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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Original poster

Thread for people who are trying out food focus :)

320 replies

StealthPolarBear · 15/07/2011 20:52

And need support

This was recommended by TheHumanCatapult and is www.foodfocus.co.uk. you start by registering your weight etc and tell it how much you want to lose. It then tells you when that will be achieved, which for me was some time in 2013 Shock. You then use it day by day to record all the food eaten, and all the exercise you have done. It is working for me so far (only day 5) because:

-Iget instant results (it tells you day by day how much it calculates you have lost, you won't see it on the scales)
-I see how much I am actually eating
-I'm in control. I can see the impact of whatever I am going to eat before I actually eat it which does help the willpower somewhat!
-It's FREE

OP posts:
Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 16/07/2011 16:41

That's brilliant Kara, although sorry you have been hungry.
How has everyone else done today?

OP posts:
FourThousandHoles · 16/07/2011 18:06

Arrghh I've run out of calories! 1300-odd runs out REALLY quickly.

I had a salad for lunch and had some cheese with it. Turns out the amount of cheese I have on a salad is waaaaay to much. You live and learn Grin

KaraStarbuckThrace · 16/07/2011 21:53

OOps! Chalk it up to experience.

Or do some exercise to burn off some calories!

Day 1 went okay, let's see how day 2 goes...

Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 16/07/2011 23:24

Yes I have had a bit of an off day. Still within calories but had chocolate and wine this evening. Still, it's the weekend.

OP posts:
whyme2 · 17/07/2011 08:49

In the end I had quite a good day yesterday. Although I was helped by a very long phone call from my dm in the evening and by the time she had got off the phone I was too tired to eat so I just went to bed.

Will see how today goes, I have loads of things on my to do list so hopefully I will be too busy to think about food to much.

Hope everyone is doing okay.

SouthGoingZax · 17/07/2011 09:49

Hi all,

Well, I thought I had fallen off the wagon in spectacular style yesterday - had my brother staying and I had carrot cake, we went out for lunch (prawn sandwich) and had a chinese takeaway (a very rare treat) for dinner. Had 2 glasses of wine too.

But when I totted it all up I had only gone 650 calories over, and still under the 'cals burned' so back on the wagon today and feeling good. (Previously a day like yesterday would probably have meant a week off the diet because I'd 'blown it'.

KaraStarbuckThrace · 17/07/2011 13:12

Aww for those who are having a bad day.

Just remember what Scarlett O'Hara say "Tomorrow is another day!"
And as South has shown, sometimes you aren't as naughty as you think!

Going well today, made a chicken casserole with new potatoes, carrots and leeks, use the create a meal thingy to work out how much calories in total (1202) and then entered my portion size, it was really easy to do! I estimated my portion to be a 1/3 but think it may have been less since it was split between 4 of us, but one of the 4 is ds who doesn't eat a huge amount.

Have been swimming though, with 1mo DD only stayed in for 15mins as it was her first trip, she seemed to like it though!

I had cereal for breakfast and I have to admit I felt less hungry this morning than yesterday when I had protein heavy breakfast.

SouthGoingZax · 17/07/2011 14:34

Good going Kara!

I am now off to the park to burn some calories
Grin

Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 17/07/2011 21:44

Well done everyone! Wow at DD going swimming Kara - do you actually have to pay for them when they're that tiny?

Well I have had an odd day - dinner at mum and dads and wasn't being miserable about weighing and measuring. So had to come back and guess, trying to overestimate how much I ate. That said it was only one meal replacing two (lunch & evening) so it hasn't pushed me over my limit. Going to have a very calorie light day tomorrow to get me back in the swing of things. I really need to start seeing some results soon to spur me on.

OP posts:
KaraStarbuckThrace · 17/07/2011 23:00

I bought a family ticket for swimming, I have a card that gets me discount at council run facilities and it only cost us £7 for me, DH, DS, DD and DSS, bloody bargain!

Good day, used all my calories. I am find okay still, having to log everything does help stop me from impulse snacking. Need to buy more fruit tomorrow! Going to see Harry Potter tomorrow so will probably have a snack, but can access the food focus website on my phone so I can look things up!

KaraStarbuckThrace · 18/07/2011 07:18

Woohoo, weighed myself this morning and have lost 3lb already!! Though that is since last Thursday though.

whyme2 · 18/07/2011 07:59

Well done Kara

I weighed myself this morning and have put on 1/4 of a pound Sad

Feeling very despondent after my all my hard work and don't know whether to break out the chocolate cake or the slimfast.

KaraStarbuckThrace · 18/07/2011 10:27

Do neither! Today is a new day! Can you go for a long walk or something?

whyme2 · 18/07/2011 11:06

Thanks Kara

I made the dcs walk to school in the rain and I've also done the shred for the fourth day in a row. Food wise I opened my special K and had a Brew when I got back from school.
I am feeling better now, thank you.

I have lots of cleaning and hoovering to do now as my mum is coming to stay for a few days.

FourThousandHoles · 18/07/2011 11:16

I'm doing lots of cleaning today too.

I am really struggling tbh. I am trying to d this because I KNOW I need to but my will power is zero. It's like giving up smoking (which I did successfully years ago), a switch needs to flick over in my head somewhere and I am still waiting for that to happen. I shall keep plugging on regardless, I am being very honest with myself and the stats on the site are really interesting. I eat a lot of carbs and fat so I think I ought to substitute some of that for lean protein. I'm not veggie so shouldn't be too difficult.

1/4 of a pound is nothing worth worrying about whyme, a glass of water weighs more than that. Keep going, you'll see some results soon enough :)

Took the dc's swimming yesterday, we were in the pool for over an hour! Loads of calories in the bank :)

Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 18/07/2011 12:27

"a switch needs to flick over in my head somewhere and I am still waiting for that to happen."

That is exactly what seems to have happened with me (so far so good anyway), and I know what you mean. I ahve spent years saying "I am fat, I need to lose weight" but not really linking that with the food I was putting in my mouth iyswim? Obviously logically I knew but I wasn't making the connection. I am really hoping this is it and I can keep up this diet until I need to. Think I will always be logging my food though :( I have no willpower and no concept of moderation, so I need the site to tell me when I ahve eaten enough!

OP posts:
KaraStarbuckThrace · 18/07/2011 14:20

I've been in denial for years. I comfort eat a lot as well.
I did have popcorn at cinema but have recorded on log, i have had a low calorie lunch, and still have nearly 800 cals left. Need to keep busy!

manicmuvvaof3 · 18/07/2011 21:09

Hello, can I join you? I have just (thanks to Mumsnet!) found the Food Focus site and I feel really optimistic that it will help me. Just by knowing I have to log everything I eat, it's making me eat less cr*p, and I've even been going for walks on an evening to "up" my exercise quota. I work shifts so will log into this thread whenever I can. Good luck everyone Smile

FourThousandHoles · 18/07/2011 21:22

much much better day today

i think i need something like this to force me to think about what I'm eating instead of just shoving stuff in my gob

for eg I was doing dd's packup and almost, almost snaffled a babybel but there weren't enough cals left today so I didn't... normally I would have justshoved it in without thought

hello manic :)

Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 18/07/2011 21:40

Well I'm still going OK but getting to the stage where I need a bit more motivation. At the moment my motivation has been not undoing all the goo work I have done so far but I have been snaffling chocolate (and recording it) and am feeling tired, hungry and a bit sick of it all :(

OP posts:
whyme2 · 18/07/2011 21:55

Oh Stealth I know where you are coming from. My motivation seems to have slipped away this evening and I have eaten two smarties ice creams Blush
Not even bothered logging them. I need to push myself but I don't know how. I know things work best if I can not eat between meals and get some self discipline involved.
How to think thin anyone?

I know tiredness doesn't help so I am going to bed at 10pm tonight.

And as someone else said "Tomorrow is another day . ."

AlsoAvailableSober · 18/07/2011 21:58

Can i just say, try to keep at it, even when motivation fails a bit? Maybe try and do 30 mins of exercise and see the calories allowed actually increase? I always felt much better if i 'earned' more calories - eating them was then actually a nice feeling as i had worked hard for it.

I lost 4st using Food Focus and still go back to it for a few days if i go off kilter too much.

Good luck all Smile

Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 18/07/2011 21:58

Maybe just have a rule that you do log everything. Eat what you want if you have to but log it. hat's sort of what I'm doing. That way you can start again the next day, knowing what position you're in. If you don't log it you're in the dark.
But I know, it's hard isn't it ? :(
I'm havign an options hot chocolate. They're not that bad

OP posts:
Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 18/07/2011 22:00

The only exercise I can practically do is walking with the pushcahair, which I love. Need to make more of an effort.
Does anyone know how many cals breastfeeding a 2yo will be using up?

OP posts:
whyme2 · 19/07/2011 09:25

Also - I have been doing my shred dvd and about 3 miles of walking each day and actually I do feel better for it and it looks good on the calories allowed column too.

I will log everything from now on.

After dc4 was born I lost just over 2 stone with food focus so I know it works for me. just don't understand why it is a lot slower this time.

Stealth I have been thinking about what you said

I need the site to tell me when I ahve eaten enough! Today it really struck me that this is a really useful idea, if I have logged everything and used my calorie allowance than that is it - kitchen closed as my dm would say. Am still pondering that as obviously judging by my size 20 clothes I don't know when enough happens.

Thanks for your help everyone Smile