Day 1

[Kathygodders]

Well that's day 1 complete, I've counted calories to the best I can but I know I have ate less/healthier. I've not snacked between meals, I've cut out fizzy and drank water instead. I had special k for breakfast( weighed out) with semi skimmed milk, for lunch I had chicken salad, go ahead bar for mid afternoon break and for dinner I had chicken and veg and a very small portion of mash....I'm feeling good and positive and welcome any advice, I want to succeed as I need to change how I look and feel X

[Anon-E-Mouse]

Hopefully you have enjoyed your first day on your journey to good health Kathygodders 😀 Your menu sound yummy!

I found it very difficult at first to make sure I had enough of all the food groups and kept to my calorie limit. Do you use anything to help count the calories? A lot of us on here use Myfitnesspal app. Sorry if you already know about it, but in case you don't - you put in what you have and it will give the calories for it, it keeps a record, gives the nutrients, whether you are under or over your calorie goal. You can put your weight in each week (or when you want) and it gives a graph. I find this visual weight loss aid very helpful and the calorie counting so much easier.

Good luck for the rest of the week 🍀🍀

Mouse 🐭

[Kathygodders 2 stone in reply to Anon-E-Mouse]

Hiya, yes I use fitness pal but sometimes I find it difficult to know the calories I'm eating, my husband cooks the dinners in the week and he has always cooked healthy, he gives me a smaller portion. I count the calories as best as I can. X

[Anon-E-Mouse in reply to Kathygodders]

How lovely not to have to cook during the week! I understand how hard it is to count cals when you've not done the weighing and cooking. I sometimes go to my daughter's for dinner and have to guess the cals, although I do ask for a small portion of carbs but lots of veggies 😁

It's the snacks I have to watch out for 😃 Hope your first weigh in (perhaps join the Monday weigh in with us?) shows how hard you've worked on your first week 👍

Mouse 🐭

[IndigoBlue61]

Well done on completing that most difficult first day 😊🎉😊 it does get easier, trust me! Nutrition is a very complex science and we cannot get it right all the time, luckily we don't need to. Just keep making small changes, healthier choices, smaller portions, walking more etc and these will all add up to a big difference 😊 Are you following the 12 week plan? The weekly emails are very useful 😊

Good luck

[Hidden]

Hi Kathygodders

Just reading your post and well done on starting a healthier living plan. I would like to offer some advice if I may to help you along.

Try using a smaller plate. We eat so much food with our eyes and if the plate looks full then you'll actually feel full afterwards. If we didn't eat with our eyes then why is there food adverts everywhere we turn. A smaller plate can save you as much as 300 calories a day. As for cereal, Special K may not be the best choice for you as there are far better more filling breakfasts that you can have. Special K does contain a lot of sugar meaning that when you eat it, you get a big sugar spike and then drops quite quickly meaning that you get hungry quicker. If you eat, say porridge, you get a slow sugar spike and a longer drop meaning that you stay fuller for longer. Here is a post about Special K and how misleading they have been.......

'The cereal has been promoted to generations of women on the basis it can help weight loss as part of a calorie-controlled diet.

In reality it contains a relatively high amount of sugar compared to other cereals – double the level in cornflakes and three times that of Weetabix.

'

One other thing before I bore you to death is, if you are able then try some exercise to boost that calories loss. Even small walks, so long as you go at a pace where you can hear your breath, are fantastic and you will really benefit. Exercise actually gives you more energy to do other things. No need to go out like Usain Bolt but go out and enjoy the walk. If walking isn't your thing then try another sport, tennis, badminton etc.

Good luck and hopefully you'll get to where you want to be. Don't forget, it's taken your whole life to get to where you are now, don't expect a quick magic fix. It takes time and effort and you will have bad weeks along with amazing weeks so what ever happens, stay motivated, even when the scales don't quite go where you want them to.

[Anon-E-Mouse in reply to Hidden]

Hear hear Hidden - I absolutely agree with all that sound advice. 👍 Well said, and you've reminded me - must use a smaller plate 😄

[Kathygodders 2 stone in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for the advice about special k, feel gutted now....think I will have porridge tomorrow. Do you recommend something I could have with it? Would banana be ok?

Thank you for all the advice

[Hidden]

A banananana. So straight away your starting your day off with your one a day. Perfect way to start the day. Another tip might be to swap the semi milk for almond milk. Saving even more calories but you don't end up going without. Sensible swaps are what is needed. Swap potatoes for sweet potatoes. More fibre, more vitamins and minerals and less calories.

Swap white bread for whole grain bread. Whole grains fill you up for longer. White pasta swap for whole wheat pasta and the same for rice. Swap it for wild rice or whole grain rice. All much better for you and more filling. Also, if you like yoghurt then ditch the fat free and go full fat as fat free does tend to have more sugar and, because of the size of the yoghurt, you're not putting much fat inside yourself but your body does need fat to digest certain vitamins. Don't forget the power of google and look around for tips and ideas.

As it happens, I've just had my porridge with a bananananana and some almond milk......Lovely.....

If you take sugar in drinks such as tea and coffee, ditch it as that can save you 10lbs of weight every single year just on its own.........

[Kathygodders 2 stone in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much X