Thanks Lyn

I've tried Amazon but no luck! I agree Amazon are great, use them all the time.

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NELLIE

Hi Nellie,

Have just had a look, there are loads of 'optimum' nutrition bibles, but no 'Ultimate' ones, so sorry not much help am i? I think I saw it in The Sussex Stationers, which is one of those discount bookshops, but I can't remember the author.

Good luck,

lyn.

Glad you to see you have a catflap Bagpuss...wouldn't want to think of you stuck indoors all day!

Oh yeah.....haven't woken up yet Steve, didn't see the connection....(blonde!)

I don't really like cats that much, but I came home with my big ginger tom cat after a boozy night out one Christmas!....another long story.

Ok you've hooked me...I'm tailwalking...spill the beans Bagpuss!

sorry it is the 'opimum nutritional bible'. It is by Patrick Holford who has recently released the revised version...contains everything the original did plus a little more.

really good read and a book that is a constant source of reference to me.

Em

Thanks Emma.. it is going on my every increasing Xmas list...

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NELLIE

Well it isn't really that interesting, but here goes. I wanted a dog, good company and something warm and furry to come home to, thought that a lot of cats were a bit standoffish etc, also as the cat next door to us when we were kids ate two of our bantoms and left just the beaks/feet..... I didn't warm to cats!

At the time I didn't work shifts so I was out of the house long hours and thought that it wouldn't be fair on a dog. Not long after that I ended up with half a cat. Neighbours bought a greyhound, cat (bagpuss) didn't like it, so moved in with me part time. So I got rather attached to someone elses cat!

Months later, Christmas 'wine guzzling' evening, bit posh, lots of people with there heads stuck up there own backsides, felt a bit out of it, so I had far too much to drink. even by my standards! As a consequence I got into conversation with someone who had a cat living rough in there garden, 18 months old and friendly, but they didn't want it. So cut a long story a bit shorter, I took him home! He is absolutely adorable and behaves more like a dog in the house, best male company I've ever had!

There you go Steve, are you sorry you asked now?

A big ginger tomcat roughed up my small tabby cat last week. Cost me £70 at the vet. But gingers are known for their huge personalities, so I'm not holding a grudge. By the way the fight happened on our property, right on our back patio. So it wasn't my cat's fault. Just making that particular point clear to all of you.

As if I believe that!!

Jackanory!

Hi Karen,

A couple of months ago my usually 'I'm keeping outa trouble' tom, got roughed up on our garden by a very, very large tabby. Cost me £70 too. I have told him to keep his nose clean from now on and walk away from trouble!

Lyn.

OK - so it's size that counts. That is, in cats.

I've lost the plot of the thread or have I just lost the plot???

I found that changing the way I cooked meals also really helped - grilling or dry frying. I very rarely use oil nowadays.

I occasionally find myself stting in Burger King/Macdonalds but I try not to beat myself up about it and its becoming less frequent.

I think I will keep quiet of the cats and size issue.

Ooops. Sorry

I agree for the most part with what's been said already. I think 80/20 is great, as is eating fruit/veg, drinking lots of water etc. But from my experience of trying to lose weight (which is quite a lot!) the key is changing your mind set about food and understanding why you feel the way you do.

I was overweight as a kid and my mum used to try and stop me eating too much chocolate and bread; so naturally all I wanted to do was eat those things. Both of those foods are still the ones I struggle with because I'm programmed to think I'm not allowed them! But when I take control over the issue, as an adult, I realise I can have as much or as little as I like; it's my choice.

I can absolutely relate to the cycle you feel you've been in! I still find myself getting down about my eating patterns but digging a little deeper and working out why I overeat has helped me get it under control. You can have burgers for every meal of every day if you want to - it's your choice. Obviously, that's a disaster for your health but it is still a choice available to you. My point is that trying to ban yourself from certain foods will never work in the long term; most people will rebel against those restrictions at some point and, as you've described, go to the opposite extreme and hit the "self-destruct" button. And we all know that doesn't feel good.

If all these prescriptive diets work then why does the weight always go back on eventually? In my opinion, diet books that tell you what and when to eat only succeed in setting up a cycle of weight loss/weight gain, with a big dose of guilt and failiure thrown in! I'm not pretending to have cracked it but I do now believe that the trick is changing your relationship to food, which will lead you to naturally eat a more balanced diet. With that comes all the good stuff - increased energy levels, sex drive, self-esteem, concentration etc.

Good luck.