Weight Loss Wednesday: Week 1

Yay, week one of my weight loss regime is complete! And I must say, I've actually enjoyed it! I think I've made a good start and am definitely on the right track. I didn't manage to do as much exercise as I'd hoped due to it just being too hot, but I've made a start and I can only progress from there. So here's a rundown of how I did...

Weight lost this week: 1.2lb

Overall weight loss: 1.2lb

Food

Luckily, I like my food very plain, with no sauces or dressings, which really helps when it comes to dieting because that is where loads of calories come from. I am perfectly happy with a plain grilled chicken salad, which is really good for you and contains very little points. In fact, I have pretty much eaten grilled chicken every day for either dinner or tea; lean protein like chicken and turkey is low I points and is really filling.

Every morning, I eat a 30g bowl of Coco Pops with 125ml of semi-skimmed milk, which I really enjoy (I know, not exactly sophisticated, but who cares?!) and it is only 5 points! I have found most cereals to be around 5 or 6 points, which I think is a good amount for breakfast because you don't want to have too much that you eat into your points for the rest of the day or too little that you end up hungry and craving sugar by 10am!

I have been able to treat myself a few times this week because I've happened to have leftover points at the end of the day. Often, I treat myself to a cup of tea with 3 sugars to satisfy my sweet tooth, which is really satisfying and is only 2 points. Another day I had 3 points remaining, so I had a biscuit, and yesterday it was really hot so I allowed myself a 3 point Solero ice lolly and planned my next meal with less points. It's all about sacrificing and allowing yourself treats, without going too far.

I am really partial to a sandwich for my lunch, which can be difficult because you have to account for bread, margarine and a filling, which is always quite a lot of points. I have found, though, that thinner slices of bread and Weight Watchers bread is 2 points a slice (and some bread is 1!), and my Flora Proactive is 1 point for an amount that will cover one slice of bread. So altogether that's 6 points before you add the filling, but 100g of chicken is typically 3 points and some ham can be less, so it works out to around 9 points. It is also great to fill your sandwich with salad to fill you up and means you need less meat or other filling. I allow myself 10 points for lunch, so this kind of sandwich is fine, as long as I don't have crisps on top of it!

As for pasta and rice, yes you can have it! Obviously whole grain is best, but as long as you measure it all properly and account for it in your points, you certainly can treat yourself. I normally need a few extra points leftover from lunch to allow for the extra points in pasta, but you have to eat all of your daily points, so where's the harm in a bit of pasta?! Keep a check on what's going into your meal, account for it, and you'll be fine.

The biggest question I get about food regards snacks - nobody knows what to eat when they want a snack, and I was once one of these people. But over the past week, I have found some new favourites. Of course, fruit and sliced vegetables make great snacks, and my particular favourites include a banana or sliced red pepper. These are all no points and so are guilt free! A lot of yoghurts can be low points, with Activia typically being around 2 or 3, and other brands sometimes being lower. Lately, I have been really loving Ryvita Thins, which are 1 point per thin and contain loads of seeds which are full of fibre. These also make a great side to a low point soup or salad. Things like Diet Coke can also make great snacks because they are 0 points but really hit the spot! I have loads of snack ideas, so stay tuned for them as I find more and more each week.

Exercise

Okay, so this week has been exceptionally hot, making it difficult to exercise because I think I'd just faint! That really isn't an excuse because I can't wait to get into a good exercise regime. I did get a small bit of exercise with a few walks along the beach - something small is still better than nothing, right? Yesterday I also managed a 25 minute "workout" in the Combat workout section of Just Dance 4 on the wii. That burnt 80 calories which isn't too bad for under half an hour of low-impact exercise in my own living room! When it gets a little cooler, I plan on doing around 2 or 3 of the workout sections per day(or alternate days, depending).

Developments

Already I feel a lot healthier due to the fact that I have cut out all of the junk I was eating and am now eating loads of healthy fruit and veg. My body is definitely thanking me! I used to eat so many carbs and sugary foods, which made me bloated a lot of the time, so I am really pleased to report that I am no longer bloated or feeling "blah". I have also noticed a slight difference in my energy levels, which have improved throughout the week, so hopefully that will continue! Eating healthy meals at around the same time every day definitely means I feel more settled and my energy levels aren't up and down all day. And, I have realised that I appreciate my food much more, especially my treats. So, I can already see some great developments and I am really looking forward to seeing more as I progress!

Tips & things I've learnt

I have found that planning my meals at the start of each day ensures that I stay within my points and also have something to look forward to, so I don't end up getting bored and eating snacks!

Measure everything! This is so important, because your points depend on it.

Some foods say they are, for example, 1 point, but in fact are a little over 1 point, meaning that if I have two of that thing, it'll be 3 points rather than the 2 I expected. For some reason this happens a lot with bread. This is another reason why planning your meals in advance is important!

Fruit and veg is free from points, making it a super easy way to snack guilt-free. They also make great desserts if you have no points left to treat yourself. I love a bowl of chopped banana and strawberries after tea.

I have been trying to split my plate in to thirds for lunch and dinner; a third lean protein (normally chicken), a third healthy carbs (wholemeal pasta and bread for example) and a third veg. This fills me up and I get all the nutrients I need. It usually works out well for points too!

As I get 26 points per day, I have found that splitting them up by meal helps me keep track of how much I should be eating. So I can have 6 for breakfast and 10 each for dinner and tea. Then if any of my meals go under or over the points I've set, I can adjust the other meals accordingly.


I hope you've liked reading my first week progress, and I'd love it if you'd like to keep track of my progress each week! I also write about my weight loss on Twitter.