Need to lose weight before ttc no2!

[ColdFeetWarmHeart]

I thought I'd start a thread as it's likely there are others in the same position.

Gave one DD who is 2.3. Would like to have another child at some point in the non too distant future but firstly I really need to lose weight, as

1. I'm far too heavy at the moment and my knees and feet have started to ache with the strain etc. I really don't think I'd cope physically being pregnant at this size
2. I have PCOS and the erratic periods that go with it. Weight loss supposedly helps with this (no personal experience to date) My plan at the moment is to be sensible - more home cooked meals with plenty of fruit and veg, and less processed crap! I really don't eat well, especially lately (I work evening shifts, and we moved house 3 weeks ago - I h Ave been grabbing what i can, when I can!)

I shall technically be starting on Monday, as I will be spending some of this weekend meal planning. But as of first thing in the morning I shall be starting on 3 meals a day instead of constant grazing!

The dash thru the house was worth it, it smells amazing, in the slow cooker hope it tastes as good.
Also as I don't have to cook later or cook 2 hrs before dinner, means I've been getting on with sorting my craft room, I got sucked in by my scale

Posted too soon, silly baby climbing on me
I got on the scales today before I went in the shower and have lost 3lbs so a little boost first thing.

I reckon Hairy Dieters is definitely worth a look takestwo. It wasn't just a diet programme saying "you just need to eat less, oh look here is some people that have eaten less and have now lost weight" - they give you ideas on how to cut calories and still eat enjoyable food (rather than just living on steamed veg and lean meat etc)
I watch quite a lot of diet programmes, and so many of them just say you need to eat 1500 calories a day or less etc, but they don't give you any meal ideas or anything else that is helpful!
They have got 3 books out so far, but I think some of their recipes are on the BBC website. I haven't cooked anything from their books yet (I don't really do cooking - but my new years resolution is to learn/start!) but most of their recipes appeal to my DH, whereas SW and WW don't!
If you want to watch their programme its starting again on Really on Tuesday night at 10pm. It might be on the Good Food Channel again as well.

How was he cassoulet yellow? I might try and do that one day in the next week or so (an evening I'm actually home to eat at same time as DH).
I can't believe you have a craft room - I'm so jealous!! I really want a home office/study. Once the spare room is sorted I am going to try and take it over for a while.
Well done on the weight loss!! Bleeding good start!!

Whoop! Well done yellow!

Thanks cold I'll see if I can record the next series.

Well I made the skinny lasagne tonight, it was amazing! Couldn't work out how ds would eat it so he had pasta with the bolognese, I used turkey mince instead of beef so that should probably be better as well.
Defiantly worth a watch, even if you just use the tips.
I keep having a big breakfast then forgetting about lunch, due to being busy. so going to make the filo pastry quiche with ham n leeks as I have bits left from the lasagne.
Feeling pretty good. Hopefully I don't ruin it all, by losing enthusiasm.
My new swimming stuff has arrived today, oh I love amazon prime. I will be trying it on and hopefully taking ds on one day next week. Oh the horror! Hopefully during the day, it will be filled with old people and I will try my best I don't care look.

They have only done one series of the TV show so far (4 episodes) but obviously being New Year (and start of diet season) they are being repeated.

I will do the lasagne one day but I might change the recipe a bit. I might make the cheese/bechamel sauce use the philadelphia recipe. I might also keep the lasagne sheets in. I can't see that the pasta sheets would add that many calories, but I'll work it all out in MFP first. I think the main thing that reduces calories in that recipe is using the 5% mince (which is what we always use anyway) and reducing calories in the cheese sauce.

I think I need to do that yellow. or at least plan the meals a bit better. I wasnt hungry so had no breakfast this morning. Was running out of time in the lead up to work and didn't have dinner as it was cook a meal or have a shower! I grabbed a quick sandwich before I headed out the door instead, and ended up really hungry at work within a couple of hours.
So, I have got to have a large late breakfast, or make sure I plan to cook a main meal to eat about 2pm.

I bought an individual crustless quiche the other day in morrisons, part of theit NuMe range. It was quite low in calories. Possibly even less per serving that the Hairy Dieters one. I have that in the fridge for a quick meal with salad and new potatoes.

I was dubious about the leeks as well but they taste great, and I make a brilliant standard lasagne and love it so was surprised. Even veg hater dh enjoyed it.

I did add a bit of Parmesan to the white sauce as it tasted odd at first. But it works all put together.
And I just did the bolognese I usually make , as I don't have wine and don't think stock is necessary.
But was pleased it was successful.
Dh has a day off tomorrow so will do some batch cooking. Being is organised is definitely key I think, well so says my friend who is a personal trainer.

Ooh that lasagne sounds delicious! I love leeks so I'll have to give it a go. So far I seem to be having quite good success with just cooking normal meals but making lower fat choices and reducing the portion size of the higher cal stuff by upping the veg so I still feel full. I am being really disciplined about cutting out all the junky snacks though (these are my real addiction). The way things are going its almost as if my body is glad of the opportunity to shed the extra weight. Weigh in day tomorrow so we'll see then but it feels like a really good start. I'm sure it will slow down as I have less excess to loose, but it's a boost to have a good start.

How is everyone getting on today?? I did my weigh in - 7lbs gone!!! I'm extatic, know it's going to get harder from here but I'll take that for starters!

Did you get any batch cooking done yellow?
I have seriously got to get more organised. We are still trying to get the house sorted since the move - I have a to do list a mile long - but I am hoping to get there shortly! lol We went to sainsburys today and bought a new cast iron casserole dish, and some nice new saucepans. Just need to use them now!!

Well done on the weight loss so far takestwo - that's absolutely amazing!!!!!

I have had a bit of a slip up this weekend. I feel really rubbish and lethargic, and I am quite sure its because I have had too much sugar/white carbs. I didn't eat anything before we went out, then ended up sharing one of those big bakery cookies with DD on the way home. End result, I'm sitting on the sofa for the rest of the afternoon/evening feeling really really tired and with no energy to get anything done!!
I need to work harder on eating proper meals!!! Life has been so hectic of late that I have kind of got in the habit of getting up and starting to do stuff, like unpack boxes etc, and putting off eating for ages. Then I end up eating the wrong stuff.
This week I will make mealtimes a priority!!! The washing can wait for 30mins!!!

I'm currently going with the philadelphia cookbook and website, and the hairy dieters books, and marking out some recipes to try. I need to find my post it notes......

Well done takes two that's amazing! So pleased for you.
I will weigh in tomorrow, I've been a bit up n down eating wise, so head in the game now.
I didn't get bulk cooking done unfortunately, bar a hairy bikers quiche for the fridge, which is lovely. I also got caught up in unpacking things and waxing chairs. Have done loads of running up and down stairs thou.
Would it be really bad if I made a carrot and courgette cake? As long as I don't eat loads, might do them in fairy cake style, to limit portions.
Just needing a sweet treat, have stopped drinking fizzy juice so really feeling it.

No yellow, I don't think it would be too bad to make the carrot and courgette cake. You can't deny yourself. If you ban all sweet things etc you'll just want them more. Fair more sensible to make yourself something and try and limit your portion sizes. Much better to have a slice or homemade carrot and courgette cake then to end up picking up something in the shops!!
I've had pepsi max last night and today, after DH opened up a bottle last night when my sister was over. Not sure whether that has also lead to the wanting sugar/feeling crap!!

I'm with cold on this yellow, if you ban things it only makes you crave them more - moderation is the key! Your cake sounds lovely and I'm very impressed with the quiche making. I've never done one but always think it sounds a lovely idea.

We'll not as impressive as you takes two, but 3lbs off.
And bulk cooking was done this morning
So I now have split up into 10 dinners for 2 adults and a toddler and still have loads of quiche, will send some away with my mum today as well.
I you are interested I made
Thai green curry
Turkey bolognese
Chicken korma
And egg plant Parmesan
All have been researched for lowest fat way to cook them and added lots of veg to all.
thou I only have full fat milk in the house so had to use that.
So bolognese and korma has peppers, celery, and courgette (usually mushrooms but forgot to chop them, dh and ds will be pleased thou)
Thai green curry has the same plus peas and sweetcorn
A food processor is a wonderful thing
Now I've cleaned up the kitchen and had lunch, I will get started on the cakes. Doing a beetroot chocolate and the carrot and courgette one that I like too. Ds will be over the moon as well, he does like cake.
I luckily have an extra freezer in the garage so have frozen all the dinners and will split the cakes up and freeze extra of them so temptation isn't there, they freeze really well.
So good planning I think, have to slightly organised as dh is back shift.

Wow yellow!!! Much respect for the amazing cooking!!! And the fantastic weight loss too. All in all, a very good day in the yellow house I might nick some of your recipe ideas.

I made it to the gym at lunchtime so have spent the afternoon trying not to blow my virtuousness with chocolate

Thanks, Thai green was eaten tonight, Very yum. It's made with Philly and had it with whole grain rice.
Ds for some reason picked out all the peas and handed them to me before he would eat it, then scoffed the lot. Strange baby
Carrot and courgette cakes are very nice as well. I stupidly have had 3 and my mum went off with a few. Must put them in the freezer apart for a few. Or I will just stuff my face.

Oh yellow, teach me how to be as organised as you and do all that cooking! I can't remember the last time I cooked anything from scratch, let alone all that in one go!
How old is your ds? What does he do when you're cooking?

I'm hoping another week of being in our new house and things will be more organised so I can teach myself to cook. Can't do much in kitchen at the moment. Got our new bed in there right now (too big to go up our stupid staircase even though it's in 4 bits so tomorrow the bedroom window is coming out!)

Well done on the weight loss yellow. Brilliant! Have you been hungry at all this week?

Taking the window out! What a nightmare. What kind of bed can't fit up a stair case? Not something you consider when buying a house.
Ds is 17 months, today dh didn't start work till 3, so was supposed to be entertaining ds, but we all ended up in the kitchen. If I'm cooking ds will just potter about or sit in a cupboard he has claimed as his own, so it's empty with no shelf, or he sits up at the big breakfast bar/table thing we have and "helps", draws or plays with stuff.
I've luckily got a big range cooker with 5 burners, in the new house and a big kitchen, better than the tiny kitchen we had in the flat before,that was off the living room.
multi tasking cooking has been learned over time, I used to work 12/14 hr days so used to use my day off for shopping/washing and cooking. So I could have proper food with little effort. How rock n roll

Also I have been hungry at some points and have had a drink to see if it's actual hunger or thirst and if I'm still hungry I've had some fruit or carrots.

Goodness, taking the window out seems like a big job. Good luck with it!

it is a super-king-size tv bed, but the problem is more with the staircase. The bed comes in 4 bits (headboard, footboard and 2 bases that you bolt together). Our staircase goes round the corner and each item is slightly too big (by about 2 inches) length and width ways for us to get it round the bend in the stairs!!
Window didn't come out in the end. Bloke came out, took one look and drove off!!! Spoken to other people who said the whole window and frame would have to come out which would cost £150-200, so the bed is going back!!!

DD is a bit happier to run round and play on her own now. But I couldn't have done much cooking with her in the flat, kitchen was too small and impractical. At least in our new house the oven is an eye-level one, so she can't touch it.
Your kitchen sounds so big yellow, I'm jealous!! Our kitchen is bigger than we used to have, but still not enormous. Its also rather poorly designed (esp the cupboards) so we will need to play around with it at some point to make the most of the space.

Off to work now. Will be going through recipe books later with the little post-it notes I have now found!

oh shame about the bed having to go back Cold, but a bed propped in the corner of the kitchen is no use to anyone!! Well except perhaps DD for bouncing on but that's not ideal in a kitchen

How is the eating of all that lovely food going yellow? I'm going to try and follow your lead and make some yummy diet-appropriate meals for the next few days.

Not unsurprisingly, my weight loss has really slowed this week so far. If it had been this way from the word go I'd be pleased that I'm still (just about) going in the right direction, but after last week's spectacular, I'm struggling to manage my expectations and frustrations a bit. When I'm feeling disheartened that is always the danger time for falling off the diet wagon. Must. Stay. Strong!

The quiche is very good for lunches the things I portioned up for 1 that I can share with ds are good. Other stuff portioned up for 3 so will be eaten next week.
Sticking to lots of salad with every meal.
The cakes are disappearing too fast. Ds has had 2 every day, I may have done the same
Beetroot cake in the freezer as more of a deterrent.

Very annoying about your bed cold feet. Dh wanted one of those glad I talked him out of it.
The kitchen is a good size an really well organised actually, I'm very pleased. I went from a massive kitchen in my own flat, to tiny kitchen in dhs flat to decent size again. Ds is pretty good at not touching the oven, he walked at 10 months so has been trained from an early age, thou going from a cool touch oven to this one, we had to tell him, before he pinned his face on the door to look in it like he did with the other one.

Change of plan, the bed is staying! I had a different window fitter round today to give me a quote, and he is coming round on Friday to take the window out for us. Can you believe its cheaper for us to do that then for us to find a different bed!
No chance of DD bouncing on it at the moment takestwo - its on its side pushed up against the backdoor!
I can't wait for the new bed to finally be in our room - we had a new mattress delivered today as well and it feels like heaven!! I won't want to get out of bed this weekend!!

After your spectacular weight loss last week, even half a pound this week would be good!

I am hoping I might get some time in the kitchen this weekend to try and rejig the cupboards - we won't be able to actually move cupboards around for ages, so I just need to find the best way to store things for now. I normally tell DD not to touch oven when its on or recently switched off, as even though its in the wall she can still reach it, but if I don't say anything I think she'd touch it. She was pretty much banned from kitchen before, so this is all new to her really!! We have put catches on all the kitchen cupboards and drawers to stop her getting everything out - she keeps telling us they are broken!!

I am feeling better today. Really been struggling so far, and I think its mainly because I don't have normal mealtimes anymore. I have made a real effort to eat my main meal before my evening shift the last couple of days, instead of just a sandwich etc, and I feel much better for it. All I had at work tonight was one small hot chocolate and peach sparkling water. I have then come home and had something proper to eat rather than toast/junk food. I feel skinnier already and my trousers (admittedly a size 22!!) feel looser. That's probably lack of bloating due to less wheat etc, but I'll take it!!