Need to lose 1 stone? Gather around....

[froidIci]

Not sure if this will get any clicks, but I wondered if there are folks who need to lose about a stone or a bit this way or that who might want some accountability?

BTW When I say "need to lose a stone" this means basically a stone to get to your own, individual target (which could be a random number, a random BMI point, just anything).

For me - 1 stone off takes me to weight before conceiving Baby 1, and 1.2 stone off takes me to my lightest adult weight and a very comfy size 10-12 as opposed to a size 12-14. I have added motivation that a 40th birthday tails off 2024 for me, so I've got a deadline.

My downfall? Carbs. Salty carbs. My body absolutely magically loses if I cut out rice, pasta and potatoes. And yet, alas - it specifically is those that I crave.

Anyone want a loose accountability thread?

Thank you!

And as is possibly evident - I meant prohibitions on salt so INvisible societally where i was born and raised - hence I was weaned onto salty curries aged 6 months without anyone bashing an eyelid haha!

This is so useful to realise - DOH - why didnt I know this. And pre period i am craving ALL the SALTY foods - so makes even more sense.....

Can I join really late? I want to lose 10 pounds to go from feeling frumpy and sluggish to graceful and free.
I snack mindlessly throughout the day and drink too much wine in the evenings. I never get hungry for real meals but graze all the time without really enjoying food. I would like to drink less and eat nice meals mindfully, when I am actually hungry. Can't remember the last time I felt truly hungry.

I fell completely off the wagon this weekend.
I'm really annoyed with myself as I'd been very consistent.
Hey ho- starting again
Well done to everyone for keeping on keeping on !

This is my favourite thread atm. It’s nice to see such insight and encouragement and I’m learning so much from it so thank you.

Yes I’d recommend not weighing for several days after a salty meal. I love edamame with loads of salt and won’t go near a scales for several days after eating it as it inevitably shows my weight as at least a couple of pound heavier - usually more since edamame usually accompanies a salty meal such as Katsu curry or sushi with loads of soy sauce for me. I don’t get motivated by the higher number- just disillusioned which makes me think “Bollocks to this - it’s not working so I might as well eat what I want.” I also avoid weighing during my period which I also use as an excuse to overeat to an extreme degree. I still have to have a bit of chocolate though - just not a whole massive bar going forward!

OMG our Chinese fakeaway last night used so much black bean sauce, soy sauce and salty chilly oil :/ I was up half the night drinking my 2 litre water bottle.

Anyway……. Every day is a school day on Mumsnet and I’ve now learnt a big lesson about relationship between Salt+ periods+ scales

Oh I have jumped off the path of goodness and spent a weekend with take out and baileys and crisps - not in huge portions but I think when I ate a peanut butter filled pastry cake cup thingy coated in chocolate I crossed over to the path of shame. I ate three. There must have been sufficient calories to fuel a polar expedition. Tonight I had four slices of hot buttered sour dough toast - two with honey and two with cheese then ate a cauliflower cheese grill. In my defence I didn’t to bed last night until well gone 2am as had some work that took hours so tiredness doesn’t help.
Tomorrow Is a salad day. Hopefully! I am not getting on the scales until later in the week…

What a great thread. I’ve just spent my after dinner danger time reading through it all - and I haven’t succumbed to a snack! Which makes day one a success. Thanks all

Im starting today on a mission to lose around 7-9 pounds, which has crept on since menopause. I’ve struggled to accept I can no longer eat the way I always used to without gaining weight but burying my head in the sand has so far proved a fruitless strategy! Posting here for some much needed accountability. I’m going to loosely track on MFP - without too much weighing and measuring if possible as that will be more sustainable and generally work towards better habits for the long term

SW. 9 stone 12.6lb
TW. 9 stone 4lb

I'm very fatigued today (also have a long term condition) so resorted to sugar unfortunately to keep me going this afternoon but now on water and have a rainbow salad with chilli prawns made for work tomorrow.

Tomorrow is a new day and I'm as prepped as I can be!

Weighed in today and somehow have lost 1.2 pounds, at 10st 6.6lbs. We were away for the week-end and I am amazed to have lost weight, but will gladly take it! I have lost 6.4 pounds over the 28 days so very pleased with that and 7.6 to go.

SW 2nd January 10 13.0
CW 30th January 10 6.6
TW 9 stone 13 pounds.

Well done everyone so far, and for anyone who's struggled to get into it, start with a small achievable habit change rather than trying to do everything at once. That seems to be the theme of the thread!

Toddler DS was up a lot in the night poorly so today is going to be a struggle 😬 planning to go to the gym on my lunch break (I WFH).

My water weight theory seems to have held up, I was 9st12lb yesterday then back down to 9st10lb this morning!

Morning all!

The 1 lb overnight has disappeared - although period due tomorrow. Making a conscious effort about drinking lots and the matter of SALT!

so I’m hereby adding to my habits -
— I shall not be adding salt to my food. This is a HUGE undertaking for me to commit to because I was weaned into solids and raised in a very salt friendly country and culture. My tongue will crave and protest. I know. But then again this thread has become to me at least more about solely weight loss and more about healthy good sustainable ways of treating our bodies…

If anyone has any benefits they can think of to reducing salt consciously please say!

@froidIci I was surprised to be told I have high BP - it was 169/97 and I have taken medication for 5 weeks and returned to GP to find it is virtually the same, so medication has been doubled. I have been looking at my salt intake, but use very little - usually just on eggs, potatoes and cooked tomatoes. I am wondering if stopping that would make any difference????? I have never had high BP before so was really surprised to have it now - I did lose my Mum last year and had to sell and clear her house so also wondering if that is the reason.

I am thinking if you can stop adding salt when you use it often then it should be much easier for me to stop - she says optimistically. So I will join you, if you don't mind, on the no-salt bench!😁

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/salt-in-your-diet/#:~:text=Eating%20too%20much%20salt%20can,meat%20products%20and%20ready%20meals.

Its hard to start with, but your tastebuds will adjust. I never put salt in cooking nowadays, although we do add it to taste on the plate. The vast majority of the salt in most people’s diet comes from processed food- it’s in there by the absolute bucket full! If you avoid those in the main, you will be a long way towards a sensible salt intake
We do need some salt though, so you don’t need to get rid completely!

Oh I’m also big on salt! I think what I’m trying to do is season food with other flavours, so lots of cracked black pepper, herbs, lemon/lemon rind grated on to curries or stews etc, balsamic.

Hmm, reducing salt is a difficult one for me as what makes salad and loads of veg more appealing for me this time of the year when it’s freezing is the seasoning and a bit of salt really enhances flavour with a lot of things. A totally bland salad would make me eat unhealthier food on the whole so salt is a good trade off I find. A bit of salt to make a flavoursome healthy meal is better than salt + fats + UPF + sugar etc is my thinking here. I don’t use loads of salt (I’ve been told I could use more due to low BP) and there’s many things I cook without adding any. I very much taste a dish or sauce or something first (after all herbs/spices/oils/cream/butter have been added)and if I feel it’s still absolutely needing salt, I’ll add it. So I think the taste test works if you use it without even thinking. My husband adds it to boiled eggs for example and I really don’t think it’s neeeded here. But I absolutely have my salt non negotiables which are things like edamame, tomato on a salad and avocado if making a guacamole or smashed on toast. I also cook with a lot of flavoured oils like chilli, truffle or garlic olive oil which brings veg to life. Salted butter can suffice if making sonething like a sweet potato mash or even basting a chicken. Once thyme and lemon are added to chicken skin at the end, I don’t miss salt here tbh…

Wow so interesting to read these!

See my tastebuds LOVE chilli and garlic - but the problem is - i associate them with salt. As you may have gathered by now - I am Asian and born and raised in a south asian country - and weaned on to utterly delectable curries (salted!) at 6 months in the 1980s..... so not sure there's much hope to retrain my tastebuds. But mainly for me - I add salt to food (again super common back home) and I will stop that. Happy to have some others also trying to reduce salt!

Also I never add to plain pasta boiling because I inevitably add some when making a sauce it’ll be stirred into, esp a cheesy creamy one which are naturally quite salty I find. Same with rice that’s about to go in a stir fry with soy sauce or noodles that are going to go into a salty satay sauce or something.

Started at 9st 12 last week. Weighed in today at 9st 10 but I’m not convinced my scales were working properly! But if it’s true I’m happy with that.

This week I’m going to increase my water intake.

I love salt and my blood pressure is on the low side, so salt is quite beneficial. And caffeine up to a point.

Really chuffed to have lost 2lb in a week on this morning's weigh in. In a week where I had a takeaway on Friday, and meals out on Saturday and Sunday. And I had my period! But I did track everything carefully and stayed within my calories for the week, averaging 1700 a day.

Start: 12st 9lbs
Now 12st 7lbs
Goal: 11st 0lbs
Height 5'7"/170cm
Age 48

For salt things to watch out for are stock cubes (you can get low salt versions) and getting low salt versions of other staples such as condiments. It will take a while for your taste buds to adapt but they will. We started with it when weaning our first as did blw so everything was low salt.

I don't use salt in cooking but will use a bit of feta etc in something and that's all I need. Heck sausages are also good for being lower in salt and also lower in fat so you don't feel like your missing out on things.

Am I too late to join you all? I am on another thread but it's got really quiet, and I really appreciate the company and motivation.

I'm 5'2" and currently 66.3kg or 10 and a half stone. Ideally I'd like to be under 9 stone, but my goal for now is to get to 63kg, which is just under 10 stone. Since I first weighed myself on the 14th, I've lost 1.2kg (about 3lb). I think if I carry on I can get to 63 by the end of Feb.

I'm a mad yoyo dieter, I've been losing and gaining the same 10lb since my youngest child was born 8 years ago. Before that, I'd managed to lose some weight at uni and been happy with my size for over a decade.

My issues are:

• too much alcohol, drinking too many nights in the week. It shows on my stomach particularly
• inactivity from a home-based desk job
• snacking, mainly from boredom being home all day alone
• butter!

I kicked off the year with covid, which has actually helped as I haven't had much appetite for gin since. I've been prioritising exercise and going for 3 runs a week plus one yoga class, and I'm sticking too it. I've cut out most of the foods that make me feel rubbish, and am trying to incorporate more vegetarian dinners, at least one a week ideally two.

Overall, I'm focusing on health and on feeling good, and am tracking the long term downward trend. I fluctuate a lot and it can be disheartening to see it go up. I weigh in kg because the numbers don't have an emotional attachment - maybe when I get a little under 10 stone I will switch back to that!

Welcome aboard - the more the merrier! I for one am finding this thread really useful - not solely for accountability - i am learning a lot of things too!

Its great you have identified the non-useful habits. What would a list of bullets for USEFUL habits look like you if you were to turn each bullet around to a positive?

Ooh good question! So far, I am actually doing well with good habits and feeling positive:

• exercising or being active as much as possible. Starting work early to fit a run into my day, or taking a yoga class on my lunchbreak. While my oldest is at his sport session at the weekend, going for a walk instead of reading my book.
• being organised with food - making overnight oats before bed, and making up a big pot of soup at the weekend.
• keeping myself accountable by weighing weekly and tracking things on my garmin app.
• most importantly, listening to my body and what I actually want! No boredom biscuits, having a gin simply because it's Friday, or getting a cake because my friend wants one.

I've got decent momentum at the moment and just need to keep it going. Once I reach my interim 10st goal, that's my danger zone and I think I need to set another goal right away.

My official weekly weigh in today and I've lost another kilo.

Start weight - 68.8kg
Current weight - 65kg

So 3.8 lost in total, and now 5 from my goal. Adding the gym next week. Turns out DH and I both had a far more serious illness than we thought, and it's been wiping us out.