Any Louise Parker Lean for Life fans?

[Katrinawaves]

I’ve just dug out my old Lean for Life books and decided time to get back on the wagon. I followed her plan 2 years ago and lost about 3 stone very quickly and managed to keep it off without too much difficulty until a change in lifestyle (lots more travel for work) combined with a really stressful and shitty year has led to me abandoning her principles and putting on 2 stone.

But I know I feel good using her ways of eating and exercising more, I know it works relatively quickly for me and I enjoy her recipes. I also need badly to conquer the stressors and regain fitness levels so am going to start again. 2 weeks before Christmas may sound insane but as she says there is never a good time to start so why wait. Also I’m off work for 3 weeks from Tuesday of next week so have plenty of time to get some good habits imbedded before I need to get back to long commutes and frequent overseas travel.

So anyone else in - either to do the plan or just to read my posts and give me some encouragement along the way?

Today was more of a prep day as I didn’t really eat any of her meals though I wasn’t too far off her plan.

Brunch of scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast with bacon and a cup of tea

Snack americano coffee with milk

Dinner sausage casserole with beans

Lots of mineral water

I also ran (very slowly) for 2 miles this morning.

Teaches def give it a go! It was a lovely salad but it lives and dies by the quality of the tomato. I got a really nice one from our farm shop and made sure it was at room temp (probably imported from a hothouse somewhere) but with cotton wool supermarket tomatoes straight from the fridge it won't be as nice.

Back "in the circle" again today - I did a meal plan for the rest of the week, we are having the Nonna's chicken traybake tonight, courgette dhal tomorrow, bubble & squeak on Friday and the roast beef and cauliflower on Sunday as a roast dinner and I will make some kind of greens on the side. Breakfasts will be Birchers and the lean fry-up. Lunches will be mostly out so I will try to choose wisely... Snacks will be apples and almond butter, and nuts & berries. I'm cooking for 4 including DC 6 and 8 so hopefully they won't even notice that this is all "Method" food. I just need to make sure I really watch my portions and plate up at the stove as I am absolutely terrible for picking at the dish and having seconds when I put the whole tray on the table.

The one thing it has made me realise is we were really falling down on the veg side of things before. The amount of vegetables on this week's shopping list seems absolutely colossal relative to the meat and dairy! I kind of can't believe the quantities...one recipe, the dhal, claims to serve 4 people and needs 4 onions, 4 carrots, 4 baby aubergine, 8 tomatoes and 8 courgettes!? I am trying to imagine how this is going to play out...I know veg cooks down but still!

I'm also a little sore from yesterday's workout - nice to know it worked, now to do it again  I found a good interval timer app which bongs at me every minute to move on to the next exercise.

Hello everyone!

So this morning I discovered the Lean for Life App. So I was able to download that. I also dusted off my old fitness tracker and thought I would definitely have met the 10,000 steps but I was surprised when I just synced it and it said 6300. So clearly I am not as active as I thought in my head.

I went to the gym and did a circuit. I am already booked into body attack tomorrow and so mostly I will be doing exercise at the gym.

What is lemonise?

I have seen reference to it but because I don't have the book yet I don't know if it has a recepie or if its just lemon in water?

Yes it’s lemon in hot water which she suggests you drink on waking up. I find that too hard on my stomach so don’t bother!

Do you think the Pret Tuna salad is okay with this plan? Whenever I've tried to make my lunches before they always end up tasting horrible and enormously portioned.

Any other lunch meals that I could buy for this?

I’m not sure what’s in the Pret tuna salad but any salad which doesn’t have potatoes, pasta or rice in it should be fine. Also soups are good.

My go to lunch options tend to be - the avocado, tomato and mozzarella salad - I take the raw ingredients with me and assemble on the day, any of the salads from her books which I dress just before I eat them, or left overs from the night before which I microwave. If you are near a cafe, you could also have an omelette.

Thank you. I had the crayfish and avocado which comes with a few lettuce leaves and a pot of olive oil and mustard dressing. Hopefully this works within the plan as the book seems to stipulate that I can only eat the 80 recipes within the book for the plan to work.

I thought there would be lots of soup but there was only 1 which is almost like a miso soup.

Have a look at her blog and instagram page for other ideas. Or download the app. There are 3 books so lots of recipes but you aren’t constrained to just eating her recipes 😀

The idea is that you should have a small portion of protein and some fruit or vegetables with every meal and snack. Carbs should be unprocessed and you should aim to restrict these to a small portion once or twice a day - so scrambled egg on one slice of wholemeal toast with a side of mushrooms would be on plan and you could still have some oatcakes or Bircher or something similar at another time of day.

If you can find the part of the book which talks about travelling and eating out, that should make things a bit clearer. I can’t remember where that section is and I recall it’s not in the index and is tricky to find though!

Oh dear, I hadn't thought to look for a blog and I don't use Instagram. Will have a look later this evening, thanks !

I have never heard of Louise Parker. Can someone tell me what the basic principles are and what the best books are to buy? Many thanks

@SunsetBoulevard3

It’s a lifestyle plan rather than just a diet. This article probably explains it better and more succinctly than I can.

www.redonline.co.uk/health-self/nutrition/a527315/how-to-do-the-louise-parker-method/

That’s really interesting. Thank you. What does it cost to join?

The official courses are eye wateringly expensive! I think it’s something mad like £5k for a 6 week programme

Fortunately she’s made the whole thing available in her 3 books which you can buy on Amazon or download on your kindle. Or have a look at her website which has a blog. She also from time to time offers free one off telephone consultations - I did one of these and there was no attempt to sell the paid for programme to me just someone giving me 30 mins personalised advice based on my lifestyle.

I’m back in the zone today. I’ve done a reformer Pilates class this evening and a 15 min strength and mobility workout this morning. Food has been

B - poached egg, avocado and sour dough toast

L - salmon fillet with Greek salad, beetroot salad and peas and cucumber

D - gammon shank with carrot and swede, red cabbage and spinach.

I haven’t had any snacks yet but will probably have oatcakes with peanut butter and pumpkin seeds before bed

I’ve “thought beautifully” when choosing what to wear and also in presenting my food and have worked hard on strategies to manage stress levels today. Have a good book on the go and so am planning a digital detox by 9.00 too (though I would quite like to have watched second episode of Bancroft...)

@Katrinawaves that sounds like you are getting into the swing of it.
Hello @Xiaoxiong and @teachesofpeaches!

I am still waiting for her book to arrive so I can actually meal plan and get the food in for the week, but my day went:

Body Attack
B: Rye bread, egg, rice milk to make a scramble with cinnamon and nutmeg
Snack: Apple and almonds
Lunch: Homemade chicken and vegetable soup
Dinner: tofu and vegetables
2 Liters of water

That's probably an inner circle day!

Solidly in the circle today. I went for a run this morning and brain napped this afternoon.

B - poached egg and wholemeal toast
L - homemade scotch broth
D - Cajun steak and lime slaw from the LP Cookbook

I’m going to have a Cashew Strawberry Crunch snack before bed. Tomorrow my plan is to re-organise my kitchen to make meal prep easier when I’m back to work next week, and also do some meal planning.

I think I was blighted by a virus today. Haven’t had a good day in terms of “paying the rent” but have stuck to the food plan.

B - poached egg on toast
L - left over scotch broth
D - marinated chicken and mixed salad
S - Apple and almonds

I've found that I'm absolutely starving if I have the Oatbran porridge and smoothie mid morning and find a simple omelette much more filling. Might try to make one before I leave for work in the mornings.

There’s a recipe in the last book which might work as a quick breakfast if you like nuts. It’s basically a slice of wholemeal bread toasted and spread with peanut butter thinned with low fat yogurt and topped with a banana. I find that quite filling too.

I made her roasted aubergine dip for a snack today and that was really good. I also have made some oatbran birchers for the next few days... I have got the stuff to do the watercress and salmon omelette.

I have tidied up my bedside table and got handcream and pillow spray! I also tidied my kitchen cupboards and am feeling very inner circle!

The watercress and salmon omelette sounds good! I have ingredients in which could make that so may pinch that idea.

Today I ran 3k at lunch time.

B - porridge with banana and a few dark choc chips
L- salad with hummus and 2 falafel
D- omelette with prawns in tomato sauce
Snack - Apple and almonds

Tomorrow I’ve booked a yoga class as my rent.

Hello all!
I was wondering if I could join you?

I attempted Louise Parker a few years ago unsuccessfully - I just could not stick with it, and didnt apply all four pillars. I maybe wasn't in the right frame of mind as I'd recently exited a long term relationship, stress at work etc. But when do we not have life stress to deal with?

I'm hoping to lose a considerable amount of weight this year - 5 stone! I think having a forum to keep me accountable will help massively to keep me in check. I am also training for a half marathon in March which should keep me on track with running.
I tried slimming world this summer and lost half a stone in a month but never went back after falling off the wagon massively on holiday - I hated getting weighed and processed every week - felt like cattle - and I didnt like their diet rules. Felt could bend it loads having endless spuds & muller lights. I think Louise Parker's way suits how I'd like to eat much better. Just need to cut out all the extras that snuck in last time!

Hi Lunar. Welcome to the band!

Good day so far for me. I’m on my way to a yoga class to combine stress management with paying my rent. Foodwise my menu has been

B - Monkey toast from book 3
L - salmon fillet with coleslaw and mixed salad
D - I’m going to have a chicken breast stuffed with tomato sauce and feta with sides of kale and butternut squash

S - apple and some smoked almonds.

I managed to avoid some chocs when they came out last night and have had 6 consecutive days dancing in the inner circle. How’s everyone else doing?

Hello @lunarpossum!

Hiya @katrinawaves. Sounds really good and really positive.

I want to thank you for starting this thread because I actually love this way of eating and her recipes are very delish and simple. I didn't have to buy lots of new things because I have a lot of different ingredients..the only new thing was vanilla paste - who knew!

B. Oatbran bircher with nectarine, vanilla paste, I used smaller amounts of coconut yogurt and milk.
S. Oat cakes and aubergine dip (its made with ricotta and I am in cheese heaven!).
L. Skinnylicious lentil soup - I made a judgement call that this was in line with the principles and it meant that I didn't have to make it from scratch which was handy because I was back to work today.
D. Cauliflower and paneer curry - I highly recommend it. Really easy.

I went to spin this morning.
I have had 2 litres of water

I would say that although I tried last week it was a bit transitional due to new year and stuff. So I have only been dancing in the inner circle the past two days according to her method 100%.

I love that paneer curry! I might put it on the menu for next week.

I’m feeling very stretched (and a bit sore) after my yoga class

I know she says in the 6 week book not to have the same thing every day, but in these cold dark mornings I have been relying on porridge!

I got a bag of 'perfectly imperfect' apples at Tesco at the weekend and stewed them with plenty of cinnamon, no sugar. I've been adding a spoonful on top of my porridge each day, and actually it feels like it bulks it up a bit!
I did try oatbran porridge but it felt quite grainy so I have stuck to the traditional oats.
Lunch today is the chili con carne with cabbage (albeit 'deconstructed' - couldn't be arsed faffing about parceling them up!) and a bit of rice.
Dinner tonight I'm using a recipe from Amelia Freer's new book - the 'lazy dahl'. I've been trying to cook meals this week that would give me leftovers for lunch the next day, ideally once that I could heat up as it's so cold in my office!
I managed to turn down some chocolate last night, but I did try the roasted fruit salad from Amelia Freer's book - amazing! Roasted banana tastes like caramel. A good trick to have up my sleeve in case I have a day where im desperate for something - maybe once a week treat myself to a roasted fruit salad.
I didn't pay my daily rent yesterday, but I shall do today, plus a run! I would say I have been 95% in the circle, with maybe one small fruit shaped step out each night. Logging what I've been eating on a spreadsheet is definitely helping me stay motivated and 'on track'!

Hi ya,

Got a love a good stretch feeling - I always think it means I am alive.

I will try that banana thing. That all sounds great. I love Amelia Freer.

I am feeling very happy because it's a four day inner circle streak!
B: Oatbran bircher
S.Pear and almonds
L. Lentil soup
S. 3 x oatcakes with roasted aubergine dip
D. Bolognese and broccolli and sugar snap peas. (One of those steam veg things).

I went to a class called Tone which was a mixture of cardio and strength exercises.

I also have my bircher prepped for tomorrow and made the salmon omelet for lunch (as I am not working from home tomorrow but out and about). So I am prepared...I just hope I don't forget to pick it up out of the fridge tomorrow!

I am full of exercise endorphins and really enjoying the food.