I’ve been working pretty hard recently to shift those last 10lbs of baby weight. I don’t like to exercise, I like deep fried stuff and I drink too much wine. Admittedly it’s not the best recipe for weightloss, but I’m persevering with a lot of powerwalking when I go shopping.
During pregnancy I put on three and a half stone. Three of them have been banished but the last 7lbs are proving to be pretty stubborn. My mummy jelly belly is still well and truly in residence and I’ve come to the conclusion that I am slightly wheat intolerant; there ain’t nothing like my post-pizza bloat. Which is a shame, because I bloody love sandwiches, toast, pasta, cakes…
I came up with some rules that I wanted to adhere to in order to become healthier, and hopefully slightly smaller-of-tum:
– Drink lots of water
– Eat lots of salad
– Don’t eat white bread, pizza or pasta (or refined carbs in general)
– Stay away from deep fried stuff, cheese (esp. deep fried cheese) and chocolate HobNobs
– Eat three meals a day
– Allow myself the odd treat and make sure I still enjoy my meals (do not want to lose the will to eat)
I’ve started keeping a weekly visual food diary which has really helped me stop and think about what I eat on a day-to-day basis. What would stop me eating three chocolate HobNobs for breakfast other than having to share that fact with the internet?
The first installment is a little odd as there were two days of stomach bug when I didn’t eat or drink anything but water (and briefly lost 4lbs), the day of CyberMummy when I was so busy looking for food I devoured it as soon as I found it, and then there is the small matter of that Burger King I forgot to photograph. There have also been occasions when I’ve tucked into my dinner, completely forgetting to take a picture, so all you get are my leftovers. Soz!
(L-R: DINNER: Lamb, sweet potato, broad beans and peas, caramalized shallots. BREAKFAST: toast and butter. LUNCH: Avocado and tomato salad with balsamic syrup dressing. DINNER: Roast sweet potatoes, mushrooms and salad. BREAKFAST: toast and jam. LUNCH: Pastrami and chutney salad with gherkins)
(L-R: Breakfast: Weetabix. LUNCH: Tomato and Onion omelette, avocado salad. DINNER: Lamb Koftes. SNACK: Elfie’s leftovers. DINNER: Gammon with peas and parsley sauce and rosemary roasted new potatoes. DINNER: Steak with homemade french fries, salad and roast tomatoes and onions)
(L-R: LUNCH: (pub) Starter – Smoked Salmon and prawn parcel (1970s style!), Main – Beer battered fish and chips. LUNCH: Cottage cheese with pineapple, cheddar biscuits, cherry tomatoes. DINNER: Smoked Salmon and avocado salad with greek yoghurt. LUNCH: (Cafe Rouge) Starter – Chicken Liver Pate, Main – Spicy Sausage baguette with french fries)
I haven’t missed as many breakfasts as it looks here: a lot of the time I tend to grab a banana whilst Elfie’s eating her toast or Weetabix. Obviously my ‘no refined carbs’ rule isn’t going as well as it could, must try harder in that respect, and I’m amazed that I’ve had two portions of french fries (erm, actually four if you count that burger king and then the cheeseburger I had at The Hoxton on the night of CyberMummy) in a week! Bad. I eat a lot of salad though, huh? +1 diet point for me.
I will note here that it’s a good thing my wine and Pimms consumption has not been photographed. Nobody’s internet connection is tough enough for all the photos that would necessitate.
On the whole, I’d say Diet: 1, Alice: 0. So next week: less white bread. Less fries. Less wine.
I want to lose a few subbon lbs too, my problem is i get a free cooked lunch at work then come home to Josh expecting a proper dinner too, so i’m eating two big meals a day. I also fall into a coma without mid-afternoon peanut butter on toast. hmm.
I am still super jealous of your work lunches – I found it really hard freelancing around the corner from BLT because their lunchtime wraps are just out of this world!! Have you tried that new Thai street kitchen on Leonard St? They do the most to-die-for chicken satay, peanut meat yum yum yummm!
no i haven’t, but Josh ordered lunch for his whole office from there (they get a Friday lunch budget, oh Shoreditch) and said it was brilliant, i will give it a go when the Poke lunch is crap ;)
Do, I can’t stop thinking about that satay sauce and had to order a vat of it this evening with my chinese (which I now totally regret…)
My local Thai does an amazing crispy tofu with satay sauce, mmmm
Loving the new blog, range of topics and regularity. You mentioned agesssss ago that you’d lost lots of weight before I think?? Tell us how you did that.
Thanks Zoe!
I will write a post about my weightloss – hope it will help you.
Ugh. My weight is making me miserable at the moment. I lost over 5 stone last year. Was 6lbs away from my target. Now I’m about 26lbs away. I blame buying my own house and having noone to judge me for eating takeaways. Once I get back from holiday I WILL do it. I will.
Those photos made me hungry. Damn you!
I agree, it’s so hard to lose weight when you don’t have anyone watching you. That’s why I like eating at the same time as Will as I can be completely holier-than-thou about it…
At first I thougth a visual diary was greta idea and then I looked at yours and now I am super hungry, think it is a no go for me..
Good luck with those last few lbs.
Mich x
Thanks Michelle! It is a great idea for looking back on and thingking ‘oh my goodness, I ate HOW many chips??!’
I have more than a ‘few’ stubborn lbs and am literally at my wits end. I may have to copy your idea of a visual diary. I’m sure once I see how much bread I actually consume per week I’ll think twice about my next slice of toast!
Brilliant post!
urrrghh… but bread is soooo good. I might try wheat-free bread and see if that makes a difference (suspect it may taste awful).
I’m trying out the Dukan diet…. not going as well as I’d hoped though… Good luck!
Diets are sooooo hard to stick to…