Day 7 - FRIDAY - 9 stone 10 lbs

Hooray! It happened. I lost weight at last and 2 whole pounds. Time to celebrate, give yourself an extra glass of water (definitely not champagne). The first week of the diet is over, only three more weeks left.

BREAKFAST

Cup of tea

2 glasses of water
2 sesame and poppy seed biscuits

LUNCH
Cup of tea

MID AFTERNOON

Cup of tea

AN HOUR LATER

4 sesame and poppy seed biscuits

TEA
4 sesame and poppy seed biscuits and about 2 ounces of cheese
1 coffee

LATE NIGHT SNACK

2 Fox's wholemeal crackers
1 glass of water
1 cup of lemon tea

At this point I found the most delicious wholemeal savoury crackers made by Fox's. They are wonderful dunked in lemon tea (Lift) and very filling. Incredibly, these biscuits are hard to come by and I wrote to Fox's suggesting they promote them to help people lose weight, but they never responded. Probably because I called them bran biscuits by mistake. Each biscuit is 58 calories, so if you get a substitute, get something around that value, or write to Fox's and complain that you can't find them on sale anywhere and you are following my eating plan because you want to lose nearly a stone in weight. Such a simple thing, yet so hard to find. If you do get hold of some, please tell me where you got them, cheers.

Day 6 - THURSDAY - 9 stone 12 lbs!

It's true - I was still not losing weight! It must have been upsetting for me at the time, but I didn't give up. Don't you give up either. I have this brilliant thing at my disposal called hindsight and I know what happens tomorrow. 

BREAKFAST
Cup of tea
4 Carrs water biscuits
1 glass of water

MID MORNING
1 coffee

DINNER
1 bowl of Mum's soup and parmesan
4 sesame and poppy seed crackers and one ounce cheese
1 cup of tea

TEA
4 sesame and poppy seed crackers and 1 ounce cheese
1 boiled egg
1 baked potato skin
2 glasses of water

LATE NIGHT SNACK
1 satsuma

To get the benefit of this eating arrangement, you have to want to lose weight. Your head has to be in the right place otherwise you will crumble at this stage because the weight is not shifting. You will notice that I am still not drinking enough water, so if you can, increase your intake to 6-8 glasses a day. I am a small person, so perhaps I don't need as much as other people, I also remember having a problem drinking quantities of water in 2005, although these days I am finding it easier. The idea that it makes you go to the loo often is apparently false. Drinking water helps prevent you running to the toilet too often because it dilutes the liquid in the kidneys making it less dense. The heavier the liquid, the more often you pee apparently. Back in 2005, I didn't know this - did anyone? I only heard about it the other day after seeing an ad on TV about bladder problems which gives a great website. Advertising works, don't you think? If only I can find that website again, I'll post it for you. Ah, here it is: www.bladderproblem.co.uk 
It's worth a peek.

Day 5 - WEDNESDAY - 9 stone 12 lbs

At this point I must have been thinking: Why am I doing this? I haven't lost any weight today.
But I have the evidence in writing to know that I didn't cave in. No doubt at the time I'd heard of people not losing weight for a day or two and must have convinced myself that it would be a day, not two! Let's see what happens tomorrow.

BREAKFAST
Cup of tea

MID MORNING
Cup of milky coffee

DINNER
Bowl of Mum's soup and parmesan cheese
1 hard boiled egg
1 cup of tea
4 Carrs Table Water biscuits

TEA
4 table water biscuits
1 glass of water
1 satsuma

1 bowl of Heinz lentil soup
1 sliced tomato
half a piece of buffalo mozzarella sliced
3 table water biscuits

EVENING
Cup of tea
1 glass of water
half a slice of brown bread
1 satsuma

A little extra encouragement is needed here if your result is the same as mine. I know that perseverance paid off and it really was worth sticking to my resolve to lose weight. Yes, it was disheartening to be stuck at the same weight for a couple of days, but the 28 day result was worth not giving in when the going got tough.

Day 4 TUESDAY - 9 stone 12 lbs

So we got to day four and there are times of hunger. At these points you will question whether this is all worth it. But when I hopped on the scales, I discovered I'd lost 2.5 lbs since Day 1. This was a great reward and gave me encouragement to carry on. Also, I reminded myself that 28 days is not long in the scheme of things. So bear that in mind. Imagine yourself in prison and you're counting down the days to freedom. 28 days is hardly a sentence at all is it?

BREAKFAST
1 cup of tea

1 glass of water

MIDDAY
1 cappuccino
1 glass of water

LUNCH
4 cheese biscuits and half ounce of cheese

AFTERNOON
1 cappuccino

TEA
4 cheese biscuits and half ounce cheese
1 bowl of Mum's soup and parmesan cheese
1 glass of water
1 cup of tea

EVENING
1 glass of water
A taste of sliced beef because I AM HUNGRY
1 small yoghurt
2 cheese biscuits (Carrs Water)
1 glass of water

LATE NIGHT SNACK
2 Carrs Water biscuits
1 glass of water
1 cup of coffee
3 peanuts

Self control and moderation is key to achieving your goals. You should drink more water too. 8 glasses a day is preferable to the amounts I have noted down, but I find it hard to drink large quantities of water. I'm only a small person and that could be why.

DAY 3 - MONDAY - 9 stone 13 lbs

If you're still with me, pat yourself on the back because you're into day 3 now. 

BREAKFAST

Cup of tea

DINNER

Glass of squash
1 small pot vanilla yoghurt
1 cup coffee
2 cheese biscuits
half an ounce of cheese

1 cup of tea

TEA
(VERY HUNGRY)
1 coffee
1 hard boiled egg
4 cheese biscuits and one ounce cheese
half fresh carrot
1 stick of celery
1 satsuma
1 bowl of Mum's soup
half slice of brown bread
(FULL UP)

EVENING SNACK
one yoghurt
1 glass of water
1 cup of tea

LATE NIGHT SNACK
1 espresso
3 cashew nuts
2 cheese biscuits

WEIGHT TODAY 9 stone 13 lbs

Day 2 - SUNDAY - 10 stone

Did you manage that first day? From memory, the first few days were the hardest. Then my stomach seemed to shrink and stopped demanding large amounts of food. It did rumble a bit, and I noted down those awful moments when I felt hungry. 

BREAKFAST

1 x cup of tea
1 x glass of water

DINNER

1 x bowl Mum's soup and sprinkling of parmesan
half slice of brown bread
1 satsuma
1 glass of water

TEA

1 x cup coffee
half a boiled egg
4 cheese biscuits and small amount of cheese (no butter)

Half tin of Heinz lentil soup
1 slice brown bread
glass of water
(VERY HUNGRY)

LATE NIGHT SNACK
1 boiled egg
2 cheese biscuits (no butter)
2 satsumas
1 cup of tea

LOSING 11.5LBS IN 24 DAYS - Day 1 SATURDAY - 10 stone half a pound

If you want to follow my 28 day eating diary during which I lost 10.5lbs in weight, then check my blog daily.
I wrote this food diary in 2005 and have not had to follow it since, but this year my weight hit 9stone 12lbs and I have decided to dust it off and follow it again (more or less - I will include more fruit this time and more water). 
I am going to post what I ate in 2005 and my weight loss at that time, and you can eat the same if you like similar food, or you can substitute other food (to the same calorific value). I doubt if there are many of you out there who want to eat Fisherman's Friend tablets for instance.
I must stress that my eating plan has not been checked for its nutritional content or value. For this reason, I cannot advise you to follow it unless you speak to your doctor first, especially if you have health issues. Having said that, it's exactly what I ate and I felt fine - maybe a bit hungry now and again, but otherwise well enough to carry out a demanding job and keep a house, walk a dog and cook for three hungry men.
On reflection, I can see it would have been much better if I had drunk more water and included more fruit. I will also substitute water, hot lemon or tea for coffee because I no longer drink coffee.
The reason I've shown you the day of the week is because at the weekend my eating patterns change because I don't have to get up early for work. 
Exercise is important too. I used to walk my dog most days, so remember to fit in a bit of exercise - even if it's only a brisk walk for 30 minutes every day.
Writing down what I ate was even more helpful because it kept me fully aware of what I was putting in my mouth and stopped me sneaking in chocolate and puddings. So keep a diary. You can even do this online at myfitnesspal.com which works out your calories for you. It's free.  
To be honest, after a few days of eating small amounts of savoury food, I lost my craving for sweet things. With any luck, you will too.

January 1, 2005

BREAKFAST

1 cappuccino

1 Fisherman's Friend

Yes I know, that sounds like crap, but don't give up just yet.

DINNER
1 tin Heinz carrot and ginger soup
1 slice of Walnut and blue cheese brown bread - no butter

1 Fisherman's Friend

LATE AFTERNOON
1 coffee
1 x celery stick
2 x wafer thin slices of cheese
1 x small piece of raw carrot

TEA
1 x bowl of Mum's soup (see recipe)
1 x slice of brown bread
VERY HUNGRY
1 glass of water

1 hard boiled egg in homemade curry sauce with teaspoon of plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon plain boiled rice
6 fresh prawns

1 glass of water

EVENING (9pm)
1 cup of tea
1 glass of water

LATE NIGHT SNACK (11 pm)
4 cashew nuts
2 Cheese biscuits (Carrs Cheese Melts)
1 espresso

Are you with me so far? If so great. I will be back tomorrow. Meanwhile, here is the recipe for Mum's Soup, which is simple and filling so do make some. Then we can lose weight together.

Mum's Soup
2 carrots chopped
2 potatoes chopped
2 sticks of celery chopped
1 onion chopped
2 vegetable stock cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
A pint or two of water depending on how much veg you have
After boiling the veg for about 10 mins in the water add 2-3 vegetable stock cubes
Crack a few handfuls of tagliatelle into the soup and keep cooking for another 10 mins