Does anyone want to lose weight as a snail's pace?

[ginandchocs]

I'd say most people want to lose weight quickly. I certainly do. But it just doesn't work. Or, it does initially, but then it all goes back on and some.

I've decided to try a different method. I'm aiming to lose weight slowly. Maybe a couple of pounds a month. If I achieved that, I would lose almost 2 stones in a year but in a way that would be sustainable.

I'm going to do this using myfitnesspal. I'm setting my calorie goal for the week to be relatively near to what I usually burn without exercise (obviously a little lower otherwise I wouldn't lose anything!). I'm splitting the calories unevenly throughout the week though as I always tend to eat that bit more at the weekend (I end up falling off the wagon and giving up another diet - hopefully by having a greater calorie allowance would allow for this). Any exercise I do would then increase the weight loss (by a tiny amount) and would obviously make me healthier. I will not eat the extra calories.

The calories I've allotted myself may need to be tweaked if they're too high and I'm not losing at all. Time will tell. This may be a bit mad, but if it works then great. I would have to eat around this amount of calories to maintain my weight if I had lost anyway so I'm hoping this brings with it lifelong good habits.

My calories will be:
Monday to Thursday - 1675
Friday - 2000
Saturday and Sunday - 2250

Some days I may be over, others under. I'm not going to eat for the sake of it nor will I say no to something because I don't have the calories left for it. However, I want my weekly calories to be 13,200 or less. As I said, though, these calories may change if the numbers aren't right. It's a bit trial and error.

Anyone else fancy a slow weight loss journey that will hopefully create new habits, and allow me to maintain forever more?

I'm going to keep this updated over the next couple of weeks to see how things go. Today I have eaten:
Breakfast: 2 poached eggs on 2 slices of seeded bread. A glass of raspberry and cranberry juice (452 kcal)
Lunch: salad with new potatoes, chicken, cheese and some pumpkin seeds. Diet coke (296 kcal)
Afternoon snack: a slice of Victoria Sponge (283 kcal)
Dinner: red lentil dahl with rice and a chapati. Squash (508 kcal).
Evening snack: I have 136 kcal left this evening but haven't decided yet what I'm going to go for.

After a handful of jelly babies last night, I ended up eating 1,670 calories yesterday which means my weekly update on Day 1 is:

1,670/13,200.

We're having a carbonara for dinner tonight so I've already added the details into myfitnesspal (along with some garlic bread) so that I know how many calories I have left for the day. Carbonara is usually one of the meals I avoid on a 'diet' and avoiding foods just doesn't work longterm for me.

I'm going out for a run this morning, but will only be a shortish one. That'll increase the calories burnt today though 😊

Yes I'll join you on a snail pace weight loss!!. Started a month ago and have lost 2lb. The old me would have been disheartened but on this "diet" I'm happy as it feels very do-able in the very long term - a lifestyle change. I have counted a lot of calories in the past so I know I can't keep that up, instead I'm doing 3 meals as normal (I'm good at healthy meals and portion sizes) plus fruit / low fat yoghurt for snacks if really necessary but .... only ONE treat a day.

Years of calorie counting means I know that this gets me to 1800 cals:
B: 300 cals (weetabix and milk)
L: 400 cals (a sandwich and an apple)
D: 600 cals (usual healthy family food)
Fruit / yoghurt snack: 200 cals
One treat: 300 cals

My Fitbit tells me I burn on average 2500 a day but I'm perimenopausal and have thyroid disease so I hold on to fat

The one treat has been a big challenge Ive realised that in the past I'd have a few biscuits with my morning coffee, and a slice of cake in the afternoon, and a chocolate bar and a glass of wine in front of the tv in the evening, and a dessert at dinner time, and crisps with my lunch sandwich .. now I have to choose ONE a day. I plan it in the morning and it tastes good!

The other thing I've learned from bitter experience is to have a day off a week (for me it's Fridays) when I allow it to loosen up. Like you that helps me to stay on the wagon for the long road.

Good luck to us all! We can sustain this!!

Yep - slow and steady wins the race. I'd like 1lb a week max.

I've set a mini goal of seeing the number 12st something on the scales. Don't even care what number is after the 12 at this point. I want to see that by the end of the school summer holidays. 16 weeks to lose 17lbs.

I'm 14.3 today. Hideous at my height.

Once I hit that 12-something marker, 2lbs a month would be great.

I'm really happy to have some company. @NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoBy it sounds as if you're fully in control. I'm the same as you with the thyroid issues which really does slow things down.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz your goal is really achievable. Good luck!

Today has gone well. I've eaten:
Breakfast - poached egg on toast (1 slice today as ate a little later) with cranberry juice (319 kcal)
Lunch - same as yesterday but slightly different weights (328 kcal)
Afternoon snack - Mr Kipling apple and blackcurrant pie (214 kcal)
Dinner - spaghetti carbonara with a slice of garlic bread and a small glass of red wine (707 kcal)
Evening snack - 4 jelly babies with a large glass of squash (95 kcal).

That brings today to 1,663 calories. I've also been for a short run and been for a walk with my children (the benefit of Wales allowing unlimited exercise from yesterday!).

I've made a swap to Gin and Slimline Tonic for an evening tipple, and started Joe Wicks. I've got the C25K app ready but need to wait for delivery of my trainers.

I'm not much of a snacker apart from around 9pm, so I've pushed my dinner back to 8pm and going to bed 9.30 to try and counter it.

The other night dh and I had homemade burgers. He had his (2x) with chips and coleslaw. I had mine (1x) with just the coleslaw.

It's too easy to just plate up equal amounts when I make dinner. A bad habit I need to break.

Well done on the Joe Wicks and the C25K. The Couch plan is great, I completed it fully last year with a group and managed to increase my distance a bit on top but then fell ill and last Autumn everything stopped. I've only started back the last couple of weeks but I can definitely go further than I could 12 months ago so haven't lost it all!!

It is definitely so easy to pile the plate up. I was talking with my dh earlier about something similar. If I hadn't been tracking I could have easily eaten another 3-400 calories today without thinking I'd over eaten. It's quite scary really.

Well done for eating later to stop the evening munchies. My children are young so we eat early (before 6 usually) so evening snacking is the worst!

A good day today! It's interesting to see that my portion sizes have generally been pretty good. It's the snacking and the alcohol that are the problem!

Today I have had:
Breakfast: oat pancakes with berries and cranberry juice (321kcal)
Lunch: pasta salad with dressing and a diet coke (376 kcal)
Afternoon snack: jaffa cake mini roll and a diet coke (101 kcal)
Dinner: jacket potato with beans, bacon and cheese, and a salad (481 kcal)
Evening: g&t and a few jelly babies (321 kcal).

That brings today's total to 1,600 calories.

A 50:50 day today. Due to a stressful morning with technology issues I missed breakfast (not on purpose, I never miss a meal!). My lunch was pretty good, and dinner was ok but I did snack a bit today.

Lunch: teriyaki salmon with rice and veg (474 calories)
Afternoon snacks: mini twister and a jaffa cake bar (137 calories)
Dinner: sausages, root veg mash and mushy peas (587 calories)
Evening snacks: large port and half a packet of fizzy fish sweets (442 calories).

That brings today's total to 1,642 which is pretty spot on, but I definitely need to limit my sugar intake I think as I definitely eat too much. 579 calories on sugary foods and alcohol today isn't great.

That's definitely a target for me to work towards, but I'm happy with my calorie intake as a whole 😊

I've just started a thread on Calorie Counting and AIBU as I used to be 16st and got down to 10st. Over the last year or so I've gained 3 st back. I originally lost weight calorie counting 1200 a day. Glad to see you're changing your habits. You can do it

Well done on your original loss @lou967 Are you going back to 1200 calories a day or are you going down a different route?

On Fridays, I had decided that I would up the calories to 2,000 as I tend to relax eating wise ready for the weekend! I have actually finished the day on 1,862 which I'm really pleased with and not said no to anything I fancied.

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs on a bagel with cranberry juice (387 calories)
Lunch: salmon and rice bowl with diet coke (456 calories)
Afternoon snack: 3 salt and vinegar rice cakes (I've always got a pack in the cupboard, they're really tasty!!) with philadelphia original (140 calories)
Dinner: garlic chicken, potatoes and veg (347 calories)
Evening snacks and drinks (532 calories).

I also went out on a 5K run this morning and went for a family walk this afternoon. According to my fitbit (which I know can overestimate) my calories burnt today is considerably higher than yesterday so I know I've burnt more than I've eaten.

@ginandchocs Thanks. Yes I'm back to 1200 a day. Hoping it works

For a Saturday, today hasn't been bad. My calorie allowance on a Saturday is increased to 2,250 as I always eat/drink more at the weekend. I have finished today on 2,248 so 2 left over!

Breakfast: buttered toast and cranberry juice (181 calories)
Lunch: picky platter and diet coke (571 calories - best guess)
Afternoon snack: galaxy caramel cake bar with a small Prosecco (204 calories)
Dinner: pizza and salad (663 calories)
Evening snacks: wine and sour squirm sweets (629 calories 😬).

Obviously it hasn't been my healthiest day of the week, but I'm really pleased that I've stuck to my calories and eaten a fairly normal Saturday! We did go out for a 4.5 mile walk today as well, so hopefully my calories burnt will be more than I've eaten!

I am really interested in joining you. I have lost 2lbs over the last 2 weeks but tend to find that by Monday I have put at least a lb of that back on so I am just oscillating and not making progress.
I am 13st 5 and was 11st 2 two year ago and 9st 7 four years ago. I am only 5ft 4 😳.
I definitely eat too many sugary treats and as the task feels insurmountable at the moment I give up really easily. I start tracking every morning but end up stopping by the afternoon. Snacking in general but particularly in the afternoon is a problem but as is the faff of tracking a recipe - just looking for excuses!
I will start tracking properly today. I have an Apple Watch so am going to look back at my historic data and spread my calories out over the week - I like that idea.
Good luck today 😊

@Selfcarequeereyestyle I think it could be definitely worth giving a go. I have found this week completely stress free and not felt like I'm dieting at all. I'm hoping that long term I won't rely on counting calories as much and will be able to instinctively eat roughly the right amount.

We're a similar height, I'm just under 5ft4, and my weight 18 months ago was just over 13 stone, last summer I managed to get down to around 10 stone 10 and I am now back up to 12 stone 5 ish. My weight has done this for years.

I've planned my breakfast and dinner and input them into mfp so I know how many I have left for lunch and snacks. American style Pancakes with blueberries for breakfast this morning after my run. I'd always assumed they were very high calories, but they're only around 380. I will be having a big oj which will push the calories up though 😂

Have a great day 😊

That's 7 days of eating 'normally' but being in complete control done. I will see tomorrow how my weight has changed and whether the calories I'm consuming are where they need to be. Today has gone pretty well and I've prepared tomorrow's lunch already (chicken and white bean stew - though just looks like soup 😂). Today I have eaten:
B: pancakes with blueberry compote, strawberries and orange juice (506 calories)
L: leftovers from yesterday's 'picky platter', diet coke (483 calories)
S: 2 x jaffa cakes, g&t (241 calories)
D: gammon, pineapple, homemade chips, peas and sweetcorn, squash (470 calories)
S: 2 finger kitkat, glass of wine, diet coke (313 calories).

That brings today's total to 2,012 calories out of 2,250.

This week I have eaten a total of 12,705 calories and have burnt off in the region of 14,970 (according to fitbit - I know they can be inaccurate but I'll be keeping an eye on weight changes and if I gain then I know I need to adjust). That's a deficit of just over 2,000 which equates to around half a pound a week weight loss. That would be just under 2 stone in a year, by eating and drinking pretty much what I want, but watching portion sizes and being more sensible about the food I eat.

My resting heart rate has decreased this week from 76 on Monday to 72 today. I'm really pleased about that. I will update with my weight change in the morning.

Go look at Team RH on Facebook. Its exactly this, a bit of nutrition and a bit of exercise in exchange for more calories. I’m losing weight (at snails pace) eating >2500 calories.

Me! We didn’t own any scales so I made a lockdown purchase 2.5 weeks ago! I’m weighing myself on a Wednesday (the day the scales came!). I lost 1lb week one and nothing week 2

Am thinking about it but not depriving myself and reckon this will be sustainable.

It would be more sustainable if I hadn’t eaten the last of the Easter egg for pudding at tea time

@womanaf Thank you for the recommendation. I actually joined last year (I have tried almost every group going 🙈) and if I remember correctly the amount of protein I needed to eat was on another level. I personally didn't enjoy it. If it works for you, that's great though.

@PotteringAlong I think this is the right attitude. Thinking about it but not depriving. I've spent years depriving myself and I'm heavier than ever!!

I've weighed this morning (I actually weigh every day. I know a lot of people would not agree with that but I find seeing how my weight fluctuates during the week interesting) and I've lost 1.75 lbs since last Monday. It'll be interesting to see what happens to my weight this week as I'm due on this weekend coming. I'm not stressing about the numbers, just inputting them into the Happy Scale app and seeing if a pattern emerges. If you would stress about seeing increases on the scales or it's triggering I absolutely wouldn't advise weighing every day.

Back to my 1675 calorie days today. I've got a heavy dinner tonight so a lighter lunch (and no alcohol today - I drunk more than I should last week 🙈).

Today has been good. I had an absolute favourite of mine for dinner, fresh pasta and sauce. So, today has looked like this:
B: Bagel, 2 x scrambled eggs with milk, cranberry juice (366 calories)
L: chicken and white bean stew with a diet coke (308 calories)
S: 2 finger kitkat (107 calories)
D: fresh pasta, sauce and garlic bread, pint of squash (666 calories)
S: 4 squares of dark chocolate (216 calories).
I also had another pint of squash today which brought my total calories eaten to 1,673.

I went out for a walk with the family after lunch, but that was today's only exercise.

I have no idea how many calories I’m eating because I’m not counting them, but following my “don’t go nuts” mantra I was another 1lb down this morning!

So 2lb in 3 weeks. But I’m happy with that.

@PotteringAlong that's a great loss, well done. I hope that eventually I'll be able to eat what I want without tracking calories by just being aware.