Help, I need to get into my jeans - anyone want to join me for a September challenge?

[thatsnotmyfruitshoot]

Just put all my loose linen summer numbers in the loft and realised I'm bulging out of all the lovely jeans I planned to wear this autumn. Going away for half term so it would be great to be a size smaller by then.

I'm 5ft 7 and need to lose about 20lbs to be at my most comfortable, so not drastic, but enough that I'm feeling really lardy, and need to do something before I gain any more.

My plan is to eat healthily (using food focus website to keep me on straight and narrow..) - boiled egg and slice of toast with grilled mushrooms for breakfast (totally fills me up), then soup for lunch and something with veg for dinner. One treat meal at the weekend. 30 mins exercise a day (either running or exercise dvd)

Please come and join me, I'm hopeless when left to my own devices..!!

Just been shopping this morning and bought lots of fruit and some low fat ready meals as I have a busy couple of weeks ahead so not much time to cook. Morrisons have got a new range of "fresh" ready meals, lots of fresh veg and meat in them. They look a bit like the Innocent pots but bigger. I got a Thai chicken curry one and a Sweet and Sour chicken noodle one to try.

I took my first Alli tablet last night, didn't dare break wind last night incase I pooed myself but so far so good. No accidents yet!

ooh I love the innocent thai curry pot. yum!

anyway just marking my place again as I'm hardly online for the next two weeks.

it's been... ok. getting out and walking more, and trying to take it one sensible choice at a time!

:)

Wow - not been on since Friday and have missed a lot!

Also want to say well done to theQuibbler for the dance class - I also baulk at attending that sort of thing, worry unduly about what others are thinking about my wobbly arse etc. It's good to bite the bullet and just go! Hope school went okay with your little boy yesterday?

Belated happy birthday to Shaxx too, hope it was a good 'un

Also - don't despair Viva, I am sure you'll have weeks when you will shift more than a 1lb, but even if it was just 1lb every week, that's 52 in a year....i.e. 3 stones and 10lbs!

Awed by thatsnotmyfruitshoots weekend workout. I managed 45 minutes on the bike and cross trainer in the gym this morning but I see I am going to have to raise my game

Some of us had tricky weekends it would seem with celebrations and social events - me included. It was dd's birthday party on Saturday so we took 10 children swimming (eek) and then onto TGI Friday's afterwards. I wasn't eating since I was going to dinner later, but I did drink 2 pints of lager - really needed it by that stage! Then later than evening it was a sumptuous 3 course meal at my friend's house, with the wine flowing. I really must be the designated driver next time.

On Sunday I had that hungover, lethargic carb longing feeling and really wasn't very careful. Still, seem to have got away with it - had a check on the scales and didn't gain any weight, so now have 3 full days before my next weigh in, so it'll be gym tomorrow and Thursday and super strictness with what I eat! Am feeling motivated and determined to shift a lb by Friday

lol at viva clenching her sphincter muscle - you hold on tight there

Meant to say hello to lovingmomof3 - stick around, this is a motivating thread

Hello

Can I join your lovely thread please :) I have been following a low fat diet this last week (loosely based on Rosemary Conley) as I have done this before and have lost 3 lbs in my first week. I need to lose 13 lbs to get into a normal BMI but ideally would like to lose 28 lbs altogther. I am ony 5'2 so don't carry weight at all well.

I don't have any scales in the house so rely on a trip into town every weekend to use the ones in Boots!

Hope everyone is having a good week :)

Hello again - sorry I haven't been posting! Well, in two weeks I've lost... half a pound. But that's not disappointing as I've frankly not been trying NEARLY hard enough. So I began afresh yesterday, and I reckon with some effort I can still knock off 4 pounds by the end of the month.

I have been keeping up the walking and running, so really I just need to stop eating whole banana cakes and watch my food intake more closely. Time to log back into @*&%ing Food Focus.

Afternoon everyone . Welcome pinky - I have promoted myself to nick-name-giver and will play around with your name until I find one I like . This is a very motivating and supportive thread.

LOL at your comment viva. Hang on in there girl, muscles tight .

Wee, it's my full day at work today - although I come home between morning and evening surgeries. I have had my very usual lunch and have popped a chicken casserole in the oven for later...we have the secondary school transfer hell for the next four/six weeks and are out tonight visiting the first school so need something to come back to. Figure boiling some rice won't take long so will be good to eat in 20 when we get back.

Well done to everyone for sticking to their plans and for upping their game in the exercise stakes. Little steps ladies, little steps

Well, not wee.

What a numpty

Ugh secondary school transfer hell doesn't sound good. I will have to be giving some thought to that next year....

Hi Timba - I'm kinda liking my nickname but will see what else you can come up with too :o

hmc - savour your enjoyment of the start of school year while you can. I remember the haunted looks of parents going through it last year...that is me now . A word of advice: visit the schools this year (a year early) if you possibly can spare the time, do not leave it all to do the year you need to make a decision.

Hi pinky - glad you like your new name . I shall devote my afternoon to seeing if I can come up with anything else ...

hi all, sorry I wasn't about yesterday. Am feeling a bit rotten, and have booked to see a kinesiologist tomorrow (nutritionist who looks at food allergies/imbalances) as I'm just feeling heavy and bloated no matter what I do and I'm sure something is not quite right.

I can definitely feel my muscles toning up from the exercise but normally by now the weight is falling off, and I feel like I'm really holding on to water at the moment. My tummy looks 6 months pregnant and is really tender, and I'm wondering if I'm maybe reacting to the copper coil I have..

So frustrating but I'm carrying on with the challenge. Have lost a couple of pounds so it's a step in the right direction. Water drinking and caffeine cut-down still going well!!

sorry you are feelng ill/not quite yourself Fruitshoot hope you can find explanation

timba I too am doing sschooltransfhell...
did visit some last year, and have had enough discussions about it to sink the Titanic...in a way that's not much one can DO except put loads of schools on the list... at least in our borough that whole "we(ie: school) don't want you because you have not put us First choice" thingy doesn't apply..or maybe that's everywhere (you see..I know nothing)

good day - swimming, a few vigorous walks,
steered clear of most snacks, just a small flapjack, and lots of carrots, sweetcorn etc when feeling peckish. Also trying to have supper at 6 pm with kids not waiting till eight. Really noticing how much I chew just out of habit...bovine habits are hard to convert to I'm full, now stop habits.

porridge breakfast
lunch chickpea, cheese pasta
apples/carrots/sweetcorn (plain)
supper mince potato and cheese sauce dish

Morning!

Hope you feel better soon or get some answers soon fruitshoot.

The transfer hell you are all going through is that for secondary school? My DD just started Primary school last week so have a long while to go before I have that headache :)

I went for a run yesterday but I have problems with my feet. I was wondering if any of you experience it too. I am very flat footed and get terrible pains - do any of you suffer from this and if you did how did you over come it?

Had a good diet day yesterday and hoping today will be the same. I am going to be away with work next week for 3 days and hotel food is never healthy so will be very trying :)

Hope you all have a good day

short my feet always hurt in ordinary shoes - I need to buy some very supportive soles - never wear high heels etc or even flat pumps - however I don't really do jogging so never investigated answer to that one. Two friends already rely on "podiatrist" for foot pain - have you tried finding one? Husband also uses insoles for his instep after breaking foot 4 years ago.

Breakfast
coffee
cholla bread (plain)
apple - feeling hungry already a good sign that I didn't eat too much yest

now holding out to 12.30 before eating anything else!

Fruity hope you sort it out. It sounds awful.

Lol at Viva too. What an incentive to stay away from fat!

Timba how many schools are you visiting? My eldest has just started yr1 but from what I know of my area, the good schools pretty much go by catchment area. I didn't think I'd ever be going around visiting loads of secondary schools!

Shortandsweet I'm flat footed too and I don't seem to have any probs with my feet. Do you have good trainers? do you need new ones? dh, who runs regularly, said that if you are a regular runner you need to cahnge your trainers every 6months or so.

Swanriver I find eating at 6 with the kids then not having anything afterwards at all, really shifts the weight. I think I'll go back to that!

Yesterday evening was a bit mad. I ended up coming back from work at 7.30 and was staaaarving. I had to sort out kids etc so it got quite late and I hadn't eaten anything since my tuna salad at 12.30. Dh nmade some fresh ravioli type pasta for a quick dinner and we had some cake that a friend had bought over. I also had a kitkat.

Today I've done an exercise dvd and had porridge for breakfast so I'm back on track!

My friend gave me a mag yesterday with tips on diet from Jillian (Shred, biggest loser woman)

1. eat organic whenever possible as you eliminate processed foods, refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup and all of the chemicals that pack on the pounds (I suspect this is more of a problem in the US?)

1. take a multi vitamin. vitamins are what your metabolism runs on. they create hormones that burn fat. even if you think your diet is balanced, you're prob still lacking nutrients.

1. choose smart snacks. (she mentions some American yoghurt and low fat crisp brands) We can't eat rabbit food all the time.

1. drink to rev up your metabolism. keeping hydrated speeds up your metabolism by up to 3%. drinking coffee speeds it up by 6% but stop at 2 cups.

1. indulge a little every day like 1/2 cup of ice cream. you'll never feel deprived so won't binge.

She also says to work out a minimum of 30mins a day 4 times a week.

1. is obviously regarding water!

Thanks for your ideas ladies.

Shaxx I have just spent £100 on a new pair of trainers and pain is even worse. I am currently under a foot doctor and the 2nd insoles he has done have made no difference, if anything I am in more pain. Its very hard as I really want to run but can't get any relief from the pain.

Just had my lunch as off to a meeting from 12 until 2 so didn't want to be starving :)

I think the 1st thing on her list must be like that in America - I think you can find plenty without all the crap added that is not organic.

lunch: bread and cheese, 2 carrots, I apple

lots of walking later

Hello again, everyone. Been out for a 50 minute walk this morning and the diet is staying on track thanks to Food Focus. I really, really hate entering everything into Food Focus, but I can't argue with results!

Viva, what is Alli???

Shaxx I so agree on eating with the kids at 6. If I eat with them, I'm okay for the evening, but when I try to eat later, I wind up snacking while they're eating and then eating dinner later as well. My Food Focus Food Log does not like it one little bit!

But, those tips from that Jillian woman sound kinda questionable. An organic carrot contains the same number of calories as a non-organic one (and I say this as someone who always buys organic carrots). And an organic granola bar made with organic sugar is still full of calories.

And multi vitamins will not speed weight loss. Possibly a good idea depending on your diet, but it won't make a difference on the scale.

Plenty of research shows that the most important factor in keeping off weight was exercise, more like an hour on most days than 30 minutes 4 days a week. I suspect the people doing all that exercise were not eating whole banana cakes, either (sigh).

Distressing , but useful to know what to aim for.

Hi All, good day today. Had a lovely lunch of pasta and spinach balls . Sounds weird but it was lovely.

Don't suffer with flat feet but do know that orthotics are useful in the long term but take AGES to get used to. You need to build up wear time and be prepared to take a long time to get used to them. Evil things...and that's what those who have to use them say ......

Thanks for the tips shaxx - always useful to hear a pro's tips on being healthy.

Ah well, am off to another school tonight. Yes, it is the secondary school transfers, for those who asked ... it is epic and scary. I am probably seeing somewhere in the region of 8-10 schools. Mostly Catholic but a couple of Independents. We are the same here - the schools aren't aware of their position on your list but I wonder sometimes whether they can find out????

I hope everyone is having a great day and a fab week? My jeans are defo looser

Hello all,

Sorry to hear you're not feeling brilliant, fruitshoot - hope it gets better.

hmc - DS is settling in at school. It's a big change for him (and us) as he wasn't at nursery, so he's beyond tired, by 3.30 pm.

Glad your first day went well timba

I like some of those tips shaxx - I do believe in having something that you fancy, so you don't feel too deprived.

ProperNoun - that research is quite definite about how much exercise is needed to have an effect on weight loss. I always think it is not quoted more because the 'experts' worry it's too demotivating, but surely it's better to know the realities?!

Have picked up a cold from DS, so am feeling a bit meh and haven't felt like exercising since Sun. Might Shred today as it's only 20 mins - (so no discernible effect ) - we'll see...

Here's hoping for a good week for all of us.

Hello all

Fruitshoot Hope you are feeling better soon

Short I am quite a keen runner too. After my DD I did experience some pain in my feet. I went to a specialist running shop where I ran on a treadmill and my gait was assessed. It transpired my arches had fallen during pregnancy and I was now overpronating when I ran. I got running shoes to correct this and had no pain running after that. Where did you get your shoes? It is worth getting someone to assess your running.

I have been trying to not randomly snack and stick to my allocated ww points. Tomorrow is my birthday and DH is taking me out for dinner so I am not expecting it to be a great diet day. However, I managed to get into a pair of non maternity jeans and button them up so am feeling very motivated to stick with it.

Imissmyjeans well done on getting into your jeans! Have a good birthday!

The tips of Jillians I really like is the drinking water, having a little treat and the multi vitamin. Sometimes I think we can crave food if we're lacking in some nutrients.

I've just got back from a spinning class. Thats 2 lots of exercise in one day! (dvd this am)

I ate at 5.30 and am really trying not to
eat anything more. Its soooo hard.