CheapEats.ie - a blog about food and value

7 Comments

  1. getting married in a few months myself, like you I wanted to lose a little weight, I cut back a bit on treats & kept up my usual running programme & I’ve lost a 1/2 stone or more. Tbh I think wedding stress, even though it hasn’t been that stressful, but all the running around that goes with wedding planning has caused the weight loss more than anything else! So don’t be too hard on yourself, you’ll drop a few pounds regardless.

  2. After years or being overweight I lost two stone to become a healthy weight in about a year and have kept it off. I never had the will power for diets, being a fellow food lover and adverse to misery, so I slowly augmented my lifestyle. I cut down eating out to once or twice a week (granted, maybe not as easy with the blog!) and cooked all my week’s dinners at the weekend. I tried to build a repertoire of healthy but tasty options (a lot of chickpeas). I would rarely go for a healthy option eating out so the one or two nights make me feel like I’m not depriving myself.

    I now work in a place with free food, which is a double edged sword. There are salads for lunch and a modest supply of fruit and healthy snacks, but also coffee, fizzy drinks and junk food. Most days I trick myself into eating well, if I’m hungry I have a piece of fruit and tell myself I can have chocolate later if I still feel like it. Most of the time the craving is gone by later. Likewise with coffee and fizzy drinks, I switched to herbal teas and only rarely drink coffee or Coke now. I think because I’m not denying myself outright it works for me.

    I also gradually increased exercise by cycling to work most days, going for runs twice a week and the odd swim, but nothing mental. I cut down on alcohol by alternating with a small soft drink or drinking a glass of water for every two drinks. Overall I really slowly implemented changes rather than doing all of it at once, and saw it as a behaviour change rather than a diet. I didn’t really feel the weight coming off then. I was overweight though and now I’m a healthy weight, which you are, but I’ve accepted I love food too much to ever be “skinny”. All the best!!

  3. Hi Rebecca,

    That 80/20 percent rule sounds good to me, however this is a really handy website about eating whole ‘real’ foods.
    http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

    It seems that you just want to slim down a bit and not become an obsessive calorie counter, so check it out, it may give you a few new recipes if nothing else!
    Best of luck

  4. don’t we raise children with that 80/20 rule? We give them proper food with a good variety most of the times and allow them an ice cream or a small pack of sweets every now and then. Why can’t we adults follow what we preach?
    I have had a very steady weight in the last 20 years (bar pregnancies, of course), and it’s no secret and I don’t deny anything to myself. I start the day with a good breakfast because I can’t understand how people think they will go through a working / studying morning with nothing in their bodies since 8pm the night before. You body needs fuel and skipping meals is the worst thing you can do to slim down. I like a varied diet or I just get bored, I like to try new foods and I like to eat little and often so I don’t fill bloated or don’t tend to overeat because I’m starving

    I bring my own lunch to work for financial reasons but also because it’s easier to bring something healthy from home: a bulgur salad with loads of grilled vegs and some cheese and nuts, a slice of savoury loaf with some salad, a vegetable soup with a chunk of spelt bread and cheese (I love cheese and chocolate, but buy the strong tasting, good quality ones and you’ll only need a little to enjoy the taste)
    Dinner is a family meal, we take the time to enjoy our food, and there is always a lot of vegetables and fruits on offer. I always have a salad with every meal

  5. 80/20 sounds completely sensible to me. And you NEED to eat veg! cut out the starchy stuff (bread and pasta) and the toppings (if you ever ate like that), but lots of salads, veggies, and leafy greens with your lean protein. Balance is the key in all things. All protein is likely to hurt your health in the long run. You could, for example, get scurvy (happened to a friend of mine–nasty!).

  6. Thanks for all the feedback folks. Karina, I work part-time in an organisation with free food too, it is the danger zone, I have little will-power if biscuits are winking at me! Will have a look at that website Nikki. I’m not following the personal trainer’s diet but I am eating less sweet stuff, junk and no refined carbs like pasta or bread. It’s going grand so far, I think the workouts have made the most difference. Have lost 2% body fat and 2.5 inches in 3 weeks which, apparently, is good going. I actually have no blimmin’ clue what any of it means. But I do feel good and I’m enjoying the workouts, which is the most important thing!

  7. I’ve just lost 3 stone in 5 months. How to do it ? simple,eat less exercise more. Find out what calorie intake you need to lose about a pound a week and stick to it. This coupled with lots of walking (every day even just 30mins) and cycling 3/4 times a week on a stationary bike or road bike for 45-60 mins. Won’t say it was easy but it wasn’t that hard either, I didnt live like a monk either you can still enjoy yourself. Just cut back a little but exercise is the key,the weight will fall off you !