Search results

  1. Iris

    Question for Iris!!

    You're lucky you managed to dodge the nun bullet! I ended up at three schools all run by the penguin brigade. I grew up near Newcastle... would love to move back there some day, I love the town so much. Something about the ocean and mountains combo (and Maud's ice cream parlour, no doubt!)...
  2. Iris

    Favourote breakfast

    I'm getting hungry too! I'm having to coax myself away from the fruit these days because I know that protein's a more sensible option, and the baked beans especially are a wonderful source of iron as well as protein. A good old prawn omelette whisked up with some quark and herbs is a nice...
  3. Iris

    Help, Urgent - Restaurant food

    Too late now, I guess, but I think the plaice sounded like the healthiest (and yummiest!) option by far. I'd have given the starters a miss, I think, but the scallops would've been a good option, or the oysters - if you can stomach them! If there's ever anything on a menu that you fancy, but...
  4. Iris

    Quick meal ideas

    Mmmm... I agree with rhuba, stir fries are a life saver! Blue Dragon do a range of stir fry sauces in little sachets that you can pick up in Asda. There's stuff like Thai Basil and Lemongrass (50ish for half the sachet), Peking Lemon, Sweet and Sour, Sweet Thai Chilli, Hoi Sin Oyster... all...
  5. Iris

    hi all newbie here

    You look fab! Well done on your loss and the best of luck with calorie-counting.
  6. Iris

    Favourote breakfast

    With all the lovely fruit around at the moment I usually have a big bowl of mixed berries, about 400g of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and a few apricots, followed by 2 weetabix with hot milk. A protein-rich breakfast does fill me up for longer, though, and my favourite...
  7. Iris

    September challenge

    You're right, I must resist! I think it's a common thing, though... not being quite sure when to stop. I still feel big as I am now, but maybe that's just the height and the general lack of fitness - I never exercise! I should do some exercise, but I'm a very lazy woman unfortunately. Shopping...
  8. Iris

    September challenge

    13th September is my birthday, so that's a nice target to aim for, even if birthdays are starting to get depressing at my age! Congrats to all on the losses - Nic, I had a nosy at your album and you are looking AMAZING! Phenomenal result. I really love your haircut, by the way, I've been...
  9. Iris

    Question for Iris and other CC's

    Hello Crunchy (love the nickname, by the way!), I hope that the CC'ing is going well! Like Rosie and pumpkin said, I think www.essentialsweightloss.co.uk is the best site out there for counting up your calories, and it's particularly useful if you're cooking up your own recipes because you can...
  10. Iris

    aspirin mask/scrub

    Intriguing idea! I think I read about it somewhere, but I've never given it a try. Do you reckon it would work with any type of painkillers I've got knocking around in the meds cabinet? My one lone foray into homemade beauty remedies kind of ended in disaster so I've been wary ever since! I...
  11. Iris

    WI this week

    Over a stone in 6 weeks is excellent going. Well done you - you must be thrilled! By the way - did you ever make that SW summer pudding? How did it turn out??
  12. Iris

    So sad today

    How sad. It sounds like he was a lovely man - it must be a dreadful shock to everyone. I hope all the family and friends can pull together and support each other through this.
  13. Iris

    The Good And Bad Of Last Night's Meeting

    If you've worked hard and you're coughing up your hard-earned cash for the meetings then, dammit, you deserve all the stickery, papery bells and tinselly whistles going! It's a shame that the substitute did such a lousy job - surely a big part of their role must be realising how important the...
  14. Iris

    SHOCKED AND ANGRY!!!!

    Sounds like she's been living in a strange bubble world for most of her life. I can't imagine what it's like to get up to 38 stone and live at that weight - getting out and about and interacting with people and getting some life experience must have been pretty impossible. I suppose that's why...
  15. Iris

    Calorie counting an fruitand veg!!

    Hi Katie, sounds great to me! Feel free to chow down on basically any veggie that takes your fancy. Plenty of the dark green leafy type will do you so much good if you can manage them. Blue dragon does a great range of stir-fry sauce sachets - the sweet soy and garlic/ginger one is only 50ish...
  16. Iris

    New, looking for advice please!

    It can be really tough to notice changes in yourself, Abi. Going by your diet - it sounds fabulous to me - and combined with the exercise you're doing, I can't imagine that you haven't lost weight. I bet you're feeling better at any rate! Personally I don't know if buying scales is a good...
  17. Iris

    New to calorie counting... here's my place, plus a few questions!

    Hi Caroline. First up, many congrats on your weight loss so far - I know that CD isn't for the faint-hearted so you must have worked incredibly hard to get where you are now. I agree with everything rhuba said. I think 800 calories a day is (pardon my frankness) a recipe for disaster in the...
  18. Iris

    Question for Iris!!

    Thank you! I've been admiring your posts lately myself - I think you hit the nail on the head regarding the dietary pitfalls of sugar, especially. Too much is made of fat while sugar can often kind of fly under the radar, it seems. I know which one I find infinitely more addictive, though!
  19. Iris

    Question for Iris!!

    Hello Sandy - nice to see another Irishwoman on here! And one who endured the nuns, too? The things we've seen, eh? ;) You're right that it's impossible to count all the time, and some days you just don't want to know! After a while you do get a rough idea what most stuff is, but I did go...
  20. Iris

    Question for Iris!!

    Thank you kindly. I'm afraid the thanks button has again expired... there shouldn't be a time limit, my decrepit brain can't keep up!
  21. Iris

    Question for Iris!!

    Hi Laurie - I'm not sure of the precise science, but I think that the first week or so after eating real food again, following a food replacement diet, you may find you put on a few pounds, mainly fluid, due to your body replenishing its depleted glycogen stores. I don't think it's anything to...
  22. Iris

    2 day binge on junk.....cry

    And Iris goes beet red again! Thank you both kindly... just hope some of the waffle is in some way useful. I think I've just made so many blunders in my life and had so many ups and downs that it's made me analyse it all (maybe too deeply). I'd love to be a counsellor, but I'm the shy sort in...
  23. Iris

    Hello!! i'm back and i need you guys!

    I like the poem! I may filch it and print out some copies for motivation. It reminds me a bit of the old quote 'whether you think you can or think you can't - you're right.' It's all about self-belief at the end of the day, I guess. The pain of the shrinking boobs is familiar! I get a little...
  24. Iris

    Restarting and its only my...oh 53rd time?

    Hello Caz. I think the answer to the question is that diets in general are letting you down. They just don't work in the long term for most people, and they seem to cause so much misery and yo-yo weight gains and associated health problems. Maybe it's just time to draw a line under the dieting...
  25. Iris

    I can't get any lower

    Hello Lizzy. There's so many people in the same boat here with similar problems, and we all have the same food demons to fight, so I hope you'll stick around and chat about it all - it really does help to share, and I know it's so tough to do that in your lowest moments when you just want to...
  26. Iris

    Bread & Butter..... the love of my life!

    I like your turn of phrase! I'm a confirmed chocoholic, but I must admit I did fall in love a bit as a child when I tasted my first slice of soft, milky seeded Challah thickly spread with butter. While we're on bread, a buttered crumpet seriously lights my fires! No jams or marmalade or...
  27. Iris

    When did you first start putting on weight?

    You're a lovely person, Rosie! You know, I was thinking the other night that it seems like the best people have always been forged in fire, you know? Maybe when people have been through a lot in their lives it makes them more compassionate and gentler with others - and a lot nicer to be around...
  28. Iris

    Very nervous

    Hi Lesley - been there! At least now you know where the danger lies and you've made that hard-learned progress, so when you lose it this time, it's going to be for good! Maybe we all have to go through that painful rite of passage to kick the habit once and for all! Best of possible luck in...
  29. Iris

    plateau

    Crikey - your exercise efforts are phenomenal, well done you! But if you're burning 1100 in exercise then boy do you need to eat more than 1300! Your basal metabolic rate is probably a lot more than 1300 calories before you even factor in 1 calorie of exercise! I think you're putting your poor...
  30. Iris

    Have you ever felt

    I think it's mostly a woman thing. Women in groups can be viciously catty creatures, especially if they feel the obvious hierarchy has been disrupted. There's usually a Queen Bee who regards the environment as her personal realm, and she has a squad of wannabe suck-up drone bees around her...
  31. Iris

    I don't know what to do with myself

    The cayenne and cinnamon are really nice in the hot choc - hope you enjoy them. I stick in a generous pinch of each, but I've occasionally overdone it and found myself feeling like a fire-breathing dragon with a sore throat! :p Really warms you up, though, and gives you an intriguing...
  32. Iris

    When did you first start putting on weight?

    I think this is a great topic - anything that helps you get a handle on why you got caught in the self-destructive cycle of behaviour with food has to be a good thing! I was a slim child, very active, did a lot of sports classes and stuff like that. I think the problems started in...
  33. Iris

    I don't know what to do with myself

    Big hugs, Rose, I know how you feel - I started with loads to lose and it felt like trying to climb a mountain in the early days. The only thing that got me through was baby steps. I accepted that this was going to be a long haul, asked myself what the rush was anyway - I'd been yo-yo'ing for...
  34. Iris

    my before and after pics, not quite finished

    Wow, you look wonderful - many congratulations on changing your lifestyle, you must feel great now! Is that the new girlfriend in the after pics? She's lovely, too!
  35. Iris

    2 day binge on junk.....cry

    Some lovely posts in this thread, and great advice... I think we've all been there, pumpkin. One thing I'd say is that guilt and self-criticism are both totally futile and won't help. And besides that, it is NOT your fault. Sounds to me that the mindset and behaviours promoted by the dieting...
  36. Iris

    Calorie counting an fruitand veg!!

    Some fab advice from pumpkin and ace. Bulking out your meals with loads of vegetables, and snacking on lots of fruit, are two fantastic ways of keeping hunger at bay and staying on track! For the first year of my weight loss I shed over 6 stone by giving myself an unlimited free allowance of...
  37. Iris

    31st July weightloss thread...

    Well done Star and Dim!! And best of luck with your maintenance, Star, I hope you hang around to keep us all up to date with how it's going and pass on any tips please! Hang in there Nic and Vicky. I found the last stone really slow going, and I'm still teetering away from my target. The thing...
  38. Iris

    Why Calorie Counting?

    Well, I think calorie counting is stripping things back to basics - it's the underlying principle that fuels all weight loss, I think, although the Atkinsers may disagree! I chose calorie counting over slimming clubs/programmes because I like my independence and it keeps me free to do my own...
  39. Iris

    Hello!! i'm back and i need you guys!

    I do think the gain sounds strongly hormonally-related, rhuba. The pill I'm on leads me a merry dance on the scales every month. Sometimes it feels like I only have one really 'normal' week out of the four, when I'm not either sluggish, bloated or otherwise hormonally all over the place! Like...
  40. Iris

    I've Done It!

    You look fantabulous! You were lovely before, but the weight loss has really sculpted the old bone structure, and the great haircut in your after pic sets this off. Very elegant! Many congratulations on all the hard work paying off - you deserve it!!
  41. Iris

    2nd attempt... 1st attempt I was a failure

    Yes, I'm pretty small-framed and exceedingly unathletic, though. BMI isn't a great indicator, really! It classes a good portion of our Olympic athletes as 'obese,' after all... :p
  42. Iris

    If i can do it, you all defo can.

    Many congratulations on finding an eating plan that you enjoy and can comfortably maintain! And well done on the impressive exercise efforts - I hope all your hard work pays off speedily. It's great to read something so positive, you sound like you're in a great place mentally and physically...
  43. Iris

    'Celebs' and body confidence

    I love my trashy mags! But I will say that I do not understand the fixation with Katie Price/Peter Andre. I find them both absolutely narco-bloody-leptic. If I see either of them on a mag cover, I won't buy the mag. They are immensely boring. Same goes for Posh and Becks. I don't really get when...
  44. Iris

    Tommorrow is............

    43's still a baby in this day and age! You're just entering your prime and you've got all the wisdom and experience to really take life by the short and curlies and enjoy it properly. I think it's true that youth is wasted on the young! A little bit of age adds vital seasoning. Happy birthday...
  45. Iris

    What do you guys do.........

    Protein! I think if you eat a meal without protein, you leave yourself open to the munchies very soon after. So maybe try incorporating some lean protein with your meals to fill you up. A protein snack is very satisfying if you're still hungry - a hard boiled egg, tin of sardines, a few slices...
  46. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    I think a few hundred more cals will make the world of difference to how you feel, especially as you're so good at the exercise! I hope it also helps with the hair - sounds like you've been pushing the old body hard. Maybe a few weeks of maintenance while gradually upping the cals will get you...
  47. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    It's tough when there's the pressure there to eat what they're offering, too! I feel terrible turning down food if anyone's worked to prepare it. The worst scenario for me recently was frequent hospital visits - I was spending many afternoons on the vascular ward filled with kindly old...
  48. Iris

    Vitamins & Supplements...??

    It's traumatic, isn't it? I know it can sound superficial to outsiders, but giant tufts of hair in the shower made me cry. It could be hormonal? But if you've been going very low with the cals for a long period then I guess it's just a natural symptom of the body cutting out any energy...
  49. Iris

    Question for Iris!!

    Thank you kindly. :) Still got the big war of maintenance ahead of me, but I'm hoping that armed with my arsenal of fruit and veggies I can defeat the ravening hoards of emotional hunger and greediness! Time will tell, though. The pro-ana sites are deeply depressing, aren't they? I don't...
  50. Iris

    Question for Iris!!

    Thank you! I feel like a hag most of the time, but we'll blame that on 14 years of convent education at the hands of the nuns. :p I don't seem to be able to leave thanks for earlier posts... ahh, is it because they're older than a couple of days? Nevermind, encroaching senility! I need to...
  51. Iris

    Question for Iris!!

    Shucks... I'm beet red here. Pardon me while I muss up my hair and wriggle in my seat! Thank you so much for the lovely words, I'm just delighted if they helped some! Your holiday sounds like a good holiday - and, you know, maybe it's what you needed. A break, a good dollop of treats and fun...
  52. Iris

    im back

    I know how you feel. I broke up with my fiance just after Christmas. We hadn't set a date and he said he didn't believe I ever would - which was codswallop, I hadn't been putting it off, I just had my mum's health to think about, and basically he got tired of playing second fiddle. Not going...
  53. Iris

    31st July weightloss thread...

    That's an interesting question, DR! I really don't know how much of a role genetics play... I think there was a fascinating programme on the bbc a while back where a group of naturally skinny people were part of a study where they radically overate for a few weeks to see what would happen to...
  54. Iris

    Sugar Free Gum

    Lip balm can be a good fiddly habit for the orally fixated! ;) Loads of tasty flavours and you can build up a little collection of your favourites to keep in the drawer, giving your lips a treatment whenever you feel fiddly. And, hey, you get super-soft lips out of the deal, too!
  55. Iris

    New US surgeon general criticised for her weight

    Interesting one, Jim. I really don't know... she doesn't look humungous in her picture, but I'd guess she's a fair bit overweight. I suppose if the top doc in the country developed diabetes due to their diet it'd make a bit of a mockery of any public health campaign they lent their weight to...
  56. Iris

    how your tastes change

    Mmm... I have half a leftover pineapple sliced up in the fridge, awaiting devourment! I may be weird, but my favourite part is actually the super-chewy fibrous centre. It pains me when people cut that out and chuck it away!!
  57. Iris

    Breakfast ideas please

    Do you like fish, Karen? Can be a wonderful breakfast because the protein really fills you up and combats the usual mid-morning attack of the munchies! I love John West kipper fillets on Nimble toast, myself. Also, a little bit of smoked salmon with a couple of scrambled eggs feels so indulgent...
  58. Iris

    Sugar Free Gum

    I think the cals in gum are just the cals you get from chewing it. I don't think there's many downsides to gum, in moderation! The sugar-free type is probably best, good for saliva production and combating plaque after a meal. But I've heard that excessive consumption of sugar-free gum can cause...
  59. Iris

    help mee!

    Keep posting Rosie - we're all in the same boat here, all fighting personal battles with food, whatever stage we're at! Please don't despair. You're tackling this problem right now while you're still so young and you have all the time in the world to conquer it. Don't panic and don't beat...
  60. Iris

    Bread & Butter..... the love of my life!

    Any bread junkie deserves a breadmaker. Panasonic makes the best ones. Nothing like the scent of a fresh loaf waking you up in the morning, and you can experiment with your own healthy recipes! Just take a look at the amount of rubbish that goes into a standard loaf in the shops - you can make...
  61. Iris

    MAN I LOOOOOOOOVE DE CAKE!!!!!

    If it counts as a cake (and I think it just about squeaks past the adjudicators!) M&S Extremely Chocolatey MiniBites. Oh heck. Luscious chocolate buttercream insinuated around a swirl of chocolate sponge encased in crackingly thick rich Belgian chocolate. Pardon me while I swoon. ;)
  62. Iris

    now and again

    I'm with mommyb on this one. If I let myself go on chocolate, it'd likely take me a year to gather the reins again. I used to get through an obscene amount of chocolate in my binging days. 20-30 bars a day at least. The problem for me is that when I think about enjoying chocolate, I don't...
  63. Iris

    Mouth hunger

    I think mouth hunger is more easily treated than the growling belly kind! When my mouth wants something, I go get a lolly to lick. The skinny cow double choc type take ages to finish and don't melt that quickly so it usually gets my tastebuds through their temper tantrum! A good alternative is...
  64. Iris

    A little *woohoo*

    Congratulations!! In honour of the boogying paying off, I present Mr. Dancing Banana to celebrate the occasion!
  65. Iris

    just back from India

    I love Indian cuisine, but the last time I was in hospital, I got talking to a nurse about all things spicy and she told me that some of the highest cancer rates in the world were to be found in India. She mentioned bowel cancer specifically - I don't know if her sources are accurate, but google...
  66. Iris

    quark question please

    It really does make a yummy and super simple lemon cheesecake! Just whip it up with plenty of sweetener and the zest and rind of a lemon, then get a couple of little ramekins and stick whatever you fancy in the bottom for the base - a couple of crushed up alpen light choc fudge bars and...
  67. Iris

    Calorie Advice Please

    It's a pretty bizarre mix of feelings all round, isn't it? Takes a while to get used to it all. Have you gone a bit bananas with the clothes shopping, too? :p I don't exercise at all, nothing formal or timed, anyway, so I admire your discipline! You definitely do need to up the cals if you're...
  68. Iris

    Oh pants.... what a stupid week!!!

    You never know - it may not be as bad as you think! At the very least you know where you slipped up and you're not letting it spiral out of control. Just compare how you eat now (even on a dodgy day) to how you ate before. I bet it's still heaps better. Well done on your fab loss so far -...
  69. Iris

    What 5 things are you looking forward to doing....

    You'll get rid of that... healthy eating can eradicate the weight but it you can't diet your way to prettiness - you've got that naturally, so hey, be happy! :)
  70. Iris

    Calorie Advice Please

    Hi Angy... similar situation with me. I was on 1300 a day and I've been slowly upping that to see if I can hit a balance for maintenance. All personal choice, but I don't think I'd suddenly zoom up to a particular maintenance allowance, mainly because I'm not sure what exactly that is for me...
  71. Iris

    31st July weightloss thread...

    Crikey, diminishingreturns... you've been giving it some welly this month. Another 7lbs?! I think that calls for the boogalicious dancing banana to be wheeled out!! And well done Debzi on the 3lbs!! CC - I plateaued for 3 damn months earlier this year. It got to the stage where I'd walk...
  72. Iris

    Vitamins & Supplements...??

    I think you can, Nic. I remember watching some documentary a while back about liver damage due to consumption of excess amounts of Vitamin A in multivitamin tablets, I think it was. There was a trend for a long time for the manufacturers to include crazy amounts of each vitamin - like 700% of...
  73. Iris

    Vitamins & Supplements...??

    *hug* PCOS can make it tough to get the weight moving but if you hang in there it does get easier with time. And the alleviation of symptoms as the weight comes off is a great incentive to stick at it. I went along to see my GP recently, thought I'd better check that I had the green light to...
  74. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    Crikey. Bit insensitive of them not to provide a few options for the vegetarian lobby, or even just people who don't like sausages! A couple of quorn fillets would've been nice. And no salad?! I'd have been seriously miffed! Good on you for resisting the junk and not feeling pressured into...
  75. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    The big war is all fought in the mind, isn't it? Once you get into the right mindset, anything is achievable! You're in Italy? Is it tough trying to do a low carb regime when you're surrounded by all that delicious cuisine? I love Italian holidays but I find it so hard to resist all the...
  76. Iris

    Go Ahead yoghurt and fruit bars!

    Mmmm. I love those yoghurt and raspberry bars - only problem is that if I have one I have to have two!! And they wrap them that way to tempt you! They're gorgeous. Have you tried the new sweet fruity ryvita yet? You can stick a big spoon of quark on it for 20ish cals, sprinkle with a little...
  77. Iris

    What 5 things are you looking forward to doing....

    You look really lovely right now, you know! I know it's fab to lose weight and all, but I hope you appreciate that you still look great at the moment - so don't let the mirror get you down!
  78. Iris

    A Moan....(sorry...long)

    I really agree with cocktailprincess. I yo-yo'ed for years, always setting myself targets and getting disheartened when I hadn't hit them. I was a slave to the scales and it was pathetic just how the numbers could dictate my whole mood for the day! I think I only started to make progress when I...
  79. Iris

    snickers !!!

    After the squashathon, maybe go and have a lovely steaming mug of Belgian choc Options with an Alpen choc fudge cereal bar. Less than a third of the cals and a tiny fraction of the fat of one Snickers and you'll have earned it!
  80. Iris

    snickers !!!

    In my days of hardcore binging chocoholism, I ate over 20 Snickers bars a day - and other bars besides! It ballooned me up to over 16 stone and made me an acne-ridden, lethargic mess. The Snickers has a lot to answer for!! I say take it out, put it on the floor, and jump up and down on it...
  81. Iris

    2nd attempt... 1st attempt I was a failure

    I don't think you're a failure. I think whatever diet or eating plan you tried just didn't suit you - doesn't make you a failure at all, only a tiny proportion of people are suited to any particular diet and manage to make it work for them. Don't feel guilty or bad or beat yourself up about...
  82. Iris

    aaarrrgghhhh!!!!!!

    Sometimes your body can just store up the loss for next week. Usually you get a really great loss the week after a STS. Please don't worry or beat yourself up - I had a 3 month plateau earlier this year when I tried really hard and virtually nothing happened! You know that you're being good and...
  83. Iris

    OMG - HELP - Terrified of the dentist

    Totally been in the same boat! I hadn't visited the dentist in over a decade and I was petrified of having to go. But I knew I had a pretty bad cavity that was only going to get worse so I finally girded my loins and went along... and promptly had a panic attack in the waiting room! But...
  84. Iris

    Starting again

    If you want a change from the old yoghurts, Hartley's sugarfree jelly works out really economical if you use the sachets and make up a big pint of it to snack on. The orange flavour goes really well with strawberries and raspberries or any other fruit you've got knocking around.
  85. Iris

    I'm Hungry

    I know how you feel - every day seems like munchie day to me! Got to have my nibbles or I'd go insane. Maybe if you made up a healthy tupperware box of nibbles to put in your drawer it'd help? Some brazil nuts or almonds, goji berries (inca berries are really tangy and nice, too!), a broken up...
  86. Iris

    Not losing much weight been on plan for five weeks:-(

    Many congrats on all the weight you've taken off so far - you seem to be ignoring just how well you've done!! Give yourself that credit. Sounds to me that you're getting respectable losses, especially as you haven't got much to lose right now. The last pounds are always the hardest to shift...
  87. Iris

    Monday Weighers

    Congrats, Scarlet! It's lovely when a dodgy-feeling week turns out to be a good one. Good luck to everyone weighing in!!
  88. Iris

    Mug shots now do couscous!

    I only heard about mugshots on this forum, never tried any of the pasta kind - but finally saw mugshots couscous in Asda last week, so I grabbed a few packs. It's a tomato flavoured couscous, I think. Haven't tried it yet but will give it a whirl next time the carby munchies are upon me! Wish...
  89. Iris

    Fat Free coleslaw Recipe anyone????

    Just finely shred up your chosen veggies - cabbage, carrot, spring onions... personally I love fruity coleslaw (almost a crossover kind of waldorf salad!) so I also add some fresh mandarin segments, handful of sultanas, chopped apple and some walnut halves. Then you can use Helman's extra light...
  90. Iris

    I've been a bad, bad girl!!!

    Sounds like you were oh-so-good at being oh-so-bad, though! You too, Scarlet! :p Life's for enjoying, it's too darn short not to dive into the good times and enjoy them properly. Can't be a saint every day - and who'd want to be anyway?! Glad you hennighters had a great time!
  91. Iris

    Oh Dear...

    The belgian choc is lush, isn't it! Going through an 'outrageous orange' phase lately myself. Still haven't tried the wicked white choc flavour yet - must do! Things that smell sweet can sometimes help curb the old appetite a bit. It's like your nose gets its fill of all the...
  92. Iris

    Oh Dear...

    Don't sweat it - it could've been a lot worse, at least you're ready to remount the bandwagon! Might sound a wee bit daft, but the next time you're feeling crappy, a big steaming mug of highlights hot choc can be really soothing - have it with an alpen light choc fudge bar for less than 100...
  93. Iris

    Ooh my naughty husband!

    See, I'd probably padlock the bedroom door after that. But I'm a hardcore chocoholic...! Seriously cruel!!
  94. Iris

    100 cal snacks

    Some tasty 100 cal snacks that give you a lot of bang for your buck: -a slice of Nimble toast with a skim of light cream cheese and a couple of slices of smoked salmon, topped with chopped spring onions -a mug of Highlights or Options hot choc with an Alpen light choc fudge cereal bar -seven...
  95. Iris

    100 cal snacks

    Some tasty 100 cal snacks that give you a lot of bang for your buck: -a slice of Nimble toast with a skim of light cream cheese and a couple of slices of smoked salmon, topped with chopped spring onions -a mug of Highlights or Options hot choc with an Alpen light choc fudge cereal bar -seven...
  96. Iris

    Question for Iris!!

    I'm toeing the carpet pretty bashfully here! You're a lovely bunch of people, many thanks for the kind words Rosie, Pumpkin, Star, Karma, Adora... just pleased if any of my interminable waffle helps out some! I get a lot of support from all the great people here, too, just knowing that you're...
  97. Iris

    31st July weightloss thread...

    Well done on the 2lbs, Nic!
  98. Iris

    31st July weightloss thread...

    I plugged this into www.essentialsweightloss.co.uk and got the following totals if it helps any: Old El Paso Fajita Seasoning Mix 35g - half a pack: 52 kcals, 1.0g fat 1 x large red pepper: 51kcals, 0.6g fat 1 x Old El Paso flour tortilla: 140kcals, 2.8g fat 1 x tablespoon Green 0%...
  99. Iris

    Vitamins & Supplements...??

    Nic, I've tried a lot of multivitamins and supplements and, to be honest, I just don't know how effective they are. I lost my hair several years ago after coming off the pill (Dianette) and in desperation I tried loads of things. The hair loss was hormonal and related to my PCOS, and someone...
  100. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    If it does, I'll eat my favourite pair of shoes! With Helman's extra light, naturally. ;) Seriously, won't do you a bit of harm. If anything, a little influx of unexpected calories should give your metabolism something to work with and gear it up a bit. Besides, it wasn't a bit of chicken skin...
  101. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    You've taken off so much weight - many congratulations, you must be thrilled with the new you! I know what you mean about going out and just enjoying being 'normal.' It's lovely to just sit there and feel like you can enjoy the food without feeling like you're concealing some horrible secret or...
  102. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    That's fantastic!! Just knowing that you've got a plan for the long term and that you're never going to let yourself fall back into the dieting trap again makes shedding those last pounds a lot less stressful. I'm so happy you find some motivation here, too. I think we can all draw motivation...
  103. Iris

    Hello I'm back from the wilderness

    Lucky you having a partner who loves to cook!! Does he have a brother on the market? ;) I think that slow and steady is a sensible route - but steady doesn't always mean slow at all... it's a lot quicker in the long run than ending up on the gerbil wheel of yo-yo dieting. I hope that WW is a...
  104. Iris

    Roosters diary - 3rd time lucky?

    Oh heck, wish I could give you a big hug. Financial worries can just eat away at your mind. Try not to worry regarding the credits - just some bureaucratic jobsworth ticking the boxes and wasting paper, as usual. It takes them months to just lick a stamp, so let them get on with it, you've done...
  105. Iris

    The Spoon and Me -- Bronski's Diary

    ahhhh Bron, you looked an absolute radiant picture on your big day! Don't sweat any recent dietary blips, you're in the driving seat and your fab running habit is going to keep the weight off, brownie bowl or no brownie bowl!
  106. Iris

    Pass it on!

    Ouch, that's tough... I don't know what I'd say. I guess if you wanted to jolt her you'd say 'well, don't let that epiphany moment be after your first heart attack,' but that's maybe too viciously direct for comfort. Sounds like she wants help but just hasn't reached that tipping point yet...
  107. Iris

    weetabix oaty bar

    Thank you! Better get my butt to Tesco! :p
  108. Iris

    Pass it on!

    I think if you start it from a position of love, she'll realise that, you know? You love her, you want her to be around enjoying life for as long as possible, so maybe if you approach it from the health angle, and the feeling good angle, rather than the 'fat' angle, that might be the way to go...
  109. Iris

    What's for dinner?

    Dinner will be around midnight (crazy schedule I know!) and it'll be sweet chilli prawns, noodles, 1 red bell pepper, 100g spring onions, 500g broccoli, and a pack of spinach. Having Hartley's sugarfree jelly and raspberries/blackberries for dessert! Yep, I'm a fruit and veggie fiend.
  110. Iris

    Not there yet, but here's me 54lbs down

    You're a regular smooth-talker, Jim, eh? ;) I promise I'll post when I get these two pounds shifted. I think nannis should post some more pics for inspiration. Can't have too many pics, can we?!
  111. Iris

    4 Years at goal!!

    Very many congratulations on keeping aboard the maintenance wagon - you must be super chuffed!!
  112. Iris

    Ooops! I had a clothes BINGE today......

    Oh wow, I LOVE the pink crops!! You look fantastic - just noticed your weight loss. 131lbs? Incredible stuff!
  113. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    I understand that fear/guilt thing, but the irony is that the belly would probably shift quicker if you put more in it. I've upped my cals to prepare for maintenance and the weight loss has suddenly speeded up over the last few pounds. Be very careful you're not sacrificing your health in...
  114. Iris

    Question for Iris!!

    Sorry, just realised that I didn't share my daily menu/favourite foods. My daily menu is a big one. I nibble and graze frequently and I have a big appetite so I like big portions! I started out on around 1500 calories a day, I dropped that to 1400 after 6 months, then down to 1300 once I...
  115. Iris

    Question for Iris!!

    Hi Adora, I haven't reached my goal yet... so haven't maintained at all, unless we count a 3 month plateau earlier this year! Please don't feel bad about falling off the wagon. Everyone has up and down days and weeks, so long as you're on track for the majority of the time, you get there in...
  116. Iris

    Holiday

    That is seriously impressive. How on earth did you resist the fudge? HOW?! I can never go past the fudge when I'm down there. Well done on showing more gumption than I could!
  117. Iris

    Can your mind keep up?

    Your post kind of got me a bit emotional, must admit! It's easy to forget just what a rollercoaster it can be when your body's changing out of all recognition and you're kind of saying goodbye to not just a whole way of being, but your entire old self. I hadn't really stopped to take stock of...
  118. Iris

    I have quark and no idea what to do with it, help!!

    You could make a lovely lemon cheesecake with it! Just whisk it up with some lemon juice, little bit of grated lemon rind, and sweetener, then smooth it over your chosen base and stick it in the fridge to chill. You could crush up a couple of alpen light choc orange cereal bars for the base, or...
  119. Iris

    Meringues - amount of canderal to egg whites

    I've never tasted the vinegar in the meringue - I think because it's so sweet you don't taste the sourness. When using the super-sweet artificial sweeteners, it may actually help to take an edge off that sweetness so it tastes more natural.
  120. Iris

    Can you warm up muller light?

    I usually warm my yoghurt when I have it over cereal - my belly seems to like it better that way! :p So I think it should be fine.
  121. Iris

    Meringues - amount of canderal to egg whites

    It's definitely worth a shot - the sweetener weighs so light I think you're going to need heaps of it, though. Don't worry about the vinegar being raspberry vinegar - I just use whatever I have in the cupboard, usually just brown malt vinegar and it works fine.
  122. Iris

    god i feel rough

    Sleep is the greatest healer of all - so glad to hear you managed a real sleepathon! Nothing better for kicking the virusy nastiness up the derriere.
  123. Iris

    Meringues - amount of canderal to egg whites

    I'm not sure you can make meringue totally without sugar, Willow. Sounds like a challenge! Would be worth an experiment, though. If it's just for you, maybe try using 1 egg white and keep adding the canderel until you have something that looks meringuey enough. A teaspoon of cornflour mixed with...
  124. Iris

    What you all to eating today?

    Well, I'm not on SW, but I think I've kind of been doing my own version of it without realising - lots of free foods and my own style of syns! I'm currently upping my cal total a bit in preparation for maintenance. Today's bellytastic yumminess: Breakfast- 2 weetabix, 200ml skimmed milk...
  125. Iris

    weetabix oaty bar

    Thanks for this! I didn't even know they existed. Will have to have peek in Asda next time I'm in. I love weetabix with a rather alarming digestive passion, so I just know these will be fab! :p
  126. Iris

    god i feel rough

    You're very welcome, Kaz, hope the OH is keeping his end up in the kitchen and looking after you. Try to get as much good wholesome food like that broth and mash down you as you can. Really hope you start to feel better soon!
  127. Iris

    Day 61 - Hiccup

    Hi Squiddie - I wouldn't even call that a hiccup, really. Sounds like you were in the driving seat and making good, informed choices all the way. You know, there's a technique involved in treating stammering that I think has a bit of crossover usefulness in losing weight. Stammerers are often...
  128. Iris

    Omg sts past two week but omg....

    Fabulous inch losses, you must be thrilled! Just goes to show that old tyrant scales don't always show the full picture. Well done you!!
  129. Iris

    How late do you eat and does it make a difference

    Hi Ella, I'm a full-time carer so my sleeping and eating patterns can be pretty eratic! I usually end up eating very late at night once I've finished all the work and (hopefully) everything is quiet. That's my time to relax a bit if I get a chance. So my dinner can be anywhere from 10.30pm to...
  130. Iris

    LEMON MERINGUE

    I love love love lemon meringue! Quite possibly my favourite ever pudding... well, favourite non-choc one. ;) Thanks for this - I'm going to give it a try. P.S. Why can't I add thanks? Ahh, the post's too old? Nevermind... premature senility knocking on my door.
  131. Iris

    god i feel rough

    You're very welcome to it, Kaz, I just hope it helps you some. Seems like a lot of ingredients and faffing around, but it makes a huge saucepan and the basic broth freezes really well. Take one big old raw chicken (about 4-5lbs) and put it in a Very Large Saucepan with a lot of roughly chopped...
  132. Iris

    Clothing sizes??

    I think there's a lot of the old vanity sizing around. It's just a shame that a lot of women are more likely to buy a garment just because it has some magical number on the label! I think the most generous sizes (totally ridiculous, really) are in M&S, Dorothy Perkins, and Next. I think that...
  133. Iris

    god i feel rough

    My best mate's been laid up with the flu and she's in a really bad way, too. It's horrible, I hope you're getting plenty of rest and fluids. I made my mate a big pot of chicken and vegetable broth (always really helps me when I'm ill) and it seems to have perked her up a bit. Maybe see if the OH...
  134. Iris

    Offal-what do you do with it

    Lambs' kidneys can be really tasty (and healthy!) if you chop them up small and fry with a light spray until browned a bit, then add a tin of baked beans to the pan with a big dash of lea & perrin's and whatever spices you like. Let it simmer for a while then serve it up on toast with a poached...
  135. Iris

    Toffee crisp

    Now that takes admirable willpower! Good on you just settling for the one and getting rid of the rest. There's no way I'd have parted with that choc if I had it in my hands - my evil inner ravening chocobeast would never allow it!!
  136. Iris

    £22.30

    I've been painfully skint in the past - I really do empathise, it's exhausting trying to ferret out the best deals on everything. If you have a good weekly market or farmers' market near you it can be worth getting up early and heading there for some bargains. The fruit and veg is usually top...
  137. Iris

    I feel like i'm weaning my self of drugs

    Hi Michelle - it can be just like kicking a drug addiction, don't underestimate what a powerful hold sugar can have on you! I think it's just as potentially addictive as any Class A drug. I think there is a definite period of physical withdrawal when you decide to cut out the junk (chocolate...
  138. Iris

    O/T Try this, addictive

    Thanks for that link - my geo-geek loves a challenge. :)
  139. Iris

    "Ready Brek" vs porridge

    Aren't cereals just fab?! You can avoid the concretiness if you add the extra fluid - 300ml of mixed hot milk and water (or just milk!) with 2 weetabix gives you a soft fluffy bowl of lusciousness. Making your own muesli is fun, too! But hey, don't get me started on cereals, carb-fiend that I...
  140. Iris

    So ready to throw towel in on this diet

    ^I absolutely agree with this. Any 'consultant' who belittles someone or hints that they may not be telling the truth is someone who shouldn't be a 'consultant,' for my money. Sometimes you can do it by the book, put your heart into it, and the scales just don't cooperate - sometimes you even...
  141. Iris

    "Ready Brek" vs porridge

    lol, sorry, but they're good for you, after all. Lovely flavour and very satisfying!
  142. Iris

    'Boob's and Bra's......

    It's a lovely feeling when clothes start to slip off, isn't it? Even if it means your trousers falling down in the frozen foods aisle in Asda. Pardon me while I cringe in remembered shame! Many congrats, Donnie, hope you treat yourself to something nice on www.figleaves.co.uk as a reward! Lulu...
  143. Iris

    Sprouts Craving

    Me too! I've taken to concealing a secret stash of eggs in the garage so I know they won't all be used when I get an eggy craving or need to bake. Sad, I know! :p
  144. Iris

    "Ready Brek" vs porridge

    I went through a hardcore Ready Brek phase recently - just loved that feeling of warm glue-iness sticking to my belly! :p I got a bit miffed when I decided to try Ready Brek Honey instead of the Original, though. At first glance the same calories, but on closer inspection they'd yanked out a...
  145. Iris

    Sprouts Craving

    I hear you! I've become addicted to broccoli. I eat 500g of it a day. I start to panic if there isn't a big broccoli stash in the kitchen. I used to be the same way with chocolate. From chocoholic to broccoholic...! :p
  146. Iris

    Help..again

    If you under-cook your veggies just a little bit, especially some broccoli and eat it quite crunchy, it seems to really power through the old digestive system! Just be sure to chew it really well and slowly to avoid any unpleasant stomach cramps. Have to second the suggestion of prunes, too.
  147. Iris

    HATE MYSELF :(

    I want to give you a big fat hug. Please don't hate yourself - no hate or guilt allowed! Everybody has rough times, bad days, up-and-down weeks, it's just life and you wouldn't be human if you didn't have the odd slip-up. One burger and fries never made anyone fat, after all! It's having several...
  148. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    You could start doing that now, you know! I have a day a week where I take my mum out for lunch and we make a day of it - go shopping, drive around and gossip, see some sights, then have a slap-up meal and a nice pudding. Doesn't impact your weight loss at all - in fact, I think it helps keep...
  149. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    I'm loving the locked away Mrs. Rochester analogy! Maybe we're all madwomen in attics when we're losing weight. :p I think you're right about being able to indulge. In fact, I think it's vital that you have that odd indulgence - wouldn't be human, wouldn't be living if you didn't, I don't...
  150. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    In my yo-yo days I never gave maintenance half a thought, really. I wanted to lose weight quickly and I kind of had a vague, unrealised assumption in my head that if I took the weight off speedily, I'd quickly be able to resume life as normal! It was always 'I can't wait to have a plate of chips...
  151. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    I think (or hope!) that it's possible to comfortably maintain without too much of the anal calorie counting. I think if we just knock one bad habit on the head, namely shopping for rubbish, then that should keep us relatively safe? I mean, if you don't buy junk, you can't eat it at home, right...
  152. Iris

    Please tell me i will get somewhere!!

    Think I've probably said this before, so sorry if I sound like a broken record, but what with the health issues you've been describing lately, and your plateau, I really do think the 1000 cals isn't working for you. If you up it a bit, there's a good chance you'll kick your metabolism into gear...
  153. Iris

    New to calorie counting need help :)

    Hello Nessy. I think calorie counting is a good choice for losing weight, just because it's a basic technique you can use for the rest of your life, and it's good to hear you're ready to take it off sensibly without going to extremes! I think a good way of figuring out the rough calorie total...
  154. Iris

    Thought I'd better post on here!

    Congratulations on your impressive losses so far, Jim, and the very best of luck for the continuing journey. Sounds like you're fully determined to get where you want to be, and anything is achievable when you have that level of focus. Roll on 16 stone!
  155. Iris

    spag bol

    I'm a lazy girl who needs loads of flavour... bad combo, I know, but I find that you get a really delicious sauce when you cook your veggies very slowly and let them break down and release all their sweet lusciousness. Start off with loads of chopped onions, leeks, garlic, plum tomatoes and even...
  156. Iris

    Nearly there on exante

    Many congratulations, Sarah, you look absolutely stunning!
  157. Iris

    What's your plan for maintenance?

    Sorry if this has been asked before, but I'm curious about how you all see yourselves living once you achieve your targets. Never too early to start plotting your campaign to keep the weight off, so how do you plan to eat? Imagine you've got on the scales, they're showing you your target...
  158. Iris

    So what are we having for lunch?

    pumpkin, if you could resist the lure of the desserts, I figure you've earned some wine and at least a couple of bowls of crunchy nuts. [warning: if you're of a sensitive sugar-craving disposition please don't read on] I couldn't resist the desserts and I ended up going for... *drumroll...
  159. Iris

    Recipe help summer fruit pudding

    I'm not sure of the finer points of syns, but I guess making it lower cal would make it lower syn? If so, what I'd do is either cut the sugar down to 50g, or take it out of the recipe completely, maybe adding some low cal sweetener or a tablespoon of honey instead if needed. I think that most...
  160. Iris

    Spice up cottage cheese

    Good tip, I never thought of spicing up cheese before, but I'm going to try it! I have a daily serving of around a pound of broccoli with my evening meal (yes, I'm a glutton - I hang my head!) and I regularly spice it up before I steam it. I add ground cumin, coriander, paprika, chilli powder...
  161. Iris

    5lb loss this week!

    Fabulous loss, well done, you must be thrilled!! Onwards and downwards...! :)
  162. Iris

    self - sabotage?

    By the way, forgot to mention the obvious - well done on your cracking loss. You really do look like a different person - and a happier one, I hope!
  163. Iris

    self - sabotage?

    I think that's a great point. If you carry around a mental image of yourself for years, it's going to take more than a relatively short period as a 'skinny' to budge that inner passport photo you have of yourself. I feel the same way about The Fear. I think it's partially why I keep trimming...
  164. Iris

    For those of you who have lost a lot of weight

    Hi, I've lost nearly 8 stone and I've got the bingo wings to prove it! :p The strange thing, though, is that with the last half stone I've lost, I've found that the skin has started to tighten up a bit. I'd read a theory once that getting rid of that final bit of fat helps with the skin issue...
  165. Iris

    I'm doing rubbish!!

    Ebay's always good. There's an auction right now for the glass ones: weight watchers ultra slim designer glass scale on eBay (end time 16-Jul-09 19:16:23 BST) Your other best bet is Amazon. They don't do bodyfat or anything, but you can choose pounds, kilos or stones and pounds, and you get...
  166. Iris

    Summer fruit!

    Can't take much saintly credit for it, judi, I just love baking! But it was lovely to see her tuck in to something with gusto. Speaking of the lovely fruit available right now, I think I'm hooked on apricots! Got a bag of rather iddy-bitty sized ones yesterday and I've nearly finished the...
  167. Iris

    So what are we having for lunch?

    Must say, CC, that lunch sounds deeply delicious! Good on you for taking the time to put it all together. Sounds like a little feast for the tastebuds. My stomach just severely rumbled reading it. I was out today for lunch, wasn't planned, so I tried to make a relatively healthy choice. I went...
  168. Iris

    Summer fruit!

    I hear you! I don't know what the heck I'm going to do come the autumn/winter after I've got used to all this lovely fruit and veg. I think I may croak! I got greedy buying strawberries at a farmer's market last week and had 3 leftover punnets threatening to go to waste, so I made up some...
  169. Iris

    Is it wrong?

    No such thing as a wrong yummy food - just a wrong quantity. Yes to a sandwich (or even two!) No to the whole loaf! Can't see it doing you any harm, seriously. :)
  170. Iris

    I'm doing rubbish!!

    Maybe they're on the blink? I got the glass weightwatchers one myself recently and it gives you quarter pound increments, but you have to give it a sharp bash with your toes to turn the thing on... and its recent readings have been a tad bizarre! Maybe it's concussed from all the bashing...
  171. Iris

    How much weight IS a dress size?

    Well, at my heaviest I was still in denial and squeezing myself into extremely old and stretchy and very generously cut size 18 jeans from Dorothy Perkins tall range. But I had 50 inch hips, 38 inch waist, and 50 inch bust, so I must have been at least a true size 22. I never bought anything...
  172. Iris

    I'm doing rubbish!!

    Do you use digital scales? Just curious about that 4lbs.
  173. Iris

    Not there yet, but here's me 54lbs down

    Thanks Jim! And nannis! I was thinking about posting a couple of shots in the before & after thread when I hit my target... feels a bit like I'd be tempting fortunes to do it before then. Bit superstitious about it - ridiculous I know! :p
  174. Iris

    Help

    Hi, I think it would depend on how active she is? One way of working it out would be to get her to tot up the average cals she consumes at the moment, then drop that by around 500 a day. Just a rough guesstimate, but I think at her height and weight she could comfortably take off 1-2lbs a week...
  175. Iris

    I'm doing rubbish!!

    Hi, congrats on the wonderful weight loss so far! The last stone or so is a real git to shift - you have to be a bit crafty and try a few new things to get it off, I think. Your fluctuation in weight during the week could all depend on the time of day you weighed at, how much fluid you've...
  176. Iris

    first weigh in after reaching target

    Thank you! I think it's just going to be a question of trying to be sensible and gradually upping what I eat in a healthy way. Best of luck to you in maintaining your loss, too!
  177. Iris

    Roosters diary - 3rd time lucky?

    10lbs? That's an incredible loss, well done you!! I really do love the sound of your eating plan and your attitude to it - it's all a tasty adventure, really, after all, there's so many delicious healthy foods to be nibbled out there, just a question of sniffing them out. No need to ever feel...
  178. Iris

    Jim's Diary

    The best of luck to you, Jim. Anything is achievable if you take it sensibly and want it badly enough. You'll do it!
  179. Iris

    This is it.....

    9lbs is absolutely fantastic, well done you - you must be over the moon! I'm going to read it as a testament to your cooking skills that your border collie availed herself of a low calorie pasta bake. Must have been tasty!
  180. Iris

    Self Sabotage!

    I think you're right that we have to take a big dollop of the responsibility for what we allowed to happen to ourselves... but at the same time, don't be too tough on you! There's so many factors that surround over-eating, and usually there's been some pretty traumatic emotional problems or...
  181. Iris

    self - sabotage?

    I know exactly what you mean! The whole imposter thing... you feel like a fatty in disguise still - isn't it strange? There's part of me that feels like this new self is somehow dishonest, as if I'm marketing myself as something that I'm really not. That's rather awkward when it comes to dating...
  182. Iris

    I need choc!!!

    A choc mini milk? Alpen light choc fudge bar? Skinny cow choc ice? Snackajacks choc popcorn? Big mug of steaming Cadbury's Highlights made with skimmed milk? I'm a mad chocoholic... the above is what keeps me (relatively) sane!! I think you could have one or even two of those without worrying...
  183. Iris

    first weigh in after reaching target

    Well done, that's impressive! Just finding the right balance seems like a challenge - do you have any tips? I'm gearing myself up for maintenance and I'm pretty scared I'll screw it up and start gaining again.
  184. Iris

    Not there yet, but here's me 54lbs down

    You look absolutely fantastic! Very many congratulations on all the hard work paying off - you must be incredibly chuffed. Good luck with the rest of the journey!
  185. Iris

    i feel rubbish

    You're not a failure. Just because your body and mind can't handle a particular diet programme, that doesn't make you a failure. It makes the diet a failure. You haven't failed the diet - the diet has failed you. If it makes you feel ill, miserable, out of control, and hopeless - that's a pretty...
  186. Iris

    Newbie...my story so far

    I wish I knew how to help. All I can offer is an ear, really. If you're feeling like things are getting beyond your control, please post here or message me... sometimes it can just help to talk things through with somebody removed from the situation. I think you're right to seek out your GP...
  187. Iris

    Weight loss resources - any other sites?

    I think that www.essentialsweightloss.co.uk is the best dietary tracking site around. They run a free 5 day trial, too, so you can really get a feel for it before you subscribe. There's recipes from other users, forums, a healthy 'food swap' list, and the range of calorie info they have is...
  188. Iris

    Calories today

    If you're worrying about the hair, try upping your intake of healthy fats. It can be easy to let your fat intake drop too low, and your body really does need good fats to keep you in tip top condition - if you're too low in them your skin and hair will suffer especially. Oily fish, nuts...
  189. Iris

    Newbie...my story so far

    I want to give you a big hug first and foremost! I know how you feel, I've been there, hovered around 13 stone for most of my teenage years, before I ballooned up over 16 stone after uni and found myself with a Very Large Problem. You say you're scared that your regime may be bad for your...
  190. Iris

    Knowing When To Stop

    I know what you mean. When I started this eating-healthy-for-life resolution on May 1st last year, part of my plan was to not weigh myself, just to go by the tape measure and how I felt. If I had a rough mental target, it was 10 stone. Then curiosity got the better of me in February of this...
  191. Iris

    Calories today

    You've had a sensible meal... it'd be a bad move to penalise yourself for that. If you don't eat anything more today, you'll likely wake up fit to demolish your entire cal allowance in one sitting. If you're hungry, have a light healthy meal. Stick to the good habits of sensible regular eating.
  192. Iris

    how to make our cravings xenical friendly?

    I remember, around Christmas 2006 I think it was, one of my little trips into M&S - must admit, I made trips there just for their sweet stuff... their mince pies, their dark choc jaffa cakes, their INCREDIBLE chocolate brownie bar, their caramel Viennese biscuits... I'll stop there before I...
  193. Iris

    Self Sabotage!

    I know that sneaky little voice inside that has its own encyclopaedia of excuses! In the past whenever I dieted I would ultimately fail by tripping over the same hurdle time and again - I'd last about six months on a very strict regime, and then the crafty voice of sabotage would say 'you've...
  194. Iris

    Question about boobs (lady boobs!)

    40JJ? By heck, that's an impressive prow! :p It's very unfair that manufacturers are so exploitative with pricing when you're a bigger size. But there's a few bargains to be had on eBay once you've found yourself a brand and a size that you know fit you, you can usually sift it out on eBay...
  195. Iris

    Vegetarians

    You know what annoys me? I'm not a vegetarian, but when I see people bashing the vegetarian lifestyle it really makes me see red. Like that pompous knucklehead Giles Coren... he wrote a piece in The Times recently entitled 'vegetarianism is an eating disorder,' and tried to make out it was all...
  196. Iris

    how to make our cravings xenical friendly?

    M&S Extremely Chocolatey Minibites. But I'd break the rule and have at least 5 tubs of them. Then I'd start again the next day with more tubs and... that would be that! There's the problem in a nutshell - when I think about chocolate, I don't think about just having a bar or a single treat, I...
  197. Iris

    Going to ask restaurant this week

    I used to hate avocado, too! Then I had it in some sushi and started to rather like it... got some great good fats in it for general well-being if you can stomach a little of it. Just ask them not to add it to the salad if it's not your thing. Lay down the law and tell them exactly what you...
  198. Iris

    Question about boobs (lady boobs!)

    I've lost a load off the gazongas! Gone from a 38F to a 32DD. Don't think my proportions have changed much, though, I've lost 13 inches off each area - boobs/waist/hips, so I think it all evens itself out. Well done on your fab weight loss, by the way! Maybe have a look at figleaves.co.uk...
  199. Iris

    July challenge - all diets welcome!

    Wow, you guys are flying this month! Well done to Debs, pineapple, Olivia and Sarah, and many congrats on the baby, Sarah - you must be so excited!!
  200. Iris

    Going to ask restaurant this week

    Looks like they have a lovely Insalate Italian salad menu. The salmon fillet salad looks fab. You could always sneakily bring a squeezy bottle of Helman's extra light mayo with you, and ask them to hold the dressing if you're worried, but their salad dressings don't look too awful! How about...
  201. Iris

    Fruitarian.....???

    Never been on an official fruitarian diet, but fruit and veg do make up the bulk of what I eat. I know that's not ideal, but I love them so much and it's tough for me to try to cut down on my intake. Today I had 450g strawberries, 200g raspberries, 6 apricots, a peach, 2 mandarins, a banana, 3...
  202. Iris

    Confession and penitence

    I feel your pain, been through those phases and they suck. I've found that when I indulge my sweet tooth I suffer badly from even more cravings because I get the instant sugar rush then the energy drop and I'm hungrier than I was beforehand. The nasty thing is that so many foods have hidden...
  203. Iris

    MommyB's New Adventure

    Congrats on the 3lbs! I think you're walking proof that taking weight off doesn't have to be total misery, that you can still eat a great diet and have fun with food. I think you've decided my next chip shop treat... scampi! Haven't had any in much too long.
  204. Iris

    Please check this for me?

    Sounds very low in calories to me. The regimented water drinking, particularly in the evening, may disrupt your sleep. If you're tired, you're hungrier. I'd add some more snacks and general bulk to the diet so that you've got energy for your exercise and you don't get bad cravings that could...
  205. Iris

    does anyone know how many kcal a...

    I can't find anything for a shawarma, but I had a look on essentialsweightloss.co.uk and they've got a few listings for kebabs - not sure if any hit the mark, but might be in the same ballpark! Doner kebab in pitta bread with salad, small portion (230g) : 586 kcals, 37.3g fat Shish kebab in...
  206. Iris

    new me 2009 weight loss diary

    Well done you on nipping the gain in the bud and getting back in the saddle - that's the hardest part, just putting the brakes on and taking control again. That takes strength, and you've obviously got it! Sounds like you've had a tough time of it lately in your personal life. I hope the...
  207. Iris

    Back on the wagon!

    Sounds like you've been through the mill with the double whammy of accidents and stress. Life can sometimes just throw itself in the way of best laid plans... like a giant bar of chocolate blocking the road ahead. Pardon me while I savour that mental image for just a moment! *cough* Best of...
  208. Iris

    MommyB's New Adventure

    How's it hanging, mommyb? Just as an aside, I love your screen-name... it sounds so blingtastically r'n'b. :p I usually trot in here just to have a drool over your menus, must admit. Hope it's going to plan this week!
  209. Iris

    Hey guys, newbie to Cals xx

    I'm glad the site's useful for you! And aren't the colours fun? I don't know, maybe I'm an overgrown 4 year old, but it makes me happy every time I log in! :p Well done you on your weight loss so far and on the heroic exercise efforts. 500-1000 cals in exercise? Crikey, I speak as a shameful...
  210. Iris

    BMI says Im ok...waist measurement/height ratio says Im still high risk for diabetes

    It's true that abdominal fat puts you at a higher risk of a number of conditions, apparently. But if you're fighting a natural apple shape, it's tough to shift. You can't spot reduce with exercise, unfortunately, but is it possible you're bloated and this is adding to your waist measurement...
  211. Iris

    Analyse My Diet Please!

    The veggie curry sounds fab! Great veg intake for the day, too. Only thing I'd say is that it's still so low in calories! Don't you get ravenously hungry? It's very possible I'm just a greedy-guts (I know I am) but I'd be fit to sink my teeth into a buffalo's backside by lunch time if I'd only...
  212. Iris

    oh god here i go again

    I think so long as you're not binging, you don't need to beat yourself up too much. Having a big appetite for high fat food just might be a reaction to being on slim fast for a while - the body's worried you're going to send it back to shakeland so it's demanding sustenance while it can! Don't...
  213. Iris

    Feeling a bit lonley!

    Oooh, retail therapy... asos.com have a big sale on at the moment, so do Dorothy Perkins I think, but be warned - once you get clicking things can get out of control! That sound in the background? My bank account screaming. Must find willpower to resist clothing bargains!!
  214. Iris

    Feeling a bit lonley!

    Maybe plan something nice to welcome him back with? I have a foodcentric brain (god help me) so I'd probably start studying the cookbooks to make a cake, but that may not be wise! Maybe figleaves.co.uk for some saucy undies instead. ;) Well done on your fab weight loss, by the way. You must be...
  215. Iris

    Bra sizes!

    I'm convinced that a man controls bra sizing. And a particularly sadistic little man at that! When you go down a back size, you have to go up a cup size to get the same volume, so a 38E and a 36F should have the same sized cups... but do they heck!! Seems totally dependent on the whims of the...
  216. Iris

    Roosters diary - 3rd time lucky?

    Hello roosters, just want to wish you all the luck in the world in getting the weight off and reaching a place where you feel happy in yourself. Your 3 year old must be a wonderful incentive to lose weight and get healthier - and you're still so young. Within no time at all you'll be joining...
  217. Iris

    Did I or Didn't I?

    Congratulations! Well done on all the hard work paying off. It's a great feeling to see the scales cooperating, isn't it? Roll on stone number two! :)
  218. Iris

    Would it be so bad.....?

    When I'm in the grip of a choc craving and it's whispering saucily to me 'eat meeee!' I try (with varying levels of success) to transfer that lust to something else. I'll either go google a pic of Gerard Butler shirtless, or I'll go to www.missselfridge.co.uk and look at the pretty summer...
  219. Iris

    What could you not live without on plan?

    Fruit and veg and sugarfree jelly! Particularly apricots, strawberries and broccoli. I think the sky would fall if I couldn't have broccoli - I eat at least a pound of it a day. :p
  220. Iris

    I've noone to blame but myself!

    Well done you on taking control of the problem and deciding to nip it in the bud before it gets too serious. Best to deal with it now before you have several stones to shift! It can be hard to get very motivated when you've only got a bit to lose, it's tough, but maybe if you set a bit of a...
  221. Iris

    Analyse My Diet Please!

    I can empathise with the fear of regaining. It's like you're trying to drive with a monstrous dog sitting in the back seat, wondering if he's suddenly going to turn rabid, right? :p To be honest, looking at that particular day's eating, I'm not sure where the bulk of your vitamins and...
  222. Iris

    Not Following A Diet- What do You Eat?

    It's really good! I kept renewing the 5 day trial (naughty I know!) until I realised I was using it every day and felt appropriately shamed into subscribing. There's a pretty good 3 month offer, though - £14.99. It's kind of fun to use... appeals to the inner bureaucrat, I guess, everything's...
  223. Iris

    Writing Off today!

    Don't let it get you down! You've put the brakes on, you know it's just a blip, and that's the big difference between the old you and the new you. You don't have to get it right 100% of the time, just getting it right over half the time means you're always on track. The odd portion of chips is...
  224. Iris

    weight loss

    I think that a dress size roughly equates to about half a stone. But it depends on where exactly you are in your weight loss, I think. The smaller sizes usually have a smaller inch difference between them than the bigger ones. It took a few stone before I started to see any substantial...
  225. Iris

    Restaurant Cravings

    It's tough when all that lovely food is being paraded directly under your nose, isn't it? And usually presented to some total whippet who looks as if a stiff breeze would blow them over! :p I just tend to avoid restaurants on a daily basis and keep them as a weekly treat, like you, and indulge...
  226. Iris

    31st July weightloss thread...

    Vicky 7lbs STS Serafyn 7lbs Nic68 10lbs -4lbs Debzi 7lbs -1lb Dramatic_Star 4lbs CarefulCounter 5lbs Chickydee - 10lbs - 2lbs off - 8lbs to go Diminishingreturns - 8lbs to go. Iris 1lb I'm basically trying to figure out this month what I can eat to roughly maintain my weight. The idea of...
  227. Iris

    Diet menu plan ideas?

    Well, I use www.essentialsweightloss.co.uk just for tracking my cals, but they also have a feature where you can explore other users' recipes (all cal counted) and try some of them out. You might find it useful - they run a free 5 day trial, no strings attached, so you can see if it's for you...
  228. Iris

    Hair loss

    I lost my hair after coming off the pill (Dianette). It came out in handfuls. I used to have a crazily thick blanket of hair that reached my butt, then suddenly it was gone and I had to have it all hacked off. Not to sound like too much of a superficial bimbo, but I think I had a mini nervous...
  229. Iris

    Excuses

    I don't think I'd ever judge someone for that kind of self-deception, if that's what it is. When you're an addict, whether it's food, alcohol, gambling... it makes you a very cunning liar, particularly to yourself. That's the addiction's way of protecting itself, I suppose. So many people end up...
  230. Iris

    Why oh Why...

    I have to shamefully admit that I've watched every episode from Gillian McKeith on channel 4's 4OD service. All 3 series! The 'before' table is like food porn! I remember one particular episode where Gillian grabbed this luscious looking choc fudge cake and crumbled it up in her hands with that...
  231. Iris

    Panic! advise very much appriciated

    I know how you feel! I'd love to think I could step on the scales at any hour and weigh under or around a certain benchmark... but it's just not all that feasible, especially if you're eating a healthy diet packed with fruit and veg. That water weighs heavy! Just don't get too caught up in...
  232. Iris

    Messed up again- feeling low (moan)

    This stuff happens... darn life getting in the way of being perfect! ;) It's how you react to it and move on - that's the thing. Tough days will happen, you'll gain weight sometimes even when you're good, but just so long as you hang in there for the majority of the time, you will win! Look...
  233. Iris

    Panic! advise very much appriciated

    I'm not sure, but I think your true weight is when you're lightest - usually in the morning before you've hit the food and drink and you're not storing as much water. So that would be your real weight, I think. If you hit target in the morning - I think you've done it! I can be anything up to...
  234. Iris

    How much weight have you ever gained after holiday

    Don't worry too much about it. Your weight can fluctuate by that much just in the course of a day. Don't let those scales dictate your mood or your will power! The last holiday I was on, I lost 7lbs. Why? My partner came down with salmonella food poisoning and we spent a week in a fleapit...
  235. Iris

    O/T Think before you speak....

    Thanks for posting this - it gave me a laugh!! Kind of reminds me of a situation that still makes me cringe, though. A few years back I was walking down the street, minding my own business, hurrying along to a dentist's appointment. A couple were walking towards me, and the man stopped me and...
  236. Iris

    NEW START!!!!

    Hello Emma, the very best of luck to you this time. If you find yourself feeling weak or have any worries about your heart rhythm, please make sure you talk to your GP. Look after yourself!
  237. Iris

    Warning: food porn

    Oh great googly moogly... I want one! If that tasted anywhere near as good as it looks, think I'd have done a Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. :p
  238. Iris

    Do You Cheat

    I put aside a day a week to take my mum out for lunch. This probably sounds awful - like I'm taking her out just so I can eat! :p But she finds it hard to get out and about a lot, so we make a day of it and go shopping, drive around aimlessly and gossip like mad, then we'll pick out a restaurant...
  239. Iris

    What's 4 dinner 2nite?

    Think it's going to be sweet chilli prawns with noodles, peppers, pak choi, spring onions and a pound of broccoli. Feel a bit embarrassed admitting to a broccoli addiction on that scale! :p Pud is Hartley's sugar-free jelly with strawbs and raspberries.
  240. Iris

    OH YES I DID IT

    Well done you on hitting target, you must be chuffed! I'm mentally gearing myself up for maintenance, too, and I read an article recently that had some good tips. Here's the link: Maintaining weight loss intro :: Diet Wellbeing :: All About You Here's a list of the key points they make: 1)...
  241. Iris

    Losing motivation, help me

    Try thinking about the reasons why you started losing weight in the first place. Try on some of your old clothes and ask yourself if you want to be that person again. Visualise yourself this Christmas in a slinky red festive number, knocking 'em dead! ;) And think about your health, your...
  242. Iris

    WI tonight... blown it!

    Something I do when I feel like I've over-eaten or had too many treats is just take a moment and think about what I used to eat in the bad old days! Try just totting up the number of syns you'd have consumed on an average day when food was ruling you and not vice versa. Pretty sure I'd have...
  243. Iris

    Food Plan - From the start

    Might be a daft idea, just throwing it out here... if you think about the things you *do* really enjoy and try to create a mental link with food(s), maybe some of the good feeling might rub off. I mean, if you have an all time favourite movie that you bung in the dvd player quite regularly, you...
  244. Iris

    Unlimited free food?

    300 cals? That's less than one Snickers, right? Just to put it in perspective. If you're anything like me, a binge often involved loads of chocolate bars. Don't ever feel bad about eating when you're hungry, so long as you still feel in control. Food isn't the enemy and you've got to keep your...
  245. Iris

    So angry really want junk food

    Well done on staying strong! No reason why you can't have the odd pizza or kebab treat, nothing's forbidden, and if you're really craving something long term, then think about setting aside one day in the week for going out for a meal, maybe Pizza Hut. That's one way of getting rid of the...
  246. Iris

    Rosie's Diet Travels

    Congrats on the 4lbs - that's a huge weekly loss! You've got your eye on the prize and you'll do it. Plain sailing from here on in. ;)
  247. Iris

    New Way of Keeping an Eye on my Diet

    Hi Harriet, just wanted to say I totally empathise with being unable to hack exercise and rigorous dieting simultaneously. Tried that combo so many times over the years myself and failed miserably. Good on you for losing all that weight and resolving to keep it off sensibly. If you can't...
  248. Iris

    Why oh Why...

    Ha, I love Nigella! She lives on another planet, admittedly, one where waltzing around in a silk negligee with perfect hair and makeup at the crack of dawn, while throwing together delicious food, is somehow totally plausible! I have a weakness for all the cookery programmes, though. Even...
  249. Iris

    Why Does Five Weeks Always Seem the stopping point

    Rosie, I read a pretty good list of tips for maintaining weight loss recently, all common sense stuff but I think that the secrets for maintaining weight loss are the same secrets to keeping up your healthy eating regime, whether you're at maintenance or not. Here's the link to the article...
  250. Iris

    Not Following A Diet- What do You Eat?

    Hi CoCo, I usually have a big brunch, lots of snacks throughout the day to graze on, and a large late dinner. Not ideal, I know, but I find it works ok for me. I use www.essentialsweightloss.co.uk just for tracking what I eat - you might find it handy. They run a free 5 day trial so you can get...
Back
Top