Diary of a wino - 6 weeks to lose a stone!

[Carrotima]

So, I have been doing slimming world on and off since jan - lost a couple of pounds but nothing to get excited over. Im currently 10st11lbs and 5ft 4inches. My main problem is the wine at the weekends- I just can't resist the temptation hahaha. Anyhow I turn 30 in 6 weeks and have been cajoled into have a joint party with my (very skinny) friend! I am determined to not look fat in the photos so I'm hoping to lose just over a stone to get me back to my pre pregnancy weight of 9st9. As time is running out I would be happy just to get under the 10 stone mark for the party and then I can work on my long term goal of 9stone by may. I'm not declaring I will give up wine as I know I won't stick to this (how I got through pregnancy and breast feeding without wine I don't know!) But hoping writing this diary will help keep me on the right track and guilt me into not drinking excessively at the weekend (sometimes 2 bottles in a night - my liver hates me!) if anyone wants to keep me company please feel free any help and support is appreciated

 

[Carrotima]

Hardly any food in the house! Thought I'd ordered a shop to be delivered today but I stupidly ordered it for next week oops! Going to have to make some random concoctions from what I've got in the cupboard and freezer oh dear. Decided to have a green day based on the only foods I have in!

Early morning snack - weight watchers yoghurt (7am is far too early for breakfast)

Breakfast - beans on toast (whole meal bread heb) - old tin of beans found at the back of the cupboard now I'm not normally a food snob but when it comes to beans you definitely need the decent brands - these ones were awful. Added lots of salt and pepper and it was manageable

Dinner - pasta and sauce - sauce made from tinned tomatoes, garlic, basil and some quark to make it a bit creamy. Sprinkle of cheese on top (hea)

Tea - quorn chilli (my other had is gonna kill me- he is a firm believer of meat with every meal haha!) - made with onions, garlic, chilli flakes, paprika. tinned tomatoes and peppers. Served with boiled rice.

Exercise- did 20 min fitness kinect whilst my son had a nap. Planning on taking him swimming this afternoon (which does not really count as exercise as he is only 6 months old and just involves me swishing him around the pool - he loves it though! Hoping to get in a run later whether this is outside or at the gym (treadmills bore the hell out of me though) fingers crossed x

 

[Carrotima]

I made it for a run yay! Did 3.9k - took me 25 mins which isn't great but I've got time to work on my speed will just focus on distance at the minute. Think I will stick to green days every other day when I'm planning on going running - hopefully the carbs will get me further. Food wise stuck to my plan for the day (the meat free chilli wasn't amazing though - bought the asda mince and it was just really plasticy won't buy that again! Added another small sprinkle of cheese to help it out (hea)) really full after it though and there's loads left over for lunch another day (mmmm can't wait for that one) Not had any syns yet which is rare - I'm sure I will cave and have some kind of snack in a while.

 

[Carrotima]

Didn't end up using any syns yesterday - was so full from tea didn't need anything else all evening. Today's plan

Red day (may change to EE at tea time if I'm starving)

Breakfast- 35g porridge oats (heb) fat free natural yog and blueberries (just ploughing my way through this now it's quite epic and pretty filling)

Lunch - ham salad sandwich (2 slices small whole meal bread (heb) banana and apple

Tea - chicken fajitas using asdas fajita kit (3.5 syns for spice mix I think 0.5 syns for salsa) not going to have a tortilla wrap as these are really high in syns but if I'm starving will make some boiled rice and change my day to EE

Wednesday is the day my other half usually returns home with wine! I know he is hankering after some so he will defo be getting some for himself! Will need to try hard to resist! I tell him not to get me any but he always inevitably does - he is a very bad influence! He is ok he only usually has a couple of glasses and is happy whereas I have to finish a bottle once I know it's open! Will stay strong! Exercise-wise will take my boy out for a walk in the park and into town (don't really count this as exercise really) will do an hour on the fitness kinect when the boy is in bed and the oh is playing badminton. Wish me luck x

 

[Carrotima]

Well I've pretty much stuck to plan - stayed with red day as wasn't starving when it got to tea time and I had used too many healthy extras anyway

Snacks - tin of tuna (random but still had zero proper food in the house until the shop arrived at 1!) it was in oil as well so syns 4.5 (drained well)

Had mustard on my ham sandwich (mixed with some Fromage frais and used instead of butter) so 0.5 syn (less than 1tsp)

Fajita seasoning 3.5 for sachet so counted 2 as mine - also added a sprinkle of cheese for hea and a few tsp of salsa 0.5 syns

SYNS TOTAL 7.5 (so far... Had tea a lot earlier than normal so anything could happen this evening - do have fruit and yoghurts in to snack on so fingers crossed)

Still planning on doing an hour on the kinect at 8 - mainly strength training but there is some cardio in there too - tells you how many calories you are burning which is a good guide too. Wish me luck x

 

[Carrotima]

I resisted the wine! The boy did bring some home but I stayed strong and didn't cave! Going to try and hold off till at least Friday if not Saturday for a cheeky drink! Planning a green day today as I'm going to do a run later (hopefully)

Breakfast - egg on toast (hea)
Dinner - left over quorn chilli
Tea - will make sausage and mash but I will just have the mash veg and maybe some gravy for a few syns

 

[Carrotima]

Sight change in plan for meals today

Breakfast turned out to be egg and beans on toast (had to use the remainder of that horrible tin I opened the other day - wasn't too bad with the egg
Dinner - Morrys cheese and brocolli pasta n sauce (was at my dads he had loads if them in his cupboard - was actually ok but not sure it was worth the 2.5 syns
Snacks - 2 bananas and 2 more slices of whole meal toast (heb) plus clover - 3 syns! Aghhh was meant to be saving my clover syns for mash later - might go without to maybe have a sneaky glass of wine later. I did also go for a 4k run whilst my dad tried to make my son have a nap and failed miserably- going to have a very cranky child at bed time I think:-(

 

[Carrotima]

So far ignoring the bottle of wine calling me in the fridge-a hot vimto will do for now! The boy is sat next to me drinking and eating chocolate eclairs it's pure torture. Had some bisto gravy with tea (tiny amount) counting it as 2 syns so upto 7.5 syns for the day. Will see how the next hour or so goes

 

[Carrotima]

Just one glass-albeit quite a large glass 250ml at least-going to syn 8 for it so syns for the day 15.5 - worth it I reckon (just need to not polish off the bottle now it's open

 

[Carrotima]

I stuck to the one glass! Progress has been made! Normally the bottle would have been demolished! (Will probably finish it off tonight having a green day today mainly due to the quorn chilli leftover that needs eating today otherwise it will be in the bin. So this is the plan

Breakfast - weetabix with semi skimmed milk (hea and b)
Lunch - quorn chilli with chickpeas and kidney beans (actually tasted better this time)
Tea - doing lamb Steak for the boyo roast potatoes (sw style) and asparagus. I may have some lab as a heb is I fancy it but may save my steak for a red day.

Snacks - banana, apple - trying to save syns for the remaining wine in the fridge

 

[Carrotima]

Currently drinking the remaining wine - 16 syns! Been quite saintly with food all day so didn't feel too bad but now the boy has cracked open a box of malteasers! Eaten about 5 so far will work out the syns later:-( no exercise today either aghhhh! Going to a friends for lunch tomorrow and was meant to be taking scones with clotted cream but changed to a massive fruit salad and meringue with cream or ff natural yoghurt. Hoping I will stick to my guns but reckon the day may be a write off with sandwiches and cakes on offer! Will try and do a run when I get back eeeek damage limitation!

 

[Carrotima]

The wine has officially won this weekend! I'm fine during the week but at the weekend I've just got to have a bottle a nigh aghhhhh. Start again tomorrow x

 

[Carrotima]

Right back on it today. Been terrible since Saturday. Gonna do an extra easy day today - dont really like doing them really but limited choices for tea tonight so making a shepherds pie.

Breakfast - banana and whole meal toast with lolo cheese spread (hea and heb)

Lunch - fruit and yogurt

Tea - shepherds pie made with lean lamb mince, onions, carrots, stock and potatoes - served with broccoli

Stay away from the wine tonight! Aghhh! Hoping to go swimming tonight when the boyo has gone to bed x

 

[systema]

Wine is my downfall - living in Spain where I can get a nice bottle for a quid does not help either
I find it easier to do SW in UK because I will not pay £4 for it but we are away at the moment & have been doing wine tours where they force feed you wine along with lots of cheese and have put back what I lost. Started SW again yesterday (in a sort of way as lots of SW friendly food is not available here) and made my OH take the couple of bottles of wine from the cupboard and hide them.
I can't open the bottle and leave it - it shouts me all the time so if I don't buy it then I can't drink it.

Good Luck with SW.

 

[Carrotima]

Wine is my downfall - living in Spain where I can get a nice bottle for a quid does not help either
I find it easier to do SW in UK because I will not pay £4 for it but we are away at the moment & have been doing wine tours where they force feed you wine along with lots of cheese and have put back what I lost. Started SW again yesterday (in a sort of way as lots of SW friendly food is not available here) and made my OH take the couple of bottles of wine from the cupboard and hide them.
I can't open the bottle and leave it - it shouts me all the time so if I don't buy it then I can't drink it.

Good Luck with SW.

Haha I know what you mean - I can sink a bottle in an hour and a half and could quite easily open another afterwards. A pound for a a bottle of wine?? Blimey I think I should avoid Spain! Whereabouts do you live over there! Good luck with the diet - I've so far been ok today - it remains to be seen whether I reach for the bottle tonight haha (I'm on mat leave at the minute so not having to go to work is making me worse!) hope it's a nice sunny day where you are x x

 

[Carrotima]

Right back on it now - combining 5:2 with sw! Need to lose a stone in 7 weeks for a holiday to finland and also get myself considerably fitter than I am now! I go back to work in August (after a year off on maternity) so the shock of early mornings and 10 hour shifts is going to be a nightmare on top of looking after a baby! got into bad habits drinking a bottle or wine (sometimes more) every other night and its costing me a fortune and not doing me any favours. If I'm leading a healthier lifestyle by then hopefully I won't be as tired and will adapt to it a bit quicker! So here is the plan for this week

Tuesday - fasting til 8pm. Tea - pan fried cod loin with a pea purée and poached egg. - about 450 calories and all sw friendly (on EE). Exercise - run (feeling a bit crappy at the minute though so will have to see later on might go for a swim instead!)

Wednesday - snack on free food throughout the day (actually gonna try and fast but not sure ill make 2 days on the trot!) Tea meatball pasta bake (from last sw magazine) free on EE (using cheese as hea) Exercise - run

Thursday - hmm friend coming over and wants to go out for lunch so will have to see where we end up going as to what I eat - probably end up using some syns but not too worried. Tea - macaroni cheese (free on Green or EE so will decide what day I'm doing based on lunch) served with steamed brocolli. Exercise - spinning

Friday. - fasting til teatime then making salmon and sw roast potatoes and steamed brocolli. I have said I'm allowed wine on a Friday and Saturday night but we shall see if I manage to hold off. May use some syns and have some cheeky snacks. Spinning with OH if we get nana to come babysit

Saturday -breakfast/lunch - scrambled egg, bacon and tomatoes
Tea - steak, sw chips and veg

Will leave it at that for the plan - let's see if I make it that far

 

[Carrotima]

Fast yesterday went well - didn't do any exercise though boo! Tried a consecutive fast today as the rest of my week is a bit unpredictable - made it til about 1430 then i caved and made a tuna salad! Only came in at 164 cals though so not too bad - just annoyed as I can normally make it til 8/9ish in the evening! Maybe 2 days on the trot is a bit much! Was gonna make pasta for tea but may change now a make a Spanish omelette - will see how hungry I am later! Not planning on staying under 500 today - definitely want to stay under 1000! Had a look at our finances last night and we are mega skint! Going to be even worse when I go back to work as my petrol and childcare costs amount o around 900 on their own! Aghhhh! Definitely have to cut back on the wine now - we have a budget of £130 per month to get us through any nights out, meals out, days out etc! Nightmare! Also need to cut down on food shopping which is likely to mean more crappy convenience food:-( buying fresh meat and veg etc is costing a fortune! Anyway my head hurts from thinking about it all and I'm still starving! Will update later x

 

[riahummingbird]

Hey carrotima wow fasting sounds difficult not sure i could manage that running round after the kids fair play to you! I think i put more weight on during my mat leave than when i was pregnant with no 1! What is the 5;2 does that mean fasting 2 says of the week? I think i would just make a pig of myself in the evening instead.

I am with you u on the budget i am struggling even now im back at work and most of my spare cash goes on food. Sw is great but it can def bw expensive. I am just making sure i use all the fresh food up; soups and casseroles etc and just jabing days where i will try ans avoid spending anything unless i really really need it!

 

[Carrotima]

Hi ria yeah 5:2 means sticking to 500cals two days a week (for example eating normally on Sunday finishing with evening meal then Monday consume 500 cals either in one meal or spread throughout the day and then nothing til Tuesday morning then repeat on another day through the week) surprisingly easy once you get into it. I adapt it to suit me - yesterday I did the usual fast and had 500cals - today I've fasted as long as I could but then just ate as normal but still trying to keep calories low - plan on doing another 500cal day on Friday (had a very heavy weekend so this is damage limitation!) I have lost over half a stone nice starting in march (and I have literally eaten what I wan on the other days - including copious amounts of wine!) hoping its something I can stick to long term.


How old are your kid(s)? can't believe how much childcare is! It's ridiculous (my little one was a bit of an accident - if we had planned maybe we could have saved more but who knows) I totally understand why people choose to leave work and look after their kids at home!

 

[riahummingbird]

Mine are 3 and 1.5 and honestly if we had them both in nursery as DS1 was before I had DS2 it just wouldn't be worth my while working. We are lucky enough to have family helping out so it is low enough but even then the same amount as most peoples mortgages.

I would love to be able to go part time but it wasn't an option when I asked and tbh I am glad now as we would have been struggling a bit if I was.

I am not sure I would have the willpower for the fasting, one of the reasons I like sw is I can eat pretty much constantly. I would be one of those people fainting away, I can't go more than 2 hours without something....