In the Guardian Guide section today there was a link listed to a story about a woman who left a McDonald's Happy Meal out on a shelf for a year.
Clicking on it I'd thought it would be gross, but it looks practically the same. Worth a look. You've got to wonder what food that doesn't rot would do to your body.
Since doing Atkins, and then even more with Primal, so much more of my food has been in the fridge. I think that freshness and the amount of time something takes to go bad must be a factor related to health. My fridge is crammed with vegetables, salad leaves and hard fats, whereas the cupboard has just nuts, seeds, eggs and spices. (And my husband's carbs, but I ignore them!)
With Primal as opposed to Atkins, one of the best things is that I can have a fruit bowl with actual fruit in!NB Atkins does have a berries, and then a fruit rung, but I could never quite get there. With Primal Blueprint, fruit is on the menu from the start. Yay!
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Thursday, 25 March 2010
The Importance of Sleep (and Relaxation)
Wow, check out this bed! I was searching flickr for a picture for this post of big fluffy pillows and came across this photo stream of beds by eklektick. It seems she creates a bed theme or look each month and posts them on flickr - and actually sleep in it. This halloween one was my favourite, but the others are great too. Worth a look.
So, sleep. As I have said before Mark's Daily Apple is where my primal journey really began in earnest. I check it everyday or so. Today's post is on sleep, and I would recommend reading it even if your aren't in the least primal. The long and short is that sleep is very important and even a little bit of missed sleep has a negative impact on your ability to function. And man, is that a timely reminder for me.
I kind of intend this blog to be a hideaway from non-food and exercises stresses in life, so don't want to drone on about the crapness of my life at the moment (though, hell, it's all relative and I definitely have a better deal that a lot of people). But at the moment the stress is getting in the way of one of the Primal Commandments to get enough rest.
So in the last two nights combined I have had about 7 hours sleep. And I love to sleep. I often get nine hours. And I'm feeling the deprivation. And it is not good. If I get anymore dull-witted I might have to replace my cutlery with plastic to avoid injury to myself.
I think getting more sleep will be my next Primal Priority now I feel a bit more in the groove of eating and exercising.
But what if you can't sleep not because you're out partying like a 20 something maybe should be, but lying there worrying and fretting and gnashing your teeth like a total crazy?
So we come to relaxation. And my inability to do it. Good food and exercise certainly help me to deal with stress. If I were to eat a whole load of sugary, pastry, bready carbs now I'd feel comforted for about an hour and then I'd turn into the carb monster and then I'd feel guilty and worse and in need of more comforting. Not worth it.
Meditation works for me. But I never seem to find the time or be in the mood. Or my neck and back are so tense that being in a mediation pose is just more painful. A doctor once told me I have the tightest neck muscles they'd ever seen, and I was sorta proud, like at least my commitment to worrying was clear to the medical professionals. I was 17 then and life has not got breezier since.
I've developed a weird jaw pain over the past few days and Dr Google tells me it could be stress from clenching my teeth and possibly grinding them in my sleep. Either that or I have moments to live, you know how it is with googling medical problems. The internet must be a hypercondriacs dream/nightmare.
Anyway, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and the weak, it appears, hobble themselves with back and jaw ailments. How do you calm down primally? Can a seasoned worrier ever really chillax?
And just to say: I total admire that bed. It makes mine look pretty darn unappealing, covered as it is in dressing gowns, books and biro marks.
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Pondering Fat Acceptance
Is fat political? Does fat-ism exist? As a long-term student of politics I have a tendency to see everything as political. And I would also say, yes fat-ism does exist. I worry I may have been guilty of fat-ism myself at times. Even at my largest (which these days does not seem that big) I was guilty of thinking harsh thoughts about people's size, or their size combined with their outfit, even if they were slimmer than me.
Part of the reason so many people want to lose weight, I think, is because of this judgement that they would make of others, and are aware of others making of them. Even though I had a thyroid problem, and so knew first-hand that for some people weight gain is not the result of endless sofa-bound eating, I still had that knee-jerk reaction about myself and others.
Anyway, the reason I am blathering about this is because I have recently been reading Fatshionista which often touches on fat acceptance, as well as great fashion.
But for the first time I understood that Fat Acceptance was about more than just not berating yourself about the extra pounds. There is no one definition, but fat acceptance includes the idea of being healthy at any size, like eating right and exercising. When I think of my insane yoyo dieting and some of the dumber diets I have tried, this is an appealing and sensible idea. It is also about doctors not seeing the health problems of the overweight as all linked to their size - which is something I have experienced.
Perhaps most importantly, fat acceptance makes the case that discrimination against overweight people should end. Sometimes, especially watching some comedy shows, it feels like larger people are the last group that people can laugh at without feeling guilty. Which strikes me as odd. When shows and films feature fat characters that get cast or suited-up for laughs (e.g. Monica from friends in her fat suit) how are the 20% of obese people (here in the UK, and 32% in the US) supposed to feel?
So, why aren't I casting my lot in with the fat acceptance movement? I have thought about it. And I envy people who are able to accept their fat, or at least decide to work their way towards accepting it. But I know that for me, it would be a lie. I don't accept being overweight, and I don't like it. I have been overweight, I have lost the extra pounds and regained them. I hate yoyo dieting. This blog is about ending that. I am not clear I will succeed for good. After all 95% of dieters have a relapse. BUT I feel I have to try because I don't like the alternative.
Also, if I were to move towards accepting my fat I am not sure I would be able to be healthy at any size. It is fighting the flab and maintaining any loss that stops me from being the carb-monster. As much as I appreciate that fat acceptance is about freeing yourself from this hyped-up dieting spiral, it is not something I feel I can do. I would like to think this opinion covers only me, but I'm as guilty of the next person in making a snap judgement about someone because of their size.
This is not to say I am anti-fat acceptance. On one level I kind of envy that level of self-belief. Anyone being happy with their size is great in my opinion. Although, having said that, there are possibly limits. I think deliberately getting larger and larger is sort of worrying. In this case a woman is deliberately trying to reach 1000lbs. Her husband's encouragement seems troubling to me. If someone's partner was encouraging them to get thinner and thinner to the point of anorexia it would be equally troubling, but because she is large I feel I should censor myself.
What about you? Anyone out there consider themselves part of the fat acceptance movement? And can you be a slim fat activist?
Edited to say: I just realised that Fatshionista's logo features a plump cat - the choice of the photo above was accidental, or subliminal because I was thinking about it. Either way it is a homage, not a copy. Also cats are brilliant.
Part of the reason so many people want to lose weight, I think, is because of this judgement that they would make of others, and are aware of others making of them. Even though I had a thyroid problem, and so knew first-hand that for some people weight gain is not the result of endless sofa-bound eating, I still had that knee-jerk reaction about myself and others.
Anyway, the reason I am blathering about this is because I have recently been reading Fatshionista which often touches on fat acceptance, as well as great fashion.
But for the first time I understood that Fat Acceptance was about more than just not berating yourself about the extra pounds. There is no one definition, but fat acceptance includes the idea of being healthy at any size, like eating right and exercising. When I think of my insane yoyo dieting and some of the dumber diets I have tried, this is an appealing and sensible idea. It is also about doctors not seeing the health problems of the overweight as all linked to their size - which is something I have experienced.
Perhaps most importantly, fat acceptance makes the case that discrimination against overweight people should end. Sometimes, especially watching some comedy shows, it feels like larger people are the last group that people can laugh at without feeling guilty. Which strikes me as odd. When shows and films feature fat characters that get cast or suited-up for laughs (e.g. Monica from friends in her fat suit) how are the 20% of obese people (here in the UK, and 32% in the US) supposed to feel?
So, why aren't I casting my lot in with the fat acceptance movement? I have thought about it. And I envy people who are able to accept their fat, or at least decide to work their way towards accepting it. But I know that for me, it would be a lie. I don't accept being overweight, and I don't like it. I have been overweight, I have lost the extra pounds and regained them. I hate yoyo dieting. This blog is about ending that. I am not clear I will succeed for good. After all 95% of dieters have a relapse. BUT I feel I have to try because I don't like the alternative.
Also, if I were to move towards accepting my fat I am not sure I would be able to be healthy at any size. It is fighting the flab and maintaining any loss that stops me from being the carb-monster. As much as I appreciate that fat acceptance is about freeing yourself from this hyped-up dieting spiral, it is not something I feel I can do. I would like to think this opinion covers only me, but I'm as guilty of the next person in making a snap judgement about someone because of their size.
This is not to say I am anti-fat acceptance. On one level I kind of envy that level of self-belief. Anyone being happy with their size is great in my opinion. Although, having said that, there are possibly limits. I think deliberately getting larger and larger is sort of worrying. In this case a woman is deliberately trying to reach 1000lbs. Her husband's encouragement seems troubling to me. If someone's partner was encouraging them to get thinner and thinner to the point of anorexia it would be equally troubling, but because she is large I feel I should censor myself.
What about you? Anyone out there consider themselves part of the fat acceptance movement? And can you be a slim fat activist?
Edited to say: I just realised that Fatshionista's logo features a plump cat - the choice of the photo above was accidental, or subliminal because I was thinking about it. Either way it is a homage, not a copy. Also cats are brilliant.
Monday, 22 March 2010
Talking Myself Down from the Ledge
It's day three of eating primal, just after lunch. And the cravings have hit. HARD. All I can think about is my poison of choice - Cadburys Dairy Milk with hazelnuts. Last week when the carb carzy was in full swing I ate 250g family size bar a DAY.
When I did Atkins the first nine meals were generally enough to get me into ketosis and start to stop cravings. I am a bit worried that with the Primal Blueprint, with more carbs including fruit, that cravings will stick around longer.
So I'm posting here to set myself up with some accountability. The longer I do this the less of a probablem these cravings will be. I know this, but yet my brain is screaming at me to eat something sugary - like the Dairy Milk. I don't have any, but I do have some old orange marmalade in a cupboard which would go great on some hot buttered toast with a cup of tea.
I will not give in!
Having said that any ideas for tackling cravings gratefully recieved!
When I did Atkins the first nine meals were generally enough to get me into ketosis and start to stop cravings. I am a bit worried that with the Primal Blueprint, with more carbs including fruit, that cravings will stick around longer.
So I'm posting here to set myself up with some accountability. The longer I do this the less of a probablem these cravings will be. I know this, but yet my brain is screaming at me to eat something sugary - like the Dairy Milk. I don't have any, but I do have some old orange marmalade in a cupboard which would go great on some hot buttered toast with a cup of tea.
I will not give in!
Having said that any ideas for tackling cravings gratefully recieved!
No More Kickboxing for a While
For a little way this blog will be more Primal than Ninja. I have got a new job, which requires moving house. This means I will be leaving my much-loved kickboxing club, where I have been a member for the past two years. It's time to hang up my gloves, at least for now.
It does at least give me a chance to fully focus on the primal exercise plan, without risking over-training. Also time will be tight, and has been for the past six months. It has been frustrating not to be able to put in all the time I did prior to my purple belt. Hopefully I can take it up again some time in the future!
It does at least give me a chance to fully focus on the primal exercise plan, without risking over-training. Also time will be tight, and has been for the past six months. It has been frustrating not to be able to put in all the time I did prior to my purple belt. Hopefully I can take it up again some time in the future!
Running (wo)man
So I feel the diet is back under control now (though I still am battling some residual sugar cravings). So I made a start on my primal exercise plan. The Primal Blueprint recommends the following weekly plan:
- lifting heavy twice a week
- high intensity interval training
- moving slowly, but frequently
- sprinting
So, I thought I'd make a start with the scariest part - sprinting. Mark Sissons routine is 6-8 full out running sprints of 100 metres, with 1 minute rest inbetween. So I recruited Mr Primal Ninja with promises of him being able to lord his natural fitness ability over me and we went off to the park.
We paced out about 100 yards and Mr PN set off. Wow, he runs fast! Then it was my turn and to my utter amazement I actually felt speedy! I'm not going to feature in the 2012 Olympics anytime soon but I was pleased with covering the distance in 15 seconds or so (though later sprints were slower). Mr PN made it in 11 seconds each time. I did a total of 6 sprints, he did 7.
Unlike normal jogging it was actually fun. It did feel...primal. My thighs and hip flexors ache today and I was in a lovely mood all day afterwards. Probably a placebo effect but endorphins may have been involved. I can definately imagine doing that once a week, rather than trying to jog for ever increasing periods.
Today we went for a walk around the local wood and lake - moving slowly for about an hour and a quarter. Yay! Loving the primal exercise so far.
Tomorrow a heavy lifting session is planned.
- lifting heavy twice a week
- high intensity interval training
- moving slowly, but frequently
- sprinting
So, I thought I'd make a start with the scariest part - sprinting. Mark Sissons routine is 6-8 full out running sprints of 100 metres, with 1 minute rest inbetween. So I recruited Mr Primal Ninja with promises of him being able to lord his natural fitness ability over me and we went off to the park.
We paced out about 100 yards and Mr PN set off. Wow, he runs fast! Then it was my turn and to my utter amazement I actually felt speedy! I'm not going to feature in the 2012 Olympics anytime soon but I was pleased with covering the distance in 15 seconds or so (though later sprints were slower). Mr PN made it in 11 seconds each time. I did a total of 6 sprints, he did 7.
Unlike normal jogging it was actually fun. It did feel...primal. My thighs and hip flexors ache today and I was in a lovely mood all day afterwards. Probably a placebo effect but endorphins may have been involved. I can definately imagine doing that once a week, rather than trying to jog for ever increasing periods.
Today we went for a walk around the local wood and lake - moving slowly for about an hour and a quarter. Yay! Loving the primal exercise so far.
Tomorrow a heavy lifting session is planned.
Atkins - Close but no cigar
Don't you love this cake?! I was totally fooled.
I thought I would make this a separate post because Atkins lasted a long time for me, and I did briefly (for about one glorious day!) get to goal weight - which was 168lbs (12 stone).
Atkins is very much misunderstood. When I was following Atkins (the 2002 Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution version) everyone and their Mum felt free to lecture me on how I would diet of a heart attack, how I was only losing water weight not fat, how my kidneys would explode and basically how all of humanity would scorn me. None of these things happened. I followed Atkins from September 2006 until February 2010. The first year went very successfully and I lost a load of weight.
I felt GREAT - more energy, hardly any colds or flu, no headaches, great skin and a whole load of other benefits. People tend to think of Atkins as a meat and fat fest but I swear I ate more veg on that plan than most people generally do. My typical day was:
Breakfast: 2 grilled or fried pieces of bacon, 1/2 cup mushrooms cooked in butter, 1 oz of chedder, a medium tomato, and two fried eggs. When it was going well I also had a bowl of blueberries and cream (small portion).
Lunch: A can of tuna packed in oil, lots of mayo, 1 cup of rocket, 2 cups of romaine lettuce and/or raw spinach and a cup of peppers.
Snack: Cheese (1 oz) or 20 olives.
Dinner: Chicken breast and two cups of denser veg like broccoli or courgettes or both! Also served with pesto and cheese, or mayo.
Drinks: 2 cups decaf tea with cream or decaf coffee and cream and lots of water.
When it was going well I loved this plan. I didn't get bloodtests as the book recommended, but my thyroid function was not affected and I had great blood pressure. I exercised regularly and didn't feel that low carbs affected that. BUT there were problems for me, which is why my search for a long-term solution continue and have finally led me to the primal approach. The problems I couldn't get to grips with plagued me from after that first year to now, really.
1) Atkins works on a ladder system - you start off basic, at 20g of net carbs per day and then add in more veg, more dairy, nuts and seeds, berries and so on and eventually end up at some small amount of pulses and grains. Each person is meant to test their personal reaction to each new food and to find out their own level of carbs to lose weight and the level at which they maintain. For me, and this was when I exercised and hour a day six times I way I was frustrated that after that first year I could not eat more than 35g net carbs without my weight loss stalling or gaining.
2) I found it hard to stick to when I was away for a longer period of time. If staying with friends or family for a night or two I could generally limp through by packing hardboiled eggs, mini cheeses and cherry tomatos to snarf when no-one was looking! I could eat some meals with them, but watch the carbs. But after around three days, say at Christmas, this became awkward and to be honest, quite anti-social. Then, the moment I ate something not on plan I would go absolutely off plan with gusto. It was like some insane sugar and carb monster would take over my body and I would become like an eating machine. I would eat secretively, storing chocolate, eating massive portions of pasta, heaps of anything. It was almost like I was trying to eat all the carbs I'd avoid in a couple of days. I felt upset by this, and felt like Atkins had put my relationship with food even more out of whack than ever, and like I was trapped doing Atkins forever or I'd struggle to gain back control.
3) Once off plan the punishment was very swift - I could, and did, regain weight in terms of lbs each day. Over a week and a half away for Christmas I could easily gain back a whole stone (14lbs). Then I would get home, start up again and feel I had to re-work the ladder each time to get my cravings under control.
Ok, so all this became very frustrating but I stuck with this rollercoaster of good behaviour, weight loss, alternating with massive sudden gains up to now. September 2006-to February 2010. Occassioanlly I would try another plan but always came back to Atkins when I felt rubbish, couldn't control my cravings or lose weight. But the real nail in the coffin for me was:
4) Uhm, not sure how to say this. But let's just say it seemed to be affecting my libido and my husband eventually begged me not to carry on. I have to qualify this and say this is how it SEEMED. I have not heard of anyone else with this problem, in fact I think the opposite is more common.
Don't get me wrong - I still have a big affection for for Atkins. I have been part of fantastic forums online where people work the plan successfully and are very happy for years. I think his work is worth reading and I am so used to Atkins that I tend to eat like that automatically given half a chance. For me I learned that carbs are key to my weight loss, to my mental wellbeing and my physical health. But I still feel something is missing, and that it can be improved, hence my primal plans.
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Getting serious
Ok so the first primal banana-skin has been slipped upon. I am in the final months of my phd, about to move house and have a new job. A new diet approach felt like too much and I fell into a pit of sugary, salty processed and evil carbs!
Our that is my story, but actually it was just a big excuse. Now I am back up to 196lbs (or so, too scared to weigh self).
I need to get serious about this because I am sure it will work. Also I watched a great video at Mark's DFaily Apple about re-programming genes and it really made me think. The decisions about what eat affect not just my weight now, but my future heath. With Atkins, because it was so easy to lose weight really quickly I gopt used to thinking 'oh I can gain a bit this week and lose it the next'. But keep doing that and it adds up to creeping weight gain.
So the new rules:
- Eat Primal wherever possible but don't go crazy when can't and use it as an excuse to eat rubbish for a week
- Do the Primal Blueprint exercise plan of lifting heavy 2-3 times a week; sprint once a week and the rest of the time move slowly, rest or play
- Avoid dairy for a while to see how it goes. Add in later (about a month later) to test for intolerance
- Make an effort to get more sleep
- Fitday when have time for the first month of so
I start tomorrow with a food shop and a good breakfast. I will also weigh, measure and photograph my goodself.
Our that is my story, but actually it was just a big excuse. Now I am back up to 196lbs (or so, too scared to weigh self).
I need to get serious about this because I am sure it will work. Also I watched a great video at Mark's DFaily Apple about re-programming genes and it really made me think. The decisions about what eat affect not just my weight now, but my future heath. With Atkins, because it was so easy to lose weight really quickly I gopt used to thinking 'oh I can gain a bit this week and lose it the next'. But keep doing that and it adds up to creeping weight gain.
So the new rules:
- Eat Primal wherever possible but don't go crazy when can't and use it as an excuse to eat rubbish for a week
- Do the Primal Blueprint exercise plan of lifting heavy 2-3 times a week; sprint once a week and the rest of the time move slowly, rest or play
- Avoid dairy for a while to see how it goes. Add in later (about a month later) to test for intolerance
- Make an effort to get more sleep
- Fitday when have time for the first month of so
I start tomorrow with a food shop and a good breakfast. I will also weigh, measure and photograph my goodself.
Friday, 26 February 2010
Day 1: Let's Primal
I final made a leap into the past today and went primal! Woooo! Feeling very excited about it right now.
I was wondering about when to start and how best to fit it into my insane schedule for the next month, but at the same time I was fed up feeling rubbish and lethargic and blah so I got up and did it.
When I say I just did it I don't mean I am totally primal now. There is a lot more to it than just food, but that is where I am starting.
Today's menu:
Breakfast - 3 egg omelette cooked in 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, with 1/2 avocado. 2 oz berries after.
Lunch - 1.5 cups of romaine lettuce, 1 whole yellow pepper, 1 cup raw spinach, 1 cup rocket. Tuna (from a can, though in future will be shopping for fresh when I can afford it). With homemade dressing (2 tbsp olive oil, 1 of red wine vinegar, dried basil and 1 crushed clove garlic)
Dinner - 1 organic chicken breast, 1 cup asparagus, 1 cup courgette.
Snack - 1 oz hazelnuts
Drinks - loads of water and 1 plain white tea
Fitday thinks this is 1,498 clas, 55% fat, 12% carbs and 33% protein. This is less fat than I am used to with Atkins but also less calories.
This is dairy free - I'd normally get more calories from cheese and cream and mayo. But I want to try this mostly dairy free for now, because with Atkins I couldn't get my net carbs above 30g and wonder if dairy is the reason.
But my net carbs from this = 26g so I could be heading for ketosis, which is not what I want. Maybe I should add an apple....
Still lots to learn, but feeling positive!
I was wondering about when to start and how best to fit it into my insane schedule for the next month, but at the same time I was fed up feeling rubbish and lethargic and blah so I got up and did it.
When I say I just did it I don't mean I am totally primal now. There is a lot more to it than just food, but that is where I am starting.
Today's menu:
Breakfast - 3 egg omelette cooked in 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, with 1/2 avocado. 2 oz berries after.
Lunch - 1.5 cups of romaine lettuce, 1 whole yellow pepper, 1 cup raw spinach, 1 cup rocket. Tuna (from a can, though in future will be shopping for fresh when I can afford it). With homemade dressing (2 tbsp olive oil, 1 of red wine vinegar, dried basil and 1 crushed clove garlic)
Dinner - 1 organic chicken breast, 1 cup asparagus, 1 cup courgette.
Snack - 1 oz hazelnuts
Drinks - loads of water and 1 plain white tea
Fitday thinks this is 1,498 clas, 55% fat, 12% carbs and 33% protein. This is less fat than I am used to with Atkins but also less calories.
This is dairy free - I'd normally get more calories from cheese and cream and mayo. But I want to try this mostly dairy free for now, because with Atkins I couldn't get my net carbs above 30g and wonder if dairy is the reason.
But my net carbs from this = 26g so I could be heading for ketosis, which is not what I want. Maybe I should add an apple....
Still lots to learn, but feeling positive!
Monday, 22 February 2010
Musing Over Different Primal Approaches
I've called this blog Primal Ninja because I like the word Primal over Cavewoman or Paleo Ninja.
Having done some more research it is now clear that there are two main books about this sort of lifestlye. The first is the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sission. His website marksdailyapple.com is really good - a lot of key info on there. If I can work out how to make a link I will. I'm a book junkie, so I have ordered this book and am peering eagerly out the window each morning for the postwoman.
The second book is Loren Cordain's The Paleo Diet. There seems to be less about this online and when life is a bit less crazy I'll write a proper review here. This book has some simple rules, but they are also quite severe, to a 'normal' way of thinking. But I guess 'normal' is the problem, right? And having done Atkins I feel I am halfway there already. It involves: good quality lean meats and fish, vegetables, fruits. No grain, no dairy, no sugar.
Let me say that again. No grain, no dairy, no sugar. No grain, no sugar, fine - I can do that. No dairy?! Yikes, what am I getting myself into? I know I can probably get used to it, but no cream, no cheese, no MAYO?!?! Oh the humanity! Mayo got me through 3+ years of Atkins!
Even scarier - eggs are limited. I can see the reasoning Cordain gives - eggs wouldn't have been around with a great deal of frequency or in great number in the ol' paleo days. But as a low-carber I am used to seeing eggs as a fail-safe breakfast option. What will I eat for breakfast - a big hunk of meat?
This will take some getting used to. There are menu plans, and I'll share my thoughts and my menu plan when I have put some time in figuring it all out. But right now, I'm a bit nervous, but having read more I am feeling sure that this approach will work and make me feel good, IF I can sick with it.
Having done some more research it is now clear that there are two main books about this sort of lifestlye. The first is the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sission. His website marksdailyapple.com is really good - a lot of key info on there. If I can work out how to make a link I will. I'm a book junkie, so I have ordered this book and am peering eagerly out the window each morning for the postwoman.
The second book is Loren Cordain's The Paleo Diet. There seems to be less about this online and when life is a bit less crazy I'll write a proper review here. This book has some simple rules, but they are also quite severe, to a 'normal' way of thinking. But I guess 'normal' is the problem, right? And having done Atkins I feel I am halfway there already. It involves: good quality lean meats and fish, vegetables, fruits. No grain, no dairy, no sugar.
Let me say that again. No grain, no dairy, no sugar. No grain, no sugar, fine - I can do that. No dairy?! Yikes, what am I getting myself into? I know I can probably get used to it, but no cream, no cheese, no MAYO?!?! Oh the humanity! Mayo got me through 3+ years of Atkins!
Even scarier - eggs are limited. I can see the reasoning Cordain gives - eggs wouldn't have been around with a great deal of frequency or in great number in the ol' paleo days. But as a low-carber I am used to seeing eggs as a fail-safe breakfast option. What will I eat for breakfast - a big hunk of meat?
This will take some getting used to. There are menu plans, and I'll share my thoughts and my menu plan when I have put some time in figuring it all out. But right now, I'm a bit nervous, but having read more I am feeling sure that this approach will work and make me feel good, IF I can sick with it.
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Low GL Diets
One final diet that I have tried should be acknowledged. I have tried the low glycemic load approach a couple of times - first in 2008 and then Summer 2009 when I was trying to find something other than Atkins that worked. GL is like more sophisticated glycemic index and it takes into account the impact of food on blood sugar but also factors of portion size.
I tried Patrick Holford's Low GL Diet and also Nigel Denby's Diet Freedom approach, one at a time or kind of together. Holford's book is well researched and well written. If I could chose a way to eat this would be it. Good carbs are eaten, proteins, some fats. It is like the most healthy diet you could sterotypically think of - oats, nuts, seeds, brown rice, berries, lean meats and fish, the whole bit. But after Atkins it seemed to make sense (as carbs were generally limited and good quality) and it seemed very relaxed in comparison.
So I planned and shopped and cooked and ate. For about a maximum of two weeks each time. It just made me feel ill. I am still not sure why, but I quickly became hungry, tired and always thinking of when I could next eat and trying to make bigger portions on the sly. I got dry skin - my skin is always quick to dry out and itch after a shower when I am not eating how my body likes. And I got, um, sorry for TMI, but bowel issues each morning. Like something was troubling my digestive system. I suspected the oats or the extra fruit, but I never could tell for sure.
The Diet Freedom Low GL plan is just 'sensible' no weighing, measuring, very relaxed and appealling. This seemed like the holy grail - if I could make it work. I imagined a normal relationship with food, healthy choices, normal portions, and being able to eat out or at friend's without being anxious or resenting my diet. In my imagination I imagined laughing, in slow mo as I chose cake cafe as an occasional treat, and not then going home and eating everything sweet in sight. But, like Holford's approach, but more so, the more relxaed approach was dangerous for me. Give me an inch of and I'll eat a mile - of chocolate. 25g grams of dark chocolate were allowed as snacks. So I bought some. The first night, I had it with my cup of tea. The next day I was thinking about it, there in the cupboard. That night I ate the rest of the bar. It wasn't even that nice - 70% chocolate is not meant to be eaten in that quantity. I felt hyper and wired all night. And Mr Primal Ninja, who had helped me work out the portion size, gently asked what I was doing. And it was all over.
For people who have failed at 10 million diets this could be a frustratingly familiar feeling. You don't want to be crazy, you don't want to have food issues, but for some reason you just can't control yourself with certain foods, no matter how sternly you talk to yourself or stick hideous fat photos of yourself on the fridge.
That night, of the chocolate binge, my sister mentioned the caveman diet. And I felt cautiously optimistic.
I tried Patrick Holford's Low GL Diet and also Nigel Denby's Diet Freedom approach, one at a time or kind of together. Holford's book is well researched and well written. If I could chose a way to eat this would be it. Good carbs are eaten, proteins, some fats. It is like the most healthy diet you could sterotypically think of - oats, nuts, seeds, brown rice, berries, lean meats and fish, the whole bit. But after Atkins it seemed to make sense (as carbs were generally limited and good quality) and it seemed very relaxed in comparison.
So I planned and shopped and cooked and ate. For about a maximum of two weeks each time. It just made me feel ill. I am still not sure why, but I quickly became hungry, tired and always thinking of when I could next eat and trying to make bigger portions on the sly. I got dry skin - my skin is always quick to dry out and itch after a shower when I am not eating how my body likes. And I got, um, sorry for TMI, but bowel issues each morning. Like something was troubling my digestive system. I suspected the oats or the extra fruit, but I never could tell for sure.
The Diet Freedom Low GL plan is just 'sensible' no weighing, measuring, very relaxed and appealling. This seemed like the holy grail - if I could make it work. I imagined a normal relationship with food, healthy choices, normal portions, and being able to eat out or at friend's without being anxious or resenting my diet. In my imagination I imagined laughing, in slow mo as I chose cake cafe as an occasional treat, and not then going home and eating everything sweet in sight. But, like Holford's approach, but more so, the more relxaed approach was dangerous for me. Give me an inch of and I'll eat a mile - of chocolate. 25g grams of dark chocolate were allowed as snacks. So I bought some. The first night, I had it with my cup of tea. The next day I was thinking about it, there in the cupboard. That night I ate the rest of the bar. It wasn't even that nice - 70% chocolate is not meant to be eaten in that quantity. I felt hyper and wired all night. And Mr Primal Ninja, who had helped me work out the portion size, gently asked what I was doing. And it was all over.
For people who have failed at 10 million diets this could be a frustratingly familiar feeling. You don't want to be crazy, you don't want to have food issues, but for some reason you just can't control yourself with certain foods, no matter how sternly you talk to yourself or stick hideous fat photos of yourself on the fridge.
That night, of the chocolate binge, my sister mentioned the caveman diet. And I felt cautiously optimistic.
Saturday, 20 February 2010
In Which the Author Details Her Familiarity with Weight Loss Programmes of the Day
Ok, so I haven't done them all, but I've done a lot of diets or WOLs or whatever you want to call them. I started dieting when I was 14 or so, even though photographic evidence of the time reveals I was actually not overweight and actually, retrospectively, kinda had a nice body.
The 4 C's: Calorie Counting and Cindy Crawford!
Ok, so around aged 14 - 15 I calorie counted. I aimed for a probably insufficient 1,500 calories per day. But this was really all I cared about- I if I ate a Boost bar or two, then it was all good if it got me until 1,500 calories. I became one of those people who knew the calorie count of everything. At the same time I purchased a number of Cindy Crawford exercise videos (that sounds so darn quaint I might as well say I bought a bunch of Cindy Crawford gramaphone records). Anyway, Cindy was all about the 'music video' approach to exercise videoes - all big teased hair, lots of glamourous locations and a mixture of light cardio and resistance with light weights and high number of reps. Despite the fact that, in my living room, hair scraped back and wearing manky old tracksuit bottoms, I looked nothing like Cindy as she pouted gorgeously throughout, I did tone up and lost about a dress size (down to UK size 14) and I was pleased with this. Cindy has been criticised for including exercises that are seen as dangerous or not ideal, but I have found her various videos to be ok, if you take it a bit slower in places and don't wave your head around too much.
The Uniquely Dreadful Cabbage Soup Diet
Around this time I also had a half-hearted stab at the cabbage soup diet. Though designed for people about to have rapid weight loss prior to heart surgery (I think) I thought it was appropriate for a healthy, active, still growing 15 year old to eat nothing but cabbage soup for like 5 days. The diet is more complex than that, but I didn't do it right. It was pretty unfun and the kitchen smelt like an 18th century workhouse as my massive pot of ageing cabbage sludge sat on the hob for nearly a week!
Dr Bob - Hard Food Hard Body
Ok, so I kept up Cindy exercises and vaguely being ok with food until 1998 or so. Then I became a vegetarian (I absolutely blooming love the idea of being a vegetarian, but it doesn't love me). This caused me to gain a bit a weight, then I got a thyroid problem in 2000 or so. By this point I was away at uni and ate pretty much only carbs. We had tiny food lockers, and minimal cooking facilities. Unbelievably, not knowing better at this stage, I ate mainly white bread crisp or potato sandwiches (wtf?!), quorn spag bol, quorn with cheese and mayo on and a LOT of chocolate from the vending machine in my college. Jeez, I honestly can't recall veg or fruit, but there must have been some! I ate out a fair bit, always starter, main, dessert and drank enough on occasion to have actual palpatations. Me and future Mr Primal Ninja both love food, he was very skinny and could put away an inordinate amount of food in about 2 seconds and I upsized my portions accordingly.
So fastforward to 2002. Still a student, but a much bigger one (highest weight around this time unknown, but near my maximum of 217lbs), I stumbled across a book by Dr Bob Arnold 'Revolutionary Weight Control Programme' in a bargain books bin. Despite the cover revealing Dr Bob to have the appearence of a wax-work Clint Eastwood circa 1990, something appealed to me and I bought it for £2.99. Dr Bob's diet was about eating good instead of bad carbs, it was also lower fat. I am not sure I was doing it right, but I recall eating a lot of salads, beans, pulses and legumes (same difference I know!) It was the first time I'd come across the idea of carbs not being equal - but I didn't stick to it for long and then forgot about it. It was partly because Dr Bob was not an easy man to relate to as a plump woman. His only experience of being overweight was to deliberate break all his own diet rules to see what would happen. Whilst I applaud him for this level of self-control, as an overweight person, clamouring for and obsessed with chocolate 24/7, this didn't really speak to me.
Body For Life - Bill Phillips' Earnest Face
Ok, fastforward again to 2003. I am now a bit heavier, still a student and still a bit clueless about nutrition. In the very same book shop as I found Dr Bob I came across Bill Phillip's Body For Life. This instantly appealed to me and I jumped right into it and forced future Mr Ninja to take part as well. This plan is basically a weight-lifting programme for fast weight loss. You do 45 minutes of weight-lifting three times a week, and three sessions of High Intensity Interval Training each week. You eat a somewhat taxing six times a day - aiming for a fist sized serving of lean protein and a fist sized portion of good carbs. Good carb generally meant low-fat. Bread was allowed, fruit, etc. Fat was limited. Also, and very appeallingly to someone not really ready to address their underlying issues with food, there was a free day every week where you didn't have to exercise and you could eat whatever you wanted. While I can see this is wise for some people who might just choose to be a bit more relaxed, eact a single dessert or have a beer, for me it was a licence to binge like a crazy woman once a week. I practically got up extra early to give myself time to eat all the food I'd been fantasising about all week. And not only did I take the piss with the free day I also started to get slack with the other meals too. I wasn't one for meal replacement products (tasting like sick as many of them available in England did then). Like we used to eat burgers with mushy peas! Quorn burgers - not great protein, but still didn't eat meat then (did eat fish), in a white bun (white!) with frickin' canned mushy peas as my veggie portion. Looking back I amazed I was such a total moron, but I have found learning about nutrition to be a long journey.
Anyway, I lost about a stone (14lbs, 6kgs) and my body composition changed a whole load. I learned for the first time that I am actually quite strong, and also that high intensity interval training is not fun.
I have an affection for Body for Life - the book is encouraging, Bill Phillips comes across as a big muscly lovely earnest man who just wants to show you the right way. The testimonies and amazing before and after photos of Americans who have been successful (featuring one in a stars and stipes bikini which my sister promised she'd track down for me if I was successful) are inspiring and did me a lot of good. However, I didn't stick to it - eating 6 times a day was a big chore without meal replacement products and I still lacked the discipline to really take on exactly what was right. I did take from this that lifting free weights is not a bad thing for a woman - and spent many an hour with Mr Primal Ninja in the tiny, testosterone-saturated weights room. This gym was so small and old it had NO cardio machines.
How to Be Miserable and Obsessive - Weight Watchers
I should say I've nothing against Weight Watchers, but that would be a lie. I know a lot of people love it and get on well with it, but it did not suit me at all. In 2005, having gained back that BFL-lost stone and some more poundage I briefly flirted with weight-watchers. I joined online, perhaps the classes would have been better, but I worked out my points, planned, cooked and ate. And I was STARVING. I remember eating breakfast, being disappointed and then being hungry about half an hour later. I murderously hungry and obsessed with when I could next eat. I think I actually lasted about a week. I was running a bit at this point and any exercise was unappealing because it just felt like I was using energy I needed if I was going to eat so little.
The Glycemic Index and More Cindy Crawford
Soon after this, I tried Rick Gallop's low GI diet. This should have worked better than it did. GI, though less sophisticated than the Glycemic Load diet which was to follow, was a leap in the right direction for me. White carbs like bread, rice, potatos were out, beer was frowned upon. Veggies and some fruit were all good and so was most protein. I still didn't eat meat at this point and I found it really hard to stick to, but I was starting to learn that all calories are not created equal.
At this stage I ran - I read Sam Murphy's Run For Life (a great intro to running for beginners, and the starting point of my life-long worshipping of Enell's sports bras) and did a 5k. I also bought Cindy's workouts on DVD and a load of others too. I exercised about 5 days a week with these DVDs and running. It was hard at first but I began to feel better. Gradually I stopped fretting about my diet and I lost a bit of weight (about a stone again) and people noticed. Whoop!
But I slacked off again, Mr Ninja moved away for a while for work, I comfort ate, regained and moved to live with him again in 2006. By September 2006 I was around 210lbs.
Atkins Adventure
In September 2006 I began the Atkins diet. It was life-changing. More of this to follow - but I've got to run, I've got an eye test.
The 4 C's: Calorie Counting and Cindy Crawford!
Ok, so around aged 14 - 15 I calorie counted. I aimed for a probably insufficient 1,500 calories per day. But this was really all I cared about- I if I ate a Boost bar or two, then it was all good if it got me until 1,500 calories. I became one of those people who knew the calorie count of everything. At the same time I purchased a number of Cindy Crawford exercise videos (that sounds so darn quaint I might as well say I bought a bunch of Cindy Crawford gramaphone records). Anyway, Cindy was all about the 'music video' approach to exercise videoes - all big teased hair, lots of glamourous locations and a mixture of light cardio and resistance with light weights and high number of reps. Despite the fact that, in my living room, hair scraped back and wearing manky old tracksuit bottoms, I looked nothing like Cindy as she pouted gorgeously throughout, I did tone up and lost about a dress size (down to UK size 14) and I was pleased with this. Cindy has been criticised for including exercises that are seen as dangerous or not ideal, but I have found her various videos to be ok, if you take it a bit slower in places and don't wave your head around too much.
The Uniquely Dreadful Cabbage Soup Diet
Around this time I also had a half-hearted stab at the cabbage soup diet. Though designed for people about to have rapid weight loss prior to heart surgery (I think) I thought it was appropriate for a healthy, active, still growing 15 year old to eat nothing but cabbage soup for like 5 days. The diet is more complex than that, but I didn't do it right. It was pretty unfun and the kitchen smelt like an 18th century workhouse as my massive pot of ageing cabbage sludge sat on the hob for nearly a week!
Dr Bob - Hard Food Hard Body
Ok, so I kept up Cindy exercises and vaguely being ok with food until 1998 or so. Then I became a vegetarian (I absolutely blooming love the idea of being a vegetarian, but it doesn't love me). This caused me to gain a bit a weight, then I got a thyroid problem in 2000 or so. By this point I was away at uni and ate pretty much only carbs. We had tiny food lockers, and minimal cooking facilities. Unbelievably, not knowing better at this stage, I ate mainly white bread crisp or potato sandwiches (wtf?!), quorn spag bol, quorn with cheese and mayo on and a LOT of chocolate from the vending machine in my college. Jeez, I honestly can't recall veg or fruit, but there must have been some! I ate out a fair bit, always starter, main, dessert and drank enough on occasion to have actual palpatations. Me and future Mr Primal Ninja both love food, he was very skinny and could put away an inordinate amount of food in about 2 seconds and I upsized my portions accordingly.
So fastforward to 2002. Still a student, but a much bigger one (highest weight around this time unknown, but near my maximum of 217lbs), I stumbled across a book by Dr Bob Arnold 'Revolutionary Weight Control Programme' in a bargain books bin. Despite the cover revealing Dr Bob to have the appearence of a wax-work Clint Eastwood circa 1990, something appealed to me and I bought it for £2.99. Dr Bob's diet was about eating good instead of bad carbs, it was also lower fat. I am not sure I was doing it right, but I recall eating a lot of salads, beans, pulses and legumes (same difference I know!) It was the first time I'd come across the idea of carbs not being equal - but I didn't stick to it for long and then forgot about it. It was partly because Dr Bob was not an easy man to relate to as a plump woman. His only experience of being overweight was to deliberate break all his own diet rules to see what would happen. Whilst I applaud him for this level of self-control, as an overweight person, clamouring for and obsessed with chocolate 24/7, this didn't really speak to me.
Body For Life - Bill Phillips' Earnest Face
Ok, fastforward again to 2003. I am now a bit heavier, still a student and still a bit clueless about nutrition. In the very same book shop as I found Dr Bob I came across Bill Phillip's Body For Life. This instantly appealed to me and I jumped right into it and forced future Mr Ninja to take part as well. This plan is basically a weight-lifting programme for fast weight loss. You do 45 minutes of weight-lifting three times a week, and three sessions of High Intensity Interval Training each week. You eat a somewhat taxing six times a day - aiming for a fist sized serving of lean protein and a fist sized portion of good carbs. Good carb generally meant low-fat. Bread was allowed, fruit, etc. Fat was limited. Also, and very appeallingly to someone not really ready to address their underlying issues with food, there was a free day every week where you didn't have to exercise and you could eat whatever you wanted. While I can see this is wise for some people who might just choose to be a bit more relaxed, eact a single dessert or have a beer, for me it was a licence to binge like a crazy woman once a week. I practically got up extra early to give myself time to eat all the food I'd been fantasising about all week. And not only did I take the piss with the free day I also started to get slack with the other meals too. I wasn't one for meal replacement products (tasting like sick as many of them available in England did then). Like we used to eat burgers with mushy peas! Quorn burgers - not great protein, but still didn't eat meat then (did eat fish), in a white bun (white!) with frickin' canned mushy peas as my veggie portion. Looking back I amazed I was such a total moron, but I have found learning about nutrition to be a long journey.
Anyway, I lost about a stone (14lbs, 6kgs) and my body composition changed a whole load. I learned for the first time that I am actually quite strong, and also that high intensity interval training is not fun.
I have an affection for Body for Life - the book is encouraging, Bill Phillips comes across as a big muscly lovely earnest man who just wants to show you the right way. The testimonies and amazing before and after photos of Americans who have been successful (featuring one in a stars and stipes bikini which my sister promised she'd track down for me if I was successful) are inspiring and did me a lot of good. However, I didn't stick to it - eating 6 times a day was a big chore without meal replacement products and I still lacked the discipline to really take on exactly what was right. I did take from this that lifting free weights is not a bad thing for a woman - and spent many an hour with Mr Primal Ninja in the tiny, testosterone-saturated weights room. This gym was so small and old it had NO cardio machines.
How to Be Miserable and Obsessive - Weight Watchers
I should say I've nothing against Weight Watchers, but that would be a lie. I know a lot of people love it and get on well with it, but it did not suit me at all. In 2005, having gained back that BFL-lost stone and some more poundage I briefly flirted with weight-watchers. I joined online, perhaps the classes would have been better, but I worked out my points, planned, cooked and ate. And I was STARVING. I remember eating breakfast, being disappointed and then being hungry about half an hour later. I murderously hungry and obsessed with when I could next eat. I think I actually lasted about a week. I was running a bit at this point and any exercise was unappealing because it just felt like I was using energy I needed if I was going to eat so little.
The Glycemic Index and More Cindy Crawford
Soon after this, I tried Rick Gallop's low GI diet. This should have worked better than it did. GI, though less sophisticated than the Glycemic Load diet which was to follow, was a leap in the right direction for me. White carbs like bread, rice, potatos were out, beer was frowned upon. Veggies and some fruit were all good and so was most protein. I still didn't eat meat at this point and I found it really hard to stick to, but I was starting to learn that all calories are not created equal.
At this stage I ran - I read Sam Murphy's Run For Life (a great intro to running for beginners, and the starting point of my life-long worshipping of Enell's sports bras) and did a 5k. I also bought Cindy's workouts on DVD and a load of others too. I exercised about 5 days a week with these DVDs and running. It was hard at first but I began to feel better. Gradually I stopped fretting about my diet and I lost a bit of weight (about a stone again) and people noticed. Whoop!
But I slacked off again, Mr Ninja moved away for a while for work, I comfort ate, regained and moved to live with him again in 2006. By September 2006 I was around 210lbs.
Atkins Adventure
In September 2006 I began the Atkins diet. It was life-changing. More of this to follow - but I've got to run, I've got an eye test.
Overly optimistic first post!
Hello and welcome! I realise I am probably saying this to precisely zero readers right now because this is, for the time being, an entirely secretive squirrel blog.
So, what the heck is primal ninja all about? Let me explain about my self, my weight and exercise battles and the purpose of this here blog.
Primal is the diet/approach to life (not a fan of the 'd' word, but it is hard to get out of this mindset) that I will be trying out and discussing in this blog. Why on earth I am doing this crazy plan rather than just 'eating less calories' or 'watching my portions' (as advised by my Mum and most 'experts' 10 zillion times), is explained below.
Ninja relates to the fact that my exercise of choice is American Kickboxing, and I kinda liked the way 'ninja' juxtaposed nicely with 'primal'. NB I don't claim to be an actual ninja, so please don't comment saying if I'm a ninja then so is your Grandma etc, or that kickboxing doesn't = ninjahood. I KNOW that, and I know martial artists can be very pissy about their method and how much better it is than your's an all that - I just like the sound of the name and it is in recognition of the fact that I want to be a hell of a lot fitter and more impressive. I have a purple belt in American Kickboxing. and am working on blue.
About Me
As I said I am a 28 year old female, entirely new to blogging. I am a research student and work part time in the voluntary sector. I LOVE to read about exercise, nutrition and all that jazz. I am also into fitness (though running makes me actually cry). I love fiction, films and cooking. I am into current affairs and campaigning around human rights, more of that later I'm sure. I have a soft spot for Murder She Wrote like you wouldn't believe, no more of that later, I promise. I will happily watch any show about weight loss or fashion and I am partial to dressing a bit retro. I love the idea of meditation, but somehow am always too busy to do it.
This is not one of those blogs where I weigh a whole load and readers will be amazed by my losing like half my body weight - though there are a number of really great blogs out there that are like that and hopefully when I have a vague clue how blogging works I will link to some of them.
Ok, so weight issues: ten years ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I was 18, just started uni and in a new relationship and I gained 3 stone pretty darn quick. Surprisingly, this was not brilliant for my confidence or self-esteem. When I eventually began to feel better I felt like I had emerged from a cloud of blah and was amazed I had looked and acted like such a big slob to be honest. I was amazed to look back and think 'woah, dude, I was that me who went to seminars in dressed like that?!' I struggled to function well for a while - I aged overnight, my skin was dry, my clothes didn't fit, I didn't notice. I barely did any work for uni. I took up karate and weezed my way through each class and kind of half-passed my FIRST belt! The instructor was kind to me, and very encouraging, but I couldn't figure out why - he was treating me like some enduring lardo - but I wasn't that big, was I? Well, yeah I was kind big. Not huge, but not happy either. I got up to around 15 and a half stone (217lbs, 98kgs). I am 5ft 7in.
Luckily the relationship continued (I am now married to the same great guy, Mr Primal Ninja, who will probably feature here with vomit-inducing regularity because as someone far more famous and skinnier than me once said, he is my rock, but I think she was actually referring to someone else). Also the uni course went ok once I was treated and I went on to be in uni for the next squillion years and to make a great set of awesome friends who were as into sitting around drinking tea and pretending to be at uni in the 19th century as I was.
I should break up this stream of consciousness. I'll put my expansive diet history in a whole new post.
If you've read this far thanks so much!
So, what the heck is primal ninja all about? Let me explain about my self, my weight and exercise battles and the purpose of this here blog.
Primal is the diet/approach to life (not a fan of the 'd' word, but it is hard to get out of this mindset) that I will be trying out and discussing in this blog. Why on earth I am doing this crazy plan rather than just 'eating less calories' or 'watching my portions' (as advised by my Mum and most 'experts' 10 zillion times), is explained below.
Ninja relates to the fact that my exercise of choice is American Kickboxing, and I kinda liked the way 'ninja' juxtaposed nicely with 'primal'. NB I don't claim to be an actual ninja, so please don't comment saying if I'm a ninja then so is your Grandma etc, or that kickboxing doesn't = ninjahood. I KNOW that, and I know martial artists can be very pissy about their method and how much better it is than your's an all that - I just like the sound of the name and it is in recognition of the fact that I want to be a hell of a lot fitter and more impressive. I have a purple belt in American Kickboxing. and am working on blue.
About Me
As I said I am a 28 year old female, entirely new to blogging. I am a research student and work part time in the voluntary sector. I LOVE to read about exercise, nutrition and all that jazz. I am also into fitness (though running makes me actually cry). I love fiction, films and cooking. I am into current affairs and campaigning around human rights, more of that later I'm sure. I have a soft spot for Murder She Wrote like you wouldn't believe, no more of that later, I promise. I will happily watch any show about weight loss or fashion and I am partial to dressing a bit retro. I love the idea of meditation, but somehow am always too busy to do it.
This is not one of those blogs where I weigh a whole load and readers will be amazed by my losing like half my body weight - though there are a number of really great blogs out there that are like that and hopefully when I have a vague clue how blogging works I will link to some of them.
Ok, so weight issues: ten years ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I was 18, just started uni and in a new relationship and I gained 3 stone pretty darn quick. Surprisingly, this was not brilliant for my confidence or self-esteem. When I eventually began to feel better I felt like I had emerged from a cloud of blah and was amazed I had looked and acted like such a big slob to be honest. I was amazed to look back and think 'woah, dude, I was that me who went to seminars in dressed like that?!' I struggled to function well for a while - I aged overnight, my skin was dry, my clothes didn't fit, I didn't notice. I barely did any work for uni. I took up karate and weezed my way through each class and kind of half-passed my FIRST belt! The instructor was kind to me, and very encouraging, but I couldn't figure out why - he was treating me like some enduring lardo - but I wasn't that big, was I? Well, yeah I was kind big. Not huge, but not happy either. I got up to around 15 and a half stone (217lbs, 98kgs). I am 5ft 7in.
Luckily the relationship continued (I am now married to the same great guy, Mr Primal Ninja, who will probably feature here with vomit-inducing regularity because as someone far more famous and skinnier than me once said, he is my rock, but I think she was actually referring to someone else). Also the uni course went ok once I was treated and I went on to be in uni for the next squillion years and to make a great set of awesome friends who were as into sitting around drinking tea and pretending to be at uni in the 19th century as I was.
I should break up this stream of consciousness. I'll put my expansive diet history in a whole new post.
If you've read this far thanks so much!
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