I've had to re-think my diet strategy because by eating 1350 calories a day, I just wasn't losing any weight. I've had a few weeks of testing things out and have finally settled on a weekday calorie intake of 1000 and 1250 calories for the weekend.
I tried and tested this over the past week (which would be week 3 of my diet) and lost 2 lbs. The week before I floated between putting on one pound and maintaining my weight.
I put it down to the following factors:
1. I'm the wrong side of 40
2. I'm 5 foot 1 inches tall
3. I have a...erm...sedentary lifestyle
So I am starting my diary again at Week 3:
Week Three -weight loss = 2 lbs
Total weight loss so far = 3 lbs
Weight = 10 st 7 lbs
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Weekly weigh in - week one
I am happy to announce that after week one I have lost 1lb. Ok a small amount, but on friday it was my daughter's 17th birthday and I made chocolate cake. I also ate chocolate cake.
A big pat on the back for me for still losing weight. I am motivated to continue my 1350 calories a day diet for next week.
Week one - weight loss = 1 lb
Total weight loss so far = 1 lb
Weight = 10 st 9 lb
A big pat on the back for me for still losing weight. I am motivated to continue my 1350 calories a day diet for next week.
Week one - weight loss = 1 lb
Total weight loss so far = 1 lb
Weight = 10 st 9 lb
Thursday, 1 March 2012
The Calories in Fruit
If you want something sweet whilst you're on your 1350 calories a day diet, you will probably think of fruit instead of chocolate. Fruit can be a great addition to your diet, but some fruits can pack in extra calories, so pick wisely.
I've drawn up a list of the calories in fruit. The first list is for an average sized fruit, the second list gives you a portion size based on 28 grams or 1 ounce.
I've drawn up a list of the calories in fruit. The first list is for an average sized fruit, the second list gives you a portion size based on 28 grams or 1 ounce.
Calories listed are based on one average sized fruit:
Apple, cooking 75
Apple, eating 60
Avocado 190
Banana 95
Black Olive 3
Black Olive 3
Figs (fresh) 15
Kiwi fruit 35
Mango 110
Black Olive 3
Green stuffed Olive 5
Mango 110 Orange 50
Passionfruit 7
Pear 50
Plum 18
Pomegranate 60
Satsuma 20
Tangerine 20
Ugli Fruit 100
Here is a list of the calories in a portion of fruit:
Calories are based on a 28 gram / 1 oz portion:
Apple, flesh only 13
Apple, with skin and core 12
Apple, cooking 10
Apple, cooking, baked in skin 9
Apple, stewed, no sugar 9
Apple, dried rings 70
Apricots, canned in syrup 18
Apricot, dried 53
Apricots, fresh, with stones 8
Apricots, semi-dried 45
Apricots, stewed, no sugar 8
Avocado, flesh only 54
Banana, dried chips 146
Banana, flesh and skin 18
Banana, flesh only 26
Bilberries, 9
Blackberries 7
Blackberries, stewed, no sugar 6
Blackcurrants, fresh 8
Blueberries, 18
Carambola (Star Fruit) 9
Cherries 11
Cherries, stewed, no sugar 10
Cranberries, 5
Currants, 82
Damsons, 10
Damson, stewed, no sugar, 10
Dates, dried, with stones, 65
Dates, dried, without stones, 77
Dates, fresh, with stone, 31
Figs, dried, 65
Figs, dried, stewed, no sugar, 36
Figs, fresh, 12
Fruit Cocktail, canned in juice, 8
Fruit Cocktail, canned in syrup, 16
Gooseberries, cooking 5
Gooseberries, dessert, 10
Gooseberries, stewed, no sugar, 5Grapefruit, flesh only, 9
Grapefruit, fresh, half, 30Grapes, red or green, 16
Greengages, fresh, 11Greengages, stewed, no sugar, 10
Guavas, canned in syrup, 17Guavas, fresh, 7
Kiwi fruit, 12Kumquats, canned in syrup, 39
Kumquats, fresh, 12Lemon, flesh only, 4
Lime, flesh only, 2Loganberries, canned in juice, 29
Loganberries, stewed, no sugar, 4Lychees, canned in syrup, 19
Lychees, flesh only, 17Mandarins, canned in juice, 9
Mandarins, canned in syrup, 15
Mango, canned in syrup, 22
Mango, dried, 100Mango, flesh only, 16
Mangosteen, flesh only, 21Medlars, flesh only, 12
Melon, cantaloupe, flesh only, 5Melon, cantaloupe, with skin, 4
Melon, galia, flesh only, 7Melon, galia, with skin, 5
Melon, honeydew, flesh only, 8Melon, honeydew, with skin, 5
Melon, ogen, flesh only, 8
Melon, ogen, with skin, 5
Mulberries, fresh, 10Nectarine, flesh only, 11
Nectarine, with stone, 10Olives, green, with stone, 22
Olives, green, without stone, 30Oranges, canned in juice, 9
Oranges, flesh only, 11Oranges, with skin, 7
Papaya, canned in juice, 19Papaya, flesh only, 10
Papaya, with skin and pips, 8Passionfruit, flesh and seeds only, 10
Peaches, canned in juice, 11Peaches, canned in syrup, 16
Peaches, dried, 63Peaches, flesh only, 9
Peaches, with stone, 8Pears, canned in juice, 9
Pears, canned in syrup, 14Pears, dried, 59
Pears, flesh only, 12Pears, stewed, no sugar, 10
Pears, with skin and core, 10Pineapple, canned in juice, 13
Pineapple, canned in syrup, 18Pineapple, dried, 79
Pineapple, flesh only, 12Pineapple, in juice, one ring, 20
Pineapple, in syrup, one ring, 30Plums, canned in syrup, 17
Plums, stewed, no sugar, 8Plums, with stones, 10
Prickly pears, 14Prunes, canned in juice, 23
Prunes, canned in syrup, 26Prunes, no stones, 46
Prunes, semi dried, no stones, 40Prunes, stewed, no sugar, 23
Prunes, with stones, 38Quinces, flesh only, 7
Raisins, 78Rambutan, flesh only, 20
Raspberries, canned in syrup, 25Raspberries, fresh or frozen, 7
Raspberries, stewed, no sugar, 7Redcurrants, 6
Redcurrants, stewed, no sugar, 5Rhubarb, 2
Rhubarb, canned in syrup, 9Rhubarb, stewed, no sugar, 2
Sharon fruit, 21Star fruit (carambola), 9
Strawberries, 8Strawberries, canned in syrup, 19
Strawberries, frozen, 9Sultanas, 79
Watermelon, flesh only, 9Watermelon, with skin and pips, 5
Whitecurrants, 7Whitecurrants, stewed, no sugar, 6
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
The Rapid Recovery of Roza
My 1350 calorie diet is going to plan. I am half way through my week and hoping to have lost at least 2 lbs by Saturday.
Roza has also perked up considerably. Donald has agreed that she can take the sideboard (!) and the wireless (!) when she moves out. She's 45, you know.
I wanted to discuss it further, but Sam was busy. A busy Sam is a snappy Sam.
Tomorrow I will dig further.
Roza has also perked up considerably. Donald has agreed that she can take the sideboard (!) and the wireless (!) when she moves out. She's 45, you know.
I wanted to discuss it further, but Sam was busy. A busy Sam is a snappy Sam.
Tomorrow I will dig further.
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Working week and the 1350 calorie diet
Monday has come round and I'm back at work. I got in some exercise because my employer has decided to remove all the car park spaces around the offices, stick in yellow lines and hire a team of burly clampers to fine us employees fifty quid and wheelclamp our vehicle if we dare to disobey. For those of us foolhardy enough to bring in our vehicles, we can park a 15 minute walk away (on the other side of campus) and hoof it.
This is good exercise for a fatty bum bum like me. It takes me roughly 15 minutes to drive to the campus gates from home, 10 minutes to drive around the one way system on campus, get stuck behind the plethora of ruddy bikes and battle with blood boiling pedestrians that think its a god-given right to wander across the road without a thought, and 15 minutes to walk from my car to the office. Marvellous. If I walked the whole journey from home it would take me 20 mins. Food for thought.
I'm not even going to mention the parking permit system which means we now have to pay to park our vehicles at work - no, I am not going to even utter a word about it.
Back to exercise. I must've walked off my fondant fancy cake.
I share an office with Glam Sam, a fifty something siren and Seeta, my dizzy Muslim chum. It's just Sam and I today.
I have no intention of telling her about my diet.
'We've an emergency!' she yells even before I've got my coat off and my fruity lunchbox in the fridge. 'Roza's crying.'
Now this I find hard to believe. Roza works in our department but in a different office to me. She's a tough, old bird. Emotion is a stranger to Roza. She must be early 60s with a hang-dog face, a penchant for outlandish clothes and stinky breath from eating too much Polish sausage.
Sam, ever the nosey parker, commandeers Roza with a phone call, 'come in to us, darlin, don't hold it in,' she says softly into the receiver, rubbing her hands together at another's misery.
Roza, being the old goat that she is, leaves us waiting for an age before she arrives. I must admit she does look visibly shaken. She also looks a sight in a bottle green flamenco skirt, magenta lace blouse and spotted tights.
'Donald wants us to split!' Roza mumbles, wiping a tear from her cheek.
Donald is her partner of 18 years. I've never met him, but I know a lot about him.
Sam and I are on the case. We say all the right things.
'At your age, too,' I tut-tut. 'Just as you're on the verge of retirement together.
'Still a few years yet, Woo,' Roza replies, settling in Seeta's chair. 'It's not been the same, anyway, since Donald got made redundant, he's bored so don't talk about retirement.'
'How old is Donald?' asks Sam.
'58.'
'At that age!' Sam joins me in the tut-tutting, 'what is he thinking?'
'Do you think there could be anyone else?' I probe, imagining a man with time on his hands is a man up to mischief. I kneel down in front of her to be at eye-level, something I used to do with my son when he was a tearful toddler.
Roza thinks about this. She contorts her face and lets out a gush of breath....wowsers...I get caught in the gush....Polish sausage at it's most pungent. I almost faint. Roza grabs hold of my hand as I stumble backwards. She refuses to let go.
'Someone younger?' I hear Sam mention.
Another blast of bad breath has me cornered. I'm right in the firing line for another anniliation of Polish sausage.
'I'm 45,' announces Roza, gushing like a pressure cooker, 'you mean someone younger than me?'
I'm dizzy now. The rush of rancid breath has enveloped my soul. Sam notices and pulls me up.
'I feel a bit giddy,' I mutter. Sick, light headed and most definitely off my food.
Hmmm....a good idea for a diet. The stinky breath diet. Get someone with halitosis to puff out rancid breath in your direction, leaving you reeling. I could market it.
'You look shocked, Woo.' Sam gives me the once over as I sit, open mouthed and flabbergasted in my chair.
'Blummin' am! Never saw that coming.'
'Aye, you never know what happens behind closed doors.'
I shake my head. 'Not the split, Sam! I can't get over the fact she's 45, a year younger than me! Do I look that old too?'
Shocker. I always thought of Roza as a pensioner. If she looks over 60, do I? Do other people see me as a senior, a member of God's waiting room?
'Fancy a biscuit?' asks Sam.
This is good exercise for a fatty bum bum like me. It takes me roughly 15 minutes to drive to the campus gates from home, 10 minutes to drive around the one way system on campus, get stuck behind the plethora of ruddy bikes and battle with blood boiling pedestrians that think its a god-given right to wander across the road without a thought, and 15 minutes to walk from my car to the office. Marvellous. If I walked the whole journey from home it would take me 20 mins. Food for thought.
I'm not even going to mention the parking permit system which means we now have to pay to park our vehicles at work - no, I am not going to even utter a word about it.
Back to exercise. I must've walked off my fondant fancy cake.
I share an office with Glam Sam, a fifty something siren and Seeta, my dizzy Muslim chum. It's just Sam and I today.
I have no intention of telling her about my diet.
'We've an emergency!' she yells even before I've got my coat off and my fruity lunchbox in the fridge. 'Roza's crying.'
Now this I find hard to believe. Roza works in our department but in a different office to me. She's a tough, old bird. Emotion is a stranger to Roza. She must be early 60s with a hang-dog face, a penchant for outlandish clothes and stinky breath from eating too much Polish sausage.
Sam, ever the nosey parker, commandeers Roza with a phone call, 'come in to us, darlin, don't hold it in,' she says softly into the receiver, rubbing her hands together at another's misery.
Roza, being the old goat that she is, leaves us waiting for an age before she arrives. I must admit she does look visibly shaken. She also looks a sight in a bottle green flamenco skirt, magenta lace blouse and spotted tights.
'Donald wants us to split!' Roza mumbles, wiping a tear from her cheek.
Donald is her partner of 18 years. I've never met him, but I know a lot about him.
Sam and I are on the case. We say all the right things.
'At your age, too,' I tut-tut. 'Just as you're on the verge of retirement together.
'Still a few years yet, Woo,' Roza replies, settling in Seeta's chair. 'It's not been the same, anyway, since Donald got made redundant, he's bored so don't talk about retirement.'
'How old is Donald?' asks Sam.
'58.'
'At that age!' Sam joins me in the tut-tutting, 'what is he thinking?'
'Do you think there could be anyone else?' I probe, imagining a man with time on his hands is a man up to mischief. I kneel down in front of her to be at eye-level, something I used to do with my son when he was a tearful toddler.
Roza thinks about this. She contorts her face and lets out a gush of breath....wowsers...I get caught in the gush....Polish sausage at it's most pungent. I almost faint. Roza grabs hold of my hand as I stumble backwards. She refuses to let go.
'Someone younger?' I hear Sam mention.
Another blast of bad breath has me cornered. I'm right in the firing line for another anniliation of Polish sausage.
'I'm 45,' announces Roza, gushing like a pressure cooker, 'you mean someone younger than me?'
I'm dizzy now. The rush of rancid breath has enveloped my soul. Sam notices and pulls me up.
'I feel a bit giddy,' I mutter. Sick, light headed and most definitely off my food.
Hmmm....a good idea for a diet. The stinky breath diet. Get someone with halitosis to puff out rancid breath in your direction, leaving you reeling. I could market it.
'You look shocked, Woo.' Sam gives me the once over as I sit, open mouthed and flabbergasted in my chair.
'Blummin' am! Never saw that coming.'
'Aye, you never know what happens behind closed doors.'
I shake my head. 'Not the split, Sam! I can't get over the fact she's 45, a year younger than me! Do I look that old too?'
Shocker. I always thought of Roza as a pensioner. If she looks over 60, do I? Do other people see me as a senior, a member of God's waiting room?
'Fancy a biscuit?' asks Sam.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Lunchbox, snackbox and the 1350 calories a day diet
After a weekend of being good, I made my lunchboxes for work.
Inside snackbox (box 1) which is a breakfast box for me because I have my breakfast at work is 1 chopped up apple and 1 slice of honeydew melon sliced and diced. Also, and because I want to treat myself, I take one small fondant fancy cake which is approx 106 cals to have with mid morning coffee.
Inside lunchbox (box 2) I have one apple chopped up, one nectarine - I prefer peach but there were none at the shop - and one apricot.
Inside lunchbox (box 3) is a small piece of cheese, something like a babybel, if you can get the light version that's even better at 40 cals and one packet of crisps which again you need to choose the less calorific version that you prefer. Also one yoghurt. I have either Shape or Weightwatchers or Activa Snackpot depending on whatever is in the fridge.
Total of calories for breakfast and lunch = 384 calories
Job done. Now it's off to work.
Inside snackbox (box 1) which is a breakfast box for me because I have my breakfast at work is 1 chopped up apple and 1 slice of honeydew melon sliced and diced. Also, and because I want to treat myself, I take one small fondant fancy cake which is approx 106 cals to have with mid morning coffee.
Inside lunchbox (box 2) I have one apple chopped up, one nectarine - I prefer peach but there were none at the shop - and one apricot.
Inside lunchbox (box 3) is a small piece of cheese, something like a babybel, if you can get the light version that's even better at 40 cals and one packet of crisps which again you need to choose the less calorific version that you prefer. Also one yoghurt. I have either Shape or Weightwatchers or Activa Snackpot depending on whatever is in the fridge.
Total of calories for breakfast and lunch = 384 calories
Job done. Now it's off to work.
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Diets and the weekend
Saturday is not a great day to start a diet, but I'd done a full grocery shop of low calorie food and I'm raring to go. The 1350 calories a day diet is now underway.
Luckily it's been a busy day. Up at 9am, out the door by 9.50 to take my son to football. They won (yay) and Son got Man of the Match (double yay).
After that it was straight around my parents house to take Son for the afternoon. This is where I met my first temptation. A waft of heaven greeted my nostrils. My parents were tucking into the following:
Mum: a fried egg and bacon sandwich
Dad: grilled bacon, two sausages, two frieds eggs, grilled tomatoes and he was warming 2 sausage rolls under the same grill.
Hmmm....by this time it was 12.15 and I'd not eaten yet. And before anyone complains I know it is not big or clever to miss out on breakfast. Not eating breakfast weakens you, just like I am feeling weakened by the sight of this grub. However my eyes settle on my lardy parents and I come to my senses...I will no longer be a porker.
I drop off Son, grab my parents shopping list and leave to go shopping with my husband, the wondrous Mr Woo. We go to our local town and I select the following for my lazy parents:
1. Lottery tickets
2. Waterproof plasters
3. A teatowel
4. The Daily Mail
They are too fat to shop for themselves. Thanks heavens for the internet. My mum gets everything from Tesco Online, when she forgets things off the list, I have to nip out. What's wrong with this you may ask? Well step outside my parents house and walk a hop, skip and jump and you come to a food/grocery shop and a newsagent.
Their laziness is my gain. I am walking further than I intended to....infact we're now outside Greggs.
'Want anything?' asks Mr Woo.
Ha, he cannot tempt me, I am strong. I wait outside while he ferrets around for bread pudding. Yes, Mr Woo can resist the delicious pasties and mouthwatering cakes, he wants bread pudding. According to him, it's the blummin best dessert in the whole wide world...yeah right, where's he been in the world?
'Not got any,' he grumbles, mouth downturned and despondent.
We go home and I get to tuck in to:
Branflakes (with semi skimmed milk) 166
One mandarin 20
Mandarin Mullerlight 90
We go out again, firstly to drop off the parents shopping (we can be brief with the parents at this stage because Mr Woo wants to be back to watch England v Wales at rugby) and then up to PC World to drool over Apple products we will never, in a million years, be able to afford.
Back home, I have a bag of Quorn spicy pieces 86 cals and another Mullerlight, the new one, Mint with choc bits 90 cals and I also have two Quorn balls (no jokes please) 102 cals.
England lose at rugby and Mr Woo suggests a takeaway to commiserate.
'Nooooooo!' I yell.
My shrieks awaken our daughter. Our 16 year old daughter of few words.
'Whaatsup?' she grunts, slouching into the room.
'Fancy a takeaway?' asks Mr Woo, furtling through my purse and pulling out a couple of tenners.
Of course she does! They end up with a Chinese while I steam my veggies:
Cabbage 28 cals
Cauliflower 35 cals
Broccoli 14cals
Brussel sprouts20 cals
Leek 6 cals
3 baby potatoes 150 cals
and to go with my veggies - one Quorn peppered steak. 115 cals
It tasted deeeee...vine.
We've got a film to watch tonight and I plan to have a handful of frozen grapes 32 cals and my homemade ice cream 205 cals.
This brings me to a total of 1258 cals .
With two cups of coffee and a drink of Robinsons low sugar squash, I am bringing up the total to 1350 cals.
I weighed 10 stone 10 lbs this morning.
The countdown begins.
Luckily it's been a busy day. Up at 9am, out the door by 9.50 to take my son to football. They won (yay) and Son got Man of the Match (double yay).
After that it was straight around my parents house to take Son for the afternoon. This is where I met my first temptation. A waft of heaven greeted my nostrils. My parents were tucking into the following:
Mum: a fried egg and bacon sandwich
Dad: grilled bacon, two sausages, two frieds eggs, grilled tomatoes and he was warming 2 sausage rolls under the same grill.
Hmmm....by this time it was 12.15 and I'd not eaten yet. And before anyone complains I know it is not big or clever to miss out on breakfast. Not eating breakfast weakens you, just like I am feeling weakened by the sight of this grub. However my eyes settle on my lardy parents and I come to my senses...I will no longer be a porker.
I drop off Son, grab my parents shopping list and leave to go shopping with my husband, the wondrous Mr Woo. We go to our local town and I select the following for my lazy parents:
1. Lottery tickets
2. Waterproof plasters
3. A teatowel
4. The Daily Mail
They are too fat to shop for themselves. Thanks heavens for the internet. My mum gets everything from Tesco Online, when she forgets things off the list, I have to nip out. What's wrong with this you may ask? Well step outside my parents house and walk a hop, skip and jump and you come to a food/grocery shop and a newsagent.
Their laziness is my gain. I am walking further than I intended to....infact we're now outside Greggs.
'Want anything?' asks Mr Woo.
Ha, he cannot tempt me, I am strong. I wait outside while he ferrets around for bread pudding. Yes, Mr Woo can resist the delicious pasties and mouthwatering cakes, he wants bread pudding. According to him, it's the blummin best dessert in the whole wide world...yeah right, where's he been in the world?
'Not got any,' he grumbles, mouth downturned and despondent.
We go home and I get to tuck in to:
Branflakes (with semi skimmed milk) 166
One mandarin 20
Mandarin Mullerlight 90
We go out again, firstly to drop off the parents shopping (we can be brief with the parents at this stage because Mr Woo wants to be back to watch England v Wales at rugby) and then up to PC World to drool over Apple products we will never, in a million years, be able to afford.
Back home, I have a bag of Quorn spicy pieces 86 cals and another Mullerlight, the new one, Mint with choc bits 90 cals and I also have two Quorn balls (no jokes please) 102 cals.
England lose at rugby and Mr Woo suggests a takeaway to commiserate.
'Nooooooo!' I yell.
My shrieks awaken our daughter. Our 16 year old daughter of few words.
'Whaatsup?' she grunts, slouching into the room.
'Fancy a takeaway?' asks Mr Woo, furtling through my purse and pulling out a couple of tenners.
Of course she does! They end up with a Chinese while I steam my veggies:
Cabbage 28 cals
Cauliflower 35 cals
Broccoli 14cals
Brussel sprouts20 cals
Leek 6 cals
3 baby potatoes 150 cals
and to go with my veggies - one Quorn peppered steak. 115 cals
It tasted deeeee...vine.
We've got a film to watch tonight and I plan to have a handful of frozen grapes 32 cals and my homemade ice cream 205 cals.
This brings me to a total of 1258 cals .
With two cups of coffee and a drink of Robinsons low sugar squash, I am bringing up the total to 1350 cals.
I weighed 10 stone 10 lbs this morning.
The countdown begins.
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