I have tried to ignore this thread.

It's not that it doesn't apply to me, but that I was trying to convince myself that I didn't mind the way the weight was creeping on and creeping on over the last few years.

This last couple of months though I been getting more and more miserable about the way I look. Coupled with monthly bloating and a missed period, I guess I am definitely perimenopausal, and the idea of the weight-gain that goes with that is completely pole-axing. I was also taking more and more ant-acids, and getting twinges in my hips when climbing the stairs, and I know both are exacerbated, if not directly caused, by being overweight.

So somehow I've pulled myself together and decided to bloody well do something about it. I'm not going to give in to this and pretend I don't care any more.

This is by way of a formal declaration, so I can't just pretend I never decided that!

I signed up to a free online weightloss program called SparkPeople.com, and calculated my BMI (then I added a half inch to my height so it didn't look quite so bad), then I decided on a target weight loss. I am going to lose at least 25 pounds by Christmas.

I looked at the menu planning things, but I don't feel able to follow them completely, so I've noted the sorts of things I can eat, and what to avoid. I am horrified at how MUCH food I am supposed to eat. I'm sure it's far more than I normally would! A big thing for me is I have cut out my regular glass(es) of wine, and am trying to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. I'm sure alcohol is empty calories, and really I feel better for not drinking. (makes me sound like a sot!)

I have a treadmill, so at least three times a week am doing a brisk walk up an incline for 30 minutes while watching TV in the evening.

Anway, what prompted me to write this is that since starting about 9 days ago, I have lost over 5 pounds! I needed to boast a little, and also felt that if I join this weigh-in it will encourage me to continue and not become complacent and lapse into bad habits again.

Tonight I dug out a pretty, strappy, size 12 dress that is about 2 sizes too small right now. Lord knows why I kept it, but I aim to wear that dress at Christmas and look stunning!!!

My name's Morwenna, and I'm a fatty too!

Good for you Morwenna, great start 5lbs

I have to say i have only lost 2lbs this week and been running around like some possesed person with kids at uni etc etc and cleaning as well as fetching tons of bricks for the house, i have totally failed PP don't know about you, its an excuse but i just haven't had a minute to do anything for myself

So i will now try harder i have 2 weeks until we go to Spain for a week of swim suits and tanned bodies ok i may not loose loads but i will fell better for loosing as much as i can

So what are you eating then Morwenna thats so much that sounds like my idea of a diet sounds like it may be the same as weight watchers that HPM is on ?

Good luck everyone

Well CP, since o ur declaration I have lost a whole 1/2lb
BUT I have been three times a week to Curves and tomorrow I start a Herbal life programme, my friend has been really successful, so I thought I'd give it a go.

Morwenna, welcome to our little band of fatties, I like you aim to lose 25lbs by Christmas, I don't think this is unrealistic. Lets see how we fare though, thanksgiving will be a challenge as we have been invited out but hey ho, that's just one day.

Every day is a new day to make a change, if you falter you can just try again the next day.

Take a look at SparkPeople.com

There is absolutely no charge at any time, and they don't take your credit card # or anything. You enter your stats and it helps you set your goals and devises a suitable plan for your starting point and target.

It gives you meal plans, and breaks them down into grams of fat, protein and carb as well as total calories. If you don't like their suggestions there are many other options or you can add your own, and it'll count the calories for you anyway.

There are suggested exercise regimes, which again are very flexible, both for strength and cardio. and lots of examples of exercises to do depending on your available equipment and needs.

There are also discussion/support forums, and it is fairly user friendly.

Apparently it was started by an early ebay employee, who did very well and is a fitness fanatic so wanted to give back something to the online community. There are no catches that I can find and I'll berecommending it to many of my patients!

I have actually lost more weight than I should have for the first week, and that's why I'm thinking that I'm not eating enough! But I've not felt hungry .... quite the opposite. My husband keeps saying "Are you going to eat ALL THAT!!!????"

Anyway, I'm very pleased, as you can tell!

I feel quite good now PP i thought i would be the one not loosing any as you did so well before, i have lost 7lbs in all now but still no where near what i could do if i really got the bit between the teeth at least you have lost and not put on
Let us know how you get on with the herbal life diet, and good luck PP

Will give it a go, thanks Morwenna

Well week one is over (I weighed last Friday but didn't start herbal lifeing until Monday). I am down 3.75lbs I am really pleased. This is the first ever weight loss programme where I haven't become obsessed with food.

I am trying to be sensible with food, High protein/low carbs as that is what seems to work for me. Last night for example I made tortellini for the family - they had salad an panini and a mound of tortellini, I had (left over) salmon, salad and a spoonful of tortellini. But I was in munchy mode last night so I also had a small amount of almonds and then later I had half a protein bar. Bleugh! According to my friend I bought the worst flavour - coconut chocolate - I thought it'd be like a bounty - how wrong can someone be. I am finding half is all I need to stop wanting food though. I bought a pack of 14, done 3 so far........

The shakes are tasty (which surprised me as the Curves ones need stuff adding to make them taste OK). You can add your level of protein, so depending on what else I'm putting in the shake depends on the amount of protein, yesterday I added 2 extra tsp as I didn't have any bananas left for breaky shake, but I added a yoghurt and some fruit to my lunch shake so stuck with the minimum protein. (I use milk in my morning shake and fruit juice in my lunch shake).

Going out for supper tonight and Thanksgiving on Sunday so not expecting any wonders next week.

Hope everyone else is doing OK. Have a lovely Thanksgiving weekend!

Same to you PP we have some Canadians in the village celebrating is it a bank hol there monday ?

Well done on the weight loss might give that a go when i get back from fat camp oops i mean Spain

I have only lost 2lbs i have been doing so much physical work and running round i was sure i should have lost more oh well better than nothing, only 1 week till sunshine holiday for us will do my best,

Whats it like with juice in the shake ?

Keep up the good work

Yes it's a statutory holiday on Monday - nice long weekend for us all. Going to try pumpkin pie for the 1st time this weekend, I have my doubts

You know I also had my doubts about fruit juice in my protein shake too, but it just makes it taste like a smoothie - YUM!

Hey! 2lbs off is fantastic. I bet your looking forward to spain. I'm trying to convince hubby we should go away at Christmas - we are going to talk more about it apparently. I really think HE needs the break.

Help!!! ive put on a massive 6lb and have completely lost the plot. Im still walking 5_6 miles a day so i am still doing good with the exercise but i just cant stop eating and having too many alcoholic beverages.Life has been very stressful lately and i keep using that as an excuse to have a bottle of wine. I really dont want to undo all the good i have done but ive got to be honest im really struggling. HELP,inspiration pleassseee.

OK Flip Flop, take a deep breath, calm yourself down, the world has not ended (even though it ends three times a day in my teens world ). Peaks and troughs and all that.

We all have a little wobble now and then. Are you ready to get refocused? If your not then give it a couple of days before you try. If you are then there are 11 weeks 'till the jolly ole fella comes traipsing down the chimneys, at 2lb a week that's 22lbs. So how about a 15lb min target with a stretch of 20lbs for a big (assuming you have that much to lose - I have and a bit more)

I know a Turkey thanksgiving didn't help my efforts this week BUT I have learnt that Pumpkin Pie Calories are better off being spent elsewhere

'Tis a blip in landcape of all things diety, flip flop. Panic thee not !

You have done soooooo well, and you have been so good for such a long time, that it's no surprise to hit the wall occasionally. I totally know where you are coming from (it's just that I've been wobbling here longer ).

Take a deep breath and think just how chuffed and proud you felt a losing some of those pounds. Can you address or amend any of the stressy factors in your life in the short to medium term, or is it going to be a drawn out process you are working through? Opening a bottle is my easy route out too, and sometimes it tastes just sooo good () but I try to think of the expense and the empty calories.

Not sure if I can be inspirational to you - you've been the inspiring one for all of us - but I'm sending positive thoughts across the airwaves to you and trust you will get back on track very soon. All is not lost - at all.

I have just looked up Curves in my area and see there is a class nearby, I have always done weight watchers and want to try something different, so Curves sounds fine, just could not find anything about the cost on the web site, do you pay each time you go or is it like a gym membership where you join for a fee and can go as many times as you want.
I would probably want to go about 4/5 times a week so wonder if its better to join the local gym or go for the curves......any help advice would be appreciated

So there is a joining fee - about $200 but there is always some sort of offer on, a 50% off or one week free or something so be sure to ask. Then there is a monthly service fee of around $45 - cheaper than a month at weight watchers. I believe it's now $18 per week?

You can go as many times a week as you want, though 3 is what they reccomend (every other day) for your muscles to recover. If you go every day they say one day concentrate on powering up the machines and then the next day power on the recovery stations, your Curves person should be able to explain the theories better than I can but it all makes sense to me.

As for the 6 week solution thingy. Apparently it's going to change for January to make it more user friendly. They also like you to have been a Curves member for a little while first.

One thing I like about Curves is, it's fairly social and there is usually a consultation person chatting to everyone and also checking your using the equipment correctly - not in your face but if they notice that your pulling the dip shrug up to high, they will correct yur technique. I suppose a group personal trainer

Thanks for that, I will call in at both and compare, I know the gym here has a pool so that might be tempting. Watch this space.

Ok, this thread called to me as one of the reasons I am (hopefully) leaving the UK soon is that there's obviously something not quite right with me/my life that the weight keeps pilling in (unheathly lifestyle, comfort eating etc) but when we went to visit Canada recently, I got a bit scare of the type of food being served and the portions - so...am I going to have to join this thread after a few months living there?