Week 4 Update
Relationship status update: As well as testing me last week by guzzling cocktail after cocktail and then topping it off with an UberEATS McDonald’s order, there has been a new development to my relationship: Sober Driver. Such is my reward for cleansing my body of alcohol for 12 weeks. And if that wasn't enough, I've become an Uber Driver for his friends, too.
Current relationship status: Wondering-if-my-exes-were-really-as-bad-as-I-remember.
Dining Out on a Diet
It's November and with Christmas looming, everyone’s coming out of the lockdown shadows and planning social drinks, dinners and get-togethers. I’ve had my fair share of invitations out to dinner and drinks these past few weeks.
My experience with eating out while trying to lose weight has been… confronting? As soon as you tell someone that you’re on a weight loss programme, or a diet, or watching your weight, for some reason, they become aggressively enthusiastic to get you to eat or drink something. It becomes their life mission that evening!
It starts with the: “Oh, you don’t need a diet, just try this”.
It then moves to the: “Just try one, one bite! One won’t make a difference!”
Followed by: “Oh, it’s just one night! You can have one night off and then start up again tomorrow”.
And when all else fails, the guilt trip: “I spent all day making and preparing this, and you won’t even try it?”, “Just have one for me pleeeease, it’s my birthday”.
Sometimes it can be out of kindness, but most of the time, (I’ve found) it’s guilt. Telling someone that you’re watching what you’re eating forces them to assess their own choices. This assessment can be too much for some and can really strike a chord with those who are already unhappy about their choices.
Sometimes it’s the: “You think you’re better than me/us” thought that urges people to force a cupcake down your throat and drown you in Prosecco. Ultimately, people feel better about their choices when everyone is making the same ones.
When you've been doing so well with your weight loss and eating, the last thing you want to do is throw it away to appease others. For some, one bad night could be all it takes to fall off the wagon, and when you're off, it can take so much willpower to get you to start again from the beginning; to get you back into that mindset of starting afresh; to pick yourself up and convince yourself that you can do this.
Starting a weight loss journey is sometimes the hardest part, and getting to that point where you’re saying that you want to make a change with your eating, your health, and your lifestyle can take a lot!
Perhaps eating a slice of that cake with a glass of that merlot to make others happy really isn’t worth all the effort you’ve been investing in yourself to get you on this path.
I’m a month into the ‘Prep Kitchen 12 Week Transformation’ and I’m very happy with where I’m at. I feel great, I’m looking great, my performance at the gym is improving, and I’m happier! At this stage, I've declined going out for dinners because I don’t want to be strayed from my meal plan- It is a personal decision that I’ve chosen. I’m enjoying all the variety of meals that Prep Kitchen has on offer, but that's not to say I'll be hibernating at home and avoiding social meets. Perhaps next week or the following I'll go out. I may even take my meals with me and eat them at the restaurant. Who knows?
Bottom line: I’m allowed to be selfish. I’m allowed to want to put myself first, and I’m allowed to put my needs before others over these 12 weeks, especially when it comes my health, performance and eating. There will come a time where I will transition back into social dining (they really can’t be avoided) but for now, I’m right where I need to be.
Cravings
Ah, cravings… thou art a heartless wench.
I have found that I’m missing the crunchy textures in my meals. One of my favourite snacks outside of Prep Kitchen is crisps, and though the meals are delicious, I haven’t had the satisfaction of a crisp-like crunchy texture.
Because all Prep Kitchen meals are compatible with MyFitnessPal, I know my total daily calories against my calorie intake. So, there wouldn't be any harm in adding a pack of crisps as long as I stayed within my calories. If this was to work, it all came down to math.
To manage a 70g bag of Doritos at 350 calories, I substituted two muscle gain meals (higher calorie) with two fat loss meals (low calorie). The difference in calories would give me more than enough to cover a bag of crisps and VOILA, we have texture! Of course I treated this add-on as a treat and it has not, and will note, become a staple meal.
I knew I didn’t want to ignore my cravings because past experiences have taught me that it tends to lead to binging. Managing these cravings early on is the best way to stay in control of your eating behaviours. A small bag of crisps would be the least of my worries, especially considering it still kept me within my calories. The best eating programme is one that allows balance and one that can be maintained outside of a weight loss programme, and the beauty of Prep Kitchen meals is its versatility with meal options and such add-ons, such as my newly invented Lasagne Al Forno with whole wheat pasta, and a side of Doritos.
Week 4 Results
Starting Weight: 110.1kgs
Week 1: 107.6kgs (-2.5kgs)
Week 2: 104.5kgs (-3.1kgs)
Week 3: 103.1kgs (-1.4kgs)
Week 4: 101.1kgs (-2kgs)
Total Loss to date: -9kgs
Paulo’s Meal of the Week: Spicy Korean Chicken
The Spicy Korean chicken now has a much richer flavour; spicy, tangy, sweet, all in one hit and chargrilled for that BBQ note we all know and love. As a team, we are most excited about the pairing of glass noodles with this dish. They soak up SO much flavour and have a wonderful texture, we know you will love them!
For the lower carb variety, we have delicious roasted swede noodles (Swoodles). Both dishes are served with a simple vegetable medley of Chinese cabbage, red onions and peppers.
