It’s been a week since I originally posted about my mission and the messages of support and kindness humbled me completely. I can’t thank you enough. 

This week has had it’s tests, but I have proudly passed. It hasn’t been easy, but when I do get through the temptation, it feels like a massive victory and I hold onto them.

There were more birthdays at the office, which meant more cake. It took a lot of will power not to grab one and I itched to do it, but I just kept out of the kitchen. If it’s not in front of me, I’m fine. If it is, it takes serious mental pep talks. It also helped that I was prepared and had some biltong to snack on instead.

The cravings have been less, which has been wonderful and I find myself thinking about what healthy meal I can make/eat next, instead of dreaming of doing a “Reggies Rush” (remember that?) through Dunkin Donuts.

We went to the beach for the first time in forever and I put on a large full piece swimsuit from Woolies. I actually felt so much more confident in a one piece, even though I felt really big. I was thinking about how 2 weeks ago, I couldn’t get into the swimsuit, so while I felt big, it was a victory I needed to celebrate. It’s been a reminder to acknowledge each victory. I have a tendency to always have a but after my revelation. : Cool, so I lost 2 kgs, but I’m still a size 14. Now I’m trying to be like: YAY! My hard work is paying off and I’m down 2kgs!

Back to the beach… it was so much fun to see Georgie taking in the ocean and the beach sand. We weren’t sure if he would love the texture on his feet, but he loved it. He even splashed in one of the puddles left behind from high tide. I found myself watching him take it all in and my focus was on him and how much we laughed over being worried about how I looked.

Having my husbands support is invaluable. I could not imagine trying to eat healthy, while he ate chips next to me, you know? It really helps that we both follow the LCHF lifestyle, so cooking and food choices are easy. We help each other.

We’ve eaten out and while our orders are a little fussy, no one seems to really mind. I ordered the steak with no basting sauce (full of sugar) and the salad with no dressing (I asked for olive oil instead.) I didn’t choose the butternut and cream spinach because the butternut has sugar in it (whyyyy?!?) and the spinach has flour in it to thicken it. It’s these little bits of information that help me make better choices of what I put into my mouth.

This week I also learned how to make the Greek biscuits, Kourabiedes (with all the icing sugar on them) from my Mother in law. It’s a traditional recipe she is passing down to me. I asked her ahead of time, to please help me resist tasting any and I explained how I was trying to cut out sugar and carbs. I find when you explain it to people, who are supportive, they really do help you and let me tell you, I didn’t have one! I was so impressed with myself. I looked at the baking morning more like a lesson, than a morning of eating treats.

Ready to be baked

The key here is having supportive people around you – not those who say: “Oh come on! What’s one cupcake/biscuit? Live a little!” If they don’t understand the addiction, they won’t be able to be empathetic. It’s OK, just know who and where you support comes from.

Results:

31 October: 85kgs

14 November: 82kgs. Over the belly button: 111cm. Hips: 112cm

22 November: 80kgs. Over the belly button: 110cm. Hips: 112cm

I haven’t lost much in terms of centimetres, except for 1cm around my belly, however, I feel like my thighs are a little smaller. My tummy is sadly the last place to lose, and that’s why I’ve focused on that measurement.

How I’ve felt:

I feel elated that in 3 weeks I’m down 5kgs. I’m pretty happy to see that the LCHF works so well for me. I’ve finally found what works for me after all these years. Knowing that it works for me, doesn’t make it a walk in the park though. Whilst the cravings don’t have as much of a desperate hold on me, they’re still there, because well, human. I am finding it easier to manage now than the first week.

I have this weird tendency to relax now, which is dangerous for me. It’s a weird thing. In my head, I’m like: “Well done! You’re 5 kgs down… you can relax a little now. What’s one piece of chocolate?”

The reality is, it’s never one piece for me. I need to stay focused now more than ever. I think being aware of this, and making this journey public now, keeps me accountable and I need to keep pushing through and setting another mini-goal. I have my overall goal of getting back to being a size 10 and weighing around 60-63kgs, but by breaking it up into small chunks, the end goal won’t feel so far away/impossible.

My next goal is to be another 5kgs down and try to incorporate some exercise… even if it’s fast walks on the promenade each day, with my yoga. I’m also dying to get back into Pilates, I just need to make/find the time.

This really is mind over matter. I’ve always said weight loss has very little to do with physical strength and more to do with mental strength.