So close...Friday wk 4

Woke up ravenous. Had my avocado salad, seeds and hemp oil. That wasn't enough so had yoghurt, raisins and coconut too. So had dinner and pudding for breakfast!

Went to hot 'n' sweaty aqua, then Vive. Came home for brisk lunch of ryvita (I know I said no more rye, but going to start that when Elimination Diet finishes) tuna, hummous and salad.

Went to visit my Dad in hospital and then home to do domestic errands with kids. Got in and before dinner had pikcy stuff like an apple, handful of pine nuts, raisins and cold lamb (not all together I add, throughout the afternoon) had dinner which was stuff from the freezer fish and chick pea curry and brown rice, then yoghurt and coconut and dried fruit.

Went shopping to buy my provisions for the next phase of the new me. Tuesday sees me start Phil Richards nutritional guidelines. I've got all my supplements and weeks food plan and lots and lots and lots of different lettuce and green veg.

Hot water and whole bag of Kettle Veggie Chips...excessive but just what I needed.

3 days to go.

'Thinner Thursday'

Well, it's official. I now look like I've lost inches, people are commenting. I didn't start this plan to lose weight, but I have and it works and despite being ravenous in the first week, my appetite is now much more regulated.

Early Pump this morning, a nice bunch of bods turned out. I tried to turn them over to being BRILLIANT, but they weren't so keen as the pumpers last night! Anyway before I went to that class I had 3 rice cakes and jam and hot water.

Breakfast was my avocado salad -- but damn I forgot the seeds, oh well, I'll add extra tomorrow. Hot lime water.

Went to day camp in Hurst. It was their last one, I was nasty and evil and did an Accumoladder...you had to be there! Had an apple.

Went to teach Vive and nope they weren't into becoming brilliant either... I will get there, its my new mission. Had an apple.

Went to see the FigureBack girls and wow they work hard! It was their last day and there were some great results. Lisa's lost 7lbs and inches, Caroline lost inches too. Their fitness is markedly improved. Well done girls!

Went to see my Dad in hospital, he has had his knee replaced and its not moving yet so he is a bit frustrated. He's a camper, he likes to be active and he's stuck in bed. Get well soon Dad!

Have you noticed I've not had lunch yet? Back into my old habits, I had some ryvita and hummous at 4.30pm. Much too late but I had a spot of bother with my car, I managed to trap the handle to the bag for our camp mats in the lock and couldn't open it. Not good, Vida needed them, so had to go to the lovely men at Freeborne Garage for them to fix it for me. Thank you!

Dinner was lamb steak, red onions, tomatoe, saute potatoes (in hemp oil of course) peas.

Went to Morrisons for supplies, left my purse at home, had to leave Sophie at Morrisons as a 'deposit', go home, drive back and pay! What a pillock. About half an hour later shared a bag of cashews with Dale.

Went to teach Balance -- got told I looked slimmer and asked what I'd been doing, had long chat with my Thursday night Balance ladies and told them WHEAT, its nasty, it will bloat you and make you look fatter than you are. They thought that was ok, but were with Vida on having avocado salad for breakfast...

Brilliant Wednesday! Part II

I got my written nutritional report from Phil Richards today. Now I know what to eat to maximise my health, boost my blood and feel BRILLIANT!

Great news: Spelt flour = good, coffee = ok in small amounts,

Bad news: no peanuts, NO RYE (eek, Ryvita will go out of business now) no mushrooms (boo)

Watch this face and watch it return to youth and vitality!

H :-)

Wicked Wednesday Week 4

Breakfast -- my new usual - avocado salad, seeds and hemp oil. I know you think I'm a little bit bonkers, but its lovely, keeps me full until lunchtime and doesn't leave me tired. Hot water and half a squeezed lime.

Went to teach aqua and then did a massage on my delightful, but very tired and weary 95 year old client, before coming home for lunch. Managed to eat about 6 corn thins, with spicy mackerel. Then a couple of ryvita and the sugar free/no sugar added jam we like here. Decided that was not enough and had yogurt, banana and seeds. More hot water and lime.

Whipped over to Vida's for a business pow-wow. Had lemon tea and saw the new lemon-squeezing-gizmo she's invested in. Whoop whoop for more juice in your tea!

Went to BodyPump and hit them with being BRILLIANT! We got there in the end!

Dinner was risotto with bacon and mange tout before going to Fit Camp. It's bring a friend week and we had some new faces who worked really hard to keep up with our campers who are burning calories as I type. Well done to all of you.

Once in, had 2 ryvita and sf/nsa jam and hot water.

Feeling just fine now, no desires to eat dairy, or drink tea (maybe a little coffee, but even that's waning), even my sugar urges are limited these days. I do believe this has been worth it. Ooh! and another half inch of my tum. :-)

There's the door - week four

Tuesday. I got up and weighed myself, another pound lost, that's six in all now. Measure tomorrow.

Breakfast was another avocado salad. I filled my dinner plate with leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, seeds, avocado and hemp oil. I really did enjoy it, and I'm not just saying that, it was great. Hot water and lemon.

Went to teach Vive and Aqua before whizzing (new energy you see) to do two massage clients before coming home again to snack/lunch on corn crackers and hummous.

The evening got a bit stressy with college coaches messing one daughter around and the other one needing a lift, however in the end I managed to get to my next Vive class on time and then to Fit Camp to start our final week with the current campers. There was some grunting a groaning tonight, but great results so far. Josie has lost so many inches she is now a bit too small for her bridesmaids dress - WELL DONE JOSIE! Jim managed to go straight into wicket keeper at cricket and not walk like the wounded today because his legs have got stronger from camp, BRILLIANT WORK JIM! Maxine continues to gain her waist and Jenny, well Jenny she is going from strength to brilliant strength. Well done all of you!

Dinner was way too late. We had gluten free sausages, corn pasta and salad. Yoghurt coconut and raisins. Hot water.

Blog. Bed.

Monday Madness

So, one of the things Phil Richards told me was to ditch the porridge and have salad for breakfast. Specifically avocado salad, with seeds and oil.

So I did. Felt a bit weird, but it was very nice and kept me full until lunchtime. Did daytime camp, they worked tremendously, well done!

Lunch was 2 slices of rye toast with hummous and cherry toms and cucumber. Went and taught Balance in Henley.

I almost certainly had a snack mid afternoon can't remember for the life of me what it was, but for dinner had roast chicken, stir fired veg and new potatoes. Yoghurt and seeds

Taught Pump and Balance in the evening. Hot water.

Weekend catch up

Friday, seems a long time ago now. I had my normal porridgey breakfast with bits and hot water. Whizzed to teach my 2 classes before whizzing to Morrisons to get picnic food I could feed Vida and I on our way to Nottingham. I am a seasoned long distance front seat passenger (we go to Scotland a lot) and so I was well prepared to feed Vida as she was driving.

I got ham (cut into chunks), olives, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, grapes, Mrs Crimbles corny crispy bics, bananas, cashews, mixed nuts and raisins, hummous pots. Ooh it was lovely, luckily for Vida I didn't need to feed her as we were stationary most of the time (or so it seemed)

Made it to Nottingham for the Fitness Entrepreneurs Bootcamp and after checking in (and moving to another as the room was smokey) we headed off to a nutritional consultation I had booked in advance. Phil Richards is a very successful sports coach and has trained Amir Khan to name but one of his many hall of fame names. He does a live blood test and then a dried blood test.

In short, cos its a long tale, I have rough hands (he couldn't get blood easily), tired blood, a sweet tooth!, mineral deficiencies, endocrine issues and food intolerance. I shouldn't be eating my lovely, newly discovered porridge for breakfast and I should stop drinking the 'stinking water'. I am awaiting my personal report...

Dinner of bugger, I ordered pork and noodles and forgot to check the noodles, they were wheat. Ho hum, we got a free pud and laughed when the waiter told us that the hot dessert of the day was rhubarb crumble, but 'I wouldn't have it if I were you!' Brilliant!

Saturday: crappy hotel breakfast, I had tinned grapefruits, orange and prunes....say no more.
Lunch was left overs from Friday's picnic.
Dinner was steak and chips and salad. A glass of wine, I know, but that was it...

Sunday: breakfast, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and potatoes. I was literally hungry within 30 minutes. Shocking.
Lunch: Tesco petrol station specials. I had sushi and 2 tubs of prepared pineapple, I had been munching my way through nuts and raisins all morning though.
Dinner: when we got in was haggis, mashed potatoes, carrots and brocolli. Lovely.

Fab weekend in Nottingham. Met some damn amazing people. People who have just gone out and DONE IT, made themselves successful. They were very inspiring. It was a great event, albeit a bit long for sitting on yer bum.

Thinner Thursday

Well something is happening, people are telling me I look like I've lost weight. My lycra shorts were baggy today, this is not a good look.

Early rise and shine for Pump at 0630. Had 3 ryvita and peanut butter and a hot water before I went. Came home and had my new porridge discovery of oats, rice milk, (eek no banana) figs and coconut. Very nice. If you are interested cook it all together don't add at the end apart from the cinnamon.

Fit Camp in Hurst. They are doing brilliantly, one week to go and good results already. Went to massage Karen who is running the London Marathon on Sunday. The woman is a superhero, she has 3 children under 6 and teaches classes and trains for a marathon and will run it blimmin' fast...gave her her massage for free for being so damn organised.

Went to teach Vive and had very small class today, then back to Hurst for the post natal campers and their babes. Then very civilised lunch in the garden with Vida. More Ryvita (Can I get shares in them please?) olives, tomatoes, ham and her new zingy tea mix.

Got home about 1500 and wait for it...DA DAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! The kitchen is finished, there was no van in front of the house. It's done, it's workable, I'm away all weekend, brilliant. New kitchen - can't use it!

Had snacks on things, bit of ham, pumpernickel bread and jam, apple, nuts, hot water.

Went to massage another client, shoulder trouble and got home about 1815. Had gammon, baked spud and salad. Hot water.

Popped out to Balance at 2045 (still not got a new release for them, eek, sorry, sorry, sorry) and had greek yoghurt, seeds and banana when I got in.

A bit tired now. Better get ready as Vida and I are off to Nottingham tomorrow on a course for the weekend.

All aboard - Week 3...

Woke tired today, didn't sleep very well and felt a bit weary this morning.

But wait! I had a new porridge today, I knew you'd be pleased, as all the raisins have gone I cut some dried figs into the oats and rice milk with my banana and by crikey that was good. That really is the best combo yet. Hot water to drink.

Today was the day of the massage couch. Some weeks I may do two or three all week, today I did four. First of all I went to see Maria who ran the Brighton marathon on Sunday. What a girl! In all the heat and with all the 'undulating' hills she managed it in a very credible 4.53. So I treated her to a leg massage to make her feel light and nimble again.

Whipped from hers to Crowthorne to teach aqua where the air temperature was stiffling. It really is the week of the hot rooms. I sweated my way through that hour before going to massage number 2, ate a couple of handfuls of cashew nuts along the way. This is my regular visit to one of my older clients, she is 84 and I massage her legs and back for her. She is so funny, we have a laugh each week. However she does think I need feeding up, and each week gives me a kit kat or something sweet to take away. I've given up saying no, its what she likes to do. However kit kats as we know don't fit in the no dairy, no sugar or no wheat category. That's OK, today she gave me a packet of Caramel Snack a Jacks and a bag of Thornton's Butter Fudge...that's just mean!

Next massage back to Crowthorne, bad planning I know, but to my oldest client of all. She's 95 and a delight. No sweets there thankfully but a good telling off for carrying such a heavy bag. She tells me each week.

By now I'm really rather hungry, but came out completely unprepared and so drove to Bagshot cursing the van in front of me advertising fresh baked goods. There were pictures of almond croissants, custard danish and pecan twists all over this bloody van...

Massage in Bagshot done, drive home. Need food. Its 15.30, I've not eaten since breakfast. I eat half a packet of Ryvita, this is not a joke. I couldn't stop , my arm was like a piston. I had prawns on them. It worked, I was hungry. Had hot water to drink.

BodyPump at 1815. Nice to see everyone and Lali from Fit Camp was there, hello Lali! I was however away with the fairies tonight and during one track completely forgot where I was and what I was doing. Brain fart is too kind a phrase, dappy bint is more like it.

Dinner was a thrown together affair. Huge pile of green salad leaves, mini tomatoes, 3 chicken satay sticks, a ham end or two, carrots, olives, antipasto, hummous. No yoghurt left so had a hot water and 5 squares of my non-chocolate chocolate. Its not any better but its all I've got!

Still tired, got an early Pump class in the morning. Here's hoping I wake up a bit before then. Must eat more often tomorrow. Don't need to lose any more weight...

Half Way Mark - Tuesday

Weights and measures: Lost 3 lbs this week and a bit more on the measurements, its written down downstairs and I can't be bothered to go and look! The weight loss is interesting. It could be dehydration from yesterday's poor water day, but I do feel like I have lost weight. I've not tried to, in fact this week I've eaten quite a lot.

Porridge with banana and raisins today. Hot water.

It's my mum's birthday today so I went and spent the day with her. It involved lots of meandering around shops she can't get to easily, but along the way I had:

Elevnses: hot water
Lunch: Seared salmon salad and soda water.
Afternoon tea: Hot water and apple

I was famished on the way home so ate quite a few cashews ( I know I don't eat nuts, but I love 'em and so far peanut butter hasn't affected me). Got in still hungry so had one of those eating sessions where you try lots of different things but never really land on what you want. It was something like, 3 olives, 2 prunes, a few raisins, oh I know I'll have yoghurt and fruit. Still wasn't right but thought I should stop.

Dinner was late after Fit Camp. They worked damn hard in the Accumulator and now we have an evil plan for the last camp! Dinner was chicken and rice with brocolli and mushrooms. Yoghurt, coconut and raisins. Hot water.

Kitchen is imminent, should be cooking soon, so very soon....

Muggy Monday

Da-daaaa! Another week of ED nearly finished. Will be interested to see my weight and measurements tomorrow. But before then I need to have my everso regular but probably very boring for you porridge, rice milk, banana and raisins. And hot water.

Left the house at 8am as I had a massage client in Wokingham, I actually do both the husband and wife with a quick pop out to Fit Camp inbetween. However today there was excitement in the house as my lady client had been asked to go along and run with Rosie Swale Pope who is 'running' 26 marathons in 26 days. She ran the Brighton marathon yesterday and this morning appeared in Wokingham to run the half marathon route twice. My client, who is a runner, was asked to accompany her. Apparently its not really a run (unless you're going up hill then she always runs) otherwise it is more of a scouts pace, walk, jog, stop. For more info on her challenge visit http://www.rosies26marathonsin26days.co.uk/index.html).

So I did one client, whizzed to Hurst for day camp. It was warm and they worked hard on the Accumalator, damn hard in fact, and left feeling very proud of themselves. Then went back to my clients to complete the set and heard about the half marathon experience.

I got home about 12.15 and was ravenous and thirsty. Had a very quick lunch of leftover curry from last night with a few oatcakes and then yoghurt and banana and peanut butter. Hot water.

I then needed to take my mum to John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford and that was the rest of the day really. Had a hot water at the hospital, the look on the WVRS lady's face was a picture "you sure you only want hot water?"

We then shopped on our way home as Mum was feeding me before I went to my evening classes. We had the now regular easiest meal in the world. Hot chicken from Sainsburys and salad and oatcakes, oh yes and another hot water.

Whizzed to work (do you notice I always whizz?!). Taught Pump (no air conditioning, no beefy stereo system and no mic-- great class!) and then Balance. I struggled, it was mainly down to the heat and lack of hydration I worked out mid class how little I'd had all day and made a note to myself to drink more tomorrow.

Came home pretty knackered to find the kitchen almost ready....YIPEE! And had 3 prunes and the rest of the apology for a chocolate bar the vegan people make. Ah yes and water both cold and hot.

Apart from feeling completely wiped out today, it was a late night last night. I feel craving free. Just wish I felt more energetic and that my grey hair stopped peeping through reminding me of my impending big birthday!

Summery Solo Sunday

What a glorious day. I woke up feeling grog-free (the opposite to groggy) and not at all sicky like I was last night. It was definitely motion sickness, what a fluffy reaction to a film. I'm getting cheaper and cheaper by the day, first I only drink water and now no need to take me to 3d movies.

Breakfast was the now traditional porridge, rice milk and pear, plus a few raisins. Hot water to drink.

I then went into Mum's taxi mode and took Laura to work at Loddon Valley and then Sophie to Wokingham and Bracknell to see a friend. Got home about 11am absolutely famished. Tried to sort this out with a slice of rye bread and jam, no chance it needed a newly purchased Finn Crisp (as recommended by Queen V) and more no added sugar jam. The Finn Crisps have become an isse actually. Sophie thinks they are hers. She 'loves' them. Its a battle...

Went to work on and ultimately finish my project but got distracted by hunger. I didn't want to stop to make lunch to tried to pacify with a few olives and some raisins (not together, but probably too close for it to be tasty) and persevered. It was useless, I was too hungry so made my way downstairs for lunch.

When you're one your own its easy to be lazy so had 2 slices of rye bread, peeled slices of parma ham out of the packet as I needed them, scooped hummus out of the pot as I wanted it and picked at lettuce leaves from the pack. Classy. It may not surprise you but that wasn't enough so I had greek yoghurt, raisins and coconut.

Now I could continue with project, I did and I finished it. Hoo-bleedin'-ray!

Sat down with nice cup of hot water, and some of the non-chocoalte chocolate. Its not really a good enough substitute. Only to realise back on Mum's taxi duty.

Dinner this evening was a homemade but microwave cooked fish curry, it worked out ok really. With brown rice that I'd cooked when I had a cooker and frozen. More yoghurt and coconut and a banana.

That will be it today. Apart from fancying a nice glass of red earlier today, no more cravings for sugar or bread or even cheese. Its taken 2 weeks, but really the first 3 days were the worst.

Sicky Saturday

It started oh so well. Up nice and prompt, not so sluggish and had my porridge before I went and taught Pump at 9. Quite quiet today, but a jolly bunch and told them my story about my massage enquiry from a man who asked (very soberly) whether I did 'naturist massage'. I told him, quite calmly, no I didn't. I then wondered who was supposed to be the naturist, him or me (or both?) anyway the answer was no. This however is only 3 weeks after I had another person call me and after several meandering questions (where my radar where already whizzing) asked me if the massage came with 'a happy ending'. Good grief, do these people have no manners?!

Did well at Pump felt quite strong, must have eaten enough. Came home quite hungry and had pumpernickel bread and no sugar jam. I'd already got my Balance class covered today (bleedin' project still not handed in) so worked on that until hunger took over and we had what we call a 'choosing meal' basically you bung it all on the table and help yourself. So we had salad, pumpernickel, olives, cold meats. I had greek yoghurt, raisins and coconut to round it off.

Did usual boring stuff like admin, project and laundry and then we all embarked to Fit Camp where our campers sweated their little socks off today. It was hot and they worked damn hard. We especially liked our version of clock patience, I don't think they did.

Dinner was at the Toby Carvery. It was good value and for a family with no functional kitchen and no interest in preparing a meal in the space the size of a spoon roast meat and veg all round for £5.25 a head was a bargain. Sparkling water for me...wahay I know how to live.

Now here is where is goes freaky. We came home and watched Cloverfield on DVD. If you've not seen it, it is made like Blair Witch Project where the film is someone who is running around with a camcorder. This means when he is running you are jogging about all over the place. It made me feel nauseous. It was just like when we watched Avatar in 3D I thought I was going to have leave to be sick. I felt so ill watching the DVD tonight I thought it was the meal and I had food poisoning. No one else felt bad just me, must have been motion sickness. What a wuss!

Anyway, feel a bit better now apart from plain knackered. Which is interesting because I am 4 classes down on what I normally teach in a week...oh dear...need to toughen up a bit!

Got the day to myself tomorrow, I will finish the project, I will.

Freaky Friday

Woke up a bit tired, but I do seem to be waking up more quickly I've noticed. Not groggy for the first 20 minutes of the day.

Had porridge and pear with the usual rice milk. Still tastes good you know!

Whizzed to a massage client for 8.30 and pummeled her shoulders until they saw sense and headed off to my two classes in Knowl Hill. I taught aqua (it was very quiet today, down by half at least) and afterwards felt pretty peckish. Nothing within the Elimination Diet at the cafe apart from a frozen smoothie, that was very nice. Had something like pineapple, banana and mango in and apple juice. Filled a little hole and kept me going through my new BodyVive routine which is is pop-tastic 80s fans!

Came home for lunch and as there wasn't a huge amount in had some cold brown rice, a chopped tomatoe, some cucumber and pepper and 3 cooked rashers of bacon all mixed in together. Drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I finished off some of the vegan chocolate I bought Vida and I. To call it chocolate is probably a trading standards issue, as it is dairy free, sugar free and Cadbury free. However it is sort of passes as a treat if you don't try to think of it as a Cadburys Milk Bar.

Spent time doing admin and project work in the afternoon before taking Laura to work in the evening. Dale and I went to collect a table football table from an ebayer in West Berkshire (long story won't bore you) and had dinner at the very lovely 'The Angel' in Woolhampton. I had smoked salmon and salad garnish to start with, Dale had baby fried camembert (damn, dairy and wheat there!), for main I went fishy again and had blackened sea bass on a bed of potatoes and salad garnish. For garnish read full salad! It was huge, didn't really need the asparagus we ordered too. Dale had lamb shanks and garlic mash. It was a lovely meal, just spoiled by the loud mouthed-centre of attention-tiddly woman next to us...

I regret to inform you though campers that after a poodle around Sainsburys for a few basics I was then blimmin' hungry and came home and had 3 dried figs and a hot water.

I've been trying to think if I feel any different eating this way. So far I have come up with that I am much more aware of being hungry when ordinarilly I would only eat because it was meal time. I think I am waking up more quickly in the morning but I am still tired during the day (must get to bed earlier), I have lost the urge to eat things from the banned list although the gorgeous bread rolls they bought out at the restaurant last night looked lovely. I wouldn't say I have boundless energy or look any less drawn, but I do feel more like normal even if it sometimes feels a bit restricting.

Week 2 - Thursday

Today is my long day, up for early Pump at 05.50 and finish after Balance at 22.00. However now its light in the morning getting up then isn't so bad and I did make sure I got to bed before 23.00 on Wednesday.

Had 3 oatcakes and peanut butter and hot water before going to Pump. They were on good form today and once again 3 new people decided to try something new before most people have even chosen which breakfast cereal to have.

Came home and had my second breakfast, I like Thursdays! Porridge (of course) with pear and banana. I realised the other day I am supposed to eat 'a variety of foods' hmm, not really ticking that box yet.

Went and did day camp (well done you lot) they were aching from the previous exercises earlier in the week, but I gave them something else to forget about that! And they left pink and smiling.

I then went to my next job, a class in Knowl Hill. So drove there had some time to kill so listened to my music so I could rerun the choreography in my head as it was the first time I had taught it live.

Vive was a blast and they loved it, I then whizzed to Hurst to meet Vida and the post natal campers who worked damn hard (its a little bit competitive! - we like that) and then had lovely soup made by Vida and I ate twice as many oatcakes as she did. Don't know how the poor woman survives!

Dinner became contenscious. We are still in limbo with regards to the cooking facilities and all the family had different activities on that night. So I am sorry gang, but we had a takeaway. I had singapore fried noodes (rice noodles of course). It probably isn't strictly Elimination Diet friendly but at 22.00 at night when we've all got in and you've got no kitchen, you just don't care.

Bed. Tired now.

Week 2 Wednesday

Woke up early to take Laura to work and then came home and had usual breakkie. I've got some pears again so sliced one into my porridge before I cooked it to sweeten it. Still a really good side sticking breakkie that one.

I was pootering on my project in the morning and then whizzed to Crowthorne to teach aqua and then whizzed home again to do some more project. It is certainly taking shape, but it aint finished yet.

Decided I needed some more protein in my meals and so started snacking (as you do) on the ham ends I'd bought from Sainsburys. Normally I'd use them in salads or risottos, but this time, still no cooker, just ate them like apples!

After wandering up and down stairs mid paragraph of the project I thought that if I just ate lunch it would sort my fidgeting out. So I had 2 small jacket spuds with salad and goats butter as I'd eaten all the ham by then.

Yoghurt and strawberries and peanut butter, mmm-blimmin'-mmm!

Food supplies are really dwindling now and as everything is in boxes its tricky to see what we do and don't have. So snacking and picking is limited.

Went to teach Pump at 6pm and left the girls to make a salad to go with a rotisserie chicken from Sainsburys again, so we had that and then yoghurt with extras for afters.

That was it for me.

I don't feel so achingly hungry anymore, but I did really want a coffee at about 5pm yesterday. However held strong and had hot water, you've gotta admit I am now a really cheap date!

In terms of health and energy levels I feel the same pre-elimination. I could always do with getting more sleep, and I could drink more water but actually now I am not caffeine fueled I guess I am drinking more but it tends to be hot rather than cold. Not sure I am meeting my 3 litres a day though.

Ah well, its not half way through yet. I could suddenly blossom into an energetic being in the last 2 weeks. Must go...project deadline looming.

Week 2, ding ding

Weighed myself: Lost 2lb
Measured myself: Lost an inch from waist and hips.

I feel I should say at this point I don't know how my weight & measurements normally fluctuate as I don't normally do this. The next few weeks will tell.

Breakfast: porridge, banana, apricots, rice milk.
Snack: apple, chunk of ham
Lunch: ready made by fresh and no crappy ingredients chick pea soup. I hate to buy stuff I can make, but just a few more days... oat cakes. Chunk of ham and olives.
Snack: oat cakes and peanut butter
Snack: more soup
Dinner: Vida is going to love this - Haggis and salad.

Had a pretty lazy day today in terms of exercise. Got my 2 morning classes covered so I could do my project work, had a massage client at lunchtime , then attempted to learn half of BodyVive this afternoon. Managed that (just about) and delivered it this evening. We had the start of week 2 of FitCamp this evening, managed to spend the whole evening and not speak to my friend, she'll think I don't like her anymore. It's OK I have ordered some very special Elimination Diet friendly chocolate for us both. She'll soften up then.

Really fancied a coffee today. Not had one for 3 weeks now, still get the urge. Not quite so hungry today.

Week 1 done, Monday

So, a couple of things. Even though I wasn't hungry all day today (thank goodness) I'm not eating enough. I felt weak and weedy in BodyPump tonight and my weights were the same as usual and I've not done anything else today. Sat on my bum and typed up a soon to be due (but might not be ready) report for a course I have done...

Secondly, I feel no different. Well a tad bloated like my mate, it may well be too much dried fruit in my case. That's never a great plan. But other than that, just the same. No more energy, no less. Not growing younger by the day in fact more people than ever this week have commented on how tired I look! Hmm, need to rethink for week 2.

Breakfast: Rice milk and porridge with banana and dried apricots and cinnamon. Damn good, best thing about this project so far. I won't go back to dairy milk porridge again.

Snack: apple, hot water

Lunch: 4 ryvita, parma ham, carrot, cucumber chunk. Natural yoghurt, peanut butter and raspberries. (that'll be an 'euww' from Vida I expect!)

Dinner: Hot roast chicken from Sainsburys (you know why... no means to cook) salad.

After Pump I came home and had natural yoghurt and raspberries.

Looking at that it looks not much, no wonder I was a wimp tonight.

Weighing and measuring tomorrow.

Edit: had banana before bed, pretty hungry and remember had an orange at some point during the day

Unsatisfactory Sunday

So, in short I've been a hungry grump all day. This is going to be short and sweet (no sugar of course)

Sunday, no work.

Porridge with rice milk, pear and raisins. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Tasty.
Hungry 1.5 hours later. Why? How? I've done nothing today apart from get my vitamin D by hanging the washing out.
Snacked on various elimination diet approved things like peanut butter on oatcakes. I know I said I don't eat nuts, but just sometimes I do...consequences later.
Lunch was some leftovers from yesterday and a slice of rye bread and sugar free jam stuff.
Snacked randomly all afternoon, can't tell you what it was endless.
Dinner. No food, no kitchen. Chinese hot and sour soup (should be good apart from MSG) and noodles (rice ones). Not ideal but still no wheat, alcohol or sugar.

Hurumph...

Day 5 - Summery Saturday

Woke up tired and achy in my back, but nothing new there. I don't think elimination diet is going to sort that out, I think I need Vida to sort out getting onto her bio-mechanics course and use me as her guinea pig...come on girl!

I think I've got it sorted! Porridge made with rice milk, add pear and raisins and cook them altogether. Add some sunflower seeds and cinnamon and tuck right in. Gorgeous. Hot water and half a squeezed lemon, also blimmin' nice. Only took 5 days, now I can just get on with eating it!

BodyPump at 9.00. Its an early start to a Saturday morning but St Crispin's members are a keen bunch and they worked and sung hard today.

Hungry on my way home (really? after all that porridge?) 2 slices of rye bread (the cardboard stuff, that looks like flattened malt loaf) with newly purchased no added sugar or pretend sugar jam. And more lemon water.

Toddled off to BodyBalance to tell them not learned new release. Seemed to get away with it!

Lunch was salad and olives and cold meat and more cardboard bread, getting to like it.

Hubby and I went to Fit Camp this afternoon. What a super session, excellent work from all, but especially some of our longer term campers whose technique and improvement is really staggering. I left feeling really proud of what they've achieved in a relatively short space of time.

Spag bol for dins. Its all that's left in the freezer. I do hope I am going to have a kitchen to work in soon! Live yoghurt and rasperberries for pud. Sorted.

I think I have generally got over the hankering for something from the forbidden list. However today was such a lovely day that I really could have had a beer after all the work was over. It was a beer sort of day...

Friday with Heidi

Still working on the porridge. Oats, soya milk, pear and raisins (cooked with oats so they sweeten it as it cooks) and sunflower seeds. Better, not quite there yet. Sophie tells me its nice with rice milk will try that tomorrow.

Leave house at 07.45, got two massage clients at 8am. Run Sophie around Wokingham to a friends and literally whizz to teach aqua (yep, hot and sweaty and shouty, well remembered) and Vive. It's a glorious day and not many turn up to Vive, but we sing along to 'Man I Feel Like a Woman' with gusto.

Feel just like normal, no better no worse. That's OK. I've got over the 'thinking about food all the time' stage. Just a bit more hungry than I am used to feeling through the day which is probably good as I never really felt hungry before, just ate because I felt I should (or was bored).

Home. Think that Laura will be in soon, so I'll wait for her for lunch. She doesn't appear, so eat a couple of ryvita and marmite and then an avocado, then an apple. Not really planned or balanced, but it did a job. Drink fruit tea throughtout the afternoon.

Wanted to learn new BodyBalance routine but no power in the house, so another day tomorrow of apologising to my class... :-(

No food, no means by which to cook it. Go out for dinner and have olives to start with, steak, peas and potatoes (changed chips to new potatoes) and no dessert. Have the now habitual orange about 22.30.

Knackered. Bed.

Day 3 and still sugar free...

Early start today. Pump class at 06.30 so up at 05.50 for a fruit tea and some raisins and sunflower seeds. Not entirely sure if they were going to do the job, but I was so distracted by 5, yes 5, new people starting today that I forgot if I was hungry or not.

Quick aside: it always strikes me as odd that someone would start a new type of class that starts at 06.30. That is some kind of self motivation! Well done to my 5 new ladies at Pulse8 today, they did well.

Breakfast at 08.00. Still working on perfecting my porridge. So had it made with soya milk (passable), raisins and a pear. The pear helped a lot in getting my sweet need satisfied.

It all goes downhill from there as I was so busy, food and even water barely got a look in. Drove to Wokingham, then to Hurst for Fit Camp (well done all, it was a beautiful day and you all worked very hard), drove back to Wokingham then to Lower Earley, then to Knowl Hill for 2 classes. Did BodyVive (really need a drink now...you'll be pleased to know I did get one) and then aqua, more shouting and bouncing in a hot space. More sweat, need more water. I did get some and then back to Lower Earley and back home for 14.00.

Made lunch for Vida. It was tricky, kitchen out of action and no cooking facility as such, but managed to muster a jacket spud, tuna and salad. By then I was pretty ravenous, managed loads of salad my tin of mackerel and the rest of Vida's tin of tuna.

Feel much less in need of sugar today, it could be that I am more busy or just that it's subsiding, but snacked on oat cakes this afternoon and that's all.

Dinner was Shepherds Pie topped with mashed celeriac (well, why not?) and peas. Last scraping of Greek yoghurt, raisins and sunflower seeds to finish off.

Off to a client at 20.00 and then to teach Balance at 20.45. Home by 22.00. No need for an orange tonight, just water.

I do feel less fixated on what I can eat now I'm in day 3, but I'm not suggesting it will remain this way from now on.

Porridge perfection tomorrow?

Day 2 - getting to grips with it...

Right then, I thought that I would try a different breakfast today. Porridge, made with water with added raisins for sweetness. They didn't work, so I added a banana. That didn't work and so now had a huge bowl of tastleless porridge to chow my way through. Don't worry campers, I made it!

No side effects here, but don't feel any different either.

First class at 1030, already I know I haven't got enough water to last me the day, not going to get my 3 litres in at this rate.

Teach aqua, lordy that is a hot job. Bouncing around and shouting on the pool side sweating beautifully, whilst my ladies are all in the pool, cool!

Whizz home, need food and water. Eat 3 ryvitas with marmite and boiled egg. Now I know you are all going 'ugh' but its blimmin' nice if you need a salt kick. That wasn't enough, so had 2 more and another egg. That'll have to do I've got a class to get to.

Drive to Henley to teach a corporate class. No one turns up. Damn! Turn around and come home again.

Snack on an avocado.

Out at 6pm for BodyPump. Feel quite ready and fit to go, but feel it in my legs sooner than normal and feel a bit 'empty' of fuel. Had a good class though and sweated a good load of my 2 litres out.

Back home for dinner. Chili and brown rice. I eat 2 tomatoes whilst waiting for it to heat up and then dive straight in. I've been so hungry, I guess this is my side effect, I realise I eat quite a lot heavy foods. Foods that fill you up. I'm not feeling it the sam way and I feel unsatisfied quite a lot of the time.

Back out again, I've a massage client to go to and this will make it a late night. Get home 10.25pm and eat an orange.

Summary for today. No more hard boiled eggs or pulses...I feel bloated.

In bed by 11pm. Got to be up at 6am for a class.

Day 1 Proper

Last night I dreamed I was eating Malted Milk biscuits and spitting them out because they were wheat. I also never wake up hungry. Ever. I did today. It's all psychological I know, but how very strange!

Weigh in: 12 st 2lbs need to drink 3 litres of water a day...oh lord.

0730 Breakfast: man sized bowl of pineapple, strawberries, banana, dessicated coconut, pumpkin seeds and three dollops of live greek yoghurt. Lovely. But hungry by 0930.

Need to eat every 3 hours, that means stopping in the middle of my BodyVive class for a sustenance. Not sure I can swing that, so will need to wait until 11. Eat 2 apples. Teach aqua. Now really rather hungry. This is a very new feeling for me. I usually eat because I know I should or because I've made a meal. Now it's 5 hours in to the Elimination Diet and I am ravenous.

Lunch: bit of salad (think garnish size), hunk of rye bread, boiled egg, carrot. That's not enough. Move to ryvita and have 3 of these with goats butter. That'll do.

Drinking lots of water and subsequent loo trips. Feeling not quite satisfied with what I've eaten. Have a handful of raisin and sunflower seeds (protein) and try and forget about it.

Can't forget about it. Eat a packet of oatcakes. Dry of course.

Teach Vive at 1800, home by 1910 and eating chilli chicken and chick peas with brocolli. Full but not satisfied, eat more raisins. Drink more water!

Go to Fit Camp and forget about the hunger especially as one of our ladies tells me she lost 15lbs in 4 weeks by coming to camp and following the slightly modified diet! Fan-bloody-tastic! Now I'm happy.

May normally consider a glass of wine at this point in the evening, today I'll stick with an orange.

3 litres of water down. That was a bit of a slog.

Never start a 'diet' on a Bank Holiday...

Vida has started already. I can't. It's a Bank Holiday, it is an unwritten rule that you never start a diet on a Bank Holiday...it's a day off, they are not for thinking about what you can and can't eat.

However I am in prep mode. This elimination malarkey is going to be tricky, we are having work done in the house this week. I'll have no means to cook, this means I may have to ignore the 'no microwave' rule as I have made a load of meals and frozen them.

I also am going to struggle with 'eat regularly'. I'm terrible at this. Normal day is something like breakfast at 7.45 and lunch at 2.30. Need to find at least 2 opportunities to eat in that time.

1 litre of water per 50lbs of body weight. I'll do the weighing and measuring thing later, but I KNOW that I don't drink that much water in a day.

However the good news is that I made a Rye loaf this morning (blimmin' lovely it was) and spread it with Goats Milk Butter, all very tasty. I'm hoping they are on the good list.

Back to work and the Elimination Diet and new Fit Camp start tomorrow. What can I finish in the cupboards before then...

Pre-Elimination Pondering

Vida and I are Elminating -- you could call it detoxing but as you can't truly detox, we are 'reduce-toxing'... here is my version of being in health and fitness...

Having re-read the Dax Moy 30 Day Elimination Diet, I'm thinking there is some easy stuff here and then some not so easy...

Avoid: Alcohol, caffeine, dairy, red meats, sugar, wheat and all wheat products and all processed foods.

Do: Drink 1 litre filtered water for every 50lbs of body weight, eat protein at every meal, eat regularly (3-4 hours), eat freely from non-banned foods (no calorie counting), vary your foods, use good oils (olive oil, butter or coconut oil for cooking), get outside in the sun for Vitamin D.

Avoid: Sugar substitues, microwaves.

So already undertaken: No coffee or tea since Sunday 28 March, no alcohol since Thursday 1 April, don't eat wheat anyway, make all our meals from scratch...no processed food here!

Trouble ahead? Yep, sugar kick demaning attention, eating regularly and when are we going to get some sun for the vitamin D?!!