Apparently I can't get away with it anymore. sigh

[JoshandJamie]

I eat reasonably healthily (skim milk, lots of fibre, low fat stuff, wholewheat bread, reasonable amount of fruit/veb, don't often have cakes, biscuits, sweets, choc).

However, I eat rather large portions. Not ludicrous but certainly more than I probably should. I also drink too much wine which is calorie heavy.

I don't exercise much - unless you count carting kids up and down stairs a hundred times a day - but have always been reasonably fit (ish).

I've been a size 12 for as long as I can remember except for two brief stints as a 14 after both kiddies were born.

Somehow up until two thousand and sodding eight, I have managed to live ok like this. But when this new year rolled in, it's like my body decided to say, yuh seriously hunny, you need to go on a diet. Without changing anything I've done in the past, I am now packing on the pounds. None of my clothes fit. I used to need to wear a belt to keep my trousers up. Now the belt doesn't fit!

I'm not pregnant. But I am about to turn 35. Is this some kind of evil mid thirties body curse that happens? I don't want to go on a diet. I don't want to give up wine. Am happy to exercise more if only I got the time. Why is life so cruel? (reaches for more wine)

Well, how long have you got.............? 'tis a cruel fact of life, you can't get away with what you used to.Be grateful you are still inyr 30's............

Hi, I just poped in to say that you don't need to go on a diet. you have good variety of food and probably just little changes can bring very good results. Portion sizes are my downfall as well so I now pile up my plates with salads and cooked vegies. Try to have water before you have wine. There are some foods which make us slim - celery, bluberries and some other vegies and fruit for example. try to have deep breathing when you get and tuckle your tummy in, it helps to make the tummy muscles stronger. Do some light but effective excersises which don't take time. Good luck. You can do it. i like the idea of 10 fruit and veg and 10 minutes excersise a day. If you pile up on healthy stuff there isn't much room for the biscuits and since you don't eat too many anyway, see if you can reduce. if you have 2 biscuits, have 1 and if you have 1 chocolate have half. For me though it's easier not to have any then to stop myself. We all feel deferently so you know yourself better anyway. Home made vegie soups are very healthy, nice in this cold weather and they can put your figure right without dieting.

THanks Fedda. Those are great tips. Will definitely try those as a first step.

You're most welcome, JosandJamie.

Take up running. It works. Because beleive me I am eating loads (mostly good stuff like you though not low-fat) and in the last few months I have lost weight. OK I don't weigh myself but my clothes are all loose on me and most of the flabby bits are toning up. In fact I was beginning to get worried at one stage because I have never in my life lost weight without trying to do so. I thought I might have been ill Now I am wondering if doing quite a bit of regular strenuous exercise has changed my metabolism a little.

I first noticed the fat-creep, just as you have, after my DD was born when I was 34...and it continued inexorably until my 3rd child was a yr old and I was 39. It does just happen with age but you can do something about it.

Also drink plenty of water.

And you feel so much better. Dieting made me unhappy. I am reasonable careful about what I eat (sometimes) but I don't obsess about it and I do drink wine

OrmIrian - you're right. I just need to exercise more. Life is too short to weigh food and count calories.

How are you doing, JoshandJamie?

Well not great this weekend. DS's 4th birthday. Have had a house full of guests, lots of rubbish food, lots of cake and lots of wine (even more stress trying to get 18 4 year old boys dressed as pirates to behave).

HOwever, tomorrow I shall attempt to get back on the healthy eating wagon and will slip some exercise in somewhere. There's just the small problem of a LOTS of left over jelly......

Thanks for asking Fedda!

You're very welcome, JoshandJamie. That's what I had today:
B - poridge with honey and 3 grapes, tea with honey and crackers
L - cold chicken from Sunday roast
5 pm - home made soup of can plum toms, celery sticks, sweet corn and tiny amount of chicken (need the rest for curry tomorrow) with carry powder, ground cumin, bullion powder, dried oregano, cuenne peeper and black pepper, will have the rest for dinner and I had my soup with 2 pieces of walnut bread, no butter.
I honestly find soups are the best for getting back to a healthy plan and you can have a lot of vegies in them. They can be very filling, like a big meal without any guilt.