Two things ....can you help ?

[elfsmum]

Before children didn't have a problem with my weight, put 3 stone on with each pregnancy, left with a stone to lose after DS1 and lost it within 12 months.

Found myself with a stone to lose after DS2, 5 years later and it's still there, and in the last 8 months has had another one to join it.

have tried weightwatchers, was really hungry and after a month didn't lose anything.

have tried slimming world, and after a month I got bored with eating the same things, I'm a receipe type of person and not very good with meal ideas.

tried e-diets, again worked for a month, and I got bored with the menu selection available.

e-diets put me at 1200 cals a day so have tried calorie counting too, but it isn't working for me.

I don't think I eat unhealthily but am obviously doing something wrong, typical day:

Breakfast: 2 x weetabix, semi skimmed milk and a glass of juice, or 2 x toast, juice and cup of tea

Lunch - sandwich from butty van - usually tuna or egg - quavers and fruit salad

Dinner - pasta in pesto with parmesean, or chicken with baked potato or salad

Snacks: fruit, usually a selection of berries or seeds to munch on

weekends, Friday chippy tea - roast on a sunday and wine Fri and Sat night.

keep active, use the stairs, play with Ds's - no formal exercise as in the gym since before last Christmas.

I really feel like crying atm, I'm 5ft 1 and have tipped 11 stone for the first time this week (without a baby inside me that is.

So the two things mumsnetters ...

ideas for a diet that I can stick to for more than a month

a kick up the backside to stop feeling sorry for myself

[professorplum]

I used to be under 8 stone before pregnancy. Put on almost 5 stone with first and 3 with second .IMO excercise is more important than diet. Its taken me a long time to admit it because I hate it and would much rather not eat for a few weeks than move around. If you build up muscles a bit then you use more calories even when you're not doing anything. I am trying to do 40min of cardio 4 times a week. I usually manage 30min twice a week. I am eating the same meals that I have always eaten but with no crap inasmuch as I don't have any cake or biscuits or crisps in the house but don't obsesively avoid them when I'm out for a meal. Since I started doing excercise I've really noticed the difference, which has motivated me to keep on doing it. My BIL says you need to increase your heart rate for at least 20 min before you start to burn fat.

[gulp]

El;fsmum - tried cutting out carbs after 5pm?

is x trainer a good fat burner?