The last stone mission......ROLL UP!!!!

[Maintainer]

I'm SOOO glad that the scales have moved for you. Well done!

I can understand your husband's pride in his artichokes (did you need an UD to sample them though? Are they fattening?). I can't believe ANYTHING grew for me. I do not have green fingers in the slightest and house plants HATE me!

I agree with you re low cut waistbands. I am constantly hitching them up, even when they do fit, and putting a belt on merely cinches it in, and causes gaping! I buy higher waist things if I can, or wear longer tops!

Unfortunately I'm far off pre-holiday weight still - another 8.5lbs to go! I wasn't far from target at start of holiday BUT had got there by low carbing so obviously filled up the old glycogen stores too. As I'm on holiday in just over 4 weeks (and am currently negotiating next Mon and Tues off, as Wed 15th is holiday here), I fear I'll just about get back to pre-holiday weight when I go away again. One solution I've come up with is this: buy scales for the country place. I had been trying to wean myself off them, and so was glad to do without them when there but I now see that burying my head in the sand while on holiday isn't good! So I've ordered a pair online and they should be here before I go for my long weekend (just approved - you're getting the news hot off the press!).

We'll have to exchange email addresses by PM and I'll send you some pics! Unfortunately renovations/decorations aren't being done so much to my taste, but my budget, but that's a sad fact of life, huh?!

 

[clairejen]

Artichokes are very low in calories, my book says a medium one is 28 and a canned heart only 10. But I want melted butter to dip it in, not a DD ingredient! We've never really had much of a garden so don't get a lot of practice, there's a small patio garden st the back of our house but not big enough for veggies. This year my DH decided he wanted to try growing stuff and my mother has a couple of acres which she struggles to look after so we're using a bit of that. I'm death to houseplants too, the only thing which has survived me is an african violet and even that is looking a little sad.

It is depressing constantly losing and regaining the same weight, although if we didn't lose it we would simply keep on gaining, that doesn't bear thinking about. Having the extra pair of scales is a good idea, maintaining weight on holiday is a lot to ask but it might help keep things in check.

Good idea about the emails, I'll write you a PM.

 

[Maintainer]

I don't think I've ever tasted fresh artichokes, and hate the tinned variety, but am sure I'd be the same as you - would need butter. (Actually I'm doing BBQ spare ribs this weekend and was wondering whether to have corn on the cob with it, then remembered that I like that too dripping in butter!! We have similar tastes!)

Did you receive the photos Claire?

I expect like me you were on the scales this morning. Any action there? Mine didn't budge (in fact were a fraction higher but 100g isn't really convertible into poundage so I'll leave ticker as is). I shall be interested to see whether I weigh the same thing on my new scales when they arrive. I didn't go for a fancy pair this time, with body fat percentage etc on, cos my current ones do that and it doesn't seem an accurate science from what I've read. Current pair will go to country. New pair will stay here PROVIDED I like what they say!

I remember when I first started dieting (this time!) in March 2002 weighing 22 stone 2lbs. I had to buy a special pair of scales which went up to 25 stone. When I got to about 15 stone, I thought they weren't too accurate any more so invested in a new pair of scales. To my horror, I weighed 4lbs heavier on the new pair... here's hoping this doesn't happen again! We know these numbers are "fictitious" but they upset us nevertheless!

 

[clairejen]

Hi Joanne, no I haven't received them yet, I checked last night and this morning. I take it the message didn't bounce?

I love fresh artichokes, and these were delicious. The tinned ones are OK but a bit salty, nice in things but not on their own. Somehow butter seems to go well with vegetables, asparagus, artichokes, corn. Have you tried corn with just a light sprinkling of salt. Not the same but still nice.

My scales were up a quarter of a pound, after an UD so I'm not too unhappy, and still under 10st. Today is a DD, not expecting to lose but you never know, and I wasn't too bad on the UD yesterday except for an unplanned ice cream supper! New scales are always a worry, maybe yours will show you lighter again if your current ones weigh a bit on the heavy side. My bathroom floor is not as even as it could be, I can weigh a few pounds different if I move the scales to another area! So they have an average position, I am trying to be honest with myself.

Did you not have any scales before you started your 2002 diet, or had you avoided using them? The psychology of dieting is intriguing, what made you decide to lose then rather than at any point on the way up? Now you have jumped on the gain as soon as it started, a different approach which shows a confidence and self-respect. I can't believe now that I had let myself get to 11st5lbs, it just sort of happened slowly, and it was my BP rising which made me act. I knew I looked awful, and I had a few tries at dieting which didn't do much, and thought "it's my genes".

 

[Maintainer]

oops just found them in my "draft" box! I remembered to press "send" this time.

Before starting dieting, I had very old bathroom scales with a dial and I used to weigh my suitcases on them before travelling! At the beginning of 2002, at over 22 stone and 38 years of age, I saw the BIG FOUR ZERO approaching...

 

[Maintainer]

and a brighter sunnier, although chilly, morning here today,

The scales are saying nice things to me this morning, so I updated my ticker. It's funny how when the mindset is right, the *voices* go away and I'm not tempted to sabotage... Knowing I have a five day weekend coming up (so won't have internet access unfortunately from tomorrow night until next Thursday) is worrying because I know that coming here helps me no end. But I'm determined (again!), meals are worked out, and hopefully I can stay the same at worst...

No sign of my new scales yet. Here's hoping they arrive today or tomorrow daytime.

Thanks for your email and I'll reply soon.

How are you today? Scales singing a nice song? I do hope so.

 

[clairejen]

Hi, HOORAY for your loss, it is so encouraging to see results. My scales couldn't even decide where they wanted to be this morning - they finally pitched me be back at 10 stones, half a pound up on yesterday. And that after a DD of 470 calories, it can only be water I know but it makes me cross. Since they fluctuated between 9st12.5 and 10st I hope this is temporary.

I think we've got your grey skies from yesterday. I had a bit of a busy afternoon and evening trying to update mailing lists and financial figures for our drama society so didn't get to communicate much. Isn't it interesting how we view age milestones, and the incentives they provide. It must have given you an amazing boost of pride and confidence, especially when you've maintained so well. Despite the lure of lovely food there seems to more of a culture of care for shape and appearance in France and Italy than here, the average British high street makes you realise that we just aren't interested enough. I've got 50 (urgh) coming up next year and have a big yearning to get down into full splits by then. I am very close and it is achievable, and it is something I have never been able to do, despite being fairly flexible I have poor turn out and splay. And I want to be keeping my weight down for ever, I just can't face any more stone+ diets.

I envy you your long weekend, with time for working on the house and relaxing I hope. I think I will have Sunday on my own because DH is sailing in Cumbria, travelling up wth a friend so I'm not sure when they are leaving - probably Saturday night. We don't get a lot of weekends free together in the summer! I hope your scales show up before you go, although I suppose you could take your current ones since you were planning on leaving them there.

I've got to do some leaisurely car browsing, my car passed its MOT with the comment "doesn't look good for next year" so I need to think ahead. Some of the new little cars are excellent now, cheap to buy and economical to run, but I am not a new car person - apart from the extra cost I couldn't cope with a pristine vehicle, I need something that tolerates the odd scratch, spill and muddy dog.

Have a good day, not long till Friday.

 

[Maintainer]

Isn't that funny when the scales don't want to decide what you weigh! We both know the ups and downs of daily weighing and you'll hopefully see that better tomorrow morning.

It's true that "the French" in general do have a healthier attitude to eating (and drinking). Everything in moderation seems to work well for them, and you often see men walking around clutching their bottle of water (rather than beer!), and women (in the City at least) are very weight conscious. However, since I lost my weight, I have noticed a lot more overweight even obese people here in France. There are more fast food places around too.

What a goal - to do the full splits before you're 50... Amazing. You must be really supple and you must put in hours of work.

Our car sounds like yours. It's not very old (4 years) because of the mileage we do, but has to be able to carry all sorts of DIY items, planks of wood are regularly hanging out of the back of our car, and I can't remember the last time I cleaned it!

 

[Maintainer]

Morning Claire, and this will be my last posting until next Thursday,

Another dark rainy morning, but things *look* better for the weekend so hopefully we'll be able to get out into the waterlogged field and find some veggies somewhere!

My scales arrived and there's good news and bad. Good: they weigh me a pound less than my previous ones (YAY!!) and, as they're the ones I'll be using from now on as I'm taking my other ones with me this weekend to the country, that's the weight I should be recording. Bad: I seem to have gained a pound this morning on the "old" ones so my ticker stays the same! Obviously one of those water pounds cos I didn't eat too much. Still it's almost a 3.5lb loss since last Friday so that's what counts. I know things will slow down big time from now (particularly with 5 days out of the office!).

How are things with you? Do you find it easier to slim when you're alone or harder? Both can have their advantages and disadvantages, I find. My best binges have been when alone, but I can also be as strict as I like when no one is around to tempt me. Again, it depends on the mind set.

 

[clairejen]

Hi, sorry I haven't been around, I was out doing a delivery yesterday afternoon, and David commandeered the pther pc last night so I couldn't reply to your email, will grab it this morning.

Five whole days off, how lovely. It makes the stress of the drive tonight easier. Fingers crossed the weather will be kind.

Great news on the scales, and 3.5lbs is a fantastic loss. And you'll be able to take the old ones with you tonight so they can guard you over the holiday. I'm still at 10st after my UD yesterday, so I hope I'll be heading down a bit tomorrow. I wasn't too bad yesterday and I am musing about trying the "unit diet" for my UDs, it will give some controlling limit but be easier than calorie counting. While I don't like the food the others are raving about (frosties, fish fingers?!) there are unit values for just about everything so I can work it out and once I get used to it the values should be fairly easy to work with.

Usually I am fairly restrained when DH is away, the only problem is that there are some foods that I like and he doesn't so I only have them when he isn't here. And there is only me to eat them, which can lead to excess! I haven't even thought about the weekend yet, I must check exactly what his plans are.

 

[Maintainer]

I did have a look at the Unit Diet, after hearing some good comments about it, but admit to being rather horrified at what the people on it are actually eating! (I actually considered having a fishfinger salad while calorie counting, so they didn't upset me except the thought of putting them in a sandwich!!). But there's not much healthy eating going on in their meal plans and I admit that doing this in a "healthy" fashion is one of my bug bears. I could buy loads of calorie counted rubbish, or eat 8 Cadbury's creme eggs per day only... I'd still be having 1,000 calories only, but I'd like to learn good habits for life and I think you're the same.

BUT, perhaps the Unit Diet has more to it than the current followers are revealing. Is there something you can PM me? Like you, I shall be looking for something else soon. While I shall continue to keep an eye on the calories, once I get under 11 stone, I will be wanting to reintroduce carbs too to hopefully stop these huge regains as soon as I eat them!

I have to plan everything in advance, more so even if alone so that nothing else is in the house!

 

[clairejen]

BUT, perhaps the Unit Diet has more to it than the current followers are revealing. Is there something you can PM me?

Yes, my reaction was the same as yours when I first saw the menus, carb-laden junk which I couldn't believe would lose you weight and certainly didn't teach good eating habits. The handbook is a different matter entirely, it lists loads of products with their unit values so you can really use the diet system to suit what you like. It penalises fats and nuts extremely highly, so I assume it is biased towards being a low fat rather than low carb diet. Many fruit and veg are zero value so can be eaten freely, also skimmed milk is free.

Like you I don't want to eat junk, my problem is that I want to train myself to be happy with "just one". I ought to start taking vitamin and mineral supplements, not that I think my diet is particularly lacking but sometimes I think I'm hungry but I can't work out what for or why. Even after drinking something the feeling persists, it is strange.

 

[Maintainer]

How did you get the menus? If you can get them to me before I return from holiday by email that would be great.

Funnily enough, I just spoke to my sister who is trying to lose a few stone. She told me she'd been "good" yesterday. (I'm trying to discourage the "good" and "bad" talk, but I know what she means.) This is what she told me she'd eaten:

B: none
L: 1/2 baguette with shop bought egg mayonnaise filling
D: pasta with tinned tomatoes and garlic
2 x fruit in evening
(she didn't tell me this, but I'd hazard a guess that a bottle of wine could be added to this)

I suppose if I added those calories, it wouldn't be more than me, but the healthiness is dubious (to me!). As I lost weight with low carb, I suppose my antenna also start wiggling wildly when I spot 2 x carb laden meals!!

Re your hunger - I'm wonder, particularly on your 500 calorie days, that it's because you're not in ketosis. While not a fan of VLCDs per se unless for specific circumstances, I understand the ketosis argument, and by being SO restricted yet not in ketosis, you're bound to be hungry. Plus, if my recollection serves me well, you're not as into the old H2O as you might be. Guzzling my 3 litres plus definitely helps with the odd hunger pang and, let's face it, I'm always starving at meal times too!

Perhaps we both need a change.

 

[clairejen]

Hmmm, yes, I've always considered that the big disadvantage of JUDDDD is that you can't get accustomed to eating less so DD hunger is just part of it. But it isn't the DDs I'm having trouble with, it's the UDs! I'm wondering if I'm getting psychological hunger, because I know I can't eat it tomorrow I feel I need to stock up tonight perhaps.

I do dislike water, although I try to make myself drink it. So my liquid intake is barely two litres I imagine. I know everyone says you have to drink loads in order to lose, but I used to lose weight easily years ago before that idea was promoted. Sigh - should try harder.

Does your sister live in France too? Like you I'm a bit worried about her menu, loads of carbs and little protein or vegetables. But a single day doesn't tell the whole story so things may improve. Is she vegetarian? They get a bit stuck for low fat protein options, there are only so many eggwhites you can stomach.

I'm trying not to eat anything until lunchtime today, while I have breakfast on UDs I find it easier to wait on DDs, eventually the hunger goes when you ignore it long enough. It's fine if I keep busy. But I will certainly be ready for my prawn salad and strawberries with fromage frais. I think I ought to try a change from prawns, they are just so easy though.

 

[Maintainer]

My sister is in England and is indeed a vegetarian and, as you say, one day's food diary does not a diet make. BUT, I think what worried me most was that she had announced that she'd had a "good day". So this is what she considers "good" to resemble. Ah well. I've enough troubles of my own at the moment!!

I think prawns are an excellent choice for a DD as they are so low calorie. I wonder about not eating breakfast though because isn't breakfast supposed to "wake up" our metabolism? I don't know whether that's true or not...

Two hours to go before long weekend, and definitely counting!

 

[clairejen]

Sunday morning and the dog woke me early. I don't really mind, I'm not keen on staying in bed - morning is my favourite time. Yesterday I followed the unit diet for my UD. It will take a bit of getting used to, nothing on earth is going to make me eat cereal so my zero options are fruit, veg and fat free yogurt basically. But 10 units can go a long way and things like low fat edam and french toasts don't use a lot. Looks like quark is the new butter. Scales still the same, 10st, that is fine after an UD, and if I have the same tomorrow morning I may get this diet moving yet.

Joanne, this may be a suitable diet for your sister. The handbook lists loads of veggie options too and it is a low fat low sugar diet which still includes quite a lot of carbs. Might be worth her taking a look. I hope your weekend plus is going well. I've been busy painting the front doors, I may hate it but I'll get a smug sense of satisfaction when it is done. I'm not sure about the breakfast thing either, I read a pretty convincing article which said that our bodies are more likely to convert fat to energy after a period of starvation (ie sleep) and extending that period increased the fat burning. Logical I suppose, depends what your glycogen levels are like. Probably best to eat a late breakfast after a DD than an UD in that case - don't fancy that idea.

Better get back to my paintbrush.

 

[KD]

A STS after an UD is great :clap: Don't forget potatoes are free on the unit, and also as much pasta, or rice as you want only counts for 1/2 unit.

Hope this way really does get you moving. When I was researching the JUDDD, the plateaus tended to be a problem. I did keep warning everyone

But if you can make this work with the Unit, that'll be great. Best of luck and all that.

 

[clairejen]

Hi Karion, thanks for the advice. From what I've seen it appears that plateauing is a problem for some and not others, depends on metabolism I suppose. I seem to get it with any diet I do, so swapping and changing has to be the way I go. I don't want to stop the JUDDD principles because I think it has helped me reduce my BP and it will be a simple maintenance method when I eventually get there.

I'll give this method a couple of weeks and keep reporting how I get on. Big portions of carbs make me feel uncomfortable, I suppose that is why they can let you eat as much as you like! The unit certainly doesn't make you feel too deprived, unless you are a nut addict. I'm having to do a lot of estimating and equivalents, it makes me realise how little ready made food I buy.

 

[dreaming.of.a.slimmer.me]

Hi, I'm on my last stone too! Why is it the hardest bit to lose?

 

[clairejen]

I don't know Dreaming, I seem to have been struggling with it for ever. What diet have you been doing/are you doing now? I know as we get slimmer we need less calories to maintain our weight, but it shouldn't make this much difference. I'm sticking at it because I need to know I can do it, if I can't shed a few pounds then how will I maintain?