Anyone else battling the bulge?

[Analog6]

Great work I am starting my plan next week after i see my GP. I have quite alot to lose also. I will get one of the kids to take a few pics so I will be able to see my progress further down the track. Keep it up Odille you will loose your 20kgs before you know it.

I did have a dr checkup a few weeks ago and he put me on the chronic conditions list - using obesity!! - so I could get the government sponsored dental plan - I have had 5 visits now and my mouth feels so much better. As part of that I saw a dietitian who earnestly advised me to eat lots of carbs and low fat foods - despite my telling her that is what IU have been doing and watching the kgs just pile on. For me, low carb eating works. Lots of salads, vegetables, meat/chicken/fish and some cheese.

I have set up a spreadsheet that calculates the protein/fat/carbs/kj/cals for me daily and found a site that gave me exercise values in kjs/cals. When I subtract the exercise cals from the food cals daily I usually have only 400-600 left - so I have to lose weight on those values. If you are good with Excel and would like a copy email me with who you are & from AP in the subject.

Good luck with your efforts - it's really worth the effort - I feel like a new woman already!

[Flat Cat]

Well done. I find that very encouraging. It's all the little bits that ad up hey?

[tcdev]

Hey congrats! Sounds like you're doing well.

Throughout my teens I started to pack on the weight simply with a bad diet and not enough exercise. When I hit 20 I got into martial arts in a big way, and was lucky enough to find myself training in a style that emphasised strenuous physical conditioning with no-nonsense instructors. As a result I became supremely fit and my now-wife reminds me that, even 15 years later in my early-mid 30's, I had a 6-pack! With my demanding physical exercise and youth, I found I could eat pretty much anything I wanted, and as much as I wanted - especially when I started weight training as well. Unfortunately I stopped training shortly after that and it has been a slow downward (or should I say upward in terms of weight) trend since then (now mid 40's). I've had periods of 'remission' along the way when I was more disciplined and less busy, but right now I'm probably at or near the heaviest I have ever been, which I would guess would be around 115kg. I would stress that I am a heavy build naturally, and also dabble in weight training, so a lean 95kg would probably be a good goal.

I know why I'm this weight and I know how to fix it. In short, I eat (a little) too much, and I snack on the wrong things, and I don't do enough exercise. I enjoy weight training (I have my own gym) which builds muscle and increases metabolism and am relatively disciplined but I have been frustrated over the last few years by injuries which necessitate periods where I am forced to stop training. I also play soccer but that is generally seasonal (and training is poorly attended these days) and even that has been punctuated by work travel and other commitments in the last year. I am well aware that soccer alone isn't enough to reverse or even arrest my gradual weight gain.

If I was the type of person that makes New Year resolutions, I'd set myself the following:

• Cut out the snacks, except perhaps a treat once per week
• Eat 5 or more smaller (relatively) healthy meals a day
• Be consistent with my weight training (3 times/week)
• Be consistent with my cardio, and supplement my soccer with something else (walking/hiking/cycling etc)

One thing I have learned through all of this is that going on a 'crash diet' or an intense 'boot camp' is a complete and utter waste of time. Anyone will lose weight by starving themselves and/or punishing their bodies physically - for a while. But there's two problems that people either don't understand or ignore; one is that the body will adjust after the initial shock, and such abuses (yes, they are abuses) will yield diminishing returns. Secondly no-one - and I mean no-one - can sustain such radical behaviour over the long term. Whether it's a matter of will power or simply time and/or life pressures, these can never be more than stop-gap measures. Sure, you can use them to kick-start a more sustainable long-term strategy, but there's one simple fact that is the key...

... you need to make a lifestyle adjustment. You don't 'diet' or starve yourself - you just eat better (and/or less). You don't do a 1 hour torture class 5 days/week before work and think that you'll be doing this years from now. You take up one or more forms of exercise that you both enjoy and have time for. Sure your results won't be stellar in the 1st month, but that's not as important as getting results 5 years down the track. Also, there's a big difference between being slim, and being fit. I'd take the latter any day.

A case in point is my weight training. I've always limited it to 3 sessions per week, each ranging from 45m to 1hr. Now that I have a gym in the garage, it's hard to argue that I don't have time when I spend more than that on my hobbies or watching TV each week. Generally, it's been injury and not a lack of discipline that interrupts my training. Over 20 years my gains have been slow but at my peak(s) I'm pretty happy with my lifts and what it does to my body. My colleague, OTOH, bought himself a gym several years ago but decided a more punishing regime would be better - training every 2nd day for about 90 mins, with more lifts and heavy squats every session. Not only does he suffer (IMHO) from over-training (injuries, constantly getting sick), he finds it difficult to sustain more than a few weeks of consistent training at a time. And considerably longer periods between actively training.

It's not easy (and gets harder with age), or we'd all be ripped. But it's far from being incredibly difficult too. I have little sympathy for those that complain that they've "tried it all and can't get results". It's simply not true. You just haven't tried hard enough. It's hard to hear, and most people would be offended to be told, but there are those that simply don't know what trying hard (physically) is - usually because they've never done it! I know, because I personally know someone like that. He genuinely thinks he is putting in an effort, and I can tell you - after watching him train and surviving a lot worse myself - that he isn't. And for all its faults, shows like The Biggest Loser do actually prove my point.

So kudos again to Odille, and anyone else committed to losing weight (and succeeding). Now I just need to make more of an effort myself in 2012...

[JM Tran]

Good post and points mate, I think its time we make a weights training/cardio/diet/supplements thread

[Analog6]

Hey congrats! Sounds like you're doing well.

Throughout my teens I started to pack on the weight simply with a bad diet and not enough exercise. When I hit 20 I got into martial arts in a big way, and was lucky enough to find myself training in a style that emphasised strenuous physical conditioning with no-nonsense instructors. As a result I became supremely fit and my now-wife reminds me that, even 15 years later in my early-mid 30's, I had a 6-pack! With my demanding physical exercise and youth, I found I could eat pretty much anything I wanted, and as much as I wanted - especially when I started weight training as well. Unfortunately I stopped training shortly after that and it has been a slow downward (or should I say upward in terms of weight) trend since then (now mid 40's). I've had periods of 'remission' along the way when I was more disciplined and less busy, but right now I'm probably at or near the heaviest I have ever been, which I would guess would be around 115kg. I would stress that I am a heavy build naturally, and also dabble in weight training, so a lean 95kg would probably be a good goal.

I know why I'm this weight and I know how to fix it. In short, I eat (a little) too much, and I snack on the wrong things, and I don't do enough exercise. I enjoy weight training (I have my own gym) which builds muscle and increases metabolism and am relatively disciplined but I have been frustrated over the last few years by injuries which necessitate periods where I am forced to stop training. I also play soccer but that is generally seasonal (and training is poorly attended these days) and even that has been punctuated by work travel and other commitments in the last year. I am well aware that soccer alone isn't enough to reverse or even arrest my gradual weight gain.

If I was the type of person that makes New Year resolutions, I'd set myself the following:

• Cut out the snacks, except perhaps a treat once per week
• Eat 5 or more smaller (relatively) healthy meals a day
• Be consistent with my weight training (3 times/week)
• Be consistent with my cardio, and supplement my soccer with something else (walking/hiking/cycling etc)

One thing I have learned through all of this is that going on a 'crash diet' or an intense 'boot camp' is a complete and utter waste of time. Anyone will lose weight by starving themselves and/or punishing their bodies physically - for a while. But there's two problems that people either don't understand or ignore; one is that the body will adjust after the initial shock, and such abuses (yes, they are abuses) will yield diminishing returns. Secondly no-one - and I mean no-one - can sustain such radical behaviour over the long term. Whether it's a matter of will power or simply time and/or life pressures, these can never be more than stop-gap measures. Sure, you can use them to kick-start a more sustainable long-term strategy, but there's one simple fact that is the key...

... you need to make a lifestyle adjustment. You don't 'diet' or starve yourself - you just eat better (and/or less). You don't do a 1 hour torture class 5 days/week before work and think that you'll be doing this years from now. You take up one or more forms of exercise that you both enjoy and have time for. Sure your results won't be stellar in the 1st month, but that's not as important as getting results 5 years down the track. Also, there's a big difference between being slim, and being fit. I'd take the latter any day.

A case in point is my weight training. I've always limited it to 3 sessions per week, each ranging from 45m to 1hr. Now that I have a gym in the garage, it's hard to argue that I don't have time when I spend more than that on my hobbies or watching TV each week. Generally, it's been injury and not a lack of discipline that interrupts my training. Over 20 years my gains have been slow but at my peak(s) I'm pretty happy with my lifts and what it does to my body. My colleague, OTOH, bought himself a gym several years ago but decided a more punishing regime would be better - training every 2nd day for about 90 mins, with more lifts and heavy squats every session. Not only does he suffer (IMHO) from over-training (injuries, constantly getting sick), he finds it difficult to sustain more than a few weeks of consistent training at a time. And considerably longer periods between actively training.

It's not easy (and gets harder with age), or we'd all be ripped. But it's far from being incredibly difficult too. I have little sympathy for those that complain that they've "tried it all and can't get results". It's simply not true. You just haven't tried hard enough. It's hard to hear, and most people would be offended to be told, but there are those that simply don't know what trying hard (physically) is - usually because they've never done it! I know, because I personally know someone like that. He genuinely thinks he is putting in an effort, and I can tell you - after watching him train and surviving a lot worse myself - that he isn't. And for all its faults, shows like The Biggest Loser do actually prove my point.

So kudos again to Odille, and anyone else committed to losing weight (and succeeding). Now I just need to make more of an effort myself in 2012...

Spot on tcdev. The combination of sensible eating and regular exercise will always work. It's just a matter of finding the combo that works for you.

Swimming is it for me, and it's such a surprise tyo me because I always dreaded it whenm I was a kid. Mum and my sister Vicki were good at it and such naturals, and I was such a klutz in the water. But I am doing well at it now, I wish I'd tried it 6 years ago when I lost the 30kgs, I might have kept it off.

At the pool we go to there are quite a few runners, triathletes (do their laps as part of their workouts - ride bike in, jump in pool, churn up and down, jump back on bike and off!) and body builders (you can pick them by their muscles!) and the ones I've spoken to - they're a friendly lot at the pool for the most part - say the swimming is a boost to their other training. We even have Tony Abbott's Doppelganger - right down to the haircut and the budgie smugglers!

Maybe you should think of incorporating some laps in your workout - it's such a good all over activity. And great for the period when you are suffering an injury.

And the last few days we have been going twice a day. The 'proper' workout mornings, and 20 laps or so and some muck around in the water time in the afternoon on the 4 days a week they are open to 6.30pm. Yesterday, with the 2 workouts and not much food because I went to the dentist, I actually had a calorie deficit for the day! Most days food minus exercise is around 300-500 cals, so I have to lose some weight.

And my Primal eating is going really well, the only grains I am eating are a few (6-8) seaweed rice crackers when we have smoked salmon on our big antipasto plate. I just like the tastes together, with some avo instead of butter and a red lettuce leaf. And we are lucky to have a groaning avocado tree, such a hardship!

[tcdev]

Maybe you should think of incorporating some laps in your workout - it's such a good all over activity. And great for the period when you are suffering an injury.

I probably should! I used to surf quite a bit when I was young, and during my 20's did actually incorporate laps into my routine when I was living in Bondi. I was amazed at how my 1st session consisted of no more than 10 laps, done with a significant delay in between, and then only a few weeks later I was doing 30 (slow) laps non-stop. From there I quickly progressed to 50. Mind you, I was young and already fit, but still, my progress astounded me.

Coincidentally, my wife is coming up to 6 months pregnancy and is suffering from hip pain. We just returned from Hawaii this week and on our trip she started doing laps of breast-stroke in the pools as a form of exercise - and discovered that it completely eliminated her hip pain that night! It returned (less severe) if she didn't do the laps that day, but again eliminated it when she did! So she's keen to keep that up as much as possible now that we're home.

We're moving house soon and there's a pool about 10 mins walk away. I start work at 10am so I really don't have any excuse not to incorporate laps into my regime!

[Analog6]

I probably should! I used to surf quite a bit when I was young, and during my 20's did actually incorporate laps into my routine when I was living in Bondi. I was amazed at how my 1st session consisted of no more than 10 laps, done with a significant delay in between, and then only a few weeks later I was doing 30 (slow) laps non-stop. From there I quickly progressed to 50. Mind you, I was young and already fit, but still, my progress astounded me.

Coincidentally, my wife is coming up to 6 months pregnancy and is suffering from hip pain. We just returned from Hawaii this week and on our trip she started doing laps of breast-stroke in the pools as a form of exercise - and discovered that it completely eliminated her hip pain that night! It returned (less severe) if she didn't do the laps that day, but again eliminated it when she did! So she's keen to keep that up as much as possible now that we're home.

We're moving house soon and there's a pool about 10 mins walk away. I start work at 10am so I really don't have any excuse not to incorporate laps into my regime!

It's really surprising how quickly you get into the routine. I hadn't swum for forty years and in just 4 months I am doing 30 laps a session and 50 in 2 sessions on one day! And it has totally eliminated my back pain and most of my ankle and knee pain - and as I lose the extra weight I am carrying I am sure those will go too.

Good luck with your move and I hope you can bith get back to the pool. There are a few expectant lady 'lappers' at our pool.

[CarolTas]

Great to see you are doing something about it Odille. We don't realise how much we restrict ourselves by being overweight until we lose that first 10kg.

I was surprised with the extra energy I had when I lost 15kg just about 2 years ago. I have put back on 5kg ( 2kg in the last few weeks ) and will be at it this year to lose that 5kg plus another 10kg.
My husband and I limited all fats, sugars, salts and processed foods which also included much less bread and definately no cakes or biscuits unless it was the odd cracker biscuit. We decided to do yard duties for our exercise which may have only been a few hours each week. Too much to do around here and the hills on our street are a bit too much for me at the moment. At least now I can walk up to the house from the letter box now instead of trudging up (which isn't really that far).
We read labels when we did our shopping to find the brands which contained the least amount of fat, sugar and salt, checking out the 100 gram section on the product if there was must have a processed item. A little time consuming to start but once we got to know which brands to buy it was a quick shop again. It's amazing the difference you find between the brands when you start checking these labels. We also cut down our serving sizes preparing 100 -150grams meat only and extra vegies adding a small serve of salad too if needed. More salads as well and limited snacking and wine etc.
This worked for us. We just don't have the time for walking or swimming but pushing the lawnmower and gardening on our big block helped (as long as it was a few hours a week.

I think your post has spurred me on to get started for this year. We have been talking about it for the last 2 weeks. Now to get started!

[Analog6]

Great to see you are doing something about it Odille. We don't realise how much we restrict ourselves by being overweight until we lose that first 10kg.

I was surprised with the extra energy I had when I lost 15kg just about 2 years ago. I have put back on 5kg ( 2kg in the last few weeks ) and will be at it this year to lose that 5kg plus another 10kg.
My husband and I limited all fats, sugars, salts and processed foods which also included much less bread and definately no cakes or biscuits unless it was the odd cracker biscuit. We decided to do yard duties for our exercise which may have only been a few hours each week. Too much to do around here and the hills on our street are a bit too much for me at the moment. At least now I can walk up to the house from the letter box now instead of trudging up (which isn't really that far).
We read labels when we did our shopping to find the brands which contained the least amount of fat, sugar and salt, checking out the 100 gram section on the product if there was must have a processed item. A little time consuming to start but once we got to know which brands to buy it was a quick shop again. It's amazing the difference you find between the brands when you start checking these labels. We also cut down our serving sizes preparing 100 -150grams meat only and extra vegies adding a small serve of salad too if needed. More salads as well and limited snacking and wine etc.
This worked for us. We just don't have the time for walking or swimming but pushing the lawnmower and gardening on our big block helped (as long as it was a few hours a week.

I think your post has spurred me on to get started for this year. We have been talking about it for the last 2 weeks. Now to get started!

It is amazing when you compare labels, isn't it. I never buy any product with more than 8 ingredients - and I carefully check the contents. Did you realise the ingredient list is ordered as what it has the most of first? Therefore last night I was idly checking Warwick's chilli sauce bottle - chillis 39%, then SUGAR! And it was 37% sugar. So we are going to have a go at making our own, we have lots of chillis coming on. And for me it is the carbs that matter - I check them religiously, as on low carb you don't worry too much about fats. An interesting exercise is to go to the dairy cabinet and line up the milks from lowest to highest fat (ie skim to pure cream). Now look at the carb count - the lower the fat the higher the carbs - they use filler things to make it taste like milk and they all have simple sugars in them.

I totalled up my foods for last week and I consumed (with exercise kilojoules & calories deducted):
Protein 377g; Fat 607g, Carbs 217g, 18,767 Kj, 5358 cal; for a daily average of
Protein 54g, Fat 87g, Carbs 31g , 2,681Kj, 765 cal.

So at an average of total calories under 800 a day I have to be losing. Next weighin/measure day is 1 February - or as close to that date as when I get down to the medical clinic where I get weighed.

[rellik666]

Wow didn't think I would find this kind of thread on here! But very interesting....congrats on the hard work Odille. I am in a similar situation to you. I had about 25kg to loose, and have been swimming on and off for about 3 years which I think helped me maintain my weight but didn't really do anything except that. But in the last 12 months I have increased my swimming to proper swimming, I swim 2km in 40 mins every morning during the week. And try and walk everywhere I can.

But is only recently I have realised what has been holding me back, and that is how much I eat. I didn't think I ate that much, really not like the people you see on TV. Sensible breakfast, porridge, Subway or similar for lunch, and dinner (meat, potatoes and salad or veg). But recently I walked the Great Ocean Walk (90km-7days) and had to carry everything I needed including my food. And I was astonished at how little I needed. I was walking 15km a day with a 20kg backpack and ate maybe half of what I would consume during a normal day, where I sit at work all day!

I am now eating very similar to what I ate during the walk and swimming. It seems to be working, so now finally I have started to make some progress into the 25kg, with 6 kg down, 4 in the last 6 weeks!

I am trying to stick to a total consumption of 1500 Calories after exercise.

I have also given up sugar and now grow a lot of my own veg. Which means I am making a lot more food from scratch and not only is better for me it takes the effort and make smaller portions!

I have realised that it is good business for promotion of consumption, but it is not good for me and just because someone is selling it, it isn't always good for me.

[Analog6]

Wow didn't think I would find this kind of thread on here! But very interesting....congrats on the hard work Odille. I am in a similar situation to you. I had about 25kg to loose, and have been swimming on and off for about 3 years which I think helped me maintain my weight but didn't really do anything except that. But in the last 12 months I have increased my swimming to proper swimming, I swim 2km in 40 mins every morning during the week. And try and walk everywhere I can.

But is only recently I have realised what has been holding me back, and that is how much I eat. I didn't think I ate that much, really not like the people you see on TV. Sensible breakfast, porridge, Subway or similar for lunch, and dinner (meat, potatoes and salad or veg). But recently I walked the Great Ocean Walk (90km-7days) and had to carry everything I needed including my food. And I was astonished at how little I needed. I was walking 15km a day with a 20kg backpack and ate maybe half of what I would consume during a normal day, where I sit at work all day!

I am now eating very similar to what I ate during the walk and swimming. It seems to be working, so now finally I have started to make some progress into the 25kg, with 6 kg down, 4 in the last 6 weeks!

I am trying to stick to a total consumption of 1500 Calories after exercise.

I have also given up sugar and now grow a lot of my own veg. Which means I am making a lot more food from scratch and not only is better for me it takes the effort and make smaller portions!

I have realised that it is good business for promotion of consumption, but it is not good for me and just because someone is selling it, it isn't always good for me.

I firmly believe fresh food as unprocessed as possible and smaller portions are a big part of the key to losing weight. We have a set of plates that were Warwick's Mums, so they are about 50 years old. The dinner plates are only about 2cm larger than the bread and butter plates from my 'modern' set. So I am using those, putting less on my plate, and trying to eat more slowly.

When I do go to the supermarket, I just go round the edges - vegetables, cold stuff, dairy and only sorty up the aisles I want things in like paper goods (foil, oven bake etc) or coffee or health foods (for things like LSA mix which I use for crumbing instead of breadcrumbs). Wandering up and down every aisle is the key to disaster, especially the snack food aisles.

And the only bottled drink i have is natural sparkling mineral water or soda water. Soft drinks, even diet ones, are the death of weight loss, as even the artificial sweeteners give the brain the insulin message and make you hungry for carbs.

[rellik666]

I don't drink anything much except water and the odd bit of alcohol, soft drinks are evil!

I have also been using an iphone app called caloriecounter and it is great. It even scans barcodes so you can see how many calories are in something. I used to have a chocolate croissant for breakfast until I realised it was 1/3 of daily allowance in one hit....and I was hungry shortly afterwards!

[I @ M]

I have also been using an iphone app called caloriecounter and it is great.

The iphone is THE greatest weight GAIN product known to man kind!!!!!!!

Superbly accurate GPS plotting of all fast food stores within delivery distance and the ability to remember and instantly order any your favourite food fetishes with only the most miniscule of muscle movements of your little finger.

Gone are the days of having to actually get off the lounge and walk to the kitchen bench to lift a heavy telephone book, that process used to at least burn a few calories before the feast began.

[Analog6]

LOL! Very true - but I never use my iPhone online - too expensive (I am prepaid). And fast food does not get a lookin for me, too many food intolerances and reactions. But I agree, we are fast becoming a very lazy nation.

This process is not helped by the cricket being sponsored by KFC and Maccas!

[Bennymiata]

Being a diabetic, and checking my sugar levels 4 times a day, I can't begin to tell you how bad things like pizza, McDonalds, KFC etc are, and how they affect your sugar levels.
While they may not be sweet to taste, they do contain stuff that turns into sugar in your bloodstream and will ad kilos to your weight.

I'm very lucky in that my wife is an excellent cook and she really looks after me, and with a bit of searching, you can eat really well, both in flavour and quantity, without piling on the weight.

There is a saying that goes something like, if you eat like a diabetic, you will be healthy and you'll never be hungry.
Having said that, if I ate the quantities that the diabetic association says I should eat, I'd look like a Biafran(?) refugee.

Losing weight is all in your mind.
If you can say to yourself that you won't eat any crap, and practise it, you will win the war.
If you don't, you'll just pile on the kilos until you die, eventually.

Once you get used to eating healthily, it becomes a habit and you won't miss things like chocolate, biscuits and cake - and I know that I don't, because when it's offered I just say to myself that I can't eat this garbage. I don't eat between meals either, except at night when I am allowed to have some fruit and healthy munchies, and keep myself feeling full by drinking water.

I became diabetic about 2 years ago, and not because I was a huge sugar eater, but due to stress, and my sugar levels average under 6, so I keep very good control.

[Analog6]

Being a diabetic, and checking my sugar levels 4 times a day, I can't begin to tell you how bad things like pizza, McDonalds, KFC etc are, and how they affect your sugar levels.
While they may not be sweet to taste, they do contain stuff that turns into sugar in your bloodstream and will ad kilos to your weight.

I'm very lucky in that my wife is an excellent cook and she really looks after me, and with a bit of searching, you can eat really well, both in flavour and quantity, without piling on the weight.

There is a saying that goes something like, if you eat like a diabetic, you will be healthy and you'll never be hungry.
Having said that, if I ate the quantities that the diabetic association says I should eat, I'd look like a Biafran(?) refugee.

Losing weight is all in your mind.
If you can say to yourself that you won't eat any crap, and practise it, you will win the war.
If you don't, you'll just pile on the kilos until you die, eventually.

Once you get used to eating healthily, it becomes a habit and you won't miss things like chocolate, biscuits and cake - and I know that I don't, because when it's offered I just say to myself that I can't eat this garbage. I don't eat between meals either, except at night when I am allowed to have some fruit and healthy munchies, and keep myself feeling full by drinking water.

I became diabetic about 2 years ago, and not because I was a huge sugar eater, but due to stress, and my sugar levels average under 6, so I keep very good control.

HI Benny, it's good that you have your blood sugar levels under control. I felt I was heading for type 2 diabetes and did not want that to happen. And as low carb eating is so good for your insulin response, and I am very gluten intolerant and find, as well, that most grains don't agree with me, this is my lifestyle for the rest of my life.

The magic bullet for me has been finding the exercise I can do and not be in agony from afterwards. It makes me feel much more positive and makes it so much easier to eat wisely.

[rellik666]

The iphone is THE greatest weight GAIN product known to man kind!!!!!!!

Superbly accurate GPS plotting of all fast food stores within delivery distance and the ability to remember and instantly order any your favourite food fetishes with only the most miniscule of muscle movements of your little finger.

Gone are the days of having to actually get off the lounge and walk to the kitchen bench to lift a heavy telephone book, that process used to at least burn a few calories before the feast began.

I have to say my iphone has been a revelation to helping me loose weight! First I had a couch to 5km running app, that trained me to be able to run a 12km run in Nov 2010. I have never run that far before. It was great and really motivating. It starts off with the expectation you can't run at all. And by the end of it I managed to run for over an 1hr.

Secondly as mentioned before, but wrong, I have an app called myfitnesspal, it helps me track my exercise, it is linked with a website so I can sync all my devices and provides me with calorie information on all kinds of food. It also helps me track my sugar intake, which for me also is a problem as I have insulin resistance.

I think it is whatever works for you. It is hard but it is about baby steps. And making choices and not beating yourself up for making the wrong one now and again. Every meal is an opportunity to make the right choice. And slowly your lifestyle will change.

[Dylan & Marianne]

congrats Odille - great to see that you've been successful and provided a role model for others You seem to have hit the nail on the head with lifestyle modification and responsible weight loss ! Any more rapid than 0.5-1kg weekly through crash dieting and boot camp stuff and weight just tends to find its way back.
no comment from me about my cachetic look - though I do fear what might happen in the future if I stop the 5-10km daily runs and continue my tooth killing diet! I'm not a good example for my patients lol

[mechawombat]

Last year, I decided to drop caffeine, and it was easy, next was Soft drink, which has been a whole lot harder but I allow myself Soft drink when I am at a celebration.

I posted up on Facebook that my NY resolution was to lose 12Kgs for the year. My starting point was 136.6Kg......

I am currently half way through the first month and have lost 2.3Kgs however I want to do the 12kgs slowly but cutting out Bread and swapping for wraps has helped as has salad with protein for every meal (except breakfast which I currently hardly have ... but that will change)

When I dropped caffeine I went through withdrawls with migraines, shakes, and a whole lots of aches. but 4 months on I feel heaps better and I have not had a migraine since.

Nothing tastes as good as looking and feeling good!

[Analog6]

Last year, I decided to drop caffeine, and it was easy, next was Soft drink, which has been a whole lot harder but I allow myself Soft drink when I am at a celebration.

I posted up on Facebook that my NY resolution was to lose 12Kgs for the year. My starting point was 136.6Kg......

I am currently half way through the first month and have lost 2.3Kgs however I want to do the 12kgs slowly but cutting out Bread and swapping for wraps has helped as has salad with protein for every meal (except breakfast which I currently hardly have ... but that will change)

When I dropped caffeine I went through withdrawls with migraines, shakes, and a whole lots of aches. but 4 months on I feel heaps better and I have not had a migraine since.

Nothing tastes as good as looking and feeling good!

Yes, giving up coffee does affect you. Many years ago I was up to 12 cups a day and decided to give it up cold turkey - I had a week of exactly what you describe and fekt vile. Now I allow myself one real coffee in the morning and up to 3 decaff (Moccona water decaffeinated) during the day. Giving up grains is the biggie for me, after discovering I was very gluten intolerant - the Doc believes I have cioeliav disease but I chose not to have the biopsy, I just eat as if I am - I feel much, much better.

And the new lifestyle is showing some more positive results for me.

On Saturday and Sunday I went out photographing and both days were at the beach and involved walking in soft sand carrying the heavy camera bag. Previously, this would have left me in such pain with my back that I would have 2-3 days of pain and using my walking stick. And the result - NONE - no back pain at all! It was a little stiff, and I have had a couple of twinges in my bad ankle, but the improvement is amazing!

AND the pants I wore were tight round the waist in early November and they are now so big I had to use the drawstring as they FELL DOWN without it. Woo Hoo! My pants fell down - I never thought I would be so happy about it. Can't wait for my Feb 01 measuring.

And my BP is now consistently the low 120s over low 80s - it was much higher.