Not so Low Carb - The Joy Of Porridge

Well I have made a new discovery and that is porridge. Not that I haven't eaten it in the past, but now it feels like a real find and I am loving it.

I have been on this restricted calorie programme (1200 calories a day) since 3rd of March and great news, it has helped me blast through my weight plateau and I have lost 4.6 kgs over the past four weeks! But one of the downsides is that I have been feeling quite tired, especially at the gym. Getting through my cardio and weight workouts has been somewhat of a struggle. I guess because of the limited calories and the fact that I don't or didn't eat any complex carbohydrates. So, I decided, why not try porridge for breakfast and see if, like other carbs, it adversely affects my weight loss. I know oats are low GI and therefore slow release energy, they are good for lowering cholesterol, keeping blood pressure normal and for fibre. So there is a lot going for them. Anyway, I have had porridge for breakfast the last 3 days and not only has it tasted great and filled me up, but it has not stopped my weight loss and it has given me energy to take me right through to lunch time. So I think this is a keeper, at least for the time being anyway.

And, on this food thread, the other thing I discovered for myself as a sweet treat, is steamed apple with raisins and cinnamon, served with low fat natural yoghurt. It tastes sweet and delicious, a bit like apple crumble (without the crumble), and it really fills those sweet cravings when you could just eat a pudding or icecream or chocolate. Plus it is incredibly low in calories. I guess this low calorie thing has made me more creative when it comes to food, it makes me think harder about what I can and can't eat and a lot of the time I really enjoy it.

I don't see myself as being on a diet, I see this as a new and healthier way of eating full stop. I will increase my calories back up to about 1500 at some point, but beyond that I am not going to go back to a high carb diet ever. I am going to keep on with this even after I get to my goal weight because for me it is healthy and good and I have learnt to enjoy it. And that feels great.

LMN

1200 Calories a Day

So I am down to 1200 calories a day which is not the easiest thing in the world, but it is working. For a long time I was eating 1500 calories a day, low carb, high protein (but low fat), and exercising daily and losing weight. But then at the start of this year my weight plateaued, and plateaued and plateaued...

Despite going to the gym every day for an hour - doing cardio and weight resistance training - as well as sticking to my 1500 calories, writing everything in a food diary and avoiding pretty much all carbs, I still couldn't lose a jot of weight. So what was I to do? I had lost over 5 stone, but I didn't want to stop there as it still felt a way off being normal, at least to me.

Therefore, after discussing things with a trainer at the gym I embarked on a 1200 calorie a day diet. This involves a lot of discipline and commitment. Every little thing down to a spoonful of dried herbs has to be calculated calorie wise to ensure I don't go over. Mostly I don't feel hungry because I choose my meals wisely to ensure I can fill up. Which means I eat a lot of salad, soup and the like. But occasionally, like right now I do feel a need (well desire) to eat loads, preferably sweet or heavy things - chocolate, bread, pasta all spring to mind, especially at Easter and when it is cold. Snow in London in April?! But I am not giving in to the temptation of the sweets and carbs. I am resisting, because my desire to be a normal weight and to look after myself and my health is a lot stronger (and thank goodness for that).

The only treat I did give myself was 2 hot cross buns with butter on Good Friday (yes butter! first time in months). This left me with very few calories that day but it was so worth it because I enjoyed every morsel and I had been looking forward to them for weeks. Small things can give the biggest pleasures! But that was it and I did work extra hard and a bit longer at the gym that day.

Overall though, I am not often tempted to stray because the 1200 calorie diet along with my daily gym workouts has got things working again. Since the 3rd of March I have lost over 3 kgs and my end goal is really starting to feel within reach. Soon I will have less than 3 stone left to lose and that feels so achievable when I think about where I have come from. Plus I love the sense of achievement. I really enjoy stepping on the scales and seeing a change. Even when it is only slight. I realise this is a slight form of addiction in itself but fortunately I have learnt not to beat myself up when the weight doesn't shift, providing I have been doing everything I should be doing. I guess I just feel empowered as I see my weight getting closer and closer to normal. It is the one area of my life that I felt I could not control and now I am finally taking charge and it is working. It makes me feel that if I can get there with my weight, anything is possible. And that is an amazing feeling. So every day as I inch closer to the end goal, I am filled with more hope and more positivity for the future.

Little Miss Normal