6 week blitz starting tomorrow

[BasinHaircut]

I’m simply starting this thread for myself as a diary.

I’m hovering around 12st 1-3lbs ish. I’d like to hover at 11stones-something in 6 weeks time, so nothing major.

All I’m going to do is the following:

1. Stick to under 1600 calories per day
2. Walk for an hour each day
3. Resistance train 4 times per week

I should be able to do this easily but I need some accountability (with the food!) so here I am!

I have 4 social occasions during this time that may lead to not sticking to 1600 calories on those days but I am ok with that. I will just do my best on those days, accept what they are, and not let them lead to throwing in the towel altogether.

If anyone would like to join me they are very welcome!

So I’ve been for a 10k walk and had a breakfast of poached eggs and avocado on toast.

The rest of the day I’m going to a friend’s for the football finals and so although I’m driving, so not drinking, I will be eating whatever they are serving and I’ve made a cake to take along too which I will also be having a slice of.

Will get back on track tomorrow.

Another one owning up to a bad few days not in terms of quantity really but what I've eaten and when I've eaten it... hard work when DS1 is being a nightmare at bedtime and I either eat at 5ish or 9.30pm

I have a couple of friends who swear by Fast 800 but I just couldn't manage it at the moment. When I'm running round after two DC I need energy! If I was back at a desk job and could keep myself busy that way it wouldn't be so bad, but when I'm doing 20K steps per day it just isn't practical.

I'm still working out how I can stay on track when we're away over August - DP's eating habits are appalling at the moment and it's a struggle to get him to exercise at all - I find it very frustrating when the next minute he'll be moaning about wanting to lose weight...

Enjoy your night @BasinHaircut!! The DC will be staying up to watch the football and there may be snacks here too!

@olliepollie I think I did about 9 weeks in the end before switching to IF properly at 18:6. Have you read the book? I found it useful. Meal planning was so crucial and I was seriously low because of my weight so was very committed. I am doing a lot of bodyweight and dumbell work coupled with some HIIT. No specific programme but at least 30 mins daily. Arms and legs more toned and belly still a big problem but there's a lot to lose there, I'm a classic apple.

Well done @Jammymare that's an amazing step count! And a good distraction idea, I need to get my steps up in the week so may give that a go.

Also well done with the steps @BasinHaircut - hope you have a great time watching the football! What cake did you make?

@ClaraTheImpossibleGirl are you self-catering or will you have meals provided! I also find it hard with family meals - my husband is v slim with a fast metabolism so my 400-500 calorie suppers are not enough for him. How long are you away for? Will it be an active holiday? I won't be able to do my usual exercise when away next month but we'll be doing a lot of walking and hiking if the weather is good 🤞🤞

I haven't read the book @ManxRhyme - do you think it's worth doing that? I do like the science of this stuff. I think I may stick with Fast 800 for the rest of July and see where I am, I could really do with getting a few kilos off pronto...

@olliepollie apologies just realised it was the 8 week blood sugar diet book I read, which actually is still the 800cal a day diet. Fast 800 came after. Was about 3 years ago when I did it. Same author for both. Give it a go, it's only about £4 second hand on ebay.

Everyones step counts are so impressive. I don't have a fitness tracker but my phone registered a grand total of 4000 steps today 🙈

Did do a lot of gardening though. Have closed my fasting window. Might be a bit tricky watching the game tonight and resisting the gazillion snacks.

Yesterday morning I weight 11st 3lb. I then proceeded to eat ALLLLLL the food. Yesterday was not good.

SW 11st 7.5lb
Week 1 11st 5.5lb
Week 2 11st 4.5lb

Total loss 3lb.

Today I am not eating anything that is not protein or a vegetable/fruit. I WILL NOT let myself look fat and frumpy in my wedding dress.

Positive thoughts for the week ahead, let’s be kind to our bodies and give them nice healthy food instead of all the crap 😊

Well a week off dieting on hols hasn't been great but given how much I feel like I ate I was expecting worse! Gained 2.5lbs so aiming to get that off this week.
On the plus side, having drunk all the wine, I can now happily have a week off, not tempted in the slightest!
Hope everyone has a good Monday those weighing in.

Hope you are having better days today @Jammymare and @Cavagirl!

@ManxRhyme I'm reading Downsizing by Tom Watson at the moment which is all about the keto diet (not specifically Fast 800, but he took a lot of inspiration from Dr Michael Mosley). It's worth a read if you get chance!

@olliepollie we'll be caravanning and then camping for 2.5 weeks in total, so all self catering. Hopefully it'll be an active holiday - the DC need to be kept busy! - but I'm just despairing of DP at the moment (a whole other thread!) so who knows, probably not as active as I'd like.

@BasinHaircut my electronic scales give me a calorie recommendation of just under 1600 as well for weight loss, although bizarrely the NHS BMI calculator gives me loads more, 1800 - 2200. I'll have to go with the scales on this one given how hard it is to lose any weight at all

I did lose 2lb this week - yippee!! - but given that I only lost 0.5lb last week, that's only 1lb or so per week. I've done loads of exercise, food hasn't been great (thanks AF) but I haven't eaten huge amounts just too much rubbish

On the bright side, I am 0.5lb away from a 25lb total loss, which would mark the halfway point of my weight loss journey

You are doing amazingly @ClaraTheImpossibleGirl ! How long has it taken you to lose 25lbs?

I am so tired today I’m having a chicken shish for dinner. Seemed like the least bad takeaway option. I have no shopping in and I cannot be arsed to cook anyway. No idea on calories but yesterday I didn’t have half as much as I was expecting to eat so I sort of feel like I have this in the bank (even though I would have still gone over calories yesterday so I don’t really!).

Got a walk and a gym session in today though, and cleaned my house.

Need an early night to get my head back in the game food-wise

Not a great day here. Feeling quite stressed at work and comfort eating. No time to exercise. Didn't fast today and ate breakfast which gave me awful reflux. I'm having to take iron supplements for anaemia with orange juice which is hardly low carb 😬

Thank you @BasinHaircut it's taken me almost six months which feels so sloooooow. But (as I keep reminding myself) I didn't get fat overnight and I won't get thin overnight - slow and steady weight loss is the best way to keep it off - perimenopause makes everything more tricky and just going in the right direction is great and anything else I can think of to make myself feel better

I think I've said it before but I honestly owe a big debt to Joe Wicks, PE with Joe in this year's lockdown was the thing which made me start exercising again. I just find him inspiring and a genuinely nice person (and being easy on the eye is a bonus!) - loads of stuff he does is free via YouTube/ social media. Even very unobservant DS1 can now name him from only his photo or voice

A plain chicken shish seems like a sensible takeaway option, certainly better than a big MaccyD's which is what DP always goes for!!

@olliepollie I take the iron tablets instead of liquid, would they be any good for you? I couldn't tolerate liquid iron at all, with or without orange juice, but the tablets are much easier to take!

Chicken shush is basically grilled chicken @BasinHaircut ? Seems like a great option for a takeaway. Well done with all the exercise!

@ClaraTheImpossibleGirl unfortunately tablet iron doesn't really agree with me, I ended up ditching it last time I was pg because it upset my stomach so much 😬 I'm just having spatone at the moment which I'm hoping will do the trick.

Congratulations on your weight loss! Slow and steady is more likely to stay off, right? Six months is a great achievement, if I could be 25lbs down in 6 months that would be amazing! What calories are you on?

I found that the iron tablets my GP prescribed were really rough on me @olliepollie but the Feroglobin have been much better! I hear Spatone is (relatively!) gentle too, I just hate taking the liquid stuff.

I'm on about 1500 calories but am finding that I'm having to push much harder this time round to lose weight; think it's a combination of perimenopause, small DC so less time to do anything, and general tiredness from having small DC! But I'm really trying to make it a healthy 'lifestyle' rather than just push hard to lose weight and nothing else, which is partly why DP frustrates me so much when he eats everything in sight, does zero exercise and then tells me he's desperate to lose weight

Having said that I've gone a bit off the rails today - heavy AF has incapacitated me! - and eaten too many crisps, which I never eat any other time. Tomorrow it'll be back to researching healthy lifestyle plans though...

@ClaraTheImpossibleGirl I spend a lot of time researching and reading about weight loss and not a lot of time implementing what I have learnt. For instance I know a good nights sleep can lead you to making healthier choices yet here I am on mumsnet at 5am with no intention of getting up early for a workout. Put the phone down and go back to sleep! 🤣

@Jammymare young kids do that to me I feel. Wanting every last bit of alone time.

I've only started exercising recently and used to resent getting out of bed in the morning due to tiredness. I still find it hard to get out now but have decided to be selfish and the first hour of the day is mine. So I wake up early and exercise as a mental "I'm looking after me first instead of everyone else". Surprisingly it works. But my kids are old enough now that I just point to the cereal box.

Thanks for the recommendation @ClaraTheImpossibleGirl. I'll add it to the to read list.

25lbs in 6 months is about a pound a week isn’t it? That’s an amazing rate of loss.

Yes you could have lost it quicker if you had crash dieted, but in the long term, the fact you have effectively adopted a lifestyle change instead means you will be better off in the long term.

And imagine where you will be by the end of the year. Amazing 👏

Ah @Jammymare, yes I too am a theoretical expert on weight loss clearly all my reading hasn't translated to real life yet as otherwise I wouldn't only just be back to the weight I was when I'd first given birth

@ManxRhyme I went to the supermarket earlier and thought what a joy it is to not have to shop with small DC in tow... makes even a trip to Tesco feel positively luxurious! Mine are a bit younger than yours I think but will wait 20 mins or so for their breakfast whilst I do a workout. They don't mind having PE with Joe on as they find him quite funny!

Hello everyone, I too am an expert it weight loss

Gained a pound this week but to be honest I deserve it.
I've decided to cut sugar out. I've done it before and the weight dropped off. I go on holiday on the 4th so desperate times call for desperate measures, I WILL get to two stone off before I go away!

Hi everyone
I lost 2lbs this week but I'm still 7lbs away from target and I haven't gotten back to where I was a week or so ago.
That said I was being very restrictive, unsustainably so and there's no point in that.
Trying to stay on board with the IF, minimal alcohol (mostly none) and being careful but not OTT
So
SW 150
CW 146
GW 140
Let's keep going ladies 🤩

I remember reading "Why we get fat" in the park a few years ago and someone did a double take when they walked past our picnic blanket. I think they felt they could tell me as I was overweight as surrounded by picnic food at the time 😅

Did a killer work out this morning then went out with the kids and succumbed to mcdonalds. We are in school hols here it's not good for me diet wise!

Better day today, good day! Cycled 15km, busy work day so no time to think much about food - I had pre-made my lunch and have a sweet potato and lentil stew on the hob bubbling away. Off to Pilates shortly, then supper when I get home.

I am not totally sure on calories today as I have used up a lentil curry from the freezer and I can’t can’t accurately input into MFP.

I did meal prep lunch for the next 2 days this afternoon though so the next 2 days should be on point.

Got my walk in at lunch time too.

Am going to get up early at get to the gym for 6:30-7.

Busy day at work, which meant I didn’t have time to stuff my face, 1,429 calories today, but not great for the step count, only 7,000 steps. But I did go out for 50min on my bike.
Feeling a bit deflated today, probably because I’m bloated with hormones.

Ugh! Got up at 6 to make sure I got a gym session in today and it was the worse workout I’ve ever done in my life! Feels like it wasn’t worth it but I guess it probably was. Still got it done although had to drop weight.

I think it’s cycle-related, felt really weak. I’m just over a week out from my period so maybe.

@Jammymare DS1 loves cycling and is keen for me to join in. I haven't cycled for many many a few years and the fact that it doesn't count to my steps also puts me off

I've done the same @BasinHaircut, got up extra early to do a workout and then felt I'd done terribly! But better to have burned a few calories, right?! I find it much easier to do once I've (for example) walked the DC to school and got back, feels like I've had a proper warm up. That said day 2 of level 2 Shred today nearly killed me again