What am I doing wrong?

[sacha3taylor]

I have just stopped breast feeding and have decided it is time to loose weight (about 3 stones)the problem is that I don't really know why I am over weight. I have 3 children under 5, I don't drive so we walk alot, I don't snack between meals and what we eat is reasonably healthy. I'm not saying that I never eat a biscuit or cake but it is very rare. I have had blood tests to check my thyriod glands and these have all come back negitive - so I am stuck! I am happily married and DH has never had a problem with my weight, and if I was honest I could quite happily stay this weight, but I was reading the 'you know it's time to loose weight when....' thread and the bit about thighs rubbing when it's hot made me think, so does anyone have any ideas as to what works and is reasonably easy as I can't really afford to go and but loads of books to find that they take 3 weeks of planning for every meal! I am open to any suggestions except the Atkins diet.

Perhaps you could keep a food diary for a week - several people on MN have posted that they were surprised at what they ate compared with what they thought they ate. It's those hidden extras like the children's leftovers or the things you just pop in your mouth when you are preparing food. It is often a good idea to try and note the times of day when you are especially hungry and try and get in there first by eating some fruit or something. My big downfall is the cup of coffee with something - if I don't have the coffee I don't eat the chocolate. Simple really!

Good luck.

A magazine I read once listed all the things a mother eats 'extra' during a day:
Spoonful of left over cereal
Bite of baby's toast
Sliver of cheese when making packed lunches
Lick of the knife when making a peanut butter sandwich
etc
etc
And it all added up to 13 weight watchers points ... considering I eat 18 points a day to lose weight on WW it really counts doesn't it?
I struggled losing weight after finishing breastfeeding and the only thing that works for me is to go to WW every week for a weigh in, write down EVERYTHING I eat and keep well away from children's food ...
I have lost 4.5 kilos (about 10lbs) in 8 weeks.
Weight Watchers is the best thing for me ....

Thankyou, I will find out if there is a weight watchers near me, is it easy to follow?

If there is no WW near you, can I recommend Slimming World? I've been going since January of this year, and have just hit my 2 stone weight loss mark. It's really easy to follow and you can eat LOADS. I've just had my lunch, which was 2 huge jacket spuds, with cream cheese and chives plastered on the top! Yum. The plus side to SW is that there are loads of free foods which you can eat in unlimited quantities. It's going up to £4.20 (I believe) a week soon, but for that and a fiver joining fee you get all the books etc (you can buy recipe books if you want to).It takes a bit to get used to the system but it quickly becomes second nature. Good luck.