Lose 1 stone in 6 weeks - any tips?

[CandleRigg89]

Hey everyone! My DS is two at the end of May and we have some guests coming from overseas that we haven’t seen in years. I’m still holding on to about 20lbs of weight from having my son that wasn’t there when they last saw me.

Im using his party as a kick up the bum to lose some of the weight, and have set a stone as a realistic number. Does anyone have any tips or diets you’ve used that have worked for this kind of weight loss??

thanks!

I have had a bad couple of weeks - lots of functions with very lovely food plus am an emotional eater and have eaten my feelings. Despite this I have lost a pound when usually this would have caused me to gain weight. Am
back on it as have 6 weeks to get down to at least one of my dresses. Boiled eggs and intermittent fasting here I come!

Starting weight (14.4.23): 12st 6.5
Target weight: 11st 7
Current weight: 11st 13

Depressingly, I am UP 0.5lb since last week. Anyone got any idea why????? I had the one day at the wedding, but even that was quite moderate. Most of the rest of the time I've effectively been doing 20:4 or 22:2 and even within that not eating much. Could I have reduced calorie intake too much and body isn't happy?
Hey ho......I guess it just shows how the fluctuations go

@Sukiesue12 sorry about the harder couple of weeks, well done on the loss! It all counts

@Ohyesthankyouglitter that's great progress overall, and yes, fluctuations happen, sometimes for no apparent reason. Do you factor in where you are in your cycle? And are you drinking loads of water? Those are two variables that affect me.

I'm pleased with my progress this week.

Week 1 11st 12
Week 2 11st 6
Week 3 11st 5
Week 4 11st 6
Week 5 11st 4
Week 6 11st 2

So 4lb to go to my initial target, and I'm hoping to get there in a couple of weeks. A stone off in 8 weeks is fine with me! Did anyone do it in 6?

I've had a rubbish week, and I can't put my finger on why. I have another very social weekend so it's a write off! I'm starting fresh on Sunday. It's then 7 weeks to my holiday so resetting my one stone off target from wherever I start on Sunday

I've done this without ever being hungry., although rapid weight loss in itself isn't ideal for long term sustainability.

Cook everything from scratch. Absolutely no ultra processed foods ( generally those containing additives and artificial preservatives - usually a long list on the label. Canned things fine as long as no sugar or other preservatives). No low fat foods. Sugar is the enemy, not fat.

So cut out sugar ( including honey and sweet fruits, especially tropical ones as they are very sugary) No wheat based products. Nothing containing veg oil, use extra virgin olive oil or lard ( yes really) for cooking. Greatly reduce your carbs. No alcohol.

Lots of veg, dairy and protein. Eat butter and cheese and full fat Greek yoghurt.

Keep an eye on portion sizes. Drink water. Increase your exercise but don't go totally overboard as it may over stimulate your appetite.

I can't face 5:2 as I hate being hungry. So I do 16:8 with the occasional day of 18:6 combined with all the above.

The weight falls off, and I am menopausal as well. When I stop eating this way the weight piles back on again.

I've been eating this way for over two years and lost four stones and feel and look great. It's a really enjoyable and healthy way to eat. Come and join us on the 'why we eat too much' thread in weight loss chat if you like.

Friday weigh-in says 9 st 11.5 so only half a pound this week but I can live with that, had a few days off last week as I felt I needed more carbs to get me through a busy few days. 4.5 lbs to go to reach 9st 7.

@Restlessinthenorth @Ohyesthankyouglitter sorry you've not had the best of weeks - don't lose sight of the fact that there will always be fluctuations but over a longer period of time those will be part of a downward trend! It's so easy to get discouraged when you have a week or two with no loss or a gain. Rather than focusing on just weight loss, it's about making lifestyle and diet changes for the long term, otherwise we'll all just end up back at square one. That's what I keep reminding myself anyway!

Yes @ithinkicanithinkican - whatever the scales show, I'm really grateful for having had the opportunity to reset eating patterns.

I'm on the coil and don't get periods, so it's harder to recognise where I'm at in my cycle - but my two daughters are on their period this week, so I can only assume that I'm hormonal too. It feels like a stark contrast to the other weeks - I don't want to do any exercise, am craving carbs etc.

Rather than stressing out about it too much, have decided just to go with the flow a little - still being moderate but allowing myself bits and bobs that I've not been having (eg crisps) during my eating window.

I'm leaving for my sister's wedding on Wed, and so whilst I've not got down to my 11st 7 target weight - I'm pretty chuffed to have had this impetus and actually feel great in my body :)

@Restlessinthenorth , yes, think I'm going to reset once I'm home too. I'll be roughly 10lb off my longer term goal of 11st 3, so I'll try and do that before the holidays start.

Well done @CountlesScreamingArgonauts ! So encouraging to see the numbers fall

Week 5 Weigh in:
Wk 0 = 74 kg
Wk 1 = 72.8
Wk 2 = 72.1
Wk 3 = 70.6
Wk 4 = 69.7
Wk 5 = 68.7

Loss = 5.3 kg = 11.6 lbs

1 stone in 6 wks' target progress = 83.38%

Hello all! I think I can do it with one week to go. This week started off well but Friday and Saturday were big eating days and I undid some of the good work of the early part of the week but I am totally committed to going back on track today. I downloaded Eat Smarter by Shawn Stevenson and listening to that is helping keeping me motivated.

@Ohyesthankyouglitter - Thank you! Sorry that it was a gain but overall your progress is great. Hope you have fun at the wedding.

@Sukiesue12 - sorry to hear you've had a rough time. Overall I have until the end of June before I go off on holiday so let's keep going together.

@CountlesScreamingArgonauts - Amazing progress. A Stone off at any rate is an achievement. I really hope I can do it in 6 as I do have a further 7-10 lbs I would like to lose overall.

@Restlessinthenorth - hope you had a good weekend. Let's keep going together. I have another 5 weeks overall.

@Words - that is inspiring. I do worry about the long term maintenance of it all as I love to eat junk food and carbs. This time I really tried to incorporate exercise and changing my mind set by seeking to understand how different kinds of food affect my body so I am really hoping I can make this a total overhaul of my relationship with food.

@ithinkicanithinkican - so close now!

Hope you're all having a good week and look forward to hearing how everyone is getting on.

Great progress @Kimball

Just to say though ( ( and I don't want to sound smug) but junk food is designed to be highly, highly addictive. Many of us on the other thread found that our palates changed radically after a few weeks and we no longer craved sugar and fast food.

That happened to me too. I've also had times when I reverted to my old ways and the compulsion came back really strongly and the weight piled back. Happily it disappeared along with the weight, as soon as I started eating properly again.

But we are all different, and anything that helps re assess our relationship with food is a good thing.

@Words - really really interesting what you say - that's been my experience, without even realising what was going on.

Ok ladies - I'm just about to leave for my sister's wedding. I weighed myself just now and am 11st 12.

So that's 0.5lb lost since last week, and 8.5/9lb lost overall. At the start of the 6 weeks I would have been disappointed with that loss, but actually, feel great. I've learned a lot and am determined to come back and lose the same amount again.

Do you think you guys will hang around this thread even though our 6 weeks are up? when I get back (not til start of June), I'll have 6 weeks until holidays. There is no particular need for me to be trim for then (we're camping in the Lake District) but it would be a good target to aim for.

Obviously there will be plenty of feasting over the next week, but I'm going to try and drink lots of water and stay within an eating window too.

That is good insight and I can very much identify that it is an addiction. I've been trying to access more resources to learn about healthy eating and now have a better understanding that it is not strictly no fat no carbs, but rather avoiding processed food and eating a balanced diet and taking moderate exercise that is the key to long term success. Even in the short time that I have been focusing on eating better I feel like my palate has adjusted to flavours in a different way. I really feel hopeful with the future and even though I know I will always love food - cooking it and eating it, I can use this new knowledge to reevaluate my food choices.

@Ohyesthankyouglitter - I would really like to do that too. I go on holiday for a month at the beginning of July and would like to keep going until I go away. I think I will not set myself a specific goal for this second phase but just continue on this path and see where the next month takes me.

9 lbs is a lot and and any effort to better your physical and mental health should be celebrated. It's not easy to get started at all! Like you I feel so much better physically - my limbs feel lighter and less sluggish. Mentally I feel like I am taking better care of myself and that is a small but worthwhile achievement.

An unexpectedly good result this morning - scale says 9 st 9.5, so 2 lbs this week. Only 2.5 lbs to go!

@kimball Great progress - I wish I knew how to do that percentage thing you're doing, it looks quite satisfying!

@Ohyesthankyouglitter I'd be happy to still keep checking in here once I've made the goal - you guys seem lovely and I'm already over the 6 weeks.

@Words you make good points! I do still find myself craving sugary foods though - not sure that'll ever go, but I'm much better about having them in moderation at the moment. Weirdly I'm not missing big carbs as much as I thought I would (rice, pasta, bread).

Hope everyone's having a good week and @Ohyesthankyouglitter enjoys the wedding!

Ooooh @kimball you've made me realise I should have started on week zero, not week 1! So am still in week 6, hurray!

TBH it hasn't been such a good one - both AF and a family funeral tempted me to eat more carbs than I wanted to. But I'm fasting today and will weigh tomorrow morning.

@Ohyesthankyouglitter @ithinkicanithinkican I am planning on keeping going and am finding g it helpful to jeep checking in here so I'd be very glad of the company 😀

Week 0 11st 12
Week 1 11st 6
Week 2 11st 5
Week 3 11st 6
Week 4 11st 4
Week 5 11st 2
Week 6 11st

Actually, my scales show a shade under 11st, which I am happy about- breaking through the half stone and stone points is often a struggle for me, I get a bit complacent and relax before I should! MFP rounds to the nearest pound so that's how I'm recording it here.

Happy with 2lb losses each of the last 3 weeks. I've had a few compliments on my weight loss, which is motivating.

@CountlesScreamingArgonauts that's brilliant, you've nearly lost the stone and you've cracked the 10 stone barrier! Well done to you.

Week 6 Weigh in:
Wk 0 = 74 kg
Wk 1 = 72.8
Wk 2 = 72.1
Wk 3 = 70.6
Wk 4 = 69.7
Wk 5 = 68.7
Wk 6 = 67.7

Loss = 6.3 kg = 13.8 lbs

1 stone in 6 wks' target progress = 99.12%

I'm going to claim victory on this one!!! So pleased I did it! I have been weighing myself everyday and now know that my lightest days are mid week and I actually gain about half a kilo over the weekend and yesterday I went to bbq and ate a lot, I tried to stick to healthy choices, but kind of lost it when I saw a mountain of assorted bread. This morning I was a little worried about the damage done.

@ithinkicanithinkican - I take the number of lbs lost and divide that by 14 and then times 100 to get the percentage. I like to measure progress by numbers so it was useful for me.

@CountlesScreamingArgonauts - well done! Congrats on breaking into the 10s!!! That's so satisfying and I'm so pleased for you.

As I keep saying 😅 I have another 5 weeks ish before I leave for my trip I hope to keep on going with the exercise. I might increase my eating window somewhat to aim for slower loss and begin to stabilise my weight. This part I'm not sure how to navigate but will use this time to try and figure it out. If I can lose another 6-7 lbs before I go I would be delighted, if not, I would be happy too now that I know that I can lose weight without starving myself and still have the occasional treats! Thank you for all the encouragement and I agree everyone on this thread seems to nice and supportive. Can't wait to hear how everyone is getting on.

@kimball that's amazing!! so chuffed for you!! Yes - I feel a bit like you - I've gained loads of confidence that I can do it, even if I haven't quite met target yet.
Likewise, well done Countless !!

So I'm back from my sister's wedding. Had a brilliant time. I actually didn't overdo it food or drink wise until the second half of the trip - when it all became a little less moderate!!!

I now have 8 weeks until I go away on holiday. To be honest, I don't care too much about being a particular weight for the holiday itsself, but gives me something to work towards. I've not actually weighed myself since coming home- but I reckon I'll be back into the 12s :) Aim to be much nearer 11, if not at 11 by the time I go away. So probably aiming at 10lb in 8 weeks? seems doable.

To jazz things up a bit I might attempt @kimball's percentage thing this time.

Who is still hanging around ? @ithinkicanithinkican ? @Restlessinthenorth ?

Okay - here's me starting off again:

Week 0: 11st 13.75

Loss: 0lb
10lb in 8 wks target progress = 0%

Seems ridiculous to document 0% 😂but I'm excited to be using @kimball 's technique :)

I lost 2 stone since feb from doing 16 hour fast then eating 3 small meals over the next 8 hours. I reduced my calories to 1500 daily so I never felt I was going starving. It took a few days to get used to it but I've felt very healthy during it and all my stomach issues from doing the 16.8 diet have gone ( colitis and hormonal belly )

I'm still here!

Week 7 - 66.7kg (10st 7lb) - loss of 1 kg (2.2lbs)

I have no goal weight as such before I go on holiday. Just keeping up with the exercise, IF and better food choices and see where I am in 4 weeks' time.

I started expanding my eating window to 8 hours from Friday-Sunday and staying between 4-5 hours the other 4 days and still losing weight, and I'm happy to keep going like this for a while.

@Ohyesthankyouglitter - well done for not overdoing it at the wedding and staying in the 11's. Loving the percentage 😍

Would love to hear from the others too!

Are you still losing weight? I'm really interested to know as I am now looking ahead to a time when I need to figure out how to keep the weight off. Has progress been pretty linear? 2st is no small feat! Bravo!

I'm still here too! But annoyed to have gained 4lb without seeing how. I've been eating sensibly, sticking to 16:8 and exercising like a demon. Plus I'm really active st this time of year - I did 23000 steps one day at the weekend and that was without a run. What's going on?!

Morning - yes, I'm still hanging around 😊. Been having a wee few days holiday, just me and one of my dogs driving and camping around northwest Scotland. Got back last night and had a weigh this morning to see how the combination of eating more cals/carbs for a few days versus doing a lot of walking had affected my weight - I'm up 1.5lbs, so back to 9st 9. But I had a brilliant time so that's the most important thing! Perhaps it's all muscle 😆.

Great to see everyone!
@CountlesScreamingArgonauts that's so depressing - but surely some of it might be muscle mass if you've been exercising so much? how are you feeling in your body?

Having a good few days here - after a couple weeks off, I'm enjoying being back on it - it's almost like I enjoy food more (as in the taste of it) when I'm consuming less of it.

@kimball that's a really significant loss to be having at this stage (2.2lb) - well done 💐. Like you, I'm really interested in what the maintenance stage looks like - am so keen to find the lifestyle rhythms that will serve me well in the next decade

@ithinkicanithinkican holiday sounds amazing- I love the northwest of Scot, where abouts were you?