The Fitter Princess and the Pea

2007-03-09T02:53:00.000-08:00

Cripes!

I'm sitting here doing this, when I should be doing all manner of Other Things.

Well, I am so much better, in body and mind! I went for the scan and it came back normal. Now, would you believe it, the pains I had (both sides of the upper stomach, and under the breast bone) disappeared within days. This happened before, after I had a colonoscopy. Anyway, it's like a miracle, not worrying anymore. For anyone that doesn't know what it's like to be in the grip of raging hypochondria, it takes over your life (this last bout went on for four months). Every waking moment is filled with a feeling of impending doom, even when you look like you're having a great time. It never goes away. You just can't talk yourself out of it, even though you know you've been through it all before. And you're so certain that there must be a reason for the pains this time. And it turns out you're fine and will live to see another day. The power of the mind is incredible, and psychosomatic symptoms are no joke. If only I could harness the power of the mind to positive effect - must find out how.

I haven't felt anxiety now for about two or three weeks - and it's like heaven. I'm hoping I can keep this up for more than a year (my record is a year and a half).

Right now, though, I am actually a bit under the weather. Had a raging temperature yesterday (you know, sore skin etc) but feel a lot better today, though my glands are up and my throat is very sore. I can cope with that - it's not a mysterious illness, so it doesn't worry me.

Charlie has been ill on and off for a month now. He's had conjunctivitis and a terrible cold, with his temperature going up and down like a yoyo. I'm so looking forward to us all being well again. It's just typical that I'd been back on the fitness thing with renewed zeal for about a week, when I got this bug. So frustrating.

Thank you so much for asking about me, and I can assure you I feel like a different (normal) person and I'm enjoying every day!

2007-02-12T04:59:00.000-08:00

For Goodness Sake!

I have already failed! The day after I started back on the healthy thing, I got a cold. The sort that makes you feel a bit crap. Carried on eating healthily for two days (including juicing all kinds of fruit and veg) and then thought, oh well, I can't exercise so I might as well eat some nice things now, and then get back on it when I'm feeling better. And of course, that scan thing is tomorrow, and I'm thinking I'll be more focused after tomorrow. But that's probably not true, as once they've ruled out kidneys, liver, gall bladder, etc. etc (assuming they do) I'll be worrying that it's my lungs instead. Or my stomach, or something. That's how bad I can be. But the point is, why do I make these excuses to put off the things I should do, when that's exactly what they are - excuses? I've always worked better and been more productive with a deadline hanging over my head. And that isn't relevant when it comes to eating heathily, or at least, not in the same way.

I have only fallen off the wagon in as much as I have eaten several large handfuls of peanuts, but still, I know what wicked plans I have in my head for this evening. I will try not to fall off completely. It's not just a weight thing. In fact, it's not the weight thing that niggles away and worries me. It's the health thing. Now, that's crazy. You would think someone like me would ensure that never a bad thing entered my digestive system. But no. Although compared to most people I do eat well. Maybe I'm being OC about this. After all, there are so many terribly obese people out there who seem relatively healthy - who don't succumb to life-threatening diseases. Trouble is, I also know of so many previously heathy and fit people who have. You can go on rationalising one way or the other. It doesn't do any good. Wouldn't it be great if we could switch our thoughts off for a while!

Frankie, if you read this, good luck with your mammogram (and thinks for your good wishes). I've never had a mammogram, so I don't know what it's like. But aren't we lucky that there is a whole network of people taking care of us?

I will try not to sound so depressing next time! Just so you know, I am very happy. I'm not depressed at all, just neurotic!!

2007-02-09T05:16:00.000-08:00

Here We Go Again

I know, it's been ages since I posted here, and in truth, it's been ages since I made any kind of effort at eating healthily, or exercising. Don't get me wrong, I still cook fresh every day, but I have also been eating complete rubbish in the evenings (dime bars, cream eggs, loads of peanuts etc). I have had an unidentified health problem since October and the worry of it (I'm an out-of-control hypochondriac, remember) has meant I can focus on little else. Ridiculous. I think if I knew what was causing the pains I have, the worry wouldn't be so bad. It's the unknown. Anyway, I'm going for scan on Tuesday so that should either show something or rule a few areas out.

Worry or not, I feel crap due to all the rubbishy extra snacks and need to buck my ideas up. I now weigh 8st 9 and my fat % is 29. It's true. How can I get fat so quickly? Mind you, if you work hard at doing the right things, it can come off quickly, too.

So I'm checking in today to give myself a kick. Maybe I should post once a week, instead of feeling a failure at not posting every day and then giving up entirely. Yes, that a good idea. Post once a week, unless I have more time.

So, see you when I'm thinner. I hope (well, I did use 420 cals working out today).

Better go and stir my curried lentils - I always burn them

2006-11-19T11:47:00.000-08:00

Keeping It Up

Yesterday (Saturday), I happened to have about 90 minutes to myself during the day. That just never happens when you have a pre-school child, so when it does, you make the most of it. And what did I do? I leapt around the dining room (or it used to be, before I pushed the table and chairs back against the chimney breast so I could exercise) doing my Charlie Brooks routine and sweating buckets and puffing and panting and labouring in a most inelegant manner. Whilst I was doing this, I was wondering why on earth I wasn't doing something I really like. And the answer was: if I just sat around reading or knitting I would not achieve my fitness goals. As I've mentioned before, I don't want to be skinny - I want to be fit and feel good in my clothes, too. And when I'm tempted to use stolen time to do something nice, I give myself a pep talk. I remember that all the exercise I do - as well as getting my circulation going, and as well as giving my heart and lungs a good workout and boosting my metabolism and strengthening my muscles (even my bones) and releasing endorphins etc.- is actually burning off small amounts of fat right there and then. I visualize this happening and then I visualize myself as I might be if I just didn't bother. I think of my body inside and out, and of how I would feel, and it's not pretty. That is how I motivate myself to carry on. And getting fit, or staying fit, is not achieved without sacrifices. Unless of course the only thing you like to do in life is eat and exercise well. I feel great spiritually and physically during and after exercise, but that's not to say I would not rather be doing something else sometimes! But it's just not good enough to make excuses. Anyone can think of an excuse not to do something, but not all of us can resist the urge. The power is within all of us to do the right thing, but you have to want to make that change. And that is half the battle won - the decision to start fighting and to know what you are fighting for.

Yesterday my fat % was 26%. Today it's back to 27% but I'm hoping it's on the cusp between the two. I must admit that this weekend I've eaten a lot of ice-cream and some belgian chocolate and lots of nuts. By this evening I will have finished the bottle of wine I opened on Friday, and eaten an Indian take-away. But I'm not worried. The biggest experts have confirmed that when you're on a reduced-calorie diet, you absolutely must boost the metabolism every few days. I don't think they had ice-cream and golden syrup and take-aways in mind, but I'll gloss over that bit conveniently. It works. It honestly does. What could be more annoying than eating so healthily all the time, only to find your body slows its metabolism down and you get fatter eventually, rather than thinner? For more info a great place is Tom Venuto's site, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. He's brilliant.

Anyway:

Fat: 27%
Weight: 8st 5

2006-11-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

I'm Back (with a vengeance and a new favourite)

So, I hadn't exercised at all since 31st October, when I got a cold ( a nasty one, which is still on my chest now) and then I started throwing up on 9th Nov and it went downhill from there.

I suspect some people think I'm a bit over zealous in my avoidence of colds. I have been known to turn people away at the door, after all. I believe that, though I can catch a cold from a Tesco trolley, if I can avoid one, I will. What's the point in putting yourself in the firing line? No, I detest colds, and the fact that it's potluck whether you get an okay one or a really evil one. The symptoms of the evil ones can stick around for weeks, as I'm finding now. Honestly, I would rather get a sick bug, throw up for a day and then feel great! At least it's over quickly (usually).

The other thing about having a cold is that I just want to eat comfort food non-stop. Mind you, the sick bug soon put paid to that!

So now I'm back to the exercise and back to the healthy eating. Today I discovered frozen soya beans and they are suddenly my favourite quick snack. Just bung them in the micro, like frozen peas (don't even want to know about the dangers of microwaving - it's quite rare I use mine). But these are delicious. Much nicer than the dried ones I roasted a couple of weeks ago. Get some.

Right.

weight: 8st 5.5
Fat: 27%

Food today:

home-made smoothie: milk, live yogurt, ground almonds, assortment of frozen berries, honey
spinach, tuna, houmous, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives (nothing changes around here)
1 apple, 1 orange
some ham
some soya beans
a rich tea biscuit
chicken in fresh chilli and lemon and garlic, roasted butternut squash & onion with rocket in balsamic vinegar dressing, roasted green pepper and cherry tomatoes
5 pints of water
1 cup of fresh black coffee

Exercise: 260 cals Davina

2006-10-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

Progress

Yes, I'm still here. I'm pleased to say that my fat percentage has been at 27% for the last five days. As you'll see, it did reach 27% on odd days in the past few weeks, but not consistently over a period of time. Now, it seems firmly at 27%. As the weight comes off, though, I'm expecting it to jump back up to 28% temporarily, as this is the pattern my weightloss seems to follow. Eventually I'd like to get it down to about 25% but all indications are that it might take a while; after all, it's taken fifty days to get it from 30% to 27% - and it's more difficult the lower you go.

As you've probably noticed, I don't belive in cutting out the calorie-dense but nutritious things, like olive oil in my cooking, nuts, avocado, etc. But I also haven't completely stopped eating the really truly bad things, like golden syrup (yum), clotted cream (yum)...and other baddies. I should mention that I am coming to terms with the fact that you can have a little of what you fancy every now and then, without considering it "bad", and feeling guilty. If it's not too often, it's not going to do me any harm, or hamper my efforts. And it's not healthy to feel guilty all the time, when really I'm doing so well.

Weight: 8st 7
fat: 27%

I've lost almost three inches from my waist and hips (each!) and half an inch from my arms and thighs. I wish my thighs had lost three inches! Still, I'm pleased and am still full of motivation.

I'm exercising for at least five days a week. It's simple: I make sure the ingredients for my evening meals are prepared in the afternoon (garlic is peeled, chillis are chopped, veg prepared, etc) and I exercise between 7:30 and 8:30, after Charles goes to bed. Then I have dinner. It's a case of fitting in the exercise when I can. Not many people really have the time to spare. It's almost always a case of making the time, of squeezing it in somehow. A friend, who is desperate to get fit, recently asked when I exercise. Her response when I told her was that exercising at that time would absolutely kill her and she didn't have any other time she could fit it in. In other words, it isn't as important to her as she thinks it is! I know it's hard to get motivated - but if you want to do it, you can.

2006-10-17T05:12:00.001-07:00

Carrot, Orange & Coconut Soup

Make this soup! Oh, but you absolutely must. It's so simple and quick to make - and so delicious I just can't say. This soup is extremely smooth and silky, with a slightly sweet yet tangy taste. Adjust the quantity of orange juice to your preference. As the oranges were tasty but a little sharp this time, I only used one and a half, and added 1tsp of sugar (unusual for me). I forgot to take a photo, which is a shame, as the soup is a vibrant bright orange.

450/500g of carrots, sliced
2 large oranges, juiced
20g creamed coconut
a little olive oil for frying onions
one medium onion
garlic, if desired
about 1 1/2 pts stock

Chop and fry the onions (and garlic, if you're using it) with the lid on your casserole dish/saucepan, to stop them browning (you could do this part with water instead of oil if you like). Once the onions are soft, add the carrots and the stock, Simmer with the lid on until they're cooked. Blend, after cooling a little. Reheat gently and add the orange juice and creamed coconut. Season to taste. Delicious!

2006-10-15T03:32:00.000-07:00

Built For Speed

I was going to call this entry "Comfy Jeans" and then the OH walked in and said, "wow! You really look built for speed today, babe". Imagine it in a Bill Nighy voice (though Nick's voice is nothing like that, thank heavens) and you'll understand the tone of this comment. Infer from it what you will.

Anyway, I was having a what-to-wear crisis six weeks ago before going out to see a friend in a band, when last I tried on these jeans. I remember turning to Nick and wailing that I couldn't even wear them with the biggest and baggiest jumper ever, as my stomach and hips hung out so far over the top, it was obscene. You probably think I'm exaggerating. Honestly I'm not. It was a lot of flesh to see (shudder). But now, I can even sit down in them without causing huge ripples of flesh to hang over (just small ones now).

I've been feeling really quite demotivated, thinking I'm doing so badly and failing miserably and now I feel better. These jeans have told me I'm not doing so badly. In fact, I'm now built for speed. Yeah.

Funny thing is, I've only lost five pounds in six weeks, though that has mostly been fat. Five pounds of fat must take up a lot of space, if you think about it. And I would have done better if I hadn't had at least five or six serious lapse days. I guess this proves you can trim up without completely depriving yourself (I have been exercising a lot, though). Trouble is, though I can see results, I'm not happy with my less-than-perfect attempt at eating well. Oh, I'm hard on myself, as I eat better than every other person I know (bloglanders excluded).

Enough. I'm fed up with talking about myself.

2006-10-10T05:47:00.000-07:00

Pulling it Back Together

Over the weekend I went off the rails a bit. I only intended to eat a little bit more, just to speed up my metabolism a bit. You know, make sure my body didn't go into hoarding/starvation mode. It's true, that does happen and it does affect fat loss. Anyway, I ate loads of salted peanuts (usually don't go near the salted variety), clotted cream, cornish ice-cream, home-made walnut and chocolate cookies (5 huge ones), chocolate fingers, and loads more. I carried on exercising, as if it makes a difference when I've been that greedy. So now I have to get it under control. I made home-made baked beans yesterday morning and ate some for lunch. They're really delicious. And today I'm making lentil and tomato soup for lunch, and a really tasty chinese dish for dinner this evening.

I must keep going, and not give up just because the weekend was a rocky road of tempatation.

2006-10-06T00:50:00.000-07:00

Checking In

I just couldn't be bothered to post every day over the last week. Doing all the exercise etc. was enough work on top of everything else in the day. For instance, yesterday we started baking walnut cookies at 8:30, and then spicy couscous and adzuki bean chilli and that took up most of the morning. Then there was cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming etc. etc. Then lunch and quick workout at 1pm-ish...writing the menu and shopping list for next week blah blah blah and then it was Charlie's dinner time....playing with the train set, bedtime for Charlie, another PROPER workout, dinner for me, a bit of knitting and then bed.

See what I mean?

I have been working really hard on getting the fat percentage down. Although I really do look sleeker, minus clothing, it's not really reflected so much on the scales. Well, that's what I say, and then I remember I've lost 3 or 4% body fat and I have to remind myself that it's excellent results in just five weeks. My clothes feel and look so much better, although I still have a big wad of fat on my hips and my upper thigh has always been relatively chubby. So, keep going I must.

Measurements
Hips: 35 ( 37)
Arms: 10 6/8 (11)
Thighs: 21.5 (21.5)
waist: 28 (30.5)

Weight: 8st 7.5 (8st 12)
Fat: 27% (31%)

Exercise: 330 cals. A mixture of Joanna Hall and Hotpants
In brackets are the measurements of five weeks ago. As you can see, my thighs are the same. I'm not imagining it. So annoying. But on the plus side, my midriff has come in considerably (as have my hips) and I'm pleased about that. I'm sure that's due to the pilates stomach exercises in the Charlie Brooks dvd.

Food today:

shredded wheat (surprise again)
black grapes, pear and kiwi fruit
almonds and walnuts
spicy couscous and tuna
two cheesy Carr's biscuits
small packet of yoghurt-coated cranberries
some ham
adzuki bean chilli with brown and wild rice and raw baby sweetcorn. Yum.
red wine (it's the weekend)

2006-10-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

I'm Still Going Strong

Just wanted to let you know I'm still going strong with the fitness thing and have not lapsed into badness. In fact, I did 620 cals of exercise today.

Will start posting properly again, soon.

2006-09-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

Almost One Month

I started this one month ago on Monday 2nd October so I've chosen that day on which to take new measurements and post them here. We'll see if the hard work has paid off. Actually I know it has - I can feel it. But more of that later. Once again I can only fit in the basics today, and probably for the next few days as well:

Weight: 8st 7
Fat: 28%
Exercise: 390 cals Charlie Brooks

Food today:

porridge with full-fat milk (how delicious. I can't ruin it with skimmed)
almonds
dried apricots
romaine lettuce, tuna, houmous, red onion, olives, cucumber, tomatoes
1 chocolate finger
3 pints of water
1 cup of coffee
brown pasta and bolognese Loyd Grossman sauce (it's low in fat) with tuna mixed in
wine

Oh no, it's Nick's birthday tomorrow. Can I resist pigging out at some point over the weekend? I think I can.

2006-09-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

The Basics

Weight: 8st 6.5
Fat: 28% (it will go down) I must eat more, believe it or not
Exercise: 430 cals Charlie Brooks

Food today:

shredded wheat
kiwi fruit
romaine lettuce, olives, houmous etc
2 fajitas with chicken
glass of wine
3 pints of water
2 cups of coffee

2006-09-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Fab Workout

Today, having become just a little bored with rotating the same exercise DVDs all the time, I borrowed a copy of Charlie Brooks' Before and After Workout. I was so sure it would be rubbish that I didn't want to risk wasting my money on it. How wrong could I be!

This workout is a good one if you don't mind a few initially-challenging steps and working up a sweat. I enjoyed the first two parts so much I hadn't even realised I'd already burnt a pile of calories. Although the Davina Power of 3 is effective, you really know you're working hard right from the beginning, but with Charlie's it's enough fun and the steps are complicated enough to take your mind off the work. The "high intensity" bit nearly killed me though. I enjoyed that. No, really, I did. It was still fun. And I even liked the pilates cooldown. I don't even usually bother with a cooldown but this one is great for the stomach and not too hard for me. It's not your usual crunches and that's what I like. Another positive is the fact that Charlie looks so fantastic you just have no choice but to feel motivated, especially as there's some footage of her at the beginning of the dvd at the point where she's only just started on her fitness regime. The difference is quite startling. Go girl, go! Wonder if she still looks that good a year later...........

The downside is purely that I would probably expire if I did this every day, so I'll just do it several times a week, after all my heart rate was up to 182 bpm quite a lot of the time. Much higher than I'm told it should go for my age. But if I feel discomfort I do stop. I've done some fitness tests based on my resting heart rate and they have come out as excellent, so I probably shouldn't worry. Enough......On with the facts for today:

weight: 8st 8
Fat: 28% (I worked out today that almost all of the weight I've lost is fat and I'm very pleased)
Exercise: 440 cals Charlie Brooks

Food today:

shredded wheat with full fat milk as usual
ratatouille
green beans and a little brown pasta
roasted butternut squash & onions with rocket in balsamic vinegar & olive oil, chicken stir-fried with spices, roasted cherry tomatoes and green peppers
some figs

2006-09-26T05:02:00.000-07:00

Quick Ratatouille

couple of onions
couple of courgettes
an aubergine
a red pepper
a green pepper if you like
cherry tomatoes (I use a minimum of 250g)
tomato puree if, like me, you're cheating a bit
garlic

Use as little olive oil as you can (I'm naughty. I use two tbsp) to fry the onions and soften them up a bit. I use a heavy Le Creuset casserole dish for this. When the onions are looking a bit soft but not brown, add loads of crushed garlic. Give it a stir and then add your sliced courgettes (not too thinly sliced - you don't want them mushy), the diced aubergine, peppers and tomatoes (you can leave them whole) and bung the tight-fitting lid on after giving it a good stir. If once the veggies are tender, it doesn't seem tasty enough, throw in a bit of tomato puree. I know, Gordon wouldn't be pleased (oh, how I fancy Gordon), but never mind. I doubt I'll ever have the pleasure of his company.

The thing is, this is extremely quick to make and lovely and tasty and distinctly lacking in millions of calories. And of course, all the vegetables are nutritious (just add something for protein), though mine probably couldn't muster a single vitamin between them as I got them at Tesco and we all know how they produce their veg.........

Weight: 8st 7
Fat: still 28%
Exercise: 240 cals Hotpants

Food today:

shredded wheat
ratatouille with some tuna
black grapes
ham (it's bad; all those preservatives)
a few yoghurt-coated cranberries
chow mein
4 pints of water
1 cup of black coffee

2006-09-25T02:02:00.000-07:00

Another Reason to Avoid Sugar

Of course, we already know too much sugar is bad for us. Not just the sugar in chocolate and sweets but refined foods, such as white rice, pasta, bread etc. There has been evidence of a link between high sugar consumption and cancer for a while, but now researchers from Harvard may have figured out why this is and how to use it against the disease . The following is taken from Patrick Holford's 100% Health newsletter:

"Cancer spreads because cancer cells grow and take over neighbouring healthy cells, largely by cutting off their access to oxygen-carrying blood cells, thus starving them of oxygen. The cancer cells can revert to a simpler mode of survival, running off sugar, without the need for oxygen. Researchers from Harvard Medical School have now found that blocking this ability may be an effective anti-cancer therapy.

Of course, this revelation will be used to develop anti-cancer drugs, but the implication is that a high-sugar diet feeds cancer. The evidence already shows a strong link between sugar consumption and increased cancer risk. This may be the main mechanism behind it".

So many members of my extended family have died from one cancer or another (none of them were particularly young, as my doc pointed out) . You'd think that would be incentive enough to eat more fruit and veg etc. But no. I've eaten hardly any fruit recently. Must try harder. I like to come across the odd article here and there, just to remind me of the benefits of a healthy diet. I know it's ok to splurge every now and then, as long as my diet is mainly good. That's the bit I'm concerned with - the mainly good bit!

Weight: 8st 7.5
Fat: 28% (My weight is going down too fast in relation to the fat%. Must do more resistance work to keep my lean tissue)
Exercise: 305 cals Davina's Power of 3, plus extra free weights on top of that

Food today:

shredded wheat
black grapes
dried fig
cup of Alpro soya milk
spinach, cucumber, ham, houmous, red onion, tomatoes, olives (I do have other lunches planned for this week but can't stand wasting food)
salmon baked in fresh orange, soy sauce, garlic and spring onions, with boiled potatoes, carrots and green beans
5 pints of water
1 cup of black coffee

2006-09-23T01:04:00.000-07:00

Business as Usual

We had such a lovely day at the seaside. Starting off at West Wittering, where it was so windy (yet warm) that there was a mild sandstorm going on the whole time we were there. We were lucky with the weather, it being so warm and breezy. At 4 o clock-ish it started to look a bit stormy and we moved on to Brighton, where it just happened to be sunny still. What a beautiful evening. We all had a fabulous time. And I ate too much of all the wrong things, mostly because it's easier to find unhealthy food than light and healthy food. Still, for one day it doesn't matter. and I was back on course yesterday. (Yes, I actually wore a "kind-of" bikini, and it just goes to show that if you sit in such a way as to hide the rolls of nastiness, you might get away with it. Apart from the really white bod).

I think I'm going to have to incorporate more resistance work into my workout as that really helps to speed up the metabolism and burn fat.

Anyway...

Weight: 8st 9
Fat: 28%
Exercise: 300 cals Hotpants

Food today:

porridge oats with whole milk
ham, houmous, spinach, red oinion, olives, cucumber, tomatoes, sweetcorn
peas
brazil nuts
baked potato and chilli
wine

2006-09-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

Another Busy Day

I just have time to post my food for today......and tomorrow we're going to West Wittering and then Brighton for the day, so there may be nothing until Friday. I'll probably have some deliciously naughty things tomorrow, but not too many!

Weight: 8st 8.5
Fat: 28%

Exercise: 250 cals Hotpants

Food today (not too good, due to bad planning)

shredded wheat
120g packet of yoghurt-coated raspberries (not healthy)
a Carr's Cheese Melt
dried prunes
small packet of low-fat pretzels (disgusting)
chicken, roasted butternut squash and onion in balsamic vinegar dressing, with rocket, roasted cherry tomatoes and peppers
1 chocolate finger
lots of black grapes

2006-09-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

Motivation #1

This dress is a Karen Millen silk dress and I bought it with the intention of wearing it whenever I wanted, as opposed to just on special occasions. It fitted me (just) until I had Charlie and then....well, I can get it on but it looks pretty tight. Feels pretty restricting, too! So, every now and then (usually around midnight for some reason) I try it on, along with other hopefuls - there are quite a few in this gang - and it motivates me into action. I will wear it again, without looking like an overstuffed sausage.

Weight: 8st 8.5
Fat: 28%
Exercise: 460 cals Hotpants Workout and some resistance training using free weights. Later on: Cardio Box

Food today:

Shredded wheat (I know, a creature of habit)
brazil nuts
dried apricots
strawberries
wild and white rice, spinach, ham, houmous, cucumber, tomato, olives, red onion (have you noticed it's often a variation on a theme?)
chicken cooked with onion, chillis and spices, with thai salad and rice noodles
4 pints of water
2 cups of fresh black coffee (as usual)

2006-09-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

Chow Mein

Since I still don't have time to concoct a reasonably interesting entry, I'm providing the chow mein recipe, as mentioned recently:

Serves Two Quite Piggie People

2 blocks of medium egg noodles
bunch of spring onions ,cut into whatever size you like
a red pepper, whatever size pieces you like
some mushrooms, sliced (I use 250g chestnut mushrooms)
bag of beansprouts
some garlic (I use a whole bulb)
some sesame oil
some dark soy sauce

Cook your noodles. Rinse them in cold water immediately, to stop them cooking further and sticking together. Make the sauce by mixing 4 tbsp (yes, tablespoons) of soy sauce with 2tbsp of sesame oil (don't worry, sesame oil is good for you and a good proportion of it will be left behind in the wok, anyway). In olive oil, stir-fry your red pepper, mushrooms and spring onions until they're as you like them. MAKE SURE THERE IS NO EXCESS JUICE LEFT IN THE WOK ONCE THE VEGGIES ARE COOKED-DRAIN IT. Add the beansprouts and garlic and cook just long enough to get them warm, then add the noodles and the sauce and do the same again. Nick has his with spicy prawns. I have it as it is.

Food today:

shredded wheat
dried figs
dried apricots
black grapes
mackerel, spinach, red onion, cucumber, half an avocado, olives, sweetcorn,
chow mein
4 pints of water
1 cup of black coffee

Weight: 8st 9

Fat: 29%

Exercise: 200cals. squats and stomach. Can't really complain, as burning those 200 cals only took 30 mins, with no travelling time, unlike when I was a gym member. And 30 mins has got to be worth it.

2006-09-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

Weekend

Saturday Food:

shredded wheat
strawberries, plain
dried fig
watercress, baby spinach, ham, half an avocado, red onion, olives, cucumber, tomato
baked potato & chilli
2 pints of water
third of a bottle of wine

Sunday Food:

shredded wheat
strawberries
brazil nuts
dried figs
watercress, ham, houmous, onion, tomato, cucumber, olive
more olives
dried apricots
wild rice/white rice and chilli
wine
3 pints of water
1 cup of black coffee

Exercise: 400 cals, most of Hotpants and the weights and stomach bits of Davina

Weight: 8st 8.5

Fat: 29%

2006-09-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

Headache

It's another short post. I've had a headache for two days now, which I find extremely irritating, seeing as I'm being so healthy. It's all down to the tension in my neck, which is caused by all the little niggling worries at the back of my mind. Usually I have quite a symbiotic relationship with my Little Worries. I let them live with me and they in turn spur me into action (that should be scare me into action). But they must have got the better of me these last two days. Oh, how much I detest a headache! I did my Hotpants workout and some housework this morning, in the hope that the endorphins would banish the discomfort and it worked for about an hour. I'll get some root ginger this afternoon and make an infusion to drink. If that doesn't work, well ibuprofen is the last resort.

Sorry about this moaning.

Exercise: 300 cals Hotpants (plus another 100 for washing floors and the bathroom!)

Food today:

shredded wheat
ratatouille and chicken from yesterday (delicious it was, too)
huge apple from garden
brazil nuts
2 Carr's cheese melt crackers
1 cup of black coffee
3 pints of water
watercress salad with mackerel, new potatoes and various salad bits
2 dried figs
couple of glasses of wine

2006-09-14T01:16:00.000-07:00

PMT? What PMT?

Yes, this morning I suddenly realised that in the last few days I have not been Evil Incarnate. Usually - no, not always, but sometimes - I suffer so badly from PMT it's scary. It only lasts a day or two but the power of it is incredible. I am completely taken over by the PMT demon and am not myself at all. I won't go into the details and bore you silly, but it's bad. BUT this only happens when I'm eating badly and not exercising. Almost without fail, I don't suffer a single PMT symptom when I'm active and eating well. So, there's another reason to carry on (for the sake of my loved-ones, especially Nick!).

One day I will be better organised and outline all the reasons a good diet helps with PMT, but today I am too lazy.

Weight: 8st 9.5
Fat: 28%

Exercise: None

Food today:

two slices of wholegrain and cranberry bread, toasted and spread thinly with jam
brazil nuts
ham, spinach, red onion, olives, cucumber, houmous
chicken cooked in a tomato and mushroom sauce, with 50g brown pasta and lots of ratatouille

2006-09-13T05:57:00.000-07:00

Encouraging

Well, I started this mission ten days ago (just before I decided to blog it) and it has already made a difference, not so much on the scales, but enough for me (and Nick, this morning) to notice the difference in my jeans. I couldn't wear the jeans anymore because, although I could squeeze them on, they were uncomfortable and looked pretty bulgy. There's not a huge difference but it's enough to make a difference. And I haven't starved in the process. Just got to keep up the healthy eating and the exercise.

I can't seem to separate the healthy diet part from the exercise part. I know I've said so many times, but I'm an all-or-nothing sort of person and this is the area where it most shows. One of the reasons I sometimes put off the diet bit is the fact that I feel can't do it without exercising, and if I don't feel like committing myself to the exercise, I just can't be bothered with the healthy eating. I can see how ridiculous that is - after all, we should try to eat in a reasonably healthy way every day, regardless of any physical activity (even if it means having the odd treat so we don't feel too deprived). But unless I feel like doing both, I don't feel it's worth it. Talk about making it hard for myself! Especially when I know it's so illogical. Having said that, exercise is what makes all the difference. Not just in losing weight or building muscle, but in general health and feeling great, and not crap. Also, oxygenating your cells through exercise is excellent on the anti-aging front.

Weight: 8st 9
Fat 29%

Exercise: 350 cals Davina's Power of Three

Food today:

shredded wheat
tuna with houmous, spinach, olives, sweetcorn, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber
pear
1 Carr's cheese melt biscuit
prunes
5 pints of water
1 cup of black coffee
one big fajita (red, yellow and green peppers, onion, chicken, spices, olive oil, sprinkled with lime juice and wrapped in a wheatflour tortilla wrap)

2006-09-12T01:21:00.000-07:00

Even Quicker

I have a lot to do today, so it's just the basics.

Weight: 8st 9.5
Fat: 28%

Food:

Shredded wheat (surprise)
Two Carr's Cheese Melt crackers with houmous, some brazil nuts and some spicy couscous from yesterday
Home-made chowmein

Today's meals are not as balanced as usual (too many carbs and no quality protein). I went to visit my mum in Bletchley for a large chunk of the day, amongst other things.

Exercise: 170 cals. Davina Kick-boxing

2006-09-11T01:19:00.000-07:00

Quickie

As the title implies, it's a brief post today. Is it possible for the Princess to do this, you ask (you would have a point there).

This morning my weight is 8st 10 and fat, 29%. It does tend to go quite slowly when I'm doing it this way - not cutting back completely on all the oil and the oily foods. But this is okay, as long as the oil consumed is the right kind. In fact, it's better for you (well, maybe not if you drizzled oil over EVERYTHING). My fat % will go down and I won't have deprived myself too much in the process. However, note that I haven't eaten one biscuit/piece of cake/packet of crisps etc. etc.)

Food today:

Porridge with milk
dried ready to eat prunes
brazil nuts
houmous, spinach, red onion, olives, tomato, cucumber (got to use it all up)
salmon baked in soy and orange sauce (with spring onions, garlic, ginger), spicy couscous, rocket and various salad bits
3 pints of water
2 cups of black coffee
unless I say otherwise, our meals are home-made

Weight 8st 10

Fat 29%

Exercise: 330 cals Dan Karaty's Hotpants workout - 35mins (slipped that one in at 7:45 between putting Charles to bed and eating dinner). This is such a fantastic cardio workout I can feel rivulets of perspiration crawling down my neck as I type. Lovely.

2006-09-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

Altered State of Mind

Okay, I know it's only been less than a week since I started this, but already I'm seeing some benefit, though not the skinny kind. Whenever I buckle down and shift my focus to a healthy diet and some regular exercise, after a little time I suddenly realise that I haven't been my usual self - I mean the one that worries about contracting a life-threatening disease every five minutes. There are two reasons that a healthy regime has this effect on me:

I'm too busy thinking about eating and doing healthier things to concentrate on bad thoughts.
The very fact that the thing I'm concentrating on is a healthier way of living helps to reassure me that I'm perfectly healthy.

So there you are. Another good reason to "do the right things" lifestyle-wise. I'll still have a little coffee and wine, as I've found that if I don't, I find it more difficult to maintain.

Right, food today:

shredded wheat and milk
avocado, raw spinach, radish, red onion, olive, ham, houmous, tomatoes, cucumber (you may have noticed that my lunch is often a variation on a theme-it's cost efficient)
Thai salad (romaine lettuce, grated carrot, cucumber, sesame oil, olive oil, lime juice, red chilli, fish sauce) with glass noodles and chicken.
Third of a bottle of rose wine.
2 cups of black coffee
4 pints of water

Weight today 8st 9.5

Fat 30%

Exercise: 300 cals Dan Karate's Hotpants workout (a cardio killer!!!!).

2006-09-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

Magic Mirror

This is the mirror I exercise in front of. It's magic. It makes the viewer appear thinner by quite a bit. I must say, even though I know it's not the real Alice looking back at me, it's still quite motivating, if only because I know maybe I could look that trim!

I didn't weigh myself this morning, so no figures today. I'm eating a healthy lunch right now and I do have my evening meal planned but we're going out tonight (not a common occurrence), so who knows what might happen?

Food today:

Shredded wheat (yes, again)
mackerel, red onion, radishes, sweetcorn, tomatoes, cucumber, olives
chilli (home-made, with extra-lean beef mince) and a baked potato
a few brazil nuts
3 pints of water
2 cups of black coffee
wine. Qty to be determined

Exercise: 200 cals Davina's squats (hundreds of the things) and stomach exercises.

2006-09-08T00:56:00.000-07:00

Me in 2004

Here is a nice little photo of me looking chubby. This is the roundest I've ever been. Funny how the excess fat doesn't go on evenly all round. I mean, when I gain pounds (I'm about a stone heavier in this photo, than I am now) it mainly pads out my hips. Okay, I do look fatter all over but my body-shape is completely different when I'm fatter. When I lose some fat, my hips slim down much faster than my waist, for instance. I wonder what my body-shape would be if I got the fat % down to, say, 23%.

Anyway, this morning I weigh 8st 9.5. But my fat content is back up to 30%. This is normal, at least for me. I know the fat percentage will catch up, but only as long as I exercise enough and don't diet too much. I'm dismayed when my weight goes down and the fat% doesn't change. This is very bad news, as it means I'm losing lean tissue and not fat. Cripes.

Today is shopping day, which means that I'll have something quick for my dinner tonight (maybe even a jar of Loyd Grossman pasta sauce "convenience meal". I can't help it. It's my treat and one of my favourites. Tomato and basil or tomato and roasted garlic, or chilli. But there are much worse convenience meals). Or maybe I'll resist the temptation and just have salad and mackerel.

By the way, check out this mother and daughter. I'm not suggesting body-building is for everyone (not me, anyway), but I look at people like this for inspiration. If I remember rightly Kelly (the older one, who is over 70) didn't start training until she was in her fifties. Look what she's achieved. Surely I can achieve a fraction of that?

Weight 8st 9.5

Fat 30%

Exercise 410cals (320 cals Davina's Cardio Box and Upper Body workout with weights and 1 minute cardio intervals, plus 90cals vigorous hoovering session whilst haer-rate still up - it's more effective).

Food today:

shredded wheat and milk (yes, my breakfasts are repetetive)
dried apricots and some olives (running out of food)
adzuki bean chilli
blackcurrants
tiny bag of yoghurt-coated cranberries
loyd Grossman bolognese sauce (much lower fat than his others) and brown pasta.
Brazil nuts
third of a bottle of Jacob's Creek Shiraz Rose
4 pints of water
2 cups of black coffee

Note: I have posted this in advance of the actual eating of it. I will amend it if it deviates from the plan.

2006-09-07T00:59:00.000-07:00

Ouch!

Well, I still can't do any exercise, since I can barely walk. I don't have an injury, I just ache. That Davina workout is so good (and I have tried a few). It really does work if you put the effort in, but my inner-thighs and my bottom and the back of my legs are so sore, I was aware every time I moved in my sleep. That is how much my fitness has slipped since February. I'd been doing Davina's two DVD's for three months almost every day and had no problem doing that. I know that the next time I workout (maybe tomorrow) the aching will be less that time. Fitness and stamina do improve pretty quickly.

Anyway, reasons the Davina Power of Three DVD is so good:

It's not namby-pamby dancing.
It's a no-nonsense workout that gets straight to the point with no messing about.
It's hard work and really is good for stamina.
You don't need a lot of room to do it.
It incorporates free-weights. Resistance training is a very important part of exercising.
There are hundreds of squats in this workout, but there are lots of variations, so they're not boring.
The stomach section is good. I hate stomach exercises but there aren't so many in this that it's beyond me. But there are enough to make a difference.
It really gets your heart-rate up with intervals of cardio throughout.
I like Davina.

If I don't feel like doing the whole of the Power of Three workout, I'll do the cardio-box from Davina's 30 minute workout DVD. Now, that is fun! Lots of springing about and kicking out and punching. It's very upbeat and burns about 170 cals (as opposed to the 350 or so for the Power of Three).

Now is the time to apologise for the artistic quality of my photos on this blog. I haven't been worrying too much about presentation, in favour of just posting a pic of something as it is. So, please excuse spills, cutlery, and general lack of effort!

Weight today 8st 11

Fat 29%

Food consumed:

shredded wheat with a little milk
spicy couscous with spinach
almonds
some peas
butternut squash roasted with onion, in balsmaic vinegar & olive oil, chicken with hot chilli coating, roasted punnet of cherry tomatoes and green and yellow pepper
4 pints of wtar
1 cup of black coffee

No fruit today, as I've run out and it's shopping day tomorrow.

Recipe for Spicy Couscous

Bunch of spring onions, red or yellow pepper, 1tsp each of cumin, coriander and paprika. Generous pinch of saffron. 225g of couscous. 350ml of stock (I use chicken stock from a cube). A few cloves of garlic.

Stir and fry the crushed garlic, coriander, cumin and paprika in just a little olive oil for a minute (but don't burn the garlic!). Add the stock, saffron, chopped spring onions and chopped pepper. Heat until it comes to the boil and then pour in the couscous. Give it a good stir. Take it off the heat and put a tight lid on it. After 5 minutes or so, stir it and it's ready! You can squeeze some lime juice on, or add pine nuts or whatever. I'm not afraid of adding a little more oil, myself. I don't really count calories but I like to have some idea of how much of something I can eat without being a piggy-wig. Cooked using 15ml of oil, there are about 1000cals in this recipe. The weight of the whole lot, cooked, is around 750g. A portion of about 200g is approx 280cals (ish). When on a diet you must consume enough calories to stop your metabolism from slowing down. You must eat enough.

Yum yum yum.

2006-09-06T00:15:00.000-07:00

Way Back When

On this new blog I will try to post my current weight and fat% every day, together my my daily food consumption. Sometimes I may choose to ramble on about something relevant (even if only tenuously relevant).

I was thinking the other day about my eating habits back in my late teens and early to mid twenties. As a child, of course I was taught about the vitamins, and fat, protein and carbohydrate. I knew their roles vaguely but nobody ever stressed the importance of nutrition or the effect it has on your health, beneficial or otherwise.

By my late teens I was working. Nobody was cooking me a main meal at home, so I used to grab a salad sandwich (I really do mean: white bread, cucumber and tomato-that's it) and revel in the fact that, since the only thing I'd had for lunch was a mug of hot chocolate (for energy), I should be really nice and skinny soon. In fact, I only weighed about 7st as it was. There were days when I just could not be bothered to stand up, I was so lacking in energy and I remember wondering why I'd feel so drained all the time. Surely I wasn't supposed to live my life feeling so terrible? I honestly did not know it was due to my eating habits.

The years passed and I bought a house and became interested in cooking more than hot chocolate and my eating improved slightly, though in a erratic manner. My weight was always around 7.5 st in my mid twenties.

Then I picked up a book called "Food-Your Miracle Medicine", by Jean Carper and it was an epiphany for me. As I turned the pages I couldn't believe what I was reading, and how exciting it was - that food could have such a curative effect on the body, and affect your hormones, physical and mental health, ageing, and the list goes on. From that day on I was much more aware of the food I ate and how lacking my nutrition had been for years. It's a subject I still find fascinating.

Now I sometimes wonder at how I treated my body. After all, what can be more important than good health? And it's a fact that everything we do over the years has a cumulative effect on our bodies, so who knows how much harm is done through the failure to educate children properly.

Disclaimer: Sometimes, when I'm feeling a bit devil-may-care, I will eat crappy food for a few weeks (I mean that as well as the good food, I'll eat biscuits, vanilla ice-cream, crisps, buttered toast with jam etc) , knowing all the time how bad it is for me. But the good always wins over in the end.

I started to learn anatomy and physiology a few years ago, so I could go on to learn nutrition and
one day be a clinical nutritionist but I have no willpower when it comes to home-study and gave-in (my OH still reminds me, as it cost A LOT).

shredded wheat with a small amount of full-fat milk
walnuts
raw spinach, ham, houmous, cucumber, tomatoes, olives
2 cups of black coffee
4 pints of water
naturally-dried apricots
adzuki bean chilli (adzuki beans, red pepper, carrots, stock, tomatoes, tomato puree, onions, garlic, cumin, coriander, chilli powder) and brown rice with rocket

weight today 8st 11 (123lbs)
Fat 29%

Suddenly my fat percentage is 29%, and not 30%. My previous 30% reading must have been borderline with 29% and not 31% as I'd assumed.

BTW There may not be any exercise for a couple of days, since my inner-thighs, front and back of thigh, chest, arms etc...are ACHING LIKE CRAZY from my Davina workout. I only did two thirds of each exercise, trying to avoid too much aching. Ha! After a few times I'll be able to do it more often. But I'll start off slowly.

2006-09-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

An Explanation

1. I have been feeling terrible lately. Really, I have. Most people are only aware of how good they usually feel, once they feel ill! Not me. I know I usually feel great and I am not often worn out. I might be a bit sleepy-tired, but not exhausted physically and mentally.

2. I have too much fat on the outside; it follows that I must also have too much fat on the inside, as well. This is not good. My body fat percentage is 30 or 31% at present and that is not healthy.
3. My clothes do not fit well. This is uncomfortable and annoying. It means I'm wearing a small percentage of the clothes I own. I am bored with the clothes I am wearing. I could squeeze into the others, but would look and feel horrid.

4. A high percentage of body fat is ageing. This is very bad. Apart from all the other facts I could throw at you, just get this........did you know that eating too much sugar is one of the best ways to age your skin? Sugar attaches itself to the proteins in our collagen (the stuff that makes our skin elastic) and causes them to become stiff and inflexible, thereby causing wrinkles and sagging (a very simplified explanation). It's true. And, of course, a diet too high in sugar and fat is going to make you...fat.

Right. All the above reasons are why I've decided to document this journey (if you're wonderimg why make such a big deal of losing ten pounds, I'll tell you: it's not that difficult to lose ten pounds, but it's harder to lose ten pounds of fat. And ten pounds of fat makes a huge difference for a person of 5ft 2). My aim is to lose 7 or 8% of body fat, and be 23% and 8st 2 (I've done my calculations). I'm only 5ft 2, so it's not skinny. I don't want to be skinny and if it starts looking like 8st 2 is going to make me look unhealthy, I will alter that target. Skinny is not my aim. Healthy and fit is. And I certainly don't want to look skinny whilst having a high body-fat percentage, like lots of skinny people. So, the aim is to lose body fat and not lean tissue, which is where exercise is so important.

I am not going to fastidiously eat the correct proprtions of fat, carbohydrate and protein, as I did before. It was very time-consuming and took over. I had to find out how many grams of protein, fat and carbs there were in everything I ate, and then convert it to the number of calories, and then enter it into an excel chart, which calculated the percentage of calories obtained from fat, protein and carbs. Then I realised that, since I'm not into competitive body-building, it was a bit over the top. Nevertheless, there are some useful lessons I learnt, such as: don't go crazy on too many carbs, eat some good protein every day, get enough fat (good fat) and try not to go for more than about three hours without eating, to keep the metabolism working.

The best e-books for inspiration are Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat, and Jon Benson's Fit Over Forty. My favourite clinical nutritionist is Patrick Holford. No, I'm not going to go crazy. Just sensible. I found that if I eat sensibly and work out a bit on most days (including some resistance training), it works. And the best thing is the energy. Oh, and the fact that you don't have to go to a gym. Do it at home.

Vital statistics:
2004 (this is scary)
fat 34%
weight 9st 8
Hips 39"
waist 34" (get that!)
Arms 12"
Thighs 22"

New Year's Eve 2005
Weight 8st 10
Fat 28%
hips 36"
waist 29"
Thighs 21.5"

Today
weight 8st 12
fat 31%
thighs 21.5"
hips 37"
waist 30.5"
arms 11"

As you can see, some of today's measurements are not that different to the December ones. Do not be fooled. My body has a higher percentage of fat and the eye can really see that, even though the measurements are similar.

Exercise Today
First two parts of Davina's Power of Three video (legs and then upper body). A run around the garden (pushing Charles on his trike).
Cals used: 400 I can tell, as I have a Polar heart-rate monitor.

millet porridge cooked with lemon zest and cinnamon
blackberries
lots of raw spinach, red onion, chilli mackerel, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, sweetcorn (no sugar or salt added)
red seedless grapes
4 pints of water
2 cups of fresh coffee
some naturally dried apricots
home-made chowmein (yellow & green peppers, mushrooms, beansprouts, spring onions, egg noodles, loads of garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil). Will post recipe one day soon.