Sirroco's Re-feed Diary

[sirroco]

Start weight: 61.3kgs
Today's weight: 60.9kgs

A belated start to my re-feed diary. Commenced on 9 January. It's 18 days long and I'm up to day 11. Extra food is great, in fact there is so much food I don't know what to do with it all and go to bed every night convinced it is going to have a major impact upon my weight but so far so good. Although not having the full bread quota - having two pieces a day though. The degree of organisation required for re-feed is enormous and not to put to fine a point on it a complete pain in the butt. But once you are organised you can start to relax and cross off the days every night.

[Annabelle Joy]

A belated welcome to refeed, Sirroco, and congratulations on your achievement.

Despite the apparently huge quantities of food, the total calories is actually not all that high. By the end of refeed, total calories are about what you would expect to eat and remain at your current weight. It's actually quite unusual for anyone to add the extra kilo that requires going back two days.

Good luck with the last week.

AJ

[sirroco]

Day 12
Start of refeed: 61.3kgs
Today: 61kg

Even though I write down the weight every morning I do find it hard to remember what it is a couple of hours later so I think my weight this morning is 61!
Yesterday went well. Switched the meals around so eating more earlier in the day. Very much enjoying the fruit and the banana on toast as a snack. Still only having two pieces of bread a day and balance of allowance in CB's.

[thenewvee]

Yay on getting to refeed, Sirroco!
It sounds like it is all going great!
I can't wait to be having all those extra things and food as well!
It's great how you still keep dropping weight!

Sounds like refeed will be over in no time!
Keep going well!

Vee

[sirroco]

Day 13
Start of refeed: 61.3kgs
Today: 60.6kg
Yesterday: 61kgs

Pleased with the drop this morning. Doing much better with having larger meal at start of day and having yoghurt meal at dinner time. Had full allowance of bread yesterday rather than a combination of bread and Cb's. Today adding new veges (not a huge fan of any of the new veges so gritting my teeth and having broccoli) and a carb so am adding some pasta to my chicken salad for lunch. Think these are the only new things for the day. Have not yet had any milk as I don't really like it and would only be adding it to coffee.

Thanks AJ and Vee for dropping by. It's great to get such encouragement.

[Annabelle Joy]

New veg are such an odd selection, Sirroco. If yours are the same as mine, most of them I eat only seldom, and I have a more varied diet than many.

I ate everything suggested in refeed as I viewed it as a test for my body to see what it would tolerate. There's only about enough milk for a cup of coffee anyway. My consultant warned me to have milk at home the first time, as it can have extreme reactions. I had some problems the first couple of times, none after that. However, better to include it in your refeed and at home, than to go out to dinner and be given milk in something for the first time since you started the diet, and have an immediate reaction.

AJ

[sirroco]

Day 14
Start of refeed: 61.3kgs
Today: 60.6kg
Yesterday: 60.6kgs

More new veges today. Everything otherwsie good. Have been having my full bread allowance for the last two or three days and experiencing a little bloating but not too bad.

Thanks AJ for the advice about the milk and that is a good idea. Will try it on the weekend.

Five days and counting!!!

[Annabelle Joy]

Only five days, Sirroco, then all that remains is the rest of your life. In some ways, the hardest bit is losing all that weight. In other ways, keeping it off is the difficult part. The trick is to not let it go up too much before you bring it back down.

AJ

[sirroco]

Day 15
Start of refeed: 61.3kgs
Today: 60.4kg
Yesterday: 60.6kgs
Overall movement: -900grams

Get to add butter to one piece of my bread today. Yippee! Having corn as my carbohydrate today. All is going well - have a little indigestion (ok - burping) from time to time. Think it is related to the bread but also to the quantity of fruit and the 'bulk' of the new vegetables giving my digestive juices something to do. Quite astounded that as soon as I started having my full allowance of bread the scales have done nothing but move downwards.

Yes AJ - in some ways I know the biggest battle is ahead of me. Planning to eat quite similarly to now but I am looking forward to the freedom from not having to cut up and weigh raw chicken. It was my least favourite chore of the weekend for the last 6 months.

[Annabelle Joy]

Life's so much simpler when you don't have to weigh, and don't have to cook special meals, Sirroco. I had expected a reaction from bread, but ate all the bread I was allowed through refeed with no reactions at all. It seems bread isn't the problem many of us think it will be, although a lot do complain of bloating with bread.

AJ

[sirroco]

A very brief summary of Day's 16, 17 and 18.... the last three days of my refeeed

Day 16
Start of refeed: 61.3kgs
Today: 60.3kg
Yesterday: 60.4kgs
Overall movement: -1kg

Added milk for the first time today - combined it with yoghurt and mango in a smoothie for breakfast. Also had a biscuit - a scotch finger which was delicious! Did not have any noticeable reaction to either of these.
Had a bad headache when I woke up and although it had gone by lunch was very tired for the balance of the day. I think that the amount of fruit on refeed is too much for me on a day to day basis. I used to get very bad headaches several years ago that disappeared when I adopted a generally lower carb diet. However sleep has also been a bit patchy which might have contributed to the headache.


Day 17
Start of refeed: 61.3kgs
Today: 60.3kg
Yesterday: 60.3kgs
Overall movement: -1kg

Had milk again today - still no impact. Also had a glass of wine with dinner - it went straight to my head! but enjoyable. Another biscuit today as well. Had dinner at a friends place so had saved some of my fruit allowance for dessert (normally would have finished the fruit by mid-afternoon) and it was either that (have the furit quite late) or the wine (or a combination) that contributed to me being quite hungry/craving food the next day.

Day 18
Start of refeed: 61.3kgs
Today: 60.3kg
Yesterday: 60.3kgs
Overall movement: -1kg

Weight quite stable for a few days. Today had milk, two biscuits another glass of wine. Quite hungry up to mid-afternoon but then went to a BBQ where the social aspect might of distracted me from noticing that I was still hungry. Made some cookies for friends during the morning which didn't help with the hunger but wasn't tempted to eat any. Had dinner at home rather than prepare and carry around my last refeed meal. Went to bed very pleased that it was all done.

Today - first day of maintenance
Stick a fork in me - I'm done! Weight this morning was 60.5kg. Today I'm planning to eat pretty much cohen's just without weighing anything. Haven't planned any big blow out. Also took measurements this morning (didn't do this during program) as I want to start back exercising and I think measurements will give me a more accurate idea of impact of exercise than weight as I would be planning on building some muscle.

Well that's my refeed dairy - done and dusted.

[Annabelle Joy]

Congratulations, Sirroco. Now on to the rest of your life.

Do start a maintenance diary and post regularly (maybe weekly) for a bit. It keeps you accountable, and helps through what can be a difficult start.

What you are likely to find is that after a social occasion, you can put on quite a lot of weight immediately or after a day. However, as soon as you go back to normal eating it will disappear. It can be a bit difficult to cope with early on.

Good luck, Sirroco.

AJ

[Mette]

Well done Sirrocco! Done and dusted, congratulations! Now to the rest of your life! I'm sure you will be fine, you've learned what you need to maintain the weight, and you have a good head on your shoulders! Stand proud!

[fair rose_za]

congratulations sirroco...which means wind right? I wish i were you Ditto on the fruit. I love fruit but i think i'll go 2-3 pieces a day as well. 4 pieces are just too good to be true.