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?

Hello, just a pre-weekend check in. How's everyone doing? I like the day at a time way of thinking. Diets don't have to start on a Monday!

I've done quite well this week, have stayed off the snacks to a large extent except for half a dozen maltesers each day (because there is an open box in the house 😂), and no midweek wine.

My weight is still the same. I've been stuck between 66.2-66.7kg for ages. I'm going to start ignoring the decimal point, and I'll count it as a loss when I make it into the 65s.

@Hedonism well done for a good week!

I was doing well and then... fiancé went away last night and this always triggers off my binging. Ate 3x white chocolate cookies, a whole bag of jelly snakes and a dairy milk. Ugh. I have got a 92-page long workbook about binge eating that I've been avoiding starting to work through... I think I do still need it.

On the plus side, I did track the binging on my app, so at least I'm staying accountable.

I am also noticing that, if I wake up from a nightmare (which happens about 50% of nights) I immediately go to the kitchen and eat to soothe myself. My over-eating is definitely entirely psychological.

I'm trying to be kind to myself and praise myself for spotting these patterns - I know that's the first step in breaking them.

Anyone have any ideas that might help me?

Hi @hedonism, sounds like you've had a great week - and half a dozen Maltesers a day sounds very restrained. Once I start eating them, I can't stop. Generally getting around that by not buying things like that but once they are in the house, I don't have the willpower. Keep seeing Christmas goodies on offer but I am not buying any yet as I know the temptation will be too great. They might cost more the week before Christmas, but then I'll just buy less of it.

Food wise I've had a good week, veg heavy meals with lots of chicken, fish and seafood.

My confession is that I found half a bottle of Baileys when clearing out the garage mid week - how there was any leftover in the first place is beyond me. Thought I'd better taste it to see if it was ok - which it was and unfortunately it got the better of me the last two nights.

But overall, a better week than last week, and I've done several gym classes which hopefully will help offset the Baileys!

@OMGitsnotgood well done on a good healthy week overall! At least the Baileys is gone now...!

Thanks @EqualityDuck . Just avoiding all the Baileys offers as it's a must have in our house at Christmas!

@EqualityDuck sorry to hear about the nightmares 😞 but recognising patterns is definitely a step in the right direction 🙌🏼 could you try to convince yourself that a cup of herbal tea would be soothing in the middle of the night?

@OMGitsnotgood things in the house is my problem in general! My ds is 14 and sporty so he's at that stage where he does need lots of access to lots of food. I also like baking, but that's on me 😂

@EqualityDuck I'm so sorry, I didn't see your post about the nightmares etc - think we posted about the same time, it was Hedonisms response that made me realise.

Firstly it does sound like you are making progress, spotting patterns is important, , you absolutely must be kind to yourself and praise yourself when you have achieved something actually fairly significant. Have some praise from me too! I guess now you need a plan for how you respond tk these patterns.

Do you know what is causing the nightmares? (You don't have to say on here if it is personal ), just wondering if there is any way of tackling the root cause. I'm sorry you are experiencing them so often

. I tend to have vivid dreams and wake up if I've eaten a lot of sweets/chocolate in the evening, which I rarely do now. I believe it's a sugar rush or similar, but that's definitely something I've noticed.

I am also guilty of binge eating when DH is away, thankfully very rarely in my case and I'm now more likely to eat cheese or crisps than sweet stuff. But still not great. Maybe start a thread asking people for suggestions for healthier things to snack on when they are needed? I used to buy low calorie chocolate mousse to satisfy my chocolate cravings, or tubs of jelly when I had a sweeter tooth.

Agree with Hedonism re trying a herbal tea, or maybe a cup of hot milk or low calorie hot chocolate?

@OMGitsnotgood @Hedonism thank you for your kindness ❤

The only thing I can think of is that I'm going through a long process of diagnosis and treatment planning for a rare medical condition which can only be resolved through several invasive brain surgeries. Next Tuesday I have a whole day of hospital testing and then after that my treatment plan will be decided. The nightmares basically started after I was diagnosed - so it's probably that!

Maybe after next Tuesday things will settle down, as I think it's the uncertainty of the testing stage that I hate.

I have however reflected on the fiancé being away = binging cycle and my conclusion is, like you are saying above....

One simple rule - DO NOT under any circumstances go to the shops and buy food when he is away.

If I don't do that, then the binging food isn't in the house, and therefore I can't do it. This will also work for the nightmare eating!

How are we all doing?

I've been eating chocolate all week 😳 my period is due at the weekend so I suspect it's connected, but this doesn't usually happen.

How are you getting on @EqualityDuck? Did you have your tests this week or is it next week?

Oh yes hope all ok re tests @EqualityDuck and that you are getting more sleep.

@Hedonism I had a 'chocolate' week a little while ago when there were a few things going on and I was stressed. If it's any consolation, I was so cross with myself it strengthened my resolve for the next week!

I've now had two good weeks. We did go out for a curry last night and a few beers but I ate slowly to make sure I ate less. We also had lunch at a friend's midweek, a beautiful roast dinner with Yorkshires, sticky toffee pudding after. I refused a second Yorkshire and seconds of pudding (I cannot tell you how hard that was!), and had water alongside the wine to try to reduce the wine intake. Tis all relative!
So achieved what I'm trying to do (eat/drink normally but sensibly and make better choices).
It's also been quite an active week gym classes/walking.
Need to weigh myself but I feel like I might have dropped a bit over the last couple of weeks. Fingers crossed!

@OMGitsnotgood well done for 2 good weeks!

@Hedonism ah yes - I'm in that stage of my cycle too. Thanks to suggestions on here, I have managed to drink Options hot chocolate when I get choc cravings which definitely helps.

My tests were this week and they were okay, I don't know when I get the results though. My sleep is much improved thank you.

I'm going to weigh tomorrow and see where I'm at. Just really want to get into the 11stone bracket before December. Getting extremely nervous about my wedding dress and what I'll look like in my wedding pics etc...

@EqualityDuck good to hear you're sleeping better, tiredness doesn't help moods and eating does it? You must be getting excited about the wedding. Perhaps thinking about the dress every time you reach for something calorific might help you make a better choice?

I weighed this morning and I'm back on 12st2lb so a loss from last week of 2lb. Feeling more positive. Have worked out I need to start wedding dress fittings at start of Feb. If I lose 1lb per week by then (excluding Xmas) then that would put me at 9lb loss so that would be 11st7lb. Not great but also.... lighter than I am now. Not sure how to go about the fact that I will be losing weight until May? So am likely to lose significant amount of weight between wedding dress fitting and actual wedding day? Any ideas?

2lb loss is great, well done! I’m not a diet expert at all but would say 1lb a week is achievable. But I think to do that, you need to work out what is going to make that happen. I started this thread to find people like me who were looking for longer term weight control. But I think if you have a short term goal like yours, you perhaps need to consider a more structured approach.
I personally would start by understanding calories, but I know a lot of people don’t agree with that and prefer something like Slimming World.

Do you know how you lost the 2lb this week and do you know what your pitfalls are? For me, it’s wine, portion control and highly caloric stuff like cheese and crisps.
What is working for me is increasing activity levels and planning lower calorie meals (generally veg heavy, no pastry etc), and making better choices.
Whilst I’m not following a diet per se, I did follow a calorie controlled diet many years ago so I do have a food understanding of lower calorie foods which is helping I think.

As said, I'm not an expert. What are your thoughts? And what do others on this thread think?

Yes - I like your thread because it isn't an insane diet plan that isn't sustainable! 1lb per week is my aim 😊 I have OCD, so highly structured "diet" approaches/systems are harmful for me. Especially when foods are "banned" or discouraged. I will ultimately prioritise my mental health over being an "ideal weight" for my wedding, but I think I can do both.

I'm using a calorie restriction approach at the moment which is how I lost the 2lbs. With my therapist, we've decided it is safe for my mental health to use a calorie tracking app. But apps like Slimming World and Weight Watchers are like.... a whole different mindset and my therapist believes that is the sort of thing that can worsen my OCD as its basically a set of "rules" that are abstract/somewhat detached from reality, also includes classifying food into "good" and "bad". Not sure I'm making much sense here!!!!

Anyway - this is how I lost the 2lbs (attached pics)

This doesn't show the -200 cals average per day from exercise (but I'm not counting that because I don't trust my Fitbit!!!)

Oh yes you definitely have to prioritise your mental well-being. Maybe look at it as eating more healthily, which will lead to helping to manage your weight and is good for your mental health, but isn't about dieting per se. I've had a couple of weeks trying to eat really well, lots of veg heavy meals and I feel more energised as a result. I have had a couple of meals out with wine and desserts, but I really enjoyed them knowing that they were balanced with lots of really good days. I'm hanging on to my 'make better choices' mantra, doesn't always work but it does more often than not. Looking at your chart & results, sounds like that is what you have been doing, successfully.

Keep chatting on here, we won't have all the answers but ca. support each other x

I like the idea of adding things, rather than taking them away - e.g. a glass of water before a meal, more veg, etc.

Re the wedding dress fitting - I would chat with whoever is doing the fitting and ask their advice. I am sure that loads of brides are aiming to lose weight so they will have come across it before. Have you chosen the dress yet? Exciting!

This morning I have weighed in at 65.8kg... a loss that gets me out of the 66kg zone, where I have been stuck for weeks. It's a Friday win, yay!

Well so much for trying to have a healthy November, weighed myself for the first time in a while and have gained 1 1/2 lbs. We've had a few meals out for friend's birthday and a family anniversary & been to a couple of dos where my mind didn't make better choices. I've also missed out on a few gym classes for a combination of reasons. So at least I know why I've gained.
How is everyone else doing?
I think my approach for the rest of the year is to allow myself to enjoy my food and drink when out, and just try to keep an eye on what I eat at home. Then really have a good go in Jan.

I've just weighed myself probably for the last time this year.

I was 12 stone 8 when I started this thread at the end of June, hoping to lose a stone by September. Well that didn't happen but I am heading towards the end of the year 11 stone 11. I'm encouraged by that as I haven't been dieting just trying to make better choices and have increased my exercise.

I think I'll start again in the New Year, if I can work out how to edit the title of this thread!

@OMGitsnotgood hello!!
you should be proud of that number. You’ve done really well. That’s GREAT.

I weighed myself today too by coincidence. It’s been a while. 12st 7, up a couple, but period is due.

I didn’t manage my goal of 12st or under by Christmas. I knew I wasn’t making it as I feel so bloated. For a time there, I was tempted to just let it all blow up. I felt like that for a few weeks. Out of control. But I’ve landed back down again (hence standing on the scales).

I am not throwing in the towel.

I’ve joined a slimming / lose weight plan starting end of January. One that truly gets inside your head. I need support all round. It’s not simply any one thing that’s my weight gain. It’s been death by a thousand cuts. We shall see. I still believe I can do this! I will get there.

@twoforj0y thank you for your kind words and for your support on this thread. Enjoy your Christmas, 2025 is another year and hopefully we'll have some old and new people joining us. I've found just reporting back makes me more accountable and the support from you and others on this thread has kept me refocus after periods of overindulgence!

I feel the same @OMGitsnotgood

I was automatically weighing in on Mondays for a good while there… a good focus.
happy Christmas to you too!!

I've been reading all the threads about the mountains of snacks people buy in for the Christmas period. I am going to be strict with my shopping this year because past experience tells me I over buy then finish everything off before being good again, usually the end of Jan! But so far we are only having people with us on Christmas Day, who will leave after Boxing Day breakfast, and then on New Years Eve, so am actively thinking through what we really need and not buying for the sake of it. That's a huge mindshift over previous years where I have used it as an excuse to over indulge. We will still have treats of course, sweet and savoury,, but will be sensible in my shopping. That's the plan anyway!

@OMGitsnotgood your new 2025 thread is here