Mind Diet

Status
Not open for further replies.
DietAccountability101

DietAccountability101

Active member
Hello,

I can hardly believe that it is nearly 2 years since I last posted here. Glad to see some familiar faces, as well as some new ones :)

I have decided to start posting here again as I have been finding that day-to-day life is going so fast that it feels like it is running away from me a bit. My weight is the most obvious one - for all of 2019 I have yo-yo'd within the same half a stone, never really feeling like I'm properly dieting but then also never feeling like I'm ever properly off one either.

I called my blog "Mind Diet" as I believe that all of my goals require me to do the following:

1. Manage my time well
2. Focus on what is in my control
3. Only pick the easy option when it's the best option
4. Above all, make sure I'm enjoying what I'm doing

In summary, my goals relate to my weight, career, taking care of my home, and maintaining the best relationships I can with family and friends. I will try to achieve this by giving myself a to-do list for each goal and then assess which tasks I am finding easier than others. As I am sure is the case with everyone, I often find that if one area of my life is doing well then another part seems to suffer. I believe that is mainly a time management issue, so I will be trying a few ways to overcome this. Any suggestions are more than welcome.

Below is the present position. I will think of my to-do lists tomorrow.

Weight
I went on the scales today and I weigh 10 stone 2.5lbs. I came back from a holiday in Madeira yesterday, so it is on the highest side of the yo-yo. I felt very bloated from my "last supper" last night (a very large curry) and from flying, so I have put off taking measurements until I feel more normal again.

The goal is to lose a stone by December. A bonus would be to beat my boyfriend in losing weight as we are dieting together :p

Career
I am a trainee solicitor. I have about 10 months left until I qualify and then my firm decides whether they will keep me on as a qualified solicitor. I am moving departments a lot at the moment as part of my training, so I receive monthly appraisals followed by a "big" appraisal every 6 months.

My goal is to make sure that my next "big" appraisal is very positive. A bonus would be not to go mad in the process (half-joking...)

Home
I bought my house a little over two years ago and it feels like the project is never finished. My boyfriend and I keep discussing changes/improvements, which are half-done and then left for months at a time.

My goal is make a large list of everything we need to do the house, and then actually plan and budget it so I know exactly when it will be finished. A bonus would be to finish it this year.

Relationships
I am overall quite happy with the relationships in my life, but I am conscious that I can seem quite absent at times as I feel like I never have enough time on my hands. I don't have any tangible goals as such, but I want to monitor how much time I spend communicating with my loved ones and make sure that I am there for them when they need me.

Well, I never believed that I would start a diet on a Tuesday! Miracles do happen :)
 
Welcome back :)
 
Thanks for the messages guys :)

Here is how today went:

Weight
Food
2 boiled eggs and avocado
Ham sandwich with salad cream
A nectarine
A protein bar
Turkey curry

Drinks
2 teas
2 coffees
2 pints of orange squash
500ml of water
Chamomile tea

Nutrition
1,564 calories (target: 1,325)
61g fat (target: 44g)
116g carbs (target: 99g)
130g protein (target: 130g)

Exercise:
1 spin class - burned 211 calories (I haven't thought of a target on how many calories I would like to burn for exercise yet - hmmmm)
Steps: 7,018 (target: 10,000)

So, definitely a little over on the calories. I put this down to the fact that I had a terrible night's sleep. I thought something at work hadn't gone very well yesterday and I spent the whole night worrying/overanalysing. I intended to make a salad when I woke up, but as I had no time I shoved together a sandwich instead.

To help avoid the above happening again, I made a salad as soon as I got home after the gym. I have also tried chamomile tea for the first time to see if it is as relaxing as people say. I'm not usually a fan of herbal tea, but that did go down quite easily!

Work
As mentioned above, it went okay today. I'm currently nearing the end towards a 3 month "seat" where I am assessed at the end. I was given some constructive feedback back to work on just before I went on holiday, so this only gives me 3 weeks in which to demonstrate that I've taken it on board and tried to learn from it.

My target for this week is to get all of my training logs up-to-date and push my other supervisor for more feedback, as he's the one that gives me the most work but then half of the time I never see it again.

Home
Not really had time for this one, but I'll start the to-do list.
- Buy new cushions for living room
- Contact curtain woman about curtains not hanging properly/new cushions
- Contact joiner regarding door that won't close properly
- Obtain quotes for new glass for door

I'll start a master to-do list soon

Relationships
Again, as I didn't get home until 8pm I haven't had much time for anyone. I did ring my Gran over lunchtime and she was very happy to hear from me. She's being having a problem with her doctors as they keep insisting on telephone appointments even though she can never hear them properly. I immediately sent them another letter complaining as they totally ignored the last one. If she doesn't hear from them by Friday then it will be on my to-do list to chase them via telephone.

I have also been thinking about how to get myself organised. I desperately need a new phone and I'm thinking of adding an app to this to help with my goals. Ideally it would need to sync in with my boyfriend's phone so that we can add events on the same calendar. The wall calendar is not working!
 
Kudos to you for being your Gran's advocate with her doctors!
We're having trouble coordinating our calendars too. Technology can make some things harder. I really need a new phone too. Getting organised seems to be harder for me these days now I am not so busy with work. That is such a strange thing.
 
Hey DA, good to see your posts, very detailed and very informative.

I am new here so we have not crossed paths before. It doesn't seem to me that we have a lot in common, except that we are both here, which is what I guess matters.

Good to see that your boyfriend is in this with you, that has to be a great help.

I look forward to reading about your progress!
 
Cate said:
Kudos to you for being your Gran's advocate with her doctors!
We're having trouble coordinating our calendars too. Technology can make some things harder. I really need a new phone too. Getting organised seems to be harder for me these days now I am not so busy with work. That is such a strange thing.
Click to expand...

Thank you! :) Yeah I suppose it is harder when no day is the same. I've been caught out so many times when we're out and asked if we're free and my mind has gone completely blank - makes committing to things difficult.

alligatorob said:
Hey DA, good to see your posts, very detailed and very informative.

I am new here so we have not crossed paths before. It doesn't seem to me that we have a lot in common, except that we are both here, which is what I guess matters.

Good to see that your boyfriend is in this with you, that has to be a great help.

I look forward to reading about your progress!
Click to expand...

Thanks :) will have a nosey at your diary over the weekend when I have a bit more time. I can imagine that we will soon have things in common with successes and pitfalls!

Wasn't a great day today. Despite trying to relax with chamomile tea last night, I still found it really hard to go to sleep. I wasn't worrying about anything this time, so I think it might just be my body clock adjusting to going to bed at an earlier time after I've been on holiday.

Weight

Food
Egg sandwich
Ham salad
A protein bar
A small kitkat
1.5 slices of pizza

Drinks
2 coffees
1 tea
2 orange squashes
1 glass of prosecco
1 chamomile tea

Nutrition
1,368 calories (target 1,325)
54g fat (target 44g)
118g carbs (target 99g)
87g protein (target 133g)

Exercise:
None - I had intended to go to body pump before work, but when I was still tossing and turning at midnight I re-set my alarm as I knew I would have been rubbish at work if I turned up tired from lack of sleep and exercising.
Steps 11,896 (target 10,000)

I have also now got round to doing my measurements, which are 36-28-39. I feel a lot less bloated, and the scales show it so far as I'm 2.5lbs down. I won't call it an official loss until next week, but all good signs.

Work
I got my feedback off my supervisor so it's just a case of finishing my training logs. It was all positive. All I can do is pass this on to the main manager and see if it sticks as he is harder to please.

Home
I didn't get home until 9pm tonight. Nothing done today, but I'm having a chilled weekend so that should be more productive.

Relationships
One of my best friends rang me just before work for a catch-up and it's clear that she really wants to see me soon. I'll be looking forward to catching up properly, but as she's out of work due to illness I do always have to go to her neck of the woods, which does add a lot of time on. I've just sent her a message now asking if she's free on 27th/28th.

I went out for a catch-up/networking with my colleagues after work. (This is where the free pizza and a glass of prosecco came in). I have to admit I wasn't really feeling it as I was tired and had a 45 minute drive back, but I'm glad I showed my face as it's been a while since I saw some of them.

I must remember to ring my Gran tomorrow to see if the doctors have said anything. I'm free on the 22nd so will ask her if I can visit her then.

Well, that's all the thoughts I can possibly record! hopefully they have all spilled out so I can sleep tonight...
 
:party:
I finally got a full night's sleep! I feel so much better now.

Weight

Food:
Eggy bread
A protein bar
Ham salad with a bit of brown rice
Chicken Katsu Curry
A maryland cookie

Drinks:
3 teas
1 litre of orange squash
500ml water
1 double gin and diet tonic
Chamomile tea

Nutrition:
1,512 calories (target: 1,325)
50g fat (target 44g)
98g carbs (target 99g)
126g protein (target 133g)

Exercise:
1 spin class 233 calories burned (target: 400 calories)
Steps 8,028 (target 10,000)

I can tell how I burned those extra 22 calories compared to Wednesday. We had a new spinning instructor today and he was mental. He had very loud drum and base playing and spent most of the time dancing around shouting at us to add more resistance. He seemed more suited to a dance floor gurning away than a gym ;) did the trick though.

Work
I finished my training logs. Otherwise, it was quite a chilled out day as not many of the managers were in.

Home
I will be actioning my to-do list tomorrow. My boyfriend is having to work this weekend, so I will be doing it on my own. This doesn't bother me, as I tend to make decisions more quickly when I'm on my own. When we're together it usually turns into a ping-pong of "erm, what do you think?" until one of us goes blue in the face.

Relationships
I had to do a lot of messing with my calendar today. My boyfriend wants us to go to a 1940s do next weekend, but didn't tell me that he wanted to leave the house at 10am which totally clashes with my plans. So far, I have organised

- seeing my Gran next weekend (will need to be rearranged for 29/09)
- going to the 1940s do on 22/09
- seeing my best friend on 28/09
- seeing two of my other close friends on 05/10
- seeing my boyfriend's family on weekend of 11/10

The above has reaffirmed my view that we need a shared calendar. Lots of miscommunication on what we were doing and my boyfriend accused me of not being interested in the 1940s do. I was interested, but I did think it was a night thing so I did a bit of huffing and puffing when trying to figure out how to sort everything out. Oh well!
 
Looks like a good day to me, 1,512 calories and spinning, you had to have used more calories than you ate. You may not have made your goals, but you were pretty close, close enough I'd say. I find the secret to making goals is not to set anything too firm, just do my best.

By my standards you have a very well organized social calendar, I've not nothing really scheduled, I mostly just let thing happen. That doesn't always work.

Keep it it, you're doing fine.
 
alligatorob said:
Looks like a good day to me, 1,512 calories and spinning, you had to have used more calories than you ate. You may not have made your goals, but you were pretty close, close enough I'd say. I find the secret to making goals is not to set anything too firm, just do my best.

By my standards you have a very well organized social calendar, I've not nothing really scheduled, I mostly just let thing happen. That doesn't always work.

Keep it it, you're doing fine.
Click to expand...

Thanks! according to my Fitbit I burned 2,082 calories yesterday so a 500 calorie deficit will set up 1lb loss per week quite nicely. My target is a little lower as there will be days when I’m eating out and drinking alcohol with friends, so it compensates for that.

Got loads done house-wise today ✅
- contacted glass company about fitting new glass in patio door
- contacted someone about making a cushion to sit on the new fitted furniture in the hallway
- picked out a new throw and cushions for the living room
- browsed a few shops for light fittings (no luck. Nowhere seems to sell brushed steel - it’s all chrome!)

Got a kettlebell class and then I’m cooking Mexican tonight. It’s turkey mince with salad and tacos. Yum!
 
Thanks for visiting my diary . Do you mind me asking what height you are . 10st 2 sounds so light to me . I guess I must have passed that at some point in my teens . Best of luck with your journey
 
A 1940s do! With hair and dress and make-up all fitting? A daytime thing - with eating? Oh, and music to suit, I guess. Hmmm.. jazz?

I feel you, about trying to fit everything in - today I have two quasi-niblings coming to visit, which means I can't visit an elderly rellie till next weekend, but then there's the weekend away which another couple have been trying to arrange...
 
Petal001 said:
Thanks for visiting my diary . Do you mind me asking what height you are . 10st 2 sounds so light to me . I guess I must have passed that at some point in my teens . Best of luck with your journey
Click to expand...

I'm 162cm tall (or if you prefer old money, it's 5 foot 3.78 inches), which makes me the heavy side of normal if you go by BMI. Although I have given myself a target of losing a stone, I'm not doing it for a particular reason like some people (eg. a wedding or a big holiday). I've noticed that my waist fluctuates by an inch while weighing the same depending on how good my diet/exercise is, so I'm more committed to a lifestyle change that keeps me healthy and looking well.

Cate said:
What a productive day, 101. Well done :)
Click to expand...

Thank you! :D

aiminglow said:
A 1940s do! With hair and dress and make-up all fitting? A daytime thing - with eating? Oh, and music to suit, I guess. Hmmm.. jazz?

I feel you, about trying to fit everything in - today I have two quasi-niblings coming to visit, which means I can't visit an elderly rellie till next weekend, but then there's the weekend away which another couple have been trying to arrange...
Click to expand...

Yes indeed :) the main reason why my boyfriend wants to go is the military vehicles as he used to own a WW2 jeep. We went to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-Day this year with a military vehicle trust and after seeing/driving all of the vehicles he is now super keen on buying one again.

Yesterday went well :)

Weight
Food
Smashed avocado with toast, chorizo and 2 poached eggs
A pear
Turkey mince with 1 hard taco shell and Mexican bean salad
A square of chocolate

Drinks
2 teas
1 litre of water
A diet coke
1.5 small glasses of red wine
1 double gin and diet tonic

Nutrition
1,514 calories (target: 1,312)
55g fat (target: 44g)
113g carbs (target: 99g)
87g protein (target: 87g)

Exercise
Kettlebell class - 267 calories burned (target: 400)
Steps: 15,703 (target: 10,000)

Already covered the rest and it's a weekend. I found the kettlebell class really tough but enjoyable yesterday. To say that I haven't done weights for about 3 weeks now, I'm not in as much pain as I thought I would be today!

Today's plan is to clean/tidy the house, try out yoga, and then go round to mum and dad's for tea and to sort out a holiday. We've planned an adults trip to Disney World, which I am more excited about than I care admit XD
 
Haha, I am so with you on Disney World! I went to the one in Florida when I was 9, it was probably one of the best weeks of my life! :D

Let me know how you got on with the yoga!
 
DietAccountability101 said:
Yesterday went well.
Click to expand...
Good for you and from your food and exercise list I can see that it did. Keep up the good work.
DietAccountability101 said:
We've planned an adults trip to Disney World, which I am more excited about than I care admit XD
Click to expand...
I won't try to spoil your trip with my opinions on Disney World. I grew up in central Florida, near where Disney World sits today, the Orlando I remember was a one traffic light cow town. And the land where Disney World sits was almost all seasonal wetlands. Have you read any of Carl Hiaasen's books? I like what he says about Disney, at one point he was banned from the place. I think his book Native Tongue does a particularly good job of parodying Disney World, in the extreme. Go and have fun, I know lots of people do, then read the book when you get home.
 
Emilyrose said:
Haha, I am so with you on Disney World! I went to the one in Florida when I was 9, it was probably one of the best weeks of my life! :D

Let me know how you got on with the yoga!
Click to expand...

You're quite into yoga aren't you? Do you just do it at your gym or do you go to a particular place? After today, I wouldn't recommend ever doing yoga at Pure Gym. The music in the rest of the gym was still blasting drum and base, which was a bit of an issue when studio didn't have a door to shut it out. Still, it was good to have a stretch as I'm too sore to properly exercise.

alligatorob said:
I won't try to spoil your trip with my opinions on Disney World. I grew up in central Florida, near where Disney World sits today, the Orlando I remember was a one traffic light cow town. And the land where Disney World sits was almost all seasonal wetlands. Have you read any of Carl Hiaasen's books? I like what he says about Disney, at one point he was banned from the place. I think his book Native Tongue does a particularly good job of parodying Disney World, in the extreme. Go and have fun, I know lots of people do, then read the book when you get home.
Click to expand...

I've not read any of his books, but I am into reading, particularly if it's a parody. I'll add that to my list on Good Reads (after my Mickey Mouse balloon deflates) :)

Weight
Today was okay. Tea was cooked by my mum, so I couldn't really monitor my food so the below is my best guess.

Food
A fried egg and leftover turkey mince and Mexican salad
A protein bar
Beef Bolognese with brown pasta and salad

Drinks
2 chamomile tea
1 regular tea
1 litre of water
1 small glass of red wine
1 330ml can of beer

Nutrition
1,601 calories (1,325)
61g fat (target: 44g)
116g carbs (target: 99g)
100g protein (target: 133g)

Exercise
Yoga - 162 calories (target: 400)
Steps: 5,872 (target: 10,000)

My plan for this week is to hit the gym 4 times and try to reach my step target each day. I also definitely need a few days off the booze! I don't normally drink that many days in a row, but it seems to have added up with being out with work colleagues and seeing my friendly.

Work
I tried looking for my employment law notes while I was at my mum and dad's and couldn't find anything. I start my new seat on 1st October so I do need to brush up on my knowledge. Knowing where my books are will be a start!

Home
Had a quite a productive weekend, but I have found loads more to do. When I was cleaning I spotted some water damage on our wooden worktops that had been hidden by a matt, so I hadn't realised that the varnish had stopped working. I texted the guy who did the varnishing asking if he could help, but typically he hasn't answered so I've got to find another decorator now. Our log burner has started to rust a bit as well, so I need to figure out how to clean that.

Relationships
There are a couple of my close friends I haven't seen a while who I keep meaning to message for a catch-up. Will try do that this week so it's out of the way.
 
Weight

Monday will be my official weigh-in day each week. I weigh 9 stone 13.5lbs today, which is a 3 pound loss from Tuesday :) Measurements are the same, so I suspect that quite a bit of weight will be water from my holiday, but still going in the right direction.

Here is how last week looked overall. I obviously didn't count calories or exercise on Monday so the figures will be a little skewed, but should give a useful overview:
Average steps - 8,318
Average calorie intake - 1,497
Average calorie burn - 2,006

Today was hard but went quite well. My legs are still really aching from kettlebells on Saturday, so I really wasn't feeling going to the gym today. However, one of my friends was in the exact position and was still going, so that gave me no excuses! I actually burned the same number of calories as I would usually despite feeling like I was going slower, so goes to show that it was worthwhile going.

Food
Eggy bread
Ham with salsa and salad
Protein bar
Chicken curry
A salted caramel cookie

Drinks
2 teas
1 litre of orange squash
500ml water
1 chamomile tea

Nutrition
1,323 calories (1,325)
44g fat (target: 44g)
96g carbs (target: 99g)
123g protein (target: 133g)

Exercise
Spinning - 217 calories (target: 400)
Steps: 10,888 (target: 10,000)

Work
I found my employment law notes! I have a hair appointment on Saturday, so will use the time to re-read them when my hair is being dyed.

Home
I have finally put together a master to-do list.

- Find someone to sand/varnish kitchen worktop
- Find someone to sort out fitting issue on kitchen unit
- Replace scratched kitchen unit
- Sort out painting issues on upstairs doors
- Clear out/tidy study
- Get BF to sell his crap sitting in the spare room
- Find/buy shoe rack and shoe organiser
- Find/price flooring for the porch
- Find/purchase anti-damp treatment for porch
- Find out how to get rust off log burner
- Find someone to repaint cladding at the front of the house
- " " garden
- Cut back plants back for winter
- Find light fittings for hallway
- Find/price new desk for hallway
- Find/price new posts for spare room bed
- Find/price furniture for conservatory
- Find/price furniture for hallway (possibly)

Relationships
Still need to message my friends!
 
Congratulations on your weight loss . 3 lb is super
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top