Sustainable and not overly ambitious weight loss: 1 stone by September- anyone care to join?

[OMGitsnotgood]

I’m 5’4 and 12 stone 8lbs.
I exercise regularly now, and am slowly losing weight ( almost a stone over a year), I now need to reduce my calorie intake to increase the weight loss. I enjoy my food and drink, so a very restrictive diet isn’t going to work for me, plus I want it to be sustainable.

I want to try to lose a stone by September. In itself that shouldn’t be too much of a challenge but that time period includes a holiday and lots of social activities which will involve food and drink.

The approach I want to take is making healthier or at least lower calorie choices.
So for example, Weetabix and fruit for breakfast instead of toast and lashings of butter; soup or salad for lunch, with the occasional sandwich rather than sandwiches every day (and always tempted to have crisps with sandwiches); evenings have a ‘normal’ meal but consider the calorie content when meal planning or when eating out. Gin & slimline tonic instead of wine etc
I don’t want to be counting calories but am aware of what foods/cooking methods are higher in calories than others.
I’m good at not making or buying cakes/biscuits/ puddings - but if on offer will eat them - and want to be able to within reason.

I don’t want to join a group such as Slimming World, but know the weekly weigh ins have helped friends stay focused and accountable, so thought I’d give it a go on here to see if there are any other reluctant dieters who would find this gentler approach in the company of others helpful.

Anyone want to join in?

Thank you @Elizabeth110100 , just what I needed to hear! Have had a reasonable day today food wise but also got a bad cold so cancelled off my gym class.
You're right, it's not the end of the world. I'm definitely slimmer than I was this time last year so know the long term view is paying off.

@Accbabymom1994 I was also thinking I wouldn't be able to sleep if I last ate at 3:30. How long did it take you to get used to it? Not sure that IF will ever be my thing but always interested to hear about other people's experiences.

Hey I drink a lot of water after my fast and ngl my body does ache at night sometimes. But I know it will be worth it in the morning. I'm more unsleepy now like in the morning I can wake up quite early and get on with my day and at night I sleep at a nice time .

After a few weeks of definitely not ‘making the best choices’, I’m coming back to this thread to see if anyone is interested in carrying on in the run up to Christmas?

Realistically for me that means until the end of November as my December is already looking very calorifc with meals with various groups of friends already in the diary. My aim is not to live a life where I can’t enjoy nights out, just be more sensible when I have full control over what I eat/drink.

When I started this thread back in June, I was 12 stone 8.
The lightest I have been since then I think was 11 stone 11.
I am currently 11 stone 13.

So, still down a fair bit since June but nowhere near the stone I was aiming for by the end of September. I am however reminding myself if the title of this thread: sustainability is key for me.

I will keep posting anyway as I found it was helping me focus before I lost my way a bit!

@OMGitsnotgood see just hearing your summary is good - that's progress right there!

I am quite invested in this thread and weigh myself every Monday now, even if I don't always update.

I am afraid I am boring as I see little to no change but I am actually very invested in trying to lose a few lbs but it is just not happening????

I'd already made a target in my head of 11st 7 by Christmas.

I am toying with the idea of joining slimming world down the road ... and trying hello fresh... just something has got to give.

Back on wagon after a weigh in yesterday of 12st 5.

I just lose a couple, gain a couple.

I felt upset in a changing room on Sunday, rolls of fat. It feels out of control in that I simply am not getting a control of this situation. But I am am still trying (and still have no answers). Please keep the thread going, it is helping me too!

@twoforj0y so lovely to hear from you.

My immediate thoughts: 'lose a couple, gain a couple' is better than just gaining. Hold onto that thought.

Whilst I firmly believe that diiet plans don't necessarily lead to sustainable weight control, I do think that something like slimming world can help you back on the right track. If that helps you regain control and re-educate yourself then go for it. Then move on to eating normally but making better choices.

I understand the upsetting changing room situation only too well. But maybe we need that sort of experience to help us refocus.

I also think it's understanding what our downfalls are. For me it's alcohol, so have cut it out during the week; and cheese, crisps and chocolate. I no longer buy crisps, chocolate and anything other than the cheese we use for cooking which helps. But during tough times, which we've had in our family recently, I do reach for those comfort foods.

I am not an expert so I'm not best placed to advise people, I just want us to be able to find ways of enjoying our food and drink in a balanced way that lets us live life free of the constraints of diet plans, whilst appreciating they do have their place.

October has been a write off for me, Am pinning my hopes on a less stressful November and time to refocus.

Keep posting if it helps, but equally come and go as it suits x

I hope things are ok with you @OMGitsnotgood. I could tell from your previous posts there was stuff going on... Hopefully a nice regular November is in store for us all

My trigger is disorganisation. I don't think of food all day, and then find myself starving and I eat all the wrong things.

My not-so-successful approach has been to have at least two structured meals a day and something vaguely healthy for dinner. I fall foul of running out of time, feeding the kids stuff I wouldn't eat, and then filling myself up on cereal, toast, whatever I can find when they go to bed.

But if I eat a meal, none of that happens. So I'm trying. That's why I am wondering if hello fresh, or SW might help me to create the habits.

Fasting, calorie counting, all that stuff feels really foreign to me. I am trying to nudge myself in the right direction rather than overwhelm, not working yet but I will keep trying!

I am so desperate to just get to under 12st. Passing 12 unknown to myself was a mental shock and trying to get back to 11-something has evaded me for ages now!

I can blame perimenopause and whatever but end of day, if I want to look how I want to look, I have to find a way to lose some weight!

I don't mean that to sound moany, I'm still determined I can do it.

• ps and thanks for your lovely reply. I appreciate it.

I'm doing ok thank you @twoforj0y , a couple of family/friend crises coincided, very wearing but things improving slowly.

It's so hard when you are busy and have children to think about too. The sweet spot would be to find things that both you and the children enjoy, even if you eat yours later. Appreciate that's not always easy when there are specific requirements but we always ate the same as the children, even if we couldn't eat together all the time and it made life a lot easier.

I've always been a meal planner, removes temptation, speeds up shopping, less waste etc. but then I love flicking through recipe books for ideas. Not everyone's idea of fun and not everyone has the time, although MN can be really helpful if you start a thread saying what you like, what the DC like, how much time you've got, and asking for links to recipes that will work for all of you.

My DC are grown up now but thanks to MN i have picked up some lovely recipes from ** Taming Twins and Anna's Family Kitchen that we enjoy as adults.

Depends what works for you, I can see how Hello Fresh and the like would be helpful.

It's ok to sound 'moany', although I don't think you did anyway. It is frustrating and not great for self esteem when you know you need to lose weight but are struggling. The rewards are huge though so stick with it, and if Slimming World is the right approach for you, go for it!

Just sticking my head back in to say hello 👋🏼

You've both said things above that resonate with me. I'm a meal planner too, and I also enjoy flicking through recipe books and magazines to find new ideas, but I fall into the trap of assuming that lunch will sort itself out 🤨 so it gets to lunchtime and I either a) skip it because I'm not very hungry, and then eat unhealthy snacks from 3pm onwards, or b) am ravenous and eat something quick and not very healthy because I don't have time to make anything more nourishing.

It's difficult to give food planning much headspace when there is other stuff going on. I've had a stressful time at work recently and I haven't had the energy to be very creative. I also stress bake! So there is lots of cake in the cake tin - to be fair I don't eat a lot of it, my DC are both going through a hollow leg phase so they polish off most of it fairly quickly.

I've got a week off work over half term, and I am planning to embrace soup season and do some batch cooking for lunches - any favourite recipes for me to try?

Life is hard and relentless and when you have lots of other stuff to deal with, you tend to put yourself and goals on the back foot.
Losing a bit and then gaining a bit is ok. It really is better than just gaining. The first bit of weight loss is easy. When you are down to the last few pounds, it's a lot harder.
It's a marathon, not a sprint. That's what I tell myself if I gain a couple of pounds back.
I think sometimes looking at how far you have come and the healthier changes you have made can be rewarding and remind you that you are doing well.
Also changing room mirrors are evil. They are the worst possible mirrors! I never try things on in shops anymore for that reason!!!

I managed to lose a few pounds, 5 pounds off goal weight. Then I got covid. I'm on day 6 of it right now and feel awful. I'm so so tired and can't do any exercise but it's also made me starving. I cannot stop eating. So I'm just focusing on getting better then I'll be back on it. It's frustrating because I had been doing really well with my running and got into a nice routine with it.

Ah, I think we are all in the same sort of situation. I've been stagnating, barely any movement on the scales for months. I've been trying to get back on track by calorie counting and doing the occasional fast. Well, one fast 😂.
I'm just reassuring myself that although I've made slow progress I have made some progress and I've not restricted myself in too painful a way, I've had treats when I'd really like them etc.
I was 92kg just after last Xmas(my highest weight ever), I'm now 87.5kg. I really do want to get lower. Ideally I should be about 75kg, but that's a really long way. 10 years ago 80 was a shocking weight.
At least I haven't gone up.

Five pounds off goal weight is amazing @Elizabeth110100 ! I hope you feel better soon. COVID is such an odd illness. So exhausting

It's great to hear from you all.

It's a marathon, not a sprintsums it up perfectly. The downside with the longer term view however is that it's easier to say 'sod it' and have crisps and chocolate (Confession time: I had both last night), when you probably wouldn't if following a diet plan. So that's something to watch out for

We've a meal out and a party at the weekend which I will enjoy to the full. I want to refocus in November because December is not going to be a weight loss or even maintenance month.

I agree re the need to include lunches in meal planning which I tend to overlook too. I need to avoid hunger as that's when my will power breaks down.
Would welcome suggestions for healthy, tasty, filling lunches.
I like making soup too @Hedonism
Boiled eggs are another favourite.
I quite often have leftovers from the previous night.
I'll happily have the occasional salad over the winter but not as many as when it's warm.
I posted this crustless quiche up thread that was recommended elsewhere and it really is gorgeous both hot and cold so although it's more effort, you can get a few lunches out of it.

I fancied a couple of slices of toast this morning but having read all your updates I was reminded to make a better choice and had Weetabix instead, which will keep me fuller for longer, so thank you all!

Please count me in! I’m on holiday now, so will start from 1 November in time for Christmas

'Better choices' is a great mantra.

I also try to think about whether food is nutritious or not. I don't want to eat something that is made of cardboard and flavourings, even if it is low in calories! I find that nutritious food tends to be more satisfying and keeps you fuller for longer. Of course, you need to nourish your soul as well as your body, and that's where good quality cake comes in 😊

you need to nourish your soul as well as your body, and that's where good quality cake comes in

Another great mantra!

😁

@OMGitsnotgood
@Hedonism
@Elizabeth110100
@Patagonia21
@MavisPennies

Hello, may I join? 👋I'm currently exactly your start height and weight @OMGitsnotgood (5'4 and 12st8lbs) and would love to lose 3.5 stone by my wedding next May - slowly and sustainably - to get to target weight of 9 stone which has always been my 'happy weight'.

My plan is:

• Net 1200-1400 calories per day
• Use NutraCheck to track
• Trying to favour protein over fat macro-wise (this is basically what everyone above is saying about making better choices): carbs 40%, protein 35%, fat 25%
• Gym for cardio half an hour each day (sadly I can't do any weights/resistance training at the moment due to a health condition!)
• 5 fruit/veg per day
• 2000ml water per day (8 glasses)

I don't drink (gave up in January) so that's one thing I don't need to worry about at least!

Of course @EqualityDuck, you're very welcome. It's great to have new contributors, helps inject some new enthusiasm into the group.

Sounds like you have an excellent plan.

I am going to weigh myself in the next couple of days (no longer have scales at home so when I've time to go to the gym).
I know it will be up,, and have promised myself tio get back on track.

I'm 29 pounds down !

@Accbabymom1994 that's amazing - well done! How have you done it?

@OMGitsnotgood yes - you can only control your future choices and it's good you're committing to get back on track. Your approach clearly was working so that's encouraging!

I'm proud because I woke up in the middle of the night with a nightmare - this usually triggers me to go and eat 2 bowls of cereal with loads of sugar on top to "calm down". But I didn't do that to cope - I scrolled through Mumsnet instead 😅

I've got a blood test for PCOS today. Not really sure what a diagnosis will change, but hey ho.

Intermittent fasting

@Accbabymom1994 ah wow! Do you calorie count or track what you eat aside from that? Or do you just eat whatever you fancy in the food window?

That's brilliant @Accbabymom1994, well done. Do you have another target or just to maintain current weight loss?