Weigh in #4

Sorry i'm a bit late uploading this, but I've been having problems with sending images from my phone.

Happy with the results this week...as it's going down!

118.9kg/262lbs/18.10ish this week.

Update and Nosh

Hi everyone

Sorry for the lack of posts in the past week and a half - work has been manic, which has meant my food has been shocking.  So operation get gorgeous has begun again today. Time to get focused.  I've still been working out, just not eating particularly well.

But, today i'm starting a juice fast by Nosh.  http://www.noshdetoxdelivery.com/

I bought through a Groupon deal a few months ago and i've finally got around to sorting out delivery for! The diet consists of 4 juices a day for three days.  I'm not expecting huge weightloss but i'm expecting it to give me a bit of a kick up the bum which is needed!

As always I'll keep you up to date!

**So a bit of an update on Nosh - complete and utter waste of money! I lasted for one day, it was horrendous. Juices tasted awful and looked awful and were a punishment to drink.  Definitely my last juice/drink diet ever - it's put me off forever!**

Weigh in - week 3

So sorry for the delay in posting this up - it's been a while since i've been able to get access to a computer!  As you can see, I put on .2Kg (a couple of pounds) this week.  I stuck to the Fast Lane diet but broke it a little bit with a cocktail evening where I ended up having 3 glasses of champagne and 5 lovely bubbly cocktails - not so healthy! Zotrim is still incredibly helpful at making me feel less hungry and giving me more energy to hit the gym - so i'd highly recommend trying it.

The Fast Lane diet should work if stuck to rigidly, but i'm afraid i'm no good at following a diet - healthy eating is the way forward, otherwise you end up breaking it.  I do need chocolate and I do need other little things to get me through.

It's really a case of finding what works best for you.  Inspiration wise, has everyone seen the recent pics of Nigella? She's lost so much weight www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html - she looks fantastic! 

Like a fish out of water – but like a grizzly bear in it

I love swimming. I love the feeling of being light weight, lifted off my feet and floating.  I find the repeated rythms relaxing and drift off in my own mind.  Apart from the fact I can’t put my head under the water and can really only do the breast stroke, there really aren’t any negatives.  I even enjoy it so much that I don’t notice if anyone is staring at my beach whale body.

Image credit: http://www.mybigfatblog.co.uk/

But, does swimming have an effect on weightloss? I’ve read so many conflicting opinions online recently – some saying, yes of course, why wouldn’t you lose weight as you burn calories, through to the more ridiculous ‘you’re in cold water and your body holds onto fat to keep you warm.’

What do you all think?

Personally I would say, go for it. In addition to strength training and other cardio exercises, swimming can help tone the body and increase lung strength etc. So there’s nothing to lose!

Diet review # 2 - Atkins

Who wouldn't want to tuck into endless amounts of bacon, meat, sausage and more? 

The Atkins diet seduces us with the idea of limitless amounts of food - eating till we are satisfied. 

I went on the Atkins diet when back at University (during the holidays) and apart from being financially restrictive to a student on a budget, it seemed to work incredibly well. The lbs dropped off easily enough and the results were fast and motivating...all was going well.  Until I ended up in hospital with kidney stones...

Let this be a warning to you. Diets which are too easy, have negative effects. It might not be as drastic for you, but I honestly don't think our bodies are meant to cope on such low carb diets.

Now, bear in mind I did the old fashioned Atkins diet back in the early 2000s and I know they now encourage a higher consumption of veg and less fatty meat. But this was yet another failure, which saw me piling on even more lbs over the course of the next few months.

CLA tablets

My mum has been taking these tablets for years and she's skinny, so it only makes sense that I give them a go!

CLA are tablets which have been proven to help the body turn fat into muscle in combination with exercise.  I picked up mine at Holland and Barrett but i'm sure you can find them in lots of places.

They are a natural fatty acid which our bodies need to help assist the breakdown of fat. 

Take a look at this link: http://thyroid.about.com/cs/dietweightloss/a/cla.htm

I've been taking them for the last month or so, so fingers crossed they are helping.  I see them more as a vitamin than a diet pill.

Definitely worth hitting the weight loss from all angles - diet pill,exercise,diet, vitamins etc.

Weigh in #2

So, weigh in number 2 and i'm pleased to say I've dropped 2.2lbs/1kg this week - which i'm really happy with.  I've not exercised at all for the last week as i've had an awful cold,so hopefully i'll continue to see the lbs/kg drop next week when I head back into the gym!

I promise this says 119kg - although not the clearest pic!

Weight Watchers Hot Chocolate

Who doesn't need a treat?

Just because you are dieting doesn't mean you can't indulge (within limits).  I'm a big fan of hot chocolate on a diet to get you through your chocolatey cravings and usually have a couple of sachets of options in the cupboard. 

I was sent the new mint Weight Watchers Hot Chocolate and the caramel one to try and was a bit dubious that they would be any different to options - BUT they seriously are! Seriously - try one - NOW.



I don't know why but my photos all seem to be the wrong way round!



So deliciously chocolatey.  They taste like real chocolate! I'm definitely going to be putting these in my shopping trolley on the next shop.

I don't know how they fare on WW points etc, as i'm afraid i'm not a pro-pointer myself - but they say they are only 1 point each - which sounds good to me.  To everyone else, they are about 40/50 calories a portion.

You can find more info here: http://www.weightwatchersfoods.co.uk/products/drinks/hot-drinks.html

Zotrim - diet aid

So, i've been sent some Zotrim to try in a bid to help me with my weightloss. I'm all for any natural help, so will be adding these into my daily plan.

You take 2 tablets before every meal, with the idea that they work in two ways - making you consume less calories and making you burn more calories at the same time.

I'll update you when i've tried them for a few weeks.

Visit http://www.zotrim.com for further information.

2 weeks in the fast lane

I've been sent this book by Fiona Kirk to review, called '2 Weeks in the Fast Lane'.  It's an interesting read as Fiona has asked successful dieters for their tips and tricks (mainly taken from faddy diets) and then pulled together a two week plan using the bits that worked from all these diets.

She also includes top fat burning nutrients in the diet, including calcium, Omega 3, fermentable carbs and astaxanthin (the pink colour in salmon etc)

Her plan is easy to follow and quite sensible. Go to bed earlier so you don't consume calories late at night and getting up earlier to add exercise and dry body brushing to your daily plan.

I won't give away the diet - as it's definitely worth buying this book and having a read for yourself.

I've started the diet today in a bid to have a 'really good 2 weeks' in the run up to Christmas, so i'll update you how I get along.

Read a review by the Daily Mail here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2018480/Holiday-diets-Left-late-slim-Melt-away-fat-2-WEEKS.html

and you can purchase the book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Weeks-Fast-Lane-Fiona-Kirk/dp/0956611516/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320055147&sr=8-1

Fiona is also going to be giving a speech at Champneys in St Albans on November 7th. Tickets are only £15 and the theme is: Drop a dress size in time for the party season.

See Fiona's website here for more details: http://fatbustforever.com/events-past-present-and-future/

Weigh in - week 1

Sorry I didn't upload this on Saturday, but I wasn't able to access the internet. 


For some reason the picture is the wrong way round, but I think it's still easy to see the weight. 

I used the new Salter MiBody scales for the weigh in (i'll be doing a post on these later - they are fantastic!)

Diet review: # 1 - The Maple Syrup Diet

Over the past 15 years I've consistently been on diets, trying out the latest 'fad' only to lose a bit of weight and put it back on again plus more.  So i'm going to talk through my diet experiences, hoping to prevent you going through the same thing. There are no quick fixes (as i'm only just discovering at nearly 30) but some of these work better than others.

The maple syrup and cayenne pepper diet was one of the diets I tried when I first began working in London.  Looking for a quick fix and the promise of a stone loss in a week I religiously made up 2 litres of Hot water, maple syrup and cayenne pepper every morning and took it with me to work.

The taste was revolting - like drinking sugary water. My skin looked horrific, my breath smelt and it isn't particularly social. You can't go out for dinner, meet with friends etc.  However, it is a quick fix.

I lost 10lbs in the week - an astounding loss but put on 12 within the next 2 weeks.

So, although this was a disaster for me...It could work if you had to get into a dress for an event (and didn't mind putting weight on again).

Naturally Thin - Bethenny Frankel

Now, as mentioned in a previous post, i've been reading the Naturally Thin book by Bethenny Frankel to try and kick start my new way of healthy living.  What I love about this book and plan is that it isn't really a diet...it's a way of life.

You will want to try a bite of that donut or graze at a buffet, it's about including these things in your diet and altering your attitude to food to make sure you aren't over indulging.

Bethenny Frankel is pretty famous in the USA but a bit of an unknown here.  She's a regular on Real Housewives of NY and a natural food chef.  She's also Naturally Thin, so definitely worth taking advise from.

The principle of the book is based on 10 rules:

1. Your diet is a bank account (you need to balance your calories for the day).
2. You can have it all -- just not all at once.
3. Taste everything, eat nothing (share food, eat small bites).
4. Pay attention (say no to mindless eating.)
5. Downsize your portions now.
6. Cancel your membership in the Clean Plate Club.
7. Check yourself before you wreck yourself (stop emotional and binge eating).
8. Know thyself (know your trigger foods).
9. Get real (eat more whole foods and fewer processed ones).
10. Good for you (make peace with food).

It's all pretty basic stuff which we should have all been programmed with since birth - but i know I wasn't and i'm sure plenty of other people haven't been either.

We should all be able to enjoy our food without feeling fear as we are more conscious of what we are eating.

I've bought the CD to listen to in the car when travelling for work, have the book and also the cookbook (yet to try properly).  All can be bought on www.amazon.co.uk

If you want more information on Bethenny and her 10 rules visit: http://www.bethenny.com/

Personal training

So as mentioned in my first post, i've been having personal training sessions once a week for the past five weeks. Now, although obviously very overweight, I do go through fads of going to the gym. I'll go 3 times a week for a few months, then get bored of it and not go back for another few months and so the cycle continues.

I used to spend an hour on the cross trainer on level 8, get a bit sweaty and then head home, feeling i'd done enough. It made little, if no difference to my weight. It was during a phase of visiting the gym regularly that my other half suggested getting a personal trainer and for once I listened.

So every Saturday i've been getting up early to hit the gym with my personal trainer. AND it's been fantastic!

We've been doing weights, using the Vper bar (which I love), stepping and jogging and by the time i'm done i'm exhausted but happy.

It really has made a difference to how I exercise, especially as she's designed a workout for me to do by myself during the week.

I don't know how long I will be keeping this going for, and I know it's not for everyone due to the expense, but if you are a member of a gym, ask them to give you a free session so you really know how to work out.

I'll keep you all updated on my progress on the exercise front.

Welcome and me...

Hello everyone.

I thought i'd better start this blog off by introducing myself and telling you a little bit about what to expect on this blog.

My name is Mandy and i'm 29 years old.  I've started this blog to track my weightloss, look at gadgets, gizmos, diets etc that are going to help me reach my goal and generally hope to help people sift through all the rubbish surrounding diets and cut to the good stuff.

I'm currently 18 stone 13 (264lbs) and have been dieting seriously since August time when I was around 275lbs...so things are going down, but incredibly slowly.

I've been trying to change my way of life, aiming to incorporate healthy eating into my life, rather than thinking of this as a diet.

With this in mind i've been trying to practice the principles of 'Naturally Thin' - a book by Bethenny Frankel (i'll blog about the outline plan soon) which is based on 10 simple principles to guide you through life, along with 2 - 3 visits to the gym a week.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Naturally-Thin-Skinnygirl-Yourself-Lifetime/dp/1416597980/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319721999&sr=8-1

I have a personal trainer who I've now been to see 5 times (once a week) and not only is she really pushing me, but is making training more fun and more productive.

So, keep an eye out for my progress, down days, questions and reviews