Hehe

Good luck with your weight loss - great advice

Thanks for the replies.

Whoa, slimby43, way to go! There's hope yet for the rest of us! Re: MIND; I'm not aware if there is a branch of MIND near to me but I wouldn't be able to attend group therapy anyway sue to the agoraphobia.

@ Lula: I already asked my GP about CBT but the NHS trust in my area is overstretched and doesn't offer and kind of therapy. Prozac was my only option which, for anyone who's researched it, is not an option. I regularly listen to the Jeff Rense show and I've heard many a prozac horror-story. Anyway, the weight loss will help enormously with my state-of-mind.

I have a bit of a problem calculating the calorific value of the pasta I ate this morning. Before cooking, I weighed-out 100g of dried, whole-wheat pasta. Problem is, I've checked online and can't seem to find any sites that provide the correct data for dried pasta; they all seem to give the values of cooked pasta. Ho hum.

Why not just weigh it again after cooking?

I too think that tracking your calories is very important to any diet's success. Wheither or not you eat carbs or protein, the bottom line is how many calories you are ingesting vs how many you are burning, so I think biting the bullet & keeping a record will be the most helpful thing you can do right now.

What about potatoe bread?

Nothing wrong with carbs, the Atkins and South Beach diets are actually calorie restricted diets and you put on weight in the final phase and have to go back to phase I, very unhealthy. A lot of the weight loss doesn't come from fat and it messes up your metabolism.

I'm not sure if the cycling burns up enough calories, I expend about 650 calories per day working out, any less and there would be little weight loss.

Whatever you do, keep going, eventually you hit upon a solution.

I did an online calculation and it said that someone of my weight burns-up around 700 calories on the exercise bike during 50 minutes of moderate workout. Someone said that it's a good idea to do weight lifting too as this give you a metabolic boost.

As for the calories, I've decided to cut down to only brown rice and occasionally porridge.

Dry pasta = usually about 360 cal. I found that too: CalorieKing - Calorie Counter - Calories in Pasta, Spaghetti, Macaroni: Whole wheat, dry

Strength training does help a lot - this is how I've managed to trim down the last best part of a stone.

I figured 333 for the pasta so, near enough...

This is the first time I've kept a diary and the results are surprising. Today I consumed approximately 2008 calories, not nearly as many as I had suspected. The biggest surprise was the calorific value of 50g of sunflower seeds; 270! And 500g of boiled potatoes; 432! I ate the potatoes at about 8pm and still feel bloated even now, four hours later.

Eating carbs allows your brain to make serotonin naturally. This was discovered at MIT in Boston. Serotonin reduces your cravings, makes you feel full, and makes you feel good. This is particularly true for people on antidepressants who have increased appetite and cravings. Try a large handful of pretzels or a roll an hour before lunch or dinner and see if you're less hungry at the meal. And have wholesome carbs at dinner along with vegetables and you'll be less likely to eat in the evening. Include protein at breakfast and lunch. Keep overall fat low. For many people, this is how they want to eat anyway. Get moderate exercise and move more during the day.

Do whats Best for you and your lifestyle,and do what will make u happy and healthy if your interested in a healthy low carb lifestyle read Dr.Atkins New Diet Revolution(i got mine for $2 at a used bookstore)..BEST WISHES in WHATEVER you choose

very false!...obviously havn't read the book.

It seems that you have been given great advice on the weight loss front.

In terms of your agoraphobia, you really should be getting help from someone other than a GP, they aren't overly qualified to do anything other than prescribe pills. Agoraphobia, if left untreated, can get progressively worse over time, One person I have read about (there are probably many more), ended up not able to go near her windows or certain rooms of her apartment due to her agoraphobia. It can not be cured but it can be managed, like any phobia. All medications do is reduce the anxiety associated with the phobia, but do nothing to manage the phobia. Studies have shown that with depression anyways, exercise can be just as effective as meds when it comes to alleviation of symptoms. Cognitive Behavioral therapy may be a good solution for you to start managing it now before it gets out of control. There are also other anti-anxiety drugs out now that do not have the zombifying effects of prozac, that may be a good option for the short term (paxil being one of them). OK I've rambled on long enough, I just like people to be informed when it comes to mental health Only you know what will ultimately be right for you.

Good luck with your weight loss journey!