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?

Congratulations on climbing Ben Nevis @MrsEHB!

I have food envy @ginandchocs!

Week 11 weigh in:

I'm exactly the same as last week 137.25lbs. Happy with that and will try harder this week!

Have a good weekend everyone

@Egghead68 I love to cook (though my husband made last night's sea bass dinner as I had to pop out, and he forgot to cook the fish 😂). He literally prepared potatoes and broccoli! A bit of swearing from him, followed by quickly cooking the sea bass meant we did eat a full meal (though he served the fish skin side up and then but the butter over it - but that's me being fussy 😂).

@lmfaoo well done on your weigh in. I've had a quick peek this morning, and things have stayed as they are this week too, which I'm happy with as it has been a bit of a mixed week.

The weekend is here, and that always ends up with me eating differently so I'll probably bloat by Monday, and lose it again by Wednesday 😂

68.0kg for me today. Happy with that.

Well done @Egghead68

I had an 'I'm fat' meltdown yesterday! I'm a stone heavier than I was last Summer, and a stone lighter than the Summer before so I have literally no clothes that fit! I'd ordered some online which turned up yesterday and I'm probably sending the majority back. Even the ones that fit don't look good as I'm overweight. I'm determined not to go back down the Slimming group or fad diet route though as I know I'm eating far healthier now and improving my relationship with food.

I do need to speed up the weight loss though from my around 1 pound a month 😂 I've got a Tesco click and collect today so last night I added some extra fruit which I will chop up ready and pop in the fridge as a quick and easy snacking option. I want to look good in clothes!!

I don’t know if it would help you @ginandchocs but I make large trays of roasted vegetables and use them to bulk out my meals for not many calories. I like to flavour them with fennel or nigella seeds.

Hello can I join.
I have lost 3stone and 4lbs since January taking me down to 10 stone 10lb but I'm stuck. I know it's because I've become complacent and I really really dont want to put it back on.
I've been sticking to 1200 cals and logging everything I eat but in the last few weeks I've been going over by doing something stupid like stuffing 3 kitkats at 11pm at night .
So....I need support and would like to post here if thats ok ?

I'm a single mum of 3 older dc and currently wfh because of covid.
Hi

@Clovertoast 3 stone 4lbs is amazing! How did you do it? Well done 😄

Funny you should say that @Egghead68 as I had a chicken and halloumi tray bake for dinner yesterday as I had carrots potatoes, butternut squash, courgettes and onions in the fridge that needed eating up. Just bunged it all in the oven with a smidge of oil and it was delicious!

@ginandchocs I feel the same having no clothes to wear and I'm so fussy about summer clothes because I don't like to be too exposed! I'm really struggling to buy online as you can't try anything on and then I inevitably hate it when it arrives lol! You've done so well since starting this thread just keep going with the small sustainable lifestyle changes as that seems to be working for you and everyone else!!

@lmfaoo thank you. I did it by simply calorie counting and logging my food. I also gave up bread for a quick start at the beginning and alcohol.
I find that if I dont go over 1200 I generally lose a couple of pounds a week.
I've gone from an 18 to a 12 BUT have as I said in my OP got complacent. I need to stop stuffing at night !
I get hungry and give in to almost binging.....

@Clovertoast wow that's amazing!

12000 cals every day is hard! Could you try to up it a bit more so you don't feel deprived and therefore no need for the midnight kitkats? Even if you increased it just for Friday / Saturday? It will be slower weight loss but that's better than no weight loss? Alternatively you could try adding exercise? How much more are you planning to lose? I think giving up alcohol is the holy grail of weight loss unfortunately! I have cut back massively since I started losing weight and I do feel better for it!

Well done on your loss so far @Clovertoast. Would going to bed earlier help with the late night snacks? Not having kitkats in the house? Or allowing yourself one (not 3!) in the day so you don’t feel deprived?

@imfaoo your traybake sounds delicious.

Please could I join?

I’ve lost 19lbs in 8 weeks and have now maintained for 8 weeks so I’d like to get back to losing!

I’m going to eat
1550 mon- thurs
1750 Friday
2000 sat + sun

Totalling 13500 a week!

Sorry just realised there are, in fact, 7 days in a week and not 8 my weekly total will be 11950

That sounds like a good plan @PigglyWigglyWoo

Tomorrow’s plan:
B: Roasted plums (300) with vanilla ice-cream or yoghurt (250)
L: Roast Veg/Beans/grains 300 & Veg kofta curry 300
S: 350 cals of chocolate/Jaffa cakes/melon

@ginandchocs I fully sympathise with you, I dread summer coming round every year as I know I'll end up upset at how I look in shorts and dresses. It's sad really as it makes me dislike the summer months when they should be such an enjoyable time.

@Clovertoast you've done great so far, I agree with @lmfaoo, ive always found 1200 cals so unsustainable. I do 1400-1500 mon-thur and then upto 1800 on fri sat and sun. I manage to fit in a lower cal choc bar and crisps most nights and on the higher cal days I can have a glass of wine and 'proper' choc bar. My current choice is Cadbury's wholenut!

Welcome @PigglyWigglyWoo 19lbs is fab!

Well I sound like a broken record now I think but I'm still not back on the wagon. A combination of my anxiety getting the better of me this week and just being unorganised and not having the right food in the house! Going to set myself a target of getting down to 10 stone by the first week of September. So that's just under 5lbs to lose, I know I can do it if I try!

@Egghead68

Thank you! Hopefully I can stick to it, I was regularly burning over 3000 calories as I’m 5 foot 9 and have 2 dogs and try to work out every day but I’ve hit a bump and injured my knee so only 2600 burned today including 13 painful km walked this evening.

Eaten 800 calories so far but I’m about to have homemade pizza for tea

Can I join? I have downloaded MFP again to track. Eating too much basically!
I weighed my granola this morning and peered in the bowl to find it so once I've finished it I'll be on something else for breakfast! I use gousto at the minute

Today's food

B - granola, milk, banana
L - 3 egg omelette with tomato, ham and cheese
T - gousto tomato gnocchi with goats cheese
Snack - ice cream cone

Total cals 1594

To add, the calculator I used says 1785 cals for me to lose 1lb a week. I've been diagnosed with hashimotos too which isn't helpful

@PigglyWigglyWoo well done on losing 19lbs that's exactly the same as me! How much more do you want to lose?

@QueenCT welcome! Your food today sounds delicious! I'll be having

Porridge
Spanish omelette and veg
Banana
Fish cake and veg
Ice cream cone

Have a great day everyone!

Plan for today

B - granola and raspberries
L - corn thins with tuna mayo and cucumber, yoghurt, mini cheese
Tea - leftover gnocchi
Snacks (if needed!) baked crisps and a protein shake

Comes in at 1559

@lmfaoo

Thank you!
I think maybe another 15lbs as my BMI is still 24 (was 25.8) when I started

Morning all.
I've had 2 small slices of granary bread with lurpak and marmite and a small tea. 246 cals
Lunch will be 2 hard boiled eggs and salad. No dressing.
Dinner will be fruit and fiber and a banana.
800 cals in total for today with diet coke and water.
That will fill me up tbh.