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AMA
Original poster

I skimmed down from over 15 stone to 7 and a half stone AMA

280 replies

Scammell · 21/02/2023 16:21

This!!

OP posts:
Mumsanetta · 21/02/2023 22:05

Reinventinganna · 21/02/2023 21:18

I was heavily influenced by a mother with disordered eating. ‘Yuck’

Btw I am fabulous thank you

Show quote history

Then get therapy instead of spouting venom on a MN post. Yuck indeed.

Prettybutdumb · 21/02/2023 22:06

Do you still exercise? Were you quite muscular / athletic pre-pregnancy? (Maybe you still are, not sure as I was a walrus during both my pregnancies).

eacapade1982 · 21/02/2023 22:08

How many calories did you eat per day when you were maintaining before you got pregnant?

Arrrrrrragghhh · 21/02/2023 22:12

ItWillWash · 21/02/2023 21:23

This thread is really concerning. Proper nutrition really needs to be taught in schools. 800-calorie diets should only be undertaken under medical supervision and for no longer than 2 weeks. It can quite literally kill you.

The last time I needed medical treatment due to restrictions I was eating 600-800 calories a day. I thought what I was eating was okay and it was certainly more nutritionally dense than the diet OP was on. Admittedly it was very "samey". Eating disorders are about control. Like OP could eat her pre-packed foods I could only eat my "safe" foods and had a set of very strict rules I needed to follow, which even at the time I was following them I knew were nonsensical but I needed that control to keep me sane.

For breakfast, I would have 30g of porridge oats (114 cals) with 125 ml skimmed milk (43 cals), half a banana (50 cals), and a teaspoon of peanut butter for protein (40 cals)

Lunch a small bowl of salad made of lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, a tiny helping of beetroot, onion, 6 ocean sticks and a splash of Hellmann's 3 calorie salad dressing for 170 calories.

Dinner was an omelet made with 2 medium eggs, onions, and mushrooms and served with a handful of fresh spinach for (200 cals)

I rarely deviated from this but did swap out some meals for berries and Skyr, jacket potato with tuna and sweetcorn, and grilled chicken and veg.

After 3 months I suffered abnormal heart rhythm due to critically low potassium levels and was diagnosed with EDNOS and referred to a nutritionist who made it very, very clear that no matter how carefully planned your diet is, your body cannot sustain itself on 800 calories. There simply is not enough volume to get all the micro and macronutrients you need in 800 calories. Your brain alone uses 500 calories a day.

People who follow an 800-calorie diet for medical reasons do so under strict medical supervision and with prescription supplements and only ever for very short periods. 1200 calories a day is the bare minimum and even that is pushing it and should only ever be followed for short periods.

Seriously, some of the "advice" on this thread is dangerous and is definitely encouraging disordered eating. If you need to lose weight and think this is a good way of doing it please see your GP first and tell them what you plan on doing and ask to be referred to a nutritionist.

For breakfast, I would have 30g of porridge oats (114 cals) with 125 ml skimmed milk (43 cals), half a banana (50 cals), and a teaspoon of peanut butter for protein (40 cals)

Lunch a small bowl of salad made of lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, a tiny helping of beetroot, onion, 6 ocean sticks and a splash of Hellmann's 3 calorie salad dressing for 170 calories.

Dinner was an omelet made with 2 medium eggs, onions, and mushrooms and served with a handful of fresh spinach for (200 cals)

Thats enough food if you’re fat. Probably more food than lots of people in the world are getting. If you the same food everyday though of course you’ll miss nutrients .Look at the MacDonalds diet. There are many other vegetables , soups, fish nuts and salads you could swap in and get 800 calories.

The real point is getting to grips with not eating for the sake of it. Because it tastes nice, because it’s lunch, because you’re bored, because it’s on your plate, in the fridge, in the cupboard. It’s learning that eating just enough is fine.

Original poster
Scammell · 21/02/2023 22:18

fuckaroo · 21/02/2023 20:31

You are my inspiration! I'll be taking pointers gone from 13st to now 9.5 st but want to get to 8.5

How long did it take you?

Congratulations- it took me 1& months but first 8 months or so it came off slower as I was a lot less focused than the last 10

OP posts:
Original poster
Scammell · 21/02/2023 22:19

eacapade1982 · 21/02/2023 22:08

How many calories did you eat per day when you were maintaining before you got pregnant?

Ooh I would say - whatever my maintenance was - maybe around 1500 perhaps ?

OP posts:
Original poster
Scammell · 21/02/2023 22:20

Prettybutdumb · 21/02/2023 22:06

Do you still exercise? Were you quite muscular / athletic pre-pregnancy? (Maybe you still are, not sure as I was a walrus during both my pregnancies).

Yes I was fairly muscular before - I do a lot of swimming now

OP posts:
Original poster
Scammell · 21/02/2023 22:21

JustAskingMate · 21/02/2023 21:56

Congratulations OP! Fab x

Thank you !

OP posts:
MissWings · 21/02/2023 22:22

I came on for some inspiration but then I clocked you skipped meals or had just a chocolate bar for lunch. That is disordered, overall I don’t this is healthy or sustainable.

Original poster
Scammell · 21/02/2023 22:26

@*CanStopWillStop
*
What gave me the initial motivational starting in the new year - January 1st - I lost 7lb first week

OP posts:
Daftmum47 · 21/02/2023 22:36

This is inspiring!
Unfortunately I pick up a lot of my calories at wine o’clock. A couple glasses means more snacking. You’re a different generation to me and I think the young folk drink less these days, but I’ll ask anyway: what was your relationship with alcohol and did it change?

Original poster
Scammell · 21/02/2023 22:59

Daftmum47 · 21/02/2023 22:36

This is inspiring!
Unfortunately I pick up a lot of my calories at wine o’clock. A couple glasses means more snacking. You’re a different generation to me and I think the young folk drink less these days, but I’ll ask anyway: what was your relationship with alcohol and did it change?

Had a very average relationship with alcohol tbh - not teetotal but not drinking excessively. When I was focused on my diet I'd minimise nights out with work so no drinking so I suppose it changed in that way

OP posts:
frugalnecessity · 21/02/2023 23:01

What is your relationship with food like now?

stupidpost · 21/02/2023 23:15

how people can call this thread inspiring is beyond me. most people can still be in a decent calorie deficit at 1700/1800 calories based off their bmr. 1200 is a worrying amount for the majority of people and op’s diet is absolutely crap - a chocolate bar for lunch?! why not eat actual filling/sustainable meals then go to the gym, start weight lifting or do cardio etc. your body needs fuel it is literally keeping you alive, please don’t use this as inspo. it is disordered eating - what would you say if you had a teenage daughter following this diet? you’s would be worried, i bet.

frugalnecessity · 21/02/2023 23:21

What did you do about eating with family/social events eg birthdays, Xmas, going on holiday etc?

DestinyIsAll · 21/02/2023 23:32

Well done OP. I’m also maintaining after a huge weight-loss. I’m 52 now and it was much harder than when I lost weight after having dc in my 20s and 30s. It still came off consistently though, just a bit slower.

Mid life crisis was my motivation, I started a bit before Covid hit and all the power walks during lockdown really helped.

I used, and still do, the Pinch of Nom books for most meals, I find them brilliant. I’m not a breakfast eater anyway so basically eat a light lunch, eg., soup, rice cakes and good balanced dinner, with fruit, veg and yogurt/yogurt lollies for snacks.

Cutting out evening snacking, too much bread and cheese, getting control of my comfort eating, and being mindful has been key. I also did it without a group or meds, it has been a real lifestyle / mindset change. I eat pretty much anything in moderation now, though I rarely buy biscuits or crisps as they’re such a big temptation.

DH did it with me as he’d also got quite overweight so we’re very supportive of each other. That helped hugely.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 21/02/2023 23:47

TimeToFlyNow · 21/02/2023 21:05

I'm about 8lb heavier than at my lowest atm , Christmas and parties! but it's been over 4 years now since I lost the first 4 stone

Show quote history

Oh well done you, 8lbs is really easy on SW, won't take you long! 😊

BeautifulDayintheneighbourhood · 21/02/2023 23:54

ItWillWash · 21/02/2023 21:23

This thread is really concerning. Proper nutrition really needs to be taught in schools. 800-calorie diets should only be undertaken under medical supervision and for no longer than 2 weeks. It can quite literally kill you.

The last time I needed medical treatment due to restrictions I was eating 600-800 calories a day. I thought what I was eating was okay and it was certainly more nutritionally dense than the diet OP was on. Admittedly it was very "samey". Eating disorders are about control. Like OP could eat her pre-packed foods I could only eat my "safe" foods and had a set of very strict rules I needed to follow, which even at the time I was following them I knew were nonsensical but I needed that control to keep me sane.

For breakfast, I would have 30g of porridge oats (114 cals) with 125 ml skimmed milk (43 cals), half a banana (50 cals), and a teaspoon of peanut butter for protein (40 cals)

Lunch a small bowl of salad made of lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, a tiny helping of beetroot, onion, 6 ocean sticks and a splash of Hellmann's 3 calorie salad dressing for 170 calories.

Dinner was an omelet made with 2 medium eggs, onions, and mushrooms and served with a handful of fresh spinach for (200 cals)

I rarely deviated from this but did swap out some meals for berries and Skyr, jacket potato with tuna and sweetcorn, and grilled chicken and veg.

After 3 months I suffered abnormal heart rhythm due to critically low potassium levels and was diagnosed with EDNOS and referred to a nutritionist who made it very, very clear that no matter how carefully planned your diet is, your body cannot sustain itself on 800 calories. There simply is not enough volume to get all the micro and macronutrients you need in 800 calories. Your brain alone uses 500 calories a day.

People who follow an 800-calorie diet for medical reasons do so under strict medical supervision and with prescription supplements and only ever for very short periods. 1200 calories a day is the bare minimum and even that is pushing it and should only ever be followed for short periods.

Seriously, some of the "advice" on this thread is dangerous and is definitely encouraging disordered eating. If you need to lose weight and think this is a good way of doing it please see your GP first and tell them what you plan on doing and ask to be referred to a nutritionist.

My GP advised
me to go on a 800 cal diet as I’m pre diabetic. No medical supervision.

mumandbambinos · 22/02/2023 00:06

stupidpost · 21/02/2023 23:15

how people can call this thread inspiring is beyond me. most people can still be in a decent calorie deficit at 1700/1800 calories based off their bmr. 1200 is a worrying amount for the majority of people and op’s diet is absolutely crap - a chocolate bar for lunch?! why not eat actual filling/sustainable meals then go to the gym, start weight lifting or do cardio etc. your body needs fuel it is literally keeping you alive, please don’t use this as inspo. it is disordered eating - what would you say if you had a teenage daughter following this diet? you’s would be worried, i bet.

Completely agree!

ditherydotty · 22/02/2023 00:19

stupidpost · 21/02/2023 23:15

how people can call this thread inspiring is beyond me. most people can still be in a decent calorie deficit at 1700/1800 calories based off their bmr. 1200 is a worrying amount for the majority of people and op’s diet is absolutely crap - a chocolate bar for lunch?! why not eat actual filling/sustainable meals then go to the gym, start weight lifting or do cardio etc. your body needs fuel it is literally keeping you alive, please don’t use this as inspo. it is disordered eating - what would you say if you had a teenage daughter following this diet? you’s would be worried, i bet.

It's not disordered eating at all, it's calorie a controlled diet which enabled op to lose a large amount of weight over 18 months, at 15 stone she was obese which I imagine was caused by disordered eating!

She's kept the weight off for a substantial amount of time and has adapted her eating plan to include more balanced foods.

SoonBeTeaTime · 22/02/2023 00:49

I came across this post earlier in the day when I should have been working and not browsing mumsnet. I didn't reply earlier but I'm very glad lots of people have picked up on that you basically have disordered eating, there's nothing "inspiring" here. I'm slim just over 8 stone myself and yes I'm lucky I've never been overweight, my weight has stayed the same (bar pregnancy) since I was about 17 just through luck/everything in moderation and some exercise for good measure. No crazy obsessive eating. As a teen I did have a brush with an eating disorder, my weight dropped to 6.5 stone as a 15 year old, scary really, the way you write what you eat and accounting for every calorie, missing entire meals just reminds me of how I was, thankfully for only a very short period of time.

I think you need to be very careful, what you say you eat is concerning and you are at risk of continuing to lose on so few calories. Seek some professional help before you end up in the grips of a full blown eating disorder. Being overweight is unhealthy, but eating very few calories is equally if not more damaging for your body, you need to look after your health, if your healthy weight eating a normal balanced diet with 3 meals sits at 10 stone, that's far better than the starvation you are participating in here.

bellac11 · 22/02/2023 09:07

TiredyMcTired · 21/02/2023 20:29

I’m amazed that people are asking for further ‘advice’ from the OP on achieving weight loss. The food intake and calorie level described is disordered and very unhealthy.

A daily intake of 1200 calories for an adult trying to lose weight is far too low, especially when those calories are not nutrient dense. A calorie intake that low over a longer period of time will create problems with your metabolism, your bone health, nutrient deficiencies, immunity and cause fatigue. That calorie level will not provide enough fuel for a body to function.

A calorie controlled diet is an excellent way to lose weight. But not one like the OP has outlined here. I’ve lost a lot of weight calorie counting and did it sensibly by getting good sound advice.

This isnt correct. An intake of 1200 cals is often what people need to take in order to lose weight, it may only be slightly under their daily maintanence.

On MFP, my daily intake is 1200 and Im not even short, thats programmed to lose 2lbs a week.

Whether someone is able to do it using or not using nutrient dense foods is up to them. Personally I would be starving if I ate chocolate but some people might like to swap out things.

Despite the criticism here, OP is better off being a healthy weight and concentrating on the nutrient aspect now than being obese. Most severely obese people are deficient in nutrients.

BeautifulDayintheneighbourhood · 22/02/2023 10:20

It used to be perfectly normal to have an intake of 1000 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week. I did it when I was younger several times. . I wouldn’t have lost weight on a higher calorie intake.

ItWillWash · 22/02/2023 10:48

If you need to eat less than 1400 calories a day to lose weight then it's likely not your weight that is an issue but your body composition which cannot be remedied simply by cutting calories.

You need to change your muscle-to-fat ratio using weightlifting and cardio, ensuring you are eating enough protein and calories for your body to build muscle.

bellac11 · 22/02/2023 11:54

ItWillWash · 22/02/2023 10:48

If you need to eat less than 1400 calories a day to lose weight then it's likely not your weight that is an issue but your body composition which cannot be remedied simply by cutting calories.

You need to change your muscle-to-fat ratio using weightlifting and cardio, ensuring you are eating enough protein and calories for your body to build muscle.

It takes a professional/very experienced body builder around 6 months to develop 2lbs of pure muscle

The average obese busy mum is not going to remedy an 8 stone excess by looking at this

I think as a country we are in denial about just how low our calorie intake needs to be. The many posts on this thread show that