It is scary how much weight I have put on over Xmas and since. Just before Xmas I was about 84kg…I am now 89.5kg and rising!

I have done as much riding since the new year and I now have a stinking cold stopping me getting out.

Thing is salads are just not tempting this time of year and looking after 3 kids single handed (wife left me for another man) I tend to cook ‘kids’ stuff which is chips etc…no good for my diet but ok for theirs…they are skinny!

My waistline has gone from 34 inch to 36 inch and all my jeans and trousers are really tight.

I heard crash diets dont work but I need to do something.

Just trying to be helpful here but why not cook one meal that you and your kids can eat? That way you can all eat healthily, after all they won’t stay skinny for ever eating chips etc.

Don’t give them a choice. I know it sounds harsh but mine had to eat the same as me.

…… tend to cook ‘kids’ stuff which is chips etc…no good for my diet but ok for theirs

No, sorry to say, it’s not…..really!

One thing myself and mrs RRR have tried recently is limiting carbs but not to the Atkins degree.

Generally, we only allow ourselves 2 portions of bread/rice/pasta a day, 2 portions of dairy (cheese mostly) and then as much meat and veg/fruit and eggs as we want (apart from starchy veg like sweet potato and normal spuds too)

.. and then basically don’t touch anything else

so for example, if I have toast for breakfast, one sarnie for lunch then I can’t have pasta or potato for tea etc

It really seems to work well

just a thought…

maybe not good for them but they are fussy eaters…they are healthy really they are but I understand that eating chips forever wil leventually catch up with them. I try to stuff as much fruit in them as possible to help balance out the crap.

I could cook separate but you know it is not always easy as I work full time and looking after 3 kids on your own you dont get alot of time!

I concede I need to make a greater effort however.

c_g speaks sense. If they are old enough get them to join in/help with the cooking.
Start them off with doing some home made pizzas with some nice healthy toppings.

It takes a bit of time but you could always oven bake your own chips from real spuds and use that as one of your 2 fibre portions (as long as you don’t smother them in loads of oil)?

I’ve heard about other people losing weight merely by stopping eating bread..

I used to find it really helpful to plan a menu for the week and shop accordingly.

Chips would be OK once a week though! It’s good that you recognise what you need to do and your kids must see that you are not going to pander to them, as it were.

Pfft! I put on 8kg In December 😀

Kids still need a balanced diet. One thing I am not sure on is actually how much in the way of carbs they need. Perhaps iDave could offer an opinion?

If you are doing packed lunches, then you need to continue with healthy eating for the contents. It is hard cos kids are constantly hungry!

thanks guys…averaging chips twice a week at present…also on bread I saw something said that bread was the secret fattening food that people did not realise even wholegrain!

I like the idea of restricting the carbs to 2 portions a day. I can see how that might work and I might gibe it a go.

As to pampering the kids it is difficult because we have just gone through a messy divorce so you dont want to be too hard on them…I have two boys 17 and 14 and one daughter 7 years old. Boys are fundamentally lazy!

Om the spuds I grow my own as I have an allotment but not much coming off it this time of year.

Dont eat carbs for dinner, it’s working wonders for me.

The term ‘diet’ is incorrectly used to describe a short term weight loss solution.
A diet is simply “the food you eat”. So, a healthy diet is vitally important, but even more important is the fact that it is a lifelong change, not just a “2 week blast”.
At 90kg your bodie require ‘x’ amount of energy to simply stay alive. At 80kg it requires less than ‘x’ to maintain the weight.
Whatever change you make to get to 80kg, if you return to your old way, so will your weight…
Although a lot is said about ‘low carb’ diets etc etc, it is all a form of portion control, in order to lower calorie intake (balanced against expenditure).

Also, I agree with the comments made about eating with the kids, but eating healthy, filling meals with them.

I was at an interesting talk the this week byMike Stroud, and when crossing the arctic he was eating over 6000 calories a day, mostly BUTTER! After 66 days he lost about 20kg. How? He was burning 11000 calories most days…..

It’s all an energy balance game!

DrP

Thanks Drp…

yes I know its a calories number game but techniques to fool your body are vital also. Its not having the hunger pangs and knowing things like protein makes you feel more full than you actually are for instance.

I know crash diets dont work because the body will not let fat burn because it thinks it needs to preserve it. So gradual weight loss is always best.

Kids can be a minefield especially someone in my predicament going through a divorce and being a one parent set up with 3 of them.

I am on a slight diet meaning that weight loss is slow but I’m on a downward trend (although I went up 3kg. at Christams).

I have found a set of rules based aound my life that seem to work. I think most people can come up with a set of internal rules that work round the things you can’t do without and then trimming other areas.

One of my most important rules is that you put your food on the plate at the begining of meal is all that you are allowed to eat. Look at the food and be clear in your mind that it is enough. Then no seconds and most importnat of all nothing from anyone elses plate (smaller plates may well help here)

Other rules I have that work for me but necessarily you. I never eat pudddings or other food with refined sugar.

I heard that a good principal is to decide the number of times you eat per day and stick to it, but restrict the amount in each meal. So for me thats 6 times a day. But alot of it is bowls of mueslie and i really cut down the portion size and by using a really small bowl.

I’m allowed to break the rules on Fridy night and on Sunday I often eat a roast dinner that is way more than my usual sandwidge. Neverless christmas aside I can stick to these rules with very little effort and the weight creeps down. I think last Feb was 101.5 kg. Just before Christmas I was down to 95Kg. Last Sunday I was 96.8kg (another rule I weigh myself last thing Sunday and write it on the calendar). At 93 kg my BMA will be change from over weight to normal.

You can regard the rate of loss as pathetic but the key thing is that to me it feels sustainable. I put on about 18 kg over 15 years. I’m going down faster than that

Finally sympathies to your situation. I think you are correct your kids don’t need a diet war at the moment. Take it in stages. Step 1 see if you can maintain your current weight for say 3 weeks. The start making really small changes until it starts creeping down….

The above step is a good approach. Unfortunately, our bodies are very good at preserving energy, and our minds play a big part in’ hunger and appetite’. Buy that I mean, MOST of the time you stop eating/feel full, isn’t due to chemicalstelling you so, it’s YOU telling you so, and the chemicals soon follow, confirming you are full. This is confirmed by the fact that if you want to, you can keep eating until you are going to pop (think pizza hut buffet!). You keep eating, then a short while later you feel fit to burst. This doesn’t always happen, does it, so there is an element of’ mental’ control over the ideas of fullness….

DrP

All this talk of pizza has got me hungry….

fatkins works for me, keeps me nice and lean 😀

Its not having the hunger pangs and knowing things like protein makes you feel more full than you actually are for instance.

It’s okay to feel hungry.

Also, most people mistake appetite (the desire for food) for hunder (the ‘requirement’ for food).

DrP

Thanks ampthill and DrP really useful advice…thanks for taking the time to type long reply that I think I can take some good tips from. I concur with the ‘life’ rules approach and I need to re-establish some of mine.

I weigh myself every week too which helps keep me focused on the goals…

Stress ups your appetite, kids up your stress.

Just eat less. Its not a sin to be hungry.

I used to work with an Indian lass, Gheeta if I remember correctly. Great girl with strong views on food and nutrition.

Not in the same position as you but she and hubby both worked full time and had a couple of children which made meals a bit demanding. She used to have a big cook up on a Sunday and prepare the weeks meals in advance. Seemed to work well for her and we got surplus bahjis and samosas of a Monday lunchtime which was a winner all round.

Just a thought like…

Biggest problem for me trying to lose weight is getting the right amount of food on the kids plates. Otherwise if they leave too much there is a temptation to scavenge just because I hate throwing out lots of food 🙁

Liking the idea of only putting on your plate what you think you need and sticking with it

leffeboy I’m not saying I’m perfect on this but I’m way better

Knowing the dog will eat it helps….

bag of pasta a large dalmio pot choice of gamon,bacon,grilled chicken cut into peices cook it all up thats days of food right there me misses and 2yo love it just bowl some up and nuke it for abit whenever the hunger strikes,easy after work or eaten cold for a nibble

keep a bowl of fruit in the front room not in kitchen ul be suprised what ul eat while watching tv,computer if u dont go and find crisps,choc

throu the day at work i munch on mixed fruit & nuts insted of snacking on choc bars
iv recentley found out i am officialy unfit and want to do somthing about it but it takes time so dont expect results straight away and get dishartend also if u can nudge the kids the same way the better for them aswell.

as for the 17yo he can make his own if he dousent like yours only really have to feed the yongers ones.
my 2p worth 😀

there is a temptation to scavenge just because I hate throwing out lots of food

Thing to realise is that the excess food is wasted whether it goes into you or the bin

Thing to realise is that the excess food is wasted whether it goes into you or the bin

Amen to that brother.