Garfy

45 year old here, wondering what happened to the last 10 years (oh yes I had 2 kids & put on weight!) lol

Hi When I did my first 5k run I had a 'bad session' a few days prior & thought 'why am I doing this?' Prior to the actual race I had never managed to run the full 5k without stopping On the day, I just keep myself towards the back of the pack & got going. I ended up running all the way for the first time & in my best time…

Definitely measure yourself & go by the way your clothes fit instead of weight alone. I seem to have slowed, yet my stomach is flatter & I'm wearing trousers I haven't worn for 2 years! Keep going your doing fab!

Hiya I use JuicePLUS - you can choose what to mix them with (come in Vanilla or chocolate), there are some great recipes (including adding fresh fruit). My favourite is: Vanilla powder 200ml Alpro Dark Chocolate Almond Milk 100 ml water crushed ice & blitz! I have been told (but haven't tried yet) that if you then add…

Yes, I can see a difference, particularly around the hips & your waist. Have you been measuring yourself? It is certainly worth doing so if you haven't been. Do you clothes feel any looser? These things can also help you keep motivated. Keep going you are doing great ! Angie

I did my first 5km run back in July - when I told my husband I had entered it, he lay on the floor & laughed (quite correctly as the word run & me have never gone together). I have never been a runner, but decided that it was about time I gave it a go - I wish I had had chance to read this before I started my training! I…

What a fantastic achievement - well done ! I ran my first 5km this year - when I told my husband back in January that I had signed up for it, he actually lay down on the floor & laughed (he knows how much I hate running). In July I did it & hope you feel as fab as I did when you reach the finish line. Angie x

Losing weight & then maintaining once you are happy with it should be a 'life style' change instead of a diet. We all have our ups & downs. My attitude is that you should still be able to enjoy your food. Take the time to look at what you eat. You may find that you can still eat a lot of the things you enjoy, but just in…

I used this to get ready for my first ever Race For Life back in July (& I hate running with a passion). I must admit that I didn't fully stick at it as I started running with a couple of friends twice a week towards the end. I ended up running the full 5k in 36 1/2 minutes & bearing in mind that in January I couldn't run…

Hi, Remember - its not always about the actual weight you loose - your body shape is just as important. Take your measurements & check them fortnightly. If you're clothes are looser, then you ARE on the right track. You are exercising & muscle is heavier than fat! Well done :) Garfy x

Hi In the first few weeks just focus on improving your overall stamina - don't worry about how far you actually run. Keep to a steady pace, & then over the weeks you can gradually speed up. Along with another friend (also MFP member), I ran my first 5km (Race For Life) last Sunday & we both completed the distance in just…

Have you been measuring yourself? Don't always go on just weight alone, do your clothes feel looser etc?

Hi, Well done for getting back to it. I do agree that this should be seen as a lifestyle change, not a diet. Few things that I find are working for me: I lost my Mum to Cancer 8 years ago & for the last 7 years have said 'I should do the Race For Life' ..... but never have as I hate running with a passion. So, 6 months…

Vodka lime & soda is my tipple - i think it works out about 80 calories a drink.

I'm 43 this year - but with 2 children aged 5 & nearly 4, I cannot afford to view myself as 'elderly!' Age has fortunately never been something that has bothered me - life is too short to worry about it - you never know when your time is up, (my Mum died at 59), so my attitude is to make the most of it while I can. I have…

Welcome & good luck ! I have found this site so useful over the last 8 months & have connected up with some great people - I hope you do too. It has been the best way I have found to date to motivate me to lose the weight - I'm after a lifestyle change, so my loss rate is slow, but the main thing for me is that I have…

Cadbury's Chocolate fingers (which I now know would wipe out my daily calorie allowance & then some ....) Box of mint matchmakers Packet of 12 Thorntons Caramel Squares Whilst I could easily one of them now, I am actually quite happy muching on some fresh cherries :)

For a mini chocolate fix I have a couple of Mikado Sticks. They are just 11 calories each. Special K do a Mint Chocolate Bliss bar which is 89 calories Aside from this a 2 finger kitkat at 107 calories isn't bad either. Good luck !

My biggest surprise was portion sizes - I was generally eating for 3 (especially breakfast cereals). I still look in my bowl & think is that all? !!

Tell us a bit about you & what you are hoping to achieve :)

I just want to reiterate the importance of measuring. Before I joined mfp I never used to weigh myself (I had to go out & buy some scales), I just went by measurements & how my clothes felt. To me this is far more important. Dropping cm / inches from round the waist / stomach is far more satisfying :) Keep up the good work…

Well done everyone. Sorry to let the side down by not losing anything last week (to be honest, I was pleased when I found I had stayed the same !). I have just signed up to do the Race for Life in memory of my mum & I HATE RUNNING - so perhaps this will give me even more incentive to shed the 7lbs (at least) that I still…

Hi O'm originally from Worcestershire, now based in Appleton, Cheshire. Check out the challenge thread - Northern Numpties v Southern Softies - there are a few more on there ! Angie

Hi All, Its going to take me ages to add everyone on this thread as a friend - but I will give it a go. I joined around 6 months ago & am 1 stone lighter :) I still would like to lose another stone over the next 12 months, but found my motivation was severly lacking in Nov / Dec & pretty much fell off the wagon so to…

A lovely chesse to have (although I this one doesn't melt ) is Halloumi. I call it squeeky cheese ! It is lovely sliced & grilled & they even do a 'light' version in some places A friend of mine is lactose intolerant, as as long as she bought the right type, she would often have it. (The slightest spec of dairy in her case…

Your welcome to check out mine - I'm only on 1200. At the start, I found it difficult too, but lately, I have actually been under on a few occassions. I will though that I'm not a very adventurous eater !

Good job for getting on board. I'm in my 8th week - its been a little tough this week, bit stressed with work & having to stop myself from comfort eating. I've added you as a friend to offer some support if you would like it ! Good luck Angie

Good luck ! I've added you as a friend for you to accept if you wish :) The key thing I've learned the most from this site is portion control. Also, this is a lifestyle change, rather than a diet. If you look at it that way, then it doesn't matter if you only maintain your loss some weeks, especially if you've had a party…

Good luck. I hope deing introduced to this site will help you as much as it has helped me. I have added you as a friend. Angie

Good luck ! I have always 'comfort ate' & losing a loved one is a hard thing - I don't think anyone can actually appreiciate just how hard it is unless they have experienced it themselves. I lost my mum 7 years ago & it still seems like yesterday. I have loads of happy memories of her that I focus on & I like to think that…