High BP, time to lose weight!

[chimchiminey]

Nurse today. Need to take two weeks of home blood pressure readings and then go back and get weighed each fortnight.

Have piled weight on so quickly, having a surgically-induced early menopause and it just seems to make me insanely hungry.
So…accountability!!! Anyone more than welcome to come on board for mutual support.

Today, not brilliant but far far more in control than it has been:
B - 2 x toast with lime curd
L - chicken salad sandwich, innocent smoothie, millionaires shortbread,
D - mince and potatoes, 3 x side vegetables

👋
Today's been tricky but I've just about stayed within limits.

I've struggled since moving jobs - before this I cycled to work every day and climbed stairs. Driving round these days.

@PermanentTemporary hi!
Changing routines that are quite major, like a job, can be really difficult can’t they. I remember years ago never having to worry about what I ate simply because I had to walk miles every day.

I avoided evening snacking 💪

Tomorrow’s food:
B - All Bran & mixed berries
L - jacket potato with vegetable chilli
D - lentil soup
Snacks of boiled eggs & raw vegetables if hungry

I think I have to focus on proper food/no junk at present…I’ll work out how I plan to lose long term in a wee while.

4 stone to lose.

22.3 kg to lose [argh]
Have booked an exercise class tomorrow
Sleep well!

@PermanentTemporary ooh what sort of exercise class? I’m starting aquafit next week, will use steam room at same time to relax for a treat.

Today went well. I turned down some toast DP had made me already - that took some willpower lol.

Had an Options hot chocolate for evening snack. Dinner wasn’t big, so I’ve done very well sticking to just that.

Tomorrow’s food:
B - amaranth porridge with pumpkin seeds and raspberries.
L - Salmon and roasted vegetables
D - daal

I was recently diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease and have high blood pressure because of it. I need to lose weight and haven’t been doing quite as well with that as I was doing. I’m have managed to lose nearly 16kg since March so not doing badly but need a kick up the arse from time to time.
i tend to eat the same thing everyday though, all prepped in advance because that seems to work for me. I’m finding if it’s there ready for me then I’m less likely to go looking for crap to eat.

I ended up going for a swim instead of the exercise class, so not as good bit at least it's something. And I did say no to pudding. But I snacked more than i should have!

Trying to go for small portions today.

@chimchiminey your menus look amazing. I don't know what amaranth porridge is! Are you enjoying the food?

In the same position. This time last year I was very unfit and 3 stone overweight. I've lost a stone and 10 lbs and am much fitter now. Blood pressure still too high but good cholesterol and strong heart are plus points.

Early, natural, menopause kicked the shit out of me.

Anyway it's not been that hard.

I made a pact with myself to find some exercise and stick to it 3 times a week (as far as possible). For me it's a 6.30am weights class a a gym. It's 40 minutes, I get up and go, I'm not a gym person but I've stuck to it.

I also started walking to work, that's 40 minutes a day....

But it's the food that's the thing. Stopped snacking at work, stopped having a 'wee supper' after my dinner at night of cheese and toast, stopped random drinking of wine.

I eat way more veg and protein and brown rice.

I eat a lot at meals but don't snack.

Bfast, 2 poached eggs on toast with mushrooms and tomatoes and avocado and ground up flax seeds (for the blood pressure's)
Lunch , home made salad with lentils or beans, olives, bit of cheese
Dinner, stir fry or prawn curry....last night was chicken, bag of mixed grains, home made coleslaw, roast veg.

Dropped 2 dress sizes...

@Kobrakid you're doing well already, especially as your diagnosis must fatigue you.

@PermanentTemporary swimming and no pudding is a definite win! Amaranth is good for bp, it’s a grain that counts as a protein not carb, has more protein than quinoa. It has a nutty taste. You can add it to soups and stews etc, use it like rice, or make porridge.

@BigDahliaFan you’ve come a huge way in a year!! Inspiring. And your meals sound yummy too. I think nice meals and no snacking is the long term solution for me too.

Hope we all have a good day 😊

Happy with today - no snacking, had to nip in to the local shop for something and for months every time I went in it was chocolate/crisps/biscuits. Today I got myself a Diet Coke, that’s it. The relief feels enormous. So do the feelings of frustration at myself for doing this to myself but onwards and upwards. Or downwards, on the scale!

Tomorrow’s food:
B - scrambled eggs with spinach
L - jacket potato and salad
D - Moroccan fish stew…am obsessed with ras el hanout spices and use them for as many meals as I can!

Glad you had a good day. Weighed in at hospital today and I weigh 2 grams more than I did 5 weeks ago. I’m putting it down to having to go back on the pill 🤣

Great stuff @chimchiminey. You sound very determined abd as if youre planning well.

Embarrassingly, after posting 2 days ago that i had 22.3kg to lose, I managed to gain 1.5kg overnight - well, not overnight, through 24 hours of pretending I wasn't snacking. Hence why I'm on this thread... I need constant awareness of what I'm doing.

Downloaded a step counter this morning. I've only walked 3000 steps today. No wonder I've got achy knees and a bloody rubber tyre round my midriff.

@Kobrakid I’d definitely blame the pill! When are you next being weighed?

@PermanentTemporary snacking is so difficult to combat when it’s reared its ugly head. Could you snack differently maybe? Keep a bowl of hard boiled eggs in the fridge, or have frozen grapes etc? There’s a chocolate protein yoghurt in the Coop that my kids swear is nicer than real chocolate!!

@chimchiminey next week. Two appointments one potentially for a new treatment which is a big deal and the reason for the pill. Absolutely cannot get pregnant. It’s really messed my cycle up and that on top of being tired has hindered more my exercise rather than diet. I eat a lot better and lost a good chunk of weight just because of things I can’t eat anymore. It’ll settle eventually and I’m glad I haven’t put loads back on but it is a bit demoralising.

Morning! Have shed the rogue 1.5kg yesterday by greater awareness (ie this thread!) So am back to where I was, but feeling quite determined. Going to have a low carb day, and to try to get to 10k steps.

Breakfast scrambled eggs, apple
Lunch leftover curry, pear
Dinner salmon+ spinach

@Kobrakid ahh, I get the demoralising. It’s hard when health means you are no longer the person you feel you still are in the inside. Tiredness is debilitating, let alone everything else, I think you’re doing really well.

@PermanentTemporary determined is great!! Are you eating enough? Leftover curry is always SO good isn’t it. I think I need to make full healthy meals for each one, and look forward to them, to reduce the snacking.

I just started eating gorgeous vine tomatoes whilst putting the shopping away, and could almost feel this Hunger Monster inside waking up lol…I could have ripped in to everything I was putting in the cupboards! I haven’t though, I’ve only an hour till I have my tasty lunch.

Trying to have a relaxing weekend without going overboard. Didn’t sleep well and feel sluggish - this is where it would be too easy to reach for junk but I’m trying not to. Think I’m going to buy some decaff teabags too, that’ll help with blood pressure.

Decaf makes a big difference to my wellbeing. Ive drifted back to having caffeinated when I buy a coffee out, but otherwise it's all decaf. I haven't checked my BP recently, I must do.

@PermanentTemporary I’m the same - I went a few years happily just decaff, and I drink tonnes of tea - but it drifted back without me really realising.

Can I ask what you all do for snacks?

with starting back on the pill I’m finding that I need a snack in the afternoon now. Typically I eat porridge for breakfast salad for lunch and then dinners can be pasta or tacos or wraps things like that.

I can’t eat high protein. Occasionally I eat nuts but I always weigh the portions now but I can’t anything like protein yoghurts that kind of thing. I can’t anything high potassium: no bananas, avocado tomatoes. Also no coffee or chocolate 😫 I’ve resorted to rice cakes with a layer of cream cheese.

Carrots?

Fruit. But I can't recommend it because fruit is a bit of a trigger for me, I end up eating 700 calories worth very easily. Carrots are a much better idea.

Thanks. I’d have to pick and choose which fruit though because of the potassium. It’s taking all the fun out of food.

Hello everyone, I've got 2 stone to loose, it's gone on in the last 12 months or so, which I know is appalling. 25 years ago I lost 5 stone and kept it off until recently so I know I can do it, for some reason my brain is just "food food food what can I eat now even though I'm not hungry". Have been tentatively exploring hypnotherapy in an attempt to switch off the "food noise" in my brain, and have a session this week, I figure what have I got to loose except for £75. I know I'll also need some willpower but hopefully it will come together! Spent much more over the years on weight loss clubs so decided to give it a go.

@Kobrakid what about tinned fruit? I'm sad to see that pears are high potassium - at this time of year they're a nice option and only 50 calories, but tinned ones are apparently low potassium?

I can snack on virtually anything - I sometimes have a cup of frozen peas for example. I also make popcorn on the hob - not as low calorie as all that but it's nice to have a hot freshly made snack.

I've managed my 10k steps today. I've also accepted that I can't eat a small amount and then reward myself with a large amount of wine and get away with it... that was Friday unfortunately.