Eating less and still feeling satisfied!

Hello :-)

So I have been eating a lot less than before in order to lose weight, I can't say it's been easy though. When you overeat you tend to expand your stomach, so you need to eat more to feel satisfied. I think this has been the case for me as I could easily demolish massive portions but I have found two ways that really help me stay satisfied as my stomach gets smaller:

• Eat s-l-o-w-l-y: The body takes around 20 minutes to realise if it is full, so if you are eating quickly you tend to fill yourself up then feel bloated. I have taken to taking a small mouthful of food, then putting my cutlery down in between bites and to savour each mouthful. This way my meals are lasting longer and I'm giving my body more time to realise it's satiety.
• Drink more water: It's very common for our bodies confuse thirst with hunger, so if I'm feeling hungry I drink a glass of water or low calorie squash then wait 20 minutes to see if I still feel hungry. Usually I'm just fine.

So there you have it, the two techniques I use to stop myself from overeating! Hopefully it will continue to work.

Lindsay xx

The week in review

Hello :-)

I'm very happy to report that I have lost 5lbs this week!!

I've been logging all my food and exercise on myfitnesspal and have been under my calorie goal everyday! I have found that I am eating far less than usual but I have managed to fit in the odd treat. On Wednesday it was my boyfriend's dad's birthday so we went to his favourite eating place which is a pie shop in Reading (Sweeney Todd's - their pies are lovely, scarily they're next to a barber shop!) so I had a tasty chicken, chorizo and chilli pie. Thankfully on that same day I went for a run so I earnt extra calories, plus I had the pie with peas and bisto gravy which are low in calories. I have also eaten small amounts of chocolate, but instead of buying a whole bar I just eat 4 small mini Lindor by Lindt chocolate balls. So no need to deprive myself!

I have also found other ways to eat less and feel more satisfied and that'll be coming up in another post.

Really pleased with my progress so far!

Lindsay xxx

Reasons to lose weight

So the first thing I thought I'd do to be a motivator is to write a list of reasons to lose weight.

1. The obvious one: Health!! OK, so apart from back problems I have no actual weight related illnesses but on the other hand, I'm only 25 and I'm going the right way about having them in the future. I'm what's known as pre-hypertensive, so while I've not got high blood pressure it's on the higher end of the 'normal' scale. Also my weight is mostly round the middle, so that doesn't help. It's best to lose weight whilst I'm in good(ish) health than to get health problems then really struggle to lose a little. 
2. I want to walk into any clothes shop and just pick things off the rack, no more fat girls clothing store or walking into a straight size store and seeing if they have my size before seeing if I actually like the garment or not. I'd like to walk into H&M and Forever21 and buy their clothes without worrying about size all the time.
3. I want to run the Reading Half Marathon in 2014, so better get started now!
4. I graduate from uni in October 2014 and I want to buy an amazing outfit, look good and have great photos. It's an important event so I want to look my best.
5. I want those "oh my, have you lost weight? You look amazing" comments. 
6. I want to know that if it came down to it, I'd be able to win the Hunger Games. Weird one, I know but I'm obsessed with those books (not yet seen the movie).
7. I have bet on with my boyfriend on who can lose 56lbs first, I want to win £50 and dinner!!
8. I want to be able to buy a bikini and wear it by the pool or at the beach with lots of confidence.
9. I don't want to get 6 months down the line and regret giving up, thinking "I could have been so manys lbs lighter by now".
10. I want to have lots more energy to be able to do more things, right now I just don't feel fit enough

So those are just some of the reasons I'm doing this. I just need to remind myself everyday!!

Lindsay xx

My weight loss mission to lose 89lbs

Hello,

So here I am, another new year and another attempt to lose the extra weight. I think I've tried plenty of times but I seem to give up after just a few weeks. Why? Well firstly when I usually start I am over-enthusiastic, I go to the gym and will work my ass off and go insane, the result? I lose about 14lbs but acquire an injury or start to plateau, so I end up thinking, "f*** this" and give up. There's another thing, I deprive myself too, research has shown that people who allow themselves small amounts of what they like tend to do better at losing weight and keeping it off. Last year I went 5 weeks without chocolate, I love chocolate, especially Lindt. They got the Lindor by Lindt mini easter eggs in shops now. I'd happily eat about 5 of those a day. No kidding. 5!! I also am crap with portion control, and I tend to wolf things down. I better not forget to mention that I love a good drink, find it hard to resist a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. My birthday is in January, I usually don't go out to celebrate until Feb though, normally the downfall of any New Year plan. So yeah, I have all the makings of a fatty there. Large portions, choccy snacks, large glass of vino and can only be arse to exercise when I feel like it.

So what's my plan now? Well, firstly I need to get over the first hurdle - will my new plan make it past February? Like most dieters, I tend to last 5 weeks before giving up. So I need something to take me to March 2013 and beyond. I'm also writing a blog. Yup. It helps to just write down my thoughts, ideas and motivation. Then once I get through March it's to keep on going. I guess what I really need is a lifestyle change, as opposed to a diet, something I can sustain for life. So no grapefruit diets here. I have also signed up to do a 10k race in the summer that I'll need to train for. Oh and I'm walking a marathon in May (Moonwalk in London).

So here's what I'm planning to do:

• I have MyFitnessPal, Endomondo and FitBit accounts and I intend to use them, they're handy as apps because I carry my iPhone 4S with me all the time. I was considering joining a Slimming World group but I don't want to end up spending so much money when all the support I need is on my phone for free. 
• I am going to stick to low fat foods or low GI foods, less of the saturated fats etc for me. I'm also going to measure out my portions better. I measured out some cereal this morning, 50g was a lot less than I imagined.
• I'm aiming to exercise 30 minutes, 5 days a week at least, maybe more on some days. I got a fantastic pair of running shoes, going to get more wear out of them!
• Constantly remind myself why I'm doing this, I will keep an update of how I do this! I think this will be the fun part.
• Keep this blog as up to date as possible.

So there you have it, my first post. I hope I can do it this time.

Mission Minus 89lbs has begun.

Lindsay xx