Weight Watchers

[Diane65]

Whoop whoop asamaic that is just brilliant. You are one truly inspirational lady - I keep on reading your posts and cannot believe how much exercise you are fitting in. Well done.

I am afraid that eating wise I haven't been very good but managing to fit in a fair bit of walking. I went to the Lake District last weekend although mainly to visit Beatrix Potters house we did manage to clock up quite a few miles as I wanted to see Moss Eccles Tarn and Esthwaite water (where Jeremy Fisher fished) plus Hawkshead but I did succumb to an Ice Cream with all that walking.

This weekend I have just been for a walk along the River Mersey. I am off to Switzerland on Thursday until Sunday so planning on doing plenty of walking.
As I have 2 immediate family members with dementia it has taken up quite a lot of time organising cover - making sure that they are stocked up with food and notifying everyone and everyone that I will be away and who is on call each night/day. Only mentioning this as you may think well why can't she shape herself and fit in more exercise in the week. I have also been making sure that my house is spick and span with plenty of treats in as my friend is catsitting for me. The packing is the easy bit .

Just got 24 hours to work and a lecture on Wednesday evening plus 1 last visit to the 2 of them (different places) on Tuesday evening then I am good to go - highly unlikely that I can fit in a work out too. I also have a medical appointment tomorrow evening and I am hoping that they don't weigh me as was my lightest last time I went 4/5 years ago - just one of those routine lady checks.

[asamaic]

This week has mostly been about calories rather than exercise. I find when I actually log what I eat in MyFitnessPal, I eat the right amount of calories. When I just eyeball food and think 'that's probably the right amount', I get it so wrong.

I really like eating food. Lots of food. Different food. But I also don't mind eating the same food over and over if it's nice enough and fits into my calories for the day. It also helps you get used to consuming the same amount of energy at the same sort of time each day at a time when you're trying to regulate your appetite. In the early days when you're trying to summon up some willpower, a bit of repetitiveness in your diet isn't the worst thing.

I suggest figuring out what you can eat for a certain meal, then you have it as a go to, because you've already counted the calories and worked out the appropriate portion size previously. Given how busy you are, Diane65, having some things you can just grab and eat without having to think about it must be helpful. I honestly don't know how you manage to look after so many people and still have a smile on your face - absolute legend!

The Fitbit is also great, because it helps me figure out if I've burned off as much from walking as I think I have and automatically adjusts my calorie allowance for the day. I would recommend one to everyone on this thread.

Hope everyone has a great week. Remember, focus on any of the changes you can make and don't get hung up about the rest. Baby steps. If you can't fit in any exercise (and/or if you can't physically do any exercise), that doesn't matter. What can you control? Can you make that dinner portion a little bit smaller? Swap a double fudge cake for a tiramisu or even better, a herbal tea? There will be some decisions you get to make this week that will make a difference. Congratulate yourself on the good ones and keep going. The important thing is to keep going.

This is all about our willpower and mental state of mind - and I know we're strong enough to change our relationship with the mindless shovelling of food into our mouths. We can all shovel a bit less in.

Good luck everyone! Here's to little good decisions!

[asamaic]

I've had a reasonably well-behaved start to the week, calorie-wise.

How is everyone else getting on?

[Diane65]

Loving reading your posts Asamaic. You are certainly motivated. Well done.

Off on holiday tomorrow but intend to do a lot of walking.

Have fun everyone.

[ejwrank]

Well done to you, asamaic-- keeping on the straight and narrow-- especially after all that volunteering and running on the weekend.

Have a good holiday, Diane. Enjoy yourself and take it easy (I know that taking it easy isn't really Diane mode) but hope you can relax a bit!

[asamaic]

End of week 2 and I've lost another 3 lb.

Did the Westminster Mile today. Ran in the same wave with two of my running friends (I say ran with, more accurately I started in the same wave - they left me for dust because they're super talented) and four of my running friends cheered me on as spectators which was very unexpected and lovely.

I ran it in 12 minutes, which is 2 minutes longer than the London City Mile I did in 2015 (the only other one-mile run I've done) but when you consider how warm it was, the fact I've injured myself countless times since then and I'm carrying more weight, I'm still pleased to have got round. I think the 2015 time is unrealistic for me, but I've just set something to beat and will hopefully do the 2019 mile faster than this year.

Food-wise I've been eating very little for breakfast and lunch and then having a massive dinner because no matter what time of the day and how much I eat, I get hungry in the evenings. I've also seen my piggy friend a few times, eaten with him and managed to not have a really bad day calorie-wise. This is the non-scale victory I'm most pleased with - I haven't had to stop eating out with people to keep losing weight. I've just had to make smarter choices.

I've lost 5.8 lb so far, which I'm thrilled with - I don't think it's obvious to other people yet, but I'm starting to see it myself, which is the main thing. After all, this whole weight loss thing is about me and not about other people. I know my weight loss is going to slow down soon, because you only get the big drops when you first start and are at your heaviest and it does eventually tail off into something more sustainable, but I'm OK with that. It takes however long it takes!

Hope everyone else is being good (I notice a distinct lack of people posting!) and Diane65 is enjoying herself. I would hope for a holiday full of rest, but I suspect she's had an itinerary for every day which involves doing lots of things! That is a lady who can't do nothing...

If anyone is reading and doesn't want to post because they haven't been very well-behaved lately, it is never a bad time to jump back on the wagon. C'mon... it's lonely here... always room to have you up here again!

[ejwrank]

Well done, asamaic, on the mile run. You've had a lot of injuries and today was a scorcher so you can be very happy with the result. And your weight loss has been fantastic. You have been exceedingly good at looking at what you eat and doing a lot of exercise -- great combination. I hope you don't mind me saying that I feel very proud of you! And of course you have every right to feel proud of yourself!

I'm guessing that Diane is busy, busy, busy on her holiday and hope she is having a great time.

[asamaic]

Thanks, ejwrank. You're such a wonderful cheerleader.

I'm still very touched that so many running friends were there today. One of them had stuck around for 3 hours to wait for my wave and another wasn't even running and had come along anyway (a marathon runner, so a serious runner like David).

They could all easily outrun me without breaking a sweat and yet recognise that as slow as I am, I am trying as hard as I can. Imagine how much less awful PE would have been at school if the teachers had encouraged us to set and beat our own Personal Bests rather than pitted those bad at sports against the future elite athletes. It's not often I think that the world is a better place now than when I was younger, but I think the shift in making sports more inclusive is a brilliant thing.

I have my next run director stint at parkrun in a few weeks and look forward to welcoming not only the serious runners, but the people who wouldn't otherwise do any exercise but for a safe space with plenty of encouragement and kindness.

I look forward to hearing about Diane65's adventures when she's back and will be amazed if she's taken it easy on any of the days.

[Diane65]

Well done asamaic that is absolutely fantastic. That's the weight loss where you can feel a difference in your clothes and everything - well done.

I get what you are saying re sports in schools as we all have different abilities so hard when judging you against other people not your personal best.

Just back from a lovely 4 day break averaging 15000 steps each day. Thursday we just spent around Basel which has a lovely city centre with lots of interesting buildings, Friday we took the train to Colmar in France which is such a beautiful pretty city taking a boat ride along the river - we were the only 2 passengers on the boat (so tranquil). We stopped for lunch in front of a flea market which was a delight to watch. It just got prettier each corner we turned - we definitely walked our socks off there.
On the Saturday we took the train to Lucerne intending to just have a gentle stroll around the city and possibly a boat ride on the lake. But had a change of heart and did an hour cruise on the lake followed by taking a trip up Pilatus on the steepest cog railway in the world up the mountains with fabulous views across to the Eiger and Jungfrau - absolutely breathtaking and had a lovely meal up there followed by a rather fast chair lift down. We then meandered around the city which is very nice but very busy.
Sunday we took it easy starting off the day with a swim in the hotel pool then enjoyed our last breakfast of delicious muesli and the rest We took the free ferry across the Rhine which moves purely by tidal waves then headed over to where Germany, Switzerland and France all border so can walk across 3 countries in 5 minutes - being honest it wasn't very exciting as in the middle of an industrial estate. We then headed home and went straight into Manchester City Centre to see the trees of hope trail which was lovely to see but sadly all the messages had been taken down before we arrived.

Now need to get on board with asamaic being good.

Thanks ejwrank for your continual support.

[asamaic]

This week's weight loss is 0.6 lb.

It seems a very low overall loss to end the week on, but my weight shot up overnight after a lot of exercise and an intense deep tissue massage, so I think my muscles are clinging onto water to repair the damage. Which is completely fine, because I'll see the water weight disappear in 2 to 3 days and get a sudden drop that I shall claim in next week's weigh in. The key is to realise it's just a normal fluctuation and stay firmly on the wagon, waiting patiently for the scales to catch up with the effort. I feel thinner and that's more important!

Yesterday I managed to burn off a crazy amount of calories - I walked and ran 22K steps. I slept well, I can tell you! Not sure how Diane65 managed 15K steps steps every day on her holiday without being exhausted. I wish I had that woman's energy!

Shaved off about 3 minutes from my Hackney time and 2 minutes from my most recent parkrun time, so happy with that. I'm trying to prove a theory that if I do naff all extra exercise and just become lighter, my times will improve.

Hope those of you who like the sun have been enjoying the weekend.