weigh-in: 192.2lbs
Eats:
Breakfast:
half a banana (0.5 points)
Green smoothie (2.5 points)
morning snack:
apple (0.5 points)
babybel (1 point)
lunch:
tuna mayo pita (6 points)
salad (0.5 points)
afternoon snack:
ryvita (1 point)
laughing cow (0.5 points)
pre-work out snack:
half a nakd cashew cookie bar (1.5 points)
dinner:
chicken and pasta (6)
Total: 20 points
Activity: 5k in 37:02
Water: 80oz
Weigh-in: 192.2 (down 1.6 from last Monday)
Eats:
Breakfast:
Green smoothie (1.5 points)
half a nakd cashew cookie bar (1.5 points)
lunch:
zero point soup and two pitas with laughing cow (5 points)
afternoon snack:
chocolate bar (5.5 points)
dinner:
salmon (4.5 points)
stir-fry veggies
Total: 18 points
Water: 72oz
