I think I can do food, but it's hard for me to give up my Coke; I think that it's my 'comfort drink', since I don't really have a comfort food, and it's what I crave whenever I'm severely stressed out. But, I'm sure it's not impossible to phase out of my diet. :)

Anyone know if flavored water is any better or worse than regular water? [I really REALLY despise the taste of plain water most of the time, so giving it a little kick would help TONS.]

It's true - sometimes when you think you're hungry, a glass of water is what you need, even though you may not feel especially thirsty. (Try a glass if you find yourself hungry a short while after a meal and you'll really notice the difference.)

The reason I recommended experimenting with seasoning and spices is that this will stop the boredom, even if you use the same meat every day.

I cook chicken in the following way, and it's great. Drizzle a TINY bit of olive oil over it (a teaspoon will do you for a whole breast) and turn it over to coat. Then sprinkle some dried mixed herbs over it, about a tablespoon. Wrap it in foil, pinching the edges. This will stop it from drying out and tasting stringy. Cook for 40 minutes at 200 farenheit. It will be tender and subtly flavoured.

For chicken stirfries, you can vary the vegetables you use a lot. Beansprouts, carrots, broccoli, onion, mushrooms, peppers, chilli peppers, red cabbage, spring greens, spinach - millions. Just use 3-4 different kinds in one stirfry and vary the seasoning, and you could live on stirfries without getting bored. If you don't feel satisfied without some carb, try sweet potatoes - cut into chucks, microwave for 3 minutes or so, then put them in a few minutes before adding the vegetables. I think they contain less carb than regular, although you may want to check that.

Regarding the seasoning - alternating between garlic, saffron, thyme, mixed herbs and any other you care to name will vary the flavour infinitely. Don't let a dislike for spicy foods put you off of trying different herbs.

Put music on when you do the housework, too. You'll find yourself dancing like Queen in I Want To Break Free. :D

Honeythorn: Ah, gotcha. I'm not sure if that kind of exercise is even possible for me, but I might give it a try.

And Honeythorn, whether you believe or not, you are very pretty; I've loved all the pics you've posted up here on Gnet! :)

Judge: That sounds like a good recipe! :D I think I may try that tonight.

I -definitely- need to make a grocery run now. *goes to print off recipe*

Push-ups won't lift your boobs - they'll just enable you to do that pec-twitching thing that heavily muscled men sometimes do. If you've started to sag then the best option is to get measured, and invest in a good bra.

Thanks. It isn't my face that bothers me. I can live with that. It's everything below the chin that's the problem !!! If I can lose the first 4 stone ( 56lbs) by Late October That'll be good. And then the next 4 stone by the following April and I should be good to go. I'd like to be able to just hug someone without wanting to cringe away and tear my skin off.

I have been measured ( an ordeal in itself it took forever because of how I am ) and I am wearing the correct bra. Always have done.

Honeythorn: Forgive me for prying [and you don't have to answer if you don't want to] but what cup size are you? I'm a G, and even though I have good bras now too, it's still hard for the twins to stay up. [I go through bras pretty quickly; it's annoying.]

My point is that, if you have bigger boobs, then that's just their natural state. [Oddly enough, guys who like big boobs on women don't seem to mind if they sag or not. In fact, if they don't sag even a little, and look like two beach balls, I can almost guarantee they're fake. ;) ]

In that case, you are currently making the best of your assets. Push-ups won't make any difference.

A friend of mine with due-South boobs claims that bras with thick straps work best for her in terms of support. If you're not already wearing them, they may be something to consider.

I have another question. Is there any significant health difference between frozen, canned, and fresh veggies?

Initially, I don't think so, but fresh vegetables start losing their nutritional value shortly after harvesting (I don't know how significant the loss is). Frozen ones have the vitamins et cetera locked in upon freezing. I don't know about canned.

orgainic veg - it tastes better anyway.
what i do which works wonders, is just drink water (plain, sparkling water is good too - except the ones that taste like a rock was scrubbed into it :) ) and i usually have a big breakfast -lots of fiber is the trick. stay away from cereals, they only fill you for a few hours. oatmeal lasts forever, wheat isn't the best thing to be eating for anyone - corn isn't that great for you either. anyway, for dinner, just eat smaller portions. the best way to do this and without really noticing is to just use smaller plates. same for dessert. (yes, you can have this too!) for example, on most tub icecreams, the serving is half a cup - if you eat out of the measuring cup with a small spoon (smaller than teaspoon if you can find it) it'll feel like enough.

and just skip lunch. instead have two small snacks - i have some walnuts and raisins, and 90 calorie cookies (thin addictives).

i don't know about anyone else, but for me the main deal is not that i'm hungry, but that it just tastes good, so if you just cut the portions you're good to go.

HOnestly...you're doing everything right.
Have you looked into the possibility of a thyroid problem?

EVERYONE.

STOP FUCKING TELLING PEOPLE TO SKIP MEALS.
You don't know how metabolism works if you say that, so you're in no position to tell people how to lose weight.

They're not huge. I'm one of those awkward people who is between sizes. I'm a large C small D. If I manage to lose more weight they'll go down to a normal C. I bloody hate them.

Not yet. If I haven't lost a few stone by October doing it the way I am then I will get myself looked at. I simply ate too much before that's all.

if you mean me, i guess i should clarify - people usually have their protions too big, so two healthy snacks are like a light lunch.

and about boobs - love them. you know how hard it was to find small A cups that weren't had for children? haha
and big straps are the way to go for a boobarella ;)

If you can't really split up your meals then make sure that you have a really filling breakfast full of complex carbs like oatmeal and lean protein such as turkey bacon. Also since you mentioned that you eat eggs in the morning I want to point out that eggs from free range chickens are much lower in cholesterol and higher in vitamins than regular eggs so try and get those.

As for the fresh/frozen/canned veggie thing if it is in season go with fresh (your best bet is to go to a farmer's market if there is one in your area as they will have the freshest produce around), if it isn't in season go with frozen. Canned veggies aren't really bad for you but some of their nutrients ends up in the liquid that they were canned in, which is fine if you are using them for a soup or something but most of the time that liquid is just going to be discarded.

I've been able to find some nice bras in my size that didn't have the massive shoulder-pad straps, though: Cacique lingire.

That black chandelier lace plunge bra is really nice..

Is there a way to drink soda, and still be able to lose weight?

Perhaps as long as you don't drink it every day and not too much in one go? Keep it as a treat instead of a regular thing.

I drink about 3 of those ((I don't know the exact)) 12-14 ounce bottles a day. As a treat... might work.

3 a day??? That's waaay too many. you'd have to cut it down to about 2 small bottles a week.

D'oh! I can do that, just need to think happy thoughts... heh heh heh.