6 stone to lose - my journey!

[StanleyOscar]

Hi everyone, long-time lurker here but decided to pop my head up and talk about my weight loss journey which I have just begun.

49 years old, yo-yo dieter for approx 20 years. Never have much problem loosing weight, just can't keep it off. So, I joined Slimming World on Wednesday and have around 6 stone to lose. So far I have lost 3lb, which is to be expected in week 1. Very much enjoyed the group meeting, and the meals/recipes are good too.

So far, so good. Anyone else on their journey too?

Wow @picklemewalnuts - that's fantastic! Very well done you.

Thank you @picklemewalnuts @WheresMyTweezers

I bought a dress from John Lewis (Studio8, picture attached). It is a 16, and fits well at the waist and hips and is 3-4 inches too big at the waist, so will try to take it in a bit there so it is a bit less sack-like! Colour shows a bit browny-red onscreen, or is more purply-red. I really like it as a last chance dress!!

Oh now that's a lovely dress! I'm glad you have a solution- it's awful when you feel stuck, clothes wise!

Bad boy dessert! Blackcurrants blueberries and mango with two meringue nests and a lot of fat free yogurt!

..

@picklemewalnuts - Well done, that's amazing!

@WheresMyTweezers - STS is great, especially after last night!

@ThroughThinkandThing - That's great that you have found a nice dress ready for the weekend, you will feel so much better having something which looks and feels nice.

This mornings Slimming World weigh in produced a bit of a surprise - 4lbs loss for the week!

I was well happy with that, roll on next week. Today my wife and I travelled to Clarks Village to meet up with my parents to do some clothes shopping. We didn't buy any clothes but we did have dinner, and I had a chicken burger with chips. I ate less than half the burger and shared some chips with my wife, but still left a load as it was too much. I reckon I only had 300 calories for lunch, no urge to eat it all.

SW = 18st 4lbs
CW = 15st 9lbs
TW = 12st 7lbs
Loss = 37lbs

@picklemewalnuts that look so delicious!

@StanleyOscar good work in the 4lbs.

Well done, Stanley. I've found my appetite has changed a bit, too. I can go longer without eating. So on a day when we had a big lunch, no breakfast, then a piece of fruit in the evening is enough.
I never eat before noon, and if lunch gets delayed until dinner time I can get by on a piece of fruit. I don't think I'd have managed that before. It's like my metabolism has shifted, or something. Or else I'm not dependent on fast carbs anymore!

Last minute tights panic - haven't worn them since pre-Covid! Where the fuck are they, and do I have any without holes in‽

@ThroughThinkandThing - Hope you have a great day today, I am sure you will look lovely in your new outfit.

Another 1lbs off this morning!

SW = 18st 4lbs
CW = 15st 8lbs
TW = 12st 7lbs
Loss = 38lbs

Hope you got the tights sorted @ThroughThinkandThing !

Well done on another loss @StanleyOscar

I'm hovering about the same - my scales don't do half pounds and I can see it kind of thinking about going lower then settling higher. Not disheartened - I'm expecting a little loss soon. Keeping on keeping on!

Gosh, morning all. I'm feeling proper groggy this morning, and I think it's yesterday's carb fest. I'm not sure how bad it is yet... it was FiL's Bday. We live an hour and a half away, they are too frail to cater themselves so we need to take things with us. We were also painting their conservatory while we were there...

The easiest thing- and something I'd usually enjoy- was to take a morrisons pre ordered afternoon tea. I worked it where I could- wholemeal bread, only meal of the day- and just sucked it up where I couldn't. It was carb heavy though. I need to be really low carb today to break the cycle, I think.

Roast chicken dinner. I'll have a cottage cheese and fruit lunch. That will sort it I'm sure!

Looking forward to hearing about @ThroughThinkandThing's day out!

Such a good day! So lovely to see so many of my friends at once, and dance and chat and have fun.

Didn't do too badly on the calories front yesterday - I didn't eat any of the late buffet (wasn't hungry at 9.30 having had the wedding breakfast at five) so that was good. However, I drank rather a lot so definitely blew the budget there! But I knew I would and had planned for it, so I'm not upset.

And today we had brunch together, and then when I got home I did the 3rd week 1 C25K run, so moving onto week 2 next week.

@picklemewalnuts hope you enjoy the roast!

How is everyone else doing? Good weekends?

Ah glad you enjoyed yourself @ThroughThinkandThing

@picklemewalnuts - I know what you mean about carbs! I suspect my weight loss would be much faster without them, but it'd probably mean me having a separate evening meal to the family and I just CBA.

1lb off today - first time I've seen that for a while! The scale was hovering over 3lb off then settled on 1. At least it's in the right direction.

Only 18lb off in just under 2 mths which is fairly slow I think (although probably averaging just over 2lb a week so maybe not as bad as I think?). Another 3 takes me to a stone and a half and if I project that forward, I could be looking at a 3st loss by mid October which is not to be sniffed at. Although it's been slow, I don't feel too deprived which means I'm more likely to keep going I think? Like on Saturday I had a scone with cream and strawberries from a local bakery and didn't have to work too hard to accommodate it but also it didn't signal the start of a blowout.

Out a couple of times next week so trying to be fairly disciplined this week although the kids want a takeaway tomorrow so we'll see!

@WheresMyTweezers 2lb a week is absolutely great- sustainable, too. As you say, you need to keep this up for a while so you have to have some give in the system!

It's been almost a year for me so far, 5 stone down. I've probably got another 6 months left. You can't be totally inflexible for that length of time, I don't think. Also, we need to learn how to maintain the target weight once we are there. So having a bit of give in the system helps with that.

@ThroughThinkandThing I'm glad you had a good time, and resisted picking at the evening buffet when you were still full of the lunch! It's easy to say, but harder to do!

Weigh day tomorrow for us, @StanleyOscar . Let's hope it's a good one, eh?!

Yes, I've never managed to maintain in the past so here's hoping (when I get there of course).

I'm noticing a real difference in my clothes though which is nice (and my real - if shallow - motivation).

I didn't go to Slimming World weigh in this morning, on a bit of a downer with this diet and everything else going on at the moment. Haven't cheated on the diet, in fact I have absolutely no urge to eat crap foods, but not weighing myself either.

How's everyone else getting on? @picklemewalnuts @ThroughThinkandThing @WheresMyTweezers

Oh I hope those feelings pass soon @StanleyOscar. Can feel really overwhelming at times.

I'm doing ok. Interestingly I did my TDEE calculation for the first time and it's so much higher than I thought and probably the 2lb a week off is about right if a deficit of 3500 calories broadly equals 1lb but I wonder if that period when I really plateaued/gained was related to my calories being too low? Because rather than being 1000 under my TDEE thing, I was probably 12-1500 under. Who knows, but I was amazed. Off out to put my face in a trifle.

@WheresMyTweezers - Same here, not eaten much the past week or so, weighed myself a few days ago and no change. No logic to it at all, how can we not eat and yet not lose weight? Gave up weighing myself at the weekend as there doesn't seem any point.

Although people say it's not true that the body has a starvation mode, obviously it is true or severely ill anorexic people would fade to nothing. There comes a point when the body conserves energy rather than burning it. I'd imagine you'd feel pretty low if that were happening- I kind of slowed down depression type feeling.

That could be why you are fed up, @StanleyOscar .

Eat some quality food. Good stuff- protein, fibre, a little bit of complex carbs. Lots of speed food.

Worst case scenario, you'll feel better and not lose weight. Best case scenario it kicks start your system again and you can get back on track, weight loss wise.

I hope you feel better soon, Stanley.

Good advice @picklemewalnuts

@picklemewalnuts & @WheresMyTweezers - Thanks for the support, it means a lot to me.

Well, I didn't crack and stuck to the diet the past week or so. It's usually when I am in this kind of mood I turn to junk food to console my misery, but not this time which is both interesting, and encouraging. So, I put in a few carbs yesterday - potato, pasta etc and it lifted my spirits, plus the weight shifted this morning, another 1lb off. Thanks Pickle!

Slimming World is brilliant, especially my local class, but it doesn't feel, how can I put it without seeming rude...it's not very 'male' orientated, which is fine, and understandable. I don't actually follow the diet anymore, in fact I haven't followed it for a month or two, never bothered with counting syns etc, but the advice and chats in the class are great. I probably should have gone to weigh in this week, I would have got a 2lb loss, and a 2.5st award, but I just wasn't in the mood to be cheery. Not sure at this stage if I will go back

Currently loosing an average of 2.5lbs a week, but hitting plateaus left right and centre, followed by big drops.

38/81lbs lost so far, still on track to hit my target 81lbs loss by my 50th in February, ideally by Xmas! [santa]

Well done on avoiding the junk, Stanley!

I'm not exactly on SW plan, but it does inform my choices.

I keep a wary eye on cheese and bread/nuts/cereal/fibre bars, using SW healthy extra servings as a bench mark.
I know how many syns specific treats are, and how many of those treats I can have a day.
I know things like mustard, extra light Mayo etc are 1/2 a syn tsp but I don't count them- just make sure I don't have them regularly or in large quantities.

After that, I major on the obvious foods (veg, fruit) and avoid the obvious no-nos like pastry.

On occasion I go off plan (cream tea for a birthday, etc) but make sure to eat much less than I otherwise might have. I have a quarter of a cake slice, for example, so I get to taste them all! I'll also avoid eating apart from that treat. So lots of raw fruit and veg for lunch, if it's take away for tea.

On top of that, 16:8 IF (otherwise known as skipping breakfast!).

I completely agree it's a female environment. That said, initially you were really motivated by the monthly and weekly awards. I'm not particularly- I appreciate getting them, but it doesn't inspire me to try harder. I don't tick that way.
I will keep going, even though I don't enjoy it as such. I occasionally learn a new thing- I'd been counting oyster sauce as free, but the kind I bought is not for example. Mainly, I will need the discipline for maintenance. I plan to go forever, essentially, so I never put the weight back on.

I know that I will never be able to take my eye off the ball. Given a minute's inattention, and I'll put weight on. I don't trust myself. I may, in a few years time. Not yet though.

Keeping eating lots of healthy food, Stanley. Your body needs it! It's the crap that needs to be weeded out.

Yeah, I'm the same - I give a loose nod to SW interns of the way it encourages you to get a certain amount of fibre and protein, and I like its core message - low fat food, cooked from scratch but nothing off limits so long as you count it. I've neve gone in for the fakeaways or the deserts made from powdered mash or whatever. The only reason I'm. It doing it now is that it taught be nothing about portion control and because I tend to have quite a lot of food outside the house, when I went off plan, I was REALLY off plan. Whereas now I can have a meal out, not worry about it and just try and average it out the next day. As I say though I am a fan of the core SW plan.

More good advice from @picklemewalnuts.

Glad you're able to see some positives even when you're feeling glum @stanleyoscar

@picklemewalnuts @WheresMyTweezers @ThroughThinkandThing - Morning team, how are we all today?

Well, my weight loss has really slowed down significantly. I think this is primarily due to lack of activity the past two weeks, thanks to the weather. Just downloaded my steps counter and I have dropped from an average of 9-10,000 steps a day to barely 3k steps a day, what with being house bound. Usually we go for a nice walk for a few miles, or generally do things around the garden/paddock and that really does rack up the steps, but it has been raining everyday for almost two weeks here.

I have used the treadmill a few times, but it really isn't any substitute for going for walks etc. Weight is currently static at 218lbs.

SW = 18st 4lbs
CW = 15st 8lbs
TW = 12st 7lbs
Loss = 38lbs