Day 19

Have been a good girl all week ( well, apart from a couple of glasses of red wine) and lived on rabbit food, veggies, fruit, tinned fish, turkey and low-fat milk & yoghurts.  In fact, I still have a third of last week's loaf of bread...  No biscuits, cakes, chocolate or sweets!
Managed to get some walks in, and have been getting a bit more sleep too.  No weigh-in, that has to wait until Monday, but cannot really say that I feel any thinner.    Maybe I will surprise myself...

Day 15

Haven't written anything for a few days, as was just repeating myself.   Went for a long walk on Saturday ( 2 hours) and came back exhausted - thank heavens for the rain on Sunday which gave me a good excuse to stay at home!
78 kilos today , which means no movement since last Monday.  Admittedly I have not been taking much excercise, for various reasons,  but I have been watching what I eat very closely, so a bit disappointed in lack of weight loss.
Went to doctors for results of blood-work : thyroid OK, blood sugar OK,  cholesterol perfect ( I have so much good cholesterol, apparently, that I could pig out on "bad" foods for months).   Think I will have to look at getting back into the gym, if only for gentle work-outs.
Back on the steamed veggies/diet soups track ...no can accuse me of not trying hard to make this work!

Day 11

Amazing/terrifying how fast the weeks go by - Thursday already.   Not raining, for a change, so with a bit of luck I may be able to get out for a walk later - I'm missing daily exercise, and the lateral thigh-trainer thingy is not working very well - because of the FMS, I get muscle spasms in my thighs long before I have done enough to burn any notable calories.  But walking I can do..
Tomatoes & instant noodles for lunch, followed by grapefruit.   Needed confort food this evening, so had a proper high tea with toast & crumpets ( low fat cheese, no butter & diet jam) and skipped supper.  Feeling not only bloated but also a bit constipated - luckily have some Senakot in the house.
Will have a big veggie fest tomorrow, to change things up a bit.

Day 10

Have been trying to get to bed a bit earlier, as apparently biological clock starts regeneration from 22.30 onwards, which helps with weight management ( scientists say that lack of sleep can actually make you gain weight).  Waking spontaneously at 07.00 hours,  feeling less tired than usual ( did I mention that I have fibromyalgia ? ).
Breakfast of porridge & tea.   For lunch had a small salad & 4 poached eggs on wholegrain toast + a grapefruit - hopefully the added protein and carbs will take me through to dinner-time without crumpling with starvation.
Have also started new dietary supplements : kelp, MSM, ginger  - was already taking echinacea, gingko biloba, black cohosh, evening primrose & Vit.B complex.  So with that lot, I should be absolutely glowing & radiant!
Gave into a couple of hot-cross buns with my tea ( but no butter or jam), so supper was just some fruit and a yoghurt... 

Day 9

Another day, another spag.bol. fantasy!  I am behaving myself, but it's tough at times - particularly when my mother waves a strawberry & fresh cream tart at me and announces that she has bought enough for 2 and would I like some?  I got out of there before I could smell it and give in...
Nasty, cold, wet weather down south ( was sleeting this afternoon) and although lunch of salad & tuna was healthy,  it didn't warm me at all.  Had a cup of tea mid-afternoon to unfreeze things.
Dinner will be the usual soup, multigrain and yoghurt - I may have an apple before I go to bed, as apparently this is how Kelly Osbourne lost so much weight... hmm.
I've noticed a lot of flatulence - wonder if this is down to the Zotrim, or to all the fruit & vegetables/salad I am eating?

Day 8

Monday, and a new week starts - weighed in at 78 kilos, so a little progress.  Dosage upped to advised limit of 9 tablets per day.
Pouring with rain, which means that I cannot get out today either for my intended mid-day walk.  So have dug out the lateral thigh-trainer, and will try use this several times a day, to up heart rate.
Lunch was rabbit food, tomatoes & steamed turkey breast, a banana & a soya yoghurt.    Braved the rain to walk down to the shops as had to fill prescriptions from chemist for Mother - brrrr, nasty, wet and cold.
Had a milk/water coffee mid-afternoon, so will skip tea and just have supper ( soup & multigrain}.
Very exciting... Considered putting on a bit of slap and going down to the club for a beer, then remembered how many calories there are in a pint - so will watch Eastenders instead...

Day 7

Got up at 8 o'clock intending to have breakfast, get dressed and go out for a nice long walk before coming back for lunch - so of course it is raining... So instead got started on lunch early ( on Sundays I cook for both myself and my mother) : oxtail, beef kidneys and vegetable stew, then decided to give my mother's kitchen a clean. The trouble with this is that once you get started, you have to keep going as the clean bits make the dirty ones look even worse...Hands now look like claws ( no, of course I wasn't wearing gloves).
Lunch was very comforting, given rotten weather outside: big bowl of stew, slice of brie wth crackes, banana, grapefruit and a glass of merlot!    However, will compensate by having 2 slices of toast with tea later, and then nothing else until tomorrow morning at breakfast...
9 pills today.

Day 6

As it's Saturday, got up half an hour later than usual, had my usual mug of tea ( forgot the sweeteners, and didn't mind it - am I losing my sweet tooth?  That would be a good thing...) and 2 slices of multigrain with marmelade - my week-end breakfast treat.  Currently taking 3 x 2 tablets, may up to 3 x 3 to see if hunger-management is better - am still feeling very hungry just a few hours after each meal.
Going out shopping later - will buy with next week's diet in mind..
Later... my goodness, but I'm proud of myself - bought loads of fruit & veg, 0.75g milk, turkey breasts, Alpro yoghurt, eggs - in fact lots of health food for next week,  but did NOT pick up any biscuits, chocolate, snacks , lasagne ready-meals or wine,,, if you don't buy it, you can't eat it!
Had salad with tomatoes & tin of tuna for lunch, followed with small piece of brie and a banana.
Tea-time gave in to Mother who toasted me 2 hot-cross buns, with my tea - but have compensated by cancelling dinner, and having a hot milk drink instead!
Have upped the Zotrim to 3 pills 3 times a day - let's see if hunger is reduced. 

Day 5

Sunny today, albeit cold, so made the most of it and bunged some stuff in the machine whilst water was heating for breakfast tea. Muesli is Sainsbug's Be Good to Yourself Precise.
Lunch : big bowl of mixed frozen vegetables ( carrots, brocoli, cauliflower, onions, leeks, peas & spinach) microwaved with water & a stock cube - a sprinkling of instant mash to thicken,  a teaspoonful of olive oil to serve and hey ho - instant winter warmer. So full I did without the yoghurt.
Marmite toast & Yorkshire tea at 17.15 - I love my Marmite, but never could get the children to try it...
Dinner is going to be a bit naughty : it's Friday evening, so I'm having a glass of cava and some cheese & crackers as I find out, finally, who killed Archie Mitchell!
Good gracious, didn't see that coming... off to be now, before I decide that I want to eat something else!

Day 4

Foggy and icey out there this morning - brrr!  Hot mug of tea very welcome. Handful of diet muesli with milk and a multivitamin pill.
Don't see any difference in shape/size yet, but I suppose it will take a couple of weeks.  Washed my hair in the shower this morning, which always makes me feel svelter ( yes, I know that is silly and totally illogical, but indulge me here...).
Well, lunch was a disaster...microwaved some stir-fry veggies with a small portion of minced lamb, fresh coriander and water, added some Worcester sauce and fresh parsley and was ready to enjoy when , argghh! the top fell off the pepper pot and dumped the contents of said pot into my meal. Despite spooning out as much as I could see,  meal still tastes like pepper with vegetables, so half-way through I gave up, binned the rest, and had a banana and a yoghurt instead!
Tea & slice of bread subsequently brought forward an hour because I am now starving again...
Dinner was another tin of soup + 2 slices of multigrain, a low-fat fromage frais and a low fat chocolate mousse ... my goodness, what an exciting life I lead!  Looked at the half-full bottle of Chilean merlot in the cupboard, and didn't have a glass - but I did have a mint imperial as a consolation prize.   Off to bed with a large glass of water.

Day 3

Didn't go out yesterday, too wet and nasty,  but compensated by dancing around the lounge in the evening to a load of R & B oldies - abs suitably achy today!
Lunch today is stir-fried veggies with a teaspoon-full of wok oil ( specially spiced oil bought from Oil & Vinegar - lovely stuff), fresh coriander and 3 beaten eggs - cooked in the microwave ( why? because my cooker does not work, so I can't use the wok !)  - 2 oranges and an Alpro yoghurt - oh, and a handful of vitamins and supplements.   Anticipating feeling hungry by tea-time...
Yep, starving by 17.00 so had tea & a slice of multigrain with Flora and Marmite.
Dinner as usual :  diet soup, 2 slices of bread with low-fat cheese spread, a banana and a low-fat fromage frais
(thoughts of a nice big steaming plate of spaghetti bolognaise keep going through my mind...)

Day 2

Didn't weigh myself today, on advice from the people at Zotrim, who suggested that once a week was sufficient - so will wait until next Monday to check my progress.   Breakfast was porridge, given nasty cold wet day outside - but no sugar or anything else on top - just the porridge and a mug of tea.
Tea again mid-morning ( to keep warm, my flat is a fridge despite the central heating) - no biscuits or other nibbles, being very controlled here.
Lunch :  big multileaf salad ( I like Florette's Crunchy salad) with 2 tomatoes and a tin of pink salmon in brine + light vinaigrette ( for info., I make this in a bottle with olive oil, garlic vinegar, pepper, a teaspoon of light mayonnaise and then add water - shake to emulsify = dressing which coats the salad leaves, but contains much less oil per spoonful).  I never add salt to any foods, as I find the natural salt is quite enough.  2 oranges, an Alpro yoghurt and I'm stuffed.   Let's see how long it takes for hunger pangs to set in again...
17.15 and I have hunger hiccups - having a mug of tea with 2 slices of wholemeal multigrain bread, with Flora and marmite.  
Dinner:  same as last night,  Sainsbug's diet soup + 2 slices of bread, a banana and a low-fat fromage frais.

Day 1

Well, first dose of Zotrim before breakfast - cold and frosty outside, but it's sunny, so will try to get out at lunchtime for a brisk, albeit short, walk. (managed a quick 30 minutes to the shops and back) 
Lunch was a big multi-leaf salad with tomatoes,grated cheese and light vinaigrette, followed by Alpro soya yoghurt ( not lacto-intolerant, just love the taste of this), tea-time had another mug/jug of tea with 2 slices of granary bread and some low-fat cheese spread.
Dinner:  diet soup plus 2 slices of bread,  a banana and a low-fat fromage frais.
A couple of cups of herbal tea during the day ( mixture of nettle, fennel and dandelion - tastes horrible so it must be effective...)>
Noticed that I have been feeling hungrier than usual, which is a bit wierd as Zotrim is supposed to suppress hunger pangs, I thought.  Taken 6 pills today.

Day Zero

新年好  - Happy New Year of the Tiger !
Today is Day Zero, to coincide nicely with Chinese New Year.
A few basics : 57 years old, 5ft 6ins/168 cms, 79 kgs = BMI 28, which is overweight.
Size 16 dress,  objective is to get back down to 65kgs/ size 14 or maybe even a 12 by the end of June, in time for my daughter's wedding in July ( I do not want to look like an overstuffed sofa in the photos...)
I will be posting weight every morning and noting what I am eating, any activities and how I am feeling on the Zotrim trial.    If the plan works, I should be losing about 3 kilos a month - we will see.

Some constants:   breakfast is always a big mug of tea ( we're talking a pint mug here!) with skimmed milk & sweeteners, with either instant porridge made half milk/half water or diet muesli with milk.   I drink about 3 litres of water a day, sometimes more.    So let's see how this goes...