Sunday 27 March 2016

Thinking Slimmer - 12 weeks on

I started out on this journey twelve weeks ago, and have got an awful lot out of it. To start with it has been easy, put on the mp3 at night and go to sleep. how much easier can it be to lose weight? This plan for me was not about a short term fix it was about the longer term bigger picture. I am only a few years off of sixty and going through the menopause, an age where woman can  put on weight, lose bone density and have other issues. I had blood tests back at the end of January and they did not show any issues my blood sugar levels, cholesterol, vitamins, calcium and thyroid all came back good so I would like them to stay that way.

It really is as simple as it sounds,once you have signed up for the package there is a massive amount of information on the Thinking Slimmer website and an even larger amount of support out there from other podders who are also doing the plan.

The plan is presented to you in three phases, with lots of information on each phase that you read as you are going along. I feel with it being presented like this it is easier to absorb and deal with than it would be if it was all delivered in one go.

So taking this slowly I started Phase 1 - listening to the pod and allowing my subconcious to deal with it.

I have for years during the day when I am out in the community eaten on the run, I would eat a packet of crisps or two, or a packet of sweets as I drove from job to job. Mindless eating that filled a gap for a short time, but consuming calories for the sake of it. Because of this form of eating I was getting a lot of slumps and therefore would eat something else a two hours later when I got back in the car again. It would be more junk and so the cycle went on. Now I am finding I can happily go for four to six hours in between simply because I do not feel hungry.

Since starting this programme I have noticed many changes. Some of them I have consciously made, instead of having crisps in the car I now have fridge porridge or I will cook up a chicken breast the night before and take it, have been making cous cous and adding cooked vegetables and tuna to it and taking that with me. Not only are these much better foods to be eating but I cannot eat them while I am driving, so I am taking ten minutes and actually realising that I am eating, and enjoying the food, feeling the point at which I am full and stopping eating. This of course has a massive positive knock on effect as I am not getting the dips and there fore grabbing more junk to eat, win win all round.

So what are the changes food wise I have made food wise apart from that?

a) I have virtually stopped drinking diet fizzy juice and all the chemicals it contains and am now drinking fizzy water instead, I still like my fizz. Just think six two litre bottles of juice a week was a minimum of £6, equivalent bottle of water cost me £2.40, that is a saving of £187 a year to be healthier.
b) drinking caffeine free herbal tea more often though I only ever drunk two cups of normal tea a day before.
c) cut down to one drink of ribena a day, still quite like it for one drink gives me my daily vitamin C.
d) I am eating smaller portions, and often still leaving food on my plate. What is on my plate is lower in carbs and higher in protein and veg. The protein helps me feel fuller longer so again eating less often.
e) stopped the mindless eating, use to have a bad habit if this especially when I was tired in an evening. Can now bring through a bag of haribos and eat half a dozen consciously rather than eat the whole bag without noticing. I should also save money on my dental bill as well as before my teeth use to feel furry a lot of the time, that has all but stopped too.

This will all go to keeping my cholesterol and sugars normal. I like this one because you are not actually on a diet there are no forbidden foods and therefore no wagon to fall off of.

But there is more, I now go to Slimpod Gold Phase two of the plan aka the Chillpod.

The Chillpod is our other clinically-proven download which helps you control your response to stress. With the Slimpod and Chillpod working together it means you should no longer need to overeat.

This one tackles subjects such as emotional eating, beating your cravings and recognising your triggers. Mine were always when I was tired, and I can certainly notice a difference then.

I would like to think this is working in the background as the last few weeks have been a bit abnormal even in my life and I am adding extra pressure to my workload for an hour and a half ever morning and the same again in an evening. While my grandchildren are a pleasure they are still hard work.  Jokingly said to my daughter the other day think I will change the name of my blog to "Its hard working having fun as a gran". I have to say this is where the plan is truly coming into its own, as I know for a fact that I am doing much less comfort and convenience eating than I would have been doing before I started this.

Anyway I seem to be managing fine with this, prioritising what needs to be done, backed off quite a bit from social media and my blog and  have rekindled my love again for cross stitching, something I have not done in years. Have found this very relaxing.

Then comes phase 3 the Fitpod. This is the one that gets you motivated and moving. Exercise and eating healthier work hand in hand, Exercise is not only good for your body but good for your brain as well.

Thinking Slimmer tells us;

The beneficial effects of physical activity have been well researched:
Exercise makes you happy  
Exercise increases your resilience to stress.
Exercise alleviates the symptoms of many brain disorders.
Regular physical exercise increases brain plasticity – the brain’s ability to keep growing and changing.
Exercise delivers more oxygen and nutrients to the brain.
Exercise results in a bigger brain and better memory.
So it’s clear that exercise is one of the best things you can do for brain health and function.

I have always had an active job, think the only office job I have had was before the children were born. I have child minded, done play group leader, shop floor staff and now work in a hospital. I walk miles in a shift pushing a hoover, mopping floors, pushing trolleys, bending up and down to trolleys and stretching across beds. I also have active pursuits between taking the grandchildren out, geocaching, and happily walk. I use to cycle and swim but they were given up for medical reasons.

But while this was maintaining my weight, and to some extent my health I have really felt the urge to exercise more. I am still getting out with the grandchildren but have started using videos on you tube as well. There are thousands out there, something to interest every one and so much variety there is no need to get bored. I have done Jane Fonda basic workouts, run a mile, run two, do a 5k in forty minutes in the bedroom, if I have had less time then I will do a fifteen or twenty minute HiiT workouts, they are all there.

I feel I am standing more upright having being using weights to tone my arms and shoulders, feel my core muscles must be getting stronger as I am a lot better balanced when doing the workouts that require balancing,

So what has this plan done for me so far?

I have lost fifteen pounds in the twelve weeks, better than I had hoped for, I would have been happy with an average of a pound a week, after all this for me is about long term sustainability, and an average of a pound a week would be four stone in the first year. I would be much happier and I am sure healthier four stone lighter, would be much better for my knees and other joints.
I have also lost a total of eleven inches, half from my neck, three from my bust, one from my waist, three from my biceps, three from my hips, and half from my thigh.

I have also found I am suffering much less with flushing especially at night. Not sure why this should be but I am not complaining.

So I am going to keep on podding, love the effect it has and no calorie counting, meal planning or buying special food.

If you would like to try this for yourself I am running a competition for you to win your own gold plan.

You can find the competition here.

#spon I was provided with this package to trial, but that has not influenced my honest findings.






















8 comments:

  1. Such a great tool to aid weightloss isn't it. I lost over a stone with them and have started listening again to get beach ready

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  2. This sounds like such a great aid and well done for cutting out the fizzy x

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  3. Congrats on your progress so far! A weight loss journey is never easy, and there are many paths available. It's good you found one that works for you. I wish you continued success. :)

    Jenn, x@jenn.nu
    http://www.jenn.nu

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  4. This sounds great. Well done so far!!

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  5. Sounds like it's made a real difference and been very easy.

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  6. A fab idea to aid weight loss. Sounds like you're doing really well x

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  7. Wow, well done on some great weight loss. I think that getting your thoughts around food under control are a big part of weight loss

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