If you go on NHS CHoices Living well webpage there is a bmi calculator and it works out your calories lower and upper range. You can then either decide to use the lower number as a guide or the NHS 12 week weight loss plan which I am on suggests 1400/day for women and I think its 1600 for men
At 18 stone you are not eating enough (unless you are shorter than the average women), but do go to the NHS BMI calculator nhs.uk/tools/pages/healthyw... and find out how much you should be eating. For your weight loss to be sustainable in the long term, don't necessarily aim for the lower end of your range everyday. It will make you feel hungry and more likely to give up and make bad choices.
if the calculator says 1761 then you should be eating in a d around that number, but the 1761 is probably the lower of the scale so if you have a day where you are extra hungry you can increase the cals to the higher number no problem. Find what's best for you. If you're eating less than recommended then why not stock up on fruit and veg nibbles to increase your 5a day and know that you're eating healthy snacks?
Hi Nayshiftin, why don't you join us on the Daily Diary thread? You can log your meals and exercise for the day and we can see if there are any areas that could be tweaked and you'll be able to pick up all sorts of ideas, to keep your meals balanced and tasty
The link can be found in EVENTS to the right of the HOME page, or right at the bottom of your screen, if using a mobile
You need to use the full website page, though, as the HU app doesn't give you access to that area.
Thanks yes I felt that shopping this morning, walking past the nasty shelves knowing I am getting a proper good feed. I had breakfast and planned my shop and had lunch awaiting in the fridge for my return. Thought this afternoon would be hard but so far I feel better and this is Day 4 wow. I usually give up on Day 3
I agree with allycan 's advice. Enjoy that there is room in your calorie allowance for healthy but calorie intensive things like nuts and avocado, an extra banana or a smoothie with the fruits that you like.
When I first embarked on this weight loss journey and was told I could eat 1400 calories I scoffed and could not believe I would lose weight! Having been a yoyo dieter all my life eating 800-1000 calories, like you, it seemed like too much food. But trust me, it will work!
To force our bodies to burn fat we need to eat just slightly less than we need to maintain, (about 500). But not so little that the bodies automatic famine response kicks in which makes fat loss extremely difficult.
That's great thanks so much, I have been eating like that. I realised today that my Linseeds are very dense in calories which I have. I also note that some of what I have been reading is aimed at children. However I am just starting and so far I am still finding all this out. I may see a nutritionist but scare in case they just go on a fad diet or gluten free. This is good because I can eat like my husband just no sweets, crisps or the shop bought items that I have used. I am planning packed meals so hoping that helps.
You are well on the way Nayshiftin-1 (love that name btw!!) 😊
Yes, nuts and seeds are quite calorific but very nutritious. I grind up a mix of seeds and whole nuts and carefully weigh out 20g for my porridge (about 3 heaped teaspoons) and about 100 calories! Eeek! 😜
Love you Anna my real name is Anne and could not have that but what I really love is your encouragement too. Everyone has been good but you seem to be here for me too which I appreciate.
you guessed it I am Scottish by birth , live in Hertfordshire but have in laws in Derbyshire and son in Yorkshire. The name has followed me most of my life as a lass I was stubborn and Nay Never (shiftin) moving my mood on. Then I was a mum and it meant the house was never done so never a shift in then. Now it is my weight It is not moving as we say in Scotland it needs to shift. So hence it is following me. Lets hope I can loose it and go for settledownsea.
So far, so good, but confused finding things on the site but well I'm a bit technophobic and just muddle the best I can. I have coped really well to get to day 5 and might not be losing but will address that at end of week. will weigh once a week only as otherwise I get depressed. I am happy that I can eat when hungry. I go back to work today and that will be another test. I have planned but not sure I'll not be tempted. I am not a great water drinker so do not know whether I will cope on low-cal squash. preferred fruit juice but that may have added a lot of my problems as sugar in it may have created a want more and eat bad cycle. Still, only 2 days to get to week one and yes I have been here but I have fathomed out the diet counting, planning etc. Oh yes, I am going to give myself praise this time. I am worth doing the diet. ... half convincingly
I've been in your shoes and am currently 17st 2lbs. I recovered from binge eating disorder with anorexic tendencies in january this year. It left me with distorted and unhealthy views about food and no understanding of portion sizes. I was even scared to go food shopping alone. My advice through my experience is this...Be wary of cutting your calorie intake too low...you body is programmed to do everything it can to remain stable (this is called homeostasis) and if you cut your food intake too much your body will go into starvation mode and will fight against you to hoard and retain every calorie you eat. If you are really struggling, it might be worth asking your GP to be refered to the community dietitian. They were a godsend for me. Their information is based on portion sizes and should be used as a guide rather than strict rules. There is no calorie counting or weighing as they show you how to visualise portion sizes without weighing. I now eat more than i did before (three meals and 2 snacks per day), the only real change is that i have a slightly smaller portion of carbohydrates, i eat meat/chicken/fish more often and i eat a lot more fruits and vegetables. I have lost 3.4kg so far with no effort (or exercise at all) so eating more really works.
I really hope things work out for you however you choose to go about your weightloss and remember we are always here for you 😉
wow Go girl go, you sound like me but with your wings opened and doing great on the diet. Well done. Yes I believe you when you say how you are as mind set is a good part of me in this too. Yes I can starve but as soon as I get over hungry I cant stop eating and to be honest so far that is slowly changing. I love a good meal and knowing I can have this is good. I 'll try and look out for your posts in future it feel sad but good that I can relate to someone just like me. So thanks for sharing as I know saying how big we are hurts. However we are getting smaller and you wait girl we will show them. Lets get to it.
I'm only 5ft tall and I've been on an extended version of the NHS 12 week plan now for about a year. It's so difficult to believe, I know, but it is ok to eat more calories. Someone on this forum told me about the importance of eating more to lose weight when I first started and I couldn't believe it either.
I decided to give it a try and the weight is still coming off steadily and I am currently eating 1800-1950 cals daily which is right at the top end of the suggested calorie range on the BMI calculator. I started off near the bottom of the range (but never went below it) to get a good rate of weight loss and then stuck around the middle for some time but the weight is still coming off very, very slowly at the moment.
It might seem a good idea to eat fewer calories, but unfortunately when we do our bodies adjust to slow down our metabolism so we just need fewer to survive and, as soon as we realise that we can't starve ourselves for ever, then the weight starts to creep back on.
The weight will still come off if you eat more as long as you stay within the range the NHS BMI calculator suggests and you will feel a lot better and less hungry, plus it is easier to keep going if you want to lose a fair bit of weight.
As you lose weight you may find exercise getting easier and generally more fun and that helps too.
This time last year I was 16st exactly which isn't a million miles away from where you are now. I hope you managed to choose healthy things to put in your shopping basket.
Losing weight isn't easy! I have recently joined a club for group support. I am trying to eat 3 x meals a day with healthy snacks in between. No alcohol! X
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