9 months on 9 months off?

[pebbles]

Having had a very social summer where I put on a stone I went back on Wednesday and am counting and exercising with avengence. We can do it. Ill check back in on Wed

[snowboarder]

Back here again. Last year was rubbish. Anyone in? Pickle/pebbles/grotty will you be the motivators?!?

Expect it's in here somewhere but some meal tips would be great to share. I need to lose 35kg, but have a pressing need to lose as much as pods in the next 7 weeks as off snowboarding and currently my gear doesn't fit!!

[Pickle]

I'm happy to help! Having successfully stayed below my goal weight since I reached goal, I've let things slip a bit while in NZ (actually, I've been a complete and utter pig!) so have about half a stone to tackle when I get back to London next week. I will weigh in on Wednesdays.

My biggest tip is that to successfully lose weight, no matter what way you do it, make sure you are eating the same food as the rest of your family. All family meals can be made in a healthy way, and for those that are not so good (macaroni cheese for example), just limit your portion size and fill the rest of your plate up with veges or salad. There is no way I would ever have managed to lose as much weight as I have if I was preparing separate meals for myself.

Good luck!

[buggie]

I've just signed back up with WW online today. Had lost 1.5st by Sept but then holiday and few other things going on meant I left & have put 1st back on again :(

Will be good to have some EDF motivation!! (Does pinning healthy tips/recipes and exercise advice on Pinterest help wt loss?!)

[Smiler]

Happy new year! Am in! My scales have broken (not my weight, honest!) But think have about 20lbs to lose. Have just stopped breastfeeding which think will help, no longer feel as hungry. Am hoping to weigh in at WW 5 mins from work on monday lunchtimes. Wish could stay for meetings, but only get 20mins for lunch. The weigh in itself should motivate though!

My main problem - other than v bad eating habits! - is finding time and willpower to exercise. I commute to work 3 days a week and get up at 6am those days, littlest daughter (2) doesn't sleep well and is often awake til beyond 8pm, up in night etc. In eves am shattered. Weekends are busy with the usual domestics, family stuff etc, although am going to try to go to gym or something one day every weekend.

Have asked our excellent CM to have littlest smiler for a couple of hours each tues morning when eldest is at school (CM goes to a nice playgroup then, littlest smiler doesn't go to any at the mo, just the CM's and a music class with the CM another day) so can go to gym, but feel guilty about that as my girls have a v long day on the days when I work, and littlest has speech delay (so feel a bad mum for prioritising exercise over time with her, argh). Will try it for a few weeks and see how it goes.

My brother recently lost 2 stone in a team effort at work, healthy eating and exercise, which has inspired me, as his habits were similar to mine, he says it's really helped with his joint pain (I have this too).

[pebbles]

I'm back and am in

No longer can make Ww weigh in on Wednesdays so am going to do it on line and weigh in on Fridays (ie I start today as am finally home after 2 wks away). I will have my fabulous friend Pickle at the end of the phone every Friday so I don't lose motivation.

I'm also lucky that my youngest daughter is at nursery so definitely no excuses on the exercise front as have the time

Good luck everyone

[uptime]

Me too. Need to lose that last stone. Thankfully not going skiing this year. Last year I had to rent saloppettes from that place in forest hill because I couldn't fit into my own gear. Would have had to do the same again this year which would result in some difficult questioning from husband. The big problems for me are portion control and booze (do a lot of evening work events). I have also started to track on WW online for the first time in ages.

[amydown]

I'm back in too. Stopped WW and training after going back to work in Oct. Have stayed roughly the same but would be keen to lose another 10lb or so. I had got into a really good routine of exercising twice a week with trainer and then doing a 10k run but childcare costs since returning to work means I really can't afford the training sessions (worse off financially going back to work. WTF?!? But another thread altogether).

Then, there is the question of time. How do mums fit exercise into their days? The only way I can see is to run to/ from work. Do people do this?

[nunheadmum]

Running to/from would be good - if you have the facilities at the other end. I don't so running/cycling would involve taking on a gym membership to get showering facilities.

I've found myself struggling with the fact that going for runs seems to come out of any me-time. So hubby gets a long lie at the weekend - I get to get up at my normal time and go for a run.....it doesn't seem fair! But that's maybe just my mummy guilt complex and I'd get more time if I pushed it.

Definitely got to get back on it this year. Didn't quite lose as much as I'd hoped for last year - though didn't do too badly. But fallen back into lots of bad habits and not been running so much lately so need to lose a bit more I think before I can really relax.

Not helped by fact that hubby is stick thin and can eat what he likes! Not fair!!

[pebbles]

I'm a big one for exercising at 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays. I'm not a fan of tea time so I love missing it and if I'm not feeling like exercising my husband says I can be on tea duty and that's a sure fire way to get me out there!!!

Could you pick something you don't like doing at weekends and go out then?

Good luck

[midivydale]

Oh ladies can i join? I am 10 months post birth and have 10kg to loose.

[Smiler]

Yes yes pebbles, teatime at weekends is brill as places tend to be quiet and you can avoid dealing with the kids' tea! Know what you mean about the lie-in, nunhead mum, could you not have a lie in til 9ish and then the exercise?

DVDs at home are good as don't need to go anywhere. Am also going to dust off the hulahoop as can do that in front of the TV!

Welcome midivydale!

[Trish]

I have no excuse - 2 years since second baby was born. I don't have masses to lose but enough - maybe 5kg. I've spent about 9 months calorie counting with fitnesspal and exercising (5k run) three times a week. It's made no difference at all. I sometimes feel my body is at a weight it feels comfortable with and there's nothing I can do to shift it......but my boyfriend of 20 years proposed on Christmas Eve and I don't want to be a fat bride as well as an old bride!!!

I must confess I love food. I love wine. I hate exercise!!! So it's something of a challenge coupled with the fact I work full time, an hour long commute each way and a 2 year old and a 6 year old to look after. But I am going to do something about my weight in 2013.

I have just started the fast diet - 5 days of eating normally and 2 days of fasting each week (not consecutive). Maybe it will work, maybe it won't but it seems worth a try. I could be clutching at straws! Only 2 fast days completed so far - and its not total fasting - you consume 500 calories on fast days.

Will see how it goes. God luck to everyone else.

Trish

[midivydale]

Ok! I have Publicly started. I joined fusion gym today got dragged kicking and screaming by hubby(terrible first impression by the way).

I have got my kitchen scales dusted off and my low GI eatingplan ready.

I miss wine & cheese already. But the weight has to go!

[pebbles]

Well done everyone. I've only been back on Ww for 3 days (and no alcohol) and feel better already. My fitness starts tomorrow when kids go back.

We can do it and remember even if u have a blip we still have to weigh in as its too easy to give up!!!

Have a good day everyone

X

[snowboarder]

Freakin' scales. I've just discovered they weigh differently depending on where in the bathroom I put them. I now seem to have put on 2kg just because of that!! Dispiriting as have been trying really hard and now can't really work out if have had any results! Not been a week yet though.

I love food too. I do actually love exercise but find it sooo difficult to get out - I don't really take a lunch break on the 2 days I work, journey too far to cycle/run, kids up early and hubby home late and youngest not at nursery yet. I love running and hockey (and snowboarding) but all tricky with small ones! I'll have to psyche self up to do my davina dvd. I had an epiphany moment in Cotswold outdoor (of all places!) yesterday where the biggest size was a 14 in pretty much all the snowboard kit, and not close to fitting me...SOBSOBSOB!!!

[Pickle]

Hello hello! Just an update from me. Got back from my 3 week drink/food filled holiday in NZ on Monday night, absolutely convinced I had put on half a stone.

Nervously got on my scales to find I'd gained... Nothing!

Goodness only knows how, maybe it's hiding and will bite me in the backside next week, but for now I'm celebrating my lack of pounds.

I am, however, doing my best to get back to eating healthily, and plan to start running again this weekend. Hubby has just started training for the marathon in April, so I need to get off my butt and do some exercise too.

Hope the week has been kind to you all.

[Saffron]

snowboarder Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Freakin' scales. I've just discovered they weigh

> differently depending on where in the bathroom I

> put them. I now seem to have put on 2kg just

> because of that!!

You'll get the most reliable result on a hard, even surface. Putting your weigh-scale on carpet or any soft or uneven surface usually makes the scales read low (ie tells you that you weigh less than you do).

Changing rooms at a place where I worked many years ago had a large set of mirrors, one of which was slightly warped. It made you look thinner than you are. Oh how we all loved standing in front of that mirror, even though we knew it wasn't real. xx

[pebbles]

Hi girlies. Well I weighed in this morning and lost 7.5lbs. Thrilled but know it will slow down now

I've been swimming 3 times

I've eaten all my daily points but not my weekly as that's normally saved for booze and I've given up alcohol for January

How's everyone else doing?

[Smiler]

Congratulations on your engagement Trish! I put on weight while engaged (people kept telling me would lose weight due to the hassle of organising a wedding, but I eat more when busy/stressed!) but the good news is weddingy dresses (traditional or not) can be v flattering! Mine had to be let out (the shame!) but still looked good.

Pickles, that's jammy!

Well done pebbles, great start!

My scales still broken so will need to weigh in at Ww nr work on Monday, it was v busy this week! Many office workers looking determined! My post-xmas weight not as bad as had feared (healthiness since new year), but still not great.

Not done much exercise yet, will go tomorrow!

Just made a nice tea for whole family from hairy bikers' diet book, which quite like.

[buggie]

I lost 3lb this week :) very pleased. Finding myself bit more blas? about tracking, but mentally giving everything a point value, think my extra points are dipped into a bit daily! Started new job this week & have to take packed lunch which'll keep me on the straight & narrow (hopefully!) thinking about trying graze boxes a go as it needs to be easy to eat at a desk as there's no staff room.

Went to an exercise class on Wed & trying out a boot camp class tomorrow... Finding Bugglet not liking the buggy as much as she use to problematic as don't get to power walk as much as I did a few months back (walking slowly kills me!)

[Smiler]

Have looked into healthier options for eating when out and about (am not organised enough to do packed lunches often), boots shapers ( dull, but lots of sandwiches around 8 points), Sushi from wasabi (but not the pots of curry/soups) is tasty, but low on veg.

Pret is tricky, everything smothered in bloody mayo! chicken raita wrap is 8, crayfish and avocado salad (minus dressing) is 6, porridge 5 (before topping). At least they have started showing nutrition info, unlike Upper Crust, who don't even provide it online! Grrr.

For ready meals, Cook! Frozen one-pot lunches are good, lots of veg and between 7 and 10 points. And microwaveable. And covent garden soups.

Skinny grande latte is 3 or 4 points.

Soups can be good or bad, have been checking the content.

It has made me realise how much really unhealthy food is everywhere, is quite hard to find low-fat/sugar stuff, and am not even low-carbing!

Girls have just declined the hairy bikers' tea! Bag of shite.

[Smiler]

Buggie, hope the job goes well. would not recommend graze boxes, had several as a free trial, most options are 100cal plus for one segment of the box, most tasted grim (and I am not by any means a fussy eater) and the healthier options weren't appealing.

[snowboarder]

Huh. Tracked on ww, did have my weekly points as went out for husbands birthday. Have felt miserable about self and hungry. Not lost a pound. Ate 4 rich tea biscuits to drown my sorrows.

Next week is a new week, right?

[Trish]

I haven't lost any weight this week either but also haven't made it to the gym as only just coping with the return to work. It was only week 2 on the diet so I'm determined to give it more time than that. Can't believe you lost 7.5lbs Pebbles - I dream of doing such things!!!

Thanks for congrats smiler - feel slightly shy telling my friends when I'm over 40 with 2 kids! But I have to lose weight before any wedding!

I've given up skinny lattes with sugar for black sugar free americanos. Fingers coprossed results will be more positive next week!

Good luck with the week ahead everyone.