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.

So have we talked mfp macros yet? Because I seem to be massively over on sugar - like twice as much as it recommends - but still come in just under my calories. I had fruit salad at breakfast and a banana but that was it for 'sweet' things - where is all this sugar coming from??

The sugar is set very low - 30g or something.

NHS recommendations vary depending on where you look, but 50g-90g is the range. I have set mine at 70g I think.

Maryz - it is probably because you aren't eating so much sugar and you've upped your protein. You aren't craving the next 'fix' all the time.

I had a small coming together with a baguette and some butter this afternoon. Not ideal, but bloody lovely and I've still come in under calories

Shirley, no chia seeds, I used a little bit of milled flax seeds instead. I don't think I used enough banana, but I'd already put the other half in my smoothie.

Shotgun, please let us know what that one's like, it sounds lovely. Alibaba, I ended up eating cookies and cake yesterday, I went a bit overboard on the high protein low fat foods and realised I needed a high carb/fat snack. DH had already done me the favour() of eating all the chocolate, so I sat that and ate the last cookie in front of him, telling him I had to!

What is refrigerator oatmeal? It sounds awesome.

Toby I think Maryz idea of getting her to watch salt/protein/carbs/sugar etc is a good way of making it more of a healthy eating project than watching calories. Setting goal so high that she has no hope of reaching it could work too (don't set it to something like 3,000, or she might clock that it's achievable and start trying to hit it!).

I've never even looked at my sugar intake - it doesn't bother me at all, for some reason, but having looked at the report it appears that it veers wildly between 30g and 130g on any given day. Generally somewhere around 60-90g though. I find the cleaner I eat the less refined sugar I eat, and I'm not too worried about the honey/maple syrup/odd bit of sugar that pops up in my baking. I'm not a massive fruit eater apart from grapefruit or apple with breakfast (too expensive!) which helps a bit. I endeavour to have a big salad (with everything in it - sweetcorn, beans, lettuce, toms, cucumber, grated carrot, grated cabbage, melon. Whatever's going really) with lunch and dinner pretty much every day, which is a big part of my fruit & veg hit for the day. No idea how I'll manage in winter because I hate salad when it's cold

Good Morning!

Shall we talk about macros then? I loved hopefully's suggestion earlier in the thread about inputting everything you are going to eat in the day first thing. This then gives you an idea of what you need to eat in order to get your macros a little bit more on target.

I don't want you to get obsessed with it though! It's just a guide (well, for me it is) just to make sure you're not getting 80% of your calories from carbs and then leaving the protein and fat to trail behind.

Here are my percentages for this week:

Monday
Carbs - 41%
Fat - 35%
Protein - 24%

Tuesday
Carbs - 36%
Fat - 37%
Protein - 26%

Wednesday
Carbs - 36%
Fat - 37%
Protein - 26%

As you can see, I am not hitting the macros exactly, and my fat is always over.

I know that I am eating healthily, the fats are coming from good food, fish, nuts and the good oils, so it's not a big deal. I believe (and this is my own opinion) that dietry fat does not make you gain body fat.

Sugar - I don't track my sugar. I am happy to have fruit sugars in my diet, and the odd teaspoon of honey or maple syrup is FINE

Look - this WOE is about releasing us from the shackles of a diet, I really, really want you to LOVE eating and exercising. I want you all to be happy. I don't want you to worry! So unless your macros are coming in vastly out everyday, and you're still eating large amounts of processed, diet and/or sugary "treats", then you will be fine.

So, I have eaten the banananana and chocolate oatmeal and I can confirm that it was AWESOMENESS! Really, really filling and delicious. The chia seeds did NOT go slimey and I didn't even notice they were in there! [joy]. I can't wait to try the other flavours now. for hopefully

I bought some PB2 last night on e-bay (A TENNER! ) because I have heard such amazing reports about it. I will let you all know how I get on with it once it arrives.

Okay, I know we were supposed to SAFTFBS, but it's been about a week so I hopped on them this morning aaaaaaaaaaaand.... I have lost 2lbs! That's eating 2500 cals a day to allow for bf a 12 week old. Furthermore, I have been making DH eat this way also (his allowance is 2600) and he has also lost 2lbs!

Hopefully- yy to Maryz suggestion of soup in winter: also asian style soup: hot and sour etc. casseroles with loads of veg, steamed veg- good with vinaigrette rather than butter, roast veg, stir fries... I love veg, me.

What is this PB2?

I have lost 1" from my waist and am off to hairdressers. Feeling good.

I've started losing weight -5'8 and now just under 12 stone, size 12-14; not by changing what I eat but when - I've started having my evening meal with the kids at about 5.30 instead of eating post kids bedtime at 8.30-9.00pm. Only been doing it for a couple of weeks but lost 3lbs already. And I'm not hungry in the evenings either cooking stuff that dh can have when he gets in too so only cooking once - done nigella's coq au reisling, meatballs, chilli, salmon dippers in the last week. Need to come up with some veggie options as it's been a bit meat heavy.

Hi guys - I'm one of those people that puts on weight if they don't eat enough so here I am - willing to try eating more in the hope of losing weight!

It all started going wrong for me in Feb - funnily enough the same time as I got a new job which meant I barely ate anything during the day!

Do you know, I've only really done one full day of eating up to 2300 and I feel much less tired already. I can't believe it. I am not having cravings for chocolate or crisps either . I ate some green and blacks last night, 20g lasted me aaages compared to dairy milk which I just seem to inhale .

I do feel like I'm eating all day long though!

Toby I'm glad you weren't offended and that the meal planning idea wasn't totally ridiculous!

Am planning on the fridge porridge thingy for tomorrow but can't decide what flavour, I'm thinking choco banana then the kids might eat it too. What is the texture of it like?

Ooh well done TurtleDoves that's great!

PB2 = powdered peanut butter.

Last night I made some delicious (and quite healthy -- all wholemeal flour and honey and HAZELNUT MILK!) banana and blueberry muffins but I bloody well forgot AGAIN to make the fridge oatmeal. I must remember tonight.

And I poached chicken breasts for the first time in my life. They went down a storm with the kids, who have asked me to always poach any future chicken I serve them!

Got out of bed this morning at 6.45, much to DP's surprise, to do some sit-ups. And gym tonight :o

Well done, TurtleDoves!

I was just looking at that PB2 yesterday and going 'how much??!!!!' I'm only tempted so I could make these bites more healthily

brandnew - I'm glad to hear you have found something that works for you! But I must say that I don't actually believe that the timings of calorie intake is particularly relevent to fat loss. The body is burning calories all the time - even when you're asleep, so it is not the case (IMO) that a meal eaten later in the day will not be burned and then those calories laid down as fat. It doesn't make sense to me! here is an article which backs me up BUT! There is some research which backs YOU up, you can find the Daily Mail article if you google it - (Sorry, but I depise and hate the DM so won't be linking or clicking to read it). I actually believe that eating steadily and healthily throughout the day, having no massive great meals at ANY time of the day is the best way to eat.

Welcome DWBAM! Please read the posts, links and links within links to get an idea of what we're doing over here and see whether it's something you might be interested in! We've only been going a week and some people are already reporting feeling happier, free-er and more energetic already!

x posted with loads!

Well done TITD - I don't want to be a damp squib, but I hope you won't be disappointed if that 2lbs does a bit of on/off/on over the next few weeks! I failed to SAFTFBS this week. On Monday I was 172.7, this morning I'm 170.7. Stupid scales!

Woohoo to an inch loss there quirky!

AMU - The texture was just like porridge! Don't forget that I had to substitute the greek yoghurt with some more milk, so I think mine was a little sloppier than the actual recipe - but yummy nonetheless! I'd definitely recomment it and am going to try the blueberry/maple syrup one at the weekend I think.

minnie - God, I know it's expensive but it's 85% less fat but still with a big hit of protein! I am excited. OIOI! and...it occurs to me that if it's as good as I hope I might be able to get my hands on some when I'm in the US on hols. Whoop!

tobesma - see poached chicken doesn't appeal to me at ALL. I MUST tell you all about the Heston chicken I made last week - cooking it on low for longer - it was, literally, the best tasting chicken I have ever eaten in my life!

Honestly, poached chicken was a revelation! It's so much more moist. Normally I find chicken breasts to be dull and dry. And it was so easy to cook. I made a honey and mustard sauce to go over it, and we had a huge pile of curly kale each. Dinner was a definite success!

I saw the programme where Heston made that low-cooked chicken. I don't own a meat thermometer, and it gives me the fear. Also, my oven is quite temperamental and never seems to cook at a regular temperature. It's ok for normal stuff, because I am used to it, but I think I'd be too scared to mess about with cooking a chicken in a special way in it.

By the way -- those of you on twitter, do you follow @SparkPeople? It's sometimes a bit Americanised, but loads of good exercise tips and recipes on there.

Thicko question.

If I calculate my TDEE at little/no exercise, it's 1840. If I do it with light (1-3 days a week) exercise, it's 2108.

This week I've exercised twice, but last week I don't think I specifically did any. Next week is half-term so not sure if I will get the chance.

So which one do I use??

Won't you be more active in half term anyway? Walking/swimming/playing etc?

I picked up a meat thermometer for a matter of quid! You cook it at the lowest temperature your oven goes to to, but just for AAAGGGGEEEEES.

Minnie - I would definitely stick with the light exercise option. I think the sedentary is really the option for people who hardly move about at all.

It is so important - and this applies to everyone here - to have CONSISTENCY. It's important for your body to trust you again, so stick to your calorie intake - no messing about with it, no dropping it, no MEDDLING.

morning all

Had a bad day yesterday, EMTWL wise - was way too busy all day and ended up eating half a large pizza and having 3 largish glasses of red wine. And that was it all day...was very active hauling stuff around but had to miss my circuits clas which I was pissed off about.

Anyway, will try to make it up today...have had bran flakes with dried fruit, and done level 3 shred again. Sitting here all sweaty, just so you know.

Shirley - what do you reckon - eat breakfast before a workout or after? I ate before today, which I don't normally do (but I didn't decide to do the shred until after I'd eaten) .... I never know what I should do for the best. Either way it doesn't seem to affect my ability to do the exercise - I don't have more stamina from eating, iykwim

Toby - if I was you I'd just concentrate on helping your dd fit in more exercise every day. I recall being a bit chubby at about 11 but it all fell away as I grew a tiny bit taller, and the sports she'll likely be doing at secondary school tend to be more intense too, don't they. Is she interested in any sport in particular? You could see about her joining a tennis club, or swimming (that's just what I always liked at 11!).

Well I'm quite happy to go for the 'light exercise' option as that means I can eat MORE

Although somehow today I've fallen into the category of 'people who aren't getting enough calories'. Fortunately there is always wine...

Macros, yes. I am always over on carbs, but it is all from fruit!

I eat a lot of fruit and can't really bear to think of it as a bad thing...for example, today my carbs come from 2 bananas, 100g of strawberries, an apple, a cherry smoothie and a 50g portion of rice with my curry this evening.