The time has finally come for me to discontinue the updates. The previous couple of months have been busy with moving, working, studying and coping with the current pandemic situation, which has led to the big gap between my last post. I was surprised to see that two months had almost past since I checked this blog, I guess time flies under lockdown restrictions. Before I get started, here is a quick summary of where things sit today.
Starting weight: 242.3 lbs
Target Weight: 170 lbs
Previous Recorded Weight: 170.9 lbs
Current weight: 170.4 lbs
As can be seen, my weight has pretty much remained stable since reaching what I feel is a suitable weight for me. I hit 170 and then pretty much decided that this was to be my maintained weight moving forward. At one stage I hit 168 and made some adaptations to my diet to increase my calorie intake.
As before, I continued using Huel with the addition of oat milk to increase the calorie content. I am now using a mix of 150 ml oat milk and 350 ml of water. 100% Huel is being maintained throughout the week with some healthy snacks and the cheat days continuing over the weekends. These have remained healthy and within a suitable normal daily recommended calorie level. I have listed below my current weekly regime that I am following and will be continuing for the foreseeable future.
The Positives
I have so much more mental clarity now and my levels of anxiety have dropped dramatically. I contribute this to the combination of healthy eating, activity and Lion’s Mane extract. My University studies are going well and I have seen an increase in my grading over the last few assignments.
I have a more positive outlook on things despite the pandemic and Christmas lockdown restrictions. It will most certainly be a different holiday season this year but it will be something we’ll look back on and talk about for years to come. Just imagine how special next Christmas will be.
I have a better body image which has affected my self-esteem. I like the person I see in the mirror now and gone are the feelings of wanting to eat to destroy myself. An odd mindset to be trapped in but one that was ultimately unhealthy and damaging. You hate what you see but you want to continue damaging it, a vicious circle and one I would suspect was based around my mental health at that time. It feels good to be free of those shackles.
The Negatives
There are only a couple of things to mention here on the negative side of things. One of which has been the difficulty with eating certain foods again. Having cut out various food types, I am finding my body experience difficulty digesting these once picked back up. As an example, I sourced fantastic DIY ramen kit as a special treat over the last couple of months. The first couple of purchases were fantastic but then on the third and fourth rounds, I experienced terrible stomach cramps and pain. I also indulged in some sour dough bread and experienced the same thing. Bread was a main staple for me before my diet, so it appears by cutting out breads and wheat, I built a little intolerance to it once reintroduced. I have experimented with smaller portions with success, so limiting is key and not overdoing things when adding them back into my diet.
The second appears to be a nerve issue which has developed in my left leg/foot. It was noticed when out for one of my walks, when I found my left foot wasn’t working properly. It was slapping against the ground rather than a normal heel to toe movement. Google research (not usually the best thing) highlights possible Peroneal neuropathy which may have been caused by weight loss. Not conclusive yet but I do have a GP consultation next week to discuss it. There are other factors to consider here as well, such as having a new desk and chair for work and study so I’ll wait until a formal diagnosis has been given before targeting causes. This has meant I have had to limit my walking for the time being but I am hoping I can pick that back up again to normal levels in the New Year.
Well, I have come to the end of my ramblings and the end of my weight loss journey. It’s all about maintenance from now on and I have built a good routine to support with this. I will be indulging over Christmas as it comes but once a year, although I will be proceeding with caution. I don’t want those nasty food intolerance issues to put a dark cloud over events. Moderation is key.
Below I have concluded with my current weekly diet which I am using to maintain my ideal weight and will be continuing with into the New Year.
Current Weekly Diet
For 6-days a week I maintained a diet of Huel shakes, Huel Bars, Huel Hot and Savoury. Depending on mood, somedays it would be three shakes, and on others it would be two shakes and Hot and Savoury. Additional snacks consumed during the week would be Huel Bars, salads, carrot sticks, high protein low carb foods.
Each shake was made with 350ml water, 150ml oat milk and 2 scoops of Huel Powder (450 cal per shake including oat milk). My preferred method of preparing my shakes was to use 250ml of water and 150ml oat milk with the 2 scoops and shake. Leave in the fridge overnight and then add the final 100ml of cold water before drinking. For Hot and Savoury, I used two scoops of powder and mixed with 200ml of boiled water. Calorie intake: 2000 – 2200 per day with snacks (increased on extensive exercise days).
Huel Powders used have been Huel Black Edition Coffee Caramel (for breakfast every morning), Chocolate (mixed with Salted Caramel flavour boost), Mint Chocolate (my favourite) , Original flavour (mixed with Strawberry or Apple Cinnamon flavour boosts).
The Huel Bars used have been Peanut Butter, Chocolate Orange and Chocolate.
Huel Hot and Savoury Flavours: Tomato and Herb, Mexican Chilli
Supplements: 1 x Multivitamin and Minerals Tablet (Zipvit A-Z) daily; 1 x Time Health Lions Mane Extract Ultra Strength 50% Beta capsule daily.
On a selected day over the weekend I will use a ‘cheat day’ and return to regular food. The day will usually begin with Huel Black Edition Coffee Caramel for breakfast, followed by healthy food of my choice. Calorie count kept within recommended daily amounts of approx. 2400 calories.
Whole Milk Latte 