Don't Starve! The Eat More to Weigh Less Group

[ShirleyKnot]

Hello!

OK, stemming from this thread I promised to start a thread to explain a little bit more about eating well and still losing weight.

I'll start by telling you about me because I love to talk about me


About 5 years ago (when I was 34) I went back to work full time, this time locally, in a sedentiary desk job. I drive to work everyday and was often far too busy lazy to do any exercise at all. My weight remained fairly static (At about 11 stones, I'm 5ft 7.5 and fairly chunky) for a good couple of years and then it started creeping up.

For the past two years I have skipped on and off WW, SW and I have tried low calorie diets, the lot. My weight has gone up to 12 stone 11 lbs at it's highest and I'm carrying it pretty much all over. My gut though TERRIBLE - It hangs over my knickers and in January my size 16 clothes were starting to strain.

Miserable ain't the word. It has affected my confidence (yes, honestly) and I know that at my age (39) it is only going to get harder to lose.

So, in January I started back on WW. I watched everything I ate, I thought about food compulsively, I went for walks in my lunch hour, and every weekend I fell off the wagon and stuffed my face. WHY? It makes no sense! I gobbled bread and cakes and biscuits and sweets like mad.

In April, after having lost and gained the same 7lbs over and over again I joined BIWI's Low Carb Bootcamp, and started upping my exercise at the gym (Doing classes mainly and swimming and I also started the Couch 2 5K) this is where it got weird...I stuck to the diet, it was pretty easy! I loved the food and didn't feel hungry at all - my endurance during exercise was affected but I thought I'd break through that barrier sooner or later. I watched as people on the thread lost masses of weight and I was completely stalled out. What? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? I believe that during this time I was eating a good couple of thousand calories per day, plus exercising almost every day.

I left the group as I felt so fed up with not losing and limped back to my fitness pal, but decided to stick with the no crap (no white bread/pasta/rice, easy on the white potatoes, easy on the fruit) WOE. MFP gave me a calorie limit of 1,200 cals per day and I did this for a a few days before starting to feel rotten. I started looking around the MFP community pages and found the Eat More To Weigh Less Group and read every link, and lots of the discussion boards.

It was a lightbulb moment - WHY was I expecting my body to cope on less calories than it needs just to exist? WHYYYYY?

I started EMTWL on 16th May and have lost 1 lb. That doesn't really mean very much though, as the scales are FILTHY liars - but I have eaten very well and am losing inches consistently. Since I started eating more calories (I include BIWI's brilliant Bootcamp in this calculation) I have lost 4.5 inches from my waist and a good couple of inches from my hips, arse and bust. I have dropped a dress size.

OK. I'm going to post this essay and then I'm going to talk a bit about metabolic rate calculations and the sciency bits.

[HermioneHatesHoovering]

Very interesting.

[ShirleyKnot]

New thread

I thought I'd better start it before I forget.

[amalur]

Hi all
I joined this thread at the beginning and then then promptly went away on a holiday and didn't do anything else. But I am back and full of determination. As a positive I spent a week in France eating as I pleased, just a little of everything , cheese, wine, ice cream, baguettes, etc but nothing in excess and I weigh exactly the same as before, which is something. I want to think that it served to "re-set" my metabolism.
Today I started with a refrigerator oatmeal, with blueberries, flax seed, golden syrup and some sunflower seeds added at the last minute. It was good, but I do prefer warm porridge to be honest. I will experiment with other flavours.
For snack I had a mini macaroon (from France, obviously) with a coffee and an apple, and for lunch an avocado salad with a bit of cheeses and humous.
Exercise will be salsa dancing tonight, my weekly classs.
I am going to try and friend you all in MFP, if that's OK, so i can feel part of the gang. I am amalur too there.

[TobyLerone]

I'm already gulping water!

Stupid period. That must be what it is. I've run out of other excuses :o

I'll junk-clear extra hard tonight, and maybe do a bit of skipping if it's not raining. And try to ignore the fudge!

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

Would you believe, Toby - Moving Furniture is listed in the cardio section of mfp.
I'd go for it < says the person who added 'food prep' on a desperate day! >

I hope you don't spend the rest of the day suffering. If the food you've brought is healthy just eat it - don't forget you're teaching your body to trust you to feed it when hungry. And assume the junk clearing will give you back the extra cals for dinner.
Fudge is evil, though. Comes out as 63 cals a piece I think. Luckily I avoided the fudge shops all last week, but DD's friend who came to Cornshire with us very sweetly produced some as a gift just as we were leaving. You can't just have one piece, can you?!

[ShirleyKnot]

Get a litre of water down you Tobes!

[TobyLerone]

Oh, I have a bad feeling about today. I've just eaten a chocolate twist pastry thing which my assistant brought me (unasked-for!). And she's just come back from Cornwall and has brought fudge :(

I'm starving today and have only brought good, healthy food in to work, but I know I'll eat it all and if I do, I'll only have 300-odd calories left for dinner.

I'm not going to the gym tonight, but will be doing some serious junk-clearing at home tonight -- is it cheating to include that as exercise?

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

Oh my Achievement this morning - did Day1 of C25K! Actually I had to stop after 20 mins as my lower back was started pulling and pinching - not a good sign - but will just have to build up even more gradually than the programme allows for!
I also tried Scooby's beginner's workout for women yesterday - managed 5 mins of burpees plus 5 of half press-ups, then couldn't find the resistance band for the rest .
But I reckon that's a pretty good workout for when you just need to get moving. Hasn't left me as achey as I expected, either.

[ShirleyKnot]

Good morning!

Hey Bibbity. Nuts are a good source of protein (and GOOD fats) and easy to eat. A handful (which for me is about 25g) is enough to stave off hunger and get my protein up a bit.

Very interested to read about Tobe's new Love Of Her Life aka the Nike Fuel band.

Had a terrible weekend foodwise, so feel flabby and tired this morning. SO.....I'm thrilled to be Houseguest free and am booked to do Step AND Pump tonight. Pump on Friday nearly killed me - so I dread to think how I'll feel after doing both tonight. I find it really interesting how quickly you can LOSE your fitness level, I'd only had a week away from Pump.

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

hi Bibbity! I'm also 5'7'' but only allowed 1800 cals. I think I'm getting a handle on it now though - basically avoiding sugar and extraneous crap seems to keep my numbers down.
But the trick is not to let yourself get to starving point - which I would be by now if I'd had nowt but cornflakes. Protein consistently at every meal, starting with breakfast, gets me through the day.
I'm StandsToReason on MFP if you want to 'friend' me and see my diary - although it figures cream teas and wine as I was in Cornwall last week .

[bibbetybobbityboo]

Lol apologies!!!!

[bibbetybobbityboo]

Appologies for the many typos i typed this once and lost it and was a little hasty the second time it seems!

[bibbetybobbityboo]

Have read this and linked threads with interest and it makes a lot of sense. Have decided i have nothing to lose in giving it a try. I am 5ft7 and 80kgs at the moment having lost 7kgs since christmas but seem unable to lose more despite eating 1200-1400cals a day. I'd like to be nearer 68kgs for a healthier week but would be happy to drop a dress size and be more toned. I have this week started doing c25k, run 3 tomorrow.

So according to the calcs i need to eat approx 2105 cals per day. Heres my plan for today, would anyone be kind enough to offer and suugestions for improvement. I seem to be struggling to eat enough protein atm.

Breakfast - have eaten largish bowl of cornflakes with a splash of wholemilk and a pinch of sugar (wouldn't usually eat this but nothing in, i need to shop this morning) and a cup of coffee, whole milk one sugar.

Snack - fruit and yoghurt

Lunch - 2 poached eggs and beans on slice of wholemeal toast with tiny bit of grated cheese

Snack - ham, cucumber and phili light on ryvita

Dinner - some sort of chicken breast, couscous, roast veg, new potato combo

Snack - no idea but we have dinner about 5.30 so always get hungry about 8 is and this is usually when i fill my face with rubbish

According to mfpi have about 165 cals to spare, about right for carbs but under for fat and way under for protein. Suggestions for tweaking or improving with a final evening snack.

Oh and must remember to take waist measurement...

Thanks :)

[knitknack]

Ooooh it sounds like there's hope for potatoes and I after all! I'm going to get PnotP next :)

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

Mumat, I'd suggest sticking with the Potatoes Not Prozac method if you're feeling wobbly about giving up sweet stuff. Knitknack's right about the feeling of calm it gives you - it really steadies you. I couldn't do the carb-free thing, though - every time I've tried, I've had a gallbladder attack. Not a good sign.

I find yoghurt for breakfast isn't solid enough to hold me; I've tried smoothies and refrigerator yoghurt and found myself climbing the walls an hour later.
Maybe it goes with being sensitive to sugar (which fruit is, btw).

Pm me if you'd like to ask anything about PNotP. I've just had potato wedges and mayonnaise - was yummy and will mean I can start the day feeling relaxed and eat breakfast a bit later. Has a knock-on effect all day as you can eat all your meals a bit later.

Beans on toast is a good breakfast - my DCs sometimes have it but I generally stick with nuts and eggs . I know they contain sugar but they are basically a savoury food so I wouldn't sweat about it - they won't spike your blood sugar like fruit can.

[mumat39]

Thanks Toby. My sister works near oxford street so I'll see if the nike store there has any and then may ask her to get one for me. Ooh. Quite excited.

:)

[TobyLerone]

His nearest will be Stratford Westfield, then. Or Boxpark in Shoreditch. Still a bit of a faff to get to, mind.

[mumat39]

Toby, thanks again. I better get one soon then. DP works in canary wharf so I might see if there is a Nike store there where he could get me one.

Thanks again.

:)

[mumat39]

Hello again knitnack :)

Wow ALL those stashes of sweets sounds like my idea of heaven

My DD has ALOT of food allergies so we tend to not have certain stuff in the house including eggs and nuts. I haven't eaten biscuits for about 3 years really as part of this but since I decided diet chef wasn't for me, after 3 months and losing a stone, I have not been able to stop myself eating the bloody things. I was in the 99p store today and was about to pay and then saw oreo's and got some. I really can't help myself at the moment.

After reading potatoes not prozac, I thought i'd do baby steps so have started having a protein shake every morning and am eating some protein with my evening meals. I have to try and do that for a month.
The thing is, I feel SO much better on this WOE's number of calories rather than the 1200 I was on on diet chef. I just need to reign in on the bad carbs big time.

I don't know how you manage to cook for your family and not have the same stuff as they do. You do sound amazing! And the slag bol sounds even better

Thanks again and good luck for your 2 weekaversary! take care xxx

[TobyLerone]

I've never tried any others, sorry. I'm not going to lie... I went for the Nike one because it was cool and because it's new and hardly anyone's got one

Mind you, going by the number of my friends who saw my band last night and decided they needed one, everyone I know will have one by next week!

[mumat39]

Thanks Toby

I've had a couple off pedometer's before but found they were a bit rubbish. I like the sound of this one, besides which I LOVE GADGETS! although can't really afford them so constantly aspire to own one.

Of the other brands, have you tried any? Did you choose the nike one over the others for a specific reason? If there are other cheaper brands then would you be able to point me in the right direction please?

I have two young kids but am a lazy arse so I'm wondering exactly what I do in terms of activity so it'd be fgood to have something to measure that and then see what else i can do to improve on it, if that makes sense.

Thanks for your reply :)

[knitknack]

Nuts! I eat lots of nuts too!

[knitknack]

Original, not Reginald I seriously cannot type on this thing! :)

[knitknack]

Thanks mum that's very lovely :) but I really REALLY can't explain how I've done it - dh took me around the house earlier and we unearthed all my 'stashes' of sweet from 6 different locations! And that still leaves my desk and cupboard at work and my car- its bizarre, the only think I can attribute it to is the feeling of calm that I keep banging on about

I will say though that on day two I sat at my desk for an extra half hour after lessons had finished because I couldn't face walks downstairs and gettn in to my car! I was that tired, I did think then that I'd have to eat sugar the next day but luckily for me that feeling only lasted a day...

I've gone cold turkey on ALL carbs, just because I was such an addict I thought it was best. So I'm only eating meat, fish, eggs, plain FULL-FAT yoghurt, berries and veg (except potatoes). I'm allowing myself 1 cup of coffee with a dash of truvia in the morning... It's quite repetitive, but I'm not planning on being this strict for ever, I want to eat like Shirley eventually !

Are you on MFP? You can look at my food diary if you are - it's mainly steak and salad haha when the fam have curry or slag Bol I have it on a plate of cabbage or cauliflower which seemed really weird at first but now is yummy!

One more day and I'll have done 2 weeks which was my Reginald experiment but nw I'm going to see how I feel after a month :)

Good luck - if you could only witness how many times I've tried and failed to 'cut down'!

[TobyLerone]

Are you allergic/intolerant to nuts or do you just not like them? If it's the latter, could you try muesli with a non-dairy milk? Or a smoothie made with non-dairy milk, Greek yogurt and fruit? You can even put oats in your smoothie to pad it out a bit, and you won't notice them once it's blended.