Hi guys,

Just starting a little thread where I can post my weight-loss and also keep track of food/exercise. I am currently 180lbs and want to lose 30lbs to get my to a 'normal' BMI which I havent seen for 10 years. I am hoping to lose the 30lbs by the end of the year if possible ... may be a bit ambitious but I first need to see how well my body responds to a more balanced diet and active life-style and then take it from there.

My downfall is snacking, socialising and drinking ... there have been too many days when the gym has been passed up in favouring of lying in bed with a hangover ... I need to get some form of balance in place, the old cliche of being good 80% of the time and plan my socialising to be the other 20%.

Today I went to the gym in my lunch-hour, did:

10 mins warm-up on bike
Squats on powerplate
2 x 20 Swiss ball press-ups
4 x 20 (4kg) dumbell lunges
2 x 1 min tricep push-ups on powerplate
2 x 20 squats
2 x 20 swiss ball crunches
4 x 20 (4kg) dumbell shoulder-press
5 mins cool down on bike

I have also got a weight/cardio rountine which I plan to do on Wednesday after work ... I am quite a newbie at the gym on the machines - I normally used to swim a lot so my routines are still pretty basic but have me sweating like a bitch ... it is embarrassing and shameful how unfit I am.

My food today has been complete pants and will probably be so for the rest of the day ... my cupboards are bare and I need to desperately go the supermarket for a stock-up on veggies and chicken etc. Will do better tomorrow.

Last night ended up to be a bit of a haze; went to a work function and had a few bellinis, a pizza and shared a bottle of wine - then went to a local pub with a friend for a G&T. Putting my feet on the floor was a bit of a chore this morning but felt much better after a shower and a mocha from Starbucks.

I have nothing else planned for this week so plan to get to the gym (maybe tonight for a swim, then onto the supermarket on the way home) a couple times and be a bit kinder to my body!

Anyways, my plan for the weight-loss is to have veggies, meat (mainly chicken) and fish, no alcohol at home, fruit as snacks ... will also have low-fat cheese, hummus etc for my lunches at work - no bread but the occasional plain potato. Will also let myself have one or two completely free meals a week where I don't go ballistic but can have what I fancy. Aiming for around 1500 cals a day average, maybe more if I am having a session at the gym.

I didnt make the gym last night but I did get to the supermarket and stocked up on healthy foods. Dinner was roast chicken breast with a large veggie stir-fry and I made extra so I could take leftovers into work for lunch today - I also added 2 large sliced tomatoes with it too.

Also brought in a selection of fruit to have as snacks too and am drinking away with water.

Feel like things are more under control.

Hi UK Newbie,

Just thought I'd post and see how you are getting on. Why not try and put a ticker in your profile. Personally it helps me see how well I've done and how far I need to go. You will find lots of tips and motivation on these forums, although it can be mainly Americans on here we all share a common goal in wanting to loose some flubba. If you stick to a nice health food regime and have a treat on a friday for instance, keep up with the exersizes and drink a lot of water you shouldn't have any problems loosing 30lbs.

Good Luck and keep positive.

Hi John!! Nice to see you - thanks for dropping by.

Went to the gym after work today, was quite motivated and did my weights routine with some ab floor exercises afterwards. I did spy an exercise class that I wouldnt mind checking out ... it is like a circuit training class called Kinesis and looked like fun but hard work ... I have promised myself that I WILL do a class (I am quite shy so is a big deal for me to get myself in there) within a week.

Came home afterwards and made roast chicken, salad, tomatoes and a bit of crumbled blue cheese for dinner. Was dying for a glass of red wine to chill me out but managed to resist ... my sleep has been quite patchy recently and I am hoping that no booze during the week will help.

Mmmm Glass of wine and roast chicken...

Anyway don't feel bad about giving in the best way to survive on along diet is to have a treat when you really need it. Why not try some organic wine or low alcohol variations so you just don't feel too bad. Or even just buy a small one glass bottle a week and say to yourself that's my treat for the week.

I certainly know what you mean about joining exersize goups and stuff. It looks fun but sometimes the confidence isn't there to want to participate. I've made a vow to myself that when I get down a couple of stone then I'm going to make more of an effort to do something like that.

Anyway, keep things at a constant and you'll do great.

BJ

MMMMM that dinner sounded great! I love roasted chicken, it is the best way to diet. Even for a snack I'll grab a couple pieces out of the fridge. I am trying to not drink as much too, although the other night I had so many drinks we're lucky I made it home all in one piece. My roommate and I were just talking and we think there is no greater feeling then waking up two days after drinking without the feeling of being hungover. We just graduated college, so we're trying to remove the mindset of drinking=getting drunk all the time.

Enough with my rambling, it sounds as if you are on the right track with working out. Good luck with everything. Cheers!