I am going to lose this 2 stone, for good!!

[FlossyMcgrew]

I will be taking "after" pictures on July 1st.

I took before pictures yesterday and they are awful. I have at least 2 stone to lose. I have joined other threads here before, with some success. Then quit after getting halfway to my goal and gaining everything back in half the time it took me to lose it.

I am 5 foot 6, have been wavering around the 12 stone mark since having my 2 dc within 13 months. Youngest is now 2.

In my "before" pictures (which I won't post until I get to post them with my afters!). It is painfully obvious that nearly all of my weight is around my middle. This is particularly worrying as my family history is full of diabetes, heart problems, cancer, strokes- you name it.

My plan is this:

MFP to track my calories

30 day shred or alternate 30 min workout 5 times a week

More conscious eating. Re-reading Paul McKenna, "I Can Make You Thin."

Easy on the carbs. My current 2 slices of toast breakfast, 2 slice of bread sandwich and crisps lunch, and insert random carb heavy dinner here, is doing me and my middle no favours.

Drink more water. At least 4 pint glasses per day.

Chew gum instead of mindless snacking.

No baking. I can think up any excuse to bake, and then of course I have to test my product--no more!

And that is basically it.....

I am hoping that I can make all of these things my new way of life, rather than a diet.

I am tired of hating myself in every picture.

I am tired of refusing to buy new clothes in this size, and looking like a slob as all of my clothes are old and don't fit properly.

I want to be healthy and I want to be here for my kids for as long as possible.

I want to be a good example for my kids.

I would like to feel attractive again.

I am going to check in here at least once a week. Monday morning weigh in to keep me honest over the weekends. Please feel free to join me, or cheer me on.

I don't want to be a diet bore in real life so I am going to use this thread for my rambling instead.

So here goes......

Week 1
12 Stone 7

I went! I have eaten my porridge, I may have a nap now

My tip - take all your measurements before you start..... then when you don't lose any weight one week but loose a couple of cms in your measurements it keeps you motivated.

I started my fitness plan on 20 Feb. I have lost 10lbs and 35 cms all over (waist, bust, hips, lower belly fat bit lol!, thighs, calves, upper arm). I have a little chart and when I get cheesed off, I look at the measurements and it inspires me to carry on.

I am fortunate that I get gym membership paid for by the boss so I paid a year up front and I go to 6-8 classes per week. I love it and hate the gym itself, too lonely and no fun for me, I love zumba, bums and tums, pilates and every class possible!

I'm on a mission. Hoping to lose 2 stone by Christmas.... do able I think, slowly and surely.

Another tip is don't eat after dinner, no picking biscuits or anything. If I need something I go upstairs and tidy something up!!

We'll done Runningk - very impressive. I'm still thinking about it! But I have stuck to my calorie target 2 days in a row so that's real progress after the last few weeks!

Good tip Kbear - I could do that tomorrow morning. I think there's space to store them in MFP too.

Got greek yog and fruit for breakfast again today - it's suiting me well. As I can't face eggs or anything properly protein in the morning but greek yog has twice as much protien as normal yog. And as a bonus it's fewer calories than my old oats and yog combo and keeps me just as full!

Out for lunch today - for a colleagues birthday lunch. Will try and choose before I go again and pick something pro turn rich like some sort of meaty or fishy salad!

Focused again today!

Hello can I join please

My stats

Started 25/2/14
Weight 11st 10 1/4lbs

Weigh in is Tuesdays
Weight now 10st 13 1/2lbs

Total weight lost so far 10 3/4lbs

My motivation is a night out with friends penciled in for June and a 2 week holiday to Cyprus in August.

I have gone from size 14 to size 12 and somebody asked me yesterday if I have lost weight.

I have to shred DVD that I am putting off doing but really need to start! I have been walking a lot more and really noticing a difference in how much petrol I am using!

That's enough about me, off to start the day!

That sounds like a good breakfast Anna, i need to move on from porridge a bit!

Welcome Amelia, I love the shred dvd, although I've not done it for a bit. I need to start planning my exercise in again a bit better. You're going great guns on the weight loss already.

I'm taking the dc's for breakfast with the Easter Bunny tomorrow, I do hope it's ok - ds didn't care for Santa and dd is going through a testing phase of getting to places and then sobbing that she wants to go home.

I have done the 30 day shred a couple of years ago and lost weight but it it all and more back on last year.

After posting this morning I went downstairs and did the DVD, I'm feeling ok now and not aching as much as expected :)

Breakfast sounds fun, hope they both enjoy it.

Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

Lamby I think it's normal to fluctuate, even within one day. I usually check the scales more than once a week, but always only first thing in the morning.

Anna I do the shred from my phone too. It works for me I think because it is broken down into lots of little sections. You only ever do each exercise for a minute at a time, one minute crunches, one minute jumping jacks, one minute lunges etc. So even if that exercise is really tough, you know it ends soon enough.

For salads, I have been poaching chicken breast and keeping it in fridge to dice up for protein. Mix it with leaves and leftover broccoli or green beans and dress it with a bit of sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce. I like the little kick. If you have a lidl near you, they have little bags of mixed seeds and one called berry and cherry mix I like to sprinkle for a bit of crunch and sweetness, about £1 each I think and last a long time. Have to make sure it's just a sprinkle though as calories can creep up. Hope your lunch out today went well.

Thanks for the vitamin c tip Dudess! I am the same, trying to declutter my clothes, anxious to fit into some of them, and even more excited to shop :)

Well done on your cycle ride RunningKatie!

Good tip, Kbear, I may have to dig out my tape measure. Well done on your loss so far.

Welcome Amelia, Way to go on your loss so far, that is fantastic! Well done on the shred today too. I did the same thing a couple years back now, had success with shred, then quit and gained it all back plus. I am liking the shred for now, as it's doable with my kids and schedule at the moment. But I think I know that, long term, I need to branch out into other activities. I think I will need more variety and activity in general.

Good luck this weekend everyone :)

Urgh, on the subject of weighing self- can someone please shout at me to stop weighing myself every day!!! I get ups and downs through the week and it really annoys me. After an amazing day yesterday I had actually put on half a lb this morning for example, and now im feeling a bit peeed off. Must just do it weekly, but can't resist hopping in those scales first thing each day!

I followed Paul McKenna for a while and he recommends only weighing every fortnight as your weight can fluctuate so much on a daily basis.

I weigh once a week at the moment and it is much more helpful to see a pound loss in that time rather than a tiny amount off or even a gain every day.

Can you pass your scales to somebody to look after for a couple of weeks and then see how you feel after weighing with a longer gap?

What about just putting a post it note blocking the reading/weight that says "Is it Monday?" Or whatever day you choose.

Or putting them away and only get them out once a week on your chosen day?

Yes I'm going to pack them away and just get them out on Mondays, good idea. I just know I couldn't do a fortnight Amelia!!! I'm too impatient!!

Yes I'm going to pack them away and just get them out on Mondays, good idea. I just know I couldn't do a fortnight Amelia!!! I'm too impatient!!

I don't go a fortnight either. I am some times tempted to weigh in more often than once a week but have managed to resist so far :)

The note idea is brilliant, i'm going to put the scales in the cupboard with a note on them. I really do not want my dd growing up with weight issues. My DM said to her the other week how slim she looks in pants rather than a nappy. She's 3 ffs.

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny went well, except they had a sausage sandwich each and didn't eat them. So i did. Ooops. In my defence, it was £8 a ticket so i wanted to get my moneys worth, and i didn't eat all the bread!

I have just had a hairy dieters burger without the bread roll. Also had hairy dieters wedges and salad. It was lovely.

Lots of reviews online are saying they lost lots of weight eating the recipes from the hairy dieters book so think I might work my way through it.

RunningKatie my ExMIL said that DD3 had a really big belly right in front of her recently, she is also 3

She isn't fat she still has a bit of a toddler shape and some times seems to stick her belly out. I remember DD2 was the same and she is perfectly in proportion now.

Oh I love toddler tummies! Those comments would make me as well.
I also have hairy dieters book and made the chicken pie with filo topping the other week and it was so yummy (chicken tangle pie I think?). I also remembered that I have the book 'cook yourself thin' and dug that out today- forgot how nice it was. So no excuses, I have lots of tasty menu inspiration!

Is the topping of the pie easy to do? I have read the recipe a few times but didn't really understand it.

I think the hairy dieters have got a second book out now. Think I might get that one as well.

Yes, very easy, I didn't do it as precisely as they suggest- got a bit confused with all the rectangle cutting, so I basically just scrunched it up and slapped it on and was lovely!!

Thank you I will have to add it to my recipes I need to try.

Morning! Busy day yesterday and had visitors so didn't do great with my food but back on track today.

There seems to be a few of us who are mums to daughters - I do really worry about them having weight issues too am trying desperately hard to be really relaxed about food in front of my girls - whilst also trying to feed them health stuff, teach them to listen to their bodies about how full they are and enjoy exercise as a way of life!! My mum was constantly saying she was fat, had big thighs, wobbly tummy etc. I think she may have occasionally strayed up to a 14 but was generally a very lovely size 12. And she was often saying "don't eat that, you'll get fat" type comments. Whilst I'm certainly not blaming my weight on her, it was always an issue in our house and I always remember thinking about it. I don't want to be like that at all.

I love my mum to bits and we have a great relationship. I spoke to her about it after she'd made a comment to my 3.5yr old about her tummy. She was really upset and hadn't realised the impact of her own issues on us.

So I'm trying to be relaxed on the outside about something I'm so not relaxed about on the inside! Sounds like a recipe for disaster!

I also have hairy bikers, will dig it out.

Sorry for the rantarama!!! Here's to a healthy active day!!

I had an ice cream at the park that included clotted cream. Was lovely at the time but felt a bit grim after.

Tea will be very small. Possibly a very small amount of pasta and frozen berries with low fat Greek yoghurt.

I have loved having the DC off but it has really not helped the eating!

I had a bacon sandwich this morning, I had already been for a bike ride and it was half way through a walk but still, I didn't actually need it.

I tried some of my summer skirts on, I've got 3 of them that are the same, I reckon I need to lose another 2 inches round my waist to get them to fit. So, Shredding it is!

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend

Hi ladies!
How are you all getting on? I have been ok. Not gone over my calories until today, i have been picking all day, chocolate, cake, crackers, whatever has been in sight really! Weigh day tomorrow and really need to up my game. Decided to buy a new dress for the wedding bit an 18 was too tight! I have never been bursting out of an 18, for my height thats quite big. It did up but was pulling. I bought is anyway so now have a 5 week countdown to make it more comfortable. I think a plate of veg for dinner tonight!
I will update my weight in the morning. I was 14.10 last week. X