Can I ask all you clever folk for some diet advice please?

[OlderNotWiser]

I am a bit of a dieting novice, have been lucky in the past and always been able to shift extra pounds by just being a bit more careful and upping the exercise. I dont have a huge amount to lose, a stone and a half, but Im aware that I am slowly getting heavier and want to nip it in the bud (Im post 40 and can see it becoming middle aged spread!). I have been lurking a while and started using FF when people talked about it on here a while ago but now have swapped to WLR and have been really careful to weigh and log what Im eating. And the first week I lost a slightly bizarre 6 pounds... and then for the second week I put 2 back on depsite going over my weekly allowance by all of 200 calories. I am on 1112 a day so shouldnt it be falling off me not going back on? I am exercising a few times a week too. I guess its early days and Im being impatient but its a bit gutting given how little Im eating. And Ive even given up wine! Words of wisdom to keep me from falling at the first hurdle...? TIA!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/big_slim_whatever_weight_loss_club/693180-Who-has-lost-weight-through-exercise- Come-and-inspire-me

Don't know if this will work! But there was a great thread last night on weight loss, I think you'd find interesting....

OOOhh! I did a link...sorry!

Good luck and keep positive x

my wisdom would be slow and steady. if you drastically deny yourself when you fall off the wagon you'll fall further and find it harder to climb back on. i find i can comfortably manage long term on around 1400. so i have to have a realistic loss of 1lb/wk plus do a fair amount of exercise every day (and wlr is very good for educating you about the best calorie burners). that amount also gives me the option to eat under for a few days to either save up (yeah right!) or pay back (much more likely ) for days when i don't want to be so strict, i can enjoy special occasions then. one "bad" day isn't the end of things, you forgive yourself and move on, you can make up for it. and that's how you build a healthy eating pattern for the long term - you're aware of what you're eating and can compensate for the odd blow out.

also look over the long term. i would look at the gain as a correction, or a blip. looking at the average you've managed 2lb/week which is a good steady loss (and the max wlr recommends). so you're doing well! particularly when you have little to lose weight loss slows down anyway. you need to be content with any loss to keep your motivation going.

Thanks for comments, I will check out that thread later mrsd..and I would love to be on 1400 m ...but FF put me on 1200 and WLR has said 1112 so Im trying to do that since I know no better! But it does seem very low.

what's your weight loss rate onw?

Only been dieting 2 and a half weeks m...so not sure yet! So being impatient basically (tho still seems wierd!)

Oh dear, shouty baby, need to go...will pop back later

what is WLR?
thanks

www.weightlossresources.co.uk

i mean what are your wlr settings? iirc you can set to lose weight by a certain date or you can set a rate of loss per week. the default is 2lb/week. unless you're aiming for a particularly low target you should be able to reduce your rate of loss to e.g. 1lb/week and that will give you more calories are you entering your exercise too?

Ah right m. Yes, I left it at 2lbs a week, but life might be easier if I go to 1lb. Too impatient, me.

Funnily enough I just got the WLR booklet through and having had a quick read it says a big first week loss is common and not to get excited about. Something to do with glycogen stores being used, and glycogen holds 3x its weight in water apparently. And can easily be refilled so to speak! I wonder if I slacked a bit the weekend after my first weigh in, in smug mode, I know I had a tad extra wine(altho within the calorie allowance...but wine makes me retain water, I know it does!) Anyway, waffling on when you lot probably know all this sort of stuff already. Think I shall go and change my WLR settings and try to get my head around losing weight more slowly.

Yes, I am putting exercise in, but not getting enough exercise tbh. Something else to work on.

Wahaay! Extra 400 calories a day! One pound a week it is then!

yay re alcohol/water retention, my mum gets weighed/measured at the gym and they tell her not to drink at all the day before she gets measured as it can mess with the readings. i'm sure it's just a blip and you'll see a decent loss this week.