Barb's Fabulous Food Diary!

[Russiandoll]

HURRAH for Barb and her fabulous food diary!!!!!

I'm SO happy for you Barb - this is fantastic stuff!

 

[Eclipse]

Brilliant result hun, well done xxx

 

[Barb]

Thanks everyone!
I am quite surprised I must admit as I really was looking at 10lbs by Christmas, which I would have been satisfied with. It's beginning to look like I will have done that by the end of October, which will be amazing! I am not going to launch into my usual pressure mode though, or start working out what I could lose etc... I am just going to keep going. I think it's very reasonable to expect to see a stone gone by Christmas but lets wait and see, it's far more important to go on developing good long term habits than anything else.

All the same, I am chuffed!!!

 

[kandy]

Well done Barb,
A stone by christmas sounds great you are in the zone hunny pleased for you !
Keep up the good work love Julie xxx

 

[Barb]

Busy day yesterday, twins 20th birthday, so out for lunh and dinner. Didn't go too mad, so quite pleased but need a really 'plain' day or two now as I feel like the food I had was very rich ( a thai meal wednesday night, pub lunch yesterday and an Indian meal last night!).
Have been very good wine wise so far this week, a max of 1.5 glasses even last night. That has to help as I know i have too many 'empty' cals.

So here's to a very healthy eating day!

 

[Barb]

Goodness, i don't seem to be getting on here much at the moment, life is a bit hectic. Friday was an ok day, very nibbly for some reason but small meals so I think that balanced out ok. Yesterday similar really but went out for a lovely meal last night which was a 3 course job and all very delicious. Also had birthday cake for the twins yesterday so certainly overdid it.

Not expecting anything too amazing weight loss wise this week, but hope for a lb off, that would be great considering the week so far. Having said that, with my Wednesday weigh in I still have 3 days to be sensible and make up for over indulgences. That makes a huge difference, if i was looking at a Monday weigh in (which in the past I nearly always have) i would be expecting a gain. Isn't it silly what a difference a small change like that can make and the knock on effects of that. If I was weighing in tomorrow I would be facing a gain or STS and would be feeling very negative today and probably eat too much on the grounds that ' I've probably put on anyway', because I still have time to make sure I lose this week my attitude is totally different and I feel determined to see a loss, even if its only small!

 

[kandy]

Hiya Barb,
Sounds like you have found a good weapon in your weightloss war !
It may be a small thing but if it works you gotta love it.
Enjoy the rest of your day .
Take care Luv Julie xxx

 

[Barb]

Thanks Julie, I could certainly use a weapon or two! I seem to be slipping a bit at the moment, using the diary, recording every morsel, but it doesn't make great reading!
Too much nibbling and too much wine still creeping in, one definately leading to the other! Really tried to talk to myself yesterday and stop the rot but I was just in the mood to eat. Did have an apple at one point which was nearly biscuits - so I guess that was good.
Today I was just having my tea and 2 ginger biscuits and I got up and put one biscuit back in the packet. I thought if I start the day well it just might carry on like it!

Watch this space and if you feel like it, nag me please!

 

[KD]

Sorry Barb, not on much at the moment, but don't want you to think I've forgotten you

but I was just in the mood to eat.

And did you practice 'the pause'. That's the best time to do it. When you are feeling in a 'dont care must eat' mood. Do it when it's hardest and it'll have the greatest benefits in the future :clap:

Did have an apple at one point which was nearly biscuits - so I guess that was good.

That's my gal

Today I was just having my tea and 2 ginger biscuits and I got up and put one biscuit back in the packet.

Woohoo. Doing well. Remember though, you aren't juddering I don't want the odd relaxing day turning into a few days....then a week

Not long until weigh day. Get moving. Head firmly back in place and go for it. No more pickies. I know you can do it. You've done it before and you can do it again

 

[Barb]

Thanks KD, that was timely, you know me too well! It is so easy to start to slip and then bang, suddenly the momentum is gone and you find yourself thinking thats another failure to notch up.

The difference really is the diary, I will not stop writing it. So a good day or bad, it all gets recorded and thats whats going to keep me going. If I wasn't writing it down this latest attempt would have finished last week. So, yes I have a couple of days before weigh in to redeem myself and I know what I want. I want to lose weight. Do i want it more than the next biscuit/cake/crisps? YES! Only one thing for it then, keep going!!!

 

[Barb]

Well weigh in day is here and I am sad to report it is a stay the same week. Now, I could be really down on myself about that or I could simply admit that I have had an above average week of celebrations/meals out etc... and couldn't reasonably expect to lose anything. In fact I still think I was lucky not to gain.
So onwards and downwards!!

 

[KD]

Now, I could be really down on myself about that or I could simply admit that I have had an above average week of celebrations/meals out etc... and couldn't reasonably expect to lose anything.

So now you know you can't do that weekly Stay focused Barb. 2lbs off for next week to make up for it?? You could do that if you keep your head in the right place

 

[Barb]

Hi Karion, yes that is very do-able and I will do my best.
I just do feel pleased with myself though, that I am not blaming anything other than what really happened. You know how easy it is to say you've been fairly good and still not lost and feel like the whole worlds against you? Well that is what I've done in the past, but I don't feel like that now. I know if I have a sensible week I lose weight and if i don't, I don't.
I am also getting to grips with eating what I want as opposed to what I should have. For lunch today I just fancied a little bit of toast and marmite, so thats what I had, one slice. Just right, didn't want or need more. Dh said, 'thats not much of a lunch' and I said ' I'll have something else later if I want to'. Which I will, if I want to.

I suppose the truth is a bit of intuitive eating is creeping into my plan. For instance yesterday afternoon we came back from shopping and DH said did I want a cup of tea, which would definately have resulted in biscuits too. I said no, I really fancy some melon. So I had some, I know he thought how weird to have melon at 4.30pm, but thats what I fancied and it was lovely.

I feel like I should be upset because I didn't lose, but I'm not. This is how my food diary worked before, I had good weeks and bad but so long as the good outweighed the bad (which they did) I kept going and gradually over the year, lost 4 stone.

I am going to keep this going, I do feel determined; it's just a quieter more confident determined, rather than a hell for leather evangelical determined!

 

[Barb]

A good day yesterday; I have been feeling a bit low so would normally be reaching for the biccies, but I haven't. Yesterday I was feeling proper hungry at about 11.30am and went and got myself some lovely grapes and nibbled them slowly. Lovely. Out for dinner last night and managed a low cal starter, basically prawns and salad, no sauce. Then had chicken kiev and chips but really only ate about a third and stopped. No pud, didn't want one! Gradually feeling better about the whole 'diet' thing. My diary is invaluable, like yesterday I had convinced myself thta i had eaten far more than I had, but on checking my diary I had actually done really well.
We have friends coming for dinner tonight but apart from that nothing mad this weekend so hope to stick to a good healthy regime and see a lb or 2 off next week.

 

[Karen]

it sounds to me like u r doing brilliantly barb. It sounds realistic too which is great. its one thing to stick to a diet plan, seeing it as a temporary means to an end but you are listening to what ur body wants and what it doesnt want which is somehting u can do forever without it being a diet. When i listen to my body it tells me I want a chowmein and chicken curry so i obviously cant be trusted but u can so thats great.

maybe thats why u r not upset with urself... u know u r doing this in a mature way. Making grown up choices and liking how reasonable they are. good on ya! have a lovely weekend. xxxx

 

[Barb]

Thanks Karen, I must admit my body often thinks a thai meal and a bucket of wine would be an excellent idea, so it's not exactly plain sailing!
I am getting the hang of it though and don't feel as obsessed as I did either with food or with the diet. That feels like progress. Thing is I am fed up with living for 'when I've lost weight'; what if it never happens? what if I lose, but not enough? Am i going to spend my whole life looking forward in hope or backwards in regret? No, I am not. I am going to enjoy now, lose a little weight, slowly but surely, most of the time and not beat myself up if i actually enjoy eating or drinking something deemed 'naughty'!
So far, so good!
Have a great weekend Karen,

Love

 

[Barb]

Just read this diary from start to now. Needed to get back in touch with my earlier thoughts and i think it's helped, especially re-visiting Karion's advice!
Its so annoying how enthusiasm etc.. just vanishes sometimes and that whole 'fired up could conquer the world' feeling is just gone. Still, I know what i need to do so I just need to get on with it.

Had a chinese with friends last night accompanied by wine etc.. so really need to return to the straight and narrow today!
If anyone has the urge to give me a caring kick up the proverbial I would be obliged!

 

[KD]

J
Its so annoying how enthusiasm etc.. just vanishes sometimes and that whole 'fired up could conquer the world' feeling is just gone.

It's annoying isn't it. The desire to eat completely overrides all the motivation and enthusiasm to lose weight.

That's why I believe there is so much more to this dieting business than just cutting down.

Excuses come quick. They tell us that we are not really going to do much damage with 'this' or 'that', and we can get back on the wagon tomorrow and make up for it.

We've all said it so many times:sigh:

Okay, so you've been out, you've had a little more than perhaps you should. No beating yourself up. These things happen and you made the choice. But can you learn something from it? Does it make you more determined to stay on course now, or does it make you feel that it's all a hopeless cause?

What will happen when you weigh next week. What makes you feel determined? Will it be when the scales stay the same, or if they go down?

Perhaps you can write down 5 positive things that you think will happen if you get to your goal. Then another 5 negative ones for if you don't.

Then look to the future. Christmas, next year, 5 years time. How will you feel? What will be the thoughts going through your head at that time?

You've achieve great results before when you calorie counted. Get your head back into that mode. Remember what you did, what you were thinking, how you did it. Model yourself on your past achievements

 

[Barb]

Thanks KD, interesting stuff. I intend to have lost by next weigh in. I know I will feel crushed if I haven't. One week of STS is ok, admittedly better than gaining, but 2 weeks would not be acceptable. I've thought about the cal counting, but that would not be repeating/revisiting/improving on the success of 2002. The trouble with cal counting, for me, is it brings out the all or nothing in me. I start off sensibly and set a reasonable cal target, then I find myself beating it. I even did it on the Juddd, 500 cal days became 300 cal days. Cal counting works but not if it brings out the obsessive in you and in me it does!
So, I know what I need to do, eat healthily, cut down on the nibbling, keep the vino at a sensible level and I will lose weight.
Looking ahead, how will I feel at Christmas? I expect to feel pleased that i started this diary when I did, that I have lost at least a stone and that my clothes already feel comfier! Five years ahead? Crikey thats a tough one, certainly I expect to have steadily lost weight and be lurking around 11 stone, which if I lose even a stone a year I would be. Life wise, its harder to imagine as we could have seen all 3 remaining chicks flying the nest, our businesses may be a thing of the past. Who knows; what I do know is I do want a healthier future, but it has to be at the right pace or it won't happen, I know myself too well.

 

[Barb]

Just got back from a lovely walk at Beachy Head, the views were amazing and although it was cold it was just gorgeous. I have cleared loads of stuff on/from my desk today and feel much better. De-cluttering really does help. Haven't nibbled all day and have a sensible meal planned for tonight. Just feeling much chirpier, hooray!!