I want to lose a stone - care to join me?

[RattusRattus]

This is the first time i've joined in on a thread with others and I'm hoping the mutual support will give me more motivation.

I've realised that I've gradually put on a stone and I want to stop expanding and start decreasing! My clothes feel tight and uncomfortable and I need to do something about it now. Its about 6 weeks until the whole Xmas things starts to go into overdrive and I want to do some damage limitation before then.

I'm going through quite a stressful thing at the moment which is my excuse for gorging on rubbish and indulging in that extra glass of wine. IT HAS TO STOP NOW.

So I've ordered the Davina DVDs (Power of 30 and the 30 minute work outs) and aim to eat about 1500 cals per day. I want to lose 1.5lbs a week over the next 6 weeks. Ok it's not the stone I'm really after but with Xmas in the way I need to be realistic.

Anyone care to join me?

Thanks for the welcome.

VLC - Very Low Calorie, basically a total meal replacement diet, ie. Lighter Life or Cambridge diet. I think you are on about 550 cals a day so obviously very quick results but it doesn't help you learn a healthy way to eat. I did lose 4 stone but then when I stopped I couldn't bare to have food inside me and after I'd eaten, particularly if it was something 'naughty' I just wanted it out of me.

I also did quite well today, I met a friend for coffee today and was quite happy to sit there with my skinny latte while she had hot chocolate with cream and a chocolate brownie.

I even managed to fit in a 40 min run this morning so I'm feeling quite smug - now I just need to get through the evening which is always the toughest part of the day for me.

PinkCustard what about mediterranean veg? Roast a load of veggies of your choice in one pan - can do it without oil (someone suggested orange juice instead to me! Haven't tried that though) or with a low-cal spray, and then slosh some balsamic vinegar in near the end. Yum. Or make a veggie soup, or spicy pasta sauce? My favourite pasta sauce is red pepper, onion, garlic, masses of chilli and a tin of tomatoes.

Amazingly, despite my dominos and wine, I lost FIVE POUNDS this week! presumably this means I'll lose nothing next week as my metabolism can't possibly keep that up, but I'm so chuffed. I've eaten really well (apart from dominos and done loads of cooking and not felt hungry once. Yey :)

Whoop whoop to PippaandPolly (are your kids actually called that - really sweet names !).

It's my (unofficial) weigh-in tomorrow - one week after I started my no-snack/more exercise life.

Wherearemysocks, yes evenings are hard aren't they - esp if the kids are in bed

No - they're names I love but can't use because our surname begins with P and DH doesn't like alliterative names! Also love Paul. I shouldn't have married a Mr P! He's worth it though ;)

If that's the case my Nickname should be 'IsobelandPatrick' - first because of our surname and second because didn't produce any boys...!! Last girl was almost Pippa, really like it.

Anyway, I'm just off to watch masterchef on iplayer and NOT SNACK !!

Hi all,

Not a very healthy day today - didn't get much time to eat a proper meal. Had one jaffa cake at lunchtime (no breakfast). Had about 4 celebrations chocs at a work meeting, 2 packets of wotsits later on and two ryvitas spread with peanut butter. Then I had a pack of wine gums and a glass of wine, which is lovely.

Am hungry, but won't eat anything else tonight - prob start again tomorrow. Although I haven't eaten well, probably hasn't been much calorie wise, although I dread to think what my terrible habits have done to my insides.

Will promise to do better and will take inspiration from some of the lovely healthy meals on here!

It prob helps me to post on here, as I can see in black and white that what I have eaten today is not normal. Although it is normal to me, if that makes sense!

I've all but given up. I was away for a couple of days and although I didn't eat too badly, I wasn't great either. I made a gorgeous wholewheat loaf yesterday and couldn't help but eat most of it all in one go. Today I've had

1 toasted muffin with apricot jam
home made bread with a little bit of home made soup
low fat yogurt
2 small tangerines
packet of quavers
finished off bread with humous and a little bit of pasta
Now eating a packet of individually wrapped chocolates and red wine!!!!

Very very bad! I've had such a stressful day I just gave in. I'll try harder tomorrow.

Oh don't give up Bucket !! Surely that's part of our problem - we have one 'bad' day and then feel so depressed we just think sod it, and go back to eating crap all the time

Perhaps I'm encouraged because I lost 4.5lbs this week ! just from not snacking - shows how much rubbish I was eating !!

So, weighed myself this morning and have lost 5 pounds in 12 days which I'm happy about. And I've been doing my 30 Day Shred too, almost every day, so feeling a lot more toned....

Another 10 pounds to go......

How's everyone else's day/week going?

Well done Freckled, 5 lbs in less than 2 weeks is brilliant.

I just got the 30 day shred dvd and did it for the first time today and i'm aching already.

Princessglitter I know just what you mean about seeing how it's not normal - I am the same when I track what I'm eating. Take it as motivation to have a better day tomorrow! And bucketbetty don't you dare give up, we're all in this together It's hard when you're stressed anyway - take each meal at a time.

Freckledleopard that's brilliant! Well done - how long have you been doing the shred dvd so far? I still haven't started mine, I'm a bit scared

Did go to Zumba last night though which was brilliant - thoroughly enjoyed it. And I've started a warts and all blog to motivate me - if anyone fancies dropping me a comment for encouragement at any time that would be amazing! pippaandpolly.wordpress.com/

Hope everyone has a great day today!

Thank you! I've been doing the Shred now for almost two weeks. Starting Stage Two of it tomorrow. I ached so badly for the first two days, but then muscles got used to it and it got easier by Day Five. But had a break yesterday, did it this evening and feel exhausted. That woman is a sadist!

I'm not entirely sure what happens once you've done 30 days of Shred - do you keep going forever after, or do you miraculously retain all the toning without ever having to exercise again

Hello, may I join? I am 12 stone, 10 lbs. I would like to get down to 10 stone. I am just over 5ft7. Oh dear, just realised that is an almost 40 lb loss. My plan is to eat more healthly, eat less generally and exercise more and drink more water.

or is it spelt healthily? Ha! What hope is there if I can't even spell it?

Hello ladies Another weigh-in for me and I've lost another 1lb, so weight now 9st 11lb.

Sorry I've just been popping on with my progress, RL has been more than hectic the last few weeks! I've just read through the thread and you're all doing REALLY well !!

I too had a huge chocolate/sweet craving. I did basically go cold turkey and it's HARD, especially in the evenings. The main things that helped at first were: 1) keeping busy 2) having a mug of warm soya milk with cocoa powder in the evening 3) going to bed early. After a week or so the habit had gone and I don't even think about chocoloate now I was VERY addicted! So if you can persevere with the first week it's definitely worth it!!!

In regards to the 'unhealthy' eating e.g missing breakfast, eating sweets/choc etc. A good thing to do is make yourself have a healthy breakfast, I find a big bowl of tasty fruit and nut muesli very good. If you really want an unhealthy snack or something throughout the day try to eat something healthy first e.g fruit/yogurt etc then if you still feel the need for the unhealthy option allow yourself to have it. Mostly you will (hopefully!) decide once healthy snack is consumed you don't want the unhealthy version too! Have lots of ricecakes (lots of flavours now) oatcakes, yogurts, fruit in and don't have 'bad' thing in. ANd keep yourself busy, if you feel a craving coming on distract yourself with a chore.

Chromium is really good for helping with sugar cravings. Has anyone started taking it? Also so is exercise. I still haven't started 30DS but will do as soon as I feel up to it!

Start with small changes to your diet. Don't go in from day 1 saying you're going to change your whle way of eating. Say week1 I'll stop eating snacks after dinner, week 2 I'll add in drinking no alcohol and so on...it really is mch easier this way for long term, lifestyle change. I think it's more important to change habbits rather than 'diet'.

Also just choose the better option rather than depriving yourself entirely, as with the chinese order. It's all about balance! I too had a dominoes last week, had the reduced fat cheese, veggie options on top...still tasted the same as a full fat version!

Oh and also I still have a tsp of sugar in coffee or tea, but having read someones post (sorry can't remember) I'm going to start by reducing it to 1/2 today and work on taking it out!

Good luck with weigh-ins and hope everyone is feeling motivated!

SO weighed again today and only lost 1 lb but it is better than gaining a lb so need to see it as a step closer to goal.. I am pretty sure I will lose more this week as I do find that my weight loss is not in line with my efforts.. was pretty good over the weekend and done some exercise so I am feeling good and starting to see tiny improvements in the shape and size of the lard - early days but if I stick with it, who knows where I could land up!!

Hope everyone else is doing well..

Thanks everyone for your advise re healthy eating and sorry I haven't been back earlier. I will try and adapt the slimming world stuff to my own needs and not buy into the fat free stuff they would like me to eat. I will also start making my own bread again, it's more filling and I don't see how it makes a difference.

Didn't have that good a time eating wise lately though.
Went out with DP for dinner on our anniversary, had a curry one night and yesterday I went to a party where I had a few too many cocktails.

Weigh in tonight and I hope i haven't gained anything!

Hello everyone. Mamasunshine thanks for the advice - I started out last week cutting everything out of my diet, and like you said it was a bit of a shock to the system. As a result the odd chocolate fix has crept in, but I have continued with the no alcohol and mostly eating healthily bits, and can gradually make other changes over time.

ZZMum I too have only lost 1lb this week, but I'm trying to think positively and at least it is a loss. I must admit though that I was out for an Italian meal on Saturday night so I think that may have impacted on my loss, but I had a lovely time and really enjoyed the food.

Good luck for weigh-in tonight Gravity

Welcome freedom2011 - come and join us !

I did a sneaky wee weigh in this morning (not supposed to be until Thursday) and have put ON a 1/4 lb !!!!!! was disappointed as have still been doing well with the eating and with the exercising. Last week my weigh-in was after I'd been to a full-on spin class the night before so I wonder whether that made me weigh less just because of all the lost water in sweat, rather than 'proper' weight loss ?

Still, I'm finding that I'm feeling really good about my body even if the scales don't show anything less - just feels so good not to eat rubbish and to be exercising again.....

Thanks TheEndlessArete for the welcome. Right, having had cake for breakfast, a big bowl of pesto n pasta, cake and creamy yoghurt for lunch, I am going to have a healthier dinner, steamed vegetables and a boiled egg or something and will only drink fizzy mineral water at the pub instead of my usual shandies followed by icecream in baileys. Huh, when I write it down, it suddenly becomes clear why my jeans are tight and my suits no longer fit. On the plus side, I have completely avoided snacking and only drunk herbal tea, no sugar and water with lemon today. I will report weight ins on Mondays. Thanks for letting me join.

21/11/2011 - 12 st 10 lb

hello ladies, I had my first weigh in today and I have lost 4lbs. I'm very pleased, I'm doing basically healthy eating and fairly low carb. I have been for 3 runs this week and shredded twice.

I also just discovered myfitnesspal.com a couple of days ago after seeing it mentioned a few times on here and I have to say I'm quite impressed with it, especially as it says if I carry on what I am doing I will be down to 10st 11lbs in 5 weeks.

Whereareysocks, well done on the first 4 pounds!
How much weight does myfitnesspal say you'd lose then?

My weigh in didn't happen last night, something was wrong with the scales. I was secretly quite happy as I hadn't had a good week. But also a bit annoyed because I wasted two hours for nothing. Oh well.

New day today and I am trying to be good. Made a yummy bread last night and am trying to not snack today. The amounts of biscuits I eat is not normal.

Well done Wheresmysocks that is fantastic news !! might check out the myfitnesspal thing...

That's so frustrating Gravity - hope it spurs you on to be strict with yourself this week so you can have a bumper weight loss next time !!