Trying to be less fat - eternally at it!

 Hi, this is me from Eternally 28 having this side blog to record this hopefully final attempt at losing the weight I gained after getting to target in August 2018, 

I joined Slimming world for the first time ever in August 2017 after  one of my lovely friends lost 6 stone. She inspired me to go try. It was very frightening to go get weighed in public and I was a nervous wreck. But over the next 12 months, I ate myself well and healthy and whilst I was not racing at all, each and every single week bar none, I lost weight.  The numbers went down, so much so that I'd lost 9 stone in a year.  It's ridiculous. Still cannot believe it and now cannot believe it that I let it slip away from me. It's all excuses but the explanations of being a fat person with a fat person brain and mentality for my whole post starting periods at 13 is a hard image and habit to shift. Other people see a thin person. Not that fat person for life, I still automatically went for the fat clothes etc 

I got complacent. A few pounds on?  - I could still fit in my lovely new clothes. I stayed at target for 9 months -  for those that don't know - target is around 3lbs either side of the target weight. Then I gained a bit and lost a bit. I had several half hearted attempts but I was still in much smaller clothes and still 'could get away with it' - these were just my thoughts. Then along came Covid and it was perfect for being out of sight out of mind and like the secret eater programmes - I was eating in secret and plain sight. I worked the whole lockdown and slowly but surely got fatter and fatter. 

Now I am not as heavy as I was when I first joined in August 2017. I can also be proud that for the first time in my life, it was the first diet I'd been on and I didn't regain all the weight and then some and also that its 3 and a bit years later and I am still a bit successful as I'm not heavier than I started. 

I have totally accepted that I have an undiagnosed eating disorder - the 4th one they call it. Compulsive Binge eating. Last year - on my main blog, I recorded how I  completed a few weeks on the FAST 800 and I found that easy and I believe the science behind that completely. Hence the combination of the two SW800. I will be using the SW group support, scales  and guidance, combined with the low carb, zero processed sugar approach of Michael Mosely and Fast 800

Unlike last time, I will NOT be eating copious amounts of Mullerlight and the ilk. I will food optimise but NOT in the main way SW advocates. 

For example  - I will eat the same fruit and yogurt style dish BUT instead of last time's as much as I want fruit and fat free yogurt - I will eat measured amounts of low sugar fruits - mainly berries and FULL FAT sugar free greek yogurt. I do have other fruit in and will eat that too but not freely like last time.

I keep saying like last time, and you might wonder, if I was so successful last time, why change? Well one thing is the enamel on my teeth is very damaged and I put it down to all the fruit! Another thing is my joints and arthritis. Artificial sweeteners are damaging to the body according to Michael Mosely,  as a scientist at heart I believe the science,  and bring about the same response in the brain as eating sugar -  I also notice my joints are agony after eating things like the hi fi bars, mullerlights etc . Sugar also affects my joints as does eating bread. So I am cutting that out too. I've spoken about this on my main blog before. The other main change I am making to the SW way is that I will not be snacking. I will not eat breakfast. I will be doing Time Restricted Eating. I will fast from 8pm until 12 or 1pm 

I will then eat my lunch and breakfast together and nothing then until my main meal. This is how I  lost 1 stone 5 lbs in four weeks just before Christmas. I was less rigid that when I did  the Fast 800 and I found it to be ok. ( Last night's weigh in showed a gain of 4.5lbs since Dec 24th).

This blog's aim is to record my daily intake, mood, etc  - I will NOT be counting the calories religiously and I will be having more than the 800 ish in the title. I will make SW recipes as all the  other ones out there that I like - Pinch of Nom, Slimming eats, Hairy dieters , Aunt Ressie's ( My own hahahah ) but I will use proper butter and olive oil - I will use my daily SW syns for these etc. I may enjoy rice and potatoes but maybe only a few times a week - its the sugars I am avoiding. I gave up squash that time I started Fast 800 and I've never drunk it since. 

The main differences for me from last time - 

talking about what I am doing instead of it being in secret

No snacking

Meals will contain good high fat - its the fat that keeps you full and satisfied. 

Looking at sugar content and avoiding foods with artificial sweeteners.

NO frylight, NO low fat yogurts

Trying to avoid processed foods

Not weighing myself at home

The main similarities  - 

Going to group

Choosing what they call speed food, but with the FAST 800 principles of going for lower sugar fruit and veg

Healthy Extra A x 2 will be full fat whatever it is but will be carefully measured

Healthy Extra B will be high fibre food on both lists eg chia seeds and nuts. But I will not beat myself up If I choose cereal for a change. I will be monitoring myself for aches, pains and misery!!! I will be recording it here

I will use the SW food range from Iceland as good standbys as I found them to be good value and tasty. 

Lets see how I get on! The main photo on here is the day 1 breakfast photo from when I did do Fast 800 and it will be what I will have for my lunch today. I plan on having a large chicken and veg meal using the leftover roast chicken from Sunday. I've celeriac, sprouts and cabbage to go with it. 

I will be drinking as much water as I can - the aim is to try for 2l per day. I will also be having black coffee and tea. 

I will post the food in retrospect. Here we go ! 

Trying to be less fay - start of day 1.