Louise Parker method anyone? I know it's a bit old fashioned now ..

[HardRockOwl]

But I've decided to give it a go

The food is the sort of stuff I like to eat although I'll have to make some substitutes as I'm a vegetarian. But I love Bircher, porridge, all her snacks and salads etc

I'm starting tomorrow and wondered if anyone had some advice regarding the method or stories

Thanks!

@HardRockOwl it's not too dissimilar from how we already eat but much healthier without the masses of pasta we usually consume.

Definitely the stocking up bits were the main cause of the price increase: vanilla bean paste, cocoa powder, stevia, all the various seeds and nuts but it's worth it because I feel so much better than I usually do!

DH is doing it with me and said today how his eyesight was clearer, too.

@HardRockOwl it's not too dissimilar from how we already eat but much healthier without the masses of pasta we usually consume.

Definitely the stocking up bits were the main cause of the price increase: vanilla bean paste, cocoa powder, stevia, all the various seeds and nuts but it's worth it because I feel so much better than I usually do!

DH is doing it with me and said today how his eyesight was clearer, too.

@GenExer it definitely makes you feel better I think. Can't fail to really when you think of the nutrients in it all!

Food times today ...

Blueberry + raspberry bircher with crushed pecans + strawberries

Apple slices with peanut butter

Plant kitchen bacon with a seeded roll, salad, tomatoes, little hummus and edamame beans

Smoothie made with oat bran, Greek yogurt, frozen berries, a little protein powder and almond milk

Avocado, feta + tofu with salad leaves

Hello all - room for a not remotely little one? I've just started this - Read/ planned / shopped last week and I started yesterday. Starting weight is 16 stone 1 (although I have slowly lost a stone since January by eating a bit better).

Yesterday's menu:
Breakfast - strawberry and passionfruit bircher
Lunch - Leftover chicken cassrole with stir-fried savoy cabbage
Snack - seedy strawberries (which were lush) and some strawberries. Didn't like the combination, oddly.
Ended up not having dinner due to migraine so just went to bed.

Today:
Strawberry mint salad with passionfruit yogurt. I do NOT like strawberries and mint, it turns out
Lunch - not from her recipes, but homemade ham and leek soup (I have a stock of it in the freezer to use)
Snack - seedy strawberries with yogurt - much better way to eat these
Dinner - going to have some rainbow trout with flaked almonds and some asparagus.

One thing I've really noticed is how pretty all my food is!

Exercise is a bit tricky as I've injured my shoulder and can't do much at the moment, but I'm hitting 10,000 steps a day and also drinking LOTS of water.

@DistantVworp always room for one more, little or not so little.

I tried the seedy strawbs in week 1. It was a no from me.. too... seedy 😀

Good luck in your first week, I'm sure you'll absolutely smash it

Hi all - do you mind if I join? I came upon this thread a couple of weeks ago, bought the lean for life book, and read it over Easter whilst happily munching my way through the glut of creme eggs.

I started yesterday and finding it ok so far.
today’s food:
Vitality smoothie (strawberries, blueberries and yoghurt basically)
Cashew nuts
Spring frittata and green salad
Oat cakes and hummus
Cajun chicken salad

All tasty and I’m not too hungry. I don’t have a very sweet tooth usually (creme eggs aside) but I love crisps, cheese and all things made of potato. I also really bloody love lovely wine so the weekend will be challenging.

I figured the six weeks will take me up until half term and then I’ll see where I am. I’ve got at least three stone to lose (more if I’m being ambitious) but I’d honestly be happy to get back into my too tight clothes. I’m also not convinced that a size 8 body is just as easy to maintain as a size 14 one - maybe if I was pure lean muscle but I think that’s unlikely.

But is that just stinking thinking, eh?

@Hobbes8 look, as long as you've got your GOOD vanilla paste and your GOOD oranges and you remember to 'use a BRAVE teaspoon of the zest in your bircher' you'll be fine

I did have a small lol at the size 8 body being as easy to maintain as the size 14 body. She may well be right. The challenge for me would be achieving the size 8 body in the first place! Oh and in a previous book she said size 10 body .. so she went bolder

I have a similar weight to lose as you. I'd be very happy with 2 stone but now I've lost one of those, I know another stone isn't going to cut it so if I'm being honest with myself, I'd say another 2 stone to go. That I believe would get me to a size 10

Sorry Louise - size 8 may have to wait!

I do have the GOOD vanilla paste so I’m clearly halfway there!

@Hobbes8 size 8 here you come! In fact, let's think 30% bigger. Size 6!

I'm currently size 16/18 and would like to be a 12/14. I am a 14 in some clothes but honestly I blame vanity sizing for that. I think it'll take at least 3 months but we'll see.

I need to find some GOOD tomatoes. Tried the tricolour salad yesterday and the bland supermarket tomatoes really let it down.

I looked through my old French Women Don't Get Fat recipes to see if any could be repurposed - maybe one or two but they tend to feature banned ingredients, e.g. Chicken au Champagne.

One of the salmon recipes in Lean for Life has white wine in it though? I was going to have it tonight but then...what am I supposed to do with the rest of the wine?

Congrats on the weight loss @HardRockOwl that's amazing. You should have also negotiated a referral fee from LP before starting this thread :)

Day 3 for me.

B: Bircher with rhubarb and apple
L: lovely lentils with some roasted veg instead of the broccoli. They were indeed lovely.
D: chicken casserole with green veg
S: smoothie with almond butter and berries

Really enjoying the food, agree with PP who said it feels like what we're supposed to eat. Also early days but I find it helps to congratulate myself on all of the fruit and veg I've managed to eat that day rather than focus on what I couldn't/didn't have. Like I've gained something rather than lost IYSWIM.

Welcome @Hobbes8 and @DistantVworp

@Hobbes8 re: the wine for cooking, I bought one of those tiny bottles you get in Tesco, sloshed it all in so no temptation

Tomorrow's menu:

B: Greek Yog, berries, seeds & nuts

S: 2 oatcakes with PNB & pumpkin seeds

L: scotch egg & crudités (not sure this is really on plan though?)

S: peach & almond smoothie- made in my brand new smoothie maker! Will report back!

D: meatballs in passata on roasted aubergine

@NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoBy With the added bonus I could smell the wine bottle afterwards. I miss wine. Does it show?

Oh yes you're right, so maybe I can cook with champagne as long as I don't drink it!

However I have some red wine standing around unfinished so better look for a way to use that first.

I too was a little skeptical about a size 8 body being easy to maintain (if only I could slim down that much!) I do get the impression when reading the books that LP is a little figure obsessed, although she does look great.

I have finally found my tape measure so am going to take my measurements tomorrow - I actually find that a much better indicator as the scales seem to fluctuate so much. I have about 5 pairs of summer shorts in the same cut in different colours which I pulled out the wardrobe yesterday. Whilst I can actually do them up, I have a good handful of muffin top going on on either side. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to get back into them…

Hello all, I've namechanged just to join this lovely thread and surround myself with positive people as a first step I'm assuming that at least one of you is Kate Middleton or Emma Thompson.

I'm keen to start living beautifully etc but I've got a four year old, an eight week old baby and an Italian DH who cooks pasta most nights so, while my life is already beautiful in many ways, my figure is no longer small! I'm also addicted to sugary snacks. Avoiding pasta at dinner times may lead to divorce but I reckon if I stay on Method the rest of the day and then just really keep the pasta portions down, with a higher sauce ratio, and consider second helpings to be vietati then that might be ok... getting 8 hours sleep with a small baby is also a bit of a fantasy though. But I can definitely boost my daily walks with the pram and make a start.

I've got the cookbook and I'm going to order a secondhand copy of the Lean for Life book. Adding GOOD vanilla bean paste and oatbran to my online shop for Friday to ensure I start strong.

I am a few days in and really enjoying this so far. I am loving the digital detox and found just by switching round my evening routine, I am sleeping better. I used to read for a bit after dinner and then watch tv with dh/mumsnet etc before sleep but just by switching the order of that and making sure I have an hour off screens before sleep it has made a big difference.

I had the herby chicken, peach and feta salad for lunch yesterday. It was so filling I thought I had got the quantities wrong but I hadn't! I am planning on trying Sophie's super fluffy pancakes for breakfast at the weekend. Does anyone know if you can make the batter the night before and leave in the fridge? Trying to reduce faff in the morning!

@GoodNutButters welcome to the thread! Hmm, that is tricky isn't it, pasta most nights! Would he not consider extending his repertoire in the kitchen? But you've gotta do what you gotta do and being on the plan the rest of the time will have a positive impact I'm sure

I absolutely love pasta but luckily can do without it. My favourite is loads of grated cheese, full fat sour cream, black pepper, mushrooms and cashew nuts mixed in so I don't even want to consider the calories in that lot!

Welcome to all the Newbies! So good this thread is attracting so much interest.
so I am beginning week 3, and thought I would focus on NSVs
This woe really seems to stabilise blood sugar - no crashing, starving feeling between planned meals & snacks
Appetite is very reduced. I am satisfied with less food. Delicate eating!
The recipes are great!
It is possibly helping with some chronic knee pain I have, likely tendinitis. It comes and goes really randomly, and I always suspected diet had some influence on flair ups, but could never pin down what. Now that I am 3 weeks in, it is definitely better.
Still in the midst of a challenging week. A long drive last eve to a special birthday dinner party. I had leek, broccoli, butter bean soup as a late-ish lunch, snacked on 3 oat cakes & pb on drive, but was able to approach the meal in a very measured way. I made LP choices & did not feel deprived. (Endive -walnut appetiser, swerved all dips, crisps, etc, a veg & fish curry in light sauces for main, no rice) This in itself is a NSV, as I can often dread parties, meals out, fearing spectacular food choice fails when presented with rich options.

Re cost - I think it is now manageable. My first, stock up shop was expensive, but I am compiling my list now for another shop. What I notice is how little meat I need, using lots of veggie alternatives. Always lots of fresh veg, citrus, and herbs, tho!
I am now off to see if I can find the 6 week plan book on eBay

@chloechloe you will get into those shorts...just visualise!

@GoodNutButters loving the specially changed user name. Pasta sounds a bit tricky to fit with the plan (especially if you follow @HardRockOwl ‘s recipe). What do you normally have with it? If you follow the plan the rest of the time and have a big salad and a tiny bit of pasta maybe? Honestly, though, with an 8 week old baby I would definitely be sitting on my arse eating cake so you’re way ahead of me already.

Forgot to add my plan for the day:
Breakfast - strawberry Bircher (I could really taste the GOOD vanilla paste today)
Snack - kefir and some fruit
Lunch - fish cake and salad (not strictly on plan but I love it)
Snack - oat cakes and hunmus
Dinner - going to try the peanut and tofu thing.

@Moanranger have a look for the book on Vinted - I got mine there for £3. Also Amazon marketplace is a good place to have a look. It's nice to have all 3 books, just to get that variety of recipes

And I agree - it's nice to see the thread relatively busy. I think the more people know about this plan, the better. It really does control appetite as sometimes it feels like you're always eating! My hunger is controlled and whenever I feel hungry, it's a more natural hunger

@Hobbes8 ooh kefir! I used to drink a lot of that (im fussy though, had to be a specific brand!) and I've not had any since being on plan. For some reason I assumed it was off limits but it may not be then?!

Breakfast is a bircher made with chia seeds, oats, oat bran, tiny amount of protein powder, Greek yogurt, green + blacks cocoa powder and loads of raspberries.

Snack will be apple and peanut butter and that's about as far as I've got re planning food for today right now. May flick through the books for inspiration and pop to the shop