So I'm still going to the gym regularly and sweating off as much as I can 3 times a week for at least an hour but my weight hasn't gone down. In fact it's gone from 100.6kg at the time of my last post to 101.8kg yesterday. I'm not worried though because I can feel that I'm slimmer around the belly and the skin on my arms etc is tighter.
I'm hoping that i'm not deluding myself... getting fatter while feeling slimmer because i'm putting in effort like someone who plays football once a week so thinks he can eat and drink whatever he wants.
I did measure myself around the belly and I've gone from 44inch to 42 inch however I don't trust the accuracy of my measurements. I think they change depending on time of day and my general feeling about where to measure.
Therefore I will decide today that under my armpits around the man-boobs (over the nipples) is Area 1. Around the waist is Area 2.
Area 1 = 44inch / 112cm
Area 2 = 38 1/2 inch / 98cm
I know there's a weigh in but I haven't spotted a place for measurements and how to accurately do them so if you know please pass it on to me.
My diet has improved because I'm focused on losing my belly but I'm not on a diet, preferring to use my judgement on what and how much to eat. I will in April start a stricter diet but I'm enjoying the taste of good food now I don't smoke and it involves a lot more fish than previously so I hope that improves my general health.
If you would like a recipe suggestion try this;
1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
Rosemary (goes surprisingly well with the seafood)
a tin of canelloni bean
a tin of kidney beans
a tin of tomatoes
approx 200g raw prawns
Fish/veg stock 500ml
Chop onion, fry gently in a little olive oil for 5 min. Add the chopped garlic and fry for 2 min. Add the tomatoes (break them down if whole), season (rosemary) and cook for 10 min (chuck in some chili flakes if you want). Add the stock. Add the beans cook for 5 min.
You can leave this on a low heat for a while.
When your partner gets in .... add the prawns and cook for 2 mins and serve.
Not sure about the calories but I loved it and don't imagine it's got many negatives.
Next time I'll swap the beans for rice or the prawns for fish
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Frank_Grimes
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11 Replies
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Diet is most important for weight loss, you might not need to push yourself as hard as you think you should when at the gym. Look into the speeds your heart needs to beat at for fat burn and carb burn. Other really great exercises for fat burn are Kettlebell swings, deadlifts and squats because they recquire a large amount of your muscles to do them, the more muscles you use per rep the more energy you use which means more fat burn etc.
But you are probably not seeing a big difference when you weigh yourself because even though you are losing the fat you might be gaining muscle so you don't see a big loss in your weight. So you measurement could possibly be spot on there.
That recipe sounds nice! Not sure if you are logging calories - but it is good to be aware of portion sizes. I am a little short inactive woman, but if I were eating rice, I'd measure out just 50g of dry rice. That's less than the recommended portion, but enough for me.
If you're sharing that recipe above between two of you (and depending on the amount of olive oil you're using), I've worked out the calories to be 437 calories:
Serves 2:
Beans, Cannellini, Canned, Napolina-1 Can/240g
Prawns, King, Raw, Average-1 Bag/200g
Tomatoes, Chopped, Canned, Average-1 Can/400g
Oil, Olive, Average-1 Tbsp/15ml
Fish Stock Pot, Tesco-Made Up To 125ml As Per Instructions/7ml
Rosemary, Fresh-3 Tsps/2.1g
Onions, Red, Raw, Average-1 Med/180g
Garlic, Raw, Average-2 Cloves/6g
Beans, Kidney, Red, in Water, No Added Salt Or Sugar, Canned, Drained, Tesco-1 Lge Can/240g
Nutrition Data Per Serving
Calories (kcal) 437.8
Carbohydrate (g) 52.2
Fat (g) 9.9
Fibre (g) 13.0
Fruit & Veg 5.5
Protein (g) 34.2
I'm showing you this - as this is how I have managed to lose weight.... by working out calories in every single thing that enters my mouth. I'm also very used to entering recipes into the database that I have used to help me lose weight.
That had made me much more aware of "recommended" portion sizes, but more importantly, I have a rough "calorie calculator" in my head now, for example, I know a slice of bread (pre-sliced) is around 100 calories, that a medium egg is around 66 calories, etc.
I agree with Hidden that the best thing that you can do for weight loss is to concentrate on the calories that you consume. Exercise is great - for overall physical and mental health, but counting calories (although rather mundane and boring) is what is going to make you succeed.
I didn't do any exercise until I'd lost my first 2 stone.
That's fantastic. Is there an app for working out the calorific values or do you just look at the side of the tin and add it up?
I've been on a giving up smoking thing for 10 weeks so I've put losing weight on the back burner but I'll do a bit of digging on this site and NHS sites so when Monday rolls around, I'll be ready to write a food diary and tick off the planned meals as they're eaten.
I understand everyone here takes losing weight seriously and I don't want to diminish anyone's fervor. I just prefer not to feel as if every morsel is to be accounted for. I think I'll start to view eating as a challenge to be conquered rather than a pleasure to be enjoyed (in moderation).
That said, Thank you (and jimtom) for your help and advice! I will be concentrating on my diet going forward and I'll be checking out a few recipes
Giving up smoking is brilliant! I am sure you'll have found a massive difference already in your health?
I pay to use a website (weightlossresources.co.uk) which you can try out free of charge for 24 hours. But there are free apps, such as myfitnesspal - sure others may also be able to suggest some. I just type in the ingredients and the weight, so for example "red cabbage, 660g" or "Cornflakes, 30g" and it will give you a calorie value and add this to your total for the day. I have a lot of recipes that I have added, and I make a "recipe" for a cup of tea or coffee - not that I need to know how to make it, but the quantities are more accurate that way. Then I can add "large cup of tea" which is made according to how I make it.
Packaging is really helpful nowadays - most packaging gives information about the nutritional value of the food and also what "a serving" is - that in itself can be very illuminating! Most cereals are about 30 - 45g - but if you actually weigh that amount out it is tiny!
I avoid cereal as I don't think it represents very good value in terms of the calories and also it doesn't seem to keep me feeling full. I tend to skip breakfast these days (do have about 3 cups of tea though!) and have an early lunch or at the weekend a good "brunch" - bacon and eggs or mushrooms, etc.
Wow... you just throw in the 'no smoking for 10 weeks' as an aside That's fantastic and makes your small gain a great result. It can be so easy to put on weight whilst giving up.
I have to agree with you in the main that its better to concentrate your energies there first. Managing your weight strictly is something you can work on once you feel settled.
You are doing really well Frank_Grimes ☺ doing all the right things
But let me welcome you to the weight loss forum ☺
The first place to look is at the Pinned posts section to the right of your screen (bottom if you're using a mobile), read the Welcome Newbie thread first and move through to the challenges, where we hope you'll find at least one that will appeal to you ☺
Move down to the Topics, to find a variety of threads, collated into specific topics for ease of access and we ask that you also 'file' your own threads, so that others won't miss your important news ☺
Have a look at the NHS 12 week plan, as many people have had success with it. Also use the BMI checker to find your target calories, it's important to eat enough. This was a major turning point for me, realising I could eat anything I wanted as long as the calories are accounted for ☺
Don't forget to take your starting measurements and a 'before' picture, as they can be very motivating on days that the scales refuse to co-operate ☺
The forum also have group weigh-ins every day if you wish to take part. The posts can always be found in the Events section on the 'home' page ☺
You'll notice a grey box next to people's names, these are achievement badges, and as a new member you may have a 'Newbie' badge. If you have any questions or would like a Newbie badge please just ask ☺
We've found that to get the best out of this community, we need to be active on the forum, as it's where we exchange information, get motivation and inspiration and make friends. We hope that you'll join us here, regularly, too ☺
Best wishes
Anna
I completely agree with the first two posts. For me, weight loss is only ever achieved by putting less in my mouth! I do walk my dog half an hour every day, this is my exercise, but I am not sporty and hate the gym, so I would be scupppered as far as losing weight's concerned, if it depended on exercise! I have to be absolutely religious about logging every calorie, I know I only have myself to blame if the scales don't move! It is all too easy to pop stuff in my mouth while I'm cooking, and not count it, then find I've put on half a pound 😟
I'm sure exercise is very good for you, Frank_Grimes, but just make sure you watch portion size and/or count calories too. Good luck!
It's probably muscle stopping the scales going down... the recipe looks lovely- will give it a try tonight
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