Hi everyone!

I'm new here, been dieting for about a month since I went to see a nutritionist to get some much needed help to set the process in motion.

Hitting 100kg (about 220lb) on the scales a couple of months ago really scared me so I decided enough was enough. I've lost some weight my own way before but I decided that I needed some professional help to point out what I could be doing better and to keep the pounds off for good.

I also asked my nutritionist to help me with heartburn and digestive problems, and so as part of my new healthy eating plan, she included a list of things I should avoid because they're too acidic... but with everything else I'm not supposed to eat because of the weight loss, it's getting really difficult and I felt like I needed some support from other people who know what it's like to be overweight. All day at work I'm surrounded by really thin people who complain they're going to get fat the minute they eat a piece of chocolate, and then eat a whole bar and don't get fat anyway, and at home I've got a really skinny husband who can eat as much as he wants and never put on weight.

Cooking is a passion of mine. I'm going on a cookery course in Italy for a week in May, with my mum, but instead of looking forward to making a big dream come true, I'm dreading it because of the whole weight loss thing... and that makes me really sad. I want this adventure to be about trying new things, finding what works for me and keeping strong, not ending up depressed and crying every week because it seems too much. I don't want to turn into someone so obsessed by their weight loss that they lose interest in everything else...

...So I really look forward to reading your different stories and experiences and exchanging tips and support.

XOXO

Zo

Hi back at ya - from Texas! Sounds like you're ready to lose. If you look on the bright side, you have an advantage being able to cook. You can look at recipes and alter them to fit your new lifestyle. I also love to cook and have found some wonderful recipes that I wouldn't have believed could be made healthy. Not every dish has to be bad for you. Good flavors can be found in many different combinations.

Please don't dread your trip to Italy. Sure, it would be fun to go hog-wild with all the pasta, cheese, wine, etc. But, Mediterranean food can be very healthy. Perhaps you can call ahead and ask what types of foods you'll be preparing so you can "prepare yourself" to indulge, or not. Best of luck to you and I hope you come back with a lot of inspiration for healthy Italian cooking!

Thanks AwShucks, you're right... I guess I just need to get creative and see what's already out there in terms of recipes.

Luckily the course won't just be pasta (it's my main weakness) but we're going to different producers to taste cheese, olive oil, salami, etc. I'll just have to make a rule to taste each thing once, but no more, or something like that.

I eat pasta on my diet and until just the other day i was having no trouble losing weight. Its what you put in your pasta that is often the problem and how much of it also.

What sort of recommendations did the nutritionist make? Really i find there's a lot you can eat on a diet. I have cheese. I"m not a meat eater so that's off the agenda anyway. The main thing for me to keep away from is sweets and desserts. And of course i have to keep my portions under control but because most of the food i eat is low calorie i still eat quite a bit really.

There's not need to hurry the process. Take it slowly and you will get there in the long run.

I would think that once you start eating a bit less you will have less reflux.

I found that losing the first 20 pounds was easy and now i feel so much better i am stopping here at this point for a while because of some stress and problems going on. I will stick at this point until i am in a better situation and feeling strong again and continue my reducing again.

Given the difference in our heights, perhaps we looked about the same at the beginning. So you will see that when you lose just 20 pounds, which only took me two months with not much restriction on what i could eat or how much, you will feel much happier. I feel much happier about where i'm at weight wise at the moment but of course i don't want to stop here indefinitely.

sorry rambling a bit. But curious what the nutritionist has got you doing, though i think its good you went to see a professional.

I forgot to say something about the cooking. If you just leave out the cooking the stuff that makes you fat like cakes and pastries and rich sauces, there is so much wonderful food you can cook.

Hi Pattience, thanks for replying to me

The nutritionist gave me a list of all sorts of ingedients and their fat content (per 100g). She said I should mostly stick to eating things that have 16% or lower... I can certainly eat cheese like mozzarella and cottage cheese and certain other naturally low-fat cheeses we have in Europe... if I want to have a fattier cheese sprinkled over a pasta bake or something, then I should have just half, mixed with mozzarella instead of having it pure. That I can certainly live with.

I'm allowed 2 "treats" a week, say some ice cream or a slice of cake, but I don't really mind not having those. I'm definitely a pasta and cheese person... so I'll tend to save my treats for those. But the list of stuff to avoid for heartburn is tough: tomato, leeks, garlic, onions, sweetcorn, cucumber, citrus fruit, vinegar, raw veg in general (I decided to ignore that one... it's impossible), alcohol. All I can drink at the moment really is herbal tea (nothing with cafeine in it, so no green tea either), 100% juice fruit juices (not easy to find, most of them are from concentrate) and water... it's getting old pretty quickly.

All of those I can cut down on but after a while it feels restrictive... I guess I just need to find what works and make compromises. I'm going to see her again on Tuesday to ask about adapting it. My heartburn is happening less often but some of the food on her list don't seem to trigger it... (I did sneak in a few tomatos, etc.)

She also told me to watch my portions, I have to eat more at lunchtime and less in the evening, and if I want something like pasta or other sorts of carbs, it's better to have it at lunchtime. I find that's working okay.

Well done for losing 20 pounds! I know I've lost 3kg in a month (7 pounds I guess?) and during that time I lost someone in my family, and we also ate out a bunch of times, so the circumstances weren't always ideal... but I'm fairly happy with the results so far. I need to try new recipes and not get too hung up on the hearburn list I think, because it's holding me back from enjoying healthy foods... but I'll see what the nutritionist has to say about it too.

It's nice to see that you feel comfortable about taking a break and carrying on later when it suits you, I think that's a sign of strength. Good luck with it!

xx

I was writing a long post but i thought it might sound like conflicting with your nutritionist.

The main thing to remember is that your problem will abate when you start eating smaller meals and less food overall.

I thought this sounded like a good article.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c...s/art-20044739

Oh it doesn't matter if it conflicts with what she says... I'm well aware she's only one person, with one opinion I'm doing it her way for a while and then selecting what works best from that.

Thanks for the article, I'll have a look at it.

Love your attitude.