3 weeks later - settling into a better rhythm

Back down to 84 kilos, my new goal is to stay as much as possible in the lower 80's - where I feel best and healthiest without resorting to excess ugly foods rich in sugar and fats.

That means a lifestyle change of sorts. Without resorting to a short term diet plan, or punishing myself with a long term (the idea of dieting with no end is depressing) diet, I have settled on the idea of a new lifestyle, one that serves the basic concepts of what I have learned about food and myself in the last year and makes a regular regimented schedule that is easy to maintain and allows me to enjoy food without guilt or excess.

The idea is, for the evening meals:

Red Meat - once a week.
Chicken - once a week
Fish - twice a week
Vegetarian - three times a week.

Some of the Recent Dishes for Lite Dinner

Evening meals should be low or no carb, leftovers (particularly carb ones) will be lunch the next day. So for example we had fresh Terakihi Fillets tonight with chips and a salad on the side. The kids ate fish and chips, I ate fish and salad, but will take leftover fillets and the chips to have for lunch tomorrow.

The plan also includes Intermittent Fasting which is a very good way to feel virtuous and in control of any days where I snack or eat a heavy meal, which I will undoubtedly do. On Tuesday and Thursdays I'll stick to the IF plan and basically have a fruit lunch (filling but lo cal) and then have a lite salad and/or grilled fish option for dinner.

Weekends are always going to be the hardest as during the work week it is easy to stick to a sensible plan and be far too busy to be snacking anyway. Fasting is incredibly simple when you are busy, but when you are home it's easy to lose focus and pick away at whatever is around, especially when the kids are grazing animals interested in a constant stream of small amounts of food and resisting meals wherever possible, as a strategy I know that will not work for me.

So there's the plan, weekends will be the upper end of my weekly bell curve, it will dip on the tues/thurs fasting combo and by having a porportional idea of what kind of food we will be eating, it will become second nature.

Now to see how well I can stick to this. It's more open ended and that's something I struggle with as a concept, but I just started getting new clothes and they fit me now, so I need to stay in this range to stick to my goal of never buying a 'size up' again.

15 Days Later - Reality Vs Normality

2 weeks afterwards, the reality of returning to normality has hit home.

While I would like to think that my habits had changed, it was shockingly easy to allow myself to eat terribly and start to undo the work I had done. And in a surprising amount of time. In less than two weeks I had put back on approximately 6-7 kilos.

Chocolate and sugary foods were the worst culprits. Because I had so little in the last year I ALLOWED myself little splurges, (one or two pieces can't hurt too much on their own?, I can't keep it up and won't do it again!).

Apparently I am lying bastard. Now it might seem harsh, but the more I look at it the more I see that it's all on me. I chose to accept this and my choices put me on the path to eating rubbish when I simply don't need to and ultimately don't want to. No one was trying to get me back on the chuck-wagon, most people know better than to try and convince me of anything let alone direct me to do things I don't want.

At first I was okay with it, because I expected to put on some weight and I had said to myself that 85 kilos was a good weight, having been down to 81 and feeling that it was a little too thin, and even getting comments from others to that effect.

But then it kept going, and I found myself eating crap food without thought to consequence, or worse, thinking that because I had lost a tonne of weight already, I had wiggle room. My stated goal of having to never buy bigger size clothes was still the 'upper' limit of what I could do.

This simply meant I was making excuses for eating badly.

My body rebelled and punished me, it felt lethargic and weary and the aftereffects of eating crap showed up immediately. My mind though had plenty of patterns and habits to fall back on and I kept making excuses for it.

Just one more won't hurt, I'll plateau and it will stop, I'll take it more seriously tomorrow.

You would think after a year of hard (ish) work to get where I am, losing 45 kilos, disciplining myself without  fail and mostly without exception (I can count exceptions in a year on one hand ) that I would not be so fucking stupid and let that happen.

But I did, and was okay with it.

For about 2 weeks.


To me this what a drug addiction is like - just without all the scary and much more serious and immediate consequences? I don't actually know this for sure, and don't meant to belittle serious and life threatening  addictions in anyway - but this is a good metaphor for me. I have to treat myself to my own version of rehab.

So while I am not going back to the strict regimes of my Uber Diet and I am not going back to the diet roundabout of a diet a month, I am regulating my diet again. 

Maybe I have to do this for the rest of my life, it's not that hard and I still enjoy food and am far from the picture of a miserable and self hating dieter, but obviously it can be so easy to put it all back on again. Maybe that's hyperbole and I'd never put it ALL on, but why put any of it back on really?

I feel fantastically better when I eat well. I sleep better, its better for my wife and kids, it's just better full stop.

I do have to buy new clothes, but dammit I am buying them and getting ones that fit, not settling for having slightly bigger clothes that I know I can 'eat up to'

That way lies madness.

Post Year of Diet Breakdown: 365 Days, 13 Diets, 45 Kilos

After a year of dieting I would have a lot of data to display, piece by piece I'll add them to my blog for interest's sake.

Graph One: Weight At the end of each Diet.

Graph Two: Amount of Kilograms lost per Diet.

 Graph Three: Weight Loss as a Line Graph with figures

It's all over, Rover! BMI Weight Achieved!

So after the final fast day I finally get where I never thought possible.

I am now officially (technically, or whatever you want to call BMI) a healthy weight.

My BMI (Trefathen calculation) is under 25 and now at the very upper range.

Also this marks the loss of over 45 kilograms in a year marked by 13 diets, the reintroduction of exercise and a quantum shift in my eating habits and taste.

It's been a quick year in some respects, not as hard as it sounds and certainly fascinating.

Will it make a good book? No idea, but considering the response that such a change gets from people and the apparent inspiration it gives people it's worth a crack.

IF I can write it without being holier than thou, without being a dick, without being an expert, without knowing what I was doing and without being humourless.

Most importantly, without an extra 45 kilograms.
(OK it's obviously not going to be without a little self-satisfaction).

I'll work on some stats and figures for my final blog post for this project - I'll check back maybe once a month and keep myself honest on my ongoing weight - which I expect to rise, but not more than the clothes size I currently wear.

I'll wait a month before buying a new wardrobe, that way I should know what size I will settle at.

My friends should be well over this by now, but thanks to everyone who supported and encouraged - even though I rejected all such notions initially, once I was underway the ego boost was significant and bloody helpful in some doubtful times (the plateaus).

 

The New Plan - Day Sixteen

The last day - a year later.

The final day is today and I will be fasting for the day starting at a weight of 82.4 kilograms.

Yesterday I consumed less than a thousand calories, I was not fasting but I was not that hungry so I just ate what I ate which was all vegetarian and sugar free with a fruit based dinner.

Seems like this day has been coming for a long time since I started the final countdown and Uber-Diet phase and now that it's here it's a bit odd to think that it will all be over in 24 hours.

The rest of the week will be interesting to see how I adjust to life with no restrictions, I have lunch booked on Wed, Thu, Fri and dinner out on Saturday. Will I be a cheap date and eat like a bird or will I make up for it with eating everything that looks good?

Not sure I'd go that far - but the menus at Hard Luck and Molten are very enticing.

The New Plan - Day Fifteen

Two days to go, still under goal weight.

With approximately 48 hours before the year is up and I am at 82.8 kgs (slight rise from yesterday as expected with a normal eating day of over 1200 calories approx) but with a day in the office (easier not to overeat when you're busy) and a final fasting day tomorrow of less than 600 calories then I expect to finish in the lower 82's (all things being equal and provided I don't overdo it today).

Busy today - loads to catch up on after a weeks holiday from work.

Thinking about the impending writing deadline and the fear of publishing raw copy every day.

Push the boundaries and commit to it right?

Write.

The New Plan - Day Fourteen

The last few days to go.

This morning I got to my stated goal of anywhere 82.9 (or better) with a drop to 82.4 from yesterday's 83.2 (largely due to a long day painting and running about with and early fruit only dinner).

I still clocked in at 1700 calories out of the 1900 or so I need to maintain my weight.

Having been doing this multi-diet for a couple of weeks now I can see the benefit in doing the sugar-free, no carbs at night, preferably a lite and/or Raw dinner with the Intermittent Fasting restricting caloric intake 2 days a week. No snacks also helps.

Put all these together and you get a very efficient but not punishing diet plan.

I have a new regime that makes it quite hard to eat a lot of heavy food, I had a couple of home-made pies for lunch yesterday and they sat in me quite noticeably until my eventual dinner around 4:30 ish - which was some grapes (a decent bowl full) and 3 plums.

A this was Raw and fibrous and sweet and B this was as much as I could eat as I was still feeling pretty good from lunch 5 hours earlier.

Went out to a BBQ and this time the smell of cooking lamb on the BBQ was very alluring, the smell was fantastic. BUT as I don't actually like lamb it was not that tempting just smelled delicious.

3 days to go and one more fasting day.

Who knows I may even just squeak in on my BMI provided I don;t celebrate my goal weight with too much of the wrong kind of food today.

4 days until I have to start writing daily.

Not sure where to start. I will publish what I write every day on my blog, so the diet book may be an aside project - or I may just start the introduction and a few chapters so I can submit to a few publishers maybe.

Maybe.

We'll see.

The New Plan - Day Thirteen

The last few days.

Still in the low 83's and not fasting again until maybe tomorrow or the very last day Tuesday.

A process that feels slow but certainly is not considering that I have lost approximately 5 Kilos in 12 days (from a high of 88 to a low of 83) and expect to drop by at least 500 or so in the next 4.

Yesterday was a non fasting day and I ate well, exercised a little less but stayed to the basic rules of eating sugar free, no carbs after lunch, zero snacks and all within 8 hours (with a Salad dinner).

I had a steak sandwich for lunch yesterday and that comprised the largest part of my food for the day and sat in me for several hours, I had to eat dinner (a salad) by 4:30 but was still a little full and not that hungry by te time that rolled around.

According to the 8700 app I got from some Aussie health website I should be consuming around 1900 calories per day to maintain weight now and I consumed around 1700 and felt quite full especially after lunch. This bodes well for not putting a large amount of weight back on when this is all over next week.

83.2 Kgs

Going to a BBQ tonight and have to eat by 5 pm to finish within my eight hours, and of course it will be Raw so it'll be the salad, but still thats the rules.

I would not mind a wine or a beer but that amount of calories in the evening so close to the finish line would not be helpful.

Definitely going to have a drink with a dinner out next week I think.

Looking forward to eating occasionally without thought to the larger plan.

The New Plan - Day 12

The last few days to go.

83.0 - crawling towards my goal.

I did not achieve a fasting goal yesterday and instead consumed around twice what I should on a fast day - by inattention more than by intent. However I did eat more than expected but less than enough to gain weight.

I have been looking at the various figures for BMI and surprisingly even though there is a math to it - not guess work, a lot of the weight ranges vary when they should not.

So going back to the drawing board on BMI I find that there are two calculations available - which explains some of the confusion.

The original BMI which would put my target weight at 79 kilos and the Trefathen BMI (AKA New BMI) which is apparently more realistic and would put my target at 81.6 kilos.

Either way there is no real rhyme nor reason that shows causation to accept BMI in my opinion, it is a nice goal and statistically aligns with good health. As i have said before though, thats not math or science but common sense, that you can express it mathematically to a range and approximation still is not evidence that this magic number is in any way magical. (unless you equate magic with fiction - in which case it's just magical enough).

I hvae 1 more official fasting day on Tuesday and I am considering a replacement day for yesterday on Sunday. It's not necessary to do this, but there is some satisfaction in going out on my healthiest weight possible.

I feel no different or slimmer than I did say 20 kilos ago, which is interesting. People notice me getting thinner, but I have not really since last year. Gradual changes creep up on us I guess, and now that I have smaller clothes it seems less of a difference to me.

However 43 kilos, I know people who weight that much or less - and thats more than the combined weight of my children.

In 5 days time I'll start my new project of 1,000 words a day.

The New Plan - Day 11

The countdown continues, day 11 and only six left to go.

Relatively close to get to target weight or better with less than 0.5 of a kilo to go.

Today is the second to last fasting day, with my final day also being a fasting day.

All things being equal I should get to my goal this week, however the trick as always is making it through the weekend without weight gain, which is expected after ending the fasting cycle.

When I do gain weight this weekend I should return to my lower weight on the other side of the final fasting day on tuesday next week.

83.1 kgs today.

The New Plan - Day 10

The last week starts here.

So my final day is rapidly approaching and I have 2 more fasting days between here and there.

Around 0.8 kilos left to lose, it's entirely possible I could get there by Friday if I stay low-cal and low carb today and then have the 4th of 5 fasts tomorrow.

Then it's the weekend and that seems to be the biggest challenge - getting through that without the usual rebalancing that seems to happen in that period.

I had a breakfast out this morning and while it was a couple of hours ago now, I still feel quite full.

As usual with the intermittent fasting, the first day is relatively painless, the day in between easy enough. Tomorrow as always is the key.

1 week to go to what is probably not my BMI - but is my goal none the less.

43 kilos down.

After this is all over my writing blog will start. First project a book about my year of dieting, need to put the pun-making part of my brain into gear for a title.

And recipes, diet books are full of recipes.

The New Plan - Day Nine

The countdown to the end, race to the finish etc... 8 days to go.

This is the 3 of 5 fasting days in the final week (just over a week).

Not much to add today - still in the mid 84's today not gaining or losing and while not eating loads, there are still carbs to keep the loss at bay. If I regressed to totally Raw then I'm sure I would be declining still.

However with all diets this is a long game not a lose every day game and patience is a virtue.

I have lost over 40 kilos to get here and that did not happen in a steady downward daily slope. In fact in many blog entries before today I suspect I had reached the dreaded plateau only to find myself progressing again as time wears on. Often I would gain a few kilos ( which is depressing, though it should not be ) before I started losing again.

A change is as good as a rest and sometime you have to let your body adjust to the new way of doing things, it has a mind of it's own, the metabolism.

However wait it out, just over a week to go.

Eyes on the prize blah blah blah.

Not that there's a prize at the end.