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?

Well done on the running @Swearwolf that's incredible, and to you @popplego on hitting a new low mini goal!

@Scottishskifun I usually weigh on Tuesdays but I've skipped this week for a similar reason, I'm on medication that can mess with my digestion and feel so bloated today. Hope your discomfort passes soon! A vegetable soup of all things!

I've been tracking my food on MFP and get around 1400 cals a day with the aim of losing 0.5lb a week. So far so good but I'm going out for a meal tonight and will enjoy it; draw a line and keep going tomorrow.

I usually exercise daily but have stuck to some gentle stretches today as I've hurt my neck and don't want to make it any worse.

@Swearwolf that's amazing about the running! Hopefully it will be nice to get out and about as the weather is improving now too, spring is on its way

Welcome and welcome back! @Swearwolf

I am sticking very diligently now to the REALLY no-grains/potatoes rule and that means NO exceptions - and i am indeed enjoying the complete lack of bloating, complete lack of tummy issues and the nice and slow loss on the scales. About 9 lbs lost since the thread began.

My learning, sadly is, that, despite being raised on a very high rice-high potato diet in South Asia, and despite genuinely still associating rice + potatoes and then the learned behaviour of wheat + rice + potatoes with heart-warming comfort - regrettably unfotunately my body cannot cope with it. It cannot metabolise or digest these.

Unsurprisingly all my female relatives are now Type 2 diabetics, and all are prohibited from various carbs. It will get me too surely one day (genetics/evolution) - but I can still try to do all i can. And losing weight is one thing i can do.

Step at a time.

Hello pals, so I wrote on here weeks ago and then did nothing about it.. writing here in the hope that by doing so I will motivate myself. Someone above mentioned mini goals - can anyone share theirs? I am still a stone heavier than I've ever been and I have my wedding in July. I just can't seem to get it together. Maybe a new water bottle?!

@pandapanda67 it's really hard to get going- you almost feel like "what difference will one more day make?" and delay starting.

When I 'started' I made a list of the negatives I was feeling. These were mostly things like poor skin, headaches, bloating, feeling generally sick and unhealthy in myself mostly due to excess chocolate! And my mood was appalling too.

Now I'm not saying I've had a drastic turnaround but I am a lot better than I was, especially in mood. I feel more optimistic.

My mini goals were really, really mini. Just do X today, and see if you can do it for a week. I started with 10 minutes of pilates a day. I've since added in 2L of water a day and ensuring I eat a nutritious lunch- I was terrible for snacking on cheese and nuts before. Not inherently unhealthy but not great, balanced or filling.

Have a think what you can add. Water? Movement? Extra veg? Try to frame it as self care rather than deprivation

@froidIci I really admire your commitment to this and taking care of your health as a priority. It must be hard to switch when culturally carbs are such a key base of the meals you've grown up with (as well as being delicious 😩)

@pandapanda67 Hello and welcome back! I find mini goals really help me. I ultimately wanted to lose a stone and a half ideally but breaking it down into smaller chunks feels more achievable. Other mini goals I've set have been about drinking 2l water a day, 3 workouts a week. I think the gradual habit change approach works rather than trying to be perfect at everything at once

Hi all. Thank you so much for the kind messages after I said about my period going. Congrats on the new low @popplego!

I also think your approach is really commendable @froidIci and I’m feeling inspired by it.

@pandapanda67 Welcome back! I’m taking some time out from weight loss atm (explained a few posts above if you’re interested…) - it happens I think, having a break now and again. I actually think we need it sometimes.

I thought the mini goals were so impactful. I’ve got a slightly different approach in that I start with the huge goals then based small ones based on these. Mine are in part a little different based on recent events and are as follows:

Big long term goals:

1. Be a good role model for my DD who I never want to see me always on a diet. I want DD to love food like her parents but eat healthily and never need to diet. (I’m determined to get my last stone off while DD is too young to realise then maintain.)
2. Make weight loss sustainable over a longer period of time to regulate hormones and have a regular cycle as I haven’t finished my family. No crash diets or wanting a loss of a few pound a week! Lose the maximum of one pound a week!
3. I want to live as long as I can and have a quality of life at the same time. 🙏🏼

What these look like in mini goals:

1. Meal plan healthy family meals for us all to enjoy without me having a boring salad on my own constantly. (This will eventually model nothing is restricted to my DD. Obviously if I had an intolerance this is totally different!)
2. weight loss of 1lb a week max or 0.5kg. No being disheartened by ‘slow’ progress or no change weeks. Reminding myself it’s better for my hormones, muscle, skin, enjoyment of life…
3. Aim to include a wide range of fruit, veg, good proteins and little UPFs when meal planning for the week.
4. Schedule gentle exercise 3x a week max. (I’ve got a history of over exercising and it won’t help my cycle atm doing anything too strenuous and I need to relax more.)

Forgot to add there have been many weeks when I’ve gone really granular with my mini goal and just one eg No snacks after dinner. That can have a massive impact if you’re someone who can consume a huge proportion of your daily calories in after dinner snacks like I could easily!

Hello still here - went down to 12.3 then back to 12.5 but am ok with that. Need to run but pulled something in my left buttock and am hobbling round rubbing my bum! Have had nights away, meals, crisps and pastries so serves me glad but have done ok in the main with lots of better choices and not too much booze. I have usually hit sod it now and I seem to still be within touching distance of a sense of purpose! I will keep reading for inspiration

I am similar @Passthepickle except I just got back down to 12st 3lbs as of yesterday morning. Mini goal this week is not to put weight on as I am travelling and have meals out and drinks with work (combination of wine plus late espresso is keeping me awake tonight!). Though at least I have a chance to go to the gym in each hotel and not miss out on my usual workouts. The aim is not to go mad with food and drink just because I'm being paid to eat/drink it!

My other mini goal is to be in the 11s by the end of this month.

Just keeping on keeping on really, tracking everything, calorie control, gym 3x a week etc.

Hooray, I'm back down to 65.8kg - where I was before my two week wagon fall. Officially back on track!

I did a fitness challenge at work last month, logging exercise each day, and although it's finished now I am really in the mindset of needing to cram movement into my day. Two runs, a dance class and a yoga class so far since monday. Long may this continue!

That's great @Swearwolf! I need to take some inspiration from you and get more movement into my days too!

Weighed today down 0.5lb after the bloat! Hopefully will have a easy weekend and be on a even keel for next week.

I have less then 1 stone to go to my target but it's coming off so slowly I don't know if it's too ambitious (was the weight I was 6 years ago but pre kids). It's mid healthy bmi for my height

Well done!!

Despite ovulation I am now 4.5 kilos down from the start of this thread and the single biggest difference from last months stall has been to GENUINELY without exception stick to my carbs rule. The “odd pizza” isn’t an odd pizza for my body alas.

Big challenges for weight management coming up next week -

1. People over today for pizza making (I’ll have all toppings but as an omelette)
2. Mother’s Day afternoon tea tomorrow with close friend and her kids (all sandwich fillings, double sandwich fillings but in lettuce wraps)
3. Whirlwind trip to country of origin in Asia for THREE days only to attend dads heart surgery where curries will be abundant and I’ll be jet lagged exhausted and worried but looking to simply not eat rice.

The physical comfort from genuinely cutting the carbs and the lack of bloating alone make the no exceptions rule worth it for me frankly. The weight l As has been a bonus. I’ve got to honour my body and the “odd pizza/sandwich/rice” causes wayyyyyyyy too much digestive hassle.

Morning all!

Fantastic work @froidIci and @Scottishskifun.

The omelette with pizza toppings sounds like a really tasty alternative @froidIci! I hope all goes well with your travels and your dad's surgery. Take it easy on yourself, it's hard to focus on dieting through such emotional times.

I'm pleased to say I'm now just over a pound away from my initial target of 1 stone weight loss and I'm shocked tbh! I've never lost this much weight before but I'm glad I've stuck to it so far and I'm starting to see a difference in the mirror. My waist measurement is down 1.5inches too.

SW: 10st
CW: 9st1.2lbs
GW: 9st initially

Wow well done @popplego ! Reminds me to check waist - as haven’t checked from 4.5 kilos ago - and things definitely looser. you’re very close now! I’m just under 2 kilos away so will keep plugging on!

I have decided I ideally need to lose another stone after this one so May well be the only one hanging around here after a while!

Hello

12.4 now - need to do better. But not putting it back on so meh one week at a time.

Well done to all and I hope your dad’s surgery and your 3day visit goes well Froidlci

Best of luck with your travels @froidIci I imagine it will be tricky for you in more than one way but having the digestive upset is some motivation to stick to the plan- travel always send me haywire enough as it is!

I had a "whoosh" on Friday with a 1.5lb loss- unheard of for me!- and takes me to my lowest weight for a very long time.. that I've achieved in a sustainable way at least.

I've had two days now "off plan" in that I've gone slightly over my calories, but still tracked absolutely everything. I'm taking this as a win, not burying my head in the sand, and have thoroughly enjoyed my treats. The real challenge will be getting back on track tomorrow, so I'm going to spend a bit of time this evening planning and possibly prepping, to give myself a good chance of it.

Hope you've all enjoyed your weekends!

Due to knee injury etc I ended up putting weight on and it's taken a couple of weeks to claw myself back, but have finally reached a new low

Starting weight 11 stone, 2.4lbs (and then an increase to 11 stone 5lbs+)
Current weight - 11 stone 1lb.

Steady and slow...... :)

Hi all. I've also been pretty absent and not really trying hard enough. I hit a new low of 12st2 which I'm pleased with but I know I could do better. DD's sleep is all over the place at the moment and that's definitely making me reach for the sugar more than I should.

Well done both of you! I'm also at a loss this morning, 65.2kg, so almost at 2.5kg lost since mid Jan. It's going very slowly as I've had a couple of meals out and a few days where I had to skip the exercise I had planned, but it seems I'm still in a deficit overall.

I'm going away for work tomorrow and that will be my next challenge. Nothing home-made for a whole week, and the days are long and busy so I will be filling up on quick snacks where I can, probably drinking too much coffee. I do think my reduced appetite for alcohol is what is making the biggest difference for me though, so as long as I stick to water when out for dinner hopefully I won't do too much damage.

My next mini goal is 63.5kg by the end of the month. That will take me under ten stone for the first time in ages!

And yes, I know it's odd measuring myself that way. My brain is wired to stone and pounds, but when I am heavier than I would like, I get a real mental jolt seeing a high number on the scale and it messes with my motivation and progress. Kilos are just a number to me, so I see the number go down or up without any emotional attachment. Once I'm doing well and feeling the numbers going in the right direction, I do need to convert it back to get a proper sense of where I really am if that makes sense. My younger weight was always under 9 stone, my weight since my youngest child always over 10, I would be happy to sit around 9 stone 3. One more stone to go, which feels like too much to shoot for right now so I'm back to kilos and tiny benchmarks.

@Swearwolf that's a clever plan I might pinch that as I also struggle with the numbers!

My target weight is 9 stone 10 I would have been 12lb away but I'm due on so weigh in this morning I'm apparently up to 10.10 so up by 1.5lb. I know it's water retention bloat etc but it's getting frustrating weighing in twice a month which isn't affected by my cycle as two weeks I have ovulation bloat or period bloat 🙈

I'm trying to focus on the positive! I've lost over 2 stone in 3 months but this last 12 lb is going very very slowly!

Oh and just been diagnosed with POTS so have to up my salt in my diet to reduce dizzy spells and fatigue and trying to do that which isn't a load of rubbish is challenging! Think I might have found a solution in miso soup though!

@pandapanda67 I have a significant birthday in July so that's the date I'm aiming to lose a stone for too :) I have a 'Dress" !

@Swearwolf I used to measure myself in kilos but have swapped back to the stones and pounds of my young adulthood. I used to be 9 and a half stone in my 20's and now I've reached the 11 stone + which is much more shocking that reading kilos which, I agree has no emotional resonance.

Having said that, after being sick this week I've finally breached the 10 stone barrier

SW 11 stone 2.4 lbs
CW 10 stone 13.4 lbs

I have lost 3 pounds since February 12th (with some fluctuations up!)

Just looking at the graph on my weight tracker cheers me up no end. Knee is feeling better again, so I can start exercising.

@Scottishskifun Two stone in three months is awesome!!!