Heifer wants to be Bambi. A thread for accountability.

[TreesSandSea]

I lost 7 stone a year ago. I have put a stone and a half back on and now weigh 15 st.

I want to be 11-12 stone. I need to stop eating crap and get back on track. I am using My Fitness Pal to track calories and starting this thread to keep myself accountable. Anyone else welcome to join, but also happy to talk to myself.

Weight today: 15st
Breakfast: I egg scrambled, 1 veggie sausage, 6 button mushrooms
Lunch: 1 fillet sea bass, 1 cup mange tout, 50g cheese
Dinner: M and S plant power butternut and quinoa salad, one mango and quinoa 0 fat natural yoghurt

How did you get on @ilovetofu ?

A good day here so far and about to cook dinner.

Well it started well thanks for asking @Howlongtillbedtime
1 hours walk 1/2 hour swim (1k) in the sunshine done.

Not the lowest fat of food though...
Seedy toast & marmite for breakfast
Cauliflower cheese & leeks for lunch
Fishcakes & greens for dinner

Im terrible for eating! Healthy food but too much of it. But glad i got my exercise in!

How was everyone else's day?

I need to plan meals better & make more soups!

Soup is the way forward @ilovetofu
That does sound like you have done enough exercise to manage your food today.
I meal plan for the while week which does make a big difference.

Now I just need to do more exercise and less snacks !

@Howlongtillbedtime i have found that 5:2 works well for me in the past. Just need to psych myself up!

Also Ive recently discovered the following:

"Running burns more calories per minute than walking, but it's harder to keep the high-intensity for a long time. There is a 〜30% difference in calorie burn between a slow walk and a moderate run for the same distance. Further increases in running speed won't cause a dramatic increase in calories burned"

Hence trying to walk fast for at least an hour a day now!

I like that fact!
I have started couch to bloody 5k again

All making progress which is great. I have had a v difficult 2 weeks emotionally and went off piste quite a lot but weighed in today and I am 2lb down over the fortnight so I am v relieved. I am calmer now about the bad news and have just decided that I need to hang on to any positives and that I didn’t derive any pleasure or comfort from the emotional eating which only lasts a few seconds (fast eater) - but I am taking great pleasure 24/7 in my weight loss - my body shape has noticeably changed and I have dropped almost 2 dress sizes.

My next milestone is another couple of lbs which will get be out off “obese” and into “overweight” BMI range. So that is my near term target for this week.

And I am still on for ONE STONE loss by Xmas - 6 weeks today - just over 2lb a week. Anyone aiming for that?

So back to what’s working for me and which will be permanent lifelong lifestyle habits:
16:8
10k steps
No alcohol, minimal “sugar treats”
Cooking from scratch
Lowish carbs, loads of veggies, healthy fats and more protein.

I have also started a yoga class - and have been threatening to do weight training for a long time now ...!

With regard to exercise reading Michael Moselys BSD - he states that it is just standing most of the day and moving around doing chores that have a big impact on increasing BMR - no point busting balls at gym for an hour then flopping on the sofa exhausted - better to potter about up on your feet walking, doing housework and chores.

I would LOVE to lose a stone by xmas!! @Innishh

It’s totally possible ilovetofu just a tiny bit over the standard 2lb a week. Just needs some strategic planning as risky party season coming up. At my SW meeting today they said that there are 150 meals to the end of the year and if you plan in your nights out, x mas day etc - maybe 10? You can still “behave yourself” for 140 meals and still lose weight if you are sensible or compensate for the rest of the time. That put it all in perspective for me - as it would be easy to just throw in the towel for the season - but it would be much nicer to be starting 2020 a stone lighter rather than a stone heavier (that’s something that could easily happen for me!).

@Innishh lets do it!

Im going to have to do 5:2 though as I cant diet every day.

Did an 1.5 hours walk today.
Had porridge & raspberries for breakfast
Salad for lunch
Tangerine for snack
But am now caving in & having a glass of white wine after a stressful day
Fish cake & loads of greens for dinner.

How was everyone's day?

@Innishh it is defo possible!
Really trying to up my exercise at the moment as have been sitting behind a desk for weeks snacking! So I'm hoping this makes the difference (along with 5:2)

www.channel5.com/show/lose-a-stone-for-christmas-and-fit-into-your-party-frock/

Anyone been watching this?

Had a meal out on Wed - chose nice sensibly options - had one glass of red - all lovely. Shocking day yesterday craving carbs - dull headache - caved to a curly wurly and a packet of mini cheddars!

Rest of the day was perfect......but concluding that it is the wine that makes me crave.....so not doing that again.

Out tonight and facing another busy week which will need lots of focus.

Good luck everyone.......

I'm still here and still hoping to lose a stone by Xmas. Haven't been too bad this week despite another hideous week at work. Have had some snacks in the evening, which I really need to avoid. The scales won't lie on Monday though. Haven't managed to get out and do any exercise as have been practically chained to my desk at work this week. The run up to Xmas is always super busy and stressful.

I struggle to keep focused on losing weight when I'm really busy at work, as I don't really get any time to myself and by the time the DC are in bed, I just want to crash on the sofa! Words of encouragement needed please

Hi Millie you are still motivated so that’s great. Taking 20 mins at the weekend to plan what you will eat during the week is key........really important NOT to let yourself get tired and hungry - and to do this you need to eat good quality food.

If you let yourself get tired and hungry - that’s where reaching for the easy to reach, no prep, satisfying in the moment, sugary / carb snacks sets off another cycle. They fill you up momentarily - then you crash hungry and crave more carbs only hours later.

They are not nutritious - the sugar / carb slump makes you feel tired - so you reach for more energy. You just need to get off the sugar / carb roller coaster - and feed yourself real, nutritious, nourishing food that will sustain you and restore your energy.

Maybe look at what these swaps would be would be for each of your meals and snacks??

I don’t know what that is for you personally - but maybe it is having some tasty filling warming soups in that are quick to prepare when you get in late? Maybe it is cooking up 2-3 chicken breasts on Sunday night so that you can throw together chicken avocado salads to take to work for 2-3 days at a time. Or making bigger portions of your evening meal to take left overs in for lunch the next day (much healthier and more satisfying than a meal deal). Maybe have a bag of snacks cheese / nuts at work for the whole week. And having a filling breakfast - eggs? Porridge?

It is hard in the first few days and weeks - that’s why I had large stashes of Granny Smith apples and mini babybelle lights - stored in my car and at home so when I got raging hungry I didn’t do a handbrake turn and screech into the petrol station for choc and crisps! But it’s not real hunger - my body isn’t saying it doesn’t have enough fuel - it has stones and stones of fat to tap into! It’s just the body adjusting and rebalancing after years of Xs sugar/carbs.

I don’t get that raging, craving, tired hunger now - and my mindset is that I want to be good to my self and nourish my mind and body - I need quality food with sustainable energy, vitamins, minerals, anti oxidants, fibre etc.

It’s all about “getting ahead of the hunger” - so that you keep topping up with quality, pre-prepared, fuel, before the gauge drops to low fuel and your body starts screaming that it is running on empty and you reach for the Jaffa cakes because you can’t wait hours to plan, shop, prep and cook a healthy meal.

@Innishh thank you, this is just what I needed to hear. I will be reading it over and over until it sinks in!

How are we all doing at the start of this week?

I have had a good weekend. Had a meal out last wed night and fri night - but I was as sensible as possible......I enjoyed them, especially the fun with my friends - so if my weigh in at the end of this week (on Wed) is a little compromised then that’s fine.....still on for a stone by Xmas.... 5.5 weeks....

Still at 12st 7lbs so haven't lost a pound, although admittedly haven't really been trying as hard as I could.

Had weetabix for breakfast, salad at the Harvester and a Cajun chicken wrap for lunch, sausages & pasta for dinner. Had 2 x celebrations and 1 x quality street but said no to ice cream and thought I was very restrained with the chocolate.

I have realised that I don't really have anyone IRL who is supportive of me trying to lose weight, so I will have to be strong when repeatedly offered chocolate/cake/ice cream etc!

Don’t tell anyone !! The minute I mention it people start with the “just have one blah blah” - so I am doing it by stealth - haven’t told anyone in RL except my DH.

I haven't told anyone but they all look at me funny if I turn down chocolate or cake! Quite a good day today, a latte with one sugar mid-morning, a sandwich, melon and a mini pastry for lunch, then a small portion of chilli, rice and a few chips for dinner.