Day 8 (Third Post)

Well, after sticking to my water-only diet for a full seven days, no cheating, I took myself off to the gym for my weekly weigh-in. I was amazed to find that I have lost 2lbs - the first time in weeks that I have actually manged to lose any weight at all.

Now, considering the amount of calories I have saved by shunning soft drinks, alcohol and tea and coffee (with milk), I shouldn't really have been surprised. Having totted up the calories in a bottle of wine (600) five glasses of fresh orange juice (550), and three pints of milk (750), I have saved at least 1,900 calories. And that's before the extras like the odd smoothie and extra alcohol on nights out. I did always drink diet fizzy drinks and low-cal squash, but for people who don't, they could save around 140cals per 330ml can of pop and about 30cals for a glass of squash.

What really surprised me about my weight loss this week was that my diet included quite a few high-fat treats. With it being my fiance's birthday, there were several boxes of chocolates hanging around. So a couple of nights were spent devouring Maltesers and Miniature Heroes. And two scones just happened to end up on my plate yesterday when I was feeling down at one point and need a pick-me-up. Oops...

So I have by no means been an angel on the diet front, and I think this proves just what a big difference the water has made to my diet. I feel much fresher and hydrated than I did before I started and my skin is really clear, which is a relief after getting some whopping zits in the past few weeks.

Spurred on by today's weigh-in, I have no qualms about continuing my water diet and hope that some of you will join me! I've already heard from some women who have ditched drinks, except water, and have seen massive weight losses. Please feel free to leave your comments and let me know if this has worked for you or if you think it's a waste of time!

The plan (First Post)

Having been a yo-yo dieter since the age of 17, I have, at the grand old age of 27, come to the conclusion that I must be doing something wrong.

I've tried everything: SlimFast, cabbage soup, the British Heart Foundation's 3-day diet (for obese people who are awaiting surgery and desperately need to shed a few pounds before doctors risk opening them up), Slimming World and, more recently, WeightsWatchers (WW), which worked.

It worked so well that I lost 20lb in three months and I thought I'd cracked it. With an impending wedding (August 2010) I rushed to a bridal shop and got measured up for my dream dress. Then, I promptly put 7lbs back on.

I know why, it's becasue I ate too much. There. I said it. No excuses... like the ones I've been using for the past few weeks, as my clothes got gradually tighter and I started catching people taking sneaky "is she pregnant?" glances at my swollen tummy. It wasn't because my WW meeting closed, or that I have been stressed after my cat went missing and we agreed a sale on our house. It wasn't because I decided to cut out sugar and my body was adjusting. It was because I ate too much.

So here's the plan... this weekend is my final blow-out. It's my fiance's birthday on Monday and we've already had a wine and takeaway to celebrate, not to mention a generous slice of the Nigella Lawson Malteser cake which I so lovingly baked for him. There's a day out shopping to come (with obligatory slap-up lunch) and a family party (complete with sausage rolls). Then that's it. I'm back on the wagon.

But this time it's different. I propose, stupidly or otherwise, to only let 1 drink pass my lips until I break for xmas week. And that's H2O. Corporation pop. Yes, water.


Whether at work, home or out on the razz, I promise I will only let water pass my lips. I will, of course, curb the biscuits and eat healthily too, but I really feel my system needs a good washout, a cleansing, detoxing rinse of the soul. So, from Tuesday 27th October 2009, I am The Watergirl.