Anna Buckley

It’s day 12 of the ‘FABULOUS in FORTY DAYS’ marathon and this morning the scales gave me the sweetest news…I’ve lost 5.3 kilograms (12 lbs)! Cheers and applause are going on in my head and, at half my goal weight, I feel a great sense of victory!

The photo above is what 5.3kg’s looks like and consists of much of the food no longer in my diet.

I can’t say it’s been easy as I love to cook, eat and drink. I’m convinced food is my drug of choice.

There have been a few unforeseen glitches, like the unexpected visit from my parents for the weekend. They love food and wine as much as I do and I had to be really careful of not falling into the trap of over indulging and blowing the diet. We ate and drank all weekend which meant that the hardcore soup and water campaign I’d planned for the first week was not possible. I did, however, learn that a dieting dinner companion can be very boring so I modified my behavior by having smaller portion sizes and drinking only minute sips of wine.

Here are some of the things I’ve learnt this week.

FOOD

-I have reduced my portion sizes to about one third. Using a smaller plate helps trick the brain into thinking you have a good amount.

-I eat what I’ve cooked for my family, just a lot less.

-Cooking separate meals is a pain in the ass.

-Eating my main meal at the end of the day gives a very bad result on the scales. I now eat my main meal as a late lunch and have eliminated eating at night.

-I am now eating breakfast.

-Eat slowly, don’t scoff every mouthful as if it’s your last. Savour all the flavours. Put your cutlery down between mouthfuls and be more mindful of your eating.

-Snacking between meals can add up to a ton of calories… so avoid it by not having snack foods around…goodbye chips!

ALCOHOL

-The no alcohol rule has been hard especially since Dad was visiting and he brought over some good Barossa Shiraz. We went out for lunch on Saturday and also had a big family dinner on Sunday night.

-At lunch I had a small glass of red, drank it very slowly and made it last for the entire two hours…difficult but not impossible. My husband was pleased because I became the designated driver.

-At the family dinner I poured the most minute amount of wine into my glass and took a couple of tiny sips…then stopped, realising I was close to adding more, and poured the remainder into my husbands glass.

– It is a good trick to put a small splash of white wine in a champagne glass and top it up with mineral water…a slightly alcoholic spritzer which means you can still look like you’re having fun and not be too drunk to drive home.

-The bonus of not drinking is having absolutely NO HANGOVER after a big night out. Which also means no paracetamol, greasy fry-ups or left-over desserts the day after!

-I have resumed my ‘NO ALCOHOL’ rule but am aware I can modify this to suit social situations.

FASTING

-Fasting has resulted in the BIGGEST WEIGHT LOSS. I fasted on day one and recorded a loss of 1.5kg’s (3.4lbs). This was a great motivator to continue. I have fasted for four days so far and this has resulted in a total loss of 4.1kg’s (9.3lbs). It’s a bit depressing to think that the other 1.2kg’s took 8 days and makes me understand just how effective the 5/2 diet actually is! I will definitely use this to keep the weight down once the 40 days ends.

-Fasting means no food ( on the Mosley 5/2 diet you are allowed 3 calorie restricted meals) but  I’m going hard on this one as I have a 40 day deadline and it’s BLOODY DIFFICULT so I’ve learnt some tricks.

-Keep very hydrated and drink lots of water or weak black tea. Some people complain of headaches but this is probably dehydration.

-I was drinking a large cup of strong black coffee in the morning but have stopped since it made my heart race at a ridiculous rate.

-Do not drink sweet fruit juices as they are highly calorific. A glass of orange juice contains more sugar and calories than a glass of coke.

-Keep busy and distract yourself from thoughts of food…it’s only one day and you will not die of hunger.

-Chew gum to keep your mouth occupied, especially when you are preparing food for the non dieting members of your family.

EXERCISE

-I have been doing 2 hour walks for most days and have adjusted my schedule to accommodate this. I stick to a strict writing routine and work from 11am till 6pm weekdays so I get up a little earlier so I can fit everything in.

-This would not suit a lot of people so you need to find what works for you…an intense treadmill session, a visit to the gym or a marathon pram pushing if you have little kids.

-If I’m not able to do a 2 hour session I break my walks into two. One hour in the morning and one at night. The night walk is particularly good on a Fasting day as it takes me away from the food I’ve prepared for my hungry family.

-It’s been particularly hard this week as it’s been raining, but I’ve bought a raincoat so there’s absolutely no excuses!

-I always walk with a purpose…to do grocery shopping, picking up that carton of milk…the little trips that you’d usually think nothing of just jumping in your car.

-I always put my headphones and sunglasses on as it helps me get in the zone.

KEEPING A RECORD

-The photo above shows you the rather complicated chart I’ve drawn up but it’s been brilliant at giving me the stats.

-The chart told me that fasting really works.

-I can see just how much weight I’m losing.

-It has become something I’m answerable to and am loathe to record a gain…it’s keeping me motivated!

 

RECOVERY BREAKFAST

This is quick and easy meal and a treat after a previous days fast.

INGREDIENTS

-1 rasher of bacon

-1 cup of broccoli

-1 medium zucchini

-1 large egg

Cut broccoli into small florets and microwave for 1 minute. This will help retain flavour and preserve bright green colour…we eat with our eyes.

Remove rind and finely slice bacon and zucchini.
In a non stick pan fry bacon, then zucchini and lastly broccoli.

Make a well in centre and add egg.

Cover with lid and cook till whites are firm and yolk is to your liking.

Serve with condiment of choice, mine is chili… and slowly eat it, savouring every mouthful and give yourself a little pat on the back for sticking to the fast yesterday!

 

Before you go I thought I’d leave you with some extra tips…

Do not watch Matt Preston eating on Masterchef. In fact do not watch food shows in general…they can be a very big reminder of what you’re missing and that kitchen of yours is only a few steps away!

Do not read recipe books or food magazines featuring desserts such as pecan pie, white chocolate mud cake or insanely rich chocolate ganache gateaux. Step away from the books, it will only end in tears or a trip to the bakery!

Lastly go to your wardrobe, pull on the jeans that have been impossibly tight and just see whether all your hard work might just be making a difference. I’m not down a size but my old jeans are now comfortably loose.

What’s been working for you?

Love to hear your stories.

Thanks for reading, cheers, Anna x

Love you to read my books The Lost Woman series follows the sexy adventures of Christina as she makes her way through a world of new media, design, fashion,  travel, and … men. The complete series is available now at Amazon, Kobo, Google Books, Barnes & Noble and iBooks, both as eBooks and print books. They can also be ordered from any book store, or by mail order on the BOOKS page.