Plan of attack

Ok, so if I have calculated correctly then I have 48 (more) pounds to lose before the end of June. That leaves me with 19 more weeks. So, a weight loss of 2.5lbs a week to achieve that goal. Gulp.

That doesn't sound very do-able at the moment. Week one I have lost exactly 14 ounces which is only almost one pound! But Rome wasn't built in a day and I do have a very loose sort of plan as to how to achieve this.  Even if I only manage 2lbs a week then that is still nearly 3 stone that I will have lost. Even 1 lb a week wouldn't be the end of the world - that would put me at 11 stone 13 which is still brilliant; that would mean I had lost almost 4 stone in 18 months! However, I like to dream big so let's aim high! 3 1/2 stone by the end of June!

Moving on to my very loose plan. This involves a brief back story. I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) which is what led to me putting on so much weight in the first place, due to being prescribed the wrong kind of hormonal treatment to try and control it in the first place. I am also lactose intolerant which I think added to the problem as it has only come to light recently and I think the lactose that I consumed extensively and excessively probably exacerbated a lot of my weight issues. I crave carbs like you wouldn't believe and I am not a big fan of eating meat. I also live with family members who do not support weight loss or fitness goals and I am quite a private person; it is hard to hide weight loss and I really, really don't want to talk to anyone about it! I have very little money as I have a part time job which has also made me really lazy and I will shortly be investigating a second job before I go insane and/or bankrupt. I have taken the pill sporadically since being diagnosed with PCOS, mostly for its intended purpose, rather than the excellent PCOS side effects and as I am currently single I am no longer taking it. I hope this will also help with weight loss.

So, with this all in mind - my loose plan at last! As it is Lent, I have given up crisps. This is one of my hugest weaknesses. If someone told me that giving up chocolate forever would make me drop 4 stone instantly, I wouldn't hesitate. I'm not convinced that I could do the same if the deal was with crisps instead. I often find that people on diets seem to focus on chocolate-alternatives as if that was the deal-breaker in sticking to a diet. However, I could cheerfully give that up and do so. There are not so many healthy crisp alternatives. Something that is salty and crunchy. Popcorn is a good alternative but sometimes I wish there was something else! In my 19 weeks (or at least, during Lent) I hope to discover sufficient crisp alternatives to enable me to give them up entirely. I hope that by not overeating crisps this will aid my weightloss.
I work in a school and so it is virtually impossible to snack. I also pack my own lunches and I get a big kick out of trying to make them healthy and interesting, so I hope that this is one area of my diet that I can control healthfully. I am going to limit the amount of coffee that I drink at work too as I think that tea, and a lack of caffeine in general help with weight loss too.
I have reworked my breakfasts into including either wholegrain toast/wholegrain Ryvita with dairyfree spread and fruit. That's pretty good, right?
Finally, exercise. My diet, even with all the things previously mentioned has never been that bad. The only thing that has ever made an impact in my weight loss to date has been exercise. As I have zero money, I am intending to take up running. Yes, I laughed too. I also have a mountain of exercise DVDs, plus a Tesco brand rowing type implement (it was £6 if that gives you any indication of what it might consist of) and some kind of spinny plate as well as an exercise ball and yoga equipment. When I get paid at the end of the month, I'm really hoping that I can budget out enough money to drag my fat arse swimming once a week or so. I think I'll write a separate post about exercise later.

Well, this is where I am right now. I hope to learn a lot and share it here along with my progress. I've already eaten two Milky Ways whilst writing this, so I have a long way to go! Here's to the next two pounds of weight to be lost.....