I'm currently limiting my calorie intake. I know what my weaknesses are, and so I do whatever it is to avoid them.

For example, I know that I can never have just one biscuit. So I dont have any. I do allow myself to have those mini Jaffa cakes that come in tubs, because there are six small ones, and that fills my biscuity needs nicely.

I'm also cooking fresh foods, rather than relying on ready meals.

I think I eat quite healthy, I just eat too much of it. I don`t eat biscuits or cake but do like chocolate but can go for weeks without any. I must admit to having a drink or 3 and that is my main downfall plus the fact that I really need to exercise more. Usually in the summer we go hill walking most weekends but this year with having an op on my knee we have missed that out and so feel really unfit now winter is almost upon us. We never fry, eat red meat, have dessert and cook mostly fresh food.

I have to be pretty strict with myself when Im trying to lose weight so I tend to try and stick to the same amount of calories each day, and then when theres a special occasion I have a massive splurge and have whatever I want.

I dont drink, hardly ever at all, and have the worlds biggest sweet tooth. Its so big I had to put it into storage.

I diet by having four smaller meals a day rather than three. I use sweetener instead of sugar for cereals and tea/coffee (I find that Silver Spoon one most pallatable - but thats another thread in itself.) and eat a combination of home cooked and ready meals for my main evening meal. If the rest of the family is eating a "healthy" meal, then I will join them, but on the nights where chips or fried stuff is on the menu then I stick to the healthy options ready meals, usually with a big portion of veg to make me feel full.

I always end the day the chocolatey way. I am absolutely a chocoholic and deprivation is my biggest "danger" zone. So I have an options hot chocolate and a couple of chocolate biscuits / a small chocolate bar for supper, and that ensures I never feel "denied" and can still lose weight.

I don`t have sugar in anything so that`s a bonus and we always have skimmed milk. My biggest weakest when on a diet is cheese and bread. I don`t have butter on my bread unless it`s toasted so try not to have toast. I also have trouble trying to drink 1 - 2 litres of water a day even if I put some (no sugar) juice in it.

I'm avoiding bread. Thats another food item I can't have one piece of. I still eat spuds, just not as much as I used to.

I'm eating more veg, so am getting my carbs from them.

I used to do the whole 'Cornflake Diet' thing, but found that as soon as I came off it the weight would pile on. When I first gave it a go (about a year and a half ago) I ended up getting a bit silly with it. I started skipping the one meal a day I was allowed and then cut down on the amount of cereal I was eating. I did it for way too long as well..about 3 months and I've been advised by everyone to keep off it because I got pretty ill. I think it's more of a quick fix diet, it doesn't really work out for the long term.

Since then I haven't really had much success with dieting, I lost a few stone last christmas but seem to have put a lot of that back on.

I've decided to completely change my diet and just go for healthier options. My maws not home much and I don't really know how to cook so I've been living off ready meals for ages. Had a chat with maw tonight and she said if I'm serious about it, she'll go out, get the ingredients I need and I can cook what I want for myself. Will be ace to actually learn how to cook different things too.

I need to figure out some kind of exercise I'll like doing, cause healthy eating only takes you to a certain point. But I get really self conscious to go out running and stuff because I don't want to do it alone. I'm thinking dance matt :D

I can take or leave white bread but I quite like wholemeal hovis. I quite often have a couple of slices of that with light flora and marmite with a chicken slimsoup for my lunch. Marmite and chicken and mushroom slim-soup works very well.

I've been trying to eat less overall, and cut out the dairy and bread. Cheese is my sworn enemy.

My problem is I comfort eat and I get super hungry late at night. Also, I wake up in the middle of the night after dreaming of cakes and other goodies and zombie-walk downstairs and scarf a chocolate bar, or whatever's there that's remotely sweet. Then, glutted with sugar/carbs, I return to bed and sleep like a rock for the next couple of hours. It's terrible.
/shameful bi-polar sweet tooth confession


But I get really self conscious to go out running and stuff because I don't want to do it alone. I'm thinking dance matt :D

me too, but i'm going to try and do it in the early early mornings when there's no one about. try.

I'm not dieting. Fuck that. However I have cut out all the usual bad habits. No fried foods, less booze, etc. But more fruit, veg that kinda thing. And exercise.

Lots of it!

After going for about 8 weeks I can honestly say it's addictive once you get into the swing of it. I always want to push myself further, do more reps, lift heavier weights, go for longer on the cross trainers/bikes etc.

I count calories. I could tell you the calorie count in just about anything! If I feel the need for bread I have Nimble, just under 50 cals a slice, or a couple of crispbreads. I try to avoid rice, white bread, pasta and potatoes as they give me terrible stomach pains on occasion, especially when I mix them with proteins. I mainly eat veg, some fish and chicken, some cous cous, occasionally rice noodles, lots of soups, loads of fruit. I drink a lot of fruit and herbal teas and water, occasionally fruit juice and the odd Diet Irn Bru. I rarely drink, mainly because of the tablets I'm on just now, and occasionally indulge in a little bit of chocolate. I never go hungry and I never deny myself- I have the odd takeaway and the odd meal out, and indulge in the odd cocktail when I'm not on medication.
I walk for exercise, or use the dance mat, but I've been limited recently because of my back. I can only manage short distances and the dancing is out the window!
I've been losing weight steadily for about 4 months now, and have dropped 1 1/2 dress sizes. I had lost a lot of weight and kept most of it off about 2 years ago, I see this latest session as a top-up. It really is more of a lifestyle change and I'm feeling much more confident and attractive. It took me a long time to get my head around the fact that food is not the enemy, though. In the past I have been a compulsive eater and also suffered from bulimia. I used to buy ridiculous amounts of food and sit and stuff my face all day, feeling awful and hating the person I'd become. I had some really dark times when I felt ill letting any food pass my lips and felt sick at the thought of eating. I moved on to starving myself then bingeing, then vomiting and taking laxatives. It took me a stupidly long time to realise I had a problem, but I finally feel like I've sorted myself out. Long may it last!
And good luck to everybody else trying to lose weight!

me too, but i'm going to try and do it in the early early mornings when there's no one about. try.

I was going to give that a try but with my new college timetable I have to catch the bus at 7.30am every day. To go out, run and come home to shower before walking to the bus stop would be pretty much impossible for me. I'm not much of an early bird.

I count calories. I could tell you the calorie count in just about anything!

I do that, Im a calorie geek. I used to be a sad calorie geek, but now I know Im not alone I feel a lot better!!!

Does anyone else watch You Are What You Eat whilst sitting on the sofa eating?

No. I want to slap that woman silly.

I prefer the Diet Doctors on channel five.

For the last month I was in a good habit of walking home from work at least twice a week (about an hour of power walking), but lately its just been too cold/too rainy/too dark or I've got a cold. And it's annoying, 'cause I was really enjoying it.

I need to start doing walks/hikes on weekends, does anyone know of good places to go (nearish to London)?

I cook fresh food every night, with plenty veggies. No fizzy drinks AT ALL. No crisps, no chocolate (as a general rule, but I do keep some emergency supplies of hot choc!). I don't eat bread any more and am trying to do something about my obsession with starch (mmmmmmmmashed potatoes!). Cereal for brekkie everyday, low-fat ready meal for lunch, and no snacking in between.

But at least twice a week I have something really sinful. I don't have too much of a sweet tooth, for me the best cheating involves a large steak, mashed potatoes and cheese sauce!

Harmonica Man, it sucks that you don't know any cool recipes, cooking is my thing, so will post some soon. I know some soup recipes (curried butternut, tomato and sweet basil, chicken and veg) that are great for dieting.

Today I had a fry up for breakfast, then I went to the pub and had a vodka and lemonade and some cheesey chips. That'll be my treat for the week.

Today I had a fry up for breakfast, then I went to the pub and had a vodka and lemonade and some cheesey chips. That'll be my treat for the week.

Sounds like you had a much better day than me!:(

But I am shortly on my way to some friends for dinner... takeaway pizza!

Oooo, for a discussion on dieting, there's a lot of junk food being talked about.

I knew I was going to the pub today. If I'm "good" for the majority of the week, I'll be fine.

Having vegetarian stuff for dinner. Mum's making spinach. I love the stuff, so will have to get to it before the rest of the family do...

Harmonica Man, it sucks that you don't know any cool recipes, cooking is my thing, so will post some soon. I know some soup recipes (curried butternut, tomato and sweet basil, chicken and veg) that are great for dieting.

Would be ace if you could!

Had a pretty bad day today because I was too busy at college to eat during the day and the evening I had a college trip to London, so I ended up in Pizza Hut. But I only had a starter and a glass of water (giving up fizzy stuff), so I suppose it wasn't too bad. Just means I'll put more weight on than I usually would because I didn't eat all day.

if all you have had is a starter and a glass of water, I wouldnt be worrying that you will put weight on. You do have to eat, after all.

It wasn't much, but if the body doesn't get food regularly it stores up as much as it can the next time you eat.

I think thats only over a more prolonged period of time. As long as your next meal isn't 5lb of lard, I doubt it will increase your weight at all. ;)

Can I join in with this? I have decided to do something about my ever increasing body mass.

I will following a diet similar to food combining - avoiding carbs and protein in the same meal. This has worked well for me in the past and allows for good sized portions, so I never feel hungry.

Obviously the things to avoid are sugar and fat on any plan, so out goes the chocolate, sugary cereals and anything that is processed.

Busy making up some meal plans for the next week or so. Will weigh myself tomorrow morning and get down to it.

The last 3 days have been really good, I`ve had loads of fruit, no bread and so far no wine but I may have a glass tonight. Have started on the exercise and when I power walked the 15 mins to our local shops I had trouble keeping up with myself :D
The big test will be next week when Mr Breeze will be working nights and that`s the time I tend comfort eat.
How is everyone else doing so far?
Glad you have joined Spice, the more the merrier

I'm plodding along nicely and have already started to see a loss.

That said, I have at least three different meals to go to for my birthday this week, and one of them is an indian takeaway, so I'll be super careful on the other days and just enjoy the nicer meals when I go for them.

I've been doing well so far, especially as I've eaten out the last 2 days. I had salad yesterday and we went to a Tapas bar today, so I had little healthy bits and another salad. Also managed to keep away from fizzy drinks and just have water with meals.

Next week I'll be uber healthy because I'll be vegan. Planning on cooking a vegetable curry tomorrow and a vegetable lasagne on Tuesday (My friend says he can make a good vegan sauce with soya milk and other stuff)

If I could give one diet tip to everyone, it would be



PORTION CONTROL!!!!!!!


Food combining diets are all well and good but huge portions of albeit healthier food are not going to help your body to adjust to eating less, and when you come off the diet (unless you plan to stick to it rigidly for all eternity) you will keep eating large amounts because that's what you're still used to.

I fell for that type of diet a couple of times. It really doesn't work in the long run. The only reason I don't tend to combine protein and carbs is because I can't in most cases (my stomach doesn't like it, and tonight is proof of that- damn the salmon and sweet potatoes!).

As well as controlling portion size, it really helps to appreciate the flavour of your food and try to savour the mouthfuls. This means that you take a bit longer to eat so you're not scoffing it, which is helpful because it takes a while for your stomach to let your brain know you're full, so you don't get that horrible bloated feeling.

If I could give one diet tip to everyone, it would be



PORTION CONTROL!!!!!!!


Food combining diets are all well and good but huge portions of albeit healthier food are not going to help your body to adjust to eating less, and when you come off the diet (unless you plan to stick to it rigidly for all eternity) you will keep eating large amounts because that's what you're still used to.

I fell for that type of diet a couple of times. It really doesn't work in the long run. The only reason I don't tend to combine protein and carbs is because I can't in most cases (my stomach doesn't like it, and tonight is proof of that- damn the salmon and sweet potatoes!).

As well as controlling portion size, it really helps to appreciate the flavour of your food and try to savour the mouthfuls. This means that you take a bit longer to eat so you're not scoffing it, which is helpful because it takes a while for your stomach to let your brain know you're full, so you don't get that horrible bloated feeling.


I agree with you about the portion sizes - I will gradually reduce them as I lose weight. I am hoping this will be a natural process as smaller bodies need less food, especially as I intend to exercise regularly to tone up too.

Any type of 'diet' like food combining only work as long as you follow them. However, the one I am following promotes healthy eating throughout, so I do see it as a life long plan and not a quick fix one.

I probably had the worst weekend in months, diet wise:

Lamb curry from the Indian Takeaway (supper)
Spicy sausage on a bread roll (breakfast!)
Cheese and ham roll (lunch)
Chicken breast with bacon, cabbage and mash (supper)
Cheese and ham roll (breakfast)
Roast chicken with lots of veggies (lunch)
No supper.

AND:
1 bottle vodka
4 litres OJ
5 pints of cider

Awful. In my defence, I was on a boat/in pubs for the whole weekend, and couldn't really be eating my low-fat yoghurt, but I should have made a better effort.

I got home last night feeling so bloated and yucky, it's scared me into action. So it's been muesli for brekkie, veg soup for lunch.

Cheese and Ham rolls I could just eat now but I am going out for a carvery meal tonight so am trying to save myself for all the veg there. Will also try not to have too much wine

Today I have indulged in:

1 slice of Nimble toast (48 cals) with 1/2 a small banana (approx 45 cals)
1 nectarine and passionfruit Shape 0.1% fat yoghurt (55cals)
I mug strawberry and raspberry tea

1/2 tin Macaroni Cheese (160 cals)
1 glass water

For dinner I am having

piri piri chicken with veg (250cal)

And throughout the day I will have:

a mandarin or two (45/90cals)
possibly a pomegranate (100cals)
possibly a crackerbread with hummus(40cals)
more fruit tea
more water
some diet Irn Bru
maybe another yoghurt (55cals)

This is pretty typical for me. And before anyone says it, I know that's not really enough calories, but I am working on upping it. It feels like I'm eating normally, though. No more guilt. And at least I'm not putting weight on.


Oh, and I might feel the need to indulge in one of my super special strawberries and cream chocolates- but just the one!

Kinky,

According to the bag of mandarins in my kitchen, 2 of them= 53 calories.

You really need to push your intake up quite a bit or your body will just think you are starving yourself and conserve energy. According to my maths, even if you ate everything on your possible list, it would only be about 800 calories. At a bare minimum, I would be putting 1000 calories into your system. When I was seriously seriously dieting to get pregnant I was eating about 1000 calories a day and I told my GP and he said that was ok but not to go any lower because it wouldnt help.

You dont have to feel guilty if you are giving yourself enough nutrition to function properly, and are eating healthily, which you are.

Instead of a crackerbread with hummus, why not have a jacket potato with hummus instead? You'll feel fuller and be that much closer to a healthy intake of calories.

You have however, inspired me to start another thread ;)

I have BIIIIIG mandarins :)


Seriously, though, I am slowly but surely building up my calorie intake. Before the summer I was torturing myself if I went over 400cals a day. I have noticed that by eating a little bit more I'm kickstarting the weightloss again- it had stagnated a little, and I know why- because I wasn't eating enough. If I'm being totally honest, I enjoyed the feeling of eating that little, but I just had to look at my niece, who is anorexic, to realise that the only difference between us was about 6 months of keeping up that eating pattern.

God, I hate being one of those people who's like "oooh, I have a problem with food" but I suppose I do. It's getting better, though. Lots better. Like, I won't suddenly become morbidly obese by eating a packet of Skips.

Sorry for the ramblings, folks. but it's good to have a place where I can write this stuff. Feels good to put it into words. Sometimes it's hard to explain it to people, especially when you get that big sigh and roll of the eyes when you even hint at not being happy with how you look.

Exercise, lots of it.

I'm not doing well, so have decided to make sugar the enemy. I won't deny myself it, but view it as a poison.