General Weight Loss Support Thread

Alf Veedersane

Its just about creating a deficit. I think a gym membership is a good investment but it's not the only way to get where you want to go. Getting your diet right is the hard bit. Exercise helps and it's good for general health but of you don't work on your diet, you won't see good results

Faith

Down 1lb today, for a 4lb total so far and a round stone until my goal. I didn’t feel deprived or like I was “on a diet” at any point, and even had a day of drinking within that week. If it continues like this for the next 14 weeks, I’d be delighted!

(I’m also realistic though, and I know it won’t be this straightforward most of the time!)

Michellenman

First week done and 3.2lbs down. Undoubtedly most of that is water weight but I’ll take it! Have gone back to making my breakfasts and lunches for work the night before rather than doing on the fly while in there and it really is 20mins in the evening well spent. Have it all weighed out and input in to MFP the day before, snacks too. Seems to have stopped me picking at stuff during the day too. And I like being prepared! Went out for dinner last night to Forno 500 on Dame st in Dublin (had built this in to my weekly plan!) and while I was all set for enjoying a traditional Neapolitan pizza guilt free it’s was absolutely rubbish, undercooked soggy crap, so I didn’t eat barely half of it... is it bad that I was kinda happy with saving the calories?

iguana

I don't actually have a weighing scale so every so often I plug in the wii and weigh myself with that. I lost 1kg in the 10 days since I last used it. Just 2kg more and I'll be down to a healthy bmi. And another 2-3kg after that to be at my ideal. That's the good news.

The bad news is that last week my mum was making brownies and they smelled absolutely delicious. I decided to have a small one. I ate it with an huge ratio of tart berries and a little cream. And it was really unpleasant. Even with all the berries, each mouthful felt unpleasantly sweet. Obviously this change in my taste buds is a good thing. But I actually feel a bit down about not getting enjoyment from desserts. I guess that the obvious answer will be making my own to suit my newly processed sugar intolerant tastebuds. But that does mean that former pleasures like a hot chocolate at the cinema or cake in a cafe with a friend isn't likely to be very enjoyable anymore.

Penn

Back from a weeks holiday in Italy, and weigh-in this morning to see how much damage it had on my diet.

I pretty much maintained from my last weigh-in two weeks ago. I know I'd lost 2lb just before the holiday so I've put that 2lb back on, but other than that, it didn't do too much damage. I didn't go mad eating things on the holiday but didn't restrict myself either. At least 3 pizzas and a few pasta dishes, plus a lot of beers. But did a lot of walking each day just walking around cities and towns etc.

Either way, pretty happy with that. Probably the best I could have hoped for. Back on the diet wagon since yesterday so time to get the wheels rolling on it again.

Great job on your progresses lately too, folks. Some good post above, and glad to hear it's going well.

Faith

iguana wrote: »

I don't actually have a weighing scale so every so often I plug in the wii and weigh myself with that. I lost 1kg in the 10 days since I last used it. Just 2kg more and I'll be down to a healthy bmi. And another 2-3kg after that to be at my ideal. That's the good news.

The bad news is that last week my mum was making brownies and they smelled absolutely delicious. I decided to have a small one. I ate it with an huge ratio of tart berries and a little cream. And it was really unpleasant. Even with all the berries, each mouthful felt unpleasantly sweet. Obviously this change in my taste buds is a good thing. But I actually feel a bit down about not getting enjoyment from desserts. I guess that the obvious answer will be making my own to suit my newly processed sugar intolerant tastebuds. But that does mean that former pleasures like a hot chocolate at the cinema or cake in a cafe with a friend isn't likely to be very enjoyable anymore.

Well done on your loss!

Just a word of caution - don’t underestimate how quickly you can regain those tastebuds! I gave up sugar for 6 months a few years ago, and got to the point where I was finding bread too sweet, but within weeks of relaxing and having a bit of sugar here and there, I was right back where I started.

iguana

Faith wrote: »

Just a word of caution - don’t underestimate how quickly you can regain those tastebuds! I gave up sugar for 6 months a few years ago, and got to the point where I was finding bread too sweet, but within weeks of relaxing and having a bit of sugar here and there, I was right back where I started.

I know. It's a highly addictive food. I've never quit it before but I've had phases of cutting back and it always creeps it's way back up. I suspect my best bet, especially over Christmas, is to stick to my own very low/no sugar baking. I don't want to start January on the back foot. And I definitely find it much easier to avoid sugar in summer but as the weather gets colder I want it more.

Lisa.J.Kelly

I have tried eating vegetarian food as a way to consume less calories and It seems to work well. Has anybody else achieved long term weight loss through this. I still eat eggs though as they have so much nutritional value.

Dial Hard

Lisa.J.Kelly wrote: »

I have tried eating vegetarian food as a way to consume less calories and It seems to work well. Has anybody else achieved long term weight loss through this. I still eat eggs though as they have so much nutritional value.

I don't really understand what you mean - are you just eating more veg? Using meat substitutes? Or just cutting meat out and not replacing it with anything?

It's perfectly possible to eat meat and still be healthy and in a calorie deficit. My maintenance calories are 1200 and I eat meat most days. Likewise, it's just as easy to overeat on a vegetarian diet as it is on any other one if you're not being mindful of your overall food intake.

Lisa.J.Kelly

I mean that I am eating as many meals a day, but I am eating more veg and cutting meat intake. Currently eating a lot of beans instead of meat etc.

Assetbacked

Lisa.J.Kelly wrote: »

I mean that I am eating as many meals a day, but I am eating more veg and cutting meat intake. Currently eating a lot of beans instead of meat etc.

Far better for you, you will feel fuller for longer and these will be broken down and used more effectively than meat.

silverharp

Assetbacked wrote: »

Far better for you, you will feel fuller for longer and these will be broken down and used more effectively than meat.

The first part of your statement is subjective I would have thought, meat is a very satiating food, as for the second part can you explain what that means? why wouldn't meat get broken down or used effectively?

Lisa.J.Kelly

Yeah this is interesting, never heard that it is used more effectively?

Assetbacked

Lisa.J.Kelly wrote: »

Yeah this is interesting, never heard that it is used more effectively?

I would have thought the fibre alone would be enough.

In order to ensure the meat was processed by our bodies to be utilised properly, I would think that the animal should be fed high quality, organic food, not be put under constant stress and given a rake of antibiotics? If that is the case then all is good but it seems hard to believe that nutritionally, for example, a chicken breast could be the same as another chicken breast if the chickens lived dramatically different lives.

Michellenman

Down 1.8lbs this week. Big second week loss as for me, normally only .5lbs ish so I’m delighted! Feel like I’m very in the zone at the moment so really making the most of it!

Faith

Excellent work, M!

I appear to have stayed the same this week. I say appear as I weigh myself every day and log it into Happy Scale, which calculates your moving average. On Sunday, I suddenly gained two pounds inexplicably, and then the rest of the week I’ve been dropping back down from that!

The other thing is - and this is probably TMI - when I start losing weight, my digestive system goes haywire. Things, ahem, slow down for a while and this can really mess with the scales. So I’m not over disheartened about not having a loss this week, because I think I understand why it is (digestion, plus not being overly strict with my calories ). I’ll do better next week!

Michellenman

You didn’t happen to change where you have your scales by any chance? I get totally different readings on tiles vs wood floors!

Faith

Nope, it lives in the same place in the bathroom. In my last apartment, the bathroom was too small for a scales so it was on wooden floors which weren't totally even. That used to drive me nuts!

I was reading during the week that temperature messes with electric scales, so if you weigh yourself after a shower, for instance, the humidity and heat in the bathroom can result in a lower reading than if you weighed yourself before a shower. Digital scales are so much easier to read but they are influenced by a lot of different factors, it seems. I guess it's part of why it's more important to look at the overall trend than the minutiae.

Lisa.J.Kelly

Assetbacked wrote: »

I would have thought the fibre alone would be enough.

In order to ensure the meat was processed by our bodies to be utilised properly, I would think that the animal should be fed high quality, organic food, not be put under constant stress and given a rake of antibiotics? If that is the case then all is good but it seems hard to believe that nutritionally, for example, a chicken breast could be the same as another chicken breast if the chickens lived dramatically different lives.

Definitely agree on this. Just did not understand the more effective part, but it is more clear now.

Penn

Faith wrote: »

Excellent work, M!

I appear to have stayed the same this week. I say appear as I weigh myself every day and log it into Happy Scale, which calculates your moving average. On Sunday, I suddenly gained two pounds inexplicably, and then the rest of the week I’ve been dropping back down from that!

The other thing is - and this is probably TMI - when I start losing weight, my digestive system goes haywire. Things, ahem, slow down for a while and this can really mess with the scales. So I’m not over disheartened about not having a loss this week, because I think I understand why it is (digestion, plus not being overly strict with my calories ). I’ll do better next week!

I think there'll always be a bit of flux in the first few weeks. Like how people talk about how you will likely drop more weight in the first week or two due to water weight, so too might you see no loss simply as your body adjusts to the new diet and fewer calories. I know a guy who lost 9lb his first week (he was going too low calorie though), and gained a pound the next week even though he was still under his calorie goal (but had increased calories from the previous week).

It might just take 2-3 weeks for your body to properly get into the rhythm. But even then your weight can fluctuate daily. I weigh myself every morning as a general guide, but when it comes to "How much weight have I lost", I only ever count and log the Sunday morning weigh-in. Otherwise I feel I might run the risk of adjusting to fix something which might balance out over the course of the week anyway.

goat2

An odd question here,
what should I eat to get rid of any trace of very strong antibiotic treatment I have had a few months back,
I pick blackberries to make a cordial these days, as I think it has a cleaning effect.

Faith

I’m pretty sure the only thing you need is a functioning liver and kidneys

Adini

goat2 wrote: »

An odd question here,
what should I eat to get rid of any trace of very strong antibiotic treatment I have had a few months back,
I pick blackberries to make a cordial these days, as I think it has a cleaning effect.

The antibiotics will have killed off some of the good bacteria in your gut. You can take a probiotic to restore some diversity to your gut flora (make sure its a reputable brand) You can also look at eating fermented foods like saurkraut, kimchi, kefir *real* yoghurt - all of which will help feed the bacteria in your digestive system. Otherwise just eat a broad range of natural foods such as fruit and veg, nuts, protein, good fats etc to get diversity into your system.

There is no such thing as a "cleansing" food by the way!

Penn

5lb down this week, though I reckon some of that could be attributed to last weeks weigh-in being affected by my body still being in flux from the holiday and break from the diet (eg where I thought I'd maintained my weight following the holiday, I may have still lost a pound or two but my body was out of routine so it didn't show on the scales, or I'd gained water weight and now lost it again). Still though, I'll take that. Back firmly on track.

L'prof

Think I’ll post in here. Might help me stay on track. Weighed myself a week and a half ago and was appalled to see that I’d let myself slip to my heaviest ever. First baby on the way in December and I was hoping that would be the catalyst for me to trim down but I was just too lax about it all. Decided to take a couple of weeks off the drink, cut down on snacks (yocky rice cakes and dark chocolate are now my friends) and up my water intake. Weighed myself on Wednesday and I was down 5.2lbs. Not expecting to lose anywhere near that every week but if I lost a bit most weeks I’d be over the moon. Usually it’s 2 steps forward, 1.5 steps back when I try to lose weight. Not exercising yet but hope to start at some stage. Dog walks are enough for now

Michellenman

@Penn that’s amazing! You must be down a lot of weight by now!

@L’;prof welcome! I only started 20th August and have promised myself that I’ll post any loss/gain here every Friday after my weigh in and that’s keeping me very accountable I’m finding!

Had my first night out last night since starting. I had a small breakfast and lunch and no snacks yesterday in anticipation and to be able to really enjoy my dinner. Went to bison bar in Dublin and tried their new pork tacos with coleslaw and shared chips, shared a brownie after too and it was so tasty but I was SO full after. Really enjoyed it though! I drank vodka with sparkling water and loads of fresh lime to try keep the calories down there too and that has undoubtedly helped reduce the hangover this morning!

Preparing for the coming week by throwing a full chicken in to my slow cooker this morning and being able to use for lunches throughout the week! Still feeling very motivated so that’s positive! Hope you all have a good week!

Penn

Michellenman wrote: »

@Penn that’s amazing! You must be down a lot of weight by now!

@L’;prof welcome! I only started 20th August and have promised myself that I’ll post any loss/gain here every Friday after my weigh in and that’s keeping me very accountable I’m finding!

Had my first night out last night since starting. I had a small breakfast and lunch and no snacks yesterday in anticipation and to be able to really enjoy my dinner. Went to bison bar in Dublin and tried their new pork tacos with coleslaw and shared chips, shared a brownie after too and it was so tasty but I was SO full after. Really enjoyed it though! I drank vodka with sparkling water and loads of fresh lime to try keep the calories down there too and that has undoubtedly helped reduce the hangover this morning!

Preparing for the coming week by throwing a full chicken in to my slow cooker this morning and being able to use for lunches throughout the week! Still feeling very motivated so that’s positive! Hope you all have a good week!

Thanks. Yeah, 3st5lb so far. Which is great, but I'm only approaching the halfway mark to my goal. Still have a ways to go yet, but I'll get there.

Glad to hear it's going well for yourself. The nights out will happen and gotta enjoy them when they come. Sounds like you dealt with it right though, prepared for it in advance and got back on the horse after.

L'prof

L'prof wrote: »

Think I’ll post in here. Might help me stay on track. Weighed myself a week and a half ago and was appalled to see that I’d let myself slip to my heaviest ever. First baby on the way in December and I was hoping that would be the catalyst for me to trim down but I was just too lax about it all. Decided to take a couple of weeks off the drink, cut down on snacks (yocky rice cakes and dark chocolate are now my friends) and up my water intake. Weighed myself on Wednesday and I was down 5.2lbs. Not expecting to lose anywhere near that every week but if I lost a bit most weeks I’d be over the moon. Usually it’s 2 steps forward, 1.5 steps back when I try to lose weight. Not exercising yet but hope to start at some stage. Dog walks are enough for now

Weighed this morning and down 2.6lbs. I imagine it’s going to get a lot tougher after this but delighted so far. The next 2 weeks I have stuff on and I’ll definitely be drinking so not expecting much

iguana

How do the other women here find that their periods affect their weightloss. I weighed myself last night and had only lost 1lb in 10 days, which was disappointing as my eating has definitely not increased and I've been more active. I'm at the end of my period and am wondering if that is part of it. I'm also more bloated around the tummy. I'm still 2lb off my weightloss goal to get my BMI down to 24.9. (I don't actually have a weighing scale and have been using my old Wii Fit. So I just really can't wait to stop seeing my Mii suddenly grow a huge belly to an 'oh-oh' jingle every time I weigh myself . )

Alf Veedersane

iguana wrote: »

How do the other women here find that their periods affect their weightloss. I weighed myself last night and had only lost 1lb in 10 days, which was disappointing as my eating has definitely not increased and I've been more active. I'm at the end of my period and am wondering if that is part of it. I'm also more bloated around the tummy. I'm still 2lb off my weightloss goal to get my BMI down to 24.9. (I don't actually have a weighing scale and have been using my old Wii Fit. So I just really can't wait to stop seeing my Mii suddenly grow a huge belly to an 'oh-oh' jingle every time I weigh myself . )

Afaik, it will be largely down to the interplay between estrogen and progesterone and how they cause a degree of eater retention around the latter part of the cycle.