About Me: Female, 39, Stourbridge - West Midlands, United Kingdom, member since May 2008
I am a single Mum with two children - David is 20 and has Downs Syndrome and Autism and Elizabeth is 5going on 20.
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I am 36and 5ft 9", 4 years ago I was a little over 220lb I now have a goal of 160lb by 31st December 2009
I am doing a sponsored weight loss for Sunfield - a special needs residential school- if you are interested in more info- email me direct..
Here is my advice to anyone wanting to lose weight.
1) Set yourself realistic weekly goals - that should stop you feeling overwhelmed - aim for a weight loss of 1-2lb a week - sounds small but is achievable and anything you lose more than that will feel like a great bonus.
2) Write down everything that you eat - take the time to read the calories on the box, or weigh and research the calories. Set yourself a realistic daily calorie allowance - I have mine set at 1800.
3) Keep an emotions journal - keep it with you at all times and when you feel depressed or craving comfort food or any food write about it first - usually by the time you do this you have come out of that immediate need to gratify yourself with food.
4) Try to drink 8oz of water every 90 mins that youa re awake - this was hard for me as I don't drink enough normally so increasing it was tough and meant I spent the first 2 week on the loo weeing like crazy! but it works well to flush toxins out your body which help the body hang on to fat and glycogen!
5) Get a pedometer and set yourself a daily target for steps - It took me 5 weeks to get up to the recommended target of 10,000 steps a day. For you it may be that you start at 3,000, and work up adding 500 a week till you can do 10,000.
6) Make sure you are in bed resting if not sleeping for at least 8 hours a night- thats 8 hours with no stimulus like TV, game boys, books and 8 hours with no eating or drinking.
7) On a Sunday sit down and decide what you will eat teh next week, plan the menu and the shopping list. Stop buying the extras, the snacks, cakes, cookies, candy.
8) Get a weight tracker on here and chart your progress - use the journal feature to share with supportive friends on here your highs and lows and accept their advice and friendship and use it as crutches when you need to.
9) Allow yourself a little of what you fancy, occasionally. And build in a reward for a good week - if you lose weight spoil yourself, if it has to be edible thats okay - but could be a new item of clothing, a book, a DVD, make up, jewelery etc...
10) Remember a bad day is not the end of the world - each day is a new start - infact each meal is a new chance.
Well I am shocked and pleased to see that my week off track has only cost me a couple of pounds... hopefully that will come back off this week.
I have reset my target a...