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..!!

I'm not drinking enough water, really do need to up my fluids but I always forget.

Yesterday I had weetabix x2, a cereal bar.

Then a fishfinger sandwich and for dinner I had a low fat ready meal that was 470 calories.

I have just finished my period today so maybe thats why I weighed more on Sat?

Girls I am BACK! And in my time away looking after my 9 month old on my own whilst simultaniously renovating a flat (don't ask) I lost weight!! Well, sort of. When I got on the (brand new) scales at the flat in London I weighed 10 and a half stone. Hurray I thought, I'll have that. Spent the week with no calorie counting but working my ass off, when I got home on my crappy Ikea scales I was 10stone 11. Still, it's a 5 lb loss from where I started and only a pound off a "normal" BMI so I'm pleased.

Back to Foodfocus tomorrow.

So. What did I miss?

Hi All,

sounds like it has been a busy weekend for everyone.

viva - you are doing great. I am sure you will see a loss this coming week. Periods, water retention, stress etc can all wreck havoc on our ability to gain/lose weight. Drinks loads of water, eat berries/fruit and try and stay away from the the processed crap. It will start to shift. Can you do food focus? Writing it all down really helps me.

Well done sknicks - glad to see you back. It has been busy here: I have entered the secondary school transfer hell, got a part time job and can't find enough time to eat .

swan - would be very interested in the pumpkin bread. As viva's comment - do you make it/bu it (where from)?????? We need answers swany ... c'mon 'fess up.

I spent most of yesterday afternoon/evening in Hyde Park at the Vigil. My DS attends Catholic school and was offered tickets which he was absolutely adamant I had to take the school up on so spent my day in Hyde Park. Afterwards both DS and I walked ... yes walked from Hyde Park to Willesden Lane (most of the way up Kilburn High Road) before DH managed to get to us in the car!!!!!! Poor DS was exhausted and I wasn't much better. I better get into heaven, that's all I can say

Hello all,

Goodness, I had the worst weekend. I don't know what came over me - I was definitely on some sort of self-sabotage kick. But I'm not going to dwell on it at all. New week, fresh start. Success is looking forward and carrying on regardless. Right?

Hello specialknickers sounds as though you are doing well.

that's a v. long walk timbachick - it's got to count somewhere along the line

Right, better do some work. Here's wishing everyone a successful week.

Think of all those calories expended Timba on that long walk.

My weekend wasn't much better theQuibbler - I managed to drink an entire bottle of red wine on my own yesterday - dh wasn't interested in having a glass or two. Imagine the calories in that!

Very focussed today though and for rest of week (hopefully).

Afternoon all,

I am soooooooo thinking of the calories I used on that walk ... still haven't recovered properly though

Weekends are always more difficult than the weekdays, aren't they? Always draw a line under it and start afresh.

Good luck everyone for a fab week.

hi everyone,

My new everything-free diet has started fairly well. Made sweet potato and carrot soup using low fat coconut milk - delicious and really filling. Had it with some oat cakes, which really weren't too bad.

Milk is tricky, but I'm drinking Earl Grey decaff without milk and it's not too bad. Soya milk is ok in decaff coffee.

Jeans feel looser but haven't stepped on the scales in a while. Tonight will be the night!!

Viva, it might be an idea to try and cut out wheat for a few days and see if that makes any difference. Fresh veg, rice, fish, soups etc would be ok. it will happen!!

Welcome back specialknickers, timba - well done on a marathon walk!!
swan - also loving sound of pumpkin bread, I know our local Asda also does a version if anyone gets desperate

Oh dear, spoke too soon. Sitting here having already tucked into massive pile o cheese (naughty baby, fancy leaving that out on the table after tea?) and now enjoying a glass of wine before dinner. Which is a risotto. Cooked by my super skinny husband who marinates everything in a tonne of pure lard.

I'll start again tomorrow (and other dieting cliches).

Timba, well done on that walk - if that hasn't shifted the punds then I don't know what will. Fruity sorry to hear about your food problems, hope the milk freeness is helping. Sounds like it is.

Hello

I have been avoiding this thread for days as I fell into all my bad habits at the weekend. Snacking on chocolate and crisps and wine every evening again. Just read the thread and realised I am not the only one. Somehow it has made me feel so much better and strengthened my resolve to get back onto the diet tomorrow.

I did manage to go for a run on saturday so the weekend was not a total washout but I will need to work much harder then that if I want to shift some more pounds.

So, lets all keep strong this week to keep the momentum going!

I don't know if it is such a bad thing Imissmyjeans to have a mini diet holiday at the weekends. Okay - overall it might mean you only loose 1-2lbs rather than 2-3lbs over a given week, but I honestly don't know if I could persevere with dieting without a bit of respite at the weekend. I wouldn't advocate drinking a whole bottle of wine in one sitting like I did though!

Have just got back from a session at the gym this morning where I got suitably pink and sweaty, and now I am sitting down for revision and trying not to think about food....

Hope everyones day goes well today

Sure is quiet around here!

Hi hmc --- it has gone quiet hasn't it? Where is everyone????

I know that I don't get near the computer anywhere near as often as I did at the moment. Am at work a bit now and trying to crow-bat my DS and DH off the laptop can be difficult .

How are you dong today anyway, hmc? Has it been a good day for you?

I think I over did the yog and honey this morning (too much honey) and had lentils for lunch ... still feel absolutely stuffed!

Come on everybody ... how's it been???

Is work going well Timba?

Diet is going okay-ish. I seem to be really actively hungry this week, so am having difficulty denying myself. Have been eating good healthy low fat stuff and only complex carbs, but too much of it really! If I stay the same this week I will be philosophical about it - sometimes you have the odd week when the hunger gets you in its gnarly talons!

Work is going really well, thanks. I'm really enjoying it. It's fun to be out of the house and using my brain for something other than airfix toys, cooking or some such malarky .

You make a good point there, hmc. I find that the first week or so of any 'good' eating plan is fairly easy going. Then, all of a sudden, the hunger hits. It's like my body suddenly realises that, hey, this is actually going the distance, it's here to stay, I think I'm going to up the stakes and let her know how bloody empty I am!!!!! Try to stick with it, eat well and healthily and, as you say, be philosophical if your losses this week are not as great as they could be ... sometimes you are not cheating, just eating larger portions and it stays with you.

Remember the glass of water, wait 20 mins and then see if you are hungry, trick. It can be useful to really check whether you are hungry or just thirsty.

O, sorry missed all pumpkin bread comments...bought it from a bakery. Very moist and tasty! Wasn't trying to show off, just it's what I ate and at least it wasn't white sliced. Sure there would be a recipe on internet somewhere.

plodding along, possibly avoiding a few extras I usually tuck into (like bowls of cereal and toast and golden syrup) but otherwise not anythng specially dietic. Choc muffin eaten today (homemade) but at least only one medium sized (the children ate about three each)

Dh bought a Thai takeaway this eve and I did avoid eating that too, as had previously had dinner with kids (which was bog standard meat and two veg - suppose not quite as fattening as a takeaway though)

I still find I'm saved by endless supply of delicious organic carrots, raw broccoli and cabbage to hand when I want to munch, and cups of strengthening tea.

Timba you will get to heaven! Your ds will always remember too! I did not go to vigil. Priest mentioned how many people with small children were waiting patiently in park - I felt v. guilty not to even feel guilty about not being there. I think being patient and nice to my own children/dh and getting them to sit politely in Mass and not hit each other over the head with the missal is enough of a spiritual challenge for our weekends
I feel more and more fed up with these blooming [outstanding]schools. I wish there was just one school we all had to go to and NO CHOICE. You are not going to put the CVMS down by any chance are you?

Hi swan - morning lovely .

I totally agree - I would not have gone to Hyde Park this Saturday if DS hadn't been totally determined to get there...don't know why as he complains every Sunday about Mass However, as you say, I have credited mucho mucho credits in my spiritual bank with taking him there

I usually have the problem of trying to stop him making paper airplanes and firing them at the Priest during Mass . The Priest's face is a picture...reading the Gospel whilst a paper plane goes past at mach 3

Oh, how I wish we just had a one horse race with regards to the schools. It kind of begs the statement that all schools should then be of a suitable standard though and I suppose we would still have the movement between catchements that would enable parents to 'chose' a school. There will never be a really good solution to this problem, I think, as parents will always want the best for their child and, for those with more funds to spare, they will have the ability to unbalance the playing field in their favour!!!

Yes, I am putting CVMS!!!!!! Are you? Where else have you seen and what are your opinions? It is like entering another level of hell, isn't it? I read Dante's Inferno at Uni ... I don't remember a circle of hell for secondary school transfers but it must have been there .........

Timba Oratory too hard to get into.. also had my husband spitting when they asked for his baptismal certificate (he is Protestant)
CVMS - know it's superlative, might try for music place pending visit and more info, but ds doesn't get 13 points so hold out little hope possibly will leave off list completely
CWise is a Ealing catchment, but we live far away so not sure thing unless first choice, Gunnersbury v. near, reliably good(visiting this afternoon) but all boys, and seems to be everyone's second or third choice, St Mark's Hounslow 40 mins away(Lovely and mixed) needs to be put first choice though.

So I'm lucky to have lots of choice in a way, just not sure whether ds is better/happier in mixed or single sex..THAT IS THE QUESTION.

I'm now glad my dc's are still small and I'm not choosing secondary schools Wishing you both luck, sounds horrific.

Am so happy today, weighed myself and I've lost another 2lbs, making a total of 5lbs since this started. Not as much as I'd hoped but I've had the whole food allergy thing to contend with. If I lose half a stone by the end of the month I will be thrilled with that.

How is everyone else getting on? Updates please!!

well, I'm afraid to say I've eaten 4 homemade cheese scones (though they were quite low-fat - perhaps that's why I needed so many ) all that talk of homemade pumpkin bread made me determined to cook more!

And some raw cabbage

nothing else till 5pm!!

well done on the weight loss Fruit! I am sticking on the scales, hope for at least a kilo loss on Friday. May have to run a bit now -n ot easy with so many scones inside.

Hello everyone!
I've been busy with rl these last few days. Work has been manic and I had dh's 40th bday over the weekend. Had a friends bday too so I've been out quite a bit and not sticking to any kind of diet!

Well done Fruity on your weight loss! 5lbs is v.v.vgood!

Timba glad your job is going well but not glad that school choosing is such a nightmare! Good luck with that. I'm sure I'll be just as bad. Its one of the most important decisions to make. Oh, and I'm sure you'll get into heaven! You sound lovely regardless of your vigil

I've changed my plan slightly as I can't seem to organise my food very well and end up eating stuff I shouldn't during the day so I've decided to have slim fast for lunches. I know everyone says they're no good but I'm going to give it a go.

So, I've had cereal and banana for breakfast, slimfast for lunch, I'll have a 150cal snack around 4ish(yoghurt or biscuit and piece of fruit) and a normal dinner for under 400cal.

Hope everyone else is doing well....

lol at homemade cheese scones and raw cabbage as a food diary!

swany - we are ok on the points front for CVMS but wonder whether it will be the right school for DS as he is a right little free spirit and I think CVMS is a strict school ... sometimes you have to think about whether your child will like it there, I s'pose, rather than their results. Cream rises, as they say .... Hadn't really spent much time thinking about Oratory, even though DS is in choir and they do music scholarships...may have a look at the website. We made the error of going to see QEB...what a fab school...now everything looks poor by comparison .... aaarrrgggghhhh.

Fab news fruity - well done you. Another 2lbs, that is such good news. I will weigh on Friday but everything is feeling looser.

shaxx - please.... please rethink the slimfast. Hateful, horrible, glue-like things. You are better off buying protein powder from H&B and mixing it with skimmed milk????

I only bought 3 ready mixed cans and just thought I'd see how I go over the next few days. I can't mix my own as the smell of fresh milk makes me sick. Strange but true.

Glad to hear that everything is looser

Not for me though, unfortunately. Boo but my own fault.

Shaxx you are not alone in not being 'much looser'. Have been stuffing my face like a good 'un today [eek]. Am thinking that next week I might do Slimming World red and green days - have always worked well for me (but I don't like to do it long term since my favourite family recipes don't always fit into the red / green criteria)