Challenge Two - Let's Shred

Like the new look? (the blog, not the woman over there >)

Okay, Challenge 1 complete, time for the next stage. So as well as maintaining my diet and finishing off my Alli supply, I'm going to introduce exercise.

Which exercise have I chosen? Well, it's a fitness DVD called the 30-day Shred. Popular among my friends, I've decided to try it for these reasons:

* Quick fix - do you know nothing about me?! The promise of results in 30 days sounds fabulous. The DVD does promise 'up to' 20lbs loss but then it also advises a diet plan, plus I'm guessing that's not a guarantee for those of us at the lower end of the fat scale. Still, it promises results of one kind or another, let's try it.

* Support - my friends are at various stages of trying it, so the support is there (I have also had lots of prewarning about pain...)

* Weather - it's rainy out. Let's stay in instead!

* Time - it's a 20min workout, once a day. Surely I can fit that in?

Well, today was all about the preparation. The DVD plopped onto my mat (thanks postie) and I settled down with my 5m old boy to watch it (admittedly, he wasn't as motivated but then he only weighs 14lb. Goodness me, I want to lose his bodyweight and more... gulp).

I think it's important to watch at least the first bits of a fitness DVD before you attempt it, so you understand the context of the whole thing, and also so you have the right equipment.

For this DVD I will need:

* Trainers and leggings

* A mat for floor work

* Some weights or tins of beans/similar

* Gaffer tape for the children

From watching it, it looks doable. There is an 'easier' version of most moves, demonstrated pretty well. I guess the only way to know is to try, so I will start tomorrow.

Wish me luck!


Weigh-in:

A reminder, 10st 2lbs


In other news:

Not a bad food day, though I celebrated with B&J FroYo and a few chocolate fingers... oops.


Try it yourself:

The 30-day Shred. I found it cheapest at Play.com, £5.99 including delivery.


Who's in?

Day 38 - Diet-related treatment effects

We last spoke about these on Day 1, and as I'm in the last week of my Alli challenge I thought I really should mention them again. If you're eating, or if you ever plan to see me in real life, you'd probably better skip on.

You may remember that one of my main reasons for choosing the Alli diet was to hold my eating habits to ransom with the promise or threat of unwanted bowel activity. As the website says, "alli works in a unique way by preventing some of your body’s enzymes from digesting about a quarter of the fat you eat. As undigested fat can’t be absorbed, it passes naturally out of the body in your stools. "

The side-effects, of 'diet-related treatment effects', of continuing to eat high-fat foods while taking Alli include:

* wind (flatulence), with or without oily spotting;

* sudden bowel motions;

* fatty or oily stools;

* loose stools

In addition, as you need some fat to process vitamins you are advised to take a multi-vitamin each day while on the programme (I haven't remembered once, oops).

So, physically, how have I been? Obviously I've achieved some weight loss, which is fantastic. I had quite a few headaches at first, which may or may not be related to the diet. I also found myself needing to wee a lot; I haven't seen this in any of the leaflets and I don't think my liquid intake increased, but I certainly noticed that.

My skin and nails have been fine. I've had quite a flaky scalp, which may also be accounted by the colder days and central heating, but otherwise everything has proceeded as normal.

I've had no stomach pain, and for the first 4 weeks I had no 'treatment effects' either. My diet was within limits, and so I never had a problem. At first I was quite terrified though, every time I felt windy I ran to the loo just in case!

As you know, I broke the diet while on holiday last week. While doing that I conducted two experiments:

1) to see what happened if I ate a fatty meal e.g. pizza, while taking Alli.

You are advised NOT to take the Alli tablet if eating a high-fat meal, to reduce the likelihood of treatment effects; however I think this is entirely the point of Alli - if I'm eating fat, it needs flushing out with the little blue capsule, so I kept taking it. In theory I should experience treatment effects.

2) to see what happens if you eat fatty foods when not taking Alli, having taken it previiously.

Alli is described as working on one meal at a time, so in theory it should only work on the meal it was taken during, not on subsequent meals, whatever their fattiness.

How did I get on? Well, I experienced side effects. They weren't troubling in a 'sharting' way, but it was disconcerting the first time I looked in the bowl. The oily fat does pass through you. Bizarrely it looks like chilli oil, or carrot oil, no matter what you eat, which may be like those chunks of carrot ever present in a vomit episode, even when you don't eat carrot... anyhoo.

As I was still fairly moderate in the fat I was eating, even with the diet broken, that was the extent of the issue.

I did find however that the Alli appeared to have an action beyond the meal it was taken to treat. In fact up to 24 hours after the last Alli tablet was taken treatment effects were still experienced.

This, to me, is all good news. I WANTED to be held to ransom. I didn't want to be able to dip in and out. My resolve stiffened.

I will say as an addendum that following Treat Tuesday yesterday, an oil-fest of Chinese takeaway and pizza, more extreme treatment effects were felt today. I really did have to rush for the loo at one point, although there was no pain or cramping. It makes sense after all, that eating a lot more fat would exacerbate the treatment effects. I can totally understand how people who don't stick to the diet could experience leakage and other nasties. You have been warned.

Now we have that over and done with, we can begin the final push...

What I ate today:

Shreddies with milk

Tuna and EL Philly sandwich with cucumber

TLC Hot Cross Bun

Chicken fillet and salad pittas with a couple of lattice fries on the side

Exercise of the day:

Some light housework. Looking at the sweet and sour staining on the blinds (see yesterday) reminds me too much of treatment effects so they will have to go.

Product of the day:

Do you know, I haven't got one today? Sorry!

Day 24-33 - Holiday!

Where have I been? Well, gentle reader, there have been two reasons for my extended absence.

One, up till just over a week ago was continued loss of diet mojo.

Quite honestly I was boring myself, and feeling the slog so badly. In terms of the diet changes, they were routine and I was quite comfortable with them, but the bloody constant self-examination and dietary self-consciousness was wearing. When you look in the mirror and cannot identify the imperceptible changes it's hard to feel like it's all worth it. I was however branching out into looking generally more closely at labels, and choosing more foods we could eat as a family (see products, later).

The second was a holiday in the New Forest, where we struggled to receive 5 channels on the telly, let alone Beebies (sob) or a mobile signal... so surfing was restricted to a minimum and there was no chance to post anyway.

Dietwise, it took me a good four or 5 days to properly break diet, although when I did I enjoyed my whole holiday so much more. We self-catered, so from the off I had my staples of EL Philly, Slimfast and 'good' snacks. I was pretty good the first couple of days, but then the ice creams and pizzas snuck in, and quite frankly I felt awful - I was so entrenched in the diet that all I felt while I ate was guilt, and not in a productive, motivational way either, just sadness, guilt and self-loathing. I wanted to give myself a break, to enjoy the food, but I found it so hard.

I found it much easier to break the diet when we ate out. Because I wasn't making the food I had less responsibility for its fat content, which I guess is why eating out is such a diet downfall for some. For me, I found it utterly liberating. In our last couple of days I surrendered to good food, and ate chocolate cake, ice cream, pizza, fish and chips and a huge roast dinner. Happiness was back, even though I still disliked the face in the mirror. There is only one pic of me from the holiday, and not just because I wield the camera; it's a design of mine.

I arrived home, exhausted and visibly porkier. I stepped on the scales this morning, and I had today's headline all ready in my head... but then... what's this?

Enjoy the light reading: A Theory, as we head into the final week of the Alli 6-week challenge.


Interim Weigh-in:

Fri 17 Sept - 10st 3.8lbs
Sat 25 Sept - 10st 3.0lbs


What I ate today:

I won't include the diet for the last week as your keyboard will jam with drool.

I have been back on track today though...

Weetabix and milk

Tuna, tomato and EL Philly rolls, and a Shapers bar

A Sainsbury's pasta meal, indifferent and blandly tasteless


Exercise of the day:

We didn't do all the exercise we planned; no cycling trips or forest walking, but we did get lots of fresh air.


Product of the day:

Before the holiday I discovered Bisto Ready Toad in the Hole. At about 16g of fat per portion (4 skinny sausages) and just a pound this was lovely and crispy, and perfect to share with my eldest. We usually eat Aunt Bessie's version, but that has a massive 25g of fat in it! I know which one we'll buy going forward.

Another discovery was tuna, particularly tuna in spring water. Virtually fat free, so versatile, and yummy mixed in EL Philly in sandwiches. Get fishy!

Days 11 and 12 - Two for one?

Sometimes life gets in the way of... your life really! It certainly has got in the way of my diets before now...

"I know I'm on a diet, but it's Fred's birthday..."

"I've had a crappy day at work and a takeaway will cheer me up..."

"I'm so tired I put the chocolate in my mouth before I realised..."

"I'm too busy/old/bored/ to diet..."


Ding ding! I think I just hit the limit on the Excuse-o-Meter...

Maybe before now I hadn't found the right diet?

I've been busy with life, ill and shouty children, that race I'm running (sponsored me yet?!), the sale I'm helping to organise, and my new desire to learn knitting and crochet simultaneously (learning simultaneously, I don't have an extra arm or anything), and while I dropped a day's blog (oops, did you miss me?!) and the camera has a film of dust on it, I didn't drop the diet.

I did climb on the scales this morning though, just because that nagging thought about being slacker kept tapping me on the shoulder... Possibly an ounce or two difference from Monday's weigh-in, which spurs me onto the path of diet righteousness for the rest of the week.

So here we go, let's see what I remember:


What I ate yesterday/today:

Mini shredded wheat and milk/Banana

Chicken and tomato rolls and a Shapers snack bar/Chicken and tomato rolls, 1/2 pack Shapers crisps and a Tesco LC hot cross bun

Fish fingers, chip and beans/Tesco LC Chicken Curry and two Tesco LC naan breads

1/6 tub Ben & Jerry's Fudge Brownie Frozen Yoghurt


Exercise of the day(s):

Nothing to write home about. Shopping. I have enquired about swimming lessons though!


Product of the day(s):

Calpol. And Calprofen. I could have waxed lyrical about weighing 100g of chips, the surprising amount of fat in fish fingers, how sloppy the curry was, or how I'm not yet bored with the chicken sandwiches... but these two big guys have been saving my day today. Hooray for medication...

Day 2 - Fruit Loop

Well, I think we can declare day 1 a success. Let's be honest, some of my 'dieting' attempts don't even make it that far. So how was day 2?

Well a day alone with both children is always prone to snacking. A day when they are both testing me to my limits is prone to tears and chocolate. I did stay on the wagon, though to be honest it was wine that called in the early evening (note to self, find out how much fat in wine - none, surely?).

The cupboards are looking a little fuller at the moment, as I've stocked up on low-fat versions of things in readiness, both at Boots and Tesco, my local supermarket. I can't have butter on my bread so I've substituted extra light Philly. I can't fry in lots of oil, so I've bought some of those spray oil cans.

What you probably won't see in this blog are recipes for from-scratch foods. My history with food, as a child of the Seventies/Eighties, embraces convenience. I am a fair cook when I want to be but I just don't have time usually, or the inclination. I know a lot of mothers of two or more who cook wonderful things, and my hat is taken off to them, but I wasn't a big cook before children and I certainly haven't found the time to develop the skill since. Perhaps when my tastebuds are retrained a bit, I'll seek out more ways of cheaply and healthily feeding the family. Till then, I'm not rocking the boat with more than one thing at a time!

That said, we currently have tomato plants growing on the windowsill (they smell, who knew?!) and we definitely eat better since my daughter was weaned onto solid food - after all, we feel it's important to role model healthy food, as well as introduce her to where food comes from, raw ingredients and cooking - so we do what we can.

I'm also restricted by an intolerance to most fruit. I usually call it an allergy, simply because I find that using the word makes others less likely to sneak fruit into meals we might share. It started when I was about 12, when I linked my migraines and general ill-feeling with consumption of juices in particular. It means though that for over 20 years now I haven't had fruit juice, or indeed much fruit at all. I seem to be safe with raw strawberry, and banana, and in the last few years have added grapes (in moderation) to the list. I even tried a pear last year, and an apple - but I'm still wary.

This impacts my life in subtle ways - in a pub if I want a soft drink it's just water and cola to choose from. If I go to a restaurant the only desserts I can eat tend to be chocolate based (not forgetting the lure of the cheese-board). In home life, my husband Gavin eats fruit with our daughter. In diets, there are whole swathes of suggested meal plans that are hard to adapt away from fruit, so I end up just cutting down, or eating bland food, which may be the key to at least some of the diet failures.

Most of the time I don't give my fruit issues a second thought. I'm well trained now to avoid them. That doesn't mean I don't remember with longing the halcyon days of drinking lemon squash or apple juice while poring over my latest library acquisitions on warm Saturday afternoons... mmmm...


Anyway.


What did I eat today?

A bowl of Shreddies and semi skimmed milk

Two Tesco Light Choices wraps spread with pesto cottage cheese, filled with grilled chicken and salad.

My snack was a Shapers bar

Two Light Choices sausages, with mashed potato. Followed by a MullerLite yoghurt.


Exercise of the day:

Tearing my hair out at my threenager and teething baby



Product of the day:

Tesco Lighter Choices Cottage Cheese with Red Pepper & Pesto - I am not usually a proponent of cottage cheese, as it tends to remind me too much of baby vomit, but I thought I would give it a try. It was okay. Still looked a bit like lumpy pink vomit but it worked well in the chicken salad wraps, and while the flavour was subtle, it did distract me from the fact I was eating cottage cheese. Sooooo low in fat it's worth trying again.

Day 1 - Fat Fighter

Hello! How are you? Feeling a bit weary? Pull up a chair and I'll stick the kettle on. Fancy a bit of cake?

I'm Marie, 34, and I'm embarking on a crusade to lose some weight. Perhaps you'd like to keep me company?

So anyway, I'm overweight, I have no willpower, and I've decided to recruit an ally (geddit) in my fight, so I'm starting the Alli 6-week challenge today. Why Alli? Well, in common with a lot of my friends, I feel like I've trawled my way unsuccessfully through a number of diets, and all I have lost is money and my faith in my willpower.

I also realised that the only time I have lost weight successfully was when I was forced to; when I was pregnant with my daughter Sofie I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and forced to control my diet for my health and that of my child. I did, and I ended that pregnancy mere pounds heavier than when I had conceived. So for me, perhaps the key is being compelled to stick to a diet, rather than relying in willpower alone.

Why is Alli a threat? Well, it's a proven aid to your own slimming efforts, but it is known as much for its possible side-effects (also known as 'diet-related treatment effects' if you're the manufacturer, also known as 'sharting' if you're a sniggerer) as its efficacy. I so do NOT want that to happen to me, so hopefully by holding my digestive system to ransom in this way I'll stay on the straight and narrow, diet-wise.

When taking Alli you need to watch not only your calorie intake, but your fat grams - for my weight I can have up to 12g of fat in any one meal without experiencing 'diet-related treatment effects'. 12g does not go far, especially not when cheese is one of the great loves of your life. In fact, I'd lose weight a lot easier if you could just carve slices of what must be pure cheese-fat from my thighs and place them on a cheese board with some grapes... sigh...

So, that's the plan. Stick around and find out how I do, eh?


Weekly weight:

10st 9.2lbs



What did I eat today?

A bowl of Mini Shredded Wheat and semi skimmed milk

A Boots ham sandwich, Shapers prawn spirals and a Shapers caramel/choc bar, washed down with diet coke (I ate out today, and bought a few extra Shapers things to last this week)

My snack was a choc/raisin Shapers bar

Beans on toast, with the toast spread with extra light Philadelphia



Exercise of the day:

Shopping, while pushing a buggy



Product of the day:

Alli 120 capsule pack. Variously available, but I bought mine online for £59.99 at Boots. Gulp. That would pay for a LOT of cake...