Lose +/- 7lbs with me

[ifonly4]

Would anyone like to join me in losing just a few pounds?

Despite cutting back on biscuits and alcohol and keeping active, I've put on 8lbs due to the menopause - most of it feels like it's around my middle and I'm not feeling good about it.

I enjoy walking, so am going to try and to a bit more on top of my usual exercise, also some toning exercises for my stomach/core. Not willing to starve myself, so going to try and make better choices/have slightly smaller portions.

@neverendinglauaundry What is your target daily calorie intake, if you don't mind me asking? I found it hard to stick with 1200-1300 kkal per day by eating 3 times a day as portion for lunch and dinner became so measly. I skip breakfast and end up do some kind of intermittent fasting. A bit challenging on my running days. Although if I only do easy run it is not too bad as easy run meant to use mostly body fat storage as the energy source.

Checking in at the end of day 3. Fasting going well, 3 days of exercise and in at around 1200 calories today. Seeing a friend for lunch tomorrow but already identified poached eggs on sourdough as an on track option

Hi @Marmut my aim is 1500 calories per day. Under that isn't sustainable for me, I'd just be too hungry. I'm 5ft10 and close to 14 stone.
How do you find the fasting long term? I did 5:2 briefly a few years ago and I found the hunger really distracting.

@Marmut I don't do breakfast either for the same reason as you, there aren't enough lunch calories left if I do. I find that once I start eating, I just want to eat more and more. The later I can push that on til, the better.
Had a bit of a disastrous couple of days despite my good intentions but have avoided the usual evening chocolate raid and just had a treat size bar leftover from Halloween, and swapped wine for gin and slim.. It's taken the edge off.
You are all very good with exercise, WFH has seen my fitness drop dramatically.

Ooh can I join too? I want to lose 5 - 7 pounds. It's crept on over the last 6 months. I know I'm not being the healthiest but trying to snap out of it.

First step, try a 5:2 low cal day tomorrow. I lost a stone 4 years ago on the 5:2 so know its doable for me, but just don't seem to have the same motivation and know I'm eating crap

I know I haven't been doing as well as I wanted, so signed up yesterday to a 7 day free trial for an app that counts calories used and eaten. Then DH said he wanted to go out for tea as he'd had a bad day. I chose mac n cheese with large salad (lowest calorie meal), oh and had wine - which meant number of calories consumed exceeded those used yesterday.

At least the app will help me keep a track and hopefully ensure I'm burning some calories overall.

AgathaMillersGoneMissing Good luck with the 5:2 diet. Let us know how it's going.

Hope you enjoyed the Mac and cheese @ifonly4 I really miss good pasta, gluten free stuff isn't the same. App sounds good- so annoying that MFP started charging.
Interested to hear how your low cal day has gone today @AgathaMillersGoneMissing and what you've 'spent' your cals on.
Today is going slightly better, but it's still early 🙈

Had a really nice evening last night with dh, but oh dear, I reckon I ate/drank 4000 calories 🤦‍♀️ feel very sluggish and hungover today. Walked back from the station, then ran (slowly) 4 km and then took my friends dog for a short walk too. I don’t really fancy any food either as I feel quite fragile!
at the risk of sounding like a social butterfly (which I categorically am not!) my next night out is Friday 18th, going to see the kaiser chiefs. I am not drinking until then and hopefully that means a good 8 days on track with food/drink/calories

Its all about balance - I think a night or two off helps you stay on track long term, as does having food you really like.
Have fun at the Kaiser Chiefs @thenewaveragebear1983 - I'm jealous! A bit of dancing and you can call it exercise!
WFH today because of the tube strike so I doubt I'll get my steps in. I might try a cold damp walk in the dark later perhaps!

@neverendinglauaundry Wow, you are quite tall! I am only 4ft 9 and currently 7st 9lbs. I am getting used to not having breakfast now. I have early dinner and early-ish lunch, so about 15-16 h fasting period everyday. I used to do alternate days, but it was much harder because my body couldn't get used to it quickly.
@GFLoser Thanks. It is indeed hard to resist temptation once we start eating.

Day 6 today and I did not do any exercise today. The plan was to run in the morning but I was so stressed about work and slept only for 4 hours. Then the day even got worse as I ate a whole pack of crisps to calm down my nerves while working😩So, no exercise and calorie intake of 1500 kkal. Roll om day 7.

Day 3 and I hit 15k steps! It's been a crazy day at work and I walked there and back again. My food has been rubbish though - I've not snacked but ate so much at each meal and mostly carbs. I dread to think what my calorie intake must have been.
@Marmut I've tried intermittent fasting before but could never stick to it, do you have any tips?

Checking in. Today's food
B. Slice of toast with a fried egg slice of ham & sprinkle of cheese. 2 white coffees (360)
L. Two chicken goujions, salad, spoon of hummus, fizzy cherry drink (430)
D. 9 chicken & vegetable gyoza, 6 stalks long stem broccoli with miso dressing, fizzy cherry drink (500)

Lots of nice food there and I've got 200 calories for later if I feel like I need a snack.
No exercise though and less than 5000 steps.

@hayshay From my experience it is easier to keep the daily routine more or less the same. So, for instance 5:2, for me, would be really hard as some days I have normal calorie intake and some days don't. On the other hand, skipping breakfast and only eating lunch + dinner everyday would be easier. It would be challenging in the first week, but after that my body gets used to it. I drink green tea first thing in the morning then about 1 litre of water until lunch. Sometimes I have an early-ish lunch (11 am instead of 12) if I am too hungry (usually on days when I run). FYI, we finish our dinner about 6.30 pm-ish.

My low cal day didn't work out, stressful day at work and u just wanted biscuits and chocolate to feel better.

@GFLoser the low cal plan was to have half a bagel and poached egg for lunch, ready meal for dinner - 350ish calorie meal from supermarket 'healthy' ranges. I don't do breakfast, saves some calories.

@Marmut that's really interesting that you find consistent fasting easier. I find it easier to cycle, so I can have some high calories one day (and get biscuits and chocs in) and low calorie another day. I don't eat breakfast, so either way I'm having 2 main meals but with an extra snack on a normal (not low calorie) day.

I think I'm doing a mix of your fasting and 5:2, really.

@neverendinglauaundry you did well keeping on track and having spare calories!

Hi all,
@AgathaMillersGoneMissing I suppose the beauty of 5:2 is you can move the 2 days around to whatever suits you. I hope today is less stressful.
I'm expecting to go well over calories today as I have a PTA event tonight which is 'bubbles and canapes' - very hard to keep track of and doesn't really feel like a proper meal, plus I will only know one other mum so will be stressing about learning their names and not making a tit of myself. My plan is to have a substantial lunch, go for a swim this morning, keep the prosecco to a minimum and only eat the canapes that I actually like rather than hoovering them down indiscriminately.
Wish me luck!

5 days on track! Kept to calories, worked out and have done 16:8 fast. Tomorrow night is written off as for a bit of a cheese and wine thing, but hopefully I've done more than enough to accommodate it over the week.

Woo! Well done @Restlessinthenorth !

I'm very off track today but swam for nearly an hour and hopefully back on track on Sunday

I started off by trying to cut back a bit, but have switched to trying to eat less calories than I consume on the running basis, ie I can get away with a bad day if I've had a 2-3 good days. Not sure I'm doing enough and I really can't feel any difference, but mentally I feel better about my new way of losing. I only wear jeans this time of year/winter and I really need to lose a few pounds as I can't bear the discomfort of them being too right.

Restlessinthenorth enjoy the cheese and wine.

We had wine tonight, but I didn't give in and have crisps which I normally do with the first glass.

I've managed to make some better choices this week and have totally avoided crisps the last few days, but I haven't done nearly as well as intended. Not going to weigh as I suspect there won't be much change. Focused on a better week from today. I know what I'm eating this and it'll be an improvement on last.

Morning everyone! It’s been a mixed week for me. My meals have been good but I have also eaten a lot of incidental calories, and Wednesday was a total write off. I was determined not to drink yesterday and was furious with dh for bringing home a bottle of wine as I really didn’t want the temptation, but I did resist. I’ve run a few times and done a few classes. Unfortunately, the battery has gone in my scales so no weigh in today! I imagine I’d have maintained or had a small gain.

next week starts today, I cannot keep having free passes all weekend as it just totally undoes everything I do all week! I really must work more veg into my diet, I’m just not eating enough of it. I don’t know why because I enjoy it, but I just don’t seem to be having much. The usual ‘drink more water’ as well, no excuse as I’m at home. We have a spicy chicken thing tonight, and a roast for tomorrow planned. I’d like to get out for a longer run this weekend, but yesterday I did 5km and was absolutely struggling, I do not know what is wrong with me right now. I’ve booked 2 classes and I am also having a PT session with my friend who is training to be a PT, so that will be good.

Well I've not had the week I anticipated and in the nicest way, it's good to know Ive not been the only one. Bit stressy and snacky if I'm honest. I've feel a bit pre-period hormonal which always involves some form of chocolate.
I'm out for a meal later but on a good note, I'm off to join the gym with the classes I like so I can start fresh tomorrow.
I still feel naff and bloaty. I go to NYC on the 4th of Dec so my aim is to feel better by then - I know I will be doing billions of steps whilst there and keep that momentum when back.

Late to the party... but I've just weighed myself and have 6 or 7lbs to get off before Christmas. So disappointing as I've stuck at 10st 8lb for a few months now (I'm 5ft 9) and was really pleased but I've had a week abroad and a long weekend away in the last month so not surprising things have gone awry!

So I'm starting today and will be doing the following:

16:8 fasting (I'll eat between 12-8pm)
Stick to 1500 calories
Hard gym sessions 4 x week
And as many steps as I can get in when WFH

I hope this will allow for a bit of slippage at the weekends as I have 3 more weekends away before Christmas...

Fingers crossed - we've got this! 👊

Not the best week here either! Too many snacks! When I had 4 stone to lose it was easier to motivate myself. Nevertheless, I’m a pound down and I’ve logged back onto second nature. Aims this week are to get back into a one healthy snack a day habit, read the second nature articles and re-engage in the chat.

I agree that it is reassuring to see others having similar motivational issues. November is my least favourite month (dark, middle of school/uni term, damp, tiring…) and so I am pleased that I am not gaining loads.

Day 4 I think for me. Have had a very lazy day today and have just had a very large takeaway for dinner. Tomorrow I plan to weigh myself as I haven't done that yet, and I'm going to take some photos to track my progress

Day 7, 8, and 9: walked to and back from work on Friday, then ran 10k yesterday and today. Calories intake is still about 1200-1350 or there about. We had a take away last night and I noticed that I could no longer eat as much as I used to.

Finally losing the first 0.5 kg and hoping to get the same result next Saturday. Then, I will officially be no longer overweight with BMI less than 23. For those who are wondering, BMI cut off for overweight is much lower (at 23) in Asian.