Aiming to lose half a stone, with 3 rules only

[3Rules]

I've decided to try to log my attempts to lose half a stone, and hopefully keep it off. I'm currently 9:13, and I reckon that I should be closer to 9:7.

Background:
I was inspired by the Dukan diet, which friends used very successfully. However, although I tried it for a bit, I found it a little difficult to combine with cooking for a family. I found myself reading articles about weight loss, and decided to come up with my own plan. My life (2 kids and full time work, plus a good deal of laziness) mean that I do very little exercise, apart from walking a bit.

So here is my plan... I'd be interested if anyone else wanted to try it too.

3 RULES:

1. Cut back (or if you're serious cut out) on the following: spuds, rice, wheat (so bread and pasta, plus cakes, biscuits etc) and all other starchy foods. The only exception to this is porridge oats, because they really set me up for the day!
   
2. All diary must be low fat or fat free
   
3. Be sensible - this is the catch all, that says actually 2 squares of dark chocolate after a meal is okay, but half a bar isn't. It is also (in reaction to Dukan) the one that says don't be rude - if a friend has made spag carbonara eat it and don't worry too much. But if you're cooking for a friend, don't make spag carbonara... THis also allows me a small glass of wine after a hard day at work!!
   
   So my aim is to start today, with writing a food diary... I'm hoping that writing it down (even though it is completely anonymous!) will shame me into not finishing that bar of chocolate that is sitting in the cupboard. The first few days I'll try to be quite strict on Rule 1 ... and I'll weigh myself every monring when I get up.
   
   Day 1: (9:13)
   Breakfast - porridge
   Lunch - 2 eggs, cottage cheese and leafy salad
   Supper - tuna steak, cottage cheese and leafy salad. [Kids will have the same, but with potato wedges instead of cottage cheese).

[MustTidyUpMustTidyUp]

Am on celebrity slim at the moment to lose half a stone but wanted to post and say I like the sound of your diet! Might adopt it as a maintenance program if I ever lose this half stone.
This is the first time I have lo carbed, I've always calorie counted in the past, and once I am off the milk shakes I would struggle for quick breakfasts so I love that porridge is allowed. Can I have syrup on it though?. I think I could manage without starches the rest of the day. I also think a square of chocolate after a meal would get me through my cravings.
So, 3 I am going to follow your thread to see how you get on and maybe join you in a fortnight.

[3Rules]

Please do join! Yes, you can have syrup on your porridge (but a teaspoon, not a tablespoon!) That comes under Rule 3. One reason I put this rule is that when I was trying to do Dukan it seemed absurd to me that you couldn't have spoonful of something for flavour (eg pesto, or jam on yogurt) if that meant I was more likely to stick to it!
3x

[Moknicker]

Hi - please can i sign up as well. Im so upset that im still here. Have lost some weight but just cant shift the last half a stone. Its my birthday in three weeks time so that is a goal Im trying to aim for.

I have been largely off the sweets which is my real downfall but i fall off the wagon regularly.

[cheeseycharlie]

hello, sorry but these kinds of diets with rules of allowed and forbidden foods are just miserable! Even allowing for rule 3! And not v easy to fit around family life - what are you planning on doing for weekend family meals?
Have you heard of or tried the 5:2 diet? You eat normally 5 days a week, and diet (quite hard, just 500 cals) for 2 days a week. You choose which days, move them around to suit your schedule. So easy, and although the "2" days are difficult, you can sail through them with the mindset of "I can eat what I want tomorrow, whoopee!!". I have lost a stone and I haven?t even been doing it properly, DH has lost 3 stone at a sensible rate and soon we will shift to doing 6 normal days and 1 diet day a week, just to maintain the results. I just love that normal life continues and you don?t have to sign up to unrealistic promises never to eat another pizza again! Sorry I know it?s not what you?re after but thought it might help?

[3Rules]

Hi Cheesy, Interesting what you say. I thought when I came up with these rules I wasn't actually 'forbidding' anything - because I absolutely agree that is pretty unhelpful (and impossible!) So yes, we might have pizza sometimes but I'd have a small slice (with a pile of salad on the side)... the idea being that pizza isn't my main food source that meal. Does that make sense? So family meals would hopefully be much the same as usual - but I'd have fewer spuds on my plate, and plenty of green veggies!
I've never done calorie counting, so don't know what 500 calories really means in terms of food... but it obviously works for you - so well done!
3x

[Ledkr]

Ok I'm in. Today I started the Anna Richardson diet and went shopping for all the bits.
I'm basically no dairy wheat or spuds.
It seems ok.
I've had porridge n fruit
Stuffed mushrooms
For dinner salmon and heaps of roast veg.
Can snack on all sorts and have been drinking lovely vanilla green tea which means I don't need a biscuit line with normal tea.
I have 2 stone to lose which is baby weight from my two year old "baby"
I have loads of clothes I can't wear and a holiday at the end if may with skinny pil and sil all so perfect and sporty.

[3Rules]

Okay, here is my daily log. Lack of organisation (forgot to take the tuna out the freezer!) meant my Day 1 menu looked like this:

Day 1: (9:13)
Breakfast - porridge
Lunch - 2 poached eggs, cottage cheese and leafy salad
Supper - turkey breast cooked with 0% yogurt, mustard and pesto, with brocolli. [Kids had the same, but with potato wedges as well).
Snacks and others: about 7 olives, half a glass of wine, 2 squares dark choc, a couple of herbal teas and 2 coffees with milk.

[3Rules]

Day 2: (9:12)
Breakfast - 2 x toast with marmalade
Lunch - tin of tuna and a large chunk of cucumber
Supper - Bolognese sauce and brocolli (kids had spag); plus half a slice of cake
Others - glass of wine, 2 x coffees, herbal tea and 2 squares choc

[Talkinpeace]

The ONLY three rules you need

1. No snacking. Ever.
   
2. If you do not understand what the names of the ingredients on the packet mean, do not buy it : processed foods always contain hidden sugar / salt / fat.
   
3. Drink a pint of water before each meal.

[3Rules]

Day 3 (9:11)
Breakfast - Porridge
Lunch - Large mixed salad with feta cheese
Supper - 2 x sausages, pile of brocolli, 1/2 a potato; 0%yogurt with spoonful of jam
Others - glass of wine, 2 x coffees, herbal tea and 2 squares choc

Thanks for your 3 rules, Taklkin... I especially like your 1st one!

[Talkinpeace]

3rules
it works : that is why I am no longer size 14

[3Rules]

Day 4 (9:12)
Breakfast - 2 x toast
Lunch - can of tuna plus large chunk of cucumber
Supper - fish steak plus steamed courgette, and a little cottage cheese
Others - glass of wine, 2 x coffees, herbal tea and (about to have) 2 squares of choc

Oh, yesterday I ate a tangerine that I forgot about.

Somehow posting up here is keeping me motivated... I feel strangely proud that I resisted a slice of banana bread, and don't have to write 'large slice of banana bread" Obviously I can't face the shame of MN!

[3Rules]

Rule 4 should be don't try to start this just before going away ... totally failed to stick to pretty much all 3 rules.

not to worry - back at work and here goes:

Monday (9:13)
Breakfast - porridge
Lunch - tin of tuna plus chunk of cucumber

[3Rules]

Monday (9:13)
Breakfast - porridge
Lunch - tin of tuna plus chunk of cucumber
Supper - lasagne plus large plate of brocolli
Others: 2 x coffee, 1 x herbal tea

Tuesday (9:11)
Breakfast - 2 x toast and marmalade
Lunch - pancake/galette with goats cheese
Supper - 2 sausages, half a spud and red cabbage
Others: 2 x coffee, 2 x herbal tea, half glass of wine, a random (sweet and sickly) fudgey sweet that someone at work gave me and I couldn't refuse... Turkish, I think, and very delicious!

[3Rules]

Weds (9:12)
Breakfast - porridge
Lunch - quiche and salad
Supper - pasta carbonara and brocolli
Others: 2 x coffee, 1 spoonful of icecream (from kids bowl, woops!), 1 x sq dark choc, 1 x herbal tea

[Donnadoon]

Just wanted to say well done 3rules ! I shall watch from the side lines and may join in too ! Keep up the good work!

[3Rules]

Thurs (9:12)
Breakfast: Toast with marmalade x 2
Lunch - Pitta bread with houmous and salad
Supper - Turkey cooked with yogurt, with rice and beans
Others - 2 x coffee, small glass wine

Friday (9:12)
Breakfast - porridge
Lunch - Left over turkey and rice
Supper - It'll be a mix, as having friends over, and wine likely to be involved!

[3Rules]

Friday (9:12)
Supper - was a mix: tortilla, salad, cold meats, brownie, some strawberries and a couple of glasses of wine!

Saturday (9:12)
Breakfast - Toast x 2
Lunch - Leftovers: tortilla, salad, cold meats, houmous
Supper: can't remember(!)
Others: Ginger bread man (only a small one!)

Sunday (9:11)
Breakfast - Toast
Lunch - Roast chicken, roast veg, apple crumble
Supper - Nothing
Others: Slice of banana bread, glass of wine, 2 sq choc

Monday (9:11)
Breakfast - bowl of porridge
Lunch - 2 bowls chicken noodle soup
Supper - More chicken noodle soup
Others: Coffee x 2

As its a Monday here is my ''progress"
Week 1 - Day 1 - Monday 29th April - 9:13
Week 2 - Monday 6th May - away and didn't weigh
Week 3 - Monday 13th - 9:12
Week 4 - Monday 20th - 9:11

[dustwhatdust]

Hi 3rules and everyone else following this thread !
I have been binging for 5 weeks and have let my weight slide to a whopping 70 kgs !! (11 stone )
I need to get back to 63kg which is about 10 stone - at 53 I am being realistic as I used to aim for 9 stone in my 20s and 30s .

I did Dukan 2 years ago quite successfully but have never been able to replicate the initial success - this is what I find with most diets - confessions of a yoyo dieter here !

I have been reading your postings with interest and have been impressed with your plan and basic rules.
I used to being sensible for 5 days and then having a normal ( ie eating what you want) weekend,this has worked for me until recently.

But now I have had this period of total bingeing.... i need to take drastic action, so I have decided to commence with a 3 day period of attack -
that is no carbs and no veg to kickstart my system .

half term-
Unfortunately ( not really ! ) i am going away - but at 70 kg I had to do something - I will try and and be sensible on holiday .

see below my first couple of days

day 1 monday - 70.2kg

breakfast - oat bran porridge
cup of tea with skimmed milk
midday - coffee with sm
lunch - cold roast chicken - no skin.
2x weight watchers yoghurts
coffee with sm
supper -
omelette + Bresaola
2x weight watchers yoghurts
coffee- with sm

day 2 Tuesday - 69.3kg

breakfast - oat bran porridge
cup of tea with skimmed milk
midday - coffee with sm
lunch - 80g Bresaola +2 boiled eggs
2x weight watchers yoghurts
coffee with sm
supper -
3 pork medalions pan fried with tiny amount of of olive oil
2x weight watchers yoghurts
coffee- with sm

[3Rules]

Hi dust... welcome!
One of things I don't like about, Dukan is no veg! I just can't imagine that can be healthy. Having said that, I realise that all veg is not created equal, so spuds etc are out! If I haven't lost anything this week (taking Monday as the day that 'counts') then I might introduce a day of (in Dukan terms) something close to 'Pure Protein', or in 5:2 terms 'fasting', or maybe it should be called low carb...
Lets see...

Here is this week's progress (I should in fact never post in advance of a meal, as I often change it!)

Monday (9:11)
Breakfast - bowl of porridge
Lunch - 2 bowls chicken noodle soup
Supper - Turkey breasts with left over roast veg
Others: Coffee x 2

Tuesday (9:11)
Breakfast - toast x 2
Lunch - pancake with ham and mushroom; plus half a pancake with white choc!
Supper - 2 bowls Chicken noodle soup
Other - coffee x2, 3 sqs choc, small glass wine

Weds (9:12 - damn!)
Breakfast - porridge
Lunch - tbc - but probably chicken noodle soup (I'll get to the bottom of the pan soon!)

[3Rules]

Weds (9:12 - damn!)
Breakfast - porridge
Lunch - chicken noodle soup x 2bowls
Supper - chicken noodle soup x 2bowls (finally finished!)
Other: coffee x 2; herbal tea x 1; 2 sq choc

Thurs (9:11)
Breakfast - toast and marmalade x2
Lunch - Large salad
Supper - tbc

[dustwhatdust]

Hi 3
reporting a bit late !

Day 3 Wednesday - 68kg
breakfast- oatbran porridge
tea with sm x 2
mid-morning - coffee with sm
v. late lunch ( out and about ) - m&s spicy chicken pieces - cold
teatime - 2 x ww yoghurts and cup of tea with sm
supper - tin of sardines with tomato sauce.
2 x boiled eggs + full packet of bresaola - GREEDY !
snack 2x werthers no sugar boiled sweets
final day of attack which is why no vegetables !

Day 4 -Thursday 67.5kg
breakfast- oatbran porridge
tea with sm x 2
mid-morning -2x coffee with sm
lunch' vegey, tomatoey 'mince
1 x ww yoghurt and cup of tea with sm
supper - more of the same mince +steamed cauliflower
2 x ww yoghurt and cup of coffee with sm
snack 2x werthers no sugar boiled sweets

[3Rules]

Hi dust...
Well done... keep up the good work (I don't understand kilos, but the numbers are going down, so well done!)

Here is mine for last couple of days...

Thurs - supper - meatballs with rice,
Other - 2 x coffee; 1 x herbal tea; 2 chocs

Fri - 9:12
Breakfast - porridge
Lunch - Large mixed salad
Supper - 2 x sausages, 1 potato; large pile brocolli; apple crumble
Other - 2 coffee; 1 herbal tea; 3 x chocs

Sat - didn't weigh
Breakfast - toast and jam x2
Lunch - 2 x poached eggs, 1 slice ham, large rocket salad plus some avocado
Supper - Slice of pizza, half avocado, large pile of rocket
Other - 3 x coffee, 1 x herbal tea; about 10 olives; small glass of wine

I'll be going away for a few days, and have no control over what food we eat... and probably won't be posting until later next week...
3x