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

[clairejen]

Hi, hope you had a good weekend in town. We had a lovely evening with our friends on Saturday, David's cooking went well (quite a relief, he never cooks and had to put in a lot of effort for this). It was a lot of work for me too, constant questioning about what why and how. The messed up days last week mean I'm not sure what my official weight is now, but I think it is more than it should be so I'm returning to counting properly on DDs and keeping to 700-800 until I feel things are under control again.

I didn't get to any dance classes last week, really want to go tonight but I have a nasty cough hanging around so will have to see how I feel.

 

[Maintainer]

I must admit that I really don't like the idea of your only eating 700 to 800 calories now that you're so stable weight wise. Is there not a way for you to eat [however many] calories per week without going so low ever...? What do you eat for so few calories (if you don't mind saying, that is...). I remember in the summer that you could eat quite a lot for breakfast with those delicious fruits for breakfast, and perhaps in the UK you can still get them. I'm out of touch with calories these days so have no idea how many I'm eating. Here's my today's food, in case you're one of those people who can glance and tell:

breakfast: Galette with a little smoked salmon in it

lunch: (ah now I realise why calories are a pain in the butt! I need to weigh everything)... ok:
probably about 60g leftover chicken livers
150g chicken, boiled egg, undressed lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, celery, little onions
natural 0% fat yoghurt

mid-pm:
50g pain complet (that I do know as I have to weigh it!)
smidgen St Moret 6% fat cheese
3 slices cucumber

dinner:
150g fresh salmon (cooked en papillotte) served with steamed cauliflower, green beans and carrots

1 apple


Sorry to hear about nasty cough...

 

[clairejen]

The problem is I think I have gained a couple of pounds due to a combination of too many celebratory meals (Valentine's, birthday, friends etc) and probably eating a lot more than I should on UDs. The fluctuation between high and low days is an integral part of the principles of JUDDD, which is primarily for health rather than weight control. I'm happy with that, it means I can have freedom of food choices four days a week. I'm only planning to cut down for a couple of weeks until I feel my weight back to my target, and at this level the loss will be very slow anyway.

700-800 is quite a lot really, considering that in the weight loss phase I was only eating 470! Breakfast tends to be something like a small pear or a couple of thin almond biscuits (16 calories each) and black coffee. Lunch is salad with cold meat or prawns, maybe a low calorie yogurt or some fruit. And dinner varies, a small portion of whatever we are having, keeping the carbs and fats on the low side. Maybe some of the almond biscuits as a snack at some point. As you say it is hard to know exactly what the intake is, but I'm pretty good on estimating as I cook so I'll get a fair idea of the total.

At a quick tot-up I think you are getting about 1200 calories but that's a very rough estimate. There's very little carb or fat content there so it won't be high. It seems like you have re-educated yourself to eat very sensibly - or does it all fall apart if you take the brakes off? I would love to get to the stage were I could just balance things easily, I'm sure the better weather will help.

 

[Maintainer]

I understand better now about the Judd concept. Thank you for (re)explaining it to me. I had forgotten!

1,200 is pretty good really with bread in it. I ought to cook up some pasta too, as am due another portion, but don't really feel the need... I never really know whether I should go with "the rules" or "my hunger". Probably the former, as I'm supposed to be reintroducing... perhaps I'll boil up a bit of plain tagliatelle too as 1,200 is low for a "normal" day...

With me, I'm still very much an all or nothing person, I see. At the weekend in the city, we had a gala meal on Saturday evening as usual, but realised that it was a BAD idea to have done so on Saturday when on Sunday we went out awandering and fancied all sorts! Of course, in the country, we don't have the same temptations as on every street corner here... and we spent Sunday evening in the car, so less temptation too. So henceforth galas will stay Saturdays when in country, Sundays when in city!

I was very very fanciful on Sunday: could have eaten anything... managed not to but was constantly battling, and ended up nibbling on ham and crabsticks (weird!) at 11pm. Totally unnecessary calories, and I certainly can't say I was hungry... just wanted chocolate really, wasn't getting it, so had to chew something!!

Better weather will definitely help. I'm also looking forward to being able to eat more fruit. For now, I'm just allowed one piece per day, six days a week, and they suggest an apple... apples are like CHOCOLATE now to me. I eat it slowly with a knife... and can eke it out for ages (until I fear it goes brown!!!)...

Last time you *thought* you'd gained weight, if my memory serves me well, you got on the scales and hadn't gained at all...

x

 

[clairejen]

I can't imagine nibbling on ham and crabsticks - well I can I suppose as I tried D*kan myself but it really doesn't appeal. I was far more inclined to eat yogurts or flans. You must miss fruit, as I recall you used to eat a lot of it. It's confusing the way foods move from good to bad categories depending on the diet or current thinking.

I haven't weighed myself since Saturday but feel I have been pretty good this week so far. I really don't want to go back to jumping on the scales every day, it was so hard weaning myself off that, but if it means I keep better control then I'll have to start it again.

I'm really tired today, our rehearsal ran till 10.15 last night and then I had to do a load of stuff when i got home so didn't get to bed until about midnight. Then I was woken by the earthquake at 1.00, it was only a gentle rattling as we are quite a distance from the centre but enough to make me think ""hey what's that?". The cough isn't helping my sleep either, I must try inhaling steam tonight.

 

[Maintainer]

Gosh yes I read about your earthquake! Fancy that!

You're right to continue to stay off the scales during the week. I wish I'd stayed off this morning when I saw what they were saying (see my signature) and I'm glad it's "Thursday" tomorrow!! No reason for the increase, mind you, and I didn't have my pasta.

Where fruit is concerned, I'm actually glad to have broken the habit as I really was eating a great deal, and hence taking in a lot of sugar. I shall yes be glad to increase but will hopefully not immediately return to the number per day I was eating!

I'm so not a flan or yoghurt person! Each day after lunch I have a natural fat free one (yum NOT!), and I make flans at the weekend only for fear of consuming too many eggs otherwise! Eggs do alas form an integral part of this diet, and I do so love them in salads (or as accompanyment to meat or fish on days when veg and salad not allowed), that I've kept from getting too silly on the old egg dessert front. Some girls seem to bake aspartame and aroma filled cakes! Silly really as they're not learning a lot.

Head over saucepan? Teatowel round your head? Lovely look!

 

[clairejen]

Morning, rather late morning I'm afraid. We have been fitting a stair carpet, our elderly and arthritic dog was having a bit of trouble with her feet slipping on the wooden, open tread staircase so we decided to fit some cheap loop pile carpet to help her. Definitely a two man job.

When I tried D*kan I used to make a version of framage blanc cake using splenda, cutting it into slices to freeze for when I really wanted something sweet. I like yogurt so that wasn't a problem, just didn't like the meat much.

Your weight has only fluctuated slightly, I'm afraid mine really has gone up, I weighed myself this morning and found I am now 9st 10lbs, so I really need to start back on daily weighings and careful calorie counting for a while. I admit I have been eating far more sweet things than I should, I ought to keep them to weekends only. I think I'll have to start baking fruit cake which I dislike but David loves, that way he won't feel deprived and I won't be tempted.

 

[Maintainer]

Remind me Claire what your target weight is/was... as you don't have a ticker, I forget easily (it's my elderly brain .

Oooh your poor little dog. My officemate has a very elderly dog, who insists on sleeping ON her bed, but he too is arthritic and needs the loo several times in the night and insists on going outside. This morning, she was late as she slept right through the alarm after a particularly eventful night spent helping the dog in and out. Very hard indeed. Lovely to you to help him with the carpet. I'm surprised he bothers trying to come upstairs?

I used to do as you are suggesting to avoid sweet things when having to bake for others. Now I find that by freezing all but the portion we're having (thus "I'm allowed), even I wouldn't be tempted to suck any extra if it's frozen solid! At least then you can have what you want...

It's true that a lot of the recipes on the S*ette site could be useful to you if you like that sort of thing. A tiramasu has been raved about! Everything fattening about it replaced with something less so!

Up again this morning on the scales, and Thursday protein day so we'll see what it can do for me:
Breakfast: galette with fat free ham
Lunch (here's the weird one
- scallops
- prawns
- spoonful fromage blanc
- boiled egg
- 1.5 chicken breasts
- 1 fat free natural yoghurt

Dinner:
- very lean steak
- poached egg

 

[tashy100]

Hi Girls

Feeling a bit better this week. Have gained a bit though :-(.
Still never mind - going to try a modified 'atkins' type diet with plenty of protein but still include some veg as I cant bear the thought of protein only - and it actually makes me feel sick (don't know how you've done it Joanne!!)

Today I've had 3 eggs for breakfast, sliced chicken for lunch and some homemade bolognaise sauce over chopped tomatoes and cucumber with a small amount of grated cheese for dinner.

Surprisingly I dont feel very hungry which is amazing considering the amount of refined carbs I've been eating the past few days.

I did an online diet profile which included a questionnaire about which food groups you ate - meat, fish, dairy, veg, fruit, bread etc etc.

I was going down the list unable to tick lots against any of them until I came to chocolate/cakes/biscuits - oh dear - made me realise how rubbish my diet has become.

Anyway - time will tell!!

Anyone know where I can get fat free yoghurt and the like in the UK??

 

[clairejen]

Hi folks

Still coughing here but delighted to report my weight is down again to 9st7.75lbs, bizarrely enough after an UD too. Scratches head in disbelief. (Target was always 9st7lbs btw). I'm still planning to keep lower during the week, I would like to be a few pounds lighter I think as I feel a bit bulgy still. We are going to have a day trip to St Omer tomorrow, a delayed birthday trip. It will mean a very early start but hopefully a good day out.

Tashy, good to hear you are feeling better and ready to tackle the dieting again. I couldn't do protein only either, and I'm a terror for the biscuits when I get the chance. I've been trying to convert myself to crackers instead to keep the texture, Jacobs thins and Carrs melts are a lifesaver. Weightwatchers do a lot of fat free yogurts (around 60cals a pot), they list some here on their website WeightWatchers.com Marketplace
and I've bought them in Tescos and Morrisons. I think Yeo Valley do some ff too.

Joanne, my dog sleeps on the end of our bed too, we prefer her to be there and comfortable as it makes her less stiff, she can't curl round in her own bed any more. She sleeps through the night so it is only night and morning we have to tackle the stairs. Last night of course she wouldn't try the stairs because they looked different so David had to carry her (she's a big dog, weighs about 35 kilos). But this morning she went down them fine, so hopefully she'll be ready to try going up tonight. The thought of tiramisu is great but sometimes they aren't so good when all the really tasty stuff has been taken out! Do you have your lunch cold or hot - it does seem a rather strange mixture? Hope the PP day gets the scales behaving again.

 

[Maintainer]

Hello Tash - and I'm not sure about high protein when pregnant, to be honest... Is your cholesterol ok? 3 eggs at a time?

Yesterday I heated the chicken breasts, to make them less dry, but otherwise all consumed cold... when hungry, I'll eat anything!

The whole protein only concept was totally alien to me and I used to find it very strange eating this way. I am now amazed at how well I enjoy my protein meals and, more importantly perhaps, how they fill me up!! Variety isn't easy when you're in the office though, and I'd do a lot more sea food type things if I could get fresh stuff mid week, traipse it to the office, store it all day etc.

Fat free yogurt, I found in Sainsbury's. Nasty stuff! It was one of those "real" live ones. They also do a greek 0% one. I didn't find fromage blanc 0% though.

Great weigh in Claire - perhaps you weighed yourself the morning after a hefty meal? I can't remember now... and friend arrived for lunch, so byeeee and bon weekend!

 

[Maintainer]

I'm so sorry Tash - please zap my first sentence... I am an idiot

 

[tashy100]

Please don't worry

 

[tashy100]

Congrats both on the pleasing scale results today!!! I was down 2lbs so a bit pleased also!!

So far today have had a coronation chicken salad. My OH wants steak for tea later so I might join him or may have chicken breast and salad.

Yes - too many eggs are a bit of a worry - didnt have any today - I find breakfast the hardest thing - find my body does crave carbs not protein first thing!

Think I'll have to skip breakfast and have something mid morning instead.

Thanks for the advice on the yogurts will have a look around at the weekend - be nice to spice up some yogurt and put meat into it as a sauce - better for you than mayo, creme fraiche etc.

The tale about your dog made me smile Claire - its lovely to hear about someone taking such good care of an aging canine - and made me feel sad that she cant curl up in her own bed.

Have a great weekend - am hoping the weather perks up again for the weekend - horrid and wet and windy here this afternoon - have really been enjoying the beautiful weather!!

Tasha

 

[clairejen]

Tash, you are right, breakfast is one time the thought of protein is so offputting. I could sometimes eat an omelette then, I recall Barb posting an eggwhite omelette recipe on the JUDDD thread which she swore was delicious. Oh and take care adding yogurt to sauces, it can curdle something rotten if you're not careful. Cassie is the sweetest natured dog, she never liked to sleep on our bed but since she has had arthritis we have more or less forced her to and now she loves it, it is natural for pack animals to all sleep in a heap together.

Joanne, we've both had good weigh-ins today, I really can't say what caused mine. Official weighing is tomorrow, buit we are leaving at 4.30 (aaargh) so I may give it a miss.

 

[tashy100]

Yes - I can just about stomach eggs - especially if I add spenda sweetener and some natural vanilla extract!! Makes it more like a pudding

Thanks for the tip on the yogurt - will bear it in mind - guess it would probably be better to mix it when cold and have as a salad.

Have a lovely day out!

 

[clairejen]

Pudding for breakfast, that sounds like my kind of thing! Trifle is my favourite breakfast, my DH mocks me but it has fruit, eggs, milk/cream as well as the carbs, how can that be bad?

We had a great time in St Omer, slightly nerve wracking trip down as it was very windy and a combination of cancelled ferries and industrial action meant the M20 was solid with lorries waiting to get on a crossing. Luckily we got past them and checked onto the train just in time. We did loads of shopping, had a great lunch and walked around for miles. Then stocked up on stuff from the hypermarket and came home.

 

[tashy100]

I agree - you've got protein, carbs, fruit - what more could a girl want - (I have to admit I love full fat version homemade tiramisu first thing in the morning - I think tiramisu means pick-you-up - certainly does that the morning after the night before!!!)

Glad you had a lovely day.

I also did my shopping yesterday - really nice feeling not having to go today.

Just had a lovely bath straight after cleaning it - great feeling!!

Am off to my Mums now!

Have a lovely day - hope the sun keeps shining!

 

[tashy100]

Seems I use the word lovely alot!!! Must think of a substitute!!

 

[clairejen]

Morning, nice and sunny again, goes a bit towards making up for it being Monday so quickly. I was really lazy yesterday, being tired from Saturday, so have masses of catching up to do. Good news is my weight is still down so if I can be sensible for a week or two I should feel more confident in my maintenance. I'd really hoped that at some point I would reach a time when I no longer needed to think about dieting and everything would just balace out, maybe I will eventually but it doesn't look like it will be for a while yet.

Tasha, did you have a good time with your Mum? Your weight looks like it is heading downwards well, I know the first week or two can be misleading but watching the scales drop is a huge encouragement - well done.

Joanne, I can't remember if the weekend was city or country, hope it was a good one anyway. How much longer do you have on consolidation?