I'm fed up of being fat and tired

[BlodwynBludd]

I need some recommendations. After 2 rubbish pregnancies and now with 2 bad sleeping children I have fuelled myself on sweet carbohydrates and I'm now really, really fat. I'm rubbish at meal planning and am so tired we live on easy to make food. I need a weekly family meal plan that's easy to make and involves no thinking from me and packed lunch ideas for work.
I like excercise and run and cycle quite regularly. I'm still breastfeeding. What would you recommend? Noom, James Smith academy, weight watchers, slimming world. I don't know what to do!

Honestly I would just try calorie counting, download my fitness pal and get started. Its a bit of a faff to begin with but before long you will know what you eat and the calorie content of most foods and will become second nature, I dont use it much anymore as I eat pretty much the same for breakfast and lunch then know what calories I have to work with for my evening meal, and as long as you keep within your allowance you can eat pretty much anything you like. I do like a bit of James Smith, but I just follow him on facebook I dont pay, he is good for giving you the kick up the backside when you need it

Thanks, I will start trying with my fitness Pal. I need inspiration for easy family meals and packed lunches.

My family all like the pinch of nom books, they’re all fairly easy as well as being low cal.

I calorie count using my Fitbit and occasionally MFP for counting up recipes. I do a lot of walking every day and weights once a week.

I've tried all the slimming programmes out there - WW, SW, low carb, Noom, IF, Paul McKenna, you name it and this is the easiest and most sustainable thing I have ever done. Was nearly 21 stone in July, now under 17.5 and falling.

Another vote for MyFitnessPal. I found I underestimated how much I was eating and logging everything I eat really helps me keep track. I try to exercise very early in the morning whilst DH is around which gives me a head start on the day. I do tend to eat differently from the rest of the family though. My DC are a bit older and do a lot of sport, do they eat a fairly carb heavy diet.

Thank you, I need it to give me a kick up the arse. We eat the same things every night because I can just shop my favourites on my online shop and o know the whole family will eat them. I've got the to point where I need someone to write me 7 meals I can cook with the ingredients I can just put in the online shop. I have forgotten how to eat healthily.

I did fast 800 for 3 weeks and lost a stone in 21 (about 24 days). Only lost another stone in following 2 months but keeping it off. I use mfp to count calories. Wait till 27th and give it 3 weeks-I als gave up booze for 3 weeks.

I use hellofresh and its awesome, takes all the thinking and planning out of your hands. I cook so much more than I did since using it. Some of the recipes need tweaking slightly to make them healthier but they are good basics. And some of them have an option where you can pay a bit extra to have a dinner that you use the leftovers from to make a healthy packed lunch for the next day.

You want a weekly meal plan? I can give you one from my weeks. How many kids? We don’t do packed lunches though.

A meal plan would be brilliant. Two children. I'm not the best cook but will give anything a go.

Hi OP- Here are some ideas.

Friday: Home made pizza

Sat: Butternut and Stilton Quiche
(roast 1/2 a butternut for around 25min, and add a couple of chilli flakes. Make the shortcrust pasty like this: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/basic-shortcrust-pastry and fit the case, then add all together with around 5 eggs and milk and pop in the oven at 180 for around 20-25min)

Sunday: Roast Chicken, Salad and sweet potatoes

Monday: Butternut Risotto
www.skinnytaste.com/butternut-squash-risotto/

Tuesday: Curry with left over chicken and veg
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-chicken-korma
Use this as a bas but as the chicken is cooked just add it to the pan and don't cook for 5 hours. Also, don't use cream, use yogurt
Wednesday: Broccoli and Stilton soup with Garlic Bread
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/broccoli-stilton-soup

Thursday: Courgette fritias
www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/courgettefritters_87587
We don't add peas

Does this help?

I’ve been where you are now. Did Noom and lost weight but don’t recommend. Expensive and was quite hardcore - 20 mins or so a day of reading etc, excluding meal planning/prep, and low calorie.

The most helpful thing, for me, was making time, daily, for meal planning and cooking. And including lots of v fast or ready made meals in the plan. Practical rather than perfection. When I found a family meal time consuming or a hassle to make it went on the ‘weekends only’ list.

Most of the recipes a PP suggests would be ‘weekends only’ for me.

Go cold turkey on 1/1 and stop eating cakes, biscuits, crisps, sweets and chocolate. You’ll reduce your calories and what you’ll know exactly what you can’t eat which will make it easier.

Follow team RH on Facebook. It's basically about calorie counting but they will explain a lot of nutrition knowledge you need to help you lose weight, and hints and tips for tracking on MFP. You can get a lot from their free videos and use it alongside MFP and low cal recipes such as pinch of nom (which are great). They also have a paid app which is very helpful and pairs with your MFP and lets you chat to a coach as well who will look at your data.
I don't work for them but I did lose 30lb with them last year (and it's still off, haven't put it back on over Christmas or anything). They can be a bit sweary but don't let that put you off, I got down to 135lb by eating 2300 calories a day (my fitness pal would have given me 1200 and I would have got hungry and given up 😂).

Some ideas:
Baked potatoes with a variety of toppings
Risotto
Roast chicken with salad
Veggie curry and rice
Tuna pasta bake
Omelette with salad
Soup with bread

Anything home made will be healthier than shop bought stuff. Cut out sugar, cakes, biscuits, crisps and sweets altogether. Two or three meals a day, no snacking. Stop eating three hours before bed and skip breakfast unless you are really hungry. The weight will fall off you.

Go cold turkey on 1/1 and stop eating cakes, biscuits, crisps, sweets and chocolate. You’ll reduce your calories and what you’ll know exactly what you can’t eat which will make it easier.

This. I did this last NYE and I think it was instrumental in getting me to a point where I felt able to track my eating more precisely.

Eat more veg. Try to get 6 portions in a day, drink more water and that will just push some of your unhealthier stuff out.

If you like one pot easy meals, try these. Or look around the site for other meals. It’s American so some recipes are different but everything I’ve tried (or adjusted) has been really good.

www.eatingwell.com/gallery/7878735/one-pot-dinner-recipes-for-winter/?

Look at healthy meal prep videos on YouTube. I’ve done ones where you just prep a few days of food that are all ready in the fridge. It just helps to stay focussed when the food is ready.

This is one I was inspired by

Basic principles eat food as close to the natural state as possible. Cut down or cut out carbs, eat lots of vegetables.
Eat 3 eggs a day, don't worry about fat inmeats. Be aware that salt in food will put on the weight fast .

Hi this all sounds great but complicated!
This is what I do and no problem with weight and I am a mum and 57.
Start with 1 pint of water with 1/2 a lemon juice in.
3 eggs for breakfast.
3 Boiled eggs with 1 slice bread soldiers
3 egg Mushroom omelette
3 Fryed eggs with tomatoes and 1 slice bacon
3 Fryed eggs with baked beans 1 sausage
This will fill you up and give your body a boost of energy .
Lunch
Box of ready made salad any size topped with chicken or cheese or fish small portions of topping.
Soup loads of recipes online very easy to make and you can make a batch for the whole family , try roast pepper and tomato
Carrot and coriander. Watercress and kale
It's a great way to get veg into the kids.
You can also get the ready made ones be aware that they have a high salt level and nothing puts on weight quicker than salt.

Dinner
Keep it simple don't use large plates make the bulk of what's on your plate green vegetables meat should be no more than 1/3 you don't need it to be fat less, skin less or boneless just not processed and coated.
The trick is eating lots of good food

Op have you had your thyroid tested?
Putting in weight and being tired are classic symptoms of an underactive thyroid.

You're all wonderful. Thank you am doing my online shop and meal plan tonight. I had huge thyroid problems when I was pregnant but not had it tested since so something to think about.

I've lost nearly 2 stone since last Christmas, however I've let myself go a little this christmas so have a bit more to lose, but I'm not stressing about it, its the first time I've lost weight and not immediately put it all back on again. I'll be starting with dry January.