Half a stone off (or 3kg) in May

[VivaFrida]

A fresh slate for May!

Carrying over from the April thread but new joiners are welcome.

Please join this thread - all plans are included (calorie counters, weight watchers, citizens of slimming world, intermittent fasters, no-carbers, eating-only-blue-food eaters).

We are here to support each other and aim to lose 7 pounds, or 3 kgs.

Official start: tomorrow, May 1st.

My starting weight for May is 60.0 kgs and getting to 57-ish kg or just under by the end of the month would be great.

Who is in?

Am I too late to join? I need this as I really need the support. I was doing great on weight loss, then gained 1.5 stone in a single month (this April) thanks to VERY high-dose prednisone (it’s the devil). I’m swollen to bits everywhere and my face looks like a moon. I’m tracking calories with MyFitnessPal.
Today: 14.6 stone
End of May: 14 stone
Ultimate goal: 10 stone

@cricketmum84 Lol! I have definitely had those days where I miscalculated and went, “Well, I guess it’s a glass of water and sleep for tea...” (Joke aside, I usually went with low-calorie veg at that point).

@KTCluck you asked about whether anyone had tried the paid version of MFP. I have, and I don't think it's worth it. The paid one doesn't have ads and tells you the time of meals and some extra granular detail but i barely notice it now that I don't have it. When they had the big data breach and didn't refund people I decided not to pay for it anymore (I actually deleted it but then caved in and downloaded again because it's pretty useful ) in my opinion, basic MFP works just fine.

How are all you guys doing this evening? I really struggle in the evenings, it’s my snacking time. I’m currently drinking a green tea ignoring the urge to go to the biscuit tin. Anyone got any distraction tips?!

Me too cricket. Had lunch out and whilst it was sensible chicken Caesar I've given it 11 points. Add that to 2 for gin, 2 for a fevertree tonic (light), 2 for milk and 1 for a dsp of muesli and that leaves me with .............5 for dinner! We are having chilli and I'm starving so may just seerve the rice. Now to work out those points.

I want to lose a stone but TBF I haven't been able to get down to that weight since I was about 18. I have been trying for months but just don't seem to have the will power to do it, it's absolutely scunnering and it's getting me down. I just don't know what to do to motivate myself.

I made a tofu and veg stir fry for tea - zero points. Although I've just had a glass of red so I'm into weekly points now. Hey ho tomorrow will be better! I have melon for breakfast, leftover stir fry for lunch and then baked squash and salad for tea so I'll be very low on points. As long as I avoid costa 😂

Somuchroom, ugh, evenings. I’m doing well, though. Had lentils cooked with onions and garlic. One thing I’ve found helps consistently to distract with snacking is taking up a hobby that can keep your hands busy while you watch Netflix or relax otherwise (so I’m not thinking about snacking), like knitting or cross-stitch or doing a puzzle. Also definitely having something to sip on, like tea.

Prednisolone is indeed the devil. I’m blaming it for at least one stone of my weight gain. I have never been so ravenous in my life. The other two stone was just too much and though
Doing ok today, just had an unplanned bowl of raspberries and cream but still low carb so not going to worry about that.

@Drogosnextwife, sometimes the “last” stone is the hardest, but if you’re unhappy, then it needs to go (if you were happy, then who cares). There’s a ton of stuff about how to motivate yourself to lose weight, but I found this article when I was looking for motivation today that I thought was actually helpful as it only has ways to lose weight that have been proven in studies. bestlifeonline.com/science-backed-weight-loss-motivation/ It includes things like weighing daily, drinking two glasses of water before meals, eating a high protein breakfast, etc, i.e. small ideas you can combine. Would any of them work for you maybe?

I’m in, currently 63kg and would like to be 57kg by the end of June, when I have a girls weekend. 3kg this month would be perfect.

For the last 2 weeks I’ve used MyFitnessPal and decided to not to weigh myself until the end of May, otherwise I’ll be frustrated with the effort given how long it takes to lose weight now I’m late 30’s.

@impossiblenovelty

I eat 1000 cals a day. I don't count milk in tea. I drink 5 or 6 cups a day I would guess. Take 20 minute walk at lunch time and a 30 minute walks with the dogs and make sure my Fitbit clocks up at least 3 miles everyday.

I walk to work once a week 4 mile round trip. And am pretty last at weekends I probably walk less unless I'm in the garden.

So, overall 9 points over today but I'd banked five which takes my weeklies down to 31. I think lunch with best friend is what the banks and weeklies are for though.

Thanks cakeaddict and Rshard I’ve been in a rut with lunches but I’m feeling inspired! I’ll give it a miss then edwardson, thanks.

Evening all!

Ditched the snack and had a cheeky bit of cheese on my veggie burger instead, which brought my total calories today to 1,523.

Not too shabby!

@AhFurFoxAche

Thanks I'll have a read through that. I have tried to up my intake of water, it has helped with stopping me eating as much but I haven't lost weight. I just frustrate myself by doing quite well through the day and then by late afternoon or night time I will just eat whatever I can find, then say I'll start again tomorrow.

Managed to stave off late night snacking, I had some calories left so decided to have a bit of chocolate and an options hit chocolate, which was actually really nice. I love a hot drink at this time of night so hoping that hot chocolates will stop me going for actual chocolate on an evening.

I’ve also found just going to bed earlier helps too! I’ve stuck to 3 days healthy eating and exercise which is my longest streak in months

I have a monthly girls night tomorrow but planning to avoid eating snack and drinking wine by eating dinner beforehand and bringing a low sugar posh lemonade, instead of a bottle of wine (which I would then normally drink to myself)

You guys are so good!

I've been away with work but I skipped the meeting dinners and had subway salads, and driving home tonight I had a (disgusting) boots shaper sandwich and a big (=expensive) bag of chopped up melon.

And I've logged everything that's passed my lips. I hope I can keep this up. Tomorrow I weigh myself (I have to decide if I'm going to use the first number I get when weighing, or the number I get when I get back on the scales 30 seconds later. They are never the same. I rely want to leave the scales out so they aren't being moved all the time).

If you calorie count, what's your daily goal?

Morning beauties!

It's

DAY TWO

How did your first day go? Remember if you have just started it's the beginning that is hard, then it gets easier (apart from before one's period... when one of us (ahem, me) want to eat ALL the food!!

My first day went well, I stayed on plan & exercised but must confess that I did not sort out my cupboard !

But I have mitigating circumstances, I finished work late and then i had to choose between a walk or tidying... and I chose a walk! And then my Garmin vivofit arrived and wanted to start playing with my new toy... so my cupboard is still in ints SHOCKING state ! And today and tomorrow I am working away so it's gong to be Saturday. But I promise you thread buddies, its' going to be done!

Ok, reading back now , have a lovely day y'all!!

oh some PPs have mentioned the evenings munchies... evenings are difficult for me too!

This is what works for me:

1. not eat too early. Dinner starting between 6.30-7.30
2. make sure I am eating enough at dinner. Sometimes I want to 'save' 30gr of cooked rice and then I eat chocolate... not good... I try not to have hard and fast rules but if I had one would be: I try to eat 'real' food rather than 'snacky' and sweet bits.
3. a humongous mug of my favourite herbal tea
4. if I have points and still want something sweet , my to-go evening snack is sugrarfree chocolate mini eggs. They are 12gr each and normally 1-3 hit the spot without much damage.

What works for you?

Morning.
I went our last night for a drink with friends and enjoyed 2 gin and slimlines instead of having a couple of pints so massively less calories. Only 54 cal each! I did nibble a few crisps but didn't go crazy. Peppermint tea when I got home. Overall 1700 calories yesterday however I did over 20000 steps so according to mfp synced with fitbit, I still had over 600 deficit.

What does everyone do about calories earned through exercise? Do you eat them or try not to? I think this is where I struggle! Probably would see the results I want if I didn't eat the earned ones.

Morning! I made it through last night without a binge, yey! Instead of snacking I promised myself a hot chocolate if I did a 20 minute YouTube work out. My abs are painful today and had to roll out of bed! Now just need to keep busy until 12pm when I can have some lunch. Good luck for today everyone! We have got this.

Hello, can I join please? I need to have somewhere to ramble so I don't drive my DH mad listening to my admittedly quite tedious diet talk.

I'm on my second week of eating better. I am trying not to frame it as dieting because I reckon to get back to my pre-kids weight will take 8-10 months and I can't think about "dieting" for that long.

I used to be slim and possessed of excellent self-control, able to defer pleasure and say no. Then I had two pregnancies in four years where I gained 3.5 stone each time (lost most of it between the two). I developed a sweet tooth, a delight in chips and chronic sleep deprivation annihilated my will power. Currently a SAHM and also eat to alleviate boredom and reward myself when the kids are in bed. Now my "fat" clothes are getting tight and I can't go on.

My statistics are:

need to lose 3 stone and aiming to lose 7lbs by the end of May.
I'm short (5ft 1) so being three stone overweight does not carry well.
Not really following an official plan, vaguely the principles of a Mediterranean diet and basically avoiding my weaknesses (takeaway, huge portions, chocolate every night).
I'm calorie counting on MFP - 1200 calories a day, but try to stick to 1100 to give myself some leeway.

Looking forward to getting some inspiration and moral support!

@fruitpastille I try not to eat calories earned where possible. I try to maintain a 1000 cal deficit and my calories burnt through exercise tend to get me to that. However, it is a good cushion if you need it or just really hungry that day

Morning all!

So yesterday went well, I had to redo my hair in the evening so that kept me busy and stopped me looking to the snack cupboard out of boredom, my husband does nights twice a week and being in the house alone with DD in bed can and often does lead to snacking. Especially after bastard Easter with all that tempting chocolate around. He's off for two weeks from today though so that's nice.

Today's meal plan is:

B: All bran cereal (40g) with whole milk (100ml) and my multivitamin.

L: Chicken breast with vegetables, half a potato baked and a cheeky Jaffa Cake.

D: Veggie burger with cheese (finishing it off so it can tempt me no longer) vegetables, the other half of the potato baked and a nakd bar.

Snack: Going to try drinking more water today, I suspect some snacky feelings could be thirst related. I drink around 3 pints of water throughout the day currently, might up that to 4.

So that brings me out at 1,558 calories for today. Going to drag the dog out for a walk between showers (she's a delicate little flower bless her) and get my 30 minutes in.

It's so nice having somewhere to put all of this. I love this thread!