Diet Help

[PotatoOfDoom]

Hi all

Am posting this because I think I need help.

I'm severly overweight (probably classed as morbidly obese ), and I've set myself a goal of loosing least 2 stone by September. Have said to myself if I lose the weight I will allow myself to get a much wanted puppy.

Basically, I have no idea how or where to start. I'm 5'7, weigh 19 stone and am a size 22.
My eating habits vary so much. Some days I eat as little as 2 healthy meals, others 3 meals and about a million snacks. I don't eat when I'm hungry, I eat for the sake of it, and on the days I manage to be good, I find that its often 6/7pm at night, I haven't eat and I'm still not hungry, but once I start eating, I can't stop.

I don't want to join any RL classes, since I don't feel confident enough to have anyone in RL know my weight, and I'd have problems getting to classes as I don't drive.

TIA

I think you can either meal plan to the letter for a whole week, so you have and can cater for, decent low fat healthy meals.

or

You can go Cambridge Diet/Lighter Life way and just have meal relacements.

Both will work, it's just a case of sticking with it long haul. Several posters here have lost huge amounts and feel fab for it. The latest is Yorkiegirl who I think did meal replacements. There is also Puff who lost 4-5 stone on the GI diet. Is there any chance you can maybe walk anywhere each day and get some exercise as well as that will help.

You are very welcome to join us on the Lardy Ladies thread where we post our loses each week and jolly each other along through good and bad times.

This is going to sound chickenish, but what's likely to be the easiest to start on?

I'm not convinced its my lack of exercise thats the cause, more the sheer number of calories consumed, but that said it won't harm to exercise more. I walk to work (and home for lunch) and have an active job, but I think another walk when I get home, and maybe a short one in my lunch time won't harm

Which ever you think you can stick with, is the bottom line. It's no good say, going on the Cabbage soup diet for instance if you don't like cabbage.

Do you think you could stick to eating just scheduled low fat healthy meals? or would you be better off cutting it all out and just having meal replacements. You have to be the one to choose. GI and others down the left hand side and the Lighterlife website

You could join weight watchers online?

I started going to a weightwatchers group but I gave up going simply because I could hardly ever get to any of the meetings and my group leader wasn't terribly flexible. They only seem to cater for people who have very patterned lives and can say with certainty that they will be available for however many weeks it takes.

But online might be a real option for you.

Apart from never being able to get to any meetings, Weight watchers really worked for me. The reason it suited me is that I could eat anything I wanted to. It just restricts the AMOUNT you eat rather than (say) cutting out all of a particular food type.

I can tell you more about it if you are interested.

I've had a look and I think the GI diet (or similar) is the way to go for me - I think if I feel I'm eating proper food I'm going to be more successful.

And I just weighed myself and I'm at 17stone, not 19 which is a pleasent surprice. Is a goal of 11 stone (but achieved slowly) a sensible one? I'm never sure

just posted on aniother thread - have a look at India knight's diet lots of good advice and reasons why we eat too much and results fats and best of all you don't feel hungry at all

Good choice POD! First stop is make a weeks worth of menus and then shop for it. The good thing with GI is your family can eat the same things. Half your plate should be veg/salad, a quarter carbs (in GI case brown rise, brown pasta or new potatoes etc) and a quarter protein (eiher lean meat or equavalent)

Good Luck - feel free to post anytime - I'd love to keep up with your progress. If you search for GI on t'internet you'll get 1001 ideas.

Here's and old GI recipe thread.

Hi Potato, I lost 4 stone last year and have kept it off. It can be done. I over ate and had tried lots of different 'fads' but Weight Watchers really worked for me after seeing it work for so many friends. I couldn't go to a club - would be too embarrased - so bought the WW Switch Handbook, Points Calculator, Eating out guide and Recipe Book of e-bay and read them back to front. I found Switch quite easy because you can still eat something you like but you know which has less points. It really worked for me and it could work for you maybe. Good Luck

Oh yeah, forgot to say - most important thing IMO, is to plan a weeks menu so you know exactly what you will be eating for each meal (as others have also said) I think its must to avoid over indulgence it should also stop the old 'I've nothing low fat in to eat tonight - so will start the diet tomorrow' and also buy a WW /Slimming magazine regularly for inspiration.

Thanks everyone. Today was a bad day, but I haven't started the diet yet (I know, I know) Am going with new week, new me, and I can meal plan from monday onwards.