I'm feeling a little disheartened this week. Since exercising like crazy from Oct/Nov (and calorie counting/two day fasting) my weight loss has been great and I've been feeling so motivated and happy! But it has been challenging fitting in exercise with work and family life and I have been trying to study to get into a new career - one day!
I decided to cut back the exercise - only a little! So I could fit in more study time. But now my weight loss was a disappointing 1lb last week!
My calories tdee is like 2300 calories but I have 1900 max weekends, 800 twice a week and 1600 ish the other three days.
I was going out for 2 miles walks or runs daily (on C25K I can only run three times a week to allow for recovery) swimming Wednesday's. Some home aerobics daily and another 2 mile walk sat and sun (so 4 miles on weekends)
I have since got a treadmill (mechanical) which allows me to not always have to go out. In order to fit in more study time I now do the run three times a week. Swimming Wednesday's. Treadmill three times a week and aerobics three times a week. And now my youngest can ride a bike I have ditched taking the car on the school run and ride instead and we like going for a ride on weekends too for about 30-40 minutes.
If I have to up my exercise I think I will go crazy! I barely get time to do everything as it is!
I have currently lost 2 stone 8lbs and wonder if it's one of those plateau things? The week I only lost 1lb I was ill and off work for a few days? Then had a KFC treat! But was still under my max 2300 calories for that day.
Also with snow coming this week I'm worried I won't get my runs which burn the most calories!
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CrimsonMama
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Well I personally am over the moon when I lose 1lb, youre doing really well ! Would you like to join our Easter challenge to lose half a stone by Easter? Just post your weight on the Easter Countdown challenge post underneath pinned posts, hope to see you there!
Wow! You’ve done really well so far! Don’t worry about only 1lb I reckon that’s still good!
I am studying for an MSc at the moment as part of a career change and working full time so I understand time constraints! I’m in awe of what you are doing exercise wise... I go for a 20 min walk every day in my lunch break and walk up 6 flights of stairs to my office twice a day! How do you fit it all in?? In my experience , you will plateau for a bit and then carry on losing! Maybe you need to reduce your calories slightly if you aren’t losing but I would have thought with all the exercise you would be fine!! Bet of luck! Join the Easter group as recommended, I’m hoping to lose 10 lb by Easter but would love a stone off! 😃 x
I only work part time as I'm a single mum to two daughters. I know when my youngest is older I will have to work full time and I really want to do so in a well paid career that I enjoy. My current job is lovely but minimum wage and I don't want to be stuck on benefits forever!
That’s fair enough! What are you studying to do? My best friend was a single mum with 3 boys with part time job and on benefits. She studied for a degree and now has a great job and is doing her Doctorate!! She has a mortgage and now boys have left home, she has fancy holidays with her new husband every year! So go for it!! Weight loss is clearly only part of your journey! X
I am learning computer programming and coding. At the moment I'm self teaching myself from free sites. Where I live I see a lot of jobs in demand with junior positions starting on a salary of about £40,000 pa and experience taking it up to about £60,000. To not need housing benefit in this ridiculously expensive rental market I need to earn at least £35,000 pa and even managers in my area don't earn that!
The dream is to be able to buy my own house, work some hours from home and be able to go running three or four times a week to maintain my weight whilst still being able to enjoy treats!
Gosh! Balance really sounds like something you could do with. I'm dizzy, reading your exercise schedule not to mention all you need to do as a working mum, and studying, too
I'll quote something I read recently: "If the way in which you lose weight is unsustainable, then your results are going to be unsustainable".
That means you don't take one approach to get you to a target weight and another when you get there. That's the way to yoyo dieting. You find a way, both with eating and with exercise, that you can see yourself doing in 5 years time and beyond, that will keep you healthy, with weight loss as a happy by-product.
Do the exercise you enjoy, because you enjoy it and it will keep you fit and energised.
Eat natural, healthy foods, avoid highly processed ones, including anything low fat, diet or light. Don't over complicate things for yourself.
Another quote from a wise person on these boards: "Eating should not require a post-graduate degree".
You can get there and the journey can be enjoyable, not punishing
That is it exactly! Sustainability! I have been enjoying losing weight at the rate I have been and learning to run with the couch to 5k app. I figured once I get to maintaining I could cut myself some slack. And I'm hoping once I can run more (when my muscles are stronger. Apparently 6 months) I think running and some aerobics would be enough?
Unfortunately I am an extremely fussy person with food.... Which perhaps warrents another post as it's complicated......
You see, that's what I mean, the idea of cutting yourself some slack when you get to maintaining. I'd suggest looking at a reasonable exercise plan that you can enjoy now (and I can tell you do enjoy it) AND when you reach your target weight, so that probably means reining it in a bit. Couch to 5k is a great start for a regular running routine and cycle rides with the children sets them a great pattern.
The weight loss will mainly be dependent on what you eat. Regarding your fussiness with food: I wouldn't ever have described myself like that but there were plenty of foods I "didn't like" or "never touch". In the past year, I have challenged some of those, along with other non-food related things as I started to question those things that I "never do" or "aren't for me". Weight loss, for me, has gone hand in hand with taking a new look at life and myself and not letting so many "can't" and "don't" get in my way. Overall, I've found it liberating
I think you are amazing if you can do all that exercise even if you only did half of that you would still be exercising a lot ... losing a lb is still a loss you body is used to you eating less and exercising the weight loss does slow down .. I lost 4 stone a few years back 2 stone was easy came off quickly but the last two stone took much longer .. don’t loose heart .. as long as you loose something it’s a win win ....
I was wondering if I should change my diet up a bit. Maybe do slimfast for a week or two then go back to my current diet (5.2 but I allow myself 800 calories not 500). Maybe that will shake my body up from getting complacent with my current regime??
Slimfast makes me shudder lol. It's not proper food. My suggestion would be to make some home-made soup - either in a slow cooker or a large saucepan. Get as many types of veg in the pot as you can together with some good protein - I'm sure it will do you more good than Slimfast. I make a fresh batch every week and chuck everything in I can find - the veg count is always into double figures and there are usually things like lentils and beans in the mix too. Cheap cuts of meat work well with this type of cooking. I hope that's helpful. Good luck CrimsonMama - like others I'm in awe of your commitment to exercise. Your weight loss is brilliant - well done! x
Thanks BridgeGirl - I'm a long-time lurker to this fab forum! I chip in if I feel I've got something useful to contribute and take inspiration and ideas from others sharing. Does that count as 'joining in'?
I'm sure I had a warm welcome 'way back when' - thank you - and thanks too for your contribution - I appreciate the work that the forum administrators do
I’ve not much to add to these excellent replies but just to add that fat loss happens around 1-2lbs a week, the more you have to lose the faster you lose, so please don’t knock 1lb a week. For the first time ever after a lifetime of yo-yo dieting I lost an average of 1lb a week and have kept it off for almost three years 😊
Just stick with it, but think about what BridgeGirl suggest about the changes being sustainable and permanent. 😊
I try to aim for 2lbs a week. Which I guess comes from cutting 500 calories from food and burning 500 from exercise. The previous two weeks I lost 3lbs! Which was more than planned and why I figured I could ease up a bit to allow for studying. But 1lb is still a loss! So I shouldnt knock it! I'm the lowest weight I've been in about 5-6 years. After my youngest was born I was in an abusive relationship for three years and mostly sat around eating chocolate and watching TV feeling stressed and depressed! My "partner" would accuse me of cheating if I wanted to look nice or go out. *sigh*.... I am so SO happy to be by myself and be able to do what I want to do these days!!! 😊
Have you rechecked your calorie allowance since loosing weight?
Sounds like you're doing fine though. Maybe look at losses over the fortnight rather than weekly as some weeks will be lower but they even out in the long run.
I know I know! I'm terrible as I jump on the scales daily but record once a week. A lady at work says I should only go on the scales once a month! Aghhh! That seems impossible! When it's going well it gives me the motivation I need to keep going so I like to see my hard work is paying off. But obviously the reverse is also true... If I've worked hard and see little or no payoff I can lose motivation and want to binge as compensation!
Remember as you lose weight the amount of calories your body needs will drop.
If you pick up some weights with the same total that you have lost & imagine carrying it round all day like you used to, I bet that you can't imagine being able to do it.
That's because as you carry more fat, your body needs to build more muscle and bone to be able just to be able to move!. So as you lose fat, you will also lose some muscle (lean mass) - and the muscle in your body is one of the main things that needs to be fed calories just to stay alive. The point I am trying to make is that as you lose weight, if you want to keep losing weight at the same rate you either need (still) less calories or (still) more exercise.
Other than that, I am the same as you, I rely on quite a lot of regular exercise to get rid of about 700 calories each day. If I pick up a small injury or an illness like a cold, I have to really force myself to not keep eating the same level.
Hi there CrimsonMama - I had the same kind of issue as you do. I got to 2 stone weight loss and kind of stuck for a while, even though I was exercising like mad, including c25k. What I found helped was intermittent fasting which meant not eating between 8pm at night and 12 noon the next day. Like you I am studying and just writing my dissertation. Good luck and don't be disappointed with one pound loss. It's still good. Also consider eating a little more as your metabolic rate might have dropped. That worked for me too.
Well done CrimsonMama - 1lb loss is still a loss! You're doing more exercise than I am so you can only be commended for that 🤗
Do you think it's possible that the week you were ill you were eating less, and then when you ate the KFC your body went overboard with storing all the fat from it and that caused you to not lose as much as you like? Just thinking of the way our bodies are made and used to the hunter-gatherer ways of eating 😉
I wouldn't worry too much about it, who knows you may lose 3lbs this week as our bodies have weird and wonderful ways of working!!
Here is for hoping! I just done a run that logged my calorie burn as 360! So I am well pleased with that. I think the kfc may have a lot to answer for! Hadn't had one in years though.... But I would rather lose weight than eat it again!
Well done on your progress so far especially your commitment to exercise (a lot of exercise) ! But, as the others have said, the way you choose to lose weight HAS to be a way that is maintainable for life. Far better to follow a healthy eating routine with MAXIMUM calories for a 1-2 lbs weight loss and it is a proven fact that a slower loss is far more maintainable.
Yes, any exercise is good for our health, so do carry on if you really love it, but don't depend on it too highly.
You might be interested to read some of the posts from longterm maintainers. Have a look in Topics and Pinned Posts.😊
That a good idea thank you! Plus reading stuff helps keep me motivated lol
Hi there - most women have differences in weight at certain times of the month. Your weight can fluctuate with PMT so some women may feel bloated with fluid retention.
I think you have done so well to lose weight on a varying diet of 2300 down to 800 calories. It may help to lower your average calorie counting so you stick to 1500 calories every day. This might help your overall weight loss per week.
I have thought about that with evening the calories out but I think it easier to restrict myself two days a week rather than feel restricted daily. My diet is pretty terrible - but I don't see how to change it when I dislike almost ALL fruit and vegetables! Unless you count potatoes and baked beans I eat veg once a week. And the only veg I will eat is peas and carrots. Fruit wise... I dislike any seeded fruit (strawberries, raspberries blueberries) and although I would eat a dessert with Apple or pears in I really get no satisfaction from eating fruit so to me feels like adding calories for no reason as I will still reach for something more satisfying like chocolate.
I totally forgot about PMT as I get the contraceptive injection and haven't had a period in years. I had endometriosis so although I don't need contraception it is what the docs gave me to 'treat/stop' my endometriosis....
I have tried to make some food swaps... I am using milk roll which is only 47 calories a slice instead of bread. I can use 20g of half fat cheese and 10g of onion to make a very tasty cheese and onion toastie for 99 calories.
I know I will need to continue to make some swaps to continue to lose weight or maintain. It's a slow ongoing process! A year ago I was drinking 10 bottles of 2 litre coke or Pepsi a week! Now I have Dr Pepper Zero (I also dislike hot drinks and water!)... Lol .... Told you my diet and fussyness is crazy!
Hi there - I am type 2 diabetic. If my blood sugar goes too high it's bad news. I had to find out the hard way how to cut out those foods and drinks that were not helping it.
If you cut down your dairy, especially milk, you will cut down your sugar which is found naturally in milk. By drinking lactase free milk, you can cut down your calories. If you like dairy avoid cheddar cheese, other than a small amount. I was eating over 2 and half pounds of cheese, before my blood sugar went so high. I was also eating low fat yoghurt
All these dairy foods increased my fat cholesterol levels as well as my sugar lactase levels.
You could try a low carb, high protein diet . You could have 1 or 2 boiled eggs, and half a piece of toast for breakfast with tea or coffee. You could have an apple for a snack at 11am with a cuppa. For lunch you could have any combination of meat fish cottage cheese with avocado, tomato or grated carrot. You could drink a fresh lemonade made with water,
and some honey and the juice of a lemon. In the evening you could have egg - fish - meat
and if you have baked beans, strain the sauce off as it is high in sugar. If you like canned sardines, crab, salmon or pastes they are good on Ryvita for snacks.
Do you like bottled waters or squash with no added sugar? Expect you will keep losing weight, and get down to your target weight. I lost two and a half stone last year but
Hahaha reading my old post was funny as I overcame all I was worried about! I stopped fasting and calorie counted daily. That seemed to stabilize my system much better. I managed to fit in both study time and exercise time and both are very much part of my daily routine now so not difficult to do. I have now lost almost 6stone. Feel fitter and healthier and - crazy for me - I have started adding fruit to my snacking. I like pears, apples, melon and grapes now. For a dessert I can add half a muller light to 100g of fruit. Delicious!
I have changed so much since this post! But change has to be gradual and not forced!
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