Frequently Asked Questions

I've attempted to collate your most frequently asked questions into one handy spot.

1. Do you have loose skin after losing your lard?
   I wrote a grand old entry about loose skin after weight loss here that covers the state of my skin and all my experiences and research on the topic.
2. I want to publish a book too! How did you do it? How can I do it too?
   Here's a post by author Caitlin Boyle of Healthy Tipping Point in which she shares her publishing experience and interviews some other authors about theirs, including me! I also highly recommend a book called Is There A Book In You? by Alison Baverstock which has some some great advice and information about getting published.
3. Where can I find the weight tracker spreadsheet that you mention in the Dietgirl book?
   You can find this masterpiece of number crunching on my Resources page. This page contains all of my favourite diet, health and fitness bits and pieces.
4. Can you suggest a beginners exercise program/ give weight training advice/ recommend a workout DVD?
   I am by no means a fitness professional so I'm really not the best person to advise you! If you're just starting out and have not exercised in a while, that old cliche of Consulting Your Physician First really holds true. I personally started out with walking as a cheap and easy form of exercise. Since then I've tried many kinds of exercise over the years.
   
   To get started you might like to check out the huge list of all my favourite exercise DVDs, tools and websites over on my Diet, Health & Fitness Resources page. Many are ideal for beginners!
5. Could you send me the recipe for the curry you made Gareth in the Dietgirl book?
   My pleasure - here it is! There are lots of other recipes on the blog too - check out the Recipes category page.
6. You've mentioned a List of Dinners from which you plan your weekly shopping. Gimme gimme.
   The list is here, but please bear in mind it is literally just a list of meals to jog my memory.
7. Do you have any weight loss tips?
   You can read my Top 20 Weight Loss Tips right here!
8. How do you deal with food cravings? How do you resist goodies in the office?
   One day at a time, baby! I wrote an entry about this recently with a few strategies and ideas - How do you fight cravings?
9. Why did you blog about your weight loss? How did it help you? How can I start a blog?
   Check out my entry Why Blog? for my take on this.
10. What's the name of the company that you did your New York City cycling tour with?
    They are called Bike the Big Apple and they are ace!
11. I'm going on trip to Edinburgh - where's good to eat and what's good to do?
    I've not lived in Edinburgh for over four years now so sadly I am out of touch as where's good to go in the capital. But here's some of my favourites!
    
    • For old-fashioned high teas and the best pie and mash ever, try The Bakehouse Company in Broughton Street
    • Gobsmackingly good bread and cakes at Falko on Bruntsfield Place
    • Great tea at Tea Tree Tea on Bread Street. Try the Honeymoon Slice!
    • My old favourite cheap and cheerful haunts include: ChopChop in Haymarket, Monster Mash in Forrest Road and Wannaburger in the West End (Wannaburger is now a bit rubbish).
    • Affordable and delicious food made with fantastic British produce at The Dogs
    • My favourite hot chocolates are at the Cameo Cinema Bar on Home Street or Spoon on Blackfriars Street, just off the Royal Mile.
    • For a posh treat, try afternoon tea at The Balmoral hotel.
    • Places close to Waverley Station for when you've just arrived and hank marvin': The Doric pub does a great burger and I like the Malt Shovel on Cockburn Street mostly because it was the first pub I went to when I arrived in Edinburgh. The Guildford Arms is beautiful pub with nice food and ales a'plenty.
    • Fancier meals: Oloroso or The Witchery.
    • Vegetarian food: You can't go wrong at the salad bar at Hendersons on Hanover Street, Black Bo's or David Bann.
    • The List is a great guide to finding things to eat, see and do in Edinburgh. I also love The Edinburgh Blog for local news and reviews.
    In terms of things to do, you can't go wrong with the Hop On Hop Off bus tour to get you orientated - buses leave from opposite Waverly Station. I also like Mary Kings Close, a walk up Arthur's Seat, the Saturday farmers market in Castle Terrace, and/or a visit to any of Edinburgh's fab galleries.
    
    Also don't forget the rest of the country - it rules! Undiscovered Scotland is my favourite site for finding places to go and things to see.

If you don't find the answer you need, you may wish leave a comment below. I can't respond personally to every message, however if a question keeps coming up I will try to address it in a future blog entry.

Comments

[1 · Posted by Dennille Ferguson]

Hello!

I have loved your book - read it multiple times and bought it as gifts. I have been losing weight as well. I have lost 111 pounds.

I read your post about your 3 hours of exercise from the weekend. I now have 2 questions. How often do you workout? How did you pick your goal weight?

I appreciate any response if you can manage it.

Thanks!
Dennille Ferguson

[2 · Posted by Shelleybaby]

Hiya Shauna,

Which worked better for you Weight Watchers or Weight Loss Resources. I seem to be able to eat too much on weight watchers but not enough on WLR.

Any tips?? xx

ps. Well done you have done amazingly :-) x

[3 · Posted by Michelle]

Hi Shauna,
Loved the book, it inspired me to get moving, and I've lost 60 lbs in the last year, and I hope to lose another 10 or 20 more. However, I've now discovered a whole host of emotional problems that I can no longer blame on my weight, and that I didn't realize existed when I ate through my melancholy. Do you have any book or blog recommendations for re-establishing a healthier body image and generating self esteem?
Thanks!

[4 · Posted by Mar]

Hi there, I have 2 stone to lose I have gradually crept up to 14.5 stone and it is almost as if I have had a wish fulfillment I thought I was huge when I was 11 stone 3 lbs after college now I would choose being that weight again over winning the lotto. I look back at photos and realise iwasn't fat though I had a boyfriend I loved who used to tell me that his friends said awful things about my weight like by bottom was the size of a bus.... I believed it all and spent the thin years of my twenties feeling huge! Now I really am overweight , every day is day one of my new diet I rearly get very far. I need a little encouragement any ideas would be welcomed. I read your book after Reading your first grazia interview I am also a deadhead and was the same weight as you then. Keep up the good work you are helping loads of people, I love your sense of humour.

[5 · Posted by Juliet Coe]

Know that you are really buzy I just wanted to say that I'm currently reading your book, and LOVE it,
I'm a Brit living in Canada, A Brit friend (still in the UK) recommened me your book for inspiration she was a very big girl and has lost a LOT of weight,
I hunted all over to find your book here in Canada and was delighted to get a copy with the UK cover from a library in Oakville ;o),

I felt I needed to share my story with you

whats incredible is that I'm the biggest I have ever been at 189Lbs and I have been feeling low and on anti depressiants and I have been going to the gym 6 times a week to do Body Pump, Body Flow ,bodyvive and body combat!

My biggest problems is "Yummy" I Love my imported UK choccy, i LOVE chrisps (chips) and treats and goodies, I know how to eat healthy I eat a tons of fruits,
anyway I'm waffling on I just wanted to say a BIG wow to you , to be able to do what you did was INCREDIBLE,
I'm still only halfway into your book but for me to lose 40LBs seems like the BIGGEST uphill struggle ,
you really ARE an inspiration,
Hugs Juliet Coe,
mother of two aged 36 weight 189LBs and 5 foot 2

[6 · Posted by Shauna]

Thanks for reading Julia and thanks for the kind words. The UK crisps and choccies seem to be the hardest to resist... WHY must they make em so good? I am jealous of all your classes, I really miss them. Hope enjoy the rest of the book and thanks for saying hi!

[7 · Posted by Lorrie]

Hi Shauna,

I tried to email you and it said dietgirl at dietgirl dot org. is invalid, do yo have a current email address?

[8 · Posted by Shauna]

Hiya Lorrie, maybe just that there wasn't a wee typo or something, I'm still getting lots of email from that address? If you haven't already, check out the Contact page before sending your message just so you know my email situation :) - http://www.dietgirl.org/dietgirl/contact.html

[9 · Posted by Lorrie]

I am sorry to bother again, but I have tried that email countless times and have went over the spelling several times and it just won't go through. I would really like to talk to you, is there any other way of contacting you, another email or something?

[10 · Posted by Lorrie]

if you can contact me from my work email that would be great also. livinglite@comcast.net

[11 · Posted by Hannah S.]

Dear Shauna,

I just finished your book yesterday. I picked it up while browsing the biography section of the library and I just couldn't resist. From the first page to the last I feel like we've been friends. I feel like you and I have been in a constant dialogue with each other about men, family issues and men. You have truly become a friend and an inspiration for me.

In fact the other night while I was out running and didn't want to quit, I thought about you and your first 5k and kept going.

You are amazing, Shauna!

-Hannah