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I week down and I'm starting to lose the flab! 102 days left until Turkey time!

Diet books - how effective are they?

107 days to go! I have quite a good collection of literature on the subject of getting slimmer. Recent additions include Fat around the Middle by Marilyn Glenville and The Fast Diet by Dr Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer. Sadly, the fact that I have invested heavily in diet and lifestyle books over the past few decades - whilst steadily gaining weight suggests I'm wasting my money, but may be one day I'll find the secret to success! The 2 books I've bought are both quite interesting reads and I think they may be able to help me in my quest for a slimmer me. The Fast Diet seems like a great idea: eating what you like for 5 days and then just having 500 cals a day on the other 2. I did try it for a day, which was fine, but I'm not sure I can find a way to fit it into my lifestyle. Work and fasting don't go together and my weekends are too precious to give up the things I love. The big problem with all these books is that whatever they say about how simple and easy their system is, it always involves a fundamental change of habits and that is not always easy to achieve. In 'Fat around the Middle' I'm advised to give up all refined carbohydrates and sugar for 3 months. I am sure this would be really good for me, but it's a big ask! No more white bread (ok, possible), potatoes or sweet potatoes (probably not possible) and other foods I sometimes love. I am prepared to change my habits and my lifestyle, but it has to be achievable. There is little doubting that the stress of my teaching job has contributed towards my weight gain - if I am to believe many of the weight loss gurus,- but I need to pay the mortgage. I've been advised to have my main meal at lunch time and just a healthy snack in the evening, but with a thirty minute lunch break that's impossible and I want to eat and relax with a glass or two of wine in the evening. It keeps me sane! I was really proud of myself in 2011 when I lost around 50 pounds and I do look back to see what the secret was. I know the main thing was having something to look forward to - a holiday - and counting down the weeks before I went. I planned various 'rewards' along the way, but I think that my weight loss was the biggest incentive to keep going. Each week I would try on some clothes I liked in the shops whilst waiting to pick up my daughter. It was the best feeling to get into something I actually liked wearing and felt good in. Unfortunately, I've put on most of the weight I lost...so I've booked another holiday and am feeling really determined to succeed again with my diet. I am going to stop nibbling, limit bread to a little wholemeal nimble occasionally and cut right back on the wine. That way I hope to be checking in to Gatwick in 107 days feeling slim and confident!

108 days to my holiday! The best incentive.

Today it all starts again! The sun is out (well it was a minute ago...), the temperature is ur, above freezing and I've booked some flights to Turkey in 108 days! Woo hoo!!! I am therefore in the mood to get out and battle that fat. Today I will be leaping on my bike and going for a cycle. I know it's going to be hard as I've not been getting much exercise recently, but I have a goal now and, to me, a holiday on the horizon is the best goal ever! I think I might try the 5-2 Fast diet, (2 days of 500 cals and the rest of the week eating normally). I shall cut out the wine, the bread and the nibbling generally. That's all for now apart from this picture showing where I'm going!