The long journey to the real me

[Vegan*4*Life]

Hey hon, cheers for the link. You are doing well, awesome loss 4lb. I am going to pm you my email addy so if you ever want to chat off the boards then feel free.
I know it can be alienating sometimes being vegan in a very non vegan environment, anything you want to ask me -just hit me. Gently though as I am a huge softie
PS I know how hard it can be to not get on those scales, but seriously they mess with your head. I do it myself and now have made myself twice a week, once mid week and once for the weigh in. Get your hubbie to hide them once and for all!
PPS THANK YOU for your lovely comment in your diary too, bless ya! x

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Hey hon, cheers for the link. You are doing well, awesome loss 4lb. I am going to pm you my email addy so if you ever want to chat off the boards then feel free.
I know it can be alienating sometimes being vegan in a very non vegan environment, anything you want to ask me -just hit me. Gently though as I am a huge softie
PS I know how hard it can be to not get on those scales, but seriously they mess with your head. I do it myself and now have made myself twice a week, once mid week and once for the weigh in. Get your hubbie to hide them once and for all!
PPS THANK YOU for your lovely comment in your diary too, bless ya! x

Thanks! Think I replied to your pm, but not sure as there's no msg in my sent box. I seriously should not struggle this much with basic technology!

I think that it'll get much harder being vegan when I go on holiday, start eating out more etc, as I have been in my own little bubble a bit, eating at home and experimenting with recipes and things. What really surprised me is that I always thought I was pretty good avoiding Proctor and Gamble etc but it seems I've been contributing to loads of cruelty without knowing, and certainly without intending to.

As for the weighing thing...it's my nemesis...I think you're right about hiding them, but this week it's felt difficult - I think that because of last week's big loss, I was expecting a gain, and may have gone off the rails if I hadn't been able to make sure I wasn't gaining. It's a new week though, so time to try and hide them again!

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Official weigh in...10st 11lb!! Yesssss! That's another good loss of 3lbs.

Food intake has been quite low these past two weeks though, so my goal loss for next week is 1lb, and I'm going to up what I;ve been eating. I may treat myself to a small bag of crisps or something.

I now have about 4 weeks to lose 4 lb by my target (friend's wedding which I am a bridesmaid at - realised I hadn't actually specified that yet!) In the past I would have been tempted to say that I should re-calibrate my goal and aim to lose 8 lbs, but I think I'll be happy with 10st 7lb (anything extra would be a lovely bonus) and work more at either maintaining, or trying to balance my food better for a slightly slower loss.

I think next week may be * week actually, so may STS or have a gain.

Can't believe I've lost 7 and 1/2 pounds in the last couple of weeks - I think my whole energy and system has been re-invigorated by my vegan diet.

Food so far:

HeA: soya milk
HeB: 2 x bread
Superfree: 1 x shallot, onion, carrot, lettuce, tomatoes
Free: potato
Syns: 2 x veggie sausages (2) eating so many of these - need to stop, but I'm really enjoying my daily sausage sandwich! crisps (6.5) oil (3) peas (1) yoghurt (2)

 

[Vegan*4*Life]

You don't know how awesome it is to be able to tick LIKE on someone's food diary when they list their food options. Can't do it on any other page, wish there were more of us! A few don't come on any longer. Loving your goals too, manageable and not too stressful. I put hard targets on myself and it's always about the damned scales. No matter what I tell myself it's about what you look like the thoughts creep in. Like they are the be all and end all but they aren't. I wouldn't care if they said I weighed x amount if I LOOKED in proportion so WTF do we do it eh?
Loving the enthusiasm and eating vegan IS amazingly easy once you get the basics and seems like you have cracked it!

Oops forgot, have you tried the dress on yet? I got your message OK and peas are free....?? Did you have x4 slices of bread otherwise you could use your oil for one hexb.

 

[FatGurlSlim]

You don't know how awesome it is to be able to tick LIKE on someone's food diary when they list their food options. Can't do it on any other page, wish there were more of us! A few don't come on any longer. Loving your goals too, manageable and not too stressful. I put hard targets on myself and it's always about the damned scales. No matter what I tell myself it's about what you look like the thoughts creep in. Like they are the be all and end all but they aren't. I wouldn't care if they said I weighed x amount if I LOOKED in proportion so WTF do we do it eh?
Loving the enthusiasm and eating vegan IS amazingly easy once you get the basics and seems like you have cracked it!

Oops forgot, have you tried the dress on yet? I got your message OK and peas are free....?? Did you have x4 slices of bread otherwise you could use your oil for one hexb.

I'm working hard to try and be moderate with my goals - I've always had such an all or nothing approach, that's been really unhealthy, and definitely made me gain, or not be happy with losses. So my gut instinct is to lower my target, but my mind is willing me to chill out!

I wish there were more of us too It's so interesting reading about people's lifestyles and diets, and I am so new to this, that I'm really over-excited and enthusiastic about learning.

I will probably NEVER get over my scale dependence - I have numbers in my head, and for some reason, it's those instead of the way I look that influence me, which is ridiculous.

The peas...no idea why I thought they were synned? Was sure I read it was somewhere, but you're quite right, they are free. I always eat the 800g loaves, so I only get two slices. Sometimes I use extra virgin as my HeB. Trying to get out of my sausage sandwich rut, but I do have a tendency to get really into certain foods, eat them to death, then never want them again.

Last time I tried the dress it was v tight, but lost half a stone since then, so REALLY hoping it fits now!

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Food so far:

HeA: soya milk
HeB: 2 x bread
Superfree: onion, rocket, mango, carrots, peas, pepper, aubergine
Free: 1/2 potato, small portion rice
Syns: sausages (4) coconut milk (1)

Again, ate too little today - under 1000 calories - must eat more today or my body is just going to stop losing.

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Ugh. Star week, and really feeling the extra water retention, although PMT has been slightly less fraught than usual, which I will attribute to my new and lovely diet

Keep eating too little, despite repeatedly saying I have to up the calories a bit more. Even though SW is going well, I feel like maybe I should try calorie cycling, so it feels 'ok' to eat a bit more on certain days. I think the pressure of being close to my friend's wedding is making me really nervous about hitting my target, even though I'm pretty close, and it's making me eat a bit too little, even though, on a conscious level, I know that longterm, it's counterproductive.

 

[Ally89]

You really need to eat more, if you do SW properly you will get enough calories without having to count them. You can reach your target for the wedding, if you get your butt into motion

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Thanks! I do really need to let go of all the unneccessary mental stress and just stick with the plan, as it IS working! Last time I lost a few stone I did the same thing - even though the numbers on the scales changed, I was wearing smaller clothes, and people were saying I looked smaller, I just did not believe it was working!

I have nearly four weeks to lose four pounds to reach my goal - I usually lose around 2lb a week, so it is definitely very possible. I just need to relax!

Also...I need to start exercising, even if it's just walking. I was a bit reluctant to start before, because I was worried that it would stall my weightloss, and I really only cared about reaching 10st 7lb by the beginning of July, but now I'm feeling a bit more like I actually WANT To do something - I have more energy. I should get my butt in motion (as Ally put it so well!) and go swimming or something.

Food so far:

HeA: soya milk
HeB: 2 x bread
Superfree: onion, banana, red pepper, ginger, garlic, mango
Free: soba noodles
Syns: sausages (4) crisps (7) coconut milk (1) dairy free chocolate raisins (6)

(Over on syns, but have LOADS left over from other days, so should smooth out by the end of the week!)

Made the Laksa out of my Appetite of Reduction book. BEST RECIPE EVER!!! I am developing a serious heroine-worship situation with Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Really enjoying my food at the moment - more than ever.

Also...an interesting tidbit...PMT and TOM has been a walk in the park compared to usual. Been looking it up, and it seems like there's some evidence that a high-fibre vegan diet massively reduces severity of pain, water retention and length of pain. Amazing!

 

[Ally89]

I have a good way of wording things It shouldn't stall your weight loss too much, not if you increase it gradually, first week I started swimming I gained, but I had gone over syns every day too, I feel better for actually doing something active, even if its only a quick walk, a bit on the wii and swimming once a week, its better than sitting on my ass anyway.

 

[FatGurlSlim]

I have a good way of wording things It shouldn't stall your weight loss too much, not if you increase it gradually, first week I started swimming I gained, but I had gone over syns every day too, I feel better for actually doing something active, even if its only a quick walk, a bit on the wii and swimming once a week, its better than sitting on my ass anyway.

Ha ha you do have a good way with words! Yeah, I think it would be a good way to get awy from being fixated on the numbers, and kind of get me appreciating my body more too. I will probably start doing a little bit of exercise, then build it up.

 

[Vegan*4*Life]

Shake that booty, bust some shapes (that wouldn't be seen on the dance floor under any circumstance) round your living room! I do it all the time. I record The Box and just sweat it all out. Hubbie walked in on me today and said I just elbowed Michael Jackson, I said well he was pushing his way to the bar!

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Shake that booty, bust some shapes (that wouldn't be seen on the dance floor under any circumstance) round your living room! I do it all the time. I record The Box and just sweat it all out. Hubbie walked in on me today and said I just elbowed Michael Jackson, I said well he was pushing his way to the bar!

Ooooh I do like the sound of this! Tee hee love it! :bliss:

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Ate way too little again yesterday - went out fairly early to a gig, then didn't fancy much when I got in - was too tired.

Am going to a party today - not sure if there will be anything I can eat. I may take fruit, soya yoghurt etc with me in case.

Stupid TOM - not feeling as rubbish as I usually do, but a bit blaurghhhh. Also not enjoying the water retention and feeling bloated despite sticking to the plan! Also feeling a bit down cause I'd been looking forward to last night's gig so much - had a great time, and am a bit sad it's all over!

Yesterday's Food intake:

HeA: soya milk
Heb: 1 x bread, 1 x oil
Superfree: red peppers
Free: noodles
Syns: coconut milk (1) curry paste (2) fake fructose vegan honey (1) crisps (7)

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Went to a party yesterday - was a buffet, but I managed to eat my own food without anyone noticing, so that worked out well. Because I was out and about all day, I didn't have access to the best choices, but I was happy with what I ate, and I'd had very litle the day before, so felt I could afford some indulgences! I can't put exact syn values, as I ate out, but will do my best.

HeA: soya milk
HeB: olive oil
Superfree: 2 x satsumas, banana, veg in curry, butternut squash
Free: very small portion of rice
Syns: coconut milk in vegan curry (2) crisps (6) 2 bites vegan chocolate torte (3) vegan sausages (4)

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Food so far today:

(Another day out, so not the best - looking forward to going shopping and buying some new veg and stuff!)

HeA: soya milk
HeB: olive oil
Superfree: banana, satsuma, onion, peas, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes
Free: potato
Syns: sausges, crisps, yoghurt total - 12

Resolutions for the week:

-Cut down on syns
-Have BOTH heathy extras - I keep only having one of each
-Cut down on processed sausages - they have been really creeping in!
-Try new, healthy vegan recipes - at least three new recipes this week.
-Do some exercise, even if it's just a twenty minute walk.

I seem to have been eating a lot of syns, before my free/superfree. That has to change - it's simply a case of organization, and I haven't really had time to be organized the last few days, so I'm not going to beat myself up about it, just try and make the very best choices I can on the days when I have more time.

Looks likely that I will STS this week - mixture of star week, and I guess I've had pretty good losses the last couple of weeks, so might have a couple of slow ones while it settles. I know I'm retaining water at the moment, which is why I'm not anticipating a loss. It's horrible - been feeling a little bloated the last couple of days. Stupid TOM

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Yesterday's food:

HeA: soya milk
HeB: bread
Superfree: banana, tomatoes, onion, peas
Free: baked beans, noodles
Syns: vegan sausages (4) crisps (4.5) soya ice-cream (6)

Too much processed rubbish, too many syns, not enough superfree. I have a day off today, so will stock up on the good stuff.

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Official weigh in today: 10st 10 and 3/4lb. That means a measly loss of a quarter of a pound. However, it's star week (as SW say) and I had two really good losses, so was actually kind of expecting to STS, and in fact, would have been ok (ish) with STS.

Food so far:

HeA: soya milk
HeB: bread
Superfree: onion
Free:
Syns: vegan sausages (4)

Will probably make some kind of pasta tonight.

Over the next few days, I am going to experiment with eating just fruit until lunch - I haven't been getting enough in, and having such filling breakfasts (veg saus sarnies) means I am too full for many snacks.

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Just had a really yummy tea of pasta with tomato sauce. put loads of roasted veg in the sauce. All free or superfree. Had an additional 4 syns of extra virgin olive oil, taking my day's total to 8. May have some yoghurt later, but will probably stick to fruit.

 

[Vegan*4*Life]

I think you and I are quite similar in our approach to food, we worry about calories in but then don't want to go overboard. I have been thinking this week that I actually think that this 'starvation' is actually crap. If it's true then that would mean that no-one ever died of starvation as your body would slow right down to preserve itself. We know that's not true, people DIE of starvation and look at the poor people in concentration camps, just skin and bones. I am going to do some research on it. Do you want me to let you know what I find out? I think it could be the same as the muscle weighs heavier than fat which is more rubbish myths. A lb is a lb of anything!