I weighed myself yesterday in the knowledge that I had probably put on a little weight since going off the raw vegan BES regime the previous Monday evening. When I weighed myself, I got quite a shock: 77.0kg! That was a gain of 2.4kg!! Now, since I weighed in this morning with 76.2kg (a loss of 0.8kg in a day), I hope that yesterday's weight was a little bit of an aberration. But what is really is an aberration is the extent to which I have allowed myself to fall into bad habits again.
Let's be clear on one thing: there are some very good habits that I have maintained, such as zero-tolerance for lollies/crap snacks, and a commitment to large salads etc. It is also true, though, I have been eating too much food each day, I haven't been making myself green smoothies as I said I would, and I have been eating too much in the way of dairy and meat, I think. Feast and famine, etc.
So. My renewed goal is to get back where I was, on 74.6kg, by Christmas. That gives me about two weeks to lose a little under 2kg. Which I should manage easily. Should. I thought about being more ambitious than that, but with the lead-up to Christmas etc, I don't want to set myself up to fail. My medium-term goal, though, is to get under 71.8kg, as that is where the healthy BMI kicks in for my height. That's a loss of 4.4kg required, and I'd like to get there by my birthday in mid-January.
It's quite interesting: as soon as I became aware of my weight on the scales, it started dropping. Obviously, I just wasn't being quite aware enough of what I was putting into my mouth. So far (and this is early days post-BES) it seems that awareness—rather than any "dieting" per se—is enough to get me eating healthily and releasing the excess fat. This is a massive change for me, and I hope that it continues.
I'll keep you updated on my path toward my Christmas and Birthday goals, and I will also do the post-BES Workbook and see what insights come from that.
Current weight: 76.2kg (+2.4kg since my final weigh-in)
Current body-fat percentage: 35.0% (+0.9%)
Current feeling: Re-motivated
Friday, December 12, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Day 30: The results are in!
On the 1st of November I went to my gym and got all my measurements taken. I went again this morning, and this is what it looks like:
Bust: -4.5cm
Waist: -1.5cm
Abdomen: -0.3cm
Hips: -4.0cm
Thighs: -23.0cm (woah!)
Arms: -4.0cm
TOTAL: -37.3cm!!
I think that's a pretty huge achievement. Now, it must be recognised that I had two different people measure me, so there will be some discrepancies (I think that the small abdomen and large thigh changes are indicative of that), but it's clear that there was a big overall loss. Well, I knew that already: people have been commenting all over the place. (I really must get a second round of photos taken so I can see for myself.)
I will write more about life post-Challenge in the coming days, for now, it's time to finish my spring cleaning!
Current weight: 74.6kg (-7.5kg, or 16.5lbs)
Current body-fat percentage: 34.1% on my scales (-4.3%); 29.3% on the gym's machine (-2.9%)
Current feeling: Successful! And committed to making 50% Raw for the long haul work...
Bust: -4.5cm
Waist: -1.5cm
Abdomen: -0.3cm
Hips: -4.0cm
Thighs: -23.0cm (woah!)
Arms: -4.0cm
TOTAL: -37.3cm!!
I think that's a pretty huge achievement. Now, it must be recognised that I had two different people measure me, so there will be some discrepancies (I think that the small abdomen and large thigh changes are indicative of that), but it's clear that there was a big overall loss. Well, I knew that already: people have been commenting all over the place. (I really must get a second round of photos taken so I can see for myself.)
I will write more about life post-Challenge in the coming days, for now, it's time to finish my spring cleaning!
Current weight: 74.6kg (-7.5kg, or 16.5lbs)
Current body-fat percentage: 34.1% on my scales (-4.3%); 29.3% on the gym's machine (-2.9%)
Current feeling: Successful! And committed to making 50% Raw for the long haul work...
Monday, December 1, 2008
Day 29: Cooked food again!
So, tonight was the big office Christmas party at a certain gourmet pizza restaurant. I knew I was going to be breaking the Challenge a day early, and so I planned for it: large salad to start, and only a slice or two of vegetarian pizza so as not to freak out my liver. I did have the salad to begin with, but I also had four slices of pizza! Two vegetarian, one fish (smoked salmon) and one chicken. I did ensure that I chose the smallest sizes available, though. Let's face it: I wanted to try a few different flavours!
The interesting thing is that, although I really enjoyed eating all these things again, it wasn't as though I could never live without them again. This bodes very well for my intended future of at least 50% Raw!! I was also pretty restrained (for me, at this establishment) and, although I would have been fine with just three slices of pizza and took the fourth anyway, it was a decision that I took, rather than just taking the pizza without thinking.
Baby steps, guys, baby steps.
And given that so many of the steps that I have taken over the course of this month have been pretty huge, I don't think that's a bad thing.
Next Challenge: maintaining the weight loss (although at a slower rate) and maintaining the positive changes!
Current weight: 74.8kg (-7.3kg, or 16.06lbs)
Current body-fat percentage: 36.1%
Current feeling: Really positive for my eating future
The interesting thing is that, although I really enjoyed eating all these things again, it wasn't as though I could never live without them again. This bodes very well for my intended future of at least 50% Raw!! I was also pretty restrained (for me, at this establishment) and, although I would have been fine with just three slices of pizza and took the fourth anyway, it was a decision that I took, rather than just taking the pizza without thinking.
Baby steps, guys, baby steps.
And given that so many of the steps that I have taken over the course of this month have been pretty huge, I don't think that's a bad thing.
Next Challenge: maintaining the weight loss (although at a slower rate) and maintaining the positive changes!
Current weight: 74.8kg (-7.3kg, or 16.06lbs)
Current body-fat percentage: 36.1%
Current feeling: Really positive for my eating future
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Day 28: Beachside epiphany
As I was sitting on the beach today, looking out upon the messy, choppy waves, I had a thought. Surfers seem to have a kind of zen experience whenever they enter the waves. You seem them running down the beach toward the water, pausing only to zip up a wetsuit, or attach the lead, and they're off. They cannot wait to get into the water, and once there, seem reluctant to get out. I can't surf, but I do know what it's like to get lost in the motion of the waves. I don't get that sense of purpose that surfers seem to have, though, where they hate to be away from the coast for an extended period of time.
It made me wonder. What I am I passionate about to that extent? Putting aside family and education, seriously: what am I passionate about?
I couldn't think of anything. I could think of things I enjoy, sure, but that I absolutely need?
That worried me slightly. I thought of the things that I enjoy (and value), and realised how much I tend to push them aside for other things that I still might enjoy, but don't value to nearly the same extent. (There is soo a metaphor in there about the food choices I make.) How I will spend hours a day on the computer, but leave my reading til bedtime when I get through two and a half pages before falling asleep. Or I will refresh my Facebook or other blog pages hoping for communication from the ether rather than picking up the phone. I make excuses to stay in rather than reasons to go out. I say "no" rather than "yes" too often.
Right at the beginning of the BES process, I completed the Advanced Workbook, designed to give me a space to articulate and write down my goals and commitments for the BES Challenge. I reproduced some of what I wrote at the time here. I was asked to come up with 2-3 changes I would make in ten key areas of my life. Although there are changes that I have successfully made (eg taking better care of my skin, cease all technology use at least one hour before sleep, listening to my body regarding hunger and cravings, etc), there have been others that have distinctly fallen by the wayside. I think that revisiting those proposed changes will be a good start.
A good start to what, though? Overall, I would like to "own" my time. By that I mean that I want to choose my activities (or relaxation) rather than being forced into them through laziness, lethargy, tiredness etc. Obviously when you live in the world there are certain timetables that must be followed, certain chores to be done and there are times when you simply are too tired to do much more than flop into bed. I do, however, have quite a lot of "me" time, especially with work winding up over the summer holidays, and I plan to choose what I do more carefully. We only have so many minutes available to us in this life and, while I recognise that I can't learn how to do everything, experience everything, feel everything, I can make positive choices about what I do, experience and feel.
This is my new commitment to myself.
Thoughts can snowball into ideas, which then begets passion, which can result in action. Will this thought snowball?
Current weight: 74.7kg (-7.4kg)
Current body-fat percentage: 36.0%
Current feeling: Rejuvenated
It made me wonder. What I am I passionate about to that extent? Putting aside family and education, seriously: what am I passionate about?
I couldn't think of anything. I could think of things I enjoy, sure, but that I absolutely need?
That worried me slightly. I thought of the things that I enjoy (and value), and realised how much I tend to push them aside for other things that I still might enjoy, but don't value to nearly the same extent. (There is soo a metaphor in there about the food choices I make.) How I will spend hours a day on the computer, but leave my reading til bedtime when I get through two and a half pages before falling asleep. Or I will refresh my Facebook or other blog pages hoping for communication from the ether rather than picking up the phone. I make excuses to stay in rather than reasons to go out. I say "no" rather than "yes" too often.
Right at the beginning of the BES process, I completed the Advanced Workbook, designed to give me a space to articulate and write down my goals and commitments for the BES Challenge. I reproduced some of what I wrote at the time here. I was asked to come up with 2-3 changes I would make in ten key areas of my life. Although there are changes that I have successfully made (eg taking better care of my skin, cease all technology use at least one hour before sleep, listening to my body regarding hunger and cravings, etc), there have been others that have distinctly fallen by the wayside. I think that revisiting those proposed changes will be a good start.
A good start to what, though? Overall, I would like to "own" my time. By that I mean that I want to choose my activities (or relaxation) rather than being forced into them through laziness, lethargy, tiredness etc. Obviously when you live in the world there are certain timetables that must be followed, certain chores to be done and there are times when you simply are too tired to do much more than flop into bed. I do, however, have quite a lot of "me" time, especially with work winding up over the summer holidays, and I plan to choose what I do more carefully. We only have so many minutes available to us in this life and, while I recognise that I can't learn how to do everything, experience everything, feel everything, I can make positive choices about what I do, experience and feel.
This is my new commitment to myself.
Thoughts can snowball into ideas, which then begets passion, which can result in action. Will this thought snowball?
Current weight: 74.7kg (-7.4kg)
Current body-fat percentage: 36.0%
Current feeling: Rejuvenated
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Day 27: Feeling positive, feeling strong
I added a new data element to my spreadsheet this morning and discovered that I have lost over 2.5 BMI points this month, down to an even 26.0, which is just one point away from being in the healthy range! While I understand that BMI is useful mainly for epidemiological purposes rather than for individuals, this is a cool thing for me, given that I began the year just inside the "obese" category. This makes me just 2.9kg away from being in the healthy range. Who knew? :)
So it seems that my rich dinner last night hasn't had an adverse effect on the scales (so far). I think the fact that I ate only fruit and green smoothies yesterday beforehand helped, as well as the gym visit yesterday. I went again this morning and worked up a massive sweat: almost 500kcal in just over three quarters of an hour. I felt pretty wiped for about an hour afterward, but now I'm feeling great. Have said all that, I don't think I want to repeat such rich meals. I didn't feel great last night a couple of hours afterward, and that continued until this morning. Who needs to feel that way? Not me.
So, now the computer gets turned off and I get going again on my spring cleaning. Toodles!
Current weight: 74.7kg (-7.4kg, or 16.28lbs)
Current body-fat percentage: 36.2%
Current feeling: Strong and positive!
So it seems that my rich dinner last night hasn't had an adverse effect on the scales (so far). I think the fact that I ate only fruit and green smoothies yesterday beforehand helped, as well as the gym visit yesterday. I went again this morning and worked up a massive sweat: almost 500kcal in just over three quarters of an hour. I felt pretty wiped for about an hour afterward, but now I'm feeling great. Have said all that, I don't think I want to repeat such rich meals. I didn't feel great last night a couple of hours afterward, and that continued until this morning. Who needs to feel that way? Not me.
So, now the computer gets turned off and I get going again on my spring cleaning. Toodles!
Current weight: 74.7kg (-7.4kg, or 16.28lbs)
Current body-fat percentage: 36.2%
Current feeling: Strong and positive!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Day 26: I need to get my life in order
So, yes, I went to the gym today (and had heaps of energy, hurrah!), but that was probably undone by a rather rich and decadent dinner of raw vegan "dips" (guac, curried paté and lemony zucchini) with crudités of carrot, capsicum and celery. All very tasty, all very rich! We're thinking of having them at Xmas and not telling anyone that they're raw vegan, actually...
But that's not really what I want to talk about today. Since I finished Uni I've been at something of a loose end, looking for a job and having a lot of time on my hands. I made a commitment to spring clean my bedroom (wardrobe, desk, etc) when I handed in my research, and so far all I have done in the past couple of weeks is sort through my clothes. Which was great and everything, but 2-3 weeks for that?? Yes, there have been other things on, but too often I've been spending my time on mindless crap that doesn't enrich me or my life (or anyone else's) in any way.
I'm not entirely sure how to get this thing done (the deadline is Wednesday night, as the spring cleaner is coming on Thursday and I'm flying out to visit The Bear on Thursday morning, anyway), but I know that I must. One tactic will be to turn my computer off and leave it off! I will also not just make goals, but write them down, as I was taught in my course the other morning. I want to get my life organised, and I enjoy fantasising about doing it, but now I must just DO IT.
I have an idea for how I'm going to systematise my filing of teaching materials, but that will take a little extra time in the execution. I'm looking forward to that bit, actually. Gotta love the Capricorn in me! (And I've just checked: I've got a Capricorn moon on Sunday & Monday and a Virgo moon in mid-December right when I need it for my filing plan. The stars are with me on this one!)
Okay, so I know what I must do, now I just need to bloody well do it. (And hit the gym again tomorrow to try and counteract tonight's dinner!)
Current weight: 75.2kg (-6.9kg, or 15.18lbs)
Current body-fat percentage: 36.2%
Current feeling: Feeling down about aspects of the past, positive about the changes for the future.
But that's not really what I want to talk about today. Since I finished Uni I've been at something of a loose end, looking for a job and having a lot of time on my hands. I made a commitment to spring clean my bedroom (wardrobe, desk, etc) when I handed in my research, and so far all I have done in the past couple of weeks is sort through my clothes. Which was great and everything, but 2-3 weeks for that?? Yes, there have been other things on, but too often I've been spending my time on mindless crap that doesn't enrich me or my life (or anyone else's) in any way.
I'm not entirely sure how to get this thing done (the deadline is Wednesday night, as the spring cleaner is coming on Thursday and I'm flying out to visit The Bear on Thursday morning, anyway), but I know that I must. One tactic will be to turn my computer off and leave it off! I will also not just make goals, but write them down, as I was taught in my course the other morning. I want to get my life organised, and I enjoy fantasising about doing it, but now I must just DO IT.
I have an idea for how I'm going to systematise my filing of teaching materials, but that will take a little extra time in the execution. I'm looking forward to that bit, actually. Gotta love the Capricorn in me! (And I've just checked: I've got a Capricorn moon on Sunday & Monday and a Virgo moon in mid-December right when I need it for my filing plan. The stars are with me on this one!)
Okay, so I know what I must do, now I just need to bloody well do it. (And hit the gym again tomorrow to try and counteract tonight's dinner!)
Current weight: 75.2kg (-6.9kg, or 15.18lbs)
Current body-fat percentage: 36.2%
Current feeling: Feeling down about aspects of the past, positive about the changes for the future.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Day 25: A bit blah.
Today hasn't been the best day. Not the worst, by any means, but just a bit blah. I am finding that eight hours still isn't quite enough sleep, which worries me slightly, if only because you're supposed to be so much better rested on this diet. I'm also not absolutely "zinging" with energy, but it isn't low, either, which is good. I think it's just been one of those flat days overall, though, so maybe it has precisely nothing to do with the diet and everything to do with the other stuff that is part of one's day instead.
One pleasing thing, though, has been my fairly even week emotionally, despite this being my PMS week. Yes, Friday and Saturday were pretty bad, but since then it's all been pretty cruisey. I was even able to laugh at my own nit-picking yesterday (a common trait generally, but especially bad once a month).
But yeah, 7kg down, and I'll be going to the gym tomorrow and Saturday mornings (I haven't been since Tuesday due to timetabling conflicts), so hopefully the body-fat percentage will drop back down again, too.
Current weight: 75.1kg (-7.0kg, or 15.4lbs)
Current body-fat percentage: 37.1%
Current feeling: Okay. Not bad, not great, just okay.
One pleasing thing, though, has been my fairly even week emotionally, despite this being my PMS week. Yes, Friday and Saturday were pretty bad, but since then it's all been pretty cruisey. I was even able to laugh at my own nit-picking yesterday (a common trait generally, but especially bad once a month).
But yeah, 7kg down, and I'll be going to the gym tomorrow and Saturday mornings (I haven't been since Tuesday due to timetabling conflicts), so hopefully the body-fat percentage will drop back down again, too.
Current weight: 75.1kg (-7.0kg, or 15.4lbs)
Current body-fat percentage: 37.1%
Current feeling: Okay. Not bad, not great, just okay.
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