Darling09's 100% honest diary

[Little Noo]

thanks for your reply carefulcounter, i found it really helpful.

i think ur right - i should eat more throughout the day and have a small dinner - which is what im going to do tonight!

i do usually have skimmed milk, but the garage by us only does semi skimmed so sometimes we have to make do with that.

i dont think it helps that i dont have any snack foods in at all! so will have to go shopping soon! thanks for ur advice! xx

 

[rhuba]

i agree with carefulcounter, but i think you could use the same amount of calories on more filling foods as well. porridge (if you like it) would be a much better option for brekkie. i find after cornflakes or some such i still feel like i could eat another bowl or two! plus, with it being a hot cereal it takes you longer to eat and thus you realise that you are full. chuck a few raisins and chopped dates in and it's scrummy!

you had 2 bowls of soup - i sometimes do that as well, but i have one at, say 11.30-12.00 and then another at 2-3pm and it keeps you going longer without snacking.

if you do want snacks, vegetable sticks - carrots and cucumber are great. there's only 50cals in 200g of carrots (which is about 4 medium carrots) i think having something to crunch on is very helpful as it feels like youre eating quite a bit.

as for your dinner. i'd have a grilled lean chicken breast rather than steak with smashed potatoes (like mash but lumpy - i whack a couple of chopped spring onions into 100g boiled potatoes, with a tiny dash of milk and bash it with a fork - only about 80cals! and v tasty!!)

then about 300g of mixed veg (about 120 cals) and youre laughing.

if i crave sweet things in the evening i'll have something that takes a while to eat like an options hot choc (33cals) yummers - they do looooads of flavours, cocnut, hazelnut, turkish delight - all very tasty.

i sound like i never fall off the wagon with all that i'm saying, obviously that's not true, but knowing what fills me up is certainly helping me to keep my calories down. i always leave enough for a treat, and have bought a bag of mini bars - fudge, chomp, buttons which i keep in the freezer so i can take my time over one. i always leave it til just before i brush my teeth and go to bed so that i don't eat more than one. (it's also good to test my willpower, which is improving every day!)

anywho, i have rambled a bit. sorry. hope some of my chatter helps. i think it takes a while before you start to figure out what works for you, but if you're having problems, just come on here- we're always around to listen to a rant, or give some advice

good luck xxx

 

[Iris]

so im aiming for a 1-2lb loss each week but after a while i expect this to level out when i start to gain muscle and lose fat.

Hello, I've just been reading through your daily food choices, and it sounds like a wonderful diet. Just the above that caught my eye - I'm no expert, so maybe someone else could clarify, but I think it's very hard to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously. If your body's operating under a calorie deficit and you're losing weight, then building up muscle is going to be a very, very slow process, if it happens at all. At least, that's what I've heard. It's why bodybuilders have their rather insane bulking/cutting cycles. I think muscle gain and combined fat loss would happen more quickly if the person was significantly overweight and had just started a strength-building workout routine.

Just thought I'd mention this in case you were disappointed down the line at not building the old muscle as quickly as you'd like. I'm in a similar boat, really, the scale at Boots tells me I've 26% bodyfat - no idea how accurate it is, but I do feel rather flabby. I'd like to gain a bit of muscle at some point, but I don't think I can really begin until I'm eating enough for the body to make it.

 

[Little Noo]

hi rhuba, thanks for the advice! im restructuring my diet as from tuesday. its a bit of a mix of lots of other diets but its pretty simple. i have a list of breakfast lunch dinner and snack options which i chose from each day, which will make sure il be having 1200 - 1300 cals a day and eating the right stuff regularly. its high protein to keep me full, low fat, lots of fresh fruit and veg, no junk, and complex carbs in the morning to set me up for the day.

i agree with carefulcounter, but i think you could use the same amount of calories on more filling foods as well. porridge (if you like it) would be a much better option for brekkie. i find after cornflakes or some such i still feel like i could eat another bowl or two! plus, with it being a hot cereal it takes you longer to eat and thus you realise that you are full. chuck a few raisins and chopped dates in and it's scrummy!

this sounds like a very good idea. in a separate post il let u know my breakfast options etc and you can tell me what you think of them!

you had 2 bowls of soup - i sometimes do that as well, but i have one at, say 11.30-12.00 and then another at 2-3pm and it keeps you going longer without snacking.

this is what i did actually for some reason i just wrote it all down as being at 'lunch' lol


if you do want snacks, vegetable sticks - carrots and cucumber are great. there's only 50cals in 200g of carrots (which is about 4 medium carrots) i think having something to crunch on is very helpful as it feels like youre eating quite a bit.

think il be taking this on board too - i love anything crunchy!


as for your dinner. i'd have a grilled lean chicken breast rather than steak with smashed potatoes (like mash but lumpy - i whack a couple of chopped spring onions into 100g boiled potatoes, with a tiny dash of milk and bash it with a fork - only about 80cals! and v tasty!!)

then about 300g of mixed veg (about 120 cals) and youre laughing.

again see my next post as this will be the type of thing im going for


if i crave sweet things in the evening i'll have something that takes a while to eat like an options hot choc (33cals) yummers - they do looooads of flavours, cocnut, hazelnut, turkish delight - all very tasty.

i have the belgium chocolate one - love it - but forgot i had it!

i sound like i never fall off the wagon with all that i'm saying, obviously that's not true, but knowing what fills me up is certainly helping me to keep my calories down. i always leave enough for a treat, and have bought a bag of mini bars - fudge, chomp, buttons which i keep in the freezer so i can take my time over one. i always leave it til just before i brush my teeth and go to bed so that i don't eat more than one. (it's also good to test my willpower, which is improving every day!)

thats a great idea - although im cutting out all chocolate for 7 weeks as i just cant stop at one - if its in the house i have to eat it! i will reintroduce chocolate when i can trust myself!


anywho, i have rambled a bit. sorry. hope some of my chatter helps. i think it takes a while before you start to figure out what works for you, but if you're having problems, just come on here- we're always around to listen to a rant, or give some advice

good luck xxx

rambles are always welcome, thanks very much for the help!

 

[Little Noo]

Hello, I've just been reading through your daily food choices, and it sounds like a wonderful diet. Just the above that caught my eye - I'm no expert, so maybe someone else could clarify, but I think it's very hard to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously. If your body's operating under a calorie deficit and you're losing weight, then building up muscle is going to be a very, very slow process, if it happens at all. At least, that's what I've heard. It's why bodybuilders have their rather insane bulking/cutting cycles. I think muscle gain and combined fat loss would happen more quickly if the person was significantly overweight and had just started a strength-building workout routine.

hi, thanks for the comment! ive actually recently become aware that its actually not possible to build muscle whilst on a calorie deficit diet, so i think im just going to have to play it by ear with the calories and when i get to a body fat im happy with then il up the cals and do more weight training.

 

[Little Noo]

My new diet!

ok so as i mentioned before im restructuring my diet as from tuesday. it will be for 7 weeks in prep for my holiday in july. im chosing an option each day from each category so that i have around 1200 - 1300 cals of good healthy food! any comments on it and/or further suggestions on other meal ideas (i realise its going to be abit samey - but i wont be doing it for too long) would be very much appreciated!

breakfast: (7.30am) - 250-300 cals
EITHER:
cereal with skimmed milk and raisens/ porridge with skimmed milk and raisens/ 2 slices of wholemeal toast / poached egg on wholemeal toast
AND: glass of orange juice (half juice half water)

snack: (11.30am) - 100 cals
EITHER:
fresh fruit/ cereal bar/ yoghurt/ almonds/ boiled egg/ carrot and cucumber sticks/ cheese/ dried fruit

lunch: (1.00pm) - 300-350 cals
EITHER:
tin of tuna/ grilled chicken breast/ hard boiled eggs/ turkey slices
AND: 300g mixed salad or veg

snack: (3.30pm) - 100cals
EITHER: same as above snack choices

dinner (6.00pm) - 300-400 cals
EITHER:
grilled chicken breast/ grilled salmon/ other fish/ small steak
AND: 300g mixed salad or veg.

snack: (8.00pm) - 100 cals
EITHER: same as above snack choices


in addition to this i want to drink 2 litres of water a day and do plenty of exercise.

so, how does this sound to all you lovely calorie counters?? xx

 

[rhuba]

sounds fabulous to me!! very important to get plenty of fruit and veg so all your vitamins and minerals are there. good luck with it hun, sounds pretty similar to the kind of things i eat - so i'm with you

if you need any advice or more meal plans just ask x

 

[Iris]

Your diet sounds fab to me, really balanced and wholesome. I think some protein at breakfast really does keep you feeling fuller for longer. If you're ever in need of a quick meal fix, I highly recommend the John West Light Lunch range - little packaged meals containing tuna or salmon with vegetables and pasta/wheat/potatoes/chickpeas. The moroccan salmon is lovely and only 200 calories!

Also, all the berries that are in season right now make for excellent nibbles. A daily punnet of strawberries seems to do the most amazing things for your skin, too!

 

[Little Noo]

thanks rhuba and iris - i really appreciate ur comments

well ive just had my last exam - so very happy that they are over with! im most probably going to have to resit one in august though so after a few weeks rest ill start revising again, just an hour or so a day.

and im not even going out tonight so i wont be hungover tomorrow (the first day of my new plan) so i wont be craving fatty foods or feel too ill to do exercise

cant wait to start my new regime - im really looking forward to it. il be nipping down to tesco tomorrow morning to stock up on healthy snacks as have nothing at all snack-wise in the house at the mo!

ive also been feeling abit down recently and im hoping that some exercise will cheer me up abit - apparently exercise has been proven to lift depression.

anyway, here is to a good start tomorrow - il be weighing in tomorrow and starting from fresh - and il probably need to lose around a stone in seven weeks - definately doable!

 

[preetone]

good luck! well u dont need luck, but have a great first day!

 

[rhuba]

echoed

exercise certainly lifts your spirits. you should get yourself a pedometer and join our walking challenge. i feel great after just a week of getting in extra steps. way more awake during the day, sleeping better at night and generally happier!

plus i'm not counting it as extra exercise, so it'll be burning extra cals on top of my gym work outs. bonus

good luck with your first week lovely. when are you weighing-in?

 

[Little Noo]

thanks for the good luck messages guys!

i havnt got a pedometer at the moment but my partner is doing a walking challenge at work with one, and i think he has one spare so il ask him to bring it home with him

i weighed in this morning at 8st 3.5lbs, thats 1.25lbs more than last week. not suprising really as i didnt stick to plan! im not bothered though, today is a fresh start and i am 100% percent sure i can lose a stone before my holiday, giving me a bikini body whilst remaining in the healthy BMI range.

today has gone well so far, ive been to the supermarket and bought plenty of healthy snacks to keep me going. im really not hungry today though because of the weather, but am making sure i still have my meals and snacks.

im off to the cinema tonight which should be fun, and il be swapping the popcorn for a bag of special k mini breaks. im going to be doing some resistance exercises in a mo and then later on for dinner im going to be having a grilled chicken breast with some vegetables

hope everyone else is enjoying this lovely sunny day

 

[Little Noo]

oh, p.s. my weigh in day will be tuesdays although next week it will have to be thursday as im goin to see my parents for afew days

 

[Little Noo]

well yesterday went really well - 100% day, even resisted the popcorn!! very proud of myself! although i was a little under the calorie intake for the day.

today has been a good day too. ive gone a little over the calorie limit for today as my salmon fillet wasnt defrosted when i got home (despite being in the fridge all last night and all of today - must be too cold in there!) so i ended up making homemade chilli as i had some mince. its not necessarily bad, i used all fresh ingredients, drained the excess oil from the mince and had it with a small serving of basmati rice which is low GI, (didnt have any salad in to have it with) its abit over in cals than what i should have had. never mind though - i was under yesterday and im sure this will happen often - some days il be over, some days il be under, as long as what im eating is good and healthy and i stick to my calorie count as often as i can im not going to beat myself up over it , besides, im still eating far far better than what i had been!

i also did quite alot of walking today - even got slightly out of breath which is not good for just walking lol! and im just about to go and do some resistance exercises and sit ups.

hope everyone else has had a good day too and has enjoyed the sunshine, lets hope for another good day tomorrow

 

[Little Noo]

quick update, today going well so far, only had breakfast as of yet as just not hungry when its hot!! had abit of a lie in too and have done 30 minutes on my exercise bike, upper body weights (found it really hard - had to really push myself!), and 80 sit ups. hope to be doing this sort of thing everyday as its one of my mini goals to do exercise everyday for a week. feel really good for doing it

going to jump in the shower now and have some lunch, then off to work later. going to watch transformers tonight (the first one) so i can go to the cinema and watch the second one when its out! all in all a very good day and im feeling much happier and enjoying my new healthy way of life

oh, and im not missing chocolate either!!!

 

[Iris]

Well done on all the exercise and sticking to your eating plan. Wish I had your discipline with the exercise! Starting to feel good results?

 

[Little Noo]

hey iris, im really enjoying the exercise when i have time to fit it in

i also walked to work and back yesterday which is 40 minutes each way at a fast pace (about 4 miles in total) and it was really lovely - it always helps when the weather is nice.

i can definately feel that ive done exercise - the sides of my stomach feel really sore today, although i think it will take at least a month before i start seeing some results.

going to be doing lower body resistance exercises today (squats and lunges etc) and situps, and if i get time i will be doing some cardio, if not il walk into town to meet my friend which will be a good 40 minute walk.

diet went well yesterday, and should be another good day today. im abit worried as im off to visit my parents on saturday until wednesday and i think its going to be quite hard to follow the diet, but il make good choices where i can and try and sort out my own food as much as possible. plus we live right next to the country side and a nice river so i can go for afew jogs to burn off any extra calories.

 

[Iris]

Ahhh... squats! Just that word made my eyes water in remembered pain! After one session I walked like a particularly stilted chicken for the next fortnight.

Hope the dieting isn't too impossible at the parents' place. Mothers aren't always the best allies in the flab fight, are they? But the country jogs should be great.

 

[Little Noo]

ok, so i wasnt brilliant at my parents, in fact i was anything but brilliant, but i have managed to stay the same which i am very pleased about, considering i also had a night out and spent a day eating rubbish because i felt so ill - i actually felt like i had poisoned my body with all the alcohol i have consumed - wont be doing that again for a long time! but back on the diet today and hoping for a 2lb loss by tuesday - which will technically be two weeks on the diet but obviously being at my parents has messed things up abit! still, if i can lose 2lb a week from now on il be more than happy.

feeling really positive about the diet and more relaxed about it too - its not constantly on my mind, which is good! going to work in abit and then il be doing some weights this evening and some crunches. gonna force myself to go for a jog tomorrow, even if its just for 10 minutes - it all helps! hope everyone is having a good day xx

 

[Little Noo]

so i did my upper body weights last night and 80 crunches, felt quite good! i am very pleased to say i did force myself to go for a jog this morning - and it did indeed only last 10 minutes!! lol!! im not really sure if its because im really unfit and couldnt go on, or whether i just hated it so much that i didnt want to carry on!!?? hmmm...

i actually came in with a very very bad ear ache - it was awful!! not sure if it was from my headphones or the cold air or what, but i was on the verge of tears!! its nearly gone now though thank god!

im wondering whether i should be forcing myself to run at all. i really hate it, but i know its a great form of exercise and i would really like to run a half marathon by my 21st birthday and so i guess im going to have to get to like it! i dont know, il try to go for three jogs a week and hopefully by the time i go on holiday i should be up to 30minutes. if i still really hate it by the time i go on holiday then i wont carry it on when i come back.

diet went well yesterday, 1120 cals, had spaghetti bolognaise for dinner which was quite high in cals but OH cooked so i didnt have a choice, left quite alot of the pasta though.

looking forward to a good day today, might go and meet some friends, if not il get all the housework done.

have a good day everyone! xx