This is the fourth article of my Weight Loss Journey. You can read the previous posts by clicking here
Do What Works For You!
When friends and family and even those who scarcely know you, hear that you are trying to lose weight, everyone is an expert on diet, exercise and how to reduce stress.
Even the internet can read your mind. Suddenly your social media is full of adverts of what you should eat, what pills you should take and how much you exercise and what exercises you should be doing.
The most gross advert that regularly pops up on my YouTube feed is an anorexic looking woman who informs you that we all have between 10 and 15 pounds (5 - 7 kg) of poop at anytime in our bodies. She even advised how you should poop. Sit forward or lean back. I kid you not. So if I just poop more each day, will I permanently lose 7kg? Personally I do not like having diarrhoea so I have not followed up that option.
Intermittent fasting is popular with many folk now. Don’t eat until 11 am they say. This does not work for me. I am a morning person and my morning routine is sacred. Dave calls me “a warrelwind” the Afrikaans expression for a whirlwind. I can move mountains in the first few hours of the day but I always need an afternoon nap.
Having breakfast between 6 and 7.30 am is non-negotiable for me.
I know that apart from my morning routine, I tend to be random and if I was serious about losing weight, I had to make it sustainable for me. I can’t be bothered to count calories or weigh my food or stick to certain recipes and foods.
I also didn’t want to have to eat separately from Dave. His passion is cooking and I had to find the balance between eating more healthily without imposing my diet on him. Dave has been diabetic for many years and he deals with it in his own way. I know that forcing my choices on him would not work.
What changes did I make?
Early Morning
Tea or coffee only. No Rusks
Breakfast
The only change I made was to leave out the 2 slices of toast
Mid-morning and mid-afternoon
Tea or coffee - no treats
Lunch
No real change. It is the only bread / roll I have for the day but I try and add salad as well. No chocolate or treats.
Dinner
No real change here, except smaller portions and no pudding or treats. If we order take aways I tried to opt for healthier options. No chocolate before going to sleep.
I was surprised at how easy I found it to cut the rubbish and between meals snacking. If I found myself particularly hungry, a handful of roasted mixed nuts tided me over.
Exercise
The prospect of going to a gym was a step too far. I am self-concious about my weight and my lack of co-ordination.
I also don't have the discipline to do the same thing every day at the same time.
I had been give a smart watch a few months before I started my new lifestyle. I set myself a goal of 5000 steps a day which wasn’t too onerous. We live in a very pretty suburb and I got back into walking outside our village and I soon began to feel stronger and less breathless.
Chair Yoga came up frequently on my phone feeds and I found it was relatively simple to do while waiting for the kettle to boil or while I was taking a break from my phone. Typically me, I didn't have a suitable chair so I did these exercises standing, lying on my bed or while in the bath.
I have a 2 year old toddler who is very busy and when I visit him, he rides his little bike and I walk around and around his complex while he entertains "gannie".
On 4 August 2024 I weighed 85.3kg.
In my next post I will share some unexpected consequences of losing weight.
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