Weight Loss - Month Two

August - why are you here so soon?! It also means I'm on month two of my diet...

Today I'm posting about my second month of living healthy and my weight loss progress. As said before, not everyone has to be wanting to lose weight to live healthily, it may be that you just decide you want to - however for me I want to lose weight, as I'm not, personally feeling healthy at the weight I started at...

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST?
So far I have now lost a total of 1 stone 2lbs

WHAT HAS HELPED YOU?
Running and exercise, I've already noticed improvements (despite my calf injury). I've also been chatting to my dad, he's run several marathons, in regards to running style, what's correct and comfortable for me.

WHAT DID YOU CHANGE?
This month was a little different, I've had a few higher calorie dinners (about 700 kcals +) which means I took the hit the rest of the day, which I can't say was easy. I've been experimenting more with foods and definitely finding my definite go to foods when I'm hungry. I also had my first real cheat day... I ate chocolate!

ARE YOU HAPPY?
I'm happy, I wouldn't say out of this world happy - but I'm happy I've reached a stone. I'm unhappy that I have picked up an injury. But I am looking forward to the challenges of the next month.

WHAT'S BEEN HARDEST?
I've gotten over having the different meals problem, I'm enjoying the meals I'm cooking for me and I definitely have a few favourites! The hardest thing has been my exercise, my calf has been really temperamental which has meant I can't push my distances as much and I'm really struggling with seeing any changes in my body in the mirror - other people are noticing them but not me. I'm struggling with this purely because I look as though I have had no changes to me.

HOW WAS YOUR WEIGHT LOSS DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE MONTH?
Week One - 3lbs
Week Two - Stayed the Same
Week Three - 2lbs
Week Four - 2lbs

Week four I had my female issues and I normally always gain normally when not on a diet, so I'm really happy with a 2lb loss and I managed to stay the same over my birthday which was week two. This month I'm really excited for my new sports bra to turn up and do some running in - I can actually get some decent boobie support!!!!! 

Coping with 1300 Kcal's a Day

So I've had a lot of people ask me about how I'm dealing with my cut of calories from god knows kcals a day to 1800 kcals to now at the 1300 kcals a day.

It's quite difficult at first - I'll be frankly honest with you, it was the toughest first transition week into the 1300 kcals a day, it meant I actually had to look properly at what I was eating. I spoke to a friend who is a trainer and also goes by a healthy eating regime; he's helping me to keep focused and look more wisely at food options.

First of all - you really have to cut the crap out, in my experience so far is that crap is more calories :(

So, I looked at crisps, I still want at least some freedom of foods and to satisfy my naughtiness - so instead of going for my usual Walkers Crisps which are 130 kcals a packet - I now eat Quavers which are 88 kcals a packet (I also forgot how good Quavers taste!).

The longer I stuck at it, ignored everyone pushing me to just 'treat' myself (I know me waaaaay too well to know I'd slip if I just have a 'treat') the more easier it became, yes I still have my days where I struggle so badly, to the point I want to just pack it in, raise my calories and eat a chocolate bar. But I push myself to stay focused and concentrate on what I'm doing because I'm only letting myself down if I don't succeed at this!

I'll be doing some more food diaries based on my 1300 kcals a day soon so you guys can see what I consume and how wisely I try to use my calories.

Don't forget you can follow me on MyFitnessPal to see my daily food and exercise diary - my username is EmmaVictoriaaa

You can also ask me about anything you are interested in or any questions over on twitter - EmmaVictoriaaa

Day 4 Food Diary - My 20th Birthday!

So last Sunday was my 20th Birthday (I'll be honest, its in the contender for one of the birthday's I've been most let down and disappointed - whole other story though).

But I thought I'd do a food post as some people were interested in my food consumption whilst being on a diet..

No I didn't break my diet, I just raised my calorie intake to a sufficient amount. I'll be doing a post in a few weeks time on transitioning from 1800 kcals a day to 1300 kcals - but for my birthday I raised to my usual 1830 kcals.

I planned all my food for my birthday several days prior, and made sure there was no temptations round me.. I also fought off my parents trying to convince me to have an alcoholic drink and take a day off my diet. The thing with me is, if I take one day off completely, I will lose my determination and become lazy; its fact. I wasn't completely stringent and disciplined as you'll see below, I didn't necessarily go for a healthy option lunch.. but it was my birthday and it was a treat - not a regular occurrence!

Breakfast - 194 kcal
2 Kallo Organic Rice Cakes - 58 kcal
Sainsburys Dry Cured/Air Dried Bacon Rashers - 126 kcal
1/2 tbsp Heinx Tomato Ketchup - 10 kcal

Lunch - 706 kcal
Iceland Ham and Pineapple Pizza

Snacks - 128 kcal
Robinsons Fruit Juice 500ml then diluted - 40 Kcal
Quavers - 88 Kcal 

Dinner - 794 kcal
Homemade Pad Thai Dish 

So as you can see, I did enjoy my day and still had some food which I fancied - but as I keep banging on about (I know I'm sorry but it helps!) its all about control. Control is what is keeping me on track and keeping focused on this diet! I'll own up to taking 2 prawn crackers which my family had with the Pad Thai dish.. which was naughty, but I wouldn't normally do it.

Instead of opting for a takeaway I chose to have a homemade Thai dish.. mainly because it tasted a million times better then a greasy takeaway and because I could control the amount that went into the dish - I also chose to cook the meal myself, purely not for the control aspect but for another reason entirely just to take my mind off things.

I think I had about 8 calories left at the end of the day on my MyFitnessPal - so with the 2 prawn crackers added, lets say I probably just went over?

However, on Monday I jumped back into my 1300 kcals and finally got in a good run after suffering my bad calf injury which has been nothing but a hindrance to my keeping fit schedule!

Running Progress & Don't Let Them Laugh

So I went for my first run! Not my first run ever in my life - this was my first run of my diet and first run of 2015.

I'm not much of a running person; due to a few factors. I have big boobs and it absolutely kills me to run if I'm not wearing at least 2 sports bra's and a compression top; I also can't run more then a couple of times a week due to my back - I had a fall back in 2012 and have a problem with 2 discs in my lumbar which can be very painful.

Running is one of the cheapest exercises you can take part in, so long as you have a good pair of trainers and the right clothing for the job!

But I'm still making the most of what running I can do...

TOTAL RUNNING - 2.46km

TOTAL WALKING - 1.14km

So I had my first issue when out running the other week. It was my first proper run in a long time, and it was the furthest I'd ever run in my life! I felt so happy afterwards but there was something that was still bugging me from what happened earlier on in the run..

So I was running through my village, baring in mind my village was on a hill, and I'd already run 1.3km already.... I was hot, not sweaty yet, but definitely more then rosy faced. I stopped to catch my breathe for a second & to cross the road as cars were turning. And two men who were sat outside the pub, baring in mind with 2 pints of beer - choose to stare and laugh at me. This made me feel so shit. I really wanted to just cry and punch them. It made me so angry that they thought they could judge me for running, just because I'm a fat girl.

I got home and phoned my friend who is a rugby player with what happened; and he made me feel so much better about it all.

He told me this;

"They can't judge you for getting fit and healthy. You are making the good choice. If they want to laugh, then let them. They aren't worth your time or attention; Your body is worth the time and attention - to get it to the way you are happy with". 

It did help me to think - I do not need to let them hurt me, or judge me. I'm the one running and exercising to help get my body fit and healthy; and if that's bad, and something to laugh at - then the joke really is on you.

Just remember, people on the streets don't know who you are, and don't know your medical history or your diet. If they laugh, keep running or walking - you are helping you, and they have no impact in your life.

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After my first week of running I felt so happy and proud of myself for even running in the first place. So for my first run of week two, I wanted to see how far I could push myself (like my first run of my first week!) and I managed 3km (in 24 degree Celsius heat as well!) which I was incredibly happy with! After one week to increase my distance by 0.5km is huge for me! 

However, I have picked up a small injury (not from the running thankfully!) in my right calf, so I'm taking the rest of the week quite easy, still running but only to the amount I can tolerate. This week also (when you read this it will be last week!) is incredibly hot, with Wednesday hitting a possible high of 35 degrees celsius - mega hot! And with someone who doesn't cope well with heat and suffers with hayfever - I will be resting and not risking it for a run! 

Weight Loss - Month One

Its now July! I swear 2015 is flying by us so super quickly!

Today I'm posting about my first month of living healthy and my weight loss progress. As said before, not everyone has to be wanting to lose weight to live healthily, it may be that you just decide you want to - however for me I want to lose weight, as I'm not, personally feeling healthy at the weight I'm currently at.

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST?
In my first 4 weeks of living healthy and increased exercise I've lost 7lbs/half a stone. 

WHAT HAS HELPED YOU?
Using my MyFitnessPal and MapMyRun Apps - they help to keep me focused and make sure I don't lose track or focus. I also have a few friends on these apps who track my progress, who help to motivate me even more to carry on.

WHAT DID YOU CHANGE?
Well for the first month I obviously changed a lot - I'm now choosing lower calorie options which are healthier. I'm trying to avoid eating processed foods other then Quorn products also.

ARE YOU HAPPY?
I'm very happy with my progress so far - I've started running (I have a post with all the details coming up next week!) and I've obviously lost half a stone which is nothing to be upset about for me.

WHAT'S BEEN HARDEST?
Not having the same meals as my family. For instance, my whole family were talking about having a takeaway as a treat - I obviously said no, for obvious reasons. I suppose for me the real is struggle is having support from my family. My mum is on a Weight Watchers diet, but I find she has a tendency to not weigh everything out, she's more of a "chuck it in the pan and it looks about right" amount sort of person; which is frustrating for me when I'm trying to be so careful and not go over my allotted calories.

HOW WAS YOUR WEIGHT LOSS DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE MONTH?
Week One - 3lbs
Week Two - Stayed the Same
Week Three - 2lbs
Week Four 2lbs

And we are now officially in month two of my plan - honestly, I think this month may be a bit more of a struggle - I think I'm over the 'honeymoon' period of the diet and this is when its tough and a lot of people give up; which I'm determined not to do due to my success so far.

July will be a tough month for me as I have my 20th Birthday upcoming on the 12th - so we will have to see how we go!

Having a Few Days Off...

So let's be brutally honest, I haven't, personally, met anyone who hasn't been a little bit naughty on a diet or had a few days off from being super strict - and I'm absolutely no exception.

The week before last, I was having a very stressful time, I had to get a report pulled together for the council for an education panel meeting - I had from the Thursday Evening to the next Sunday to get it all done, read through and sent off. You may think that was enough time, I assure you it really wasn't and it meant that my diet sort of went to the side because I had to prioritise my brother and his well-being over mine - I'll be honest, my brother is more important then I am when it comes to things like this, so for me the diet wasn't the top of my mind.

So what did I find helpful to at least stay somewhat on track?

Don't go stir crazy over food

What I mean is, just because you are craving a bit of chocolate, does not mean you have to eat the whole bar. Still moderate what you eating - even if you aren't logging it into a diary.

Be Sensible

Just look at the sensible options - yes you are allowed to have a treat, you don't have to be all Miss Battle Axe on yourself the whole time on your diet, but its just about you being sensible.

Cravings

During this week I also had the double whammy of my lady visitor being due (sorry boys, TMI I know). I had the odd craving -  I was totally craving a big bowl of ice cream.. So I had the ice cream, just not in a big bowl - and it still satisfied my craving. Sometimes, well for me anyway, you don't need to have a great big portion of something to please your cravings - just enough to satisfy. Again, its all about your moderation of what goes into your body.

Don't be a psycho-weigher

Just because you aren't particularly watching everything you consume as you usually do, does not mean you have to weigh yourself every day. Your bodies weight fluctuates every day, and you are pound to gain or lose a pound within a day - stick to your usual weigh in day and time. 

Don't Worry

The key is to not worry or completely freak out. When it came to my weigh day, I stayed the exact same weight from the week before (I lost 3lbs that week) - considering I normally always gain a lb or two during that time of the month as well due to bloating etc, I was extremley happy to stay the same. And even if you gain, when you are back on track, don't beat yourself up about it - clear your head and focus on the week ahead, next week you may lose 2lbs - keep positive!

A Filling Salad & Facts about LIGHT Mayonnaise

I'm going to be brutally honest with you guys - I'm not a salad lover; I don't hate salad's I just find it hard to find salad's enjoyable!

So my challenge for this diet has really been focusing around salad's - I'm talking about salad's as the actual meal, not as a garnish.

Yesterday I needed a salad that was filling, healthy and I had a few calories to play about with as I didn't have breakfast that morning (side note - please have breakfast, it helps several things. I was just a naughty girl and had a lay in till 9am and by the time I woke up, because I can't eat right away, I just chose to wait till lunch) I opted for a big salad.

35g Salad Leaves

200g Farm White Potato(s)
25 sprays of 1 Kcal Spray
100g Mushrooms
2 Quorn Sausages
15g Hellmans Mayonnaise 

(NOT THE LIGHT MAYO!)

Paprika 1/2 tsp

Salt 1/2 tsp

Total Calories - 554 Kcal

Method

It's pretty simple but here is what I did with all the ingredients.

1. Pre-heat your oven to 190°c/180°c for a fan oven.

2. I chopped up my potato, you can do yours as thick or as thin as you wish. I preferred a thinner chip just for the satisfaction of having that lovely crunch. 

3. I then par-boiled the potato's for 10 minutes - you don't want them mushy, just cooked enough to then go in the oven.

4. In a bowl put the par-boiled chips, then add the paprika and salt and 15 sprays of the 1kcal Spray. Toss and coat evenly and then put on a baking tray and into the oven for 15 minutes.

5. After the first 15 minutes, take out the chips, and bump up your oven to 220°c/210°c for a fan oven then put your chips and Quorn Sausages in for another 15 minutes (depending on how thick your chips are some may take 10 minutes to crisp up, some may take 20 minutes - just keep checking them to get them how you like them!)

6. While the sausages and chips are cooking - chop up your mushrooms, get a frying pan and use 10 sprays for the mushrooms. Cook to your liking!

7. Once the mushrooms were done, I added them into the bowl with the salad leaves. Once cooked, I then added the chips, chopped up the Quorn Sausages and added 15g of Mayonnaise. (Below I'll explain why I don't use the Light-Mayonnaise). Mixed them all together and et voila! 

Why don't you use light mayonnaise?
- I've found out from several sources, as well as looking at the back of packaging of mayonnaise products that REAL Mayonnaise is better then light. Light mayonnaise has added extra's in it - yes it 'may have less fat' but that doesn't mean its a healthier option. For example

On the Hellmans website below are the ingredients for Real Mayonnaise vs Light Mayonnaise

REAL MAYONNAISE INGREIDENTS 
SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, WHOLE EGGS AND EGG YOLKS, VINEGAR, SALT, SUGAR, LEMON JUICE, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (USED TO PROTECT QUALITY), NATURAL FLAVORS. GLUTEN-FREE.

LIGHT MAYONNAISE 
WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, MODIFIED STARCH (CORN, POTATO)**, EGGS, SUGAR, SALT, VINEGAR, LEMON JUICE, SORBIC ACID** AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (USED TO PROTECT QUALITY), NATURAL FLAVORS, VITAMIN E. **INGREDIENTS NOT FOUND IN REGULAR MAYONNAISE. GLUTEN-FREE.

There are added extra's in the light mayonnaise, which just don't me feel comfortable - for example Sorbic Acid?! If you aren't a scientist or nurtionist maybe, much like me - I have no idea what sorbic acid is, let alone what it does, or anything about it. Any time, like any other person, if I see 'acid' unless its something like citric acid (eg lemons, limes etc.) it does make me worry a bit.

Me personally? I'd rather just have the extra intake of a few extra calories then put something into my body that I don't even know what it is. Sometimes it's about choosing the healthy option, and taking that time to look into the product and what you'd be consuming; not just opting for something that looks good or healthy.