Busted!

Yes, that's right I got a goal this week! I crashed through the elusive 30lbs down barrier today and am now 30 something lost! How did I achieve this magical feat? By going back to basics!

I have decided that as a general rule of thumb for anything I buy in a shop is:

If I dont have this ingredient in my kitchen cupboards, then I best not eat it.

This basically means that I have cut all additives and preservatives from my diet and generally got back to food basics. I am now 2 weeks into my MSG free diet and 2 weeks without quick meals, pre-packed or tins of processed foods, sauces or condiments that have anything 'suspect' and not in my own cupboard. The only two things I have found and bought that I can have are a £2.50 mayonnaise (absolutely whole ingredients which I could have made it myself if I had a kenwood chef - but don't so didn't) and a jar of mustard (also pure) that I found in the local butchers. No muck.

To be honest, both of these I could make, but its easier not to. I don't want hard work, so if I can avoid it then great.

I am eating my own bread, my own marmalade, organic butter, cheese, milk and eggs from up the road. Organic meat and vegetables bought locally, and NO SAUCE!

wine, has been an interesting connundrum. It does contain preservatives and sometimes sulphites, so you have to buy specific bottles and my favorites dont have them. Last night I found a 250ml (1 large glass!) mini bottle of Chianti at the back of the cupboard, and to my delight it didnt have crap in, so I drank it. However, it was really strong. It went to my head and if it had been a whole 750ml bottle, I would not have had another glass. I find that interesting as I really loved full bodied oaky red wine which would dry your innards out at one gulp. Obviously there must be great variations in wine, but this is interesting.

Things are going the right way, and I haven't been this weight since this time last year in fact - great news!

The band is behaving and I haven't had any puking sessions, stopped when I felt that familiar swelling feeling in the chest and just not been pushing it. Being MSG free is kind of nice because it allows me and my mind to eat absolutely anything we want, but not with that in it. Which means we are then unconsciously choosing better and healthier options because all take-away, junk, crisps, sweets, burgers, packet grills, frozen meals etc are off limits.

My usual day now is:

Breakfast - nothing but coffee & whole milk
Lunch - sice toast and butter and marmalade
dinner - meat and 3 veg plus gravy made from vegetable cooking water/home made stock
snacks - home made hummus, olives, crackerbread, lentil dhal (home made and canned), banana, yoghurt and honey, fairy cake or flapjack.

cool.