Blips and cravings – why consistency beats perfection

So I had another blip last week that paused my weight loss. Actually, I put on 2.3lbs. This was a result of a trip to Newcastle to see my partner, as I discussed in my previous post, “Making Allowances”, where I allowed myself Chinese food. And enjoyed it! Since I’ve now blown past my HbA1c target, I feel more relaxed about my diabetes. And while I still need to lose weight to get my blood pressure fully under control, it’s good to reward yourself for great results!

Chinese food is one of my favourite things, and it’s always been an occasional treat, so not something I feel will risk my long-term goals.

That said, usually, after a blip, I’d be straight back on track on the Monday after a weekend away, typically starting a 36hr fast overnight. But I was driving back from Newcastle on the Monday afternoon, which is a 3.5hr trip in the car, and I was struggling a bit with my energy levels.

So I decided to break my fast. I had brought some pork crackling and cheese with me as well as a Keto Hana keto bar as snacks (always thinking ahead!), and therefore I could break my fast safely and within my eating plan.

I’d managed around 14 hrs fasting, which isn’t terrible.

I then went out for a swim on Monday evening and managed 1.25km – also increasing my sets again to 2 x 500m, 1 x 250m.

Tuesday, I was out for a run, and pushed my walk/run intervals from 2 mins run / 1 min walk to 2.5 mins run / 1 min walk. As I’ve said before, it’s really important at my age and weight to gradually increase the workload when running. My cardiovascular system is doing great, as I can see from my swimming, but it’s completely different when running, which is load-bearing. It’s really my tendons and ligaments that I need to think about, and they take time to strengthen.

Tuesday night I started another fast, fully intending to do 36hrs again – but Wednesday after my swim I felt really hungry. I often go straight from the pool to Tesco to get any shopping in, and I just had a mad craving for hummus! And I had recently bought some more of these Monarch Crackers, which are a great keto snack. They are literally made out of pure cheese, and just taste like very cheesy crackers, so I thought they’d go really well with some hummus. And they did! 😋

So yes, I broke my fast after 22 hours, still a great fast! I must admit this is the first time I’ve had any real food cravings since starting my program back in December. And I guess, given where I’m at with my HbA1c, I feel more inclined to allow myself treats when I crave them. I know from previous experience that feeling like I “can’t have something” is one of the reasons I’ve eventually fallen off programs entirely, and I’m determined not to let that happen this time.

My swim on Wednesday was a recovery swim after pushing it on Monday, so I was back to just 4 x 250m.

Then Thursday, I was back to running, and again I backed down to 7 sets of 2 minutes run / 1 min walk as my calves and hips were still feeling tight. I definitely found it heavy going, which is why it’s so important to listen to your body and take it easy on yourself.

Friday I swam again – another 2 x 500, 1 x 250m, and then today, Saturday, I was back to running, and again managed 6 sets of 2.5mins run / 1 min walk. I definitely felt a bit stronger running today.

Thursday I also checked my blood pressure – first thing in the morning, before my run – and the results were pretty good – an average of 121/84 with a 65bpm heart rate.

I also started another fast on Thursday and managed my first 36hr fast of the week through Friday until this morning! 😊

And great news – I lost that 2.3lbs and another 1lb on top for good measure, bringing me down now to 15 St 11.8 lbs (221.8 lbs / 100.8 kg). I’m soooo close to getting through the 100kg barrier, which is a huge milestone!

That’s a total of 36.1 lbs (16.4kg) lost since I started in December, and a grand total of 43.7lbs (19.9kg) since diagnosis. That’s 16.4% of my starting body weight I’ve now dropped!

Here’s my updated status tracker for the more visually minded!

I’m now at 51% of my target overall weight loss – 43.7 lbs / 19.8 kg, with 41.8 lbs / 19 kg to go before I get to 12st 12lbs (180lb/81.6kg)