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This is a bit of a landmark journal entry for me, because I'm about to head off to resume my 'other life' in Spain for the winter. We're leaving on Wednesday, and I will be off-line for a couple of weeks, as we always go in our camper van and make a bit of a holiday out of the journey. But I will return to FS as soon as we're settled back in over there.
I thought I'd make a list of the changes in my life since I joined FS in June.
1. I am wearing one size smaller clothes, yay! I have lost a lot of fat from my body, and I weigh around 16 pounds less than I did in June. (I had already lost a few pounds before joining FS, so I have actually lost about 20-22 pounds in total since Easter, or in British English, a stone and a half!)
2. I exercise almost every day, for an average of over an hour a day, and I don't mind getting sweaty.
3. I no longer snack on chocolate, cake or handuls of nuts, rarely eat desserts, and only have 1 or 2 biscuits (cookies) per day. I only drink alcohol occasionally, and very rarely at home. I rarely eat potatoes, rice or pasta, and if I do it's in small quantities. And I've almost forgotten what pizza is!
4. I do eat 4 or 5 portions of vegetables a day, and a good quantity of protein for my gender, age and height. I take a few supplements too, though I don't know whether they are really necessary, or whether they are doing me any good!
5. I have a lot of buddies that I communicate with daily (going to miss you while I'm away!), who encourage me and keep me accountable. They are also fun to 'talk' with!
This has all become a new way of life for me, and keeping fit and eating well have become major hobbies this summer, that I enjoy and want to keep going when I get back to Spain, and for as long as my general health allows. I'm looking forward to seeing the reactions of my friends in Spain to the 'new me'!
Some things I still need to work on:
1. Doing more exercises for strength. I don't want to get too serious about this, but would like to be a bit stronger than I am - although I must say, cycling has already done wonders for my legs, arms and back. My knees still hurt though, I need to fix that.
2. Making my cardio exercise harder: cycle faster, walk faster, run? Eek, scary!
3. Adding more healthy fats into my way of eating. More fish, try some seeds.
4. Adding more variety to my food. I tend to stick to the same kinds of food all the time because I can't be bothered to think about food much. A more varied selection would be healthier, providing more nutrients. More portions of fruit and veg would be good too, as I'm only eating the minimum recommended at the moment. (Why dont I combine items 3 and 4 here and have a good salad every day!)
5. Oh yeah, I nearly forgot, I want to lose some more weight and drop another clothing size!
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162.5 lb
Lost so far: 15.5 lb.
Still to go: 6.5 lb.
Diet followed 100%.
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Diet Calendar Entry for 05 October 2015:
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592 kcal
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Fat: 8.12g | Prot: 28.78g | Carb: 101.41g.
Breakfast: Tea with Skimmed Milk, Braeburn Apples, Plain Yoghurt (Lowfat), Cinnamon, Bran Flakes, Nestle Bitesize Shredded Wheat. Lunch: Rivercote Sesame Whole Grain Rye Crispbread, Sainsbury's Be Good to Yourself Pineapple British Cottage Cheese, Tea with Skimmed Milk. Snacks/Other: Co-Op Garibaldi Biscuit, Tea with Skimmed Milk. more...
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losing 1.0 lb a week
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1 to 20 of 22
 Comments
What wonderful news! I'm so proud of the changes you have made and with your determination to stay with it! Have a safe and fun journey to Spain and I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I'm going to miss your witty and insightful comments the next few weeks!
Love Ya girl :)
05 Oct 15 by member: spiritspell
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Have a terrific trip and enjoy the journey.
05 Oct 15 by member: wholefoodnut
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Heidi, I feel that same as spiritspell, you are an awesome force here on Fat Secret and will be missed. Have a safe and enjoyable trip you "two". I'm looking forward to all the stories and picture's, upon your return. BTW:Congratulation's on your 1# loss this week. Keep at it! *HUGS*
05 Oct 15 by member: Jones Jennifer
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That's some 'landmark' entry, Heidi -- with all the positive changes and impressive progress you've made in a relatively short time period, I'd say it's worthy of being the 8th Wonder of the World! :) In reading over your lists -- both achievements and future goals -- I couldn't help but think, she's done/doing so awesome! Then I realized that yours and my journey's are VERY similar (starting at roughly the same time/weight, similar changes to eating and exercise habits and nearly identical goals) -- and yet, even making that connection it's much harder for me (and many others here) to turn the same 'praise' back on myself . . . I'm curious about a few things (if you don't mind sharing): 1) What was the 'switch' that turned this process on/started this journey for you? 2) If you've lost weight in the past, what do you think is 'different' this time in terms of contributing to your success and maintaining it as a new lifestyle? 3) What does DH think/say about all the changes and what role has he played in those changes and your success? (I must sound like an interviewer, but I think it's important to understand the underlying factors to maintain long-term results.)
05 Oct 15 by member: losinit1655
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You've done so well and I know you can incorporate all your lifestyle changes, and more, into the Spanish chapter of your life. Bon voyage!
05 Oct 15 by member: LACH PZB
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Your accomplishments are something to be proud of. Isn't it wonderful what happens when we begin this new way of life? I also especially appreciate the support I receive here. Your goals sound challenging but reasonable. I wish you luck with that . I will miss you while you're gone .
Have a safe and wonderful holiday.
05 Oct 15 by member: Amazing 324
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Wow! WTG! Those are wonderful accomplishments! Enjoy your travel and will be looking for you back in a couple weeks.
05 Oct 15 by member: kclab
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Heidi, Im jealous of your other life in Spain.My DH is from Spain and I love it there.. Congrats on all the wonderful changes you have made ... Keep it up and cant wait till your "back" online with us !!
05 Oct 15 by member: redgirl1974
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Redgirl, Spanish husband? What part of Spain?
Thanks for all your your very kind comments, folks. Other people have said this on here, but I'm saying it too: you are my rock, and I would not have done it without you, so thanks all so much for your support! *Hugs* to you all!
Losinit, we started at the same time, and you weighed more than me, and now you are lighter - you should be VERY proud of yourself! I'm very proud to be on this journey with you! Your achievements in terms of diet and exercise are exemplary! I think we are taught in childhood not to be proud, but I think the thing NOT to be is proud in the sense of haughty, or superior. If you have done something good, I believe it's okay to tell people about it! (That's a lesson I learned at work, by the way, otherwise people might not notice, and then you don't get the promotions you deserve!)
To be honest I wasn't so much trying to 'blow my own trumpet' here as remind myself of where I'm at now, so that I'll know where to pick up again when I get back to Spain, because in two weeks time there's a good chance I'll have forgotten! So it's really a kind of self-motivation for 'future-me', hence especially the list of things to work on.
I explained about my motivation in a previous journal (July 22nd), and it was partly about wanting to be more energetic as I get older, and partly a bit of vanity too, because I had put some extra weight on and was getting a really big stomach that I didn't like.
What's different this time is: 1) having that initial burst of motivation, and 2) using FS, partly just to track what I eat, but also of course having buddies to encourage me, being able to read everyone's thoughts on their journeys, and having challenges to take part in. I find it very interesting and fun to meet you all, very educational, and very motivating indeed!
Mike (DH) is very supported. He is nearly as amazed and delighted as I am, and has been happily fitting in with my new way of eating (he always has a pile of potatoes on the side, feasts on pasta etc. while I am fasting, and has 'secret stashes' of goodies in top cupboards and at the back of the fridge that he dips into while I'm not looking). He's delighted that we can go for walks together, and that he doesn't have to pull me up hills any more, lol!
I guess one major thing that I have really taken on board from other people's comments is that this has to be a permanent change, no going back to the old ways, and I think that's another big reason that I'm succeeding this time. It's an important attitude shift. I'm already thinking about maintenance, never did that before! I used to lose a few pounds and think 'job done!' Ha ha.
See you soon, all 😀 Take care while I'm away!
05 Oct 15 by member: heidij123
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One of the things I don't like about FS is that it takes all the formatting out of comments. And another is that it doesn't let you edit comments, only delete them, grrrr!
05 Oct 15 by member: heidij123
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Heidi, have a great journey and stay out in Spain, I daresay there will be many peeps from my line of work enjoying the winter season out there too.
Well done on all your achievements, you are an inspiration to us all, and second to none as a great buddy. Hope you have great fun camper vanning and probably biking round Spain and come back even more svelte like, and bursting with energy.
05 Oct 15 by member: Darkazana
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He's from the Malaga area Hiedi ,, been once and can I dare say I never wanted to leave bahahah
05 Oct 15 by member: redgirl1974
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We've been to Malaga and places around there, Red, it is nice in the wintertime 😀
05 Oct 15 by member: heidij123
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Have a great journey on your way to your winter quarters. You say that you get a lot of support from fs, but I would say that you give even more to the rest of us! Your determination and dedication to your way of life and exercise regime has been an inspiration to me. I am sure that you will come back to the UK next spring having dropped another dress size :)
05 Oct 15 by member: eclipsesolaire
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Darkazana, thanks! We rent a house down there, so not campervanning all the time. Am taking my bike for local cycling, and Mike has found a trail he wants to cycle. I might join him for all our part of it if I'm fit enough. No date set for that yet, probably not till spring.
05 Oct 15 by member: heidij123
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Awesome Heidi.You have embraced the healthy lifestyle very successfully. Wonderful that you get to live in two places! Keep on keeping on!
05 Oct 15 by member: UmmBilal
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Way to go on the changes you've made!! Thanks so much for sharing them with us. Have a great time in Spain, & we'll see you here when you check in. :)
05 Oct 15 by member: MichelleNRGIZED
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Awesome progress heidij123. Sounds like a wonderful life in Spain. Have you tried avocados for healthy fats? I never thought I liked them, but I have them with eggs, or on their own with lime juice and salt. They can be used like mayo in all kinds of recipes too. I sometimes use Plan to Eat meal planning to collect interesting and health recipes and if I plan my week in advance I find myself more likely to try new things instead of sticking with the "old stand-bys". Have a wonderful trip !!
06 Oct 15 by member: ChrisSpark
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That is awful news, that you are leaving us for a while.
An inspiration to others with your positive attitude, keep it up, it does help. I do like the 1.5 stone loss, that is a healthy weight loss and is quite sustainable, with your determination.
Do have a good holiday and try to keep up the exercise in the warmth of Spain. My oh is in Portugal at the moment and is in t-shirts and soaking up the sun, whilst we poor folk in the UK suffer with the approach of autumn/winter.
I do like the camper van idea, have you got your bike strapped on ?
06 Oct 15 by member: Mindfull_Body
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Thanks, UmmBilal and Michelle, and Chris, I love avocados! Usually regards them as a treat, but could definitely eat more often 😀 Mindfull, yes, taking the bike. Will only be off-line about 12 days I hope, to we reach our rental house in Spain, then back on and weighing in kilos, lol! It's our third camper van, bought first one in 1989. We love the freedom to roam as you please. Gotta go, missing you all already! Take care, and hugs to all.
07 Oct 15 by member: heidij123
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