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.

@birdywillow well done on the loss, that's great considering you didn't track 100! Lindt & Lindor are my favourite chocolate!

Hi @ilovemydog123 welcome! What kind of dog do you have? I have 2 spaniels and they certainly keep me active! Have you calorie counted before?

@Hermoinestrousers what kind of takeaway are you having? I've heard that Thai food is quite healthy. Personally, I like Indian and almost always go for biriyani which I don't think is too bad. Well, not as bad as it can be!

We went out for a lovely walk, I've done 13k steps and drank plenty of water. But I also had a Mcdonald's on the way home. In my defence...actually, I have no defence. Just straight back on plan. Dinner tonight (if i feel hungry) will be a chicken salad that I've already prepped.

@Hermoinestrousers Sainsbury's also do a great low cal pizza, it was a staple for me last time I was calorie counting, before I had to cut gluten. I've a feeling the co op do too, sorry if this is all too late!
If it's a takeaway option then actually I'd go for Indian. Stick to just curry if you can, pick lean meat like chicken or prawn if you like it, and a tomato based dish. When I was following slimming world I remember a vegetable Rogan Josh was the lowest syn option (only knowledge I can remember 😂) so I'm guessing it must be fairly low cal.
I like salad with my curry, they're refreshing against the spice (also like my curry HOT) but I'd find it hard to resist rice or even better, a naan 👀 but hopefully your willpower is stronger than mine.
Out this eve and pre-drinks are flowing. I've put everything in, and overestimated, and I'm only just over cals. But we'll see!

@Bookaholic73 the biryani isn't too dry? I have never ordered one because I worry it would just be a bit too meh
I'm sure 13k steps counteracts at least a big chunk of the maccies. Unless it was a double quarter pounder with a large milkshake and a sharebox of nuggets that is...and if it was then I am very jealous as I cannot remember the last time our milkshake machine was working ha ha

@Summerscomin I love those pizzas and they would have been my first choice. Sainsbury's is a bit of a drive from me though whereas we have a M&S food up in the village so I have gone for one of those.

I do like a bit of salad with my curry, our local gives a little bag of it and I always have it. I am partial to rice and peshwari naan too though.

@Hermoinestrousers haha, I wish! It was a chicken burger, fries and Diet Coke. Was going to look up how many calories but was too scared 😂

Decided against dinner tonight, I’m not hungry after the Macdonalds earlier.

Weird day for me. I did a workout this morning but then visited my parents and did hardly any steps (6k in total) drove home and went to meet dh and my older ds. Dh had had 7/8 pints and is annoyingly drunk and being lairy; (he’s not a bad drunk really but he just gets a bit twattish). We get home, I’m bloody starving- made myself some dinner, and now feel a bit annoyed and generally tired and crotchety. I do have around 120 cals left but I don’t really want anything, but dh wants to do fun stuff because he’s been drinking all afternoon (although what exactly ‘fun stuff’ means I have no idea, we aren’t going anywhere and the kids are about to go to bed 🤷‍♀️) . . We’re on totally different wavelengths tonight, bit disappointing as it’s BH.

anyway, my food has been good- “skinny cow” burger ( which was burger with bacon, cheese, salad and onion relish), no alcohol, then mackerel, fried eggs and cheese, and some strawberries and total 0% yog. However, very little veg, not enough water and not much exercise.

tomorrow- running in the morning, not sure how far yet. Then hopefully it will still be sunny and we can just chill in the garden. I’m having a day off the diet tomorrow as was always my plan, with a nice cold Sauvignon blanc, a roast dinner. and my lindor egg and I’m not going to count calories, just enjoy my treats and get back on it on Monday.

@Hermoinestrousers that makes sense, I have all the big supermarkets except Waitrose within 10/15 mins and forget that not everyone does, sorry!
The gluten free pizzas are limited and need "editing" with extra cheese/topping so it ends up pretty high cal, but I'm getting a craving so trying to factor one in next week.
@thenewaveragebear1983 sounds like a frustrating day for you, hope DH has woken up less annoying and you can have a nice day together today.
I thoroughly enjoyed my night off last night, didn't go too crazy but appreciated every bit. I've no idea what's in store today but it's another high day so I've got some flexibility.
Not decided whether to eat Easter chocolate. I cut sugary stuff out because I had no "off" switch with it and I've gone through all the withdrawal headaches, I'm not sure if it's worth it 😬
Happy Easter! 🐣🐰

@Summerscomin just want to ask about cutting out the sugar stuff. Did you go cold turkey or do it gradually? I need to cut it out, if I know it's in the house I crave it so much. I have stopped buying it but with 4 kids in the house there seems to be a constant flow of junk coming from parties etc...
How long did the withdrawals last? Do you crave it any more or did that get easier too? Thanks

Happy Easter to you all!
My DC is with his dad until later this afternoon so I went for a short walk this morning, only half hour but better than laying in bed doom scrolling like I usually do when he isn't here/I have no plans!

Just pottering about with washing and housework in between copious tea breaks. Only the second day this week that I haven't had plans involving eating out with other people so trying to keep calories low. I expect DC will want to share some easter chocolate this evening so will allow for that.

So far I have had just a dairylea and salad sandwich thin but haven't actually planned ahead today.

I will go through the freezer later and plan at least dinners for the week based on what is in there so I can make some space to batch cook some "ready meals" next weekend.

@thenewaveragebear1983 I hope he's got at least a bit of a sore head today. Though not enough to mope around and be more annoying. My husband generally just falls asleep when he's been drinking - I even refer to his cans of beer as his bot bot as I know he'll be snoring away by 9pm -and peeing me off because I cant hear the tv over his annoying snore-gurgle noises

I really need to make an effort to get back to exercising. I am sat typing this with a bloody spin bike and treadmill behind me. I used to be so good. I start an actual in an office job next week after working for myself for over 6 years. dreading it to be honest and do wonder how I am going to motivate myself to workout more as well as still walk the dog, ferry the kids round, do the housework etc. I know everyone has to manage it, just I have loved being at home and master of my own day.

I can already feel my motivation to be good today melting away.

Hope everyone has a lovely day

@Happymama24 I go cold turkey, I've had to do it a few times 🙈 the worst of it is over for me after about 3 days. I get a bad headache, a bit shaky and yes, crave like crazy. But now I'm on day 6 I think and I'm not too fussed for it, so it does calm down! Also have treats for DC in the house but I keep them somewhere different and mentally they're 'not mine' so I don't bother.

@AuntMarch

Hey everyone happy Easter 👋 just back from a 2 night hotel stay with DP without kids and despite best intentions there was quite a bit of booze and decadent food. However 2 days will not derail me and back on it today, made some good choices at the hotel breakfast and sticking as well as I can today to 1500 cals. Holiday weekends are always a bit tricky aren't they? I'm off the booze now for 3 months before a holiday we have in July so giving myself the best chance to shift a few lbs, hope everyone is having a lovely weekend whether you are on plan, having a planned diet break or completely fallen off the rails....tomorrow is another day eh 😉

@bella1426 that definitely sounds like an occasion worth going off track for! No point going away and not letting yourself fully enjoy it!

@Summerscomin I've been there with the cold turkey, it's rough isn't it? Chocolate is definitely my weakness and I have to really limit it or I get serious cravings that just keep growing. We have about a thousand Easter eggs in the house - none purchased by us! - and will need to remain strong in the face of temptation 🤦‍♀️

Good afternoon everyone. Hope you’re having a lovely Easter Sunday. I just got home from work and am feeling so unwell. Another awful 8 hour shift on my feet with no break.
DH says leave and find another job..I’m very tempted tbh.

Did the best I could, ate a Trek white chocolate and raspberry bar for breakfast. Not as nutritious as I’d like, but it’s what I could manage while on my feet at work.
That was 231 calories.

I had a chicken noodle bowl when I got home, which was 388 calories.

I have 981 left for the day. I’ll definitely have an ice cream after dinner, so I’m glad I have the calories left for that!

@Summerscomin was it really difficult to quit the sugar? I’m a total sugar fiend and have often thought about trying it.

@Hermoinestrousers dont be too hard on yourself. Maybe a new and different form of exercise might be a good idea. Swimming, classes etc might bring the motivation back for you?

@bella1426 that sounds like a lovely time away. It’s been months since DH and I had a weekend away. I think I’ll mention it to him later and see what he thinks.

@Bookaholic73 I am sure if you work six hours you are entitled to 20 minutes legally, doesn't everyone complain?! (I say that as it is what we get, and we are told we have to take it even if we say we don't need to)

@AuntMarch sorry for the random tag earlier! Not sure what happened there. I too thought there was a legal requirement for a break @Bookaholic73, I've got 20 minutes per 4 hours in my head but things could've changed since I was in retail a long time ago..
Re giving up sugar as @bella1426 said it is really hard, I won't lie. The first time I did it was definitely the hardest. I hadn't realised how habitual it had become- odd sweets here and there, especially in my car, had become normal. But I felt/feel so much better for it once I've got over the worst!

So far today I've had a ham salad sandwich and some crisps (400). It was supposed to be a high cal day but I think I'll swap it to tomorrow as we're planning a big roast dinner. So dinner will be something around/under the 700 mark, maybe Thai curry or quiche & veg.

@Summerscomin I must do it! I have done it in the past and definitely found it tough and generally only last about a week 😞
I'm fairly good with other junk food but chocolate is my weakness. I never add sugar to anything else unless baking. Could easily leave crisps, ice cream cake etc...I wouldn't miss them.

Today has been a tricky day for me. I didn't sleep well as my dog showed signs of an ear infection around 2am and was getting more uncomfortable as the night went on...had to call the vet at 9am and just get her seen when my husband finished his night shift. I was dreading the bill but not something that could be avoided and in fairness it wasn't as high as I thought it would be. She usually shows signs leading up to an ear infection but this one was out of the blue! The stress of knowing she was in pain was awful.
So today I definitely stress ate in the morning and was out in my sister's for the evening so had some shop bought pizza.
Tomorrow is a new day and planning to get straight back on track...

@Happymama24 how is your dog now, feeling better?

I had some roast dinner tonight, but I wasn't very hungry. I ate the chicken (minus the skin-my favourite part!) and about 3 potatoes and that was it. Then has a glass of wine and some chocolate.

The roast was about 300 cals and the chocolate was 450ish and I didn't even finish the wine as I was not too fond of it. Maybe 150 cals for that.

So I've stayed within my calorie allowance, but only just! Back to normal tomorrow, no more chocolate or wine in the house now.

Only 3 potatoes?! I think I would find roast potatoes even harder to resist than chocolate. I don't have to be hungry to want them.

I don't make them. Only me and 3y/o DS here so a roast never seems worth the effort (or oven time lol), but it just means when I do get to a carvery I can't get enough potatoes on my plate!

@Bookaholic73 thanks she is much better. Double ear infection so got pain meds and antibiotic ointment and steroids for her ears .. she looks much better....

I'm trying to meal plan at the moment so I have a good week. I always do best when I have a plan!
Do most people plan the week ahead or decide on the day what they would like to eat?

@Happymama24 sorry to hear about your dog, hope they are doing better now? It can be hard to stay on track with your diet when you get curveballs thrown at you. Especially ones that impact your sleep! Feeling absolutely exhausted today after our weekend away and defences were weak with all the chocolate in the house, definitely went over my calories and haven't even tried to track them all! Line drawn, also new day of no wine and chocolate dawns tomorrow, well done on sticking to cals @Bookaholic73 despite having the nice treats

@Bookaholic73 you did really well with the calories for the roast. I would be the same as @AuntMarch when it comes to roast potatoes.

@Happymama24 I definitely do better if I can plan, at least a day or two ahead based on what food I have in at that time. Id love to do a week in advance but not that organised, maybe I should push myself to do it this week!

@bella1426 I always aim for the week but generally about 3 days works best to plan at a time. I often find that when I get to day 4/5 my husband may have eaten half the ingredients that I needed for the plan so end up doing a top up shop again 😕
He cooks a fair bit also so I can't complain too much