I’m starting to calorie count. Anyone want to join me?

[Bookaholic73]

I’m going to be starting calorie counting from tomorrow, with the aim of losing around 2st (28lbs).

Would anyone else like to join me and hold each other accountable here on this thread?

I’ve tried so many ways of losing weight (Keto, Vegan, Low Carb etc) and none of it works long term.
So I’m quitting the fad diets and starting something that I can stick to.

I’m 5,5 and 12st. My aim is 10st, and I’ll be eating 1600 cals a day.

@Summerscomin thank you! I love trying new foods and @ForSaleChesterDraws yes I make my own arepas!

It is actually very easy, the Pan brand flour is available in my Tesco, you just mix it with water, stir up and let it sit for a while to absorb, then shape with wet hands into small rounds and cook on a hot plate/flat griddle or you can fry them (which is probably even tastier, but you know, calories!). Then you split them while hot and add fillings! My girls love them.

I also have a real cast iron tortilla press, was wedding anniversary present for iron. I bought some blue masa to make mini tortilla's soon.

Done better making up protein powder to be like iced coffee today by using a base of almond milk as it's the lowest calorie alternative. Added some mocha sugar free syrup. If I had some spare calories I think Milo would be really good in it.

Been for a walk today, partly went a different direction to be nosy about the huge fire at an abandoned hotel on the Prom, the traffic is mad past my house as the prom is closed both directions, there were 12 fire engines there yesterday afternoon, still 5 there this morning.

I'm going to look into that @WeirdPookah it sounds quite straightforward and a nice alternative to a pitta or similar!
@ForSaleChesterDraws lentil and feta salad sounds right up my street, and I bought some feta from a lovely Turkish stall at a market this weekend - do you have a recipe?
I'm kind of back on it but not 100%, just really enjoying some amazing food at the moment! And it's stuff that's difficult to track accurately.
Today I'll probably have some leftover antipasti and cheese for lunch, and dinner is what's left of the lamb curry from the weekend. I think we want to make onion bhajis again too 🙈 but I've discovered a really tasty raita made with 0% greek yoghurt that will probably feature more regularly. It's nothing especially different but has really finely diced red onion, garlic and ginger in it. A squeeze of lemon and, most importantly, left to sit in the fridge for a few hours. So good!

@Summerscomin -yes I thought the lentil and feta salad sounded yummy .I googled and found this if that's any good ?
There's also recipes which include roasted bell peppers and olives and tomatoes .But this sounded simpler!
serves 4 NUTRITION: PER SERVINGCALORIES
531KCALS
FAT
23.1G (8.6G SATURATED)
PROTEIN
32.5G
CARBOHYDRATES
51.8G (3.4G SUGAR)
SALT
1.9G

• 400g Puy lentils, rinsed
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 200g feta, crumbled

For the dressing

• Juice of 1 small lemon
• 4-5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Small bunch of fresh parsley,
• leaves roughly chopped

1. MethodPlace the lentils in a large saucepan with 1.2 litres unsalted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until just tender but still retaining some bite, and drain.
2. Mix all the dressing ingredients together and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the dressing to the lentils along with the sliced onion and crumbled feta, and pile into a bowl to serve.

@rileynexttime thanks for taking the time! It's always the dressing where I feel a bit clueless. I'd definitely throw a few olives and chopped pepper in there- maybe a touch of mint too, it works so well with feta!

This time around calorie counting, although I'm a bit off piste just now, I'm trying to use my allowance for really good nutritious food. Before I'd have questioned "spending" it on e.g. oil in a dressing and used the cals on crisps! But I'm trying to be a bit more mindful about getting good nutrients as well.

@rileynexttime and @Summerscomin I made up the salad recipe. I drained a can of lentils and added them to chopped peppers and cherry tomatoes. I added a load of mint and parsley, some finally diced red onions and capers. Dressing was lemon juice, lemon zest, S&P and hazelnut oil (I thought it had more flavour than plain olive oil). I then crumbled in 30g of feta per portion.

Emily English on TikTok does some really lovely salad recipes too.
I made one the other day with squash, pomegranate, seeds, mints etc etc in. It was bloody lush.

I’ve quite enjoyed trying lots of new foods during this diet. For once I feel like I’m actually eating really well and not just starving myself.

Also the kids are eating a little better where I’m putting more veg on the plate and swopping kiddies yoghurts for Greek etc .

@Weallgottachangesometime I think my diet would be far healthier if it wasn’t for my family! I’d eat far less meat and a greater range of veg if it wasn’t for them.

Been on another good walk this morning (also putting off cleaning!) and food is on track. My children mostly eat the same things we do, I've always encouraged them to try everything.

Yesterday:
B: Black bean burrito
L: Spicy Ful Medammes, salad with chermoula paste
D: Paneer curry (microwaved) poppadum's.
and an iced coffee with protein powder in.

Today:
B: Kidney bean burrito
L: Mackerel and salad
D: mango chickpea korma, cucumber, half naan

Been 3 days of curry for dinner!

Weighed in this morning. 157.7lbs. I don’t t know if that’s a gain or a small loss, and as I get older I find it helpful to think of my weight as a ‘range’ rather than a set number. It feels like the lower end of my recent range….

a high protein day for me, plus 2 gym classes. I’ve tried to avoid eating until lunchtime, to bank some calories for the evening really, but it’s now nearly time and i am hungry!

@thenewaveragebear1983 such a good idea to think of weight as a range. Saves the fussing over a week without a loss or even with a small gain. Probably healthier than obsessing over the exact number!

I kind of had to do that seeing as my weight can fluctuate by several (7?) pounds overnight. I tend to mentally hold a range and as long as I’m near the bottom of my range, I have forced myself to be ok with that. At the start of the year my weight ranged from 169 upwards. I’m now around about 159, after my long run on sat I was 155.5 (which I take as being my absolute lowest that’s currently possible as it’s basically a fully depleted/dehydrated weigh in that’s not my norm) but I can dip between about 158 and 160 at the moment. The lower end gradually (verrrryyyy gradually) creeps down…..

Evening everyone, sorry I’ve been missing for a few days. Work has been crazy!

I have reduced my calories down to 1500 from 1600 and even though that’s only a 100 calorie difference, I’m really struggling with hunger!

Today I have oats with fruit for breakfast (440 calories)
A ham sandwich & cup of coffee at work (306 calories)
Dinner was a chicken tikka masala, without the rice (467 calories).
I also had some snacks during the day. A babybel and salami stick.

I am coming in with 15 calories to spare today, so I’m done.

Hi! I'm back! I hope. Would be good to de-bloat before the wedding I'm attending this weekend, so I'm aiming for lots of vegetables, protein and not too much carbs. Also ready to knock sugar on the head for a bit. I've kept up my water efforts though so that's something!
I did peek at the scales this morning, it's not great, but I'm hoping it's a temporary gain.
I like the idea of a range too @thenewaveragebear1983 I think my ideal is 140-145lbs. I don't want to be much higher than that, it's when I start feeling heavy.
I'm sort of waiting for the new month to set my daily calorie limits, so for the next few days I'm just aiming for clean eating and damage limitation!
I'm out of the house a lot today so I'll update with meals later. Also need to restock my veg!

Hello everyone! I don’t know if anyone else is wobbling a little bit as well? Yesterday I probably went over my calories a little- however I did three hours of cardio which felt great at the time. I am seeing tiny changes but more importantly, I’ve lost interest in sugary foods. I had a massive salad yesterday. I am somewhat blessed in that the rest of the family are also eating more healthily as well.

Stay strong!

Really rather irritated at the scales, lost 1.5lb this past week, I've done so much walking, I've eaten well, and it's just not good enough. I'm too big for this slow a loss.

Done some cleaning this morning, have a hormonal headache and it's making me miserable. Will go for a short walk at school collection time instead of sitting in the car.

B: Kidney bean burrito
L: vegetarian chili, small baked potato and cheese
D: Roast vegetables, smoked haddock

I had a good day yesterday, ended under target cals and did 2 gym classes. Felt tired this morning although I did still go to the gym, I am looking forward to my rest day tomorrow.
I’m really noticing improvements in my stamina from actively increasing my protein, however I have been significantly less hungry yesterday and today coinciding with not having a protein shake for breakfast , or in fact, any food until lunchtime. So while I love them for the convenience, I still don’t think I’ve got the balance quite right. But in my running at the weekend and at the gym today I just felt a bit stronger.

@Summerscomin I think I can only dream of 140 these days, if I could get to 145 I’d be elated. After lockdown I was about 146/147, but I wasn’t carrying as much muscle as I am now (or as much fat) so I would love to get there again because I think I’d see the benefits of all my training.

Closing the kitchen on 1350 cals, 54g carbs, 125g protein, which is a very successful day all round!

Yesterday didn't go entirely to plan but could have been much, much worse!
I had the last of the antipasti for lunch and some cheese oatcakes.
Dinner was a slightly strange concoction of BBQ chicken and rice, with any veg I could scrabble together- I must go shopping today.
I did cave and have some chocolate (3 squares) and a small bag of toffee popcorn. It was a stressful day and my willpower deserted me! But, could have been a lot worse.
Today I need to catch up at work and I'm actually going to try write a meal plan before I shop. I'm usually against them, as I've said on here before, but my disorganisation isn't doing me any favours at the moment and it's leading me to poor choices and more stress which I don't need right now.
I'm going to trial it for a week and see if the stress reduction is worth the lack of choice/spontaneity!
Has anyone got any nice plans for the weekend?

@thenewaveragebear1983 sounds like an amazing day for proportions! Well done! 140 doesn't sound high but despite being 5'6" I don't carry more well at all.

@WeirdPookah I can hear your frustration. You don't need me to tell you slow and steady is more sustainable etc- but you're doing really well and your meals gives me food envy every day. The goal may be weight loss but you'll be reaping so many health benefits too!

@Mendholeai definitely having a bit of a wobble. The wedding I'm attending this weekend was kind of my 'target' so now it's here I'm thinking screw it.. but I need to keep it up/off over summer too.

How's 1500 feeling now @Bookaholic73?

Good morning :)

I weighed in today and I've lost another 1lb.
I'm not disappointed anymore. I was so disappointed that I'm only losing 1lb a week, but that is a healthy amount to lose if you want to keep it off long-term. So I'm happy. A loss is a loss!

A few more changes I'm making to my diet- I'm reducing my carbs and not having bread. I know I said I was going to reduce carbs at dinner time, but it's easier for me to do that at lunch time. I might have a protein drink instead of beans on toast.

@Summerscomin I am still struggling with 1500, but will try it for another week and see what happens. If I end up getting too hungry, I'll end up overeating, so I'm open to changing it if I need to.
In regards to your meal planning, maybe just try to plan a few days at a time instead of a whole week. I used to plan a week at a time and hated it. But now I just do it 3 days at a time and find it so much better. Plus, I can use up the fresh food I already have.

@thenewaveragebear1983 have you shared a recipe for your protein shake, or do you buy them pre-made? I'm thinking about having one for lunch, as I often don't have time at work for an actual meal. Well done on a brilliant day yesterday.

@WeirdPookah I can totally relate to your frustrations. It's 8 weeks til summer starts and I want to make big changes in my weight by then. Realistically I'd like to lose 2 lbs a week but I think being in my mid-40s makes it so much harder. Despite working out 5 days a week and eating well. Do you have a date you want to aim for?

@Summerscomin thank you, I am glad you enjoy the menu's I share, I hope it give people some ideas for new healthier things to try.
@Bookaholic73 I know really, I lost a huge amount of weight in 2009, it's making me so frustrated it's taking so much longer now. It's also everything else, I was broke, living alone and single, I could focus entirely on myself. Now I have a husband, family, house, more money, which is obviously all fantastic, but means I can't eat whatever whenever, or go out at 6am if I can't sleep. I wouldn't change my situation for the world! But damn it was easier when I could live selfishly! (plus no money for any extra food!)

I don't have a certain goal in mind for my end weight, as christmas will get in the way of the projected feasible goal by MyNetDiary, and I refuse to diet over christmas.

I would have really liked to lose another 10lbs by the last week of May, family wedding and holiday. That would make me a neat 50lbs down, but this month of no loss and 2 small loss weeks have scuppered that.

Today I have spent time attacking the family room, cleaning it and tidying. Going for a walk at pick up time.

B: Soya yogurt and pears
L: Boiled eggs, salad, pickled mushrooms
D: Vegetarian katsu with broccoli
Iced protein coffee shake.

@Bookaholic73 I bought protein works powder in the end, I actually bought a weight loss package but I don’t know how much I’d recommend that, there were some vitamins/supplements (fat burner type things with lots of caffeine in which I haven’t tried yet) and a noodle mix and a shake mix x 7 days of each. The noodle mix is nice actually but I find it’s higher calorie and higher carb than what I’d actually have for a normal lunch. I do like the shakes though- the chocolate flavour, it mixes well and I add about 50% more water than it says and they are still nice. It is a quick breakfast or after the gym snack, but still 200 calories. I actually prefer the protein pudding/yogurt type things and they have more protein, and are more filling as can add berries or other fruit if required. I am definitely feeling the benefits of increasing my protein though, my legs don’t feel as heavy when I run/workout

My two tips for meal planning are to make at least 2 days a standard meal to fit in with your routine, eg, for us it’s football night - one is sausage sandwiches, the other is Heinz ravioli (I must stress, this is for the dc only!) and in those nights I tend to do a quick thing for dh and I like salmon.

my other tip is to do a rolling list of things you hear about/ think of - that way when you come to do it, you’ve done a fair bit of the planning. I will save a link to a recipe if there is one, I’d if it’s just ‘oooh I fancy that’ I put it down and roughly work out what I will need. Then I sit at my laptop for ten mins once a week to order it, and I am wholly converted to click and collect (only 50p at Asda and often I can get a next day slot or even the same day if I do it early enough)

but yeah, I hate meal planning. It’s one of the top ten shit things about being an adult isn’t it?

I've had a disastrous day. I knew as soon as this wedding was upon me it would all go to pot!
It's tomorrow, and then there's the long weekend, and to be honest I feel like I can't be bothered. But this is a danger zone, if I let go now I'll have to redo weeks worth of work.
So I have taken the advice and planned meals, as best I can, to get me through to Tuesday. Went to the supermarket and got the ingredients. So the only thing in my way now is me!
Hopefully I'll have a bit more thinking time/space to figure out what I'm doing next week.
I've gone for a new meal mixed with a couple of firm (but easy/low cal) favourites.

Going to attempt a bit of pampering before bed to try and give myself a little boost for tomorrow. Feeling insecure.