Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Calorie-counting

Discuss calorie counting, including tips, challenges and real-life experiences. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

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

516 replies

ginandchocs · 10/05/2020 22:26

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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
willowmelangell · 16/08/2020 17:21

You did say snails pace. Just thought I would share my changes. From January I switched to buying only skimmed milk, no sugar in coffee and instead of bread and butter and soup, I have two bowls of soup.
I got on the scales yesterday.
4lb loss.

The tortoise is winning the raceGrin

QueenCT · 16/08/2020 19:21

My day wasn't the healthiest

Skipped breakfast
Lunch - beans on toast with 25g cheese
Tea - cheese veg gousto pasta bake
Snack - peanut butter and chocolate cookie (hence why I skipped breakfast!)

About 3l water and 4 cups of tea

Motiv8meplease · 16/08/2020 20:49

@Egghead68 / @PigglyWigglyWoo - I’ll up my calorie intake a bit this week and see what happens 🙏🤞!

ginandchocs · 17/08/2020 07:09

@willowmelangell 😂 I think that's great! You've made small changes and have lost weight! What's not to like?!

@Egghead68 woop for breaking the 68kg barrier! I'm hoping to break the 12st barrier over the next week or 2!

@Motiv8meplease 1200 calories to me would be too low and not sustainable long term. You'd lose quicker initially and then end up struggling and gaining the weight back. You could always try increasing the calories, and if after a couple of weeks your weight hasn't shifted then drop it slightly until you find the right balance.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I went to my mother in law's for 'tea' yesterday and she brought out course after course of cakes and puddings!! She started with jelly, ice cream and fruit, then came out the scones, and then a couple of different homemade fruit pies 🙈 I was actually quite proud of myself, I didn't have any pie and only half a scone (and of course some jelly and ice cream 😂). I genuinely didn't want any more and knew I had a gammon joint in the slow cooker to come home to.

I'm going to jump on the scales this morning to see where I'm at. It's totm so I'm not expecting any miracles 😂

OP posts:
MrsEHB · 17/08/2020 09:44

Morning all.

145.2lbs this morning. Having garlic mushrooms on toast for breakfast, had some shrooms on the turn that needed used! Will be a bagel for lunch with some fruit and vegan bolognese for tea.

Motiv8meplease · 17/08/2020 10:57

@ginandchocs, well everyone’s advice convinced me I could have Spag Bol and a big glass of wine for dinner without jeopardising my progress! Thank you!

Trying to do this the right way, and make sure it stays off!

ginandchocs · 17/08/2020 11:15

Woohoo....1.5 lbs down this week. I'm really pleased with that.

Struggling with lunch ideas for today though! I think I've got some frozen fish so may cook that with either a jacket potato or sweet potato and some veg, but not 100% sure yet.

@Motiv8meplease bolognese and wine sounds perfect!

OP posts:
Egghead68 · 17/08/2020 14:22

Nicely done @ginandchocs!

PotteringAlong · 17/08/2020 14:26

Hello all! The summer holidays have well and truly stalled me and I have fallen off the wagon but style - I’ve now stayed the same for 4 weeks Blush

BUT - if I’m looking for a positive, none of the weight has gone back on again.

I’ve decided in my own head that I can live with 3 more weeks of maintaining and then when we’re back at school in September I can get back on it properly

PotteringAlong · 17/08/2020 14:26

But well done you lot - I am still loving reading how well you have done!

PigglyWigglyWoo · 17/08/2020 14:36

Well done everyone!

QueenCT · 17/08/2020 19:07

Day done, 1284 cals Smile still no loss but it's TOTM which is probably affecting it

Egghead68 · 18/08/2020 06:38

67.8kg. I seem to be losing 50g a day on average (around a 385 daily calorie deficit). Definitely snail’s pace!

Motiv8meplease · 18/08/2020 13:05

@PotteringAlong you’re not going backwards so maintaining is still a win! Esp with summer hol temptations of wine and Ice cream!

I’m so grateful to have come across this thread, much healthier attitude to losing weight sustainably!

MrsEHB · 18/08/2020 13:21

Well done @Egghead68, I think it takes so much more willpower when you are losing weight slower aswell.

I have had poached eggs on toast for breakfast and a bagel thin, apple and popcorn for lunch. Does everyone else find it easier if they stick to the same things most days? As long as I switch up my teas a little bit I don't mind eating the same all week! Tonight's tea is veg red Thai curry. I've done my second workout of the week, hoping for 4 workouts and 3 runs this week, even if my runs are only about a mile!

QueenCT · 18/08/2020 13:44

1466 cals today
B - two boiled eggs with mayo
L - tuna mayo and cucumber sandwich, bag of baked crisps, mini Milky Way
T - gousto coriander chicken

Too many cups of tea and lots of weak squash

Egghead68 · 18/08/2020 15:56

Thanks @MrsEHB. Yes I find it easiest if some of my meals are the same. I did swimming and pilates yesterday and have done cycling and couch 2 5K today. Tomorrow is a hill walk and stepping through a low intensity HIIT class (I am post viral and have to take it easy).

Hope everyone’s week’s going well so far.

QueenCT · 18/08/2020 16:06

Yeah I'm the same, I once ate the same lunch (feta salad) for about 5 months at work BlushGrin
My boss is always entertained by it
Hashimotos is definitely affecting my weight loss, I can't wait to have my meds increased

Egghead68 · 18/08/2020 16:11

Found this about waist size on the NHS BMI calculator page:

Why waist size also matters

Measuring your waist is a good way to check you're not carrying too much fat around your stomach, which can raise your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.

You can have a healthy BMI and still have excess tummy fat, meaning you're still at risk of developing these conditions.

To measure your waist:

Find the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips.
Wrap a tape measure around your waist midway between these points.
Breathe out naturally before taking the measurement.
Regardless of your height or BMI, you should try to lose weight if your waist is:

80cm (31.5ins) or more for women
You're at very high risk and should contact a GP if your waist is:

88cm (34ins) or more for women

Mine is 34in even though my BMI is now 22.1! I think I’d better try to step up the weight loss.

Trisolaris · 18/08/2020 16:45

Hi everyone,

Thought I’d join as I was on another thread that died!

I’ve lost 4kg but have now been stalling at around 60kg. Haven’t been too well lately and it’s made me not want to exercise. I’ve stuck with eating 12-1500 cals a day but as I’m short I need to exercise to lose weight at my height and weight really.

Egghead68 · 18/08/2020 18:34

Welcome @Trisolaris. Sorry to hear you’ve been unwell. Me too - I still have to spend as much time as I can lying in the sofa due to post-viral fatigue. I think my weight gain is largely due to months of this inactivity. Could you tolerate light exercise? I’m doing lots of that now instead of my normal spinning, circuits etc. which would just cause me to relapse at this stage.

Plan for tomorrow:
B: usual fruit & cake 600
L: spinach dhal 260 rice 280 Roasted veg 150
S: free choice up to 300 cals (prob mint Malteser buttons or a Tesco Cornetto)
Gentle hill walking and stepping through a HIIT class.

Trisolaris · 18/08/2020 19:33

Just been for a walk with dp so that’s a start!

Sorry you’ve been unwell too @Egghead68 Mine has been a mix of work exhaustion, utis, headaches and a flare up of nerve pain which is a long term issue which I think has been exacerbated by the other issues. I feel like I’m coming out the other side though so hopefully I can get back to the 10-15k steps a day I was doing through lockdown!

Egghead68 · 18/08/2020 20:53

Great you’re iimproving!

QueenCT · 18/08/2020 21:11

Tomorrow's plan

B - protein smoothie
L - egg mayo salad on GF bread
T - gousto chicken dish
Snacks - banana

1267 so room for a yoghurt or something too Smile

lmfaoo · 18/08/2020 22:06

Hi everyone well done on your loss @ginandchocs and everyone else!! I've been rubbish at posting but I have been enjoying reading everyone's updates!

Sooooo I had a takeaway on Friday and then a cream tea on Saturday 🙈 Also a fair few g&t's and all the nibbles that I can't resist when drinking! I've not been counting but let's just say it was a pretty calorie dense weekend! I've been alright today and yesterday but going out for dinner tomorrow so will try to eat slightly less for breakfast and lunch and not go overboard when out! I've been managing 10,000 steps most days and doing my mini workouts so at least that's something!

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.