When I am trying to lose a few pounds I have to plan a week's menu to get all the shopping and planning out of the way in one go and I find it easiest to plan meals which require the least amount of last minute cooking. That's because thinking about food makes me hungry, prepping food when hungry leads to 'picking' and the place where there is most temptation is in the kitchen and the shops. So it's much better for me to spend less time in either of these places and to prepare as much as possible in advance when I'm not hungry.
I also find it easiest just to have the same things for breakfast each day (cereal, fruit & tea), a limited selection of things for lunch (easiest thing is a huge vat of soup made from lots of root vegetables cooked in stock for about 2 hrs in the oven and zuzzed up - no fat, few calories, quite thick and satisfying, prep time = time to peel veg & zuzz, makes several days worth, can be frozen). For dinner I have a rota of about 10 meals - many of which are prepared in bulk, in advance (veg curry, sweet & sour chicken etc).
For recipe ideas I found the Rosemary Conneley Inch Loss Plan very useful and the freezer is my best friend. Prepare low cal meals in bulk, freeze and then quick & easy to reheat on the day.
I also prepare a huge bowl of fruit salad type stuff (pineapple, oranges, grapefruit usually) which sits in the fridge for about 3 days over which period I can pick at it if I'm feeling peckish / need something sweet or use it as a dessert. Again it's about having a purge & getting all the prep for several days done in one go.
Good luck
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Katherine W That's up to you if you can't eat breakfast, make sure that you eat sensibly when you do. I have to eat breakfast because I get the shakes if I don't and I have to walk my three golden retrievers.
I know, I am not suggesting everybody jumps on the no-breakfast waggon, I am probably weird, but that's a fact, I work in the garden, I walk my dog, tend the ponies in the pasture, and gasp, even do my day job when I really really have to, lol, all on an empty stomach until about 12,30.
I am pretty healthy, and really strong for my size, so I guess my body is just wired that way. Just putting it out there for consideration because I could relate to the line I can't face to eat stuff early in the morning. For the record I really eat sensibly and happily and I haven't been on diet for 15 years.
I've lost three stone Pauline and have another two to go so am always up for a chat if you feel like you are going to go on a bender. I did it on Exante, it's an online diet like LighterLife but a lot cheaper, about £100 a month for all your food.
You lose around a stone a month on it, but also lose the will to live. I had to lose weight in a hurry for an operation so it was good for that but will continue on normal diet and exercise.
Pauline, one thing I would do is keep a food diary, and list everything! and don't call what your on a diet, this will make you think you are doing good/bad foods, and that isn't helpful. no food is good/bad, its just how much you have. you can have a biscuit,just one tho, not the whole packet!
great advice on here, don't buy it is a great one!
my hubby is loosing weight, small things, 2 wheetabix instead of 3, I told him hes not a super hero!(well,he is to me)
Pauline, one thing not mentioned so far is your thyroid gland!
Firstly get it checked out at your doc, to make sure it is not over or under active!
Its a group of glands at the base of your neck that control your metabolic rate, ie: the number of calories you burn per miniute.
Your thyroid actually controls your metabolic rate, therefore controlling the calories you actually burn and when you start to burn them!
You say you cant stomach breakfast, as you surface way to early to even think of eating! Well if I where up that early I would think the same way, but....
You can kick start your thyroid without eating breakfast at all, which in your case alone, would add an average of 3 to 4 hour of calorie burning to your average day! EVEN if you don't eat breakfast!
Simply put, take a class of water, add one quarter wedge of lemon and one quarter wedge of lime, squeezed into the glass, then dropped the fruit into the glass, and bang, u got about 20 calories, good, fat burning calories too, as the acids in both these fruit like grapefruit also, helps break down fatty deposits, but this also fools your thyroid into action, and adds 4 hours your currently missing each day of fat burning.
I suggest to just keep drinking this daily, not just each morning, but through the day also, which means in turn that your thyroid is always active, therefore your metabolisim is always active!
Forget just water on its own, that's a brilliant idea, and does help to keep you feeling full, but this actually kick starts your metabolic rate, therefore burning calories all day long!
PS I was just like you and only ate at lunchtime onward, but this change not only helped me to lose a massive amount of weight, along with a healthier life style, for example, eating your last meal 2 hours before you actually sit down to relax at the end of the day, allowing your body time to actually burn those calories.
After a motorbike accident, I was left unable to walk and the weight pilled on, happy to say I went from 16 stone to 11.3 now, but still got more to lose, this drink not only works but also made me hungry about 2 to 3 hours later, and now I eat pouched eggs on toast, with butter, and sometimes bacon, with the fat cut off, no marg as the body takes longer to break down manmade products, try to stay away from manmade products, as man adds sugar, salt, and trans-fats to everything!
I wish you well, its a life plan, not a diet!
Good luck, waiting on updates daily, tell us if your good or bad, so many following this post, best to update daily if you can, because this will help you focus!
Think about it, if you have to log on here daily, to tell us you been bad, you will think twice about that extra treat?
Remember one thing, its ok to be bad from time to time, otherwise what's the point? Its would be like a prison sentence
One more comment, try not to focus to much on cutting carbs from your diet, carbs are what keep us feeling fuller for longer, therefore resisting the need to snack, just choose your carbs carefully, omit white breads fro seeded or wholemeal bread, change pasta's for whole grain, eat potatoes and rice like there going out of fashion, both have low cals and low fat, low sugars, just be carefully what you add to them, butter, oils etc,
Adopt a healthier attitude to life! Ever seen a fat Chinese man?
Most of all grow your own, salads etc, most micro salads can be harvested within 7 to 10 days, and are packed full of flavour and nutrients needed in your quest for a trimmer waistline!
We will support you, hardly a woman on this good planet who has not wanted to loose weight at some point. OH has instructed me (as I have had a lie-in) to water his Rhodos - in pots since we moved. Paul Mckennas book I can make you thin is good. Course, the health professionals keep changing their minds, I bought a book a few years back called "pure white and deadly" saying its SUGAR not FATS causing the problems.Lack of time HIT excersise.
Posts
Lots of good tips above!!
When I am trying to lose a few pounds I have to plan a week's menu to get all the shopping and planning out of the way in one go and I find it easiest to plan meals which require the least amount of last minute cooking. That's because thinking about food makes me hungry, prepping food when hungry leads to 'picking' and the place where there is most temptation is in the kitchen and the shops. So it's much better for me to spend less time in either of these places and to prepare as much as possible in advance when I'm not hungry.
I also find it easiest just to have the same things for breakfast each day (cereal, fruit & tea), a limited selection of things for lunch (easiest thing is a huge vat of soup made from lots of root vegetables cooked in stock for about 2 hrs in the oven and zuzzed up - no fat, few calories, quite thick and satisfying, prep time = time to peel veg & zuzz, makes several days worth, can be frozen). For dinner I have a rota of about 10 meals - many of which are prepared in bulk, in advance (veg curry, sweet & sour chicken etc).
For recipe ideas I found the Rosemary Conneley Inch Loss Plan very useful and the freezer is my best friend. Prepare low cal meals in bulk, freeze and then quick & easy to reheat on the day.
I also prepare a huge bowl of fruit salad type stuff (pineapple, oranges, grapefruit usually) which sits in the fridge for about 3 days over which period I can pick at it if I'm feeling peckish / need something sweet or use it as a dessert. Again it's about having a purge & getting all the prep for several days done in one go.
Good luck
I know, I am not suggesting everybody jumps on the no-breakfast waggon, I am probably weird, but that's a fact, I work in the garden, I walk my dog, tend the ponies in the pasture, and gasp, even do my day job when I really really have to, lol, all on an empty stomach until about 12,30.
I am pretty healthy, and really strong for my size, so I guess my body is just wired that way. Just putting it out there for consideration because I could relate to the line I can't face to eat stuff early in the morning. For the record I really eat sensibly and happily and I haven't been on diet for 15 years.
I've lost three stone Pauline and have another two to go so am always up for a chat if you feel like you are going to go on a bender. I did it on Exante, it's an online diet like LighterLife but a lot cheaper, about £100 a month for all your food.
You lose around a stone a month on it, but also lose the will to live. I had to lose weight in a hurry for an operation so it was good for that but will continue on normal diet and exercise.
Pauline, one thing I would do is keep a food diary, and list everything! and don't call what your on a diet, this will make you think you are doing good/bad foods, and that isn't helpful. no food is good/bad, its just how much you have. you can have a biscuit,just one tho, not the whole packet!
great advice on here, don't buy it is a great one!
my hubby is loosing weight, small things, 2 wheetabix instead of 3, I told him hes not a super hero!(well,he is to me)
look at the size of your plate, is it too big?!
good luck and keep us posted!!
Pauline, one thing not mentioned so far is your thyroid gland!
Firstly get it checked out at your doc, to make sure it is not over or under active!
Its a group of glands at the base of your neck that control your metabolic rate, ie: the number of calories you burn per miniute.
Your thyroid actually controls your metabolic rate, therefore controlling the calories you actually burn and when you start to burn them!
You say you cant stomach breakfast, as you surface way to early to even think of eating! Well if I where up that early I would think the same way, but....
You can kick start your thyroid without eating breakfast at all, which in your case alone, would add an average of 3 to 4 hour of calorie burning to your average day! EVEN if you don't eat breakfast!
Simply put, take a class of water, add one quarter wedge of lemon and one quarter wedge of lime, squeezed into the glass, then dropped the fruit into the glass, and bang, u got about 20 calories, good, fat burning calories too, as the acids in both these fruit like grapefruit also, helps break down fatty deposits, but this also fools your thyroid into action, and adds 4 hours your currently missing each day of fat burning.
I suggest to just keep drinking this daily, not just each morning, but through the day also, which means in turn that your thyroid is always active, therefore your metabolisim is always active!
Forget just water on its own, that's a brilliant idea, and does help to keep you feeling full, but this actually kick starts your metabolic rate, therefore burning calories all day long!
PS I was just like you and only ate at lunchtime onward, but this change not only helped me to lose a massive amount of weight, along with a healthier life style, for example, eating your last meal 2 hours before you actually sit down to relax at the end of the day, allowing your body time to actually burn those calories.
After a motorbike accident, I was left unable to walk and the weight pilled on, happy to say I went from 16 stone to 11.3 now, but still got more to lose, this drink not only works but also made me hungry about 2 to 3 hours later, and now I eat pouched eggs on toast, with butter, and sometimes bacon, with the fat cut off, no marg as the body takes longer to break down manmade products, try to stay away from manmade products, as man adds sugar, salt, and trans-fats to everything!
I wish you well, its a life plan, not a diet!
Good luck, waiting on updates daily, tell us if your good or bad, so many following this post, best to update daily if you can, because this will help you focus!
Think about it, if you have to log on here daily, to tell us you been bad, you will think twice about that extra treat?
Remember one thing, its ok to be bad from time to time, otherwise what's the point? Its would be like a prison sentence
One more comment, try not to focus to much on cutting carbs from your diet, carbs are what keep us feeling fuller for longer, therefore resisting the need to snack, just choose your carbs carefully, omit white breads fro seeded or wholemeal bread, change pasta's for whole grain, eat potatoes and rice like there going out of fashion, both have low cals and low fat, low sugars, just be carefully what you add to them, butter, oils etc,
Adopt a healthier attitude to life! Ever seen a fat Chinese man?
Most of all grow your own, salads etc, most micro salads can be harvested within 7 to 10 days, and are packed full of flavour and nutrients needed in your quest for a trimmer waistline!
We will support you, hardly a woman on this good planet who has not wanted to loose weight at some point. OH has instructed me (as I have had a lie-in) to water his Rhodos - in pots since we moved. Paul Mckennas book I can make you thin is good. Course, the health professionals keep changing their minds, I bought a book a few years back called "pure white and deadly" saying its SUGAR not FATS causing the problems.Lack of time HIT excersise.
Hello kitchen gardener, I wish I had time to sit in the garden!