Food and thoughts

 So I haven't updated my blog in a while although I have kept up with my daily food journal in my notebook plus took pictures of  as many meals as I can. The problem is I use my iPad on a daily basis now and it's what I use to take pictures too. My laptop however is far easier for updating my blog but anyway will try this way on then ipad from now so I can do this daily on here plus get all my weigh ins done so you can follow my weight loss journey if you like.

I feel as though I ate loads today and its my first day within the 20+ days of induction where I am going back to basics and clean and green. The reason...well I was doing so well eating low carb and induction friendly food until I grabbed a couple of Atkins bars whilst out. They were induction friendly but.....they set my carb and sugar cravings right back off again and I noticed myself wanting another and another. The day after I found myself looking forward to my Atkins bar a little too much so by lunch time had one and immediately wanted to go to sleep. What an awful feeling, dead leg, lethargic, aggressive and hmmmm déjà Vu of what I used to be when I'd eat doughnuts, chocolate or high carbs sleepy dinners before starting my new eating for life plan.

Next day chucked them all out! Oh oh and I'd gained 4lbs over the three days I'd eaten them....never ever again, after reading more about them I find I am not the only one that suffers this way on them and often have said that if Dr Atkins knew what was being sold with his name he'd turn in his grave. Atkins promoted clean and green so that is what I am sticking to, no frankenfoods if possible. In fact as far as I know through my research it's those products that have put so many people off the whole Atkins way of life, kinda did me too before I read about it all. Some not all people have stalled and or gained weight by eating these products.
I even wrote in my diary "Lauren don't ever eat these again"

So I won't be...ever ever again. 

Dinner tonight was gorgeous, spring greens sauted in butter with cheeseburger pie. You can find the recipe all over the Internet on the low carb forums easily. It's lush!

So today I was 10.8 from 10.6 a few days ago, lets see if I can kill this stall and get back to my 10.6 again after this week of eating clean and green :)

Feeling a little tearful today

Hia Everyone,

Today since looking through some of my old photos of what was meant to be the best time of my life on tour I cant help but get a little choked because I knew behind that smile was sadness.

I went on tour three years ago now across the USA in my very own pink tour bus whilst stopping off at some of the Sephora stores to launch my own make up line and meeting people who watched my videos.

I remember being so excited to meet everyone that came but scared in case they didn't like what they saw because I sure didn't like what I saw when I looked in the mirror. As I walked through each Sephora store door I remember hearing the cheers and whilst being swept up in the moment I couldn't shake the fact that I felt disgusting inside.

Ive been quite big since just after my teenage years, it pretty much piled on after having Jordan and I never did anything about removing that extra baby weight, then one thing led to another and before I knew it I was what I felt huge.

The one thing that kept me going through my "magical experience" was the fact that you all had accepted me as I was back then and now. You didn't judge me, you liked me and some even came to meet me at the different events.
I want to thank you for that, you all made me feel special and I always wanted to make you feel special back.

Anyway I did some digging for old photos and found some from my tour days. Whilst looking through them I got quite choked and can't really explain why?? maybe its because I realised none of you ever held my weight against me, But I did.

I am away to London tomorrow for quite a big meeting which I am looking forward to yet nervous about. They won't have seen me in the flesh at my biggest, I am kind of glad as I always felt it changed peoples opinion especially in the make up industry.....but again was that all in my paranoid head?

Here are my so far before and after pics. First at 12 stone 6lbs and after at 10 stone 6lbs

Now no laughing at my muppet face here, erghh but its the only picture I have of now....so far anyway :)

So its strange that it takes a photo to make you realise how far you have come with any weight loss journey.  I don't think my stupid brain has caught up because I still feel like that bigger girl who feels insecure and should be wearing her baggy tops to hide all the fat.

It will one day though and I am waiting for it to hit my like a ton of bricks so I can enjoy more about the new me. I don't ever want to go back.


Thanks for reading and if you are following a diet or a new way of life, Good on you, its hard and you have all my well wishes :)

Zoom zoom!
Lauren

2 stone gone plus daily food journal and thoughts

Hia Everyone,

I have been dieting since March 13th 2013 first starting with Cambridge weight plan which I stayed on for 6 weeks but towards the end of this time I was suffering and just knew I couldn't stay on something like this much longer.

After 2 weeks in to Cambridge and with ketosis well installed in me I uninstalled by going on to the Cambridge bars in week two. You don't know these things at the time and they don' affect everyone in the same way but for me this is when I started opening the doors to those cravings I thought Id kicked.

Toilet trouble....this was my next concern as I didn't feel it was right to have to take laxatives to make the magic happen so this played on my mind a lot and was partly why I decided Cambridge wasn't for me past 2 to 3 weeks.

The last 3 days of those 6 weeks I was so depressed knowing I had to get through the shakes and bars so I was eating a small amount of chicken breast or mince just to add a little something to the mix....but even still this diet is so strict. For me it was one long mind game and a game I was getting tired of playing.

I may in the future do this diet again if I should fail and allow my weight to go back up because it is what it says on the tin and if you stick to it 100% then you will drop the weight fast.

I lost a stone (14 pounds) in those 6 weeks.

I went straight on to Atkins Induction as soon as I decided enough was enough with Cambridge. My biggest concern was the fact that Id been on around 450-500 cals and was about to embark on a diet where calories....what calories??
Its all about counting carbs not calories and keeping it clean and green with Atkins)

I stayed the same weight for a week, "yes I was worried" & "Yes I wondered what the hell Id done?" but after tons of research online I knew that so many others had done the same and had to bear with it. Apparently the body takes a little while to adjust but once adjusted the weight started to move and move it did :)

I have also started to take coconut oil, (I use Tiana Organic raw coconut oil from Holland & Barrett) Experts say to get the full benefits aim for between 3 and 4 tablespoons per day. They advise that with some it can make them nauseous so nice and steady starting with a teaspoon per day and working your way up should help.
"I have 1 tsp in each coffee with cream" I have around 5 coffees per day. I have started to fry everything in it and get used to it that way but even still I have noticed a slight nauseated feeling come the evening. I will get there eventually and I am not giving it up.

I also read that people with Candida (Bacterial growth in the gut) can feel nauseous from taking Coconut oil because it makes the candida die off (hence the sick feeling in there :( I may or may not have it, who knows but either way if I do its going the journey. Apparently Candida can actually make you crave carbs and sugars to feed it...erghhh anyone thinking alien here?? I am.

Anyway... on to the best bit of news!!! I am now 10 stone 6 pounds so that's a total of 2 stones gone and hopefully for good.


I am going to post my daily food journal/thoughts and weekly weigh ins here, it helps to have things written down and Il post pictures when possible too. I am always getting asked how I have done it and what do I eat so hope it helps some one out there with some ideas.

Start weight March 13th 2013- 12st 6lbs
Current weight - 10st 6lbs
Goal weight- 9st


Today's foods

B- 2 slices of bacon, 4 slices of chorizo, 1 slice of mim (muffin in mug), handful of sliced mushrooms and full fat mayo.

L- 1 slice of mim, 2 slices of parma ham, 1 tiny piece of blue cheese....i think it was too far gone as it smelled of wee :( blerghh

D- Minced beef fried in butter with half a tsp of easy garlic, red cheddar grated and mayo.

S- Tsp of hazelnut butter (not allowed on induction but I find I am still losing and it doesn't kick off cravings or stall me)
S- Possibly a small pot of Rowntrees sugar free strawberry jelly with 1 tbs extra thick double cream

Water 50cl bottles
x 8 so far

Coffee w 1tsp coconut oil x 1 & half tsp double cream
x 5 so far

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy my daily food diary and thoughts :)

Zoom zoom!
Lauren

A night out... what's that?

Hia Everyone,

It dawned on me the other day that I don't go out clubbing now...like ever! I used to love it when I was younger and would spend ages in the bathroom getting ready after spending ages in the bedroom trying on every single outfit I owned. The bathroom was always the place I did my make up because it used to get everywhere and so on carpet was out of the question...plus I thought the bathroom mirrors were kinder to me ;)

I used to spend around 2 hours fannying around with different make up until I was called upon by my friends then would have to leave the bathroom looking like a bomb had hit it as I dashed out the door to the town.
Those were the days where 3am was just far too early....I wanted more! (Lucky if I can stay up past 12am nowadays)

So anyways...I wanted to create a look that you could wear and that I would wear if I went clubbing.

I really hope you like it? :)

If you are going clubbing this weekend? I'd love to see your make up looks so why not snap a picture and send them to me at lauren@laurenluke.com and I will put together a collage of your gorgeous faces in my next blog :)



Zoom Zoom!
Lauren :)

Cambridge here I come...

Hia Everyone,

We have snow, snow and more snow which really makes me feel like Spring has forgotten about us in the North East of England. I wait in hope though :)

I started something new which I am hoping I can stick to in the long run, just have the first initial 12 weeks to get through before I can enjoy a bit of food again.

The Cambridge diet...I seen a post from my friend Fay on Facebook telling how she had lost 2 stones in 6 weeks..well my eyes widened and I just had to find out how. As soon as she had replied I was away googling "The Cambridge diet" and decided to give it a go. I found a local consultant and headed off to her home for more advice and a weigh in.

Advice- Sole Source = 440-555 Kcal which is 3-4 CWP (Cambridge weight products) per day. I am 5"4 so I am on 3 CWP's per day but if you are 5"8 and above you can have 4 per day.
1 week minimum and 12 weeks maximum.

Julie my consultant told me that I really need to stick with just the 3 CWP's per day but if I felt that I just couldn't hack it any more then it was better to have a piece of chicken breast or a spoon full of tuna than to go mad on any other food. Funnily enough I have been craving only chicken/tuna & salad since I started on Thursday 14th March. I am only 4 days in and the first 3 were the absolute hardest I won't lie. I had to use all my willpower and I don't have much to stay with the program. I felt week, stressed, dizzy, a bit depressed and not to mention STARVING!!!!!!!!!!!
Then came the headaches which stayed with me all throughout the first couple of days even after taking painkillers.

I must have spoken to myself over 100 times within these couple of days saying "What on earth am I doing?" "Just eat what you want but be sensible" "sod this, can't hack it" "oh I can do it but... can I really?" "Maybe I am just a wimp? Others manage it fine" "Jeeezzz I am so hungry" "Do I really have to cook for family when all I can eat/drink are fluid meals?" "I can not sleep like this...need to shut the stomach up" "Oh man, this is awful I have so many hours to go before a shake" (whilst shaking)

OK so you get the picture I was not a happy bunny and the smells that came from the oven just made me so angry that I only had a shake to look forward to at 8pm because I had already stretched out my 141 calorie soup & 141 calorie porridge throughout the WHOLE DAY!!.

Start weight- 12st 6lbs
Weight- 39 inchs

DAY 1
Half day because I picked up my CWP's at lunch time and decided to start there and then so in theory this was an easier day....not really because it was all starting to dawn on me what I was in for.  Ate the 3 CWP's throughout the day and went to bed so hungry it was awful...I dreamed about the diet and only the diet that night.

DAY 2
Woke with headache....(POO) Hate headaches so took some nurofen and it went for a while whilst I waited for one of my 3 sachets. The porridges are gorgeous especially Toffee and Pecan and Apple and cinnamon. Very dizzy today and had some bad news which nearly made me think..Sod it I need some nice food inside me but I didn't. I behaved.

DAY 3
Woke with headache again but this time it didn't budge with the pain killers which just made me want to give up even more. My friend online told me that the headaches would fade and that day 4 was going to be better so I behaved again and kept going. I even ate my porridge on the go in the car because I wasn't going to waste a meal I'd made, not like I had loads to replace it with.

Last night- Day 3, I peed on the ketosis stick and it appears I am in ketosis....YEAH!!!! :) :) :)
As far as I can gather that means that my body is now burning fat....yeah burn you horrible fat you...

DAY 4 and I woke 8:38am feeling like a new person. I had a headache but...after a chilled bottle water and a coffee or two it went all by itself, something that never happens with me I tell you.
12:30pm I decide it is time for some soup so out with the oriental chilli which is quite nice. Not keen on the mushroom one so will be going to my consultants to do some swapsies :)
I am finding I have so much more energy than ever before and I feel quite happy today. I feel focused and the only cheat I will be doing if any is a piece of chicken or tuna at a push if I can't take it any more. Protein is a good way for you to stay on track and it won't ruin your diet. A whole chicken breast is 100 calories?? there abouts so I baked a breast in the oven dry and sliced once cooled. 2 pieces will help if I need. If.. :) so far I am enjoying the challenge.

More updates to come and I will post my weigh in results on Monday :)
Thanks for taking the time to read, share, comment and all that jazz!
Zoom zoom!
Lauren :)