Anyone else just eating healthier/less and moving more?

[KnickKnome]

I've tried every diet known to man (and done quite well on some- I was down 50 lbs before Christmas, though dreading seeing the damage an all inclusive holiday and Christmas has done!)

I've had enough of counting calories/points/syns or whatever. I'm fed up of following plans or drinking shakes. What I really want to do, after years of yo yo dieting, is to eat healthy stuff (not low fat stuff though) that excites me, in slightly smaller portions and do exercise that I enjoy. I want to cut down/out fizzy drinks (already cut these out), sugary foods, chocolate, processed stuff etc.

I not only want to lose weight, I want to lose it (and enjoy it whilst doing it) and maintain it. Yes it's a cliche, but I don't want to diet, I want a lifestyle change. I want to be able to go out to a restaurant for special occasions and not worry over how many syns/points etc the food will 'cost' me, but be able to enjoy it. I don't even know if this makes sense, but after spending so long on different plans, I'm so excited to just eat stuff that's not dictated to me, but stuff I think I should be eating.

I've just done a meal plan for next week, and an online food shop which has got me really excited to start (yes, I'm weird! )

I still need to lose at least another 50 lbs. Does anyone want to join me?

[AuntieStella]

I'm not very good at joining in with this sort of thread. (usually stick foot in it). But thought I'd give it a try.

I am trying to lose weight between now and Easter, at rate of 1-2 lbs per week, and am planning on doing that by eating and drinking less, and walking a lot.

Cutting out red wine (and all the stuff I nibble when there's a bottle open) is always a good start point.

[KnickKnome]

Hello Stella :)

Ah, you're the same as me with the red wine then

I think I should do a bit of an introduction...

I'm 24 nearly 25, no DC yet (pretty much the main reason for me to get healthy), I have PCOS, so I'm hoping that losing weight will improve the symptoms.

I started summer 2013 at 250 lbs. I was 200 lbs in autumn 2014 (I lose weight pretty slowly, plus I had many slip ups!) Started at dress size 20 and currently 14/16- though more towards the high end of size 16 at the moment thanks to Christmas!

Thinking I'd like to get to around 10 stone.

[KnickKnome]

I know I said that I'm not following a plan- I'm not- but I am making healthier changes.

Swapping frylight (I used loads on slimming world) for coconut oil. Cutting down on carbs (and having wholemeal versions), making as much from scratch as possible. Make my own bread- I've ordered a few different flours (gluten free, spelt, rye) and seeds to make bread (and won't eat the whole loaf ) I do want to eat a bit more gluten free stuff as that's supposed to be good for pcos. There may be more I want to do too but I can't remember at the moment.

Basically, I want to eat a bit 'cleaner' and well. I've had enough of feeling rubbish after eating.

[KnickKnome]

I'm also swapping low fat stuff for the normal stuff but having smaller quantities.

I've got a lot to learn but I'm excited :)

[MrsHoolie]

Hi,after many years on various diets this is what I'm planning also.
Trying to eat healthily and watching portion sizes with complex carbs.
I lost 3 stone on Slimming World after my second child but don't want to be a slave to any method.
I really want to get fit too and I'm planning to do some exercise with weights as this really helps with changing body shape compared to jogging.
I'm 5ft 9 and 12ish stone. Would love to lose 2 stone although not going to go mad with scales especially if I'm trying to build muscle.
How tall are you OP?

[AuntieStella]

I'm old enough to be your Auntie OP!

And have two teens and a preteen (all of whom have school dinners, so far less cooking to be done at home from next week).

I think about what I eat when doing the online shop. And am making sure I add lots of fruit and veg. And soup - it's good for after school and I try to pick bought soups that do seem to have genuine food content (IYSWIM) as I don't always have time to make from scratch. Are some better than others, or have I been duped by marketing?

[KnickKnome]

Hi MrsHoolie :) I'm 5 foot 4.5 (the .5 is very important )
What exercise will you be doing?

AuntieStella. I've bought some fresh soups for this week for quick lunches. I've just gone for non cream based veggie ones (Covent garden I think they're called?) I guess they'll be better than grabbing a sandwich and some crisps!

[silverjohnleggedit]

I'm hoping to do something similar, I just want to eat tasty food but I've got into a bad habit of piling up my plate and returning for seconds....so I'm just going to eat less of it. My first goal is to lose 7lbs, ideally I'd like to lose another 7lbs after that.


Today's food -

Breakfast 1 boiled egg
Lunch - Minestrone seasoned with olive oil and parmesan
Dinner - Chicken Korma with Rice

Several cups of tea!

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

Hello! Can I join in please?

I have also come to the conclusion that calorie counting just doesn't work for me. I get too caught up in it all and then fall off the wagon to easily after failing and so back to where I started.

After watching the Katie Hopkins programme last night, I'm definitely up for moving move, eating less. I don't want to count calories, I want it to be a life style change by simply eating proper, nutritional foods. This is the year I turn 30 and have a big family holiday coming up to celebrate. I don't want to look back at photos and be horrified with my size.

I've spent the past few days reading up on clean eating and making the right choices. I went shopping last night for plenty of fresh foods that will keep me going. I eased in food wise gently yesterday but went for it properly today.

Today I ate..
Breakfast : boiled egg, banana topped with peanut butter
Lunch : 2 oatcakes with pepper humus, some chunks of cooked chicken, and a handful of olives
Snack : slice of homemade banana bread (no added sugar, great for snacking!)
Dinner : clean eating recipe of honey chicken breast, with garlic kale and quinoa. I added this to a wholemeal wrap and had a few olives on the side
I've had 2 cups of black tea and 2 pints of water.

I actually feel stuffed! I've read a load about quinoa and kale and want to include them in my diet as much as possible.

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

And ment to add, I've just made a huge pot of vegetable soup. I divide it into 2 tubs, one that will do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and one for Thursday, Friday. I freeze the smaller tub and take out the freezer on Wednesday evening for the following few days.

[nevergooglebrandybutter]

count me in. I'm also 50lbs down since April and back into weight loss mode after a brief hiatus.

pleased to find I didn't gain any weight while I took my eye off the ball so confident now that habits have changed and that I will be able to keep it off once I reach target weight.

short term goals of half a stone at a time. 1-2lbs per week.

I am using my fitness pal, exercising and no alcohol. (its not the alcohol per set but the loss of resolve and snacking sessions which follow)

[MrsHoolie]

I'm planning to do DVDs. I have the shred but I also like the Davina ones.
The kids got a wii for Christmas so I've bought the wii fit and balance board for myself!

I made a soup in the slow cooker yesterday,it's just vegetable but so tasty. Had it with a boiled for my tea tonight

[Octopus37]

I am kind of doing this and have just downloaded a free pedometer on my iPhone, did 13,000 steps today so quite pleased with that, did most of it dancing round the house to music as was stuck in with the kids, will be more outdoors walking tomorrow as I have a lot of work on and the kids are back at school.

[AimlesslyPurposeful]

Can I join in?

I like the WeightWatchers plan but I have ulcerative colitis so have to avoid fibre so it doesn't really suit me any more as I can't eat the unlimited fruit and veg.

Anyway, I'm 5'4" and normally weigh between 9st and 9st 7lbs. Today I weighed myself and am 10st 2lbs thanks to many many Quality Street tubs, stollen and Tobelerones consumed over Christmas.

I'm going to try to move more - Have dragged my little rebounder out from under the bed and aim to go on it for a few minutes every time I go in my bedroom. I have five dogs so am going to pick up the pace on our dog walks. I'm going to swap my daily Costa latte for either a tea or a skimmed milk latte and just choose the lower calorie option whenever I can.

My clothes are so tight. Need to do something as I don't want anyone to see me like this.

[nevergooglebrandybutter]

of course, I'm sure everyone welcome!

good to get goals and plan written down.

[MummyDuckAndDuckling]

Octopus, what pedometer did you d/l? Did you find it quite accurate?

[Octopus37]

its just called Steps, I just searched free pedometers on my phone. You have to input your height and weight and it provides a rough cal count for the number of steps you do, so far so good.

[MrsHoolie]

I'm going to download that pedometer right now.

[silverjohnleggedit]

Morning! Anyone want to join me in a weekly Monday Morning weigh in - the damage this morning is 68.2kg

Menu today

Breakfast 1 egg

Lunch Minestrone soup again! Leftovers need using up.

Dinner Chorizo, chickpea and butternut squash stew

Off to scan through my cookbooks for some interesting soup recipes. I usually just make it with whatever is in the cupboard - but I fancy a bit of a change.

[beachysandy75]

After looking at photos taken over Christmas I have decided that this is the year I am going to lose weight!!! I am currently 11 stone 1 and am 5ft7 tall. I would like to lose about 1.5 stone in total.

I was thinking of joining slimming world but thought I would try by myself first. So what I am going to do is quit booze, biscuits, crisps, desserts, choc and sweets and try to avoid bread and wheat (as much as possible) and potatoes.

This started yesterday (so not sure how long it will last!!!) and this is what I had:

Breakfast: fruit smoothie

Mid morning snack: bran flakes (gluten free) with half a banana

Late lunch: Homemade veg soup

Dinner: Salmon, sweet potato wedges and salad.

I am spreading out the meals in the hope that I don't get as hungry!!!!

Today I have had a smoothie for breakfast and porridge with apple for mid morning snack. I will have soup again for lunch and for dinner I am going to have bolognaise and kale while the rest of the family have spag bol!!!

I am also intending to do at least 3 high intensity gym classes a week!!!! Wish me luck with that!!!

Good luck everyone!

[Chewbecca]

Morning people, may I join you?

I want need to lose quite a lot of weight and have just weighed myself this morning and have reached a new high of... I have never confessed this before... 13st 2 . I'm only just over 5ft so pretty bad.

Like you bunch, I don't want to (re) join WW, SW or any of those, I just want to cut the crap, eat well and healthy almost all the time and move more.

Have just meal planned for the week:
Mon: Hairy Bikers cottage pie (from their diet book)
tues: Delia's sea bass with puy lentil salsa
Weds will be working late so maybe a bowl of cereal
thurs: grilled bacon and mushrooms and poached egg

Friday I'll shop again.

The main thing though is no cakes, chocolate, crisps, snacking. I will also buy plenty of fruit (mango, grapes, blueberries, satsuma especially) and yoghurt (Rachel's low fat - nothing junky in there).

Now, moving more, this is where I am rubbish. I am humming and ahhing about a couple of options, could end up doing neither. One is start to walk to station (usually drive). It's only 15 mins or so but it is often dark (see late working!) and it is not well lit/built up, plus I will need to sort work shoes in office plus often have to do a school run at one end. So realistically it is nlikely to be happening too often. Second option I'm thinking is a set of 11 exercise taking 12 mins per day that were in the Times this Sat. Look quite achievable. But I haven't actually tried to do them yet. Why? I don't know. I do have joint problems which limits some exercises (but also means carrying too much weight is an extra silly thing).

What exercise are you all doing?

That's more than long enough for an intro post! Good luck all and fingers crossed this can be a motivational thread that'll keep me going!

[AimlesslyPurposeful]

A Monday morning weigh in sounds like a good idea.

I was 10st 4lbs this morning. I've managed to put on 2lbs since yesterday. That's a good start to the week, not.

Went to the cinema yesterday and had salted popcorn and then later had two packets of French Fries crisps so I think (Hope!) salt is the culprit here. I'm drinking lots to flush it out.

Haven't eaten anything yet but I often don't eat until late afternoon. I think I shall have a boiled egg and two slices of Danish bread toasted when I am hungry. I've just seen a recipe for baked veggie crisps (I'm a snacker and usually only have one small meal a day) using beetroot and sweet potatoes so might attempt them later.

[KnickKnome]

Welcome everyone :)

Well done on losing 50lbs nevergoogle!

I've not tried any of the Davina DVDs MrsHoolie, which do you think is the best?

I have a fitbit to count steps but the battery has ran out ('cos I've not used it in so long and it's been sat in a drawer for ages! So I've ordered some new batteries and will kick start that again.

Good luck with your classes beachy!

Chewbecca, your meals sound lovely. I haven't exercised for a few weeks now, but will get back into it. I jog (very, very slowly), power walk, weights, the 30 day shred and lots of different workouts on Youtube (I like ones like zumba, bootcamp and dancing ones). I am a member of a gym but I hardly ever go so I'm going to cancel that and save £30 a month, that can go towards a new wardrobe!

Ooh, baked veggie crisps sound good, Purposeful, how do you do them?

Well I weighed myself this morning after having around 6/7 weeks off (including an AI holiday, mini break, Christmas and parties!) and have put on... gulp... 1 STONE! Argh!

Totally gutted, but whats done is done and I'm going to lose it from now. So I'm now 213 lbs, which means I have around 70 ish lbs to lose !

Starting as I mean to go on, breakfast this morning was natural yogurt, frozen berries, 1 tsp honey, gluten free granola (just oats, honey and rapeseed oil) and flax and chia seeds. It was lovely.

Not sure what's for lunch, either mashed avocado on rye bread with a poached egg or soup.

Dinner is going to be an aubergine/ricotta/tomato/spinach bake thing.

Hope everyone's having a good day :)

[AimlesslyPurposeful]

Just thought of a recipe I used in the Summer to drop a few lbs before going to a wedding and thought it might be worth putting a link to it here as it's delicious!

I made up a big pot (Using frozen king prawns instead of shrimp and didn't add the brown sugar) and then just heated up a bowl when I was hungry.

I shall pick up the ingredients later to make tomorrow as I've just realised I'm out on Thursday night with a newish group of friends and the last time I saw them I was about 9st 7lbs. Hoping to be under 10st by Thursday!

Skinny shrimp curry.

[bluecoconut]

May I join in too?

I am 12 stone 6 and a size 16. As I am quite short I feel as wide as I am high [embarrassed]

In the past I have tried ww and sw but I can't stick to them. Counting etc seems such a faff and when I "diet" I feel like I am depriving myself. I am sure the time spent counting, weighing etc would be better put towards making meals for the whole family that are more healthy, nutritious and enjoyable to eat.

My downfall is bread, cheese and wine. And more bread (especially crusty baguettes) and wine.

So my plan is to do Dry January. Half my daily carb intake, (ie bread and potatoes), which will result in a reduced cheese intake.

I have also planned in exercise for 5 days of the week.

I could really do with some breakfast ideas. I don't like porridge or eggs and I am not too keen on yogurt. Any suggestions?

I total I would like to lose 3 stone but would be happy to get down to 10.

MummyDuckling I love soup. Would you mind sharing your recipes?