WEEK THREE WEIGH-IN RESULTS
27TH JANUARY 2020
Week three weigh-in today and I have lost 3.8 pounds. Yeeeaaah baby!
LOOKING BACK OVER THE WEEK
When I was writing my week two weigh-in entry, I felt disappointed even though I had a 2.4-pound weight loss. Looking back on it now, I don’t think my feelings of disappointment had anything to do with the weigh-in. I think it was more about thinking I could have done better with my commitment to eating real food.
But, I have built flexibility into my weight loss plan for a reason. And, one of those reasons is so that I can eat a slice of cake on my birthday if I want to. It happens once a year and I made a choice.
This is, after all, a forever based lifestyle, not a period of time.
So, I’ve drawn a line under it now, and moved on!
This past week I am feeling super-psyched with myself. Usually, when I eat out, it triggers something in me to want to go on a binge. I would say to myself, well I’ve eaten a piece of cake, I’ve ruined my week anyway. That’s it, binge! One day of binging can lead to two. Three. And four. Before you know it, I’m consuming thousands of calories a day, and I’ve put on 40 pounds.
But somehow, I was able to park the events of week two and have a productive week three. I’m three weeks binge free. And for that, I am proud.
Was it difficult? Yeah, I’ve had some tough days.
Not because I’m not enjoying my real food meals. But, because I am so used to filling up the time in between meals with processed snacks. It’s the constant snacking that I’m missing. And, it’s those times that I crave. Unfortunately, for me, it’s not a case of eating a healthy snack during those times. That just doesn’t cut it.
However, I do understand the difference between being hungry, and when I’m having a craving now. As such, I find it much easier to identify when I was emotionally eating in the past. It’s still uncomfortable to sit with a craving, but it does pass if I find a good distraction.
ADAPTING TO MEAL PLANNING & MEAL PREPPING
This week was a little different to past weeks because I didn’t meal prep. I was too busy. What an excuse, huh! If I’m honest, I could have made some time somewhere. But, I was feeling pretty tired from a hectic week, and I chose not to spend my free time with a meal prep session.
This could have been risky, but because I cooked extra food for the freezer when I was in the kitchen last week, I had homecooked ready meals to hand. Things like soups, stews and bolognese. So you could say, past meal prepping has carried me through.
I still had to go to the grocery store for some supplies. But, I was strict with myself. I aimed for two aisles 1) Fruit & veg 2) Meat. That’s it. Wow, it certainly shortens the amount of time spent in the supermarket. Eating real food has opened my eyes up to how much food the supermarket is processed and how little is real food.
EXERCISE
As of Saturday, I’m back walking for an hour a day. I’ve re-joined the dog walk with the hubby and the pup. Unfortunately, it’s tough on my back, and I’m squishing down (yes, that is the correct medical terminology) on nerves, and it makes my leg numb.
But, I’m determined to stick with it.
I know from past weight loss attempts, any time I’ve weighed in over 300 pounds, I struggle with walking a distance. And then, when I reach about 266 lbs (19 stones) the pain has subsided completely. So, that’s a huge incentive to keep it up. My first goal will be to get back down to 300 pounds. And, I’m only 32.6 pounds away, as of today.
NEW GOAL: AIM TO REACH 300 LBS BY MONDAY 27TH APRIL
If I lose 2.5 lbs per week for 13 weeks, I will be able to reach my goal of reaching 300 lbs by 27th April. Fingers crossed for that weigh-in! ?
POSITIVE THINKING TECHNIQUES
Last week I talked about how I wanted to implement some positive thinking techniques into my days. The aim is to start building resistance to cravings. Here’s what I did.
Started the day with a positive affirmation
“I am proud of myself for choosing a healthier lifestyle.”
Focused on the good things that happen throughout the day, no matter how small
This one was quite exhausting because it requires constant self-awareness. You need to be able to capture the moments when good things happen to enable you to focus on them. This certainly takes practice – maybe I need to put some post-it notes up around the house to help trigger my focus!
Lived in the Present
This one could be a bit of a gamechanger for me. Thinking about how the hell I am going to lose all my excess weight can be overwhelming because it will likely take years. As a bit of an impatient person, I want to see quick results. But, the faster result often means fad diets, and that has not proved to be successful for me in the past.
So by living in the present, I only have to focus on minutes or hours at a time. Concentrating on having a good day is much less overwhelming than trying to focus on having a good day every day for a couple of years.
Have positive thinking techniques help with my cravings this week? Looking at the results of my weight loss this week, I would have to say yes. I did feel more positive overall. But, I’m still very much aware of these dog darn cravings.
TRIVIA TEST RESULTS
In my week one weigh-in entry, I mentioned that I would be doing a Thriva home blood test so that I could get a better idea of what may be going on inside my body.
The good news is I am showing normal levels of:
- Ferritin – (a blood protein used to measure iron) needed to make red blood cells,
- Folate (or Vitamin B9) – necessary for a healthy liver, hair, skin and eyes,
- HbA1c – the measure of Pre-Diabetes and Diabetes risk, and
- CRP – inflammation in the body.
I’m actually over the moon with these results. I have had a CRP test done before with my doctor, and my inflammation results were high.
I need to take actions on where I have deficiencies with:
- Vitamin B12, and
- Vitamin D.
I’ll be looking to incorporate foods rich in these nutrients to my daily diet, as well as take a supplement to give me a helpful boost.
It’s important because I need Vitamin B12 to support the normal function of my brain and nervous system. A deficiency can also lead to tiredness and a lack of energy, which I have been feeling.
And, I need Vitamin D because it is vital to maintain healthy skin and bones and to support my immune system.
An area for concern has been identified with:
High levels of Alanine Transferase (ALT) or Liver Enzymes.
According to the Thriva documentation, ALT helps in the breaking down of proteins so they can be absorbed by the body. High levels of ALT can be a sign of liver damage. So, it is really important for me to have a chat with my doctor to discuss this issue.
The advice from Thriva is to avoid too many saturated and trans fats that are found in fried foods and processed foods like cakes and pastries, refined carbs like white bread and white pasta, added sugars such as soda, sweets, smoked and cured meats, as well as alcohol.
So, I guess it’s perfect that I’m on a real food diet then!!!
Another area for concern is:
My Cholesterol.
The ratio of good to bad cholesterol levels in my blood is abnormal, which means I am at a higher risk of heart disease or stroke. I am hopeful that my real food diet will help me to manage these levels over time. In the meantime, I will check in with my doctor on the best way to tackle this as well.
In the past, I would have felt scared about receiving abnormal results and may have avoided getting the tests done altogether. But, as much as there is some cause for concern, at least I am aware so that I can actively work towards turning things around now. Hopefully, before it’s too late to do anything about it!
I’ll be testing again in 3 months to see if the results have improved. Fingers crossed!
MY REAL FOOD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
That was all a bit serious, so let’s end this weekly weigh-in entry a more positive note. My blog recipe of the week this week is my Real Food Version of Chicken Chasseur. It’s so yummy!
This week I made a double batch, ate some, and then bagged up the rest for the freezer. Awesome!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post. Please leave a note if you’re on a journey of your own, I’d love to hear from you. Any advice and tips are welcome!
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