The Dam

I'm fighting off some grumples and negativity this morning following a boozy weekend in Amsterdam for my little sister's hen.
It doesn't help that we (the boy and I) are both so skint this month, it's going to be a struggle to get by.

Firstly, I must report on the dietician appointment last wednesday. My scales showed a 1.5kg - 2kg loss on my scales. Sadly her scales (first time I've weighed on them) weighed 2kg's heavier but I guess it is all relative.
She was pleased with that and so was I guess. It's not the weight loss I've seen before on weightwatchers, but I'll take it. It's not a diet I suppose and more of a lifestyle change - I need to keep remembering that.
I left feeling positive and prepared for my weekend of boozing ahead.

As for Amsterdam, there was inevitably some good and some bad.

I battled my travel/binge demons and started the day (friday) on a hard boiled egg - it would have been more only the boy had eaten the other one that morning. I survived on coffee and an innocent fruit smoothie until late lunch at 2pm where I had a thai chicken salad and a piece of rye bread. I had approximately 5 dutch chips (delicious) and avoided alcohol all day, unlike the other 9 hens who were boozing on and off all day. They actually cheered when I had my first drink! The dietician said not to worry too much and enjoy the weekend away so I decided to relax on the alcohol a little and try and make good choices.
At the Indonesian restaurant in the evening, I had chicken skewers and mixed veg with a bit of sate sauce, no rice.

Saturday saw me get up for a 30 minute run in the rain round Amsterdam. I was so chuffed with myself and it was very beautiful running over bridges and round canals.
I had a couple of mini sausages for breakfast, fruit and yoghurt, two brown rolls with luncheon meat, herbal tea and coffee.....well the breakfast cost €15 and I thought I should make the most of it, plus I'd been for a smug run!
I didn't eat again till dinner time but I knew dinner would be naughty as I'd already checked out the pasta only menu. Dinner was excellent though and included singing waiters, lots of antipasto followed by pasta and an ice cream and fruit platter for dessert. In my head I'd already resigned myself to enjoying it, plus it cost €65 in the end so I'm glad I did. Well worth it for the atmosphere and singing though. A fair amount of alcohol consumed though.

Sunday saw a breakfast of three jammy dodgers and a handful of pringles....we missed breakfast and it took forever to get the hens ready to check out so was starving. Not exactly a great choice I know.
Lunch was a chicken, bacon and avocado salad which was kind of healthy. No bread.

I did indulge in a small portion of chips and sate sauce (best ever) and a piece of rocky road for dinner from Starbucks. Two glasses of red wine on the plane back to France, forced on me by a friend that happened to be on board the plane by surprise and that was it for the day. Not great choices but not great in amount either....

Anyway, I'm back now and back on the wagon. I had a good day yesterday and weighed 85.5 this morning so am at a standstill. Not too much damage done over the weekend.

I'm going to boxercise and pilates tonight and hopefully a run tomorrow if this torrential rain eases off....

I just need to shake the post drinking blues and all will be well. I think exercise and another early night will help.

That is all for now...

On not bingeing

I am trying to get my head round the fact that this weight loss will take time. A long time.
I am learning a new way of eating, not just dieting to reach goal.
This is something I must keep up, and I really think I can.

The dietician told me she firmly believes in the 80/20 rule but at the beginning it is better to operate at 90/10 - which I think I'm doing ok at.
I had one mini chocolate binge last week - 8 chocolates in one sitting, but other than that, things are mostly fine. I'm not sure I could call eating 5 oatcakes instead of 2 a binge as such, but I know every little counts.

Normally weekends are spent hungover and feasting on white carb laden treats, often pastries from the boulangerie and chocolate. Last weekend was healthy all the way which was good and made me feel light.

Even now, 1kg down as of this morning, I feel lighter and energised - I'm sure the lack of alcohol has a lot to do with this mind you....

I haven't binged like I used to in over a week although the day I met with the dietician, there was an incident involving a packet of crunchie biscuits, last supper style gorging.

This morning I have had apple and two teaspoons of nut butter as breakfast, followed by a snack of oats, blueberries and soya yoghurt. I realise I have my breakfast as a snack as such but I'm just not terribly hungry first thing.
I'm looking forward to egg breakfasts this weekend - I love eggs - and not so much looking forward to the run I must do by myself, especially if my car isn't fixed and therefore the local running terrain isn't as interesting. I'd much rather go down and run on the coast.
I'm also looking forward to getting the flat clean and having a sort out. I hate the thought of such chores but the feeling of accomplishment afterwards is very satisfying, much like running.
I'm not so much looking forward to going to a hat birthday party for a friend on Saturday night as I'm trying to avoid alcohol right now. It could be pretty dull and annoying.

I have a small amount of anxiety regarding the weekend after next as I'm travelling to Amsterdam for my sisters hen weekend.
I'm worried about the alcohol consumption for one, it's unavoidable I reckon. I'm also worried about Saturday nights restaurant choice as I've looked at the menu, the only option is white pasta (being a pasta restaurant). This not only bloats me really badly if eaten late at night, but pasta is also a binge trigger for me.
The hangover binge temptation will be aroused at some point I'm sure too, plus I'm supposed to fit in a training run at some point over the weekend - can't see that happening though.
Lastly I'm worried about the travel aspect of the trip as I always binge on journeys like this.
All in all, quite a few worries.