August 31st Day 8 --> Interval Training

Breakfast:  Oatmeal with strawberries and bananas with almond milk

Main Meal:  Chicken with fajita spices and salad with bacon, olives, jalepenos and chopped tomatoes with garlic

Drinks:
Paleo coffee
2 litres of water

Exercise:  Leg workout
Leg press 6 sets starting with 170 kilos and then dropping 10 kilos per set
Leg curls 3 sets of 7 starting with 55 kilos and then dropping 5 kilos per set
Leg extension 3 sets of 7 starting with 55 kilos and then dropping 5 kilos per set
Leg abductor 3 sets of 10 at 40 kilos
Leg adductor 3 sets of 10 at 40 kilos
Calf muscle exercise 3 sets of 10 each set 90 kilos
Squats 20 reps with 25kg
           20 reps with 15kgs
           20 reps with 10kgs
15 minutes of interval training on the treadmill
20 crunches
20 cross over crunches
20 pelvic tilts

Gym Playlist:
Example - "Changed the Way You Kissed Me"
Kasabian - "Fire"
Vampire Weekend - "A Punk"
Madcon - "Beggin'" (Surprised that I didn't strip down and get freaky...this song brings out my inner stripper)
The Gossip - "Heavy Cross"
Pearl Jam - "Alive"
The Prodigy - "Breathe"
Nero - "Guilt"
The Bring it Home Song -->  Stone Roses - "She Bangs the Drum s" (I'll explain this in below)

Abs Workout song - Arcade Fire - "Reflektor"

Thoughts:
I used to do a lot of spinning classes and I have found that they not only had me walking like John Wayne (it's either because you work your butt out or the seat is so fucking uncomfortable...a muff cushion is needed!!) but I wasn't enjoying them.  I was usually the class fattie and the instructor would tell me to turn the pace down because I was fat.  That's the reason why I have gone back to weights.  Classes work for some people but they don't work for me.  Plus the music they play in the classes tends to be shit.

My workouts are predominately weight based and then I do interval training.

Interval training has scientifically been proven to be one of the best ways to lose weight. It can be done on an elliptical trainer, a bike or in my case, a treadmill.

My interval training on the tread mill is like a circuit, 3 minutes per circuit. This is how it is broken down:

From Minute 0 - 1 -->  Walk
From Minute 1 - 2 -->  Jog
From Minute 2 - 3 -->  Sprint.

Repeat for as many as you can do.  I used to be able to do this for 21 minutes.  I am currently at 15 minutes and those 15 minutes are difficult.  Right now, my settings on the treadmill are a 0.5% incline on the treadmill.  My walking pace is 4 kilometres per hour , the jog pace is 7.5 kilometres per hour and the sprint is 10 kilometres per hour.  (When I was fitter, I was sprinting faster and jogging faster)  Next week I will increase the speed slightly then the next week increase the time to 18 minutes.

I won't lie, it's hard.  Really, really hard.  But it has been proven that 20 minutes of this sort of training really helps with fat loss.

The diet is going really well.  It's getting easier to deal with.  Tonight we had fajitas (or as my bezzie calls them "fry-jeters") and the boyfriend had the fajitas with cheese, salsa and the tortilla wraps.  I had the chicken with the onion and red pepper but in a salad.

I have been drinking water with lemon and lime (I love limes.  If it was socially acceptable, I would put lime in everything!!) which makes drinking water more palatable.

So next week, I am going to focus on my workouts, increase the intensity and keep going!!!!

August 30th Day 7 --> How to Make the Gym More Bearable

Weight: 14 stone 10 pounds (206 pounds) 2 pounds lost

Measurements:

Left Arm: 11.5 inches (down half an inch)

Right Arm: 12 inches (stayed the same)

Chest: 42 inches (stayed the same)

Waist: 37 inches (down 1.5 inches -- happy dance!!!!!!!!!)

Hips: 47 inches (stayed the same)

Left leg:  22 inches (down 1 inch) 

Right Leg: 22.5 inches (stayed the same)

Breakfast: oatmeal with strawberries and bananas with almond milk

Main meal: Lemon and honey chicken with cashews and broccoli 

Drinks: 2 litres of water

            Coffee with almond milk and honey (it's fab!!!)

            Peppermint tea

Exercise:

Arm workout

Arm Curls: 3 sets of 7 reps 15 kilos for all 3 sets

Arm Extension: 3 sets of 7 reps 35 kilos for all 3 sets

Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 7 reps 30 kilos for all sets

Shoulder Raises: 1 set of 20 5 kilos in each hand

Interval training on the treadmill 15 minutes

Gym Playlist:

3OH!3 - "Starstrukk (feat. Katy Perry)

Nero - "Me and You"

Alice in Chains - "Man in a Box"

Foster the People - "Coming of Age"

The Vaccines - "Melody Calling"

The Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Zero"

Nero - "Innocence"

The Veronicas - "Untouched"

Thoughts: 

There is no escaping it.  If you want to lose weight you must make time to exercise. It needs to be done.eating healthily will only take you so far. 

As someone who really doesn't like the gym, here are some tips on how to make it a bit easier.

Tip 1:  Get an anatomy book.  Look at the muscles on your body and understand where they are, what they are called.  Respect the human body.  It's a brilliant machine and capable of so much. A wise man once said the goal of weight loss/fat loss is a physique.  Work towards the physique you want and not just a number on a scale or measuring tape.

Tip 2:  Music helps out!!!! I have found that music helps you get through each workout. I know that there are certain songs that when I am hurting, tired and don't want to go on, I put certain songs on that push me to work harder. Music is everything. Honestly. I can't survive a workout without it. I have included my playlist above to show you the sort of music I listen to when I work out. 

Tip 3:  Dress comfortably. I always tend to rock a vest, sports bra, jogging bottoms, socks and my bright pink trainers. 

Tip 4:  Alter your workout. Don't be doing the same thing every day or you will get bored. If you are at a gym, try a class. Or ask one of the trainers at the gym to write you a few workouts. My workouts never take more than 45 minutes and they do have a pattern. 

Tip 5:  Write your workouts down and how you feel. It shows how far you've come and can pick up patterns if things aren't feeling right.

Tip 6:  Have a few attainable goals that you are working towards. I have a few goals. My first one is to fit into my beautiful red vintage winter coat and a certain fabulous body con dress in time for my birthday at the end of October. I would need to lose a dress size and I think that is an achievable goal in the time scale (8 weeks). The next goal is to drop another dress size by Christmas. That too, I think, is an achievable goal. The final goal is to have a bikini ready body by next summer. 

Tip 7:  When you hit each goal, give yourself, what my best friend would call, a non food treat. For me? I like booking myself in for beauty treatments. Getting pampered is a fabulous treat!  Put the money that you would spend on junk food in a jar and pay for your non food treat with it. The pennies will soon add up! 

Tip 8:  try to enjoy your workouts!!! This is so important. I have been trying to view my gym sessions not as an inconvenience, but as something that is good for my body. That by doing my sessions, I am getting the body I have always wanted. 

I hope those help out. If you have any tips, comments or questions please share! I want everyone to benefit from this blog! 

So until next time, stay focused, and take care of yourselves.

August 29th Day 6 --> On the "C" Word

Breakfast:  Hot water with lemon, oatmeal with strawberries and bananas (while watching the lads at work tuck into bacon sandwiches...yes, I can eat bacon and things like that but it's better on a sandwich....)

Lunch:  Stuffed Pepper

Dinner:  Chicken, bacon, avocado olive salad

Exercise:  None

Drinks:   2 litres of water

Thoughts:


Now, the "c" word is something that us people don't like to discuss.  It's unpleasant, it's painful and it's just something that we know goes on but don't want to discuss it.

I'm talking about constipation.  (That wasn't so hard to say!)  The reason why I am discussing this topic is because I am suffering from it...badly.  My guts are in distress!!! 

I read last night that this can happen on the Paleo diet plan on the first 2 weeks.  They suggested to drink more water and eat more fruit. 

I normally have this issue as I suffer from IBS.  It can go one of two ways if you have IBS.  You can either be going constantly or, like me, get totally bunged up and not go for a week.  Either way, it's unpleasant and painful.  I have tried everything, Buscopan, peppermint oil, acidophilus, aloe vera, to name a few.  My tummy just doesn't want to know.  That's one of the reasons why I opted to do this.  I wanted to resolve this problem once and for all.

I also know that I have the will power that is stronger than I think! Tonight when I was making my salad, I put the boyfriend's stuffed crust pepperoni pizza in the oven and they was a bottle of ranch dressing in the fridge. I didn't touch either. The boyfriend, bless him, said that the pizza was disgusting, in fact so disgusting that he had to dip each piece into ranch dressing....he's a bad liar but I love him all the same. He has been dead supportive with this whole thing.

So fingers crossed, this will sort itself out soon and I can go on and get the body I have always wanted. I know it's in there somewhere....

August 28th Day 5 --> Craving a ham and cheese panini...

Breakfast:  Hot water and lemon (I really, really, really, really, really want a latte.  I am missing coffee!!)  Oatmeal with strawberries and bananas and almond milk...out of a cup...I forgot my bowl....you can't eat oatmeal out of a cup!!!

Lunch:  cannelini beans (this isn't an official Paleo thing to eat but I needed to get rid of them...I hate wasting food) , spring onion, red pepper, olives, avocado and tuna with white vinegar dressing

Dinner: Stuffed peppers and a green salad


Snacks:  Cashews and cranberries

Drinks:  1.5 litres water

             Peppermint tea

Exercise:  Was so sore from yesterday's workout I can't move!!!!


Thoughts:
I woke up this morning feeling achy and sore. Man, that workout yesterday was a bitch!!! My abs are killing me, my chest and back are screaming!!!

Food today was good. It was hard though. The boyfriend and I always go to Starbucks before work so he can get his large caramel latte with an extra shot fix (it's like crack to him. If he doesn't get his large caramel latte with an extra shot he gets cranky and the people at Starbucks send a search party to see if he is ok) and looking at the board with the different things they do and then I saw it.....a ham and cheese panini....oh. My sweet baby Jesus!!!  That looked amazing!!!! I was about to say I will have one of those but I stopped myself. The Paleo Project is too important. So I had my oatmeal at work...out of a cup. It felt wrong but I ate it.

At lunch I had cannellini beans. Now legumes, beans, are not allowed on the Paleo diet (except green beans) but I had them today because they were left over and I hate wasting food! Also oatmeal isn't allowed either!! So I am finished with my oatmeal this week then my breakfast is going to change. I will be eating probably fruit for breakfast. There are recipes for different breakfasts so I look forward to trying them out. 

I am feeling good today the only issue I have is that I have a gassy tummy. I don't know why but it's feeling strange. I just had a peppermint tea to try and calm things down. I hope it feels better tomorrow. I think it will. 

So I am preparing for bed and I think I'll have a fabulous nights sleep. Let's see what tomorrow brings....

August 27th Day 4 --> Temptation is a Bitch

Breakfast: hot water with lemon first then oatmeal with strawberries and bananas and almond milk

Lunch:  chicken, bacon, avocado, olives, mixed seeds and salad

Dinner:  homemade chilli...no rice, no cheese....just chilli....

Snacks:  Almonds
              Dried Fruit
              Soy Yogurt
Water/drinks:  1.5 litres of water and a cup of peppermint tea 
Exercise:  a painful personal training session.....ouch!!!

Thoughts:

Well, I was right.  I slept like the dead.  I only woke up once to the dulcet tones of my boyfriend's snores. I didn't slap the shit out of him...that's a good thing?

I woke up feeling refreshed.  Headache gone and I didn't feel sick or groggy.  Good start.

I had a hard session with the Personal Trainer but I found that my energy and strength was amazing!  Usually I pussy out of a few exercises but today I pushed myself and I know that I will be repayed with a sore back and a sore tummy (sit ups on an inclined bench with a 10 kilo weight to the chest....OUCH!!!!!!) but I know that it's all good.

My eating was good today but then it came around to dinner....I scooped my portion of chilli and then served up rice, chilli and cheese for the boyfriend. Then I made rolls with butter and prepared a bowl of ranch dressing for my boyfriend's meal...

Total. Dinner. Envy.  I would have killed for that meal. But I didn't succumb to it. I finished my plate and the boyfriend finished his. I put the kettle on for some peppermint tea and got a soy yogurt for dessert. The boyfriend then pulled a tub of Ben and Jerry's Half Baked Ice Cream.....I think that I know what hell is...having all that in front of you and not eating it. 

But I know that I did the right thing. I pictured me fitting into my red vintage winter coat, how my figure looks in a body con dress. This is worth it!!!!!! 

I will just kiss my boyfriend and get the taste of Ben and Jerry's....that will do it!!!

August 26th Day 3 --> I want to kill someone

Breakfast:  Oatmeal with strawberries and bananas with almond milk

Lunch:  Turkey, bacon, avocado, olives and nuts and seeds salad

Dinner:  Chicken with stirfried veggies

Snacks:  Almond bars (God, those things taste like shit!!!!!  I can't believe that people actually eat these!!  I mean, do they have taste buds????)

              Dried Fruit

              Soy Yogurt

Exercise:  Rested

Thoughts:

Crash!!!!!!!!!  I didn't think that this would happen so soon.  Last time I felt this after day 4, not day 3.  Yes, I am going through withdrawal.

Symptoms?  Headache?  Check.  Tiredness?  Check.  Irritability?  Check.  Crying over everything little thing?  Check (note to self, listening to Fiona Apple's lovely song Never is a Promise probably wasn't a good idea and had to explain to the boyfriend that I am crying because I am happy that he won't ever lie to me or treat me badly....yeah, that actually happened!!)  Big spot on jawline?  Check!!  It's so big that it needs its own post code....or zit code as the boyfriend pointed out.  He was lucky that I wasn't wielding any sharp objects because he would have been missing and appendage...like his head...

Today seemed to drag but I know that the shit in my body is making its way out. 

But I know that I have eaten so well today.  I know that I will sleep like the dead tonight and I know that I will wake up feeling better and more positive.  If I don't, I think I will curl up into a ball and cry for 8 hours straight!!! 

August 25th Day 2 --> achy as hell!!

Breakfast:  Nothing

Main meal:  meatballs, olives, salad, seeds/nuts and bacon pieces

Snacks:  cranberries and cashews

              Almonds

              Almond bar (it was nasty and gross....do people actually eat this shit???)

              Avocado and olives

              Soy Yogurt

Exercise:  Rested

Thoughts:

Woke up late feeling really, really, really achy. I skipped the gym.

I didn't eat my breakfast either.

I was hungry all day and I mean all day!!!  And to make matters worse, the boyfriend suggested a Domino's pizza for dinner tonight.  That was temptation but luckily I briefed him on what I am doing so he told me that the meal I prepared, meatballs would be lovely enough. If we did opt for the Domino's I would have stuffed my face and had a bad tummy and had major pizza guilt.

So there you go.  Day 2.  It got better!!!

August 24th Day 1 --> And it ended with a bottle of rosé.....

Starting weight:  14 stone 12 pounds (208 pounds)

Measurements:
Left Arm -->  12 inches
Right Arm -->  12 inches
Chest -->  42 inches
Waist -->  38.5 inches (ouch!!)
Hips -->  47 inches
Left Thigh -->  23 inches
Right Thigh -->  22.5 inches (what the????  How is my right thigh smaller than my left thigh?  What kind of mind fuckery is this?)

Breakfast:  oatmeal with strawberries and bananas with almond milk
Main Meal:  Burger with salad, green olives, black olives and red wine vinegar
Snacks:  Cranberries and cashew nut mix

Exercise:  Leg workout
Leg press 6 sets starting with 160 kilos and then dropping 10 kilos per set
Leg curls 3 sets of 7 starting with 50 kilos and then dropping 5 kilos per set
Leg extension 3 sets of 7 starting with 50 kilos and then dropping 5 kilos per set
Leg abductor 3 sets of 10 at 35 kilos
Leg adductor 3 sets of 10 at 35 kilos
Calf muscle exercise 3 sets of 10 each set 80 kilos
13 minutes of interval training on the treadmill

Thoughts:

Day 1 started well....and it ended with a bottle of rosé plus 1 glass...plus my feeble attempt to clear the fridge of cheese and other dairy products.  Eeeeeeeeeeeeeekkk!!

But mostly it was good.  I am reflecting on the good.

I went to the gym and pushed myself.  I didn't do the full 21 minutes that I wanted to on the treadmill but I will build it up and keep on trying.  I will do this perfectly.

I will prepare my food for the week and keep on going.

Note so self, no more wine...well for the time being....

The Paleo Project - An Introduction

Hi All!  My name is Lisa and I am currently living in England.  I am overweight, and classed as obese.

I have pretty much done most diets that you can think of.  I lose the weight, celebrate and put the weight straight back on. This has been going on for 16 years.  I have been going between a UK size 14 to a UK size 18-20. 

My weight has always been an obession of mine and I became in 2001 bulemic.  That's something that I am ashamed of and since then, I have been in a way scared of losing weight. 

Eating disorders run in the family.  My Mama is underweight and struggles with her eating.  Behavior, I know, is learned.  And I do feel that her behavior has had an impact on me. 

My eating habits are strange I will eat healthily during the day and most nights, then I will binge just out of the blue.  Or the boyfriend will suggest getting a pizza and I cave and get my stuffed crust cheese pizza with pepperoni....mmmmmmmm.....I would drink alcohol most nights and wonder why I cannot shift any weight

I started back in July working out with a Personal Trainer at my local gym but still screwed up my diet.  Then I would get upset because I haven't shifted any weight. 

I came to a realization that I needed to change things and that the £300 that I shelled out for my Personal Training sessions were just being thrown down the toilet.

So I started to think back over the diets that I had done.  I thought about how I lived on 1 meal a day once for about 3 months.  Yes, I lost weight but as soon as I stopped the weight creeped back on.

Then I thought back to the summer of 2012.  I had a health scare and the doctor put me on a strict diet.  No dairy, no carbs, no alcohol, no wheat, or gluten.  Yes, my beloved pizza and pasta had to be put on the back burner. 

The first week was absolute hell but as each day progressed, it got easier and I felt better!  In a month, I dropped a dress size, got my confidence back but I threw it all away.  More alcohol, the sneaky KFC, and soon before you knew it, I am where I am now.  14 stone 12 (208 pounds), big tummy complete with stretch marks, boobs that are more droopy than perky and me feeling like absolute shit. 

So I started to do some research.  The diet that I did so well is actually a proper way of living!  I was doing the Paleo Diet and I didn't realize it!!  I started to read more. And I started to get excited.  I was doing this 2 years ago and I didn't realize it!!!

So I made the decision, I am going to go back to that way of eating.  I researched it and found that I could have a sneaky glass of wine ever so often but I had to stick to vegetables, fruits (dried and fresh), nuts, seeds and meat.  Out are breads, pasta, pizza, cheese, milk, rice, peanut butter (peanuts are a legume) and pretty much anything processed.  And pretty much anythng that tastes good.  The website I found has some recipes for things like almond and raspberry muffins.  I think that I might try those....

I have a major cheese addiction so I know from the past how hard it was to give up cheese but I have a slight intolerance to it so I have to weigh it up.  Cheese?  Or sore bloated, gassy belly?  Hmmmmmmm.....

I decided to write this blog as an experiment and see what happens for all people that want to try this and see if it works for me again.

Each day I will write what I eat for my meals, I will put my feelings and when I weigh myself and take my measurements so my progress is tracked properly.

Also, I have written 2 days in my personal journal which I will post on here as proper entries for you to see.

Fingers crossed and my 2 first days plus today will be up shortly for you to read.  If you want to comment, question or do anyhting like that, please feel free to!!

So The Paleo Project begins!!!

Lots of love

Lisa xxxx