Start of week three

Today is the start of week 3, and I am delighted that I am still hanging in there. I see my pattern is to give up around now, but I have no inclination to do that at all. I feel very focused, and am seeing it as a way of eating, a way of life.

I need to see the reward is in not eating the food that causes me problems. To chose food that makes me feel better, rather than food that punishes me.

I feel light in my body.....I think that the bloating is gone as I've had no salt. This week at the gym, I lost an additional 4 oz, so I stabilised after losing 6lbs initially. Normal, according to the ladies who know at the gym. In previous weight loss attempts, I would have felt disillusioned, and possibly given up. Also in going to the gym, the appeal is that it is so quick and not too taxing on the body. Short but intense, and so maneagable.

I feel more inclined to walk those few extra steps, and kick a ball with the boys too. Lots of positives.....

Looking foreward to breakfast in the morning. Porridge again, sprinkled with oat bran and some All-Bran. This gives it some sweetness and a lovely crunchy taste in contrast to the creamy hot porridge. Yum......

Lunch

I was delighted with myself yesterday

heading off to the Hilton for the Homebirth

Association screening of 'Orgasmic Birth, and

I took my lunch with me. Normally I would

eat such rubbish at these events, so I felt

proud of myself sticking with my plan.

I headed to town and had dinner in

Waga Mama, yum, and then went to see

Claire perform in the ESB Feis Ceoil.

As always I am astounded by her

talent playing the piano, but she took

my breath away this time.

Well done Claire, Amazing performance.

Tomorrow will be the end of the second

week, and I will be weighed in. I went

to the gym 4 times, and had two long

walks, Sat and Sun. My energy levels

are so high these days. Brilliant!!!

Lovely start to my days

This is the porridge I made yesterday with

the milled seeds and Goji berries.
This morning's treat was porrridge with
golden linseed and strawberries.

Salad with yesterday's dinner of marinated

Tandoori Chicken. These salad servers

were a wedding present from NC in Donegal

and they always make me smile...........

My spiral...

Dinner yesterday, wholewheat pasta

with tuna, olives, lentils, mushrooms, spinach,

mangetout and tomato, topped with mayonaise

and freshly ground black pepper.

Today, I seem to find myself restless around food.


I want to eat all day. Distraction isn't working, as there is


loads to do. I have orders to be ready for the weekend and


an entire sofa covered in clothes to be folded and put away but


I can't seem to motivate myself to do any of the above.





But I am chosing very health little snacks, and this is a positive...





I wish I had photographed my breakfast. Porridge, sprinkled with


milled flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame seeds and goji berries. Then


topped with fresh sliced strawberries. I can't wait until tomorrow


morning for more.......





I took Saul to the gym in between school pick-ups where there is half


an hour that is weirdly too short to do anything and just too long to hang


out to wait for Aubrey. I got most of the circuit done, with Saul saying


'You can do it Annah' as I used each machine. I am no longer Mum to him,


its Annah all the way now! He danced to the music and frequently tried


new moves, asking me if I could do his ones. So cute.





I don't know yet what to cook for dinner. For lunch I cheated and had a vanilla


shake from the gym. It was really tasty and surprised me.

First Week Over

Today is the start of week two, and I am in the swing of things.
I had breakfast, porridge with a little Splenda. I'm getting used to the taste.
In comparison, I would have had a huge bowl of porridge with
salt and sugar competing for taste in my mouth.
Some mornings I have porridge with cinnamon, chopped almonds, wheatgerm
and sprinkled with organic linseed. Yum.

Yesterday evening I returned to the Gym, braving the brisk walk in the cold, it was
freezing! Cal came with me, and put any one to shame with the speed he could move on the
Aerobics step block!

I had my weigh in, and had lost 6 lbs.... Yippee. I skipped around the machines then with a spring in my step, delighted with myself.

A walk back home and had dinner, salmon baked in oven with teryaki marinade and sprinkled with cajun spice. A big delicious salad to add colour and flavour, the usual, mixed leaves, spinach, avocado, red onion, tomato and olives. Its the dressing that delights me, garlic, honey, olive oil, black pepper, wholegrain mustard, teryaki, soy and balsamic vinegar.

I sat down to read the GIbook by Rick Gallop that accompanies the programme. Cal was curious about what I was reading and then laughed. He said, all you have to do is go to the gym and eat healthy. Why do you have to read a book about it? Point taken Cal. Thank you.

Have a good day one and all.....

Progress despite temptation.....

We had a party at Mum and Dad's on

Sat night. Solstice, Claire's 30th, Aily's

26th, and Mother's day.....

It was a great night, with Claire, Eimear

Aily and Brian singing, Brian on the guitar too.

Beautiful. Dad, did an amazing rendition

about waiting for a Pint of Guiness to be ready

and of the respect needed for the same pint!

Brilliant!!!

Johnney recited some of his own poetry and Mum

had her party pieces too.

When I mentioned I can eat blackberries and

blueberries, Mum swiftly produced these

blackberries from the freezer, picked

locally I imagine with Jamie. Thanks Mum..

I was so delighted with myself, as I didn't

succomb to temptation and have any of

Mum's famous Coffee Cake......Thanks to Eimear

as she suggested we jog around the house to

work off our fantasy cake!

This was my lunch earlier, chicken stir-fried

in Teryaki, served with spinach, rocket cherry

tomatoes and avocado........

I can still taste the salad Tia made for last night.

Mixed lettuce, Spinach, olives, avocado, cherry toms

red onion, with a dressing of fresh lemon juice, garlic,

Balsamic vinegar, wholegrain mustard, honey, black

pepper, soy sauce and teryaki sauce. It tasted divine!

Today, chicken stir fry with a ginger and

pepper sauce. I do eat a lot of chicken, as the GI

programme recommends frequent protein

but cheese is very limited and I don't like red meat.

I feel so proud of myself, as I have stuck with it

for nearly a week, having one carbohydrate a day

is tough for me, the cornflake queen! I made brown

scones and two fruitcakes, and muffins with the boys

on Friday. I admit to having the heel of the fruitcake

with butter, and two little granola bars over the week

but that is it. No salt, and at least two litres of water a day.

I'm finding it easier now, and with going to the Gym, I

have much more energy to walk and do things I would

have really avoided before. The gym is great, I've had

friend there for company each time I've gone the last

week, so we laugh and chat and time flies.......

I need to find whatever it is that keeps me on track

and identify it, and the same way, to recognise why

I go off course. The word that comes to mind is

sabbotage, and I need to stop that negative part of

me that gets in the way. Also for me knowing that in

the past I would try lose weight and the very foods I

chose to eat were my trigger foods and wound cause

my blood sugar to rise and drop and I would then look

for food again to satisfy this false hunger. Now my

blood sugar is stable and I don't have those crazy

mood swings. I can get light headed and I need to eat

every 3 hours to keep it even. It seems to work for me.

So watch this space.....

Finding my way....

I seem to be on an eternal journey, trying to change myself physically. I feel unhappy with my weight and it seems it has been a shadow all my life. I have one memory of my 6th birthday and loving how I looked in a wine velvet dress. It had a little white bib on the front, and some netting underneath. I was so happy when Mum said I could wear whatever I wanted for my day, and I chose this, even in July!

For lots of awful reasons, I gained weight as a way of protecting myself from life I guess, and it has become such a burden at this stage of my life. I don't want it anymore.

Year in, year out, I try so many times to lose weight and still, heading for 43 and I'm heavy inside. My spirit is heavy and I want it to float.

This time I want it out there, I need support, I know so many people have the same struggle and I would love to be able to share their journey, and to lend a hand along the way......

Come on this journey with me. I've embarked on the GI diet through the gym. Day four and so far so good. It is getting easier as I am more organised and my body is adjusting to less food. The first week limits carbohydrates to one a day and the fruit is restricted to black berries and blue berries, neither of which appeal to me.

The gym has been fun, it is the Ladies Workout Express, so it is 30 mins max......