Exercise Buddies - anyone want to join?

[Lorns]

Hi this a new thread linked to "We want to lose 10lbs NEW THREAD"

I'm a Group exercise instructor/Personal Trainer and have been offering advice to mumsnetters!

Following suggestions that it would be good to start an exercise/nutrition advice/motivation thread - well here it is!!

I try my best not to skip meals, Sweetheart, so have trained myself to eat in the mornings. But normally wait until after school run not normally hungry when I first get up. I used to miss breakfast now and again but found I just ate more in the evening instead! I take it you're allowed 20 pts a day - when I was following WW properly, I normally kept 10 pts for dinner and split the other 10 between breakfast, lunch and snacks. If I wanted a glass of wine or two with dinner then that had to come out of the 10 "dinner" pts eg 7 pts on food plus 2 small glasses of wine (3pts).

I didn't count points yesterday - just ate lowcarb. Will see how I get on today. Salad for lunch, then planning chilli con carne with lettuce, salsa, grated cheese and soured cream for dinner. Plus lots of water!

Hiya speedy

Gotta go to gym now

Have a great work out Laloop. I'm planning to go after work today!

Are you all OK to take in a late entrant!!!?

Even though I am still juggling my time nearly 8 months after DD started school I am at a point now where I have to make time for me.

I am 5' 5", weight between 10st3lb - 10st7lb and would just love to feel better about myself. Not necessarily lose lots of weight, although getting down to 9st7lb would be great, I mainly want to tone and generally feel heathier rather than permenantly drained and stressed.

Keep threatening myself with the running machine, or a yoga DVD (need to switch off and relax!) but never get around to it!!!

Can't afford to go to a gym, but I do have a lovely running machine at home- so no excuses there!!

Hi Dingle. I only joined the thread last week and everone has been very helpful and friendly. I hope you get as much out of it as I have.

Speedy, thanks for the info it's really helpful. My meals normally have either potatoes, rice or pasta with them so the potatoes are fine and I need to switch to brown rice (does it taste the same???) what about the pasta? Do they do wholegrain pasta?

Laloop, I try and stick to 18 pts as I hover a Ib or two either side of 10St and if I eat 20 points I don't loose weight. I usually leave about 10 points for dinner too and find that having a salad or soup for lunch uses about 4 points. By the time I've had a couple of cups of tea a day (I have 1 sugar, I know I shouldn't but I HATE tea without sugar!!!!) thats my points for the day used up. I know it's really bad to skip breakfast but
a) I don't have time really
b) I'm not normally hungry first thing - it normally kicks in about 10am
c) I don't seem to have enough points!

Also I've found that if I eat in the morning it makes me hungry the rest of the day whereas if I can hold off until after I've been to the gym at lunchtime I don't feel as hungry.

I hope you have a good workout today. the garage has just phoned to say my car is ready so I will be making it to the gym after all.

sorry speedy - just seen from your list that pasta is a complex carb! Must read things more carefully in future

Hi Dingle, welcome aboard
Everybody on here is very motivating, even on the days I can't be bothered doing much there's usually someone around to encourage me to do even a little bit of exercise. And I always do feel better after a walk, workout or swim, it's just about making the time to do it - just as you say

Had a swim at the gym this morning, couple of slow lengths to warm up then 20 lengths front crawl and 20 of breaststroke. Ds2 and I had our lunch in the cafe because we didn't have time to get home before the school pickups. He had beans on toast and I had a bowl of veg soup. Normally I have a scone and a coffee so was very well-behaved!

Hi to dingle! Please feel free to look at the thread for lots of helpw ith walking/running and home DVD's to help you on your way!
Sweetheart - I'm in East Sussex so a bit of a distance... howeve, my husband is bck working in London and so travels on the train (5 hours a day.. We are looking to move closer to London but have got no idea where...

OK - so here's part 1 of the nutrition info. (hopefully some of the info will help you!)

When making better choices for a healthier diet, there are 2 key messages you need to think about. Are you eating the right amount of food for how active you are and are you eating a range of food taht make sure you're getting a good balance of nutrients.
There is a national balance of good health which represents the proportion of each food group which makes up a health diet. This consists of the following:-

There are 5 main food groups:-

1. Bread, other cereals and potatoes - eat all types and choose high fibre kinds whenever possibly. This includes (some speedymama has said)

Bread, breakfast cerals, rice pasta, chapatti, noodles, oats, cous-cous, maize millet, potatoes (inc. sweet,yam and plantain. EAT AROUND 5-7 PORTIONS A DAY

1. Fruit and veg - frozen, dried, fresh,canned fruit, veg and salads. EAT AT LEAST 5 PORTIONS A DAY

1. Milk and dairy - Milk, cheese, yoghurt and fromage frias. Choose lower fat versions, with higher fat versions - reduce the portion. EAT AROUND 4 PORTIONS A DAY

1. Meat and fish and alternatives - meat and meat products, fish and fish porducts eggs, beans and pulses, nut, peanut and other nut butter, soyam tofu and quorn. Choose low fat or lean versions. Try and combine meat with veg, try and eat fish x2 a week, inc. oily fish 1 a week. EAT MODERATE AMOUNTS 2-3 PORTIONS.

1. Fatty, sugary food and drinks. You know what they are...!! Main nutrients erm FAT, SUGAR AND SALT. BUT EAT SPARINGLY,SMALL AMOUNTS AND LESS OFTEN. Replace fatty/sugary treats with fruit or veg. Cut out or reduce sugar in tea/coffee.

WATER - 1.5-2 litres a day. Drink before, during and after exercise. Don't rely on feeling thirsty and drink regularly through the day.

PORTION GUIDE

Fruit and veg (5-6 portions)
A portion is equivalent to:
1 glass of orange/fruit juice
2-3 small fruit e.g. plums, apricots
1 average fuit (apple)
3 tablespoons of veg

BREADS AND CEREALS (5-6 portions)
1 portion
2 slices of bread
3-4 new potatoes/1 fist sized potato
4 tablespoons of rice (ouch)
6 tablespoons of pasta (ouch again...!)

Milk and dairy (3-4 potions)
1 portion is equivalent to:
200mls (1/3) milk
140g pot yoghurt
40g of cheese
Remember low fat is best. If high fat then smaller portion

Fats/oils or sugary drinks and snacks. 1-2 portions a day (YEY!!)
These include fats, oils/spreads, preserves,cakes,crisps, pastries etc.

Alcohol
1 unit is equivalent to:
1 small glass of wine
1 measure of spirits
1/2 pint medium strength beer/lager

TRY TO AVOID FATS, SALT AND SUGAR IN COOKING.

The above is only the start of the process. What we all find difficult is changing our behaviour and setting a sustainable goal not just for the short term, but for healthy living. Over the next few weeks when I have time) I'll give you some more advice which I hope you will find useful...

We should all enjoy eating and obtain a balance for life!!!

Just a word of sauces. Home made low fat versions are great, but if used in cooking every day (and by the was gravy is included in fatty sugary foods - use an oxo cube rather an instant or than made from meat juices)then can pile on the calories. The meat or laternative) and veg principle is good!

Just a word on the water. This can be just water or fruit juice (1 portion only), herbal teas, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk, or diet soft drinks. Plain water is best though!

Thanks Lorns. That is excellent. I've been drinking lots of plain water recently and I now find that if I don't drink, I really miss it. My diet today is as follows

Breakfast - small bowl of bran flakes with skimmed milk

Lunch - a cup of tomato soup, 1 apple, 1 kiwi fruit, a small bunch of grapes, 1 small banana, 2 tangerines and 1 small packet of cheese thins (naughty).

Tonight, I will have jacket potato with no point vegetable curry that I made. It contains swede, carrots, red lentils (for protein) and tomatoes.

I'm planning to go the gym after work too so today should be good day healthwise.

Welcome Dingle.

Lorns, thanks so much for taking the time to post all that info - if I can help you with scouting areas for your move just shout. We are 50 mins out of London Waterloo on the train.

You post has made me think I'm eating alot of the wrong things - there is no way I eat 5-6 portions of bread / cereal OR 3-4 portions of dairy.

My diet is usually similar day to day typically I would eat:-

breakfast - nothing, usually 2 cups of tea and maybe sometimes some fruit (at the weekends I might treat myself to some toast)

lunch - either a ww soup (egtable type) or a salad with wafer thin chicken or ham. Sometimes I'll have a pack of snack a jacks as a treat or some fruit

dinner - usually meat with a sauce and either pasta, rice or potato (my sauces are usually tomato based and 0 points on the ww diet - is that really bad?) if there aren't lots of veg in the sauce I'll cook some. I usually have a yoghurt after dinner and maybe some more fruit.

I'm a bit worried about the sauces thing - I just can't bear dry meat - it makes me gag! I don't put cream or gravy or things like that in - usually just veg with chopped tomato's, onion - that sort of thing.

oh dear - I'm a bit worried now [hmmm]

laloop - well done for finding some time to excercise today and I'm very impressed that you skipped the scone

We had a meeting this morning and I managed to stop myself from eating the yummy cheese and bacon pastry's that we had in - I was very proud of myself

Sweetheart, I make tomato base sauces with vegetables in too. As well as being no point on ww, they contain fibre from the vegetable so imo, they are healthy.

The key point is how you make the sauce. If you use lots of oil and sugar, then that is not as healthy.

Tomato sauces are great! Ditto the fat,sugar, oil added!

I used to skip breafast and found that when I did eat it I felt really hungry. When I got into eating breakfast again it didn't take long for my body to adapt. Breakfast is a break from fasting (whilst sleeping). The body needs food to fuel it after the rest-time!

A simple small bowl of low fat/no or low sugar cereal is fine - or just some dried or fresh fruit...

Hi everyone
Thanks Lorns for posting the nutrition info

Sweetheart, you might actually not be eating enough food rather than too much!! Your daily points look as if they're only around 14 or so. Our WW leader is forever saying that you MUST eat the full weekly allocation as your metabolism will slow down as it gets used to a much lower calorie intake (it will cling onto every calorie that you eat for fear of starvation!). So I'm sure it would be fine to add in some more bread, cereal or dairy and the odd treat (mmm, skinny cow icecreams - I'd forgotten about those, they were my treat when I followed WW after ds1 )

Tomato based sauces are great on WW just as speedy says! I'm flagging already on day two of my lowcarb so think I'm going to have some brown rice with my dinner tonight. But I am determined to stay away from sugar, biscuits, crisps and other unhealthy carbs as well as wine for a couple of weeks - I hope I can do it

Forgot to say that I've booked into a Bodypump class on Saturday morning, Lorns, first one so I'm a bit scared...

And in case I like it, have already booked in for one on Monday too - managed to be organised enough get a creche session to match up so thought I'd go for it!

Wey hey laloop - hope you enjoy as well! I'm teaching BP on Saturday morning - I'll be thinking of you...

Sweetheart - I agree with laloop that sticking to the recommended number of point is the best way!

Laloop - you are an excercise queen this week - gold star to you

I don't add any sugar to the sauces I make and the only oil is a little to fry the meat in. There may be a little fat from the meat I suppose but I do drain the excess off.

I've been to the gym tonight and they have an offer on which is supposed to guarentee 6 inches off in 6 weeks. It costs £50 and I'm wondering if I should try it. I really don't have £50 at the moment but I really want to loose this last 1/5 stone! It is a diet and excercise plan. The woman is going to phone me tomorrow about it as she was very honest and said she didn't know if it would work for me as I only have a little left to loose.

I have worked out I've had about 15 points today so may have a small bit of flapjack as a treat later.

Lorns, quick question - how much would you class as 1 portion of rice or pasta?

Sweetheart rice would be 4 tablespoons and pasta would be 6 tablespoons.

Hope this helps!

Even though I am not exercising at the moment - I still check in to this thread every day! thanks lorns for posting the nutrition info, its very interesting. I drink a lot of green tea [the proper Chinese fresh leaves type - NOT the instant, or teabag stylie] I think I must drink the equivalent of maybe 8 cups a day, is this ok as a substitute for drinking the plain water allocation?

Also - can someone please post their tomatoe sauce recipe?

Keep on exercising, and welcome newcomers!

oh my god! I ache like mad today. Whenever I move I can hear my muscles screaming out If I haven't lost weight on Tuesday I will be so totally miffed!!!!!! I have been soooooo good - I'd better loose at least 2 Ibs!

Lorns - 4 tablespoons doesn't sound very much to me think I'd starve on that - is that a small portion or a large one? Sorry to keep asking questions!

Well, I ate breakfast this morning after everyones advice. I also followed it with a very large glass of water to try and help stop the hunger kicking in. I'll let you know what time I start feeling hungry.

Hi MA - haven't met you before. I make lots of tomato based sauces and it depends what you want really. I'll give you the 3 basic ones I use:-

Spag bol - fry off some carrot, mushroom, celery and onion. Add two tins of chopped tomato, some basil or mixed herbs and I like to add some worcester sauce add one or two drops of balsamic vinegar too. Sometimes I put one beef stock cube in.

Curry - fry off some onion, add 2 tins chopped tomato and some curry powder. Just before it's ready add some garam masala.

chilli - fry off some onion, add 2 tins chopped tomato and some chilli powder and some cumin. Just before it's ready stick in a tin of sweetcorn (and most people put kidney beans in too but no-one in our house likes them).

A nice basic tomato sauce is chopped tomato with a little bit of balsamic vinegar and some basil.

I've got quite a few low fat sauce recipies if you want any more

Hiya Mucky , how are you? keep popping in for a chat even though you're not up to much exercise at the moment. Hope you're doing okay and will be well enough to get back into your fitness regime soon!

OrMirian, how's your ankle - any improvement? I lasted 48 hours on the lowcarb, got to the feeling cack stage and promptly fell off the wagon by having two slices of toast and a banana this morning. Can def see how that type of diet would work though, I was eating heaps of veggies and no wheat so my stomach felt really flat, and I didn't feel hungry between the meals. Unfortunately, the day 3 " possibly feel a bit weird" coincided with AF beginning and just couldn't get through this morning without a slice of toast (was wholegrain though!). How are you getting on?

Going to have some soup and a fresh fruit salad for lunch. Then veggie stew and brown basmati rice for dinner. Hoping to do a 3 mile run this evening.

Everyone keep up the good work, we WILL be toned up for summer if we stick at it YAY!!!

I fancied a small treat today - something to keep me on the straight and narrow for a few more day. So at lunch I brought some skinny cow ice creams as recommended by Quokate - only to get back to work and find that our fridge doesn't have a freezer compartment

I'm going to try and pop home to preserve my ice creams, in the meantime I'll see if some caramel snack a jacks do the trick!

Hope the icecreams were ok, sweetheart!

Have been out for my run - looks like I've got myself closer to a 9 minute mile rather than my usual ten. Was flagging towards the end but thought of all you lot and how great everyone's doing ... so went for it and got my best time so far

Really fancy a nice glass of wine now, I am incorrigible!!!

Hope you all had a nice day