Weight loss and diet thread

[Tubbs]

Hallo,

I was wondering if anyone else is currently trying to lose weight. We could support each other through the good days and the bad

I'm really serious about getting into shape! So far I've lost 4.5kg.

[MissKatie]

4.5kg is a great loss!

I lost 20kg last year being unemployed but have put 2kg back on already in my new job.

Definitely think this is a great idea!

I'm big into calorie deficits as I know they work for me

[arrested_development]

It sounds like you're doing well, you just have to remember that and not let yourself slip. Good luck.

At the beginning of the year I asked my GP for help. I was in the obese zone on a BMI chart and was having trouble walking. I got shin splints really badly and often. They offered me an app to talk to people called Oviva. It had some guides on it too and was a little help I guess. I was tracking my weight on it and went to the GP every week to weigh myself (my idea). I also started Keto (my idea) and stuck to these things for a while.

Not sure how many months I did it but it worked and people noticed that I had lost weight, nearly 20kg from 100kg. But I started eating at that point to cope with general anxiety and slipped back into my old routine. I've said to myself that I'm only going to eat twice a day from Monday and stick to it. No sugar.

[Tubbs]

^^ Thanks Miss Katie. Wow, 20kg is a great achievement I hope you can keep it up - you got this!

^ Thanks hydef. Again, 20kg is phenomenal by any measure! Hope you're able to get back to healthy habits again.

I totally understand though. For as long as I can remember I've used food as a way of numbing anxiety and depression. It's so difficult to change this mindset isn't it. I don't wanna say what my BMI or my current weight are, haha. Too much. But I've noticed that since turning 40, my knees hurt a lot more than they used to

I find the My Net Diary app really useful for counting calories. @Miss Katie @hydef How many cals do you budget for? I aim for around 1500 - 1800 per day.

How's everyone's diets going? Not great for me this week, I gained 0.3 kg and lost 0.4. Felt tired and crappy on Friday so I ordered a Chinese takeaway. Then on Sat night I buckled and devoured a six pack of chocolate bars. Still, that's a net loss this week of 0.1 kg I suppose. Small victories and all that.

Anyway, best of luck to you both. If I ever get anywhere near my goal weight I will post before and after pictures!

[Clumsy*]

Ah same here, Tubbs, my knees started to become painful when I turned 40, then progressively all other joints (shoulders, ankles, wrists, and even fingers). I'm only lucky my back does not hurt.

Although my bmi is fine, I automatically thought that I should lose weight to improve.

I haven't managed to lose the weight yet. But one thing that helped was to become more active through my job as I often have to play football with kids.

Good luck to you, and everyone

[BFG_]

Originally Posted by Tubbs

and devoured a six pack of chocolate bars.

That's impressive are we talking full size variety pack bars like aeros twix etc or just penguin type bars?

I'd be bouncing off the walls with either.

[Tubbs]

^^ Thanks Clumsy*. I've been having pain problems since my late twenties, but the knees is a new one I do need to get more active though. Is there such a thing as an exercise DVD for OAPs, I wonder?

^ It was these. They're roughly the size of a finger of Fudge.

[Mr. Nobody]

Originally Posted by Tubbs

^Is there such a thing as an exercise DVD for OAPs, I wonder?

I quite like this YouTube channel,
He often seems to be advising on just the very things that are often a problem for me,... at my *cough* age

[Amara 94]

I've done keto. The most I've been where some saw me as getting fat and others thought I was bulking up was 90kg and I'm around 5ft 7 I think. With keto the first time in 2021 I reached my 15 year old weight of around 68kg. The reason I quit was because I started a new job in a hotel and didn't want to deal with the hassle of telling others I don't eat sugar.
Food is everywhere in the hotel, especially unhealthy carby cakes. The hotel job is where I gained the weight to 90 kg and stayed around that weight despite moving a lot during the day. I think it was also the long hours and irregular meal times, sometimes my team would finish around 4am at latest and then start the same morning at 10am.
I maintained this weight at a pub job where although I didn't eat much the main meal was chips and burger, although I tried to look for healthier alternatives sometimes which was basically salad with the meat of a burger.

I have tried keto again and work in a bakeries now, although it's part time. As soon as I started keto I dropped to around 78kg and noticed my face looked a bit more defined or better. Recently though I had a few weeks of diarrhoea which I think was brought by stress and maybe the fact that I wasn't being strict enough with keto. I lost weight during those weeks to a weight of 70kg. It noticeably affected my work because I have too much of a mild belly ache to do my dishwashing job as well as I can and I couldn't really exercise as I was focused mainly on when I was going to feel the need to go toilet. I read that the diarrhoea might have been due to a gallbladder issue, gut bacteria issues or low stomach acid so recently I quit keto, about two days ago. I already notice I have gained a few kg's, probably water weight. But I want to stay low carb generally but try to eat a more varied diet, without excess sugar. I am more curious about macro nutrients now.

I don't think keto is for everyone, it seems to only work short term for me. Since quitting although I don't want to gain too much fat, my diarrhoea has gone and I seem to noticeably have more energy.

The main challenge of following a diet is that people judge you or make assumptions.

[Amara 94]

It’s interesting since being carbs back into my diet, although I’m wary of having too many carbs so some meals are like low carb, I notice that I have more energy however I also get much more exhausted. For example, after work I use much more energy at work as in work faster but will feel like sleeping after. After a uni seminar class I felt drained. During keto I remember feeling drained after one seminar but never to the extent of when I'm having carbs. After work on keto I might feel tired but never to the point of dosing off in the train. But I didn’t feel as much explosive or hyper energy doing keto as well, pushups are easier with carbs, more pushups I mean.

With keto I would say my energy levels were more stable but also not as available. It was like I wasn’t tired on keto but I also wasn’t as energetic. I’m still scared of going weight with carbs as I did when I worked in a hotel although tbh hotel life consisted of sometimes going home at 4am and waking up to go work for 11am. Cakes and sweets everywhere, occasional alcohol so it wasn’t healthy for me.

[Blackflies]

https://www.themealprepking.com/

I don’t think this man ^ is a very likeable person so haven’t bought his book but I do like his concept and many others that do meal planning videos.

Personally it doesn’t help me as I just don’t have the motivation and I’m lazy for I think setting aside a day a week to meal prep is fantastic in theory. I try to drink more fluids in the day so I don’t want to eat as much.

I’m comfortable with my size but I am in the overweight BMI category. My ‘problem’ area or the bit I am uncomfortable with is my protruding lower tum. My DR prescribed my metformin for other issues which I had hoped might multi benefit me as I think I’m insulin resistant but haven’t noticed a difference. My issue is not eating large meals but rather one meal or two small ones and then snacking (horrendously come evening). I have a terrible association with being hungry the moment I hit bed. Maybe that’s because my worries take hold there. My diet also mostly consists of processed foods so I can’t cry for my double chins while I fill my cheeks with crisps.

[Tubbs]

^^ @Amara 94 I don't know much about keto really. Generally I'm trying to consume more protein and less carbs/sugar though.

Originally Posted by Mr. Nobody

I quite like this YouTube channel,
He often seems to be advising on just the very things that are often a problem for me,... at my *cough* age

I'll check that out, thanks Mr. Nobody.

For gentle exercises I'm a big fan of this channel: yes2next - even though it's probably aimed at people much older than me! Aside from walking I haven't really exercised properly in *cough* a few years.

@Blackflies Your last paragraph in particular is so relatable! These last few years I've been coming around to the possibility that I (in all likelihood) have ADHD. It affects me in ways I didn't realise were possible, including eating and meal planning. The first time I saw this picture, it was a bit of a lightbulb moment - I've got the full bingo card, so to speak:



----------------------------------------

I've been a bit up and down lately, weight-wise, but since my first post I've lost a further 1.5kg - bringing the total to 6kg.

[newbs16]

Hello

Massive well done with your weight loss, are you calorie counting or following a diet club type diet.

Today is the first day of my diet I weighed myself this morning, I need a dieting buddy

Sent from my SM-A125F using Tapatalk

[Tubbs]

Thanks newbs!

I'm counting calories using an app called MyNetDiary. I'm just generally trying to eat healthier and cut out snacks. In the past I've thought (many times!) about attending a Slimming World group, but I'm too anxious.

How about you, what thing(s) are you doing to lose weight?

I'd love to be your dieting buddy! Very best of luck with it all. Stay strong and remember your goals.

[Detox]

I've lost around 12 pounds since the end of September.

I was with someone until then who wouldn't eat anything other than pizzas and McDonalds and had no proper food at her flat when I went over on weekends, so I had to eat similar things (and got fed up of it pretty quickly). I had put on around 2 stone in the last two years.

So I've not been eating that junk and cutting down on eating snacks.
Also small things like instead of bread for a sandwich I just use a tortillia wrap, half the calories in terms of if I had two slices of bread.

[Tubbs]

^ 12 pounds is great going, well done Detox (fitting name, by the way!)

That's a good tip about using a tortilla instead of bread, I will try that

[Detox]

Originally Posted by Tubbs

^ 12 pounds is great going, well done Detox (fitting name, by the way!)

That's a good tip about using a tortilla instead of bread, I will try that

Thank you.

Yeah the tortillia wraps say on the packets to use them within a day of opening, but that's a load of rubbish. I've had opened packets in the bread bin for a while and they haven't gone off or stale.

All the best with your dieting!

[Blackflies]

Great chart. I relate to that a lot too. I don’t have ADHD but depression and mood swings have a similar pattern I think. I’ll often have great, productive thoughts about eating better. I’ll save videos on recipes and buy better (eg not just fill the freezer with frozen ready meals) but then my mood will hit a low and I’ll just not bother or I’ll go all day feeling not hungry then suddenly feel ill and overcompensate.

I used to know an older guy (probably 60) that had ADHD and went to a slimming group. He was very loud anyway but seemed to really enjoy it and he did lose quite a bit. I think for him the motivation was feeling a bit of obligation to lose a bit or else feel a bit of shame for not as it would be the same group. I get for someone with SA that shame is probably the very fear factor but I guess different things work for different people. I knew another around the same age bracket who lost a tonne on Keto Diet. Personally I couldn’t do that diet but I think it’s a good compromise for being able to eat a lot of stuff that won’t leave you feeling like you’re starving. An air fryer is also great for quick food.

Depending on your fitness levels (and general health) maybe a hiking or walking group might be a good motivation in the summer/spring months. Personally I don’t think buying gym equipment is all that helpful unless you have a buddy or partner who would be interested in motivating you along side. Otherwise it’s just wasted cash.

Joining an app like TikTok or YouTube and finding appealing video hosts could provide some motivation. I think it’s beneficial to follow people that look at a similar starting point rather than follow toned models who are naturally just going to make us feel rubbish about ourselves from the get go.

I haven’t actually tried it yet but keep meaning to try chia puddings. They are basically overnight oats so you can batch make them for a few days and store in the fridge. That seems like a good work around for people with our motivation issues (though granted the fact I still haven’t tried goes to show any suggestion has to be taken with a grain of salt).

[Chess&Junkfood]

Great thread, Tubbs! I would like to start the diet now, but what with Christmas and all. I'm already nibbling on a toblerone as we speak. But after Christmas my goal is to lose a few stone. And then I will try to chart my progress. That's the theory anyway.

[Tubbs]

@Blackflies, thank you for the tips! Someone recently offered me their unwanted air fryer for free, but I had to turn them down because I don't have any spare kitchen worktop space, boo.

@Chess&Junkfood Very best of luck! Let us know how you're getting on

Total weight loss is now 7.3kg.

[Merritt]

Well done to everyone managing to lose weight

Something I find really difficult is I might feel motivated for a short while, to eat healthier, do less comfort eating, calorie control, etc, but quickly I start thinking 'Why am I bothering? Why do I care?' and I don't really have an answer I guess I just feel like I 'should'. And it can often result in me going in the opposite direction, eating poorly and too much just to spite myself. Or, I dunno, deliberately sabotaging progress so I don't have to worry about keeping it up any more.

I'm lucky in that I don't have a particularly big appetite, and sometimes have to remind myself to have a meal when it's getting late in the day. But I'll snack and snack and snack, mainly out of boredom, or lack of stimulation, just wanting those little hits of pleasure.

[Chess&Junkfood]

Thanks, Tubbs. And best of luck everyone!

[Tubbs]

Total weight loss now is 10.4 kg.

@Merritt I've been unsure about whether to share this on here but in October I started taking s*m*gl*t*d* (W*g*vy), which has been a great help in keeping me on track and curbing the ol' appetite. I've heard it said that W*g*vy cuts out all the 'food noise' - which has been true, in my experience. I had to pay for a private prescription because it's not available on the NHS where I live. It's not cheap, but it's been 100% worth it for me. (I've also heard it said that what you spend on W*g*vy, you save on grocery bills! ) I've had no side effects to speak of, aside from the occasional bit of acid reflux - but you can get over-the-counter stuff to tackle that.

[Merritt]

Sounds like it's been working wonders for you, Tubbs Even with that aiding you though, it's still an accomplishment.

[Tubbs]

^ Thanks, Mezza X

^^ In that last post I meant to say that I checked with my own GP before starting s*m*gl*t*d*, just to make sure it was okay to take with my other medications and so on.

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The diet has not been going so great lately, what with Christmas at my parents' place and all the food within easy reach. It seems to have reawakened both my appetite and my sweet tooth! Tonight I had an Indian takeaway, followed by a bag of Dairy Milk Giant Buttons (that I'd been saving for a special treat). I'm disappointed in myself TBH.

[Merritt]

Don't feel bad for indulging a bit at this time of year, I'm sure almost everyone else is doing it (I certainly am ) It's difficult when there are so many temptations around, and it's made to seem a bit killjoy to not join in.

[Chess&Junkfood]

Like Merritt said Tubbs, who can blame you for wanting a festive nibble! It sounds like you've already made great progress! And once into the new year, you will be able to continue with that great progress! I'm also hoping to start my diet on the 1st January. Although I probably shouldn't have bought that crate of pot noodles the other day! Then again pot noodles do have a shelf life longer than planet Earth. So I should be fine. And good luck everyone with your diets!

[Chess&Junkfood]

I lasted about 36hrs on my diet. A personal best for me! And of course there's always next January 1st to start my diet again!

Although I will try again next week. What with still having leftover chocolates. But once I've stopped nibbling on the toblerone, then I should be good to go. And I only need to lose a few stone. So in theory it should be a toblerone. I mean a doddle.

[Tubbs]

How are your diets going my lovelies?

Had a bit of a hiccup over Christmas (gained a couple of kilos! ), but I've managed to get back on track as best I can. Total weight loss is now 11.1kg.

[Chess&Junkfood]

Way to go, Tubbs! 11.1kg weight loss is very impressive! It's also great that you're back on track! That's the thing with diets, the journey can take you into different directions. Maybe even past a few drive thrus. But as long as you reach your destination, then that's what counts.

As for my diet, I started properly on the 6th and it's been going great so far! Where I'm having 2 main meals a day. Which includes breakfast and dinner. Then I've been having a piece of fruit in between meals. Although I'm still drinking coke/pepsi, but I would probably wither away without that liquid sugar! I've also decided not to weigh myself. Instead I've recently bought a pair of jeans and my goal is to stop dieting when the button doesn't pop off.

Anyway, I hope everyones diet is going great! And if it isn't going great, then try your best again! Or until your buttons don't pop off!