Busymumof3's weight loss diary.

As my username suggests i'm a very busy mum of 3 wonderful Children. I work Part time in a Bank and have a horse, 2 dogs and various other pets as well as the usual mum and wife duties of running the house and being a personal slave to the kids and hubby! ( all of which i love!!)
I am 5ft 3 inches and weigh 14 stones. I have basically gained weight during my pregnancies and until now have never done anything serious to lose the weight.
In my head i still think i am a size 12 but my clothes and a recent picture of me have finally convinced me otherwise. I went to my Brother in Laws wedding in September 07. I thought i looked lovely but the pictures which I have only just seen tell a very different story. I was shocked and heartbroken - I just didn't recognise the person in the picture.

I have come to form the opinion that for me diets dont work - I have tried too many to mention but obviously lack something as the longest i've lasted was 6 weeks!!
My poor long suffering husband who has had to put up with my diet moaning for 10 years has suggested i 'just eat healthily and exercie!!' And i have finally decided that he may actually be onto something!! (dont tell him that though. )

So this is my diary where i can express my feelings so my hubby can have a rest from 'diet talk'. My aim is to lose the 4 stones in 9 months so by December i can look in the mirror and say welcome back to the 'old' me.

Hello Busy

I've tried in the past too - several times. I think most of us have !

My last main effort lasted about 6 months until I fell off the wagon and put most of it back on.

This time, I'm truly determined NOT to fail. After all - you are only a failure if you give up.

From my diary - you'll probably see I've been healthy eating and for the most part attempting to avoid the majority of carbs such as bread, potatoes, pasta and rice. I miss them terribly however and I've just today accepted the fact that most weekends I've let myself down by having carbs of some type and them really feeling emotions of let downs and failures.

Well - now I'm going to accept that once or twice a week (at weekends) that's just letting my hair down to a certain extent and that by accepting it I won't suffer from the negativity or run far off course.

I've lost just shy of 2stone since 6th January by heathy eating / complete normal diet makeover. I'll hit the 2 stone target by the end of this month. I've promised myself that ! So, 2 stone in 3 months - 4 by Christmas should be ok !

How about a "diary buddy" to motivate each other.

If you're pledging 4 stone before Christmas - I'll pledge the same with you and start my new 4 stone from 1st April (I've got 4lb to go to bring me to the next stone).

Unfortunately, I'll still not be at goal within 4 stone - but I'll be a lot lighter than I've been in the last 14 years !

Hiya Busy....great to see some new faces around here!

Good luck with your goal....sometimes hubby's do get some good ideas eh....not often, but sometimes!

I reckon you and Sarah buddying up is a fab idea....share some recipe ideas!!! And I'll second Sarah in that, if you stick to it, get your head in the right place, you'll shift that four stones, no problems by Christmas!

Lots of love to you, I look forward to reading how it goes

HI Sarah - Thats a great idea. I'm sure we can help each other along and swap recipes etc.
You have done so well with your weight loss and I could do with a few tips from someone who is well on their way.
So... let's pledge to losing 4 stones by the end of December.

Hi Paula. Thanks for the reply. Yep it'll be great to have a diet buddy. I'm glad i've joined minimins as it is already inspiring me!! Well done on your weight loss - getting under your mini target already must have been wonderful!!!

I'm still in the planning stages of my healthy eating plan - I am cutting things out slowly so i dont get a massive withdrawl.
For the next few days i'll be eating 3 meals per day and having smaller portions. I will cut out sweet things like pastries and chocolate, as well as stopping having loads of carbs a day.

Today i Have had:
Bowl of shreddies with semi skimmed milk
Tuna/ tiny bit of cheese panini
2 hot chocolates
vegetable omlette and fruit for tea.

I also have drunk 1 litre of water which i know is a bit feeble!!

I am going to do a bit of step tonight in front of the tv with some arm weights - maybe just 20 minutes to start off with.

that sounds good going. At that rate you possibly don't need to change anything apart from reducing down the pastries or chocolate to a once or twice a week treat.

I've had a mince beef and onion pasty thing (puff pasty - I know...) with a couple of spoonfulls of beans and an onion and some courgette steamed in the microwave.

and two large oranges.

The pasty thing was high cal at 444kcal - and the beans wont have been great... but that lot shouldnt be over 1000kcal for today I wouldn't think.

I'm going to have a nice coffee now and that'll do me for today

Quick update: I am doing ok - my food hasnt improved a whole lot yet but the exercise has. I have figured out through writing a food diay there are certain foods that i am naturally drawn to and will head straight for before i even think about anything else, These are:

Bread and butter
Pastries
Anything sweet ie chocolate!

These are my danger foods that i am looking to reduce now. Looking forward to weighin in on Monday. i haven't been on the scales all week so i'm keeping my fingers crossed!!

bad carbs like those are addictive and what puts the weight on. It's taken me AGES to wean them out my system and only have them as an occasional treat.

They're what I'm most likely to head for right enough in times of crisis - but at least now I do think about it first :-S

Have had another bleurgh moment today when i looked in the mirror and saw mysel in my jodphurs.
I felt really big and disgusting and i just burst into tears.

I just feel like i'm still not in control of my eating. I have tried to be 'healthy' today but out of curiosity pointed up my food using weight watchers stuff and my food today came out way over what it should have been. I was so annoyed as i had tried to be good!!

Part of me wants to just forget about all the diteing business and just be happy but then the other bit of me knows i'll never be happy until this 4 stone i put on having kids has gone.

I am going to be strict now about keeping a food journal. I thought i may have lost a bit of weight but i now think i will have stayed the same as i've been misjudging my portions etc.
I am still aiming to lose this weight by christmas so i just have to get cracking.

hey - don't do yourself down. THe good thing is you have taken notice and are trying to do something about it.

I'd KILL to be 14st - I'm currently 17 and that's after losing two. I'm a huge Heffalump and am going to contine being so for some considerable time to come :-(

I've been desperately waiting on the better weather and lighter nights coming. I so badly want to get out and ride in the evenings !

Don't get me wrong, I greatly notice the difference from having lost 2stone - but I still feel valueless, frumpy, FAT and failing. Thankfully I've got an ounce of sense that keeps telling me I'm being positive. I've moving forward and I CAN do this.

Problem is - I want it yesterday....

I'm desperate to get back to where I was 10 years ago. I want to be fit enough to mount from the ground. I want to ride Echo and Summer every night. I want to get fit and go out and compete. I want to do endurance again and have the fitness and stamina to achieve it.

I want to be able to go out and feel good. I want my oh to want to be seen with me. To stop hankering after an invisible coat :-( To wear that little black dress instead of a bin bag.

The really frightening thing is that although I know one day all of those could come true - it's not going to be for a rather long time. Have I got the determination and patience ? Only time will tell.

Smile - there is always something to be happy about ! You've had a fab ride on your coblet and you know what you want to achieve. With a little determination - we can do this together ...

You can do it - and I bet you'll beat me to lose that 4 stone first !

Thanks Sarah - I do have a major problem with putting myself down and i need to start appreciating my body for the things it can do, instead of beating myself up for being overweight.

I am setting myself a mini goal to get to 13st. I start my food diary tomorrow in the hope that tracking everything i eat and being honest about what i eat will be helpful in my healthy eating efforts.

Today i went horse riding, something i am very grateful to be able to do. I also jumped some small jumps. I fell off a while ago whilst doing this and hurt myself quite badly - this knocked my confidence especially when the doctor said ' it's not surprising you hurt yourself, Mass x accerlation and all that - at your weight it's going to hurt!'
Why do people feel they can make comment on something so personal! Anyway i jumped these jumps and stayed on - it helped build my confidenc but i couldnt help thinking it would be a lot easier if i was thinner!!

Being fit is something that is starting to become important to me. I am becoming interested in competeing my horse and need a decent level of fitness to so this. I have access to a gym and a swimming pool as well as walking my dogs and riding my horse - in theory this is all the exercise i should need to build my fitness!

So my mini goal is to lose 1st to get to 13st. I think if i give myself 6 weeks that is a sensible time frame.

I have been on the scales today and havent lost anything. I'm a bit disappointed but not surprised. Today is a new start so i'm feeling positive. I'm starting my food journal today - i know i can do this!!

you CAN do this

Stay positive !

So a few changes in Busymumof3's weight loss efforts. I kept my food journal and it made me realise just how much i eat junk and rubbish. Also how much i use food as an emotional crutch, which i am sure is the same for many people on here.
Anyway - I was at the docs and she mentioned that her mum lost a lot of weight on Lighterlife and if it was up to her then she'd prescribe it to people. I thought this was a decent endorsement and seeing as though i cant afford lighter life have decided to go down the cambridge route.
I have spent the last 2 days doing research and have started CD today. I found a CD counsellor nearby and she gave me a couple of days worth to 'trial' which i thought was very good of her as i didnt take any money with me!!
I am going back on Saturday for a weigh in and to get some more packs.

I am a little scared as i have been warned the first few days are terribly tough. Any way i will press on and keep my eye on my goal. After everything i said about diets but i am so desperate to lose this weight.

I'm going great guns with cambridge. Lost 1/2 stone so far. I'm doing 790 / SS and finding the plan fine. I am obviously hungry and some days are really tough but i just have a bit of chicken and salad on those days and that stops me from eating anything naughty!!
I bought myself a size 12 bikini yesterday. I am determined to fit into it by the end of the year. My final goal treat is to enjoy a few days at a spa!!

oh wow - well done !

Obviously I'm not going to be able to keep up with you ... "in my condition" lol.

Still - I'm doing ok. Scales playing silly yesterday and today. Getting 4 > 5 differences from if I get off and get on again. I KNOW I havent increased and that the higher readings are wrong - but I'm not sure the lower ones are right either.

I'll leave it a couple of days and weigh again :rollseyes: