loosing weight

[CJK]

I am, once again, trying to loise a LOT of weight.
In the past ia hve done weight wtchers ( lost 3 pounds in 6 months)
slim fast- lost 2 stoens but put it all abck on again when started eating.

Anybody got any tips and idea?
I am diabetic, so it limits things now, I know what i should eat that healthy, and i do, i also do 20 minutes on an epilepitcal cycle (if that how u spell it). NAd i still dont loose weight.

asked nurse for help at doctos, she said join a support group, personally i think thats useless, been there done that!]

oh, and i ahve a min of 5 stones to loose, ideallly more but 5 will suffice lol

[EmmaG]

Well I lost just over two stone a couple of years ago low carbing. I just cut out most white processed food. I do not eat junk food very often.

A typical days food for me would be

Breakfast - Bacon and scrambled egg
Lunch - salad and chicken or veg and some sort of protein (fish, meat)
Dinner - chicken/meat/fish with veg

Drinks - water, coffee with cream sweetener if needed, tea with milk

I normally try and keep my carb levels quite low, but I have a lot of vegetables and I don't really count these.

I started low carbing properly at the start off this week as I put on a little bit of weight over Christmas.

My starting weight at the beginning of the week was 10 stone 3 pounds, today I am 9 stone 13 pounds, ideally I want to be around 9 stone to 9 and a half stone.

A lot of people who I know low carb has also greatly improved their diabeties as this way of eating stabilises blood sugar levels. But I would advise that you check with your doctor first. If you wanted to do a low carb eating plan I would recommend drawing up a menu plan for say two weeks and get your doctor to ok it before you started.

One amazing thing I find with low carb is that your excess hunger goes completely. If you are interested I can point you to an excellent website and you would be totally amazed at some of the before and after pictures.

Good luck!!

[yola]

I would give a big thumbs up to low-carbing; it lost heaps after having Dominik when I did Atkins. I'm thinking of trying the GI Diet which works on similar principles but is less stringent.

But as Emma says - just cutting out high starch and highly processed food and eating lots of vegetable and white meat/fish is a great, and healthy way to go. Drinking lots of water is also a must.

Emma - I'd be interested in seeing that website too as I need a bit of a kick up the pants at the moment, diet-wise!!! :-D

[EmmaG]

Hi Yola, the website is http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/

It is a massive forum, there are some really really great people on there as well :)

[EmmaG]

just for inspiration I will post up a couple of links to some good threads

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=396562

[EmmaG]

another

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=401368

[EmmaG]

Should have mentioned that this forum is mainly US based but there are people of all over the world on it :)

[EmmaG]

This thread really does show what is possible

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=392628

[CJK]

oh thanks for those links, i will take a look.
I got an atkins det kit upstairs, book, menu cardsetc, but i just can not afford to buyt he stuff it says on there.
I dont eat white bread anyway, and have sweetner not sugar, but i do eat bread,pasta,rice,potatoes etc.

will see what i can come up with.
My diabetes is pretty good, ive been really strict with myself in last 6 months and started exercising, and am now off all medications, thank god, that metformin was rotten!
i still dont loose weight, but should havementioend b4 i have PCOS too, which i know doesnt help.

But i got to do it somehow.
the nurse mentioned some tablets, orlaf i think, she was going to prescribe me some, as i said id try anything to loose weight now, but then decided she wasnt going to cos they make u fart lots! so what? if it helps i wouldnt care.
I cant get to see a sympathetic doctor for 2 weeks, so wanted soem plans to discuss with her!

im sooooo fed up of being sooo overweight, i wont mention my weight here cos i am so depressed by it.

[EmmaG]

I find that my food bill has gone down quite a bit because I don't buy all of the junk that I did before. You don't have to buy expensive cuts of meat, chicken can be quite reasonable, fish also, pork is very cheap.

I also find that I don't eat as much as I use to, I find I am full up quite quickly.

I always think if you eat pasta, rice, bread a lot of this food has very very little nutrional goodness therefore your body can still be "looking" for those extra vitamins etc therefore you still stay hungry, I find that bread, potatoes, pasta bloat me out terribly, and half an hour later I want sometime else to eat.

You really need to decide on a plan and make sure you stick to it, that is where most people fail. It really does have to be a way of life.

[CJK]

well i'll take a decent look at those links and decide where to go from ehre, am still going to see my doc anyway.
The expensive stuff is the actual "low carb" meals, soups,breads etc.

my dads doing the cereal diet, but i didnt think that would be good for me being diabetic, but lets face it, im prob only diabetic cos of my weight, although it runs in the family.
thansk for the help and advice thoguh

[EmmaG]

One tip if you do decide to do low carb.

Don't buy the "low carb" meals, soups, bread etc

Meals -make your own you then know exactly what has gone into them
Soup - again make your own - you can then freeze some

Don't forget a lot of these "low carb" replacement as well as being expensive are full of chemicals.

when I started low carbing I tried a low of the above stuff, a lot of it is very nasty tasting. There are a few items that are nice but I would avoid having them everyday.

The best tip is to eat clean everyday, just plain wholesome food. If you low carb properly you don't need to eat snacks as you don't crave them.

I know it is hard getting started on any good food eating plan. I am sure we are all here to help you and support youxxxxx

[CJK]

thanks emma, I've signed up for that first forum u gave the link for, looks great.
I have already put pasta into the slow cooker for tea tonight, What i think I will do is eat my normal stuff over weekend, and monday morning start low carbing it.
I have 3 weeks left until i see the nurse again for my BP check ( she worreid it too high at 140/89) and she said she'll weigh me agian then if i like, so will see what i can do in that month.

it's soooo hard, but if i can quit smoking in one week, i can do this! ( i gave up 2 years ago,mind u i did have bronchitis at the time lol, i get it every winter)

[EmmaG]

Good luck to you. I would have a good look around the website and research it over the weekend. The best advice I can give is eat clean, give it two weeks and see how you are going. Also good advice is to measure yourself before you start. I think I did neck, arms, bust, tummy, hips, bottom, thighs, and calfs. I have lost over 26 inches in total. I would recommend measuring yourself because sometimes the scales don't move a lot but you will find that you are sliming down and measuring yourself is a good way to check.

My username on there is Tigs33.

[yola]

I'll second that!! The low carb stuff is a rip off!! Hubby did the atkins with me and it worked wonders for him too . . . he's not overweight at all but it make him feel loads better and showed up his gluten intollerance which was excellent as we were beginning to suspect he had an ulcer :shock:

Thing is - you only have to completely cut stuff out for the 1st 2 weeks or so, then you can gradually re-introduce 'good' carbs back into your diet.

But I agree - keep off white carbs - brown pasta, brown rice and rye bread are great substitutes if you really can't bear giving them up all together - and the kids will soon get used to the change!!

[dinahsmum]

I, personally, think a low GI regime is preferable and more natural than one which limits carbohydrate. I did quite a lot of research when my dad got diabetes (and all the attendant problems)
Have a look at this site. this is tesco who, apparently, can tailor a diet to your particular situation http://www.tescodiets.com/dietprofile2/dietintro.cfm?dietchoice=17&code=700500

I also think you should discuss this with your medical practice before launching in. In the meantime, start the day with a big glass of water (hot or cold) and build up your intake of water (tap or bottled still - not fizzy) till you're drinking 2litres (yes! 2 litres) a day. Doesn't take a lot of getting used to, you don't spend all day p-ing once your body gets into balance and everything benefits - your whole body and especially your skin.

That's it from Doctor Dinahsmum :) Good luck; we'll all add our support to help you along
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http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_17_6.gif
sorry - one more thing. Agree with Emma about measurements. Good muscle weighs more than fat, so it doesn't matter (within reason ) what you weigh - just be fit. if you use some of the BMI measurements all the England Rugby team are obese :roll: - they look pretty fit to me! :lol:

[CJK]

ooh yeah therye fit!!!!! lol

ok, gonan buy tapemeasure at weekend, cut down on carbs until i research more and discuss with doctor, and then take it from there.
i CAN do it!!!! lol

I even got a weight loss hypnosis cd, not sure it works for weight loss but it good for getting me off to sleep!!!!!

[EmmaG]

CJK I have no doubts you can do it :) It is just finding the right eating plan for yourself.

DM is right about drinking lots of water.

Also something I did was also cut down my portion size, I was eating as much as my other half so now I only put on my plate about 2/3rds his portion size which also helps.

If you feel very brave you could always write down ALL of the food you have eaten in a day, sometimes seeing exactly what you have eaten does make you realise where you have gone wrong.

Also drinking any alchohol (sp) won't help with weightloss

[dinahsmum]

Another cheat is to use smaller plates - use a dessert plate instead of a dinner plate and your brain will be 'fooled' to a certain extent, if the food is nicely heaped! Looks so much more generous than a small portion looking lost on a big plate - that's bound to make you feel deprived!

I think I read recently that having soup (not a creamy one!) as a first course cuts the amount you go on to eat. A low salt stock cube with some diced veg and pre-cooked beans makes a quick and easy soup. Good for your lunch/minor meal too, with a chunk of 'rustic'/grainy bread.

[EmmaG]

Well us lots are full of excellent tips :)

[CJK]

i think i'll try the smaller palte thing lol!
got plenty of small paltes, all got things like tweenies or bob builder or tigger ont hem but hey who cares? lol

[EmmaG]

lol you won't see bob the builder once your food in on there :)

I really hope that you can find a plan that works for you

I find this one of the most amazing weight loss stories on lowcarbfriends

Here is the link, if you got down to quiggleys post she was 570+ pounds which is 40 stone, she is now 218 which is about 15 stone and she looks amazing!!! So she has lost 25 stone!

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=138187

[dinahsmum]

CJK
Read an article in a maggie whilst I wa waiting to give blood. Apparently a low GI diet can control PCOS - worth investigating?

[Naomi]

I do the Atkins as and when I feel the need. I lost a stone begining of last year and altho I''m not being really strict on it I have found that I haven't piled it all back on.

After talking to my Dr it appears that I do really have to restrict my carb intake as that is what is causing me to put weight on. I feel a lot healthier than I used to.

[Donna]

I am doing weigh****chers but it is so slow going. Lost 2lb first week, 1lb the second. Am only in third week, but already am losing heart....

[Mags]

I did the Atkins diet last year and lost 1st 10lbs....I found it quite easy to keep to, and like Nae said, I didn't put it all back on like you tend to do with other diets.
I just cut down on the carbs now if I need to.

[EmmaG]

Good to hear some good views on low carbing. The only person I have ever heard dismissed it was a girl at work who said "I tried atkins and I couldn't stand eating all of the fatty food" ???? She hadn't read the book which annoyed me a bit, she had obviously just read some article in the press??? I said don't you eat your veggies? and the look on her face said it all? Shame really because I think she would have done well with it.

Well I weighed myself on the 16th Jan and I was 10.2 I am now 9.12 so I have lost 4lbs in the last four days. It always comes off easily.

Apart from Christmas time my weight does stay quite constant even if I eat a little bit more carby food. However eat pasta, chinese, lots of rice and I put it back on quite quickly.

[Mags]

Atkins...fatty food???:shock: The only 'fatty' food I ate was lean back bacon!!

[EmmaG]

Well I must admit I do still eat cheese :) but I still loose weight.

A few things I have noticed when low carbing

Hair looks better
Skin improves
Sleep like a log
Have tones of energy
Less tempremental
Periods are shorter
Need a smaller shoe size (I figured weighing more must have started to flatten out my feet)

One thing I would like to know from other people who have low carbed, when you go into the supermarkets when you go either past the bakery section or sweet section can you ACTUALLY smell the sugar???? I find that very bizzare??

[Mags]

You're right Emma, you can smell the sweetness! It never worried me if I never had another biscuit or cake as I completely lost my sweet tooth (got it back now mind, after Christmas:roll: )
What I did miss to start with was cereals as I was never a cooked breakfast person. I used to snack between meals on cubes of cheese and slices of chicken or slices of carrots and fruit.
My children were amazed how much healthier I looked after.....and when someone tells you that it really makes you feel good!:-P

[CJK]

wow thanks for all the tips etc.
If that aldy can llose 25 stone then i can loose my weight too. I must look up what i should actually weigh cos i dont have a clue, i guess i need to loose a minimum of 6 stone, but it rob a lot more than that really.

[EmmaG]

Aaaahhhh interesting Mags, I thought I was going crazy when I first realised what I was smelling. lol

CJK I think there are some other members on that forum that have lost more than 25 stone. When I read their stories I am in total awe of these people, they have taken control of their lives, done something about their problem and more importantly sticking to it (more or less). It does really make your realise that you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to.

[CJK]

hmm, so i dont need my jaw wired or stomach stpled just yet then.
I do wnt to loose this weight though, and thanks for showing me that site.
My dads lost 10 pounds in a week on the cereal diet! but i want a more permanent solution

[EmmaG]

CJK regardless of how you loose the weight, lowcarbfriends I would say is the BEST support group there is out there, nobody will judge you, everybody is very supportive. I have even seen somebody who was having financial problems on there receive money to help them out ;) that's the sort of people there are on there.

[CJK]

they do seem lovely, but i think i got another stalker, there this tiggs woman, everywhere i turn she there. I think she may be one of those middle age women with cats lol

so glad i found that website.
low carbs here i come!

[EmmaG]

lol who are you calling middle aged!!!!! :)

[CatGirl]

Hi everybody,i too want to lose weight,i always say to my doctor that i'm overweight,but he doesn't reply. I weigh about 9stone 8 pounds and i have an underactive thyroid,the main reason for my weight gain is boredom!'though i did fit a 13'square carpet into a room about 9'10" square approx, i must have looked crazy by the time i'd got half of it down.There was about 4' of carpet over my head as i was trying to mark where the skirting board was, before i cut it,i did hurt my neck and back,but i'm so proud of myself now! Well,see you all soon byeee.Ps i am 5'2".