Thread: Hi all ~ new to the site and calorie counting

Hello

My names Sharon, Im 42, married with 2 teenage kids. Im at my heaviest ever and couldnt believe how much the scales went up!!
Ive done SW before but I give up after a couple of months as I get bored, plus I find the classes a bit annoying.
I decided to opt for making healthier choices, looking at calorie content and trying to get a bit of exercise in aswell.
My first weigh in was last Thursday but was a bit disastrous as my scales showed a 1lb loss. I was gutted, so got back on and they showed a 2lb gain!! I got back on again and they showed a 2lb loss!!
So i have no idea if I lost, put on, or stayed the same and was really disappointed. I took my scales back & exchanged them for a different pair so will weigh this Thursday and hope its good

Would love to speak to people doing the same as Im sure having support is really important.

Thanks for reading ~ hope post wasnt too long!

Sharon

Hi Sharon, welcome to minimins, it's great. I joined a little while ago for the SW forum and i agree with you about SW, especially the classes. Are you using MFP for your daily diary?

Hi Emma

Thanks for the welcome. Im assuming MFP is my fitness pal? Got it on my fone so its quite easy to keep track once u know your calories.
My main problem is boredom. When Im down I comfort eat and when Im bored I reach for the chocolate!

Trying really hard but not 2 weeks in yet. Im grabbing an apple when I feel bored or a piece of melon which is ok for now but hoping I can get some more ideas from this board.

Thanks again for the welcome

Sharon

Me again!

Just seen your doing calorie counting and Slimming World combined. How does that work if you dont mind me asking?

Sharon

Hi, i need to update that, it's purely cc now. I did follow the sw red days whilst ensuring i didn't go over my mfp cals but got confused too often so it's cc all the way now. I cc'd for 10 days before christmas and lost 4 lb so i have big hopes for this year. If chocolate gets the better of me i have either milk or white hot choc.

4lbs in 10 days is fab! I'm so looking forward to weighing Thurs as I need to know I'm going in the right direction. Even if its a 1lb loss at least it's a loss!
The hot chocolate sounds a good idea as you can get those options that are quite low cal. Must get some lol

Thanks

Originally Posted by Sharon

Hello

My names Sharon, Im 42, married with 2 teenage kids. Im at my heaviest ever and couldnt believe how much the scales went up!!

Welcome! Congratulations on committing to doing something to get yourself back to the body you deserve and love! It's easy to gain weight,slowly...much more powerful to acknowledge there's a problem and to DO something about it. You're going to have fun here, especially as the weight comes off

Originally Posted by Sharon

I decided to opt for making healthier choices, looking at calorie content and trying to get a bit of exercise in aswell.

Much healthier than a 'diet'.

Originally Posted by Sharon

My first weigh in was last Thursday but was a bit disastrous as my scales showed a 1lb loss. I was gutted, so got back on and they showed a 2lb gain!! I got back on again and they showed a 2lb loss!!

That sucks. On the other hand, as long as you're sticking to your calories and exercising, in the long-term you WILL be losing weight. I find taking the long-term view with these things helps. Sure, maybe we didn't lose one week, or 'only' lost an amount we'd consider 'small', but in the long-term as long as we keep going, we HAVE to get there - right?

I'd say, invest in a good quality set of DIGITAL scales which show fractions of a pound / kilo as well as whole pounds / kilos - much easier to see a loss than with those scales which have a needle which points to a number. I'd also suggest investing in a good quality set of digital kitchen scales for weighing food, if you haven't got some already.

Then, weigh yourself at the same time on the same day each week, naked and after you've been to the loo. I find, first thing in in the morning on weigh-day is best.

Originally Posted by Sharon

My main problem is boredom. When Im down I comfort eat and when Im bored I reach for the chocolate!

It's SO good that you recognize that! The next part is that...food doesn't fix sadness OR boredom. You need to find solutions that actually address 'being down' or 'being bored'. That's a more personal thing and not really a focus of calorie counting, but I know it's something we all needed to 'get' at some time or other, that food will NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER - NEVER *EVER* solve 'I am sad' or 'I am bored'.

Those are problems which need OTHER solutions.

So, remember that, next time you're bored or sad. And maybe consider other things you could implement in your life or yourself which will be solutions which specifically address those things. Because food never has and it never will.

On the other hand, that doesn't have to be a negative thing, not at all. Realizing that you reach for food when sad or bored, and stopping doing that, is a really good and exciting opportunity in your life to truly address *those* issues themselves, and start feeling really happy and truly interested in stuff! After all, if you remove the comfort food but don't replace it with *anything* then you will be left feeling down and bored, and then you're more likely to reach for food again. So, this is a good time to find something to replace food with as a 'coping strategy' (or, a getting happier strategy) in those moments. You need to replace the coping food with SOMETHING, because pure will-power won't keep you in feeling sad or bored long-term. Address the underlying issues which are making you down and bored and the comfort eating will go away.

So...live a life which you find happy and exciting! Hell yeah!

And, good to see you here!

In response to you getting bored.... when you feel bored or restless start exercising. If you're not upto anything vigorous, go for a brisk walk. It really clears the mind and helps you relax too. You'll be doing your mind and body good at the same time. However, I appreciate that the weather may have a big part in that.

When I'm bored I do the housework or even just Hoover and polish. My lovely home has never been so shiny! Lol. Ohhhh I do spend a bit time trying on old clothes too. Seeing how they fit as well on a bored moment. X

Currently 15st 1.75lbs

Heya, welcome I've been doing this 8 days now and am loving it.

A while back I got into the habit of always having dessert after dinner. Now I just get up and do the washing up straight after dinner and clean the hob lol. Sounds sad but its really helping cos by the time it's done the window of opportunity for dessert has passed and I just have a cup of tea with no sugar or sweetener

Good luck, stick with it xx

Hi everyone

How lovely to log on and find so many friendly replies! Thanks so much.
Alot of great advice for me here especially how to counteract the boredom! What you said, Super Groovy, about addressing issues is spot on and is something Im trying to sort out but is a long process.
Evenings are the worst, when your sitting watching TV and Id normally eat chocolate and crisps. Been eating grapes and melon but theres only so much you can eat! So Im goin to look for some low cal snacks I can pick at without feeling guilty and that Ive undone the good choices Ive made all day.

Thanks again for the helpful replies. This site is looking like its going to be my salvation!

welcome to minimins Sharon.

Hi Babycakes

Thanks for the welcome. Looking forward to chatting with you all

Hi Sharon!

I started calorie counting two weeks ago, after numerous slimming world attempts! I tend to get to about 2 months then just give up!
I know what you mean about the classes being a bit annoying! I felt like I was being told the exact same things over and over and over....
I'm finding this a lot easier tbh! And I've been exercising which I never did when at slimming world for some reason!
How have you been getting on?
Fingers crossed that this time I'll get where I want to be!

Jenny

Hi Jenny

I kow what you mean about giving up, both times Ive been Ive gone for about 6 or 7 weeks then I get bored and just go back to eating the crap!
Im finding this much easier so far tho. Ive been doing it for 2 weeks tomoro so will weigh and see how Ive got on. Not expecting a huge loss but anything less than my start weight would be good!
Ive started using my treadmill (finally!) and been walking. Started off just 5 mins and have worked my way up to between 15 and 20 mins. Really gets my heart pumping cos Im very unfit. Im doing that every day so Im quite pleased.
Just hope I can keep it up because when Ive tried to lose weight before, if I have a bad day and eat loads then I just give up. This time, I want to just put it behind me and carry on with the healthy stuff.

Was nice to hear from you and this time lets both get to where we want to be

Talk soon