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You could try cutting back on your chocolate intake by say gradually reducing the amount you eat, say for example cut down from 6/7 biscuits for say 5 each day then a few days later cut down to 4 and so on to gradually get your body accustomed or change the choc bar to a mini size one. Also may help if instead of eating the majority of your chocolate at once spread it over the course of the day, i.e two biscuits with tea at lunch an maybe 2 again after your dinner. that should help your sugar levels stay consistent throughtout the day an help reduce ur cravings. Hope this is useful

Right another question about something I see popping up again, sauses.

Is the likes of Ragu/ uncle bens (Other sauses are readily available) etc really that bad? In fairness I could russell up a tomato sause handy enough but to be honest I didn't think it would make THAT big a difference from the jars especially considering you might be getting four or five dinners from the one jar.

And I have to say I love a white wine sause on my pasta but wouldn't know where to start to make it from scratch.

And what about a wee squirt of red sause on my poached egg, surely that can't make that big a difference? I have to say I would struggle to eat it without it!!

I think with sauces the issue isnt that you cant have them or should avoid them but rather that like alcohol people dont often realise (and i include myself here) that sauces can contain a higher than expected amount of calories,salt, saturated fat and in some cases sugar. best thing to do is read label and pay particular attention to the amount of calories and saturated fat it contains and obv dont go over board when using them. TBH if you read too much into things you find that almost every food you take has things you should avoid, example is fruit on one hand you need it as part of your five a day yet they contain high amounts of sugar which isnt ideal when trying to lose weight, likewise breakfast cereals are a good soucre of fibre but also can contain lots of sugar, sports drinks are similar. my take on things is if you like a sauce with a pasta or your eggs then go for it, just be careful on the amount you use, at the end of the day there no point following a strict weight loss diet if you arent going to enjoy your food and/or be able to follow such a diet over the long term. Also be carefull of low fat sauces and food in general, while they often contain less calories they have more salt and sugar to add the taste.

just throwing in my suggestions,havent read through the whole thread so apologies if i repeat what has already been said. firstly to lose weight you obv need to burn or expend more calories than you consume. this can be done in 2 ways; 1 is to increase your calorie expenditure and the second is to reduce your calories intake. The first way can be done through a mixture or cardio and weights. high intensity cardio training is generally better than low steady paced training. so try to incorporate sprints into your training or regular bursts on the treadmill,rowing machine, etc. example may be to jog for 30 secs then run has hard as you can for 20-30 sec then repeat, all depends on your fitness levels. hill sprints/cycling also works the body harder so try an do some of them if possible. weight training is also important and should be done along side a cardio program. big compound moves such as squats,deadlifts,bench presses etc are the best moves to do plus bodyweight exercises such as pull ups, press ups and core work (planks,swiss ball exercises) again your ability ere depends on your fitness but often guys carrying weight tend to be able to lift quite big due to the fact there body has being carrying around their heavy frame, flexibility work should be done to help avoid any injuries. with regards a six pack, everyone has one unfortunately it is hiden below a layer of fat, crunches or sit ups wont get you 1, the heavy lifts like squats and the core work will help to strenthen and develop your abs but you need to lose body fat to allow your abs to be seen,(it is suggested body fat of 10% or less is needed to reveal a six pack) so cardio work is very important. with regards calories yes you need to reduce your intake but also consume the right type of foods, avoid sugars in things like fizzy drinks,sweets some yoghurt, avoid saturated fats in things like sauces,ready made sandwiches,ready made pasta salads (a lot of these contain dressings heavy in fat) however do consume good fats in things like brazil nuts and peanut butter. And importantly keep hydrated. it is important to find a balance often people give their diet an extreme make over, cut out all sweets, breads, beer etc lose weight but then find that there diet isnt sustainable in the long run and put the weight back on. allow yourself a treat night or lunch once a week just to keep the cravings away. Thats my take on things anyway, hope it is of use.

I'm going to the gym at 6.30am tomorrow, just to see if it's any better. Anybody done the early shift at the gym? any benefits?

Been there, makes no difference! But can be worse if you are upsetting your sleeping to get up to go to the gym! Sleep is one if the most important components of getting fit / losing weight and early morning sessions are risky unless they are part of a well planned timetable of exercise. I lost 2 stone in 10 weeks by cutting out all crap food, having a high protein breakfast and training 3 nights during the week and on a Saturday morning at 8.30am doing a mixture of body pump, kettlebells, spinning and running!

Its is recommended that you get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, early morning gym sessions do help to fire up your metabolism helping you to burn more calories throughout the day but shouldnt be done at the expense of a good nights sleep and important rest.