So this is my new diet and fitness blog. The reasoning behind it is simple. I’m forty five years old, incredibly overweight and even more unfit. Having moved to working at home three days a week, my already sedentary lifestyle has become almost comatose. Sitting at the computer, moving only to visit the toilet or make a cup of tea does not make for a healthy lifestyle, especially when the only other exercise I now get (having stopped working in the pub where at least I was walking a lot) is the stroll to and from the bus stop on work days. It is abundantly clear that changes need to be made before I either turn into one of those people in the freaky dieting shows on the telly or die of some nasty weight/unfitness related illness.

To this end I have joined a gym to improve my fitness and am about to embark on the latest attempt to lose weight through a new eating regime (I don’t want to say the ‘D’ word as I think it’s rather negative). As I chronicle my journey to greater fitness, better health and weight loss there will be daily posts as I think this will help to keep me focussed and hopefully help me to stick to the plan during the bad times I know lie ahead. I intend it to be honest as I need to acknowledge my weaknesses and fails as well as my good progress, which could be painful, but will hopefully, eventually be cathartic and helpful.

Thursday 9 February 2012

Thursday 9 February 2012

So the morning after my last post I woke up with a nasty old virus – sore throat, banging head, snotty nose and aching limbs. There was no way I could even crawl out of bed, let alone make it to the gym and I was just glad that I was in homeworking mode and didn’t have to drag myself onto the coach.

Fortunately, I did manage to recover sufficiently to attend my birthday meal on Saturday evening, hosted by the lovely Karen, and we had fun packed evening, with lots of good food, good wine and good conversation – and a huge amount of cake!

Unfortunately the night ended with a large amount of snow, which left me stranded and unable to get to the gym (if it doesn’t snow again tonight I am hoping to finally get there tomorrow).

Apart from stopping me from exercising the snow has had another bad effect on me – it’s completely ruined my way of eating. When the weather is cold like this I don’t want salads and fry ups and the usual fare that has become my way of life. This week I actually found myself feeling physically ill at the thought of any of the foods that I would normally have for breakfast, my body instead craving porridge. A stew is fine, and I can eat those, but I want dumplings and jacket potatoes with it, not just some cabbage. And as the cold weather continues it’s not going to get any better. And to add to this, my chocolate cravings are not going away either as my mood plummets because of the bad weather.

Today I received another box of chocolates (a late birthday present from a friend who I hadn’t seen for a while). I know I should take the chocolates into work and share them with my colleagues as I did with the advent calendar, but I don’t want to. They are a decent box of chocolates and some of my favourites and I just don’t feel like being that virtuous. Add that to the fact that I had already bought some chocolate when I went shopping and it all adds up to me sliding way off track.

In fact my groceries this week include a disturbing number of carb laden foods. Although in the main my diet will still remain as low-carb as I can make it there will definitely be a bit of blip.

So the bad stuff I bought today was:

  • 4 fresh tiger rolls (bought because they smelt so nice and I hadn’t eaten all day – these have now been eaten along with some prosciutto)
  • 2 frozen jacket potatoes (I know, I should never have got them, but they were cheap and I was really craving a jacket spud)
  • 3 bottles of sparkling rose wine (because it’s one of my favourites and it was reduced to £3 a bottle)
  • 1 bag giant chocolate buttons (fairly standard for me these days, but will be split into four portions)
  • 1 bag giant white chocolate buttons (because I wanted to try them – not a good excuse I know, these will also be split into four portions)
  • 1 bottle of pancake batter mix (as it was on special offer and in readiness for Pancake Day which I absolutely refuse to miss as I adore pancakes)

Overall, I know that this isn’t actually that bad compared to the amount of carbs I used to eat, but these items really shouldn’t have made my basket at all (except for the pancake mix which was never not coming home with me).

I can’t help that I hate the weather at this time of year and wish I could just hibernate until Spring and I can’t stop the carb or chocolate cravings, which are going to be with me until it gets warmer. All I can do is try to limit the carb intake where I can (whilst I am going wildly over the 30g of Phase One I am at least not anywhere near the 200g that is the recommended daily amount for a female) and try to get to the gym when the weather allows. I just need to hang tight and be aware that I’m not going to lose any weight whilst I’m in this mood, but hopefully I won’t gain too much either and once the weather gets warmer I’ll be ready to get back onto Phase One with a vengeance.

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Tuesday 1 February 2012


So it’s a new month and a good time for me to get back to chronicling my health and nutrition plans. I’ll be honest that a combination of the bad time I was having earlier in the month, combined with disappointment at having gained weight even though I’d gone straight back on the hardcore Phase One of the IPD left me severely demoralised and not feeling inclined to blog (nor really to exercise, although I did manage to force myself to the gym a few times).

Additionally, my birthday threw up a few treats and a considerable amount of chocolate (it appears everyone suddenly forgot I was IPDing) and so I haven’t been quite so good as I could be in the last week or so either, although I was pleased to discover, upon weighing myself on Monday, that I am back down to my immediate post-Christmas weight and have thus once again lost 2 stone and 2 pounds.

I am still in the midst of celebrations, with a birthday meal re-scheduled for Saturday evening, and I’m having a bit of a chocolate crisis at the moment too, so can see a bit of yo-yoing going on until I finally manage to settle down and get back onto Phase One properly again. I have at least managed to get back into doing my regular gym workouts which should help a bit – especially as I am now finding time on a Sunday to go and do a full workout, a full power plate session and some swimming as well – over 1,000 calories burnt and a goodly amount of fat too one assumes.

So breakfast today was ham, cream cheese and avocado wraps with a lunch of creamy gammon, cabbage and mustard casserole. Dinner was picky stuff as I forgot to get anything out of the freezer this morning as my brain wasn’t working. I did have a chunky peanut butter KitKat (one of the Limited Edition ones so I needed to try it – and it was scrummy), but apart from that I’ve done pretty well today.

No exercise tonight, but I’ll be going tomorrow. I just need to drag myself out of my lovely warm bed and out into the freezing cold! 


Today’s exercise:  walking to and from the bus stop
Carb's Eaten: 47.1
Exercising to: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J K Rowling read by Stephen Fry (UK Edition)
Weight Loss in 2012 = 4 pounds
Total Weight Loss = 2 stone 2 pounds
Inch Loss = 19.5 inches
Current Goal: To wear my M&S ‘magic’ dress (size 22) (hopefully by Easter)
Mood (according to Moodscope): 25%

Sunday 15 January 2012

15 January 2012


After an early breakfast of a mint chocolate protein shake, I spent the morning on a bit of housework, whilst ruminating on my problems. This left me feeling depressed and teary so I went to the gym for a good long session in hopes of working it off.

Before the gym I had some ham and cheese for lunch then stopped at Asda and got some essential supplies, but because I was so fed up and in a self-sabotaging mood I also bought some chocolate. Sadly, not the dark over 70% chocolate that I normally enjoy and is classified, at a pinch, just about okay for Phase Two of the IPD, but giant chocolate buttons which can definitely be classed as comfort food but very non-low carb friendly.

After a three hour long workout including cardio, power plate and swimming (I’m guessing I’m going to die tomorrow) I ended up feeling angry (with myself) rather than depressed and came home to dinner of pork and mushrooms in a creamy mustard sauce with buttered savoy cabbage and mangetout and cheesy broccauli (see what I did there) mash. I then sat down to watch one of the best programmes I’ve ever seen, namely the last episode of Season 2 of Sherlock during which I consumed my chocolate.

However, I didn’t eat all of it. Whereas before my trip to the gym I was ready to overdose on sugary chocolatey goodness by scoffing the entire pack, the delay and change of mood meant that I had the sense to split the pack into four and only eat one quarter. The others I’ve packaged separately in readiness for the hard times ahead and have stored them somewhere safe (in my Monster Book of Monsters box which can be a bit temperamental about opening so I might have a problem retrieving them when the need arises).

Obviously the gym did its job as my Moodscope score is considerably better today than yesterday and far better than it would have been if I’d stayed in the mood I was in earlier. I’m feeling more positive at the moment which is a good thing – and I’m not even feeling guilty about the chocolate!

Today’s exercise:  bike = 12 mins; stretching = 10 mins; treadmill = 5 mins; cross trainer = 5 mins; arm bike = 16 mins; power plate = 25 mins; bike = 10 mins; swimming = 60 lengths
Carb's Eaten: 44.6
Exercising to: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling read by Stephen Fry (UK Edition)/Various swim tracks
Weight Loss in 2012 = -2 pounds
Total Weight Loss = 1 stone 12 pounds
Inch Loss = 19.5 inches
Current Goal: To wear my M&S ‘magic’ dress (size 22) (hopefully by Easter)
Mood (according to Moodscope): 43%

14 January 2012


On waking this morning I realised that I really couldn’t face dealing with my problems without ending up seriously depressed, if not suicidal, so decided to completely ignore the bad stuff for the day. Instead I set to work having a bit of a clear up and finally installed the LCD TV that I bought last year, which gave me my workout for the day as it meant removing a 50ish kg TV from the stand and through the flat (I had been waiting for help but decided I couldn’t wait any longer, although I will need help getting it to the tip). This was a good move as my mood has lifted considerably, although being serious I can’t put off the bad stuff for much longer.

I began the day with a mint chocolate protein shake. Lunch was leek mince with an almond topping served with cheesy cauliflower and broccoli mash and buttered savoy cabbage. The fridge is now almost bare and so dinner was some ham, cheese and avocado.

I’m thinking about going to the gym tomorrow. I can’t decide whether to go for another power plate session (my abs have finally stopped aching) or whether to give the aqua aerobics a go. Afterwards I really need to go shopping, if only to stock up on essentials like cream, soya milk and green stuff.

Today’s exercise:  Weight lifting and hauling
Carb's Eaten: 28.2
Exercising to: Wizard Rock (HP-related music for those not in the know)
Weight Loss in 2012 = -2 pounds
Total Weight Loss = 1 stone 12 pounds
Inch Loss = 19.5 inches
Current Goal: To wear my M&S ‘magic’ dress (size 22) (hopefully by Easter)
Mood (according to Moodscope): 29%

Friday 13 January 2012

13 Friday 2012


So today has been a dreadful one for me, with more bad news sending my mood rocketing down to its lowest level since I’ve been using Moodscope.

The morning began badly when I couldn’t drag myself out of bed due to tiredness and the headache that is still lingering. When I did finally surface it turned out that it was a good thing I hadn’t gone to the gym as my lower abs and biceps have seized up, quite painfully. It turns out that instead of taking it easy (as I worry sometimes that I do at the gym without Siobhan around to push me) I really did push myself and am suffering big time for it today.

Breakfast was a chocolate mint protein shake, followed by another fry up for lunch (mainly to use up the remaining bacon etc.). Dinner was bacon wrapped cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts with buttered green vegetables (once again because they needed to be used up).

Once my mood plummeted I found it a little hard to concentrate or get enthused about anything, so I took refuge in watching many episodes of Fringe to take my mind off my problems. I did take a break to watch the Sports Relief Celebrity bake off final and found myself seriously craving the yummy cakes and biscuits being cooked and so dug out a piece of cheesecake. A glass of Glayva has put my carbs well over the limit for the day, but makes me feel better.

I am aware that I can’t bury my head in the sand forever, but currently definitely not up to dealing with my problems today. Maybe I’ll be more up to it tomorrow. Either way, I’ve got a lot of stuff I’ve been putting off that needs to be done so I should be pretty busy.   

Today’s exercise:  None
Carb's Eaten: 41.7
Exercising to: Watching Fringe and baking programmes
Weight Loss in 2012 = -2 pounds
Total Weight Loss = 1 stone 12 pounds
Inch Loss = 19.5 inches
Current Goal: To wear my M&S ‘magic’ dress (size 22) (hopefully by Easter)
Mood (according to Moodscope): 15%

Thursday 12 January 2012

12 January 2012


A little late getting to the gym this morning, but that probably helped as I was having a power plate workout. The college is back so the place was absolutely packed – with even more students than before Christmas.

It’s been a bad day for me, with bad news and confirmation of bad news (which is reflected in today’s Moodscope score) so I’ve not been feeling at my best. Still headachy too, so I had a lunchtime nap to try and shift it, but I woke up with stomach cramps too, although they fortunately only lasted an hour or so and I’ve absolutely no idea why they happened.

Breakfast was a chocolate mint protein shake (my current fav) with some ham and strong cheddar for lunch. I was having trouble getting the motivation to cook (hence the picky lunch) and eventually had a fry up – gluten free sausages, oak smoked back bacon, scrambled eggs, mushrooms and tomato – which was lovely. I followed this with a piece of cheesecake and had a tot of Glayva to cheer myself up.

I’m beginning to feel the power plate workout in my abs, may do some more tomorrow if I’m not too sore.      

Today’s exercise:  bike = 10 mins; stretching = 10 mins; power plate = 30 mins; swimming = 20 lengths
Carb's Eaten: 30.8
Exercising to: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling read by Stephen Fry (UK Edition)/Various swim tracks
Weight Loss in 2012 = -2 pounds
Total Weight Loss = 1 stone 12 pounds
Inch Loss = 19.5 inches
Current Goal: To wear my M&S ‘magic’ dress (size 22) (hopefully by Easter)
Mood (according to Moodscope): 24%

Tuesday 10 January 2012

10 January 2012


I’ve still got a nagging headache today, the legacy of yet another night of rubbish sleep and nothing will seem to shift it.

Breakfast this morning was peppered buttery boiled eggs with sausages, which made a nice change from a protein shake. For lunch I had some of the mince I cooked yesterday. Because of the headache I didn’t really fancy much for dinner so just had some prosciutto, cheese and a greek yoghurt.

I had intended to go to the gym this evening to do some power plate work but couldn’t face it with this stupid headache so am going to have an early night instead.

Today’s exercise:  walking to and from work
Carb's Eaten: 25.8
Exercising to: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling read by Stephen Fry (UK Edition)
Weight Loss in 2012 = -2 pounds
Total Weight Loss = 1 stone 12 pounds
Inch Loss = 19.5 inches
Current Goal: To wear my M&S ‘magic’ dress (size 22) (hopefully by Easter)
Mood (according to Moodscope): 33%