Healthy weight loss without weighing ourselves

[BrimfulOfBaba]

Weighing myself is driving me crazy! I know what works for me and that's managing my calorie intake and exercising regularly. Whether or not I have the drive to stick to it consistently is another story entirely...

It doesn't help me to see the fluctuations in weight on the scales anymore. All it does is demoralise me if it's up, or make me compete with myself to get it even lower. Not healthy!

My wedding is in July and I want just enough fat loss to feel comfortable. I can monitor this via how clothes fit and photos rather than the scale, for now.

I'm going to use this thread to record my activities for the day as it keeps me motivated. Please feel free to join me!

This thread dropped off my threads, nice to find you again! Bank holiday Monday was a washout. I fitted in my daily walk before the worst of the weather hit but it felt a bit disappointing. My normal Zumba class was on so that cheered me. On the Sunday I met friends for a bbq in a pub garden which was just lovely. I’m not even going to comment on what was consumed but it was worth it!

I’ve had a bit of a cold and felt super tired the past couple of days. I’ve cancelled a swim and still 50:50 on hiit. It’s lovely and sunny so a walk might do today. For food I’ve got leftover roast potato and cabbage curry for lunch (nicer than it sounds!) and either lentil or soya bolognese.

I’m also intrigued by fancy oats. I wish I liked porridge but I can’t get on with it. Flapjack on the other hand...
Harissa is also one of my favourite things. I bet that bulgar wheat meal was delicious.

Have a great day!

My bank holiday weekend was a bit of a wash out too @PurpleDaisies. It’s so ridiculously cold here and DH wasn’t feeling energetic enough to go on anything but the flattest walks! Sorry to hear you’ve not been feeling great either. There seem to be so many colds/ bugs around at the moment and we won’t even mention the dreaded hay fever 😬

My roasted vegetables and bulgur dinner was lovely. It looks like I’ll be having it again tonight as DH decided to have pizza yesterday, instead of the lovely nutritious dinner I’d cooked him, so plenty of leftovers.

I'm 2 months in to 5:2 diet and I'm not weighing myself since I started until I finish this round at the end of this month.

Definitely finding some trousers that were getting a tad cosy are comfortable again, and I've sent back two pairs of trousers I ordered that turned out to be too big. I think it's working!

How are you finding 5:2 @Echobelly? I’m doing 16:8 (sort of!). I think I’d find two days of ultra-low calories quite difficult, but I guess you get used to it after a while?

@Crazzzycat - it's the second time I've done it but I think I'm doing it more properly this time (just two meals). First 3-4 weeks were really hard, tired and achey all day, but much easier after that.

I lost about 1/4 of a stone over 12 weeks last time, hoping to lose at least that much this time. It works for me as I don't need to lose a lot of weight and I don't think my usual diet is that bad, so it would be easy to fudge a standard diet, but this way there is a rule and you stick to it, because you totally miss the point if you have so much as an extra bite of something!

I've found it surprisingly easy to go without lunch so I plan to have a snack instead of lunch every weekday when I'm done with this 5:2 as it's an easy way to cut out a bunch of calories, plus I don't get mid afternoon slump when working.

Sounds like you're doing really well @Echobelly!

Did a great set of circuits yesterday - have switched to a more strength-based trainer on the SWEAT app. Hoping to get on the crosstrainer before/after voting tonight. I've not hit my deficit since last Friday so keen to claw back some progress.

I made overnight oats using the carrot cake oats and vanilla skyr - amazing! Really delicious and very reasonable calories. Lunch will be a salad with 'what the cluck' pretend chicken (my fave squeaky bean wasn't stocked in Tesco! Not likely to go back there!) and dinner will be sweet potato, cottage cheese and veggies. Not going to be repeating that dinner now that the sweet potatoes are used up, I keep forgetting I don't really like them!

I went through a phase of eating sweet potatoes too often and I was sick of them! Now I’m back on then again but it took a while.

Welcome @Echobelly. What sorts of things are you eating? We love food chat on this thread.

I’m feeling better and did hiit yesterday. Tonight is Zumba. Neither quite be to full power but better than nothing. Food’s a bit odd today because I’ve been out all over the place. Potato pancakes for breakfast (thanks dh!), a vegan meatball panini in town today and later it’ll be leftover cauliflower curry. Plus a couple of snacks.

I’m going to give those carrot cake oats a go @BrimfulOfBaba. Maybe I’ll be converted! It’s the texture of porridge I don’t like so perhaps overnight oats might be a win.

Basically v low fat plain yoghurt for breakfast with fruit in it (c200 call)
A few almonds mid morning (50 cal)

Apple at lunch (50 cal)

Dinner is usually a small minute steak or sea bass cooked on George Foreman grill, with side veg (200 cal)

I usually drink 2 green teas, 1 diet coke mid afternoon, and a lot of water over the day!

Morning all! My appetite is all over the place this week. I went from being hungry all the time earlier this week to not being able to face dinner yesterday. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will all balance out over the week.

Those oats sound delicious @BrimfulOfBaba! What brand are they?

My plan for today is roasted vegetable bulgur for lunch. I roasted way too many vegetables earlier this week, so am switching things up by having them for lunch, not dinner today 😄 Dinner will be aubergine lasagna, which is a recipe I’m trying for the first time today. I’m looking forward to it!

For exercise, I’m planning to do 30 minutes on the cross trainer. I’ve been very tempted to pick a harder programme this week, but not sure I’m quite ready. May be next week

Have a great weekend everyone!

I like starting new things on a Monday @Crazzzycat...save that tough programme for another day! Today’s hiit was so difficult and I feel I’ve earned a coffee now. I love aubergines. Never had them in lasagne-that’s a great plan.

Gosh @Echobelly those fast days sound hard. Thank goodness you’ve only got two per week!

I’ve had houmous on rye bread toast for breakfast and made a very delicious (if I do say so myself!) soup for lunch with onion, parsnip, coconut milk and harissa. Total cost: £1 for five portions using manky looking parsnips. I’m feeling very virtuous. Dinner will be chips from the chip shop though!

Have a lovely weekend all.

This is the recipe for that aubergine lasagna @PurpleDaisies

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/aubergine-lasagne/

I’ve already made the sauce and only used a third of the recommended amount of oil. Six tablespoons of oil in the original recipe. I think not! 😄

Your soup sounds delicious. Anything with harissa is a winner as far as I’m concerned, but never tried it in combination with parsnips myself. Yet another interesting idea to try!

Yeah, 2 days just about manageable. As I've said it helps it's so absolute and you can't 'cheat' it at all. Only 6 more fast days to go for me - this round at least. Wouldn't be surprised if I'm on it again next spring though, might just have to be a regular maintenance thing.

Thank you @Crazzzycat. I’m a big fan of Jamie’s veggie recipes. He’s a funny one in that I find him a bit annoying but I love his cooking. I’ll definitely try that one.

I discovered parsnips and harissa when I accidentally ordered one sweet potato instead of one bag of sweet potatoes (plus sixteen tins of chick peas instead of four!) for a tagine and decided to improvise with parsnips and carrot to bulk it out. Damn you online shopping. It’s a really good combination though. I’m still working my way through a posh jar of harissa from my local zero waste shop bought on impulse but absolutely worth the extra money.

@Echobelly

Yeah, 2 days just about manageable. As I've said it helps it's so absolute and you can't 'cheat' it at all. Only 6 more fast days to go for me - this round at least. Wouldn't be surprised if I'm on it again next spring though, might just have to be a regular maintenance thing.

Good luck-it must be great to have an end date. I usually weigh once a week and if I’m above a certain number I eat healthily and exercise more until I’m back down again. I find that really helps me never to have an intimidating amount to lose. I’ve been doing well maintaining this time so hopefully this is it now!

I totally get what you’re saying about Jamie Oliver @PurpleDaisies. In fact, I used to avoid his recipes for exactly this reason. I can’t stand him when he is tv, but have had to concede that his recipes are actually pretty good. That lasagne was no exception. Absolutely delicious!

My plan for today is spicy bean wraps for lunch (also a Jamie Oliver recipe) and carrot & feta keftedes (from my new Greek cookbook) for dinner. I’m not sure why, but ever since I started dieting, I just want to try out new foods and recipes. It’s almost as if I’m appreciating and enjoying food more than when I was just thoughtlessly shovelling it in.

For exercise, I have a 30 minute session on the cross trainer planned. I abandoned my plans for yesterday’s session after I realised how bad the weather was going to be this weekend and went for a long walk in glorious sunshine instead. Looking at the weather this morning, that was definitely the right choice!

I’m not sure why, but ever since I started dieting, I just want to try out new foods and recipes. It’s almost as if I’m appreciating and enjoying food more than when I was just thoughtlessly shovelling it in.

Exactly the same for me regarding trying out new foods and recipes. I cook and eat so much better now. Those keftedes sound fantastic. Photo required...

Last night’s chippy take away really hit the spot. It’s been five weeks since the last one so it was great to really enjoy it. Today it’s houmous on toast for breakfast, weekend packet of kettle chips and posh coffee mid morning, lunch more harissa parsnip soup with a bargain 5p ciabatta roll. For dinner I’m making smoky black beans in wraps with guacamole, salsa and either rice or salad depending on how hungry we are. A mountain of beans is currently soaking-they’re great for the freezer.

It’s a bit grey but just about dry so will pop out for a walk later. Good call going in the sun yesterday @Crazzzycat! I’m listening to a really good podcast called “Missing and Murdered” which is a Canadian true crime programme I came across after hearing the author on radio 4. It helps to have a distraction if if chucks it down!

How are you doing @BrimfulOfBaba and @Echobelly?

Happy Saturday everyone.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Glad you're feeling better @PurpleDaisies.

Wow @Echobelly those fast days look intense! I wish I had the fortitude.

I admit to really loving Jamie! His recipes are usually the ones I seek out. The man knows how to pack in flavour!

I'm glad I switched programmes on the Sweat app, there's more interval/tabata type training and it just feels good to focus on different exercises. 6am workouts have not been happening, ha, but I've tried to keep up 10,000 steps a day and have fit in strength circuits throughout the weekend. Yesterday was the first day in a week or so I managed to stick to my deficit.

Had a stressful week last week, as well as the start of my period over the weekend which culminated in comfort eating. No regrets - was needed for my soul! Seeing some small changes in my body, may brave trying my wedding dress on again in a couple of weeks!

Hope you all have a great start to the week!

Doing OK, thanks for asking, but hungry this morning as I didn't have much breakfast yoghurt left.

DH did not cope at all well with fast day last Thursday and was in a foul mood all day!

My weekend was fine. A bit unspectacular but that’s par for the course these days. I was knackered on Sunday so had a big nap and then baked some fantastic oat, pecan and raisin cookies. Oops. I’m not sure whether to share the recipe because I think it might derail everyone’s healthy eating kick! My excuse is period is due tomorrow and I’ve turned into a carb monster. No regrets here either! I’m rationing the rest of the cookies to one a day. At least they have fruit in them.

Today it’s been hiit (abs-bloody awful) and Zumba later. It’s dry so I’m going for a run/walk.
Breakfast: houmous on toast
Cookie
Lunch: the last of the harissa parsnip soup
Dinner: jacket potato, leftover smoky black beans, salad and guacamole
Plus a snack or two

I really like tabata @BrimfulOfBaba, especially the really short rounds of 20 seconds. I’m not built for longer intervals! That dress is going to look gorgeous.

I didn’t spot that you and your dh are both doing the 5:2 @echobelly. Good to have the support but I feel for you having a hangry partner!

Happy Monday!

Ooh a spammer! We don’t often get offers of picture of rain soaked kittens here...

I quite want those cookies @PurpleDaisies!

Today is the first proper day of the period, and all I want for lunch is a veggie patty Subway so I've ordered myself that. Gimmie all the carbs!!

Yes interval training feels much better to me than ages of cardio! Makes me feel like I've accomplished more movement as well, somehow. That said, looking forward to a nice long walk today. Hope you have a lovely run/walk, it's lovely today!

Had my usual skyr/granola/blueberry brekkie, will be having a 6 inch veggie patty subway for lunch (with cheese and chipotle sauce thankyouverymuch), and dinner will be an omelette and noodle stir fry - or the last of the horrid sweet potatoes.

@Echobelly you also have my sympathy re: hangry partner!

DH only joined me a few weeks ago. TBH, I'm not sure it's the best approach for him - he needs to lose more weight than me and doesn't cope well with the hunger, I think he might need more of a 'habit-changing' approach, as it's just that he eats too much too often really.

In that case...
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/maple-pecan-raisin-oaty-cookies/amp

I did half the recipe and got 12 cookies. Mixture of sultanas and cranberries instead of raisins. Baked for 12 minutes for perfect chew/squidge ratio.

Thanks for the recipe @PurpleDaisies. Oooh cannot wait for a fruity, squidgy cookie!

@Echobelly fingers crossed he finds the right method. The most annoying thing about dieting with a man, for me, is that they seem to lose unwanted weight so much more quickly than women! Oh to have a man's maintenance calories 😭