suzikay

I've bought a brilliant book by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, "River Cottage Veg Every Day". You might be able to get it via your library? He's a meat-lover who took the challenge to eat only veggies for a period of time, and it has resulted in some great recipes and meal ideas, many of which are light in calories and cost…

Yes, I second lemon or lime juice as a marinade. Poached in water with fresh green or dried herbs to taste (tarragon or thyme, for example) is about the healthiest way to cook chicken - about 10-20 minutes according to size. You get a lovely moist meat. Very good with salad, and if you want a few small new potatoes as well…

I'm definitely changing my lifestyle, too. This site is brilliant at helping you learn how to get the best nutrition from what you eat and drink, and how exercise interacts with your energy intake. I thought we ate quite a healthy diet before, when I was 33lbs heavier than I am now, and that my obesity was due to the…

I am so grateful to the friend who introduced me to MFP - it's been really effective in helping me lose weight - 33lbs so far - and we are learning a better way of eating for life rather than following a diet. My husband hasn't been logging in like me, but he has gone down a trouser size - probably more like two now, we…

Good to know you too! I usually catch everything going whatever the season, but of course there's more about at this time of year. About diet, I'm sure that drinking loads of water the MFP way is good for health too, if only for the exercise of running back and forth to the loo!

I've had ME for 23 years! I have been eating gluten-free and wheat-free for quite a number of years now, and it has helped reduce my symptoms, but not totally. I eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and am cutting back on carbs and fats primarily here - and my husband has been eating along with me and is down a size of…

You wouldn't need to stay on 1200 calories for life - once you reach your goal weight, you can up it according to what you need to maintain that weight. I've not had the surgery, but have been managing t lose weight very well on 1200 a day, apart from a blip when I had a total hip replacement a couple of weeks ago, and the…

Lactulose is what they gave me in hospital and it was gentle, worked in two days and is certainly OTC in the UK. I also swear by sweetcorn and also "real coffee" but I know everyone is different. Fruit and vegetable fibre are the fibres to concentrate on for a good bulk.

Well done! 8lbs is an impressive weight loss in such a short time anyway, but baggy pants just feel soooo good!

I swim. I have just had a hip replacement and so have had to take a break, but I'm hoping to return to t he water and to aquarobics shortly. Cycling can also work.

I've lost 9lbs during September, which is pleasing. Monday I'm having my hip replacement operation, and I reckon every lb off will help my recovery. Hoping to carry on losing but I'm having a month off the challenges as I figure I'll have enough to cope with as it is, and also it will be difficult to weigh and track my…

I think I'm going to have to give it a miss this month, as I go into hospital on Monday morning for hip replacement surgery - it's going to be a tricky time. If I can keep to my approx. calorie target in hospital and when I get home again, I'll be happy but surprised! We'll see. But I won't be very mobile for a while so…

Managed another couple of pounds off - down to 192.

No movement on the scales this week - those flipping analgesics are not helping the throughput.

I'm so happy for you! It makes such a difference. Some of my clothes are quite comically baggy now and I've been hunting in the wardrobe for things I haven't been able to wear for quite a while. I may be a hoarder, but it feels good to be able to go "shopping in my closet" for free!

Just ask who you are cheating if you cheat... There are times when it's hard to stick within the calorie guidelines for losing weight, but you can make up for it in some respects by more exercise and cutting back on other days. Oh holiday we had a number of meals out, but I was walking way more than usual which helped, and…

Sadly have gained back 1lb this week - hope it soon goes again. Must be a blip as I've been good. Oh well, you win some, you lose some and occasionally you go backwards....

Hi, Debbie! Welcome to MFP. Sorry to hear you have arthritis too. I'm having a total hip replacement in three weeks, which was a great incentive to start losing weight and get fitter. Since the end of June I've managed to lose 21lbs, even though I've not been able to exercise all of that time for various health reasons.…

You are an inspiration and a great example to us all. Well done!

Pretty spectacular apparent weight loss this week. However, on holiday I did a lot of walking which hurt my arthritic hip and also increased muscle and nerve pain due to my ME/CFS so took a fair share of my prescribed codeine, which has constipation as a side effect. Home again, more normal activity level plus being able…

Great thread: I no longer have a crock pot, but these recipes would work so well for slow cooking at a low temperature in the oven, too! And I can vouch for the pork teriyaki recipe as I've cooked it, too.

Yes, I do, too. It seems daft not to. It is very interesting to see how much even one of something racks up on the calorie score - sometimes, the discoveries are pleasing!

Wow: how brilliant is that?!! My DH won't weigh himself at the moment but he has been losing weight with me because he's eating what I'm eating and he's taken himself in hand regarding the food he eats out of the house. He has had an NSV, though: needs a new hole punching in his belt!

It is scary, especially at first. I remember feeling like you when I started nearly 3 months ago, and was pleasantly surprised when I did, If you are eating and exercising within your limits, change must happen. I was also disappointed to have only lost 1lb after our recent holiday, but I had been taking more pain killers…

I've been taking less pain meds since coming home from my holidays so there's been some satisfactory weight loss over the weekend: looks like I'll be off to a flying start to this month on Thursday, all being well :)

Congratulations! I'm sort of hoping that might happen for me, too, in a while - the drop in blood pressure and meds necessary rather than the faintness, obviously - as I'm fed up with being a human maracca! Great news for you and your body: I'm thrilled for you.

There's so much variation between sizes for different manufacturers that it is incredibly difficult to know what fits me now, let alone what size(s) I'll need when I'm at my goal weight. Can't say it bothers me much, personally. I just want to be a healthy weight for my bone structure.

Wow! You have done well! Congratulations :)

As long as the change is continuing in the right direction, that's what matters. You must be learning eating habits and exercise habits that will help maintain your new healthy weight and routine when you reach your goal, rather than being likely to boomerang back as so many people do when they reach their goal weight and…

SW - 201 lbs (Thursday Sept 1) Week 1 - xxx lbs (Thursday Sept 8) Week 2 - xxx lbs (Thursday Sept 8 15) Week 3 - xxx lbs (Thursday Sept 22) Week 4 - xxx lbs (Thursday 29) Total lost - xx lbs (Saturday Oct 1) Back from a lovely, relaxing holiday on an island where the air was fresher than fresh, there was plentiful seafood…