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

Careful with the gravy flossy. I was gutted to find I wasted 100 cals on the most measly portion of gravy!

My do has just flown off to Holland I've already snacked on Pringles

I hate him being away

Thanks Funky , I was fairly restrained, but then outta nowhere when clearing up found myself dunking a potato in the gravy pot and scoffing it down?! This is the mindless eating that I wasn't counting, but my muffin top was!

I randomly saw this Pringles picture today, so had to share. How long is your DP away for?

Haha, I haven't dared go near a tube of pringles in ages. I love them.

I hate my DH being away FunkyBarnYard - last time DD was asking me what we had to do to make him come home again it was heartbreaking, next time he's away for 9 days and it's going to be a nightmare.

I am planning on starting to do parkruns, they are free and I am stingy because I am so slow!

I used to go to vibration plate classes at my old gym Dudess, it was great for stretching on after a run.

I have put a pound on, I'm putting it down to the random bleeding rather than me eating up to my calorie limit on mfp and not exactly exercising every day.

He's away til the early hours of Friday morning.

He's been back a week after being gone the whole week before

Accountants arent supposed to go away this much. Damn them and their new banking systems based in the Netherlands!

Well, I'm on the wine, so will weigh myself on Fridays I think. Snacked on Sweet and Salty popcorn this afternoon, and not the Galaxy I really wanted. Do have some baked Llamas by my side, too...come on, Busy Week!

Morning!

RunningKatie the more that I hear, the less that I want to get the coil, at least until I get a better handle on my weight. Really just need DH to hurry up and commit to getting a vasectomy, he keeps going back and forth and time keeps moving on.

Parkruns, I am going to look into that instead. I support the race for life cause of course, but at the same time don't really fancy hounding friends and family for sponsorship.

Funky that is a lot of travel for an accountant! Nightmare trying to get into a routine when the schedules are so unpredictable like that. Well done for sticking with it, steer clear of the Pringles :)

Dudess that is twice you've had me googling now, had to look up baked llamas--I've seen them, but never tried, are they any good? Salty sweet popcorn is the best! I love it. It's dangerous for me to keep around as I can't stop myself. Last week I had some as a snack and ended up having to count it as lunch!

Ok, weigh in time......

Week 4

11 Stone 13 lbs
1 lb loss
8 lbs so far

I am actually really pleased with that, feels good to be under the 12 mark, barely! I feel lucky, I wasn't very disciplined this weekend, several glasses of wine, my roast potato incident, and a few other slip ups. Now I know that I really need to check myself this week, and take it up a notch. Better planning, no popcorn lunches, and no wine. Going to move to level 2 of 30 day shred today instead of half heartedly plodding along on level one. 99 days until "after " pictures, I can't afford to lose focus!

Good luck everyone.

Way to go Colafrosties! Ouch, on the popcorn injury.

I know what you mean, I am anxious to gets bit more solidly below the 12 mark to feel like I am really making progress. 12 is where I've been wavering at for far too long. I am really anxious to get under 11, to be honest, but trying very hard to be patient, positive and realistic to keep it sustainable.

I have done shred level 2, just step over me whilst i lie here a while.

Weigh in today
Start weight 12st12
Today 12st8

Well chuffed with that.

Wow - it seems that there have been some great losses since I've been on the thread - well done.

I accidently deserted you - got a terrible cold (as did the kids) and it was all I could do to get through the days as they were both up in the nights - not fun, so my eating went to pot. Anyway - we're all feeling a bit better now and (thanks to a well timed message from Flossy on MFP, I'm back.

Having caught up on the thread - it seems like Flossy had a traumatic week too - popped elbow must've been pretty scary esp on such a little one.

I jumped on the scales this morning expecting to be back where I started but I was actually showing a 1lb loss - I genuinely have no idea how but its motivated me to keep going now. So that's 3.5lb in total - I think I've been doing it for about 4 weeks now - so I'm happy with that.

I was chatting to a friend this weekend and just talking about food etc and I realised that I really don't eat much protein - I'm wondering if that its why I never really feel satisfied after meals - I think I am going to try and eat more protein over the next week - hopefully that'll stop me running to the toaster before bedtime.

Good luck this week everyone

Well done RunningKatie I still haven't managed to move to level 2, was just sitting here thinking about skipping it all together tonight, but think I will drag out the weights and just do it instead.

Welcome back AnnaDoreta, Hope everything has settled down at your house now, and bonus on the pound loss! I think there is a lot to be said for increasing protein. I know that personally, if I start out the day carb heavy, I find it more difficult to not snack or go for more carbs the rest of the day. But, when I start with just 2 scrambled eggs for example, then I don't have the same issue. Of course that could be in my head!

How did you get on Flossy? I ended up skipping yesteday and today, I did Level 2 fine, and then rolled over in bed and cricked my neck! Thankfully it's getting better now so tomorrow I am off to the gym.

I have been having carb heavy days, I need to sort that out. DS is waking us up super early so I have an early breakfast and then end up wanting a tea cake when we're at playgroup or something.

Glad you're feeling better Anna

Confession time for me too. I didn't do the shred at all last night and I was over on calories as well. Then today I was feeling a bit meh all day, hadn't planned out meals at all and ended up nearly over my daily calories by lunchtime?!

Luckily I caught myself and had a very light dinner and then did shred. I really could feel myself slipping into the whole, not caring, eat what I like, total disregard for my goals and health, mode.

I know it's natural to slip up here and there, I guess the secret for me will be to notice it, acknowledge it, not dwell on it, but move on and back to healthy choices? I am not sure.

I think planning and having healthy options on hand are crucial for me right now as well. Off to the shops in the morning to stock up on healthy options, oh and more gum!

Good luck everyone.

And ouch RunningKatie sorry about your neck, glad it's getting better, that is so uncomfortable. All this running and shredding and then it's a bed injury, nightmare! Good luck at the gym tomorrow :)

I'm with you...I piled on 3 stone after DP died suddenly 18mths ago. It's completely knocked my confidence. I'm only 30 and it's aged me terribly. good luck x

I've had a crap week.DP has been away and DS has mostly been with his dad. I've barely eaten and what I have eaten has been absolute cack.

Since DP and I moved in together I've completely lost the ability to cook. He's a great cook and really enjoys it. I probably need to regain that skills and give myself a slap!

Truffle, sorry to read about your husband that must have been a terrible shock. I hope you are doing ok and welcome to the thread x

trufflesnuffler how absolutely horrible. I am so sorry. I gained some of my weight when my dad died suddenly 5 years ago, I can't believe it's been 5 years already. I had to take everything a moment at a time in the beginning, let alone a day at a time. 18 months is still so recent, don't be too hard on yourself about the weight. When something that devastating happens, you get through each day however you can I think. That's the last thing you expect to deal with at 30. My sympathy. Please feel free to join us if you like?

Your post has really given me perspective, thank you. Life is too short for me to keep making excuses of having a meh day. I need to recommit to my goals and remember my reasons.

Good luck everyone.

Welcome trufflesnuffler, so sorry to hear about your dp. You're very welcome here

I have just inhaled some cookie as i was in a huff with dd. Sometimes she is a real threenager.

I think you're right about not letting one day off plan upset your overall target flossy. Keep your goal in mind.

I have a new goal, a spa night, so i need to be in reasonable shape for a swimsuit. Not sure when it is yet but i'm gymming tonight.

Forgot, is your dp back funkybarnyard? Mine is going soon, i am setting up my support network now. I usually get through with the aid of chocolate and diet coke. And ready meals, except the dc won't eat them.

He is back at 1am. Today is dragging so bad

I hope you've hung up the welcome home banner! I used to do all manner of zany things pre-dc when dh went away. Now I can barely remember to ask where he's going.

I should go to the gym, my normal council gym is closed for a refit so I can use the slightly swankier one nearer to my house which would be nice for a nosey round. Except we've had one of those days where all I want to do is hide under a blanket on the sofa.

I do have a little sign to hang on the door when he gets in

And a couple up the staircase....

And one on his pillow