Weight Loss - January

[Ems]

There are so many of us doing the above, and on quite a few boards; Atkins, Weight loss tablets etc. Thought it would make things easier to find and follow if we started on this? ....

I started yesterday, to try and lose my 'Christmas Chocolate'; probably half a stone, just using advice and memories from previous Weight Watchers.

Had a terrible headache by the time I went to bed, distinct lack of chocolate and sugar!! Every time I had food cravings, I drank a glass of water which seemed to help, plus its good to drink 2 litres a day, so I'm doing something good.

I started the day at supermarket getting all fresh veg, fruit and chicken. And the January edition of WW magazine, read all the inspiring stories of women shifting 4 stone, great stuff.

Chicken stir fry tonight. And last night I didnt pick at childrens supper either during cooking or after they'd 'eaten' it!! That is a major breakthrough! Weight loss is all down to breaking bad habits.

Oh, and Ive also been writing everything down that I eat, which makes you think about it a bit more.

Went off Boots detox idea after hearing of Alibubbles greenpoo, there been enough of that in this house!!

PS: we ought to start a 'dates' thread, top tips, and stories such as Tinkers!

Yeah I agree Ems, I've hijacked this thread, but didn't mean too. BTW love the phrase 'what an incentive to starve!' Well done for WW too

Winiie - walking has definitely been my livesaver, I'm sure its whittled off loads of pounds for me. I really enjoy it too, I now miss it when I can't get out for a couple of days...Well done for the weight loss - amazing!

PS Am starting 'the dating game' thread right now...see you, your advice for me and funny stories over there...

Well I'm back off my holidays and the diet starts here. Haven't put anything on whilst I've been away but I think thats more down to the fact that I was ill last week. The only good thing about being ill is the stopping eating (and wanting to eat) and drinking alcohol. The place where we stayed was half way up a mountain so a few walks up there did wonders for the bum muscles. The first time I did it with the shopping I found muscles I can't remember ever having. But I'm back to work now so its sitting down for three days again. Anyone recommend a fitness video? Don't want one with too much jumping about as I can't be doing with aerobics. Told dh I was joining Slimming World which didn't go down well as he's all this its easy to lose weight if you eat properly and exercise. Sounds easy in theory but in practice ..... Good luck for the weekend folks.

I'm such a tub of lard and have been using the 'can't diet while I'm breastfeeding' excuse for the last 5 and a half months - now DS is down to one BF a day I feel a bit of a fraud. Can I safely join up with slimming world now? DS is coming up for 6 months and I was thinking of dropping the bF in a matter of weeks anyway, but I just can't wait any longer!

Cocococo, I think that you can join slimming world while you're bf. Go for it, it is really easy to stick to, and I lost loads of weight after my son, and have also stuck to it as the eating patterns really suit me (ds is 31/2 now)

Pamina - good idea to try to get to your target weight before getting pg. I didn't and am paying the price 3 pregnancies later. And I used to be such a skinny young thing (well, not quite). Another good reason to get your weight down is that it will make you less vulnerable to getting all those lovely pregnancy 'accessories' ie. varicose veins. I've got one - shock horror at 29 - which will probably need stripping at some point, and I've seen that being done, it looked vile. Anyway, enough of those cheery thoughts. Having successfully been through cold turkey with my sugar cravings, am now suprisingly resilient to the wicked white stuff in all it's many forms. Glad to hear you're doing well too. And do you know, I haven't had any booze since I started my diet....... and by God do I miss it!

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Ah robinw, bless you, I didn't think anyone would notice I'd gone AWOL for a few days. Good news is, I'm finding it surprisingly easy to stick with good old Doc Atkins, especially since my sugar/booze cravings have passed. Now I can look at a bar of chocolate quite impassively, whereas before I'd have scoffed it quicker than you can say 'Ketosis'. This is good, as the house is still full of carbs for the kids (dh is on Atkins too, god love him, so that really helps). I'm feeling quite 'healthy' aswell, less bloated, less knackered (occassionally), less hungry and my clothes definitely feel less tight. Strange thing is though, when I weigh myself the scales are all over the place. Today I weighed myself after breakfast and was pleasantly surprised, and yet a couple of hours later after only 1 cup of coffee, I'd gone up 4lbs - now what's that all about?

How are things going for you? Hope you've found something that suits you and is getting results. I can see why Atkins wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, it is quite difficult to get your head around at first, and then it kind of sucks you in so forget what normal food was like. I can see myself posting a thread on Mumsnet in a few months time - 'Help, I'm scared of carbohydrates!'

pamina - I can't lie, giving up the booze was hard at the beginning, but I gave it up when I was pg, so I knew I could do it and come out the otherside (albeit a bored, narky cow!). Caffeine, on the otherhand, I am still having although I've restricted the amount. I just couldn't face the caffeine-withdrawal headaches that I knew I'd get, and anyway I think my cellulite is beyond help (apparently Pamela Anderson has got it too, so there's yet another similarity between us!) Haven't been to the gym since November (yes, that is November last year, if that makes it any less embarrassing). But will try to start going a couple of mornings a week if I can get youngest ds booked into the creche. In my defence, I have been walking to pick dd up from pre-school, a good 25 min brisk walk each way with a double buggy - I'm nearly on my knees by the time I get home. Still, no pain no gain!

Just had a quick look at the working mums/SAHMs thread, looks like it's hotting up again - can you believe what a furore your throw-away comments caused? Makes me want to break out in nervous laughter.

Just hearing you talk about your Friday night glass of wine makes me want to rush for the gin bottle - but for the moment I will be strong, my liver will definitely thank me for it after my Christmas/New Year excesses. Have just been cooking tea for my youngest two (eldest has gone for tea at a friend's house, so I hope to god he's behaving himself, had the obligatory pep talk in the car this morning anyway) so now I have a few moments spare whilst it cools down to a kiddy eat-able temperature. Just to change the subject totally, do you ever get those days when you feel about 12 and it seems as though you're just playing at being a mum? (a friend of mine knew what I meant and agreed, so forgive me if I sound totally away with the fairies) I'm having one of those days. Anyway, have a good weekend, you little mischief-maker!

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But robinw, does your weight fluctuate drastically within a couple of hours like mine, or am I just some sort of shape-changing freak? Better go and watch Smack The Pony, I think I need some sort of 'sanity' in my life!

Chanel, your 4lb gain after a cup of coffee can be due to one of two things.

1. your cup is very large
2. your scales are wonky

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Dead right about the scales, get them on a really flat surface or a board underneath as robinw said, but if you have got those scales with a needle they are useless, get digital ones. Up to the middle of last year I had a really cheap set of scales from Ikea and would weigh myself every morning - same time, before breakfast, no clothes on, after going to the loo - and I was (I thought) 10lb over my target weight.

Had a Wellwoman checkup a week later where I was weighed (fully clothed, breakfast and coffee on board!) and magically I had lost 6lb! Boy did I skip down the road singing a happy tune!!!

Bad news and the reason why I am on this board is it has all piled on again - boo!!

Agree with Jodee on the digital scales and RobinW about them being on a flat floor. I keep mine in exactly the same position in a corner of the bathroom.
When I was on Atkins ( prepregnancy) My digital scales were my best friend! ( how sad) as they showed thirds of a pound increments, and generally I was down a third of a pound or more every single morning.
How is everyone's weight loss?

If I knew what my weight loss was, I'd tell you, but with my crappy scales I haven't got a clue. I haven't got digital ones, old cheapskate that I am, but perhaps I should invest some of dh's hard-earned cash on some. Dh, BTW, has lot alot on Atkins, yesterday I noticed that his jeans were hanging where his bum used to be, I wonder if it will eventually disappear altogether and he'll become one of those men who don't have a bum, just legs which go into their back! No chance of me losing my bum though. Felt quite sorry for dh last night as he's been avidly watching '100 greatest sporting moments' on tv for the past couple of weeks, and last night it was just getting to the top 10 when our power went off. Not just our house, thank god, but the whole development which we're on (about 1500 houses) so it looked very eerie totally dark, then people started coming out of their houses with torches and it became quite exciting - who said I need to get out more?

Back to diets though, Atkins still going well. Was telling my hairdresser about it yesterday (when not moaning about the MIL, of course) and she said she might give it a go, I should start getting a commission from the old Doc. Haven't spoken to little sis this weekend, but things were going well for her during the week.

pamina - had to laugh at your comments about someone sensible coming along to take over, that's just what I meant - can you imagine me ever being sensible?

Good Luck to us all and keep up the good work!

Why don't I ever check what I've written before I post it - that should say 'lost alot'. Please make allowances for my inept-ness!

Well, I've lost three pounds since the beginning of the month and do you know what? I don't feel the tiniest bit thinner! My stomach still sticks out and my jeans are just as tight. Maybe I've lost it off my feet or my elbows or something.

The good news is - I've starting losing weight again. The bad news - friend said on my scales they weighed less than at home. I bought new scales and on these I'm 2 kilogrammes heavier.