Slimfast!!

[SallyAnne]

Sal, your sig says 2008 not 2007...?

Wake up you dizzy bint!!!

Oh

Thanks Churchy - I needed that

[TheFaQQer]

Oh

Thanks Churchy - I needed that

That's better

[WindyAnna]

Congratulations on your weightloss hun!!

[SallyAnne]

That's better

You could have just said

Churchill knows what level I can be communicated at

[SallyAnne]

Congratulations on your weightloss hun!!

Thanks tee hee!!

[ferret]

Well done Sal! Have a banana

[Churchill]

Ferret, there was every need to shout!

Now stop editing my posts! I know I am a bit dim but there really is no need for it.

[SallyAnne]

Well done Sal!

Thanks ferret!!

By the way, while you're here...are you or any of the mods going to grace us with your presence at the Xmas do?
You know you're all invited dont you?

Or are you not allowed to fratenise with the "enemey"?

[dmini]

Snack wise there is a very simple answer
Don't take any money to work! I know - been there! My self control over chocolate etc is almost non-existent - especially if the computer systems keep crashing.
If the snack machines use the same card etc as drinks machines you have a problem though.
One building I was in, boiling water from the machine was free, other drinks were chargeable, so we had our own coffee etc.
It just gets too expensive with snack machines during stressful moments - and too bad for the waistline.
Ive also worked in buildings where I have a flask of coffee with me.

[Ardesco]

First off weight and BMI is bollocks. Don't measure your success by either!! When I was 19 I used to spend about 2 hours a day exercising and I was also entering Kung Fu competitions. I had a 30" waist and could squeeze into 28" jeans fairly easily but I had a BMI of 27 (30 is clinically obese) and I did not have much muscle bulk, I just looked like your average everyday Joe.

The first thing you need to do is get rid of the weight obsession. Weight means nothing and never has!! The best advice has already been stated, drink lots of water, eat proper home cooked meals, not pre made crap and eat slowly so your brain has time to register that your stomach is full.

Another tip is always make sure you leave some food on your plate when you finish eating. Many of us (myself included) were brought up to eat up all our dinner because a) it is good manners and b) you didn't get pudding unless you ate everything. Break that habit by always leaving some food on the plate and making sure you don't eat more than you need.

Secondly go down to your local gym and get a session with a personal trainer and get them to set up an exercise plan. You only need to see them once and you can then just use the plan they have set out for you. You have to know what exercise to do because it is far too easy to go into cardio work and not fat burn, especially if you are fairly unfit to start with. The level of exercise required to burn fat is a lot lower than you think, doing cardio work will get you fitter but won't burn nearly as much fat.

As others have said it is a change of lifestyle, not a diet. it sounds hard at first but once you start eating proper home cooked food you won't want to go back.

The last thing to remember is that you may be eating a whole load more calories than you need. If you are sitting on your bum all day tapping on a keyboard you can probably shave a few hundred calories off the recomended daily allowance because you just aren't doing enough to burn them.

Finally you shouldn't be starving yourself, it won't help. Sitting there feeling hunger pains just means you are pushing your body too hard and the body will change your metabolism to store as much fat as possible to make sure you can survive as long as possible without food.