This is a great thread. After I had my laparoscopy for endo, I lost 10kg (went from 60 to 50…I’m 5 ft 2) because my body couldn’t handle any crap food at all. My diet was very bland after the lap. Since then, my body has balanced itself out and I put back on 5kg which I feel normal for me although I’d like to tone up more rather than lose weight.

What I noticed made a huge difference when my weight dropped was that I had cut out all soft drink, fast foods, lollies, sweets, white breads and pasta, etc.

These days, I eat chocolate heaps (too much sometimes!) I can polish off a packet of Tim Tams in one go :P But other than that I only eat wholegrain cereals and breads, moderate amounts of meat and stacks of veggies and fruit. The only 2 cereals I touch is All-Bran or Weetbix. Most cereals have way too much sugar.

I don’t have much dairy and when I do it is low fat. Dairy is the only products where I worry about getting low fat stuff. In general I think products marketed as fat-free and low-fat are deceiving because they contain truck loads of extra sugar to make up for the less fat!! I also drink 2.5 - 3L water a day.

Walking is a fantastic way to get started and anyone can do it. I train in martial arts 3 – 4 times a week and I recently dislocated my shoulder. The only thing I could do was walk/jog and I’m glad I did because it helped to maintain my fitness and keep me on track. I also do Pilates once a week which is the best workout I have ever done. It really works your whole body but at the same time it’s relaxing and I look forward to it every week. I will be doing Pilates forever! I love it

I’ve also started cycling, not very good or fast at it yet. But I hope to improve on it so I can start riding to and from work (for exercise, to save money and to be greener by not driving!)

But basically at the end of the day it all comes down to the energy you take in (food) has to be less than the energy you put out (exercise)...