Feeling down. Please help me make changes to make a difference

[carrottopper]

I hope someone can offer me some support. I feel really uncomfortable about my body at the moment. I am about half a stone over the top of my bmi normal weight. I feel most comfortable when I am 10-10.5 stone but I am 11.5 now. Lockdown hasn't helped and I'm snacking and not moving as much.

I started doing hiit work outs and they were great but I didn't seem to lose much weight at all. I know the problem is my calorie intake but will moving more help too?

I basically want to try and cut back snacking a little, have smaller portions and move more. Will this make a difference? I've done a few days of this but it's not making any difference and cutting back is making me super miserable. I've now gone off hiit. Looking at buying a treadmill or cross trainer as I seem to get fed up watching the hiit on YouTube etc. I think I am better getting on a machine and watching tv whilst doing mindless exercise if that makes sense.

Feeling really miserable as not getting results and finding it so hard not to snack during lockdown. Any suggestions please?

[0nwardsAndUpwards]

I need to lose maybe 8-10lbs to get to a weight I feel most comfortable - trying to use the thought of emerging from lockdown looking and feeling better as motivation!

What I'm doing:

• fruit and fibre for breakfast
• soup or salad for lunch
• 'normal' tea but try and have a sensible portion (also been having a little Easter egg after tea)
• constantly refilling a bottle of water so I don't mistake thirst for hunger
• not snacking through the day
• walking 30-60 minutes daily

Honestly I'm trying not to think about doing it! If I fancy reaching for a biscuit I go and sort some washing or go in the garden instead. I find if I overthink about eating healthy to lose weight then I throw myself off!

I'm happy to keep checking in for accountability if you want although I don't have scales so won't actually know if I lose anything!

[Imboredinthehouse]

Weight loss is mostly down to diet. Moving more does certainly help but it’s calories in that count, you have to move a fair bit to burn things off. Work out your TDEE. This is the amount of calories that you would consume to stay exactly the same weight, reduce the figure by 20% to find what calories total you should aim to consume to lose weight.

tdeecalculator.net

Use My Fitness Pal to log and track your daily calories. You do need to weigh and portion everything but seeing how many calories are in things really helps you to decide if you actually want to eat those 6 biscuits, which would be almost a third of your daily calorie allowance, when you could have a full on meal for less calories and be more satisfied.

[carrottopper]

Thank you OnwardsandUpwards. That's actually very helpful. Trying to distract myself when wanting to snack and trying not to think about it. Yes i would really appreciate you checking in please. Thanks

[0nwardsAndUpwards]

You're welcome  I figure if I (and you!) do the above, it can only help us feel better!

It does help that I have I have an Apple Watch so can track my calories burned when I walk - I'm always surprised by how little I burn and like @Imboredinthehouse said, it puts me off eating too many treats when I realise how much exercise would need to be done to burn them off

[carrottopper]

Yes I have an Apple Watch. I have been burning around 550-750 calories doing walking and hiit but had no effect which has made me feel really down

[0nwardsAndUpwards]

Oh wow well that's more than me! I usually burn 400-500 daily.

In that case I think you'll definitely notice a difference if you can get your food intake on check

[0nwardsAndUpwards]

@carrottopper hope you wake up feeling motivated today! 😀 I'm planning a healthy breakfast and a long walk after.

[Charles11]

I’ve been doing 16:8 which is fasting for 16 hours and eating your meals in an 8 hr window only.
I eat breakfast at 12 and have dinner at 7.
It’s working pretty well. Not having breakfast actually works really well as I found eating breakfast kicks my appetite off and I snack all day long.
Without it, I don’t have those cravings and can make sensible choices and be more in control.
It also helps with getting chores and exercise done while I wait for 12 and then stops all the evening snacking.

[carrottopper]

Thanks. Snacks won yesterday! I hate 2 biscuits around 5 before tea and then half an Easter egg around 9! Hopeless!! My aim is to keep moving and try and limit the snacks!

Enjoy your walk.

Yes I looked at intermittent fasting before. Thank you

[carrottopper]

No snacks today!

Fruit and yogurt for breakfast
Soup and slice of bread for lunch
Gnocchi with red onion, mushrooms and pepperoni for dinner.

Also a 5k walk and run during my usual snack time helped. I was too tired to move when I got home so no snacking.

[0nwardsAndUpwards]

Ah well done! Yesterday was a good day for you, and not too bad for me either

Today will be special K topped with fruit I think, then a big salad for lunch!

[carrottopper]

How are you getting on Onwards and Upwards? I had some snacks and wine yesterday but been ok today and just done a 5k walk and run.

[0nwardsAndUpwards]

I'm not too bad! We had a birthday in the family yesterday so I did have some cake and cream, but I'd been too busy to eat lunch so that was all I'd had through the day, and I went out for a 45 minute walk with the dog last night

I don't feel like I've lost any weight which is disappointing! But I got my period yesterday too so I still feel all bloated which won't help.

Well done on your run! Are you planning more exercise today?

[carrottopper]

I did a hiit yesterday but planning on a day off today. Still snacking but trying to drink more. We had a takeaway last night!