Planning meals

76.8

2 days at 76.8. Time to take the limits in hand again. I went close to 6000 for a few days. I baked an oat biscuit that has some sultanas and walnuts. Could I say it is some fruit and some protein as well as a sweet treat to justify allocating 1000kJ for each piece? Probably. I have also baked a mulberry slice ( since we have a lot of fresh mulberries on the tree now) 1000kJ per slice. It has a fruit portion so I can justify the high count.

In order to control the kJ count I have decided to eat my protein at lunch and my vegetables at dinner. Basically dividing my meal size in half.

Today was banana pikelets for breakfast and two snacks - 2110kJ
Chicken, 1/2cup rice and sweet and sour sauce for lunch - 1431kJ
After lunch coffee and 2 pikelets with jam - 330 for the coffee
Afternoon tea was a cup of mulberries 150kJ
Dinner was carrot, beans, potato and sauce - 725kJ
After dinner was 2 pikelets and jam and tea. Today's jam was 150kJ

Total 4896kJ ..... but I did have a few tastes of my mulberry slice and maybe a few extra fresh mulberries so around 5000kJ is more correct.
It seemed easier to stick to the plan today.

Tomorrow I have planned small porridge for breakfast 750kJ
Morning tea is mulberry slice and tea - 1000kJ
Lunch is prawns and seafood sauce 1300kJ
Slice for afternoon tea - 1000kJ
Veges for dinner as yesterday - 725kJ
After dinner medium banana - 365kJ

Total 5140kJ
Hope I lose weight tomorrow.

Hungry days

77.0kg

Even with 2 big days just under 7000kJ I have still lost weight. I was really hungry and felt like I was eating all the time. But even with extra coffee and chocolate and extra breakfast or crackers with peanut butter I counted kJ and kept it under 7000 deliberately.

Today I had a small porridge breakfast - 1/4 cup oats and 1/2 cup milk - 750kJ
Then all you can eat lunch! Battered fish, chips, rice, satay chicken, potato salad. Then jelly with a spoon of custard, a spoon of cream and 100mL of soft serve. Total about 4000kJ.

Dinner is beans, carrot and sauce - 285kJ
After dinner 1 cracker with peanut butter and honey 365kJ
Total = 5400kJ

Just veges for dinner is pretty slim but I'm sure I can be a bit hungry if need be and survive.

Eating Well

77.3kg today.
I am losing steadily even though yesterday I had lots of snacks. It was supposed to be 4696kJ plus 2 pears but instead I had:
1 pear 290
handful of mini marshmallows 395
Another coffee 330
Another 1/2 a piece of choc 300
and left over fresh juice 100

At this point I had to rethink dinner. Beans 50 and carrot 135 and sweet chili sauce 100 = 285
I figured this would not satisfy me so I doubled the veges and mixed gravy with the sauce - another 285. So dinner was 570 rather than the planned 1095.

I thought I had blown it but the total was 5586kJ and I lost weight!

Today is 1/2 cup oats and 1/2 cup milk plus extra water with 1tsp honey and 1 tsp butter for topping for breakfast- 1395kJ

Lunch is roast lamb 100g, 1 medium roast potato, 1 piece of roast pumpkin , 1 roast carrot and boiled beans and gravy - 2000kJ

Dinner has to be left over chicken (150g when raw) 750kJ plus beans, carrot and 1 tsp sweet chili sauce - total 1035kJ

4430kJ so far. Room for some fruit. A pear 290 and a banana 365 and a two orange glass of juice 200. I am pretty full after the porridge so I will have only tea for morning tea or a pear if I have to eat something. The banana and cup of tea for afternoon and the orange juice for after dinner.

Projected total is 5285. But it isn't even lunch time yet. There is still a bit of room for coffee if I need it.

Slowly losing

Today I was 77.5
Yesterday 77.4 (23rd)
Day before that 77.5 (22nd)
19th I was 77.7
So, slowly but surely. The last few days my kJ count has been close to 6000. Today I will try to keep below 5500.

Toast and tea for breakfast with jam and vegemite - 1000

Coffee (330), 1/2 a piece of chocolate (300) and a banana (365) for morning tea - 995

Lunch is chicken (750) with 1/2 cup rice (395), beans (50) and carrot (135) with 1/4 cup of sweet and sour sauce (275) - 1605
I will cook double and save half for tomorrows lunch.

And dinner is chickpeas with tomatoes and beans and carrot - 1095
One tin of chickpeas and one tin of tomatoes is enough for two meals so I will add extra beans and carrot to make tomorrows dinner as well.

Cooking double is convenient and makes it easy for the next day.
Total so far is 4696kJ

I will probably have a couple of pears. One for afternoon and one after dinner. 2 x 290 is 580

4696 +580 = 5276kJ

Still Counting kJ

This morning I was 77.7kg. Down another point 1. Today's menu included an avocado and an orange juice drink since I still have several avos and lots of oranges from the neighbour's tree. These are both very filling and healthier than coffee and cake. Also less kJ. So I felt like I had some spare for extras.

I splurged with banana cake, cheese cake tid bits and wine so dinner was beans, carrot and potato with gravy. Today's total is just below 6000kJ. Hopefully that is low enough to lose a bit more. If I could resist the sweets I would lose a lot faster!

I did my yoga this morning but it was too cold for a walk this afternoon.

Lunch Out

Today we went to the bowls club for lunch. It was a delightful 'all you can eat' buffet with prawns, chinese dishes, roast veges, apple crumble with custard, chocolate cake and coffee.
I had toast for breakfast for about 1000kJ and I allowed 3000kJ for lunch. I had chocolate and tea for afternoon tea and I will have baked beans on a slice of toast for dinner. So 1000 + 3000 + 600 + 400 + 400 = 5400kJ Perhaps a mandarine later for something sweet after dinner. 5500kJ.

This morning I weighed 77.8kg. It is a long time since I have seen 77 on the scale.

Gradual weight loss

Yesterday was a 6000kJ day and I still lost 200g. I was 78kg this morning. Today's menu is plain porridge with cinnamon, coffee and small piece of chocolate and a mandarin, lunch was rice with chicken and carrots and sweet and sour sauce. Afternoon tea will be banana cake and coffee then a baked bean mountain bread jaffle. I may have a mandarin later for something sweet after dinner. The total is about 5400kJ.
I have to stick to the restricted kj plan till I get to 70kg. Hopefully by Christmas so I can splurge a bit. Then it is back on track till I get to 60kg. Obviously I will have to be very aware of my intake for the rest of my life so I don't just put it all back on again. I am determined to get to and maintain a healthy weight.

The Shopping List

We have prepared early for our Thursday shop.

Frying pans (so cheap they are almost disposable)
beans
pears
mandarins
tomato tins
potatoes
tuna tins
beetroot tins
basmati rice
bacon
cat food

from Coles is
chickpeas and rice mountain bread

This weeks special at Coles was the rice milk at $2 a carton. We bought 20.
And Kettle chips 2 for $5.
Nothing at Woolworths for us this week.
Over the past 6 weeks Aldi have had gluten free flours and mixes. I bought 8 SR and 4 Plain last week because they are not everyday items. The flour was a dollar cheaper than the brand name one that Coles keeps.

We still have chocolate and I have some Smiths chips left from the other week. I baked a banana walnut cake last week so that is there for this week for treats (1000kJ per piece!)

Today is about 5000kJ. This morning I weighed 78.4. Down a bit thank God.

Reducing kJ even more

I managed two days at 6300kJ and maintained my weight. The next day was 7600kJ and I put on 1/2 a kilo. I am moving up and down between 78.9 and 78.2 kg. It is pretty frustrating. Today I have cut back to 5300kJ. It is hard to fit in anything yummy but I still managed to have a piece of banana and walnut cake.
Today I had 1/4 cup of porridge a pear and banana cake before lunch. Then 1/4 homemade chicken pizza and Mountain bread with 1/2 an avocado. Fresh orange juice for afternoon tea then pumpkin soup and Mountain bread with half an avocado for dinner. I will have a pear before bed.

The menu was low in protein today. I will have some sausages and beans for lunch tomorrow, porridge for breakfast and chickpeas and tomato for dinner with avocado on Mountain bread. I have several little avocados that I have to eat quickly.

I have been a bit lethargic lately. I have been making sure I have some vitamin B and my Thyroplex capsules. I still take my vitalzym to help keep the blood flowing. When I don't feel great I think about my varicose veins and tendancy to get blood clots, my thyroid inefficiency, my heart murmur and now my thinning hair and my indigestion nearly every night. The last few nights I have had trouble sleeping so it is hard to be positive. But I get over it. My thyroplex and vitamin B help I think. Today was better.

I am looking forward to being 78.2kg tomorrow.

Kilojoule count for today's menu

Today's weight 78.7kg

Pikelets 1/2 cup flour 1140, 1 egg 375, 1 tbsp sugar 250, 1/2 cup milk 330 = 2095
2 tbs jam 300

Roast dinner for lunch 1/2 cup beans 50, 1 roast potato 150g 870, 1 carrot 135, 100g lamb 710, 1/4 cup gravy 107

Coffee 330 (for the milk)
Chocolate 700
25g chips 500

Small roast for dinner 1/2 cupbeans 50, 50g lamb 350, gravy 107.
Banana 375
tea

Total = 6609 I may have a pear before bed 290

Lethargy

I haven't felt 100% today. I forget that I need to watch my thyroid. I took a thyroid supplement yesterday and today. I will continue till I feel better. The capsules are Thyroplex. Just a general thyroid supplement. 5 years ago I was diagnosed with hashimotos. I believe I was stressed and run down, contracted whooping cough and since I had a genetic predisposition ( my auntie had thyroid problems) I got Hashimotos. I took thyroid extract while I was still working. Last year I retired and went off the thyroid medication. Less stress makes it easier for the thyroid to work properly.

I have tried to keep to the kJ count but I had extra chocolate and coffee. I am still less than 7000kJ for the day.
I had porridge for breakfast, curried eggs and rice for lunch and tinned tomatoes and chickpeas for dinner. Snacks included chocolate, coffee, chips, 2 pears and orange juice. I may still have a banana later. I am tired but I need to work out tomorrows menu. I am determined not to get off track.

Shopping budget

Over the last year or so I have tried to limit what food comes into the house by having a shopping budget. It is not that I can't afford whatever I want to eat, but having a tight budget helps me control what food I buy. I buy meat at the Super Butcher. Chicken, steak, sausages. beef mince.

I check the Coles and Woolworths catalogues looking for specials on things I normally buy and I will buy multiples to try to save money.

I went shopping on Wednesday mostly at Aldi. It is much cheaper than any other shops.
This list is for two people.
6 pink lady apples
432g tin pineapple slices
185g x 2 tins tuna in springwater
400g x 2 tins chopped tomatoes
450g tin beetroot
large jar sweet n sour sauce
1kg carrots
500g x 4 packs of gluten free plain flour
500g x 2 green beans
200g hazelnut chocolate
1.8kg bananas

200g x 2 Smiths chips ( on special at Coles)
400g x 2 chic peas tins (at Coles cause Aldi doesn't have them)

My meals are simple. I try to include steamed vegetables with lunch and dinner. I used to have lots of broccoli but it has vitamin K that is a blood clotting agent and not good for my bad veins. Green beans are my substitute. I use basmati rice to help fill me up several times a week. I alternate between oats and banana pikelets for breakfast. No commercial cereals. My doctor said to cut down on meat so I try to have tuna and chick peas 3 or four days a week.

My varicose veins have been a problem over the last year or so. I have had three bouts of thrombophlebitis or inflamed blood clots. The inflammation is extremely painful and looks red and feels hot like an infection but it is caused by the blood clots. It is possible to feel the clots like big grapes in the surface veins. What caused the clots I am not sure but in each case I pinched the veins by squatting down. By the third time I knew what was happening and immediately took my Vitalzyme capsules when I felt the pain start. 5 capsules 3 times a day seemed to work as well as the clexane blood thinner that the doctor gave me for the other 2 bouts. It takes about three months for the clots to go away but at least this time I didn't have more than a few weeks of mild pain. The other times I couldn't walk.

It is not something that all doctors have seen. I looked for something that would help prevent further clots. I have a genetic history. I found the Vitalzyme at Return2Health site and I take it now everyday. Just a maintenance dose of 2 to 4 capsules a day.
I also exercise with Yoga and walking to try to improve my circulation. I also want to lose weight to try to take the strain off my legs and improve circulation.

I think my varicose vein problem started with my two pregnancies. I would have worn support stockings during my pregnancies if I knew what I know now.

Introduction

This is not the beginning of my weight loss journey. I have gone 2kg up and 1kg down for the last 20 years. I am 20 kg over weight and think I have a good plan now!

I hated going to Weightwatchers meetings. I can't afford to buy ready made meals again and I love my snacks. I have gradually worked towards healthy food for many years. I just eat too much for my age and activity level. But I worry about my health and am determined to lose my extra 20 kg.

Problems with my varicose veins have prompted me to get back to a healthy weight.
I have a shopping budget to help control what comes into the house.
I have started counting kJ because it seems I am close to the right amount for weight loss I just need to control the extra bits more tightly.

I have just worked out tomorrow's food tonight. It helps to be organised. It is a high protein day mainly because we thaw out 300g of chicken each. It has a total of 5819kJ. 5000kJ is the lowest you can go safely and 7500kJ is as high as I will go on some days. There is room in this day's menu for another coffee and even more chocolate if I want it.

Breakfast is porridge total of 1395kJ
1/2 cup rolled oats 840kJ
1/2 cup milk 330kJ
extra water
to serve: 1tsp butter 150kJ and 1tsp honey 75kJ

Morning tea
2 mandarines 170kJ

Lunch total 1482kJ
150g chicken tenderloins 750kJ
1/2 cup beans 50kJ
1 medium carrot 135kJ
1 medium potato 440kJ
1/4 cup instant gravy 107kJ

Afternoon total 875kJ
1 large banana 545kJ
Cappuccino with 1/2 cup milk 330kJ

Dinner total 1307kJ
150g chicken tenderloins 750kJ
1/2 cup beans 50kJ
1 cup pumpkin 400kJ
1/4 cup instant gravy 107kJ

After dinner
25g nut chocolate 590kJ
Cup of tea

Enjoy.