Just joined

[GrampaSimon]

Hi everyone, I just joined, I am currently 92kg with BMI of 30.1, over 30 is obese.

My first target is 90kg for a BMI of 29.4, a quick win to get out of the obese category and get me in the right habit to stay on track. If I lose a kilo a week I will make 90kg in two weeks, on 4 April.

My second target is 85kg (BMI 27.7, over 25 is overweight.) If I lose a kilo a week I will make 85kg in five more weeks, on 9 May.

My next target is 80kg, for a BMI of 26.1, so still Overweight. If I keep losing a kilo a week I will make 80kg five weeks later, on 13 June.

My fourth and final target is 75kg, for a BMI of 24.5, which is (only just!) in the Normal Weight range. If I lose 750g a week (because the last bit will be hardest to shift) I will take just over six more weeks to get there, on 27 July.

Sorry if all this sounds much too cocky. I know I might very easily look stupid later. But I wanted to challenge myself to set some targets and put them out there. So I am aiming to lose 17kg (about 38pounds or 2st.10lb) in just over 4 months. And I’ll be glad of whatever progress I do make even if I fall short.

So please wish me luck as I start. And good luck with your own goals to everyone who made it this far!

[SofaJockey]

Nothing wrong with setting goals. 1 kg / week is a fair target if you are focused (I've managed 1 kg / week overall). But there's much to be said for focusing on one week at a time within the context of larger goals. Best of luck.

[GrampaSimon in reply to SofaJockey]

Thanks and good advice I’m sure about taking it one week at a time!

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

Hello and welcome, GrampaSimon

Targets can have different effects on different people, especially the time scales but you know yourself. Whatever you do, make it a change for life, which means finding a plan you will enjoy and can stick with.

Everything you need to get involved with the forum is in Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... I recommend joining a weekly weigh in and using the Daily Diary to share your meal plans, and you'll find plenty of other activities in Pinned Posts. The forum is all about mutual support so, wherever you go, give a few encouraging words to others and it will all pay off for you.

All the best

[GrampaSimon in reply to BridgeGirl]

Thanks for the very clear advice as well as the encouragement. I find it does help me to have clear targets to aim at - even if I risk falling short. I recognise other people do have different ways, and they will know best for them. Thanks again for the help

[Tiggerr]

Welcome Simon

Loving the first goal which as you say is a quick win and if all goes well, you'll soon knock that out of the park.

Great that you've set yourself those other goals and my suggestion would be to not write them in stone in your mind. The body isn't a machine and rarely follows a straight line and can even stall (especially when trying to lose weight too fast).

Good luck!

[GrampaSimon]

Thanks! And I’m sure you’re right that it won’t be a straight line! All best to you too

[Gonti 10 kg]

Hi GrampaS weightloss is unpredictable and not linear. It might be easier to set some goals for healthy eating within your target calorie zone for your bmi and accept the weight loss that will happen as a result. When you plan your healthy eating take into account what made you overweight to begin with and plan around that.

[Gonti 10 kg]

Forgot to say good luck and keep posting

[GrampaSimon]

Good point about non-linear. My goals are as set out, I realise they probably won’t happen to schedule. My strategy is pretty simple: Eat Less and Move More 😀My diet was already fairly balanced - not eating wrong stuff, just wrong quantities 😀plus the odd glass which is now cut out🤣🤣😀 Good luck and best wishes for your own journey

[Lavender54]

Great goals GrampaSimon, go for it.

[Subtle_badger]

I would suggest keeping the goals but losing the timescales. You are just setting yourself for disappointment. You can only control what do, not the results. The weight is going to come off at it's own speed.

That being said, I decided to check my weightloss journey and see how it compares.

In October, I was where you are, just over 30 BMI. I started using a food diary, and that affected my eating that I lost 2.5kg by doing nothing but writing it down. Then I decided to step it up with eat less/move more and I didn't lose anything else despite weighing every morsel I ate for 3 weeks.

December 10th, BMI 29.x, I started following the Fast 800 diet. That was an amazing kick start! I kept it up for a few weeks, then transitioned away from strict calories counting to LCHF and IF. I did have a 6 week weight loss stall that I broke with a 62 hour fast (something I will not be repeating until this virus is under control), and Friday morning my BMI dropped to 24.9, and this morning my scales tantalised me with 70.0kg.

So taking 10/12 as my real start day, it's a nearly 5 point drop in BMI and 12.5 kg of weight loss in 3 months and 10 days.

Your goal is not crazy, but I do not believe I could have done it while following high carb, lower calorie diet. I believe that "eat less, move more" and "a calorie is a calorie" are partly responsible for the obesity epidemic.

But whatever path you chose, good luck! I'll be cheering you on.

[GrampaSimon in reply to Subtle_badger]

That’s really informative and helpful. Huge congrats on the progress you’ve made!

[Craftyperson]

Great that you've got some good goals there and realise may not make them all. But doable and much less daunting than thinking of the whole. Good luck

[GrampaSimon in reply to Craftyperson]

Thanks! Same to you!

[Craftyperson in reply to GrampaSimon]

Cheers

[Bee-bop Maintainer 2st 7lbs]

Hi GrandpaSimon,

That sounds a fantastic way to plan your weight loss! It seems reasonable amounts and planned in small increments. I am on the slimming world plan which offers support by asking each week if anything will interfere with your weight loss ( birthday, Christmas etc), how you will deal with that and what can you put in place to protect your weight loss. It is good to think about it as you can then choose what/if you want to loose, see what happens etc

I eat more fruit and veg now, low sugar and less: fat, white rice and potatoes, it's working for me.

Good luck !

[Lilaclady24 Restart Sept 2024]

Welcome on here!

You sound like me! I too set up these lofty goals and am crushed when there is a stall or slow down. My advice: stick with this site, read all that is recommended, engage with others, & encourage others as best you can. For me, the encouragement and knowledge gained on this site and the idea of starting Intermittent Fasting ( IF) have helped greatly with the snacking & overeating urges which were my downfall. Do try IF. 16:8 is my routine and it is very feasible. Calorie counting has fallen out of favour so see what others are recommending on here. LCHF is great for weight loss tho not so great for vegetarians like me. It’s not complicated tho & has a proven record for huge weight loss. For now, I would remove my gaze from the distant mountain of weight you want to lose and train your gaze instead on much more immediately realizable goals: Make health your overall goal and set yourself smaller interim goals such as a 5 lb loss by a certain date. Join one of the challenges on here. I’ve joined the Easter Challenge and find it very motivating. Best of luck to you!

[GrampaSimon in reply to Lilaclady24]

Thanks for all these good tips, I am trying IF 16:8 and it works pretty well. I do want those lofty goals but I mentioned the first one is 2kg so pretty much like your 5lb suggestion - chunking it down to complete the long journey step by do-able step. Thanks so much for the encouragement