1st draft of my Diet story - too long!
Last Christmas (2008), during the seasonal family excess of food and drink in our house, I found that I hadn’t really enjoyed Christmas dinner enough to offset that uncomfortable feeling of guilty regret that accompanies the aching stomach and fatigue laden aftermath of a too large meal. The feeling persisted even as I took another Chocolate from the tin, another wedge of cheese from the fridge and as I fried a batch of bubble & squeak to accompany cold meat and Chutney for Boxing Day Brunch! To be frank, I felt disgusted with myself. I weighed over 16 Stones (not that I knew it at the time, I would have said 2/3 stones lighter if I’d been asked), I was tired, unfit and fooling myself that I was “happy the way I amâ€.
In early January, I said that I was going to go to Weight-watchers (I had last been about 10-15 years previously). My husband Gary and younger daughter Courtney who are both Kick boxers (Courtney is World and now European Champion) said they’d come too and that was the beginning.
On 10th January 2009 we attended our first meeting at a local sports centre (that takes some nerve, I can tell you!). We met Diana, the leader, and all the ladies who help her and we filled in some forms and mounted the scales! I was shocked at the apparent fat mountain I would have to level and I think Gary and Courtney were pretty surprised too considering they kick Box 4 times a week. My goal was to lose 6 Stones, Gary 2.5 Stones, and Courtney 3 Stones.
The first week was spent trying to work out how many points we were allowed and scanning through the Magazine for recipes. We went to Asda and spent a lot of money on vegetables to roast, spray oil, chicken fillets (this one was a big one for me as I hadn’t eaten Chicken for over 5 years), weight watchers frozen and chilled meals and weight watchers cakes! In fact if it said Weight watchers on the packet – we bought it!
We rapidly realised that the biggest change was going to be portion size – how were we going to survive on such a small amount? But then we read further into the book and discovered zero point filling vegetables. Portions sorted, we simply change the proportions of food types on our plates.
The following Saturday we returned in trepidation to be weighed, each of the three of us encouraging the others, well it was just the start we needed. Both Gary and I had lost 8.5 lbs and Courtney lost 5.5 lbs!! Of course this first success levelled off pretty rapidly and after the first week or two we lost between 1 and 2.5 lbs per week each, with me generally losing more as I have the most to lose. We purchased the weight watchers kitchen scales, which have been a godsend as they tell you not only the weight but also the points of the food- really handy.
So how have we approached it?
Courtney and Gary are both grazers so we ensure that there is always plenty of fruit and vegetables around together with stuff like Pink and Whites (a great sweet treat for half a point each), Rice Crackers (the Kallo milk choc chip ones are heaven!), WW bread (the Malted Danish is best), WW cakes and biscuits (generally 1.5 pts each).
We always have breakfast now Gary has porridge made with water (amazing how creamy it is without milk) and has Splenda instead of Sugar, Courtney and I have 30g of cereal with skimmed milk from a daily .5 pint allowance and a pot of WW yoghurt.
Lunch for me is either Ryvita and Marmite with Low fat spread or Ham sandwiches made with 4 slices of WW bread and wafer thin lean Ham and no spread plus a couple of satsumas, a WW snack, a Banana & carrot sticks. Courtney & Gary had similar lunches.
I usually make a meal for the three of us most weekday evenings and favourites include:
Roasted Vegetables (Butternut squash, peppers, corgettes, Red onions, sweet potato (not too much of this)) with Roast Chicken breast fillets, fresh zero point veg and a packet of Cous Cous (6 points per packet so 2 points each) This meal works out to 5 – 7 points per person depending on the veg used and quantity of chicken.
Chicken and Bean sprout with mushrooms and other veg Stir Fry using spray oil and a sweet and sour sauce made from a recipe on the WW website (4 points per person)
Roast stuffed pork - Also a WW recipe (very nice)
Snacks/Meal accompaniments are often something like a large flat mushroom with a spoonful of Light soft cheese with herbs spread over and then sprayed with oil and roasted in the oven for 10 minutes.
How are we getting on?
Gary is at Goal! in fact he reached Goal in 9 weeks! And is keeping about 5 lbs below Goal for the last 14 weeks. Courtney has 3 lbs to go to reach goal and they are both keeping me company at meetings on a Saturday morning. I have lost over 4 stones now and have about 25lbs to go. I hope to have achieved Goal by my birthday in October and with the help of my family, on-line support and Saturday morning weigh ins I think it may be possible.
It’s not overstating things to say that this method of losing weight has changed they way we live forever, Portion size has been the biggest change but actually looking at what food contains before I put it in my mouth has been an education for all of us and I cannot see us not attending Saturday morning Weightwatchers meetings as they have been a vital discipline!
I can run faster and farther at Agility competitions with my dog, I can play my tenor Saxophone for longer, my Asthma has improved, my arthritic ankle is better able to cope with agility. Oh yes and I’m wearing size 14 clothes on stage when Saxophone playing!! I know I am only 2/3rds of the way there and still have around 2 stones to lose but I really feel that I’m going to do it now and I am so proud of my family for coming so far.
And in about 6 Months time, my currently pregnant elder daughter will be coming with us!
