For a about a decade I’ve been overweight, I’m 6ft1″ and in 2010 I peaked at 21st. Got into MTB’ing late 2009 and by mid 2010 was down to 17.5st. I was night riding three nights per week and a weekend ride but this cost me my relationship in the end, but it was doomed anyway and was really the final nail in the coffin.

I started a new relationship in May and whilst things are going OK I’ve not been riding as much and now I’ve left the ex I have time with my daughter leaving me less time to fit in riding a bike. I’ve crept back to 18.5st and I’m starting to get serious warning signs about my health.

I exercise a lot, I MTB once a week and got into speed skating which has helped my cardiovascular output but is now playing havoc with my knees. I’ve ignorantly carried on eating loads of chocolate, cola and processed foods as my train of thought has been I’d burn it off.

I’m a crap cook, I know very little about what’s best to eat and a picky palate to complicate things. Today I have had a bowl of coco pops for brekkie and a milky coffee, then lunch time I had edam and ham sandwich, caramel chocolate bar, bag of them steak crisps washed down with 500ml coke and then at tea time I had large portion of chicken and mushroom pie. chips, cabbage and a rare bowl of ice cream. I’m not kidding when I say that is a ‘light’ day for me.

I’ve always worked as a rep and do a lot of driving so it’s a boredom thing half of the time but my food discipline is dreadful.

Does anyone have any tips and recipes for healthy idiot proof food or/and tips to help me make a lifestyle change for good. I’ll always be heavy as I’m heavyset but 15st would be a nice target to aim for.

Cut out everything beginning with C in your diet.
No Chocolate, Crisps, Cake, Chips and anything that Counts as Crap.

It’s not scientific, but it’s easy to remember and a very good start.

It’s all doable, you just have to want it badly enough.

I think the fact that you’ve recognised it is a good start.

Plenty of good advice will follow.

Is it ianpinder who has had some truly AWESOME results in the field of weight loss? He’ll tell you what to do.

Celery, carrots, corn, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, chicken, chappati, curry?

The first thing you need to be aware of is that you cannot out train a bad diet, unless you are TSY or genetically lucky, and when losing weight is 85% diet then this is where you need to make some changes.

You probably do not realise how many calories you are taking in, so consider keeping a food diary. There are lots of websites and apps for smart phones that facilitate this. Also they will help you to work out your Basal Metabolic Rate, from which you can work out what your daily targets should be.

When it comes to cooking, for the start at least, try to pick a few simple meals and stick to them. Also plan your meals for the week, which will allow you to get all the ingredients in that you need. This way you will never be in one of those ‘nothing to eat’ moments and then reach for the takeaway menu.

Somethings are just common sense tho, like stop eating coco pops, unless you are still amazed at how the milk goes chocolatey, and liquid calories like coke.

….or just eat beans or something 😉

drink a pint of water everytime you think you are hungry

if you still think you want to eat after the third pint in any half hour period, you may eat something

a fella at the office did really well just having a Slimfast shake for 2 of his 3 meals

nothing special in them but all the numbers are counted so you don’t need to worry about going over on the calories

Celery, carrots, corn, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, chicken, chappati, curry

Sorry, I was presuming that geordiemick was of average intelligence. Thanks for your contribution though.

Personally, I think Crikey was just watching out for himself, in case Mick decides to taste the other white meat.

So, he should cut out all things beginning with ‘C’ which are bad for him? But the good things are just fine?

Speaking from experience, repping and diet do not a good combination make. Thankfully, I was younger and obviously “getting away with it” but some weeks I ate such shite.

Discipline – making your own lunch and stopping somewhere other than services with golden arches or Burger King signs to eat.

As Sean Locke once said, there’s nothing wrong with sucking a cock; I’ve had worse in pies at a football match…

So, he should cut out all things beginning with ‘C’ which are bad for him? But the good things are just fine?

Again with the helpful comments, you really are pushing the boat out tonight aren’t you?

Now now…

Email me for some free and useful advice. I feel unusually generous.

don’t carry any cash with you. If you have no cash, it’s harder to buy crap food.

don’t eat pies or pasties – Pastry is full of fat & has no nutritional value, and IMO no flavour either.

“Snack” foods are bad, as are sugary foods such as coco-pops, sugar puffs, frosties etc. Don’t even go near the donuts. most takeaways are pretty fatty too, although some chinese dishes are less so.

Make the portion sizes smaller and drink water with the meal, it’ll help fill you up quicker so you eat less.

don’t graze between meals.

If you have a thing for chocolate, ban it from the house/office/car – don’t buy it, ever.

Certainly am, just looking for clarification. I think you might have confused it with the diet where you cut out all the things begining with ‘k’

Kebab, KFC, Knackwurst, key lime pie, keftedes

idave, i am still waiting for you to email me back with the same kind of advice……….. 😐

I feel unusually generous.

👿

Avoid everything beginning with an ‘i’

Email me for some free and useful advice. I feel unusually generous.

The liposuction is on Dave!

cut out all the things begining with ‘k’

especially Krispy kremes

oh man, I’m like you in reverse. I usually have a “healthy” diet. but I am taking over my parents place for 10 days and the amount of bad food (as in calorie full, nutrition deficient) that they’ve got in for me is, basically, very moreish. It’s not just a matter of self control. It’s about not buying or filling your basket with tasty looking calorific stuff. If you are serious, make a total everyday of the calorie intake you are taking. you will be surprised. Aim for 2000

Avoid everything beginning with an ‘i’

That would include idiots, presumably.

It’s about having a reminder, an easily remembered theme which you apply to eating; nothing beginning with c is a useful guide because it makes you think ‘no crap’, and also cuts out all the choc/crisps/cake/coke stuff too.

It means you can choose stuff which isn’t crap, but makes you think before you choose.

But do carry on, you’ve been such a help…

…oh and another one. Never go food shopping when hungry.

Also, you probably burn a lot less calories exercising than you think. Keep this in mind.

Take up coffee instead.
Get a hand grinder, a pile of different beans, a machine or a cafetiere etc. Then instead of rummaging the kitchen looking for stuff to eat, spend the time making a decent drink.
I went through a period of about a year when I spiraled (weightwise) and just couldn’t shake the idea of every trip to the kitchen did not have to equate to food. Coffee/tea/juice, anything really, probably could describe it as a distraction, but it works for me.

Food wise I only cook every other day when on my own, and when I do I do casseroles, chilli’s, pasta dishes which are piss easy to make, cheaper than any ‘ready meal’ and will keep a few days in fridge (and generally taste better on second day anyway). Portion size is important too, I used to eat impeccably (I actually love boiled & root vegetables) but I would eat stuff in often vast quantities.

You also have to accept that the weight isn’t going to dissapear overnight, its going to take months, poss a few years to safely loose it and maintain it.

Sorry, you were right. Eat some things which begin with a c but avoid others, yes, its a good mnemonic.

CharlieMungus – Member
Certainly am, just looking for clarification. I think you might have confused it with the diet where you cut out all the things begining with ‘k’

Kebab, KFC, Knackwurst, key lime pie, keftedes

Eating alphabety spaghetti would require concentration.

I’m bowled over, you’re like the dietary Mother Theresa, thanks Charlie.

Take up coffee instead.
Get a hand grinder, a pile of different beans, a machine or a cafetiere etc. Then instead of rummaging the kitchen looking for stuff to eat, spend the time making a decent drink.
I went through a period of about a year when I spiraled (weightwise) and just couldn’t shake the idea of every trip to the kitchen did not have to equate to food. Coffee/tea/juice, anything really, probably could describe it as a distraction, but it works for me.

The man speaks psychological sense. Although after a certain time so you do not wreck your sleep pattern, I would recommend non-caffeine drinks link peppermint tea, roibush tea, green teas etc.

Eating alphabety spaghetti would require concentration.

Force you to eat slowly though.

Only kidding, fella, you’re OK!

iStarted a thread especially for you…

*drools*

Bless you, but no Communion wafers…..

Oh i know, no ‘c’ thats why i left them both out of the last post.

casseroles, chilli’s, Coffee

must resist…

I appreciate it sounds like I’m a stupid, but it actually worked quite well for me, especially using a works canteen. Going in with the ‘No C’ thing in my head helped me to avoid the ‘Oh I’ll have some chips’ or ‘Mmmm, I’ll have a cake’ thing.

The extension was that I stopped eating anything that I thought was ‘Crap’, which, as you have noticed is a fairly broad category and required a bit of thought.

If you’re short on free time, perhaps jack some of the exercise in and devote that time to making healthy food instead? Maybe the reason you eat shite is cos its easy.

A guy I know recently got “hit for six”

Sounds a bit like you, he was about 16 stone and just used to eat shite all day. Bags of crisps and chocolate during the day, pie and chips for lunch, kebab for tea etc.

They were doing blood pressure/cholesterol checks at some social group he goes to, he had one cos everyone else was doing them and he was shocked at the results.

That was about 2 months ago I think, from then on he’s cut most of the shite out of his diet, runs 5k every other night or so, and has apparently lost 2 stone. Thing is, he’s one of them people that can set his mind to something and do it. Thats all you need to do I guess.

Damn. Cider begins with a C.

slainte 😡 rob