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.

Totally missed this message when replying a few mins ago. Thanks she is much better thankfully.
Hope you get a good rest this evening. I love going away but always happy to get home to my own bed.

Morning everyone,
my plan yesterday was to eat my treats and not count calories and enjoy them guilt free. I did eat them, but stupidly I got myself in a wobble about not counting, so therefore I did count everything, therefore removing the ‘guilt free’ part of my plan 🤦‍♀️. I’m always such a dick to myself about food. But hey, it’s done now. I drank wine, I ate roast, I ate cupcakes. I tried to eat some Easter egg but I felt too full and nauseous. Total calories came in around 2600 so I should have just scraped in on tdee as dh and I ran 10km in the morning and we had a busy day as well. So all in all not too terrible, however I have committed myself to not weighing myself now til weds, as I do have a habit of punishing myself with the scales after a day like that.

today, I’m running with my friend first thing. Then we have a family do at MIL’s which will be buffet food and completely possible to stick to calories and avoid carbs as long as I actually stick to it. I’m not going to drink, and will eat some chicken and strawberries before I go for my breakfast so I’m not ravenous.

all in all, the weekend hasn’t been too bad food wise, and compared to how I could have been it has been really excellent. The key now if getting back on it. I have 6.5 weeks until we go away at whitsun so that’s my next target and I would really like to be another 7lbs off by then- totally doable.

Oh and I can’t remember who was asking about quitting sugar- I am a total sugar fiend, I have the sweetest tooth. I could genuinely eat multiple cream eggs or super sweet buttercream icing for example, I never find food too sweet, ever.
I quit sugar 100% by going absolutely cold Turkey on it, no sweets or sweet foods at all, no sweetners. I did it in lockdown 1 and I kept it up for over a year. It was so liberating and I really don’t know why I ended up reintroducing it because it’s my biggest nemesis. I highly recommend trying it, yes the detox is a bit shit but your body very quickly starts to reward you for it. I’m definitely up for trying it again if anyone wants to?

@thenewaveragebear1983 well done on the running first thing. I love getting exercise early in the day as then it's out of the way. I haven't been to the gym since Thursday. They had funny hours over the Easter period and just couldn't manage it with kids etc ...
My husband is off today so will definitely be able to manage it.
I will join you on the sugar detox. I really hate the taste of sweeteners so it's really easy for me to skip those. My focus mainly will be the chocolate 😬, but will cut all sugar and use fruit to sweeten breakfast etc.
The kids and I are going glamping for 2 nights with a friend and her kids tomorrow. I will spend today cooking so I will be able to reheat meals for myself and try stay on track... Only 7 weeks exactly until our holiday !

@thenewaveragebear1983 interesting to hear that you cut sugar cold turkey. I’ve reduced my sugar intake but my sugar consumption is one of my biggest struggles. When I a child my mum used to make me milkshakes for breakfast with 5 spoons of sugar, make me sugar sandwiches etc. I have incredibly sweet taste! I’m always aware that I default to the sweet option in a situation. It’s massively impressive you managed to give sugar up. I’ve never got close. Though I can now have tea with no suagr where I used to have 3.

As well as calorie counting is anyone changing the type of food they are eating.

Fell down a TikTok calorie counting hole last night. Lots of people suggesting eating more protein is important. My calotype counting app shows that most of my calories are from carbs and only a fee
from protein. So I might start trying to up my protein!

@Weallgottachangesometime yes I’m focusing on getting more protein in my diet too. It keeps you fuller for longer, plus is great to repair muscle after exercise.

@thenewaveragebear1983 well done on having a really active weekend, I’m that would have burned off a lot of the extra calories! I’m definitely up for a sugar detox if anyone else is in?

@Happymama24 have a lovely time glamping, what meals are you taking?

This week I am not going to calorie bank 200 cals every day. I feel like this weekend was quite heavy with indulgent food, so I want to stay on track next weekend. So I’m planning on having 3 meals a day, each will have approx 500 cals.

Breakfast is 2 large pieces of toast with avocado, which is 471 calories.

I have the day off work today, so it’ll be easier to stick to eating healthier foods.

<waves> Can I join you all please?

I really need to do something about my weight, saw some very unflattering pictures from the weekend and look a right porker! I think I have been deluding myself but the cold hard evidence is there to see and it ain’t pretty.

I joined a gym 2 months ago but I don’t think it has done anything for my weight. I have been focussing on weights but sadly think I need to work on cardio for weight loss.

I have resurrected the Nutracheck app I bought last year and am going to use that to track what I am eating. I have found the simple act of tracking helps me focus on making better choices.

trying to get off to a good start by jumping on exercise bike now!

Good luck to all on their weight loss journeys, let’s try to keep each other on track and motivated!

Hi @ScandiNoirNuit welcome!
I’ve definitely seen a difference in my body since lifting weights at the gym, but I agree and would say not weight loss. But it’s much ‘tighter’ and more defined.
Do you know how many calories you’ll be aiming for?

Welcome @ScandiNoirNuit
it was a video of me that pushed me into looking at my eating too. I’m not overly bothered by what I look like, it just highlighted that I was carrying an unhealthy amount of fat.

I always track as best I can @thenewaveragebear1983 even if it's completely off track, it helps to see what I've been eating and where my cals have gone. The punishment bit doesn't sound so good if you've given yourself permission though!
@Weallgottachangesometime definitely try to increase your protein if you can. It does help with hunger for me. Carbs fill me up temporarily but seem to trigger me to eat more later so I try to save them for dinner. Easy protein for me is cooked meat in the fridge for salads, hard boiled eggs for snacks and cottage cheese on salads.

Morning all, I feel AWFUL today! Definitely the Friday wine has worn off but think I have a sugar hangover from the Easter egg chocolate yesterday - gross! Definitely up for the sugar detox as well as the booze. Annoyingly jumped on the scale and have re-gained the 2 lbs I lost last week over the weekend. This is a typical pattern of behaviour, I do so well over the week and then it all goes to crap at the weekend but am going to be quite selfish for the next few months and say no to more things, so sick of this off/on weight pattern that goes on between the week and weekend. So resetting my counter to day 1. 3 months till holiday time!

Plan for today

B - omlette with spinach, mushrooms, chorizo and cheese

L - bagel thin with chicken and salad and bowl of soup

D - unsure yet, might make a healthy chicken curry and have it with cauliflower rice

S - protein yogurt and fruit

Aim for 10k steps and no chocolate! I have to say at this stage of a long weekend I really start to crave my routine again! 🤦‍♀️

I am desperate to lose weight. So far given up any junk food at all, chosen low calorie options and going low fat too. Tried keto and it wasn’t for me and I lost no weight.

So I’m in

@Weallgottachangesometime
I got to goal calorie counting once upon a time (pre baby and covid!), upping the protein definitely helped me, I was less hungry too. I don't remember all the science, but I read a lot about it all back then and it gave me a much better mindset about it all and stopped me thinking about a "diet" as much as healthy lifestyle!

@bella1426 The 2lb back on will be mostly water if you've had an unhealthy weekend, it'll be straight back off if you get back on track :)

@Weallgottachangesometime for me it’s protein all the way, and fat- when I cut carbs I lose weight much more efficiently. This time round I’ve cut my calories down (lower than what nutracheck says I should have really, but oddly enough I see to be less hungry than when I have 1600/1700 - I think because it forces me to only eat my meals and not snack too much. I am very very insulin sensitive and I just can’t tolerate too much sugar and too many eating ‘instances’ because it sends my insulin haywire and makes me tired, snacky, and I don’t lose anything. So to answer your question, I have made some food changes but mostly it’s behaviour changes for me that get the results.

I am definitely in for a sugar detox. I don’t know why after so long I ended up back eating it, and unfortunately I am not a moderator so when I eat it, I EAT IT ALL. The other benefit to cutting it out is that when you start reading packaging labels, you end up cutting out a lot of processed foods that contain sugar and generally having a cleaner, more nutritious diet overall. Interesting last night I tossed anc turned, even after only 2 really light weeks all that heavy, rich food was just churning around and my stomach is so bloated today, I feel really uncomfortable.

Weigh in today - just over 3lb down! First week on track is usually a good loss because of general bloating but I wasn't sure my choices this week would see that happen this time.

I have another week off work and plans are quite up in the air so I have set the nutracheck app to 0.5lb a week loss and will aim for somewhere between that and 1400 (which is my 2lb a week goal and not something I ever expect to actually manage).

The rain is back big time today so not getting many steps in to start the week!!

I am putting myself back on plan today after Friday (even though had a calorie deficit through walking 6.5 miles) and Sunday (at in-laws, roast, cake, chocolate) and we have an absolute MOUNTAIN of chocolate given to us. We still have christmas chocolate coins in the cupboard FFS, and the amount we have from easter is crazy.

Today:
B: Soya yogurt and tinned pineapple (allergic to fresh!)
L: Poke bowl, (no rice) with smoked salmon
D: Homemade paneer curry with microwaved poppadum's

I did have one mini lindor egg today, though they are only 27 calories apparently.

@Bookaholic73 Nutracheck has given me 1368 cals per day based on 1 pound loss a week. I’m not sure I can keep to that, esp with exercise. I’m struggling to remember it all tbh, I thought Nutracheck gave you options to customise as high protein, etc but I think I’m getting apps and aims scrambled in my head! Cannot remember what I aimed for previously with protein levels but do remember that upping that helped with feeling satiated.

I have previously eaten back calories from exercise as would struggle to exercise and stick to less than 1400 cal but I don’t think that does me any favours.

@Weallgottachangesometime I look like I have a sack of potatoes around my middle in these photos, it has definitely given me some motivation to change! I possibly am more toned on top half from the weights but everything else seems to be going to pot!

@Summerscomin I feel the same with carbs too. I'm not eliminating carbs, but I'm planning on making my main meal in the evening a little less carb-heavy, as I feel it just leads to cravings for sugar.

@bella1426 that 2lbs will come off with no problem once you get back to healthy eating, it's more water than anything else. I know the horrible feeling of having had too much sugar over the weekend, that's most weeks for me recently. I'm determined that this weekend won't be the same.

@Mendholeai Welcome, great to have you on board too. Keto hasn't worked for me in the past either. I work much better with calorie counting because nothing is off-limits.

@AuntMarch amazing loss this week, huge well done! That just goes to show how well counting & tracking work, you must be so pleased!

@WeirdPookah I'm back on the wagon today too, as I just feel yucky after the weekend of chocolate and wine.

@ScandiNoirNuit i would say 1300 is a little low, especially if you exercise. I eat 1600 and that still allows me to lose. I lift weights and do the odd bit of running. BUt it's a bit of a guessing game and experimentation with your own body isn't it.

Could I join please? I'm switching from SW to CC. Nutracheck has given me 1656. When I CC in the summer I was BF and had 1800 which was easily done but I found I was eating junk food instead of fruit so I need to change my mindset.

I lost alot of weight to go on holiday and since I've been back ive been on a right binge fest. I have new scales as I don't trust mine and will weigh in the morning!

@ScandiNoirNuit on the diart there's 3 white lines then go into nutrition goals and it's there

@Bookaholic73 for breakfast I have made a breakfast burrito. Each burrito is made using 1 regular sized wrap, loads of veg, 25g cheddar and 1 egg. Only 373 kcal
It's very filling and the more veg the better. I used mushrooms, peppers, onions and spinach but you can use anything. I made them on the crepe machine earlier and assembled them straight away so they are ready to grab and go.
I will aim for a large meal prepped lunch so just something I need to reheat, I'm still undecided what I will make...
For dinners I will bring a pearl barley soup. It works out at only 113kcal for a massive portion because it's only veg and 50g of pearl barley divided between 4 portion... The original recipe calls for some chorizo or bacon but I omit that as a vegetarian.
By having a light dinner it will leave some wiggle room