Cutting out the Junk

wannabepr

Hi guys im 14 stone and 5feet 7"... Last week i decided enough is enough and started eating more healthy. I used 2 have oven chips everyday. Some days a Chinese and sometimes some big alls chicken.

I would also drink alot of coke. I would have maybe 2 bags of crisps a day...maybe a bar. TBH i just used 2 buy junk food when hungry. On my breaks i would get 2/3 sausages rolls or else wedges in the shop.

So now i eat no hot food from deli. I have Oven chips once a week, I think giving them up completely is unrealistic for the moment. Im having no crisps (which is hard). For snacks i mite have cream crackers. Im eating fruit now like apples for snacks. Also got yogurts, vitalinia i think. Also having Rice Crispie serial bars as a treat. Eating also of Yops as well.

For Dinner I eat chicken Fillets and learned how to make chicken currys with proper chicken.

I no its still not great but im hoping i will lose some weight from cutting out junk.

EileenG

Good luck!

Make it easy to stick to your plan, by having lots of easy to eat non-junk foods handy. Buy a few packets of sugar-free jelly and keep some made up for when the munchies hit. Cottage cheese is a great high protein food that is impossible to over-eat.

Hardboiled eggs are another thing that fill a gap when you are hungry, but you always stop when you've had enough.

Lots of vegetables will keep you healthy and feeling fuller.

Your choice, but personally, I think Ryvita tastes better than crackers and has more fibre.

You can make your own oven chips: cut up a couple of potatoes, put into a plastic bag with a small amount of olive oil and some spices, shake well, then roast for 30-40 minutes.

heymayo

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wannabepr

Cheers I just seen a lad who gave up chips and takeaways for Lent and the weight just feel off him. So im hoping that i will have some luck. I found the first day was the hardest.

After that its not unreal bad. Will i find i will be losing weight do ya think??

also what about marshmellows..It says fat free but i suppose theres a hidden agenda behind that?

EileenG

Sorry, no marshmallows. Yes, they are fat free, but they are pure sugar, and they'll send your insulin levels through the roof. When your insulin is high, you get hungry, and you store fat.

If you need something sweet, go for a couple of squares of very dark chocolate. At the moment, Lidl have bars of gourmet chocolate, ranging from 40% cocoa up to 82%. Pick one that's a bit darker than you'd normally eat, and each time get a darker bar. The higher the cocoa percentage, the lower the sugar, and the better it is for you. Anything over 70% is considered a health food.

And yes, all the "fat free" stuff is a bit of a dieter's nightmare. It gets to be fat free by replacing all the fat with sugar which is even worse. Fat itself is not bad for dieters, make sure you are eating oily fish and eggs, not just chicken breasts. You need some fat in your diet to stay healthy.

jdivision

Good luck OP, you'll find you get cravings after a couple of weeks. Eat small portions a lot. I'm down 3 stone since May. Soups help keep you fill. Don't eat too much bread as a way of keeping full

wannabepr

jdivision wrote: »

Good luck OP, you'll find you get cravings after a couple of weeks. Eat small portions a lot. I'm down 3 stone since May. Soups help keep you fill. Don't eat too much bread as a way of keeping full

Cheers. Well i must admit on sunday i had 3 sausage rolls . But im wondering did you allow urself to have any junk food at all. e.g. like 1 bag of crisps a week.

Im allowing myself to have oven chips once a week?? is that ok? just feel if i quit them compelety , going from chips everyday to none at all the eating plan will fail?

whiteandlight

While oven chips aren't great don't be afraid to treat yourself. If you are renovating your entire diet then you may well end up giving up if you try and get rid of everything at once. I've lost almost two stone in the last three months and I fairly often fall off the wagon or give into cravings. The trick is to put yourself right back on the tracks. One of my mottos is the following
"Think of life being like a toy train. They all derail once in a while but pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back on track"

Monkey61

Hey,

My only additional advice is to be careful with the cereal bars and Yops. I used to eat these quite a bit cos they're low fat, low calorie etcetera, but because they are so sugary I found they would inevitably make me even hungrier.

I personally found giving up junk for the most part was easier when I completely cut it out. Once I'd filled my diet with loads of protein and vegetables, I was generally fuller and didn't crave it so much. Obviously once in a while isn't going to kill you - but for me, if I decided I was allowed eat junk once a week I found myself thinking about it constantly and being far more aware of it's existence.

Once you start to lose a bit of weight and feel healthier, it will be a lot easier to say no to the junk anyway cos you will feel so good without it.

doctor_gonzo

I have found that cutting out the junk food entirely is the only way to go for me. If I have one bar of chocolate, I'll inevitably want ten! Instead what I've done is replaced treats with healthier and less sugary versions, and saved them for the weekend.

Now I have maybe 2 tinned pear halves with one square of 85% cocoa chocolate melted over it, a fruit salad, a piece of homemade brown bread with 100% fruit spread on it. Things like that. It's defo better to stay away from the refined sugar as much as possible, I love it but it's going to put me in an early grave!!

rubadub

Monkey61 wrote: »

cereal bars and Yops. I used to eat these quite a bit cos they're low fat, low calorie etcetera

Many cereal bars I have seen are around the same fat & calories as regular chocolate bars, they might be just smaller portions, but no smaller than snack size bars. The only difference is the front of the packet makes it out to be healthy, the truth is in the small print on the back, just pick up 2 bars side by side and compare. And only compare the "per 100g" bit.

Monkey61

rubadub wrote: »

Many cereal bars I have seen are around the same fat & calories as regular chocolate bars, they might be just smaller portions, but no smaller than snack size bars. The only difference is the front of the packet makes it out to be healthy, the truth is in the small print on the back, just pick up 2 bars side by side and compare. And only compare the "per 100g" bit.

Aye I know some are crazy like that. It's the ones that actually are lower calorie and fat though that I was addicted to. That's how the sneaky bastards tricked me into surfing a constant wave of sugar - oh the hunger and the headaches. Damn you Kelloggs!

wannabepr

Ok Guys, Sorry havn't on in a few days..

Ok so i usually have oven chips once a week and a lovely bottle of diet coke. Its a nice treat for me.

Also guys im wondering if i can't have the rice crispies cereal bars.. what kinda treats could i maybe have?

What about popcorn? is there any of that microwave stuff thats not bad??

I just feel i need something thats like a healthly treat?

ManwitaPlan

Watch out for "serving sizes" on the back of packs too. Its easy to glance at the back of a pack to see how many calories in a "serving" but the information is almost always completely misleading. I find many times the average serving size is closer to two or even three times what it suggests on the pack....breakfast cereal is particularly bad for this.


Basically just watch all the supposedly "healthy" manufactured products you are eating. I think a lot of manufacturers are completely manipulative and will do anything to take advantage of people looking to lose weight. Its quite disgusting when you look at the calories and sugar in things that are put across as being healthy alternatives. I see people all the time stuffing their face with pure ****e like cereal bars, go ahead etc. and then complain they are losing no weight:rolleyes:


Also are oven chips really that bad? Seven nights a week is over the top and Id watch the portion size but I think their are much worse things you could be eating and once or twice a week should be no problem at all.

ManwitaPlan

Oh btw Diet Coke has practically no calories in it.



Now dont get me wrong its not exactly the best thing you could be drinking but from a weight loss perspective it add's nothing. I think if your used to drinking Coke and your starting a diet I would say switch to Diet and gradually phase it out rather than going cold turkey right away and adding extra stress.


Never drink regular Coke or Pepsi though...very little if any difference in taste and its just a waste of calories.


Another thing I found useful is gradually making small changes. For instance instead of whole milk I started using Skimmed...not nice at first but now I couldnt eat whole. Same with White and wholwheat bread and where I would usually have a chocolate bar I now have a Banana or a handful of nuts. I think eating healthier is quite manageable when you make gradual changes like that rather than going mad and cutting everything out for a week before you cant take it anymore and binge again.

wannabepr

Hi guys thanks for the responses... So im on this new "cutting out junk" idea for 2 weeks.. and i hoped on the scales when going for a shower and it said i was down nearly half a stone?

Could this be right? is that the usual time 2 lose that amount of weight?

Kimia

That sounds about right. You see, you've completely changed your eating habits over 2 weeks so this makes sense, but it won't last. Your weight loss will settle down and a healthy amount to lose a week is about 1lb-2lb. Any more than this and the minute you start eating junk again you'll pile it back on.

I'm on the WW at the moment and I'm a complete crisp addict. It's good coz you can choose what you want to eat and you don't have to cut out anything - just moderate it. Oven chips aren't that bad as far as I know - the McCains 5% ones aren't bad at all!

Good treats are carrot sticks, apples, etc, but don't feel like you can NEVER eat junk again coz it won't last. I know I wouldn't be able to last like that anyway! Just be more sensible about it.

By the way - sausage rolls are evil if you're wanting to lose weight! I love them too but they're just awful fattening.

wannabepr

Kimia wrote: »

That sounds about right. You see, you've completely changed your eating habits over 2 weeks so this makes sense, but it won't last. Your weight loss will settle down and a healthy amount to lose a week is about 1lb-2lb. Any more than this and the minute you start eating junk again you'll pile it back on.

I'm on the WW at the moment and I'm a complete crisp addict. It's good coz you can choose what you want to eat and you don't have to cut out anything - just moderate it. Oven chips aren't that bad as far as I know - the McCains 5% ones aren't bad at all!

Good treats are carrot sticks, apples, etc, but don't feel like you can NEVER eat junk again coz it won't last. I know I wouldn't be able to last like that anyway! Just be more sensible about it.

By the way - sausage rolls are evil if you're wanting to lose weight! I love them too but they're just awful fattening.

That seems awful slow. There was me thinking i lose a stone before xmas:(:(:(

So could i have 3 portions of the oven chips a week??

eviltimeban

Cut out bread. All bread, everywhere. No buns on your burger, no toast, no bread on the side at dinner, no sandwiches or baguettes for lunch. No scones or muffins or cakes etc. I did that and lost 2 stone since August. I'm 6'5" and this morning weighed in at 14st 13. I was nearly 17 when I started (I'm a guy).

OK, I know its a bit extreme but I just got it into my head that I was losing weight and getting a fit body and that was that. So I basically didn't eat ANY junk all summer long, no chocolate, crisps, cakes, chips, fries, soft drinks, biscuits, and even cut down / out cheese, potatoes, white rice, pasta and spaghetti, and fatty / salty meats like sausages, pudding, bacon, and processed foods.

Basically I survived on wraps, fruit and salads. Not the most exciting or attractive thing for someone who's been eating chips everyday and sausage rolls. Some people will argue that wraps aren't much better than regular bread, but I found it worked for me. The salad I made had lettuce, chicken, fried haloumi cheese, chopped cucumber, peppers and cherry tomatoes and I think its Bardini do a low fat Caesar dressing which is really good, and actually really low fat (and not full of sugar or salt). Again, people will argue that that's not so great but again, it worked for me. I just counted every calorie I ate and made sure I kept it down.

Breakfast would be no sugar Alpen, sometimes topped with special K for that extra crunch, plus some strong coffee. On the way to work I'd pick up low fat latte which would kill the morning food craving till lunch, which I would have at 12pm. After my wrap I'd have a banana, and an organic yogurt (the Rachel's brand). That's good for varying the flavours. Then later an apple, another latte, and fruit / nuts etc to snack on till dinner. Dinner would be mostly the salads (I got hooked) or a good fillet steak with rocket and potatoes. If was I was hungry in the evening (which at the start I really was) I'd have a bowl of Special K with low fat milk.

Here's the good news - after I lost weight I relaxed a bit and would treat myself to a pizza or burger or something, you need that soul food, and as my metabolism had changed it wouldn't have any impact, as it was a once off. I countered it by doing extra weight training (oh yeah - I do weights every night with a set of dumb bells at home while watching TV, a great time to do it as normally you're just sitting down), or by eating less in the daytime knowing I was gonna stuff my face in the evening time!

But there were months of hardship - I had to watch my friends having chocolate cake at dinner while I had nothing - but you have to ask yourself, how much do you want it? I really wanted it, and now I look so much better, am happier in myself, more clothes fit me, friends are commenting on how much weight I've lost (which is the main goal really :-) ), my muscle tone is the best it ever was, and I'm just generally more healthy. I'm not going to go back as for me it wasn't a diet, it was a change of attitude with regard to food.

Keep at it, you'll get there.

wannabepr

eviltimeban wrote: »

Cut out bread. All bread, everywhere. No buns on your burger, no toast, no bread on the side at dinner, no sandwiches or baguettes for lunch. No scones or muffins or cakes etc. I did that and lost 2 stone since August. I'm 6'5" and this morning weighed in at 14st 13. I was nearly 17 when I started (I'm a guy).

OK, I know its a bit extreme but I just got it into my head that I was losing weight and getting a fit body and that was that. So I basically didn't eat ANY junk all summer long, no chocolate, crisps, cakes, chips, fries, soft drinks, biscuits, and even cut down / out cheese, potatoes, white rice, pasta and spaghetti, and fatty / salty meats like sausages, pudding, bacon, and processed foods.

Basically I survived on wraps, fruit and salads. Not the most exciting or attractive thing for someone who's been eating chips everyday and sausage rolls. Some people will argue that wraps aren't much better than regular bread, but I found it worked for me. The salad I made had lettuce, chicken, fried haloumi cheese, chopped cucumber, peppers and cherry tomatoes and I think its Bardini do a low fat Caesar dressing which is really good, and actually really low fat (and not full of sugar or salt). Again, people will argue that that's not so great but again, it worked for me. I just counted every calorie I ate and made sure I kept it down.

Breakfast would be no sugar Alpen, sometimes topped with special K for that extra crunch, plus some strong coffee. On the way to work I'd pick up low fat latte which would kill the morning food craving till lunch, which I would have at 12pm. After my wrap I'd have a banana, and an organic yogurt (the Rachel's brand). That's good for varying the flavours. Then later an apple, another latte, and fruit / nuts etc to snack on till dinner. Dinner would be mostly the salads (I got hooked) or a good fillet steak with rocket and potatoes. If was I was hungry in the evening (which at the start I really was) I'd have a bowl of Special K with low fat milk.

Here's the good news - after I lost weight I relaxed a bit and would treat myself to a pizza or burger or something, you need that soul food, and as my metabolism had changed it wouldn't have any impact, as it was a once off. I countered it by doing extra weight training (oh yeah - I do weights every night with a set of dumb bells at home while watching TV, a great time to do it as normally you're just sitting down), or by eating less in the daytime knowing I was gonna stuff my face in the evening time!

But there were months of hardship - I had to watch my friends having chocolate cake at dinner while I had nothing - but you have to ask yourself, how much do you want it? I really wanted it, and now I look so much better, am happier in myself, more clothes fit me, friends are commenting on how much weight I've lost (which is the main goal really :-) ), my muscle tone is the best it ever was, and I'm just generally more healthy. I'm not going to go back as for me it wasn't a diet, it was a change of attitude with regard to food.

Keep at it, you'll get there.

Sounds really great. I want it really bad but im not going 2 go off stuff like chicken. I eat alot of apples as a snacks. Also eat cream crackers for treats with mug of tea. No chocolate or crisps or any rubbish for me.
Really hard at college though to eat healthly.

I drink lots of water also which i hear is good.


If i keep going good till xmas.. how much will i lose do ye think??

Aim is to lose 2 stone overall.
??

PS:Cheers and i feel like its an attitude change aswell and it feels good:D

eviltimeban

wannabepr wrote: »

Sounds really great. I want it really bad but im not going 2 go off stuff like chicken. I eat alot of apples as a snacks. Also eat cream crackers for treats with mug of tea. No chocolate or crisps or any rubbish for me.
Really hard at college though to eat healthly.

I drink lots of water also which i hear is good.


If i keep going good till xmas.. how much will i lose do ye think??

Aim is to lose 2 stone overall.
??

PS:Cheers and i feel like its an attitude change aswell and it feels good:D

Well no, don't give up chicken, I never said that! Chicken was the staple diet for me, that and steak. Good to get steak as protein is important. Also oily fish like tuna, I'm not a fan but had it the odd time with a dry salad.

Cream cracker is OK once you don't have too many and once you don't load with cream cheese! Try Ryvita, much better, much tastier and they will fill you up. I would sometimes have them with ham and low fat Philidelphia, quite tasty.

Water I'm not sold on, sure it can't do you any harm but there's also the problem of water retention, depends how much you drink. Like I said, can't do any harm but don't over do it!

Why just go till Xmas? Why not keep going all the way through? Xmas dinners are usually pretty good for you, lots of veg, meat, fresh food etc. Just make an effort to stay off the sweets, chocolates, snacks, etc. I know it'll be hard but will be great to look back on as an achievement. There's no reason why you won't lose your 2 stone, it'll take as long as it takes as everyone is different. But the more you do, the quicker it'll go. Get weight training cos that'll burn calories even when you aren't actually working out, and turn fat to muscle.

You never mentioned your drinking habits - quite important. Give up the Guiness if you drink it and start drinking low calorie beers - Cobra do a nice one by the bottle which is quite tasty. Corona etc is good in the pub by the bottle - you drink less that way.

wannabepr

eviltimeban wrote: »

Well no, don't give up chicken, I never said that! Chicken was the staple diet for me, that and steak. Good to get steak as protein is important. Also oily fish like tuna, I'm not a fan but had it the odd time with a dry salad.

Cream cracker is OK once you don't have too many and once you don't load with cream cheese! Try Ryvita, much better, much tastier and they will fill you up. I would sometimes have them with ham and low fat Philidelphia, quite tasty.

Water I'm not sold on, sure it can't do you any harm but there's also the problem of water retention, depends how much you drink. Like I said, can't do any harm but don't over do it!

Why just go till Xmas? Why not keep going all the way through? Xmas dinners are usually pretty good for you, lots of veg, meat, fresh food etc. Just make an effort to stay off the sweets, chocolates, snacks, etc. I know it'll be hard but will be great to look back on as an achievement. There's no reason why you won't lose your 2 stone, it'll take as long as it takes as everyone is different. But the more you do, the quicker it'll go. Get weight training cos that'll burn calories even when you aren't actually working out, and turn fat to muscle.

You never mentioned your drinking habits - quite important. Give up the Guiness if you drink it and start drinking low calorie beers - Cobra do a nice one by the bottle which is quite tasty. Corona etc is good in the pub by the bottle - you drink less that way.

Ok Thanks Again for the Advice. I want to continue this way of eating forever not till xmas.
Its just id love to have lost a stone for Christmas.

For drinking habits i usualyy have vodka when i go out?? Is that awful bad?
Usually have 7up free as a mixer!

menoscemo

wannabepr wrote: »

Ok Thanks Again for the Advice. I want to continue this way of eating forever not till xmas.
Its just id love to have lost a stone for Christmas.

For drinking habits i usualyy have vodka when i go out?? Is that awful bad?
Usually have 7up free as a mixer!

I was about your size in january- 5ft 9 and 13st 10. Cutting out the junk and eating fresh meat, fruit and veg worked very quickly, I lost a stone in about a month, so getting to a stone by christmas (considering you have lost half a stone already) should be easy.
I have just managed to get the second stone off and it has took the next 10 months to do so, this part has been much more difficult and has taken a long time. but i am happy now as 11st 10 is more or less my ideal weight ( I would say i have a big build for my height).

Stick to your chicken, like the previos poster, it has been a staple part of my diet and will remain so. As for alcohol, you should cut it out for a while. i cut it out for the first month and am convinced this is why I lost my first stone so quickly. That and the fact that the first stone will be mainly excess water weight due to 'bloating'. Basically, there are some many toxins in your bodies that it retains loads of water to dilute them, after a month of healthy eating these should be gone. However i do not agree that drinking less water is a good idea- drink loads, it will help you wash out all impurities from your body...

Also agree with the part about doing weights... i religiously did 3 sets of pressups and sit ups every night for months (now i go to the gym, but didn't feel like going back then) and these will help improve your physique, increase your muscle mass and metabolism. So no need to join an expensive gym if you don't want to / do not want to feel embarassed, you can do most things at home if you improvise a bit.

As for your alcohol questions- spirits and diet mixers would be best calorie wise, much better than beer or wine, though i now allow myself beers on the weekend and don't seem to put the weight back on.

Hope this helps, good luck.

wannabepr

Well im in college so going all alcohol completly would be kinda impossible. well i hoped on the scales and i was 13 and a half frm 14 stone.

Now that was without clothes and was during the evening. dunno how accruate it was.
Im enjoying not eating junk. Even having oven chips twice a week is better as it feels like my treat every week.

eviltimeban

wannabepr wrote: »

Well im in college so going all alcohol completly would be kinda impossible. well i hoped on the scales and i was 13 and a half frm 14 stone.

Now that was without clothes and was during the evening. dunno how accruate it was.
Im enjoying not eating junk. Even having oven chips twice a week is better as it feels like my treat every week.

Then why not make it once a week instead of twice? Then it'll be a real treat. And instead of oven chips, why don't you peel some spuds, put some olive oil in a dish, sprinkle the spuds with a herb like sage or crushed chillis, and throw in the oven for half an hour? Don't put any salt on them either. Good starchy food there.

Make sure you weigh yourself at the same time every day - first thing in the morning is when I do it. It can vary wildly if you do it at different times of the day!

menoscemo

wannabepr wrote: »

Well im in college so going all alcohol completly would be kinda impossible. well i hoped on the scales and i was 13 and a half frm 14 stone.

Now that was without clothes and was during the evening. dunno how accruate it was.
Im enjoying not eating junk. Even having oven chips twice a week is better as it feels like my treat every week.

You will tend to be heaviest in the evening (especially if after dinner) and lightest in the morning after going to the toilet...this can vary by 2 or 3 pounds normally.
Also if going for oven chips get ones which have only two ingredients (oil and potatoes) they tend to be low in fat and not too bad. I think mccain do some which have their skins still on and made the british food standards 'green light' (signifying healthy food). Anyway, however good they are potatoes are very carby and not great for dieting, but keep the portions small and it shouldn't be a problem to have them once or twice a week.

wannabepr

Hi Guys, Just an update now. Im still going well enough. Was out last night, went to Burger King With Mates and managed to avoid getting food although it was soooo tempting.

Im just wondering how does it affect you if ya have a once off like if i had a BK meal last night?? or the odd chinese?

Also where does Popcorn that you buy in the shop stand in terms of fatty foods?

Next week is My 6th week and im 3 pounds away from reaching the 13 stoe mark.

Does that sound healthy.. 1 stone - 6 Weeks?

menoscemo

1 stone in 6 weeks is grand, seems like a steady loss.

Obviously eating a BK or Mcdonalds once in a while is not going to do lasting damage, but be careful not to get into your old ways and think, 1 will do no harm, why not another and a chinese tomorrow etc. Better to have one day a week where you can break the norm and have a 'treat'. This sets up a routine. Honestly the last time I had a mcdonalds i felt sick afterwards as I am used to eating good food now and my body could tell this food was nutritionally empty and didn't react well to it (thats my theory anyway).

Popcorn I think is a fine snack, not sugary and low in fat and calories, also it takes a long time to eat say 100g of popcorn compared to crisps or somethiing else.

Have you started to excercise?

corkcomp

great success so far! the odd (once per week) cheat meal is fine but it will slow down your progress a little .. You really have to make the decision for yourself .. I would advise keeping the diet clean until you reach your target and then you might find you can live by a 70 / 30 (clean / not so clean!) rule if you are doing enough exercise ..

wannabepr

Hi Guys , Funny Thing I actually Weighed myself this morning and im down to 13 stone:D:D

Thats 1 stone in 5 Weeks. TBH im no to pushed by cheat days. Im in college and theres so many chances to cheat, for example, Nites Out - Chipper, Stuck in College - Vending Machine or Watching Prison Break when everyone stocks up on crisps and bars and drinks im There with my Apple & Yorghurt:D

I don't Mind because ive never lost weight like this before or stayed on a eating plan that didnt give up crisps and junk alltogether.

My cheat day is thursday when college finishes i have a nice portion of oven chips & a bottle of Diet Coke Thats enough of a cheat day for me.

For now im not going 2 treat myself to any junk e.g crisps bars, takeaways as losing weight is such a motivation to keep going.:D:D

Funny enough i havn't started excercise yet because im flooded at college with projects but im hoping that semester 2 in feb i will join the gym:D:D

For a 5'7 height, 20 year old, who was 14stone now 13 stone what should be my ideal weight??

Thanks for your advice guys , Really Helping me:D

quad_red

A bit of advice as well is maybe do a cookery course?

It can feel really limiting taking out 'convenience foods' like oven chips etc if you're not sure what to fill the vacuum with.

Doing a cooking course will open up a whole world of stuff that is totally gorgeous, will fill ye right up and will have a fraction of the salt/sugar/calories that convenience foods have.

Take time to plan meals and lunches. Sit down at the start of the week and buy the stuff you'll need to make lunches for the week. That'll not only save you lots of money but it'll also lessen the chance of a splurge out on sausage rolls at the deli counter. Plan evening meals and take your time. Again, I say this from experience. I couldn't stand cooking, didn't have a clue (still don't really) and just took the easy option.

Take your time. Experiment. A more varied, healthier diet will almost inevitably be less calorific and be far better for your health (mental and physical) in the long run. You need to make changes that you'll stick to in the long run.

And widening the variety of foods you will eat and can prepare yourself (I think) will lessen your dependence on junk and increase your long term chances of keeping the weight off. If you approach it with genuine enthusiasm, you will find it rewarding. Trust me

Any how - good luck dude!