This is my year

[Gettingbysomehow]

I'm absolutely fed up with being 5 stone overweight. My joints are killing me and I puff everywhere.
The only way I can lose weight is calorie counting, nothing else works for me. I lost 5 stone calorie counting when I had DS.
The current situation is menopause. I'm through it now and horrified.
I'm doing 1200 calories a day and I've decided I'm going to look at a year losing it because I'm older and it will take longer.
I'm 15 stone, the biggest I have ever been. I look square like sponge Bob square pants ff's.
Target 10 stone, I look like a skeleton under that weight even through I'm just 5 foot 5.
I started today because it's my birthday soon so it seems like a good time.
I don't do new year resolutions and January is miserable so hence starting today.
I know I can do it. I just want to be fit again and go swimming without being laughed out of the pool and making people feel physically sick.
I look reasonably slim at 13 stone because that's just the way I'm built and that's just two stone away then the rest will be easy.

Is anyone with me?

You're 15 stone. You do not need to only eat 1200 calories a day. Gradually reduce your intake and get the easy losses first. Don't kill yourself right from the start when you don't need too. All you will achieve is a shit load of diet fatigue and the negative mind set when you eventually have a bad day.

Hi OP,

Just wondering where you came up with this number for 1200? It seems quite low for your weight and height. You'll need more calories to see results.

I'd suggest inputting your details into a calorie deficit calculator to check your correct calories.

www.fatcalc.com/rwl

Good luck!

1200 cals because I have a chronic back and knee problem exacerbated by my weight so I can't do any exercise whatsoever at the moment which I hope will improve as I lose weight.
I actually feel full on that amount of calories. I am a vegetarian and wat a lot of salads and stir fries most of which I can't even finish.
I've just stopped stuffing myself with crisps and chocolate and have those once a week only instead of 5 times a day.

Hi @Gettingbysomehow I'm in the same boat. I started calorie counting on 8th January using the Nutracheck app. I've also been eating 1200cals but I'm surprised how little I've lost. I asked on the forum and all the replies said I should be aiming for 1400cals, so I'm going to start that from tomorrow and see if it makes a difference. Bizarrely I feel slightly slimmer (but that could be a mental thing as I've cut out the junk) so I'm going to take my measurements tomorrow to compare the ones I took a few weeks ago.

I am also 5ft 5 and weigh 12st 11 and would like to get down to 10st/10.7st.

If you’re happy with 1200 a day stick with it, but it does leave you with little to play with when the weight loss slows down. I’ve just lost 7lbs on 1300 a day and my starting weight was 9st 8 (goal to lose 1 stone as clothes don’t fit and I am very short so 8.5 stone is my comfort place). So I’d say you can start on 1500 easily if you’re happy to take a year. Then maybe drop down my 100 a month as the loss slows. Just my advice, you know your body well, for me I find 1200 quite restrictive as I’ve got a sweet tooth and like 3 meals plus 1 snack a day and that’s quite tough on 1200

Hi!

I started calorie counting on 2nd January, starting weight was 84kg when I started and have lost 5kg so far. My target weight is about 60kg. I’ve also given myself the year to get the weight off so ahead of target but I’m very aware that will slow down and there will be bumps along the way. My target daily calories are a little over 1400 but I’m meal planning to around 1200 as I’m a type one diabetic so like to have some to ‘play’ so that I can deal with any hypos without going way over target.

Hi @Gettingbysomehow - I felt like that at Christmas!! My knees and ankles hurt when walking down the stairs and jogging up the stairs left me slightly out of breath 😳

Started Cambridge 1:1 on 3rd Jan. starting weight 14st 1lb. Down 22lbs after 6 weeks and it’s mostly fat. Definitely recommend it. It’s easy to follow.

I haven’t told my friends I’m doing the diet, as I know they’ll be negative, tell me “I look fine” (I don’t!!) and say everyone puts it back on again after crash dieting. But I’m following other people online, who’ve kept off a huge amount of weight (6-10 stone for a long time) doing the same plan, so it is possible.

Good luck!!

P.s. My joints no longer hurt and I don’t have a shelf of fat spilling over the top of my jeans 😂

Can I join? I'm almost your twin op!

1200 calories is unsustainable in my opinion.

1800 a day is far more sustainable long term, I lost 3 stone in 9 months on 1800-1900 a day and it meant I could have chocolate, crisps, cake, more at the weekends if we were going out.

I know you want it off quick but the likelihood is you’ll do the first couple of weeks easily at 1200 then you’ll face a blip and be back to square one. Take your time, up your calories and be in it for the longer game, without wanting to sound harsh but if you find 1200 calories genuinely easy you wouldn’t be in the position you’re currently in.

I'm just starting today. I'm fasting for Ramadan so it's a good kick up the backside as it shows I can control myself when I want to. Going to be a challenge giving up the night time munchies when the kids go to bed though! That's my true challenge here. Going to try a protein smoothie approach for breaking my fast and then just increase my fruit intake in the evening. Also im thinking of making some homemade granola to have with Greek yoghurt for my suhoor in the morning so that it's not al fruit! Starting is 124kg. Would love to go down to 80 at least but let's see!

How are you getting on?