Journal de Angela_17, 29 déc. 18

Best place to start would probably be calorie control and exercise. Once you figure out how well that works you could look into other things if you feel the need (keto or intermittent fasting or even just Weight Watchers or Slimming World) but starting slow and reasonably easy should help avoid any nasty issues like dropping muscle instead of fat or starving all day and having a binge at night 

Thank you. I don’t think I could do the fasting thing, but will look into the others. It’s difficult to get started because it feels so overwhelming. Plus our kitchen is packed full of sweets and chocolates from Xmas, I’m actually sick of eating them now, but every time I walk past I have a couple 

I'm exactly the same at this point lol. I've pretty much decided not to bother trying to resist sweets or treats until I go back to work on the 7th. I need to get rid of all the junk and I need time to do it. I can't diet while there's pringles in the house haha! But once you get to grips with what you're doing it really does get easier and you find yourself sticking to the rules without even thinking about it 

I love Pringles! What kind of diet are you following? I had a quick look at keto on google, but I’m not sure about it. Also what exercise do you do? I was thinking about maybe getting an exercise bike to start with, but I don’t want to pay too much for one lol 

To truly keep weight off, try to use a smaller plate and NEVER have second portions. No cheese and less butter. It worked for me last year when I went from 75.2 down to 62.5. Now my weight has crept back up a bit so must give up alcohol as I cannot resist it and return to smaller portions. Wish me luck! 

I'm just doing low fat and low calorie. Low fat usually means high sugar so doing low cal too means I eat stuff that's actually healthy lol. And I do HIIT (high intensity interval training) on the stationary bike. It's worked wonders for me lol, literally (5 stone in 6 months without needing any fad diets and never going hungry) 

Thanks Ginny, I will definitely try that. And good luck! Wow 5 stone frankie, that’s amazing, you’ve done so well. I’m going to look at low fat/low calorie. I want to lose about a stone and a half by May. 

Just remember Angela that what works for one person won't necessarily work for another dieter. It's usually better to look at what your body cannot metabolise as fast as other food categories - for me its carbohydrate rather than fat, so I live on a low carb high protein diet. If you cut out fat you get hungry quicker than if you eat more protein and vegetables, which are high in fibre and fill you up! 

Thanks for the advice chillgilly. How do you know or find out what you can metabolise? Is it just trial and error? Am I right in thinking low carb high protein is keto? 

I had a blood test, as my cholesterol was bordering on high (5.9), and was told that I had an intolerance to too much carb. But, really, you can work out what foods pile on the pounds just by cutting certain things out of your diet and see what difference it makes to your weight. For some, cutting out alcohol makes a big difference within a week; for others, it might be bread and potatoes. Obviously, certain processed foods are never going to be healthy, like high fat take-aways, deep fried chips, pastry and biscuits. But low fat diets certainly work for some; just as low carb high protein works for me :) What are your favourite types of food? If you like dairy (as I do, I could not live without cheese or yogurt) then low fat is not going to float your boat. Keto is an extreme version of a low carb diet, which I don't follow as this is a permanent life style for me and I don't want to cut out all carb.But perhaps you can cope with low fat low cal? You'd fill up on brown rice, lean meat and fish and get your sugar from fruit. 

Oh how interesting. I don’t drink alcohol at all, I just don’t like it. But I eat lots of sweets, chocolate and crisps. I pretty much like any food that is bad for you! I need to break some bad habits, but it’s just getting started. I ate some fruit today but also half a box of celebrations :( I have ordered a cross trainer from Argos, so will pick that up tomorrow. I have a slow cooker (never used) so am going to look up some recipes. Thank you for the info! 

Slow cookers are brilliant! I cook a wonderful slow pulled chicken in turmeric and low fat coconut milk which everyone loves - very filling and delicious and healthy. Best of luck with your new regime - and don't beat yourself up if you have chocs and crisps from time to time - it's all about breaking bad habits gradually over a period of time. I always tell myself any healthy choice is better than none! 

Plan ahead, so much! Little things make a difference! Things I've changed that made a difference; Bacon with no oil, almond milk, light mayo & butter, healthy crisps, yogurt and fruit for snacks. one naughty thing on your plate, the rest healthy, eg, cooked dinner with roast pork and all veg, or bacon salad with egg. Find alternatives to potatoes, sandwiches and pasta: rice, cous cous, salad.  

Thanks chillgilly, can you recommend a slow cooker recipe book or where to find them online? I saw some on BBC website, but not sure how healthy they are! Thank you for the advice Yasmine! I was totally shocked yesterday when I added mayo to the food diary 100 calories for a spoonful! And I probably had double that. Also 47 calories for 1 celebration, it made me feel a bit sick lol. I went over my 1700 by about 500 - oh dear! I will definitely try the things you suggested. 

Yeah it's surprising! and if you switch to lo-cal butter, you can fry in it too.  

If you check out Amazon books there are quite a few good slow cooker books for slimmers such as The Skinny Slow Cooker Recipe Book: Delicious Recipes Under 300, 400 And 500 Calories Kindle Edition. If you're able to cut down on your sweets, chocs and crisps too you'll notice a difference on the scales pretty soon! 

I will have a look, thank you! I have eaten all the celebrations and matchmakers and I’m not planning on buying more lol. I bought some space raiders yesterday, only 64 calories! Much better than walkers which are about 130. I thought I’d make small changes so it’s not so much of a shock. 

Dairylee light tri and rice cakes work for me when I am struggling  

Hi I’m feeling exactly the same and out tonight. Can’t wait to be back at work and a semblance of normalcy to get some order back x 

Just be aware that most low fat food contains lots of sugar which will help you gain weight slowly. Aim for low sugar and focus less on fat unless it's hydrogenated fat like margarine or processed foods. Go for fatty fish and yoghurts, nuts, avocados and loads of veg. Not too many fruits. Sugar is the biggest enemy to weight loss.