NOW, or NEVER, no EXCUSES thread part 4.

[Tortoise]

Here we are, thread 4 .
Time for me to have a large kick up the arse and lose weight! (After Easter!)

Out three times this week so i've not stuck to the diet. Had a party Friday night and lots of yummy carby nibbles. I rarely drink so had such a hangover Saturday morning that healthy eating went out the window and I had fish and chips.

It's terrible, I feel like fat is clogging my pores and arteries. Maybe that's a bit extreme but I definitely feel terrible. Weigh in will not be good.

I hope everyone else is doing better than me.

Thanks for the above, so far the slimfast in conjunction with mfp is really working out. I haven't stuck to the slimfast everyday but have stuck to 1240 calories which is what mfp is allowing me. Sunday lunch at MIL's yesterday so I skipped all other meals and still came in under target.

I think I just have to face up to the fact that I need rules as left to my own devices I'm just not a very good person.

Weigh in this morning at 14st 5.2 lbs so very happy with that. I've been weighing every morning and have seen a steady decline so will stick with that I think.

That's nearly 6lbs? Wow, that's good. If you carry like that for a couple of week's you'll probably go down a dress size. I think I noticed clothes were too big when I had lost about 10 or 12lbs and it is very motivating.

Like you I need rules but I also need the flexibility to have a binge every so often which is why I like mfp. I generally stick to 3 healthy meals a day but sometimes will have just one meal a day if I have a big one. It sounds like deprivation but my stomach is definitely smaller so if I go out and have a big lunch I often don't feel hungry in the evening.

I didn't have time to weigh myself this morning so I'll try again tomorrow. I'm expecting a large gain. This week I have no plans to go out so it should be easy to keep the diet up.

I had an argument with dh who hasn't really noticed the weightloss. He commented in about april / May but since then I've gone down from about a 12 to an 8 to 10 and he hasn't mentioned it.... other than Friday when I had to buy a new dress because I didn't have anything nice to wear for a party. We had an argument about how much I'm spending on clothes and I yelled that none of my clothes fit. It's great that he loved me when I was bigger but it would be nice if he noticed the loss more.

Arty, I hope everything's OK. Are you managing to keep sane? I imagine you must be pretty much housebound.

Thanks JD, yes it is a good loss, but it's the first week and I tend to find the first week does go well, it's sustaining it that's the problem. This is why I wanted to join a thread like this, there aren't many people in RL I can talk to about this kind of thing so I need somewhere I can get some feedback and where someone will give me a kick up the rear when I need it.

Sorry to hear about your argument with dh, there's only one thing to say to that though, MEN!

I had to tell my husband I was dieting, he does all the cooking so needed to make sure he wouldn't cook for me anymore and after 20+ years of marriage he knows well enough to ask how it's going and make appropriate comments on my new svelte figure (I think he gets them in early to be on the safe side )

Arty, thanks for the welcome, hope you're back on your feet soon.

Hi guys - well done Zalen on your loss. Again no weight loss here - I know why so no real big surprise. I have been pretty much housebound last week but was away this weekend which was a life saver but really tough at the same time!

I tried to eat sensibly from last Monday but really was not in the right zone, in the last week I actually ate 3 small bars of chocolate - why??? no idea as I am not a big chocolate eater, someone had bought them for me and so I ate them! I also knew I was away for the weekend and knew that there was going to be 3 course dinners Fri Sat and Sun. But I am back home now and so far today I have stuck to my healthy eating - long may it last! Also I guess the weight is going to be slower going for me as I am like a snail walking with my sticks and not working at the moment either.

Good luck with your weigh in Johnny - hope its not as bad as you think.

And as for husbands - PFFT! My DH has gone away till Thursday leaving me to struggle at home and rely on neighbours to ferry my children around to dance several times during the week. He thinks just because he changed the beds and did a weeks shop then everything else will just magically get done! As if! Thankfully girls are old enough to do things but we have never asked them to do much a part from their rooms and homework. LOL it did surprise them yesterday when I told them they had to make their own lunch for today!

I completely understand Zalen, I never talk to people in real life about my diet and hate it when they ask so this thread and mumsnets been amazing. I have never told anyone that I use mfp or count calories. I think I felt like a failure about my weight, it was one of the few things I didn't really have control of. I'm terrified of putting the weight back on as it seems like so many people do it. It doesn't help that dh is naturally thin. If he eats too much one day he's not hungry the next, so he has no idea how difficult the last year has been.

Arty, I eat far more chocolate than I used to which is so strange. I just put it into mfp and eat less of everything else. It's weird as given a choice I would've binged on savoury food before, mainly crisps or cheese and these days I don't really crave them.

I think it's an achievement to stay the same given your lifestyle at the moment. I hope you are still managing to eat well and your dds are helping.

Unexpected news, I didn't get round to weighing myself until this morning and I was down .2lbs. I'm really pleased, it means I'm 132.5lbs (9st 6.5) which is amazing. I never thought I'd get to the 10s but to be approaching the 8s is unbelievable.

Of course at this rate it will take me 33 weeks to reach my target!

Wow, excellent news, at the moment I can only dream of single figures and I might have to let up a little on strictly following the slimfast plan so the dream withdraws further off into the future. I go to a mixed martial arts class 3 - 4 times a week, last night I was completely wiped out within 10 minutes, absolutely no energy so I'm thinking I might have to try and fit in a slice of toast or something before hand, don't want to keel over on the mats, that would be embarrassing.

Well done Johnny! I am having a really good week so far, checked the scales this morning and the weight is definitely moving in the right direction .

Zalen make sure you eat regularly, I use a lot of the recipes from the hairy dieters and pop them in the freezer and pull one out everyday - I need to think I am not on a diet or else I would normally binge. Up to having my knee operation I had lost nearly 3 stone eating 3 meals a day and drinking alcohol on the weekend!!! This is since June. I found that my biggest problem was that although I was eating healthy my portions were too big.

Zalen, do you enter your martial arts classes into mfp? I don't exercise very often but when I do I always add it so I can have some extra calories. I find something like an apple or banana keeps me going for a bit if I need a snack between meals. Personally, I struggle with toast as a snack because I can't stop at one.

Your target may seem a long way off but by Xmas you'll be in a smaller clothes size and by the summer you'll be able to buy a fabulous new tiny swimming costume.

Another fan of the hairy bikers diet books. I absolutely love the lamb, spinach and potato curry from the first book and the cottage pie. I've only done one recipe from the second so far. I also love home made soup.

Thanks both, it's odd how different people deal with things, I have to think that I'm on a diet, everytime I want to pig out on something I shouldn't that's the thought that helps me walk away.

I do enter the classes in MFP but I think it's a bit over generous with the calories, I may come off the mats dripping with sweat but I'm fairly sure I won't be burning off 802 calories which is what it credits me with for 1 hour.

I'd love to try the Hairy Bikers book but unfortunately I very rarely cook, between working full-time and class 4 evenings a week I never find the time. The lovely people at weight watchers generally supply my lunch, and I add something nice for dessert to make up a few calories and to keep me motivated. Chicken and Lemon risotto today with a Yeo Valley Greek Style Yoghurt With Honey to finish.

I generally go with an apple, a banana and a slimfast snack of some kind for my 3 snacks during the day. Last week I'd generally eaten all three before lunch, today I've only had the slimfast bar so hopefully my appetite is adjusting, I'll have the apple mid afternoon and save the banana til shortly before class, see if that helps the endurance. Grading in four weeks so that will be adding to the pressure, I really want that new belt before Christmas .

At first I was very disciplined and told myself I was on a diet but then I realised that a 5ft 4 woman in her 40s, with a sedentary lifestyle, only needs about 1600 cals a day before she starts to put on weight so I now see this as more of a way of life. I spent years thinking I need 2000 a day because that's what all the food manufacturers say and it is untrue for the majority of women.

Have had a bad couple of days again where I have substituted a proper meal for toast or chocolate. I'm not eating enough to put on weight but It's clearly not very healthy.

Ah I see what you mean about not thinking of it as being on a diet. I will keep thinking of it as a diet for now but over time will try to morph that into a new way of life.

My big problem when I stop thinking of it as a diet and start trying to participate in family meal times is that my husband does most of the cooking and the amount cooked has not gone down since DS1 went away to university meaning that portion sizes have gone up. That along with the fact that we often end up eating late is a recipe for disaster as far as my weight is concerned.

Annoyingly he can still eat pretty much whatever he wants and doesn't gain weight even though he's approaching fifty and lives a far more sedentary life than I do.

Gah, I tried twice over the weekend to reply to you Zalen and my iPad kept losing them.

I had problems with portion sizes and eating late too as dh comes home late.

I think portion sizes are tricky so I am more likely to weigh things before I cook them, especially carbs. I always put enough pasta in the pan for 6 people and used to eat it, and I'd do 20 roast potatoes (for 2 of us before kids) and we'd eat them . Now I fill my plate up with lots of vegetables and salad and only small amounts of carbs. I also give myself small portions with permission to have seconds if I'm still hungry. I very rarely am and I was surprised to learn that I have quite a small appetite really. Learning when I am hungry has been my biggest battle and I still sometimes reach for food out of habit or boredom. Of course the food I reach for is much more likely to be something like a satsuma or apple so not as bad as chocolate or crisps which I generally don't have in the house.

I eat with the kids now as dc gets home so late I would eat a load of bread / cheese and the kids leftovers just waiting for him to get home. Poor dh has a cold dinner when he gets home 3 or 4 hours later.

I weighed myself today. Stayed the same so it was a bit disappointing but I know I had a couple of days where I probably ate too much. I was too busy to record into mfp so this week I need to do that.

I hope everyone is well. I'm having a great time getting ready for Christmas. Dd2 I'd almost 3 so is starting to get excited about Christmas. I'm going to try to put the tree up today with her. Hopefully she'll be old enough to not knock it down this year!

Weighed myself this morning, 14st 1.6 so very happy with that, MFP has even told me today that I've lost enough weight that I need to recalculate my goals and has dropped me from 1240 calories to 1200

I find that the only way that works for me on reducing portion size is to opt out of family meals entirely and live off ready meals. Otherwise, although I start with the best of intentions my portion sizes slowly creep upwards until I end up back where I started.

This weekend has been really hard, I always take DS2 to McDonalds after martial arts class on Saturday morning, it took a fair amount of will power to get his happy meal and not order anything for myself, especially since Cheese Melts are back! Then when we got home we found they'd given him the festive pie instead of an apple pie so I got him a muffin from Greggs to make up for it, more will power required not to get a cupcake and a sausage roll (to make up for no McDonalds) for myself. On top of that there was keeping DS2 fed all weekend of course and avoiding the leftovers. And I think I may have snapped at my husband on Friday night when he walked into the living room with a plate of cheese cubes and shoved it under my nose!

Still I'd planned in a couple of treats for myself over the weekend and also bought some lovely, fluffy wool and spent all weekend knitting a wrap to wear to the work Christmas Do on Wednesday , that kept my hands occupied and kept me from stuffing my face all weekend so all's good in the end.

Well done Zalen - you should be very pleased with yourself, thats a good weight loss.

According to my scales I have lost 4lb this week - really pleased with that as it will be due entirely down to what I have eaten as I am still not up to exercising etc. I still have a couple of pound to lose before I get back to my pre op weight but not much more - thankfully. Although saying that I am definitely getting more mobile. I am down to one stick indoors but still need two outside although I think I am ready to drop the stick indoors now and possibly just have one outside - its more for confidence really. Have a physio app on Thurs so will see what he has to say.

I am still on some strong painkillers, during the day I can come with the odd paracetamol etc but at night time its pretty grim and at times have been awake all night!

Keep up the good work Johnny - its great to maintain!

Hopefully I will be back at the drs next week for my official weigh in, was going to go today but it would take either a short taxi ride but expensive - £4.85 both ways) or 2 bus rides away, I got ready and took one step outside and quickly changed my mind and walked back indoors. Oh to drive again - only 3 and a half weeks to go! So frustrating.....

Thanks arty, and congrats yourself, that's an excellent weight loss, especially when you've been unable to exercise. Hope all goes well at the physio app on Thursday.

Zalen, what a fantastic loss. I hope you're still feeling motivated, next week you could be in the 13s. Well done for not succumbing to temptations in McDonalds and Greggs.

I know what you mean about portion sizes creeping up. I still sometimes weigh a portion of food just to check it hasn't crept up. I feel full on quite small portions these days but still tend to eat everything on my plate (that's one habit that I still can't get out of). I also eat with dds at about 5 as if I waited for dh I'd literally graze for 4 hours.

Arty very impressed you've lost weight considering that you're in pain and not sleeping. Those are the conditions that send most of us to the biscuit barrel! I hope your physio appointment went well.

I'm not having the best of weeks, very busy doing stuff for Xmas. Dds finish school on Friday (private) so I only have about 8 hours to myself to finish all the xmas shopping or have the hideous job of taking two small children around the shops doing those last minute presents. I've almost finished but there are a couple of difficult people to buy for. I also hate the nagging to get dd1 to write her xmas cards and dd2 to do a squiggle in the 20 I've written for her. I did wonder if anyone would notice if I didn't bother. Anyway as a result I'm really not eating well. Lots of chocolate and toast instead of meals. I haven't put on any weight but I feel like a greasy, bloated blob and even though objectively I know I am thin I don't feel it. It's dd2s birthday tomorrow so I have a week of relatives and visitors starting with a small party tomorrow. My fridge contains cocktail sausages and mini pasties at the moment. Must resist!

I am having a bad week - started off okay but tried to stop pain killers on Thursday and since then all has gone down hill and I have felt really rough. So I have started back on them tonight - am going to try them just at night (they are slow release ones) night times are the worst and I am awake for most of it.
I am so cheesed off, have done no Xmas shopping, DH started yesterday on line. It really is going to be a hit and miss christmas this year. I am missing work too, I work in a sch so I am missing out on all the exciting stuff. Oh woe is me!!!!!! On the plus side I am now down to one stick outside and no sticks at home but the physio has said I am walking very stiff so next week they will work on my gait!

So I have decided that tomorrow is another day (again) I am going to take the 2 buses I need to get to the Drs, get myself officially weighed and sort myself out. Saying that I haven't really eaten that badly this week - just not that great!! I think I am just fed up, I want to be able to do everything now and I can't - its so frustrating! My weight is yo yoing big time at the moment - can change by 4lb daily!

Johnny hope your DD has a lovely day today and enjoy the pasties!!

Hope you have had a good week Zalen

Well thats all from me - hopefully my next post will be a bit more cheerful!

Perhaps I need to go in the jungle! Hmm now there's a thought!

That sounds awful, I hope the painkillers work and you get some sleep tonight. I'm still impressed you're even thinking about the diet given everything you've got going on. Good luck getting to the doctors. (and good luck with Xmas planning, I hope your dh is a better shopper than mine).

We had a lovely day, dd2 was 3 and it was the first year where she understood what her birthday means and she was so excited. I love toddlers, she's so excited about Xmas too - decorations, father Xmas, presents, reindeers etc. it'll be so sad when dds stop believing in father Christmas. Unfortunately I ate a stupid amount again, I do feel a bit out of control at the moment. I have a tummy ache and I wonder if it's because i've eaten too much. Need to start diet again tomorrow.

Sorry you've been having such a bad week arty, I hope this one is a bit better for you.

Johnny, I'm glad you had a good day for dd's birthday, it's lovely when they are so young caught up in the excitement of the day rather than the lust for presents.

Christmas is a horrible time in general to try to diet, had the work Christmas party last week with Thursday and Friday off work to recover and then to Christmas Shop. Diet went completely out of the window on Wednesday and Friday, however I've pulled it back together a bit over the weekend and weighed in at 13st 13.4 this morning so yes Johnny, I'm into the 13's and hopefully I won't leave them again until I enter the 12's.

I hope you both have a good week and your weigh-in's go well.

Well done Zalen! Another great weight loss - into another stone zone is a fab feeling. Have you been buying new clothes yet??

I am feeling a lot more positive today! Still didn't sleep great last night but having that doze just before tea last night probably didn't help!!! My weigh in at home wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, I guess a couple of really good days coupled with a bad day and a few days of not really eating a huge amount I managed to put 1lb on. Although saying that I am not too convinced at the weight as my work trousers are now too big for me around the waist (how that has happened I will never know) but also my weight really is fluctuating hugely at the moment. I am dreading the drs weigh in this afternoon but its got to be done, I need the motivation especially that when I go back in January to see my consultant I want to tell him I have carried on losing weight! hmm tough one at the mo!!

Johnny, I miss have little ones at Christmas, my youngest is 13 and she wants everything designer, hate it now that they all want music, DVDs and make up in the stockings as a posed to toys and crafty stuff. DH is an amazing shopper, he always does the weekly shop, I am useless! He has left me to do the clothes side of the girls list. I am off into town before the drs so will take a look in New Look. DH got the decs out last night as DD3 has been grumping that it doesn't feel like its nearly christmas as normally by now we have pretty much everything done. So we have promised DD3 tomorrow evening we will do the tree and decs - hopefully it might just get me in the mood!

I will report back later with my more up to date accurate weight gainloss. I know its a gain just hope its not too bad! Fingers crossed

Thanks arty, no new clothes yet, apart from the dress for the work Christmas Do last Wednesday, this in a size 16. I'm still wearing my size 14 jeans from a few years ago but the muffin top is definitely reducing .

Good luck with the Christmas shopping and the drs this afternoon.