BOOT CAMP - Slim again in 6 months - No More Excuses!

[ColumboWearsControlPants]

Starting this following the discussion on AIBU last night...

Have you slowly let yourself slide into weight gain over several years and are unhappy about it but feel powerless to change?

Are you avoiding going out and seeing people because you don't want them to see how you've let yourself go, or because you can't fit into your clothes? Are you living in (DP's) T shirts and jeans or tracky bottoms?(you can call them yoga pants if it makes you feel better)

Is your family album decidedly lacking in photos of you with your DCs because you camera dodge?

Are you tired all the time and a bit secretly down about it all, but coping on the surface?

If so, then this is the thread for you! All welcome!

We're going to be working on our self esteem issues and create new habits that will take us, one step at a time, to feeling much better physically and mentally. We will be building up to taking more conscious exercise and trying to change our dietary habits that got us in this sorry state to start with.

I think it was Starbear that mentioned trying to do something similar to the FLY threads on Good Housekeeping.

Perhaps we could post each day our plans (whether it be exercise, food, motivation, water intake, giving up something or whatever) and then see how we did each day.

I should really lose 2 stone to be in the middle of the healthy recommended weight for my height and build. Personally I'm low carbing - been trying it on and off for a while, hoping I can stick to it this time.

OK so today I'm going to eat just breakfast lunch and dinner and 1 snack, drink 8 250ml glasses of water, and do 30 mins either walking or on my stationary bike.

Good luck.

Hello everybody.

Good to see people are already posting

I had a weigh in this morning. I am not brave enough to divulge the result - perhaps I shall tell you all when I am several stone lighter.

Actually I am already a pound down on where I have been for the last 2 weeks so maybe doing the walk to school has already kicked in, espeically as I have been doing it for an extra time this week whilst DS2 is part time.

Or maybe it is a fluke!

Are we going to have a weekly weigh-in to see how we are getting on?

How about Mondays for a weekly weigh-in? Start of a new week and all that!

I'm feeling pretty motivated this weekend - I'm sure the fact that the sun is out and it's stopped raining helps. Planning to get the bike out this afternoon. Probably won't be able to move tomorrow as a result.

Afternoon all!

I'd be up for a Monday weigh in TCI - I've been doing Mondays in any case. The worst thing with getting the bike for the first time in a while is the saddle sore, for me. You'd think with the extra padding of fat it wouldn't be so bad...

Niecie - you don't have to post your actual weight, could just post lost a pound or stayed same or whatever? In any case the focus is not necessarily the weight itself, but the eating and exercise habits. For eg if you've been dedicated all week and don't lose, if we're focussing on weight alone it would be a failure, but if we are focussing on slowly changing our habits, it counts as a success every time you do the school walk or don't reach for the biscuit tin etc etc. This way we are reinforcing our self esteem several times a day - which has got to be a good thing when we are trying to feel better about ourselves. Good luck!

Hi Starbear - good luck with finding a SW group near you - an old friend from my last job was on SW and I hadn't seen her for ages and I was surprised to see a few weeks ago that she's become this foxy Jessica Rabbit in the last couple of years (from being very overweight). So it definitely works.

Ruby well done on resisting temptation - esp in the evening (always my downfall time).

Bianca - just to add about the takeaways don't forget that you can have chicken/lamb tikka with salad and plain rice, fills you up and is quite diety actually. Even more so if you ditch the rice. Chicken and broccoli with plain boiled rice is quite nice too and very virtuous. I had chinese last night, but I had crispy duck (no pancakes) since I'm allowed fatty stuff on low carb. It was delish.

Squilly - where there is a will there is a way! Hope you get over your lurgi soon - it does make everything seem that little bit more difficult to cope with doesn't it?

And to all those who haven't posted yet today, I hope you're having a good day and managing to change even just one thing. Small steps.

Off to do 30 mins on my bike while DS sleeps.

Hello all, this sounds like a great thread to join and is just what I need!

I started making an effort to shift the pounds in January 2007 and lost three stone between then and this summer. After an operation on my foot and consequently off my feet for three months I've managed to put a stone of it back on. A lot of that is comfort eating if I'm honest.

My goal now is to get rid of that stone again, and then lose a further 1-2 stone (depending on what feels right when I get there).

I've done Tae Bo this morning, and will be eating healthily for the rest of the day

Good luck everyone!

afternoon all we can all do this we have to be strong and put aside the i'll start tomorrow we all need a push in the right direction sometimes me included if anyone is interested i,m doing slimming world and go to class! i,m doing a daily diary so if you want i,ll post it on here ! so you get a jist on the food you CAN eat
like today for breakfast i had tin beans 2 poached eggs and grilled mushroom (all free food on a green day )and for lunch i,ve jut had a jacket spud with beans a bananna /pear/ and a shape yougrt and yep they are still all free foods on a green day !!
tonight for tea were having taggiatelli with asda.s tomaote and maschopene sauce with chopped pepper mushrooms /onions and qrourn
mince and yet again all free on a green day !!i know it sounds confusing this green day thing but you have red days and green days you can do all red days all green days or mixed it took me a while to get my head around the diet and how it works but it does

debz - I'm really glad to see you are losing weight after doing the VLCD thing. I was worried that I'd done permanent damage to my metabolism after so long just drinking shakes!

I started going to overeaters anonymous for a while, and you have to find yourself a sponsor who you call up a few times a week, telling them what you've eaten, and they are basically your mentor with any food addiction type problems. I couldn't find a sponsor and most of the people in these groups are actually bulimic so I felt a bit out of place there! I even started thinking about making myself sick, but just couldn't never do that to myself. I think I just need to act more sensibly around food, I don't think I necessarily need to do the 12 steps!! Or maybe I do!!!????

Had quite a good day yesterday. Went to my mums - always nightmare - cake, pudding, huge lunches etc

I resisted dessert and kept my lunch small (was starving afterwards LOL) but I do fess up - I had a bit of cake. Overall, felt not a bad day but could do better.

I'm up for a Monday weigh in. I haven't even got on the scales as am too horrified. I lost a stone earlier this year and I know it's all back and then some and like I said earlier I have a LONG way to go to lose all my 'baby' weight.

Debz, I'd be v interested in the Slimming World diets.

pickupthismess, sounds like you did well and didn't succumb to the all or nothing mentality - ie thinking sod it I've blown it now I've had a bit of cake, I'm going to go home and snack all day. Well done!

I had a good day yesterday - main meals only, no snacks and managed 30 mins on my bike. Plus walked into the town centre and back rather than using the car.

Today I'm going to drink 8 glasses of water (never seem to manage that one usually) and I'm going to start doing couch to 5k (or at least the equivalent from Runners World).

Feeling rather virtous this morning as I've switched from full to half caffeine coffee. Small steps!

Hope every one has a good day!

Columbo, So right small steps. Planned to go to the gym this morning but have to cook for a party instead. Spent most of yesturday at DS's friend's party, another today! Will have to start tommorow and start saying no to a few people.

Hello.

Well done columbo, you sound as though you're off to a good start. I'm going to make an effort to drink more water too I always feel better when I do.
Pickup The odd treat is nothing to worry about. I always "fail" if I deny myself things then give myself a guilt trip. I try to have a little of what I fancy but be sensible about it.

Saying that...we had a Chinese last night and I ate loads!
I had eaten well through the rest of teh day and we had a really long walk (blackberry picking) with the kids in the afternoon so I hoep the walk offsets the take-away

I'll try to do well again today but ds has been up being sick since the early hours and dh is at work so I may need some comfort food!

morning everyone

i had a good day yesterday plus lots of walking

Bianca - yum @ chinese

columbo - well done on the coffee! I am trying to break my last reliance on fizzy pop

Hello everybody,

I have spent the day trudging round Marwell Zoo as it is DS2's birthday and he didn't want a party, but a day at the zoo instead.

It felt like it was all uphill apart from the last bit so it must have been doing some good.

Had a picnic for lunch (so not very big) and an ice cream but we are only having spag bol for tea so that is pretty harmless so long as I don't have too much pasta, which I probably won't. My downfall will be that we are having birthday cake for tea but I shall only have a little bit!

Since Saturday is always my worst day anyway, and today was a bit out of the ordinary I shall start properly tomorrow.

I have looked at a couple of sites to find out how many calories I need to maintain my current weight and although the answers vary I am looking at an average of about 2500. Obviously I don't want to maintain my weight so I am thinking if I stick to about 2000 calories a day that won't be too hard and will still lose me a pound a week even without additional exercise so I am going to do that. I just feel trying to do 1200 or 1500 calories would feel too much like a diet and I wouldn't keep it up.

As I lose wait (I hope) then that will have to be adjusted downwards but by then I hope it won't feel like a big deal.

If it doesn't work then I will try something more drastic but I will give it a week or two.

Good luck for next week everybody.

Can't believe I typed wait instead of weight!

I got pointed to www.foodfocus.co.uk as a good site for calorie counting, BMI and exercise. I have found it really helps me but it would depend if you can be bothered to enter all your food and exercise details every single day.

Good day here. I have ate ok and managed to get a couple of hours down at the gym.

Seems everyone is doing really well. I also must dump the fizzy. I am addicted to Coke Zero. Note to self - start drinking loads more water.

My GP said to me a while ago that if you aim for just one pound a week dieting is easy. It does take enormous patience but it so easily achievable without starving yourself.

Hi everyone. I too have followed over from the other thread and would love to join you if that's ok.
I guess I need to lose about 2 stone although ds2 pinched the battery out of my scales for his xbox and I have been reluctant to replace it...not wanting to know!!!! All my clothes are too tight so I just want to feel comfortable again and look less like a whale!!
I used to belong to a gym and went religiously but stopped going when DH was diagnosed with cancer. I didn't have the time, motivation or money anymore. Dh is fine now but I can't afford it at present so can't rejoin. I have, however, just bought a years swimming membership at a local pool for £99. It means I can swim when ever I want so will try to aim for 3 times a week. I really need a kick up the bum and I hope this will help.
Tomorrow is the start of a new, motivated me!

Not started well. DS got up at 6am so I had some of yesturdays birthday cake with tea.
NOW! I am going to stop this from this point on.

Morning!

Think I did OK food-wise yesterday but with ds poorly I didn't leave the house all day so became a bit of a couch potato.
I have walked dd to school this morning and walked briskly home again but that looks like all I'll do for the day as ds is still poorly.
I'll try to have my 8 glasses of water and healthy snacks but it's hard when you're playing nurse - I always seem to end up snacking!

Starbear, if you can, try to eat some protein this morning as well as the cake, it should stop you having a blood sugar crash and craving more sweet stuff later. I am in the same boat in that I baked banana bread yesterday, resisted all day only to eat a piece right before bedtime.

Scrambled eggs for brekkie for me, plus lots of water today and 30 mins on bike.

I've had DH take some "before" pics of me, which I hope to be brave enough to post once I've reached the half way point.

I'm sorry Columbo Tea and biscuit is an addiction like other people have a fag I have tea and a biscuit or cake. Very very bad habit that I can't seem to kick. I've already had an omellet and a peach for breakfast. Today has gone like this:-Tea and cake then read and play with DS,get washed dressed, help Ds amke his omellett breakfast, washing on the line and more in the machine, dish washer emptied and filled tidy kitchen,Break I'm sitting right now with a tea and biscuit,nothing else will calm me down ready for the next tasks of the day.Next beds to make,upstairs to tidy and clothes to put away before DS gym class.
Any really useful tips that will get me off this addiction Sorry fruit tea and eggs will not do it Help!!!

Starbear, the easiest thing I found was to stop buying stuff for the house (ie me and DS since DH doesn't really eat sweet stuff) and just getting things for DS that I wouldn't be tempted by. Easier for me since he is only 17 mnths so shouldn't be having cake etc. I get him rice cakes and Organix biscuits that are sweetened with grape juice, they are rather plain and not very tempting to the adult palate.

I used to have to have something sweet at least once as day and often more. I'd eat cake instead of a meal when DH wasn't around.

What I found helped me was really thinking about it and realising that I was addicted to sugar. Everytime I wanted a biscuit I would think "Right I'm feeling this addictive desire now" and think about how I felt and sometimes I would go ahead and eat the the biscuit and sometimes I would be able to not eat it.

Practical tips could be:

Decide that you going to eat only 3 biscuits and the exact times you will eat them. That way subconsciously you aren't allowing yourself the possibility of eating as many as you want.

Do something different if possible. Often a craving can pass pretty quickly, as it is only a habit that you have got into. You can get into the habit of NOT eating biscuits fairly quickly, and every time you don't eat a biscuit you're adding to the new habit.

My crunch thing is to think of my very slim well groomed SIL and how I will feel seeing her at Christmas if I'm still overweight, and I think "Hmmmm, about to scarf down this trifle...would lovely slim SIL behave like this? No? Right, I'll not do it either then."

ooh Columbo - you speak a lot of sense!

i have realised i rarely eat because i am hungry

it is boredom, anger, upset, stress etc - i am a very emotional eater IYSWIM

i have a goal to aim for too - a big party in November and i want to be 1.5 stone lighter

i have my weigh in tonight at WW so will report back

Can I join please?
I am fat. I weigh 11 stones and used to be 8st7lb
I am sick of being overweight and feel like its ruining my life.

I am going to have a look at foodfocus.

What is everyone doing? Are you following specific diets? Are you all exrcising?

Hello Wintersun!

The more the merrier I say.

I can't speak of the others obviously, but I am not doing any particular diet. I am trying to avoid following any sort of regime as it is too easy to deviate from it and end up putting the weight back on.

I am trying to change my mind set and eat healthily rather than diet. And exercise more.

In fact give my entire life a shake up.

No pressure there then.

Not been very successful so far today on the exercise front. I was planning a morning of hard core tidying up and decluttering but my friend phoned up and whoops, there goes and hour. Then I had to go to Sainsburys to buy bin bags, amongst other things and loads of stuff I forgot to buy on Saturday.

However, I have had a leaflet through the door today offering gym membership for £18.99 a month which seems pretty good to me, even in these times of credit crunchiness when our pennies are short. But I bet you can only use it between 5 and 6am when there is a full moon or something equally restrictive. I will look into it though and not just recycle the leaflet as I would normally do.

Not had lunch yet but I plan to avoid cake and replace it with an apple. Dinner is difficult as I have a school governors' meeting this evening so DH is cooking and after an hour of talking finance I doubt I will have the will left to resist left over birthday cake!

I will think of you all and try though.

Hi Everyone, bit late but would love to join. Have about 2 stone to lose - tried on a skirt I could squeeze into before DS and couldn't even get it past my thighs!
DH then said but it's okay - you're a mum now and I exploded saying that I may be a mum, but it doesn't mean I want to feel like this.

So here I am.

Am going to a wedding and a big party New Year's Eve and want to feel like I am not carrying around a spare tyre.

I don't think exercise is my problem, I swim a couple of times a week, walk lots and do a bit of yoga, but the fact that I could eat a small nation out of its food supply. And also the fact that there is a really good cupcake and biscuit place outside my station.

So hello everyone, great to have some support!