Starting the no 'S' eating regime today to lose weight, anyone want to join in?

[standclear]

Hi, have got decidedly porky over the past few years.
I feel tired and lethargic, and none of my clothes look good anymore.
I also need to lose weight for health reasons and increase my (currently woeful) level of exercise.

I want to follow a simple and 'do-able' eating plan that is fairly simple and that I will be able to sustain ie hoping to lose 0.5 kg each week.

I'm planning to follow the no 'S' "diet":

book here

A summary of the basic rules is:

no snacks
no sweets (it's an American book so that covers puddings as well as biscuits and confectionary)
no seconds

except on days that start with 's' ie the weekend, and 'special' days ie birthdays and big holidays such as Christmas.

I've got the book so can answer further questions but that is basically it!

I'm going to be using MFP to log calories and I have also found the free NHS weight loss plan (includes exercise) helpful too

see here

I am planning to post my weight here every Sunday too (but that is not obligatory of course).

The other reason for posting on here is that I don't want to bore my family and friends to death about it in rl!! But it would be nice to have some companions along the way .

Anyone want to join in?

Ah, that does sound tough EltsihT! Well done re your menu yesterday, and I hope you had fun letting your hair down on Saturday night (and don't feel too rough this morning ).

My Saturday went ok: a few snacks but mainly fruit and a little chocolate bean with my coffee after lunch but that was about it.

I'm now about to run (aka jog very slowly, and maybe limp towards the end) my first ever half marathon! If I survive I will be eating whatever the heck I want for lunch. Probably involving chips .

Weigh in day today.

I was 11 stone 8.5 (73.9kg) which is half a pound up on last week

Yesterday I had a bit of a diet busting day - we were invited for a family gathering in London as my American cousins and their DC were in town (this happens about once per decade and I hadn't met the DC). It was a lovely day. But we had cake in the afternoon (2 birthdays), and crisps, and then ended up going out for dinner to Pizza Express with my DH, DC, DPs and D uncle & aunt.

So food wise, the day was a complete write off! I'm hoping the weight gain is temporary carb bloat rather than an actual gain IYSWIM.

Am now sipping on a cup of tea and trying to figure out how to try to get back on track. I might have to make a big batch of soup....

helen a half marathon - wow - enjoy the chips!

stand the matinette does look very nice I have to say. I think I would eat the bread separately though :)

Morning!

Helen good luck with your first half marathon (v impressive!)

Grumpy If it's any consolation, I am weighing in at 83.4 kg today, tiny bit down from last week but basically not much progress from 84kg from when I started a month ago. Disappointing. But I know I need to try harder.

Family celebrations are hard. We have (family) visitors arriving tonight. I'm hoping that all the running around I will have to do with them will offset the celebration meals we will inevitably be having.

Do feel healthier overall though (more active, more dog walking). Basically need to lessen, if you'll excuse the expression, the amount of food I shovel in to my gob!! It's not rocket science!!

Enjoy your Sundays everyone!

Did soft play with a hangover today. Had way too much coffee but didn't want cake!

I am so impressed with everyone's activities, I just run round after my 2 ds.

This week unsurprisingly I have gone from 66.8 to 66.6. Roll on next week!

It's still a loss not a gain EltsihT!!

I survived! Finished in 12,566th place which was plenty good enough for me. Obviously I kept up the good work with a healthy and balanced post-run lunch: chips followed by chocolate fudge cake and ice cream .

Back at it today. Good luck everyone, here's to a week of healthy eating, healthy sleeping and hopefully not too much stress.

Well done, I am seriously impressed :)

Thank you grumpy

OK day yesterday:
B - muesli, yoghurt & apple
L - tuna melt pannini (sp?), salad, apple
D - salad with couscous & cottage cheese, nuts, banana
Finished work at 9 but managed to be in bed by 11 which was an achievement for me. Up at 5 though so still tired! Mission for the day is to eat like a well rested person.

Keep going everyone. I know some of the losses have been small but the way I see it is that this is a change for life so it's not like losing weight slowly means you have to be "on a diet" for longer iyswim. We'll get there in the end.

I had a really good day yesterday,

B, toast marmite, coffee
L, sausage roll on the beach wall
D- bacon, broccoli, and cheese pasta bake.
No snack at all.
Hopefully I will gave as good a at today.

Well done Helen that is brilliant going !

And thank you for the encouragement too; this eating regime is definitely a marathon not a sprint! But let's just say I need to up the pace a bit!

Well done for resisting the snacks yesterday Eltsiht!

I'm having another difficult week. Visitors here. Dh has best wines and cheeses out. I am doing my best to resist.

Yesterday:
B croissant
L home made butter nut squash soup, cheese, bread
S mediterranean roasted veg with roast chicken

Had though and also a portion of rhubarb crumble which one of guests made so very hard to say "no".

Very active on my feet though so hoping that will help!

Keep going everyone!

Totally forgot about no snacking today and licked the whisks of the chocolate cake I am baking for my dad's birthday.

Birthdays are "s" days right? So I can have some cake tomorrow?

Well done EltsihT, and yes, close family birthdays are s days so you're good. Enjoy your cake .

It's a tough one with the guests, stand. You can't exactly turn down their gifts of food! As you say, I'm sure being on your feet will help though, just walking and housework etc burns a surprising number of calories. And hopefully they will keep you distracted from/ too busy for snacks.

Another ok day here:
B - 2 poached eggs on 1 toast.
L - salad with beans, grains, anchovies & sweet potato crisps.
D - dim sum, hot & sour soup, cucumber & peanut salad
Bed by 9.30 (!) due to a mixture of exhaustion and it being the only warm place in the house.

Nearly halfway through the week. Need to keep it up and not get complacent.

It is freezing at the moment isn't it Helen? Our house is incredibly drafty. Well done on another excellent day of healthy eating.

Hope your dad has had a lovely birthday Eltsih

Still drinking too much to survive guest's visit!

B cup of tea
L 1.5 samosas with mixed salad of Romaine lettuce, cucumber, spring onions, toms, lambs lettuce and small amount of dressing
S cold chicken, baked spud, gravy made from stock (skimmed), mashed swede, broccoli

tiny piece of cherry tart but didn't finish it

standclear
This is completely off topic, but I'm wondering about your NN. Everytime I read it, I hear "Mind the gap, stand clear of the doors". But I grew up in London.....

And also off topic, where in Belgium would you recommend for a city break with DC aged 14, 12 & 9? Always good to get tips from a local!

Sounds like you've done well with avoiding excess with family around :)

I have declined cake twice this week. My colleagues are looking at me as if I've got a strange affliction!

Stuck to no s yesterday, although overall diet wasn't that healthy and I drank an inadvisable amount of red wine so now feel rather queasy

B - egg mayo and salmon roll
L - breaded scampi and salad
D - fish fingers and loads of veg, yoghurt with large sprinkle of muesli for pud.

Great stuff turning down cake grumpy!

Oh, and bed by 11 which was ok.

Yesterday was okay, avoided snacking (even in the evening) and had only one plate, but we did go out to dinner with work (to a restaurant with more than one vegan thing on the menu which is a miracle) so the portion of dinner was generous.

Grumpy Gent and Leuven are very nice. Gent an actual city, Leuven quite small, but lovely. But if you stay in Brussels then Antwerp, Mechelen, Gent, Leuven and Brugge are all less than an hour away by train (Leuven only 20 minutes). I don't think you'd spend more than a day in Leuven, Mechelen or Brugge, the others are properly cities with more on.

I won't have time to snack tonight either as I'm off to a continuing education thing for work. And tomorrow I'll be on a train. It's a busy week. And I won't be weighing in till Monday because I won't have a scale.

I'm glad we seem to be sticking to it now.

rivier
I think I will be Googling your suggestions this evening - thanks!
How do you pronounce your name (I am bamboozled by the 'j')?

Hi Grumpy well done re cake avoidance!

No partic signif with nn , just wanted something indicative of new start ie decluttering house, losing weight etc.

Used to work in London for many years and loved the recorded voice of the man who said "mind the gap" at Clapham Junction mind you

Sorry I am late re: Belgo city visit answers.

Was going to say exactly the same as RivierLiedje.

Would avoid Bxls tbh. It's a pleasant place to live if you know the local quartiers and there is always something interesting going on, but can be a bit soul-less overall.

Ghent is a particular favourite of mine; not as touristy as Bruges but even better in many ways.

Totally agree with Antwerp recommendation too: it has a great vibe! (And wonderful shopping!)

The railway station is worth a visit in itself (and is right next to a good city zoo). The Grote Markt is incredible too!

Check out:

www.mas.be/min.net?id=3080206 Museum aan de Stroom

www.museumvleeshuis.be/mgn.net (partic if your dc are musical!)

www.middelheimmuseum.be/Museum_Middelheim_EN (possibly a bit out of your way - but marvellous sculpture park)

It depends if you are interested in art...churches... diamonds... chocolate... shopping... the port ... frites ... too much to choose from!

Good luck with your busy work week ahead RivierLiedje!

Sorry I've not been on for a bit. Well done on everyone's losses. I've been sticking religiously to "no S", I've literally only slipped once when I had a magnum on a Thursday I've been to the gym too.

And yet I've gained even more weight :(

I need to go to my GP. I suspect it might be meds I am on making me gain weight. Humph!

Welcome back karaoke and well done for sticking with it. Do you feel like you are eating less than usual but still not losing/ gaining weight? Or are you eating more at meals? What about drinks/alcohol? If none of the above explain it then speaking to your doc sounds like a good plan.

I am feeling rubbish today and just want to eat anything I can get my hands on . Had extra cheese and biscuits at lunch which were totally unnecessary and didn't make me feel any better. Still want to eat though. This evening is going g to be tough!

stand Thanks for the links - looks great!

karaoke - what helen said really

helen I am with you regarding tough evening. I am ravenous tonight after healthy salad lunch.....willpower needed for sure!

Thank you. I am eating much less at meal times as in the past I have always had seconds! I drink twice a week - Friday night and Sunday night. Maybe a bottle of wine in total, sometimes less.

My meals are largely healthy ones, pasta bolognese, chicken salad, porridge and berries. I might have a wholemeal roll with cheese and salad for lunch. Today I had hula hoops but as a part of my lunch, not as a snack.

Have a gp appointment next week so we will see!

Helen good luck this evening, hope you find a way to distract yourself from eating everything!

Hi to Karaoke! Hope gp appt proves productive; your diet sounds v healthy to me.

Sorry you are finding today tough Helen, hope evening goes ok!

Waves to Grumpy and eveyrone else!