Any SINGLES on a budget that will try to diet on the cheapfrom January 2012?

gettingready

Just looked on the forum and there are a few diet threads but not quite what I am looking for.

I live by myself, I shop/cook for one (but eat for 4 and it shows) - anyone else in this situation?

I really believe shopping for one is way more difficult and expensive than shopping for a family - there is hardly any offers that make sense for a single shopper, all offers are normally for bulk buy and one has to have the cash for the initial outlay to get that "offer" and I do not.

Not sure if I am going to join any of the WW or SW or the likes as I am really not very much into group meetings in real life.

Tried LighterLife and Lipotrim and Cambridge before - of course lost a lot of weight but of course put it all back on.

I have 20kg to looose, so it is around 3st.

My current weight is 75kg and I really should be no more than 55kg at my 152cm height.

Previously lost those 20kg (3st) on both Lighterlife (too expensive) and then on Lipotrim (available from chemists, same thing as Lighterlife) and Cambridge but each time put it back on.

Not sure if to go VLCD again or what else to do to be honest.

VLCD seems easy when one lives alone as there is no need for shopping at all - just get the schets and water and all sorted but not sure if I can do it again and if I do - what later? Back on all the weight and catch 22...

Got no self discipline with food - or perhaps rather with chocolate which is my major weakness, can get through 800g massive box of celebrations in one evening all by myself...

Hmmmmm

Emmzi

me, and I am aiming to lose about the same ampunt. approved Food are doing a week of Slimm (essentially celebrity slim, 2 shakes a day for 6 days a week, healrhy dinner, one day off) for £2.50 ish. so i have stocks in for new year!

I always end up cooking for about 4 people an freezing. Or not freezing and over eating which is why I need a diet!

Sharon87

Same sort of situation for me. Need to lose ideally 3 stone in the end. But 2 stone would suffice.

I am going to, for one month give up alcohol, crisps, chocolate, eating out. Anything bad really. Then the things I really miss I can introduce them into my diet in small quantities. I'm also going to portion control.

I tend to cook things like stir fries/curries/bolognaise. I cook 2 or 3 quantities of the sauce then put one in fridge and if I have a 3rd one I have a smaller portion for a lunch. I buy reduced meat as much as I can and separate it into portion sizes for 2 or 3 meals and freeze it. I find large packets of extra lean mince can be cheap and healthy if you divide it up.

The big difference this year for me is going to be exercise. I'm going to join the local council gym at 20 quid a month with no contract.

gettingready

Thanks for replies ladies - I am not going to join the gym (cost and will power to keep going), got a dog that I walk for hours every day..

My main problem is deciding if to go VLCD like Cambridge or Lipotrim or to struggle and "find my own way"...

Really can not decide for the monet and notmuch time left.

Easy option would be VLCD but have done those before and although lost a lot of weight - put it all back on

Sharon87

I wouldn't do Cambridge Diet. I use to work in the factory... it's a load of crap!

For something more permanent a lifestyle change is needed. So it will be good for you to find your own way, find some low calorie but filling dinners that fill you up, instead of starving yourself till your next snack bar or milkshake.

I plan on eating fish at least once a week and having a veggie meal a week that's not loaded with cheese!

Losing weight I find is more about nutrition, if you eat 1200 calories of carbs you'll put on weight and be malnourished, if you eat 1200 calories of all the nutrients you need you'll lose weight and be healthy.

But it's easier said than done! I find plan meals in advance, not strict, but plan about 5 meals and see what you fancy each day out of them.

gettingready

Thanks - that is what I am thinking too. Done the "quick easy fixes" several times already and got me nowhere really, those were all temporary solutions.

Have you read Marisa's Peer's



Or any of Ian Marber's books? The Food Doctor series?

Both Marisa and Ian have a very no-nonsense approach and I may try to follow those this time....

The other "food doctor", forgot her name, the skinny pale anorexic looking one - her ideas/receipes were horrible and ingridients very expensive.

Tried several of food doctor's receipes before and they were all easy to make, tasty and the ingridients available in all major supermarkets...

Youdontseeme

Hi

Mind if I join in?

Also single and need to lose (a lot) of weight .............. I wonder if the two are connected :rotfl:

I have recently lost over 2 stone due to having hynptherapy but really need to set myself some goals for the next year (have about 6st to loose now) or I will lose heart and give up.

Ian Dunbar is very good I lost a just over a stone following one of his books last January but I found it very expensive to follow which I think is one of the reasons I gave up!

YDSM

Dizzy_Ditzy

plan, plan and plan some more

packs of mince - buy, split into 2, 3 or 4 portions and freeze what you arent cooking

same with chicken

just buy enough spuds and veg and fruit for what you need for the week

if you put about half an hours planning work in a week, there is no reason why cooking for one should be anymore difficult than cooking for 3 or 4. I have been doing this for about 2 years and it works perfectly fine for me. I have lost 3 stone this year by doing the above and avoiding as best i can snacks and things, although it has all gone totally to pot in the last couple of weeks :-(

Good luck, you can do it :-)

kezbabybabe

I have 101 meals for two book from Good Food:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Food-Triple-tested-Tried---tested/dp/0563522992/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324418042&sr=8-1

What's great about this book is that most of the meals can be divided into two days worth of food, brilliant when you are single.

there are a couple of brilliant recipes within this book that take minutes to make but use cheap ingredients. Cous Cous is one of these and its very filling.

Another tip if you find you are eating too much portions due to the recipes you are following is to invite people round for dinner, you can then cook the bigger portioned food but would be less likely to eat more then your fair share.

I totally agree on your point about the offers not being single-friendly, I don't want buy 1 get 1 free on something that is meant for 4 people and sometimes these aren't freezable.

gettingready

Thanks for posting - I am a very weird eater, I eat nothing all day and then absolutely stuff my face with very unsuitable food (read: chocolate) at night and I am talking like from midnight to say 4am, waking up every couple pf hours starving.

I have a major problem forcing myself to say have regular meals like breakfast lunch dinner.

I am not a big potato/pasta/rice/bread fan - and those are cheap.

I like meat, especially red meat.

My food is absolutely all over the place to be honest, wonder where to start.

One thing is to plan food on a budget another one is to make sure this is the right food as far as dieting is concerned.

Sigh....

gettingready

I am trying to find a pdf menu from Ian Marber that I have had ages ago - a 4 week plan (drop a dress size befoe Christmas it was called) and was attached to Richard and Judy interview with him (free to download) a few years back...

Can not google it any more though..... he was not that well known back then and that plan (in pdf format) was free.... Hmmmmm

Got a few of his books though, it will probably be in one of those.

What I need is a meal plan, at least a week ahead.

I am rubbish in counting calories - how does one count calories in say hoe made soup????