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!

Right, am sitting down tonight to try and formulate a plan instead of winging it (I actually have my pad and pen here now to do some googling, rather than thinking "I'll do that later")
What I am trying to do, is sort out a new way of eating, rather than just a temporary diet. What new habits should I be forming.

To help, here is what my "way of eating"/daily routine has been like lately

• wake up between 8 and 9 most days
• no breakfast - may grab a biscuit or two if some are hanging around
• some times have my main meal at lunch time. More often than not end up picking
• go to work and have several vending machine hot chocolates (70 cals for 200ml), plus cereal bars, crisps, chocolate, whatever I have in my bag really
• get home about 9:30. Sometimes I will eat straight away if I have a ready meal I can chuck in the microwave. More often than that I end up picking, or eating something heavy very late or I just snack or junk food/carbs all night
• might pick more throughout the evening until I go to bed
• normally go to sleep about 1/2am
• my meals are mainly comprised of junk/convenience food. there is very little fruit and veg for me.
• i don't really exercise - just housework etc.

I realise that the above is SO not healthy and a lot needs to change. But where do I start? I think I'm a bit overwhelmed by it all.
What do you think I should focus on first to try and create a new healthy habit??

Gosh that's difficult cold. Maybe the first thing I'd focus on is sleep, because everything else will come more easily if you are well rested: more energy to cool and exercise, less need to snack to relieve fatigue. I read an article the other day about a study that has found that people who get 7-8 hrs sleep a night burn metabolise three times as much fat as people who get less than 7 hours. That's an incentive for me!!

I'm guessing most of the time you are eating because you are bored and it's there.
Some people say snack on seeds and stuff, mmmm yummy, I think not.
Lol
On a good food day
I get up 8/9am
Have a banana or melon to take medication
Ds has the same plus a cup of milk, minus the medication
Then we have breakfast about 9:30ish
I cook some bacon and mushrooms and make and omelette or scrambled egg with it
Or today I made slice of toast each with some ham and salad for me and ds just had Philly.
As apparently the bacon I thought was in the fridge was eaten the other day.

Ds may have a snack at about 11:30ish like an apple or a biscuit or a bit of beetroot cake, I may also partake in cake
1:00
Probably will have quiche for lunch with salad as I made it yesterday,
Ds will probably be having some ham, cucumber and a breadstick as he's not eating sandwiches at the moment.
Or I have some soup for both of us either veg and lentil or chicken noodle.
Haven't decided yet
Ds naps for a bit now and depends how I feel, I either sit and do nothing or tidy up. Once I've started cleaning it's easier it's the getting started that's the problem.

The only exercise I would have had so far is running up and down stairs, or throwing big soft balls up the stairs to ds as he likes to throw them down and try an catch them when I throw them up.

Ds wakes up
This is the willpower time until dinner between 5/6
Today we are having scampi, salad and sweet potato chips as I have one that needs eaten.
Don't have pudding, ds might have custard or a yogurt

If I'm hungry, I will try and drink water and see if I'm just thirsty then have fruit or a wrap with ham.

Ds goes to bed, will clean and tidy the house,watch telly, play ps4 or wax chairs as I've got 4 still to do. then go to bed myself at about 12/1.

That is a good day, if I'm not thinking, I will be drinking fizzy juice and eating bourbons while hanging about in the kitchen and carrying on eating after I'm full as it's tasty.

I think you are right yellow - most of the time I eat because it is there. Then because I have filled myself up on junk, I don't want a proper dinner. I also lack the motivation/organisation at the moment to cook decent meals for myself in the middle of the day.

I was thinking that perhaps my hours during the day were mucking me up, but mine aren't too different to yours yellow. I was thinking perhaps I need to go to bed at 11, but I don't think its feasible when I don't get in from work until 9:30 or later!! I need a little wind down time. I think I will try to get into bed by 12 tonight though.

What to focus on first though, other than to bed by 12?
I do need to make sure I drink enough throughout the day as well. I drink ok at work, but sometimes when I get there at 4 I have only had 1 or 2 glasses of water all day!! I have a bit of a headache now, and I'm not sure if its lack of water or wanting sugar....

There's a poster up at work that talks about the best way to make long term changes to your life/stick with new years resolutions and it says to only change one thing at a time and you're more likely to keep it up. Bedtimes and water intake sounds like a good starting place

That's what I was thinking, making a decent bedtime and drinking plenty part of normal life, before focusing on something else. I am hoping that just focusing on these two things will help me to eat better anyway, as I won't be reaching for the sugar all the time.

Right, I am going to put that last part of the Horizon diet programme on the iplayer, and then it will be up to bed!

Morning all! Cold how are the new resolutions going? did you manage to get a good sleep?

Must have been asleep just gone 12:30 last night. Felt more refreshed when I woke this morning.i need to add a new resolution though - turn off laptop etc by 11pm at the latest. I got carried away researching stuff tonight and now my brain won't switch off!

Probably got to sleep just gone 1:30 am. Had a nightmare. Have not woken feeling refreshed! Want to go back to sleep!

Oh no! Apparently no screen time for an hour before bed is the rule for promoting sleep

Evening all. It's gone very quiet in here?!! Are you still with me??

I've had such a hungry day today. Not sure why but it's the first day I've really really struggled to keep to plan. Feel like I've eaten a lot of food but hopefully relatively good stuff. Planning on going for a walk once DH gets home to babysit so hopefully that will motivate me again for tomorrow.

How is it all going with you?

Ps just seen a flourless pancake recipe on fb which sounds quite healthy and thought I might try it for weekend breakfast tomorrow: two eggs and one banana all mashed up/whisked up together, fried in a hot pan in scotch pancake-sized blobs. They look great. Will report back on how they taste tomorrow!

Also, I found a great way to add interest to porridge this morning - toasting flaked almonds in a dry pan for a minute or two (stirring so they don't burn) and add them to the porridge with a bit of fruit. Really yummy!!!

Hi takestwo - I am still here. Didn't check in last night as I am trying to reduce my screen time lol. I got in late so got on laptop to pay an urgent bill, send an urgent email, and then made myself put it away. Then watched call the midwife before heading off to bed.

Please let me know how those pancakes turn out!! Something different for me and DD to try out.
I'm really stuck for what to have for breakfast at work tomorrow (I cant eat before I leave - far too early). I was planning to take in some weetabix and milk, but we have no milk. No toaster etc for me to make my own food at work. They do a breakfast run on a Saturday, but its either to McDonalds or the local cafe. I don't think they do a healthy option. Well if they go to McDonalds I could get porridge or a bagel, but they will probably go to the greasy cafe......
Anyway, long term, what can anyone suggest for my Saturday morning breakfasts. It needs to be something I can take to work and eat cold at my desk (possibly in-between calls). Preferably high protein/low carb!!

One of my priorities for next week is to register with new GP. I think I need to get a check-up or something. I have been suffering lately with the joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, dry eyes, blurred vision.....after seeing Optician yesterday I learned that PCOS can cause dry eyes, so I have consulted Dr Google - apparently everything I am suffering from at the moment could be down to the PCOS! Joy!!

Boiled eggs? Or egg sandwiches? Bircher muesli (oats, yoghurt and fruit)?

Sorry about the pcos worries. Hopefully losing weight might help a bit with some symptoms?

Will let you know about the pancakes!

Yes still here, just lots going on, keep falling on and off the healthy eating wagon. Oooops

Food shopping arrived today, so meal planning central and keeping me on the straight and narrow again.
Very much doubt I have lost anything this week.

Went out for a walk to the park yesterday with ds walking there,then carried him back in the sling, so carrying over 2 stone of toddler has to do me good.

However makes me realise how heavy 2 stone actually is and how much better I should feel to not be carrying it around permanently.

When I worked early I used to take the porridge you make with boiling water or a tub with boiled egg and turkey bacon in it that I had made the night before.

I don't really like hard boiled eggs (and don't think the office would appreciate the smell!). I tried that bircher muesli a few weeks ago - I really couldn't face it, it made me gag for some reason!
I would take porridge tubs to work but don't have access to boiling hot water at the office - we just have drinks machine.

God I feel depressed - I just checked the bank accounts!!!! DH may have his debit card confiscated!!!

Losing weight should help with all of the symptoms of PCOS - they have definitely got worse as I have gotten bigger. Esp in last 6-12 months. Trouble is getting it off! I'm trying to think of how much weight I have successfully lost in the past.....half a stone I think (part of my mind says I have lost a stone in weight at some point, but I can't recall exactly so I probably imagined that!!)

You need a thermos, then you could take porridge,

Or a fruit salad perhaps?

Oh it's so hard isn't it? My previous max loss is 20lbs and I have a whole stone more than that to lose this time

Just made ds and I the no flour banana pancakes, they are really nice and pretty sweet.

I added vanilla extract and some mixed spice.

Got "mmmm yum" from ds and he's polished one off, I got 5 pancakes out of the 2 egg mix and think they taste better cooled a bit.

Glad they went down well yellow we had them too and went down well here. I think they'd be better with slightly riper bananas than we had here and I like the idea of adding spices and vanilla - yum!

I always have over ripe bananas in the freezer, but had a really ripe one avaliable today.
I was slightly concerned about the consistency at first but so nice. ??

Ooh I will try the banana pancakes recipe tomorrow or Monday morning. Got a couple of bananas in the fridge, that are currently destined to be banana and peanut butter muffins.
do you just mash the banana, and then whisk the eggs by hand? or do you use electric whisk?

I took go ahead slices and a tracker cereal bar to work - didn't really have time to eat much in the end anyway. pretty busy today.

takestwo I have about 6.5 stone to lose in total!!!

yellow is there anything that you don't freeze? lol

Nope, I hate food waste and have 2 fridge freezers.

I made the pancakes by mashing a banana, adding 2 eggs and whisking with a fork, add 1/4 tea spoon on baking powder and some vanilla and mixed spice.
Fried small amounts about the size of a scotch pancake