MFP thread 5

[StewardsEnquiry]

New thread as the old one was nearly full!

Dawhead thank you for the welcome.

Fitterbysixty so impressed that the whole family is joining you in getting healthier.

We had spaghetti bolognese as our family evening meal a couple of days ago. And then served up pretty much the same sauce with the addition of kidney beans and chilli yesterday so I thought everyone deserved a change. I made the blackened chicken and quinoa from the Jamie Oliver 15 minute cookbook. The recipes have the calories for a single serving of each meal so I can figure out how many calories I have left and then try and find a meal that doesn't take me over! There are lots that are 600-700 calories which is okay if I haven't snacked too much and have had a little exercise - in my case a short walk to the supermarket to buy food!

Kudos to the poster who's giving up wine! I'm being shocked all over again by the number of calories in a single glass. I could have pudding for that amount!

Stewards well done for facing the weigh in! You said you needed the accountability, so it should be just what you need to get you back on track.

I am having a major sulk as I am still at 10st 7lb this morning, so despite all my optimism and logging and only going a total of 2,000 calories over all month (spread over a few days, compared to being bang on target every single other day) I have apparently followed exactly the same cycle as I do every bloody month, where I completely regain 3/4 of the weight I have worked hard to lose over the preceding two weeks.

I'm finding this really demoralising. It means that my average loss per month for the past three months is only about a pound a month, which is ridiculously pathetic. I know I'm not hugely overweightl, so loss should be slow, but it's the fact that out of every four weeks I spend two weeks losing 4lb, then a week putting all of that back on again, then another week desperately trying to lose at least some of it again. I know my logging is accurate, as I lose during those two weeks at the rate I would expect to, it's like my metabolism just shuts down during my period and every single calorie goes to weight gain. I currently weigh a shade over 10st 7lb, having weighed in at 10st 8lb on 1st August, and hit a low of 10st 4.5lb 10 days ago.

In an effort to try to improve things I have increased my projected loss to 1.5lb a week, which had lowered my cals to the MFP minimum of 1,200 from 1,450, and although I know I won't hot that every day I am hoping to shave off another 100-150 per day in an effort to increase the loss during my 'losing' bit of the month.

I am so this morning!

That absolutely sucks hope and I've pretty much the same problem - except mine is that my weekends screw up my losses and I've been no lighter than 11.3'ish for nigh on 4 months. I've clearly no willpower & prefer alcohol/stupid amounts of food to losing this last 1.5 stone - you're at least at the mercy of hormones, I'm just a greedy lush!
I know in your case the trend is downward, albeit v slowly. I can see how easy it would be to say f'it - I hope you don't though, I hope you keep chipping away at it💐
11.6 this morning so 2.8 up on last Friday - sigh, another lean day in my house. I hate that bastard scales yeah cause it's the inanimate objects fault I'm a greedy lush

Hopefully I had a similar plateau before my holidays and it's so demoralising (and I still have a good 1-2stone to lose!). But the overall trend is down which is what's most important. I also go straight back up a lb or two from the time I ovulate to when my period starts which is very demoralising.

Last day off here! I'm going to do C25k now, then do some food preparation for the rest of the week before getting DD from nursery.

Keep going hopefully, the trend is still downwards even if it's not as fast as you'd like. I currently have my MFP progress graph set to the "year" setting as it encourages me. Sometimes the week by week difference is too small to be satisfying.

Thanks everyone. This thread is such great support.

Not2b – I think you have something there. I sometimes think about what I prefer: is it the ice cream or is it buying a smaller size of clothes? Unfortunately the answer varies depending on what I am doing at the time…

Hopefully – you are doing amazingly to log all of your intake so carefully. It is slow going for you at the moment but if you are consistent then you HAVE to lose weight overall. I think dropping to 1200 is a really good idea if you can stick to it most of the time. You might find that you can do it better if you get a decent bit of weight loss to spur you on and motivate you. I know that if my weight loss was so slow there would be a significant risk of me getting fed up and thinking ‘sod it’.

I love the idea of a reward for every single pound of loss! And especially your choices – I read your posts in S&B so I know how stylish your wardrobe is. What do you have planned after the cashmere cardie?? I’m going to go think of a list of things for my rewards!

Welcome Emily. Good tip about the Jamie book calorie counts. I have that book so I might have a little peruse.

Bath – giving up alcohol, eh? I SHOULD do that too. I love a glass of wine and I have said before that my calorie resolve just goes out of the window with it. But I love a glass of wine. And I really struggle to think what to have other than wine when I am out. It was so awful being pregnant and stuck with yucky fruit juice cocktails. I actually hate sweet drinks. I will give it a bit more thought and I will cheer you every step of the way.

Welcome SugarMonster. Good luck with logging.

Welcome Ella (yes that is a good name!)

Well done on 50% Loli!

Fitter – wow at all your walking! That is inspirational.

Cora – next time when you need a low cal snack I sometimes whizz coffee, sweetener and ice up in the blender to make a bit of a granita/sorbet thing for only a few calories.

Thanks for all the support. The fact that the trend is downwards, albeit painfully slowly, is the only thing that keeps me going. I really don't feel comfortable at the weight I am, and the only way to change that is to keep persevering!

Stewards my next rewards are a new handbag (hoping to lay my hands on a second hand mulberry Alexa, but will get a stand in cheap one until the perfect bag comes my way otherwise), new knitwear for winter from J crew and & Other Stories (have been limping on with actual holey H&M sweaters from post natal style wasteland for over a year now), and new ankle boots. I'm a personal stylist, so always have to look slightly the part even on casual days in case I bump into my clients (which inevitably happens when I am feeling rushed, under the weather and make up free!).

Keep plodding on hopefully. Don't give up. I recall mustbe is the queen of plateaus, and she is an amazingly inspiring 3 stone down.

And same for you Not2be. Keep strong at the weekend. Can you allow yourself one complete day off, or one evening off? I know I can't talk. I know the theory all too well. it's just being able to get into the right mental zone for me.

Yes - I am giving up booze for september. Fully accountable now !! Wine is my reward for getting through the day. It is what allows me to switch off from everything going on. It helps me relax on a night out with friends. It is what helps me get to sleep. It is what I turn to when I have anything on my mind to numb it. That and snacking - the familiar hand to mouth routine - wine, crisps, biscuits, anything.

I have to stop this cycle. My weekly alcohol intake is at dangerous levels. I drink every day. I need to take a break. And I know (having done the same last June) that a really determined focussed month - off alcohol, sugar, refined carbs - and I will loose a stone and reassure me I don't have dependency issues . No sugary-drink substitutions. Fizzy water with slice of lemon or lime. It is v hard, and I will be v cranky.

Thanks bath, that's what I need to do, have 1 splurge instead of 3 days! Wine is my gateway to divil'ment - I drink, start nibbling, drink more, nibble more. Before I know it I've a banging headache and all out food fest starts! Better planning and some urge control needed. Off out for the day with the kids, back to school tomorrow. I'll get some air and some steps in, should lift the bad mood.
Hope that's so cool that you're a personal stylist, I'd love to have style (or at least taste😉)

Okay I think the rewards are the way to go. I have just thought of what I want. I am going to get my first reward for getting to 11st0.

Hopefully I'd love to be stylish too. When I get to target I'm going to hire someone like you to find me a capsule wardrobe!

I do like your rewards idea. I really want a leather biker jacket but think there's no

Hit post too soon!

No point getting that until I get to target!

I think in going to get a reward when I'm down to 12st (3lbs away)- I think a really nice cardigan for winter.

I sometimes wish I drank more, as it would be something to give up to cut calories!

Re: rewards, I am about a stone off my goal (I think, depends how I feel, but I expect to stop at around 9st 5lb with the aim of ending up about 9st 7lb after the initial instant gain). So the next couple of rewards aren't toooooo size related (casual knitwear, handbag, shoes etc), then when I get within about 8lb the really size-critical things like leather leggings and over the knee boots kick in. I really want to get to those this autumn, but who knows, at my current rate! If I could actually achieve the 1lb a week I should be making, I would.

In other news, 1,200 calories is Not A Lot. How people manage actual fast days, I have no idea.

Goodness Hopefully I so agree with you! 1,200 calories is not a lot. I find it quite a struggle to get three meals out of it.

For breakfast I generally have porridge with skimmed milk and a cup of tea with skimmed milk, which is about 350 calories. If I have anything less then I'll end up snacking mid morning.

I then have a low calorie soup for lunch at around 150 calories per serving.

I tend to have another 2-3 cups of tea or coffee during the day to try and distract me from snacking.

I would see that as a pretty abstemious day but it still means that I have to be careful with the evening meal. I like to eat with the rest of the family albeit perhaps with smaller portions and it's the main meal of the day for all of us. It's pretty hard to ensure that I stay under 1,200 and I rarely have enough for extras like a pudding.

1200 is definitely Not a lot! I'm dreading having to cut my calories and I know I'll need to in order to lose the last stone or so. I find 1400 ok though, allows 3 decent meals and some fruit.

I find ramping up my activity helps with plateaus- I think I feel so virtuous after exercise that I'm less likely to snack!

Today down to 88.4kg, 10kg down. 22lbs lost in 5 weeks. But I am dragging myself around a bit today. I swam 1km, did 15 mins of metabolic aftershock, and did s longish walk yesterday.

I'm sitting reading this outside the pool trying to find the courage to go in.

Dawhead it's like the Cambridge diet but cheaper and bizarrely my order to France has free shipping.

Congrats on the weight loss wally - that is amazing!

I am exhausted after my day out, picked up pizza for dinner but not that hungry so only planning a small portion. 2 hours driving there & back & 4 hours pottering around - am officially an old lady.
That's some weightloss wally, how long will you stick with this plan? Is it meant to be a certain amount of weeks or can it be for a few months?
I'm working on keeping to 1200, it's tough enough although better than the 800 bsd recommends. Not that I often managed 800 of course, usually 900-1100 so this should be a doddle right?

Bathsheba my spag bol (bog/bol? ) is v boring. 60g spaghetti, 90g v lean mince (could prob do with more) low fat dolmio sauce and some fake formaggio cheese. Best of luck for dry September! If it's anything like giving up bad food (ahem) you might be cranky/down in the dumps for a few days, but then you will come out the other side and feel brilliant! Physically better but also mentally better that you've done it!

Not2b would echo what Bathsheba said - also, I need to take my own advice, but could you start logging food/drinks before you have them at weekends? I learned a huge lesson last weekend - had something I guessed at 300 and learned it was 679(!) when I looked it up that night, so I will be trying this to see if makes a difference.

Emily I love cookbook suggestions - we don't have any Jamie Oliver yet so you have tempted me now.

Hopefully I read this morning but couldn't post and I've been thinking about you all day . All the advice so far is great, please allow yourself to realise how brilliantly you are doing. Dropping to 1200 is a good idea - I was thinking about whether you could do some sort of drastic metabolism up kick-start type thing so that might be it! It is hard sometimes, but you can always go for a weekly average so have some lower/higher days.
Also, so in awe of you being a personal stylist - must go and stalk your posts in Style and Beauty now .

Wally well done - that is fantastic loss . And thanks for the info - will keep that in my back pocket as I've had good success with shakes before when I've needed a change.

Weigh-in day for me - lost 0.7kg (~1.5 lbs) since last Wednesday so I'm delighted given my choc-fest last week. Still not back where I was 2 weeks ago but all being well I'll exceed that next week. Now at 73.6kg (~11st 8lbs).

Today's plan puts me over at 1340 boo:
B: Porridge 190
L: Boiled egg, bread, rasher (bacon) bread and choccie biccies afterwards 620. I am losing the run of myself with lunch-time biccies so they have to stop
D: Fish, spuds & veg 530

Argh the typos . No, there is no such thing as rasher bacon bread (that I know of) just a plain rasher .

Speaking of which, does rasher translate from Ireland? My H is English and he says he never heard of a rasher before he came here .

Dawhead they label them rashers in sainsburys anyway. Love your name by the way!

I think Hiberno-English does confuse many English people- I kept telling my junior at work last year that something was kept in the press, after 4 weeks he finally asked me what I was talking about!

Your day looks good. Today I had:
B: poached egg, turkey rashers, spinach
L: salmon salad with kale, broccoli and feta with lemon/tahini dressing
D: roast chicken thigh with roasted carrots and parsnips (but not the lovely sausage stuffing and roast potatoes that DD and DH had)
S: Apple, grapes

That's all about 1400

Everyone's meals sound so yummy and it's making me hungry again!
just wondered if people eat their exercise calories? I'm going on a long run in a bit and im not sure whether to eat something when I get back or not?
Also for those that have Fitbit or equivalent do you also log a walk as exercise? I did a 4mile walk yesterday but didn't log it because my steps were already synced. However my added calories were not as much as if I logged the walk. Just wondered what others did.
Thanks

General consensus is not to eat exercise calories as they usually vastly inflated from mfp/gym equipment. If it says you've earned 500, assume 250 and if you really want to use some, half that figure again. You couldn't go overboard doing that

Hi coragreta, I think most of us don't eat our exercise calories back. I don't anyway. I think a lot of trackers overestimate so it might make you go over.

Well my new scales are showing me as being 59.5 kg which means I've gained just 2.4 pounds since my holiday and my weekend away. I can live with that! Since I decided to relax I've actually been well under my cals most days which is great and I'm really enjoying cooking. Have a clean eating Alice Cauliflower Rice Tabboleuh (sp) for the next few days lunch and did her chilli and lime chicken tonight. Lovely and enough for tomorrow.

Keep on keeping on all!