Suggestions, please

This could be my post. I'm just getting fatter and fatter. I think I'd be fatter still if my job wasn't so energetic. I'v made up my mind to try and loose about 1/2 stone I'd like to loose more but I'm being realistic because I just know I haven't got the will power to keep it up for the rest of my life and that's what I'd have to do. I think what happens to me is I loose 1-2 stone lapse then I put it back on with a few more pounds besides. Dieting is such hard work. I wish you all success.

Thankyou Kiora. I know I need to lose another 1.5 stone but it is going upwards at the moment. I know what to do, it's just doing it.
And having a very dry sherry followed by roast dinner with wine is not the way.

Manana, manana

Don't you think we try to lose too much too quickly? If we only lost 1/4lb a week that's about a stone in 12 months. Little changes, that's the way.

I never seem to lose it quickly, and if I do it goes back on again quickly. So about a 1lb a week seems fine for me (although it has averaged at about half a pound a week when I think about it!)

well I am trying an experiment..I should really try and loose around 3 to 4 stone....I never ever eat breakfast..maybe odd time if on holiday and it is made for me.but a change in circumstances means I am around at home at breakfast time..so I am trying (but having to force it) to eat some breakfast and I have had 2 shredded wheat for the last 4 mornings..so we will see if that helps..they say you shouldn't skip breaky..but what I have found is the last 4 mornings that I have had breakfast..I have been really hungry and needed lunch....normaly I would skip breaky and have something aboyut 11-30 then tea later on..so..here we go..

I have discovered something that really helps.

I decided to cut down on portion size. The thought of doing it is as hard or even harder than eating less.

This is my trick which came about due to necessity. I have had a new crown fitted which had to be attached to the tooth next door. I am paranoid about it coming away so made a decision not to bite on anything as it is at the front of my mouth. Due to this I started to cut up food in small pieces. Things like sandwiches and my toast which I eat for breakfast. You will be amazed how cutting it up makes it look quite a large portion. Pop each piece yin relax and chew it thoroughly you will find this is very satisfying.

I now have one slice of bread made into a sandwich at lunch time and once cut up you wouldn't know you weren't eating a whole one. I add salad to the plate and it looks a feast. Like someone else said, when out and having a coffee hubby buys a cake and I have a small piece off the end which again is thoroughly chewed and your sugar craving is satisfied.

I think portion control is a good way to do it and also to keep it off long-term. A WW tip is to use a smaller dinner plate.

We are still doing well with low GI and have both had steady weight loss over a couple of months. We still eat and cook with butter, full-fat yoghurt and olive oil, though we limit cheese. No sugar apart from marmalade at breakfast. We limit potatoes (and avoid floury ones completely) and have brown or red rice, bulgar, quinoa, pearl barley, pearled spelt as our main carbs. We make a lot of salads with these and often have the leftovers for lunch the next day. We have always baked brown bread, but OH has upped the proportion of spelt flour to 40%. We have also cut portion size. We do not feel hungry and are enjoying experimenting with the salads. Last night we made a salad from bulgar wheat and our own baby broad beans and asparagus with spices, herbs and pomegranate seeds, served with flash-fried Moroccan chicken.

Mamie that meal sounds utterly divine.

Fewer carbs and more fat works for me.

No low fat anything, cook mushrooms & eggs with butter, eat lots of vegetables and have berries with double cream for dessert.

I eat bread pasta and rice only very occasionally if there is nothing else on offer.

Sugar is the work of the devil a far as I'm concerned, once I get a taste I can't leave it alone.

baubles, I remember reading many years ago a book by a nutritionist called Adele Davis (I threw it out when we moved unfortunately), and advocated taking oil every day; she said that people who tried to lose weight and couldn't were not having enough good oils in their diet.

Some really useful advice and ideas - thanks everyone. I've cut down portion sizes this week, changed to a low fat spread instead of butter, halved the amount of bread i eat and kept a note of what I do eat. My daughter has done the same. I don't own any bathroom scales - threw them out years ago - so will have to rely on how my clothes feel!

I can see DD1 who is well versed in nutrition as one of her jobs throwing her hands up in horror at the thought of low fat spreads! Butter, she would say, but use sparingly! And none of those diet drinks! But not lots of fizzy or soft drinks anyway.

Not saying if she is right or wrong, just repeating what she would say.

Well I think she's quite right Rosequartz
Except about using butter 'sparingly'.
I ladle it on

I have recently as well, janeainsworth. Fallen off the wagon totally. I think she meant if you are trying to lose weight (I think).

In a final attempt to lose a stone and a half left from last giving birth 22 years ago, I have decided to do old fashioned calorie counting again. For the last 11 weeks I have kept an accurate food diary and stuck to 1000 calories. In 11 weeks I have lost a stone so very pleased.
I was totally shocked at how little 1000 is if you don't make good choices.
I have seemed to naturally have cut out bread rice pasta cake etc and filled up on chicken, low fat yoghurt, berries, veg, fish and eaten from a smaller late. If we have eaten out I have had a smaller version.
I have snacked on edamame beans and rice cakes.
I think it will be difficult to maintain long term when I have reached my target weight and will have to make permanent eating habit changes though. I am absolutely determined this time to keep it off.
Good luck everybody.

Well done storynanny. I have just put on a pair of last year's summer trousers and they are tight

I can do it, I can do it

rosequartz, the books by Adele Davis are onb amazon. Some are selling for 1p. I think I may be tempted to spend a penny!

Sherish, I used to follow her ideas in the 70s but was a bit surprised when she died at a relatively young age. It make me think

I do think the tip about the oil is true however.