Ok, I'm coming out of that river in Egypt.... Help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !

[NomDePlume]

I need to drop 10lbs. I'm 5'7" and 10st 4lb, but I have a slimmish build so it looks and feels far too heavy.

I've got a gym membership, but (shamefully) I've not been since January, which is poo I know. So I need to get back to that.

I need to get rid of the crap from my diet. I have a weakness for all the bad stuff during the day because the kids are all out at school/nursery and DH is at work, so I can't be bothered to make something proper for lunch so I'll have a bag of crisps and some biscuits instead. It's spiralling now.

I eat pretty well in the evenings because I am cooking for the family, but I just really struggle with the motivation to cook and eat healthy, nutritious, tasty, low-fat/sugar stuff in the day. Can you suggest suitable stuff ? Maybe a weekly meal planner ?

Snap.

Same height, same weight, same problem (Orlando guiltily shoves plate recently containing thick piece of lovely white organic toast dripping with butter- now scattered only with crumbs- under pile of paper on desk)

So what's the plan?

And none of this giving up wine business.

we're getting into spring/summer now so I'm hoping I'm going to start feeling like salad for lunch again

I have a dreadful crisp/cheese habit that I find hard to break! I force myself to walk every day though otherwise I'd be stones heavier.

lol. I supoose I'm guilty of knowing what I need to do (vaguely), but I've never had that great a relationship with food.

I go through phases of all or nothing. At one end of the scale there's my 'good' phase, where I'll only eat one small meal a day (I know that's not 'good' or healthy, btw, but during these periods I'll feel repulsed by food, especially high fat/salt/sugar stuff). Then at the other end I seem to be bingeing on crap. I know neither of these are a great way to live but I can't seem to find a happy medium. It's getting me down.

These phases last about a month each.

chicken or tuna salads are good

all you have to do is make sure you have lettuce and tins of tuna (or left over chicken) - it only takes about 5 mins to throw it all together

throw in some other vegetables you have in your draw (carrot, peppers, corn, cucumber, tomato, avos) and if you make a big bowl, it should keep you going till tea time

I agree it is v hard staying good all day though

I don't find salads filling (unless I have a big hunk of bread with it) or tasty though, that's another problem.

NdP, I too have phases but have recently realised (while doing a migraine calendar) that all my food stuffing is due to my cycle. About 7-10 days before I'm due on, I literally become a food dustbin and then once I'm on for the next 2 weeks I eat like a sparrow.

I would blame it on hormones if I was you

I think one of the key things is to make sure you have protein regularly throughout the day. If I don't, I've noticed I crave more for things like crisps/cheese/sweets.

I also get migraines, which are caffeine (just one cup of tea can set them off), sugar and tiredness related. Sorting out my diet would probably reduce my attacks, I know that. But all I want when I feel poo is a cake or something, despite knowing that I'll pay for it in an hour or so.

how about soup with crusty bread? or baked potatoes

to be honest, the only way I came down from that weight (was similar weight to you) was bloody mind-numbing exercise

I like getting on the treadmill with my ipod, once I'm actually at the gym, but I seem to lack the motivation to get there atm. Which is stupid because I'm paying monthly subs for nothing. Before Christmas I got into a really good habit of going to the gym times a week, but it seems to have fizzled out (I could give a thousand excuses why...).

I go through phases too. There's the 'lovely home-cooking' phase, where I'll eat anything as long as it's organic, home-made etc etc and kid myself that's v. wholesome. Then, revolted with the resulting weight gain I swing dramatically back into the 'anything as long as it comes from the sainsbury's good to yourself range'-- in other words processed diet crap, but I feel if I've paid twice as much for a yogurt that tastes like wallpaper paste I automatically become a health goddess.

Will definitely try the protein thing. Roasted a chicken last night, so there are left overs.

DD is on a half day at nursery today so I think we'll pop to Tesco and pick out some tasty salady bits, spuds and tuna for lunch.

I totally agree with you re lack of motivation

I was supposed to go swimming one morning this week and so far, have not managed it (the shame). I too come up with excuses! I think the only way to do it is to schedule a regular time, put it on the calendar (so you see it every day!) and make sure you stick to it (say once a week on a Friday morning or whatever).

I know it is easier said than done.

I used to go straight to the gym after dropping DD at nursery, but then I started popping back home for a towel/bottle of water etc and an hour later was still planted on the sofa watching rubbish on the tv .

If you cut out all fats where you can you will lose weight - I used to glug the olive oil into the wok before stir-frying and butter both sides of bread when making a sandwich etc - have stopped both.

Also eating multigrain bread fills you up longer and you don't get the dips when you crave chocolate (speaking as one who has a chocolate machine outside my office door). I'm trying to lose 23lbs and I've lost 5 in two weeks. Already feel I look much better and my jacket does up!

Swimming helps too, to tone up the flab.

Getting started is the hardest part - I've been starting this every Monday since Christmas but once I decided to go for it I have stuck to it.

Good luck.

put me down for this am 1 inch taller than you and would dream of being at your start weight but guess we all have different builds... mine is large and wobbly...

am not going to diet as life does not fit into a plan so am doing paul McKenna and lots of exercise...

Can I lurk on here too ? I am 5'2 and just over 9 stone which I know isn't massivly awful, but as ndp said it just feels too big for me.

I just cannot stop eating lately, think it's boredom of an evening.

I eat far too much bread in a day, can be between 5 and 7 slices. Have been quite good at leeping off the crisps and biscuits but have been eating cakes and sweets.

I can't afford to go to a gym at the mo so am thinking of buying a couple of exercise dvds instead. I do have 2 peices of exercise equipment gathering dust in my bedroom, so I might haul those out too.

Can I join? I'm similar to you - 5ft7, 10st7 (just lost 9lbs in last few weeks but still want ti shift another 7-10lbs and could do with the motivation of some buddies).

I've found cutting down on bread - hardly eat any, now - maybe 1 slice in 2 days - has really helped. Also, went through mega sugar withdrawal when I started dieting, but don't really crave it si much now. Omega 3, 6 9 oil tablets helped with sugar cravings - maybe placebo affect but hey! if it works!

Really need to get exercising. Just started a weekly pilates class which is nice but not v challenging IYKWIM. Will get DH to put buggy board onto little buggy (still on travel system at mo) this weekend so I cabn start walking distances which are not restricted by 3yo's legs.

I WILL do it!!!

R

What's the river/Eygpt reference, BTW?

river in Egypt is the nile when you are in it you are in de..nile....