Well, I've started the 12 week NHS weight loss journey. I began by weighing then measuring my girth - not a happy excercise as I'm officially obese, but gives me a reason to go on. My BMI calculation suggests no more than 1800 calories a day.
Breakfast is a cup of coffee (no more sugar!) as I never feel like eating first thing. Then to do volunteering in my local park. Three hours of physical activity humping large sacks of wet leaves to our leaf store for future compost. A cup of tea and ignore the range of biscuits and buns the public give us. Cup a soup for lunch and finally a proper evening meal of Quorn mushroom stroganoff with cauliflower rice and peas and beans. Every ingredient weighed and the calories noted for future reference. Mid evening meal of porridge to fill me up.
Have now totted up the calories for the day, adding the apple and two satsumas (more than five fruit & veg) and the total is . . . 721 calories!!
No snacks and no bread - I found out each slice of Sainsbury's multiseeded bread was 152 calories. I used to have at least 6 slices a day with some sort of spread. No wonder I'm obese!
The rest of the week to establish a new pattern of eating and settle down to a new lifestyle.
Wish me luck.
Written by
vicreb
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Sadly, vicreb, you're off to a terrible start! 721 calories in a day is far too low and totally unsustainable. You'll end up hungry, cranky and not feeling well enough to work and you'll put your body into starvation mode, where it will hang onto it's fat reserves, eat it's muscle reserves and lower its metabolic rate, making weight loss and maintenance really difficult.
I've finally got round to reading the two sites you suggest and they are very interesting. The public health collaboration is rather meaty, but worth reading .
Unfortunately I have to agree with moreless here - what you're doing can't possibly become a "new lifestyle". It sounds absolutely unbearable, and it will almost certainly result in you remaining obese (for the reasons she mentioned). You'll then think, "OMG what am I doing wrong? What's wrong with me? I'm clearly still eating too many calories".
That's not going to end well.
Being obese is not a sin and there's no need to punish yourself. All you need to do is eat proper food in adequate amounts. I know that sounds trite, but it's true. It's what humans do naturally, left to their own devices, without interference from nutritionists and supermarket advertisers. Your task is merely to learn what proper food looks like - or rather, to unlearn a whole load of misinformation.
For example, your body sees porridge and buns/biscuits as exactly the same thing by the time they hit your small intestine. Your metabolic machinery neither knows nor cares that nutritionists consider the one to be uber-healthy and the other to be naughty. The bottom line is that they will both prevent your body from accessing stored bodyfat.
It sounds as if you're vegetarian, so put plenty of veg on your plate (not potatoes). Lots and lots of veg. Get creative with your cooking; don't just boil things to death, British-style! Add some butter and salt. Get some eggs, cheese and yoghurt into your meals for fat, protein and micronutrients. Coconut oil is excellent stuff for certain dishes; olive oil works too, of course.
Be kind to yourself. Many of us have been where you are now, but losing weight is pretty easy once you get it right.
Hi vicreb ....I don't imagine you expected those replies from moreless and TheAwfulToad but I'm afraid I have to agree also. I used to try to lose weight on 1000 calories a day . It worked fine for the first few days but I got hungry and not much energy and even though I'd lose a stone I couldn't keep it off longterm. Use the BMI checker and try to eat as MUCH as you can of those healthy suggestions (veg dairy nuts nut oils ) and you will honestly be surprised how your weight drops and you learn new habits for life.
I'm in a similar situation to you vicreb, started the NHS 12 week plan last Saturday and am trying to stick to around 1600 calories a day and incorporate more exercise. I'd like to lose at least 3 stone but realise it's going to take time to come off as it took time to put on in the first place! Hope you manage to find a happy balance regarding daily calorie intake.
Hi, Bookworm How did you decide on 1600? Do check that you have the right range with the NHS BMI calculator. And please take on board the replies above about the risks of undereating.
Just looking at your username, have you joined our monthly book club, Read All About it? You'll find it in Pinned Posts. This will help healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...
I see you've joined the Friday weigh in team. You'll find it busiest in the morning and I hope you'll have time to chat. We ask everyone to reply to three others (more if you can); that way, you'll soon get to know people and we share the support around
The daily calorie allowance was recommended by the NHS website when I checked my BMI - the actual figure was 1661 daily calories. Thanks for info about Friday weigh in posts and will check out book club poss too 😁
Is that the top or the bottom of the range it gave you? There's roughly 400 from top to bottom of the range. I found I was able to lose weight steadily by eating in the middle to upper half of my range
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