This time last
year I was about 4.5 kgs heavier than I am now, that’s about 10lb in old money.
We had had a very cold spell and I didn’t feel comfortable driving in the snow
and ice. So for three weeks I stayed in, worried and comfort ate.
I love baking
bread and eating it. I have a ‘light hand’ as they say with pastry, so I made
some pies and quiches. I baked some cakes too. I also hate waste and would
finish things up rather than put them in the bin.
My clothes started
to feel tight and the weighing scales wasn’t lying as the weight crept up.
My daughter was
feeling unwell and thought she might be wheat/dairy intolerant. So she went on
a wheat and dairy free diet, while waiting for blood test results to come back.
Her blood test did not show any wheat or dairy allergies.
This got me
thinking too, so I decided to use lent as my starting point, I would give up
wheat in solidarity with her and sugar to cut down on my carbohydrate intake.
This covered not having biscuits, cake or scones when out for a coffee with
friends. At home I stopped eating rice and spuds with my meals.
By the end of lent
I was feeling better and the weight was coming down. Over the Summer I was no
angel and would lapse into eating wheat for a day or two, but I kept an eye on
the scales and if it crept up too far I’d stop again.
I found being busy
over the Summer really helped. Only eating meals with no snacks in between,
broke my constant need to have food around me.
I didn’t let
myself feel deprived, if there was something yummy around I’d have a taste,
generally at the end of a meal when I was full so I would not be tempted to go
back for more.
The most
interesting thing I found was that when it came to my Summer cholesterol test,
my total cholesterol had gone down. Admittedly I had been taking a garlic
supplement and a plant sterol in tablet form for about a month before the
fasting blood test.
I kept up the low
wheat & low carbohydrate diet through the Autumn and into the winter.
December was very
busy with my part time job becoming almost full time in the run up to
Christmas. This was a Godsend in that I didn’t have time to bake and make like
last year.
I enjoyed
Christmas, but was cautious not to over indulge in all the goodies that were
around. As they say moderation in all things!
Here is a typical days eating for me.
Breakfast: 2 streaky rashers, a tomato & 1 piece of black pudding all grilled. Tea
or coffee.
Lunch: Half an
avocado, smoked mackerel pâté, celery, cucumber, a handful of walnuts.
Water & tea.
Dinner: Salad,
lamb & vegetable curry, small helping of brown rice, cheese, a piece of
fruit. Wine & water.
If I come in from
work really hungry I might have some olives, salami or peanuts before dinner
and skip the cheese and fruit afterwards. If I need a chocolate fix I eat 4-5
squares of Green & Blacks 85% cocoa solids with a cup of tea or coffee.
I am lucky that
even though there are biscuits and chocolate in the house I don’t feel the need
to eat them. This is not true for everyone.
While I do not
seem to have bad breath (at least no one has commented) on this diet I do
sometimes get constipated. Then I increase the amount of salad, in particular
avocado and beetroot I am eating and have extra water during the day. I always
bring a bottle of water to work to drink on the way home, as I do not have time
to drink much during the day.
The main thing
that is missing from this diet is Crunch!
The crunch of hot
buttered toast, crisp biscuit, crisps and crackers to go with cheese. Yes I
miss these, but I have discovered mini poppadoms and tortilla chips for dips
and cheese. There is no substitute for toast though!
Pizza and pasta
are now a treat once in a while, but I do savour them and I find I can’t eat as
much pasta as I use to. 50g of dried pasta is enough of a portion for me when
it is cooked and served with a sauce.
The key has been
to try to stick to the three meals a day and no snacking.
Choosing foods
that I can eat rather than obsessing about what I can’t eat.
Using cheaper cuts
of meat such as stewing beef, lap/ breast of lamb, chicken drumsticks and
thighs, as these all have loads of flavour and you notice you are eating them.
Basing meals on
vegetables and salads that are in season and adding meat or fish to compliment them.
And don’t be a
martyr, enjoy your food! It has never been so easily available and relatively
cheap.
May 2012 be the
year of good eating!
