So I'm new to this.....

[Wood05]

I've come here for some motivation really!

about 15 weeks ago I really hurt myself and have been pretty much on the sofa since- and obviously put on the pounds. I've decided to lose some weight- mainly after seeing myself at my sisters wedding a few weeks ago it wasn't a pretty sight and im due to get married next year and I dont want to look at my pictures in that way. Anyway back to the point

I've made some changes-

Stopped drinking fizzy drinks and just drinking water or sugar free squash

No chocolate or sweets in the week

1/3 of our evening meal has to be vegetables

Also calorie counting

doing at least 90 mins of exercise a week- this is purely on an exercise bike as this is all im currently allowed to do!

I was looking to lose about 15-20kg which will put me in a normal BMI range-

is there anything else that I need to be doing and roughly how long will it take me for this loss?

I'm aiming for life style changes that I can maintain forever really

Thanks in advance and sorry for the essay!

[Diana]

Welcome, motivation, you seem to have some good ideas already! Check portion sizes , which def will help, pictures them, in time you will know.

Buy cheap digital scales ( bathroom and kitchen if you can) I bought some kitchen ones for £10 at Amazon, helps take any guess work out of stuff.

[Wood05 in reply to Diana]

Hey, thanks for the reply!!

I've been trying to weigh some foods but am struggling with the right amount of dry rice and pasta

There seems to be some many different answers on the Internet- is there any that you specifically use?

[Diana in reply to Wood05]

I use a 1/4 cup American of rice, which is a half portion, a small handful of pasta ( Palm sized) seems ok

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

You're off to a great start

As you're calorie counting, why not download the NHS 12 week plan, which gives you bite size pieces of information each week about food and exercise.

If you put your details into the BMI calculator, it'll give you guidelines for your healthy weight and recommended number of calories/day.

The weight loss is aimed at 1 - 2lbs/week.

All the best

[Wood05 in reply to moreless]

Thank you I shall have a more thorough read-

I've downloaded an app which has given me 1320 calories a day which is actually about 500 calories lower than the BMI calculator so I was a bit worried that I wasn't going to be consuming enough-

I've been doing it for a week so far and have lost 2.5kg when I weighed this morning which I'm chuffed with- a bit worried about plateauing off just doing the same exercise- although I'm restricted by Physio advice at the moment!

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Wood05]

I would say 1320 is a bit low and if you're body gets used to that now, you'll have to reduce even further. My advice is to eat as many calories as you're allowed, aiming for a 1 - 2lb weight loss.

The exercise, or lack of it, will have little effect on your weight loss, so stick to what you've been advised and get yourself properly healed first.

[Elissy 3kg]

Hi Wood05 and Buisarah

BMI and BMR are very different, and eating above bmr is not necessarily putting on weight.

Eating 500 calories below the bmr is NOT a good idea.

The bmr is what you body needs to keep functioning properly even when just lying in bed. Anything on top of that ( sitting, walking, cycling etc,...) burns extra calories.

You need to use the nhs bmi calculator to roughly work out the calorie range you need to eat to lose weight.

I have been through phases of eating below. It works for a while then you get hunger pangs, feel cold and lose energy ( and for me this was often the point where I stopped my "diets") - not worth it!!!

Work out on the nhs bmi calculator what you can eat, it will be a range from eg 1650 to 2100 and take the middle. Do a few extra cycling sessions to increase the calories you burn, but don't cut your calories too low.

After my loss slowed and I increased my calories (within my allowance) my weight loss has been more steady.

[Wood05]

thank you- im very excited lots of planning but it cant come soon enough

I have been using my fitness pal on and off now for a while but i have been trying to stick more strictly to it recently. it has set my calories at 1320 a day and i didnt know if this was too low it seems a big jump to go from 2000+ a day to 1320 a day and i am a bit worried that if my body adjusts to this it will plateau off and i wont end up losing any more without dropping further which i dont think is realistic or healthy! so should I be dropping it more steadily?

[Elissy 3kg in reply to Wood05]

What is your calorie range with the nhs bmi calculator?

[Wood05 in reply to Elissy]

1818-2338

so the 1320 is a lot lower :/

[Elissy 3kg]

Right, just done mine again 😊

1651-2123 I find 1651 too close to my bmr, so I set my fitness pal to 1750 calories. As I could eat more I have a small"buffer zone" if I go over, but I rarely do as 1750 gives me enough food with healthy choices.

At weekends I personally do like a drink and a nice ish dinner, so I exercise extra, giving me a little higher allowance. On normal days I do not eat my exercise allowance.

I tried 1400 calories before, and it doesn't work for me.

What activity level did you choose? I took low so my calories aren't too high.

If you used a low activity level, try 2100 calories maybe? If you chose higher, try it again using low?

[Wood05 in reply to Elissy]

Why didnt it work if you dont mind me asking? just low energy? I've had recurring headaches since i started and wondered if that was down to it and my body not being too happy.

2100 seems so much and over daily recommended amounts?

Sorry for all the questions I'm just trying to get my head around it all! its baffling!

[Elissy 3kg in reply to Wood05]

Hi, sorry I just been out shopping 😊

I am not sure if I can explain it properly but I'll try.

I have dieted on and of for years, weight watchers, 5:2 fasting, calorie counting,...

It was always easy to start, and then turned into a real struggle, and eventually I gave up -again.

Finding this site has given me the emotional support and a wealth of experiences from others.

Like you, I really wanted to understand why it didn't work, what bmr, bmi and everything really meant for me. I spent a weekend trying various bmr and bmi calculators and played around with my stats.

Now, if you google bmr calculator, enter your details, it will give you the calories your body needs to stay alive (organs, lungs, ....). If you eat just them and carry on being "active" your body will be fine for a while,but then you will lose weight, but also slowly your metabolism will slow down, and you will feel bad.

The nhs calculator takes your activity level into account, and will give you a calorie allowance to keep you healthy. Choose the lower one, and as you lose weight, you will enter your details again and your allowance will go down.

I use my fitness pal, and again, tried different settings. I am now using a sedentary activity and 1/2 lb weight loss a week. As I am NOT sedentary, I lose more but this gave me more calories to eat.

I am 171 cm and weigh about 90 kg, I have lost just over a stone since 17. August. The best thing is, I DON'T feel hungry, I DON'T feel I'm dieting and I DO feel fitter. I can't run but I walk a lot.

Headaches are not good, I get them with lack of drink and/or lack of food.

Hope that's explained a bit more, sorry if it was too long 😏

Someone else might see things different, I don't follow a plan, I count what I eat, I walk and move more, and it's working for me 😉