Share your progress !

[Surrealist]

Yeah i would estimate around 4000 cals a day but i don't count calories. I weigh my foods so I portion control. If i want to lose weight I just reduce portions and maybe replace certain foods with higher sugar content with foods that have a lower sugar content and stuff like that.

 

Typical Day

 

Meal 1: Oats, Protein powder, water, apple

Meal 2: Protein Bar

Meal 3: Tuna and rice

Meal 4: Chicken, rice, mushrooms, brocolli, 2 eggs

Meal 5: Cottage cheese flavoured with a little protein powder

 

Training days: Post-training shake with Protein powder, Creatine Mono and 20 grams of dextrose

 

Pretty simple and I can follow this diet for months on end. Saturday nights I break with a cheat, either restaurant or pizza, followed by as much chocolates as I want. Also have some drinks, typically Pure Blonde or wine or a bit of both.

[Surrealist]

 

Steve, since we are talking about appearance, you actually look like the sort of guy I find attractive haha. I like men who are physically fit and " big" from regular gym training.

 

That's why I thought a pic would be good to see if the attraction is mutual lol. That's all good if you can't get one, no probs. I do like curvy girls which you said you are hehe.

[Leigh 87]

Thanks for sharing:)

 

The body builder I mentioned ate his dinner in front of me, and I think I saw some boiled eggs in the container he ate out of!

 

He said he prepares his meals in advance, in case he needs to take them with him. He gave an example of a meal, and it was a whole LOAD of different things in the same meal; hommus, chicken, boileg eggs, among other things?

 

 

I try to " food combine" when possible. I try to eat nuts on their own, fruit on its own, and protein with only on starchy green vegetables, with carbs alone or with oil.

 

I look at food differently to most people.... I try to get back in tune with that I feel humans have evolved eating, and as a result, adapted to tolerating ( please see my " what foods do you avoid" thread!)

 

However, there are processed foods that are supposed to be " unhealthy", that I eat without feelingt oo bad about; for instance, red rock deli, kettles, and smiths potato chips, ONLY contain potatos, salt, and oil.

 

I do not see potatos, salt, and oil, as something that is detrimental to oiur health. It is not as optimal as frsh raw vegetables, fruit, raw nuts or fish, but plain potato chips will not HARM you, as far as I am concerned.

 

I read the ignredients in everything I eat, and make sure there is no refined sugar, and no chemicals added. I will eat anything as long as it does not contain the myriad of chemicals that is in most foods.

 

This means that I can eat pizza, pasta, chocolate, chips, pop corn..... Energy bars, bread. I just use the pasta sauces that are usually organic, and that DO NOT contain sugar, seeing as all the sauces you get at the super market contain sugar.

 

I started to educate myself through doing research on various theories regarding food and nutrition, and now I can naturally navigate my way through restaurant situations, and also when it comes to entertaining.

 

I can provide pasta, pizza, deserts, chocolate, and all chemical free and what I see as fit to eat. So I have strong views on certain substances in food, yet I have still found a way to eat " normal" pizza type foods.

 

 

I type fast and love talking about anything food or fitness related, so I apoligizze for being able to write, like, 5000 words a minute. I hope it come sin handy when I start my nutrition and food science degree next year!

[Surrealist]

I was just gonna say you type bloody fast! Like I go up to the dating forum make a small one sentence post then come back here and wtf where did all that come from?! You're probably burning hundreds of calories with just your posts and typing alone!!

[Leigh 87]

That's why I thought a pic would be good to see if the attraction is mutual lol. That's all good if you can't get one, no probs. I do like curvy girls which you said you are hehe.

 

 

I will be posting a pic asap, I have been meaning to for ages. I am curvy, and I do embrace that; I love those thin women, but very rarely can a very thin women have really nic curves. Most very thin women who are 5 ' 7 and 110 lbs, have small breasts and do not have a large hip to waste ratio.

 

I like the rare women who is very thin, but has a small waist and wide hips. I have accepted that I am not that body type, and am trying to just make the most out of what I was given.

 

But OMG - I cannot believe how hard I was on myself when I DID look better; when I was thin, 50 kilos, and did not have a coldsore, and DID NOT have this stupid swollen left ear that I now have.

 

Gosh, If I looked like I did 4 months ago, I would be out embracing my appearance. Now I am heavier, have a cold sore, and have one of my ears bigger than the other.

 

When my ear goes down and my cold sore goes way I am just going to be bloody thankful!

 

I am the fastest typer I know.

[loverofloveandstuff]

hey Leigh, where do you get your raw chocolate from? Is it by a brand called 'loving earth'? That's the only one I can find at the moment. I miss chocolate but won't eat dairy.

[Leigh 87]

I have been eating Loving Earth raw chocolate for years now! My latest favourite is their new sour cherry flavour. I also love their chcoolate- coconut spread, that comes in the jar. I have stopped buying it, due to obvious self restraint issues. lol!

 

I also know a girl in Adelaide I think, who makes raw chocolate herself, and she even did custom flavours for me! I am such a raw chocolate freak, that she was willing to try new flavours that I created, and even ended up stocking them permenantly.

 

I got her to make me am pistachio, goji berry, and organge raw chocolate bar once. I noticed that orange and pistachio and dried cherries were a common muffin, cake, and biscotti comnination, so I knew those ingredients went well together!

 

Just let me know if you want to buy yourself some chocolate for Christmas or any sort of occasion, and wanrt to try something new, and I will pass on her contact details to you.

[Leigh 87]

I just want to clarify: raw chocolate is just chocolate, that has not bean heated, and has not had chemicals or refined sugar added to it...

 

It is just the cacoa bean, with its cacoa butter and powder extracted and put into a block shaped like chocolate. It IS pure chocolate; the chocolate you buy in shops is NOT actually chocolate - actually, a very small percentage is actually the cacoa part, and the rest is normally milk solids, emulsifiers, soy lecitin, among other horrendous ingredients.

 

 

I went to the chocolate place today and did not purchase any raw chocolate:) If it is not here, I will be forced to eat a more balanced diet lol.

 

I honestly have been eating a whole block on most days of the week,,,... And you see, because the ingredients are NOT HARMFUL, and there are only about FIVE ingredients at all, I still do not think it is bad to have a 400 calorie block of pure chocolate, in the place of a chicken salad of the same caloric value.

 

But yes. was eatingt he block of chocolate for lunch, and for dinner I ate some cheese with salad, and ealier that day I would eat sweet potato and perhaps some nuts and fruit if I managed it......

 

That has been my diet for the past few months.. loads of chocolate, organic sugar and chemical free bread, goats cheese EVERY day, LOTS of nut butters, and sweet potato.....

[loverofloveandstuff]

I have been eating Loving Earth raw chocolate for years now! My latest favourite is their new sour cherry flavour. I also love their chcoolate- coconut spread, that comes in the jar. I have stopped buying it, due to obvious self restraint issues. lol!

 

I also know a girl in Adelaide I think, who makes raw chocolate herself, and she even did custom flavours for me! I am such a raw chocolate freak, that she was willing to try new flavours that I created, and even ended up stocking them permenantly.

 

I got her to make me am pistachio, goji berry, and organge raw chocolate bar once. I noticed that orange and pistachio and dried cherries were a common muffin, cake, and biscotti comnination, so I knew those ingredients went well together!

 

Just let me know if you want to buy yourself some chocolate for Christmas or any sort of occasion, and wanrt to try something new, and I will pass on her contact details to you.

 

Yummers! That sounds amazing.

 

Must try loving earth chocolate. I also saw that they had a cocoa powder, should get me some of that too.

[loverofloveandstuff]

As for my fast... 4am of day 2.

 

Seriously cannot fall asleep. I have issues with sleep and should really see a GP about it but it's always worse when I'm fasting. Sucks because I have work in 6 hours and I am betting that I will get 0 sleep.

 

Other than that, not really hungry at the moment. Had cravings at about lunchtime today but I got over it.

[bobdole]

Yesterday I did my first lower body workout since... about high school 10 years ago. Keep in mind I'm limited to some "all-in-one" type home gym deal - but I managed to do hack squats(5x5 150lbs) with a bar on the floor level pulley, deadlifts with the same configuration(5x5 170lbs), and leg extensions (5x5 110lbs).

 

Wow does my backside hurt today! Sitting on the toilet is excruciating haha. My quads don't hurt at all kind of strangely but my glutes and entire back are very sore. I know the weight is piddly weight to anyone that's been lifting for awhile but I'm fairly impressed I was able to do that much considering how long it has been since I last purposefully worked out my legs and my sit-on-my-rear-engineer lifestyle (some days I wish I was less of a brain and more of a landscaper haha)

 

But now I'm pumped to get over my DOMS and get back to my next leg workout! Ohh and I conveniently timed this first leg workout with some vacation time I'm taking off Seeing as I can barely make it up/down my apartment stairs I see it was wise timing.

[Leigh 87]

As for my fast... 4am of day 2.

 

Seriously cannot fall asleep. I have issues with sleep and should really see a GP about it but it's always worse when I'm fasting. Sucks because I have work in 6 hours and I am betting that I will get 0 sleep.

 

Other than that, not really hungry at the moment. Had cravings at about lunchtime today but I got over it.

 

 

How tall are you, and how much do you weigh?

 

I am 166cm, or about 5 ' 5, and go from 116.6 - 118.8 at the MOST.

 

NO offence, but if you are smaller than I am, than I do not really want to hear about your f ast.

 

If women smaller than I am feel fat about their weights, then it is really annoying for me to read about, frankly.

 

To know that women smaller than me feel the need to fast just... agh. It makes me resentt he fact I am bigger boned than such women, and that I will never be thin.

 

I have never troed fasting, I dunno how the hell u can go two days with out food.

 

And of course u cannot sleep. If your body wants food, it will be as annoying as possible. I hate our our bodies don't co - operate and make is easy to be thin lol.

[Surrealist]

Some people have troubles sleeping when fasting, I know I do. Fasting is horrendous on my sleep. I haven't done it for years though.

 

There's other benefits to fasting other than weight loss per se. In fact weight loss would be one of the last reasons I would fast. If i was looking for a quick weight drop, to make a certain weight a couple of kgs below average weight, I'd rather do a water load.

[Leigh 87]

I think fasting is healthy once in a while, seeing as humans have evolved fasting during times of famine, and it would clear out the body.

 

I will TRY tomorrow. I will think about it. My immunity is low right now, so I am not sure if fasting will helpful, or not.

 

I would love to be able to fast intermittently, for instance, once every 2 weeks.

 

I ate about 1900 calories today, which is too much for a stupid medium framed women to lose weight on. Darn i hate my bones.

 

The reason I get upset when slimmer people than myself talk about fasting, is because I am already disgusted with my weight and body type as it is, so when I hear SMALLER women wanting to fast, it just makes me feel silly that I cannot even do it easily.

 

I simply do not have enough going on in my life right now, and I am not doing enough fulfilling and constructive things with my time, to be able to fast; I am not distracted in my life enough, and as a result, food is a necessary pleasure.

 

 

Although I do not depend on food enough to use it as a tool to deal with unpleasant feelings any more; I have stopped binge eating. I had a binge eating problem, and have intermittetly binged over the past 3 years at least.

 

No matter how bored or useless I feel when I am not keeping myself busy with meaningful things, I just cannot bring myself to use food as a means to deal with anything; not any more.

 

I really want to fast tomorrow but I know that eating clean, execising, and waiting until my skin clears up, in addition to my cold sore. This is more realistic.

 

I am off to do the Tracey Anderson DVD, and then try out a few moves. on utube - things I can tell clients to do at home, once I start personal training again some day.

 

I got my cert three and four in fitness, which is probably hard to believe seeing as I had an eating disorder, too. I actually was a gym junkie and had a great body and i really have been immersed in the area of fitness and nutrition.

 

 

In short of not feeling up to going to the gym, I will instead settle for my matt DVD that I normally do IN ADDITION to the gym. I took a short walk today but it wouldn't have burnt anything worth noting.

 

I ate according to the plan I outlined yesterday, although I ate a little extra cheese, so instead of the eggs for dinner, I had some sprouted rye essene loaf, with organic baby spinach leaves in a sandwich,

 

Essene loaf is like bread, but the grains r sprouted and it is not as procssessed. I had rye essense bread today - it had rye sprouted grains in it, and dates, with sunflower oil to line the baking tray.

 

I do not mind bread or grains if they are sprouted... Otherwise, I consider them a " treat:" type of food, that is not " optimal" , but not terrible either.

 

I think raw nuts, red meat chicken and fish, and raw fruits and vegetables are probably the foods our bodies are best suited for, based on our evolution.

 

Again, when I only ate the foods I menioned above, I was thin, had perect skin, and I STILL did not feel satisfied with my body....

 

Now I am heavier, have a few blemishes at thie moment, my left ear lobe has not gone back to its normal size, and I have a cold sore. I will definitly NEVER take it for granted AGAIN, when my blemishes heal, and I go back to my cleart skinned, NORMAL sized ear - self.

[loverofloveandstuff]

 

I really want to fast tomorrow but I know that eating clean, execising, and waiting until my skin clears up, in addition to my cold sore. This is more realistic.

 

This is actually one of the reasons I like fasting. Because it makes my skin glow and look amazing. I'm no expert but I read that when your body doesn't have to use energy digesting food it can work on other parts of your body and health. That's why you lose your appetite when your sick, it's your body's natural way of helping you get better.

[StandingO]

Yesterday I did my first lower body workout since... about high school 10 years ago. Keep in mind I'm limited to some "all-in-one" type home gym deal - but I managed to do hack squats(5x5 150lbs) with a bar on the floor level pulley, deadlifts with the same configuration(5x5 170lbs), and leg extensions (5x5 110lbs).

 

Seeing as I can barely make it up/down my apartment stairs I see it was wise timing.

 

Thats pretty darn good. I been there too. Idiot I am, had injuries so retraining the leg muscles was extra important but never really did it cause got too busy. Like you had the home gym equipment. Would use it for the upper body only. I already had that foundation so I like to keep up the results with my arms and chest so I kept doing it. Those dam cheap attached leg extention things were just no good for my knees. When I finally went to a gym again I found could squat barely anything with descent form and my leg press was embarrassing.

[Leigh 87]

This is actually one of the reasons I like fasting. Because it makes my skin glow and look amazing. I'm no expert but I read that when your body doesn't have to use energy digesting food it can work on other parts of your body and health. That's why you lose your appetite when your sick, it's your body's natural way of helping you get better.

 

 

 

When I was 110 lbs and got food poisoning, I was very thin for my body type and lost a little weight down from 110 from the days I was too sick to eat enough.

 

Interestingly, I was able to sleep just fine, in spite of the fact that I had not eaten enough calories to maintain my usual weight.....

 

I have a huge complex, regarding calorie restriction and not being able to sleep, for reasons I won't elaborate on.

 

SO even when I was very thin for my body type, and not able to eat much, I still slept.

 

 

I have decided to stop with trying to lose weight... my parents have large body frames, and I have a medium one, and as much as I hate that, I think that maintaining about 118 - 116.6 ish ( 53 - 54, closer to 54 though) is simply what I can do, while not resorting to starvation.

 

Instead, I will just focus on gaving great skin, and doing exercises that make my body in its best possible shaoe, regardless of my weight.

 

I did maintain lower weights without starving, but to GET BACK to the lower weights, I just am not sure my body will allow it without be having to suffer more than I am willing to.

 

Although, I am a fairly lazy person so I could just be averse to the hard work involved in losing weight - a 600 calorie deficit, which is probably what I need at thi sstage to lose weight, is simply too hard for me to endure; where as other people could put up with it.

 

I am not sure if it is simply that my body type won't allow me to lose past 116 ish, and/or I am simply not prepared to go through the temporary discomfort of losing weight.

 

People did compliment my body at 50 - 52 kilos ( 110 lbs), so I did not look emaciated or anorexic, and I did maintain this weight on a normal amount.........

 

52 - 53 is definitly the lowest for my body type, and so for now, it is in my best interest to maintain my current weight. I can lose weight when I am more stable in my life,and the weight loss will not cause me to obsess over food.

 

Obsessing about food has only ever caused me problems, so lack of food, which is what is required to lose weight, is nto a good idea right now.

[Surrealist]

Leigh

 

The other day I mentioned the timing of your meals may be problematic to further weight loss - given caloric intake is in check as yours is.

 

But as I read through some of your posts I note that some of the foods you routinely consume, though they may be 'natural', and not contain chemicals and such, are still very much foods that are nutrient sparse yet caloric dense. For example, natural chocolate, though it may not contain additives, preservatives and chemicals etc, it is still made up largely of cocoa which is high in calories but doesn't contain much in the way of nutrients. We need to consume foods that are nutrient dense yet calorie sparse, and by doing this we can actually eat more food.

 

I know guys who diet for comps who eat all their required foods and as much vegetables (non-starch) as wanted. But that aside, if we eat more natural foods we can eat more of them and yet still keep our calories in check, but even more importantly, feed our bodies with the nutrients it needs, including feeding our minds and everything else.

[Surrealist]

I was going to mention last night that I know you know all this stuff and I hope I dont sound like Im preaching but sometimes we all ( me included) need to be reminded of what we're doing. For example, look at me lol ,here I am telling you in the above post what best foods to consume, yet what I failed to mention was my binge drinking session I also had last night where I consumed half-a-dozen Blonde beers and was a little inebriated.

[Leigh 87]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with me regarding getting maxiumum nutrition, from the amont of food you eat. I have always followed this notion, if you pack in a lot of nutrients in a small amount ( very nutrient dense food), then your body will get what it needs in a small amount of calories.

 

What I am worried about, is that even if I do get what I need, that due to my parents body types, I cannot ever be mjuch thinner than I already am. I can certainly change and fine tune my body SHAPE, however, losing actual weight may not be possible.

 

I have a medium - small body type I think... small sort of wrists for my height.. I have smaller wrists than my parents, so perhaps I am not destined to be their size?

 

My parents are not overweight, but their BMI'S are are 24 ( mums) and dads 25. Although he has done tai chi ( however it is slept) and does not have any fat ON him, he just has a large upper body with skinny legs.

 

 

When I was slim at 50 - 52kilos, I always was paranoid that it was too good to be true. I maintained that weight without starving myself, I ate to the recommendations, yet i thought " this must be too good to be true, surely I am naturally normal, and not thin".

 

A lot of former anorexics or people with who have had eating diosorders, are known to keep their bodies at slightly lower weights then is natural to them.... So I was just paranoid that I was doing this.

 

Furthermore, I had never gone over 52 kilos in years, so I challenged myself to just gain to 55 kilos, which is a BMI of 20, and face my worst fear of gaining weight.

 

I ate 2500 calories to gain to 55 kilo's and I did not gain that fast. I learnt that I was just as happy at 55 kilos, as I was at 50; so it was an important experiment for me. To learn that being thinner did not = body love or happiness.

 

This morning I was 53 kilos before food, and 53.1 - 53.2 after I had a very dence slice of rye essence bread with baby spinach for morning tea.

 

I am trying to figure out what my slimmest weight is for my body type, a weight that is still healthy for me. 55 kilos I do not think is my slimmest, but perhaps 53 is .

 

I have to have room to spare if I fall ill, so 53 kilo's leaves me with a few kilos I can lose, without falling into the underweight catagory again.

 

Lastly, my chocolate IS nutrient dense haha. Chocolate, like red wine, contains substances called phenols, which are powerful antioxidants, and have been shown to help prevent LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) from building up in the arteries.

The specific antioxidants abundant in chocolate are members of the phenol family called flavonoids. Flavonoids slow down the oxidizing nature of LDL cholesterol and helps prevent it from doing damage in the body.

 

I have read that pure cacoa ( not the watered down cadburies stuff that has been heated at high temperatures and had slim milk solids and additives added), actually packs in a very POTENT amount of goodness into it, in a very small amount.

 

Chocolate is nutrient dense, in my opinion, as it is high in calories AND antioxidants; a very large amount of antioxidants and calories are packed into a small amount.

 

However, I do to save enuogh calories to fit in OTHER foods! Since chocolate is high in calories, if I have a 400 calorie block, that is about a third of my calories gone into that one type of food.

[eerie_reverie]

I signed up to run a marathon in my college town on Feb 20th. I'm following an 18-week program that's got me running at least 3-8 miles 5 days a week, with a longer run on Sundays.

 

I got a new pair of shoes at a running specialty store last weekend, and while I was being fitted, it turned out that the shoes I'd been running in for two years were a whole size too small! Which explains why all my toenails turned black and fell off. I thought that was normal.

 

All the employees were really impressed with my form when I jogged around in the shoes - apparently, I run on my toes like a sprinter, which is tough on the calves but easier on the shins. Someone touched my calves and upon feeling the knots, said he was impressed I did not appear to have any pain.

 

Actually, I think I'm emotionally particularly well-suited for marathons, because I'm a masochist. So far my training is has been no problem at all. I'm at the end of week two.

 

This week I ran: 5 - 3 - 5 - sprint work - rest - 5 - 11 miles.

 

I've already dropped some weight, though I'm not terribly pleased as IMO I'm starting to look kind of bony.

 

I can't wait to be back in Austin running across the finish. Afterward I've got a dinner date planned with my ex. :bunny:

[Green]

well I've been bad. Booo. I'm going to be walking around A LOT tomorrow durring my weekend hween get away hopefuly that counts for something. And me and my gf are being silly and going trick r treating on halloween so once again that will be a lot of walking. butttttttt I need to get back to my weight training so I can feel better!

[Leigh 87]

well I've been bad. Booo. I'm going to be walking around A LOT tomorrow durring my weekend hween get away hopefuly that counts for something. And me and my gf are being silly and going trick r treating on halloween so once again that will be a lot of walking. butttttttt I need to get back to my weight training so I can feel better!

 

 

Are you the same green that had the frog as his avatar? Why is your new avatar of another member of this site? Is she your g.f in real life or something:S?

[Leigh 87]

I signed up to run a marathon in my college town on Feb 20th. I'm following an 18-week program that's got me running at least 3-8 miles 5 days a week, with a longer run on Sundays.

 

I got a new pair of shoes at a running specialty store last weekend, and while I was being fitted, it turned out that the shoes I'd been running in for two years were a whole size too small! Which explains why all my toenails turned black and fell off. I thought that was normal.

 

All the employees were really impressed with my form when I jogged around in the shoes - apparently, I run on my toes like a sprinter, which is tough on the calves but easier on the shins. Someone touched my calves and upon feeling the knots, said he was impressed I did not appear to have any pain.

 

Actually, I think I'm emotionally particularly well-suited for marathons, because I'm a masochist. So far my training is has been no problem at all. I'm at the end of week two.

 

This week I ran: 5 - 3 - 5 - sprint work - rest - 5 - 11 miles.

 

I've already dropped some weight, though I'm not terribly pleased as IMO I'm starting to look kind of bony.

 

I can't wait to be back in Austin running across the finish. Afterward I've got a dinner date planned with my ex. :bunny:

 

 

 

First of all, well done on your training so far! You sound well suited to this type of exercise, and I hope you find running to be something that works well for you.

 

I am actually going to start running! At first, I am going to only start slowly, by doing a solid speed for half an hour, 3 - 4 days per week.

 

After two weeks of this, I will increase the speed and distance slightly; I will do this for one - 2 weeks.

 

After that point, I will start with High Intensity Interval Training.

 

 

Lastly, the reason people look bony, is because they are too thin for their bone size. I become too bony at 110 or LESS, and I am 5 ' 5, with a medium build - small build.

[Leandro]

Today I did push-ups for 3 sets of 10 reps before my shower. I know that doesn't sound like much, but it means a lot to me. I guess the bench press is finally paying off. Now I'm a bit more motivated to hit the gym more and harder.