Hi all. I thought I’d share my “lifestyle change” experiences here as (so far) it’s been successful in helping me achieve the healthier weight I wanted, and make me feel so much fitter.
I am female and 5 foot 5.5 inches tall and in June 2009 I was the best part of 12 stone and wanted to make a change. I’d done some running and went to the gym 5 times a week, but slogged out 60 mins on the cross trainer as routine and it wasn’t doing anything to help me lose weight. I felt I ate healthily, just far too much food. So I decided to change.
1) I targeted my evening meal and changed it from a large plate to a small plate and made sure it was approx 1/4 protein, 1/4 carbs and half veg. For me, cutting out carbs never worked, so my lunch was also a sandwich with 2 slices of wholemeal granary bread and breakfast was porridge with a little honey. I snacked on oranges, bananas (1 a day) and apples. This was done Monday morning – Friday lunchtime and weekends were much more lenient but still restrained to a point
2)I stopped my gym membership and upped my running.
3)I used my fitness pal to make sure I didn’t overeat
By Christmas 2009 I dropped to 10ish stone and stabilised there for a year, perfectly happy with that. However, I upped my running again in Jan 2011 to train for a run, and dropped down to 9 and a half stone by Feb 2011; once again I stabilised for a year. In Jan 2012 I started training for my first marathon and dropped to 8 stone 9lb.
As it has been a lifestyle change, each period of weight loss has been followed by stabilisation, and I’ve never felt better. I still drink beer at the weekend (I love real ale and can’t give that up on a Friday / Saturday, but only drink a few halves now rather than pints), I still have a chippy tea weekly, and nothing is forbidden, I’ve just learnt to think before I eat.
If you’re still awake after that, I’m sorry for the ramble and feel free to ignore, but I know how hard it is, and so wanted to share what I did, if it helps anyone. It obviously won’t work for everyone though!
I eat porridge, potatoes and bread every day (though not on the same plate!), and I'm still losing weight.
Great to hear someone say this! This whole anti-carbs thing is just plain wrong as far as I can see. Clearly if carbs means chips, or cake, then that's unhealthy, but the unhealthiness is in the sugar, fat, cooking methods etc, not the original carbohydrates. Though clearly wholegrain is better than refined.
I grew up in a family that prided itself on its thinness (and still does) and attributed that thinness to a fairly high proportion of carbohydrates in the diet - I think with justification. Eating a reasonable amount of carbs such as brown rice or porridge means you are far less likely to fill up on unheatlhy stuff.
Week 2, Day 1.....Sunday 20 Jan 2013
Weight 204 lbs
Todays routine
Breakfast:....bowl bran flakes, banana, bio drink
Work, then of to gym70 min cardio session
Dinner:.......3 mini fillets of chicken with carrots
End of Week 2
Total cardio time at gym this week 5hr and 15 min, done over 4 days, with me burning of a total of 2900 calories, and on average 670-700 calories per session
Food intake just roughly neen the same, all though I did indulge on Tue/Wed as I wasnt at the gym on these days
Had a really good cardio work out today felt great, feel as time goes on can do alot more, even went for a swim and done 20 lengths of the pool
Weighed my self today at gym, and now my weight is 201 lbs, so have lost 3 lbs this week
My target for Week 3 is to try least to lose a further 5 lbs
I don't see why some people regard carbohydrates as so evil anyway. Taken in moderation, they're a necessary part of a healthy diet:
On Tue and Wed I indulges in some carbo intake, namely 4 beef, and salad sandwiches, on white farmhouse bread, so nice, think doing this restocks my carbo, making fro a better workout next day
Just weighed myself for the first time in a while and have lost a further 5lbs taking my total weight loss to 2st 7lbs with only a further 1st 7lbs to lose before I reach my goal weight. Can't believe my BMI is finally out of the overweight category!
Starting weight last Saturday = 10 stone 1 pound
Today's weight = 9 stone 11.8 pounds
3.2 pounds loss....yay.
No chocolate or biscuits have passes my lips in 7 days either!
I seem to have lost a couple of pounds which is a good start!
I've given up coke, which has been the hardest thing for me as I was completly addicted - had headaches all week, which I've heard happens when you give up coke. Hopefully these will stop soon!
Working out at home and work too, and my sister has dusted off the Wii so been having some fun on Just Dance :-)
Still got a way to go, but now I've got coke out of my system, and other snacks (crisps and chocolate mainly) I feel like it's do-able. Never would have thought it!
Oops. 1016kcal already today. That's only another 784kcal for the rest of the day. No 74kcal ginger oat biscuits for me today.
Quite easy..
shred up some cabbage, carrots, add some extra low fat mayonaise (2 dessert spoons at most) mix it all up. Cut up some lean ham and mix it all up, add some cherry tomatoes .... well tasty, virtually 0 calories and 0 fat and extremely filling eat as much as you like
i'm struggling with my weight a bit, i was a bit large probably a size 16, i never once weighed myself during that period so no idea of how much i weighed, so when i lost a bit of weight i got some scales and couldn't get below ten stone so i threw the scales out. i got weighed yesterday and had a pleasant surprise i'm nine and a half stone yey, i'd be so happy if i could get down to eight and maybe get a flatter stomach as at present i look about five months pregnant, if anyone has any advice on that i would be very grateful
The quickest and still keeping my curvy shape: I was stuck in an airport overnight - I'd had cereal and half a sandwich in the morning then had only bottled water until almost lunch time the next day when I had a croissant and a mars bar then nothing apart from a dry cheese biscuit until lunch time the next day. Because I'd only had water to drink my skin was radiant, I'd lost loads of weight but still had a good shape.I'd been awake all during one night so occasionally walked around and to the toilet ie exercise.
So there you are: semi-starvation, but because the water filled me up I wasn't particularly hungry. Teenage boys were eyeing me up and I'm no spring chicken!
i'm struggling with my weight a bit, i was a bit large probably a size 16, i never once weighed myself during that period so no idea of how much i weighed, so when i lost a bit of weight i got some scales and couldn't get below ten stone so i threw the scales out. i got weighed yesterday and had a pleasant surprise i'm nine and a half stone yey, i'd be so happy if i could get down to eight and maybe get a flatter stomach as at present i look about five months pregnant, if anyone has any advice on that i would be very grateful
Have no advice about getting a flatter stomach but if you get any ideas let me know as have the same problem and I hate it! Good luck with your weight loss.
The quickest and still keeping my curvy shape: I was stuck in an airport overnight - I'd had cereal and half a sandwich in the morning then had only bottled water until almost lunch time the next day when I had a croissant and a mars bar then nothing apart from a dry cheese biscuit until lunch time the next day. Because I'd only had water to drink my skin was radiant, I'd lost loads of weight but still had a good shape.I'd been awake all during one night so occasionally walked around and to the toilet ie exercise.
So there you are: semi-starvation, but because the water filled me up I wasn't particularly hungry. Teenage boys were eyeing me up and I'm no spring chicken!
I don't have the willpower to semi-starve myself, which is a shame as it does work. I had norovirus before Christmas and lost just over 5lb as I wasn't eating and only keeping water down. Unfortunately I love my food too much and put it all back on when I could eat again
No weight loss for me this week, so I really am disappointed. It's going to take me forever if I'm going to lose 1/2lb and then not lose anything week after week. It's been one of those weeks so I know that I am to blame, tomorrow is another week though!
Going to measure my waist/hips at some point when I find my tape measure out, so that when I do eventually lose the weight I can see how much of a difference there is.
thanks sarah0890
i will definitely let you know if i come across anything about a flatter stomach, i can't stand it either, i look ridiculous in everything i wear, since my stomach is bigger than my chest i'm always getting asked if i'm pregnant or ee i didn't know you were expecting
i tend to keep my coat on in the summer now
Total cardio time at gym this week 5hr and 15 min, done over 4 days, with me burning of a total of 2900 calories, and on average 670-700 calories per session
Food intake just roughly neen the same, all though I did indulge on Tue/Wed as I wasnt at the gym on these days
Had a really good cardio work out today felt great, feel as time goes on can do alot more, even went for a swim and done 20 lengths of the pool
Weighed my self today at gym, and now my weight is 201 lbs, so have lost 3 lbs this week
My target for Week 3 is to try least to lose a further 5 lbs
Week 3
Day 1
Sun 27 Jan 2013
Had a really good work out at the gym,
Done around 95 min of cardio, which consisted of 15 min cycling, 10 min treadmill, with 3 reps done of each exercise, and the time also includes cooldown time of +3 mins
I have a garmin fr60 watch, which allows me to see how hard I am exercising and how many calories I am burning of, and today Sun 27 Jan burnt of 905 calories, which = 9 calories per min burnt
At the end of my sesssion weighed my self, now not to concerned what weight I am, as I havent really been to the toilet for a good crap, and with no exercise on Sat, calories would have been consumed, so overall my weight today is 203 lbs
For Fri still aiming to get my self down to around 196 - 198
Crikey I'm glad I'm not doing all this calorie counting stuff!! I'd still be wanting to go to McDonalds as it was "within my calorie limit" yet there's no way I'd lose weight on it!
Crikey I'm glad I'm not doing all this calorie counting stuff!! I'd still be wanting to go to McDonalds as it was "within my calorie limit" yet there's no way I'd lose weight on it!
Are you suggesting that people could eat fewer calories than they expend, but if they were eating McDonalds as part of those 'fewer calories', that they wouldn't lose weight?
Are you suggesting that people could eat fewer calories than they expend, but if they were eating McDonalds as part of those 'fewer calories', that they wouldn't lose weight?
Do you think if i ate a big tasty meal every day, i'd lose weight?
You could eat 20 mars bars a day and be in limit... do you think you'd lose weight?
It's also about diet change, eating lots of fruit and veg (i.e. no calories but you'll feel full just the same) not eating stuff out of packets/tins.
Of course you may disagree, which is fine. But I know in 3 weeks doing the above I'll have lost over half a stone
Do you think if i ate a big tasty meal every day, i'd lose weight?
You could eat 20 mars bars a day and be in limit... do you think you'd lose weight?
It's also about diet change, eating lots of fruit and veg (i.e. no calories but you'll feel full just the same) not eating stuff out of packets/tins.
Of course you may disagree, which is fine. But I know in 3 weeks doing the above I'll have lost over half a stone
I'm not sure about this one. I have a friend who is tiny - like a size 6 - and she freely admits she never cooks and rarely eats fruit or vegetables. Her idea of a meal is a ham sandwich, and she generally eats biscuits and cake instead of actual meals. She eats very little, but it is all crap. So she doesn't put weight on, but I'm not sure how healthy she is.
I'd rather be slightly bigger and eat healthily than tiny and just exist on additives.
Comments
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/eatwell-plate.aspx
I eat porridge, potatoes and bread every day (though not on the same plate!), and I'm still losing weight.
Indeed it's not the carbs but the type of carbs. Too much protein is not healthy.
lol sounds delicious....:p
I am female and 5 foot 5.5 inches tall and in June 2009 I was the best part of 12 stone and wanted to make a change. I’d done some running and went to the gym 5 times a week, but slogged out 60 mins on the cross trainer as routine and it wasn’t doing anything to help me lose weight. I felt I ate healthily, just far too much food. So I decided to change.
1) I targeted my evening meal and changed it from a large plate to a small plate and made sure it was approx 1/4 protein, 1/4 carbs and half veg. For me, cutting out carbs never worked, so my lunch was also a sandwich with 2 slices of wholemeal granary bread and breakfast was porridge with a little honey. I snacked on oranges, bananas (1 a day) and apples. This was done Monday morning – Friday lunchtime and weekends were much more lenient but still restrained to a point
2)I stopped my gym membership and upped my running.
3)I used my fitness pal to make sure I didn’t overeat
By Christmas 2009 I dropped to 10ish stone and stabilised there for a year, perfectly happy with that. However, I upped my running again in Jan 2011 to train for a run, and dropped down to 9 and a half stone by Feb 2011; once again I stabilised for a year. In Jan 2012 I started training for my first marathon and dropped to 8 stone 9lb.
As it has been a lifestyle change, each period of weight loss has been followed by stabilisation, and I’ve never felt better. I still drink beer at the weekend (I love real ale and can’t give that up on a Friday / Saturday, but only drink a few halves now rather than pints), I still have a chippy tea weekly, and nothing is forbidden, I’ve just learnt to think before I eat.
If you’re still awake after that, I’m sorry for the ramble and feel free to ignore, but I know how hard it is, and so wanted to share what I did, if it helps anyone. It obviously won’t work for everyone though!
Great to hear someone say this! This whole anti-carbs thing is just plain wrong as far as I can see. Clearly if carbs means chips, or cake, then that's unhealthy, but the unhealthiness is in the sugar, fat, cooking methods etc, not the original carbohydrates. Though clearly wholegrain is better than refined.
I grew up in a family that prided itself on its thinness (and still does) and attributed that thinness to a fairly high proportion of carbohydrates in the diet - I think with justification. Eating a reasonable amount of carbs such as brown rice or porridge means you are far less likely to fill up on unheatlhy stuff.
End of Week 2
Total cardio time at gym this week 5hr and 15 min, done over 4 days, with me burning of a total of 2900 calories, and on average 670-700 calories per session
Food intake just roughly neen the same, all though I did indulge on Tue/Wed as I wasnt at the gym on these days
Had a really good cardio work out today felt great, feel as time goes on can do alot more, even went for a swim and done 20 lengths of the pool
Weighed my self today at gym, and now my weight is 201 lbs, so have lost 3 lbs this week
My target for Week 3 is to try least to lose a further 5 lbs
On Tue and Wed I indulges in some carbo intake, namely 4 beef, and salad sandwiches, on white farmhouse bread, so nice, think doing this restocks my carbo, making fro a better workout next day
hopfully i can do this by march
I've just put my new bicycle together. on my second ride, I had a puncture!
However, I've just found out that Sainsbury's Vegetable Chili is only 230kcal per 400g tin! That's useful.
Today's weight = 9 stone 11.8 pounds
3.2 pounds loss....yay.
No chocolate or biscuits have passes my lips in 7 days either!
I've given up coke, which has been the hardest thing for me as I was completly addicted - had headaches all week, which I've heard happens when you give up coke. Hopefully these will stop soon!
Working out at home and work too, and my sister has dusted off the Wii so been having some fun on Just Dance :-)
Still got a way to go, but now I've got coke out of my system, and other snacks (crisps and chocolate mainly) I feel like it's do-able. Never would have thought it!
Well done to everyone else who's getting results!
Quite easy..
shred up some cabbage, carrots, add some extra low fat mayonaise (2 dessert spoons at most) mix it all up. Cut up some lean ham and mix it all up, add some cherry tomatoes .... well tasty, virtually 0 calories and 0 fat and extremely filling
So there you are: semi-starvation, but because the water filled me up I wasn't particularly hungry. Teenage boys were eyeing me up and I'm no spring chicken!
Have no advice about getting a flatter stomach but if you get any ideas let me know as have the same problem and I hate it! Good luck with your weight loss.
I don't have the willpower to semi-starve myself, which is a shame as it does work. I had norovirus before Christmas and lost just over 5lb as I wasn't eating and only keeping water down. Unfortunately I love my food too much and put it all back on when I could eat again
No weight loss for me this week, so I really am disappointed. It's going to take me forever if I'm going to lose 1/2lb and then not lose anything week after week. It's been one of those weeks so I know that I am to blame, tomorrow is another week though!
Going to measure my waist/hips at some point when I find my tape measure out, so that when I do eventually lose the weight I can see how much of a difference there is.
i will definitely let you know if i come across anything about a flatter stomach, i can't stand it either, i look ridiculous in everything i wear, since my stomach is bigger than my chest i'm always getting asked if i'm pregnant or ee i didn't know you were expecting
i tend to keep my coat on in the summer now
Week 3
Day 1
Sun 27 Jan 2013
Had a really good work out at the gym,
Done around 95 min of cardio, which consisted of 15 min cycling, 10 min treadmill, with 3 reps done of each exercise, and the time also includes cooldown time of +3 mins
I have a garmin fr60 watch, which allows me to see how hard I am exercising and how many calories I am burning of, and today Sun 27 Jan burnt of 905 calories, which = 9 calories per min burnt
At the end of my sesssion weighed my self, now not to concerned what weight I am, as I havent really been to the toilet for a good crap, and with no exercise on Sat, calories would have been consumed, so overall my weight today is 203 lbs
For Fri still aiming to get my self down to around 196 - 198
Are you suggesting that people could eat fewer calories than they expend, but if they were eating McDonalds as part of those 'fewer calories', that they wouldn't lose weight?
Do you think if i ate a big tasty meal every day, i'd lose weight?
You could eat 20 mars bars a day and be in limit... do you think you'd lose weight?
It's also about diet change, eating lots of fruit and veg (i.e. no calories but you'll feel full just the same) not eating stuff out of packets/tins.
Of course you may disagree, which is fine. But I know in 3 weeks doing the above I'll have lost over half a stone
I'm not sure about this one. I have a friend who is tiny - like a size 6 - and she freely admits she never cooks and rarely eats fruit or vegetables. Her idea of a meal is a ham sandwich, and she generally eats biscuits and cake instead of actual meals. She eats very little, but it is all crap. So she doesn't put weight on, but I'm not sure how healthy she is.
I'd rather be slightly bigger and eat healthily than tiny and just exist on additives.