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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

LOSE IT! November 2021

420 replies

TheRealHousewife · 27/10/2021 16:53

Hello & Welcome

October has flown by and now November is upon us! The outside temperature is actually warmer than this time last month, so feels quite unseasonal. Still have bumble bees and lady birds in the garden 😮. I for one do look forward to cosy nights by the fire and prepping for the coming festive season.

With just 59 days until Christmas there's still time to svelte up for the Christmas holidays. A part of my Christmas prep includes dropping a few extra lbs ‘to make room’ for a little foody extravagance… and a Baileys or two 😬

Carrying on from October’s thread, this is a space for those of us who enjoy healthy eating, exercising and feeling motivated to reach (or maintain) a healthy weight/bmi. The members of these threads are inspirational, supportive and happy to share their progress (the ups and the downs).

We all know that if we eat right, get outside & move more your mental health will reap the rewards. Better mental health = better choices. It becomes a healthy cycle.

There are so many enjoyable lifestyle options out there without the need to resort to extreme measures. Whatever way you choose, it needs to be enjoyable & sustainable for the long term. This is a long term commitment rather than a quick fix. Personally, I rarely drink alcohol and keep sugar to a minimum. I try to not overload on carbs etc, include a protein source with most meals and aim to glug enough water. I exercise by doing walking vids & strength sessions with light weighs.

As no one size fits all, members need to follow their own way of eating. Nonetheless this thread aims to offer guidance, support and a bit of hand holding. We generally have WOW (weigh on Wednesday) day each week. However post and share your progress as often or as little as you prefer. I’ve weighed daily at times and weekly at other times. Do what works for you. The important thing is not to think of it as a diet (based on deprivation and unsustainable) but more a way of life (sustainable & enjoyable).

There is no shaming, competition or harsh words to be found on these threads. We are in this together.

Jump right in! If you’re not too shy, post a bit about yourself 😊. How do you plan to do it? What do you want to achieve? What excites you about your future self? Together, we can create a whole new you!

You’ll be glad you got on board this time next month 😊

Useful Links

Blood Sugar Diet based on Mediterranean Recipes

Intermittent Fasting

MFP App also available.

25 Tips to lose weight & improve health

The Science behind sleep & weight gain

Holistic approaches to Eat Sleep Move Be

The Importance of Fibre

The Importance of Water for Weight Loss

LOSE IT! November 2021
OP posts:
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14
Youdoyoutoday · 16/11/2021 11:10

Thank you!

You definitely need to be a bit more thick skinned doing all this! I think he is naturally one of those people that can easily offend others without thinking, I do prefer the other coach but this one deals with the nutrition side of the bootcamp.

But it does all come down to what we spoke about before, there is no magic pill and realising that that you're in for a long hard slog with this journey, I did tell him that which he agreed with. Again, I think maybe I was being a bit sensitive as I'm trying and someone simply saying "try harder" is irksome!
But I'd like to see what he says next week after a full week of logging food, I actually don't eat crap, all meals are prepared from scratch.
I said as an example, if I make a spag bol, I dont use jarred sauces, its all freshly made and he clung on to the pasta side of the dish which I wouldn't have a lot of anyway. I also had 1 protein bar last week and he said to get rid of that! I had 1 last Monday as I needed to rush off to an appointment after school and nursery run and didn't have time to eat but had to have something because I'd been up since 5.40am and it was 10am and I hadn't had anything yet.
Going back to the spag bol, he mentioned carbs in the pasta, obviously, and then carbs in the tomatoes which I will admit, confused me slightly! I would never think of tomatoes being the same enemy as pasta so is it my lack of understanding here or what?
Maybe calorie counting in its most basic form is not right for me, I might need to step it up to monitoring micronutrients instead. That seems somewhat intimidating if i'm honest!

MyAnacondaMight · 16/11/2021 12:42

Welcome @MistySkiesAfterRain . I’m hoping to get past the 11st mark soon too.

@Youdoyoutoday - I think it’s hard to see eye to eye with trainers re nutrition, when you’re starting from a place that’s so far removed from their normal. You’re monitoring and adjusting your spaghetti bolognese to ensure its healthy and fits your goals, but it’s a meal that your trainer probably would never eat - so it’s difficult for them to see the progress you’re making there. Don’t be disheartened.

Youdoyoutoday · 16/11/2021 13:49

@MyAnacondaMight that's a good point

jellyrolly · 16/11/2021 15:25

@Youdoyoutoday when someone starts going on about carbs in tomatoes you have usually wandered into a keto/zero carb zealot's firing line. It sounds like you are doing the right thing, sensible eating and calorie counting. If you are going to go down the no pasta, no protein bars, no carby fruit/veg then you are doomed to binge it all back on in my opinion. I do think the amount of calories I need at this age, 51, is way way less than I would estimate if I didn't have any awareness of them, which is depressing!

My smoothie-salad-soup regime continues. Today my salad was supposed to be cous cous salad. Because my smoothies and soups are relatively low calorie I try and get some more calories in lunch. Anyway, there was no cous cous to be found so I decided to substitute with the end of a bag of risotto rice and I basically ended up having risotto for lunch. It was delicious I'm not sorry.

MistySkiesAfterRain · 16/11/2021 15:46

@Crazzzycat Oh gosh I forgot to say that when I am exercising I then eat as much calories as I have burned off.

For example I went to spin yesterday and after I had a homemade protein smoothie that was about 200-250 cals.

That way I replenish my muscles, but if for any reason I don't go to my class I haven't overeaten or planned a big meal.

MistySkiesAfterRain · 16/11/2021 15:56

@Youdoyoutoday It sounds like they didn't recognise your progress enough maybe.

I have felt like I want to say - do you realise this is monumentous for me?! sometimes.

Anyway this thread is a good place for some encouragement so well done!!

MistySkiesAfterRain · 16/11/2021 16:03

Interesting conversations here. I agree about being wary of carb zealots! Would wholemeal pasta, brown rice or lentils also be bad?
These keep you fuller for longer than white pasta.

MistySkiesAfterRain · 16/11/2021 16:06

I use Cronometer for logging food. It's pretty easy. You can copy and paste days.

I pay for the subscription (£6.49) as with that I can create my own recipes. I enter whole recipes, then I can tell it that is 6 portions, then just select 1 portion for that day, and it tells me the calories and nutrients.

Youdoyoutoday · 16/11/2021 16:26

I'm not cutting out carbs completely, I can't and more to the point, I won't. What's the point of life if you can't have white french stick and butter on the odd occasion? 🤷‍♀️

I don't think my coach was saying go keto, more along the lines of stay away from processed food which I know already as thats why I said if I make a spag bol, I make it from scratch. He was saying that food with more than 5 ingredients are too processed. I said I have pea pasta but he again said that's processed food and to be careful of things that claim to be healthy like pea pasta or protein bars because they are just processed food.

I'm going to weigh myself at the weekend and see what's going on, after a week of 5 exercise sessions, calorie counting and weighing out portions etc, no alcohol, it will be interesting to see what happens.

MyAnacondaMight · 16/11/2021 17:28

Yeah, your trainer would probably never eat ground beef or pasta (whether white, pea or wholemeal etc.). It’s true that eating foods “whole” is generally better for health (and they’re also easier to track on MFP!) - so it’s sensible advice, just not the most accessible to those starting out in a fitness and weight loss journey.

www.nigella.com/recipes/chicken-and-pea-traybake I’m having this for dinner (salmon rather than chicken). Short ingredient list, nothing processed, balanced carbs from the peas - but also hearty and family friendly. There may be a happy middle ground!

Graphista · 16/11/2021 17:42

Warning - it's gonna be a long one!

Skinnies know how to stay slim but don’t have a clue in regards to losing against all odds.

Exactly! Their bodies are different and yes their mindset often is too but then that's why mostly they don't "get it" - my dd does to an extent but mainly as she has the opposite problem and that's hard for her, that's another thing I think people of a normal healthy weight without struggle "don't get" she often gets people saying "just eat loads of cake" or "full fat dairy is the answer"...seriously if it were that simple she'd be doing it! I've seen her have weeks where she's honestly eaten 10,000's of calories and lost weight!

@Crazzzycat I'm always forgetting vitamins too I really need to make it a habit to take them

@MistySkiesAfterRain welcome and well done on your loss so far.

I recalculate and drop cals too but I use the nhs bmi calculator as a guide what do you use to calculate bmr? What calculator to others recommend?

I'm currently trying my best to stay under 1400 cals which I tried before unsuccessfully, but being well stocked in the fridge I find really helps/makes a difference! So far so good but I'm only on 3rd day of that.

Meal 1 - a breakfast! (V unusual for me!) - satsuma, low fat nas - no added sugar - yogurt (activia cherry), 2 slices wholemeal toast, scraping of nas jam, Earl grey tea (which I take black with sweeteners)

Meal 2 - is gonna be either a stir fry or chilli with wholegrain rice (remainder of pack I used Sunday), prob another yogurt or cereal bar or mini soreen for dessert.

Meal 3 - crackers and mushroom pate, carrots and low fat hummus, fruit prob a handful grapes. Gonna try and resist a "dessert" - I'm finding that really hard!

My lungs are crap too - a mix of different issues. I have asthma, plus I have scar tissue from various previous, some quite unusual, infections. Getting flu jab this week.

Graphista · 16/11/2021 17:44

@TheRealHousewife well done on your early and active morning too! As a night owl myself I get how that can be hard. I'm also stiff of a morning (why is that when we've been resting?!) so it takes me a while to loosen up/get moving

adjusting it carefully to ensure its right as yes, every Tom, Dick and Harry has entered in the same product 678 times all differently

Annoying isn't it?!

I think he's right about exercise from what I remember. When your muscles get used to an exercise or the level you're doing it at they stop using as many cals to do that exercise at that level. When I swam as a young un we were taught to not keep doing the same strokes and when we changed stroke we felt it! Also when I used to be a gym bunny (true not even kidding I was a fit wee thing when younger) the trainer would flag if they noticed us doing the same routine every time as it stops being as effective. So if it's fixed or free weights you not only inc weight but where possible change the movement. If you're mostly on the treadmill you'd be encouraged to do more on the rowing machine etc - and again you'd feel it!

You are a different person

that's true too. Our mindset and routine changes

But I don't doubt he was perhaps "mansplaining" a bit which is also annoying and unnecessary

@TheRealHousewife actually I'd have responded to that gp "actually I've just lost 20lbs, I'm still losing and that's NOT why I'm here!" Pisses me off they bang on at EVERY appointment!

Ooo reminds me - nsv - got 6 months prescription of noriday this time instead of 3 because my bp is now v low again! Yay!

Graphista · 16/11/2021 17:51

@Youdoyoutoday I wasn't going to post right now until I read

and then carbs in the tomatoes

Which INFURIATED me!

Has this guy even got any qualifications in this area? - I mean beyond an online degree in "nutrition" from timbuctoo! A la bloody Gillian McKeith!

There are carbs in all foods, some are very high in carbs (potatoes, pasta, rice etc) but they are in everything.

He sounds like one of those awful "all carbs are the enemy and must not be eaten ever" types which imo is bunk!

Personally I believe in a balanced diet with foods from all the food groups (proteins, fats, fruit and veg, carbs, calcium based) in sensible proportions.

Tomatoes have around 4% of carbs! They are an excellent source of nutrients they're actually mostly water and fibre!

I would be very wary of taking nutrition advice from this guy, very cautious indeed.

you have usually wandered into a keto/zero carb zealot's firing line.

I agree - and speaking as a former hcp I'm very sceptical about the wisdom of keto inducement anyway!

Personally I think it will quite possibly result in a fair number of slim diabetics in around 25 - 30 years. A friend and ex colleague of mine who is a diabetic nurse agrees. We're already seeing an increase in kidney stones, gall bladder disease and heart issues in patients who follow this kind of plan.

I'm old enough to remember (as I am fairly sure a fair few on thread are as I remember a few are same birth year as me or around my age - 1972/49) when fat was the devil as far as losing weight was concerned. This was around the time I was doing my nurse training and I was doing a community nursing rotation at the time. There was a dietician at the practice I was attached to and as part of my training I sat in on a few sessions with patients who had agreed I could be there. Almost all the patients were saying they had switched from butter to low fat vegetable spreads. Every time she told them to switch back to real butter but have it sparingly. Again with every patient she advised that a healthy diet should cover all food groups, limit the processed foods and high cal foods but her main way of getting this across was a wee phrase she used eat foods "as close to their natural state as possible" and as I've learned more over the years and as someone now struggling with weight I have to say all these years later she was definitely absolutely right. A couple weeks into that rotation it hit the mainstream news about trans fats and artificial fats being bad for us "flora is closer to a plastic than a real food" etc and I remember going in that day and saying to her (very naively actually) "how did you know?" And she reminded me such info tends to hit the scientific and medical journals before they hit the msm and it was her job to stay abreast of such research. But she also said (she was in her 50's then herself) that her experience over the years had also taught her natural is always best. She remembered the 1st time dieting advice was all carbs are the devil and potatoes were "fattening" in the 60's and how that had been disproven/gone out of favour. She said there are always fads that zero in on a food group and demonise or saint it giving people very skewed ideas of what's healthy.

We have evolved over millennia to eat all the food groups with the caveat that it's only very recently we started eating loads of protein as it's become more affordable, especially red meat, and actually we now know eating - too much - red meat is also bad for us...but that it's healthy in an omni diet if good quality, unprocessed and consumed in moderation

As a teen when I went veggie my mum made me go the dr, get my bloods checked and plan was 6 months in another check to compare (and yes dr agreed but I had a history of anaemia and stomach issues) which I did, and she made me research it properly (this was pre internet it was an hours in the library job!) to ensure I was getting good nutrition and wouldn't make myself ill.

I was a bit annoyed at the time, and I suspect it was partly to try and put me off the idea! It didn't and I went ahead. This was also pre Quorn, pre good labelling (I had to scrutinise ingredients labels, ask questions in restaurants), pre specific veggie food in supermarkets...

I had things like pasta with veg and tomato sauce, bean chilli, or batch cooked veggie recipes like veg casseroles, veg pies etc and bought soy mince and pieces out of Holland and Barrett (unflavoured, dried...murder to work with!) and beanfeast!

I lost weight initially (I really didn't have it to lose then! I was about 6.5stone soaking wet!) which caused mum some concern, but I think it was just while I got used to how I needed to do things and I struggled to get veggie food when out and about so went without initially but then learned to at least carry something portable to eat just in case or have milk/a milky drink for cals and nutrients, so it came back up again and at the 6 month check at drs, dr pointed out that not only was I gaining weight better than usual (previously I'd been like dd), my iron levels were better than they'd been the whole time he'd known me, my vitamin levels were good and my cholesterol was much healthier. I think part of the reason he was happy to do the tests was a professional curiosity.

The stomach issues had mostly gone - via several incidents since I turned veggie I have come to the conclusion I am intolerant of red meat and red meat products. I had a few incidents where I accidentally consumed red meat or beef stock etc after becoming veggie and within hours I had cramps, wind, diarrhoea, and on the last occasion (which is the point at which I became SO much more careful about avoiding) projectile vomiting! I'm not saying red meat is bad for everyone it just makes me ill I believe. My dad had similar stomach issues all his life too...until it hit the mainstream news about red meat and effects on bowel etc and then he and I had a discussion where I reminded him of my own experience. At which point he stopped eating red meat. I think as a sort of experiment initially but he felt so much better he came to the same conclusion I did that it simply didn't suit his constitution and so he continued only eating poultry and fish meat wise and even asked mum to stop using beef stock in recipes. Possibly a genetic thing? As other allergies and intolerances can be (mum, sister and dd all severely allergic to shellfish).

I find this stuff so interesting...even if I somehow struggle to apply the knowledge and eat a good, healthy balanced diet!

As we often discuss it's a bit more complicated than "this is what I know I should be doing" and doing it isn't it?

But I think having the knowledge is good and helpful.

TheRealHousewife · 16/11/2021 17:52

@Graphista I often think why do i hurt the most in the am. My feet, back, hips elbows (amongst other things) are so very painful when I first get out of bed, ease of during the day, then get increasingly painful as the day progresses. I'm like a clockwork doll, take some time to wind up and get going then wind down before bed.

@Crazzzycat sorry i missed your earlier post. I was totally in awe. We are going to go out tonight to see if we can spot one again. This morning wasn't a quick glimpse ... it was over a minute of frolicking and playing, carrying wood, going under the water and back out again. beautiful!

OP posts:
TheRealHousewife · 16/11/2021 18:03

off*

OP posts:
Graphista · 16/11/2021 18:13

@TheRealHousewife oh I hear ya!

Plus if I have a busy day I'm screwed the following! A busy day can be anything from hours of chores/blitz to dealing with grocery delivery (all the bending, lifting and stretching)

I also have the joy of cramps/tremors/spasms so things like my grip isn't reliable?

The weight loss is starting to help a little. My wrists and ankles aren't as swollen at the end of the day as they used to be.

The joys of disability and getting older! Not that I'm ungrateful for getting older.

SunshineCake1 · 16/11/2021 19:21

Welcome @MistySkiesAfterRain. Sounds like you have a good hands on everything.

Lovely post about your day @TheRealHousewife.

I didn't run today as the dog needed walking and we were going to get some Christmas shopping in. I thought an afternoon run after two walked totalling nearly four hours would be too much after GF. I will go tomorrow and will try and run 5km. For the new people, I was running 10km five times a week and had lost two stone plus 1.5 stone before starting running and then I got glandular fever and have been in bed and hospital for several weeks. My first 5km run was Sunday after two weeks of couch 25km runs. I don't want to sound like I'm skiving and felt like I should justify my slow/lack of progress.

buzzofthebumblebee · 16/11/2021 20:44

Sorry you've had a bad day, so to speak you. Really do hope you see a loss soon for all the effort you've been putting in.

OMG TheReal - a real life otter?! That has made my day for you! I get excited if I see anything apart from a squirrel, pigeon or parakeet where I am (big city). You were meant to be there then. Hope you get another spot & take a pic too.

I meant to say a huge well done on your 5k run Sunshine - massive achievement. Hope you build up your stamina and distance soon - but don't go mad !

Sadly I injured my knee at the gym yesterday so no running for me for a while, which also means less food/calories as I'm not burning them off. Humph. Oh well, I count myself lucky really that I have the option to go running / gym if I can.

It makes me laugh when you talk about getting older Graphista - we are age twins. I do remember though when avocados were classed as the devils food in terms of being fattening.

Not sure if lots of water this evening will help or hinder WOW tomorrow. It will add to the daily step count with endless night trips to the loo though ; )

SunshineCake1 · 16/11/2021 20:52

Full marks for being smart enough to know no exercise means eat less @buzzofthebumblebee as I did not twig that and just ate chocolate all day as miserable! Hope you heal and feel better soon.

Crazzzycat · 16/11/2021 22:53

I’m another one who is sceptical of the anti-carb brigade. I’ve been told on several other threads that it would be impossible for me to lose weight on my high carb diet. Well, my scales tell me otherwise! It’s true that the body metabolises fat, protein and carbs in different ways and that protein leaves you feeling fuller for longer, but at the end of the day a calorie is still pretty much a calorie 🤷🏻‍♀️

Getting your blood pressure down is a massive NSV @Graphista!

Well done on your running @SunshineCake1. I’m sure it’s as much of a mental as a physical achievement after being ill for so long.

@buzzofthebumblebee I hope your knee recovers soon. Sounds really frustrating.

I had a pretty good day today. Came in under calories, went for a walk and spent an hour on the cross trainer. We have a birthday party tomorrow (not mine!) which has encouraged me to be extra good today. I can’t guarantee I’ll be equally good tomorrow, but I’ll try

DownUdderer · 17/11/2021 03:35

I'm hoping for a whoosh! I love the idea that weight can whoosh off. I think it whooshes down the loo! :)

buzzofthebumblebee · 17/11/2021 08:53

Keep up the good work Crazzzy. Did you get your whoosh Down? Hope so.

I certainly didn't. 1.5lbs on from last week, which is also 1.5lbs on from yesterday. I know it's temporary but just goes to show how little I need to eat to achieve a loss. (Probably more goes to show how much I love my food and have been over feeding in portion sizes for years, and the snacking !!).

I do eat some carbs, but try and limit to one portion rice / pasta / couscous / potato a day, usually with evening meal, and even then half portion than I used to dish up for myself.

Hope there's some good losses elsewhere!

MistySkiesAfterRain · 17/11/2021 09:10

Today I'm battling self loathing as I ate an entire advent calendar yesterday evening. I'm really stressed about work and I've also tapered off anti depressants recently. I think I'd reached a full week without them and my tinnitus and whooziness was up. In the end I took a small dose and feel much better this morning.

I'll perhaps keep taking a small dose on a Sunday evening as I struggle with Mondays which then skews the whole week.

I don't buy myself chocolate advent calendars. I am going to have to tell the friend at some point not to buy me chocolate gifts at anytime as she is the same at Easter. In fact I think I have to tell everyone who might buy me a gift, period. I hate hate hate myself today mainly as I feel grumpy from the sugar, not so much the health or weight aspect although that is silly too.

Youdoyoutoday · 17/11/2021 09:36

Move on @MistySkiesAfterRain I know its a shitty feeling but it's done now and you can't change it! What you can change is your food choices today so make those count.

Bootcamp done this morning, I'm feeling knackered now. Each session is different exercises and routines so it changed up through the week and across the month too.

Off our for lunch tomorrow with a friend so I've been checking out the menu in advance so I can make better choices 😊

Youdoyoutoday · 17/11/2021 09:37

Off out rather

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