Anyone else want to shed a few pounds ?

[Wendy]

Having been inspired by the "fat" thread and by some chums who have lost weight recently and look fabulous I want to lose some weight.

If you are interested in joining me then please PM me. I think we could support each other and motivate each other to keep going when it gets difficult.



Wx

[Wendy]

There are a few of us already

Wx

[Wendy]

What a great bunch - Curves Anonymous or maybe Disappearing Dancers.. working on it. Suggestions welcome.

Wx

[ducasi]

There was a thread that I think johnthehappyguy started where a number of forumites posted their weights each week – haven't seen it recently though...

Ah, here it is here...

[Beowulf]

When me and my fiancee split in December I initially lost a few pound but soon comfort eating in my new flat meant my weight ballooned from the early 14st mark to the mid 15st Mark

I've recently started exercising more (inc going to Ceroc) eating better I'm now down to 14st 1lb. My Goal is to be mid to early 13st by Autumn.

I refuse to "Diet" as such. I eat all the same things as I did previously but in moderation. Portion control is better (ask Gadget!) and I tend not to pig out on chocolates and crisps any more.

One tip I'll give you though. The more muscular you are then the more calories you'll burn per day for doing no extra work. And also eat all day.. no seriously, starving yourself is counter productive. Your body goes into famine mode and starts hoarding energy.. by stopping buring fat ,laying down more fat as reserves and you'lll also start to break down muscle tissue.

If you eat small meals (200 cals or so) 6 times a day then this keeps the hunger pangs at bay and keeps your body's metabolic system ticking over. You body knows that food isn't in short suppy and will use it up as soon as it's available.

final tip.. drink plenty. You're a chemical factory.. and water is used to enable all the chemical processes to take place.

Just some tips from a geeks point of view.

[Beowulf]

Here's a link to some resources.

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/dietandfit...541380,00.html

This is a 5 meal a day plan with 1300 or 1550 cals per day total. I would suggest you go to one of the many sites out there and work out exactly how many cals you need .. I'm male, big build and 6 foot tall. I don't want to lose weight quick 1 or 2 pounds a week is fine. so I'd need more than 1550 cals.

I also prefer a bigger breakfast to set me up for the day (and by that I don't mean a fry up!!) I normally have cereal with skimmed milk and half a banana to sweeten. I like to vary my cereals daily. Fruit and Fibre one day, Weetabix the next. Steer clear of "kiddie" cereals like frosties as they tend to be loaded with suger.

this is a good site for calorie/recipe and diet info. And you get 3 days free trial. plenty of time to get all the info you need for meal plans to print off.

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk

[Wendy]

Originally Posted by ducasi

There was a thread that I think johnthehappyguy started where a number of forumites posted their weights each week – haven't seen it recently though...

Ah, here it is here...

Thanks. Yeah missed that thread at the time - I was probably sitting in a cafe somewhere eating an eclair au chocolat ! Some of us are too shy to divulge info like that in public. But once we all reach our target weight I'm sure we'll do a Calendar Girls and Boys calendar holding our comp trophies in front of our bits and piccies will be on the forum first of course. (Weight) watch this space

Wx

[Wendy]

Originally Posted by Beowulf1970

Here's a link to some resources.

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/dietandfit...541380,00.html

This is a 5 meal a day plan with 1300 or 1550 cals per day total. I would suggest you go to one of the many sites out there and work out exactly how many cals you need .. I'm male, big build and 6 foot tall. I don't want to lose weight quick 1 or 2 pounds a week is fine. so I'd need more than 1550 cals.

I also prefer a bigger breakfast to set me up for the day (and by that I don't mean a fry up!!) I normally have cereal with skimmed milk and half a banana to sweeten. I like to vary my cereals daily. Fruit and Fibre one day, Weetabix the next. Steer clear of "kiddie" cereals like frosties as they tend to be loaded with suger.

this is a good site for calorie/recipe and diet info. And you get 3 days free trial. plenty of time to get all the info you need for meal plans to print off.

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk

Thanks - good advice. And will have a look.

All support welcome BTW. It might not be jumping out of a plane but it's a real challenge for us.

Wx

[Aleks]

Originally Posted by Wendy

Some of us are too shy to divulge info like that in public.
Wx

You'll note I never posted where the needle on scales pointed to, but did 'celebrate' shedding the pounds!
Good luck with your efforts!
I am sure you call do this - easy!

[Wendy]

Originally Posted by Beowulf1970

When me and my fiancee split in December ...
Just some tips from a geeks point of view.

Missed this and only saw the other one. Great advice. I don't believe in diets either. This will be a healthy eating thing with a view to reaching a realistic target weight IMO. How the others see it is up to them. The word diet makes me run to the nearest chocolatier so that doesn't work for me at all !!!!

Wx

[Wendy]

Originally Posted by Aleks

You'll note I never posted where the needle on scales pointed to, but did 'celebrate' shedding the pounds!
Good luck with your efforts!
I am sure you call do this - easy!

Yip you look fab ! And thanks !

Wx

[Beowulf]

Losing Weight is Relatively easy, but dieting is a pain.

Sure if you eat nothing but cabbage soup for a month you'll lose weight but it's not sustainable. Once you come off the diet you'll pile the pounds back on again.

everything in moderation. I'm actually in the process of writing up a guide for another forum I'm on. They have a thread entitled "2006 slimming challenge" which has been helpful to me.

Losing weight is simple maths. Fuel in - Fuel used = Excess calories. To lose weight either put in less fuel or burn more up (or preferably a little of both) imagine if when you filled up your car with petrol instead of overflowing the petrol tank just got bigger and bigger (have the Renault Megan "I see you baby shaking you *ss" song in my head now)

ignore the fads.. the high carb, the low carb, the Atkins, the G Plan, F plan, Z plan, the Parker Knoll, the Vermicious Knid (rep if you know what a Vermicious Knid is) etc

just remember the human body is a "simple" machine. put in high energy food and you get a burst of energy but then come down and need more high energy food. We were once hunter gatherers, running down mammoths and antelopes.

if you graze on slow energy foods like Whole foods, grains and fresh fruits much like our ancestors did you'll be fine. However if you pack in lots of refined processed and chemically enhanced foods in bursts (dinner time, supper etc) then your body will react differently.

We were designed this way over many millions of years of evolution, and it's only "relatively recently" that out eating habits changed. if we read the manual and use this equipment the way it was designed then it'll work better and longer.


I'm not saying give up burgers or fried food.. or that we should all eat raw mammoth steaks.. everything in moderation. You have to live with it so you had better enjoy it. Being thin and miserable? no thanks.

[TiggsTours]

Originally Posted by Beowulf1970

When me and my fiancee split in December I initially lost a few pound but soon comfort eating in my new flat meant my weight ballooned from the early 14st mark to the mid 15st Mark

I've recently started exercising more (inc going to Ceroc) eating better I'm now down to 14st 1lb. My Goal is to be mid to early 13st by Autumn.

I refuse to "Diet" as such. I eat all the same things as I did previously but in moderation. Portion control is better (ask Gadget!) and I tend not to pig out on chocolates and crisps any more.

One tip I'll give you though. The more muscular you are then the more calories you'll burn per day for doing no extra work. And also eat all day.. no seriously, starving yourself is counter productive. Your body goes into famine mode and starts hoarding energy.. by stopping buring fat ,laying down more fat as reserves and you'lll also start to break down muscle tissue.

If you eat small meals (200 cals or so) 6 times a day then this keeps the hunger pangs at bay and keeps your body's metabolic system ticking over. You body knows that food isn't in short suppy and will use it up as soon as it's available.

final tip.. drink plenty. You're a chemical factory.. and water is used to enable all the chemical processes to take place.

Just some tips from a geeks point of view.

Having now lost 2 and a half stone, now weighing less than I did a decade ago when I was in my early twenties, and being fitter and healthier than I have ever been in my life, I feel I'm a good authority to comment, and agree completely with all that Beowulf1970 says!

I eat ALL DAY! I am always snacking on fruit, tons of the stuff, consequently I'm not as hungry at mealtimes, so I eat less, not because I'm controlling portions and depriving myself, just because I don't want as much. Because I'm never hungry I never crave high energy foods, which are high in sugar and fat, and my diet is far healthier, I have learnt to recognise the difference between hunger and thirst, although to be honest, I very rarely experience either, as I've also always got a bottle of water on the go, fluid intake (and it doesn't just have to be water) is vital!

I have followed a healthy eating plan, Slimming World, and can highly recommend it to anyone. Its NOT a diet, on a diet you deprive yourself of food, you go hungry, you lose lots of weight, then you eat normally and put it all back on again. A healthy eating plan means you don't go hungry, you just eat more of the right stuff and less of the wrong stuff, and the weight comes off steadily and stays off, as its a change in lifestyle that quickly becomes the norm, and isn't ever a chore. I eat more now than I did before I lost the weight, in fact I eat more than I did when I was piling on the weight! I still eat chocolate, cakes, crisps, chips, drink alcohol, all the taboo stuff, but I do it in moderation, and I enjoy it when I do, with no feelings of guilt!

Excercise is also really important, and don't fall into the trap of thinking just because you dance it will be enough, you need to increase your excercise, and also to add a variety of types. I don't dance anymore now than I did when I was at my biggest, (although now I'm smaller I can certainly move faster!) but I do now run 3-4 times a week, swim occasionally (trying to increase that now) walk alot more, use the stairs instead of the lift, walk up escalators, do a bit of light weight training and do 100 sit-ups a day. I'm not saying you have to get extreme, but try adding a different form of excercise to your week.

And very importantly, lifestyle changes take alot of will-power, and its very easy to slip back to comfortable ways, so focus on the positive:

The most important things I have gained from my weight-loss have been:

• Confidence! Feeling good about yourself is the best feeling in the world, and I never tire of people telling me I'm looking great! What a lift!
• Health & fitness. Being able to run 2 miles when I couldn't run for a bus without getting out of breath is such an amazing feeling.
• A new wardrobe, and I don't just mean that I've had to buy different clothes because I can't wear the old ones anymore, I mean I've got a whold new style! It goes hand in hand with the confidence thing, I'm now wearing clothes that I never dreamed I'd wear, because only "skinny" girls could wear that! On Saturday I even turned a pair of shorts up because they were too long, and I've always hated my legs!
• An understanding of health, fitness and nutrition. I did food and nutrition at school, and always loved cooking, but I'd forgotten how fascinating the nutrition side of it was!
• A new joy in cooking. As I said, I've always loved cooking, but I just stopped doing it, now that my diet is healthier, and I cook more, I re-discovered the fun I'd lost in the kitchen, and now really enjoy experimenting with new foods. Also, whenever I cook for anyone, they can't believe that the food I'm cooking is healthy, and slimming, as it all tastes so good, and there's always so much of it!

Good luck to anyone trying to lose weight, enjoy every minute of it, and the good stuff that comes with it, and if you fall off the wagon at anytime, so what! Enjoy the momentary lapse, then get back on it!

[TiggsTours]

Originally Posted by Beowulf1970

Here's a link to some resources.

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/dietandfit...541380,00.html

This is a 5 meal a day plan with 1300 or 1550 cals per day total. I would suggest you go to one of the many sites out there and work out exactly how many cals you need .. I'm male, big build and 6 foot tall. I don't want to lose weight quick 1 or 2 pounds a week is fine. so I'd need more than 1550 cals.

I also prefer a bigger breakfast to set me up for the day (and by that I don't mean a fry up!!) I normally have cereal with skimmed milk and half a banana to sweeten. I like to vary my cereals daily. Fruit and Fibre one day, Weetabix the next. Steer clear of "kiddie" cereals like frosties as they tend to be loaded with suger.

this is a good site for calorie/recipe and diet info. And you get 3 days free trial. plenty of time to get all the info you need for meal plans to print off.

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk

Really, try Slimming World, I never count calories, and do very little weighing or measuring of anything, I weigh out my porridge and the milk to make it in the morning, and that's about it!

[Wendy]

Thanks Beowulf 1970 and TiggsTours - wow !!!



Wx

[Daisy Chain]

My downfall is biscuits. I find that going to Ceroc several nights a week stops me raiding the biscuit tin in the evening.

Daisy

(A Spare-Tyreless Little Flower)

[Lou]

Originally Posted by Beowulf1970

the Vermicious Knid (rep if you know what a Vermicious Knid is) etc

harperlink

A good way to lose weight - get divorced.

A good way to gain weight - start a contract in Glasgow...

Thanks for the Slimming World link, Tiggs Tours. I know quite a few people who've tried it and found it works.

[Heather]

Hi Wendy,
You might want to take a look at the Weightwatchers website while you're at it. They do an ESource membership as done by Claire Sweeney for people who can't get along to meetings.This might be a better option for you as you are over in France, although I'm sure there might be a Weightwatchers over in France! There's even Chat boards on the Weightwatchers site similar to the Cerocscotland Forum, where you can post comments, questions and get support from other WW members. I joined Weightwatchers on 6th January and reached my target on June 10th when I lost a total of 24 pounds- I'm a Gold Member now for as long as I stay at my present weight +/- 5 pounds either way.
I didn't find it hard at all and was never at any point hungry- I just cut out the Sh*t that I was eating and replaced them with healthier alternatives. I also started cooking from scratch with fresh ingredients ( and that's a major acievement from someone who graduated from the Marks+ Spencer School of Microwave Cookery! )
A lot of it is to do with WHAT you eat rather than the amount you eat.
Look up Trans fats ( anything containing hydrogenated vegetable oil and fats) and it will make your hair curl ( sorry Wendy- even more curly!! )
They are in pretty much any processed food from Special K bars , Horlicks Maltesers, ready meals and margarine.
The purer a food is the better it is for you. Research has proven that transfats make you pile on weight around the abdomen, even if you are on a diet.
Good Luck with your weight loss attempt Wendy- I'm sure you'll keep everyone posted

Heather

[Wendy]

Originally Posted by Heather

You might want to take a look at the Weightwatchers website while you're at it..... Good Luck

Thanks Heather

And we are going to have our very own mini forum as from Monday I am sure it won't affect THE forum though

Wxxx

[Dizzy]

Hey Wendy

If you are considering weight loss, it might be a good idea to look at what you are eating at the moment to find out how you can change your diet. Doing a food diary for a week is good for this and lets you know when and why you are munching on the fatty foods.

A good resource that I have found is a website called Daily Diet Tracker, which is free to join and allows you to track what and how much you have eaten every day as well as your exercise every day so that you can then find out how best to lose weight

Good Luck