Anyone who has lost two or more stone ...

[Mintyy]

Please tell me how you did it?

And is it still off?

Thank you.

[MarkStretch]

I lost 2.5 stone last year with Slimming World. Then I got pregnant, had a baby and am now back at my pre-baby weight with a little bit of SW and some breast feeding and running about after 3 children!

I pick when I am cooking too but I make sure I eat the veg- raw carrot, peas out of the pods etc, or I snack of high protein foods which keep me full- bits of ham, slices of chicken etc.

Otherwise make up a lovely low fat soup and have a cup of it when you are peckish. I can give you a great recipe for a slimming world spicy bacon and lentil soup, it's really chunky and fills you up. The reason SW worked for me is because I hate feeling hungry and I knew I could do this diet and still have nice snacks.

[MrsTomHardy]

Oh yes please...any receipes for soups would be great. Ive never made a home made soup.....
Thanks!

[BIWI]

Well, Mintyy .....

[MarkStretch]

Spicy lentil and Bacon soup: (some quantities are a rough idea because I have adapted it a little bit)

Dice an onion and fry it in a little Frylight spray.

Add a teaspoon of cumin powder and a teaspoon of any curry powder you have. Add a finely chopped chilli or some dried chilli flakes (use these sparingly, they are hot!) Fry for a couple of mins. If you find it is sticking to the pan just add in a little water.

Chop up some bacon- make sure all visable fat is trimmed from the bacon before you use it. Add it in and fry for a min or so. Dice a couple of carrots and a potato and add them in.

Then add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a couple of handfuls of red lentils and about a pint or so of veg stock (just a cube disolved in water). Simmer on a low heat for about half an hour (or the longer the better as it goes all thick and lovely) until the veg is soft and the lentils have absorbed all the water (keep checking the water level as the lentils tend to suck up quite a bit and you might want to add more in)

Hope that is useful, it's my favourite soup and it's great when you're hungry.

[Sleepwhenidie]

Lost over 2st and maintained for over a year. Exercise is the key (and a common thread through all the responses above). I love food and wine and eat healthily (and now, really quite a lot), but couldn't bear to worry all the time about what I should or shouldn't have. I also like great clothes, which I personally find look much better when I am slim. There is only one way to continue enjoying both and that is by exercising hard, most days of the week. Weight training is as important as the cardio as well, build up some muscle (women do not get bulky!) and you will increase your metabolism.

Other than that the only thing I do food wise is generally try and avoid processed food, especially processed carbs, sugar (I find a sugar in my daily latte and a few squares of dark choc when I feel like it is enough to keep cake/biscuit cravings at bay), ensure I eat plenty of lean protein - the secret to not feeling hungry...I typically eat two eggs a day for one meal. So not unlike Paleo, which I would definitely adopt if I was trying to lose weight. However I do eat a slice or two of buttered granary bread and drink wine most days and have pasta/takeaways when I fancy it.

[fatlazymummy]

mrstomhardy if you know you are a snacker then you need to plan for this. There is no need to stick to just 3 meals a day if this doesn't suit you. Instead use part of your daily food 'intake' as your snacks. I eat 4 brazil nuts every day, I usually eat them mid morning, as that is when I feel like a snack. Again, I have a piece of fruit in the afternoon at around 3 pm. I also like to keep a tub of low fat cottage cheese in the fridge, a couple of teaspoons is a nice little snack.
Things like carrot sticks or a couple of cherry tomatoes are great for when you are cooking dinner.
As for fattening snacks such as crisps/ biscuits then either don't buy them at all or just buy the minimum amount that you or your children will eat in one go. There is no need to have multi packs of crisps or sweets in the house.

[fatlazymummy]

My other top tip is to get into the habit of doing exercise on a regular basis. You don't need to go to the gym or to have hours to spare. Try doing things when you are watching TV or when the commercials come on, just 5 or 10 minutes a few times a day soon adds up. Climb stairs instead of using lifts, walk or cycle instead of driving whenever possible.