This last week has seen a worrying trend emerge, and then stop. Early in the week I started to gain weight, instead of lose it. It wasn't much, and only added up to about an extra kilo over the course of the week, but it was worrying anyway.
The cause of the weight gain, as far as I can tell, was simply the fact that I indulged in one chocolate bar at work each day. I wouldn't have thought that one chocolate bar would have caused so much of a problem, but it did. I think the problem was compounded by my lack of activity caused by the bad weather last week.
The worst part is that the effects of just one chocolate a day didn't stop at the weight gain. I found that each day I was suffering from cravings, and was surprisingly lethargic. What was meant to be a small indulgence on one day at work quickly turned into a vicious cycle.
Fortunately I was able to get back on track over the weekend, and I'm back to losing weight again. Still, this was a very good reminder to me that even something as apparently harmless as a small indulgence can lead to problems. It will be much easier for me in the future to stick to primal foods if I want any form of indulgence, maybe a small amount of dark chocolate would be a better idea.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Falling off the wagon?
I just realised that it's been nearly two weeks since I posted here. Maybe not so much of a problem, if it was simply a case of not having anything to post, but I think the lack of posting is a symptom of a wider problem. Over the last week I've noticed a few worrying trends.
I believe this all started around the time we stopped eating wholly Primal in an attempt to use up food that was cluttering the cupboard. Since then I've noticed a few things, to start with, my appetite, which previously had been well behaved, was back with a vengeance. I'd got to the stage of being able to get through a whole day without excessive food cravings, but this last week, they've been back.
I've also let my standards slip, as far as my food choices go. Twice in the last week I indulged in sweet snacks, which while the gave me a short term boost, really messed me around. So, it's back to the drawing board.
I've also been very slack with monitoring my weight. It's now been three days since I jumped on the scales. I'm almost scared to look, in case I've slipped above 100kg again. This is a real possibility, since my last measurement was over 99kg.
I think that I need to take stock of my current situation, and look for ways of getting back on track. It's definitely worth making the effort, as my weight loss so far shows. I think the hardest part is keeping to the diet. It almost seems far too easy to slip back into bad habits...
I believe this all started around the time we stopped eating wholly Primal in an attempt to use up food that was cluttering the cupboard. Since then I've noticed a few things, to start with, my appetite, which previously had been well behaved, was back with a vengeance. I'd got to the stage of being able to get through a whole day without excessive food cravings, but this last week, they've been back.
I've also let my standards slip, as far as my food choices go. Twice in the last week I indulged in sweet snacks, which while the gave me a short term boost, really messed me around. So, it's back to the drawing board.
I've also been very slack with monitoring my weight. It's now been three days since I jumped on the scales. I'm almost scared to look, in case I've slipped above 100kg again. This is a real possibility, since my last measurement was over 99kg.
I think that I need to take stock of my current situation, and look for ways of getting back on track. It's definitely worth making the effort, as my weight loss so far shows. I think the hardest part is keeping to the diet. It almost seems far too easy to slip back into bad habits...
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Looking Back...
Today marks the 30th day since I made the decision to adopt a primal lifestyle. I decided to take this opportunity to look back over the last month, and think about what I've achieved, compared to what I expected. Without a doubt, I'm extremely happy with how things are going, for the first time in longer than I can remember I'm consistently losing weight, and it doesn't feel like I'm struggling to do it.
As I started out on the Primal Blueprint, my main concern was how I was going to cope with cutting out almost all refined carbs from my diet. I've been pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't as hard as I expected, at least form a cravings point of view. I've found this hard in the past, as my weight loss efforts have been centred around cutting back on carbs, not cutting out. Surprisingly, once I'd made the decision to cut out refined carbs wherever possible, it was very easy to cope with. I'd look longingly at the box of fundraising chocolates at work, and then just think "Nope, don't eat them any more", and walk away.
One thing that did take me by surprise was my energy levels. I'd read plenty of testimonies on Marks Daily Apple from people exclaiming about how much extra energy they had since going primal. Unfortunately for me, the reality was that I didn't see any boost in my energy at all, and in fact probably felt worse some days. As it turns out, this is not an uncommon feeling to have when making such a big change.
Indeed, it was only two days ago that a post appeared on Marks Daily Apple regarding the "Low Carb Flu". As I read the article, I began to understand exactly why I'd been feeling the way I had. It meant that instead of questioning if things were working, I could just concentrate on what was important, and not worry about how I was feeling.
As it stands now, I'm just feeling like I'm starting to have more energy. Hopefully this marks the end of my "Low Carb Flu", and the beginning of a more energetic me. I'll be interested to see how things have changed in another 30 days...
As I started out on the Primal Blueprint, my main concern was how I was going to cope with cutting out almost all refined carbs from my diet. I've been pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't as hard as I expected, at least form a cravings point of view. I've found this hard in the past, as my weight loss efforts have been centred around cutting back on carbs, not cutting out. Surprisingly, once I'd made the decision to cut out refined carbs wherever possible, it was very easy to cope with. I'd look longingly at the box of fundraising chocolates at work, and then just think "Nope, don't eat them any more", and walk away.
One thing that did take me by surprise was my energy levels. I'd read plenty of testimonies on Marks Daily Apple from people exclaiming about how much extra energy they had since going primal. Unfortunately for me, the reality was that I didn't see any boost in my energy at all, and in fact probably felt worse some days. As it turns out, this is not an uncommon feeling to have when making such a big change.
Indeed, it was only two days ago that a post appeared on Marks Daily Apple regarding the "Low Carb Flu". As I read the article, I began to understand exactly why I'd been feeling the way I had. It meant that instead of questioning if things were working, I could just concentrate on what was important, and not worry about how I was feeling.
As it stands now, I'm just feeling like I'm starting to have more energy. Hopefully this marks the end of my "Low Carb Flu", and the beginning of a more energetic me. I'll be interested to see how things have changed in another 30 days...
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Many Measures of Success
This morning as I jumped on the scales, and noted that my weight had not dropped, again, I began pondering the many ways that success could be measured. The easiest way in this endeavour is just how much weight I lose. Or, alternatively, it could be seeing how my percentage body fat drops. Or, as I found this morning, it could be as simple as going down a notch on the belt.
So, this morning saw me at 99.7kg for about the fourth day in a row. Still, my percentage body fat was down to about 28.2, which is about the lowest it's been since I started measuring it. Considered in the grand scheme of things, that's not too bad. The best bit, though, was the fact that I was able to do my belt up a notch. I haven't been able to use the smallest hole on my belt for longer than I can remember, so being able to use it again is a nice confirmation that things are going the right way.
It's been interesting to see on a graph how my weight loss has progressed. I've noticed a trend over the last two or three weeks. During the week, when I don't get as much of a chance to exercise, my weight is mostly static, and doesn't change much. On the weekend, though, when I do more exercise, I can lose up to a kilo.
Clearly this is indicating that I need to be paying more attention to the exercise I do during the week. The plan is to be going for a walk each evening after dinner, as that is going to be the easiest way to add in extra exercise. I also want to start doing bodyweight exercises 2 or 3 times a week as well.
So, this morning saw me at 99.7kg for about the fourth day in a row. Still, my percentage body fat was down to about 28.2, which is about the lowest it's been since I started measuring it. Considered in the grand scheme of things, that's not too bad. The best bit, though, was the fact that I was able to do my belt up a notch. I haven't been able to use the smallest hole on my belt for longer than I can remember, so being able to use it again is a nice confirmation that things are going the right way.
It's been interesting to see on a graph how my weight loss has progressed. I've noticed a trend over the last two or three weeks. During the week, when I don't get as much of a chance to exercise, my weight is mostly static, and doesn't change much. On the weekend, though, when I do more exercise, I can lose up to a kilo.
Clearly this is indicating that I need to be paying more attention to the exercise I do during the week. The plan is to be going for a walk each evening after dinner, as that is going to be the easiest way to add in extra exercise. I also want to start doing bodyweight exercises 2 or 3 times a week as well.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Dammit...
Well, apparently the next week or so will be interesting times. An unexpected bill last week means that money is tight for a bit, so we're trying to eat as much of the food in the cupboard as possible. Of course, this also means that we'll be eating less primal food, and more non-primal food. Still, we're going to try to make as much of our diet primal as we can, regardless.
This weekend saw me get under 100kg for the first time in a long time, and, what's better, remain there. I'll have to be extra vigilant this week, so as to not let the weight creep back up again. I'll be trying to fit in some extra walking to balance out the extra carbs I'll be eating.
This weekend saw me get under 100kg for the first time in a long time, and, what's better, remain there. I'll have to be extra vigilant this week, so as to not let the weight creep back up again. I'll be trying to fit in some extra walking to balance out the extra carbs I'll be eating.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Going Down...
This morning I was greeted by the welcome news on the bathroom scales that my weight is going back down again. Again I'm back to 100kg exactly, and I want to be able to get my weight back into double digits this weekend. So, when I discovered I'd locked my keys in at work last night, I took the opportunity to get out for a walk before someone else arrived at the office to let me in.
Again, I've tried to cut back on the fruit a bit today, and have packed a big salad and curry for lunch and dinner. I'll be trying to eat sensibly tonight when I'm at our D&D session as well. I'm well and truly prepared, with some grapes and spicy almonds, as well as some emergency dark chocolate if the urge for sweet stuff is too much.
Again, I've tried to cut back on the fruit a bit today, and have packed a big salad and curry for lunch and dinner. I'll be trying to eat sensibly tonight when I'm at our D&D session as well. I'm well and truly prepared, with some grapes and spicy almonds, as well as some emergency dark chocolate if the urge for sweet stuff is too much.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Stuck on a Plateau...
Today was the third day in a row where my weight has been 100.5kg. It's doubly frustrating, since not only am I not losing weight, I'm just over half a kg from my first target of getting under 100kg. I can't even finger one specific part of my diet that would be the culprit, as I've been eating fresh fruit and veggies almost exclusively.
Having read a bit on Mark's Daily Apple about weight loss, I can think of two remedies. One is to cut back on the fruit a bit, as that contains plenty of natural sugar, which could be holding me back. The other is that my body has now adapted to my new diet, and consequently, I'm not losing weight as quickly.
To resolve the issue with too much fruit is easy, as I just need to cut back on how much I eat. This will be nice and easy, as I would normally have 3 or 4 servings of fruit a day. If I can cut back to 2 servings a day, I'll be limiting the amount of sugar in my diet.
Still, even if that works, I could still find myself back on a plateau, as my body adapts again. If that happens, then one solution is to trick it into losing weight again. From what I've read, the easiest way to do this is by Intermittent Fasting (there's a couple of good articles to read: Article 1, Article 2). Basically, intermittent fasting can trick your body back into burning fat, by making appear as though food is scarce. The theory behind this is that as humans evolved, they did not have a steady supply of food. They went through periods of excess food, followed by periods with little food.
Hopefully, if I do find myself on a plateau again, a skipped meal of two should do the trick. If not, then there are other options for fasting. I can simply go a whole day without eating, a rather scary concept I'm not sure I could handle. I could also limit eating to specific times, i.e. early morning and late evening. Depending on what works, I may end up trying all of these.
Having read a bit on Mark's Daily Apple about weight loss, I can think of two remedies. One is to cut back on the fruit a bit, as that contains plenty of natural sugar, which could be holding me back. The other is that my body has now adapted to my new diet, and consequently, I'm not losing weight as quickly.
To resolve the issue with too much fruit is easy, as I just need to cut back on how much I eat. This will be nice and easy, as I would normally have 3 or 4 servings of fruit a day. If I can cut back to 2 servings a day, I'll be limiting the amount of sugar in my diet.
Still, even if that works, I could still find myself back on a plateau, as my body adapts again. If that happens, then one solution is to trick it into losing weight again. From what I've read, the easiest way to do this is by Intermittent Fasting (there's a couple of good articles to read: Article 1, Article 2). Basically, intermittent fasting can trick your body back into burning fat, by making appear as though food is scarce. The theory behind this is that as humans evolved, they did not have a steady supply of food. They went through periods of excess food, followed by periods with little food.
Hopefully, if I do find myself on a plateau again, a skipped meal of two should do the trick. If not, then there are other options for fasting. I can simply go a whole day without eating, a rather scary concept I'm not sure I could handle. I could also limit eating to specific times, i.e. early morning and late evening. Depending on what works, I may end up trying all of these.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
A Change is as Good as a Holiday
Last night we allowed ourselves a bit of a break from our usual Primal fare. We had some cheese and bacon rolls in the freezer, and we figured we were going to have to use them up some time, so why not tonight? It was a nice change, but that's all it was, no need to go back for more.
Hmmm, maybe I might have the carbohydrate addiction thing under control at long last. I can now go days without even so much as a craving for some forbidden sweet concoction. Hell, I can even look at the fund raising chocolates at work without twitching these days.
Hmmm, maybe I might have the carbohydrate addiction thing under control at long last. I can now go days without even so much as a craving for some forbidden sweet concoction. Hell, I can even look at the fund raising chocolates at work without twitching these days.
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