How am I doing?

lisamhaig

Hello all
firstly let me say that this is going to be a bit of a ramble!
For years now my eating regime has been all over the place. I have got into the habit of skipping breakfast and sometimes lunch, if I did eat bf it was either a cereal bar or banana in the car or more recently nothing until mid morning when I was ravenous and probably hungover (more on that later) so would eat 2 veggie sausage muffins then feel stuffed.
Lunch - think cheese on toast (I know, but I love cheese!) or a veggie soup or houmous on crackerbread.
The problem came in the evenings really. I fell into the trap of drinking wine, between half a bottle and a bottle would be drank in the evening then I would be ravenous as I hadn't eaten enough during the day and would make something like jacket potato, quorn sausage and peas/sweetcorn late a night and scoff the lot. I told myself I wasn't eating many calories, it was obviously just my metabolism making the scales creep up.

Just over a week ago at just over 13 stone I had enough and something clicked. I have really had enough of feeling like crap, looking like crap. My skin was awful (I was smoking too and with a husband who works long hours meaning I am often on my lonesome in the evenings I was smoking for the sake of it.)

So I decided that enough was enough. I have been religiously filling in my diary, what I am eating is loosely based on an eating plan followed by my mum almost 30 years ago which she swears by. I fear it is terribly outdated but I am making sure to follow it loosely, adding 1/2 pint skimmed milk each day, 2 fruits and lots of vegetables/salad. I am vegetarian so eating quorn which I do enjoy. (Somebody has to!) I am also drinking water or diet squash which I am not keen on so it tends to be water. I drank a lot of high juice apple squash before so fluid intake isn't an issue, I do drink a LOT!
I haven't had any wine since last Thursday so a week and a half and a week or so ago I bought an e-cig and haven't smoked a 'proper' cigarette since. I bought a bottle of gin and some diet tonic water so I can have a drink if I want but some nights I really haven't bothered at all, preferring to go to bed with a cup of tea, something which would have be unimaginable a few months ago.
I am eating much, much more veg than I ever would have before and making sure I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner too. My calorie intake is coming in around 1050 calories on average, I would guess. I am full after a meal and feeling better than I have felt in years, I realise that the drop in alcohol intake and stopping smoking will play a huge part in this!

I am sleeping better, my skin is clearer, my temper isn't quite so short(!) and I have lost maybe 4-5lb at best guess. I bought some old-fashioned analogue scales so that I'm not obsessing about 1/2 lb here and there, as long as the needle is moving in the right direction I am happy.
I have opened up my diary so hopefully you will be able to view it. I have NO intention of keeping this up for any longer than 12 weeks and I am also going to ask my husband to get the exercise bike out of the garage in the next week so that I can start using that again just for a few minutes at a time again to build up my stamina. It's a bridge too far atm, bear in mind I have changed the way I eat, replaced the *kitten* with an e-cig and also dropped my alcohol habit all at once. I am just taking a day at a time and this time I am determined.
I am on meds for high BP which I hope will come down (although I will say I do have a pre-existing medical condition to which the high BP can be attributed so will probably never be rid of it) - I plan to see the doc at 12 weeks and explain what I have been doing and see what she suggests moving forward, diet wise, although I don't know how much help I will get I should get a good idea of what to do from then.

So - back to the question - how am I doing? I KNOW my lifestyle has been unhealthy, I KNOW I have been a fool and I KNOW I have done this to myself, I don't need anyone to point it out please, I'm mad enough at myself as it is. Any useful input would be much appreciated, please no suggestions of weight training, aerobics etc as I really am not fit enough at the moment, I genuinely hope eventually to have a much more active lifestyle but at the moment it's just baby steps.

paulzli

I'm pretty impressed actually. Your diet seems to be well balanced---hitting most of your macro goals. The fact that you're keeping up with nutrient dense foods is good (skim milk, veggies, and more ). I think you're definitely on the right track and in 12 weeks, you should definitely post some pics of your progress.

lisamhaig

Thanks paulzli, you have no idea how good it feels to hear that! I've been concermed that I'm going about it all wrong, lol.
I don't know what macro goals are but if I'm doing it right that's good enough for me, I'm eating foods I enjoy, the difference is I'm taking the time to make a meal now instead of skipping it or drinking wine instead.

paulzli

Oops. But yeah, macros are basically the nutrient goals you are trying to hit for your calorie range, ie protein fiber carbohydrates fat.

paulzli

Im just glad most of your diet isnt comprised of one group mostly or leaving out any. eg some low to non-existent carb diets. all protein. etc

lisamhaig

Ah I thought that's what it might be. It's not intentional but good to know like I said!
So my calories are okay then, I know they are low but I need and want a kick start and it's not like I don't have plenty to lose! Obviously I will increase them after a few months and eat back some cals when I start exercising.