2.5lb a week (on average)

[HawdMeBack]

I weighted myself this morning and I'm 14st 5lbs. That's a gain of 12lbs in the past 10 weeks - I'm disgusted with myself!!

I've been struggling to lose weight since DC2 was born 14 months ago. Nowhere near enough sleep, too exhausted to exercise and bingeing on crap at night when the kids are in bed.

We're going on our first family holiday abroad at the end of September and I want to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight (11st) for then.

I have 18 weeks to lose 47lbs, that's 2.5lbs a week. I've fired up my fitbit and intend on doing the following:

10,000 steps a day
1200 calories a day
Log everything in MyFitnessPal
Drink 2 litres of water a day

I've lost around a stone twice already this year doing faddy diets but they aren't sustainable long term and I've put the weight back on (plus some) when I've stopped, so I want to do more of a lifestyle change than a crash diet this time.

Anyone want to join me for accountability? I plan on weighing myself every Monday morning and will share my results here (even if no-one else joins, it'll hopefully keep me on track).

Sweet stuff makes your blood sugars spike and crash, which in turn makes you hungry. Sugar is a drug and an addictive one at that! If you can stay away from it for a couple of days it'll be far easier to resist and you shouldn't get the same cravings.

Thanks @Todaypicard homemade chicken and veg soup sounds lovely! Might need to get my soup maker back out.

So following on from the slice of bread with sardines, I’ve eaten 2 bowls of chicken, vegetable and lentil soup, and then 3 (yes 3…) slices of the most amazing homemade granola type bars that I’ve just made.

they contain… peanut butter, honey, oats, dried apricots, dates, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, linseeds, chia seeds, cashew nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, gogi berries, and a few dark chocolate chips. They are FAR better than I was expecting!

I will try my hardest to not eat anything else (we have run out of fruit) and have an early night. I hope my husband will come coming home from work late with the food shop (but I’ll already be asleep)

Just back from the zoo and already on 11,206 steps! Going to try and hit 15,000 by the end of the day.

Didn't have breakfast before we left as was in a bit of a rush but took a picnic with us. I had -

Cheese and ham sandwich
Bag of crisps 🤭
1 x Babybel
Medium latte

I won't eat again until teatime now, think I'll have a mushroom, red pepper and tomato omelette which will get my protein up and keep me within my calories!

Hope everyone's having a good day.

How was the zoo? Was it warm - it’s been a beautiful day where I am.

we had friends over - meals were as follows:

no breakfast

lunch was a mish mash really as we all bought picnic things. I ate 3 slices of bread with salmon pate on, a small bowl of chicken and vegetable soup, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, a small slice of cake, and one piece of my homemade granola slices/bars.

I’ll try not to eat again today. But if I’m feeling hungry I’ll have some fruit/yoghurt.

@Todaypicard it was really good thanks. The weather has been amazing here recently and today was no exception! The kids had a great time, they'll definitely sleep tonight.

Definitely don't deprive yourself if you feel hungry later. Your food choices are excellent, so something low carb to see you through till breakfast won't hurt.

Thanks for the support Hawtmeback. I did have a 2 egg omelette last night. It was delicious.

today not the best but not the worst!
I did have breakfast (for various reasons) - strawberries and banana with a spoon of yoghurt and a sprinkle of muesli.
lunch was a picnic - cheese and beetroot sandwich, apple, celery and carrot sticks.
then an ice cream!! Whoops!
dinner was a bowl of chicken and vegetable soup with a another slice of rye bread, and a pear.

hope I’ve done enough to lose a bit more.

I have been looking at some recent celeb pics and I’ve come to the conclusion that they must eat very small amounts and exercise a lot as they look skeletal at times. I love food and this just isn’t a lifestyle that is achievable for me. Im trying to opt for healthy bmi but enjoying the food that I love!

batch cooking over the next 2 days with some new yummy recipes!

Weigh in time!

Starting weight 78.4kg
last week weight was 77.5kg
todays weight is 76.5kg

so that’s 1kg lost (2.2lb)

Well done @Todaypicard 👏 going in the right direction!

BBQ yesterday, so food choices weren't great -

Shreddies
Cheeseburger AND hotdog
Slice of birthday cake

I didn't eat again after 3.30pm as was still full.

Stats after this mornings weight-in:

SW: 14st 5lbs
CW: 13st 11.8lbs
GW: 11st
Total loss so far : 7 2lbs

Another 3.6lbs down, same as last week 👌

Onto week 3 and still feeling motivated thanks to this thread, so thank-you!
Hope everyone is doing well.

Hi everyone,
I haven't posted for a while but have kept up with the thread, everyone is doing so well!

I'm a bit disheartened/annoyed with myself.
I am finding it manageable to be strict and sensible during the week, most days I haven't found it too hard. But then the weekend comes and as of Friday night I just undo all my hard work! I really need an attitude change.

Start weight 77kg
Current weight 76.2

Between that I have been up to 77.1 and down to 75.5 😩

I've got a two meals out this week (one on Thursday with a friend and then Sunday for Father's Day/a birthday) trying to think how I can work them into my calorie deficit.

Desperate to lose more! I think I need to up my steps now as well as I usually get about 7000 on average.

Hi @blueby7 well done on your loss so far! I always find the weekends harder too.

When I have a special occasion involving food, I try to be strict until it comes around and then allow myself to have what I want (within reason). For weight loss to be sustainable and make me want to continue on that path, I have to be able to enjoy myself too. Life is too short for deprivation.

If I were going out for a meal and fancied something calorific then I'd have it, but go back to eating well afterwards. I'm trying to teach myself that it's not a case of all or nothing. I've been guilty of that in the past, having something 'bad' after weeks of eating well and thinking I've ruined it all, then going back to eating crap. The odd treat now and again is a good thing, it'll keep you motivated.

Maybe allow yourself a 'day off'. Commit to eating healthy 6 days a week and have a day where you have what you want, not snacking all day but your 3 meals can be anything you fancy. It might give you something look forward to and not seem so restrictive.

Actually back up to 10st 10lbs?! Jeezo!

@HawdMeBack @blueby7 I'm finding the weekends tough too. The sleep deprivation isn't helping either but I really don't feel like my choices are THAT bad.

I feel like calorie counting takes such a faff. Away to give my head a wobble and get back into the positive mindset.

Keep going everyone you’re all doing well! It’s a long term journey, a few hiccups are fine!

todays meals:
no breakfast
lunch was a cheese and beetroot sandwich on rye bread. With celery sticks and an apple.
for dinner we had friends over - I made caramelised onion and halloumi pie, with roasted sweet potato, kale and green beans. We had berries and yoghurt for pudding and a glass of nosecco!

@Fuckedthen mindset is everything! I find that having something to work towards keeps me motivated. Do you have anything coming up? A holiday or special event that you want to wear something particular to? I find that imagining myself looking and feeling great at specific times helps spur me on.

I've made great strides plenty of times and then got bored/lost motivation and fallen off the wagon. Mindset is something I need to work on to so that it's a permanent shift. I'm fast approaching 40 so health is a big driver for me now, as well as appearance.

My diet still isn't the the most varied or balanced but calorie intake is low and I'm moving a lot more now that the weather has improved as I'm running around the garden chasing the DC which helps with my step count.

Thanks @HawdMeBack and @Fuckedthen

@HawdMeBack just reading that really helped me with my mindset (a reminder that supporting each other is so good!).

I'm going to try this weekend to be sensible, and maybe lower my calories from today until Friday night.

I have dinner out tomorrow so I am going to do what you suggested and order what I want. However I'm going to attempt to fast until dinner (will see how this goes, if I am finding it too hard I'll have a small meal).

Will attempt the same on Sunday for meal out.

I'm also nearing 40 and just want to finally be in shape! Not just looks like you say but health wise.

@Fuckedthen I have felt the same, it feels very unfair as I feel I don't actually eat that badly! Like I rarely have any junk food but I suppose I'm just having too much of the food I eat.

I definitely need to concentrate on getting more steps in!

Hope everyone is feeling ok today :)

Health is my main driver too - I genuinely do love myself and my body as it birthed my child and feeds and grows her etc. I try and think of that as my motivation when I’m losing focus - I want to be here in good health for as long as possible to support her and give her the best life! I want to be able to play with her, do activities, hike, travel with her etc without my body letting us both down.

when I was pregnant not a single UPF or mouthful of sugar was eaten. It was easy because my motivation was growing her perfectly. I just need to find that again!

you’re doing great, keep going!

Hello again!

another solid day I think.

breakfast was banana, raspberries and yoghurt.

lunch as saag aloo shepherds pie from the One Pot One Planet book. I had about half an adult portion as it was potato heavy. With lots of kale and broccoli. Than an apple.

dinner was late and at a friends - a warm salad with leaves, aubergine, lentils, tomatoes, and a couple of baby new potatoes. Was very nice and just a small portion.

I’ve made some savoury crumble (beans, veggies etc) for tomorrow.

Wow @Todaypicard that was admirable! I cannot make the same claim throughout ANY of my pregnancies 🤣

Thanks for the motivating words! I snuck on for a sneaky weigh today as I still couldn't accept 10st 10lbs and I got 10st 7lbs. Lowest yet but I still don't believe it. Last thing I need is to loose confidence in the scales.

I don't actually have anything @HawdMeBack apart from not wanting to buy a new work wardrobe for returning after maternity leave and knowing that if I don't do it now, when I have a bit of time to exercise and make better choices, I definitely won't do it when I'm back to FT work with 2 kids, 2 dogs, a house blah, blah, blah!

Today was decent ish.... As a side note - anyone else struggling to sleep in this heat 🥵

Hi All,

Hope you're enjoy the sun!

I've officially hit the wall today 🥴 don't know if it's the heat, the lack of calories, DC getting up at an ungodly hour and being full of energy or a combination of the 3 but either way, I feel like someone's hit me over the head with a brick. I could sleep standing up!

Been out in the garden all morning, came in for a break from the sun and to have lunch (a protein bar) and the minute I sat down I could have fallen asleep 😴

Enjoying*

Oh sorry to hear that, sounds terrible. I suspect you just aren’t eating enough (or perhaps it’s lack of nutrients?). Are you taking multivitamins? Could you try to eat in a more nutrient dense way? Fruit and vegetables won’t add many more calories + a high quality multivitamins, maybe some more protein also? I’m trying to change my eating for life rather than restrict myself. I believe that the science says by having a dramatic loss with non-sustainable eating just causes us to put the weight back on and more as the fat cells are changed by the perceived “starvation”. We also get poor dopamine responses causing us to crave sugar and junk. It’s not meant to be judgement or criticism I promise! Just want you to feel better.

I’ve had two meals today:

savoury crumble - parsnip, leek and white bean, with a nutty oaty top. with kale, spinach and peas.

then later, left over saag aloo pie (potato and cauliflower top), with carrots, green beans, and more spinach.

I’ll likely have a pear shortly.

@Todaypicard Not taken as judgement at all, you are completely right! My diet is very poor, I eat like a child in terms of beige foods and very little fruit/veg. I'm not a vegetarian but I don't eat much meat (or fish). My diet mainly consists of carbs and dairy. I really need an overhaul to include more nutrient/whole foods. I've always been a lazy eater, going for convenience over nutrition. My relationship with food has never been healthy, even when I was a healthy weight. That needs to change.

I'm not currently taking a multivitamin but I will start. I've bought them previous and they just sit in the cupboard, I always forget to them them. I think what I need to do is make more effort! Thanks for the kick up the bum, I need that from time to time!

As ever, your meals sound very varied and nutrient dense. I wish I liked half of the foods you eat!

I ate very little again yesterday due to being busy with the kids all day and I had a hair appointment meaning I was out of the house from 5pm - 8.30pm. Today I'm going to have -

Breakfast - Weetabix

Lunch - 3 egg omelette with a handful of grated cheese, tomato and mixed peppers

Tea - Shredded roast chicken and vegetable rice with red onion and mushrooms

Snacks - An apple and a tangerine

I might have an ice lolly at some point too to help cool down in this heat.

Hi,
Checking in!
@HawdMeBack so sorry about yesterday that sounds like a tough day!
I think the heat is making things more difficult and you've got to be so careful you are getting enough food and hydration.
At the beginning I had a few days like that with the total exhaustion, I started adding some protein at every meal and I have felt better but not sure it's related!

Also cannot get a full nights sleep in this heat either which is a killer!!

Went for dinner with friends yesterday and managed to keep it low is calories. It was made easier by being in a restaurant where they noted the calories on the menu.
So probably had total of about 1,500/1,600 yesterday which is WAY less than I would have chosen before so I am pleased with that re lifestyle change.

Today I will have my usual breakfast
Baby bell cheese and two brazil nuts
Lunch - 2/3 rye bread crackers with cream cheese and cucumber
Dinner - small portion of whatever I've made for everyone (probably spaghetti Bol today).

Am meeting people after school at the pub with kids so going to try not to eat anything. There!!

@HawdMeBack obviously nutrition is very important and I am trying to eat more fruit and vegetables but also at the moment I am concentrating on losing weight which is solely about calories in vs calories out.
I figure the risks of being overweight outweighs (no pun intended) the risks of being slimmer and eating not great stuff, so to begin with I am just eating whatever fills me up. So don't be too hard on yourself if you're making progress and enjoying what you eat. Your day today sounds like some great healthy meals 😊