I told a guy at a party my dieting tip and and he started laughing. I told him that I could put whatever I liked in my mouth, but the trick was not to swallow.

I can only lose weight by working out. Tonight I thought that it was time to get back and add real boxing to my kickboxing class. So here's what happened: (I haven't done any boxing for about one year.)

The other two ladies were very fit and practiced in the art of boxing. One looked as if she was working towards Miss Muscle Universe-chiseled jaw. She also learns Kenpo in her friend's basement. The other smaller looking woman was wicked fast, knocking out what seemed like 10 punches per second in combination. I felt pretty stupid- we had done the boxing drill and I was already beginning to feel my abs, I had problems remembered the number punching combinations and I did not have the breathing down. However I guess that I can still pack a punch as the other women asked, "Doesn't that hurt you? Don't you feel it in your wrists or knuckles" I just stared blankly and said "No" in a kind of 'no sense no feeling' way.

After the drills the teacher was saying something about partner sit ups with the medicine ball, but I didn't think that he meant me, even though at that point there was only me and one other woman left in the room. I was kind of spaced out, so I stayed sitting, assuning htta they were having a private conversation.
the I realized that he was addressing me. He asked me if I could stand. I shrugged my shoulders and stood up proudly saying " Yess!" and thinking 'Geee that was easy, this guy really doesn't expect much from me. Standing I can do!'

He looked at me a bit perplexed and then said "No, stand over here on her feet." At that point I realized that I had been obvious to the fact that my partner was in the sit-up position holding the medicine ball, so feeling a bit embarrassed I said " Oh, Oh yes!" and quickly jumped on to both her feet.. my feet are pretty big. He looked at me as if I was nuts, he bent down and looked at my feet, I looked at my feet, hers could not be seen, I had covered her feet almost up to the ankles. I stayed in position and then he and I looked back at each other. He said "Not that much, that can hurt." I looked down and she was winceing. I still stayed there, (well that's what he told me to do) until he said "Move your feet back, just secure her toes", at which point I said " Oh, right". and moved my feet back.

I guess that you could say I made a good first impression- at least on her feet.

Oh well, kickboxing tomorrow!

Take a 2 week vacation in Nepal. More like 1 kg per week (and eat as much as you like).

Agree that diets are not the answer! People need to re-educate themselves about food and a healthy balanced intake (not diet). I do not count calories but I now eat some great food, must be able to identify what it is before cooking, so I tend to stick to simple but great foods and no processed junk. I normally have 3 meals and two snacks during the day. I do use portion control based on the size of my hands, so simple and easy way not to put too much on ones plate. I do some fun activites most days and the weight is coming off. I recently passed an extensive medical for life insurance cover, they went to town as I had surgery March last year. End result is I have lost 25kgs and past the medical with flying colours. Even my cholesterol was below the normal, now I can ignore those annoying adverts trying to sell me something in a pot. Anyway still some more weight to lose but once I am back to my fighting weight I am going to change my name to Mr. Slim.

I posted before you need to find out what works for you as an individual and try not to follow the latest fad diets or rubbish they advertise on the telly. Food is way to convenient for us in our daily life. I enjoy the food I eat and the activites is not exercise in a gym as they do not work for me I get out on my bicycle, ski's, kayak, climbing and have fun. Make it fun and you will do it, make it a chore and it is much harder.

Just my 1lbs worth

Hmmm okay I get it that cauliflower would be better for you than a big baked potato 'loaded' with butter and sour cream.. but does anyone know why it says to have strawberries instead of bananas?
I always thought bananas were super healthy, and they are probably the only fruit I eat :S
Does someone know something about bananas that I don't?

...well, weight for weight bananas have about 2 1/2 times the amount of calories as strawberries - which is why hikers, bikers, cross country skiers etc. like them as a quick source of energy. They are easy to eat (not too dry), ripe ones are fairly quickly digested - perfect. But not quite so perfect for slimmers who are not using the energy provided by them!

Bananas are also a great source of potassium which help prevent cramping during exercise.

early morning wisdom from me...

I think the key to weight loss is to be generally active throughout the day..the modern day routine has condescended us to chairs looking at a screen all day long. I think this static worklife is the major culprit for the present age weight crisis. To amble around your workplace, do small daily things, like washing dishes, walking home your groceries, taking stairs really go a long way in maintaining and reducing weight.

The problem with strenuous exercises like when u hit the gym or go for a hard aerobic workout is that one more or less tends to compensate for the calorie loss very aggressively. Also you might miss on one of your planned workout sessions but you will hardly go on less than what your increased appetite demands.So a hard exercise plan in my opinion will surely make u fitter but cant gurantee a sustainable weight loss.

the key in my opinion really lies in small and sustainable changes in your lifestyle.

Ha.. wow.. I had nooooo idea
Thanks No wonder I'm getting so fat here, I need to learn this stuff!!

When I need to control my weight like after the holidays, I just stop eating past 8PM no matter what. it works for me.

I am so bloated these days. My MIL made very very very veeeeeerrrrry salty food! So salty you feel the thickling on your tongue!

She was not used to put so much salt, but since a while now, it got worst.

Anyway, I try to drink loads of water hoping it's from water retention I have that extra kilo... It can't be me eating that much to take 1 kilo in 3 days.... come on! I don't eat THAT much!

One tip I saw recently was simply to use a smaller plate to serve your dinner. You can't get as much food on it plus your eye tells your brain there is a plateful of food and tricks you into thinking you are having more than you are.

Also (although admittedly this was speculation), if you serve food on blue plates it may suppress your appetite. The brain doesn't recognise "blue food", probably because there isn't any so it doesn't trigger the same response in the brain as foods with more recognisable colours (green, red, yellow, etc).

Dunno if it works, just thought I would pass it on.

I'd heard the smaller plate thing before and it makes sense as if you put food on a sandwich plate (it looks full) then transfer that same food to a dinner plate, it will seem like a lot less food. Maybe not in hyper analytical mode it won't but when it comes to appetite, it's not like many folks are in that hyper analytical state anyhow.


I'll "have" to give that blue plate thing a try.. my cheap white Ikea plates are chipping ( ) and I want some new ones for if / when I start inviting folks for dinner.

Thinking about it though, do I WANT to suppress folks appetite if I'm feeding them? Wouldn't it throw the experience off?

See it as a cheap way to receive people... You'll cut the cost on food!

Small plate trick is real. Definitely worth doing as 1) it looks like there is more food (as already stated) but also 2) it is harder to pile the food up on a smaller plate, so in reality there could be less food as well.

For the food/plate colour, that's an interesting one. There are many many experiments (i.e. scientific) and trials (i.e. fashion) about food colour. Our bodies are indeed hard wired to accept certain colours as preferable in food choice. For example someone brought out blue potatoes as a gimmic and they panned (no cooking pun intended) as consumers just didn't like the idea of eating blue potatoes. Another example in experimentation is that food companies test food tastes in colour-neutral lighting so that the colour of the food doesn't impact on the taste sensation in the tests.

My question is: if you have something that suppresses the appetite, isn't there a risk that you feel hungry soon after a meal as you didn't eat enough?

For dieting, I don't agree with calorie counting unless in extreme circumstances*, but don't skimp on fat/oils but eat them in moderation or you'll always be hungry. Always finish a meal with something sweet as this spikes your blood glucose which helps trigger your satiety receptors (vast oversimplification, but roughly true).

Agree with Rahul and others on the whole sedentary life thing. Always take the stairs when possible (avoid escalators and lifts like the plague), get on and off public transport one or two stops earlier/later for long distances or don't get on at all for short trips, when at work try walking to see a colleague instead of calling them on the phone (improves relationships as well).

*When studying we had a case of a patient with a BMI of 88... no we didn't believe it either until the nurse gave us the height and weight for us to check... but ultimately no dieting was going to help her as she was in denial!

I am not sure about these bananas..

I do recall my doctor dad eating ton of bananas at one point, since apparently they do kickstart one's metabolism (if you eat it in the morning and drink a glass of water on top of that) and they have some chemical which combined with water apparently makes one happy. Bananas = happy food.

I am gona have one now yum yum..

I wouldn't watch your weight so closely, Nil, you will drive yourself mad..One's weight fluctuate even throughout the day, it depends how hydrated you are, what you just ate, your level of hormons makes you retain water, if you pooped or not (excuse moi), how heavy your jeans are, etc. Plus, my entire family puts on cca 2,5 kilos during winter months just to shed it in spring, without doing anything, to stock up. It is better to assess your weight by how well your trousers fit - waste line, butt, etc.

Metabolism after having a baby slows down a lot, it is good to rather than deprive oneself a cookie or three to focus on physical activity. I think that nature means to make the mom a little fattier during her kids early childhood to cope with the stress better.

I can vouch for this too.

I lost a preemptive couple of kilos in anticipation of Christmas. I lost them by doing nothing more than not eating after dinner.

The small plate thing works too. When I am eating with the kids on my own I will often just eat off the same size plate as them. In fact, I was thinking there could be a market in bringing out a range of dinnerware 20% smaller than average. Dragons' Den anyone?