Some ideas if you're trying to lose weight....(or a long post about how I did it!)

[rubyloopy]

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Wow well done you!

Thanks Ruby! Very encouraging. Well done to you!

I'm trying a lot of this myself. With a couple of adaptions - I have poor digestion so starting my day with hot water and lemon and eating salads (with other stuff) where possible as it seems to help to keep bloating and gas down, which then seems to help with weight loss. .

It's good to see it does work. And that it can be done. I need to lose 14kg. So there's a long way to go.

Wow! Well done.
4 stones in 6 months is amazing.

well done! give us an idea of your daily food intake before and after, I love reading those!!

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Well done, thats brilliant.

I too find that the best way of losing weight is to cut out the processed carbs.
I'm in the process of losing (2st down, about another 2 to go) and I'm using a combination of methods. At the momentI'm eating loads of bright coloured veg in stir fries with heaps of chilli, ginger and lime juice. I avoid bread, sugar, rice, wheat and potatoes.

Drinking loads of water is also invaluable.

Hey, well done - that's brilliant. I need to do exactly what you did because I'm a carb addict.

Perhaps you can pop back to this thread for us and be our online personal trainer or coach?

Do you guys eat any carbs at all? I was wondering whether I might still get away with toast or cereal in the mornings?

Aren't the cravings awful?

If you do eat bread or cereals then the best ones to go for are the wholegrain ones - they take longer to digest and you feel full for longer.
Bergen bread is delicious and full of seeds and grains.

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The best foods to eat are the low GI/GL ones - fruit, veg (the best ones are the colourful ones), wholegrain cereals, wholewheat pasta, pulses, brown and wild rice, lean protein.

Great to hear! I too lost nearly 3st in the last 6m or so and did some of this as well - 2 sq of chocolate, smaller portions etc. Another simple switch I made was to skimmed milk. I thought it would be foul but i am so used to it now. I used to love hot chocolates, milk in porridge and cereal etc and when you work out the calories it is amazing how much you save by drinking skimmed. I have also found it is better to eat normal food and not bother with the faddy diet, light, low fat stuff, just eat less of it. Another sin of mine is cheese so now I weigh it out as I just used to put handfuls on pasta etc.

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OK: what are your best low carb nibbles/snacks then? I can see I'm going to have to stock up:

Obv veg and fruit
nuts?
cheese?
eek - both low carb but high in fat...

what else?

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Well done Rubyloopy, I love a sucess story.

When you said "The feeling of going in to a shop and being able to pick something up, and know that the only reason for not buying it is that I don't like it, rather than looking like a trussed up chicken in it is one I am determined not to lose." I know exactly what you mean, I felt exactly like that, but then went and got pregnant with DD and put on 10 kgs. 3 years later I had lost most of it, then got pg again with DS.

Anyway, I have done reproducing now and you have reminded my just why I want to lose weight again (I am vain and like clothes ), thanks!

I discovered a nice snack recently Wilf: ricotta cheese with honey. Ricotta is very low fat.

Well done - that is amazing! you should be so proud of yourself.

Ah, you see I would avoid bananas and go for berries or nectarines instead.
Unsweetened natural peanut butter with oatcakes (in moderation), cottage cheese, lean cooked meat, hummus, olives.

SOunds good. But I confess I avoided anything sugary incl fruit. And I'm not afraid of fat.

Best of all is exercise. Now that I'm running regularly I don't really watch what I eat that much.

As someone embarking on losing 2 stone by the end of the year (vetoing the C word until after summer hols LOL) it's really good to hear it can be done.

congratulations .

I too am a bread and potato addict (not to mention wine). Hopefully cutting right down on these will help.

I find I have to eat carbs otherwise I feel ill - I get excess acid in my stomach. But I am teaching myself to eat the right ones. I have porridge in the morning, and then only eat rye bread, or occassionally wholemeal bread if that's all that's going. Try to eat brown rice (although it's so SLOW to cook!!!). Couscous is one I find works - I can keep portions under control and it's a good grain rather than a heavily processed one - and easy to take into lunch, or to use to bulk up a simple meal.

On exercise, OrmIrian, you're so right about running regularly. But I simply don't have time or energy. I'm finding though that even if I only go to gym once a week, keeping my heart rate up for 45 minutes is better than nothing and I definitely am more likely to lose weight on those weeks. I know it's not ideal, but better than nothing?

thanks for this inspiring post and well done on your weight loss and maintaining it. I have lost weight many times, I need to sort out keeping it off !

That's great, I'm trying to do the same, lose weight just eating sensibly. I'm eating plenty of protein because it fills me up, that's where I've gone wrong before I think.
Tip for something sweet, mini-milk lollies, 30 cals. Lost 9lb in 4 weeks, spare (tractor) tyre noticably smaller.

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I live off melba toast with a laughing cow cheese on.