Some of you will remember me posting about my weight loss journey over here on the blog but it's been a while, so you'll be forgiven if you have no clue what I'm on about! I post daily on my Instagram account, weigh in updates, meals, recipe ideas, nuggets of info about my hormone condition PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) I started it all in 2014 when I first joined Slimming World and have documented the battle to maintain my weight loss ever since reaching target, the summer of 2015. Over Christmas I got locked out of my account
@beckypcosandsprouts Sam said it was a sign to stop posting. I did stop........ for two weeks but realised I needed to be accountable, even if it was to a few squares in my phone!
A new account for the new decade and the year I turn 50.
My weight loss story started back in June 2011/Jan 2012 when I was featured in Ideal Home magazine. Huge reality check seeing myself in print for all the world to see. There are next to no other photos of me prior to this because sensibly, I was the one always taking them. So seeing myself in print was a huge wake up call that things had to change. Don't get me wrong, I'd tried countless diets before but never really shifted any real weight, just progressively got bigger....... until I joined Slimming World and lost 4st 10lbs, 6st collectively from 'that' picture.
So 5 years on, where am I now? I currently wobble around in a 1.5 stone bubble. Ideally I like to sit at the lower end of 9 stone, realistically it's more 9st 7-10lbs then every year after the summer, between then and Christmas, my weight gradually goes up to the top 10's never 11st, that really is a mental cut off point for me. I then get to New Year, renewed focus, determination to get myself back on track. Start really focused, stall around Easter time, renewed energy and focus as the summer holiday approaches. Get to my preferred weight for my holiday. Enjoy my holiday, try hard to lose the weight I gained whilst on holiday, then it's October half term break, my birthday, then Christmas, the pounds go on and before you know it, its New Year again!!!
So I start 2020 4.5lbs heavier than I did in 2019 but I'm in the right head space, focused and ready to get back into the 9's!
I no longer follow Slimming World, to be honest, I've not followed the plan properly for the past 2/3 yrs, as I tweaked and fine tuned my diet to focus on my PCOS. I still went to group up until September, to be accountable to the scales but wasn't following the plan. Instead I follow the principles laid out in The Obesity Code by Dr Jason Fung and the Fast800 plan by Dr Michael Moseley. I've also introduced fasting and TRE (Time Restricted Eating) in a bid to manage my weight.
Basically a hardcore PCOS diet is gluten, dairy and soya free, low/no carbs, low/no sugar. The fast800/Obesity Code principles are low/no carbs/sugar but protein and good fats. The main contradiction is dairy, as it's advised against on a PCOS diet but encouraged on Fast800/Obesity Code. So I still have dairy - full fat butter, cream, cheese, Greek yogurt but sparingly.
Not only is 'what' you eat important but also 'when' you eat. I try and fast from my evening meal at 6pm until I first eat the following day which can be anything from 16-20 hours. It also is very much focused on not snacking, something I struggle with. I could easily go without a meal and graze my way through the day. So this is an area I'm very aware I need to improve on. 2/3 good meals, NO SNACKING!!!
Regardless, I know I feel better, healthier and happier, when I'm a few pounds lighter. I still get to eat really good, delicious food, just not everything I'd like!
So if you are interested in seeing it all in more detail, go follow my Instagram account
@pcossproutsandme50 if not, pop by for the usual blog post here next week x
