Update!

It's almost two years since last blogging. Time flies! I've lost two stone (12kg) and kept it off constantly for almost two years now. For me, going low carb or paleo is what works. Not only have I lost all those pounds but I've lost inflammation. Whereas my wedding ring and even my shoes had flesh bulging around them, I no longer have that puffiness. I thought my weight was middle aged spread and would only carry on creeping up each year, as it had been since I turned 40. Thankfully, now I've just turned 50, and it's stable at only just above what it was when I was 30. If I want to drop half a stone for a party or something, I just have to completely eliminate sugar in all its forms for a week and I do.

Sugar in all its forms for me is: fruit, jam, honey, cakes & puddings, chocolate, grains & cereals, pasta, rice, pizza, bread replacements, etc. As for the FODMAP problem I had before (see the page), nowhere in sight. I can now eat as much garlic, onions & apple as I want without digestive issues.

So, what do I eat? Well, virtually no grains or carbs whatsoever except potatoes and sweet potatoes, rice with a curry or gluten-free spaghetti with meat sauce - but only when I feel the need and I'm happy with my weight - and only half or less than the portion size I would have eaten two years ago. I've woken up to the fact that nutrient-dense tasty foods like meat, eggs, fish and vegetables are all I need. The only dairy I eat is goats butter and tiny amounts of hard cheese (less lactose) unless I'm having a dessert as a treat. So, I no longer bake every week - only on holidays and high days. I eat very little fruit - again maybe as a dessert treat. I know that sugar is my enemy and I need to handle the addiction to it that most of us are battling with by going cold turkey (pardon the paleo pun!). I still eat dark chocolate and drink wine. My boss says 80/20 effort in everything ... I try to keep my treats to 90/10 but maybe I'm kidding myself!

Here's last Saturday's meals:

Breakfast: 2-egg omelette of shallot and spinach cooked in butter with a little grated parmesan. My own blend of tea - nettle, mint, fennel, ginger and hibiscus.

Lunch: leek and potato soup

Dinner: lobster and veggie 'chips' - parsnip, beetroot and a couple of potatoes oven-roasted in olive oil with seasoning. The lobster was a rare treat - it was a bargain at the fish shop just as they were closing for the weekend! I also made mayonnaise for dipping (an egg yolk, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard & seasoning).