Just back from Tatton Park playing in the orchestra at the Home and Garden exhibition. Rain a pouring, music stands crashing down and pages turning in the gale. Of course I had to eat stuff to keep my strenghth up....things with chocolate and crisps so I will have to get back on track tomorrow. Going to bed now. I'm absolutely shattered.

Morning Ladies

Feel like s##t still - turns out all the head thumping I had yesterday was nothing to do with too much :glynis; well some of it probably was but I have woke up this morning with the annual cold / sore throat etc. Hope you all had a good weekend and are all fighting fit and ready for another week at the gym. If any of you indulged a bit too much at the weekend don't beat yourselves up, after all 'life is for living'

Bye for now
Jackie

Your right it's back on the straight and narrow for me after a weekend of indulging. Got on the scales this morning and regretted all the food over the weekend . Did cut down on my booze Sunday and Monday though so didn't have any wine and will now see if I can keep that up till I get weighed on Wednesday. Not looking forward to weigh-in this week

Hi to my "dieting buddies"!

Hope you're feeling better soon Jackie.

Best of luck for Wednesday CarrieBMW, we're all rooting for you

11 weeks today and I'll be sitting eating my first holiday breakfast

Don't forget - dieting is a weigh of life now

Hi Joolz
Thanks for the encouragement I will need it this week even to break even.

9½ weeks till we go on our first summer holiday and would love to loose at least another ½ stone before then. Have a break in Dublin with the girls this month so that's not going to help my diet (heathly eating plan) but will just have to do loads of walking I guess to try to burn off the booze .

Good luck everyone lets have a good week - remember a moment on the lips a life time on the hips (or in my case tummy and back)

really overdid it with the vodka on Saturday night and spent most of sunday wishing i had more sense...still, i don't know how i managed it but somehow i have lost a couple of lbs...only another 2 stone to go and its return to slender for me.

Good luck everyone for this week...

Hi all
For a change i cant wait for tomorrow ( wed is weigh day for me) I have been soooooo good and i had my dad visiting which would normally blow my plan to bits( no willpower normally ). The only thing now is because i was EXTRA good by not falling of the diet wagon i seem to think i am going to lose about 5lb . Someone only has to say "shall we" they dont even get the rest of the sentence out and i am in naughty mode But this week i have been really good (go away a week today and thats why). I will be back tomorrow to let you all know how i got on.

Goodluck with the weigh ins everyone
Kerrie

Morning all

Weighed today and have lost some more after sticking at the same weight for what seemed liked ages!!! Have now lost 2 stone 4 pounds and gone down 2 sizes in 2 months!!

Really encouraged now to keep going, but have had to buy new clothes for going on holiday on Sunday - never thought I would have to say that my clothes are too big for me!! What a great feeling!!! Hope I don't fall off the wagon too much next week in Cyprus - will have to remember to put diet coke in my vodka.

well done..that is fantastic and gives me hope that i can return to slender..my song at the minute seems to be zip up fatty!

Meerkat, congratulations You're right when you say its the greatest feeling being able to get into smaller clothes. I remember last year when I lost 26lb for going on holiday and I managed to get 3 skirts out of Jane Norman - I felt the bees knees because I'd always avoided those "skinny folks boutiques".

My ambition now To get back into those very 3 skirts

Good luck to you today Alsbaby.

WOW Mereket that is fantastic in just 2 months. I have been doing it around 9 weeks and still haven't got my 1st stone off yet (½lb to go). If I could have lost it that quick I would be very pleased indeed. What's your secret?

Thanks everyone. I decided not to think of this as dieting, but a change of lifestyle/eating habits. I know some of the groups/meetings help people - I have been to one before - but I am not keen on the idea of any kind of points system, and saving up "treats" for the weekend etc.

So, what I did was joined a gym and I now go 4 - 5 times a week, doing treadmill, rower, some weights and swimming. I never eat any carbs after 7, and I use recipes from a healthy eating book for dinner. I try to eat plenty veg/fruit, fibre at breakfast, something low GI at lunch so that I feel full up and get that slow release energy rather than a burst followed by a slump - which I always had around 2.30pm.

I very rarely eat bread now, no lunchtime sarnies anymore, and I was addicted to crisps which I also stopped. Sometimes I do have these things, but only occasionally and not every day. I also gave up wine - that has been hard sometimes but it has loads of empty calories and also encouraged me to nibble!

My skin is very smooth now which was an added benefit, and I have loads more energy. Sometimes it is hard when you stick and don't lose any weight for a few days, but I have tried not to be discouraged and keep at it. Did have a couple of vodkas at the weekend and my daughter made chocolate brownies, so I had to sample them, but I don't feel guilty because I know I have changed my life for the better.

I can't believe I didn't do this before now - I was forced into exercise because of chronic sciatica, and it was actually the best think that ever happened to me - I really needed a push to do something.

I don't feel that I am on a diet - I am on a healthy eating plan, and I am really pleased at what I have achieved so far. My blood pressure has dropped, my cholesterol is below average and those clothes shops are suddenly open to me now.

Everyone is doing really well here, even when we have the odd blips - hey, nobody's perfect. If I can do this, anyone can and I have surprised myself. My advice is not to get disheartened when things don't go so well, and be thrilled when they do and you can feel such a sense of achievement. I honestly feel like a new woman even though I still have some way to go. The way I think about it is that I put on this weight over a long period of time, so I'm not going to change overnight - it will be a slog, but oh so worth it.

My ambition is that by October I will be in a bikini when my hubby and I go off for a week to a 5 star luxury hotel in Cyprus! I would never have thought that would be a possibility, but it is now.

Think positive everyone, and keep going - my 32lb loss means about 16 bags of sugar in weight that I am not carting round any more and that's got to be good!!!

Sorry for the ramble - I am so excited today !!

My diet is still going reasonably well, but I'm having problems with inventive, low fat dinners.

Breakfast and lunch are ok, but I'm getting bored of eating fish and salad every evening!

Any ideas much appreciated.

How about bolognese, using turkey mince, instead of using spagetti I often put the bolognese over beansprouts, still delicious.
Stir frys are also quick and easy. Chicken or prawns, a bag of ready chopped stir fry veg from supermarket. I always cook it in a small amount of water and soy sauce, no oil.

I've lost 3 stone just by cooking without fat. I eat healthly, eating five fruit and veg, use brown bread but my main meal is more or less the same as normal only adapted to use no fat. Tonight is Chicken curry and rice, I dry fry everything, you don't loose taste just fat. Treat yourself to a Rosemary Conely Low Fat Cookery book, I couldn't survive without mine.

Hi sarah, just wondered how you make your curry sauce. I normally cheat and use a jar, but know this isnt the healthiest way.
Gill.

Good to hear everyone's success stories - I seem to be going backwards instead of forwards, went to the gym last night and going again tonight (well playing Racquet Ball tonight) but someone just bought some mint flavoured chocolate digestives into the office - I just had to try one then that one turned into 3 and they are still calling out to me

just wondered how you make your curry sauce. I normally cheat and use a jar

Hi I am in work at the moment but when I get in I'll pm you the reciepe to try.

Sarah

Thanks Sarah.