what menu plan works for you?

my typical day's food is:

breakfast:- 1 weetabix & 30g special k with 125ml 1% milk, 1 cadburys highlights fudge hot choc [i:ef12120a7a](breakfast fat intake 4.2g)[/i:ef12120a7a]

lunch:- 3 crumpets with flora extra light spread and 1/2 can of baked beans, piece of fruit, muller light yogurt [i:ef12120a7a](lunch fat intake 4.5g)[/i:ef12120a7a]

dinner:- jacket potato with 30g low fat cheese, dry fried mushrooms and 2 grilled low fat bacon medallions with a weight watchers frozen desert for pudding [i:ef12120a7a](dinner fat intake 9g)[/i:ef12120a7a]

[i:ef12120a7a][u:ef12120a7a]typical daily fat intake 17.7g[/u:ef12120a7a][/i:ef12120a7a]

i drink on average 3 cups of tea, several glasses of water and pepsi max inbetween meals and if i am peckish i eat fruit or marshmellows

i have been on this now for 3 months (but had a break for my holiday) and have lost just over a stone and a half, i loose about 2lbs a week on average

Thank you! I see you have kept your daily fat intake quite low. Others have said you should be taking 30g fat daily! It has obviously worked for you as you have had a good weight loss - well done you! I take it as you have stayed on orlistat for 3 months you havent been suffering with unbearable tummy symptoms - perhaps you have worked out how many fat grams you could take daily without suffering the side effects?

thats a typical day for me, once every 2 weeks i have a chinese (usually special fried rice) and i find i get some oil a few days after but generally i don't get any side effects. i quizzed my doctor about whether i should be eating more fat and she said that if its working on the lower fat thing and i am feeling healthy then its fine, i did try eating nuts with my breakfast to boost my fat intake for a few weeks but i didn't see any change in weight loss or health so stopped doing that. everyone is different and its about finding what works for you good luck!

I don't like milk (possible lactose intolerant) and not keen on cereal with fruit juice so my brekfast at the moment is a few slices of boiled ham and a slice of edam.

I went trough a stage of having melon and grapes for breakfast and some dry fried mushrooms with the edam added.

Lunch and dinner a fairly much the same. CHicken or fish with herbs / lemon/ mushrooms wrapped in foil either steamed or baked with lots of veg or salad.

Or I might have a chicken salad.

I also make chilli and mousaka(*?sp) with quorn mince.

Stuffed mushrooms.

And I do eat ready meals - the complete roast dinner and the pasta - all the supermarket low fat ranges. Oh and I usually have a glass or two of red wine.

One 1/2 day a week I have a day off, this often coincides with things like a friend's birthday or I had to stay in London a couple of weeks ago so I made that day my day off.

I am also drinking white tea at the moment (that's white tea leaves not tea with milk) as it is supposed to be an appetite suppressant. Not sure if it is, or if it just fills your belly with warm water, but hey.

Started at the beginning of May and so far have lost 20Kg.

Some weeks I stay still, some weeks I gain, overall the trend is down so I am pleased.

Breakfast for me was porridge with skimmed milk and a bit of sugar i also had tinned toms on toast with no butter, toast is ok with any light spread (dairylea is nice with marmite) worth investing in flora light or somthing like that!

Lunch i had a sandwich with chicken or tuna a bagel here and there and also a tuna pasta salad.

Snacks were fruit and muller light.

Dinner i cooked beef stew, lamb curry with asda smartprice naan only 2 grams of fat, spag bol with lean mince, baked spuds.

Friday i had a chinese not good at all, i suffered for 2 days with the oily wotsit, not worth it at all (i had work too).

If you have a shop called the works near you there are loads of cook books in there and quite cheap too, i picked up a book for slowcookers which is great when you work so you have somthin to scoff when you get in!

And dont forget excercise when you can even a walk after tea will help burn a few calories off. Its not easy when you have a family who want chips etc like my lot but they have been sympathetic (theyve had no choice) and 2 weeks without any booze hasnt killed me and i feel better for it! Good luck and keep going.

Thank you so much everyone! Some good ideas there too - I do have gym membership with my daughter who is also overweight and we mean to go 3 times a week but in reality have only been going once a week for several months now - really got to get into the habit of going more often.

This Christmas I want to be able to join my hubby for his works night out (last year I was invited to go but felt so miserable about my appearance I sat at home depressed while he went out and enjoyed myself. I only have myself to blame of course for 'letting myself go'). This is my incentive - to feel confident enough this Christmas to join him. Onwards and upwards!!