1500 cals a day/Clean Eating starting Tuesday

[mammaplay]

Hi all,

I'm intending to start 1500 cals a day "healthy eating plan" from Tuesday.

I've developed bad habits over winter and am mostly eating refined carbs with lots of sugary snacks. As a result, I have a pot belly, my clothes are tight and i'm feeling meh.

I've planned the next week's meals as roughly:

Tue: Muesli with raspberries, Cheddar salad, Chicken rice and veg
Wed: Bircher muesli, Mushroom & beans, Cod sweet potatoes and veg
Thur: Porridge, Soup, Tuna steak w couscous & salad
Fri: Special K, Salmon omelette, Pork with garlic & broccoli
Sat: Avacado on rye, Veggie humus with crudite, Steak & root veg
Sun: Egg and avocado, Mushroom omelette, Cauliflower Rice-Stuffed Peppers
Mon: Chicken sausages w beans, Mackerel salad, Turkey sweet potato chilli.

Anyone else doing anything similar?

I'm aiming to lose 5-7 lbs (but mostly tone up and feel better).

I don't think I've been my target weight for many long years. Still have stuff hanging in the wardrobe which I'm hoping to wear again though! I got within 4lb of my first target last year but then Christmas happened.

I've been weighing every day and am currently 2lbs below start weight - but was feeling ill due to horrible period so not difficult to keep under 1500 calories. I haven't done any exercise whatsoever but hoping to go for a walk tomorrow.

I weighed myself and I’m 2lbs down this week which is almost unheard of for me. Really pleased with that- it means I now have 4 weeks to lose 4lbs.

Well done on the losses everyone. Weighed in this morning and am 2lb down (9st 7lb). Pleased, but reminding myself there’s a way to go.

Have a really busy weekend ahead, which is good as I don’t mindlessly snack!

Well done everyone, fab loses!

We're doing well so far!

I weighed again today and was 4lb down so my goal for the coming week is to maintain, as I think it will be a challenge to sustain such a quick loss.

Cheat day tomorrow, but I'll also be quite active, so hoping not to lose too much ground.

Wow Rosina - that’s an amazing progress. Do you have any tips for the rest of us?

Well done everyone on the losses.
I weighed in today and am 3lbs down so very happy.
I tried to be good during the meal out yesterday and had a healthy main with no alcohol, but did end up having a dessert.
Maybe I can manage cheat days after all and this might be the secret to maintaining, so thanks for the suggestion.
Enjoy your Sundays ready to start next week fitter and lighter.

Well done everyone!

I'm 1.5lbs down big I've struggled to stay at 1500 because I have PMS which makes me eat everything in sight! Should be back ok track later this week though!

Wow Rosina - that’s an amazing progress. Do you have any tips for the rest of us?

Thank you w33ta8ix! I had a very nasty period, so totally lost my appetite, did no exercise and only ate about 1.5 meals per day. I'm not sure I can recommend it as a healthy way to lose weight though! Will try a more balanced approach next week.

Cheat day today but I didn't go crazy and I think I managed 10,000 steps. Frustratingly I can't be sure because my phone ran out of battery a few hours ago and pedometer stopped working. Back to calorie and step counting tomorrow.

Well done with your meal out mammaplay. Cheat days are not for everyone but I find them helpful for morale because for one day I can give up the mental burden of keeping track of everything and have some small indulgences guilt-free.

ChipsAreLife you've done well to lose during PMS, always makes me crave sugar and I come home with things I never eat at other times, like Mr Kipling Fondant Fancies, or worse.

Hi all,
A fitness friend posted this info which I found really interesting.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/procoach/Done+For+You+Marketing/Calorie+Counting+Debunked.pdf?infcontactt_key=fcbd3593d4fc4afc194b86c6ade36ae9680f8914173f9191b1c0223e68310bb1

Thanks Rosina! I sound similar to you. I have horrible periods that make me lose my appetite so it balances out. The week before I just feel notably hungrier! It's so annoying isn't it?!

Well done today. I think we all need a 'cheat' or 'treat' otherwise you will fall off the wagon at some time!

That link has some interesting facts mammaplay but I don't think the measurement system they suggest is any more accurate than calorie counting. They've assumed that a cupped-hand portion will be the same for both men and women (i.e. men have two of carbs and that is assumed to be twice the weight of one cupped-hand portion for a woman). But my hands are much smaller than those of almost any man I know so I'd be getting less than half their suggested amounts. We live in a world designed mostly by men for men so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised.

I will say it took me quite a bit of experimentation to discover a calorie limit which would work for me. I have PCOS which is another variable as generally you have to work harder to lose weight.

Bad weekend for me. Totally off plan with lots of food and booze. This is my downfall, I struggle with the lifestyle changes. During the week I'm fine but when it comes to weekends where I habitually drink and eat takeaways I find it really hard to stay on plan.

I'm back on it again now and trying to increase my steps as well so hopefully haven't done too much damage!!

iAteAllThePies Could you limit yourself to one day at the weekend to have whatever you want? That’s what I did when I first lost weight- I knew I would need a cheat day, so on a Saturday I ate whatever I wanted. Gradually what I wanted got less and less until now where it usually just means a sweet snack in the afternoon or dessert that night.

Finally went back to Pilates this morning! I hadn't been to a class for months. It doesn't burn a huge amount of calories but I feel so much better for doing the class and it helps me to stick to my diet as I don't want to undo my hard work. I also walk there and back (about 6,500 steps).

Weight is up again slightly but I'm hoping to bring it down by the end of the week.

iateallthepies I have massively cut back on drinking because of this. I would be good as gold mon-thurs then hit the booze all weekend and make bad food choices.

I still enjoy a drink but it's much less frequent and only for occasions. I found not gaining weight over the weekend very motivating!

Hi all,
So second weekend is harder than the first. I've made good food choices and hit my steps goal but am not as excited by the prospect of another few weeks to go.
After my initial 3lb loss I think I'll be lucky to lose .5lb per week now, but I'm not giving up. Have lots of opportunity for exercise this weekend and intend to keep having more fish rather than red meat.

Hope everyone else is doing well?

Yup I feel it is getting harder. My weight is creeping back up again. I haven't been consistent enough this week.

I have a work lunch tomorrow (buffet) and it will be pretty much impossible to calorie count but I don't want to make it a cheat day so I'll allow 500 calories for food and drink and keep to 1,000 the rest of the day.

What exercise are you doing at the weekend mammaplay?

Hi @RosinaAlmaviva
I think if we are in it for the long haul perhaps we can focus on slower loss with a longer term goal. Therefore a few less than perfect days won't matter after a few weeks.
I've got a hit class Sat, Pilates on Sun & yoga on Monday, plus some woodland dog walks.
DS had to parent me in Sainsbury's today dragging me away from the cream cakes on display saying "no Mum, you know your not allowed" 
Just had a hot bath hoping for some water weight loss...

Meant to say can you bring some fruit and crudités to work with you to fill up on before the buffet (and have less beige food)?

I think I’m doing OK this week- I’ll weigh tomorrow morning. However, I randomly tried on my favourite winter dress from back when I was fairly slim and I’m a good 10lbs off being able to wear it!!! So my goal is 9s 12lbs by 25 May, pig out on holiday then down to 9s 3lbs (what I was when I least wore it)!

Good idea mammaplay! I have done that in the past. Fortunately, for a work buffet it actually was quite healthy. There were sandwiches but also plenty of fruit and salad. And cream cakes but I avoided those and just had two bite-size petit fours, so I hope I didn't do too badly. Was expecting to indulge myself with a glass of Prosecco but they only served soft drinks so I chose orange juice. I also managed 10,000 steps today so I'm quite pleased.

Glad your DS is being supportive!

WickedGoodDoge I have two winter skirts which I'd really like to wear again. It's actually more motivating than the doctor telling me to lose weight. What kind of a holiday are you taking? I don't always put on weight on holiday because I'm more active than usual and the change of routine means I'm not constantly snacking.

I’m usually really active as well when we’re on holiday- I have a 17 year old DS who likes doing mountain hikes/gorge walking/coasteering etc and DH won’t do any of that, so I’m his companion.

However, this is our 20th wedding anniversary and we’re going back to St Lucia to the hotel where we went on honeymoon. It will be a week of lying on the beach, stuffing my face. I’ve not had a holiday like it in 18 years (we went back a couple of years later)!

I’m expecting to gain a couple of pounds, but will be straight back to the routine once home.

Well I’m down 1.5lbs this week so I have 3 weeks to lose 2.5lbs. Should hopefully be manageable but today is my birthday and DH and I are having afternoon tea tomorrow afternoon and then Tuesday is DS’ birthday so I’ll be having a bit of his cake. So I’m not doing today as my cheat day and afternoon tea tomorrow will be my lunch and dinner. Hopefully that will mitigate the damage a bit!

I didn't quite maintain this week but I've lost 3lb since I started so I'm happy! Cheat day either tomorrow or Monday, I haven't decided yet.