Not going to be fat and 50!

[MrsMigginsCat]

Every year I say I'm going to do it, but this year I'm determined that I have to lose it. I've got my 50th birthday in May and a once in a lifetime trip in October. I don't want to be fat for either.

I've ordered a treadmill. I like walking, but don't like going out before or after work when it's dark so I thought this would get me back into being more active. Eating wise I'm going to follow Fast800 for a boost at the beginning. I'm the kind of dieter that needs to see results quickly otherwise I'm in danger of giving up so I'm hoping this will give me a decent loss at the start and spur me on.

Anyone want to join me in an accountability thread?

Update on my 'overeating' post above. I've been feeling great doing the Fast800. I always get up early to give myself a good hour of peace before DS gets up...I am NOT a morning person at all, but I've been almost springing out of bed at 5:40am this last few weeks. I hadn't really linked it to my eating...I started using the Calm app daily about a week ago and I'm reading lots of motivational type books as I'm building a new business up...I thought it was those two things that were likely the reason I was a bit springier in the morning. But I feel awful this morning. Back to feeling groggy and fuzzy headed and it took me half an hour to drag myself out of bed.

I'm now thinking it's this way of eating that's giving me more energy in the mornings? And eating crap outside of my eating window is what's caused me to feel this way today.

Has anyone else found this on IF?

I have a lot to catch up on with this thread! Mine is set to 100 posts per page so I can only see @ifican's posts. I've haven't had such a significant change as you have, but I absolutely love the 16:8 and am amazed to have taken to it so easily. I do have psychological benefits though, I feel more in control and that I can trust and rely on myself to make good decisionsregarding food. That's been a huge bonus!

I still haven't weighed in. I was so tempted this morning! I did think I'd wait until the end of the month but I'm thinking about waiting longer. I'm happy with the changes I've made. I suspect things are moving slowly in the right direction. I just don't want to be disappointed if the scales don't agree!

[quote catwomando]@dudsville I have a jar of miso in the fridge and use it on fast days. It's delish![/quote]
I'm loving it too! It's become my new thing to have any time but especially if my window is about to close and I've not yet got hungry for dinner. The 16:8 has helped me to not eat until I'm hungry but I still have the fear that when my window closes at 6/6:30 I might get hungry later, so I now have a cup of miso!

Weighed in this morning and had lost nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Nuffink. Naff bleeding all.

This week I've been 800 calories every day. If I'm not lighter by Saturday I'll be quite cross.

Cross I tell ya.

How's everyone else getting on?

Oh dear... I might never with in in that case!

Diet wise, I'm finding it quite easy. I vary between 1000 and 1250 calories a day including a little treat after dinner. I'm not getting as many steps in this week as I'd like, mainly because I've had to go to the office on 3 days and there are limited opportunities for walking.

In terms of weight loss, rubbish and disappointing. Since 5th Jan, I've lost a measly 3lbs. I know I need to keep going, but it's pretty disheartening all the same. I'm probably going to stay off the scales for at least a couple of weeks and hope things speed up.

I’m now 5.1lbs down since 6th Jan. so about 1.5lbs a week. Have been really good at sticking to circa 1500 calories a day, 3 hours of exercise plus one pilates session a week. Eating way less sugar and bread and not having much booze. Haven’t felt deprived yet either which is nice!

Checking back in. Have been reading about all of your progress - well done to those that have lost and to those that have stalled keep going as consistency is key, forming life long habits is what this is all about.

I started last April at 11st 12lb (in the overweight bracket) and weighed in this morning at 10st 1lb. I haven't weighed food or been on any particular diet just taken it really slowly, reducing portion size and cutting snacks. What I am now worried about is maintenance as I think this might be harder than the losing part.

50 in October so need to not fall back into the crisp and chocolate habit.

Now I need to tone up the bat wings! Arhh it's never ending!

That's really inspiring for me @shamoola! I caved and decided to weigh in this morning. I've lost 4 pounds. I would like to have seen a greater loss so I am nursing a little hurt pride, but I'm taking heart in the fact that there is a loss.

I also did introduce new measures slowly, so that's also going to be a part of this. I started with an exercise bike, but this is where I'm dissapointed as I pushed that hard, doing 10 miles a day near daily for 3 weeks - it's been less since returning to work after the holidays, but I was still eating normally during those early weeks, and the exercise at that time made me really hungry - that hunger has stopped. 2 weeks later I started the 16:8 (no calorie counting or anything else with that). A week after that I started on the treadmill. Since returning to work I get some exercise on average 4 or 5 days a week. And I do enjoy it, I can feel my legs wanting to get their work out.

I also need to hang on to the fact that I feel better in myself. My back is better, I feel stronger, have more visible muscle, my tummy is a little smaller, and I do feel proud of keeping this commitment.

I think I will try to not weigh in again now until end of Feb. The reality is that if I keep this pace of loss up I will meet my goal by the birthday deadline, and watching the slow progress is undermining.

Batwings! I'm just hoping by some miracle that they'll reduce as I know my boobs will. It would be very unfair to have boob loss but batwings keeping still!

@dudsville fantastic exercise. It can only do good in my view - it helps me make healthier food choices, helps me sleep better and it clears my mind.
Don't forget that heavy exercise will stress muscle and cause micro tears which in turn causes inflammation and water retention. It could therefore cause you to gain weight. This is temporary and your body adapts and your muscles develop.

It is one of the reasons why I like to weigh myself daily as you'll see your weight fluctuate, for me that can be as much as 5lb but it does mean I see the average or lowest. If I weighed monthly I could potentially be weighing on a 'heavy' day and never see the average downward trend.

However everyone is different and weight loss is a personal journey and you have to do what's best for you. But the old cliché is so true: it's a marathon and not a sprint.

I've lost 2lb this week. That will do.

Well done everyone - another week down. After the hiccup that was Christmas and New Year I've been pretty good for the last 3 weeks and lost 4 or 5 lb (don't entirely trust my cheap scales) which needed to happen for me to not lose all motivation. So here I am having lost 2.5 stone overall, at the higher end of an acceptable BMI for my height, and definitely feeling slimmer and healthier, but... my tummy is still fat! I don't expect miracles - I've had two kids, and I don't even mind a little bit of a spare tyre, but I feel as if I have lost weight everywhere EXCEPT around my middle. My waist measurement is probably still totally unacceptable as I am a classic apple shape. I want to keep going and lose one final half stone, which I know will be the hardest stage of all, but what on earth do i do to make sure the fat comes off my middle and not just boobs and thighs which are actually acceptable anyway! Please don't say sit ups or gym! I like swimming, cycling or walking but I hate exercise and doing some sort of fitness routine would bore me rigid.

Thanks for the encouragement @shamoola, I did about 6 hours spring cleaning today and then did a 10 mile cycle. I also cut my intake down to two meals. I'm going to kick that measly 4 lb loss to the curb. All being well I hope to do more cleaning tomorrow and do a 5 mile walk.

I akso have cheap scales @biscuits! They actually have new two different readings only 30 seconds apart!

That's a great loss @DrMadelineMaxwell.

I've been out to a birthday party for a good friend tonight. I managed to resist the pasties but did have a few cheesy balls and some onion rings as well as a couple at least 6-gins with lime and soda. With the walk into town and a bit of dancing I did manage over 13k steps though so hopefully not too much damage!

I increased my exercise today and, on a work day, got my 5 mile walk and a whopping 17 (17!) mile cycle in! I ate two good meals. I had wine outside my window, but not loads, so overall I'm pleased.

Interestingly yesterday was the 1st time since starting the 16:8 that I had dinner outside my window, and I went to bed feeling overfull and flabby. That is a great lesson in that it's further evidence that the 16:8 suits me.

Doee anyone who uses exercise bikes and treadmills worry that it isn't real exercise? Why do I worry about this?

Had my first wobble on Saturday night. Had about 4 pints of cider, 2 G&T’s and a burger. But I did an exercise class, loads of gardening and burnt over 3000 calories that day according to my Fitbit. Weighed myself to see the damage this morning and I’ve gained about 2lb but I’m hoping that’ll come off quickly if I get back on plan this week.

My activity has gone down the pan this week. Steps yesterday and today not even 5k, and I'm in the office tomorrow and Thursday so again I'll not hit my target. On the plus side, I'm still within 1200 calories each day (excluding an off plan day last Saturday!) so hopefully I will start to notice a difference soon even though I'm not getting on the scales for at least another 2 weeks.

Had a bad day today. Some important stressful stuff at work meant 2 meals but one of those had wine with it, and some roasty spuds (but a zilllion veggies and no meat).

My weight has been static for a week.

No loss for me over the last week either. I was over calories on 3 days. Not hugely, around 1400 calories instead of 1000. I used to easily be able to lose weight sticking to 1300 a day. Clearly no chance of that now!

Back on it 100% today. Hope everyone has a good week.

@IfCanCanICan I've been doing 16:8 with 800 calories for 5 days each week, that's why I'm a bit demoralised.

Well, onward. I will shift this weight. I'm going to have more time in the day now so will do longer walks.

Keep going everyone

Sounds like everyone's having a tough week. You are all working harder than me in some ways, I'm not calorie counting, but I am exhausted. My exercise routine hasn't settled into anything like a routine since the holidays ended. Yesterday I managed nothing. Today I did my my 5m walk and a 5 m cycle and I'm floored. I've been perimenopausal for years. My most recent period was November. A decade ago if I'd done this amount of exercising and the 16:8 I'd have met my goal already. This is crazily hard work.

I keep thinking back to early pandemic when I would eat whole bags of crisps and tubs of ice cream on top of regular eating that I used to do when more active. I'm annoyed with myself that I've caused this, but grateful I stopped before it got even worse.

Still committed though. I keep thinking that when I reach my goal (2025 perhaps!) Then I will maintain actively. I've never consciously done that but I will from now on.

My weigh in day is tomorrow but I don’t think I’ll have lost anything this week. But those weeks happen, weight loss isn’t linear and I know I’m eating really well and doing lots of exercise. I’m not going to let one week distract me even though it’s annoying when you have been so good 😒

Yep no loss today 😕