Wanting to lose close to 10kg in time for Christmas

[MangoLove]

Hi, Looking for anyone that would like to join for support

Height: 5'3
CW: 87.7kg
Christmas GW: 80kg

So, I know 80kg is still high in BMI - but this will be a huge achievement for me and my body shape. I'm pretty fed up of not feeling comfortable in my clothes when seeing so many family and friends over the festive period. A bit shallow - but I want to look better!

Plan

1. Intermittent Fasting - keeping my eating window between 1-7pm
2. 15k steps a day - a morning walk and then walking in front of the TV after the kids have gone to bed.
3. Water Water and more Water
4. Choosing low calorie treats and letting myself have 1 a day!

Really trying to keep this is simple as possible so that if i fall off for a day, it will be easy to get back on track. I'm also not falling victim to the stacked high piles of chocolate tubs in the supermarkets. I will not buy a tub till December!

Would anyone like to join? We have 11 full weeks till the start of December, and at 0.5kg a week - an opportunity to be at least 5.5kgs lighter.

I'll come back every Monday to share my new weight but will obviously be here in between to muse and hopefully share some nsv's

Good morning everyone, hows it going?

77 days to Christmas - so exactly 7 weeks till the day. Still lots of time to turn things around and feel overall more comfortable in our bodies on (and around) the day. I'm having an "ok" week so far - don't want to speak too soon lol. I'm changing my weigh in day to a Sunday as I somehow think this will make me behave better on a Friday/Saturday.

15k steps
M✅ T✅ W✅

2l water
M✅ T❌ W✅

18:6 Fast
M✅ T✅ W❌

@okayhescereal - I'm really rubbish at tracking my calories, I'm hoping the reduced eating window will ensure that I don't consume more than i should. Having said that - maybe tracking is what i need to do in order to fully understand where i might be tripping up.

@Needanewname42 - I got a new implant in my arm in September and so my cycle is a bit all over the place and unpredictable at the moment. I'm hoping i can blame water retention from an upcoming period - but I don't know where I am in my cycle 😭

With fasting, has anyone tried an extra long fast? I have a feeling I read somewhere about once a week or something throwing in a full fast day, but wondering if anyone has any experience with it or if I've just dreamt the whole thing up?

For example Monday (day 1), Tuesday, Wednesday - 6-8 hour eating window then on day 4 fast for 24-36 hours, then back to day 1 and repeat.

@MangoLove your step count is an inspiration!!! Well done you.

@okayhescereal whats your current fasting schedule?

I have heard about the benefits of longs fasts and would like to try a few once i settle back into my routine. I know a lady who does ADF (alternate day fasting) and not only has she lost a wild amount of weight - she swears its cleared her skin and she feels better overall.

I've watched (and read) a few things by a lady called Dr Mindy and have just found this article that may help explain the supposed benefits of a long fast

24-36 Hour Fasts - Dr Mindy

I'm going away next Thursday and so have dinner planned with DH and 2DS on Sunday evening. I might try the 36hrs - so have dinner on Sunday and then brekkie on Tuesday - basically nothing on Monday

I have not tried this but a friend who is a gp with a particular interest in weight loss said that IF does work, but not for some of the reasons that get promoted.

She said it essentially works because it’s a psychologically different way of approaching eating less calories, which is effectively why the weight comes off. She maintains some people just find it easier to stick to eating more freely during a smaller timeframe, knowing they can do the same tomorrow, as opposed to thinking of it as many weeks or months of restricted calories. In reality, we don’t eat as much if it’s compressed into an eating window because there isn’t time to. Soooo on that basis I’m guessing a day of fasting is just a further way of reducing calorie intake over a week, so I’m sure it does work. People who get success with IF tend not to gorge on tubs of ice cream and family pork pies during their window!

@Calliopespa I'd agree with your friend. It basically means skipping breakfast, for years we've been told breakfast is the most important meal of the day, starts your metabolism burning and isn't good for you.

And cutting out the snacks after dinner. Cutting snacks after dinner is probably a good thing.

@Calliopespa that makes sense, definitely I am a person who likes 'rules'. So if I tell myself I'm not eating after 3 that becomes a 'law' very quickly and I stick to it. I am eating far fewer calories, just by virtue that it's not possible to fit 3 meals plus snacks into that time. I think (based on all of 3 days of counting calories) around 800 fewer a day by not having dinner or snacking in the late afternoon/evening. Not that that's helped me lose much weight, but telling myself even if it's trickling off it's still coming off!

@Needanewname42 I don't skip breakfast when doing IF, I love breakfast! I agree with you that after years of being told it was the most important meal it felt wrong to skip it. Instead I stop eating at around 3pm, so no dinner (and no late night snacking). However toying with the idea of every 3rd or 4th day switching it up a bit (which would involve skipping breakfast) so would basically stop eating at 3pm one day and then not eat until around 6pm/dinner time the following day. Can see what Calli means about it further reducing calories. I thought I read that it kind of keeps your metabolism on its toes as you're not in a day to day routine of always eating 1200kcal between 9 and 3, but having a curve ball day in there once or twice a week. It kind of makes sense, but wasn't sure if it was legit or just internet fake news.

Oo thanks for that @MangoLove ! Reading that article it definitely sounds worth a go. Weight loss resistant is how I would describe myself.

Currently have 6 hour window (9-3), 7 days a week. But proposing that it'll be more like:

Day 1 - 9-3
Day 2 - 9 -3
Day 3 - 9 - 3
Day 4 - OMAD at 6ish
Repeat day 1.

Could also then, probably relatively easily, throw in a total fast day instead of OMAD.

Day 1 - 9-3
Day 2 - 9 -3
Day 3 - 9 - 3
Day 4 - fast
Day 5 - 9-3
Day 6 - 9-3
Day 7 - 9-3
Day 8 - OMAD at dinner
Back to day 1

Would probably need to wriggle a bit as I do a HIIT workout twice a week which I don't think would lend itself well to fasting. 🤔

@MangoLove 77 days is 11 weeks, not 7! You've got time!

I'm mid period and feeling ENORMOUS today. I am not going to weigh myself, just keep trying to be sensible and moderate. I haven't eaten too badly and I'm still exercising, so hopefully next week I will see a lb or two drop off.

Hello! Joining please 🙂

I'm 6 weeks postpartum with baby no.2. I'm 5'4, currently 65kg and would like to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 56kg.

I thought maybe I'd aim for 7kg off by Christmas?

I've done IF in the past, which worked really well for me, but I'm reluctant to IF at the moment as I'm breastfeeding and don't want to risk my supply.

My plan is no snacks at all (except for Friday night). Porridge with fruit and seeds for breakfast, home made soup for lunch, and our normal dinner. Lots of walking while DS is at nursery.

Just have to find the time with a 6wk old and a 3yo to actually make the soup!

Hi penguin. I found I couldn’t cut back calories at all without my supply dwindling, let alone do IF.

I had to eat like a horse to keep the milk in and do many people I know so don’t be too hard on yourself.

Thank you @Calliopespa that's interesting, hope I don't get any supply issues. I ate allll the chocolate while breastfeeding my son.

I just hate that I can't fit in my trousers this time round 😳 I'm still in maternity wear.

I found cheese to be very sustaining of the milk supply. Not exactly diet food - though I guess you could call it keto!

@Penguin89 oats are great for milk supply! You might be able to find a healthy flapjack recipe (or healthy flapjacks in the shop, if no time for that nonsense)

@Calliopespa @Swearwolf on reflection, you'd think the extra 10kg of fat I'm carrying ought to be plenty sustaining of my milk supply... fingers crossed!

Hi all, I'm back with a little update, somehow I managed to not start my diet last weekend as planned. I did reduce carbs this week and I also started to ease back into intermittent fasting - not very easy to do, but I got there. Saturday is my weigh in day and I'm hoping to see <73kg on the scales tomorrow morning, but I'll be happy as long as it isn't 74!😉

This is my plan to help me get to <65kg by Christmas:

Food/drink: reducing cheese, processed food, and bad carbs (sugar, sweets, bread, pasta, white potatoes, pastries, etc.). Rice and sweet potatoes OK as long as not often. Kefir instead of yoghurt. Water 2L, black coffee 2/day, and tea OK. Low carb alcohol max 2 glasses/week.
IF16/8: eating window is 12-6pm. Snacks only berries or nuts.
Exercise: 10k+ steps daily and tennis 2-3 times weekly.

I expect reducing cheese and achieving 10k steps will be the hardest (on days when I don't play tennis and/or work from home), but I don't want to start with smaller targets. I'd rather set a high one and achieve half, rather than setting the bar low and still not achieving it.

I'll update tomorrow morning when I'll record the starting weight. I might take a photo if I'm feeling brave 😉

Morning everyone 😊

This week has been a bit all over the place really. Work has been busy and I should have went to Tesco and done a shop. Ended up eating more bread/rolls than I should have and stuff from the freezer/cupboards that were high cal. I didn't manage to drink 2L of water per day and only done two short walks, plus a few late nights sitting up watching the hurricane in Florida. The result is a pound on.

Plan for this week is to be in bed for 11pm. Drink 2L of water a day and do the minimum of three long walks. Also cut out bread/rolls as they make me so puffy and bloated.

Week 3 of BodySlims now and am keeping it up, doing exactly as Ger says and walking one hour a day. I’m really getting to love the walks now and noticing a different in my clothes and I feel great.

I will update next week with the weight. I’m not weighing myself every day or I’d go mad. I KNOW it’s working so I just have to keep going.

Right, no photo but got on the scales yesterday and 73.6kg, more than I was hoping for. Food wise the weekend was good so far and I played tennis yesterday, and walked to the courts and back, so all that took the steps count over 10k. I'm not drinking enough water though, so that's something to watch. Today I planned a light lunch followed by a walk with a friend. Not sure what I'll have for dinner. DD is doing a cookery course for DofE and she's making macaroni cheese, but that's not diet-friendly at all. She will have two friends over though so I expect no leftovers anyway 😆

I finally lost a little! Period is over and I am 63.7kg - this is tantalisingly close to getting to a healthy weight! I have eaten a little too much this weekend as we had a birthday, but I had three slices of pizza instead of four or five, I had one tiny piece of cake, and I had two gins instead of many. I still feel like I'm on track. Slowly.

Would love to join- I weigh in on a Thursday!

5ft 4 and 14st 7
would love to be 12st 7 for Christmas but not sure if 2 stone is pushing it.BMI is 33 :(
Currently doing 1200 calories a day which has been hell, but I’m going through a bad breakup so it’s been hard to eat as much😂

Will come back Thursday and update.

@DaisyMabel sorry to hear about the break up, focusing on you is really important.

I lost 3lbs this week, so that’s 12lb loss altogether so far. I’d really like to have lost another 11lbs by Christmas. Daily Yoga is going well, and I’m drinking plenty of fluids.

Hello! Would love to join you guys i started last tuesday at 11 stone8 12 weekd post partum and 5ft6
hoping get go 10stone 4 however my first goal is to just for my weight to start with a 10!

ive been using my fitness pal and tracking my cals for under 1400 a day while doing 2-3 home workouts a a week!
i find it easiest to have structure with my food so tend to eat the same breakfast and lunch
breakfast being weetabix and banana
lunch is beans on toast or soup and a slice of toast
tea is meat/ fish with a carb and veg

weigh in on tuesdays!

@DaisyMabel hope you're doing okay. Break ups can suck. I was always an over eater after one though so perhaps a tiny silver lining there?

Monday weigh day here!

19th Sept - 90kg
30th Sept - 88.5kg (-1.3kg)
8th Oct - 88.3kg (-0.2kg)
14th Oct - 86.7kg (-1.6kg)

So 3kg down since joining you all. This puts me back into the 'overweight' category rather than obese for the first time in about 3 years!!

10 weeks till Christmas!

Goal - 70kg. Though according to the BMI chart it should be 60kg! Which feels completely unobtainable. Even the idea that I'll lose another 17kg feels daunting ATM. Which is why I'm enjoying this thread and just seeing where I am by Christmas.

I started calorie counting this week. I haven't changed my diet or fasting window, was just counting the calories out of interest. Am averaging about 1200-1300 a day, doing 3 days of IF 18:6 (stop eating at 3pm) and then a 24-36 hour fast on the 4th day. Since September I have also cut back significantly on carbohydrates (though not a total ban). Seems to have shifted something this week!