8 Stone or more to lose? Please join me.

[TheShellBeach]

I was 20st.
I've recently lost 2st.

I'd like to be 10st, so I have 8st to go.

Does anyone want to join me? I'm taking Orlistat and trying to stick to 1700 cals/day.

All welcome!

@TheShellBeach I find it helpful to take photos at the beginning of each month. I've posted 2 stone now, down from a SW of 225lb to 197lb.

I see no difference in the mirror, my clothes are looser so logically I know I am smaller.

If I look at the photos, while the difference isn't dramatic I do see a change too, but not even a tiny difference in the mirror.

Well done OP! I think it takes ages to see change other than looser clothes. It takes even longer for other people to notice too. I started on a weight loss journey this time last year and although by the end of summer had lost over 3 stone no one really noticed! Then I dipped another stone and people started commenting.

Can I join please? I have gained so much weight and I am devastated.

I have no plan or even know what to do anymore.
I started a new weight loss regime in March and I'm currently 5lbs heavier than when I started.

What calorie in take are you all aiming for please? I tried 1600 but I don't think I'm using them smartly as it feels tight some days. On another thread, the people were aiming for 1200. I think I'll struggle with that now.

Search for a TDEE calculator or use MyFitnessPal to calculate your calorie allowance based on a goal of 1lb loss per week.

I was 225lb when I started, height 5ft 8, age 40, activity: sedentary and my target was 1670 per day. I have lost 2 stone in 16 weeks sticking to that.

In terms of what to eat, carbs hold onto water, can affect sugar levels and are generally high calorie and only filling for a little while before leaving you hungry again. So I tend to reduce and think more carefully about those. For example I don't eat bread but do have ryvitas,

Proteins and fat will leave you feeling fuller for longer and are less likely to cause water retention, so I make up batches of things like chilli or bolognaise, go heavy on mushrooms, tomatoes, carrot, onions, peppers.... to bulk them out and have a portion of that for lunch. I use a 500g pack of 5% fat mince and that makes 4 good sized portions and if you use low calorie veg it's about 220cals per serving.

Breakfast I've always not been fussed about but if I do wake up hungry then I have scrambled eggs or 2 egg omelette and again add some veg like onion, chillies, peppers to make it more filling and hearty without adding much to the calorie count.

Thank you for taking the time to share all of that. It helps me to kick-start a positive mindset this morning.

Well done on your weight loss. That is fantastic. How are you feeling?

@Foreverhopeful42 i think when you have lots of weight to lose it isn’t necessary and can be counter productive to start off too low. Have a look at a tdee calculator but I would start off at 1800 to 2000 for a week and see whether you lose weight. That way if your weight loss stalls you can reduce calories.
Remember lots of people dieting are already near a healthy weight and just wanting to drop a small amount so they have to go to 1200 to lose any. If you are on this thread you have lots to lose and eating 1200 for a long time would not be practical.
As pp says, eating foods higher in protein and fat will help control appetite. I would also advise a little of what you fancy so you don’t feel deprived and end up having a binge day.

Can I ask how tall you are OP?

I lost a lot of weight on low carb but put it back on. I really need to get going again.

@EasterFox thank you. That helps actually. I hadn't thought about it in that way.

I think one of my challenges is that I want 5lbs off a week and that just isn't going ti happen.

As @EasterFox says you do need to allow yourself to eat foods you enjoy sometimes, otherwise it feels like a very long term punishment.

There are lots of ice creams and chocolates that come in at under 100 calories a portion so it's handy to have those in the house for the days you need them.

I also make sure I always have boiled eggs, sliced cooked meat and Longley farms full fat cottage cheese in the fridge because they satisfy an immediate hunger without throwing my diet off course.

Keep in mind that this will not be quick, it needs to be sustainable so don't restrict yourself to lettuce leaves and lemon water you'll get fed up in a few days and feel crap.

I'm 5ft 3in.

I used to be nearly 5ft 6in but ageing and osteoporosis have lowered that.

I'm aiming for 1500 calories a day, but I'm more relaxed at the weekend, usually.

And I eat most things.
I just count the calories.

If you're in a calorie deficit, you'll lose weight.

I agree with the above but I think some diets control hunger better meaning they are easier to stick to long term. Also there are obviously lots of positive health benefits to eating healthily in general. Like I said on pp though, a little of what you fancy does you good.

I agree. I do try not to eat high calorie carbs. But now and again, I fancy them!

I can definitely see a difference in the photos @TheShellBeach!!

Some people were asking for things that might help ... It's a bit on the other side of the coin to the low carb weight loss which is really popular, but there's a lady called Chef AJ who lost an awful lot of weight on a high carb plant based diet. I thought it might be good for people who struggle with going low carb long term. She has a YouTube channel with lots of medical guests and people who have been there got the tee shirt too.

Here's a short video of her. She's also got a chart where she says if you can focus on eating foods to the left of the line you'll never put on weight ... I'll post that in a separate post ...

Personally, I am one of those who could never eat low carb for very long.

Chef AJs calorie density chart.

chef aj calorie density chart pdf - Google Search | Nutrition chart, Watermelon nutrition facts, Whole plant based diet (pinterest.co.uk)

Oops sorry, I just realised it was @FlabMonsterIsDietingAgain who posted the pics! It's late :) Well done to you too!! :)

And I'm really pleased you are walking better too @TheShellBeach :) Just shows you don't have to lose the full amount to start reaping the benefits. Well done again xx

Osteoporosis is a definite concern. Do you weight train at all? I'd highly recommend it, not just for the physical benefits, but mental-health as well. For me, healthy eating and exercising go hand in hand. (I do dumbbell workouts with Caroline Girvan, e.g. EPIC Heat.)

I lost eight stone. I did it my own way. I never weighed myself at all for over a year. I figured actually the numbers don't matter. I can't do anything about what the scales say and fluctuating is normal but depressing.

I ate the same thing every day for every meal. Fruit for breakfast, chicken for lunch and some sweets as a treat and cheese on toast for dinner. Didn't really do calorie counting or measuring. Just stuck to the same three foods and didn't worry about nutrition.

I just stuck at that day after day and it worked. It was very boring but after a while I just got into the routine and stopped caring.

Weight training?

<<falls about laughing>>

Well done, @garlictwist

I'm not worried about what I eat. Carbs or not, it just gets calorie counted.

I've always found that low carb diets are impossible to stick to for long. They're unrealistic.

Human beings weren't designed to avoid eating carbs. And those of us who are fat have tried low carbing and had great success.

Until we start eating normally, that is.

I also have a fair bit to lose, we have quite a few events this summer so I'm doing Shake that Weight for a few months and then over the autumn/winter I'm going to ideally kick in a new way of healthy eating. My disordered eating has to stop.

Sorry but why are you laughing?

Exercising with dumbbells is one of the simplest and yet most effective ways of becoming/keeping fit, controlling weight, and combating osteoporosis.

I get it - Caroline Girvan is the best but may be too challenging for novices. Try Rebecca Louise:

Her chatter can be annoying, but the workouts are solid. (Turn down the volume and listen to the instead...)

But do do weight/resistance training. I can guarantee you will not regret it.

Listen to the RADIO instead...🙂