Stone to lose - quick brekkie question

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I tend to fail with my diet as soon as i wake up as i dont like ceareal and usually have a bagel and fruit.

Will i still lose weight if i just have a bagel and fruit and no other bread during the day?

Yes of course, a bagel and fruit is hardly like having a chocolate croissant and full fat cappucino.

What about just fruit? I have lost a stone in a month with that as breakfast, and felt great at the end of it.

Also depends what you eat the rest of the day! If you avoid bread but eat chips, probably not!

a typical day would be:

brekkie - bagel and fruit

snack - banana and healthy snack bar

lunch - baked pot and salad

dinner - chicken/pasta/veg/fish

is this going to help me lose weight?

Mistle - that is great! I could do with losing a stone in just a month. Please tell me your secret/menu/exercise regime!

Its not exactly a balanced diet... and certainly not good for any length of time. Trouble is that I find that I can put on weight eating the amounts and types of food that I should be losing weight on, and I'm active as well - and I'm not cheating either.

1st in 1 month - breakfast 1 grapefruit (eaten as per an orange ie skinned and in segments). Apple for 11's. Lunch - salad (lots of lettuce, toms, cucumber etc) with balsamic vinegar. Pot of fat-free sugar free yoghurt. Apple/ 2 mandarins for 4's. Supper - some sort of veg dish - ie lots of veg, portion of pulses of some variety, perhaps small amount of rice. (I'm vege - you could probably substitute v. low fat meat option instead of pulses sometimes, although pulses are great for losing weight)

This is really too low on protein, calcium and carbs to do for too long, but as a kick start to a weight loss regime it is great.

CAUTION: when you start to add things to this after how ever long you do it, you need to be really sensible and not go on a blitz otherwise you'll put it all back on in no time at all.

If I want to get this off to a really good start I just have fruit for a week, but don't suggest this for any longer than that, and not everyone can do this without getting faint etc (I find myself very energised by it and am bouncing around on only 5 pieces of fruit a day which shows you my metabolism is just cockeyed).

Hope it helps, although you do need to have a good deal of motivation to do this.

thanks Mistle - dont think i could cope with just the fruit even if its only for a week!

Have a look at my "typical menu" - does anyone think thats good enough for a steady weight loss?

you'll lose weight if the calories you take in are less than those you expend, how you dirstribute that is your choice and a bagel and fruit is ahrdly nutritionally emoty is it?

When i lost my weight I got into the habit of a boiled egg and crsipbreads every morning, although toast would have done OK as longa s I didnt butter it or anything.

(oh and typical menu fine but do add in a treat occasionally if you want a real chance of sticking to it- a smoothie ice lolly for example once a week will not run your diet but gives you something to wait for, iyswim).

I used to do lots of things like baked fish in tomato sauce (made from scratch), or chicken with garlic and lemon (done in paper parcels in the steamer)- and pasta is fine too as long as you dont chuck in creamys auces or olive oil!. Another one I used to like was simply a tomato and pepper sauce (3 X pappers, onion, garlic, tinned tomatoes,) put into a shallow tray with eggs cracked into wells and topped with 1tsp milk for each egg- used to serve with bread or rice. basic but yummy and quick

thanks Peachy - dont think i could live without my bagel!! Oh and thanks for your meal ideas too!

With exercise, how long do you reckon it will take to lose a stone? roughly?

realistically about 6 weeks if you want it to keep off

5lbs or so in the first week, then you should aim at 1 - 3 pounds after that, any mroe and its muscle youre losing (or water) and not fat

that doesnt sound too bad! I aim to do 30 mins on my x trainer most mornings too and take ds out in his buggy for long walks.

any other meal ideas?!

With summer theoretically here, courgettes should be in season, less expensive and fresher - I love doing baked courgettes - split in half lengthwise, trickle with natural yoghurt, sprinkle with some fresh rosemary (you could use other herbs, but I love this), then top with 1/2 fat strong cheddar type cheese. Bake at 180 for 30 - 40 mins until courgettes tender.

Can be served with couscous or bulgar or a slice of toast.

Another delicious low cal main meal is stuffed squash. Eg acorn squash. Take top off, remove seeds. Fill cavity with sliced mushrooms, garlic, lightly cooked onion and a spoonfull of pine nuts together with a handful of torn fresh basil. Bake until tender (prob about 40mins - 1hr) Serve with bulgar or couscous and a tomato sauce.

I think 6 weeks is a good aim for 1 stone to start with, although you may find that the first bit of weight goes quite quickly and then you slow down. THe main thing is to start!

I have started and am not on quite such a drastic attempt at the moment, but I do think that it is working which is good.

Best of luck

any more ideas? Gonna try that courgette meal!

low fat yoghurt (such as muller lights, fat free ski, etc) with fruit...so example strawberry muller light and chopped bananna/apple/orange...lovleyx