Louisa's Weight Loss Blog

Aloe Vera Plant

If you’re a bit squeamish about bathroom visits, probably best to give this post a miss! I won’t be graphic but I know not everybody is comfortable discussing it!

I don’t mind admitting I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). It must be a family thing as we all seem to have it! Anyway, about 2-3 weeks ago, somebody suggested I start taking aloe vera tablets to help ease my symptoms e.g. bloating, cramps, constipation etc. The results have actually been fantastic and I was benefiting soon after taking my first tablet.

I have been taking the high strength tablets (one a day) and at first, I’ll admit I was skeptical – you put aloe vera on your boo boos, not in your mouth! I’m going to the toilet daily instead of twice a week, my stomach is flatter because I’m not bloated and uncomfortable after lunch and I don’t appear to be retaining water like I used to. This is a common complaint for women, particularly at ‘that time of the month’.

I can’t make any promises that this is for everyone and if you are already on medication for other ailments then do speak with your doctor before you take any supplements.

All I can say is that Aloe Vera tablets have made a massive difference to me. I didn’t change my diet and I’ve not done any exercise in the last 2 months as life has been rather busy! If only I had considered earlier that my final few lbs to lose were down to IBS and it could be counteracted with a simple table, I would have tried this yonks ago!

Funnily enough, I was able to wear my ‘target weight’ jeans last Friday with no gross hip and belly over hang. This I consider to be a small victory and I fully intend to continue taking the aloe vera tablets for as long as I see the benefit.

I am a firm believer that when you are dieting to lose weight, you need to have a little of what you fancy – studies have shown that people who can’t sustain weight loss are those that are constantly denying themselves the smallest of tasty pleasures. Bear in mind they all add up but part of dieting is learning what works for you, whether it is cutting out carbs, going vegetarian or taking certain vitamin supplements.

One of my little pleasures is marmalade on my toast. I saw this news article this morning  and thought I’d write a little blog post about my love for marmalade. It is yummy and my favourite treat to spread on toast. Yes, I know it is high in sugar but a teaspoon of marmalade is all you need for a slice of bread and you certainly don’t need to butter your toast before spreading a small teaspoon of marmalade!

When it comes to calories, choosing the right marmalade is a bit of a minefield! I’ve seen some that are 20 cals per teaspoon and some that are 80 calories so always check the label if you are trying to save calories but bear in mind that the sugar-free stuff invariably tastes rubbish and fake.

At the moment, I am LOVING grapefruit marmalade. I have searched for ages for the Tipton grapefruit marmalade (pictured) but with no luck.

I bought the Marks and Spencer’s Ruby Red Grapefruit marmalade (£1.55) today but it’s a bit sugary and doesn’t taste very sharp or fruity which is a complete let down to me but I’m sure others may feel differently. I’ll leave it in the fridge at work and invite colleagues to help me get through the jar as I’m hardly about to waste it!

So come on then readers, what do YOU like to spread on your toast as a treat?

Joe as a fat kid - Aged 13 (source: News of the World - Click Image to Visit)

Joe McElderry lost significant weight before competing in the X Factor 2009

The winner of 2009’s X-Factor was Joe McElderry, an 18 year old boy who lost over 2 stone before entering this years  X-Factor.

Joe has an amazing singing voice and never faltered over the 10 or so weeks of constant singing in front of millions watching British T.V.

When his past was revealed it showed that Joe was once very overweight which is still evident in his cheeks but you would never notice it unless it was pointed out to you or you saw his old pictures from a year ago!

Was this sudden weight loss for the show? Or was it that Joe hit the wall and said “enough is enough” a year ago whilst looking in the mirror?

Previous contestants of talent contests such as Michelle McManus and Rick Waller have been heavily criticised for their weight with Michelle’s career going no-where after she won the talent show Pop Idol.  This showed a need to be attractive as well as talented on such singing contests as with so many other areas of entertainment in the modern world.

So whether Joe lost the weight to increase his changes of winning the X Factor or he just did it for himself I say well done Joe and I wish all the best for the future!

Boy that little fella can sing……..

UPDATE 2010 – WE WERE RIGHT!!!!!

Joe has spoke publicly about his weight loss, claiming to have lost 2 stone through plain good eating and exercise. Knowing that the weight was the one factor holding him back for the contract with Simon Cowell he shed the weight in just a year to reveal his squeaky clean handsome looks

Here’s Daily Mail’s take on our story

The South Beach Diet is considered to be one of all the healthier of the weight loss diets available today. Consisting of lean meat, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains

The South Beach Diet is considered to be one of all the healthier of the weight loss diets available today. Consisting of lean meat, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The purpose of the South Beach Diet was originally a means for heart patients to improve their LDL cholesterol. It has caught on in a big way for overweight and obese people who are desperate to find a healthy way to lose weight.

For a bit of background about the diet, it is divided into three phases.

Phase one – It’s a bit of a shock to the system! This phase should last two weeks and the dieter will restrict their food intake in a way that will seem quite drastic to someone who is used to eating over 4000 calories a day! South Beach dieters will be eliminating all sugar, processed carbohydrates, fruits, and higher-glycemic vegetables as well. This phase usually results in significant weight loss but this is just the beginning…
Phase two – This stage will last for as long as you need in order to lose weight. After the initial two weeks, most South Beach Dieters can add fruits and most veggies back into their diet along with most whole grains. Dieters are expected to begin exercising (in accordance with doctor’s orders of course!) and weight loss should slow up but continue at a much steadier rate if the diet is followed properly.
Phase three – After you have lost all the weight you wanted to lose, dieters can eat what they want – within reason! Graduates from the South Beach Diet are expected to continue with the basic principles of the diet which are:

• low in fat so no trans-fats and choose foods low in saturated fat
• high in fibre
• high in omega 3 fatty acid
• avoid processed foods which are more likely to be simple carbohydrates that leave you hungry sooner after eating.

The South Beach Diet isn’t a low in carbohydrate diet like Atkins although it is often mistaken as a low-carb diet. On the South Beach Diet, dieters are not expected to limit or even weigh their carbohydrate intake, but simply consider their source e.g, are they complex or simple carbohydrates? Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate as your body has to work harder to break it down. In fact, the vegetarian version of the diet is quite high in carbohydrates.

One blogger who has been following the diet and has seen a considerable change in his health as well as his appearance is Steve – but you might know him better as South Beach Steve.

Steve has lost a huge amount of weight. He now weighs in at 187.5lbs but last year Steve weighed 259lbs. Back in August 2007, he weighed in at a whopping 283lbs! This means that Steve is healthier than ever and well on his way to losing five stone from his starting weight of 259lbs! Well done Steve!

To help those who are considering following the South Beach Diet, I asked Steve a few questions about his diet so make yourself comfortable and settle down for what I hope will be an enlightening blog post.

Steve used to be very big...

Look at Steve now! He's slim with defined muscles thanks to the South Beach Diet and hard work

Questions to South Beach Steve:

1. People are really feeling the pinch at the moment, is the SB diet
cheaper to follow than your old unhealthy diet?

One thing I have always heard about the South Beach Diet is that it is
expensive to follow.  I don’t really think that we have seen our grocery
bill rise that much, so it doesn’t appear to be the case with us.  A few
things are at play here.  First, if we are eating healthier foods, it
usually takes less to fill us up.  On the other hand, if you eat a meal
heavy in processed white-flour or sugars, your blood sugar spikes, then
drops, which leaves you feeling hungry sooner, thus you eat more.  In
short, it looks like it should be more expensive, but I have personally
not found that to be the case.

2. Having done my research, it seems as though the SB diet requires a
lot of effort with fresh food prep. Does it take ages to prepare your
food and do you need to go shopping every day?

To do the diet right, it does take a lot of food preparation.  Even the
meals marketed toward the diet do not really fit the guidelines Dr.
Agatston has previously defined.  This is a real challenge when it comes
to food preparation.  I tend to fix larger portions of food, then eat
from the leftovers for several days.  I also freeze certain things like
vegetable beef soup or chili.

We also don’t have to shop every day, although we do go at least twice a
week.  It is hard to keep fresh food that is edible longer than a few
days.  Fortunately, one of our favorite grocery stores is on my way home
from work.

3. I gather you’re quite busy with your job and family life, how does
your diet fit in with your lifestyle?

I really thought this was going to be one of the greater challenges.  I
eat a lot of “work” lunches and dinners, which are not geared toward my
diet.  I also travel a lot, which isn’t conducive to this type of diet.
For me, I didn’t allow that to be an excuse.  Basically, if you know you
have to find workable options, you look harder.  There have been times
that I just haven’t eaten the work meals, and there have been times when
traveling that I have bought my food at a grocery store instead of a
restaurant.

I am fortunate in that my wife generally cooks dinner, and it is ready
before I arrive home (the rest of the family eats dinner much earlier
than when I arrive home).  This helps keep the evening preparation to a
minimum, which I am thankful for.

4. Be honest, do you prefer the SB diet to your old diet?

I don’t know that I can say I prefer it when speaking of taste, but I am
equally happy with it.  Sure, there are foods I miss, but not many.  The
food I now eat is tasty and filling, which is all I can ask for.  The
largest challenge is snack foods, which are very limited.

5. I find that fatty and unhealthy foods turn my stomach now, how long
did it take for you to stop wanting the old food you used to eat?

I would say that it was probably six months or so.  I don’t recall the
moment where I realized my taste buds had changed, but I do remember
noticing it.  It was like a light went off in my head, realizing I had
finally reached a new level of success.

6. Can you describe what you used to eat in a day?

A typical day might have consisted of one or two bowls of some
sugar-laden cereal for breakfast.  Sometimes I would go out for lunch,
when I did it was a double cheeseburger, a large fries, and a large
drink.  While that wasn’t everyday, it was typical.  I often had an
afternoon snack, usually a bag of chips, a bag of popcorn, or a Snickers
candy bar.  Dinner was often a large helping of lasagna with bread, or
some kind of meat, lots of mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn.  The real
kicker was I wasn’t done at this point.  I would often have another bowl
of cereal or ice cream before bed.

7. And what do you eat now?

Breakfast is often an apple with 2-4 tablespoons of natural nut butter.
Lunch is typically a large salad or a chicken breast accompanied by
steamed broccoli.  Dinner is usually a lean meat and a couple of cooked
vegetables.  That being said, salads are always a welcome food.  I still
snack on occasion, sometimes a late evening apple or a late evening bowl
of a whole grain cereal.  I try to keep this to a minimum though.

8. Can anybody do the South Beach diet?

I think most anyone can do the South Beach Diet.  The two exceptions that could still
do it, although it would be tough, are total vegetarians or vegans.  The
premise of the diet is eating foods that have less of an effect on your
blood sugar – proteins and fats are better at this than carbohydrates.
The fiber in vegetables and fruits helps with this, but not as well as
the protein and fats.

9. What benefits have you noticed other than weight loss?

I have been told that I look healthier, although I am not sure if that
is a result of my skin or what.  I have more energy, which is nice.  Of
course, the greatest benefit is my health, which has improved tremendously.

10. Is it easy to stick to the diet when you go out for dinner with family?

With family it is easy.  My family is very accommodating, so we usually
go somewhere that is agreeable with my diet.  This usually means
somewhere with good salads.  Believe me, I count myself lucky here.

11. How important is portion control with the South Beach diet? Can you gorge yourself silly on all the good foods until you’re full?

Can you gorge yourself silly?  Yes, you just won’t lose any weight.
  Seriously, most of the time I feel satisfied on the amounts I eat.
Does that mean I eat all I can eat?  No, but I do eat until I am full.
I am rarely hungry, and when I am it is intentional.  I think part of
the benefit of a low-hypoglycemic index diet, like the South Beach Diet,
is that we recognize being full easier.

12. If you could only give one piece of advice to people thinking about
going on the South Beach diet, what would that be?

Learn the diet.  This is one of the most misunderstood diets out there.
It is not a traditional “low carb” diet.  I prefer to call it a healthy
carb/healthy meat diet.

If I were to offer a second piece of the diet, I would add that you
should not feel that you have to follow the meal plans in the books.
These are just examples, that is it.

13. Do your kids eat the same diet as you now? What do they think of
their new slimline daddy?

No, my kids do not eat the same exact diet.  They do eat many of the
foods I eat, but they still have some foods I do not eat.

One of the best memories I have so far in this journey to healthiness is
my youngest son being so excited that he can actually put his arms all
the way around me when he hugs me.

14. That’s absolutely fantastic! How long did it take for you to see results?

I saw weight results immediately, but the funny thing was that no one
seemed to notice until I had lost 30 pounds.  At that point it was as if
everyone’s eyes were opened.  That was about six months into it.

15. Is this something that you can approach ‘half-hearted’ or do you
have to be really determined and dedicated from the outset for it to
even stand a chance of working?

I firmly believe this is a diet that one must be committed to.  The
eating program that you follow is not well-suited to “cheating”.

16. At what point did you realise you needed to diet? Did you try any
other diets or did you strike it lucky with finding the South Beach diet first?

I have known that I needed to diet most of my life.  I made the decision
last July though.  I was laying in bed and it hit me that I was a
walking time-bomb.  I knew that I would never live to see my children’s
children if I didn’t change something immediately.  That was the night
before I began changing my health for the better.

I had tried other diets.  At one point in my adult life I lost several
pounds on a low fat diet.  It was relatively easy for me, but I became
bored with it quick.  I also lost a great deal of weight on the Atkins
Diet.  I still have a fondness for that diet.  I felt good when I was on
that diet, and I lost an incredible amount of weight very fast.  I
always looked at it as a diet though, not a lifestyle change.  That is
the difference.  When it came time to change for good, I knew I wasn’t
ready to do the Atkins Diet again.  I wasn’t that committed yet.  But I
knew I could do the South Beach Diet.  Furthermore, I felt the South
Beach Diet was a lifestyle diet for me.  I wasn’t sure the Atkins Diet
could ever be that.

And the most recent picture of Steve – in his brand new suit that has sent lots of well-deserved compliments his way…

Slimline Steve

This last week has been difficult to say the least! My car died and I was terrified that the time had come to scrap my 13 year old corsa. Firstly because I love her, secondly because I can’t afford to replace her. As always, Jonny and I persevered and I would drop him off at work on my way to work. Inevitably, he would make me late but beggars can’t be choosers – he was letting me borrow his car so that I could get there in the first place. Anyway, the difficulty lay in that he was working 14/15 hour days last week as his company are launching a new product this week. On the Tuesday, he worked 12 hours and I sat in his office waiting for him. Clearly, that is very impractical to bother with for more than one day. The following two days I had to go back out to his work to get him. On the Thursday, I stopped at the supermarket to pick him up something microwavable yet healthy. He got salmon and new potatoes. That was alright for him!

You see, my father and I have a difficult relationship at times. He is extremely temperamental and we’ve had monumental arguments in the past. We still do to this day. However, if I need him, he will whinge and generally make a pain of himself but he does always come through for me. He demonstrated this last week by driving 100 miles from Gloucestershire to where I live (Nottinghamshire) to fix my car. So (back to the original point about Jonny being lucky to have salmon) I decided to make him a home-made sausage casserole  for me and dad as cooking is not one of mum’s strong points. Unfortunately, my efforts were rubbish! I had lost the recipe and I tried to memorise it but clearly to no avail. Anyway, in spite of my poor show in the kitchen which resulted in the breaking of a glass measuring jug and an equally innocent wine glass, dad fixed my car in less than 40 mins. He even looked at Jonny’s car and fixed my phone as I had dropped it the previous night. We are currently liking my dad.

I drove back home for the MOT on Friday night sans Jonny. It was easier that way as I needed to be up early Saturday morning for the aforementioned MOT. Surprisingly, my car PASSED! Don’t worry about congratulating me, I have already celebrated – with one solitary glass of wine.Have you not noticed, I am trying to diet but had no time to exercise and prepare decent meals. This week, it’s about damage limitation.

Anyway, since my return from The ‘Shire, I have been massively tired and completely incapable of writing anything carefully constructed. In fact, this has been a stream of consciousness which I expect to read back tomorrow and think HUH?!

It’s not about self-discipline, it’s about being in the right frame of mind to make dieting work otherwise the stressful aspects of your life suddenly magnify. There is self-discipline, there is knowing when to stop eating… and then there is knowing when to give yourself a break. Losing weight is a lifestyle choice that needs to revolve around you. When you start revolving around your diet and stop doing the things you are MEANT to be doing (meeting friends, lunch with a colleague etc) that is when you need to ask yourself if you have a problem.

Over the next few weeks, I hope to cover the issue of taking dieting too far and why it is better to be slim rather than thin.

It was about time! I’m always on facebook so it’s about time I combined my two internet loves, Facebook and Total Chunk!

Find the Total Chunk Facebook page here:

They seek me here, they seek me there – Oh! I’m a dedicated follower of fashion! - My version of The Kinks’ song,  Dedicated Follower of Fashion.I’m singing it in my head right now and no, I’m not mad, I’ve added a new category to my blog!

I’ve been quite down what with being unemployed so I’ve not really been even looking at clothes because it’s torture not being able to buy them. This is all changing now as I start a new job on Monday (YAY!!!!) so I’ve decided to start looking around and sharing with everyone the clothes that I’d like to wear when I hit my target weight. I’m no fashion expert but I know what I like and what I like is standing out!

When you’re trying to lose weight, you are more likely to be successful if you aspire to a particular goal. I fully encourage all ladies out there who are looking to lose weight to step outside their comfort zone and think about how amazing you’re going to look in fashionable clothes you wouldn’t even consider wearing now; you will have no excuse not to give new fashions a try when you’re slim!

This isn’t just me trying to be a fashionista, I’m going to say which clothes I think are suitable for which body shapes. I also want to indicate the areas they’ll accentuate and the sins the clothes I showcase could hide. Yes, losing weight is about your health but there is also the looking good aspect to it and you should enjoy feeling and looking fabulous. You’ve worked so hard to lose the weight so reveal the new sassy you to the world and say “Hello, I have arrived!”

Marshmallows contain virtually no fat

These are marshmallows. Scouts impale them on sticks and toast them on a roaring camp fire. I shove them on a kebab stick at BBQs and enjoy the melted goo. Jonny isn’t the biggest marshmallow fan which means more for me, yay!

What do marshmallows have to do with dieting? They’re made from sugar and gelatine so they must be sent from Satan to keep us fat.

Anyone who has successfully lost weight and kept the weight off will tell you that you must not feel like you are being denied the foods you enjoy otherwise you will resent your diet and are less likely to stick to it. The answer is to factor in up to 200cals a day out of your daily allowance for treats a few times a week.

• A two finger kit kat has 106 calories
• A small glass of red wine has about 100 calories
• Marshmallows are 157 cals per 50 grams and contain very little fat. 50g is roughly 7 or 8 marshmallows.

Total Chunk Top Tip: Do not deny yourself a regular small treat, factor in little things like a 2 finger kit kat or a few marshmallows into your calorie allowance. You will feel in control by being able to say no to eating most of the packet and you won’t feel as though your diet is stopping you from having the things you like. If you don’t feel like you can only eat a couple of marshmallows from a packet, ask a friend or your partner to help ration them until you get used to eating smaller amounts. It’s all about portion control and there is no shame in asking for help!

Food has always been there for you, it sits in the cupboard waiting for you, no human has ever been so freely available when you need them. There is food sitting in the supermarket, the pharmacy, the petrol station and even the places you would not expect to see it for sale. There is food for all budgets, there is food for all moods and purposes, there is food for sharing and food to eat whilst weeping alone. Eating itself is not a habit, the rubbish you eat is!

I am cat sitting this week

So many people have been emotionally dependent on food from day 1 because ‘it is always there’. In the morning, in the middle of the night and throughout the day. What else is a hungry girl to do other than eat if she is hungry? But are you really hungry or is it just emotional hunger? Too often, people plug gaps in their life with food when they really just want to be loved. It’s not pathetic, it is more common than you think!

Jonny and I are cat sitting this week and even though I’ve only been sat here with Manwell the kitten for a couple of hours, I haven’t felt lonely and I’ve not been so bored. He’s been hilarious jumping after a few feathers attached to a string on a stick. He practically back flips when I wiggle the feathers in front of his nose! I’m madly in love with the little dude and he is currently sleeping on my lap. I will join him for a nap when I finish this post.

Anyway, I got round to thinking, if people substitute love for food, what can food be substituted for? Then it hit me, can animals really help their owners lose weight? It sounds a bit mad but give me a moment to explain myself…

People often gain weight because they have low self confidence. Animals love their owners because they feed them and spend time with them. People who have pets always seem happier to me because animals give unconditional love no matter what you look like and how mean you have to appear at work just to get stuff done.

I would be really interested to hear if you believe the love of your furry, four-legged friend has pulled you from the brink of obesity and helped you to lose weight. I googled all kinds of phrases trying to find out if there are any studies that show that pet owners are more likely to lose weight and keep it off and I’ve not found anything. Is my searching wrong or is there really no studies on this? Please comment below with your stories, I’d love to hear them!

Yes my friends, poorlysick is a word… and if it isn’t, I hope my usage of it on the world wide web will get it into the Oxford Concise in the next year or so…

The brutal truth is that I have had a migraine this evening. It started in the early afternoon as just feeling a bit foggy and crap but on walking into the city centre to attend a short training session before embarking on a temp stewarding role at Nottingham’s city castle this Saturday, I felt weak and sick. I stopped at Starbucks and bought a slice of carrot cake and a bottle of carbonated water, thinking it was possibly blood sugar related as I had a rather late lunch at 2pm. Sat in the room, I felt weaker and weaker and had to wear my glasses just so I could keep my eyes open and appear engaged. I had intended to walk home but after 10 mins, gave up and got a taxi. This was rather fortunate as I made it up to the bathroom in time to be sick.

I hate, loathe and detest people being sick in public. I understand it can come over very suddenly but this is rare. Nobody wants to watch a young lady barf in the street whether it is due to intoxication or illness. Considering I have to walk through a dodgy area to get home, I do prefer to keep quite a brisk step!

This all reminded me of two years ago when I was literally struck down with glandular fever. I had never been so ill in my living memory. Apologies for the graphic explanation, but I slept for roughly 22 hours a day with my mouth open because my tonsils were so swollen and covered in white joojoo that I couldn’t even swallow. Nobody wanted to come into my room because the white joojoo smelled so bad. I didn’t eat or wash for almost a week and my first bath only happened because my twin sister had to hold me up to walk me to the bathroom and put me in the bath. I was too weak to even wash my own hair. When I was finally lucid enough to sit up in bed aware of my surroundings, I ordered in a large Dominos cheese and tomato pizza and ate it over an agonising two days.

At Alton Towers after a sleep on the damp grass

I hadn’t noticed any weight loss or a change in my body until I put on outdoor clothes for the first time. My family was horrified by my appearance so I weighed myself. 9 stone 5lbs and I looked like I was bordering on an eating disorder. My auntie was upset by how unwell I had been and how I looked, she invited me round to her house in the mornings for a change of scenery and left lots of goodies around so I could try and gain a little weight back to look more healthy.

My point is that you can’t really control illness and you certainly should never hope for it as a means to lose weight as you will gain it much quicker once you’re back to full health. Also, when you are ill your body needs calories to fix itself so don’t use illness as a dieting opportunity as it will probably backfire!

Anyway, my dinner tonight was rice and runner beans as that was all I could stomach as around 8pm and I knew I had to eat otherwise my headache would get worse. About 10.30pm I made myself some pasta and pesto. My breakfast was two shredded wheat with milk and lunch was Winnie the Pooh Pasta shapes with a couple of soft bread rolls. I only took two proactol today so food diary is looking a tad pathetic. Not including the carrot cake because I was unlucky enough to deposit that in a bucket in my living room. Classy bird!