Weighty Matters

[caddyman]

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions as such. I only ever made one that I kept and that was to make no more.

That said, it now being past 1 January, it is reasonable to attempt a target or two and we in the Gin Palace¹ have decided to have another go at weight reduction. My first thought was to try the Atkins Diet. I am sure, in theory at least, that I could keep to that for a while, except that I would end up having no breakfast as the chances of me getting up and cooking bacon and/or eggs every morning is quite remote and cereals and bread products would be off the menu. So that leaves me with counting points, which works if you can be arsed to stick to it.

It started to work 18 months ago, the last time I really gave it a go, but then I fell off the wagon and pulled it over on top of me. Since moving, the daily walk to the station and back (and more recently, from Westminster to Victoria in a morning) took an inch off my waist, but indolence and Christmas has put it back.

So. Counting points is where we’re at. I was very good this morning: I weighed my breakfast cereal. The amount was so puny that I allocated more points and poured more in. I shall compensate by eating a couple fewer peas with my evening meal.

I guess it will be good for me in the long run.




¹Peers at pax_draconis: I fear the name has stuck, damn you!

Comments

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

The Gin Palace is an excellent name! Mothers' ruin?

[nyarbaggytep.livejournal.com]

"You may have heard of the Atkins diet that involves eating lots of protein-rich food and cutting down on the amount of starchy food you eat. This has raised some concerns about the possible health effects too much protein can have on your kidneys and liver. Although there doesn’t appear to be any evidence that it can damage these organs, following this diet may increase your risk of heart problems because many complete proteins are high in fat. There also doesn’t appear to be any evidence that following a high-protein diet is any more effective for long-term weight loss than eating a healthy, balanced diet."

From BUPA

I'm no good at following anything structured because I get all "I'll bloody eat what I want!" about it. R made me a database which I could use to count calories and fat and sugar etc, it worked pretty well at highlighting to me what I was eating too much and too little of - but a food diary would work just as well.

Then I would just try to eat more of the better stuff and do more exercise (this was actually far more important than diet for me as I did FA) - I bought a boinger which worked out well for me. Of course all this went out of the window when I got preg.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I would probably end up eating the diary.

The boinger looks fun, except that I would probably use it to bounce things off, rather than bouncing me!

I shall just have to grit my teeth and ignore the rumbles from my tum.

[littleonionz.livejournal.com]

The kids use my boinger to ninja about in the garden.

[bibliogirl.livejournal.com]

Atkins (or something close to it) works pretty well for me but then I need to basically not eat carbs, and you (presumably) don't have that particular quirk. That said, I can provide you with a low-carb bread recipe ;)

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

A low carb bread recipe would be very welcome!

[bibliogirl.livejournal.com]

OK, some special ingredients required here but I indicate where you can get them ;) Also, this has been adapted from a bunch of different stuff and thus the measurements are in cups, but if that proves impossible I can probably weigh them...

This also assumes possession of a breadmaker, although I imagine you could make it without; no idea about timings, though.

1 packet yeast (usually about 7g)
1 cup gluten
1/2 cup soy protein
1/2 cup flour (low-carb flour, in an ideal world)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sweetener (granulated -- e.g. Splenda or similar)
2/3 cup ground flaxseed
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups water

Add the dry stuff into the breadmaker in the "usual" order -- for mine that is yeast, dry stuff, wet stuff, water, although others may do it in reverse. Set for dough programme. When dough's ready, divide as you prefer -- this quantity will make twelve largish rolls, sixteen smaller ones, or two loaves (in standard loaf tins); I find it more convenient to cook in these sizes rather than letting the breadmaker do it.

Sources for ingredients:

Low Carb Megastore (www.lowcarbmegastore.com) or Avidlite (www.avidlite.co.uk) will be able to supply the gluten and the low-carb flour. (I usually use LCM.) Holland and Barrett will have the soy protein and maybe also the ground flaxseed; our local Tesco used to have the latter but has stopped doing it, so LCM/Avidlite may be needed for that also.

This gives you something which is a pretty reasonable facsimile of bread in terms of being able to toast it, make sandwiches, etc etc ;)

[bluesman.livejournal.com]

I lost 25 lbs on the Atkins diet for a month, a few years ago, but it drove me potty and I was irascible. Imagine that!

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

He took his belt in a few notches, that's how!

/missingthepoint

[littleonionz.livejournal.com]

Good for you with the weight reduction thing, I hope it works out. Wine is my downfall...and cheese...and bread...How the heck do those parisians stay so damn skinny?!?

[mollpeartree.livejournal.com]

Good luck with WW (I presume?)

WW breakfast: 1/2 C plain old-fashioned oatmeal cooks up to just 4 points and a goodish-sized serving. Add any amount of fruit for free. Or cinnamon (also free). I usually make 4 servings at once and then microwave the individual portions when needed.

[ladkyis.livejournal.com]

We are just about to start again on the slimming world programme. I can feed Mr M vegetables by the ton and he can have his slices of bread and his potatoes and I can have chips every day because they are cooked in the actifry - yes, that's right chips every day. I love my actifry!

[pax-draconis.livejournal.com]

If the shoe fits, comrade...

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

This in no way excuses your general caddishness in the matter! :-p