2 stone to lose in 2 months? Mid 30s? Have pre-schoolers?

[goteam]

Have seen weight creep up since having second DC 2 years ago. 5'5" weighting 11 st 5 and want to lose 2 stone in two months. Was always around 9.5 stone pre kids and size 10. Now even 12 is getting tight...
Do join if you are similar. Very hard with small kids, they are 2 and 4 and sleep badly so I find it hard adopting a healthy lifestyle but feel sluggish and overweight. I work a demanding job 3 days a week too. Fortunately work from home so can fit in a swim after dropping kids off those 3 days and intend to start running early evening for 20 mins or so on the other days. Hate yoga and gym.

Currently worked out that I'm taking in about 2500-3000 calories most days as eat junk food (pizza, takeaways, crisps, cake etc) and drink most evenings (half bottle wine or gin and tonic or bottle of beer) I need to cut down to 1600 calories a day I think so aiming to cut booze right down and limit each meal to 500 cals ish with 100 for fruit mid afternoon.

Vegetarian and can't do 5:2 as I'm a fainter! Would definitely be at risk of fainting on fast days especially in heat.

Will link to 500 ish cal recipes on the thread

[goteam]

I mean if you have similar issues re small children etc, similar amount of weight to lose

[NamelessEnsign]

Well hello . I am 5'3' and 152lbs, so just under 11 stone. I'm 18lbs from goal weight. I have a 4yo and 9mo and really struggle with food when they aren't sleeping well. I'm also vegetarian! And still breastfeeding the little one.

5/2 works fine for maintenance for me, but not weight loss. Low carb worked very well after DC1 but we eat much lower carb in general these days and it hasn't had as much impact (and is difficult when feeding the kids, I find). My meals are pretty good but I struggle with snacking in the evening which is my downfall.

I'm running again now and am looking to do 5k, 7k, and 10k runs each week in the medium term. I also do plank and some yoga for strength each day.

I have hen parties and weddings later this year and would dearly love to be my usual size again soon so I'm not uncomfortable.

[goteam]

Hello! I'm a terrible snacker too and also have some weddings coming up!

Some of these veggie one look nice

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/low-calorie-dinner

Fortunately not bf anymore. Do a lot of homecooking here but my kids are so fussy it's hard cooking several meals so often resort to evening takeaway on the days I'm at home them as so tired and have already cooked once for them. Try to all eat together when we can.

May work towards a 5k too! Very rubbish at running at the moment though.

[NamelessEnsign]

Thanks! I'll take a look at those meals. Do you think you could get into the habit of batch cooking or having your main meal at lunch, to cut out the takeaways?

I'm eating a lot of boiled egg at the moment just to fill myself up!

We have the Fitbit Aria scales (and I have a Fitbit). There's no hiding when I gain and lose the same few founds because it tracks it in my app! I also find that I am motivated to get my steps so have been doing walks and runs in the evening if DH is home. I am surprised how much it makes me move!

[goteam]

Info need to get into the habit of main meal at lunch. I eat out a lot which doesn't help.

I don't have any apps as phone too crap to support! I walk a lot though.

I batch cook soup and curries but always struggle with what to have with home made soup! It needs a cheese sandwich!

Eggs a good idea. I often have veg omelettes but have with buttered toast. I think that's the problem. I do eat a lot of healthy filling food but have t have carbs or it doesn't feel complete and I still feel hungry!

[goteam]

• I need...

[NamelessEnsign]

I have been trying to bulk out my plate with salad and veg, just so I am eating for long enough to get bored! Or carrot sticks which take an age to eat.

Grated cheese on the soup? Or indeed a boiled egg with it? I have yoghurt and nuts for breakfast which fills me up quite well, usually.

I think I have nearly reached the stage where the extra weight is way more inconvenient than not being able to snack. I have found a bit of resolve. But it goes out the window when the day starts at 5.30 and I'm woken in the night too!

[goteam]

That's the thing. Our day starts at a similar time with night wakings and they are rarely asleep until 8.30 pm so food and wine are things to look forward to. I have always enjoyed good food (apart from eating disorder in teens) and cooking and don't want to eat 'diet' food per se as I want sustainable lifestyle changes without cutting anything out altogether. I know bread is the enemy to weight loss though! I'm a bit of a foodie and want to enjoy what I eat. Argh!

As a teen I didn't eat as I was anorexic and existed on Complan and supplements to get nutrients. I don't want to do that but in reverse if you see what I mean, eating slimming bars and meal replacements. I spent my 20's a healthy size 8-10 and really got into cooking.

Very hard. I know you can't have your cake and eat it so to speak!

[goteam]

Ok, so think my diet has been ok today.

Breakfast: small bowl special k with almond milk, sourdough toast wth butter and marmite and orange juice (450cals)

Mid morning: coffee with milk and sugar (can't cut out completely) and oat biscuit (50 cals)

Lunch: quorn spag bol with sweet corn and tiny bit of cheese (500 cals)

Mid afternoon: crisp read with peanut butter and apple (100 cals)

Dinner: sweet potato wedges, avocado guacamole, spiny, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and small bit of halloumi (500cals)

So that's it. All 1600 calories and it's only 6...this is the trouble. I would usually have more food after kids' bedtime. Cheese and biscuits with wine or a beer, crisps and houmous. My meals wouldn't usually be quite so healthy and would have chocolate biscuits with morning coffee and maybe even afternoon tea and cake...oh dear. I can see how the two stone has crept on!

[goteam]

Oh yeah and exercise = 20 min brisk walk and 30 min swim...

[NamelessEnsign]

The meals sound like a great start! Your dinner sounds delicious.

Also I think you might be me! I was bulimic at school and it was the only way I knew to keep my weight under control. Then I did loads of fabulous sport at college which made me very slim and fit (I'm quite a broad build for a short person).

meals were a bit of a write off today with the sleeplessness and early start. We had a basic picnic at DH's work as he is there all weekend. I'm just about under calories but way overboard on carbs!

DH is back tomorrow so I'm hoping to try my first 10k in over 5 years, or a bike ride if it's hot. The kids and I had a nice walk this afternoon though so I have reached 10k steps.

[goteam]

Sorry you experienced eating disorders too. I never worry about mine returning as I hate feeling hungry. One of the reasons losing weight is so tough!

I think I'm always overboard on carbs! Would usually have way more read than I did today though.

Good luck tomorrow. Out about for work tomorrow myself so will at least be active.

[goteam]

*bread

[NamelessEnsign]

How are you doing goteam?
Good news and bad here. DC2 is cutting his first teeth and hardly slept, poor baby. I had just over 4 hours' sleep. I haven't eaten yet despite waking up at 5am but this tea is going down very well!

However my newfound resolve is working and I lost 3 pounds this week (two in the last three days) so I really want to stick with it.

[goteam]

Poor you. Sleep deprivation is the worst.

Not bad here. Weighed myself this morning and I seem to have lost 2 pounds over the weekend so ditching the daily booze, cake and crisps is working! A good day so far. Quite a big but healthy lunch (mozerella and spinach en croute with rice and butternut squash) followed by lots of walking and planning a tofu and veg stir fry for an early dinner. Morning swim too before work. Might even go for a run after the kids have gone to bed (steady on!).

I do feel hungry though but I guess you just have to get used to it. I would usually have a piece of cake and mug of tea right now and have dinner at around 8 but that's clearly how I've managed to gain weight so going to keep trying to eat big meal at lunch and early dinner. Pizza and wine evening with some friends on Wednesday so will have to be careful...could undo everything!

Giving up my daily fizzy drink too as that's around 200 calories right there. Sounds silly but I just never realised how it all added up...can't give up the morning coffee with milk and sugar. Some things are sacred.

[goteam]

Congrats on the 3 pound loss btw!

[NamelessEnsign]

Well done to you too! I agree, I feel like I have been denying myself cake and dessert and big portions and yet I have hardly been losing the weight. Actually, I have 'just' been grazing on the odd biscuit, having squash instead of water, a small ice cream here and there. It really adds up. Easily done with sleep deprivation and small kids.

I have done ok today though and have just finished my first 10k in years! At least if I am running I can't be eating . You should go out, it's finally a bit cooler!

[NamelessEnsign]

In my 5:2 days I used to have a cup of veg bouillon or miso as a savoury snack. It filled the gap for a couple of hours at least!

[goteam]

Good idea re the miso soup. I should get some in. May fill the hole that used to be occupied by crisps!

Well done on the 10k! I was going to go for a run but little ones aren't settling and the later it gets the hungrier I get! I have another active work day tomorrow so will be on my feet a lot. No time to swim sadly and will have to eat out for lunch again which is where I often come unstuck.

Argh. Really quite hungry having eaten at 5.30 and ran around with the kids for 2 hours. It really is difficult.

[NamelessEnsign]

My answer is always to eat some cheese .

Another pound down today. I must have been eating so much crap!

[goteam]

Another pound down here too! Pret sandwich and juice for lunch though which wasn't ideal but I had a meeting in town and it was the least worst option. Hope it doesn't affect the downward weight trajectory. I'm still bloody hungry though as had lunch at 12.30 and only an apple since. Eating in half an hour...phew.

I find it so hard not eating straight away when hungry. Long hard day at work so no energy for proper exercise.

Hope you had a good day.

[NamelessEnsign]

Well done on the pound . Pret isn't ideal but I know it's so difficult when at work. I'm determined that when I go back I will try to take lunches in with me (and will avoid all the chocolates/cakes/biscuits we usually have lying around at work).

I have been disciplined with food today but I had a very low carb dinner and am feeling a bit wobbly afterwards. Fitbit says I have nearly eaten my calories though so I can't have much else. It doesn't factor in breastfeeding, sadly, so I'm often a little over.

Anyone else hanging around who wants to join us?

[Bishybishybarnabee]

Hi, can I join in?

I have about 2.5 stone to lose, I think I'm likely to take longer than 2minths though! I have a 14 month old and work three days a week. He's an okish sleeper but up early. He's also a really light sleeper so exercising at night is out, he'd never sleep though the sound of the shower.
I've always ran but have struggled to fit it in since having DS. I'm now trying to get back into it and am getting out once or twice a week for a short run on my lunch break, plus a longer one at the weekend.
My weakness is definitely snacking, particularly at work. I have a Fitbit and (as of a week ago) starting logging my calories as well, I've got it programmed to give me a 500 calorie deficit each day. I've achieved about 700 each day so far so I may increase that soon.
So, going ok so far, but it's only been a week!

[NamelessEnsign]

Of course, welcome, bish . I'm lucky in that I have always had my team sport to fall back on for some guaranteed exercise. I find it tough to motivate myself, but the Fitbit helps too.

[goteam]

Welcome Bish. My little one's a light sleeper too and his room is next to bathroom so evening exercise is out unless I drag myself to the gym. By the time my two have dropped off it's almost my bedtime.

The weight loss will probably take me longer than 2 months too but it seemed quite a neat target! Well don't getting back into running. Swimming has always been my thing but I would like to get into running too.

Hope you feel better after low carb dinner Nameless. I feel wobbly if I don't have carbs too. I just still feel hungry after eating if no carbs. As a veggie it's hard to fill up on protein I think.