[KylieY]

Hi there

I have just come home from the doctors with my blood test results. I have low Vitamin D, even lower iron, slightly high cholesterol and a fatty liver. I do not drink, so the doctor told me it is most likely my diet.

I need to lose 20 kilos. I have tried to lose weight hundreds of times. And every time I fail. Every.single.time. Now with these health issues I really need to get serious. My sister is a personal trainer, so I can exercise with her and I have recently bought a bike, so the exercise part is covered.

I need to really look at my food. This is where I get into trouble. I love food. I love reading about it, cooking it, I love menu planning, I love all cooking shows.

But I have an overwhelming fear of failing yet again. I don't know what program to follow so I thought I'd come in here for suggestions. I need a diet rich in fibre and high in protein and iron. Are there any great cookbooks out there that have recipes I can follow?

Any info, I'd be grateful.

Thanks

[~~HappyMummy~~]

Join weight watchers, attend their meetings and track what you eat. It's a very sensible program and you'll get tonnes of support.

[I*Love*Christmas]

I would also suggest Weight Watchers. It will give you the skills and support to get yourself on track.

[Sofia*]

Honestly, I wish I knew the answer.
I lost more than 20kg using My Fitness Pal (myfitnesspal.com) to track my food and exercise but over the last two years have found that it's creeping back on again.
There is no mystery as to why I'm putting on weight - the issue is that I'm eating too much junk and not exercising enough. The problem I have is that I just find it so hard to make changes that I can keep up for the longterm.... like lots of people I've lost weight and put it back on again more times than I can count, purely because of my bad habits.

So, for me, the question is not "how can I lose weight" but "how can I change my eating habits and mindset around food so I don't spend the rest of my life yo-yo-ing".

I know this is not answering your questions, but I'd really encourage you not to just "go on a diet" but start thinking about the things that will have to change forever if you want to get to a healthier weight and stay there.

I have found a book by Gillian Riley to be quite helpful, called "Eating Less". And MFP (myfitnesspal.com) is worth a look too, it's free, easy and can be effective if you "just want to lose weight".

[KylieY]

Thanks Happy Mummy - I have tried Weight Watchers before - I shall look into it again.

And thanks Rubybelle - I was nodding the entire time I was reading your post. I will download that app, thanks. That books sounds quite interesting. And I too am the same as you. I know it all comes down to my bad habits.

Thanks again.

[Lausii]

I can't recommend My Fitness Pal enough. It has changed my way of thinking about food. I have learnt so much, and have never lost this much weight ever in all my weight loss attempts. (see ticker) There's also a handy app for smart phones where you can scan barcodes for nutritional info. It works everything out for you.

Best of luck!

[emlis22]

Hi Kylie,

I have been using Michelle Bridges crunchtime cookbook. I exercise probably 3 or 4 nights a week and I've lost 5kg in 7 weeks (8.5% of my body weight) and it's SO EASY. The food is delicious, she has a 12 week meal plan so you can just follow that, or swap and change for recipes you like. There is also scope to try new flavours/variations and it doesn't feel like a "diet", but more a learning curve. I've had take away most Sunday nights, and still have the odd choccie and wine, so by no means am I being an angel, but the book teaches you about portions, what foods to eat etc so that my choices are wiser.

Oh, and I love cooking shows and meal planning too and I've found this great.

This post has been edited by emlis22: 19/02/2013, 03:55 PM

[Escapin]

Dietician - on a care plan from your GP so should be free/close to it.

exercise (walking doesn't count) 4 times a week.

Use a entree plate instead of a dinner plate whenever you eat.

Try to always leave something on your plate. Even if it's the salad to start with!!!

Stop drinking anything cold besides water - no cordial/soft drink/diet anything. Sparking water with a squeeze of REAL lime/lemon juice is OK.

And get your husband/partner/best friend on board.

And lastly, stop bothering weighing yourself. Measure around your arms/thighs/waist/hips instead. This will reduce more quickly than your weight and give you some positive feedback to help keep you motivated.

[laridae]

Combine MFP and the CSIRO diet.
CSIRO diet has lots of meat, so high in protein & iron, and is low carb.
MPF helps you keep track of calories, so you know how much you can eat.

[Tammy Swanson]

Hi KylieY,

Late last year I did the michelle Bridges 12week program and it was awesome! I lost 13 kgs in 12 weeks and this was weight I had been trying to shift for about 6 years! It was so successful I found myself knocked up at the end of it but as soon as I have this baby I will be back on it.

You sign up for 12 weeks and she sends you all your meal plans and exercise for 7 days. then you get 2 videos weekly from her ( for the group) which she talks about your mindset. It was amazing as she made me think of why I was overweight and not just the food side. She has a forum also which was invaluable help but the great part was, there are facebook groups that you can join for your area and you can choose to meet up for group training to follow the program that Michelle sends you or you can do it alone. I am so not a 'group meeting strangers' person but I bit the bullet and did them and I am so glad I did as I have met some really nice people who have offered great support when I have needed it. Not I know it is not for everyone as it is pretty full on exercise wise and is a very low cal diet.

I have joined weight watchers before but I hated it as I felt they pushed way too much of 'fat free' treats and frozen meals (which is their income I know) and I do not think they encouraged you to exercise much beyond walking.Good luck