1 Month Update on my 40 lbs Weight-loss Mission

I’ve made it through the first 4 weeks of my mission to lose 40 lbs by July 1, 2022.

In this post, I’ll give an update on my weight and share what I’ve been eating over the last week.

I started my weight loss mission on Jan. 5, so today’s one month, January report, is based on 27 days.

I’m really happy with 11.4 lbs in one month. Here are a few observations regarding my progress as well as the slight weight gain since Jan. 22.

For most of this month, I stuck with the things I wanted to do on most days: eat healthy foods, consume no alcohol, drink 3 L of water, move my body, and eat within a 6 hour window before 6 pm.

My weight was 0.6 lbs less about six days ago. 

Why did my weight go up a little?

The Food

When I look closely at my food record since my Jan. 22 update, here is what I notice and what I believe might have contributed to my weight going up, instead of down.

• I ate two meals that were fried and high in sodium (Jan. 21 and 22)
• I ate a high fat food (plant-based Queso) with tortilla chips (which are fried in oil)
• I ate five meals that were made from refined flour: four small tortilla wrap shells, homemade brownies, a samosa and a bagel. The tortillas were highly refined and not made with whole grains. I usually don’t buy these (found them buried in the freezer). The brownies were made with quick oats that I blended. Quick oats are more refined than the steel-cut oats I usually eat in my oatmeal, and are more calorically dense. Flour is a higher-calorie density food. Usually I don’t eat highly refined flour products, and my bread is usually high-quality, whole grain bread from a local bakery.
• On three of the six past days, I had avocado toast. Although avocado is higher in fat, it is a healthy fat, and based on the rest of my month, I don’t believe avocado toast is a food that will cause weight gain (unless it is overeaten).

I don’t believe it was the Queso dip that was the problem because if you look at the ingredients (Day 26, Jan. 30), you’ll see that they are pretty good. The dip is 60% fat, which is high; however, the fat comes from high quality sources (almonds and almond butter). Most dips have unhealthy oils which make them high in fat. As long as I don’t overdo it with a dip like Queso, I don’t feel it causes weight gain.

The question is, what was the Queso dip eaten with? The fried tortilla chips are unhealthy because they are fried in oil. Those are a problem. High calorie density and fairly high in fat (Tostitos brand: Hint of Lime: 42% fat).

I don’t think the veggie burger, fries and mac and cheese I ate on Day 25 (Jan. 29) was a real problem either, because I had only one other meal that day, which was a healthy oatmeal, and my weight was not high the next day. However, as you will see in my report, the sodium in that meal was quite high.

The weight gain, for the most part, was a combination of two days with fried food, and the days I ate foods made from highly refined flour. These are not foods I normally eat. I usually eat whole foods that are less processed.

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Intermittent Fasting

When you look over my food record, you will also notice that on all 6 days, I ate after 6 pm. Also, for three of the last six days, I fasted less than 18 hours. I don’t think it was those three days that contributed to the weight gain, I think it was the eating after 6 pm for all six days.

Reflection

It is easy to get off track with food. When you look at what I ate the previous three weeks, you’ll notice that there wasn’t any refined flour. That stuff is calorically dense and nutrient poor. Watch out for it.

Keeping a food log helps you to see what you are actually putting in your mouth each day. Not only does it contribute to you being accountable, but you can look back, like I did, when you aren’t losing weight. Then you might be able to identify the problem.

Weight loss often starts easily, and then we, just as easily, can revert back to the less healthy foods. To lose weight, you need to be vigilant about sticking to healthy foods, and when you falter, take note and adjust. Then move on.

My Food Record

Most photos of what I ate are included; all food I ate is listed.

Day 22 January 26

• Coffee: Nespresso (decaf), unsweetened cashew milk
• Avocado toast
• Grapefruit 
• Veggie samosa (highly refined flour) with sweet chili sauce
• Brown rice ramen soup: veggie/lemongrass broth, onions, snap peas
• Nice cream: bananas, dates, frozen cherries, unsweetened cashew milk
• 3 L water
• No alcohol
• Finished eating at 8:40 pm

Day 23 January 27

• Coffee: Nespresso (decaf), unsweetened cashew milk
• Apple
• Avocado toast (on bagel made from highly refined flour)
• Peas and corn 
• Triscuit crackers: roasted garlic
• Brown rice ramen soup with veggie and lemongrass broth, snap peas and onions
• Nice cream: bananas, dates, frozen cherries, unsweetened cashew milk
• 3 L water
• No Alcohol
• Finished eating 7:16 pm

Day 24 January 28

• Coffee: Nespresso (decaf), homemade cashew milk (raw cashews, dates, vanilla, water)
• Wraps (highly refined flour-not whole grain) with broccoli, orange pepper, snap peas, red onions and homemade hummus (chickpeas, dates, water, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika)
• Nice cream: frozen bananas, mango and pineapple, with dates and homemade oat milk (oats, dates, vanilla, water)
• Wedge fries from the deli counter at grocery store (fried)
• 3 L of water
• No Alcohol
• Finished eating at 7 pm

Day 25 January 29

• Coffee: Nespresso (decaf), homemade cashew milk (raw cashews, dates, vanilla, water)
• Oatmeal: steel-cut oats, banana, frozen blueberries, ground flax seed, raw pumpkin seeds, walnuts, homemade cashew milk
• Veggie burger with lettuce, tomato, onion,  mayo and mustard; fries and mac n’ cheese (take out from restaurant)
  • This was so tasty, but I did have a little bit of digestive discomfort 4 hours later
  • I also was extremely thirsty all through the night, which tells me that there was a lot of sodium in this meal (as there is in most restaurant food)
  • I don’t regret eating it; it was an intentional treat.
• 3 L of water
• No alcohol
• Finished eating at 7:05 pm

Day 26 January 30

• Coffee: Nespresso (decaf), homemade cashew milk (raw cashews, dates, vanilla, water)
• Smoothie: spinach, banana, frozen berries, ground flax seed
• Avocado toast
• Homemade red lentil curry: onions, garlic, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, all spice, cayenne,, veggie broth, coconut milk, red lentils, celery, snap peas, orange pepper, cilantro
• Nice cream: frozen mango and banana, dates, homemade cashew milk (raw cashews, dates, vanilla, water)
• A few tortilla chips with Queso dip (from Costco)
• 3 L of water
• No alcohol
• Finished eating at 7:40 pm

Day 27 January 31

• Coffee: Nespresso (decaf), homemade cashew milk (raw cashews, dates, vanilla, water)
• Smoothie: spinach, arugula, kale, banana, frozen mixed berries, ground flax seed, water
• Potatoes with vegan gravy, Queso (see Day 26 picture), chopped kale and black beans
• 2 whole wheat tortillas (highly refined flour): one with hummus and one with Queso dip and leftover veggie chili
• Homemade chocolate brownie (ground oats, dates, cocoa, vanilla, homemade cashew milk-raw cashews, water, dates, vanilla) with an avocado chocolate pudding (avocado, maple syrup, homemade cashew milk, water)
• 3 L of water
• No alcohol
• Finished eating at 6:30 pm

Overall, I’m thrilled to lose 11.4 lbs in the first 27 days of my 40 lbs weight-loss mission.

That leaves me with 28.6 lbs to go in the next five months.

Some things I will think about as I continue my mission:

• The weight usually comes off more quickly in the beginning.
• I need to stick with my commitment to eat low-calorie density foods that are low in fat and high in nutrients. It’s easy to get off track once I eat fried and processed foods. Once in a while is ok, but when it turns out to be a couple of times a week, it adds up.
• I need to continue to focus on finishing my last bite of food by 6 pm to give my body plenty of time to digest it before bed.
• I have approximately 5.72 lbs to lose in each of the following 5 months, which is totally doable.
• I am developing healthy habits and can feel proud of my efforts to date.

Good luck to you on your own health journey, and if you are working to lose weight, keep at it. You’re worth it.

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