Bloody f**king nora. Just weighed myself and I want to die.

[BaublesAndCuntingCarolSingers]

I can't even bring myself to type in my weight because I am so ashamed :(

I need to lose 3.5 stone before the end of May (going on holiday with a thin friend) I am doing My Fitness Pal (calorie counting) and I am going to do 1200 calories a day. It's brutal I know but then so was the reading on my scales this morning.

Effing Nora :(

I lost 35 kg in a year (oct 11 to Oct 12) and I did it by changing the way I looked at food and of course exercising.
I have about 10 kg to lose now (went from a size 20 to 12) but it is more to do with fitness for my new obsession: dancing.

I go to the gym about 5 times a week (had a trainer in the beginning) and I also do Latin and Cuban dancing about 4 times a week. I do lessons and I also dance for hours at the dance parties. Vair good exercise!

Take a look at my pix as i have a before photo there.

My marriage breakup was one of the incentives. I also knew that if I didn't watch it I would end up being sick or dying before my time. Life is too much fun for that!

Have goals that you can work towards and be kind to yourself.

you stay put, Shiney - and you, Mo.

Dog walked, cauliflower soup cooking + feeling good!

I do spin occasionally Maureen. They changed instructors so class isn't as good.
Love Kettlecise at the moment, gym (crosstrainer and treadmill) and swimming.

Am signing up for some challenges this year.
I did some last year as well, just ate more calories to compensate and ended up heavier

I have made chicken pie for dinner. Tis going to be hard not having any of the puff pastry. Will of STEEL!

Is cous cous OK? I knwo it is pasta but it is made from the whole grain. I am confused.

Spin is brilliant - you burn ridiculous amounts of calories. Go for a 30 min session to begin with, though, fgs.

My enjoyment of spin is directly related to what music they play. So really uptempo house music = yes. Crap like Bon Jovi = no.

Body pump is also very good, the only one out of the Body attack/body balance classes I like. It's really good and fast paced. It is a bit lungey, though, so if you have dodgy knees it is not a good idea (dd has knee trouble and she loathed body pump)

Jeepers DrFay! You are v gorgeous!

faywray I read your breakup thread last year, I am so pleased that you have got through that horrible time and life is better now.

You do not look 50 for god's sake, and what a lovely photo of your children as well.

Mind you, you were very good looking when you were overweight. No sideways growing face for you!

I'm not really a joiner - crap at joining things generally - but will lurk around here if you'll have me.

I'm liking the big soup idea for lunch, also Shiney's yogurt & porridge brekkie , my problem is i need quick and easy stuff when I'm in work. (eat breakfast at work too). Any more quick ideas?

drfayray , you look AMAZING!

DRFay, you are gorgeous

If anyone likes dancing but is self-conscious about classes etc, Just Dance (we have for the wii) is fab. Loads of fun and gets you moving. Only exercise ever where I smile the whole way through.

what about seeds and fruit as a breakfast on the go? 2 apples and a handful of toasted pumpkin seeds?

What are our thoughts on low cal/fat cereal bars? Work of the devil and a flase economy, or OK?

One of the things I found really useful to start off with is meal planning with the help of the Good Food Mag website (others available I just happen to love it and food porn it regularly) but they have by calorie intake and I made lots of quick and easy soups/ suppers. A really filling one that was yummy was:rataouille

I didn't serve with bread but by golly is it good!

DrFay well done, you look great! What an achievement!

Amimagic, lurkers are welcome! From past experience, the only thing I can say about eating at work is take things in with you. It's the only way that you can fully control what you eat. It's too easy for you to get caught on the hop if you aren't prepared and at the mercy of what's in the shop/cafe. I used to take in a box of cous cous with roasted veg (Shiney's idea of sprinkling feta on sounds lovely) wraps full of stuff like tuna and hard-boiled eggs with tomatoes/cucumber/spring onions, fruit etc. Bulgar wheat is also really good for making up in advance and eating cold. It's nice with some grilled chicken breast thrown in, I used to marinade my chicken in harissa paste/herb marinades etc, griddle cook it, then chop it and chuck it in. Very filling.

Low fat cereal bars are carp. Don't fill any gap or provide anything but empty calories :(

I don't think much of low cal cereal bars etc.

I think cereal in itself is a bag o'shite anyway.

Blimey drfayray you were gorgeous before, now you look about 25.

Ok, I did think that about cereal bars. I don't eat them, but have been tempted to throw them in my work bag for snacking. I will just stick to fruit.

realhousewives of OC is on the tele now. Whoooooop!

I am lucky because at the offices I work in they have a canteen which always serves soup of some description. So I have that and a double espresso for lunch.

Don't eat breakfast.

EAT make delicious soups as well, ime. When I was working in London every day last month I would actually look forward to seeing what soups they have that day. That makes me sound like the biggest loser on earth.

OH OH The Biggest Loser is back on TV now. That is such a guilty pleasure.

EAT do lovely soups but are they very healthy? Hmmmm. My favourite one was the french onion one with the big cheesy raft of a crouton floating on the top.

And then they did a meatball one...

I live in the sticks. No EAT near me. I have packed lunches or just fruit and then have something when I get home.

I want to go to Los Cabos, Mexico, obvs after I have gotten rid of the mum tum

getorf the biggest loser, I know not of this TV pleasure?

Just made this soup and it was frigging DELICIOUS. And 188 cals

Yeah but 5g of saturated fat

It does look well nice though :(

OK have just reactivated MFP - I'm stripytigerfeet, please add me

Had a good couple of days foodwise, and I am going to stick to whoever it was up there ^ who said don't start exercising straight away as you won't be able to sustain too many lifestyle changes at once... this is very wise^ and I have listened carefully the truth is that I have knackered hips and knees and back and all sorts of other joints and if I do anything to strenuous it hurts a lot, for ages