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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

what do you eat and how has it changed?

16 replies

Feelingsensitive · 01/02/2011 10:48

My mum has had a health scare recently which is attributable to her weight. It's really got me thinking about my weight and health as I am getting ever close to 40 and need to act. I want to lose 2 stone. In fact I will be bold and state that I will lose 2 stone. At least. I have been on SW for quite a while but got no where. I just find it a faff. I want this to be a long term weigt loss rather than a quick fix. This is what I plan:

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Salad for half plate with lean meat or a small amount of cheese. Slice of bread.
Dinner: Fish and veg with small amount of rice.
Snacks: Fruit.

Can you share what you eat. What you think of my plan and how you have changed your eating plans for long term weight loss.

Thanks.

OP posts:
ilovemyhens · 01/02/2011 11:39

Breakfast cereal is full of salt and sugar.

Eat some porridge or oat bran made into a porridge and sprinkle on some sweetener if you feel you want to.

Try to cut out as many carbs as you can manage - bread is akin to cake when dieting. Your carb cravings will go once you stop them. Instead of carbs eat some oatcakes - find them in the cracker section and try some different types of nut and seeds. Don't eat a lot of nuts, just about 5 at a time. Pumpkin seeds are also good, as are pine nuts. Nuts contain protein as well as beneficial fats. They are high in calories, so don't go overboard.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that all low fat stuff is good....it's not, most of it is full of sugar - like low fat yoghurts. Eat fat free natural yoghurt instead - add a few blueberries and some pumpkin seeds to it.

Eggs are a good source of protein and you can buy low fat cheddar cheese. Don't eat high fat stuff if you can help it.

Always use skimmed milk as even semi skimmed has quite a few calories in. Don't drink any fruit juices/squashes. Stick to: water, tea, coffee, herbal/fruit teas.

I've lost 10lbs on my diet:

Breakfast: Oatbran made into porridge.

Lunch: Either a tin of mackerel/sardines and lots of salad leaves OR a boiled egg, small piece of low fat cheddar, slice of lean meat and lots of leaves. Don't put any dressing on your leaves. You can buy salad seasoning powder in the herbs/spices section in the supermarket. Just experiment with different flavours.

Dinner: Whatever the family is having - something low fat and homemade, but I cut the carbs out and don't have any potatoes or pasta etc. I have three oatcakes instead. I don't eat a large portion either.

Supper: Small bowl of fat free natural yoghurt with a few blueberries, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, 2 walnuts and 2 almonds.

I drink plenty of water, nettle tea and ordinary tea throughout the day. If I want a treat I have 150mls of heated skimmed milk and some nescafe powder - that's my way of drinking coffee.

If you feel totally deprived and want a treat then buy a low carb bar or some diabetic chocolate from Boots.

Don't eat too much fruit - it's full of sugars - esp. bananas. You can always just have a few berries if you want a fruit hit, but don't eat too much.

If you have a hypo attack if you're due on or something, then have a banana, some milk and 3 oatcakes. That'll give you enough carbs to recover. You do have to eat some carbs or you'll end up feeling faint. Also, try to get some exercise in each day - even just a quick walk will boost your metabolism.

Think low fat/low carb.

My tip is to totally rethink your eating patterns. Learn to ignore all the junk in the supermarket. It's difficult at first, but it does get easier. If you fall off the wagon, just get back on it next day. Think of it as a lifestyle change and healthy eating rather than being on a diet as such.

Hope this might help you.

Feelingsensitive · 01/02/2011 11:56

Thanks so much. That was very kind of you to give me so much information. I shall check out the low carb thread.

OP posts:
ilovemyhens · 01/02/2011 12:16

no problem. good luck Smile

Feelingsensitive · 01/02/2011 12:49

ilovemyhens - If you are still about what do you do about the occassinal treats? Or do you avoid altogether? I love biscuits and can't imagin saying no altogether.

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 01/02/2011 12:57

sweetener - I really would try to aviod any type of artifical sweetners - there have been numerous tests on this type of diet food and they havn't yet had any possitive results - until they do avoid.

Try a little honey if you like sweet things or some sultanas soaked in with porridge will give you sugar but a real sugar rather than a refined type, or try banana mashed on wholemeal toast so you have two foods with slow relise carbs.

Lidl mackeral is fab - they add fennel I think and it gives it a really lovely taste in the tommy sauce - on toast is a good lunch - the sardines are good to and again a quick easy lunch with lots of omega 3 and calcium - on wholemeal toast a good slow realise for the afternoon.

Oat cakes or a very small portion of nutsa dn seed - best to weigh 1oz will give you good calories and omega 3 and good oils.

Can you make biscuits and then make them last two weeks?

Feelingsensitive · 01/02/2011 13:05

Thank you ivykaty. Yes I could make biscuits but will have to control myself Blush. I am interested in how people deal with cakes, biscuits etc when they change their eating habits (vs dieting). Do you all just ban them or have the occassional treat and if so what is occassional? Perhaps I am overthinking this.

OP posts:
Tortington · 01/02/2011 13:08

i am a low carber, after being fat for most of my adult life i decided to make a change and lose 4 stone.

i have a blog which may give you an idea of how it works if you are interested

Tortington · 01/02/2011 13:09

lost* not lose

ivykaty44 · 01/02/2011 14:39

feelingsensitive. I don't generally buy biccies or cakes, never have done and it has never been a weekly thing in the shopping trolley, noether was it for my mum.

I will occasionaly buy a packet of ginernut biccies or havea a biccy at work if they are brought in after someones holiday or birthdya cake.

I control myself buy other freezing- I have a few cake recipes that are easy to freeze and slice them and freeze.

I say that cakes treats are a 4 tiems a week treat - so if I have this now then I have three left this week, so one fairy cake today, one piece of birthday cake yesterday (dads birthday) and that leaves two for the rest of the week until next Sunday is over.

On the other hand I have a hugh fruit bowl, bananas, apples, manderines, oranges, pineapple - which is my favourite at the moment, I chop it into four and cut skin off then slice in to triangles and put in tupperware, make up 1/4 pint of boiling water over teaspoon of honey and two star aines and then pout over pineapple. You can do the same with peaches or nectarines int he summer months. then eat this as a snack mid afternoon or for a pudding after dinner with a spoonful of yogurt from a large pot.

I buy seeds and nut mix- high calory so you muct be careful not to eat more than 1oz per dya and it is worth weighing htem and popping in containers and putting one in your handbag for if you are peckish - rather than reaching for choclate.

Chocolate I never eat anything under 7-% and only ever one square per day - but prefer not to buy as temptation can run high.

i love unsulphered apricots and prunes, pitted prunes.

I alway put a green salad on the table with dinner, and always try to cook at least two vegtables to go with dinner.

Feelingsensitive · 01/02/2011 17:19

Thanks to you both. Very interesting as it seems IvyKate that you are not following a low carb diet? You mention bread and bananas. Is this just how you eat or ahve you lost weight eating this way?

Custardo - I am off to check out your blog. Thank you.

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 01/02/2011 17:42

I never diet a eat good food and at the moment am keeping a close eye on my weight for other reasons, but have decreased the amount I eat rather than anything else.

Watch out for bananas..they are not low gi if they are over ripe, as they have built up a higher sugar content and so although good for you, not strictly low GI foods.

I used to train/do spin etc spent two weeks cycling in India last nov (cycling is my passion) and so foods that are low GO are idea for cycling 50 miles etc, eating stuff the night before a long ride and making sure breakfast was tip top where my concens.

now not training and tablet I am on I am watching what I eat - but all still balanced

ivykaty44 · 01/02/2011 17:48

Oh and I make bread and windy miller delivers me a sack of wholemeal flour every three to four months -this is real wholemeal and makes excellent brad - it is not as finely ground as the supermarket flour and therefore gives me more fullness if I have toast for breakfast. I either have toast or porridge. Also as I make bread I knwo what goes into it and there is less than 1oz of sugar and salt in a whole loaf and no other additives or nasties.

As for the fortified bread - mackrel on toast does the job of the fortified bread as it contains the same or more in what a loaf will have been fortified with - and thats a whole loaf

ilovemyhens · 01/02/2011 19:05

I do avoid biscuits I'm afraid. I know that once I start, I won't be able to stop, so I have to avoid. It depends upon your willpower. I ate an entire packet of biscuits straight off when it was my birthday and got up the next day to find I'd gained 2lbs Sad

No more biscuits. I just try to enjoy the food I do have and I like the yoghurt with blueberries and seeds in. You do get a taste for the food after a few days and find yourself looking forward to it. I also love the low fat cheddar as I love cheese and can no longer have 'normal' cheese.

Feelingsensitive · 01/02/2011 19:19

Interesting. Thanks once again to you all.

OP posts:
Feelingsensitive · 02/02/2011 20:17

This is what I have had today:

Porridge with a teaspoon of sugar on top.

Salad, home made fish pie (very small portion) as half plate was salad with balsamic vinegar on top.

Strawberries for snacking

Dinner was fish pie again (left overs and again a small portion) with half the plate sweetcorn and peas. Low fat yogurt to finish.

I resisted cake and biscuits (had NCT people over) so feeling rather proud of myself.

OP posts:
BalloonSlayer · 02/02/2011 20:53

ilovemyhens I read your recommendations with interest and wanted to ask - are oats not carbs then? Do oats and porridge not count as carbs?

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