Right, here we go again - losing weight because I need and want to. Come and join me.

[StealthPolarBear]

I am at the age where it is just a matter of (short) time before I develop a health problem relating to my weight - joints, Type 2 diabetes or even a heart attack. It really is that serious.
I am sick of not having any "nice" clothes (don't want to invest until I lose weight ).
I did it in summer, stuck to it for ages which is something I have never managed to do. I CAN do it again.

So here's the plan. Back to foodfocus as of tomorrow. No days off (logging, although I may choose to eat more than I am "allowed". Everything must be logged.
No excessive competitiveness with myself. I truly believe this is part of the reason it all went wrong.

3 or 4 lb to lose every week. Might sound a lot but it's easy when you're big - I'm sure I could do it by just eating 3 normal sized usual meals a day. So pathetic if I can't.

Coming back here to report on progress. Caring and supportive thread but not accepting bullshit excuses!
Anyone want to join me?

DP lost 6 stone recently by cutting out carbs and sugar. He went to the gym as well but it was mainly down to a high protein diet with brown rice or pasta occasionally and lots of veg

I bought new trainers recently. Never christened them. New job involves staying over one night in a travel lodge. The only one I have been able to get so far is at a motorway side so no good, but next time I'll be in a built up/studenty area. So will end one day and start the next with a run from now on. Also have one or two more in the rest of the week.

Kormal when's your birthday? Are you going to do WW again?

Yes I'm in. The most successful time for me was when I followed a really natural eating plan. I found it really easy once I got into the swing of it and felt a million times better. Just got to get to that place psycholgically again. Plus giving up caffeine (abstaining gave me more energy) and alcohol (too many calories).
I have also downloaded the Couch to 5k thingy so gonna try that in the new year.
Can't decide whether to weigh myself and measure myself to chart my progress or just do one. (I seem to lose inches quicker than pounds so may just stick with measuring).

I have started a blog to try and get sorted.

I lost 2.5st with WW and put some back on. I do not want to get obsessed about it but need to lose at least a stone by Easter.

No carbs in the evening for me.

weetabix and sk milk with fruit for breakfast
Soup and roll or pasta for lunch
chicken and veg or salmon and veg for dinner

Lots of fruit, lots of low fat soup and yoghurts

"got to get to that place psycholgically again"
DDefinitely. I didn't find it a probelm sticking to it at all really. The odd "off" day was fine, as long as everything was logged (i.e. my calorie intake meant I put on weight that day but over the week it evened out). What messed it up though was when I went away for a weekend with friends. I planned to use my phone to update the site but you know how it is...and then 2 days without logging and I got the "what;s the point" feelings and it all went downhill from there. Irony is friend lives in the Dales and we had a long walk which, if I'd logged, would have easily offset the curry ccalories!

Collision I'm not convinced by low fat stuff. When removing the fat surely it is just replaced with artifical crap? I was told to eat as close to natural as possible, eg full fat yoghurt (obviously not big quantities though) same with regard to sugar free items - if the sugar has been removed then what have they replaced it with? I don't know, when I followed that ethos 2years ago I felt fab for it.

I think Collision meant soup that is naturally low in fat - e.g. vegetable, rather than stilton and broccoli :o

Yes I did Stealth!

Boil up a load of veg with a stock cube and blitz it type of soup!

actually that is another thing. I ahted my last job and the stress made calorie counting less important, but the one thing it did have was a canteen where, for £1.50 you could get really nice soup and a small roll. There was a label showing the calorie and fat cnotent of the soup. It started well - oriental veg, minestone, lentil. Then it seemed to always be highland veg (ok but got sick of it), cream of mushroom (doesn;t appeal or sound low fat) or leek (bleurgh). So I'd get a sandwich instead - high in cals and fat.

Ah yes Stealth wants stilton and broccoli soup now
So how does this work? do we post up our vitals? Or just our losses?

Me please.

I need to lose 3 stone by july, as I am bridesmaid in Sept and we are only having dress fitting and alteration appointment

I have done it before, so i know i can do it, but I am finding it incredibly hard to start.

Going to join weight watchers to kick it off i think.

I made a load of courgette soup earlier this year, might start having that for lunch.

hi Nutcracker.
3 stone by July sounds do-able. And presumably if it were 2.5 stone you'd still be overjoyed>? :)

Sorry Collision I get on my soapbox about all the low fat low sugar that is around.

I've lost about 3 1/2 stone in the last year and a bit. I think this week I've probably put back on about 1/2 a stone! Whoops. (I enjoyed it immensely though!!)

I therefore want to lose about 1 1/2 stone this year and be a nice size 12. (currently a 14)

I will adopt the strategy I did last year. Hardcore detox and NO carbs for a month what so ever. Then onto the long term of sensible but with treats because when I've ever deprived myself of anything it's made me miserable.

I find my technique works for me but it is terribly slow purely because I could never give up treats completely and have to counter balance everything I have.

Oh god yes, 2.5 or even 2 would be fab.

Mine and the dc's diets aren't great atm and so i am hoping to use this as a chance to overhaul everyones diet, and also learn to cook more things. I can cook but i am lazy.

Yes me too, and I agree about the low fat thing. I did eat the low fat alpen bar things, but if I had a sandwich I had normal bread not weightwatchers or whatever. ON toast I had marmite, rather than butter or low fat spread.

I did low card when I lost weight before, and it did work. I am a carb addict

Right first stone to go. First to drop out is a cowardy custard.

I too am a carb addict. And chocolate. In fact for my birthday someone gave me chocolate pasta

Aim is to fit in with my thin and beautiful cousins next year (and they're lovely too )

Turkey - by no carbs for a month do you mean proper no carbs (i.e no fruit and veg?) I believe that isn't recommended for more than a few days tbh.

Would definitely recommend focussing on uping the protein and cutting right down on processed carbs. Helps you feel full for longer. Soups are great for this!

Food is the most important element, but perhaps some exercise to speed things up?

Me please, but not until after New Year. I lost lots ( 4 stone 10lbs) between July 2010 and July 2011, then lost the plot and have put some back on.

End of July my brother is flying us out to Thailand for 3 weeks and I really need to shift most of OT by then. That's about 4 stone so won'g manage all of it but 2.5 - 3 stone would be good .

Think I shall go back to WW but will use the next week to decide my approach.

My downfall is toast. And cheese sandwiches. And toast.
Right, tomorrow morning I am going to post my height, weight and measurements. Don't expect anyone else to do the same but I need to. Then it is there in black and white for me. I can't do this properly if I'm not honest with myself.

Can I join please? I was big to start with and have ballooned recently. I decided this morning that burying my head in the sand won't work for much longer. I feel so unfit and unhealthy and noticed last week that I have new stretchmarks on my upper arms

I'm going to join SW online and look into doing couch to 5k. I've done SW before and enjoyed it as I was eating very healthily and it made me feel great.

I am an emotional eater so I'm going to start my online CBT at the same time. I need to find ways of making myself feel better that don't involve food!