Would any other slow losers like a half a pound a week solidarity thread?

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I am such a sloooooooow loser and peri menopause has pretty much killed it off. If I am left to my own devices I naturally eat exactly my maintenance calories, and to undercut by 500 a day feels like such a hardship. I exercise regularly, get my steps, cook from scratch and it’s not enough any more.

please don’t suggest weight loss meds. I’m not eligible and I couldn’t afford them anyway.

my strategy is 1500 cals a day, good quality food with as little UPF and sugar as possible, increase veg intake, get an extra walk in after dinner, and reduce my alcohol intake. It’s all very simple stuff really. A half pound a week will add up to 21lbs by the time I go on holiday next summer 👙

anyone else feel the same?

Same here, I’m pretty much through the menopause though. I’m seeing it as a lifestyle change rather than a weight loss exercise. I have stopped calorie counting now as I know what I should and shouldn’t eat after tracking it for a few weeks. I’m trying to weigh myself fortnightly so I don’t get too despondent. It’s coming off very slowly but in total I’ve lost nearly half a stone and can feel the difference. I hope this is going to be a more sustainable way to lose it and keep it off!

@TucanPlaywell done. I find i painstakingly lose half a stone then one weekend or holiday and i will regain it all and have to do the same slow process all over again. I definitely think its peri related, I am on hrt and since then I have pretty much maintained although still feel like I’m dieting. I do know I drink too much wine and I also don’t think I get enough sleep.

Oh yes I’ve done that, lost a stone and put it all back a couple of years ago!

Official weigh in post holiday = 11.6.5 , which is a 5.5lb gain but could have been worse 🤷‍♀️

Yes please. I’m in. 15 years ago I lost 6 stone and since then, if half a stone had crept back on I just went hard for two weeks and it’d be gone. At 45 that doesn’t happen now and I’m consistently adding 1lb. Am sat at 11.1 today. Goal weight is 10.7.

I could be there by Xmas with half a pound a week. My issues are evening binges. I cannot resist cheese and home grown tomatoes of an evening at the moment. Worst thing is my teens have picked up on my bad habits.

So I’m here for a bit of accountability and planning!

Hi I’m a PT specialising in fat loss and almost fully qualified as a nutritionist (exams in a few weeks 😰)

How long have you been dieting for? If it’s been a while it sounds like you could use a diet break for a few days to a week to give you a bit of a mental break from dieting. Also depending on your starting point and your size, 1500 might still be a little too high to get those faster results and get you out of that diet quicker. I know that sucks as 1500 doesn’t feel like much at all! But if you’re quite a small woman you might need as low as 1100 or 1200 to get things shifting (remember that what you started with would have been a bigger deficit as you will now burn fewer calories at rest because you’re smaller). The foods you’re eating sound great but bear in mind that most non adherence we’re not even conscious of doing e.g. not weighing cooking oils, sauces here and there, picking at bits between meals.

Diets absolutely suck at the best of times so I would encourage you if you can to go faster so that you can come out of that deficit and eat at maintenance (also much better for your health and sanity).

Some options you could try could include time restricted eating (eg just eating breakfast a bit later and making your eating window smaller so you feel fuller), dropping carbs from one or more meals (saves calories), increasing steps or adding in some structured cardio - 1 or 2 sessions on a seated bike at a pace where can still talk for 30 mins.

I hope some of these ideas are helpful 😁

Thank you, I’d love to join please.

I am recovering from an ankle injury which has severely affected my mobility this year as a result of which I have piled on weight.

I need to improve the quality of my sleep, meal plan, give up sugar, chug more water, and follow more or less the same strategy as you op. I am in my early sixties and it’s hard to lose anything atm but a bit of accountability and consistency will definitely help!

One question: does everyone believe in 30 g of protein at every meal?

I understand the science behind it but at the same time. the people who didn’t put weight on post meno in my farming family in the past, like my grandparents, parents and aunts, all ate a diet which consisted of a lot of veg and pulses with tiny quantities of meat but this was for economic reasons rather than anything else.

@WhitegreeNcandle honestly I turned 40 and my weight loss just ground to a halt, where I used to be able to go strict for a couple of weeks, I really can’t now. I get so tired if my calories are too low and end up going off the rails through exhaustion. That’s why I think I need to make my peace with a sustainable 1/2 pound a week which actually over time is going to get me results, I just need to embrace it 🤣

@Shavedfennel56789i am very active and I know how much it would affect me if I was to lose my mobility. I know it’s 80% diet but the exercise really does help mentally and also does allow a bit more leeway calories wise doesn’t it?

to answer your questions, I don’t hardcore count protein but I do try and make sure my protein is more towards 100g a day, but sometimes it’s as low as 50g. I just don’t really like the feeling of being stuffed on protein. I don’t use protein supplements but I do take an amino acid supplement (that’s more for my training than for my weight though). I think the reality is that our grandparents ate less than we do, and it was more likely to be real food and much less sugar. I try to do things like snack on homous and carrots, or boiled eggs to get extra protein in.

Today I had a good day- back to work after 2 weeks holiday so that was tough. I walked the dog before work and a little extra trot at lunchtime. I had a bagel with homous and cheese at about 10.30, then lunch I had a tin of tuna with light mayo, and cherry tomatoes (not very exciting, payday tomorrow and we have no food!) , for dinner I have tuna steak, lentils and asparagus. I have one magnum left from a multipack for after dinner. Plus a few plums from my garden. So I’m ending the day on 1380 calories (101g protein!) plus I went to bootcamp after work. All in all, a positive day 1

@thenewaveragebear1983 That's it - I could cope with the exhaustion in my 30's and just power through. Now I end up a shouty grumpy shrivelly mess yelling at everyone before inhaling cheese and crisps!

So today I had:
Breakfast - poached egg on toast
Lunch - salad (broccoli, cabbage, spring onion, apple, pepper, olive oil, dijon, apple cider vinegar, goats cheese)
Tea - omlette with cheese, skinny Mccain chips and homemade coleslaw. Small square of home made lime traybake and raspberries for pudding

Also did 30 mins of weights before breakfast. I've just discovered weights and love how it makes me feel. I aim for two 5k runs (more a plod to be honest) and two weights. I tend to achieve 3/4!

My meals are egg and beef heavy as I'm a farmer with free access so tend to be fairly protein heavy. I struggle more with fibre. Also struggle with making meals the whole family will eat. Today was a compromise as I know the kids eat coleslaw. They had ham sandwiches with chopped veg for lunch. Daughter will sometimes eat the salads I make but rarely.

Id like to join.

I have a number of health issues and wish to try a completely whole foods plant based diet (Using the PCRM and Dr Neal Barnard as my guide) plus junking any calories in my drinks. This as a long term approach, not calories counting etc.

Id be very pleased with half a pound a week. I have 3 stone to lose about.

@WhitegreeNcandleyour salad sounds delicious, I love salad but I don’t really try interesting combinations like that.

@NoEligibilityRequirementsApply I tried a whole food diet (not plant based) called whole 30 after covid, I felt so good on it! I hope you see some improvements. Have you started yet? Have you had any withdrawal / detox symptoms?

I have been gradually switching to a vegetarian and low processed diet for a few months. I've not lost weight on it, but my IBS symptoms have alleviated and my skin, hair and nails are much better.

I have a number of auto immune issues as well. Reading the PCRM literature plus Dr Michael Greger's book 'How not to Die' indicates might be useful for this as well, fingers crossed!

From today I am going hard core though. I have had fruit for breakfast and we have a three bean chilli with brown rice planned for dinner. I'm going to focus on max nutrients and taste and not so much calories. I have been drinking alot of wine and soft drinks for months now so just kciking those out of my diet ought to help somewhat I hope!!

Thank you very much Op for your insights in to protein.

You are right, our grandparents did eat less overall. They certainly didn’t eat between meals. That is what I am aiming for. Good wholesome food twice or three times a day and no extras, no sugar or alcohol.

Slowly returning to exercise. A bit depressing how long it takes to rehabilitate post 60 but it’s pointless rushing it.

Good luck to everyone on this thread!

Ooh can I join? I saw a picture of myself on holiday last year and I wasn’t happy with how I looked then, and now we are away next week to the same place and I don’t really look any different. I am definitely after a slow steady loss as I want it to be sustainable and my main downfall is sweet things. I have over the last 2 weeks been really focusing on eating whole foods and in particular, tracking the amount of fibre that I eat each day. It is actually quite hard to get in the recommended amount. I have been eating a lots of salads, fruits, vegetables and experimenting more with what I put on them. I had grilled nectarines on my salad last week with a little cheese and it was lovely.

Echoing what is said in the post above. I’m 68 and have had a lifetime of weight issues. That said, I’m healthy, my heart health is good and I’m active, but I do have a fused ankle that has restricted my ability to walk for long distances.
I come across as a robust, no nonsense do-er but do take to heart criticism, which makes me eat just too much on my plate. I’ve long got the eating between meals sorted, but might have something on a rare occasion.
Most of all I need some support from people that understand what it’s like to be between 19 and 20 stone and are seemingly incapable of changing that.
I believe this all started when my young mother had a very thin me, so (she’s admitted) fed me over powdered Cow and Gate Gold, and got me to eat as much as possible. This all went pear shaped at 7 when I started chunking out. And who is the one person that reminds me constantly about being ‘far to fat’ - her, of course.

Good evening, welcome to the new joiners!

it was my office day today. Usually I end up feeling really frazzled and dehydrated so I made sure I drank a bit more during the day, I took my lunch (tuna pita and fruit) and I didn’t pop down for a 3pm snack. Once home I did eat a bagel and cheese but as I hadn’t had breakfast my calories are still pretty decent even though I’ve had a lot of bread. My shopping order has now come but I just cannot enthuse myself to cook. Dh is out at football with ds til 9.30 so I will do them some pasta later but I don’t really fancy it myself. I think I’m just going to go and have a bath and maybe not have anything as I’m not hungry (very rarely am I ever not hungry!) and maybe after I could have a yoghurt and berries if i feel like I want something.

This is me. I’ve lost 3.5 stone in 18months, but it’s taken a year for the last stone. It’s an average of 0.3lbs a week. I eat 1400 calories, weight lift, walk 15k steps a day and swim twice a week.
I have actually started on the weight loss tablet four weeks ago and managed 4 lb loss but in the last ten days that’s stalled again. I’m now 10.7 so a healthy bmi albeit a high one. I actually only want to be 10.5.9 🤣. There’s no way I am struggling down to anything less so here for sympathy and to offer anyone a void to scream into 🙂.

@socks1107i’d be calling target with 1.1lb to go , well done 👏

i’m 11.6, I’m 5’7 so my bmi is almost exactly 25 (overweight) so I’d love to be 10.7 or even 10.3

@thenewaveragebear1983. It almost at there, I’d just like to see it! If I can see it before my holiday in two weeks then I will be thrilled. If I don’t it’ll be after Xmas because I have three holidays and multiple celebrations before December so where I only lose 0.3 a week I’ll just end up maintaining. Sadly today for the first time in ages I’ve had a binge and done 1700 calories which means I’m unlikely to see goal and I’ll be clinging into the last pound joining you all in silent screaming!!
my bmi is 24.8 so I’ve not much wiggle room

So in true slow loser style, despite a really good day yesterday and Monday, this morning I am up 1/2lb 🤦‍♀️ now I did eat quite a lot of bread yesterday so am blaming it on that, but still.

I should have a better day today as we actually have some food in now. I’m trying to delay breakfast until I’m actually hungry so will probably have that around 10.30, I’m planning tuna salad for lunch and I’m not sure yet for dinner (I planned some nice meals this week I just need to check the dates on what arrived). My son has football training at a local running track so my plan is to do 6km of laps while he trains, plus will walk the dog as per usual. My body is aching with doms after doing 2 workouts after a 2 week break so that could explain my slight gain as water retention as well.

@tealandteal that sounds like a delicious salad.

@Rubydobydo i was 16 stone from my late teens to early 30’d. Tried gyms and weight watchers and all sorts. I think what worked in the end was two things. Having a goal and going after it wholeheartedly. But also being happier. I’ve never understood how WLD work. I don’t eat cos I’m hungry. I eat because I’m tired, stressed, grumpy, embarrassed…..the list goes on!

I know deep down I’m back in my old habits right now that led me to 16 stone. It’s the underlying feelings that I don’t deal with and the lack of focus.

which has given me lots to think about today!

yesterdays menu was

b- Greek yoghurt with flax and chia seeds plus raspberries

L - smoked salmon bagel, cucumber sticks, packet of crisps and 2 plums

t - chilli and rice with broccoli. I did put cheese in which k shouldn’t. No exercise but 3 hours of hardcore farm cleaning.

This is exactly what i am looking for. I don't want to go on injections or pills, I want to do it the old fashioned way. However, I am really struggling. I decided two weeks ago enough is enough and I need to bite the bullet. So I've been logging everything on MFP and trying to keep exercising despite a back issue which has meant hobbling along with a stick. I started off at 13.5 stone, the highest I have ever been. I am now 13.3.2. It's so depressing. I used to be able to lose 2 pounds a week fairly easily when i was younger. I find it so demoralising. I don't eat rubbish and hardly drink but I just can't lose four stone at this rate. This morning i feel so demoralised as two days ago I was 13.2.

I really need to do this as I have all sorts of health issues now and it's literally killing me. I really need some moral support.

I am on thyroxine and the doctor has told me to reduce it. Last time I did that I put on a stone over a year. It will make all this so much harder.

I swam all last winter and it didn't help at all. It caused my back to go and I lost a huge amount of fitness. I usually walk a lot and swam instead with occasional walks. I can't go to the gym as that also causes back issues.

Joining as well. Lost a stone early summer; holidayed abroad - put it all back on. Time to get myself in order again. This week, I've done my 10k steps each day and am trying to keep calories under 1250/day via MFP. Only 5ft2 and in my 60s and finding losing weight very hard. Am thinking of signing up to a weight training beginner course.

Have you considered internittent fasting so you'd only eat a lunch and an evening dinner? That would save a lot of calories.