Xenical struggles

Struggling today to keep on the straight and narrow. I am hoping that this blip can be put right with better planning.

Breakfast was ok but lunch and dinner I strayed above the 15 g mark - not excessively but enough for me to worry.

My eating has been quite off the cuff with lots of guesstimating of fat contents.

Alongside the poor planning I think it may be that time of the month quite soon. So I guess I should just be grateful that I have not gone overboard with chocolates.

Here's to a better xenical tomorrow.

Xenical - What can you eat?

There is a vast difference between what you can eat and what you should eat whole taking Xenical... As I learned the hardway after eating a low fat paella which weighed in at about 19 g of fat. Cramping started about an hour after dinner and I am lucky that was it!

Xenical's side effects are quite well documented, so I have made a conscious effort to ensure that I am trouble free.

The rule of thumb for eating while taking Xenical aka Orlistat is to eat no more than 15 grams of fat at each meal.

So I have been eating simple, filling and healthy meals such as beans with whole meal toast, soft boiled eggs and toast, some soups and stir fry.

When I get peckish I look for fruits and vegetables. And when that is not enough? Pretzels are a low fat alternative to crisps and marshmallows reduce my sweet tooth.

Belly dancing my way to fitness: The health benefits of belly dance

First belly dancing class out of the way and I'm already feeling the results of shimmying away the calories. My posture feels stronger and I have to admit that my abs have a pleasant ache to them. It's nice to feel like my body is actually working!

Over the next 10 classes (and beyond!) I'm hoping to unlock the other health benefits of belly dance, such as:

1.) Reduced back and joint pain

Shimmies, back drops, circles and figures of eight work wonders at gently putting the joints and ligaments of the lower back and hip through the full range of motion. These repetive movements result in an increased synovial fluid flow - lubricating these joints. When done properly - with the pelvis tucked - you're at reduced risk of lower back problems. Improving the tone of these muscle groups not only improves your posture - it helps prevent the back pain which results from curvature of the spine which results from lordosis, or weak muscle groups.

2.) Stress reduction

When we are stressed, our bodies get tense - resulting in contractions in the neck, shoulders and back. This causes lactic acid to build up and reduces blood flow. By stretching and using these muscle groups while you are belly dancing, you increase this blood flow to these areas and help to flush out lactic acid. Instead of clenched, tense muscles, you will be limber and supple. In addition to its physical benefits, it reduces psychological stresses.


3.) Enhanced digestion

Work around the torso, such as belly rolls, encourage food to move through the digestive system more efficiently. While this is true of any form of exercise to some extent, belly dancing is especially good in this area.

Can Xenical help you lose weight?

Well, I guess I'll find out soon enough as I'm just starting my third day of Xenical to help with weight loss. A drug with an "anal leakage" side effect wasn't quite what I had in my mind when I spoke to the doctor about weight loss, but that - alone - is enough to keep me on the straight and narrow for now.

I'm not a newcomer to Xenical. When I took it previously, it was alongside a Weight Watchers diet (pre-Pro Points) which meant that I was taking in far too much fat - exposing me to some of Xenical's side effects. 

This time around, I'm taking Xenical, which is also known as Orlistat, on prescription, three times a day with meals. Thankfully I've learned a thing or two about nutrition and fat content since then. 

Well, 'learned' might be a stretch. Let's just say I'm making a concerted effort to check labels with the aim of keeping each meal's fat content below 15g. 

And so far, so good.  

Food-wise, I'm only restricted at the moment when it comes to fat - but I am trying to be sensible with this. (Marshmallows, I've discovered have only trace fat... Yummy for a snack, but NOT a staple.)

Typical breakfasts include: bagel with light spread and banana, 2 pieces wholemeal toast with 2 soft-boiled eggs and porridge. 

For lunch, I've been having ready-made salads (quinoa, orzo pasta, etc) that are low fat, alongside salad leaves. 

Dinners are kept light, too. Last night was BBQ beans on toast, and the evening before was twice-baked sweet potato with low-fat fromage frais, a very little bit of chorizo and spring onion.

To be honest, I'm following much of what I'd be eating if I was following the Slimming World eating plan. The only difference is that I'm not going for big syn treats and I'm relaxing my thinking on bread and milk. Within reason, of course.

Weigh in isn't until 29th April, so I'm going to have the keep clear of the scales. To stay on Xenical my doctor's said that I'll need to have lost 5% of my body weight within the first three months. At my last doctor's appointment, I weighed in at 19 stone 7lbs - so I'll need to show a loss of 14 lbs.

Alongside all of this, I'm going to get some more counselling to handle the issues which lead me to this point. This doesn't start until the 26th, so a bit of wait to find out how that this helps support weight loss.

More to follow...

Why do I get swollen ankles? And, more importantly, how do I stop the swelling?

One of the biggest issues I'm facing as a result of being overweight is swelling of the feet, ankles and legs. I've been suffering particularly this week as I've recently had a long-haul flight... Of course, that was Monday and it's Friday now. So, why do I still have legs like tree trunks?

If I were athletic, I could blame my swollen feet and ankles on being on my feet too much... but I live a fairly sedentary life at the moment - so this couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, my weight will be putting pressure onto my feet, but I am not on my feet enough for this to be a real issue.  

I think a big part of my swelling problem is water retention - plain and simple - caused by poor circulation... which is probably the combined result of sitting still for too long and carrying weight that my heart is getting stressed by. 

So, what can be done about my swelling feet? There are special compression shoes and compression socks available on the market which will bring down the problem quickly... but I'm really hoping for a long term solution to swollen ankles.

There are some natural remedies available, including diuretic green tea or a cup of hot water with lemon.  Gingko Biloba should also help to improve circulation.

But - above all else - I think keeping my feet elevated is key when I'm resting. This will ensure my hear can pump efficiently - delivering blood to every corner of my body. And, guess what? It costs absolutely nothing!

Once this bout of swelling goes, I need to focus on reducing my weight and getting active through regular walking. (Unfortunately it hurts a bit to walk when my ankle area feels so tight!)  I'm aiming to start regular walks this weekend. Just a mile a day to ease me into it.

Day 2: Keeping up the pace

Heading into mid-week and I'm feeling good - physically, mentally and emotionally. While eating healthily means I can't use food as a crutch, I'm staying focused... I may not be following a specific diet plan, but am instead drawing on my experience of Weight Watchers, Atkins and Slimming World to reduce my calorie count while avoiding calorie counts and stress.

2 slices wholemeal toast

1 tbsp peanut butter

Banana

Salad leaves

Pickled gherkin

Pickled beetroot

Sliced chicken breast

2 packs of Walkers baked crisps

a maple syrup sweet (YUM!)

Med jacket potato

Baked beans

Side salad

1 tbsp coleslaw

1 x squash

4 x tea with semi-skimmed milk

You'll notice I've had a sweet. I must say that I've never quite enjoyed a sweet as much as I've enjoyed that one sweet. That's appreciation! And I think little treats like that could be key to shrinkage.  Under the NHS MEND eating plan, they recommend giving yourself five "treats" a week.  This could be fish n chips (2) or biscuit (1)... Unlike Slimming World or Weight Watchers, there isn't a prescribed calorie count. This gives flexibility while not forcing you to go overboard just so you can 'spend' those SYNs or ProPoints.  For me, I think I'm going to allow myself 5 to 10 "treats". That way I can pick and choose and won't feel as restricted to what I can and can't have. For example, what if I'd just like 10 small treats this week or five meals out the next? (I'd like to think I'll be leaning toward the former!)

Looking at today's menu, I need to spend a little bit of time over the next few days thinking about alternatives for lunch. I'm thinking about making a little couscous salad with dates, etc to accompany the salad.  It takes just minutes, is fat free  and is incredibly filling to boot. What can be wrong about that?!? 

I've repeated breakfast from yesterday, but have a couple of options for tomorrow - toast with low fat cream cheese and banana or porridge with raisins.  

Facing up to the weighty truth...

You would think that - at 20 stone 8 pounds - that someone couldn't possibly ignore their weight problem... but as my weigh-in today proved, denial is a very powerful state of mind. 

Not hard to understand why as it's - simply put - the path of least resistance. You can't blame someone for ignoring that elephant in the room... It is much easier than actually negotiating it. 

When it comes to diet and exercise, sticking with the 'same old same old' avoids the challenges of change.  After all, why say "no" to indulgences when saying "yes" is that much easier?  

Hitting rock bottom

Over the past few weeks several things have happened which have left me feeling more determined to lose weight that I've been in years. 

Perhaps the most mortifying (and recent) realisation I've had is that if I gain any more weight I will need to request a lap belt extension next time I'm on a plane. (And it goes without saying that I won't be buying my own any time soon!)

On top of that I've been suffering hot flashes, heart palpitations, joint pain and much, much more. Perhaps most stressful is the growing (and far too rational) fear that I'm doing permanent damage to my body on a DAILY basis. 

And only I can do something about it. 

Back to basics

Let's face it. There isn't a quick fix or magic trick that helps you lose weight. At the end of the day, your daily food intake must be less than what your body burns.  Don't believe me? Just ask Kelly Osborne who shed four stone. In this interview she shares the story of how suicidal thoughts were her "rock bottom". 

I'm a struggler with calorie counting, so I'm following common sense, a bit of Slimming World, a bit of Weight Watchers and a bit of everything in between... I've been dieting for twenty odd years now. If I don't know it by now there's no hope for me. 

To back this up I'm going to review some of the calorie counting apps out there.  But until I settle on the best one, here's my menu for day 1:

2 pieces of wholemeal bread 
1 tbsp low fat peanut butter
1 banana

1/3 bag shredded salad leaves with carrot
1 chicken breast
1 pickled beet
3 slices pickled gherkin

1 portion tagliatelle noodles
1 portion turkey bolognese sauce (homemade with courgette, mushroom, onion, carrot, celery, roasted pepper, sundried tomatoes and tomato passata)
2 tbsp grated parmasean cheese

5 cups tea with semi-skimmed/2% milk.

Texas pulls the reins on HCG diet

Weight loss clinics in Texas have been stopped from advertising HCG injections, following action by the state's attorney general's office.

The HCG diet is a weight loss programme that requires participants to receive injections of HCG in conjunction with a daily caloric intake of just 500 calories a day.

The contraversial diet - which has never been approved by the FDA as a weight loss drug - is typically used as a fertility drug. 

Supporters of the diet claim that regular HCG injections keep hunger at bay while assisting with the body's fat storage. However, there is no research to support this to date.http://www.weightlosssurgerychannel.com/breaking-wls-news/weight-loss-clinics-offering-hcg-diet-under-scrutiny.html/

What example are we setting?

A third of girls between the ages of 10 and 11 are said to be skipping meals in an effort to stay slim. Not only will this damage their health prospects, sense of self worth and their likelihood of maintaining a healthy food/life balance... it will leave them distracted and irritable making school success problematic.

Something needs to change or we will just see the generation after this one worse still with girls as young as 5 worrying about thier figures and feeling unworthy. Argh.

Does Slimpod work?

Forget the pills, the shakes and the diet pills, according to a report in today's Sun, Slimpod download helped one dieter lose 4 stone. Impressive results really!

Through the Slimpod website, you can order a range of specific Word Weaving weight loss downlooads.  Whether you want to drop a dress size or two, glam up for a wedding, say no to chocolate or simply keep your weight loss going, there is a weight loss download available for you.

Compared to the cost of 1:1 sessions with an NLP specialist who uses a Word Weaving for weight loss technique, the price is very reasonable at under £30.

Syn-tastic: Low syn snackbox

One of the keys to Slimming World success is maintaining a good intake of syns. Too little and your body will go into starvation mode... Too many and you undo the good work you've been doing. Losing weight depends on striking this balance... and it's sometimes easier said than done with so many temptations around us!

Some slimmers find that creating a snackbox which contains all their favourite treats and doesn't exceed their weekly syn level is the trick. So, how do you create your box?

The most successful dieters have at least 5 syns of their 15 syn daily allowance each day.  If you were to have 5 syns available for day-to-day eating to cover things like oils, cheeses, etc, you would have 10 syns available per day. So your snackbox could contain as many as 70 syns! And that's a lot of snacking!

Your box could contain any type of snack - sweet or savoury. The only rule would be that it contains no more than 70 syns for the week. This way you could dip in when and as you please to meet your body's needs.

Low syn snacks - sweet

Hartley's low calorie jelly - .5 syn
Mini milk ice lollies - .5 syn
Quality Street (per sweet) - 2 syns
Celebrations (per sweet) - 2 syns
After 8 (1 square) - 2 syns
Cadburys Heroes (per sweet) - 2.5 syns
Mini Wall's Twister lollies - 2.5 syns
Terrys Chocolate Orange - 2.5 syns per segment
Jaffa Cake - 2.5 syns
Oreo - 2.5 syns
Pink & White wafer - 2.5 syns
Snack A Jack Jumbo 3%Fat Caramel 2.5 syns

Chocolate Snack A Jacks - 3 syns
Mars bar - fun size - 4 syns
Skinny Cow ice cream lollies - 4.5 syns
Sainsbury's Be Good To Yourself Toffee Popcorn - 4.5syns
Toffee Crisp - 5 syns
Snack A Jack Popcorn Butter Toffee 23g 5syns
Curly Wurly - 6.5 syns
Walnut Whip - 8.5 syns



Low syn snacks - savoury
French Fries All Varieties 19g 4syns

French Fries All Varieties 22g 4½ Syns
Walkers Baked Crisps All Varieties 25g. 5 syns
Quavers All Varieties 17g 4½ syns

Walkers Light Mutipack 24g 5½ syns
Wotsits All Varieties 21g 5½ Syns
Squares Mutipack All Varieties 22g 5syns
Potato Heads All Varieties 23g 5½ Syns
Monster Munch All Varieties 25g 6syns
Salt N Shake 24g. 6½ Syns
Walkers Crisps All Varieties 25g 6½ Syns
Walkers Crisps All Varieties 34.5g 9syns
Walkers Baked Crisps 70% Less Fat All Varieties 35g 7½ syns
Doritos Dipping Chips Lightly Salted 28g 7syns
Salt N Shake 30g 8syns

Doritos Dipping Chips Lighty Salted 175g 43syns




 

Your dog, your personal trainer

Studies show dog owners are more likely to exercise.

Even when I'm feeling lacklustre and bed feels like the only place in the world that makes sense for me to be, a glimpse of my dog is enough to get my arse out the door and pounding the pavement. He really is my best exercising buddy: no moaning, keeps me on my toes and has a bit of a laugh with it all.

What's more, according to experts, studies have identified that as a dog owner, I'm more likely to walk more, walk faster and enjoy an active lifestyle with my pooch in my life.

"I'm fascinated by what a great motivator dogs can be," said Dr Sandra McCune, co-editor of the book, The Health Benefits of Dog Walking for People and Pets.

According to McCune, an animal behaviorist based in Leicestershire, England, studies indicate that if you're a dog walker, you are more likely to meet the guidelines for daily activities.

Dogs are the reason behind 66 per cent, of the walks their owners take each week, according to a recent survey of more than 1,000 adults commissioned by pet food company Mars Petcare.

Experts estimate that 25 per cent of people with children and pets regularly visit parks and other outdoor spaces because of their dog.

"Personally, I have a Labrador," McCune said. "When it's dark, when it's raining, the dog needs a walk, every day."

She said dog walking also strengthens social and communal ties. "If people go out with a dog, they're more likely to have a conversation," she explained.


According to the poll some 44 per cent of dog owners aged 65 and older exercise on a weekly basis because of their dog.

"Dogs are strong drivers of social capital," said McCune, explaining that social capital is a sociological term which she defined as the value of all relationships.

"Dog ownership benefits the entire community," she said.


As workout partners, canines can offer energy, enthusiasm, and the social support so crucial to sticking with an exercise program, according to Shirley Archer, spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise.

"Dogs can provide that companionship," said Archer, a Florida-based fitness instructor. "Frisbee tossing, ball throwing, agility competitions, dog and human boot camps, are great opportunities to be active," she said. "But obedience training is a must."

She cautions that as living creatures dogs need to be taken care of.  "If they ride with you on a bicycle, they need to be trained to stay close," she said. "Keep them hydrated. Check their paws. Don't let them run right after they eat."

Laura Cartwright Hardy, a grandmother and full-time graduate student living in Little Rock, Arkansas, has two huge German Shepherds. "I've had big dogs since I was 20 and that's definitely been part of the reason I've always been fit," said Hardy, who started lifting weights in her 30s so she could carry 40-pound (18.14-kg) bags of dog food with ease.

"They certainly keep you honest about walking," she said. "Those big brown eyes make it impossible to say no." She added that every human walking partner she has had, except her sister and her husband, quit because she went too fast.

Anatomy of a fad diet

Could the South Pole diet work for Jared Leto, too?

As a veteran of virtually every diet under the sun - from the Atkins Plan to the Mars Bar Diet to the Cabbage Soup diet - I sometimes feel like I could write and profit from my own specially devised diet plan.

Editor of Healthy Food Guide Magazine Niki Bezzant has done just that with a scientific sounding diet which restricts foods over a certain temperature... inspired by the Raw Food Diet, perhaps? 

Benefit of exercising #182

... it makes you smarter! Check out this study in the New York Times.

Weigh in - Week 15 - 10 per cent less of me :)

This week's weigh in was a mixed bag of dieting mayhem.  While a 2 lb loss is 1lb more than I set out aiming for on this diet, I craved it... This loss would have seen me achieving my Club 10 (10 per cent weight loss) and a two stone certificate at my Slimming World meeting.

Losing 1.5lbs is  a good achievement, considering my swaying from plan, but it meant I only got the club 10. So I'm just 1/2 lb away from my 2 stone award. So, this week's goal is another 1.5lbs to bring me to 17 s 6 1/2lbs. That will work for me!

Good luck to anyone out there weighing this week. Let's hope the Gods of dieting are on our sides!

Dance, dance, dance your way to weight loss

So I've booked myself in for a 10 week Middle Eastern dancing course at the local college. I'm aiming to shimmy away the calories with a spot of bellydancing.

If the effects of dancing were ever to be seen, you can always trust the Dancing With the Stars contestants. The latest pics from Kirstie Alley make good viewing! While she credits Organic Liaison with this great result, diet can't sculpt, nip and tuck!

Weigh in - success!

Three months in and I've now lost more than 25 lbs and 25 inches! At weigh in I reported a weight loss of 2.5lbs.

Things feel like they're moving again with my weight loss... I'm really hoping that this is the start of a purple patch where the weight loss, diet and exercise really start falling into place.

In the short-term, I'm looking for a weight loss of at least 2lbs next week. This will gain me my club 10 (10% body weight loss) and my 2 stone certificate. In the longer term I am shooting for a weight of no more than 16 s 7lbs by 28 November.  That gives me 9 weeks to shed 1 stone 2.5lbs and along the way that will see me pass the 2 stone, 2 1/2 stone and 3 stone marks. This weight loss goal will also ensure that I am at (or below) my pre-giving-up-smoking weight on 2nd December. That will mark 3 years off the cigarrettes.

Weigh in - Week 13 - Highs and lows...

So it's been a whopping six weeks since I last properly checked in. During this time we've had highs and lows but for the most part I think my weight's changed very little.  And even that is an overstatement! I think I've only shifted 6.5lbs in the past few weeks. Next weigh in is tomorrow and I'm hoping to increase my 1 stone 10lb weight loss that little bit further:

Start weight  :  19s 7.5 lb
Weight now  :  17s 12.0lb

I've had a good week these past few days, so I'm really hopeful that this week will see me get a little bit closer to the 2 stone mark (4.5lbs away) and my Club 10 goal (4lbs away).

The exercise has really been upped the last few weeks and I'm starting to feel myself being able to get more active as a result of the increased fitness. As well as my daily walks with the dog and laser tag I'm doing a Zumba session each week and an extra laser tag. During this past week I've reintroduced swimming and I've also started transforming every other dog walk into a dog run of 2 miles. Next week I'll aim to increase the dog walk to 2.5 miles of intervals (25m run, 25m walk).

This exercise has had a significant impact on my body's shape. Last week I took in my new measurements:

Bust            50                45              -5
Waist          51                45              -6
Hips           55                50              -5
Neck           16.5            15               -1.5
Left thigh    31.5            27.5            -4
Right thigh  31.5            28               -3.5


I'm still tracking my wrist and calf measurements but there haven't been any noticeable changes there!

That said, that's a loss of 25 inches in just three months of following Slimming World and focusing on my activity levels! I'm particularly impressed by the reduction in my thighs... incredible, isn't it?!?

Perhaps at the end of six months I'll post a before/after. I'm taking my time this time with the weight loss as I'm trying not to rush it and risk regaining, so I'm thinking that holding back is the best way to go!

Off to play some squash - will write more tomorrow after the weigh in!

17 Day Diet... Does it work?

Another diet, another gimmick... And guess what, this fad diet doesn't even pretend to live up to its name. Forget 17 days, this one needs a 51 day commitment!

Like most diet plans, the 17 day diet is about eating less, moving more... packaged up nicely and marketed by its USP - the 17-day cycles. Why, oh why, do they keep putting this stuff out. And - more importantly - why oh why do the public keep lapping it up???

Fear laced with confusion is my best bet! We all know - far too well - thanks to government health campaigns and the drugs companies - why need to keep trim: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, etc (I could go on for days!). But when it comes to slimming down and finding the right path the marketeers are having a field day - if you pay them enough attention!

Sadly there isn't a glamorous way out of being overweight, obese or even morbidly obese (as am I!).  There are just two golden rules to losing weight: understand what foods contain in terms of nutrition (calories, sugars, fats) and keep your intake in check.  The old adage of eat less, move more isn't quite so.  Yes, eating less bad foods is a good thing, but surely you need to eat more good. And that old adage of moving more has been disproved by medical research at playing a key role in helping people lose weight. Of course, exercise helps keep weight gain at bay while delivering fitness benefits ( and cosmetic ones to boot)!



With so much confusion out there between good foods and bad foods, is it any wonder that we're facing an obesity epidemic while millions in the world starve?

Slimming World Success Stories

Look up Slimming World Success Stories on Google and you'll quickly be reminded of what kind of changes you can expect to see in your life by simply sticking with the programme.

Unlike a lot of other diet plans it feels like Slimming World is more about the long term rewards rather than short terms (losses and gains!).

Here are a few I've found this week:

Welsh mum's slimdown from 18 s 5 to 11 s 10 (a 7 st 5lb loss!)

Pensioner loses 8 stone.

Yummy Mummy loses 3 st 13lbs.

Military wife drops 8 dress sizes and 5 1/2 stone!