Oh, no matter how fit you are, Pilates always makes you sore when you first start.

I’ve been drinking water like a parched sponge and am needing the loo again, sorry tmi!  Went running this morning and as usual, felt fab.

Your right Sarie, I have toned up with the running, but the actual numbers on the scales that still say I’m obese and I’d like not to be!  And I am more toned, but certainly still wobbly.

I love Zumba, how on earth are you going to do it every night?

Tanya

Doing ok here, now lost 3 stone, although been a bit static following Christmas, have stopped going to classes now for financial reasons, but determined to keep on going in the right direction! Now there’s a bit more light around and turning the corner from winter hoping I’ll get a bit more motivated. Best wishes all for a healthy 2012!

Nelly x

Pilates is not gentle, don’t beat yourself up Aisling, you only get out of it what you put in so you must have worked really hard   Good luck with Slimming World, that scares me

I love Zumba, how on earth are you going to do it every night?

I am doing the xbox 360 kinect Zumba and yes it is really hard, I do 20 minute classes and it is full on but I feel so good after the feeling in the legs comes back
I am doing as much as I can till I physically can’t do any more so that may be 10, 20 minutes or more.  Started last night so we’ll see how I go through the week.  In contrast I couldn’t run (bad knees and dark country lanes) so am jealous of your fitness regime

Nelly sounds like you are doing great, I am doing this as I am really looking forward to the spring this year and want to feel the energy and feel good about myself so I can thoroughly enjoy what we do!

sarie

Well done everyone for the efforts.  I have managed to lose a measly 2lbs but have joined the gym!  It has childcare so Boo can come with me.  I am looking forward to running again as I actually enjoy the mindless running on a machine - it allows my brain to shut down for a while
Lou

Oh dear, I weighed myself yesterday, I need to lose at least 2 and a half stone, preferably three!  Thinking about it I must have piled on about a stone in the last couple of months.  I have so few clothes that fit now it is making this cold weather rather challenging!

I’ve looked at slimming world, but just don’t think it is will work for me.  We already spend over £200 a week on food, I don’t want to be buying extra stuff so that it is low fat.  Also, many of the things assume you are buying some sort of processed food. Eg allowed two slices of bread a day, there is no way I can cut out homemade bread thin enough to be their allowance. 

Think I’m just going to have to do this myself.  Cut out the cakes and biscuits and get my backside moving a bit more (the last thing I want to do when it is so cold!). So I’ll need your help to help keep me on track!

Yeah, another one of us trying for the best.  I went out running this morning and it was really really cold.  I usually run very slowly for about 35mins, but on some days I also run 1 min sprints with 1min jog rest in between for a total of about 20mins to up my calorie use for the rest of the day and to increase my overall speed - I really hate the sprints.  However, it was so cold today that I did my sprints quite happily as it at least kept me warm.

So, my challenges this week are to:  - stop eating Nutella with a spoon in the evening (oh, I love it, but it really is not a good weight loss habit - I don’t do it every night, but still)
- eat fruit only for at least one of my 3 snacks per day
- only have 1 hot chocolate per day
- only have 1 portion of cake / biscuit / pudding per day

Because once again, I’m at exactly the same weight as last week, despite running and doing weight bearing exercise regularly all week (but eating baked stuff like it’s going out of fashion).

I have wondered about going for hypnotherapy - I have used this successfully for a needle phobia - has anyone used for weightloss?

Tanya

I am really ill, throat and chesty cough, kids have it to :(

I did 5 days of zumba and felt great before getting stressed and then ill, even if I felt better my eczema is so painful rubbing against my clothes when I exercise. I find I miss it now!

I have lost a couple of pounds but will probably put them back on being ill.
Will try and crochet so I don’t snack

I would highly recommend a smoothies in the morning and evening, maybe the one in the morning instead of breakfast and the one in the evening to stop the munchies and fill you up?
Hot water with a slice of lemon in the morning is lovely too, I found I missed it when it was a rush.  But it stopped me craving stodgy stuff for breakfast and it helps digestion.

Would that help stop the munching Tanya?
Claire/Aisling can you include a lunch that is raw, you seemed to like the recipes from the raw book.  Maybe rethink what cakes you make for a while and either make ones that you don’t like or reduce or substitute ingredients, it’s not going to harm the kids for a few weeks and will help you.

Does it help you guys to plan meals and snacks and have them ready? It helps me a lot
Hope you find a way around this,
sarie

Ooh just a thought Aisling, haven’t you got a kinect with the xbox 360?
I found the racing stuff, especially Kinect adventrues a really good work out with out realising it.
Especially the raft race! Jumping, ducking and dodging side to side is a real work out.  There are a couple more which are great but all are great fun
Also you can do it with the kids, then march on the spot when it’s not your turn and that’s interval training

sarie

I’m finding giving myself challenges (only 1 hot choc a day, for example) has been helpful today.  I’m great in the morning, but after about 2pm I can feel the baking calling and by 8.30 when they are both asleep and I’m on my own, then I feel like I ‘deserve’ something for myself.  I have promised myself a riding lesson with dd next Sun if I stick to my challenges this week.

Sorry you’re feeling rubbish, Sarie.  I really munch when ill, it’s like I have a normal appetite but just want stodgy comfort food.  We were talking about munching when ill at work and someone at my work who is very thin said, ‘Yes, when I’m ill I really crave food’, we all nodded, then she went on with ‘I nibble on iceberg lettuce straight from the fridge,  it’s just what I fancy’ - I don;t think she really ‘gets’ cravings. LOL

Tanya

I’m just starting my weight loss plan, trying to get something done before the summer.
I weigh 11stone 5 llbs and would like to get to 9 stone 11 llbs.
I’m going to try to do 10-15 mins mornings and evenings on the cross trainer 5x a week.
i’m approx 172cm tall = 5f 7inch

That sounds like a good plan

Have you been 9stone 11lb before, seems so little

I am 5foot 5inches and currently 11stone

After dropping 1/2 stone I have had some health issues and am now stuck! 
But have recently, 5 days ago stopped eating wheat, yeast, sugar, garlic and I don’t eat dairy so with starting the Zumba again (tonight, fingers crossed, was doing 6 days a week) hopefully the weight will start dropping again

Anyone else care to share?
Also who is everyone on fb, if you are on there?
sarie

1. Reason for dieting?
I feel happier as a person when my weight is at a level I feel comfortable with. I feel better about myself, which makes me happier, which in turn makes everyone else in the house happier in one way or another.

2. Target weight?
8st 13lbs. I’m 10st 6lbs now, and I want to get back to the weight I was when I fell pregnant with Pixie, as it was the first time I genuinely liked how I looked. I’m also wanting to tone up my thighs, stomach and arms, as well as increase my flexibility and core strength.

3. How much we want to lose?
1st 7lbs.

4. What’s our craving?
I love Galaxy chocolate!

5. How are you going to attain this?
Continue breastfeeding Pixie (lol) and running around after Ru, as well as 3 45minute sessions on the Kinect a week (we have a game called Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012 that is mind-blowingly good, and can be tailored to your fitness level, weight, experience, goal, etc.)

I’m also looking at starting a yoga class, but that’s for a little while in the future as Pixie is still doing LOTS of feeding!

Ok I am in too.

1. Reason for Losing weight?
I feel cr*p, I’m so overweight its going to start causing health issues, mentally I’m ready to conceive another LO but can’t because of my weight, I feel I can’t provide DS a healthy lifestyle, can’t run after him, don’t take him out as much as he needs because I’m embarrassed and just don’t have the energy.

2. Target weight?
To be my ideal weight I need to lose 7 1/2 And I’m 5ft 5.

3. What’s your craving?
The question *should* be what isn’t your craving! Chocolate, home baked cakes and goodies, toast, chocolate. My teeth are all going to fall out as I often have a hankering for diet coke

4. How are you going to attain this?
Not sure if I’ll be much help, I am on a go slow weight loss plan, that is, I have really poor eating habits, and I’m losing weight for good this time and need to change those habits, which is of course going to be slow and steady. Have done slimming world before, successfully, but its not for me this time, for similar reasons as Aisling said above. I’m not holding out for a weekly weight loss, my goals at first are more to see my behaviours change, and, fingers crossed, the weight loss will follow after this. So at first, my goals are to exercise more - walk with DS (luckily we live in Wales where there are loads of hills ) use the wii 3x a week (just dance) and to start doing some tai chi/yoga/pilates.

Erm, in terms of food - freezing cakes so I can’t eat them, tuning in to foods, eating mindfully, increase fruit portions, I eat loads of veg anyway, drink more water, the list could go on really.

My scales have gone in the cupboard, fed up of them being stuck on the same weight, so will just be going by how I feel, hope this is ok and I can still join in in some way.

Well, I live in hope anyway x x

I’m joining too!
Currently-
about 11st would like to be under 10. Just managed to get to that this time last year then got pregnant with ds! Started running again but evenings are hectic with dh studying and ds feeding so only manage 1 a week atm. Was hoping bf and walking with ds in sling would do it but I’m just constantly eating!
Plan-
Need to eat fruit rather than bread.
Start yoga video again.
Downfall
snacks! Biscuits, bread and butter, toast, crackers and cheese

Anyone do any online exercise class or dvd? Fancy something to do at home but don’t have tv or xbox or the like!

Anyone do any online exercise class or dvd? Fancy something to do at home but don’t have tv or xbox or the like!

Try youtube, the belly dancing is good on there but work outs tend to be broken down into segments so can get annoying.  I would just have a think about what you want to acheive and what exercise can help.  Dh uses a small routine that is simple and easy to do any time.

For example, to increase aerobic activity jog fast or slow or interval on the spot, do sit ups, press ups, leg lifts, back raises, dips, works pretty much the whole body
Also good to spot train bits you hate, stomach for me, so a couple of times a day do sit ups till you can’t do any more!

sarie