1 year in, 3 stone down ... and stuck !!

[FieldOverFence]

Hoping for some ideas & experience of how people on a long-term weightloss journey kept motivation!

I did great in 2020 (I think anyway :D ) - lost 3 stone, went from a size 20 to a size 16, all good. Mostly did a version of 16:8, tracking cals on MFP. Upped exercise levels considerably - went from zero to doing 3 spin classes (virtually mostly) a week, and long walks with the kids at the weekends

But now I'm just done with tracking calories, and being hungry! To manage to loose weight, I had to stay at around 1100-1200 cals, and that pretty much meant I was hungry a lot of the time. I'm managing to actually increase exercise (doing 30 mins HIIT X3 & Spin X2 every week, long walk or cycle every weekend), but I cannot convince myself to get back to tracking calories - it just feels insurmountable to start tracking everything again, I just have hit a wall where I can't imagine doing that every day forever .... Now I haven't been going overboard, but I'm eating when I'm hungry.

Haven't weighed myself since before christmas ....

Help me get over the hump here !!

I haven't done this myself, but lots of advice I have read suggests eating at maintenance for a while. It's good practice for when you reach your goal weight, and it won't do any harm at all. Take it as a chance to reset, and then carry on with your weight loss goals when you feel ready. Good luck!

Just don’t gain it all back and then some,... as I have (ahem) done, multiple times!

Was going to suggest same as PP : maybe maintain for eg 1-3 months and focus on fitness goals instead. You know you can lose weight so if you want to restart you can.

I get sick of being hungry too ! Taking breaks helps

You have to keep weighing yourself or else it will creep on. I’ll be honest I find the only way for me to loose weight is to track calories.

I would track calories but continue to increase exercise (including weights), then you get to add a treat or two.

Keep weighing yourself and maintain, than what about trying some random other types of diet to budge a few extra pounds in blocks, so you aim this year to do a few varied ones this year. But of variety might be just what you need. Well done though, you have done brilliantly

Thanks a million everyone, @Shwighty1 I think you're right I need to change what I was doing. Has anyone any experience from going from a 16:8 to a 5:2 ? maybe thats worth a try

My weigh-in day was Friday, so I'll weigh myself again then and gulp, hope the damage isn't too bad .....

@FieldOverFence I decided to lose weight last September and I have lost one and a half stone. I am now stuck on the same weight for the last 4 weeks despite eating 1200 calories a day. I am always hungry too. I have another stone to lose.

I would love to hear from slimmers on what they eat in a typical day to get to their target weight.

@FieldOverFence is it at the same time you have become less active with the lock down? I’m in my 40s now and I can do longer eat 2000 calories to maintain my weight, it’s more likely 1400/1500. Therefore if I want to loose weight and eat 1200 I have to do runs/weights

Crikey I wish I was 21 and could eat what I wanted!!!

@Anon247 ... my typical day when I was going well was a 16:8, so I used to eat between 12 and 8pm. I would eat something like a salad of chicken, cucumber, peppers (or whatever salad-y things i had around), and a small slice of brown bread & low fat hummous. Dinner would be fairly typical family stuff- spag bol, stew, chicken tray bake. Might have a small sweet snack before 8, 2 biscuits or a fun-size choc bar. I used to do that 5-6 days a week, then have a more relaxed day on the weekend

@FieldOverFence Thanks for sharing. I,too, have tried the 16:8 but my eating window was 11am to 7pm. Like you, I relax a little at weekends eating a few additional carbs. I am 54 years old and I have an ankle injury so exercise is out of the question. I have been so strict with myself which I do not mind when I saw results, but now I’m fed up with being cold and hungry in exchange of no weight loss on the scales.

@Anon247 totally get it - being hungry is miserable!!! Really givese the rage when well-meaning (usually not overweight) people say 'it' s easy, eat less move more', without realising that 'eat less' actually means 'spend a significant portion of your day trying to distract yourself from hunger'

@FieldOverFence We mustn’t give in.... let’s stay strong together. We CAN do it!
I have a moan periodically to get the frustration off my chest, but I soldier on. Yes I am fed up, but as there is no easy way out.

I was watching “My 600lb life” a couple of days ago and Dr Now said to his patient “ What incentive do you need? You are fighting for your life, a healthy you. What other incentive do you possibly need?” ...it’s now ingrained in my brain.

Alright, well the damage is 4.5lb up on last weight (just before Christmas), so I suppose it could be worse. Really shows that I can exercise all I like, its still all about the food !
Back to MFP I go .... feels like a never-ending sentence

Ahhh well done on weighing yourself, 4lb is not the end of the works by any means