11 stone 10 pounds - the first time I've been on the scale since before my second
son was born about nine months ago. Guess it could be worse, I have been eating a lot of chocolate,
full fat milk and fried foods. I've been overweight since I was a child and never been able to stick
to a diet for very long.
On a visit to the GP a few weeks ago, she advised that I try to lose some weight. "You should start
thinking about it now, to avoid having more serious problems later on -- varicose veins, back
problems, etc." In my family there is a history of adult onset diabetes, where being overweight is
a contributing factor. Now, in my mid-thirties, is the time to do something to avoid all this.
My husband has never had a weight problem. Some of this is probably down to genetics, but he definitely
has better eating habits than I do. After dinner, he will put out a plate with a couple of biscuits to
have with the tea. I would put out the whole package. This goes back to childhood and habits passed on
in the family. I definitely do not want my children to have to battle with their weight the way I have,
so I need to lead by example, with good eating habits for all.
I saw a webpage for The Anne Collins Diet and
decided that this would be the best plan for me to try. Anne's diet is a low fat eating plan, made up of
ordinary foods available in any supermarket. She gives a lot of recipes for low-fat versions of common
dishes, which is a great help for me. Looking at the first week plan, it's not so different to what I am
eating today -- cereal, toast, sandwiches, potatoes, pasta. You have to check out her
sandwich demonstration.
When I spoke to Anne about the diet she said, "Always remember, dieting doesn't mean eating LESS, it
means eating DIFFERENTLY. In particular, it means filling your tummy with good food. Good food isn't
fattening. Good food is good for everyone, especially slimmers."
Anne Collins,
one of Ireland's most experienced
weight loss consultants
The Anne Collins Diet aims to help
you lose an average of 2 pounds a week. If I follow the guideline that at 5'2" I should weigh 9 stone
11 pounds, I am about 2 stone overweight, 28 pounds. I haven't been under 10 stone in a long time.
It would be nice to be there when we travel to America to visit my family for Thanksgiving (end of
November). That could be a realisic goal. For the short term, I would like to fit into the clothes
I wore before I became pregnant for my first child -- a size 12. There's a great brown trouser suit
I have been dying to wear again. I have bags of clothes every size from 8 to 20!
I'll have to try to stay off the chocolate (though Anne does recommend those low fat chocolate
mousses), eat more fruit and veg (I've bought them, but they just sit in the fridge) and try more of
Anne's great recipes (my husband liked the Chicken Kiev we had last night). Also -- need a better
non-stick frying pan.
Thanks for looking in on my Slimmer's Diary. Check in again next week and see how I am doing.
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