Taking Control - My Weight Loss Journey

Since the end of April I have lost 3 stone (over 40lbs).
I feel soooo much better for it.
Obviously I feel healthier but I am also a lot happier.
I feel I have claimed a bit of me back again.
I feel I have taken control of my life.

With me and food it really is about who is controlling who.
Since C was born I lost that control and was just treading water to survive.
Every day revolved around her and I had no time for myself.
I ate whatever I could, whenever I could.

Losing The Babyweight - 20lbs Down!

Current Weight: 10st 13.5lbs
Loss This Week: 4.5lbs
Total Loss: 20.5lbs 
BMI: 27.7

I've broken the 11 stone mark!
I'm so pleased!
It really feels like I'm making progress now.
I can really see the difference in the mirror too.
I have 28lbs (2 stone) still to go until I reach my pre IVF/baby weight so still a fair way to go.... but I'm almost half way and I am so motivated right now.

33 Weeks Pregnant - PCOS, Pregnancy and Diet Part II

When I was pregnant with C I was advised that because of my PCOS I was at increased risk of getting Gestational Diabetes (GD).  I therefore was very conscious of what I ate throughout that pregnancy and did extensive research and experimentation into what food combinations I could and could not eat.  I summarised my findings in a blog post at the time.

PCOS, Pregnancy and Diet

First of all - THE FACTS

• Women with PCOS are at an increased of getting Gestational Diabetes whilst Pregnant
• No-one official has actually suggested I make any changes to my diet as a result of being pregnant and having PCOS
• No-one official has actually suggested I test by blood sugar on a regular basis
• I am not a health professional and can only speak about my own experiences

These points aside, it is reasonably well documented that PCOS (and to the same extent Gestational Diabetes) can be managed through diet.
I have therefore adopted a low carb/low GI diet throughout the pregnancy in an attempt to keep Gestational Diabetes at bay, and have bought myself a blood sugar monitor to help me monitor my progress.
However things are more complex than they first appeared.  Often it is the combination of foods within your meal that affect how much your blood sugar increases.
e.g. A plain jacket potato is bad, a jacket potato smothered in cheese and salad cream is bizarrely actually much better (although higher in fat).
This whole concept has taken me a good 3 months to get my head round, and I am still learning.
The more I learn the braver I am with what I will eat. At first I stuck to salads and high protein foods, and basically avoided any carbs at all. Now I will have the odd McDonalds or Indian takeaway as I know what to pick off the menu.
The Indian takeaway example is an interesting one.....
I went for an Indian a couple of months ago and had a chicken curry dish, avoided rice and just had naan bread instead.  I tested my blood sugar 2 hours later and it was HIGH, bordering on too high.
I thought this ruled Indian food out for me but I had another go last weekend and ordered vegetable curry, saag paneer (a spinach and cheese curry dish) and a small amount of biriani rice. 2 hours later my blood sugar was really low. Amazing... although reassuringly supported the conclusions I was coming to!

1. Cheese is good! - I have read on many websites that foods high in fat can offset the carbs in a meal. This definately seems to be the case for me. Obviously you need to be careful though as too much fat can lead to weight gain.
2. Portion size is important - This might be an obvious one but the bigger the meal I eat (whatever I eat) then more my blood sugar is affected. Eating little and often definately seems to be the way forward.

I will continue to update this post as my knowledge increases.
In the meantime I have found the following link really helpful:
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Food_and_recipes/The-Glycaemic-Index/