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Weight loss blog

Personal stories, advice and support from people trying to lose weight and lead a healthier life

Posts from September 2011

  • Day 4: Progress slows

    by Sarahs Boot Camp on 30 September 2011

    Day 4: Get ready for my long list of food and short list of exercise.

    Food: 2 slices of toast, banana, large salad (lettuce, rocket, baby lamb, cucumber, tomato, celery with light salad cream) two sausages, yoghurt, apple, clementine, handful of cashew nuts, 2 squares of dark CHOCOLATE!!! (i gave in to my cravings) peperami, 3 sausage casserole, chopped tomatoes, leeks, onion, carrot, cabbage, green pepper and I have to shamefully admit that i hate some of my lovely creamy mashed potato off of my husbands plate, and even though it did taste brilliant i regretted it straight away.

    Exercise: I caught up with my exercises from Day 3 that i didn't do. So did my 25 sit ups, 12 leg lifts, and 35 secs each leg for my half bridge extended leg, but that was all supposed to be done on day 3. I also did my 13 press ups, 1:45 of plank, 70 sit ups, 13 leg lifts and 40 secs each leg for day 4 so i'm all caught up with my exercises. However even though i was all changed and ready to go to the gym when my husband came back from work, he was too tired to go and even though i did spend ten minutes trying to persuade him, when he still didn't want to go i let it stop me going to, which i shouldn't have done considering how much i had already consumed that day.

    However as it's starting to hit home that i've not had much progress for the last couple of days and my motivation and dedication are disappearing when it should be my chub that's vanishing before my (and everyone elses) eyes i'm feeling the seroiusness of how my actions are the only things that are going to make me reach my goal (to be 9stone by Christmas) or not, and that's scary.

    I want to reach my goal i don't want to stay forever like this feeling unattractive and frumpy, so i've found a photo of what i do want to look like and hopefully that will help to keep me motivated.

    It's pizza night tonight at my mates house, but i told her yesterday that i won't be joining in on the pizza and rather than delving in to my full diet and boot camp regime I just said that i was putting on too much weigth since leaving college, and after an embarrassing conversation where she told me that i wasn't, easy for her to say when she is size 6-8, she told me that her other friend is bringing soup cos she's getting her tooth out, so i said i'll join her in bringing soup, which will save me a lot of calories, I need to make sure that under no circumstances will i eat any pizza, i need to remember how embarrassing it will be after making such a fuss about not eating it in the first place and how many calories, fat and carbs are in just one slice.

    My weigh in is fast approaching on sunday morning so need to keep on track now there is no time left to be cheating.

  • Day 3: Cravings Appear

    by Sarahs Boot Camp on 29 September 2011

    Day 3: Yesterday was hard mentally, emotionally and physically and it was only day 3 which is worrying. Firstly I was home alone all day with not much to do, which is a bad combo for me. I got lazy, bored and munchy! It wasn't a complete disaster but wasn't a good day either. I had my two slices of toast, then a peach, tangerine, banana, pepperami, 3 egg omelette with onion, mushrooms and peas, a yoghurt, a handful of cashew nuts a pork chop with lots of stir fry veg in a sweet chilli sauce and another peach, so i had a lot to eat and i wanted to eat lots more as well. I had to resist temptations all day. I was going to go to the gym but the weather was far too nice so eventually i decided to go for a power walk up the hill next to my house, going as fast as i could it took me half an hour to get to the top and then to get home it took me an hour and twenty minutes but i did take a detour to tescos so i think i can safely say i did a full hour of fast paced walking which, according to my guide to calories book, means i would have burnt atleast 300kcals. I only fitted in 1:20 of plank, 12 press ups and 40 sit ups. I didn't do any leg raises or half bridge and i was supposed to do 25 more sit ups aswell and when i've already told you i didn't have much to do all day you can see i was just being lazy. I'll try to add them in to what i'm supposed to do today (Day 4) so that i'll catch up as i do feel bad that i let them slip. Why is it always day 3 that the cravings and laziness kick-in, do you find a similar pattern? I hope you're all managing to stay motivated. Good luck and keep at it, it'll be worth it in the end x

  • Day 2: Speed Eating

    by Sarahs Boot Camp on 28 September 2011

    Hey so i'm now currently at the start of day 3, however i'm wanting to keep a detailed record of each day on here as it will motivate me not to cheat my plan, if i have to admit it, shame-faced, to all of you, i'm far less likely to demolish the cookie jar or eat five sandwiches in a row (i've done both on a diet before).

    DAY 2: So i had my two slices of toast for breakfast (brown with seeds) with light olive spread, did 1:15 mins of plank which was much harder than Day 1 as my body was sore, then i had a banana before i left to go and dance half naked on top of a hill and on the beach while my best friend took photos for her art work, i think dancing in the cold wind and rain in just a leotard and ballet skirt must have burnt a few calories (i hope) i then had vegetable soup and one and a half ham rolls, i am trying not to have carbs after breakfast but was at my friends and didn't fancy having only a cup of veg soup, i had a pepperami, two small plums and a peach before work, i then had to do the tea time shift (i work as a carer) i had to make sausage casserole with my signature creamy mashed potato (my fave) and serve it all with m&s strawberry ice-cream for dessert then digestive biscuits for afters, preparing all that food is one way to get your tastebuds watering, however i had the willpower not to let a delicious morsel pass my lips. Which I feel quite proud of. When I got home at 9pm i made a sort of chicken stir fry with onion, carrot, leek and sweetcorn with a creamy sauce, it was yummy but before i knew it i had shoved it all down my throat and was then uncomfortably full, which means i ate more than i needed to. I definately have a problem of just mindlessly eating, superfast and not stopping until my plate is empty rather than actually listening for the signal of my stomach being full, i'm not sure i even know when it happens. So this is something i'm going to try and focus on, as we all know portion control is just as important as what you eat. I also did in total 60 sit ups, 11 press ups, 11 extended leg raises and 30 seconds each leg of half bridge extended leg, however pathetically i had to split it up in to two parts as my stomach muscles were cramping so i did half at about 11am and the other half at 11pm, i didn't have time for a gym session but will definately be going down this afternoon. Wish me luck.

    ps. I am still currently trying to find a way out of having to eat a dominos pizza on friday night, i'm supposed to be going to a mates and all chipping in to get take-away pizza but i know the amount of calories and fat i'll consume on that one night will just cancel out all the hard work i'll be doing all week and slow down any weight loss, weigh in is on sunday and it's just not worth an extra three hours at the gym before then, however i don't really want to tell them i'm on a diet as although i'm not fat in an overweight sense i personally want to lose the layer of fat all over my body so that i feel better looking at myself in a mirror and trying on clothes as i usually give up and go home after five minutes feeling depressed. But i want to save the patronising scenario where they will all tell me i dont need to go on a diet when they're all skinnier than me anyway. Please let me know if you have any bright ideas.

  • first week in

    by User120328 on 27 September 2011

    Well, I went to the gym twice last week, although i did use the weights, I should have done more cardio, i just felt very self concious at the gym as it was busy, have promised to do more, and today i did running for the first time in a long time, well I say running it's a walk one run one system until i build up the stamina and fitness levels.

     

    lost a couple of pounds, i'd like to loose a couple more to take me below the next stone, although that is still a long way off my goal, but a couple of pounds a week, will soon mount up between now and christmas.  Husband said he'd buy me a new dress too, although think i'd prefer shoes :) i'll fit into one of my old dresses. (lol)

     

    will blog again next week and hope that more weight is lost, will have been back to the gym then too, trying to do twice a week, and possibly a run at the weekend.  I am hoping if i see my highs and lows on here and others can read it i'll be spurred on.

     

     

  • Hey so Day 1 of my itensive boot camp went really well. I started off with my two slices of toast and 1 min of plank then had two oranges, a large tuna salad containing lettuce, baby lamb lettuce, rocket, cucumber, celery, tomato, beetroot, sweetcorn and radishes, followed by a handful of cashew nuts for lunch, i then did 50 sit ups, 10 press ups, 10 extended leg raises, and 20 seconds each leg in a half bridge extended leg, i had a banana as a snack and then mince, with lots and lots of veg all in chopped tomato sauce which tasted very yummy for my dinner. I even had the willpower to resist any pasta which i served to my husband along with mince and veg, I had also beaten a very strong temptation to just keep eating after I had my lunch, as in the past i have had problems with bulimia i am always good until i actually start eating and then i can't stop until i'm uncomfortably full and have to make myself sick, but i calmly told myself that "it will be fine" and it was, as I just distracted myself until the urge passed. I then got my fat bum off the sofa and down to the gym where i burnt 200kcals on the cross trainer, 200kcals on the stairs, 50kcals on the rowing machine, and 50kcals on the treadmill, after a quick stretch i did 10 lengths of the pool and then treated myself to a rest in the jacuzzi and steam room. After this is where the disappointing bit comes in, i weighed myself on the fancy scales at the gym and even though i knew i would be a bit heavier as it was the end of the day I was not ready for it to tell me that i was 10stone 7lbs! My scales at home say that I am exactly 10 stone :( so it looks like I've got another half a stone to lose before Christmas, no excuses! I'm thinking the best way to keep motivated is to just take one day at a time and make sure that I am doing more to lose weight than I am doing that will put weight on, so each day I'm a little bit lighter. My next weigh in will be first thing on Sunday morning on the fancy gym scales, so i'll let you know the verdict then. In the meantime today I am donning a ballet leotard and dancing round a skatepark while my best friend takes photos of me for her art course, even though I am not feeling in the best shape i'm thinking it will be a good thing to have some body shots of me now (at the start of my boot camp) which i can use as reverse thinspo on myself and then when i get to 9stone i can smugly compare my skinny self to the dancing whale that i am today. And although i am not looking forward to dancing half naked outside, i'm thinking of the extra calories i'll burn in the freezing cold! Wish me luck x

  • Motivation missing

    by User120328 on 22 September 2011

    I'm married, with two kids am at a vague permenant weight for the past 4 years, give or take half a stone.  I am trying to lose weight again!!  I always struggle, the problem:- lack of motivation, the fact that when I have lost weight I have made very little change in my diet and exercise (I lost weight both times I was pregnant, purely from eating a little less and less alcohol) I also have a body image problem, in my head I see myself thinnner  than I am in reality so unless I look in a mirror constantly or catch a picture of me, I don't see me at my true weight, and whilst being this weight at times depresses me, it seems like I just don't have the will power or determination to lose the weight.  I am hoping that by blogging i'll face up to what I am doing and what I can change.

  • After finding a red stretchmark on my stomach and not being pregnant, I told myself AGAIN that I needed to lose weight. Being 21, I keep telling myself that I should have an amazing body that I will miss when I get older and things fall south, and I don't want to look back at my youth and think how fat I was. After finding the stretchmark, I decided that this was it, a turning point, only a month later to find more red stretchmarks on my hips, despite *slightly* changing my diet and doing a lot of exercise compared to what I used to do. It's got to the point that I don't want to see old friends because I know the first thing they will think is how much weight I've put on. I need something to push me forward, and that's what this blog is *fingers crossed* going to do. My weight gain over the years is due to lack of will power, lack of exercise and habits. I was brought up on dinners like chicken nuggets and chips and the odd roast dinner, there was always chocolate in the cupboard and I was never stopped from eating it. Now I live with my boyfriend, who loves to eat as much as me, but would prob need to lose a couple of pounds maximum if he wanted to, whereas I need to lose 4 stone. I've never wanted to join groups such as Weight Watchers, maybe because I'm embarrassed and don't want to admit how much weight I've put on, so this is my solution. I'm hoping that voicing my thoughts, my downfalls along the way and voicing my achievements will finally help me get to the weight I want. It really is going to be a lifestyle change, which I've tried so many times before, but I'm going to do it. I am more busier than ever now with work, so doing exercise is going to be the hardest part, but I'm going to try my hardest. Changing my eating habits is the most important thing to me as it's the thing I always give up on.

    So here's my goal: my current weight is 14 stone 10 lb, a BMI of 33 and I want to be 10 stone 10 lb by September 2012, making my BMI 24. I'm planning on booking a holiday for then too, and it will be amazing to walk down the beach feeling great!

     

  • Weightloss - my progress

    by Southsideman on 08 September 2011

    Hi everyone. remember me? Probably not. I haven't blogged in a while - and I can't really say I "haven't had the time" since let's face it - it's not about time, it's about inclination. The time it takes to fill up a blog post full of lovely words is for me, roughly about the same time it takes to watch an old epsiode of Top Gear on the iPlayer - and that's even accounting for the 10 or so minutes skipped for some ridiculous scene involving May, Hamster and Clarkson, I dunno, racing across Lichtenstein in Trabants. (Actually, I *would* watch a Trabant sequence, but you get the idea...)

    Anyway, whare was I? Ah yes - me and my absence from here and my weightloss. Well as you know I'd always promised that I was going to do it gradual-like and not race to target weight. And that's exactly what I've done. I said I'd do certain things and I have, so here's a list of some:

        * FIZZY DRINKAGE - cut well, well down. Used to be 8 or 9 cans a week, now about 1 or 2.
        * SWEETS - hardly figuring. A 20p Milky Way here and there.
        * TAKEAWAYS - hand on heart, honest truth etc. etc. I haven't had a takeaway since last blogging. I've had 3 sit in McDonalds meals since then, but I'm fast going off them anyway.
        * BEER - still make the pub at weekends, and you can hardly order up a pint of pineapple juice, can you? Still, managed to drink it slower and therefore cut down!
        * EXERCISE - not bad, not bad. I'm averaging about 45 minutes brisk walking a day. I even sometime fantasise about putting my running shoes back on. Then my knees start crying at the thought. So i don't...

    You'll probably not recall the main points of this blog's narrative, so here they are again in handy bullet point format:

        * I started the blog weighing over 13.5 stone, with a BMI just past the overwight line.
        * "By Christmas 2011..." I promised, "...I'll get to 12.5 stone". Ah, how far off that Christmas 2011 date used to seem. And I was in sainsbury's last night, and what did I see? Christmas stuff.
        * And I was determined.

    So, how are my numbers looking? Well, you know what ... I haven't even weighed myself. I've made some necessary lifestyle changes but I doubt the weight's come off, or if it has it's been less than a stone. I am still keeping up to date with all that's healthy though - and I think that's been a big help generally. If you read the health pages and the healthy blogs then you find yourself naturally gravitating towards healthier habits.

    On the subject of habits (and most vices are really just habits) one new thing I've found out is that if you go slow motion through the fruit and veg aisle you end up buying more fruit and veg - you see some great looking corn on the cob, some cabbage, apples, blueberries, etc and you become a bit of a fruit'n'veg enthusiast. The corollary of this is that if you either skip the cake aisle or at th very least speed thru it, you kind of forget that cakes even exist. To an extent, anyway!

    Till next time:

    Be safe - take it easy - enjoy life

    Southsideman

  • So this is my first blog.  In the last 7 weeks I’ve lost 11lbs but I’m only mildly please with this, as this is where I always get stuck.  I stay hovering just over 15st for a few weeks and then I get utterly fed up and slip back into old habits and think ‘what’s the point?’.  Having seen everyone’s blogs, I feel motivated to get under the 15st mark and I hope that by blogging, and making my efforts a bit more public, I won’t give up so easily this time, will loose the necessary 3lb, and continue to my long term goal!

     

    Ultimately I’m aiming for 10st 10lb, which would just get me in the ‘normal’ BMI range.  I was very happy at that weight and, although still a curvy size 14 back then, I felt comfortable in my own skin.  So…  4st 6lb to go but I’ll be taking it half a stone at a time, as it seems like a mammoth task! 

     

    I’m 32 and my weight gain over the last 4-5 years has really affected my social life, opting not to meet up with friends that I haven’t seen since before I got fat so that I don’t have to see their reaction, plus trying to find clothes  that fit and look ok is so depressing.  I’m also really put off by the prospect of dating again as I don’t feel comfortable with the size 20/22 body I’ve landed myself with.  Most importantly, I want to be in good health!  Recently my Mum was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and, being apple shaped, I know that is on the cards for me too if I don’t sort myself out.

     

    I’m trying to do this by NOT dieting, and by changing my lifestyle.  I recently had my cholesterol checked and much to my GPs surprise it was 4.1, pretty good for a fat girl.  I already eat fairly healthily in the things I chose to eat, but my portion control is frankly non-existent, and by the time I’ve gone back for ‘seconds’ I’ve basically eaten two meals! I am also very lazy when it comes to exercise!   So smaller portions and lots more exercise needed.

     

    I’ve started a food diary and recording my daily exercise……I’ll blog again soon with progress!’

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Our weight loss bloggers

dawnEJ decided to tackle her depression-induced comfort eating 18 months ago and has lost nearly 9 stone since
diggerr6
is a personal weight loss coach who has successfully lost the weight he wanted to
NoMoreExcuses
thinks losing weight is a "simple case of eat less & do more. If only it was as easy as that"
Miss Wyoming
has made a choice when it comes to weight: not to analyse it, just to lose it
KRaven
has a history of eating disorders, including binge eating and bulimia
Blue1984
has lost 3 stone since last September and has joined the blog to keep her 'on the straight and narrow'
TheJellyBean
put on weight when she stopped playing badminton for her county to concentrate on her A Levels
Tekiegirl
has a new exercise regime which includes getting involved with conservation projects in her local area
Knightwood
was shocked at the scales when she weighed herself so decided to do something about it
wannabethin was told he was obese during a weigh in at his GP surgery
Shorter and Sweeter 23
has 6 weeks off and wants to lose 7lbs by walking and swimming
Southsideman has a non-drastic and gradual approach to weight loss. Weight is not his enemy, just the 'excess flab'
Gourmandguy
has bouts of depression which affect his weight and wants to tackle his psychological relationship with food
Miss S has lots of motivation to lose weight, like her imminent wedding and trying for a baby
chocaddict has a BMI of over 40 and wants to lose 8 stone to be her healthy weight
motherzdaughter has been steadily putting on weight since having her 3 year old
EveCandy has got her life in order and now plans to try and lose 1lb a week until she's lost 3 stone
Thunderthighs has a thyroid problem and high blood pressure which has lowered since she started at the gym, so there is ‘all to play for’
i2wkd4blu
has invested in a cross trainer and is keeping a workout diary to get the most out of her exercise routine
tintin63 is clinically obese, has PCOS and has struggled to keep off the weight gained in her pregnancies
Sarah Casey's body is 'host to a two-stone squatter that is resisting eviction'
MissDetermined has accepted that walking to the bus stop can't be classed as daily exercise
Nightshiftmom has been on a rollercoaster of emotional eating since a tragic accident aged 18
happydays1 
has a habit of eating at 2 in the morning, which is sabotaging her efforts to lose weight
Phillipagrizzlybear
 
is determined to lose weight without resorting to fad diets or 'celebrity' plans
NP1984
has dusted off the scales and hopes to lose almost 3 stone
Newmum29 wants to be able to play with her newborn son without needing to lie down afterwards
JetV has been trying to lose weight for years but yo-yo's every time
Travenner's wake up call that she was overweight came when she went shopping
LincsLady is the biggest she's ever been but knows if she wants to lose weight she has to put the effort in
Until the fat lady sings
reckons she's got 6 stone to lose and has made a good start
Jay Bee
has always battled with her weight and has put back some of the 4.5 stone she lost 2 years ago
Polkadotty
 
says she's 'normal, just fat' and wants to lose 7lbs by her 24th birthday in mid April
Glasgowguy
 is changing his diet, running a 10k and cycling to work in order to shed 2 stone

Graceious1
 
has already lost a stone since Christmas and wants to lose another
SarahLM
wants to lose the 2 stone she's gained since meeting her other half
Mairibeans
 was a size 26 at age 19, but has lost 7 stones and taken up triathlon 
Herringbone
 
is using a combination of eating better & less and more exercise to lose 4 stones 
MsFabulous
 
is in her early 30s, 11st 4 and wants to lose 2 stone
EleanorB wants to lose about a stone and has signed up for a 10k run in May
DanielS is using WeightWatchers to shed some of his 'well upholstered self'
Curly Girl
 is happy being a size 14, but wants to be a smaller size 14
Sweetney is on an exercise referral scheme to help her lose weight
Ffredsmum aka Sue wants to tackle her weight now her arthritis treatment is easing her pain 

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Our bloggers are giving their views and opinions, not those of the NHS. Nothing in this blog should be taken a medical advice. If you have any concerns about your health you should contact your GP or use our medical advice now section.

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