Lynn's Diary - My Big Fat Weight Loss Journey

[slim104]

Personally i think the diets that rely on shakes, etc are not good for you. Because you can't live the rest of your life on those.
Its a lifestyle change, healthy eating and exercise. It costs less than your old shopping bill because you're not eating all that bad food.
The problem i see is that once you come off those diets you are then either going to go back to eating the way you were before or then have to start the healthy lifestyle. Surely its better to start the lifestyle at the beginning and then ensure that the weight stays off as it becomes normal to eat healthily.
Just having a winge at the ridiculous prices they charge for those fad diets.
770 kcals??? I think i'd pass out on that. I average about 1600-1800 a day.

 

[Lynn_]

You are absolutely right Slim that these meal replacements do not teach you good eating habits, and for a long term diet i dont think they will work well either as its going to be too boring which could result in a back lash of binge eating. But for me personally, I have had great difficulties in eating any decent amount of food due to the side effects of the drugs I have been taking recently. Its the byetta that has resulted in me losing so much weight, simply because it makes me feel so sick most of the time. So my problem has been getting enough nutrition. It was ok to start with, I thought i would get used to it and be able to eat more as time went on. My doctor initially told me that the nausea would last a few weeks, but 4 months have gone by and im starting to worry a little that im not getting the protein and calcium i need on a daily basis, so these meal replacements could be good for me in the short term to help me get to my final goal weight, and give me the full nutrition in the process.

What happens when i reach goal? I have no idea lol, i will worry about that when it happens.

Men have a much better time of it when it comes to dieting, they can easily eat 200 or 300 calories a day than women and still lose more than women can. My BMR at my current weight is 1511 cals a day, so 1600 to 1800 cals would just be maintenance for me, may even make me put on weight lol. You will no doubt find that when you are getting nearer goal, you will have to reduce your intake a little to keep the weight loss going, im not saying you would have to drop as low as a vlcd, but you will have to make some adjustments im sure.

 

[slim104]

My bmr at the moment is 2620. So my intake is well under that by about 800kcals on average. So loss should be ok at the moment

 

[Healthy2010]

Oh my goodness Lynn, I cant believe you had to go to hospital, you poor thing, I hope youre feeling much better now. It must have been awful having such extreme stomach pain. Youve had an extremely eventful few days hun, and massive congratulations for making it to the 12's !!!!!! Yipppeeeeeee youve done brillantly and youre in size 14s, i bet you look fabulous!

Just wanted to say that I think you should really take the credit yourself for you weight loss, Byetta may have helped to some degreee, however the ordeal you have been through knowing that taking it would give you severe nausea and still doing it... well thats harder than just abstaining from eating too much or bad food. In addition on the days where you havent felt too bad, you have still been really careful and eaten small amounts. So, congratulations on YOUR weightloss not Byettas!!

I think that now youre considering maybe coming off the Byetta, its probably a good idea to do some kind of meal replacement plan. As I know youre worried about the impact of coming off Byetta, it will give you the control you want, and maybe confidence that you dont need Byetta. Whilst I agree that its not sustainable in the long term, i dont see any problem with taking it either to kickstart a diet or as a short term boost. As youve said its nutritionally balanced so for a period of time I don't see the harm in it.

Its good news that your daughter has taken inspiration from your weightloss, and started to lose weight too. I can tell how happy you are about this, I'm sure together youll help each other, which is lovely.

Slim, your BMR is brilliant, i wish mine was more like that, Im currently just under 1900..

Have a good day xx

 

[Lynn_]

I just posted this in the recipe section, but wanted to post it in my diary too as people really need to try this.

I have just discovered Quark, it has to be one of the best hidden diet secrets of all time!

High in protein and calcium and ultra low in calories, a 250grm tub of contains about 180 calories, has about 35g of protein and pretty low in carb too at 10 carbs for the tub, at 70p a tub its a no brainer. Tesco sell the brand Meadow Churn and is found on the cheese section.

I bought some because i saw it mentioned in someones thread, but wasnt sure what to do with it, on its own its pretty tasteless, so takes on other flavours very well.

My first attempt with it was with tinned tuna in brine, drained. I drained a 185grm tin of tuna which results in 130 grm of tuna at 130 cals, beat that into the quark, added some chopped onion and a pinch of chilli flakes, a little salt and pepper. This makes a big portion with only 320 calories in all, i could only eat half of it. As it was like that, it was like a creamy savoury tuna pate/dip, and would make a great low calorie sandwich filler. I ate some raw which was very nice, i then cooked some in 2 halves of a red pepper, but actually found the red pepper a bit rich with it. When it had cooled i picked out the cooked tuna/quark mix from the other half of red pepper and it was delicious, with a consistency a bit like sausage meat, so i will cook the other half of the portion on its own for my dinner tonight, probably shape it into a burger/fishcake shape and grill or bake it. So that made 2 meals for 160 cals each.

Today i went back to Tesco and bought another tub, this time to make something sweet, so lemon cheesecake seemed like a good plan. I have no recipes to work with so it was a bit trial and error, but i juiced a lemon and added the grated rind from half the lemon, beat that into the quark with a couple of drops of vanilla essence and 4 teaspoons of tate and lyle fruit sugar. You could use sweetener, but i hate artificial sweeteners and the fruit sugar is a low GI sweetener anyway, so 4 teaspoons was about 60 calories. The resulting mix totalled 250 calories and filled 2 good sized ramekins. I ate one as it was, made a very creamy lemony soft cheesecake mix, the other ramekin i put inside a cereal bowl with hot water to make a bain marie and put it in the oven to bake for 30 mins on medium heat. The baked one was really really good when i let it cool down, and i would recommend eating it baked. 2 good size portions of delicious cheesecake for 125 cals each!


Has anyone else got recipes for Quark? I cant believe that people are not shouting this from rooftops, its amazing stuff!

 

[slim104]

I've heard about but never ventured into buying it. Its just cheese isn't it?

 

[Lynn_]

I've heard about but never ventured into buying it. Its just cheese isn't it?

Yes its a virtually fat free soft cheese, apparently very popular in germany. As i found it hasnt got a lot of taste, but it does have a great texture which mixes really well with other ingredients, so is a great way to bulk out other foods without adding too much in the way of calories, also it cooks extremely well but for me the wonderful thing is the high level of protein and calcium for so few calories. Getting enough protein and calcium has been one of my big issues.

 

[slim104]

Ah right. See, i dont have a problem with protein. I sometimes have too much. With cheese and salmon or chicken. Quorn stuff is very high in protein too. I shall have a look for quark when i go shopping in the week sometime.

 

[Lynn_]

Food today
B. 170grm total 0% greek yoghurt and a fresh fig - 140 cals
L. 1 and half quark lemon cheesecakes - 190 cals
D. Quark and Tuna bake and grilled tomato - 180 cals

Coffees at 20, think i had 4 - so 80

Total cals today 590, also i feel really full after eating all that quark lol, and not a bit sick. I had intended to eat the other half of the quark cheesecake tonight but dont want to risk making myself overfull

 

[Lynn_]

Weight is still 12.13 this morning but thats good news as the 2 and half lb i lost saturday evening had to be down to fluid mostly, its good to maintain a sudden weight loss like that.

I feel so much better now that im back on the half dose byetta again, have felt really nervous about taking it since the other night. I was going to see my doctor this week, but i will leave it as it is for now and see what happens, i think it will be ok.

Today im working from home, not a great deal to do as i just have one report to finish which wont take long, then i may go see my brother in Wokingham for a bit and then go to Nirvana for a swim and a relax, that will be lovely

Hopefully the Exante will turn up this morning too, then i may start that today or tommorow. The only thing thats bothering me is that i bought a lot of fruit and stuff on Saturday, so wont have a chance to finish that off before the Exante, the lovely Turkish figs they have in Tesco at the moment were reduced to 65p for a pack of 4 and i bought 4 packs! Ive been eating them as much as i can, but still have 3 packs left lol, plus i bought oranges and apples, but i think i can get hubby to eat those but he wont eat the figs. Maybe i could freeze them, would be a terrible shame to waste them.

We are going out for an indian meal soon, i think its planned for a week today, so thats another thing in the way of doing Exante lol, there is always something haha. I absolutely love indian food, i think the last time we went out for indian was way back in March or April, so im long overdue for my spice hit. We are taking our son Richard and his wife Liz out to celebrate her getting a new job, so we are all looking forward to it.

 

[Lynn_]

Plans went awry today, never did get to the spa after all. Work plans for the next 2 days have changed and i had to wait around at home all afternoon for phone calls, so now im working down near Torquay wed and thurs, means an overnight stay at a hotel or premier inn if i can find one. Luckily the Exante turned up today as it means i wont have to worry about what i can or cant eat away from home, ill just take a few packs with me.

Took half the Exante supply over to my daughter this evening, the response though was less than encouraging, i think she has gone off the idea. Im a bit sad about that, but maybe she will get into it tomorrow, but i have a strong feeling hers will be coming back to me. Im not going to comment or push her though, that wouldnt help at all. Ill just leave it a day or 2 and see how it goes for her.

Food today
B. A medium orange (65) a fig (50) and the other half of the quark cheesecake (65) 180 cals total
L. Total 0% 170grm greek yoghurt (90) 150grm tub of blueberries (85) 175 cals total
D. Piece of salmon (250) grilled red pepper and tomatoes (80) 330 total

Coffees at 20 each, i think 4 so another 80

Total today 760 calories

All being well with the Exante, and apart from any occasional meals out, that will be my last real food before goal! Woohoo!

 

[slim104]

God, only 760 cals!! I think you are doing so well, surviving on that. No wonder the weight is falling off you.

 

[Lynn_]

Lol Slim, you are funny

Actually my calorie intake puts me on a par with yours when you think about it. You mentioned the other other day that your intake was 800 cals less than your BMR, well mine is also around 800 cals less than my BMR on what i eat.

 

[Healthy2010]

Plans went awry today, never did get to the spa after all. Work plans for the next 2 days have changed and i had to wait around at home all afternoon for phone calls, so now im working down near Torquay wed and thurs, means an overnight stay at a hotel or premier inn if i can find one. Luckily the Exante turned up today as it means i wont have to worry about what i can or cant eat away from home, ill just take a few packs with me.

Took half the Exante supply over to my daughter this evening, the response though was less than encouraging, i think she has gone off the idea. Im a bit sad about that, but maybe she will get into it tomorrow, but i have a strong feeling hers will be coming back to me. Im not going to comment or push her though, that wouldnt help at all. Ill just leave it a day or 2 and see how it goes for her.

Food today
B. A medium orange (65) a fig (50) and the other half of the quark cheesecake (65) 180 cals total
L. Total 0% 170grm greek yoghurt (90) 150grm tub of blueberries (85) 175 cals total
D. Piece of salmon (250) grilled red pepper and tomatoes (80) 330 total

Coffees at 20 each, i think 4 so another 80

Total today 760 calories

All being well with the Exante, and apart from any occasional meals out, that will be my last real food before goal! Woohoo!

Lynn, congratulations on maintaining your weight in the 12s, that really is fantastic. Pleased that the byetta is better now on the lower dose.

Your daughter may come around to the idea, even if it takes a few days or for you to start and her see your results on it.

I love figs too, have been having them a fair bit, baked with cinnamon... then again i love cinnamom and have it with everything possible.

I hope your first day goes well on exante, have you been following Aaliyah and Kas getting slimmers diary as they have started on Exante and have had some marvellous results. Let us know all about it and how you feel on it.. xx

 

[Lynn_]

iPhone post today as I'm away from home. Not the easiest thing to type with lol.
Had a text from daughter to tell me she got through to 5.30pm without cheating,so at least that means she is giving it a go.
Had my first exante shake at 9.30am and the next at 3pm. Feel fine not at all hungry but drinking all the water needs some doing. Staying in hotel near Torquay tonight but not giving into temptation of dinner or breakfast, got the shake mixes with me and a good book. May take a walk along the front in Torquay later

 

[slim104]

I love Torquay. Used to go out mackerel fishing on the boats there quite a lot. Its a lovely walk along the front. Pop along to Paignton as well, thats scenic as well. Well, they are the English Riviera after all. LOL

 

[Lynn_]

2nd day of Exante, and doing ok with it.

I have to be honest that i struggled yesterday. Staying at a hotel and not eating was hard, even up to 8pm last night i wasnt convinced that i could stay out of the restaurant for a nice meal. But i did my jab, had the exante and went to bed to watch some TV. This morning i thought it would be worse as i really really love a cooked breakfast, but i got out of there pretty quick and had the exante shake in the car as i was leaving.

As for the shakes themselves, they are pretty good, and i feel really full after having them. Ive tried one of each flavour now, vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and banana. I mixed some disolved coffee into the vanilla one and that was lovely. None of the flavours are very strong, pretty bland really but pleasant, and most important for me, they are not particulary sweet. I dont do sweet stuff very well, and i cant bear the taste of artificial sweeteners, so i was happy with them as they are.

Supposed to drink up to 8 pints of water a day, i love drinking water but even i might find it hard going to get through that much. However black tea and coffee count towards that, so ive been having black coffee. Not keen on black coffee mind, but i guess ill get used to it.

 

[kas getting slimmer]

Just found your diary and read it from start to finish. You are doing fabulously

I enjoy the Exante flavours too. They're nothing too exciting but pleasant.

You'll be at goal in no time

 

[Healthy2010]

Well done on day two Lynn, youve done really well resisting all of the things that you usually enjoy. Hows your daughter doing on it, hope she is doing well too.

I really admire the will power you guys on the shakes have, and youll most certainly be rewarded with really good weightloss. When will you weigh in ?

I bought some Quark today, and have a low cal recipie for moussaka, so going to try it out. Thanks for the tip.

xx

 

[Lynn_]

Good luck with the Quark Healthy, i love the stuff, just wish i had discovered it sooner. Can you believe I actually have a craving for the quark with tuna lol.

Im feeling absolutely rubbish this evening, im just weak and tired and cant concentrate. I know people go through this at the beginning of these meal replacements but i honestly didnt think it would happen to me given the low cals and carbs ive been existing on anyway.

Hubby started up this evening as well, he asked me how it was going with the Exante, then asked me food i was eating as well, so when i said nothing he then told me im not eating enough hahaha HELLO!! where have you been for the past 4 months.

Daughter is doing ok, but she is also feeling a bit out of sorts with it today too, but im so happy she is giving it a go. At least we can try.