The stone starts shifting, today!

[Chubbybetty]

I am 45 and 5ft 2". I have been a size 6/8 for most of my adult life. I put on about a stone in lockdown. Managed to lose it (largely through stress) for my wedding a couple of years ago, and have since piled it back on, mainly through too much cheese and wine and a love of cooking/feeding other people. I eat mostly low carb and Mediterranean style but have become a bit more lax, I don't really snack and do a fair amount of exercise (including strength training) I'm now more a size 10 with a small spare tyre and a large chest. I detest my body like this. On a short, small frame, 1 stone is a lot and really shows. Yesterday I didn't even want to leave the house with my husband to go for a drink in the sun as I thought I looked hideous. Today it all changes. I have started working with an online wellness/fitness coach recently and she said something this morning that made me stop and think - how sad it is that people literally don't want to be in photo's with their families because of their weight. This is me. I hate that I am so hard on myself because of my size and speak to myself in a way I'd never speak to anyone else. I hate that for the last few years every nice thing we've done, has always had the niggling thought that I'd enjoy it more if I were a stone lighter. I know I have lots of 'mind work' to do aorund my relationship with my weight (hence the coach) but on the physical front today is re-set. Binning the alcohol, more strict with the carbs and cheese. I aim to lose 7lbs in the next 4/5 weeks. Posting here for accountability really. Anyone else having a 're-set' today? Good luck!

@Mummy321 I just googled 75 days hard. Bloody hell! Who has time for 2 x 45 minute workouts a day?!

Hi. Is it too late to join? I'm 45, 5"2' tall and weigh 9.7 stone. I lost a load of weight last year and dropped to 8.6 stones by doing OMAD. But then life happened (SEN kids, general life stress) and I piled it all back on again by eating crap.

My downfall is chocolate. I can't wait have one - I eat it and eat it until it's finished, even if I feel sick afterwards.

I've been 7.5 stones throughout my teen, 20s and even early 30s. But now I just want to keep eating and binging on sweet stuff. The weight shows really badly on me and is affecting my self-esteem.

So I'm going to do cold turkey from the chocolate and will eat healthy. I'll try OMAD as I know it works, but I feel so hungry doing it now!

@CrawlingFromShitshowToAfterglow welcome! I have been dabbling with OMAD, but may go hardcore on it from today. Good to hear it worked for you last year. We all have our temptations to conquer - mine are cheese and wine/gin. I'm the same height as you, and agree that every ounce shows on our frames! Good luck. Keep checking in with us, all here to support each other.

Haha yes it’s basically impossible, it’s meant to be mental toughness more than weight loss (but that seems to be one outcome). I can do it on days when I can work out at 6am and do the second exercise as a walk with the dog (am thinking of getting wrist weights?!) , but on busy work days/when travelling it’s too hard.

@Mummy321 I saw there is also a 75 days soft version which seems more doable.

@MarmiteWine interesting point about daily weighing and fluctuation, I had never thought of it like that but I am going to do a weekly weigh-in and I’m going to do it on a Friday as that is the day I go on holiday which is one of my motivators. @DrElliei suggest you do a Friday weigh-in too to keep you on track for the weekend! I find a loss or gain both motivating in their different ways. So, weigh day tomorrow, I will post on here 🤞. I’ve done much more walking this week and eaten better so I bloody hope there’s movement on the scales!

I’ve abandoned calorie counting - it makes me too miserable. I need a new approach, but not sure what yet. I’m quite intrigued by OMAD - will give it some thought.

I’ve kept up with lots of walking this week so hopefully that’ll stop me putting any more on whilst I decide what to do about my eating…

@Valkyrie3 good luck for your weekly weigh in today! @DrEllie it's interesting how different people approach the weigh in. Daily works for me as I feel in control (even if I don't like what I see) and if I weighed weekly I would worry things were spiralling without me knowing.

Back to 9st today so 1lb down from yesterday. Girding myself to face the weekend staying on track. Good luck all!

Welcome @Mummy321 and @CrawlingFromShitshowToAfterglow

Well done @Chubbybetty What’s your plan for meals etc. for the weekend?

I’m back up to 8st12 this morning. So I’ve lost absolutely nothing since we started this thread! My Happy Scale app can’t even give me a date for my target goal. It usually says when I’m predicted to reach my goal based on current rate of loss, but clearly my Easter weight gain and then being stuck has confused it.

@Autumnleaves82 I think I've only.lost 1 or 2lbs overall sine we started and it is frustrating, but at least we're still here showing up and giving/getting support. I have just cleaned my fridge out while listening to coaching and was thinking about meal planning. Veg wise I have carrots, cabbage (red and white), butternut squash, peppers, parsnips, sweet potatoes and salad. Need to buy some greens as that's all a but carby but will try to plan meals around the veg. Lots of different proteins in the freezer. I've done a workout and my coaching and cleaned the fridge so feeling quite positive today.

9st 3.5 this morning so that’s a pound and a half lost!

@Valkyrie3 well done!

You’re all doing well, keeping on keeping on. That’s the important part.
I know some of you feel disappointed when you’ve stayed the same or gained a little. Do you also consider other factors; how your clothes feel and what you look like in the mirror? Sometimes body shape can change and look leaner even when you don’t seem to have lost much weight. As I don’t weigh myself I have to rely on how I’m feeling, fit of my clothes and the mirror. I do see slight differences.
I took a photo last Saturday morning in just my underwear and I’ll do the same every Saturday. It’s easy then to track progress, or lack of progress. I’m sure my stomach looks flatter.

I did go slightly off piste last night when I opened a jar of pistachio creme I bought from Aldi and ate several spoonfuls. Lots of calories in those spoonfuls 🤣 back on it today.

@Autumnleaves82 stick with it! Better no loss than gaining.

@Chubbybetty yay for feeling positive and planning!

I had a surprise 2lb off yesterday. It even surprised the new scales - "is that you MarmiteWine or someone else?" 🤣 but 0.6lb back on this morning. I'm 1lb heavier on the new scales than the old so decided to go back into my weight log in Nutracheck and adjust all the entries from my 5 May start date.

Yesterday was pretty good. 3 meals for a change because it was an office day and I was getting hungry before going to work mid-morning. Avocado on sourdough toast for breakfast, full-fat cottage cheese and salad for lunch. Tea was half a tub of Tideford Organics Thai Green Vegetable Soup, with king prawns added for protein. Absolutely delicious and under 200kcal with 21g protein. I'll be having that again. Sadly pilates was cancelled.

Another office day today, and I'm away from home for about 9 hours. Lunch will be a big salad with feta and avocado, with a small bag of lightly salted kettle chips for mid-afternoon. Tea will probably be a "hash" with lots of green veg, halloumi, and an egg or two.

Well done @Valkyrie3 👏

@DurhamDurham the pistachio creme sounds delicious, I don't think I'd have been able to resist either! I agree with your comments about the other factors. I track weight because it's tangible but that's a tiny part of it for me. I posted the other day about how much better I'm feeling in myself these last 2 weeks since I reduced my carbs. The big one for me is the lack of abdominal discomfort, but the improved sleep and absence of hot flushes is very welcome too.

Interestingly, because I had such a low calorie tea last night I had some Crosta & Mollica breadsticks to nibble on later. Actually, I had 3, so only 39 kcal, but 65% carbs, of which 2% are sugars. Immediately after I'd eaten them I had a sweet taste in my mouth which felt a little unpleasant. About 10 minutes later I started experiencing acid reflux. I won't be eating the rest on their own!

I haven’t weighed myself in a couple of days, I’m very inconsistent with it and weigh myself if I wake up feeling thin…

I’ve had a decent week, though. Wine on Wednesday but otherwise no alcohol, minimal snacks and no chocolate.

My big struggle at the moment is schedule - one of my kids plays a summer sport and although he has training through the year, it picks up in summer and we have a few evenings a week when we have to rush straight out after work and don’t get back until whenever the match ends. Last night I dropped him off, went for a run, came back starving and ate nuts I bought in the clubhouse, and ended up having dinner after we got home at about 9.15. This isn’t good and I need a better solution. Today I’m working from home and have bought steaks for dinner, husband is not going to be home in time to join us for training so he can eat at a decent time. I’ve decided I will eat my steak at lunchtime with a big old salad, since I’m working from home, and then I can just have a bit of toast when I get in later. The kids are fine as they have a school dinner and I can take them sandwiches, so I’m trying to follow that model for myself and see if it works.

I was 65.8 on Monday I'm 65kg now. Not too bad. My husband has been away so it's easier lol

Well done on the decent week @Swearwolf - eating your main meal earlier in the day sounds like a good plan to work with your schedule.

And well done @GreenYodaFace 0.8kg since Monday is great! I always credit living alone as being one of the main reasons I can stay focused.

0.2lb back on the scales this morning but I'm not at all concerned about that, especially as Thursday's loss was larger than expected. I'm now at 7lb down in 12 days which I'm very happy with.

Today should be a good day. Pilates this morning, then I'll be on my feet a fair bit. There's lots of good, sensible, food in the fridge and I finally have my Fast 800 Keto recipe book. You were right @Chubbybetty - even with just a quick flick through I can see so many recipes that are right up my street. I'm spoilt for choice, are there any you recommend?

Argh - yesterday was ‘failure Friday’ for me. Trying to get back on the wagon today especially as I definitely feel slimmer despite the hormonal bloat! I’m not drinking now until I go on holiday - end of!

well done to everyone on your successes - we have to just keep on keeping going don’t we? One bad day is just one bad day and all that!

Hope everyone is faring well. Weekend has been a bit of a fail for me alcohol wise, yet again 🤨. I am so crap. I'm thinking of following the principles of 75 days soft from tomorrow. Have also dusted off my skipping rope and am going to aim for 100 skips a day in addition to my usual workouts.

Nice to see how everyone is getting on! Some real successes already 🎉

I've lost 3lbs in 2 weeks by strictly following 1600 calories per day on a higher protein lower carb regime. Also helps that we have a new puppy so I've been walking at least one hour per day (and no way to make excuses!) as well as weight training in front of the telly in the evening.

Bit off the wagon this weekend, already feeling complacent 🫣 but back on it now. Hoping to lose about 7lbs more in the next 6 weeks before I go on holiday

Also @Chubbybetty you are definitely not crap 😘

Me too. Well, the next stone. I think I am finally accepting that I HAVE to go down to 1200 calories to lose weight. And I have started today. Good luck x

Well done on your progress @Fattybottom, that's great! Thank you, I am feeling pretty hopeless today but just got to strengthen my resolve and crack on. I feel as if I need to eat super low calorie to see any progress, but I also need to leave the bloody wine alone at weekends!