My two eldest Hobbits
I lost just 1 lb this week…. mehhh. Let me say that again…. “I lost 1 lb this week”…… YIPPEE! Every lb lost IS a triumph..
I guess it’s a little disappointing that I’m not going to reach my target of losing 100 lbs in 1 year BUT this is a social/culinary experiment with no calorie restriction but rather a lifestyle change and even if on my final weigh-in day (October 1), I am 15 lbs short of my goal I HAVE to be pleased, really pleased, and I will be.
This morning I had my blood pressure done. OK I had been flitting about before hand so it wasn’t an ‘at rest’ reading but a big smile etched itself on my face when it came back at 130/75 and my pulse 55. Perfectly normal and my pulse nice and low. My heart is no longer struggling. Seeing as I am still 70-80 lbs overweight, this is
My youngest Hobbit with her brother
simply wonderful. I remember a year ago the readings were 176/88 and my pulse at rest raced at 85.
I AM healing myself. I’m gonna be around for my kids… 🙂
GOAL by October 1st, 2012: Live for one year using wartime food rations- 100 wartime recipes re-created- lose 100 lbs of fat
To date: 225lbs, 74 lb lost- 84 wartime recipes re-created
Yippee! Absolutely fantastic!! Just look at your health markers – you’ll definitely be around. You’re already a lot healthier and fitter than many people at their “ideal weight.”
I have to say, I always thought 100 lbs was the wrong metric by which to evaluate your success, first because it’s kind of arbitrary, and second, because it makes this a race to a finish line, rather than an experiment in another way of living, which is more like what you’ve set out to do. Experiments don’t generally have targets other than generating data. But if you’re looking for numbers, let me suggest two other possible data points: inches from the waist, which is where the most dangerous fat is stored, and percentage of weight reduced. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve dropped more than 25 percent of your total body weight in a year. That’s amazing!
You are right Lili and that is why I haven’t changed anything or done anything drastic to achieve this final bit of weight. I’ll be a little disappointed of course BUT without calorie counting (except occasionally out of curiosity and to make small changes) and simply eating in a different way, the by product has been weight loss and increased health and I’m VERY happy about that 🙂
Thank you for your encouragement and kind words xxxx
I think you are doing wonderfully and can only agree with Lili’s comment. Also – you are an inspiration.
Speaking of October 1st, shouldn’t we all do something to celebrate the end of your year long experiment — which I hope will keep going? Anyone up for a 1940s cook along? We could all do the same 1940s meal as a tribute. Woolton Pie anyone?
OMG that would be soooo cool! We could do a virtual Victory Cook Off- we all cook different dishes, take a piccy, send it through and I can lay all the dishes out in the virtual blog table. People could share recipes!! Oh LILI that is a WONDERFUL idea! I wonder if anyone would be interested? I need to do a blog post and ask!!!! That would be sooooo very cool!
Well I’m in, obviously. I’ll do a Woolton, a side, and maybe a nice steamed pud. I’m off to scour my Marguerite Patten collection for a suitable dessert. I may have to invite friends . . .
When you combined the 1940sexperiment with the Vegan lifestyle, I was so excited, because I became Vegan in Jan/2012. I am loving the recipes. Thank you for doing this, and sharing the info from the China Study as well.
Thanks Kaaren… As this is my third attempt at trying to live for a year on wartime rations (since 2006) I’ve made most of the dishes so many times before I know what they taste like with meat and with a meat alternative… also so many recipes were eggless its been fairly straight forward to veganize many.
How are you finding being vegan? I only became a dietary vegan just over a year ago. It’s taken a while to ensure I’m getting a good balance of different proteins, iron, calcium etc but I do feel heathy and now I don’t eat cheese I no longer have a trigger food (was eating 1/2 lbs of cheese a day before!!!!).
One thing I noticed almost immediately (which co-incided with becoming vegan and taking processed foods out of my life by starting on the 1940s Experiment) was that my headaches cleared and also constantly having to clear my throat- I am sure that the throat thing was caused by dairy
PS The China Study is a really interesting book isn’t it!
C xxxx
I have been a lacto-ovo veg for over 20 years, and then saw “Forks Over Knives” and realized I needed to take it to the next level. It has been much easier than I thought it would be. I know what you mean about cheese though. Since I am doing this Ration Diet with you now, I am craving less of the foods that are triggers for me, like chocolate and sweets. I made the Welsh Griddle Cakes today, and LOVE them. Where I could go crazy for cookies, they are somehow much more satisfying, and I am stopping when I get satisfied.
I agree with you… I found it took me a good few weeks, maybe a month to settle in to eating on rations simply because I found the first couple of weeks I went cold turkey and detoxified as suddenly all the junk food and huge portions of cheese were obliterated from my diet ( I had turned vegan a couple weeks before but was still craving cheese badly)…. but I’d say by the end of the first month practically all my strong cravings had gone, made sure to stuff my face with lots of nutritious food 🙂 Ooooooo yes Welsh Cakes…. prefer them to cookies any day!! Agreed!!! xx
OOoooo please do!!! Any excuse for a party!!! I WILL do a posting and an official invite to all 🙂 Hee heee! This is a great idea Lili! Thank you!
Congrats on the 1lb. That may seem small, but you know, it really isn’t. 1 lb represents a whole package of butter!
BTW, a pulse rate of 55 is impressive. A doctor would classify that pulse rate as “that of an athete”. 🙂
Thanks George!!! Athlete… woo hoo, I like that! xxxx
I’ll be there, although I’ll have to come on my own. The family were dismayed bordering on outraged by the Woolton pie. I did, however, have one request to make the pastry again. I used oatmeal 1:3 and it was delicious.
LMAO!!!!! The problem is wartime food kinda tastes boring and bland when our palates are used to a plethora of modern day flavours….. I think one has to either love vegetables or been chomping just on wartime rations for a few weeks to appreciate Lord Wooltons Pie 🙂 heehee!
Well done Caroline! I hope you are absolutely thrilled with your progress. You have done really well to stick to it, don’t focus on the fact you haven’t met your target, focus on the fact you have lost pretty much all the weight. Go you! I am about to start wwII eating in my household, my husbands weight fluctuates and he grumbles about his weight fluctuating, so I have decided to make us a healthier household, he isn’t thrilled but hopefully he will appreciate my efforts in the long run. I will be trying your cottage pie recipe when he is home next week – fingers crossed it turns out well! Well done again Caroline!
I just had a thought. With your increased activity, perhaps you’ve added muscle, which weighs more than fat? So you may have lost a few pounds in fat but added a pound or two in muscle? I’m sure with the running, your legs have added a good bit of muscle. Don’t be discouraged, as you’ve said, this is for the long haul, not just the short term.