Not eating between Meals

With the assistance of Irvingia I am still managing to go between lunch and supper without having any calories at all.

I noticed yesterday I could walk up the hill from the pigs without stopping to take a breather and without getting breathless. Something I could not do a couple of weeks ago.

Weight has not dropped for a few days but I am not going to cut my calories. Already on 1200 so am going to stay on that level and wait for my body to start dropping the weight again.

Best diet is one you dont know you are on

Came across the above quote in a book called Mindless Eating. Thought it a very good idea. That is what I want to do, to get to the point where this is just the way I eat and I no longer feel that "I am on a diet".

I am enjoying this way of eating and know I will never go back to the way I used to snack and overeat as I did before.

Had chicken and greek salad for supper last night as we had guests in for the meal. Ate a bit more than usual but was still in control and served the ice cream for dessert without wanting to have any.

Living Low Carb

Got a really good book the other day. Living Low carb by Jonny Bowden. Wish I had ordered it years ago as it gives the lowdown on 35 low carb diets and is extremely informative.

Have decided I am probably going to be on Irvingia for the rest of my life to keep those cravings at bay. I never want to go back to eating in a trance the way I used to do. It is better to keep taking that rather than being obese and having to take diabetes medication.

This is the diet and pills for me

This is what I have been looking for the whole of my life. I am becoming unobese for the first time in my life.

Lost another 0.8lb in the last 24 hours so that is 1.6lb so far this week. I am eating so well at my meals but now not having any calories at all between meals.

I dont feel I have to do exercise to lose the weight and with the help of irvingia I just dont overeat anymore or have cravings I cant control.

Yesterdays lunch was a left over chicken leg, with the skin covered in a tomato ratatouille and heated up in the microwave served on a bed of cabbage cooked with butter and spinach.

Nails are still nice after giving up the milk completely. I have never had such strong nail. They look like fake ones but they are real!

This is the diet for the rest of my life. No sweeteners, no pudding, no fruit, no diet drinks. Just good flavourful savoury food with sauces.

Inflammed Fat

Am reading my books again about leptin resistance and inflammed fat. Fat produces its own hormones and causes problems in the body that keep the body fat.

I worked out I lost 14lbs the first month on this Irvingia assisted diet and 4lbs the next month. I would usually not be happy unless I was losing at least 7lb a month and would feel that 4lbs is hardly losing weight at all. But the big plus here is that I am eating great food ( brushing the dust off my recipe books looking for interesting meals) and I do not having any cravings for rubbish food and if I am hungry there is a meal just around the corner.

Was thinking I will be happy to get down under the 168lbs as that is 12 stone and then will drift slowly downwards to under 11 st or 154lbs. Does not matter if this takes 6 months or a year or more as I am eating so well and feeling so satisfied on the eating regime.

Breakfast today will be 2 eggs with a couple of slices of chicken pastrami. Lunch left over chicken with green veg. Yesterday I made a chilli peanut sauce to go with the chicken. Supper was a tinned salmon salad with cream and blue cheeses. I have found a way of eating I can follow for life and am going to be slim for life.

Not expecting Loss

Found this morning I am 8oz less than yesterday. Was not expecting that weight loss at all. They did say that irvingia increases the weight loss after 8 weeks or so but I was not expecting that to happen to me as I usually lose more at the beginning of a diet and then stall.

Yesterday I had family in for Sunday lunch and had veg and chicken myself but again went through the afternoon without nibbling or binging.

Trying to work out an average weight loss so I can get some idea of how long this is going to take me.

Feel that once I get under the 12 st or 168lb then I am more on the normal side of weight loss rather than being obese. So that is 10lbs away. Could be there by Christmas.

Slow Dieting

Got under the BMI 29 today and lost another 0.4 of a pound so that is 12oz this week.
Normally I would feel a failure for losing such a small amount of weight but this time I dont.

I am not craving or binging or in any danger of finding my weight going up by 5 or 6lbs any day. Each day the weight is either the same or has dropped a bit. I am enjoying my 3 good meals a day and am not feeling deprived and waiting till I get to the end of the diet. So if it takes me 10 months and I succeed that is better than taking 5 months and then yoyoing back up again.

Yesterday did a nice chicken thai curry with peanut butter in it for lunch. Am dusting off the cookery books to find interesting meals.

Did Well

Got through GS party without overdoing the food. Had the inside of a mini quiche and a chicken wing. Asked if they still had strawberries available and they did so ordered 10 portions of strawberries and cream for all the adults. So a nice treat and fitted in with the low carb eating. Did not feel deprived at all.

Also had a swim in the pool so got some exercise without having to plan it.

Scale today same as yesterday. This is a much slower weight loss than I am used to. Half a pound a week but it is consistent and I dont feel miserable on the diet so this is all good.

Small Loss

Usually put on weight after a trip to town so pleased to see a loss even if only 0.4lb or 6oz.

This plan seems to give a much slower weight loss compared to previous diets but the weight does not bounce back on again and I dont feel deprived so am happy to accept that it is going to take a while for the fat to shrink.

My body seems happy to give up the weight rather than me try to exercise and starve it off and then have a rebound afternoon when I put it all back on again.

Beef Curry

I made a really nice beef curry yesterday with the left over roast. I found I had a tin of coconut milk in the pantry and put that in it. It was so good I broke my rule and had a bit extra sauce with some veg for seconds.

There was one portion left over so I have frozen it and will have it one day when I do chicken pieces for DH.

No change in the weight but still feeling so much better.

Again under 180lbs

I saw 179.8 on the scale on Friday, but then did not see it again until this morning. Now plan to get under the 180lbs in the evening.

This is a much slower diet than I have ever done before but as long as the weight loss is steady I am enjoying the food then I am happy.

Noticed trousers are longer, the material is no longer being stretched by my thighs so now material catches underneath my foot. I may need to turn up the hems!

This is progress.

Big Tea

I went over on my eating yesterday. D cooked up some rump steak at 3pm as they had missed lunch. I wanted to try it as it was from a different butchery and is known to be a good one. Was very nice and tender and there was plenty so I went back for another dish, and another! Decided to make that my tea and added tomato and avocado and some blue cheese to the last 2 bowlfuls. Then took an irvingia and HCA tablet and decided not to eat again before I went to bed which I kept to.

Hopefully it was just a one off as I would not normally have cooked rump steak available at that time. So enjoyed it, did not feel guilty and kept control although I ate more than I usually do for tea.

Intolerance

Have worked out I have food intolerance to wheat products and milk. Fortunately I do seem to be able to eat cheese but try not to have too much hard cheese. I go for the softer cheeses, feta blue cheese and cream cheese.

Most of the wheat products I gave up about 3 years ago but I found it very difficult to give up milk in my tea and coffee through out the day.

I would think that it is only a small number of calories so I continued to take milk all day.

I feel so much better now I have given up milk entirely.

Under 180

Finally this morning the scale dropped below 180lbs. I have been wanting to see that figure for over a week and a half and finally done it.

I am sticking with the plan to have 3 good meals a day and no snacks and no milk. I am sure I am intolerant to milk. My nails are also much better when I give up milk.

I am intolerant to milk and wheat and wheat products. I used to live on milk and bread so this is a big change.

Am Winning

Am still looking forward to seeing the scale drop below 180 but I am happy with my control around food and the meals I am eating.

I started the different irvingia Leptin Boost yesterday and found exactly the same lack of cravings and good control around food for the whole day. So it also works well.

Controlling cravings

I nearly had my first craving in almost 2 months yesterday evening.

I had a nice salad with tuna and half an avocado ( keeping the seed to plant as it was a nice buttery one with yellow flesh) at around 8.30 I thought I would like an extra piece of blue cheese. That is the first time I have felt an urge to eat outside meal times in nearly 8 weeks. Luckily it was not that strong so I took a couple of Vit C tablets and sucked those instead and later went to bed.

I hope the cravings are not returning and that I am going to be able to control them. I did a deal with myself that I could have a piece of blue cheese with my eggs this morning instead of eating it last night.

Anniversary

Yesterday DH and I celebrated being married 35 years. We went out to a local restaurant for a meal in the early evening.

I had a smoked chicken salad and decided to have a proper drink beforehand. So ordered a gin and soda and put a couple of sucralose tablets in it. Was really nice with a couple of slices of lemon.

We had strawberries and cream for dessert and I have a cup of filter coffee.

So was on the diet plan and had a good evening. No loss today but did not expect one.

Doing milk instead of cream but only one mug

I decided today to go back to milk in my first cup of coffee of the morning. I usually leave a bit in the mug and go back for a refill so each mug gets blacker! On my third already.

My weight has stalled for a bit and I wonder if it is too much cream. Will try this for a few days and see what effect it has. I feel thinner it is just not showing on the scale.

Cream V Milk

I am still undecided about the cream or milk on a diet. Recently I have been buying cream and I usually have some in my coffee first thing and again after supper.

I made a tasty chicken dish with mushrooms and cream and have had that for lunch for the last 2 days. My weight has stayed around the same. I wonder if it is the cream. I could try using milk in coffee and recipes as it has less calories but more sugar. Maybe now I have got the cravings under control I will not get such a bad reaction from the sugar in milk.

Goats

Having real problems trying to keep baby goats alive. Last time I kept goats the babies were really tough and needed no help. In the last week we have had 3 nannies kid. The first 2 both had twins that were born dead. Yesterday the twins were born alive but I did not realise how weak they were till the evening. They had not managed to stand since they were born in the morning and the goatman had not made sure they had had a feed. I bought them up and fed them by bottle last night. One died at 12 and the other was dead when I got up at 3am. Hoping I can figure out what is going on. That is 6 dead kids within the week.

Still on track diet wise. I feel this diet now just goes on in the background while I get on with my life. Feeling much more confident now with the irvingia that I am not going to wreck my diet with an overeating binge. The afternoons are now zipping quickly past and it is soon ready for supper.

Liquid diets can be fatal

Read an article in the UK paper about a woman using a commercial liquid diet to drop form 16st + to 14st + in a few weeks when trying to lose weight after having a baby. She died from lack of potassium. So sad and so unnecessary. These liquid diets should be banned as all that happens is when a person has lost weight and come off the liquid meal replacement all the weight will come back on again and bring its friends!

I have never tried liquid diets and I dont want to. I am happy using real food and irvingia to get my weight down.

The No S diet

Just got a book from Amazon about the No S diet. Which is no sweets, no snacks and no seconds except on S days which is Sat Sun and special days ( holidays etc).

It is basically what I am already doing but I am adding a low carb diet into the mix as well.

Off to town for the day. I often have a problem with snacks on the way back just because I buy them and then eat them in the car. so will have to be aware of that and try and head it off at the pass.

If I get today and tomorrow right I could be under the 180lbs by Sunday and I dont want to blow that and find I have put on 5lbs instead!

Relentless weight loss

I dont think I have ever used that heading before. Usually it is relentless weight gain!

Another 0.8lbs off on the scale this morning. Keen to get under the 180lb mark. Should do that next week sometime.

It is so liberating not to have to worry about overeating or going off my diet in the afternoons.

I just dont go there the other day. DH pointed out a bar of chocolate was missing from the fridge yesterday. 6 weeks ago it would have been me who had eaten it and thrown away the wrapper. But I could tell him I used it in his birthday cake on Sunday.

Food is just not that important anymore. I eat my meals and then forget about food for the next few hours. This irvingia has done something to me that no other diet or eating plan or tablets has ever done before. I am no longer obsessed with food.

Nails and Dieting

Six weeks from the time I started the irvingia and finally got my eating under control and again my fingernails are growing past the ends of my fingers.

I have noticed before that my nails seem to respond very quickly to a change in diet. I used to think it would take 6 to 7 month for the nail to grow out from the nailbed to the end of the finger.

While I was binging and overeating my nails would always be soft and flaky and never looked nice.

I am hoping now that I can control my eating and the weight is coming off that I will also have pretty nails and they will not start to flake and break again.

Irvingia the Diet Enabler

Was very interested to read yesterday that on the low carb forum where I reccommeded Irvingia a few weeks ago 2 ladies have decided to try it.

They are both now reporting very good results from it. The one is over 100lbs and in 2 weeks has lost 15lbs and says she is finding dieting so much easier.

The other has taken a while to notice any difference in her habits but now says she is able to take a small amount of food not on her diet and is much more in control around food. She is also feeling better and walking every day.

I am calling this a diet enabler because with it it is far easier to stick to a diet. You feel satisfied with less food. You dont binge and snack at inappropriate times. You dont feel as though you are living in a fog the whole time.

It will be interesting to see if the effect is sustainable and that we all lose the excess weight and are then able to maintain that new slim weight.

So far I am far more positive than I have ever been that this is the answer for me and for all the obese people in the world.

Feeling Good

I dont think I have ever felt better on a diet.

I am enjoying my food and the freedom from constantly snacking and binging after lunch is wonderful.

I am feeling lighter and slimmer and see no reason at all why I cant finally get down to the normal size and have a normal appetite after all these years.

Son found some more Irvingia in Cape Town so will get that this week. I am making sure I always have a supply in my handbag so I can take some at the right time if I am out of the house.

Exercise

Well got out my Disco burn colleen Nolan DVD yesterday and did the warm up. I did it because I wanted to not because I felt I had to.

I think this diet will work without the exercise but I dont want to end up all flabby so I better try and use my muscles.

Also looked at the one about interval training. Just for a short time you run as hard as you can on the spot and then go back to normal activities. So am doing that around the house to up my calorie use and make my legs work.

Thirty Pounds Down

Am today under the 13st again. I was worried in case I had lost the plot entirely and was heading back up to over 200lbs again. I think if I had not found the irvingia supplement that is where I would be heading now.

Differences I have noticed with Irvingia.

I no longer crave anything sweet.
I feel satisfied after a normal portion of food.
I dont snack and binge in the afternoon and evening.
I can feel hunger without having to do anything about it. I can wait for my meal.
My brain is quieter and I can concentrate on other things instead of constantly thinking about food.

Interesting another lady on the low carb forum has also tried irvingia and has lost 15lb in 2 weeks and has not cheated once and has no longer got a sweet tooth.

There is some great truth in this product about fixing something that is broken in the obese.

Leptin Diets

Rechecking through my books to see which diets work with Leptin instead of against Leptin.

Got Master Leptin, Leptin Boost Diet Rosedale Diet and Fat Resistance Diet.

I plan to do an analysis and compare one to another. Some say you can eat snacks, others say no snacks. Some say you can only have egg white and not the whole egg!

The Diet I have worked out does not allow snacks but allows 400 to 500 calories for a meal and does allow whole eggs. I do not like waste and the idea of throwing perfectly good egg yolks away is a very big waste.

Found some cream yesterday so now having cream in my coffee first thing and also if having with meals. Not having cream outside mealtimes as I am on a no calories between meal diet and it is working.

Blip gone

Good to see a small drop in weight from 2 days ago so the move upwards was just temporary water weight.

For the first time with dieting I feel that my set point is moving downwards as well. I feel my body wants to get thin along with me. Usually I find that on a diet my body is wanting to get the weight back on again and every day is a battle to stay the same weight or drop a bit more.

Keen to get under that 182lb, that is 13st UK size so looking forward to getting into the 12 stones and then only a short drop to get under 12 and back into normality instead of obesity.

Blip

Had a bit of a blip up on the scale. Only 0.6lb since yesterday but there is no reason for it. I stuck to the meal plan yesterday and felt satiety after my meals so I am happy to wait it out and know the scale has to move down again.

Busy learning new skills. Drove with the trailer yesterday to pick up some new farm equipment. Was asked twice to reverse it but that is a skill too far for me! Will have to practice quietly on my own sometime on the farm. Got all the stuff safely back so was happy with that achievement.

The feeling of control around food is unbelievable. I have never had this level of control around chocolate, biscuits dried fruit etc.

14lbs down

I started the tablets on the 12th Sept and today is the 11th Oct and I am exactly 14lbs less than I was then. Am very happy with the progress and now that my abnormal cravings have stopped I dont see any reason why I cant get this obesity under control and finally get down and stay at a good weight for my height. I am aiming at just under 140lbs to begin with and will see how my body looks at that weight. Having been obese for most of my life I am not sure what my correct weight is.

Did lunch at the club after church yesterday. Was later than I normally eat at 1 whereas I usually eat at 12. But I coped fine and did not desire any snacks or cakes at coffee time. Had chicken and the low carb salads and pleased to see a small loss this morning. Did not have any diet coke as I know that stalls my weight loss. Had water.

Four weeks and counting

I am trying to think back as to the differences between this diet and all the ones that have gone before. All the previous ones were of limited success. I would lose some weight but as soon as I came off the diet the weight would come back on.

Even on those diets I would have really bad cravings in the afternoons and evenings and would often blow my dieting efforts in a couple of hours of binging.

In 4 weeks of taking Irvingia plus I have not had one out of control afternoon or evening. I have eaten my meal and enjoyed it and felt satisfied to wait for the next meal.

Weight today 13,8lbs less than 4 weeks ago. Would have been nice to be on the 14lbs but that is what the scale said and I am not fudging it. I know now I will never find the scale going up by 4 or 5lbs after a binge.

This will be the start of the next 4 weeks. I have 7 weeks until Christmas so would be nice to lose 2lbs a week and lose another 14lbs by Christmas. Once I am under the 174lbs I will be nearly home and dry.

Satisfied with food intake

On previous diets I have never felt that I was eating enough to make me feel full. I would actually desire second or third helpings. If I left the table after one helping I would then be trying to resist cravings all afternoon.

Since taking the Irvingia I have been leaving the table after 1 plate of food and feeling contentment until the next meal. I might have a few hunger pangs after 3 hours or so but have not had a binging session when I am out of control around food.

Will have some left over pork sausage with my breakfast eggs so looking forward to that.

This is what it must feel like to have a normal appetite. I have never know what it is like to have a normal response to food until now.

Cravings have gone

For the first time in my life I am able to control myself around food. I eat my meals, one helping only and then I stop eating until the next meal.

I have now lost 13.4lbs in less than 4 weeks. It is not that we do not have nice food in the house and food that I would normally binge on. There are muffins, dried fruit, fresh fruit, cheese and cereal. All food that I would previously have found it difficult if not impossible to resist. Since starting irvingia I am completely at peace around these foods. I can look at them and not want to eat them.

My next order arrived in Lusaka yesterday so I now have 8 months supply. That will take me down under the 140lbs for only about the 3rd time in my life.

Once you get your brain right low carb dieting is easy. I have never had such an easy time on a diet.

No more Binging

For years I have had a problem with the desire to eat more food in the afternoons after having had a good meal at lunch time. If I was on a diet I would try and control this desire and try and get out of the house so I would not be continually visiting the fridge or the pantry to look for food. My intake over 4 or 5 hours could easily add up to over 600 cals or more. I just did not seem to have an 'enough already' button and would continue to eat.

Since the first day I have been taking Irvingia Plus I have found I have had no desire at all to eat in the afternoons except at meal times when I am hungry.

It seems this is all due to Leptin resistance. The message from my fat cells and stomach was not getting through to my brain to say we are all full down here. So I carried on eating trying to get that full signal. Now I get the full signal after my meal and am happy not to eat until supper time. This is what it must be like to be normal. The way I used to eat or not eat was not normal at all!

My skin is feeling good. Interesting to see if this diet has any effect on my nails. Muffin top has gone forever.

Three good meals a day

Went out last night but had my salad ( big one with tuna and feta) beforehand and did not have to use will power to say no to food on offer. Normally I would have either gone ahead and eaten it, a steak roll, or justified that it was meat so allowed on Atkins and just eaten the steak. As it was I genuinely did not want to eat it, my brain was contented so passed on the food.

Am going to go through my low carb dieting books and check again which says yes to snacks and which says no. Maybe someone without a big weight problem could have a snack and still lose weight. My experience is I am better have larger meals and no snacks. Seems to suit my hormonal response to food better.

Aiming to get under 182lbs in the next week.

The Hard Core Leptin Diet

Got off the obese BMI this morning. Now officially 29.9 BMI

This is what I am doing. So pleased it is working.


The Hard Core Leptin Diet.


Leptin is a hormone made by your fat that tells your brain you have eaten enough food and there are plenty of fat stores so it is not necessary to eat any extras.

Obese and overweight people have leptin resistance, where the message does not reach the brain saying plenty of food here and plenty of fat so don’t eat any more. So because of the leptin resistance they are permanently hungry and eat on autopilot.

When you were a child or had a normal appetite you would eat your meal and then run off and play or get busy with the rest of your life and not obsess about eating more food after you have recently had a good meal.

To correct leptin resistance you can take a supplement from RSA called Irvingia Plus which will help the leptin get through to your brain and so your body will feel full. You can also take HCA which is also an appetite control supplement. Both of these are made by Solal and can be purchased at Dischem or other chemist in SA. Link in Lusaka will order for you. The recommended dose is 2 capsules before meals but I have found one capsule of each product before lunch works for me. I no longer want or need to continually eat after lunch and feel satisfied with the food I am eating. One container of Irvingia plus contains 60 capsules enough for 2 months and the HCA contains 90 tablets enough for 3 months.

On this diet you eat or drink no calories at all outside meal times. So only water, black tea or black coffee between meals. You may have a small amount of milk or cream with your drinks at meal times.

No diet drinks and no artificial sweeteners. You will find you no longer have a sweet craving after a few days. No desserts.

This is basically the Atkins diet but with the change that snacks are not allowed, butter is not allowed, snacks are not allowed and you use olive oil for cooking and salads.

Eat no diet products. Nothing that says low fat on it.

Fruit is not allowed as it contains sugar which turns to glucose.

Take a good multivitamin and mineral tablet every day.

Make sure you are leaving 5 hours between each meal and eat your evening meal as early as possible so you leave 3 hours after eating before going to bed. Meal times could be breakfast 7.30, lunch 12.30 and supper 5.30 bed 9.30. Change the times to suit yourself, but keep the spacing.

You must have breakfast. Do not skip meals. Do not have seconds or thirds. Dish up your plate with normal portions and do not add any more.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Tea and coffee do not count. 2 on rising. Warm water is easier on your system. 2 at breakfast, 2 with lunch and 2 in the afternoon. You can have another couple in the evening if you can fit them in.

Broken cooked eggs causes inflammation in your body fat. So breakfast is a choice of poached or boiled eggs. Put some olive oil in the dish, add flavour of your choice: herbs, spice etc. Break the eggs into the poaching cup and poach over low heat until the yolk is how you like it. Two eggs for ladies, 3 or 4 for men. At the weekends you may have some tomato, sausage or bacon with your eggs. Make sure the sausage is all meat and does not contain any bread or flour filling.

You can change menus for lunch and supper around if you need to but it is better to eat your bigger meal of the day at lunch time if at all possible.

I have a cooked meal at lunch time. Low carb. So roast chicken or steak or grilled fish. You can eat the skin that comes with your portion but not all of the chicken skin (!). Steak can be cooked in olive oil. Then any green veg, cabbage, spinach etc. You can make sauces without flour.

Atkins says no onions or tomatoes but I find adding half an onion to lunch and a tomato for supper does not stall my weight loss.

No potato, sweet potato, bread, rice, pasta or any other starch. You may be able to introduce these foods back in small quantities once you have lost the weight.

Supper is a big salad. Get a vegetable serving dish and cut up 2 cups of mixed salad leaves. Chop up a tomato. Add either half a tin of tuna or salmon, or a tin of sardines in oil, add some feta cheese plus a bit of blue cheese for flavour. Stay away from hard cheese for now. It is too easy to eat too much of it. Add a dessert spoon of virgin olive oil and enjoy. You could also add a small amount of left over meat if you had fish for lunch instead of the tinned fish.

What sort of weight loss can you expect? If you can get your leptin communication correct, you may find you are losing weight faster than you ever have before. Depending on how much you have to lose you could find a weight loss of over 5lbs the first week and then 2 to 3lbs each week afterwards. Men will lose more.

You should feel hungry about 2 hours before your next meal but the hunger pangs should not be uncontrollable the way cravings are. Your body should be able to switch over to burning your fat for the last 2 hours before the next meal and during the night. This is the way your body is supposed to work so let it get on with it and don’t give in by eating between meals.

Good Day

Another day gone and yet another day without any sign of failure. I have been so used to failing on diets I cannot believe that this is so easy.

My calories are around 1100 a day and I am perfectly satisfied after my meals. The gremlin in my head that has been urging me to overeat for the past 50 years has been bound and gagged and blinded by the irvingia plus capsules. I no longer have the urge to snack or binge after meals.

Yesterday bought myself a leather jacket. First one I have ever owned. Throwing out the fake one that is all torn and broken.

Another couple of good days and I will be below the 30BMI and only overweight rather than obese.

Still dieting now with Irvingia

Was not sure if I would find this again. Not posted for nearly 10 months and in that time have been binging my way back up to nearly 200lbs again.

All my life I have been looking for that magic something that would help me lose the weight and keep it off and also to control the binges and make me feel satisfied with the quantities of food I am allowed.

Two weeks ago I found a product called Irvingia which is said to overcome Leptin resistance and enable your brain and stomach work together to make you satisfied after a meal.

I have been using it ever since and have lost 10lbs and found the afternoon cravings, nibbling and binging have just stopped from the first day I took it.

I am still using the low carb diet as I know I also have insulin resistance.

This is the answer for me. Low carb plus irvingia plus. Only another 40lb to go.

Aspartame and Urge Incontinence

This is not something I find easy to write about but I feel it is so important I am going to do it anyway.

For over 30 years since I had my last babies I have suffered from urge incontinence. When I need to go and need to go now and am not able to wait! I assumed there was nothing much that could be done. When it got really bad I went to the Dr to ask for help and to see if I had a bladder infection but the test came back negative so I soldiered on always knowing where the next loos were. The situation seemed to get worse when I was on one of my frequent diets and drinking more water than usual. I try to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

A week ago I decided to see if it would help me to get my cravings and over eating in the afternoons under control by given up all sweetened food and drink. So no more diet cokes, no lowcal fruit flavoured drinks and no canderal added to yogurts or baked foods.

In a totally unexpected fashion I found a few days later that my urgency to get to a loo was gone. Completely and utterly gone. I could go for a walk and not have to rush back the last few yards. I could jump up and down and do star jumps. Something I have not been able to do for years.

I looked up on the internet for Diet cokes and incontinence and Aspartame and incontinence and have found that many people have had the same result.

I love my sweet tasting drinks and foods but after this result will never go back to having them again. It is just not worth the stress. I hope this entry hopes other women and men suffering from the same problem to find an answer once and for all.

6 months to lose 2lbs but am happy

It is so long since I have posted to this blog I have forgotten how to change the setting and stuff.

Will pick it up again soon.

Well it has taken me 6 months to lose 2lbs! But I am happy about that as my weight has been fairly stable at around 154lbs.I have had a holiday in UK for a month and only put on 2lbs despite eating lots of meals in restaurants.

I feel at last that I have found the way my body works and now I can work with it and not be fighting it all the time.

I hope to eventually get down to 135lbs and then have 5lbs in hand for special occasions. Which does not include vast quantities of bread!

Daughter's Jeans

Had a few worrying moments this morning. Grabbed a pair of jeans out of the cupboard and then could not do them up. Thought no way I could have put on 2" overnight. Took them off an checked the label. They are size 34 and mine are size36. Daughter sends her laundry up to be washed and ironed when she is in the guesthouse and her jeans got back into my cupboard. So that was a relief.

I then opened my small trouser drawer as I put some aside that I could not fit into and have found that I can get the cream pair done up. They have buttons on the side of the ankle I bought them years ago during one of my starvation mode diets and they have been languishing in the cupboard ever since. But today I am wearing them.

Had tomato relish yesterday for lunch as veg a bit short. Had some more with eggs for breakfast which was nice. If no ill effects will get some more tins to have as standby. Carbs are 1.5 gms for 2 tablespoons so half the carbs of ketchup.

Did all the difficult bits of the 2 DVD's this morning. So all the aerobics on Brand new you and the 2 salsa tracks on Salasice. Took about 90mins but I finished it. Must have used up at least 500 cals.

Got to lose 1lb a week to get under 140lbs by 20th July.

Under 150lbs

Got the new scale working yesterday. This morning it was showing my weight at 149.2lbs so very pleased about that.

Cutting out the cheese, cutting down on the extra fat and oil and giving up the sweet puddings has definately got my weight loss back on track.

Will soon be down to the weight I was when I married at 147lbs.

Had half a piece of bacon with my eggs and cabbage for breakfast. Done lots of walking today as they were moving the pivot with the tractor so I was walking in to the center and back out again as they pulled it. Should have taken a hat as it was after 10am before I got home.

Lunch was pork chops took the rind off and some of the fat, had it with cabbage cooked in butter and opened a tin of tomato and olive relish as I was a bit short of veg. Tomatoes are highish in carbs but I thought if I had with a meal I would not notice an insulin spike. The carbs ended up at more normal intake for the meal. Was very tasty.

Supper tonight will be the other half of yesterdays tuna with salad and low fat salad dressing. Again carbs for that is 1.7gms for 1 tablespoon so fits in allowance.

Did DVD this morning and for a change did the Brand new you 4 aerobics sessions and then the level 2 salsa. So did all the strenuous bits one after the other. Took a bit longer but must have used more calories.

About to round up grandkids and dogs and take everyone for a walk.

Booked my bus ticket for July from Heathrow to Cornwall. Plane lands at 6.30am and bus does not leave till 10 so will have time for a good cooked breakfast. Hope I can get some sleep on coach as does not arrive till 4pm. But route is straight down the motorways M4 and M5 so no zooming round roundabouts.

Keen to get under 140lbs by mid July.

Down to 150lbs

Have not posted to blog for three weeks as weight was all over the place. I had a couple of bad evenings when I overate. At one point I was back to 154lbs so I decided to take myself in hand.

I am now keeping a food log and write down everything I eat and drink and work out the carbs and the calories. I also started walking in the afternoon when the children came to stay so am keeping up with that. I take the dogs for about 45mins every afternoon. I have set up my sewing room as a mini gym and have the netbook in there with my 2 exercise DVD's on it. I have Salsacise and Brand New You. So I do one of them every morning when I wake up. I am also expecting Jane Torville's Lose It and Colleen Nolan's disco burn DVD's in the post soon so that will be plenty of variety.

On the food front I have increased the size of my breakfast and am now having 3 eggs with any left over veg from the day before. Usually cabbage cooked in a little butter with courgettes and spinach. Lunch is the same as before only I am not having the yogurts and jello. Evening I have given up all the cheese and am now having tinned fish, salmon, tuna, sardines or pilchards with my salad. I have also stopped the home made mayonnaise and gone back to bought slim salad dressing. I measure out a tablespoon which is 1.7 carbs and 17 cals and have that with vinegar on my salad. I am managing with no snacks. Trying to have at least 8 to 10 glasses water every day.

Will keep a record of this as this will be my back to induction menu when I put on weight after I get to my goal weight. I dont feel hungry on it and am eating well and at last am losing weight again.

Got a trip to UK in Mid July and hope to be under the 140lbs by then. Also may do a trip to Joburg next month with daughter as she has to take son for checkups. That will be a 3 or 4 day trip I think. I know I can cope in SA as lots of restaurants now do chicken/ greek salad. Will just have to watch I am not tempted with extras like nuts and trail mix and yogurt. I do think that the yogurt was setting up cravings so when I reintroduce it I should just have in the evening before I go to bed. That way I dont notice the cravings.

Hope to get under the 150 and into the 140's over the weekend.

Am below First Goal

151.4lbs

I have achieved my first goal after a few detours on the way. Despite Christmas, birthdays and eating out.

Next aim is to get into the 140's and down to 147 which was my weight when I married. Strange how I have all these weights in my head! Once I get to 142lb that will be 70lbs lost and will then get under the 10stone and see what weight I feel happiest at.

Cut back a bit on the fat now and have given up my caffeinated coffee, now only having decaf and 2 mugs is the limit. Then it is tea on the menu.

Workout time

I went on to a proper low carb Atkins diet at the end of February. Before that I had been doing a medium carb diet but was still having problems with cravings in the afternoon. Doing the Atkins diet has stopped those cravings unless I am tired. When I do have cravings now I try and eat high protein and medium fat snacks or even bring my meal forward.

Since I gave up all the grains and starchy veg I have found that my sleep pattern has changed. I just dont need the sleep I used to. Whereas before I used to have 9 or 10 hours a night and still woke up tired now I only need 6 or 7 hours sleep and I am awake and ready to get on with the day.

This is a bit tricky as on the farm we are usually in bed by 9.30 so I am now waking up at 3 or 3.30. So I get up and pick up my exercise clothes and then spend half an hour on the internet and do 1 hours exercise from 4 till 5. I have been doing this for a week now and it is working well. I hope to see my tummy and arms toning up.

I am now the weight I was for my daughters wedding 2 years ago but still want to lose another 20lbs or so. I know it is going to be slower now but as long as I can maintain and lose and not put on I will be happy.

Goal in sight 60lbs lost

152.2lbs

So nearly at that first goal. My weight loss this week has increased to 2lbs a week and I am not getting the little up bounces I used to get.

My only change is that I have given up the diet cokes and pepsi. For 20 years plus I have had one a day in the evening as a sundowner. For 6 days now I have had water instead.

Amazing what a difference it has made. I read about diet sodas on the lowcarbdiet forum. Some of my books say no diet sodas but I thought they are zero calories so I will have one as a treat. I did this as an experiment and will not go back to drinking them.

The only drawback is that I am getting leg cramps at night in my calves. Happened three nights running now. Am taking a bit of extra salt during the day to see if it helps. Maybe there was salt in the coke so my system is now short of salt?

Next post will be from under the 152lb mark when I am resetting my goal to 133lb. Dont know what I should weigh but that seems a nice number 9 and a half stone. As long as I dont get a sunken face I will be happy. If face gets too thin will up the goal a bit.

Diet Cokes are off the Menu

153.2lbs

That is a pound gone in 2 days. The only change I have made is I have given up my one can of diet coke in the evening and have had water instead.

I read on the lowcarbdiet forum that some ladies have been finding diet sodas stall their weight loss. So I decided to try it and see if it made any difference to me.
One pound is a lot at this stage of the weight loss.

I may treat myself if we eat out or travel to town for a few days but will try and stick mainly to water. This is working so well and I want to keep it working.

Going to wear a size 12 frock I have not worn for years today with a nice pair of tights and heels.

I feel good on the inside and am going to look good on the outside.

Under 11 stone

153.8lbs

Yes Yes Yes.

Finally have broken through that 11stone mark and am into the 10stones. That is under 70kg.

My weight has been doing little bounces for the past week. Up 0.2lbs and then down 0.4lbs then up 0.2lbs again.

On the lowcarbdiet forum one of the ladies said she is not having diet sodas any more so yesterday I did not have my usual diet pepsi or coke. I did not miss it as much as I thought I would. I may still have one if we eat out but will try and avoid them at home and just have water or no sugar juice.

Will have to decide what to wear for church tomorrow. I am doing the church tea. I may dig out my size 12 navy posh frock with the peplum which I really love and have not worn for years. May even be able to put a belt on!

Hope my weight does not bounce back up over the 154lbs tomorrow as that would be a disappointment but on recent results it might do so I just have to be prepared and wait for it to go down again which on this Atkins diet I know that it will. So great to be assured of a weight loss as long as I stick to the 27 to 30 net carbs per day.

Fabulous Diet

154.6lbs

Weight has been the same for a few days. But I know the scale will start to shift downwards soon. My system is still on a stall from the trip to Lusaka.

I went to the Country Club last night and received lots of compliments. Three of the ladies want details of the diet. I told them this is the Fabulous diet. You feel fabulous, look fabulous and eat fabulous food!

I had a nut attack yesterday and ate more than I should have done but I enjoyed them. It was the almonds I had bought in Lusaka.

Redid my nail polish yesterday. A pretty pale pink colour. Nails and not splitting and breaking all over the place so the calcium I started last August has finally kicked in. Will not stop it now so hope nails will stay strong and pretty. My fingers are much thinner than they have never been and so are my wrists. Last time I had nails like this they were fake but these ones are real!

Looking forward to a quiet day at home last week has been very busy. Still hoping to get below 154lbs next week.

Nearly Under 11 stone

Hope to get under that 154lbs within the next few days.

It will be such a joy to be in the 10stones. Then I will really feel I have got my weight finally under control.

Will post again when I get there.

I forgot about chocolate

155lbs

On Friday I went to town and as I was picking the children up for the weekend I decided to buy a treat and got 5 big kitkat bars. The melted a bit in my bag on the way home so I put them straight in the freezer when I got in while I was fixing lunch. My husband and grandchildren shared 2 bars after lunch and we left the other 3 bars in the freezer.

After supper that evening my granddaughter reminded me about the remaining bars and could they have some before bed. I had completely forgotten they were there. I used to be addicted to chocolate. I would know how many squares were left in the packet.

When I was a child I had to finish my Easter egg the same day even if I had 4 big chocolate eggs all with fillings. I was not able to relax until I had eaten all the chocolate and I knew there was nothing left in the house.

It is wonderful to feel that sugar does not have that hold over me any more. I am no longer an addict.

Newer scale is working

155.4lbs

My new scale is showing 0.4lb that is 6oz loss this morning and the old one no loss at all. So I was right to suspect the old one and get my new one back from my daughter. She said she was not using it.

The new one does not show stones and weighs in lbs and tenths of a pound. So I have to do some maths to work out the actual weight. Old scale weighed in stones and lbs and quarter lbs.

Am still keeping to the 25 grms of carbs a day may be 30 on some days as I do have a whole small avocado sometimes.

As long as the scale keeps dropping I am happy. I do find I have to have my meals a bit earlier than I used to. Breakfast is about 6.30am but I am usually up at 4.30! Lunch is at 12 and then supper at 5pm and after that I dont eat or drink at all.
But it is working so will carry on with it.

Four Stone

155.8lbs

Finally made the 56lb loss this morning. I have been yoyoing up and down by 1 or 2lbs for the past 2 weeks which has been frustrating for me.

I finally stopped having the salty foods yesterday. Bacon for breakfast and feta cheese for supper, had tuna in oil instead, and it has worked and scale has budged off that 156.75lbs where it seems it has been stuck for weeks.

Once I have lost another 2lbs I will finally be under the 11 stone mark and into the 10stones. I still have some belly rolls and am looking forward to seeing those disappear. Am doing the exercise each day. I managed to get my netbook set up with power DVD and can play my DVD's on it. It is much smaller to carry around and the battery lasts longer so I can set it up and exercise in the bedroom if the TV is in use.

Maybe my new black jeans will fit soon.

Only 5lbs to go to First Goal

157lbs.

I am within 5lbs of my first goal weight. Once I get there I am going to reset the goal to 132lbs which is 9st 6lbs. That will be a BMI of 22. Dont know what I will look like at that weight and I can tweak the figure when I get there.

Will try and fit in an hour of exercise this morning before church. If I cant get the whole thing done will do it in 2 sessions and do the second half this afternoon.

Nails are starting to poke out beyond the ends of my fingers again so I put some varnish on them yesterday. Did my toes while I was at it.

Having folk in for lunch today. Hope there are not too many left overs. Always a concern when I make too much food but I think with the low carb diet I am more in control of my appetite as long as I dont eat grain carbs, and as long as I am not hungry I can control myself around food.

I ate 1500cals of food yesterday and still lost quarter of a pound between yesterday am and today.

This has to be the only diet that has worked like this. I felt so hopeless about my weight before. It just all seemed beyond my control but now I am in control.

Hope to lose the next 3/4lb by the end of this week and then get under that magic 11st ( 154) mark into the 10stones.

Doing the Exercise

153.25lbs

Another half a pound gone. I have been surprising myself by doing the whole hour of the exercise DVD for the past couple of days. I have more energy than I have for years.

I put my foods eaten into the www.fitday.com site to see an analysis of what I was eating and found that my carbs were still to high. I was still losing weight at that rate which is good as when I have reached my goal I can increase my carbs to a point where I can maintain the same weight. My carbs the other day were 93gms but I forgot to take off the fibre which was about 30 so I ended up with net carbs of 60+.

I then looked to see where my carbs were coming from and found a surprising number in the milk I was having in my tea and coffee. All my other diets have insisted on having half a pint of milk every day and I just carried on with that without thinking. I have now decided to have 2 tspns of milk in my coffee first thing and then have black tea for the rest of the day.

I also finally cut out the potato and pumpkin I was having for lunch. My cals then went too low on the chart. Down to 1000 cals so I had to decide what I should eat to get the cals back up to 1300- 1400 cals so have added a tin of fish. Either one tin of sardines or half a tin of tuna in oil. I will see if I can buy some pilchards in the local shops but they usually only have chilli ones and I dont like hot food.

Hope to have lost the 4stone or 56lbs by next week and then get to my first goal the week after. Will then reset the goal and carry on downwards to under 140lb. Maybe 138.

Just got the Atkins Diet Revolution from Amazon and that is very helpful. Lots of good stuff there so will have to reread it.

Cut down on Milk

157.75lbs

I put my normal diet into the www.fitday.com site yesterday and found that my carb grms were 93gms. Which is very high for a low carb diet. I was still losing weight on that which means that when I get to my goal weight I will be able to add quite a few good carbs back into my diet and still maintain the same weight which is hopeful for the future.

My main carbs were coming from milk in my tea and coffee (9) yoghurt (9) pumpkin (19) onion (5) potato (5).

I got the figure down to 60 yesterday but replacing the pumpkin with tomato and not having the onion or any milk in my tea.

This morning I have lost a further half a pound and have also turned my keto sticks pink for the first time ever.

I am now having milk in my first 2 cups of coffee, but only 2 teaspoons and will have black tea for the rest of the day.

I will keep the yogurt in the diet as I feel it is good for me and enjoy a bit of sweetness with the coffee and cinnamon flavouring.

Should be under the 56lb loss by the end of next week. That will be 4 stone off.

Still doing the exercise to music and did an extra session yesterday as chose the wrong track so did the fat burning bit as well. Tummmy is definately flatter. Think the last 20lbs will go off my back and front as legs and arms are quite slim now.

Getting Slimmer

158.25lbs

I could change the numbers in the profile today. I am finally back to under the weight I was before I went to SA in January. So this is the lowest weight I have been in years.

I have 2 mini goals in mind. One is to get to 156lbs which would mean I have lost 4 stone and the other is to get under the 150lbs and into the 140's. I am going to reset my goal once I get under the 152lbs. Think I may set it for 5lbs intervals each time. 5lbs is not too much and I should be able to lose that in a month.

Very pleased with the veggie garden. We have sweetcorn ready but only my husband is eating that as I dont think it is on my diet plan! But I am having lovely fresh lettuce every evening for supper with parsely and thyme. Am also putting tomato, onion rings, avocado and a small amount of feta cheese and then olive oil. I had lots of salads last week in Joburg and have now got a taste for them.

Met an ex colleague on Monday who I had not seen for 6 years. She did not recognise me till I got close. She is also losing weight and had been on a diet for 5 weeks and says she is going low carb. I have offered to help her. Maybe I can go round once a week and we can weigh in together. I can certainly lend her some books. I got another six on Monday. Atkins Advantage 12 week plan, Sb cookery books 4 of them, 500 low carb receipes. Still 2 to come.

Found some soya flour in Lusaka on Sunday but not sure what to do with it. I dont want to rock the boat by trying to make low carb bread or biscuits as I am feeling this is working so well. Once I get down to under the 140lb mark then I can start adding things in to the diet and see what I can eat and still stay under that weight.

Got a dinner party on Sunday so will have to plan a menu. Also got a business dinner on 14th March and may go out with son and in laws on the Friday night. Dr Agagston had some good advice and said not to try and cut down before a party as you then get so hungry you overeat at the do. Better to stick to same routine before and afterwards. Go back to phase 1 if you have really overdone it at the evening out. I will try and do that. As over those 2 days we will be eating out Fri lunch and supper and then Sat lunch and dinner. Will try and stick to salads fish and chicken and hope I can maintain weight and not put on.

Will try on posh frock and choose shoes sometime this weekend. Feet have shrunk from size 8 to size 7 since last year.

Back At January weight

158.75lbs

I am now back at my pre holiday weight and feel I can now get back to losing more weight.

Hope to be under the 11stone within a couple of weeks.

I am feeling far more in control of my food intake now that I have given up my cereal breakfast, sugar free chewing gum and apples. They all contained carbs and my system does not react well to high carbs.

I have replaced the cereal with egg and bacon and the apples with avocados and the weight is continuing to drop.

Trust the Eating Plan

159.7lbs

I was really not expecting a weight loss today. I have been eating far more that usual but of that most of it is veg and I have been having a fried bacon and egg breakfast every morning to which I have been adding olive oil and a small amount of butter. I have also been having a whole avocado each day. Half at lunch and half mid afternoon. I have not been hungry at all. I always thought that to lose weight on a diet you had to be hungry but it seems I was wrong about that as well.

I have been upping my exercise program and yesterday did 40 mins exercise to music and 20 mins on the bike.

The days seem to go by so fast these days. I have my forum to post to and that takes a couple of hours aday. Before I know it, it is time to eat again and then time for bed and then another day of food choices.

I had yummy fillet steak yesterday fried in olive oil. Today am doing chicken mince and will probably do little burgers.

Only another lb to go and I will be back to my pre holiday weight and then can continue moving downwards.

Not worried

160lbs

My weight is the same as yesterday but after losing steadily for the past week I am not surprised.

I am keeping up with my exercise routine. May have to find time this afternoon to do it today as I have to rush into Mkushi in the morning to catch the bank first thing.

I am looking forward to getting under the 160lb mark again, hopefully will do that over the weekend.

There is a dinner on the 14th March in Lusaka with hotel accommodation. Would be great to be in the 10stones by then. That is three weeks away so would need to take 2lb off a week. If I continue with the exercise I think I could do it as there is no doubt that doing some exercise will increase the weight loss and improve my shape.

Avocado and Bacon

160lbs

Over the last few days I have been doing exercise for about 40 mins a day but have also been increasing my food intake and the weight it coming off faster than it has for ages.

Nearly 6lbs since the end of last week. I am now having half a slice of bacon and an egg for breakfast and have started buying avocados in town and am having one a day. Half at lunch and the other half at supper. I have stopped having apples for now and will go back to having them later.

I have also started adding a little decaf coffee granules to my yoghurt so it is like a tiramisu yoghurt. Very tasty.

After the weekend should be under the 160lb mark again which will be great.

This is great

160.5lbs

Am doing exercise with my daughter for about 40mins aday using Rosemary Conley DVD. Only 10 min sections so easy to pick and choose what we want to work on.

I am concentrating on arms and tummy. I can feel muscles that have not worked for years.

Had a nice fillet steak fried in olive oil yesterday and also bacon and egg for breakfast.

Did not feel like a diet and I still lost 1lb in the last 24 hours.

Looking forward to getting back under 160lbs again.

Low carb diet forum

161.5lbs

Back on track again. Found this really great forum and am going there at least twice aday to enter my progress.

I did some tummy exercise from the Rosemary Conley DVD yesterday. Did not think I was working that hard but my tummy is sore this morning. Will have another go today. Would like to get a flatter tummy and a waist! Might still be flabby but you cant have everything!

Only 1 and a half pounds to go and I will be back under the 160lbs.

I did get to 158.75 lbs at the beginning of January so am aiming to get back there and then carry on.

Changed my breakfasts to eggs and now some bacon. Also having avos when I can find them.

This is no longer a low calorie diet. Now eating about 1300 cals I think but not weighing anything so difficult to tell but if the weight keeps coming down then I am doing it right.

Thought I had lost it but am now back

162lbs

It was all too much. Over the last 2 months I have had 2 holidays and Christmas and then a birthday. Was eating far too much, weight was going up and I felt out of control again.

Should have just stuck to ice cream for the birthday puddings and not had 3 helpings of the package chocolate mousse! Was so full of sugar just sent my system into overdrive and I could not stop eating. Interesting that my two daughters also commented on the difficulty they had after the weekend.

Found this brilliant Low carb forum. Put a link on the page to their site. Also found out how to do a proper ticker and get that on the blog.

Over last couple of days have lost the 3.5lbs I put on and am back to 162lbs. Am starting to get the DVD exercise program out and am back on track to get to the 152lbs.

Looking forward first to getting under the 160lb and back to the weight I was before the SA holiday in January. Only 3.25lbs to lose to get there.

Really feel motivated again.

57 but feel 37

Its my birthday today. Only 3 years till 60 but I feel at least 20 years younger thanks to this diet/eating plan.

Because the pounds are moving slower now I am making some changes.

First I am only going to weigh myself once a week on a Monday morning. No more jumping on and off the scales morning and evening to see how I am doing. It is self defeating as if I have put on weight from 24 hours earlier I think might as well go and have a snack, if I have lost weight I think goodie I can afford to have a snack!

Also am giving up my cereal breakfast in favour of eggs. This morning was scrambled eggs with butter! Yesterday afternoon I felt peckish so also had 2 eggs with butter.

Am also cutting down on the potatoes I have at lunch time and am not picking the potato pieces out of the soup in the evening.

This week have 2 days in Lusaka and then everybody is coming for a birthday lunch on Saturday. I am cooking so will be able to keep to the guidelines.

Will look for smoked salmon feta and cream cheese with salad for a starter. chicken and veg for main and then will get ice cream and fruit salad for dessert.

Will have my hair highlighted and get a laser treatment on Thursday.

Got the March Diet and Fitness Rosemary Conley in the post yesterday. So much stuff in there is good but she is still promoting a low fat diet which I find impossible to keep to for the rest of my life. The low carb diet is much more sustainable and I feel that this time next year at 58 I will be slimmer than I am today. Under 10 stone is what I am going to aim for.

New Plan

162lbs

I had 2 afternoons last week when I was over eating again. I am not sure what caused it but I was eating chicken polony which may have had starch filler in it.

I also found the one evening I got on the scale and thought OK I weigh more than I did yesterday evening so I may as well not bother and will go and eat more and started on the cheese.

Luckily I have not done too much damage and have only put on a quarter of a pound. Could have been much worse.

I have decided on the following. I will only get on the scale on a Monday morning. The rest of the time I will not weigh myself. I will stop my cereal breakfast and start having 2 eggs in the morning. I will stop eating cheese. Will have my cinammon on my coffee rather than the cereal I am not eating. Will still have the yoghurt later in the day.

I will keep reading my low carb books but will try not to be obessive about the diet. It is going to work but maybe slower now than it was so I must get on with my life and stop thinking about food most of the time.

My birthday tomorrow 57 but I only feel about 37!

My daughter is on the low carb diet and has lost 2.5 kg and is amazed that she can still eat lots of food and can still fry things and lose weight.

Weight dropping again

11st 7.5lbs

Only 2 and 3/4lbs to go and I will be back to my pre holiday weight. Am finding it easier than I expected to get back into my routine again. I have decided not to make the yoghurt cheese for the next few months as I like it so much and it is quite concentrated and I eat too much at one time. So I will stick to plain yoghurt with my fruit until I get under the 11 stone.

My other books arrived. I have the GO diet which is nearer to this eating plan I have worked out for myself than the South Beach diet. But the go diet recommends no milk but 8os of yoghurt a day. I will stick with what I am doing as that is working for me.

I went into see my friends at school yesterday. I wore my new outfit from Woolworths (SA) brown cargo pants, white brown and yellow T shirt and yellow over blouse and got lots of compliments about how well I was looking. My red sunburn has now faded to a tan so it looks better and my nose is not peeling yet.

Making plans for next week. I am 57 on Tuesday so will see if we can book to take the family out for a meal. Also want to do Lusaka and get my hair and face done.

Crops are looking good and we got 22mls rain yesterday afternoon so perfect for the crops.

Will be under the 11st 7lbs by my birthday and will then take it from there. Should only take me just over a week to get back to my pre holiday week. Really feel I have found an eating plan I can stick to for the rest of my life.

Back From Cape Town

11 8 3/4lbs

I have decided not to change the profile figure but will just post the weight in the posting box until I get back down to the 11 4 3/4lbs I was before I went on holiday.

We were away 2 weeks and we had a fabulous time. The first 4 days were spent in Joburg and the next 10 days in Cape Town. We ate at restaurants every day so I am amazed that I only put on 4 lbs. In a pre diet holiday I would have put 10lbs at least on over a holiday like that so I am feeling very pleased with myself.

I checked on my previous progress and it took me 10 days to get from 11 8 3/4 to 11 4 and 3/4lbs so I will see if I can do the same again.

It was great to go into normal clothes shops and buy blouses and trousers and tops and they fitted.

Most places we ate would do chicken or fish and salad. The only time I had a bit of bread was on the airplanes where I would leave half the roll and eat the top half with the filling.

We did lots of walking along the beach at Strand in False Bay and also walked up Cape Point and also went swimming in the sea so got lots of exercise.

I bought some new lamp shades for the house which I hope my husband will put up today.

I shopped yesterday for chickens and fish and lots of vegetables and my daughter has also been looking after the new veggie garden. I bought some new seeds in SA for the veggie garden so will get those planted. Am looking forward to getting back to my steamed veggies and potatoes as I have missed those while away.

Sorting out the washing and unpacking today. Is my birthday a week today so hope to move at least 3lbs by then so could be nearer the 11st 5lbs which is under the 160 lbs again.

Should have some more books waiting at the couriers. Other daughter was diagnosed with a polycystic ovary by Dr and I know this low carb diet can sort that out so lending her the books. She must have my insulin problem.

Cappuccino

Not posting a weight this morning and is was up this morning after a day in Lusaka yesterday.

We forgot the flask of coffee on the dining room table so stopped at the Fig Tree and got 2 coffees to go. The chap asked if I wanted cappuccinos and I said yes. We enjoyed them so much we stopped on the way back and got another couple for the journey home! Probably full fat milk and think it had cocoa and sugar on the top. Husband had sweetener in his.

I had a bowl of all bran and museli before we left and then eat a couple of hard boiled eggs on the way. We are getting through a lot more eggs these days. Eggs have had a lot of bad press in the past about heart problems but I think it has now been proved that eggs do not raise the bad cholesterol, it is the sugar and starch that do that. So we have gone back to having eggs again. I even had one fried in butter the other day for breakfast. That would have been unthinkable 6 months ago.

I took my vitamins to have with lunch. Will have to put some in a little container to take to SA. I dont want to fill up the suitcase with the big pots of vitamins. We went to O hagens again and I had chicken breast and husband had bream and chips. We also ordered a greek salad and I even put some dressing on it. On my old diets I would eat the bread and leave the dressing. Now it is the other way around.

I bought a new glucose tester that I can buy test strips for in Zambia so that is useful. I also bought some strips to test for ketones. Tested this morning but was negative, ( too much milk in the cappuccinos!) and will test again tomorrow. Good tip was to cut those strips in half. I bought a 100 and so spent last night cutting them thiner so now have 200 test strips!

Was 11 4 and 3/4lbs before I left yesterday morning so hope to be back at that weight tomorrow morning.

A Calorie is not a Calorie

158.75lbs

I have increased my calorie intake by at least 100 cals a day. All the increase is fat and oil.

Yesterday I fried my bream in olive oil. I had yoghurt cheese with my fruit and that is made from whole fat milk. I had half an ounce of cheese grated in my soup.

According to the dietery rules as I understand them, that should slow down my weight loss. What has happened is that my weight loss has increased. Usually I lose 1.75kg in a week. This week I have achieved that weight loss in 3 days. I will keep monitoring it and see if it is sustainable. I did start the symptoms of a migraine last night. I have not had a migraine for 6 months but I got the jagged sight distortion yesterday evening while reading my book so took a paracetamol and it did not develop into a full blown migraine. One of my triggers for migraine was fat and oil. Maybe it was the cheese for supper. I might be better to have an egg instead. The calories will be about the same but the fat content not. Will experiment and see how I handle the change.

Still working on the accounts. Have to do a credit note for some of the wheat and hopefully that will bring the Vat into balance.

Sent an email to my mother and sister on their cruise in the Caribbean this morning. Hope they are having good weather.

Daughter said she picked up the flight tickets for us yesterday so will get those this evening.

Suitcase is open on the floor got as far as throwing in a map book of joburg and a swimming costume.

Off to do the accounts.

Increased weight loss

159.5lbs

For more years that I can remember I have been frightened of eating too much fat. I never have anything fried. When I was eating bread I would never have butter or marge on it and would just have jam ( I know now that would hit my blood stream so fast and cause an insulin spike and then cravings from low blood sugar) I never cooked for myself with oil and would try and resist avocadoa etc.

In the last week or so having reread these low grain diet books they are saying what you must not do is a low fat and low carb diet. So I have been trying to gradually increase my consumption of mainly butter and olive oil. I am not having a lot. Maybe 100 cals worth without changing anythingelse on my daily intake.

I have started hanging my yoghurt again and making that nice thick white cheese. I have been having that on top of fruit for my pudding with cinnamon and sweetner. I also did some left over chicken yesterday and put olive oil in the pan and a little curry powder and some of the yoghurt cheese and then added the chicken. I ate that with ratatouille ( with little olive oil), steamed potatoes, butternut, courgette and cabbage.

I have been very worried that I would get into a stall because of the extra fat but in fact the opposite is true. I am losing weight faster! I am now under the 160lb mark for the first time in years. Only got 7 and a half pounds to go and will make my first goal and then will reset my target and get under the 140lbs.

With this way of eating I feel anything is possible.

I am up early again to work on the accounts and work out the Vat payment. My brain works better first thing in the morning. Power has gone off so working with emergency light and laptop battery power.

Reading the Diet Delusion. It is quite frightning that for years the Drs recommended heart patients should eat less fat and eggs and diabetics should eat more complex carboydrates with very little evidence that such a diet would improve and increase their lifespan. In fact all they were telling them to do was eat more sugar. It turns out that sugar is the main culprit for a host of degenerative diseases, diabeties, heart problems, strokes, cancer ( did you know cancer cells live on glucose? I did not. Also sugar includes what was supposed to be good for us. Complex carbohydrates. Which is just a fancy name for a long chain of sugar molecules. A slice of white bread hits your pancreas and blood stream faster than a tablespoon of sugar. Books say if you must eat it have it with butter or dip it in olive oil to slow the digestion. That is the opposite of everything I thought I knew about dieting.

This is turning my knowledge of nutrition on its head. I know nothing.

Going to do my 10 mins of exercise biking and will then try and figure out the Vat figures for the last quarter.

Ketosis

160.25lbs

This must be ketosis. I will get some sticks in Lusaka to test. I have not changed my carbs at all. Still eating the same. The only changes I have made are that I am eating slightly more oil and fat. Olive oil and butter and also taking my vits and minerals with my lunch instead of before breakfast.

The book the Diet Delusion arrived yesterday so am wading my way through it. Lots of factual information as to how the western world arrived at the conclusion that fat and oils are bad for you and that cereals and carbs are good for you. In my case the opposite is true.

I am on a good carb, good fat and medium protein diet and it suits me fine. We are off to Cape Town next week and I hope to be under the 160lbs before we go.

We will be staying with my sister in law and I am sure I will cope fine. Lots of chicken and vegetables and fish. I will have to make a plan for what to eat on the planes. It is just too easy to accept what you are given and think you have to eat it. Fairy cakes disguised as muffins and sandwiches. Will take some tinned fish or low cal soup and ask for some hot water to mix it.

Going with my daughter as far as Joburg with the toddler for checkups. She will fly home on the Thursday and we will fly on to Cape Town for 10 days. Will take my netbook with me so hope to get on the internet while I am there.

Should be 160lbs tomorrow and then under that by thursday.

Two and Threequarter Lbs off this week

160.5lbs

Happily surprised at that loss as I have been eating more than usual. I am still reading the finer details in the new books. Most of them say it is a mistake to cut down on the fat with this low grain diet. I have just not been eating fat for years as I thought it made me fat. So this week I have had a bit of grated cheese in my soup and also eggs with butter for breakfast at the weekend. Will go back to just bran flakes and museli for the rest of the week. I also changed my vitamins to lunchtime, I think it is better to have the vitamins with food so that they can be utilized properly. Especially the essential fatty acids.

For the past 2 mornings I have done 2km on the exercise bike when getting up before eating anything. I just drink a glass of tepid water. The books say the body has to learn to use its fat stores, for years mine has just been laying down fat and never had to call on any of it. By exercising before eating the body has to use up the stores. I am also trying to do this interval cycling, where I go fast for a bit and then slow for a bit as that has been shown to use up more fat stores.

I put the new fuse in the tumble dryer yesterday so that is now working again. My husband also fixed the light in the kitchen so I am not cooking in the dark any more. I am trying to find my other black suitcase as we will need 2 suitcases to go to the Cape next week. Think one of my daughters may have it.

If I am careful in SA I should be able to get down to 70kg or 154lbs by the end of the month. That is also near my birthday so that would be a wonderful present to myself to be in the 10stone range.

To have lost 60lbs I would need to weigh 152lbs which is also my first goal. Wonder if I could do that by my birthday. That is 8.5lbs away. I feel so confident that even if I dont make the weight by the day I will get there shortly afterwards. It is no longer a mystery to me why my weight kept going up and up and now I understand that I know I can get it down and this time it will stay down for ever. I really dont miss the sweets and bread at all now.

Some of the books say you will forget about your weight and the lbs will continue to go as you are feeling so good. While I agree about the good bit I am still weighing myself twice a day at least. Once in the morning and again after supper. The after supper figure is usually 3.75 or 4lbs higher than the morning figure so I can sometimes work out from that what will be my weight the next morning. If the evening weight is higher than the evening before I know I have a problem and can try and work out why that is. The protein, fat and veg do not store water the way starch and sugar do so my water levels stay pretty constant which means I dont get bloated.

I am becoming the person I always wanted to be.

Ordered More Books

160.75lbs

Had another mini whoosh today. Lost a pound between yesterday am and this morning. The day before the weight had remained the same. I took my EPO and omegas and multi vit with my lunch yesterday rather than before breakfast. Maybe that made the difference.
Yesterday lunch was such a big plateful I wondered if I would have put on weight this morning.

I had roast chicken (still taking off the skin that is a hard habit to break as I have been doing it for years), four pieces steamed potato, cabbage, butternut. Then I made a ratatouille with a local mushroom ( only one as they are big) peppers tomato onion and garlic. My plate was full. I finished off with a small mango and apple chopped with yoghurt cinnamon and sweetner. Felt really full and not like I had just had a diet meal at all. Got through the afternoon without any snack and then had soup as usual in the evening. Another pound to lose and I will be under the 160lbs, have already made my goal of weighing less than my husband.

I have ordered the GO diet. It is quite expensive but reading through the books that seems to be the diet as close to the one I am on so will be good to read more about it. I do not begrudge spending money on information better than spending it on sweets and bread! At last someone is telling me it is not me that is the problem but it is the low fat/high carb diet I have been trying to follow for the past 40 years. Now I have a diet that works with my system, which caters for the way I like to eat, with which I can see results and which makes me happy I want to read as much as I can about it.

It seems that 40 years ago the health industry came up with the idea that fat is bad and causes all the health problems. So then they tried to prove that and encouraged people to go on a low fat diet. The food industry jumped on board and started producing all sorts of low fat foods ( the fat being replaced by sugar and starch). The scene was then set for people like me who believe what the Drs say and that the only way to not become obese was to eat a low fat diet. Only the cranks said that it was the sugar and the starch that caused the obesity and they were a voice crying int the wilderness. But for people like me they were right. It is the sugar and starch. My body never moved into fat burning mode because it always had so much sugar and starch to process. Now I have cut right back on the sugar and starch I am giving my body time to sort out the fat and it is doing a great job.

I am looking forward to getting rid of the fat roll on my hips and getting my weight under 160lbs. My face legs and arms have slimmed down a lot faster than they usually do on a low fat diet. I am looking forward to seeing what shape my body is going to be when I am a normal weight. I do have bits of loose skin so will start doing more exercise but at my age I cannot expect to be that firm and trim after all the damage I have done to my body over the years with yo yo dieting. Just a nice slim 35,28,36 will suit me nicely and will be a real answer to prayer.

Single figure target

161.75lbs

Only have 9.75lbs to go to get to my first target. When I first set that target I was not sure if I would manage to get there. I expect it to take me another 5 weeks to make that weight. Then will work at it for another 2 months or so and see if I can get under the 140lb mark.

I am definitely going into ketosis at night now. Does not worry me but I have decided to change the time I eat my vitamins. I used to have them on waking with a glass of water. Now my body is burning fat so well I am concerned that if I take my vitamins first thing then my body will simply use them for fuel. I have therefore changed my routine and will just have a couple of glasses of warm water when I wake up with my coffee and keep the vitamins until lunch time. The books do say that vitamins are more effective if taken with food. I bought some back from UK so dont want to waste them.

Have worked out now that it is taking me 2 months to lose 14lbs. Not as fast as at the beginning but as I near my target weight I have to expect the loss to slow a bit. I just hope I dont get a stall at this point. But even if I do I will just carry on this new way of eating without the bread and white carbs and I will be sure that the weight will continue to go and I will not feel hungry.

I did not post yesterday as my weight was the same as the day before and I was baby sitting my 4 grandsons. One is 3 and the other 3 are between one and one and a half so it was a bit hectic till the nannies turned up.

I dont want to change the food intake too much as I feel in control and this is working well for me. However in some of the books and magazines I have recently got are some interesting recipes. In one there is a pizza with a base of mashed potatoes, in another you make blinis with mashed potatoes instead of flour. Another is a pancake batter made with soya flour.

I would like to try out a few of them and see how my system reacts to the change. I want to do some entertaining so am looking for different recipes I can use with guests while still adhering to low grain principles. I will copy out these recipes into a new book and keep them to try out later. Dont want to tear the magazines so will type them into the computer.

They even give recipes for bread with different types of flour but at present I still dont trust myself to start eating bread again. Will look for some of the ingredients. I should be able to buy soya flour so can try some savoury pancakes one day for lunch with a chicken and veg filling. I am using cornflour in gravies without any ill effects so can try making a cheese sauce with cornflour to go with the pancakes. If I did small ones it would make an interesting starter for a dinner party.

Got into some brown tailored trousers, I had not worn for about 10 years, the other day. Cant even remember where I bought those. One pair of black jeans are now fitting but other pair is still too tight. Think I will have to get under the 154lbs to get into those.

Got a chicken out for lunch today. Had stacks of power cuts so hope power is on to do roasting later. Other day had to boil my veg as power was off and I had to use the gas. Did not taste as good. I may see if I can buy a pan steamer to use if the power is off. Feel keeps more vitamins and is more healthy to steam rather than boil. I did keep liquid for a soup so not wasted.

Checked Husbands glucose level again this morning. For the past 10 days he has been having sweetener in his tea and coffee rather than sugar. Result this morning was 5.5 which is normal down from 6.6 ten days ago which was a prediabetic figure. Very pleased about that so have told him he has to continue with the sweetener for the rest of his life. Have added that to the shopping list as I will need to buy more.

Fifty Pounds

162lbs

Made it to the 50lb mark in December so that is fifty pounds in 5 months or ten lbs a month which is very respectable and something I never thought would happen. I am still finding it much more effortless than any other diet I had tried.

Yesterday I had steamed fish for lunch and did some oven chips with no fat. I did feel a bit peckish in the afternoon so made a low cal soup. For the first time I put a bit of cheese in the soup. These soups are high in carbs so I thought if I did what the books say and add some protein to the snack I would not get an insulin spike followed by cravings and I did not.

I have been getting a funny taste in my mouth in the night. Bit like when I have eaten garlic. I am wondering if that is the ketosis they mention in the books. It means my body is calling on its fat stores in the night which as far as I am concerned is a good thing. I still have plenty of fat stores. I will look at getting some test sticks to see if I have ketosis and will keep an eye on it.

In November I lost 9.25lbs and in December 5.5lbs ( lower due to UK holiday) so average that out at 7lbs a month which means I should loss the next 10lbs in 6 weeks and then will reset my goal to 138lbs and take another 2 months to get there. It is wonderful to be so confident that a diet is working.

Books on X Syndrome

162.75lbs

That is another half a pound off since yesterday morning. That is nearly 5lbs off this month. Less than I usually lose a month, I have been losing 9lbs a month up to Dec, but because of the holiday to UK I am happy with my progress.

The rest of the books I got couriered from UK arrived yesterday. Mainly X syndrome books and diet advice. I skimmed through them in UK but am now rereading them properly. This is such a change to normal diet advice (low fat/low calorie/high complex carbs, that I have failed on so often) it takes a while to absorb it all but all I can say is that it works for me and I will never go back to low fat high carb dieting.

My sister in law got in touch over the weekend asking for advice on losing weight so told her about the south beach diet sites and also the Easy Australian Diet book in Lusaka and will see how she gets on.

I had friends yesterday commenting on my weight loss. I saw a video of myself taken in July this year when I was 15st and my stomach was enormous. I am so pleased I dont still look like that.

My birthday in Feb so would be good to get under the 11 stone 154lbs by then and will then drift down through the 10stones and hope to settle in the upper 9 stones. That should be about right for my height. I really dont know what my normal proper weight should be as I have always been over weight. When I have managed to lose weight it has just been temporary and within a few weeks the lbs have started piling on again. This time it will be different as I know why my weight always increased. It was my hormones! Insulin has been my problem all along ( for the past 40 years).

Bigs Clothes ready for throwing

163.25lbs

I went through my wardrobe yesterday and pulled out all the big dresses and T shirts and trousers that I am never going to wear again and put them in black bin bags. Best place for them. Some of them look like black bin bags! I am never going to need clothes in that size ( 20-24) again now that I understand the secret of losing weight.

I also decided while I was at it to sort through my shoes and dispose of any that I will never wear again. When I was 15st (212lbs) I was very hard on shoes. They would wear at the heel so quickly as I was so heavy. I got the house servant to clean up the rest of the shoes that I am going to keep and will sort those out. I might get one of those nice shoe racks to put in my cupboard for my shoes. I bought some nice black ankle boots in UK with a square heel. I dont feel ready for stilettos yet but feel good wearing my jeans and boots.

We went down to my daughters for lunch yesterday. She did chicken in a mushroom sauce and also did veg and rice and sweetcorn. I just had the chicken and veg and left the grains. I dont know if sweetcorn counts as a grain but decided not to have it anyway. In the evening I boiled up some potato and butternut and a tin of macedonia veg and made a soup.

Another half a pound off since yesterday so am doing something right. I only have 1lb more to lose and I will be on the 50lb mark. The next few mini goals are to get below my husbands weight of 161lbs and then to the 4stone mark at 156.25lbs.

I tested husband for fasting glucose the other morning and the result was 6.6. Checking on the internet that is pre diabetes level so have put him on artifical sweetner instead of sugar in his tea and coffee and will check again in a week or so. Was surprised it was that high. Tested mine and it was 4.8, three weeks ago in UK it was 5.4 so that is the normal range. Wonder what it was while I was overeating on bread and sugar. I will never know as I am not going back there again.

Whoosh Fairy

163.75lbs

I dont know if that really was a whoosh but yesterday morning I was 165.25lbs and this morning 2lbs have gone.

Some of the excess was due to eating a bit more than usual on Christmas day but I knew I had stuck to the low carb principles so I would not have gained weight but could be carrying extra fluid from 2 days ago.

My next lot of books are in Mkushi. I did skim through some of them before I posted them. They are mostly American. That seems to be where this low carb trend started. I dont feel Atkins is for me. Too much meat and saturated fat. But there is no doubt in my mind that the low fat high complex carbs that I have been trying to use to diet for the past 40 years is completely wrong for me and leads to failure every time. I would lose weight on it but because I never got my insulin/glucose balance right I would always find my weight increasing and it was never easy. I was fighting my craving for carbs the whole time. Afternoons were a nightmare.

Now that I have my main meal mid day with carbs from potatoes I am so unhungry it is not true. I can go comfortably till 6 without thinking about food or a snack. Then I have my bowl of soup and I eat and drink nothing after 6pm.

I am not trying to put myself into ketosis. As I have bran flakes for breakfast and potatoes with my meat for lunch I dont think my system needs to go into ketosis to lose the fat.

My middle is definately leaner. Waist is now 33 inches from a start of 39" in July. I hope it will go down to 28" after I have lost the next 20lbs.

Sorted out my wardrobe yesterday and put all my big clothes in black bin bags. I will give them away as I will never need them again.

Off to my daughter for lunch today. She knows what I eat so should not have any problems.

In the house at present we have: biscuits, allsorts, box of chocolates, cheese and ice cream. In the old days I could not have resisted any of that and would be sneaking some of it until it was all finished and I could relax. Now that food has no power over me!

One pound up

Not going to post that as a number today as I know that is a temporary blip as it was Christmas yesterday. Yes I did eat more than usual but I did keep to the low carb principles so I know that a) I will not have put any fat on and b) my system will adjust over the next few days and I will soon get back to my lower weight.

I had starters of peppered mackeral oysters and mussels. Main course was spit roast pork, turkey and roasted vegetables and I had a couple of spoons of ice cream and pudding out of my husbands dish as I know that does not count!

In the evening I had yoghurt and a cup of low calorie soup so really could not have done better. I enjoyed my food and did not feel deprived by not having the chocolates and potato bake. I took a litre bottle of diet pepsi and drank all of that. Not too good for me to have that much but better than the alternative.

I am going to start weeding out the big dresses and stuff in my wardrobe and giving it away. I am never going to need them again. How I wish that someone had told me about the carb/insulin problem 40 years ago. When I think of the number of low fat low calorie diets I have been on and what an effort it has been for no purpose as the metabolic syndrome always kicked in and I put all the weight back on with interest!

It is wonderful to lose weight and not feel hungry and for the cravings to have stopped. My husband is always given liquorish allsorts for presents and he has a packet now. In the past I would be picking at one or two or ten but now I can just leave the packet. The sugar has no power over me!

I am looking forward to getting my hips under 40". When I think that 5 months ago they were 47" it just shows how far I have come.

Todays meal will be left over turkey with some vegetables. May do a potato. The new diet books I am reading are still down on potatoes but my system does not react to the sugar in potatoes the same way it does to grains so I will continue to have my one potato a day as I feel it helps me feel fuller.

I am now reading about low carb maintenance dieting. Still have 28lbs to lose before I try maintenance but feel confident that I will get there over the next 4 months or so.

Books arrived

164.25lbs

That is half a pound lost since yesterday and one and a half since I got back on Friday. It is good to get back into my routine again.

I bought a light weight 0.5kg digital scale in UK. I have lent it to my daughter but will borrow it back to put in my suitcase for when I go on holiday. With my history I do not trust myself to go on holiday with unlimited food without a scale. But having said that I felt very proud of myself to be in UK for 2 weeks and to have come back 1.75lbs lighter than when I left. Eating the no grain way I do not get cravings and am in control of what I am eating.

The seven books I sent on from UK were in Mkushi yesterday. I have read most of them but will read them again. One is the south beach super charged. I also received 2 new books. One is how I gave up my low fat diet and lost 40lbs. I am wondering if I am cutting my fat intake too low. They recommend 30% calories from good fat. Olive oil, veg oil butter etc. But I am not doing that. The only fat I am getting is a bit on the meat. I have also started eating eggs again. I had stopped those entirely but am now trying to have 4 a week. Maybe I should start having scrambled egg at the weekend with my husband. Thirty years ago I stopped him having eggs every day for breakfast and put him onto cereal. I was wrong. We could have stayed with eggs. In those days it was thought that eggs caused heart problems. All the books are saying now that it is insulin and grain carbs that can cause heart problems!

I dont want to tweak this eating plan too much as it is working so well. Only 2lbs more to go and I will have lost 50lbs since the end of July.

Have bought a netbook in UK am thinking of typing up my dieting story. Maybe I will also write a book.

Another pound gone

11st 10 3/4lbs

Was pleased and surprised to find I weigh a pound less than yesterday. The weight has been stuck since I got back from UK on Friday. So had 3 days the same and then a drop. Finding it easy to get back into my routine again. Got into my new black jeans yesterday that I could not do up before I went to UK. I was only 2lbs lighter but the fat must have shifted somewhere as waist is definitely an inch smaller.

I bought some nice new tops and underthings in UK and also a black frock that I got from a second hand shop. Am going through my drawers and cupboards clearing out the big stretched stuff as I will never need it again.

I posted my new books back so will check if they have arrived today in Mkushi. I got a whole load of X syndrome, south beach, no grain books and read them all in UK. Decided not to weigh down my suitcase with them so posted them all.

Worked out I have two and a half pounds more to lose and I will have lost 50lbs. Should do that by New Year. I am going to do a no grain Christmas dinner. Will do a baked potato instead of roast. Have got some ice cream and so will have some of that for dessert for the Christmas meal only. Have got some chocolates in the fridge and will allow myself one ferrero rocher if I really want one. Then will give all the rest away and get back to my eating plan the next meal. Not having the meal in my house so should not be lots of left overs to tempt me. Funny thing is that I no longer have the cravings and desire for any food in the fridge or pantry now. I have a normal appetite at long last. I can have chocolate or biscuits in the house and not finish off the packets and throw away the wrappers to hide the evidence! Now my insulin/glucose levels are stable my eating is under control for the first time in my life.

I bought a glucose monitor in UK and now have to see if I can order the test strips for it as it only came with 10 test strips and I have used 3 already. My early morning glucose was 5.4 which I think is normal. Will look that up.

Home again

11st 11 3/4lbs

Did not manage to do any new posts while on holiday but I did manage to keep my weight under control.

I lost 2lbs over the 2 weeks. When I think how many hotel and restaurant meals I ate and also how many times I ate meals that I did not prepare myself I am amazed that I did not put weight on.

My south beach diet books were waiting for me in UK and I made sure I read them all so I knew exactly what my problem was and how I could keep the insulin resistance under control.

The only time I lost control was one lunch time when I just had a low cal soup for lunch, I then bought a box of grapes which I ate. Too much sugar? and I then followed up with cereal and yoghurt and apples and ate most of the afternoon. After that episode I made sure I ate more for lunch. Eggs or baked potato.

Next mini goal is to get to 11 8 1/4 lbs which will mean that I have lost 50lbs. Then hope to get under the 11st.

I bought loads of new tops and it was so nice to go to the regular racks of clothes rather than the outsize section.

Will start posting regularly again this week. Sure I can do a no grain Christmas. Have got a few choccies in for the kids but will have lots of fruit and veg and turkey.