New Scales........by Heather

Oh yes - they have arrived.

New, sleek, stylish, slim, chic........... all the things I'm not!

I'm 7lbs heavier than I was yesterday, on these babies! - What?????

I daren't even look at the fat ratio programme available.


I feel like devouring a shop's shelf - worth of 'Double Deckers' for comfort!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here we go again...... by Heather

This week I broke our old scales. - I dropped them, and the guts fell out. I was doing them a kindness by putting them in the bin.

I hedged a bit, but eventually gave in and bought a new set, which will arrive tomorrow. These however all but deliver your breakfast - so as of tomorrow, I'll know exactly how fat I am!

And I still am.

According to my BMI, not the best measure by all accounts, but it is touted about readily enough - I am officially classified as 'overweight'.

4 weeks of 5:2 fast dieting, and whilst I feel a massive amount better in myself, for whatever the reason on this diet, and I do - I'm not any noticeably thinner - either in clothes or on those old trusty scales.

Having over hauled the figures earlier in the week, and decided that I needed to be careful on those pesky non fast days - I realised that I had inexorably fallen back to calorie counting. AND I DON'T WANT TO COUNT CALS!

I found I was debating with myself on whether 3.500 kcals really did equate to 1lb of body fat and whether I needed to factor that in to my overall approach to the 5:2 diet - when I suddenly pulled myself up short. Heather! For God's sake, pack it in already!!!!

In reviewing my 5:2 performance to date, and looking at what people were saying on several forums dedicated to the thing - I realised that whilst some  folk enjoyed success, there were others, like me, for whom it seemed less automatic and straight forward.

I intend to keep to my fasting days - because as I've said before, I am finding them beneficial - my stomach feels rested and I feel comfortable in myself  for doing it - even if it doesn't deliver anything more than that - it really does feel worthwhile.

Whilst researching the claims of the fast diet,  I came across Zoe Harcombe - a nutritionist, who has her own dieting approach. Something akin to Atkins come food combining.

Well, I'm pretty au fait with food combining of old - having been an undiagnosed coeliac for years and years - you sadly find yourself having trialed many weird and wonderful dietary fads, for some relief, before the actual diagnosis is made - and during those dark gluten ravaged days, I steadfastly tried to food combine. Clearly it didn't help the undetected gluten issues, but there were benefits.

Zoe's approach has you not combining any fats with carbs in the same meal.

On Googling the meal relationship between eating fats with carbs, I came to realise this is something that isn't unique to Zoe. It wasn't however something I had ever come across.

Just because I love an experiment and because I feel ok in myself and don't mind the challenge - I have decided on a something of a hybrid -

a) continue to fast for days per week
b) go back to a real reduction in carbs
c) stick to reducing my sugar content as much as possible
d) look at how those meals that are carb loaded react with fats and look at changing that

So once again - the search is one.

Lunch Alternatives .....by Heather

Lunch (Me)

That was probably my standard work day lunch time menu for the last 25 years - except usually that would be white bread! Once diagnosed Coeliac, I flailed around a fair bit, until I found a good gluten free alternative from the good people at Genius:

But pure genius or not - bread has gone by the wayside, be it brown or white. And I have declared my lunchtime menu to be carb free. Despite the deep frost outside, salad has proved to be the order of the day - and I have become best friends with leafy salad bag - today it was Rocket/Spinach/Watercress for a more peppery flavour. But there is Baby Leaf or Crisp&Crunchy - and I mix these about a bit. In fairness - I am actually able to distinguish flavours now, whereas it largely went unnoticed before. Plus there is spring onion, cucumber, beetroot, celery & carrot to add to the mix.

With that I have added - tuna/salmon/sardine or mackerel - or sliced chicken/beef or ham - or avocado or boiled egg or cheese.

I was happy with that but on re reading Peter Attia at the Eating Academy and looking more closely at what he ate - I see that maybe I shouldn't be concentrating too much on loading up protein - and so it may be that I need to make sure I keep mixing it up a bit, rather than reaching for what is simplest or the thing nearest at hand - which is often just tuna!

I still find it difficult to swallow (no pun intended) that its ok to swim around in fat - but I realise that I have to go with his proven wisdom. To that end - the avocado, egg and cheese may be my first port of call.

During every day there are those times when you need to turn to a snack! This is always difficult in any diet situation, because if it can't be a chocolate bar or a danish pastry - what the hell is left? Well at first I thought my options weren't too terrible - Apples, Bananas, Grapes, Raisins & other dried fruits, Nuts, Yogurt, seeds............

..........however.
The nuts as I have blogged recently, have started to cause me stomach pain - and so although I love them, I have  had to cut back on them - I can now eat them intermittently without repercussion - but there's the rub - only every now and again.

Raisins and dried fruits - I knew these were high in sugar and so I had already scrubbed them from my repertoire. Gone.

Given my recent issue with slower transit - I was keen to up the amount of fibre in my diet - and so real fruit (rather than the dried) was my first port of call - but having looked at the sugar content in fruit - especially my preferred fruit of choice - apples, bananas and grapes - I realise that I have been eating these maybe a bit too often - maybe 2 apples a day plus grapes plus banana.

So now I have traded these in for berries instead - today was my first foray and boy could I tell the difference in the sugar load between my  usual 'Winter Wonder' apple fix and the handful of raspberries and blackberries I had in its stead!! Wow.

I had them with full greek yogurt - and it looked lovely in the bowl. But it became an exercise of me vs the bowl after the first mouth full - it was seriously bitter. I stuck with it - and the taste aside - I actually felt nicely filled afterward, and so as a snack - it proved a good one. I'm hoping with time, I learn to appreciate the fruit in the same way as I now appreciate the salad leaves - we shall see.











I have added in to my shopping list real coconut - not the dessicated stuff, but the real maccoy. Coconut seemed to feature in milk and oil on Peter Attia's menu a fair amount of time, so I thought the real thing might make a good snack too.

I have also added milk in to the repertoire  - real milk, full fat (haven't had that in years) - this works well for me as a snack, and it tastes sweet of course. But I think that I am ok to include some lactose - and the milk had the sweetness that the greek yogurt lacked.

For the family - well they are fairing much better  - fruit in all its forms are on the menu; as is wholemeal bread. What is off? - Well, mini cake bars in the lunch pack; the choccy bar after school, crisps, fruit juice - they have water and milk now - and haven't complained once!! Fizzy drinks - Coke et al - they are all off the menu. On a recent trip to Costa Coffee I was stumped at what our youngest might actually have. I had to relent somewhat - if he agreed not to have Coke - I had to agree to let him have a sugar free Ribena.

Nakd bars and natural fruit infused raisins - these are the very favourite of all - Hello gorgeous indeed. As a treat, I'm not averse to eating these lovelies myself.

The Scientific Stuff.......by Heather

Katy and I have when faced with an obstacle will both look at said obstacle and see it in the same way, we will chat, muse and concur - but then she will meander to the left and I to the right. We can see each other, and we can compare our journeys, but they are different journeys. And that is the beauty and value of real friends.

Here on our blog we wanted to share our journey through the pitted pathway that is the menopause and our personal battle with the bulge; but as with all things we differ in approach. Katy, the 'yank' half of the partnership is concerned with making healthy choices, nutritionally and psychologically - she has a holistic approach to most issues.

I do too - but the 'lobster back' half here has a distinct inclination toward critical examination, and the scientific method! I like facts and figures - its the accountant in me! And there is a lot of science to be had on the subject of food and weight.

So whilst I leave Katy to peruse the farmers markets for fresh produce - I have been looking at some of the science behind what I am trying to achieve.

Ok, I've lost a bit of weight, not a vast amount -and not - after over a month of keeping tabs on my eating, enough to be exactly proud of.

I do, feel better, less tired, less bloated, less desperate for sugar - and slightly lighter around the middle. Which is all positive.

What bothers me is that in a)cutting out sugar (thereby cutting out the obvious culprits of sweets, cakes, biscuits) and reducing my simple carb consumption - I am not seeing the weight loss I would normally, and when I say normally, I'm talking from past experience , expect of making these changes.

As I have gone along these past weeks - I am seeing myself cut out almost all added sugar (to begin with I allowed myself some dark chocolate or a teaspoon of maple syrup with my natural yogurt) - that has steadily declined.

However, my simple reduction of carbs has been a bit more 'woolly'. I've given up bread. I have cut out carbs in my lunch, and  I have moved to wholegrain alternatives for all other complex carb options such as rice.

Evenso currently, despite all of this  I'm classified as overweight - and I do not seem to be losing weight  - a bit yes, but not enough I would venture.

I understand the science - carbs convert to sugar and sugar unless used as energy will be stored as fat.

Clearly, I don't move about a whole lot - not in a strenuous carb busting way - and so even small amounts of carbs are causing an excess. And if there isn't a natural deficit then i ain't going to burn the fat off.

Right now, I doubt my ability to reduce (happily and comfortably) my carbs down further - yesterday I reckoned that I had had somewhere in the region of 130g of carbs - none of them through excess sugar or simple carbs.

I also want to maintain my fibre intake to avoid problems with constipation.

I know from previous attempts at weight loss that I have to stick to no more than 1300 calories per day to lose weight and even then its hard going - certainly I find it easier to stick to the 1300 band when carbs are reduced - but it is a terribly boring existance.

My target is to live a healthier existence - but before I settle for that - I have to move some excess weight and reduce my hip/waist ratio - which presently is too high.

What I don't know right now is just how resistant my menopausal/thyrotoxic body is going to be to attempts to make it lose weight - and all I can do until I come across some article somewhere that deals with this issue - is stick to it.

Portion Control .......by Heather

My Mum would call this 'eyes bigger than' syndrome; and it's true. Problem is often my eyes fully understand what my stomach wants; and, even when I am well intentioned, I can still very much get it wrong.

Correct portion sizes take some getting used to. My breakfast portion of 30g of oats is actually tiny and over the course of time, by degrees, if I don't weigh out those 30g, it will inch up and up and up. 'Thats close enough' usually isn't, and by quite a long way.

I have deliberately set out to live with a livable diet - one that isn't going to impinge on the just 'being' that is my normal life.

Despite giving up sugar and reducing carbs - I still can't eat what the hell I like. I want to lose those excess lbs, not just maintain what I have; and at my age and in my condition - this isn't just going to give up and submit. I have to manage the expectation of both my eyes and stomach!

Be aware too, that correct portion sizes may vary between cooked and uncooked variations - 40g of uncooked pasta is vastly different if the recommended portion size is 40g of cooked pasta for example.

And food labels give every appearance of trying to be helpful and honest - but they can obscure key pieces of information. The fact that they are unstandardised helps with the confusion too.

Even if you are pretty confident about the portions you should be eating - like with me and breakfast cereal, its worth just weighing a portion every now and again to see how far your eyes have given in at your stomach's behest!!

It's a hackneyed old practice, but changing plate size can help - there is nothing more disconsolate that a tiny portion swimming in space on your dinner plate. And large plates encourage you to load up. Downsizing is a good ploy to help when its all hard work in the early days.

And in maintenance mode; keep mis calculating what you're supposed to be eating, and it will just add on calories you don't need - because you'll never see them mounting up.

I was actually very shocked at what I thought was an acceptable portion as against what I read was the recommended portion. Very shocked indeed. And I don't consider myself a particularly large eater.

Exercising some restraint when eating those meals that I can have, is helping - I can feel it helping. It gives me some faith that what I am attempting isn't impossible.

Taking A Look At Food

I love food, have always enjoyed cooking, baking, eating out...trying something new.  As a kid I was spoiled as my mom was a great cook...she cooked for 9 of us with varying likes and dislikes but kept us well-rounded with nutritious food.  And on a budget!  I miss you mom!

Fast forward to me moving out, on my own with my own apartment.  I was 18 and ready for the 'new life' I had been waiting for.  Well it wasn't as easy as it seemed!  Meal planning and ideas for one person?  I found myself floundering.  I would have a few basics I could rely on...but really my main meals came from work (all home cooked in cafeteria) and many dinners at mom and dads!  I know...what a wimp eh? 

10 Years or so later and divorced, I'm cooking for myself and daughter, I have been vegetarian for about 16 years -  not that I feel animal products are evil but after my schooling in herbal medicine I was turned off when ex CEO's from the meat and dairy industry were some of our speakers!  While I was very adamant during those years about what is right or wrong for overall good health, over the years I have softened my views to a less judgmental approach of any one food - and simply am trying to start getting back to basics.  It's the processing I have trouble with and GMO foods which have turned me off and how they are turning up even more health and allergy issues than ever before. I have never felt any one food is the enemy - it's the kind of foods and how much of it we eat.  I like to think I'm on track with this mindset as I've always felt I was a 'farmer' in a different life!  lol  I certainly can appreciate going back to the basics of growing my own - even the meats if I so chose! I am big supporter of local farmers markets and will even be venturing out to the local cheese maker I recently found out about.  If I'm really feeling adventurous I will take a trip out to 'Amish country' as folks call it around here - everyone says their cheese is top notch!  Again...limits to any one thing, but if I am going to enjoy a treat now and then, this would be it! 

I know Heather is cutting out sugar and I know there are some things I am avoiding and putting on the back burner as well - but more due to my quest to get back to basics than anything else.  My only comments on sugar, for me would be to say I don't overly crave sugar.  The only time I do is that time of the month...and even then I will 'treat' myself to the local candy store who makes it in house or the nearby family owned Ice-cream parlor who also makes a creamy frozen yogurt from unprocessed ingredients.  I don't keep treats in the house.  If I do use sugar in baking - I am always happy to see that one can cut the amount in half and not affect the taste.  Hence yet another benefit of cooking from scratch.  But I don't do enough baking to worry about it and end up throwing out any sugar as it has sat there too long anyway to be fresh!  White flour products will be something I am omitting as much as possible and will be an effort as of course they are 'convenient' but also from the standpoint as they are mucus-forming in the body and due to over processing - void of any real nutrients!   

My daughter has since grown and on her own and I find myself back to cooking for one most of the time, unless my daughter or my boyfriend are in residence. :)  So I realize I have been feeling like I was when I was 18 and unsure of what to eat!  

I do supplement with nutrient rich 'green foods' in my organic green drink and other supplements for where I am in life - so I do feel good about that at least.  In my quest to shed some extra pounds, I'd say for me, I am trying to approach my food intake with as much unprocessed  as possible, more fruits and veggies,  lower sugar and processed salt/sodium (I only use celtic sea salt) and spacing out meals so that my blood sugar levels don’t get too low. This will mean some serious recipe gathering and raiding my mom's recipe box as well. That’s really it.  Fingers crossed!!  I may even treat myself to an apron!

Katy