to think that i can lose 6 kilos in the next 6 weeks?

[captainmarvella]

i am going on a once in a lifetime holiday to a fabulous beachy and instagrammable worthy location and feeling horrible about my size 20 body with protruding a$$ and treble chins. i want to try this one meal a day thing for some instant results but bestie says it won't work for some one like me - mid 40s, hypothyroidism, binge issues in the past, and can actually make me sick. I don't want to be sick right before my bucket list vacation! Should I listen to her?

i don't plan to do low carb or anything, just eat one filling and balanced plate of my fav stuff, once a day. right now i'm at 85 kilos. I want my weight to be at least in the seventies when I leave for my xmas vacay. i have seen so many inspiring progress pics online about the OMAD lifestyle it's really giving me hope. But most of these are from men, so I don't know if it really works for perimenopausal women! Aibu to even consider this with my current health profile?

the gym is mainly for the treadmill and PT-resistance training access, the (non UK) city i live in is very pedestrian unfriendly! i have also signed up for a membership at the local pool so my plan is to alternate between the pool and the gym. both are close to my workplace, no excuse for avoiding them 😒

You don't need to see your own GP for mounjaro (glp1), you just fill the form out online and they will prescribe if eligible. They ask all about your medical conditions and won't prescribe if you have something you can't take it with. You could have the medication as early as Tuesday if you do it tonight.

Oh and you 100% will not get it prescribed on the NHS unfortunately. It's not available in all areas and there are a lot of hoops you have to jump through first.

strangely enough i find low carb toughest and IF quite easy. probably coz i drink a lot of water it keeps me full so it's relatively easier for me to delay, rather than deny. my main 'requirement' is i should not feel deprived, otherwise it's all down hill.

I work away from the UK for now but medical access is easy and efficient in my current city. I will of course not buy the drug without prescription, I will take it only if my GP confirms it as safe for me.

@captainmarvella , when I was well into my 50’s I lost weight very well (over 50Lbs) on a fasting diet. 3 x 42 hrs fasts per week. I would suggest you read Jason Fung’s book. OMAD is a form of fasting which has lots of positive evidence. Good luck!

//I also bought a few new skincare bits (including some decent fake tan) to pamper myself and a few dresses and swimsuits that actually flatter my current size, and booked a facial and my nails before I go away. My goal now is just feeling as good as possible and laying the groundwork for decent habits that I can continue for long term results and not ruining a once in a lifetime holiday by worrying about my weight.//

sane advice, tx! i will get a cut and color too, along with that facial and pedicure... i will also have to be mindful not to drive myself crazy by constantly worrying about my weight until its time to board the flight. i think i was feeling more miserable abt the fact that i have let myself go and suddenly this 'trip of a lifetime' is happening, i wish i had known that it would happen 6 months back, i'd have had more time 😤

tbh i'd feel better if i can "do something about it" instead of just feeling sad and guilty - hence my signing up with the pool and gym and trying OMAD, at least then I can say I have done my best even if i don't manage to lose all 6 kilos. all the best with your goal too, inbox me if you want to have an accountability buddy

If it makes you feel better, mine was booked a year ago and I still didn’t do anything until now 🤦🏼‍♀️ I’m just focusing on being healthy and happy and hopefully some weight will come off with that, but fully agree with the annoyances about letting it get this far in the first place! I know for a fact with Christmas coming up I won’t stick to anything extreme so just trying to be more mindful!

As OP has a history of binge eating she should seek advice from an HCP. Fasting is often contraindicated in these circumstances.

Another vote for Mounjaro
If you find its suitable, get onto it ASAP

Gets rid of all the craving, hunger, any binging- all just give!

And then I'll eat my hat if you haven't met your goal by the time the holiday comes round

(Or I would eat it, if my Mounjaro-depleted appetite allowed me lol)

I'm 12kg down since September, but with a higher starting weight than you, @captainmarvella

I have PCOS and insulin resistance, but take Inositol and Berberine supplements because they're meant to help.

Breakfast is 2 scrambled eggs, sometimes with a few chopped sundried toms, or green peppers, or a cheese triangle and marmite. Lunch is salad with some kind of meat and cheese- chicken or parma ham, 30g cheddar or babybel usually. Dinner is more varied, but again usually meat and salad. I go for higher protein and lower carb, but occasionally have pasta, gnocchi or a few chips, homemade oven 'KFC' chicken thigh. Then I have a sweet treat after dinner. I like satsumas, an apple or a mini chocolate bar (I like the new mini Ritter pouches in Sains). I've had a takeaway every Friday throughout these few months.

I use MyFitnessPal to track calories and stay under 2000 per day. Sometimes it's more like 1700 if few carbs or fruit not chocolate. I've been doing couch 2 5k a few times a week, but mostly just making sure I'm over 7k steps a day.

It's working and doesn't feel too restrictive. But you do have to get used to weighing and measuring.

*gone

yes that's right, i am where I am coz of my unhealthy relationship with food. recent years in therapy has helped a lot, but still I fall off the wagon often which is frustrating. I won't eat one meal throughout the day, but within 3-4 hours and fast the remaining 20+, I will start with this as this seems to be an approved way to do fasting, at least as a beginner.

no i don't mind at all, i have known this myself. with my age it's quite alarming to hav such a high BMI as heart disease runs in the family and i'm anxious to turn my life around

I don't think this 800 calories a day diet is for me, it makes me anxious just looking at that number!

now this is the sort of menu that makes me happy just looking at it and i feel confident too, that i can do it! and yeah i am not shopping for this holiday, that location itself is a shopper's paradise so it feels foolish to shop to go there, I am planning to take my current old-ish holiday wardrobe which all are a bit tight now as I seem to have put on 6 kilos since last June! I want to lose at least a dress size before I leave - not so much weight, but yeah an inch or more all over would be fantastic - and I think I will make a meal prep list with some of the dishes you mentioned, it's a pain to meal prep on work days, there's no pantry at my workplace but I can order in, as delivery of fresh food is quite affordable here.

You need to eat 3 sensible low calorie and low carb meals every day and do 30 mins of exercise every other day. Exercise can be a walk.

Just remembered when DH wanted to lose weight he walked around and around the very large car park at work every lunch time unless it was pouring with rain. He tried to go around 4-5 times after he had eaten his lunch. He said it made a difference because he was sat behind a desk all day.

Just so you know you don't need to work out in a gym if that isn't for you. There are.personal trainers (I'm one of them) that will come.to your home or meet.you in places.like parks to train.

But yes paying for a.PT to help you learn good form is a really good idea.

Week 1 update

1. I was NOT able to do OMAD or even 20:4. It's the week before shark week and my appetite was ravenous. Quite annoyed at myself.
2. Good news is I stuck to 16:8 and 3 litres of water a day, it seemed to have somewhat helped, as I am 500 gm down. 85.5 from 86 kilo, when I weighed myself a week ago.
3. I had too many chores so could not find the time to swim or walk (no parks around where I live and it's not safe for women to walk in the dark). Complete fail in exercise goals.
4. Diet wise it wasn't anything special. Just two plates of balanced food (millets instead of rice, seafood instead of any other protein etc), 7 hours apart, with a mid meal snack of a 50gm dark chocolate bar. I stayed away from dairy, gluten and deep fried foods.
5. I did check out the gym but I didn't feel like their personal trainers would be a good fit for me, they didn't seem to be equipped to design a spine friendly workout program for me, they were more eager to sell a package. For now I have signed up for a one month trial membership at the gym itself, mostly to use the treadmill.
6. My doctor has point blank refused to prescribe semaglutide tablets, as "I am not diabetic yet". So I have made an appointment with another one (recommended by a friend). Meanwhile, I have done the full health panel testing and am awaiting the results, I should get them by monday.
7. I am not happy with my self control this week, I didn't want to eat chocolate yet ended up eating a bar every day but trying to be grateful for the 500 grams loss!

This. OMAD was my particular flavour of EDNOS. OP please be careful - MN is full of disordered eating.

500 grams loss is great! Some weeks you might do more.

Sorry to hear abt your ednos. I think it's mine too? I am trying to build up to 20:4 since I've been told been told that for a age/health profile (like mine) fasting will not give weight loss benefits unless it is above 20:4

That's my hope too. Once I get my periods this hormonal eating urge will disappear (or I don't know what I am going to do!) and I should be able to have better self control, fingers crossed.

I think this made a big difference when I did so badly in my diet and exercise goals. Due to a sudden chore I was running around a lot. Usually I am sedentary outside the pool. I guess I should get my arse out of the chair and move more!