Would like to see my toes again! I want to lose weight because...

[WideWebWitch]

I don't know if anyone else is trying to lose weight, but I realised recently that there are various things I do differently since I've put on weight, such as:

I half lie, half sit in an undignified sprawl on the bed to get my tights on since it's too uncomfortable to do it from standing and I'd probably overbalance

I roll out of our (very low down) bed in a kind of sideways, crab-like fashion and then get up from being on my knees. This one must be really attractive to watch!

I'm careful about my back all the time since it's slightly painful and I know it's due to the extra weight on my stomach...

I'm not gargantuan but have about 2 stone to lose. Realised today that not having to worry about the above is another incentive to stick at it.

Anyone else want to share their embarrassing reasons for dieting?? And I have no excuse for being overweight, ds is 4 and I'm not pregnant, although it's only a matter of time before someone asks me when it's due

Anyone watch Lose weight or die? The glaswegian women who was shaving her chin almost certainly has pcos or at least insulin resistance and her dieticians were giving her sandwiches! She needs an endocrinologist and a prescription for metformin.

Sorry haven't been back for a while. I feel very well on my diet but if I eat bread or potatoes start to feel tired again. My sister has several health problems including IBS and looked seriously ill last month. I gave her a book about low GI diets and 3 weeks later she looks totally different (better), has started going to a gym and feels so much better she is cutting down on her antidepressants. The IBS has improved although she does complain of wind.

Lunches - any salad with meat, fish, cheese. I sometimes buy Sainsbury tinned mixed pulses and chop some meat into it. If you're out and need to buy something tins of sardines (not my choice but a friends) or a prawn and salad sandwich on granary bread. At home I'll have lentil soup with added spinach It sounds terrible but I've discovered I like spinach. Make up sugar free jelly pots or eat apples /dried apricots. Don't have not too many dried apricots - they can be laxative.

Have now joined WW, today is day 3, just made a mistake and have now eaten 19.5 points today. Think I'd better run up and down the garden. R

I'm not on a diet but trying to eat healthily ( have just lost 2 stone tho so am well schooled in the trauma of diet) - trouble is I'm not keen on veg so asked an asian colleague who cooks wonderfully for any SIMPLE and MILD veg recipies - and the following is yummy and low cal and v healthy ( apart from salt which could be reduced I suppose...)

1tbsp olive oil - heat and add
large pinch of mustard seeds - until they pop - careful not to over heat and burn.
add .5 tsp salt
flat tsp cumin
flat tsp corriander
flat tsp curry powder and mix in the oil
add .5 of a tin of tomatoes which you have blended OR similar amount passata.
Stir
Add diced....
1 aubergine
1 courgette
2 peppers
1 potato ( optional!)
.5 cup water ( or a bit less)
and simmer until veg all soft - quite a while ( tho have never timed it!) I tend to let the aubergine mush down completely.
Add I tin kidney beans ( optional)

To complement - take 1-2 tsp garden mint sauce ( apparently NOT normal mint sauce tho I'm not sure why not!)and strain liquid in tea strainer - mix leaves with small pot of low fat natural yougurt to make a mint dip - eat with the veg mix.
Hope this inspires someone - I could eat it till the cows come home - and as I said I'm not a veg person - this makes 3 meals for me.

pupuce - I rarely eat chocolate / sweets / biscuits anyway, and never have sugar in things. My only vice was pots of the m & s low cal chocolate ice cream - only 3% fat, with runny chocolately fudge bits and everything! Unfortunately, I once worked out that to fill my calorie needs for a day I could live off 4 pots a day, but would have then have eaten the recommended daily amount of sugar for the next 20 days all in one day! SO - needless to say, my last pleasure is out the window now..... Well, thank goodness for wine.......

Rhiannon,
How is your first week at WW going? I've lost 9lbs with them so far. It's dull, but worth it I think. Don't forget your free vegetable soups - keeps me going at work inthe morning.

Salalex - congratulations on your weight loss! I agree with you that the weekly menus are not very inspiring, and I don't think I would have stuck at it if I was following those each week. If you have the time/inclination for cooking, I can really recommend the recipe books. There are loads of good recipes and the portion sizes are definitely not miniscule!
(err... I don't work for WW, btw!)

I've just been to week 2 WW weigh in - 7 lbs in two weeks, and it's been so so easy. I don't work for them either BTW.

The set diets are not for me, so I've done my own thing. I hope I can keep it up.

This week's top tip - after the children have finished eating, immediately douse their food in washing up liquid (or flour, which is cheaper). It stops you picking.

Went to WW last night and I'VE REACHED MY GOAL WEIGHT!!! I've lost just over 2 stone since mid Jan and am delighted. I'm going on a spending spree this weekend for new clothes - yipee.
I too didn't stick to the set menus, just counted points using my favourite receipes. The WW cookbooks are good too for new ideas.
If I can do it anyone can - so good luck everyone it is really worth sticking at it.

well done Viv! I am soooo jealous

Well done, Viv - enjoy your shopping spree! I'm like Rhiannon, on day 3 at WW with loads of weight to go. I'd need to lose 50lbs to get into my wedding dress again - but then I thought that's only 1lb a week for a year. I can do that. I WILL do that. All my last photos make me look ancient and huge and exhausted. I wonder why?

Pleased to report I lost 4.5lbs on first week of WW. Only another 3.5 stone to go!!! R

Well done Rhiannon ! Your achievement can be my reason for another Friday night glass of wine - cheers to you Keep up the good work

Well done Rhiannon!!! I'm lapsing at the moment but better get back on the scales on Monday I suppose. Stick with it and keep posting for moral support - cos I need plenty of that!

Good luck everyone, and well done on those initial weight losses a great boost to start with. It really is worth sticking with WW, the sheer joy at the weekend when I bought a couple of pairs of trousers two sizes down was brilliant and t-shirts now instead of tents - billiant!!
Copper, I know what you mean about the exhausted bit, we were tiying up the back garden at the weekend and my dh gave me a pile of bricks to put in the skip. When I'd staggered across the garden with them he informed me that he had weighed them and that the amount I had just carried was equal to the amount of weight I had lost. He said he was really proud - This made me feel brilliant and suddenly realise where all the extra energy had come from!

Can doing the WW program at home (ie not attending meeting) still work the same? I have all the WW books etc (borrowed from a friend) but so far haven't found the motivation! Got a wedding in August and I know myself that I would feel 100 times better if I lost some weight before then. I really struggle to stick to a diet once started. The first day or two is okay but then I just crumble!!! Perhaps with encouragement/support from you lot I might get there this time! After dd number two the weight has slowly but surely crept up and up! It's so embarrassing - you know, when people look at your stomach and surely they are thinking - is she pregnant again!!! I have a habit of binge eating in the evenings - you know, "Oh I'll just have another packet of crisps!!!" That's where I will find it soooo hard - during the evening. Any suggestions?

susiebabes, yes in theory you can do the WW at home. but as you say motivation is the hardest thing and it easy to 'cheat' on your own.
At least going to the meetings you have to get weighed each week, which really gave me the spur I needed. I also found that when I was flagging, staying to the meetings, (rather just popping in to get weighed) and chatting to the leader / other members gave me the boost I needed to get remotivated.
In the evenings - yes I know the feeling about wanting to snack, I keep in a supply of WW cereal bars (only 1 or 2 points each) or packets of those Snack a Jacks rice cakes. Also Sainsburys and Safeway both do low fat crisps which a far lower on the point count than regular crisps. Whatever I always made sure that I allowed a few points each day for my 'treats' so I still kept within my daily allowance.
Good luck with your weight loss, keep posting we would love to know how you are doing.

Any tips on how to get rid of the "upper arm flab!" It's very very wobbly at the minute!!!!

Yes it doesn't make you feel good when you wave and your arm's still wobbling ten minutes later....

For toned upper arms the best (and fastest) solutions are:

3 x 20mins per week breaststroke at a medium pace (enough to get your breathing elevated but you should aim to do this without stopping or v brief rests when you need to - should do at least 20 lengths in this time)

and/or

more conveniently performed at home are tricep dips. Take a kitchen/dining chair and turn round so your back faces its back. Reach behind you and hold onto the top of the chair, stand a comfortable distance away. Keeping your back straight, bend your knees allowing your body to move downwards vertically (stop before your thighs are horizontal to the ground) & use your arms to push yourself back up again. Do 3 sets of 10 per day and build up from there. Easy to do whenever you're in the kitchen and gives fast results and greatly increased strength.

Hooray for Snack A Jacks! And WW sweets and 99% fat free Muller Rice. Think I may have a sweet tooth! R

Ide love to lose weight because it seems like everyone is always stairing at my lower half. I guess wondering if I am just pregnant. The worst part to me about being overweight is I cant find anything to wear in the stores. It seems like the manufacturers think heavy woman are all 200 years old and living back in 1780. I mean the styles. The bigger you get the worse the clothes get. My other complaint is that its so hard doing household chores like cleaning the toilet or scrubbing the tub. I worked in many daycares for years and had gradually put on excess weight. Try bending over a thousand times a day picking up toys. One time I was eating in a chinese buffet restaurant and a kind lady not meaning any harm made a comment about me eating enough for two. I had my baby several months before that. That was depressing.

Boohoo!!! 2 lbs on at WW this week. Shall I stick with it or pig out?!! Oh how depressing - and I've been to gym 4 times and running twice. argh!!!

salalex, don't you dare give up!!!! My tummy is really rumbling, I'm going to bed to keep me out of the fridge.

Get that weight off girl!!!

Reward yourself with a magazine and/or flowers if you lose weight or if you thought you'd lost it.

I'm going to WW on Wednesday at 10am, my stomach is bulging! Yuk.

I have pinned a picture of a halter neck flamenco style dress I love to the fridge (it's helping). R

salalex - have you considered the possiblity that muscle is heavier than fat and with all that hard work at the gym this small weight gain is actually a GOOD sign - everything tightening up? Take heart, it may be a flimsy excuse but it works for me Oh, and DO NOT pig out, you'll only feel worse tommorrow if you do! Have a glass of wine, do a hundred sit ups, drink lots of water and go to bed feeling virtuous...(night, night )

Salalex - don't be depressed! When you start exercising you will increase your muscle density (not necessarily size) BEFORE you start burning fat. So for a few weeks you might weigh a few pounds more on the scales to begin with.