With my new job just around the corner, I decided that I’d walk to work as many days as possible. By the time I’ve reversed out of the driveway and found a parking space at the other end, I could be at my desk, booting up my pc and cuddling that first drink of the day.
I did Race for Life again with my Mum this year and although I managed to run further than I have in past years (I started running st the 4k mark, ran about 400-500 metres, walked a bit and then ran the rest) figured it was about time that I stopped making excuses and tried out the exercise this. I’ve been a member of the gym in the past and I’ve always felt self-conscious or embarrassed that I am a size 16 asthmatic who can’t really run very far, that doesn’t seem to have the coordination for a cross fit trainer machine and that I wear a massive man’s t-shirt to try and hide my body rather than wear a body-hugging t-shirt to show off my “rocking bod” lol.
My friend D has just finished his sports course at the local university and so between finishing his course and deciding what to do next he’s helping me out – I guess in a roundabout way that makes him my personal trainer but that sounds a bit OTT – I see it more like hanging out with a friend lol.
First thing was first:
what do I eat?
Well this was a bad place to start, I have the tendency that when I’m bored I get hungry, or its more like “I’m bored, I’m not really hungry but it’ll give me something to do so let’s eat!” or rather than have 1 or 2 of something I’d eat 5 or more. Jaffa Cakes are one of my weaknesses – why have 1 when I can eat 12 (I’m pretty sure that’s a pack! Oh dear!)
Also, I eat too much junk food. I think it’s a massive weakness.
So the plan is – replace chocolate or sweetie based snacks with fruit or something else healthy.
Done – as part of my pack lunch I’ve been packing a carrot (or now 2 because I’ve realised that I still crave chocolate around 11 am even when I’ve had breakfast) and cut down chocolate bars – I have one Penguin sized bar instead of two in my packed lunch. I have ham and Philadelphia sandwiches – I get the Lightest Philadelphia and spread that on the bread just on one side instead of having margarine as well. I have a Babybel in there too. I have crisps but try for lower calorie ones. Quavers seem to be a good choice and I have Skips for lunch today – will check out how good they are……
I’ve also been trying to replace fizzy with water. Under D’s instruction, I’m allowed fizzy at lunchtime. If I need a caffeine/sugar fix, I need to try to have fruit juice instead. I think it’s then natural sugars rather than artificial ones. (Does that make sense?)
do you eat breakfast?
No I didn’t. Now I try to – some days it’s a slice of toast as I leave for work but I keep trying to have a bowl of cereal or something like that. It’s currently Malt Wheaties as we have them in the cupboard but I’m going to go back to muesli or Weetabix or something that is in theory a little healthier.
how much do I sleep?
Enough but not enough. So the average human needs around 8 hours sleep, it has even scientifically proven that people who sleep at least 8 hours a night find that dieting is more successful or something to that effect. So I have been trying to do this….. I have fallen into bad habits in the last few days but I am going to kick myself in the rear and get back on track. I try to switch off my iPad/put my phone to standby and not touch it again from 11 pm. I’m allowed to read or crochet or write letters but no to the screen. I then try to turn the lights out at midnight and go to sleep. (Chris apparently is appreciating this too because it means he gets a proper amount of sleep each night as well!)
how much water do I drink?
Again not enough. At the company, I used to work for we had diet cola in the fridge and to get drinkable water you had to go upstairs to a solitary tap (until we moved office and had a sink to ourselves). I think this became the start of my cola addiction (haha it sounds kind funny if you call it a coke addiction…….. Not that drug addiction is a laughing matter….) anyway, I’m now trying to drink more water. It’s a challenge and some days it’s easier than others but it’s happening. Yesterday I was definitely on about a litre of water drunk. In theory, if I can keep it up it’ll become second nature and I’ll drink water by the bucket full.
So far I seem to have put on weight but following a discussion with D I’ve figured it out. I think my I’d put on weight before starting, I’d tried to ignore that fact even though I knew it was there and wouldn’t go away. I’d had a sore throat bug thing and so made out I couldn’t do any exercise and should stay curled up on the sofa. Instead, I gained a few kilos. Now my belt is a hole tighter on my jeans and I have to keep pulling them up! Hopefully, I’ll be in a size 14 soon and who knows maybe a 12. We’ll see how this combination of bits goes to start with.
Good for you Hannah. You will soon notice a difference, I know we have over the past six months since we made changes. Best recommendation for breakfast would be porridge (I use the Oat So Simple sachets, 2 mins in microwave) as it really does fill you up till lunchtime. I have mine with a chopped banana & cinnamon, but you can add any fruit I guess. For snacks, try some seeds. Have a look online for “Munchy Seeds”, their packs are delicious & fill you up. Never thought I would like eating seeds but really enjoy them, and the small portion packs you can take out in your bag. To replace crisps, look at Special K cracker crisps, tasty & half the cals of crisps. We have quite a few healthy recipes that the dietician gave me, happy to pass them on if you want a few extra ideas for simple healthy meals and snacks.
Good Morning Ian,
Thank you for your comment. I’m trying the porridge idea at the moment – I went with the supermarket’s own brand but I’m sure it’ll be okay. I’m thinking I should have gone the flavoured stuff though the plain one is really boring even with island fruit mix sprinkled on top – now the challenge is to eat it in time to walk to work lol.
Crisp wise I’m currently on Skips as they were on offer and they are around 75 calories a bag anyway so I figure healthier than normal crisps (I think!) and then I can move onto healthier ones still lol.
Those meal ideas and snacks might be handy, I think you have my email address if you could pass them along that would be fab 🙂
Hey hun!
Really proud of you 🙂 And feel like I’m right there alongside you 🙂 I’m dieting and doing exercise every day – if I can do it you totally can! I’ve lost almost 11kg (I had to do the conversion, I still work in stones and pebbles!) and feel really good for it.
My top tips:
– fill up on protein – it really helps
– keep a bottle of water with you and on your desk, it makes the water consumption way easier!
– muesli (sadly) isn’t that healthy, loads of sugar in the fruit (I know it is fruit sugar, but still sugar!) – I agree with Ian, try porridge
My biggest tip is this. Learn to be kind to yourself, don’t beat yourself up for a transgression, celebrate every goal and milestone and remind yourself how well you are doing!
I hope I don’t sound too preachy about it?
Big hugs
xxx
Good morning Becca,
Thank you for your comment!
Go you! 11kg is loads – hope that doesn’t mean your disappearing before Dave’s eyes. I’m a scary number in stones and pebbles I think the scales are lying but I know for sure that probably aren’t, I guess another reason to get my butt into gear right?
I’m on the porridge right now – hopefully I won’t burn my tongue given the speed at which I’m trying to eat it and there was me thinking I was up in plenty of time today lol. I love that – “Learn to be kind to yourself, don’t beat yourself up for a transgression, celebrate every goal and milestone and remind yourself how well you are doing!”
Not too preachy at all, thank you for stopping by and commenting 🙂
I was an even scarier number in stones and pebbles than I am now! (Still fairly scary!).
I just think, we spend so long kicking and picking at ourselves, we need to lead by example, you would never tolerate someone treating your friend any other way, why do we tolerate it in ourselves?!
Big hugs xx
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