Anyone out there need to lose a stone?

[Twinklestar2]

I have yoyoed with the same stone since the beginning of last year. Getting fed up now but need some motivation to stick with it. Anyone else in the same boat? I'm so near yet so far!

Will be weighing in tomorrow and posting all food eaten. Feel free to join me!

runningLou are you calorie counting? If you use My Fitness Pal, you can see the calories in the food you eat and track the exercise you do. The exercise can give you additional calories to use. Also, don't forget that muscle weighs more than fat so you can be losing fat but gaining weight. You may be better tracking waist, hip and bust measurements in MFP instead.

Portion size is a huge issue. A 'bowl of bircher muesli' - how much is that? 30g is a normal portion, but bowls are so big now that is really easy to have 60 or even 90g and it still doesn't look excessive. Did you use milk and how much? Nuts? Fruit? - dried fruit has loads of calories.

lougle I have tried MFP in the past but found it took over my life as I generally make stuff from scratch incl. soup, bread etc so it was really difficult to record the ingredients for everything and then weigh out portions to calorie count accurately. I know this is a bit of an excuse, but I really found it unwieldy!! Also everything I have read says that you're not meant to eat back your exercise calories ...
I make my bircher in a small pot with a lid (like the size of a Muller light pot) - I will weigh next time to see how much porridge oats and oatbran (I mix the 2) were in there. I chuck different bits in there depending what I have in but last night I added approx. a tsp each of sunflower and pumpkin seeds, dried mango, almonds, a few raisins, and then topped up with unsweetened almond milk.

Mango 10g 35 kcal
Sunflower seeds 5g 15 kcal
Pumpkin seeds 1tsp 20 kcal
Almonds 1tsp 13 kcal
Raisins 1tsp 20 kcal
Almond milk 100 ml 20 kcal
Porridge oats 25g 93 kcal
Oatbran 25g 93 kcal

Total 309 kcal

Roughly. That would leave you 891 calories for lunch and dinner.

Thanks lougle - are you going for 1300 a day then?

Oops, maths fail - that would be 1200!!

I have to say if I weighed everything like that and then typed it all into MFP my bircher would take me about 30 mins to make rather than less than 5!! I guess I need to change my mindset ...

Yes 1200. It would take you that long the first day, but then it would be in your recent items and it gets easier.

In a lot of ways, I think the MFPing helps the mindset. I made a chicken cobbler yesterday (savoury scone topping). I completely followed the recipe and the scones were 30g each, 2 per person. They were really small. If I hadn't been using MFP I probably would have tripled the recipe to make nice big scone toppings. But because I knew I'd have to chart my calories I stuck to the recipe. I've realised that my 'feeling satisfied' was actually 'can't fit another mouthful in' and although it looked tiny on the plate, I wasn't actually hungry later on in the evening. I'm just used to being greedy.

Also, you could easily make up some 'bircher packs' - spend an hour weighing your ingredients into little portion sized bags. Make a recipe for bircher muesli on MFP. Then you'd just chuck a bag in the bowl, add the milk and it would take less than 5 minutes.

Yes I see what you mean ... I think I just got put off MFP last time I used it as it made me 'cheat' in health terms. I mean, I was horrified by how much organic peanut butter on 2 oatcakes was in terms of calories. Then I realised I could eat a KitKat and it would be fewer calories. Same with greek yogurt versus 'diet' yogurts. I just ended up thinking that was messed up and started distrusting my instincts about what was 'good' for me. I remember once eating a teeny snack bag of cashews and feeling good for having a healthy snack, then putting it into MFP and freaking out that I had no calories left for the day!
I don't know ... I guess I feel like if I weigh the carrot and the 2 spoons of houmous it just takes the enjoyment out of it?
Then again, I do feel utter shit the way I am now, so I need to try something new! I think 1200 would be too low for me though!! Really admire you sticking to that.

Looking at it another way...a 4 stick kitkat is 210 calories. You could have any of these dishes for 200 calories or less.

RunningLou If you are doing all that exercise and eating sensibly and not losing any weight, then it does seem strange that you are not losing weight, unless something else is going on. Could it be any medication you are taking? Lack of sleep? Stress? They say that can get in the way of losing weight. Or, as lougle says, it could be to do with portions.

I have been losing slowly but surely over the past weeks, through basically eating a bit of everything (but trying to have mainly healthy, fresh food), and full-fat milk and yoghurt, but I really have been having VERY small portions, and no snacks (but I never had snacks before either, so that was not really a change). I have had occasional chocolates, and cake, and crisps at parties, but really small amounts and not every day. I can sympathise about finding MFP too much trouble to use all the time, but I have found that even just occasionally going on it for a day, and entering different types of foods as a sort of experiment has helped a lot - as lougle says, it helps with mindset and understanding how calories can add up without you realising.

I find forward planning helps me too. Making batches of soup/stew to take to work, having a few regular breakfasts that I do not have to think about much but I know are low-calorie (eggs are my favourite).

Good luck with the 10km with weekend. I have started running again recently (gave up for months because of an injury) and am planning a 10km for sometime in May.

OMG have I killed this thread?

I'm still reading, nothing to add just now except well done taking up the running again

I've been visiting DMum, and am now back (girding myself for the return to term-time normality, and 'D'H going off on a 3 week jolly work trip).

But despite eating more (and drinking considerably more) whilst away, it still came in at 1800-2000 calories a day, and I have returned at the same weight I left at.

Sorry for radio silence but I'm doing ok at slimming world, finding it quite easy dare I say!

I haven't dared get weighed the past week after losing a pound after Easter as I expect I've put it back on. I've stopped drinking wine but I've averaged about 1500 cals a day which is too much for me. I'm hoping once the kids are back a school I can get into more of a routine.

Lovely to see you all! I suddenly got all paranoid that maybe my last post could have somehow sounded annoyingly self-righteous or something (didn't mean it to be) and put people off.

I am a bit hung over today, went over to some friends last night who are very heavy drinkers, I can't keep up with them, but I still end up having more than is probably good for me. I think it is partly a problem of not eating as much as normal but still drinking the same amount? The kids are moping about the house as they don't want to go back to school tomorrow, and are suddenly remembering all the homework that they should have done over the holidays, and I am struggling to concentrate on a job application for a job that the more I think about, the more I want. But instead I am on mumsnet...

fading yes, routine seems impossible in the holidays. I slightly reduced and changed my working hours to be at home more, but then ended up going in at crazy hours and feeling tired all the time. Stella well done on maintaining. three weeks is a long time ... good luck! DH used to work away for long periods when the kids were younger, and then do this annoying thing of returning absolutely exhausted, while I thought I had earned the right to be even more exhausted...

Twinkle, does slimming world basically mean following recipes that they send you, or do you have to go to the group meetings? Are the recipes suitable for the whole family, or do you end up having to cook separate meals? The pictures on the website look delicious!

I have signed up for a 10km in May and want to lose a few more pounds before then so that I can wear my grey/purple leopard-print capri running tights without my midriff bulging out above. Vanity really can be a great motivator!

I managed to resist an egg and spoon Easter egg thing that the DS' have 8 of and were keen for me to have one. I nearly are one at lunchtime but then got a self righteous eyebrow from the husband so then I had a mini strip thought again and didn't eat it. Only had a slice of toast for breakfast, omelette and salad for lunch followed by some Greek yoghurt but have roast chicken on the menu for later. Provided I make sensible portion choice, that should be ok right?

Have banned myself from mfp as I just look for ways to cheat it rather than just eating less

Hello all. I'm joining for some post-holiday motivation! I've been away for ten days and had a fab time but ate and drank tons. I haven't weighed yet (will do in the morning) but reckon I'm around 10st. I'm only short so it shows! I would love to get to 9st but would be happy with anything under 9st 7lb really.

I need to exercise, that's the only thing that works for me! So tough to find time though as I am always busy with work and kids.

Hello can i join? I need some motivation and lots of you seem to be doing v well.

I need to lose about 5-7kg to fit into my clothes and feel better. Really struggling with willpower with snacks. Recently diagnosed as coeliac and quick meals a bit harder so I have been eating loads of crisps ( and chocolate mini eggs recently!). My usual running has slipped due to very busy job and children.

I used MFP before when I got down to 58kg 2-3 yrs after dc3. I'd be happy with 60 or 62, I'm probably 67 now but don't have any scales.
So my plan is a bit more activity, MFP, and distracting myself with more tea which can also replace my almost daily hot chocolate that's got to go. I'm wondering if I can do a week without crisps but I seriously think I'm addicted?! But desperately need thinner thighs I keep telling myself.

Has anyone found the step counting measure of activity any use? Doing more stairs?

I'll try to weigh myself at work this week and post that.

Another - I went to a meeting last week and got weighed and am following it from the books and website. We are all eating the same meals as it's pretty much all homemade, healthy food.

Weasel I would love thinner thighs - if I could slim them down I think I could tolerate the rest of me!

Another - I went to a meeting last week and got weighed and am following it from the books and website. We are all eating the same meals as it's pretty much all homemade, healthy food.

Has anyone listened to fat 2 fit podcast? I'm finding it really interesting and easy listening.
It is basically all about no crash dieting or even particularly low calorie diet, but that you should eat the calories that you would eat to maintain the body that you want to get to. The intention is that you lose the weight quite slowly, but it's a lifestyle that isn't too restrictive and should be maintained (for life). It all sounds pretty sensible, albeit slow and steady.

Running Lou's question made me think of it, as I've just listened to an episode about that it is important to eat back exercise calories (v broadly 100 calories for every mile you run) otherwise your body's metabolism slows down and you stop losing weight. That's the theory anyway.

I was happy this week and got down to 8'9 (starting weight 9'4 so 9 pound lost since 1st March) - half a stone to go then hoping to be back in size 10 jeans!