6 week bootcamp

Oh my, I haven't been here for a little while, have I? Well I'm back and I'm on it like a car bonnet! On a whim of depression, sadness and outright disgust at myself and my bad eating habits I signed up for a 6 week bootcamp which started yesterday and finishes on Christmas Eve.

There's a facebook group for excellent support and a lot of us with fitbits have become friends on there and are completing challenges. I missed out on success on a virtual Yosemite Valley challenge - the winner (and only person to have completed the whole walk in the time given) had trekked up Snowdon - hence the massive amount of steps. I was the next best achiever, but didn't finish (38500 steps in 36 hours!). I am currently doing the New York marathon and was in the lead this morning but I fear I will have been overtaken tonight. It's good motivation if you're in that frame of mind.

This first week is detox week - no caffeine, no dairy, no wheat, no sugar. My head's a bit fuzzy today - I should be studying for the 3 million things I've got happening in the next 3 weeks but I can't concentrate to learn. I haven't had caffeine since Saturday lunch time - that's ok; I drink decaff after 6pm anyway so I've had that for some drinks. I also have lemon and ginger tea and today I bought Pukka licorice and mint tea as recommended on the group for sweet cravings. It's not too bad actually and I can see the 'sweet' bit is helpful. It recommends not having too much of that if you have hypertension (waves hello) so I'd better not have any more today (2 cups already).

I have always objected to being told what to eat, but I have batch cooked a few meals (as recommended and they will be repeated) and so it's actually a novelty not having to think up 'what to have for tea'. I've made myself a plan of what I think is realistic to make fresh and eat straightaway and what I can make beforehand. I have made the 'smokey chilli' from quorn instead of minced turkey - cannot find that anywhere and it has far too much chilli in for me - it's uncomfortably hot. But I've got 8 portions left in the freezer! I've made 8 portions of harari soup - I limited the chilli and it tastes pretty good. My main downfall is that I want to season everything with salt. And for years I didn't season anything and now I can't, I miss it!

Using the fitbit and taking on challenges is good. I have done over 10,000 steps every day since Tuesday. It's motivational for someone who has seriously lacked motivation for months. My legs ache, my ankles ache and my hip is very sore but I'm trying to manage without painkillers if I can - another thing I need to cut down on.

As for peeing. Well I'm doing plenty of that!

Busy little bee

I have been very busy with work and completely knackered all the rest of the time. I was thinking that my skin was clearer and I was looking a little less tired but this week has wiped out all the good work and effort I have made with my nutritional and water intake and hubby pronounced yesterday that I was looking run down. I have a massive juicy spot on my chin and my face is shining. I can put some of that down to the weather (and consequent heat at work) and I suppose my body might be getting rid of toxins (hence the humungous spot). But OMG (a deity I don't believe in) I'm sooo tired. Last night I was planning on watching Hospital at 9pm. I couldn't keep my eyes open beyond about 8.30 and I dragged myself up to bed at 8.45. Fitbit said I had 8 hours sleep but I swear it felt like 8 minutes. I dragged myself out of bed again this morning and have been wishing myself back there all day!

Is this down to detox? I'm eating good food, making sure I'm getting the correct nutrition, and a good balance of carbs, protein and fat. I'm not exercising out of work but I have had 10,000+ steps every day so far just at work. I have also lost just over 2kg since I started the new lifestyle. Maybe my body is just adjusting to the new regime

Bee Beeautiful

some info I have just confirmed

According to the British Nutritional Foundation

https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/healthissues/healthy-weight-loss.html?limit=1&start=1

"Guidelines recommend that you should try to lose weight gradually, about 1-2 lbs (approximately 0.5-1.0 kg) a week. This way, the weight is more likely to stay off. This rate of weight loss is based on using up 600 kcal per day more than you take in. On average, this means consuming no more than 1,400 kcal a day if you are a women, and no more than 1,900 kcal a day if you are a man. The amount of weight you lose will depend on how much weight you need to lose and how active you are."

This is quite interesting as I have never seen this amount defined before. That also means that 1400kcal a day is what i should be aiming for...maybe. I am considerably overweight. I have just worked out my BMI and it is 39.6. A calorie intake that low...I'm not sure that is suitable for me to jump into straight away.

Weightwatchers (which I have done successfully several times, and then put most back on over time) advocates a larger calorie intake and gradually reducing it as you lose weight. I think this is so you've got somewhere to go with your weight loss. If I reduce my input to 1400 tomorrow, I would probably lose weight very quickly. But could I sustain it?

I think I'm going to find out some stuff which I really don't like the idea of during the course of my investigations. It will be up to me whether I chose to implement the suggested changes or adapt them to make them more palatable (literally). I guess to use 600 more than I eat, I have to do more, use up more energy to eat more in the first place. It is clear that I have to know numbers, calorific content and how much I am using up on a daily basis.

Better charge up the fitbit...

So I have looked at the NHS site and it recommends a daily intake for me of 1692 - 2175 kcal