Mindful eating but giving myself 2 evenings off a week?!

[Tansie]

Was away last weekend with 2 friends, one of whom has been doing SW for 4 weeks and has lost 7.5lbs. She was quite 'well-behaved' apart from too much vino! But it reminded me that I have to shift 1 1/2 stone. It won't be 'fat to thin' as I'm 5'5", 12.6 now and would like to be 11st by July (holiday); BMI 28 to BMI 25. I'm 51 for the record! Whilst we were away the other 2 were trying on clothes for one's DD's wedding (to which I am invited) and the SW friend mentioned how nice it was to feel better about her shape. I should add, she's not big, but is 5' exactly with long legs so all her weight sits around her middle. I was finding size 18 tops a bit clingy (You might not think my proportions put me in that range, of '18' being too small, but it does!).

SO, to this end, I have decided to be a bit Paul McKenna, asking myself if I want food etc rather than just hoofing it in! I have never been a 'whole bar of chocolate/2 litre tub of ice cream' gal but I do like me vino a bit too much . I tend to snack a lot, too, as there's always food at work!

Just made a Hairy Bikers shepherd's pie which was nice but, bit non-PMc, I grazed throughout the preparation, only raw veggies, mind, and drank 2 wine glasses of low-cal tonic and a glass of fizzy water so by the time I sat down to the meal, I actually could have left it! But I guess that way leads to bedtime binge eating!

I am trying to walk, fast, 2 miles every evening on a treadmill watching telly (30 mins at 4mph).

I have also decided to give myself Thursday and Saturday evenings off. Thursday is because my DM, (81) comes around and we have shop-bought curry or Chinese, plus I drink 2-3 glasses of Pinot. She has always been thin and a heavy smoker (with no ill effect...) and has spent much of my life dropping remarks about my eating so, frankly, I don't want her even knowing I'm 'dieting'!

I have read that 80:20 works, in that if you're disciplined 80% of the time, a 20% lapse won't undo all the good work.

What do you think?

[Logg1e]

Eating now because you'll be hungry later doesn't sound very Paul McKenna.

[orchidella]

I am no dieting guru but I think if you have a blow-out Thurs and Sat nights you might end up sabotaging your efforts to lose weight. Why not on curry/Chinese night just choose a healthier option, eg plain boiled rice, chicken with mixed vegetables for Chinese, plain rice and a tandoori dish for Indian, and sticking to one glass of wine. If DM notices you don't have to tell her you are dieting, just say you are choosing healthy options.
Good luck

[Tansie]

Hi, well, Day 5 morning, 3lbs lost!

Had my curry last night, plus 3/4 bottle of pinot , eating what I wanted of the curries on offer, stopping before I was stuffed, and am back to it today. Have done my 2 mile fast jog/slow run on the treadmill.

I also took some frank selfies in my running leggings and bra, front, side, back. I will repeat this next Friday morning and so on.

Logg- you'll see I said "Just made a Hairy Bikers shepherd's pie which was nice but, bit non-PMc, I grazed throughout the preparation, only raw veggies, mind, and drank 2 wine glasses of low-cal tonic and a glass of fizzy water so by the time I sat down to the meal, I actually could have left it! But I guess that way leads to bedtime binge eating!" so I do know what PMc advocates! And I also know that not eating can slow weight loss down dramatically.

The DSs are away tomorrow night so I may have something 'nice' to eat with DH as my Saturday night-off!

[givemeaclue]

I think you will lose weight initially but the two blow out evenings per week will soon mean that the weight loss stops. BUT if you are losing at the moment and the 2 nights off are helping, keep going as you are. You can always reduce it to one night off if you find that you stop losing weight.

Good luck and well done.

[Tansie]

givemeaclue thanks.

I guess, tbf, my idea of a 'blow out' may vary from others. You read of some folks who just can't stop at 'a slice of cake', they feel compelled to eat the whole thing; they eat 4 or 5 'normal' portions at a meal, not one; 2 litres of icecream in one sitting, easy. I am not disdaining or mocking them, I recognise that the compulsion to eat, eat, eat comes from a dark place inside. I am deeply grateful that that sort of eating has never become part of my life. My let-it-all-hang-out evenings consist of the same amount of curry that say my size 14 mum would eat- and we eat it off tea plates!- as opposed to the saucer sized plate I'd have to limit myself to if I were being disciplined!

I am thinking that my 3lb weight loss might be because of my greatly increased water consumption. Also, of course, I am no longer picking particularly at work where there is always cake and biscuits on offer. I, once I am 'on track' will maybe share a small piece of cake as I do believe that 'deprivation' in a diet cannot possibly work.

I will weigh again next Friday morning and see how I go!

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Having 2 nights off a week is going to blow your weight loss, esp if you are having alcohol and take away. It will ruin the other 5 days of your good work.

You should get to where you want to be, and then have 2 nights a week off, trying to maintain the rest of the time.

[Tansie]

Well, here I am again, Day 10 today (will weigh in again on Friday as planned), having begun this w.o.e on Monday 31st March.

I weighed this morning and have lost 5lbs overall which I'm happy about. I confess to 2 (two!) evenings of alcohol over-consumption due to celebrations over the past 10 days. I've had my 2 nights of 'not being careful'- but as mentioned above, my idea of a blow out may vary from others. One of these coincided with drinking too much, too! I've also fast walked/jogged 7 of the 9 nights, 2 miles apiece on a treadmill; and I've been listening to PMc (ICMYT).

I agree that it'd be great to lose all the weight first, then allow myself some time off but my goal is 12 weeks overall (initial target); then 17 weeks ('final' target) and I just ^know that a) if I lose too quickly it'll be because I've been rigid and unrealistic (and unsustainable); and b) my willpower wouldn't last every day for 17 weeks! Target one requires an average loss of 1.8lbs a week from the start; target 2 requires 1.6lbs a week. Time will tell if this is achievable or whether I need to make adjustments either to my target or diet!

[Tansie]

I should add when I say 'alcohol over-consumption', I mean I drank 2 or 3 glasses on those occasions; but otherwise I'm not drinking at all.

[Tansie]

Still here!

Was 12 stone exactly on Friday 11th, so 6 lbs in 12 days.

Had a so so weekend, not too over-indulged but I did have pizza for dinner on Saturday (albeit small portions!); did a lot of gardening and walked 3 outdoor miles at a leisurely pace yesterday, and 2 miles at my fast jog, on the treadmill. Been very mindful today as I'd really like to be 11.12 by the end of this week. AF may kybosh me! 1st 'mini-target' was to get my weight under a BMI of 27 which is just under 12 stone.

Onwards and downwards!

[MrsPMT]

Hi, just wanted to post to say that I don't agree with the others that having 2 'blow-out' days will wreck your chances at weight loss.

I think if you're doing 'healthy eating' the rest of the time it should be ok.

I decided I was fed up of being 'big' a few months ago but I also enjoy a take-away curry and wine too.

I have lost about 21lbs, gone from approx 12stone to 10 st 6.

Healthy eating most of the time but not so much at the weekend in the evening.

I think if you find weight loss doesn't happen as much as you'd like then maybe rethink.

Onwards

[Tansie]

Mrs PMT - wow! Serious weight loss! Well done! If you don't mind me asking, how long did it take you?

Thanks for your input.

Regarding 'The Blowout', I know myself and what I'm like. I know from previous experience that if I 'ban' myself from certain foods, they will become more attractive to me! So if I want tiramisu, I'll have it... but just a dessert spoonful, not the whole thing! I am careful not to say 'I've been good or bad today' as there are no good or bad foods and my eating isn't a moral issue!- there's just food, some of which is better for me than others, some that must be indulged in in moderation!

I admit that pinot is my downfall and it's so heavy on the calories!

Anyway, I'm still 12 stone this morning so I may not reach my target of 11/13 or 11/12 by Friday but no matter, at least it's heading in the right direction! And my weight can fluctuate 3lbs from one day to the next I've discovered!

[Tansie]

Well, here I am again!

Bit of a mixed bag of results but I guess the good thing is I'm still 12 stone, so a bit of stability there, if nothing else!

Am digging in for some more actual weight-loss this week, all being well!

[Tansie]

Yee-bleedin'-ha!

11/13.

30 days, 7lbs.

Just over 1.6lbs a week which puts me between my 'ideal' goal of reaching my 'mini' and my 'final' target.

80:20 seems to be working! Though I have to be quite disciplined as it's so easy to allow myself to go 70:30... and drink a glass or two of pinot too much!

Also, AF interrupted proceedings. That was a bit grim, watching an apparent 3lbs weight gain overnight! But it also dropped off 3 days later.

[MrsPMT]

Sorry for not replying sooner Tansie, I lost my weight in about 2 months, I decided last october that I didn't want to stay overweight forever and it wasn't going to shift without some serious effort. I had tried exercise but just didn't budge. By xmas I was 10 st 7 (originally 12 stone)

Didn't lose any over xmas, slackened off a little on the healthy eating and nearly every night became a 'blow out' night

I'm about 10st 4 now and have am hoping to get to 10 stone and stay at that, although I still have quite a big bust (thats a whole other thread ) and would like to see some of that go, so might have to go lighter.

IMO, I'm eating in a manner that I expect to continue to do so for the rest of my life, to stay slim, so I'm not going to give up take-aways and wine.

My main diet is decent breakfast like porridge, light-ish lunch, eg poached egg or smoked salmon + 1 slice toast with salad or mushrooms. Fruit for snacking and main meal in the evening could be anything from home made pizza (minimal cheese) to home made curry. Then a takeaway and wine 1 or 2 nights at the weekend.

Healthy eating most of the time and a few indulgences really. I just need to be extra healthy most of the time if I want to lose excess pounds. To maintain I can relax a little.

[Tansie]

Thanks MrsPMT- I'm here for the long haul so I check back on this from time to time.

I am going to weigh-in again on Monday morning, I think as I started this 'mindful eating' thing on a Monday (2nd April, I think it was?).

I am not sure that I am going to achieve 1.8lbs a week- or even 1.6! But if it's one, that's also fine. it's one in the right direction. I kind of needed to see what the effects of my more mindful woe would be on my weight- if it hadn't made an iota of difference or even caused me to gain weight, I would have had to reconsider; but as it is, though with ups and downs (especially as I've been weighing myself a lot as I establish whether this is working or not!) the general trend is downwards.

Thanks for the input.

[Tansie]

11.13 this morning, which is where I was a week ago but I have noticed with my almost daily weigh- in that it can vary by up to 2lbs one day to the next! So no problem, as long as somewhere this week I'm 11.12, i.e the trend is southwards.

[Tansie]

11.12.

Good.

That's 8 lbs in 36 days.

[BindiBach]

Well done Tansie. Your being very mindful and I agree that having whatever you want but only a spoon or two works for me too. I eat mindfully and it works. This is how slim people eat. Eating when your truly hungry and stopping when your satisfied.

[sallievp]

well done! very inspiring!

[Tansie]

Thanks, both.

Won't be weighing for a couple of days as tonight I confess to a bit of a blow out - Malaysian and sushi washed down with half a bottle of pinot! A birthday bash (not mine). Food was excellent but I feel quite uncomfortable now.

I am 'exploring' the feeling and hopefully choosing not to replicate it soon!

[Bindibach]

Its good to eat too much occasionally, it reminds you of why you don't want to do it

[Tansie]

How true!

I was feeling both bloated and rather disappointed in myself after the last 'blow out'- neither were a comfortable feeling!

Suspect I may not have lost weight since last Weds- but I am speeding up my walk from 4mph to 4.5 tonight.

I may go whizzing off the end of the treadmill, little legs flying...

[Tansie]

11.11

I found 4.5 mph too fast! Managed 4.4 - only a tiny bit slower but the differenc ebetween very fast walking and running!

[Tansie]

And- I appear to have eaten like a pit pony tonight ...

NO idea, why! Just a snack-a-thon.... beyond 5.45pm. I see food, I eat food.

Why?!

Bloody good job I did my 2 miles!

[Tansie]

11.11 still, although I think AF is in the offing... I'm 'peri' so am a bit all over the place! Last 'month' I believe it added 3 lbs to me weight but just for a week or so.

Am keeping up my 2 miles and have resolved to drink less alcohol.

It's such a waste to be mindful all day then 'blow it' in the evening via pinot!