Fire, I'm so glad you posted this, I'm in the same boat and I will be watching this with interest.
I do have a related question, but I won't hijack your thread so early on! :giggle:
Please note, I am NOT a doctor. I am speaking through personal expereince and a love of food and the energy it gives you.
I'm a diabetic and recently been told off for my own diet by my doctor. Being a Type1 you often find that your whole life is one long diet on what to eat and what you can eat in moderations.
Some good advice on diets would be, don't follow any of the 'fad' ones that starve your body on certain things (like fats, sugars, proteins, carbohydrates etc).
Breakfast:
Something like a bowel of cereal in the morning will help your body wake up and start using energy. I suggest a high in carbohydrate one like Shreddies, Wheatabix or other things like that. Avoid the ones with extra sugar placed on top (frosted) as the nutrients in these foods are harder to break down. Your body will work twice as fast and hard for the little goodness these have to offer. The result will be high blood sugar quickly, sudden drop with hunger comming back to combat the drop in energy you will get. You will end up wanting more food when it could be avoided.
Pre-Lunch:
If your like me and have an early enough breakfast (8am or before), you might find your getting hungry again at 11am or so. Some fruit like an apple, banana, orange etc is perfect for around here. It gives the body enough to do before it actually comes to lunch time in a couple of hours.
Lunch:
Have anything you like. Obvisouly don't over do it by having two to three plate fulls. I usually go for a bowl of soup and some wholemeal bread. Wholemeal and brown are easier for the body to use than the white. I also have sandwiches (brie, grape and salad), Bacon and egg (not every day). It all depends on how hungry I am and what I really fancy at the time.
Afternoon snacks:
About three hours after lunch you might start getting hungry again. This is known as the 'fasting' period. Three horus after every meal. Its what you eat around these times to tide you over to the next bigger/main meal. Eating something small like toast/fruit/Salad will stop you feeling slow and lathargic at any point in a day.
Dinner:
Again, anything you like. I'm a fan of home cooked meals. Gravey chicken, red meats etc. Have what ever you feel like, just don't have more than a plate full (ie two plates) every day. If you want deserts then it is best to eat them after the largest meal of your day. This is because your body is already working off the food and the extra sugars will quickly go without leaving you hungry later.
Evening:
I don't tend to eat in the evening so can't really comment. If I get hugnry before bed I get a small bowl of cereal again and that is far more than I can handle at that time.
Hope that helps you understand what a balanced diet should consist of.
They do say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Why do people still not believe that?
Missy, I feel for whoever happens to be standing between you and your jaffacakes.
Another timely thread. I've put on half a stone or so since the winter, which has just tipped the balance between me feeling ok, and feeling podgy. When I was training hard for an hour and a half, twice a week- I could eat whatever I liked. However, for a couple of months I've not had the get up & go to train, although I did go back on monday-and it felt great!
As you have so little weight to lose, it's just a matter of very small changes. Try not to eat late at night. And the major thing is get that exercise sorted. However- bear in mind that you'll build bone density initially and this will mean the scales show up to a couple of extra pounds.
Good luck chuck!
Thank you Winchy, Mar and NaughtyWigan & Northeastcpl
:notes:
I'll be trying my best!
One thing you can do is give up caffeine. Caffeine blocks any food in the blood stream and this is sent to your fat cells for storage.
Maintain a good digestive tract. I use actimel/yakult yoghurts.
Lay off or stop the booze.
Keep active and eat what you need to operate.
You are designed to put on more weight as you get into your prime, so accept this. But you shouldn't be obese and there will reasons for this to happen.
As has been suggested a sensible plan of good quality foods is all that you need. Just know when to indulge and when to lay off.
Fire
There's so much you can do Fire, but I'd say buy a good book so you inderstand the whole point behind healthy eating (note i didn't say 'diet'). Patrick Holford is a well know nutritionist, his book "The Optimum Nutrition Bible" is excellent if rather extreme but as he points out if you follow even just the basis of it you'll be heading towards a longer and healthier life.
I'm a bit radical about this, I hate to see intelligent women all following faddy diets avoiding this and that - whatever the fashion may be. The only way to lose weight and keep it off is by a mixture of exercise and sensible long term healthy eating.
A few pointers:
Wholemeal everthing - pasta, rice, bread
Food as natural as you can i.e. choose pure porridge oats or Shredded Wheat for brekkie, not sugar and salt laden cereals as the majority are apart from these two.
Keep fruit and vegetables as your biggest intake, the less cooked the better, raw is great
Cook 'real food' from scratch, keep off all processed foods
Drink loads of water
Avoid caffeine
Avoid alcohol (hmmmmmm)
Eat natural live yoghurts (good probiotic)
Eat at least5 portions fruit/veg every day
Avoid e numbers. Bascially if the list of ingredients is so many you can't see the print, avoid them like the plague
Start reading ingredients at the supermarket. If sugar is in the first 3 ingredients, then think do you really need it? If it's the first ingredient AVOID it.
I know all these principals, but follow them to suit me and my lifestyle, I eat very healthily on the whole but love all the things I know I shouldn't eat too much of. Everything in moderation.
Lastly good luck!
pink x
OK.
Well, I could do with losing a stone, maybe a stone and a half. But - at my age, (42), if I do lose that much, what's likely to happen to my boobs?
Will they just reduce like the rest of me, or will I have some empty skin?
I basically only eat about once a day... slightly extended late dinner into supper... is that bad.?
then again, I'm not all that worried about my breasts
lp
I never ever thought I would say those words but there you are they're said!
).
Even take my glasses off cos of the weight 
: 
. Dont become a slave to it.....a bit of what you fancy does you good 
