So I survived the first week of Route to Management on plan and I even lost 3lbs! That’s now officially 8 stone exactly or 112lbs. That means I’ve now achieved my last two weight loss related targets. My morning ‘true weight’ currently stands a 13 stone and 7lbs. Wait for it. My BMI is 25.6!! 25 something!! WTF?! That’s bordering on ‘Healthy’! I guess an obvious question to those not in the know is ‘why did you still lose weight?’ Well, it’s all about carbs and maths at the end of the day. Although I’ve been eating every day, it’s only been a protein based low carb affair. As a result, my glycogen stores remain depleted and I’m even still in ketosis (the fat burning zone). Also, the maths is pretty straight forward too. Now I’m using the treadmill 3 times a week my net weekly calorie intake is actually less than when I was on full abstinence. I expect this trend to continue next week but in week 3, as fruit comes in. That’s when it’ll be easier (and more convenient) to up my calories.
It’s all very strange as, just 5 months after starting; I’m finding myself in an odd position where I don’t want to lose any more weight. How weird. I’m not stressing about it at the mo cos once the trigger foods start coming in to the management phase, my glycogen with refill and I’ll put a few pounds on. It’s all good. I am enjoying being back in the world of food but I have already come to realise that I can’t let my guard down for a moment. Being able to eat again is actually like going back in time a bit in terms of temptation. I’m already finding resisting more difficult than I did when in full abstinence. I suppose this is to be expected as pre management, the situation was much cut and dry, no food at all! Now the little demons on my shoulder are whispering to me again. It’s nothing I can’t handle as I had a lunch out today and stuck to water but it was a good reminder that I need to be mindful. This leads me to let you all know of my general intentions with the Route to Management programme. So far I’ve followed the programme to the letter but this isn’t necessarily my plan long term. I’m not going to shy away from events etc anymore and I’m not going to worry too much if I stray slightly off plan or have something a week early etc. A good example of this is going to be next Wednesday night. I’m going to an Indian restaurant for my mother in law’s birthday. Now before you all sound panic stations, I’m not going to have 6 pints of king cobra and a lamb pasanda. I will stick to the plan as closely as I can. There’ll be no rice, bread or potato involved and I won’t be going for anything with sauce. I guess strictly speaking I will be staying on plan but my overriding point is that I won’t be WORRYING about it. Worry/stress was always one of my major triggers to over eat and I’ve decided to tackle this head on with my approach to route to management. This may sound a little like defeat. Why go through all the abstinence and change now? etc. Well, this is why. It’s time for me to start trusting myself in the world of food. I know the theory; it’s time for the practice. If I have a blip, so be it. I’m still going to follow the structure of management (no fruit until week 3, no triggers until week 8 etc) but it’s time for this diet to stop defining who I am. I need to get away from this mentality of ‘I’ll have a day off’. For me, in the future, I want it to be very much about eating normally after a night out not ‘getting back on plan/track’. What I want to do long term is practice a healthy lifestyle. Long time readers will remember that one of the very first things I learned about my relationship with food was the fact that I had the exception and the rule the wrong way around. The rule was curry, chips and beer and the exception was a salad. This is one of the key things that I’ve changed. I’m so aware of this issue now that I really do think I can handle an ‘exception’ now. I’m conscious that this is sounding like I’m trying to make an excuse for a lapse. What I’m trying to say is that I don’t see such a thing as a ‘lapse’ being possible anymore. Route to Management in unsurprisingly vague about certain aspects of eating (portion size, calories etc) so it’s time for me to take some responsibility too. The introduction of different types of food is certainly a sound approach however and I intend to follow it. These foods have been designed to be introduced at these times to increase my metabolic rate slowly and minimise cravings but worrying whether or not they cooked my mushrooms in butter or oil when we’re out next week is not something I’m prepared to do. I’ve been down that road and I know where it leads me. We’ve come full circle; it’s about carbs and maths. Keep the carbs and numbers in check and everyone’s a winner.
Ok, so it’s day one of week 2 today so what does that mean in terms of reality? Well, exciting stuff my friends, that’s what. I get to add some mushrooms, pepper and spring onion to my salad leaves and chicken tonight. Then I even get to eat some sugar free jelly with fromage frais for desert! Oh how the other half live! My diet continues in a similar vein for week two. I’m still having my lighter life bar for breakfast and soup for lunch along with the choc mocha ice shake before bed. I can add a snack of some veg (cucumber. Pepper etc) with some low fat dip but I’m not going to bother. As fruit comes in to the plan in week 3, having a bag of apples/pears in my bottom drawer will be much easier in the office. I have a tin off Tuna on the menu for tomorrow then it’s food shopping on Saturday. I may even push the boat out and go for a bit of quorn! I’ve never had it so I’m curious. Oh I can also have diet/sugar free soft drink and yoghurt now too. I’ll probably stay away from the fizzy drinks but fat free yogurts could be a convenient snack……
G
P.S. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Apples
