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Meet our new diet blogger

Calling all dieters! If you’ve decided now is the time to achieve your dream weight then allow us to introduce Closerdieter Cher Sturgess who - having lost three stone on the personalised plan last year - is determined she’ll be looking mighty fine by mid-2009!

And to help motivate her to reach her target weight, she’ll be blogging for us each week. Here's her latest installment!

Join Closerdiets.com and start losing weight today!

MONDAY, MARCH 23 

I know I shouldn't think this way but I do feel disappointed and disheartened because I stuck to the diet and did my exercise but gained 1lb. 

I don't understand why I have gained all I can think is that it is the time of month, because to me I can't see any other reason except that I have selected the wrong calorie intake, which I am going to check with the diet team this week.

Apart from weigh in it has been a good week for me and I do feel more energised and as I mentioned before the weather has definitely helped.

I had a lovely day yesterday on Mothering Sunday and I hope all you mums out there also enjoyed your day! 

My children gave me a photo frame with photos of them with me in it and some flowers.  I did have some chocolate that my son gave me that he brought home from school in a hand made box with a label.

It was so sweet but I was good as I only had a couple of bites and gave the rest of the chocolates to my husband and children, which they thoroughly enjoyed – there were only three chocolates so not too much for them!

Well I hope you are all having a good result with your weigh in and have a great week this week!

MONDAY, MARCH 16

FRIDAY, MARCH 12

Well, as I said before I had a really good week on my diet and stuck to it, so felt quite positive about weigh in.  I am feeling OK about it I have maintained and I think I know why I didn't lose and that was because last Sunday we had a takeaway with friends and think that I had too much.

I can now understand why people get a bit frustrated and lose interest in their diet when this happens because I am at that stage at the moment.  However, it will not beat me and I will stick to it and lose weight.

The other ideas I came up with to help me lose the weight is when I am at home I don't have any cash available to me.  I know this sounds a bit extreme but when you have a shop opposite to where you live it is sometimes too tempting!  I decided that I will NOT have any food from the fish and chip shop until I reach my target but whether or not I manage it I'm not sure as again it is very tempting!

With regards to the chocolate update I confess I have had a little today but not gone mad and quite impressed with my control over it.  Even after all this time I still find it hard to limit chocolate intake but I've done well this weekend and just had a couple of fun size chocolate bars as a snack.

Still pleased not to have gained but I really want to lose next week.  All I can do is exercise, stick to the plan and hope for a loss next week.  I just want to get beyond where I am sticking  at the moment. Wishing you all a good week!

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

I have to say that this week is going a lot better and I feel really positive about my diet and hope that it will be reflected in my weigh in on Sunday.

Since the start of this week I have had no chocolate and that is quite a big deal for me as I love chocolate but it's going really well and I am not craving it.  I also tested my will power by giving my kids some chocolate and I haven't touched any so hooray the will power is going strong – long may it continue!

I am so pleased with myself because unlike the previous couple of weeks I have kept up with my exercise this week and in addition to walking my son to school I have also been walking the dog a lot more, I feel better for it and she loves it so everyone is happy!

I decided to set myself a goal and that is to get into the 13 stone mark this month and unlike previous attempts I am going for it.  I really have had enough of carrying extra weight and just want to be the weight that I should be according to BMI.

I hope you are all doing well this week.
 

TUESDAY, MARCH 3

Hi Everyone,

I am feeling great this week following my weigh-in over the weekend. I maintained my weight which is much better than the last 2 weeks.

We had a brilliant day yesterday in Torquay with our friends and they all enjoyed kicking a ball around on the beach. My children were absolutely worn out by the evening and slept all the way home!

I am so excited and feel re-energised about my diet today because I have accepted a challenge from Closer: Six Months To Sexy. 

Basically, I have to get down to my target weight within the next 6 months so I accepted it, I love a challenge!  Obviously, I still want to lose as much as I can before my holiday in June but this has given me a much needed boost. Thank you Closer!

Also, to help me shift this weight I have changed my meal plan - I was going to change to the GI Plan but after reviewing my options I've decided to try the healthy eating plan. 

The difference between the plan I was on and the one I'm following now is that I have slightly more calories per meal but only one snack a day, rather than the 3 snacks that I used to have. 

I've also decided to completely cut out chocolate for the next few weeks and see how I get on. There are some other changes I have made but I'll let you know about that on my next blog!

Have a great week everyone!

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23

I'm sorry everyone, I feel really disappointed with myself! I gained 4lbs this week!  All I can say is that firstly it was half-term and secondly it is that time of the month, so it hasn't been a good week for me on the diet front.

I know that I shouldn't use the above as an excuse but I just felt a bit low within myself last week and my will power was not that good either. I guess I am just finding it harder than I thought to lose the last 3 stone. 

I think what I need to do is change my meal plan to something else and see if that helps.  I will pick myself up and stop being silly and re-focus again on the end result this week. 

It's not even entered my mind to stop the diet because that's the last thing I want to do, I don't want to go back to how I once was, I've come to far to stop now.

Having said all the above, I do feel better about this week and just want to get on with it and let you all know a week Monday that I have lost weight. Wish me luck!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20

It's been a mixed week this week and I don't think I will have lost any weight when I weigh in.  I am not down about it because I know what I've done wrong, I just need to sort myself out and get on with it.

I did really well with my diet last week but have had a few naughty things this week.  I just seem to have a mental block on getting into the 13 stones. 

Maybe it's because I know that when you stick to it it works, so therefore I would reach my target weight.  However, after being big for so long it's hard to come to terms with but I still want to do it, I guess maybe I'm scared of being slimmer – does that make any sense to any of you?

I would love to hear from slimmers out there that have lost a lot of weight.  How did you feel going from being really big to slim?  Has it changed your outlook on life or personality? Is there any advice you can give to me and other dieters?

On a positive note I have managed to do my exercise this week so that's great and I feel better for it.  I am really enjoying the Claire Richards DVD and would recommend it.

Have a good weigh in everyone!


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16

I had my weigh in on Saturday and felt that it would be good if I could lose 1lb but I actually lost 3lbs, so I've lost all the weight that I gained last week – I'm so happy with the result!

As I said before having porridge at breakfast is the only way for me because it does actually keep me full until lunch time.  I do find that the other thing that helps is if you drink a pint of water with every meal and that fills you up.

Another great thing about the weather improving is that my children can play in the garden and I get to run around after them, so that's extra exercise, which can't be a bad thing.  My children are feeling better so I hope to be able to get back to my DVD's this week.

I feel that recently I've stuck around the 14 stone mark so I really want to be 13 stone something now, that is what I am aiming for this week.  All I can do is stick to the meal plan, exercise and see what happens with my weigh in later this week.

Good luck to all of you with your weigh in this week!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13

I have to say that this week is going a lot better than last week with my diet. It's so much better eating the porridge because it keeps me full until lunch time and I'm not tempted to pick in between breakfast and lunch or have extra at breakfast, like I did last week.

On the down side I haven't been able to do as much exercise this week as my children have been poorly, but I have tried to get out and walk as much as possible to try and keep up some form of exercise.

The one thing I don't understand is why do I go back into bad habits, because when I do, I enjoy eating the food, but then afterwards I feel really bloated and uncomfortable?  Strange isn't it. But I still do it, albeit on rare occasions.  Trying to stop it altogether and I will it will just take time.

I would love to lose weight this week and have stuck to the plan all week so I really hope that I do lose the weight.  I just want to reach 13st because at the moment that would be a real achievement for me.

I'll let you know next week if I've managed it.

I hope you're all having a good week.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9

Hi everyone. Well, what I suspected would happen has happened: I gained 3lb this week. 

As I said before I am not down about it because I know what I did wrong, I slipped into my old ways for a couple of days and made the mistake of thinking that it would be OK to eat what I wanted and have a few treats – big mistake! 

It just goes to show and prove a point that you can't deviate from the plan and not expect to gain.

On a positive note I did enjoy celebrating my girls' birthday last week and they had a great time at the farm for their party.

Also, last week I thought I would change my breakfast from porridge to cereal and toast, which was a bad move.  I love toast and some days I would have two slices but not count the second slice as a snack, which is what I should have done. Lesson learnt and back on porridge for me, it's the only way.

Basically, I've learnt that unless you are prepared to spend a few hours in the gym to work off the extra you have eaten, you shouldn't eat it!

Have a great week!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6

Well what a week it has been so far I've really enjoyed it but my diet hasn't – oh dear!

As you know it was my girls’ birthday this week and we have seen a lot of family and friends and I have over indulged.  For a couple of days my mind slipped back into old ways, which does sometimes happen.  Like I said before I am trying to change how I eat and to eat healthy and after about 20 years or so it's not going to happen over night. On a positive note I do have to say that the old habits are becoming more rare and I will get there. Like the saying goes 'what is done is done' I just have to move on and get back on track.  All I can do now is try to minimise the gain this week but I won't beat myself up about it.

As so many people have said before it's easy to gain but harder to lose.  The important part for me is that I recognise when I slip up and to correct it.  The only person that is going to do this is me.

I hope you're all having a good week!


MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3

Well, what a week it has been, I thought I wouldn't lose anything due to baking with my son but I've lost 2lbs this week!

I just wanted to say 'hi' to Sarah and thank you for your comments and well done to you that is fantastic!  Also, if you want to chat then I am a co-moderator on the message boards with Closerdiets.com.  If you click on 'In My Own Time' then we'll be there to chat!

It was our girls’ birthday party yesterday and it was amazing and great for my diet, I didn't even get a chance to eat anything apart from a little slice of cake!

I decided to have some chocolate yesterday and pre-diet I would eat a lot of chocolate but I could only manage a little piece. I don't know if it was my head saying I didn't want anymore or if I have just got use to eating more healthy. I think it's both and that's great because it's proving to myself that I never needed to excess like I use to.

I hope all of you are having a good week and losing weight, good luck with your weigh in!

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29

Since my boy has been at school he has discovered that he likes baking so at the weekend he asked if we could bake some cakes.  Great, I thought, until we actually made them - of course, I had to try one or two!  Now I am working really hard to try and lose weight this week but not sure if I will.

Also, this Sunday it's my girls' birthday party, they are going to be two next week and we are all having a family get together, which is great.  I hope I am not too naughty and will try not to eat too much cake – although there are quite a few people going so guess it will just be a small piece!

I am still really enjoying my new DVD and it's making me sweat which can only be a good thing!  I've even had some nice comments from our staff that's always a boost and makes you feel great.

This week even I have started to notice the difference in my body and feel that I am now starting to think thinner and I am even moving a lot quicker now as well, which is great for the children.

MONDAY, JANUARY 26

Again another good week for me - I've lost 2lbs!  I did have some naughty things last week but it was only during one day and have kept up my exercise.

It's quite funny when I do my exercise in the morning because sometimes my son will come downstairs at about 6 o'clock and try and copy my exercises, it's quite sweet really.  Also, later in the day he will lie on the floor and say to his granny that he is doing his exercises like mummy – bless!

Speaking of exercise, I bought a new DVD because I wanted to try something new with my other two DVD's.  I tried the Five Steps with Claire Richards and I managed to do all five so I was really pleased with myself and I enjoyed it!  I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

My husband received a text message from one of our friends who said she had just read my blog and it inspired her so much she decided to join Closerdiets!  It’s a fantastic feeling to think that what I am doing would inspire others.  So I just wanted to say ‘Hello’ and thank you for making my week!

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21

This week has been another good one and I had a good result with my weigh in – I've lost 2lbs this week!

I did enjoy my varied meals from the plan this week, it made a nice change from the meals I usually pick.

I had a break from my exercise regime in December and I can honestly say I did notice it, I felt really bad.  Now I'm back on track I feel energised and have so much more 'get up and go'.  It also helps that I walk my son to school during the week, so that's extra exercise.

I noticed this week that my wedding ring is getting a bit loose, I better keep an eye on that! The other thing I've noticed since losing the weight so far is my clothes. Since I started the diet I have gone down three and in some instances four dress sizes and that is an amazing feeling.

I did have a couple of naughty things yesterday because I wanted them but I will do all I can to try and get another good weight loss result for this week.

I find that it's OK to have a naughty day but you need to recognise that it is only a day and get straight back on the plan, which is what I do.  Also, I don't do that every week, just once in a while.

I hope you are all doing well.


FRIDAY, JANUARY 16

Hi all, I am having another good week so far and still focused on my goal.

I was thinking about last year and feel a bit annoyed with myself for not pushing myself harder.  This year though I am even more focused on losing more weight, but I do have to say that I do look a lot better now than I did this time last year, so that is something positive.

I am still getting up at 5.30am every other day to exercise and I have varied my meal plan this week because I felt it was getting too repetitive.  Had some really nice meals and particularly liked the fish casserole – it's so filling would definitely recommend it.  Also, there is no problem with getting the main ingredient!

Earlier this week I went out to browse round some shops with my girls and stopped for a coffee and got my girls a choc-chip shortbread biscuit.  I had no intention of eating it myself and pleased to say I didn't touch a crumb, so will power still strong.

As I have had another good week this week I would love to lose again but understand that sometimes you do maintain or gain for various reasons.  The important lesson I have learnt is not to let it get you down and carry on.

I hope you are all having a good week and good luck when you weigh in!


MONDAY, JANUARY 13

Wow!  I had my weigh in on Saturday and last week I lost 3lbs! I am so happy and it just goes to show that if you put the work in, you'll get something back.

I have been very good this week with my diet and exercise.  I have not had any naughty days, so I am really pleased with myself for that and for also getting up in the mornings to exercise. 

I've adopted a new outlook for this year and that is to just get on with it and stop thinking too much about food.

A typical week for me would be to exercise every other day. I was once told that you should rest your muscles in between exercise and not to do everyday, so that is why I don't do every day otherwise I would!

There are 2 DVDs which I alternate - Charlie Brooks' Before & After Workout and Natalie Cassidy's Then & Now Workout. It's the same trainer on both and I like the way she sets out the routines. 

What makes me get up in the morning to do the exercise?  Well, I am the only one who is going to lose the weight so unless I get up and do it I will not tone up.

I have always been quite good with my willpower when I'm on a diet - don't get me wrong even I sometimes give in to naughty things! –

So what I do is question myself like, for example: do you really NEED that extra biscuit or chocolate?

The answer is no and also if I did eat it, it would be counter-productive to my diet.  This is what I have learnt about myself since being on the diet and what I love about Closerdiets is that all the meals are planned.

I am so focused and determined to get there and the people that know me will know that when I put my mind to something I will do it!  I may not be the quickest but it's not a race and I know I will get there.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9

Hello all! Thanks for your comments, it's always great to hear from other dieters and I hope you are all having a good week.

I am having a really good week and although there are still Christmas sweets in the house and the kids’ chocolate, I have not touched any of them – except my Maltesers!  When I send my next blog I would love to say I have lost.....watch this space.

I thought I would just give you a bit of information on what plan I'm on with Closerdiets. My meal plan is Combination, which means I can choose either a recipe or convenience meal. 

One of my favourite recipe meals would be sweet and sour chicken and it's really easy to make.  The convenience meal I really enjoy is pasta with Greek yoghurt and pesto.  My plan type is Weight Loss and it does work ... if you stick to it!

I mentioned in my previous blog that my goal was to take my kids swimming and I would also like to see what I should look like at my ideal weight as an adult because I have never seen it, so that quite an exciting thought. 

I would also like to be able to shop in 'normal' shops for clothes.

I have tried so many diets in the past and had some weight loss success, but I really do feel that I am sorting myself out with Closerdiets. 

All the staff at Closerdiets are very helpful and always on hand to give you advice and help, which is very re-assuring.

Keep your comments coming in, I love hearing from fellow dieters!

MONDAY, JANUARY 5

Current weight  – 14st 10lb
Pre-diet weight -  18st 1lb
Target  weight – 10st 10lb

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you’ll enjoy reading my blog!

I’m Cher, I’m 34, 5ft 4' and married with three children. My eldest is  three and my twins will be two next month. We run a fish and chip shop in Somerset, which has been in my husband's family for more than 40 years.

I joined Closerdiets last February weighing just over 18 stone - and I haven’t looked back. I’ve already lost three stone and I’m determined to reach my target weight of 10st 11lbs by June when we’re off on holiday.

I’ll know I’ve achieved my personal goal when I’m able to take my  children into a public swimming pool without feeling too self-concious.

I have always been on the big side since I was in my teens and following my two pregnancies I gained even more weight. It got to the point where I felt uncomfortable with very little confidence.

It was actually a picture of me at my daughter’s first birthday party that spurred me to join Closerdiets. I looked so huge and it brought me to tears. I knew I had to do something.

Looking back now, my diet was terrible. I’d start the day with a large bowl of sugary cereal and then snack on biscuits all morning. I’ve been known to polish off a whole packet! For lunch I’d either have a high-fat ready meal or a pizza plus a bowl of rice in the afternoon, before tucking into crisps, chocolate bars and sandwiches in the evening. I didn’t take a great deal of pride in my diet or nutrition and that was reflected on the scales!

Since joining Closerdiets I’ve learned so much about food, it’s completely changed the way I cook.

These days I’ll start the day with porridge, I won’t snack in the morning and I’ll have something like grilled chicken, salad and a baked potato for lunch. Then I might treat myself to a packet of Maltesers in the evening along with a bowl of healthy  soup.

Not only is it doing wonders for my figure, my husband had also shed two stone as a result of my cooking. He’s thrilled.

Alongside watching what I eat,  I exercise three times a week at 5.30am ! It sounds extreme but it’s the only way I can find the time and that's fine by me if it means I lose the weight.

If you've got a message of support for Cher, post a comment below!

Join Closerdiets.com before the end of January 2009 and receive two weeks free plus the chance to win a fantastic trip to New York. Start losing weight today!