My weight loss diary - 16:8, cutting out crap and drinking more water!

[MickeyMouseShithouse]

I’m using MN as my own personal blog/diary for my weight loss - Feel free to join me, chat, check in, lurk.. Whatever!

So here goes nothing..

Entry 1:

New Year, New Me.. amiright? Not really, more of a ‘New Year, Same me but in a much healthier and banging body’.

After having two children I’m now at my heaviest - which is something like 11st 6lbs (and that was pre-Christmas period!) I’m likely heavier now but my scales have died so I can’t weigh.. which I’m actually quite pleased about.

Ive chosen the 16:8 diet, I’ll eat from 8am - 4pm. I think this will work well for me, and for us as a family - as my partner is very slim and doesn’t need to lose weight, or cut down carbs ect, which had always been a big reason to why my diets have failed - because it’s not maintainable as a family unit (unless I faff with cooking two different meals)
So whereas my partner works full time the only meal we really have together is dinner; so now I’ll cook for him and the children but I’ll be fasting, I’ll just take a glass of water to the table at dinner time!

This diet for me isn’t about watching the numbers tick down on the scales necessarily. Of course it’s nice to see the numbers reduce - but ultimately as I’ll be working out alongside healthy eating I’m expecting some muscle to build. So instead of watching the scales I’m watching the mirror. I’ll take weekly photos to compare and hopefully start seeing a change.

If I like what I see in the mirror then what the digits say doesn’t mean anything to me.

For some personal background if you’re still reading; I’m lazy. I hardly exercise, I’m not someone who goes out for daily walks/jogs ect. - I think I would like to and I would enjoy it but I have social phobia disorder and generalised anxiety so getting out isn’t the easiest for me. - I’ll take the kids to the park or shopping but that’s about it.

That said, I’ve brought a treadmill. My minimum goal is to get 10k steps in every single day, whether that pottering the house while I clean, going out to the shops, running after the kids or using the treadmill, 10k steps is my bare minimum goal. I’ll likely have a gentle jog in the mornings, then check how many steps I’ve done by the evening and top up once the kids are in bed.

I’ve brought a blender which I’ll make smoothies with in the mornings.

I work mostly from home, so snacking is hard to control when the cupboards are right there! I’m going to stock up on carrot sticks, low fat hummus, chicken pieces and nuts to have as snacks through the day.

I really need to whip my arse into shape, I have to have my wedding dress fitted in April so I’m hoping to make a pretty big, yet maintainable change by then.

The Facts:
Current weight: 11st 6lbs
Height: 5ft (on the dot)
Goal: Slim down and firm up, but in numbers I’m hoping to lose 2st minimum by May.

Hello @golddustwomen I am in the obese category too. Such a wake up call for me as I am usually just overweight.

I am 5'4 and was 12st 8 when I started on Saturday. Being fairly short every pound hangs around my middle so I look like a barrel. Really disappointed in myself letting this happen but I really want to change things now.

Good luck.

@DoYou hi!

It really is a huge wake up call isn't it. My weight has been creeping up for years and I've just been burying my head in the sand. However, pictures from my birthday celebrations late last year really bloody put things into perspective.

Good luck to you too!

@golddustwomen At a BMI of 29.1 I am hanging on the cliff falling into the obese category. Let's beat this together :)

Can I give some tips from someone who did this a few years ago and doing it again.

Set yourself a time target - I am aiming for 1lb a week for 20 weeks so I can see an end.

Hang up an item of clothing which doesn’t fit but you want it to somewhere you see it everyday.

Put a note on your fridge or cupboard to stop yourself snacking.

You have to be in the right frame or mind, if you’re cheating you probably aren’t. I found writing down why I was doing it helped, I have it to hand and to reread when you find yourself caving in.

Get friends/family on board so they won’t take you to places you’ll be tempted, like McDonald’s 😜

With fasting it is mainly mental exercise/challenge, so you have to be in or out of that makes sense.

@RoseBucket they are really good ideas. I've got a pair of 16 jeans that were loose fitting, now I have to breath in to fasten then up. Defo gonna pick those as my item of clothing.

Interstingly im only fasting mon-fri so I know I will stick to it but I ate too much bread on Sunday and felt really stodged...2 weeks in and maybe my body is getting used to missing bread!

@Ilikewinter i think it does, I used to have sugar with tea and coffee and no longer do, I had to wean myself off by reducing the amount and now if it’s put in by mistake it tastes awful, def think the body gets used to changes.

Also it’s taken 5 years to put the weight back on, not as much but I’ve put a few pounds on each year so a slow build up, stress, bereavement, Covid, job loss I took my eye off it but fasting def works.

@RoseBucket I have taken your advice and hung up a pair of button fly Levi jeans in my bedroom.

They look tiny but I could fit into them a couple of years ago so there is hope.

I tried them on, I can get them over my arse but there is no possibility of them even coming close to being done up.

One day though!

@DoYou mine is a pair of cargo walking trousers which have a sort of 90s vibe 😆

Morning everyone. How are we all?

My diet today is consisting of soother and tea unfortunately as I feel rough!

I am going to have cous cous with tuna for lunch though, I’ve decided to start roughly calorie counting on top of fasting. I almost feel like my only way of staying motivated is to get myself into a probably bad habit of calorie counting. But I’m getting desperate!

Good morning.

Yesterday was getting 17.5 hours of fasting. An omlette with peppers, leeks and shredded cheese. Dinner was the same. Had a muesli bar for dessert though. I think my period is on the way and sugar cravings are unbearable. I feel if I don't give in to a treat, I'll eat everything in sight.

Got a little over 11,000 steps through walking outside, a 15 minute session of Zumba. I just managed to do the warm up section of Bodypump to ease into weights, a bit of Tai Chi in the morning and pottering around the apartment.

I am also going to dig up a dress I bought after having a having my daughter as an incentive to wear when I lost the baby weight. 5 years it is still in the darkest corner of my closet. I am going to hang it up where I can see it :)

Have a great day!

I am totally losing motivation. My weight is UP by a kg this morning. I cannot understand what is going on. The blood work results came back as all normal. Unless I am gaining an insane amount of muscle which is not possible from just mostly cardio, or retaining enormous amounts of water...the only other reason is I am putting on fat despite all the exercise and eating healthy. I have to cut back drastically on calories. I see no other way out. I feel angry, and hopeless.

@EasternEcho have you thought about not watching the scales and taking compassion pictures weekly instead?

I find weighing myself weekly is so depressing as I’ve never seen much change in numbers before, but I was taking weekly photos and I did see change within those!

We can do this, you’re obviously doing a great job, your exercising and eating healthy.. so even if the numbers below your feet aren’t changing, your body will be appreciating the care!

Has anyone considered a Keto diet? - my brother and SIL absolutely shredded off weight in such little time with a Keto diet. I’ve been considering it but since it’s basically all fats diet I’m unsure how it will go down with my already dodgey gallbladder!

@MickeyMouseShithouse Thank you! Your comment cheered me up a little :)
I agree, I do have to avoid the scales for a while. My favourite pair of chinos I usually grab when I have to run out the door does seem to be buttoning up with a bit more ease :)

I have been always active since I was in my teens and working out to Jane Fonda...haha. Did ballet, always watched my weight. Did keto too in my early 40's when weight loss started to get sluggish and it worked very well. But I got pregnant at 44 and ballooned up. Since then my body isn't responding to any of my previously tried and true methods, and the weight only wants to go one way...and that is up :) I struggle on Keto now because my body craves sugar so much that I end up binging, which previously I never had a problem with, and my mood gets so bad I can barely function.

You are right. I do feel my clothes hanging on me better, and that is what I should focus on, and I feel more energetic and in a better mood due to the exercises. Thanks :)

@EasternEcho how old are your children, and how do you manage/find the best time to exercise around them?

im struggling to get on board with the exercise consistently because I feel like I’m always doing something for the kids, and if I’m not I will be in 5 minutes 😂

@MickeyMouseShithouse I am lucky as other than my work, I do have time to exercise. I have 2 daughters. My eldest is 20 and is university in Toronto, Canada. My second is 5 and attends kindergarten here in Denmark and will be starting school next year. (Denmark encourages all children from age one onwards to attend a child care institution even if a parent stays/works from home, with a view to early socialization skills, and it is geared to income.)

So, that actually gives me the daytime hours to fit in the exercise. I wake up at 5 a.m so I do the Tai Chi and 15 minutes of Zumba before DD wakes up. I also work from home, so during the 15 minute coffee breaks I set for myself, I do 15 minutes of Zumba :) I go for a walk outside once DD and DH are home. If I am short of steps for the day I just put on some music in the evening and freestyle dance, and DD joins me :)

My real problem starts once DD is in bed for the night, and I feel the urge to binge. :(

How is everyone doing? Yesterday and today have been 17 hours of fasting and more than 10,000 steps. Last night's cravings resulted in 4 mini cinnamon rolls, which is better than normal. Today's effort has been more or less the same, I am now steeling my nerves to go to bed without giving into cravings for sugar.

Terrible! I’m thinking about waiting until Feb 1st to start again 😂

how’s it going?

have a great day!

Terrible too! :) Haha. I am still keeping up a workout schedule, so there are probably other benefits to my body from that, but no luck where restricting food is concerned. I feel like this is going nowhere!! It is going to be a long and tedious journey but I don't want to give up. I just can't go on looking and feeling as I do.

I just need to keep reminding myself that I need to really knuckle down so I can get my dress altered!

How's everyone doing? I lost 0.8kg, so I've lost 1kg in total. Not a lot, but I seem to have got into it properly now all the Christmas food has gone!

Did some swimming last night, and have walked 10,000 steps most days over the past week and a half, and done 20 miles on the bike at the weekend.

Sounds great @SusanPerbCallMeSue , well done! I feel like I was really motivated the first couple of weeks and I'm wavering a bit now. Had a massive unhealthy meal for dinner tonight and now seriously regretting it. I've stuck religiously to the 16 hour fast every day (sometimes longer fasts), but felt some cravings come back since this weekend.

I haven't weighed myself, but my clothes are starting to feel the tiniest bit looser. My face is showing the biggest difference. Not puffy anymore and the hint of a sag that was starting under the chin seems to have disappeared. I was so focused on my mid-section that I was missing what's going on elsewhere :) Still fasting at least 16 hours. I've started allowing myself a tiny treat with sugar after dinner to avoid the binges, and it seems to be working.

Hi all, any updates? :) I have been walking and working out. Fasting has been mostly between 13 - 16 hours. I still believe I am eating too many calories so afraid to get on the scales. I hope everyone is well.

@EasternEcho how exciting your beginning to see change, must be so nice being able to see a difference in the face‼️

im slacking, although I’m not snacking as much I’m just eating the wrong thing and had some take aways the last week or so!

I did get out on the roller skates this afternoon though so I feel like I’ve burned some cals!

all good here, knackered after having my mum and family around for a roast.. looking forward to bedtime!