Day Seventeen: Recovery!!!

Today is day 17, out of 35. That means I am halfway there! I will do my measurements tonight as I do feel that I've lost a little more than just weight. I am stuck on 58.5 though!!! Why why why… it looks like I will have to put a LOT of effort in over the next 2.5 weeks to lost 3.5kgs - can it be done? I am tired all the time and I think that could be an iron deficiency. Next week is going to be really difficult as I experience quite painful menstruation and I can't bear to go to the gym with a tummy that feels like lead (resistance training is fine). I'll have to get as much cardio in now before it starts - AND organise some iron supplements - if I'm low now I'll be anaemic next week. I recovered really well from my slump - went and did my cardio workout last night, then my resistance this morning so I am back to feeling really positive about myself. That alone will encourage me to stick to my diet as I don't want to undo all my hard work! Barbara Lee I'd love to see what you put together for your diet this week (poor thing was waiting on me to post mine and I didn't get around to it)! Uh oh - check out this article, have they been reading my blog haha: Christmas diet fads don't work Which reminds me, I do need to find a way to work this into my everyday life, so that the weight doesn't pile back on after Xmas... anyone want to join me in the healthy-for-the-rest-of-your-life challenge?

Day Twelve: BAD

I managed to believe many excuses that I made myself today. 1) I can't actually remember what the first excuse was, but it enabled me to ignore my gym plans this morning. 2) I had french toast for breakfast. Not on the menu. 3) I had a panini for lunch. Not on the menu either. 4) I had 2 glasses of vino after work with the gals and have a bottle to share with the boyfriend now... with dinner that is not on the menu either! I think I have officially gone off the rails!

Yes! A small triumph!

So I get back from the gym, to make my lunch, which I have remembered to actually bring today (!!) and I discover I have cheese in the work fridge! Not just a little bit either - a pack of processed cheese AND grated parmesan.

My nemesis!!!

What do I do? Mmmm eat it! No! Give it away... mmm eat it. No! Give it away! So this goes on for a little while in my head before I make the bold decision of giving it away.

That felt so GOOD! Because I did it just for me, and I ignored my inner voice (the bad one) which is usually the undoing of me.

Now I know that I CAN do this, I feel really positive!

My food weaknesses

The good thing about this 5 week burst is when I am craving cheese, and my sweet tooth is screaming - I can tell myself it's only 5 weeks. Now that's not strictly true - as I hope to continue a healthy lifestyle after the 5 weeks are up (I'll have to or all the weight will pile back on in no time)! But mentally I need to tell myself something so I can deal with my cravings. I LOVE CHEESE. If it's in the fridge and I see it, I almost go into a zombie-like trance and before I even realise it I am devouring it. So there will be no cheese in the fridge in the next 5 weeks - I just can't expose myself to it! I have added cottage cheese to my diet so that I am not completely denying myself - as I do believe you need some moderation to ward off bingeing. My other craving seems to be sweet food, mid afternoon. In my workplace there is always plenty of it too! So I need to be very, very strong. To combat this I have added an apple in the afternoon - it has some semblance of sweetness - and a carrot to occupy me as I know I'll still be thinking about the chocolate biscuits! I'm also going to write down how I am feeling when I am really struggling. So that I can address it at the time and not just give in, which I so often do. I also get ravenous when I am premenstrual! And I mean ravenous. So I will up the carrot/apple intake when that happens and add a little bit extra to my diet that day as you do actually need a little more when you are like that.