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!

@PushingAnElephantUpTheStairs applesauce is a great sweetener, I often use it in cakes/ cookies etc though I know they’re not part of the plan anyway, but it would be nice with yoghurt too. I have avoided artificial sweeteners for years, preferring maple syrup etc instead, though that is not part of this plan. I find vanilla is very sweet, eg stirred into smoothies, yoghurts and also mashed banana.

I don't really like the idea of artificial sweeteners I must admit. Isn't stevia / truvia slightly different though? I'm not sure.

I'll only sweeten where I have to I think

Snack time! 3 x oat cakes, 2 with cashew nut butter and 1 with ricotta and strawberry

@PushingAnElephantUpTheStairs fingers crossed it arrives today! I would have thought apple sauce is completely on plan. She does say in the books that you can make your own recipes and nothing is prescriptive. You can chop and change to suit

I stumbled onto this thread entirely by accident but I’m glad I did. I’m in a weight loss rut and just can’t grapple with being hungry for so much of the time! I start off brilliantly, and like you, @HardRockOwl, I’m knee deep in various cheeses and chocolate by about 5pm.

I feel inspired after your 7lb weight loss int he first week! Did I read that right, @HardRockOwl?? Just the one week?

I’m going to get the books second hand too now and give it try! Why not?

Thank you HardRockOwl for starting this thread. I’m in! I have the cookbook and the app from when I did it two years ago. I enjoyed the food and lost weight but then the bad habits snuck back in. My biggest problem with diets, is sticking to them, so I hope that this thread will help keep me accountable. Day 1 today, no excuses!

Mackerel salad for lunch, so nice, kids have devoured it too with a bit of bread on the side for them and I made enough that there is a bowl in the fridge for another day soon.

[quote HardRockOwl]@ElvenDreamer welcome welcome. I too have had the books a while and the time has come for me to actually DO something if I want to not be in a tent for summer. 2 stone ish to lose

My usual day starts well with something healthy and I have all good intentions. I swim for 40 mins every day and I then feel all virtuous.

By 3pm I'm usually knee deep in Percy pigs, flapjack, cheese rolls , crisps etc

But not today!!!! Gotta start sometime eh? [/quote]
Apart from the swimming, you have described my day to a tee!

@NatriumChloride welcome! I was SO in a rut, all good intentions in the morning and then I think ' fuck it I'll start again tomorrow!' and I go and get something from the kitchen - and I'm the kind of person who has a snack cupboard! Just lethal.

I think it's 7 days on Wednesday so not quite a week. Mind you, I'm quite chubby so this is why. I'm a good 2 stone overweight. I'd describe myself as a chunky size 14 but I'm a weird shape right now.

The reason for the weird shape is I had a tummy tuck and breast reduction last year and for some bizarre reason, I decided to then pig out. Don't even ask why. Lockdown played a part in it probably (excuses!)

So... I have a very flat stomach and small boobs BUT all this excess weight has to go somewhere (it cannot go back onto my stomach because the fat cells are non existent there and they can't grow back) SO it's gone onto my upper back/ top of arms / thighs.

Yep I look like a parsnip.

I bought a new coat last month and they were sold out everywhere - took pot luck on the only size out there - a size 12. I can wear a size 12 t shirt but not a coat without stretch in it and its hilariously tight on my upper arms. I love this coat so much though that I've kept it .. and it's one of the reasons why I started this plan.

I just have to hope the weight will come off my arms!

@peoniesarejustperfect ha ha a kindred spirit! I'll honestly sit on my sofa, where I can easily work from, and I'll have a little selection of goodies next to me.

But weirdly, say I've eaten some Percy's, some Swiss roll, maybe some ice cream too, I'll then decide I haven't satisfied my savoury cravings. So I'll eat a few wedges of cheese and some crisps. I then fancy some sweets and ON IT GOES.

So Christ knows how I've managed nearly a week

@Topazpearlagain welcome! I find diets hard to stick to too. And I am now entering my danger zone - week 2. I sort of expect to drop 7lbs every week so when next week, I see maybe 2 lbs off, I think this is rubbish and why am I bothering etc etc and I sabotage myself.

I think what is helping me right now is that I'm just selecting a meal or snack from the books and eating it. Not writing anything down, no calorie counting. I have to adapt the recipes sometimes but they're all on plan

Lunch today ....

1/2 pack quinoa
4 x chopped mushrooms
Chopped tomato + cucumber
1/2 pack plant kitchen BBQ pieces
Dressing of tahini, lemon, olive oil and white wine vinegar + black pepper

Yum frittata for lunch. I could have eaten double though....

One question, with the nut butter/oatcake snacks, how many oatcakes are we supposed to eat? She says a serving is one tablespoon of nut butter but no idea on oatcake quantity!

Thanks

@indiesearcher judging by a few of her oatcake snacks, it's about 3 oatcakes - I have the Nairn ones and they're quite small.

Most of the photos seem to be 3 oat cakes, that's the assumption I've been working on too @HardRockOwl and @indiesearcher . I'd been getting Nairns aswell as they were the only sugar free ones I could find initially, Sainsbury's own are now as well though which makes it a little cheaper. Just wish there wasn't so much packaging, ought to investigate how to bake them really but there are just not enough hours in the day!

@ElvenDreamer life is possibly too short to bake your own oat cakes. Although I would if that stuff came naturally to me

Snack time now - it's a blueberry and pomegranate smoothie thing

Made loads of it as added water

7lb in one week! That's amazing, well done. I ordered the books today, step 1 completed

That was my other question, are smoothies snacks or main meals??

Just had some oatcakes and cashew butter - can't complain!

@indiesearcher I think there's a couple of breakfast smoothies but the one I've had as a snack is the 'black cherry smoothie' and that's listed as a snack

I used blueberries and pomegranate seeds but same difference I'm sure 😬

@MrsPaperclip that is indeed a first step! And thanks. Most of it will be previous carb bloat I'm sure and water but I think I feel better in myself

All I need to do now is keep focused.

Oh and I apologise in advance because posting on here helps keep me on the straight and narrow and as each cycle is 42 days, well, we gotta keep the thread going for that length of time at least!

I'm starting tomorrow 😬

@clpsmum yay! You'll be pleased you did. What are you planning for your first day's food?

First days food I'm planning boiled eggs and asparagus for breakfast.

Carrots and hummus

Pea and feta cheese omelette for dinner

Apple for snack.

How are you getting on? Xx

@clpsmum definitely have more than an apple for a snack. Don't do yourself out of food 😜 Oat cakes with nut butter always good - I think if both snacks are a bit 'light' you run the risk of being hungry

I'm getting on ok thank you. The Percy pigs are safe for now

@HardRockOwl my books haven't arrived yet and can't find much info online so hopefully I'll do better once books here and I can plan properly

Let me know if I can screenshot any pages for you from the books in the meantime