Wonder why this forum is almost empty??

[Erebus]

Surely there must be loads of calorie-counters out there, though I suspect many are CC via 5:2.

I'm CC'ing for 49 days, to the start of the DC's school hols. (Am only on day 45 but started at 12/1, was 11/11 this morning!) I am 'on' 1300 a day but must say I've been under-eating quite a lot so must increase a bit.

I was thinking the same! The myfitnesspal people are mainly calorie counting i would think? But that thread is in the weight loss chat forum i just noticed. Well done on your loss so far. I think counting calories is only way for me. I am not good at cutting out whole food groups and any diets that allow 'free foods' I am no good at portion control. I also like the flexibility of a straight forward calorie count.

Also, I think you get to a point where you know the calorific value of food so you're not constantly weighing and measuring everything, don't you?

It 'shocked' me the extent to which women know this sort of stuff, I guess being surrounded by diets and 'the need to be thin' all of our lives. DH joined me on a diet once, and did the shopping. Never have I seen such quantities of dried fruit, nuts, muesli, avocados, cheese- all, apparently 'diet' food...

His BIL who seriously needs to lose weight was with us recently. He was doing WW but it demonstrated to me how such things don't really 'educate' as he thinks 'a healthy breakfast' is 2 pieces of toast spread with butter and honey! But washed down with green tea ...

SO I shall stick to my CC til I have lost the amount I want to, maybe to 10/10, then I am considering 5:2 with a nod towards knowing what 2000 cals a day looks like!

Good luck, Happy!

I am calorie counting. The only way for me! Tried 5/2 and it doesn't work for me. I was moody and irritable by the evening on fast days and over "treated" on eating days so net result no loss. For the first time I am exercising too. I've just started the NHS Couch to 5k running programme.

Good luck all. I lost over 3 stone calorie counting 6 years ago & made my target weight. It does work. I maintained that weight to within a 5lb variance since then but recently lost focus and now 6lb over the top of my acceptable range so aiming to lose 8lbs. What are others' targets?

Hi, Tina.

At my heaviest 2 years ago I was 13 stone , not a good look at 5'5 1/2"! I actually don't know how I lost weight to what has been my 'start' weight for 'getting serious' this time, which was early January, when I was 12/8. I Paul McKenna'ed down to 11/10 where I sat for several weeks; then I had a stressful family visit when I just knew I couldn't concentrate on mindful eating and not murdering my in-laws simultaneously... so I confess I ate lots and drank like a fish for 2 weeks. Result was 12/1, but I set-to again and used that as my 'start' weight. I am ultimately aiming for 10/10, and currently I am 11/10. I am planning on CC'ing for '49 days' which is the length of this half term, and on the day after the DC's finish, we go on holiday to France. This won't be a bikini holiday as it were (Brittany? Nope!) but I know that I won't want to to super-focused whilst there; 49 days is psychologically do-able and there's only 2 nights out to hijack me if I'm not careful, planned. I have no target for 49 days as such, just see how I go. So far:

Day 49 12/1
Day 44 11/10 (today)

Which I agree looks like a big loss but AF has just happened so a fair bit will be water retention, now gone.

DH inadvertently blew it a bit this morning by bringing me tea and 2 slices of toast and honey, in bed. 400 cals in one go! I'd planned on being less well disciplined today (there's a nice bottle of pinot chilling!), but know I can't guts all day; so I had a Heinz squeezy soup for lunch and a handful of peanuts, 145 and 60 respectively, so now have 620 cals to use. We'll have a Hairy Dieters crunchy chicken and salad, new pots for the DCs and DH, I'm thinking 300 odd cals (will check) and I shall indulge in at least 2, large, chilled glasses of wine .

I did think about a 30 min 'run/fast walk' on the treadmill to buy some cals but I'm not in the mood. I did go an an hour's bike ride with the DSs but didn't really break a sweat! Tomorrow for that.

I think all the weight loss areas have been split so any one doing MFP probably haven't noticed yet!

Agree MFP thread should probably be here...

I went through a phase of calorie counting as a student, so have always had a rough idea of how many calories were in things, though for over a decade I didn't actually count.

After moving to France I slowly gained almost a stone over 3 years, and 6 weeks ago decided enough was enough! Am now aiming for around 1600 cals a day with MFP, usually come in a little bit under during the week and a bit (sometimes a lot!) over at the weekend.

I had totally blocked out how high in calories things like cheese, butter, olive oil etc were. I soon realised where that extra stone had come from!

Want to lose a stone or just under. Have so far lost 6lbs, but think the last 6 are going to be tough!

Good luck all.

I'm doing 5:2 using MFP - I eat my tdee on non fast days and 500 ish on fast days. Works really well for me.

What's MFP?

My Fitness Pal - which people use to record calories and exercise etc.

Yes, I'm calorie counting. On 1200 cal per day. I'm on Day 3 at the moment. I've been eating 1000 so far. Just for the first week as I want a bit of a kick start. Will make sure I stick with 1200 after the first week.

I use My Net Diary which I think is similar to MFP. I calorie count every day. I'm obsessed with recording it all in black and white. Trouble is even when it goes over my allowance I still faithfully record it and don't change what I'm eating.

I'm back on my treadmill now though so hopefully it will make a bit of difference. I was about 12.7 and got down to 11.4 but am back up to 11.10. I began to hate the treadmill so decided to see if I could diet alone but the weight piled on. I need to burn it off, I just hate doing it.

I think recording it all, even on the bad days is key Ilove You would probably (if you're anything like me) eat even more if you weren't recording it all.
I'm starting at 11st 6. Do you have a goal weight?

Ilove - I used to do treadmill 3 times a week and got heartily sick of it too. Could you mix with other forms of exercise? I now do treadmill max once a week, and do Shred and Yoga DVDs as well as dance mat. Its much less of a slog.

Once youngest is in full time school in September I'm going to go swimming too. I can do half a mile in about half an hour so hopefully that's helping. Without putting the strain on my joints either.

I want to lose a stone by the beginning of September because I'm going to a wedding. Ultimately I'd like to be about nine stone but that's probably not going to be for a while.

Ilive and others: Do you think it might help to try and see the treadmill as a necessary evil?! I know that sounds odd but I read recently of a successful dieter who said that once she'd decided there was no point trying to like exercise (I don't!) she found that if she embraced her treadmill/exercise time as just something, like cleaning your teeth (or your annual smear!) that you just have to accept you have to do, thus get on with it.

I am very early days, here, but I found that if the treadmill is just something 'I do', no big deal (and can have a shower straight afterwards - I hate feeling hot and sticky, an unfortunate trait in a semi-Australian ), I can just get on with it. I choose what I watch on the TV- it must be engaging!- and off I go.

I am 'concerned' about three ( 3! ) potential pitfall nights later this week: 2 nights away with a mate in a hotel, eating out (and drinking out?!); then another mate's birthday do. I think what I will do is go easy on night one away; then eat, drink and be merry on the next two, whilst being mindful during the day-times.

Ilove I'm aiming for 9 stone too.
It's been so long since I've seen that number.

(((((waves at everyone and takes a seat))))))))
I lost 3st 3years ago CCing and have maintained that weight more or less. I fancy losing another 9lb just so i can reach my dream weight of 8st 10
I CC every day its a great way to watch your weight. I'm currently on 1200 a day.

Hi gaggia I would love to get down to 8st 10. I'm aiming for 9st as I feel it should be totally attainable but if I could get back into the 8s (not since my teens so not sure if realistic) that would be amazing.

I am aiming for 8st 7 (am a shortie) and hope I will e happy with that. Rainy weather makes it much harder to resist comfort food .... must stay strong today!

Good Luck HaPPy8 I'm a shorty too.

I'm a shorty too! 5ft no inches! I reckon that I should be allowed a few more pounds due to my medical condition called massive norkage ((((( wonders if its possible to weigh norks on kitchen scales ))))))

Ah well that is a medical condition Im afraid i don't suffer from ....not even when pregnant or BF! Heavy boobs are a good thing i would say!

I am CC 'ing. and C25k ing too. I didn't like the calorie apps etc so I found an expenses one and customized it so it records my calories instead of pounds and pence. I'm really pleased with it.
Starting at 10-10 and aiming to lose 10 pounds before an Aug holiday to Spain.

CC 'ing is what's always worked best inn the past for me

I wish for a low calorie cake hmmmm that's something I don't allow myself cos its always mega numbers in calorie terms. I'm cake hungry.