Dietbet

2 weeks into my second Dietbet challenge and I have another loss on the scales. I really wasn't expecting it this week as I ate some rubbish during the week that I really shouldn't have. I can only assume that as the actual meals I eat are healthy it off set the cakes and chocolate, I'm not repeating that style of eating this week though as the last few days and the thought of having to weigh myself have been blinkin awful.
The first week of this Dietbet I lost 5.6lbs and then this week I lost 2.8lbs so that's a total of 8.4lbs in 2 weeks - 99% of my total loss needed for Dietbet with 2 weeks still left to go.

Running is pretty hit and miss at the moment. Leanne and I seem to gravitate to the 4 mile trail run in the forest but we need to get back out onto the road and see if we have improved - I'm hoping that the intense hills of the trail run will have helped our strength for the flat.

The forestry commission seem to have added a few new paths so that we get to run in the actual forest but they're quite up and down, narrow and very loose underfoot so we tried it once and decided to avoid them in future

Our first 10k of the year is on 21st July - mine and Waynes 23rd wedding anniversary - so we're looking forward to using that one as a practice for the Loch Ness 10k in September and to give ourselves a time to improve on. There's another local 10k on 23rd July if we feel up to it after the first one but we'll have to wait and see.

Dietbet and running

Day 1 of the new Dietbet challenge I have joined. I was a bit miffed to find that I'd put 4lb on in a week but when I was realistic and looked at what I'd eaten this past week I'm quite surprised it wasn't more.
Anyway there's still time for new players to join in on Sunshines Dietbet game, the stake is $25 (approx £16) and the fund pot currently stands at $20,850.00, so it's worth a go - I won about $48 on the last game.

Having not run at all last week despite my being adamant that I would I knew I needed to start this challenge as I mean to go on so Leanne and I headed out for a 4 mile trail run today. Unfortunately Leanne suffered from stitch almost immediately so we had to run in between the bouts of stitch but we think it's probably because she ran on empty, it seems Leanne doesn't get stitch if she eats before running whereas I have to run on empty - different strokes for different folks though right.

On the upside my cheap 'Pulse sonic' heart rate monitor actually seemed to manage to keep some kind of track for the first time ever - my heart seemed to range from 130 when fast walking to 186 when running. I was quite relieved to see that my heart rate returns to normal very quickly too.
On the downside though I don't know how to use all the other functions such as calories burned or stopwatch etc - I must dig the instructions out.

Here's some of the trails we ran

Food intake today has been minimal to say the least, I've just been too busy. I had a Nature valley bar at lunch time followed by one after we ran and then dinner consisted of a Pasta n sauce with added ham - that's it. I'm about to tuck into grapes but I haven't eaten enough today or drank enough for that matter.
Must do better.

Low calorie/fat Quiche.

When I was doing the Slimming World healthy eating plan I got heaps of fabulous recipes from the Minimins website and this quiche was one of my favourites because there was no crust base to increase the calorie or Syn value - basically I could eat it over a couple of days and know it was safe.

Ingredients:-
4 Eggs.
Tub of Cottage Cheese (Low fat) - I used the one with chives added.
Any other filling you want i.e Mushrooms, Onion, Ham, Bacon, Peppers, Tomatoes.
Herbs

• Whisk the eggs, add the cottage cheese and then fold in all the chopped ingredients of your choice.
• Top with sliced Tomato
• Cook in the oven set to 200 for around 30 minutes.
• Once cooked chill in the fridge. 

It really is delicious and this is what I had for tea along with Barbecue chicken (Chicken breast cooked on the George Foreman grill with a thin coating of BBQ sauce) and banana. I don't know why but I suddenly like eating fruit (especially Banana, Strawberry & Grape) with my dinner - Banana and chicken is a particular favourite. Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it!

I was determined to get up and run this morning. I had it all planned last night - the route I would run and how I would run it, I was even going to give my cheap heart rate monitor one last chance before I stomped on it.
When I got up this morning though I felt like I'd been hit by a truck and just couldn't get motivated for it - tomorrow is another day though!

Weigh day!

I was dreading weighing in today! I'd been pretty good with food during the week, just the odd 'treat' and I had one day of a sicky bug but I thought the weekends food consumption would add a pound or so on. I didn't eat lots but what I did eat wasn't healthy - egg and chips, homemade curry, a couple of slices of Pizza, a couple of pieces of cake - you get the picture.
2.2lb LOSS though when I stepped on the scales today. i guess the running and all the gardening I'm doing is paying off. That brings my total to 12.2lbs - just 1.8lb to my first 1stone.

I've decided I need a challenge to keep me motivated. I'm training for a couple of 10k's but I need something that will challenge me to exercise every day, even it's just walking. I do gardening most days and I'm active round the house but I need something to get me moving with purpose - I'll let you know what I come up with.
Perhaps something like this to start with

Or maybe Les Mills 'Bodycombat' - I have the LM BB workout, I just need to create some space that will allow me to do the moves. My last BB workout 'Insanity' didn't require much space but 'Body combat' looks like it does - have YOU done LM 'Body Combat'?

Those weightloss bonuses

I'm currently at a loss of 10lb in this weight loss journey and I've noticed a couple of weird things

1. I now know what it feels like to have an empty belly. That may sound strange but as an ex comfort eater I never really allowed myself to be truly hungry. Don't get me wrong there were so many times when I thought I was Hank Marvin (starving) but I can see now that on a scale of one to 10 I probably wasn't even at a 5. It's kinda pretty cool to have an empty stomach and not feel the need to fill it.
2. The coolest thing - Us 'not so slim' girls have probably all been there, you're in the bath and reach forward for the soap or whatever and you reach and reach and reach and nope, you can't quite make it cos the jelly roll gets in the way so you have to scooch forward until your face is literally touching the end so you can get what you need. Well I can now reach without scooching and it's a fabulous feeling.
3. The healthiest thing - I have suffered with acid reflux for as long as I can remember. I get it every single day and it can be so dibilitating. I've always assumed it was caused by my medication as it's listed as a side effect so I just accept it. Not any more - in the 28 days of Dietbet I did not suffer with acid reflux once and I cannot even begin to explain how nice that is.
4.  The ickiest thing - IBS - how many of us suffer from it? After being diagnosed with this about 20 years ago I was told to basically figure out what causes it and stop eating it - simple as that. I would love it if it had been that easy because whereas some sufferers go to the loo alot with it I hardly went at all - once a week on a good week - so not a comfortable feeling. Anyway I haven't been bloated for the entire 28 days and thanks to the Shreddies for breakfast and cutting out wheat in bread I am now regular as clock work.

I'm just looking forward to all the other benefits of weightloss as they show themselves.

Here's my Dietbet weigh in and weigh out photos - just 10lb down and I already see an improvement on the bulldog arms

According to this useless information poster I have lost the amount of chemical additives that an American consumes in a year.

Managed a 4 mile trail run with Leanne today. The weather was quite warm though and caught me unawares so I didn't have water to hand - have to make sure that doesn't happen again it wasn't a pleasant experience.
I'm still getting either numb feet or cramped feet halfway into the run and I really can't figure out what is causing it. I thought maybe my trainers but I tried 2 other pairs and I get the same thing, I really need to figure this out because running with no feeling or running in excruciating pain is beginning to wear a little.
I'm really working on my breathing as I run too. If I breathe through the chest it's a sure fire way to suffer with side stitch so I'm attempting to perfect the art (and it is a flippin art) of breathing through my diaphragm. The difference is amazing, since breathing this way I have not suffered from stitch and even if I forget to breathe properly and a stitch begins to show itself diaphragm breathing settles it right back down.
I once read in a running magazine that diaphragm breathing is our natural way to breathe and that we learn the habit of chest breathing as we get older. As an example the article suggested watching a baby breathe when it's lying on its back - it's the stomach you will see move not the chest. My husband is the only person I know that still naturally breathes through the diaphragm and not the chest.

Dietbet weigh out

Well that'll teach me! I won my Dietbet challenge and decided I deserved a treat for all my hard work. Well we all know where that leads don't we!
Once I'd recieved my official verification of my photos and weight on Monday I kinda let loose and this is my full days ration for Monday

• A whole packet of Shortbread biscuits.
• A whole bag of Doritos
• A whole tub of Onion & Garlic dip.
• A monstrous bar of Dairy Milk chocolate.

That's it! Not a single ounce of decent food in sight and Monday night/Tuesday morning I paid for it by throwing up everywhere!
I am so not doing that again. Yesterday I spent the day feeling sorry for myself and only managed to eat some toast but today I'm back on track with healthy eating and come June 1st i will be joining in with another Dietbet challenge - why not take a look and see if it's something you would be interested in -  Sunshine's Dietbet. Honestly, if you need the motivation to lose that weight that I totally recommend Dietbet, it's been the one thing over 22 years that has kept me focused.

Anyhow here's my before and after pictures - 10lb slimmer. You may not see a huge difference but that bulldog stance with the arms that I have going on is definitely not as bad - the main weight is off my stomach

 

Dietbet weigh out

Today was the final weigh in day for Dietbet and I'm so pleased that I did it - I made 1.2lb over the 8.8lb that was my challenge.
In total over 28days I've lost 10lb, it was 11.2lb yesterday but I had my dinner at 9pm last night and I'd put 1.2lb back on by this morning. Even so I don't think I've ever lost 10lb in 4 weeks and found it quite easy to do and so enjoyable also. I'll definitely be joining in with another Dietbet challenge in the next couple of weeks.