On a positive note Ive lost another pound this week.. so thats 36lb for me

Congratulations!

Aww yay for you!
I hope I have lost something this week!

Some people always try and spoil the fun, I just brush it off and carry on, it is a shame people try and ruin things for people trying to support each other into getting more healthy though.

congratulations RGG!

Sorry for being realistic but if you know anyone who has lost a lot of weight and kept it off for some time I will be pleased to hear of it and as I said I think changes to healthier eating are good. The people I know have spent pounds and pounds (sorry forgive pun) and invested lots of time into trying to lose weight and yet regained it all (plus more sometimes) so is there not another option than calorie-controlled diets as they don't seem to work?

I dont think implying people are destined to be fat and shouldnt bother making any effort to take control of their health through weightloss is realistic or helpful at all actually
BTW, where did you get the stats you quoted earlier in the thread?

a bit of support is what can help people keep it off, not telling them all the way along the journey that even if they lose it they will pile it all back on!

I'm not sure what diet really requires someone to spend a fortune to lose weight either, unless it happens to be a faddy one which aims to pick up its 'followers' by marketing towards their weakness or desperation, and taking full advantage of that/them tbh.

Some foods which are healthy/healthier versions etc are a bit more expensive, equally if you take part in a diet class/exercise class, you will pay for it. This is personal choice though and its up to that person to decide if they can afford that or not.
Last night, at the time I got home, I would normally have ended up spending about £6 on a takeaway or something, but since I had planned better due to my 'diet' My dinner probably came to around £3.25, so at almost half the price it was quick to make, healthy and well tasty too!
I'm not looking at this as a 'short-term miracle'
I am looking at it as; I felt better before and do not want to feel worse than I did then, when I do not have to.

As for being realistic; I think that just means do not go so extreme that you cant keep it up tbh. It probably also has a lot to do with a positive mental attitude too.

I actually didnt diet sooner because quite simply I dont like "diets" and was also finding it hard with my kitchen situation, but now I am thinking of it as variety etc and I really dont mind it so far.


I didn't want to weigh myself before Monday really but wanted to make sure I was on the right track as its the first week. I have eaten from Subway, had Rolo desserts, had good sized meals and eaten some of my fave foods too! and lost almost 3lb so far! Its all about balance I think, which I wasnt doing before, I have actually enjoyed my food more this week!

and I am really looking forward to my dinner tonight (baked trout with riccotta and spinach filling with steamed veg, nice!)

Longer term I will need to look at cutting down the fat content of my diet while still eating enough calories I think, but for a 'beginner' I'm getting there

i do think that most diets will eventually fail, if you decide to exclude xyz for a period, reach your goal then revert back to your old ways, its very likely you will regain some weight you worked so hard to lose.

If its thought of as a lifestyle change and its packed with enough variety that its not a diet but a long term change of eating habits, i think you have a better chance of being successful.

I think all you guys sound upbeat enough to achieve your goals. I dont weigh myself, ive got a benchmark dress, if that fits me im doing ok!!

I am basically looking at this as part of a bigger fresh start and also a lifestyle change. I am also determined that I will enjoy my food.

This week I have eaten far more variety than I have in a while (in a shorter time period) and enjoyed it too. Turkey, Chicken, Beef, Fish, broccoli, peas, carrots, rice, potatoes, swede, yoghurt, bread, oat cakes, cheese, milkshake....yet still lost almost 3lb so far

I actually know a lot of people who've lost weight and kept it off for some time, 15 years in one case, others ranging from 2 years and up. Calorie counting certainly does work if you're honest about what you're eating and realise that it's a lifetime thing, not just something you do until you reach the weight you want to be. No matter what diet you follow, if you go back to eating over size portions of high calorie foods you'll gain the weight back simply because you're taking in more calories than you're burning. Most people are fat purely due to eating too much/the wrong things too often and not exercising enough.

I've spent no money trying to lose weight so far. I don't buy in special "diet" foods or shakes or anything like that. Nor do I deprive myself of the foods I really enjoy, I work them into my calories so I can still have them. Hell, I even eat out sometimes! I find the longer you follow a healthy eating plan the easier it gets to stay on track.

Exactly. It can be difficult enough to commit to losing weight without people making you think it's pointless because you'll just put it all back on! My doctor certainly doesn't think it's pointless, quite the opposite in fact.

As far as I'm concerned its not a diet its a way of life

Jeanette