Mission to lose 5st (10/70 lbs and counting)

[zeke]

Five years ago I made a vow - to WI daily or almost daily and record it on Fridgegraph and for the weight I was that day to be my highest ever. I did it!
Previously I often started a new diet shocked by the figure on the scales at yet another 'highest ever' weight - so I have stopped that.
I haven't stopped yo yo dieting though. I haven't stopped being overweight or obese. Why? Because I haven't started being fully accountable and aware of what I consume all the time (not just when on a diet). I lose weight follow all kind of rules but cannot sustain them long term.



So I have started using MFP (Love the barcode scanner!). I've set my target Kcals as the amount it take to maintain my current weight (just over 2000 Kcals) but, as I want to lose weight, I aim each day to eat 1500 kcals - and that is what I have just started doing (first few days I simply recorded/slowly cut down). I don't set it to that amount though as it things slip up a bit then it is NOT the end of the world - I have broken no diet!



Anyway, this diary is not for recording what I eat. It is just for offloading other stuff - thoughts, inspiration, NSV, projections...

 

[zeke]

I've got no idea how long it will take me to get to 'goal' (whatever that turns out to be - the weight I feel I can maintain I guess).

I think below would be the most optimistic:

1st Mar 200 lbs
1st Apr 195 lbs
1st May 190 lbs
1st Jun 185 lbs
1st Jul 180 lbs (will feel a lot slimmer here)
1st Aug 175 lbs
1st Sep 170 lbs
1st Oct 165 lbs
1st Nov 160 lbs (will be lower than I have been in 5 years here)
1st Dec 155 lbs (will be very close to a healthy weight here)

Right now I am just focusing on going sub 200lbs (again!)

Yep, it's going to take a while but it will be more successful long term than what I have been doing! It is horrifying to look at my graph and see myself right 'back up there' again (at my heaviest in 2015 I was 209.6 lbs I think - far too close to comfort to the high point 5 yrs ago) and it isn't great to see the extent of my yo yo dieting.

 

[zeke]

To keep things nice and neat I've decided to put my starting weight in at 210 lbs (highest ever), even though I haven't actually seen that exact number for nearly 5 years...I have seen 209.4 lbs within the last couple of weeks though!

Just looking at 5 lbs at a time. When I reach that goal I will add another 5 lbs and 4 weeks onto the target date (or longer if it is taking longer). I accept that this is going to be slow but it won't be painful so I'll take that!



I must stop myself spending too much time on this diary! One way I will do that is to now only post a new graph shot when I have reached a 5 lbs target and I am adding another 5 lbs onto my goal. I'll update my stats & ticker every time I hit a lower weight (unless I have had a streak of higher kcal days and therefore have gained weight rather than fluctuated up).

 

[zeke]

Just had the Hairy Bikers (Bk 3 pg.48) Turkey Chilli with cauliflower rice for dinner - very nice



300 Kcals including the cauliflower 'rice'. I had some crème fraiche and lime wedges too though - well worth the kcals!

Really loving the hairy bikers recipes. I've got books 1 & 3 and just ordered #2.

 

[zeke]

Saturday and weekly review time! I have lost 3 lbs this week. I don't really feel like I have as the first two disappeared within a day, and before I had even started to reign my calories in much. Ironically, the last four days where I have been sticking to weight loss calories I have pretty much STS! I know that is a mid-cycle lull so I am hopeful for a small whoosh any day now.

The biggest achievement, by far, this week has been starting and realising that calorie counting is actually easier and more freeing than WW or SW!

Looking back on MFP for the week:

Sat: 2,703 (This is very inaccurate as I was at a friends house for dinner and I suspect overestimated what I ate there as it was all very healthy)
Sun: 2,088
Mon: 1,955
Tue: 1,464
Wed: 1,595
Thu: 1,494
Fri: 1,501

Yesterday was the first day I felt that I could have had about 1,200 kcals. However, I decided to have a bowl of pineapple, mango and half fat crème fraiche instead

Be interesting to see what the week ahead brings, especially as it is half-term (YAY!). One slight point of inaccuracy will be Tuesday where DH and I are going to a short cooking class that will include lunch. They JOY of calorie counting and setting my target to maintenance means I should easily be able to work out the kcals (especially as I am cooking it) even if not to any great accuracy and not feel like I am cheating or breaking any diet.

My rules (in order of priority):

1. Record consumption on MFP - as a habit - for at least the time it takes me to lose the excess weight and maintain it for 6 months (so probably 1.5 - 2 years). Good day and bad.
2. Never eating more than maintenance calories (at the moment 2,020), but don't beat myself up and turn it into a something bigger if I do
3. Aim to eat 500+ kcals less than maintenance calories as many days as possible
4. Never eat below 1200 kcals/day
5. Try to increase activity levels as much as possible (I have plantar fasciitis and a back issue - both of which are a lot better, but as still restrictive) but being careful not to make issues worse.
6. Pilates, Pilates, Pilates!

What I have learnt this week - Mangoes really do have quite a lot of calories and sugar (compared to other fruits)! I am swapping them for berries and pineapple.

 

[zeke]

Couldn't resist it!

Played around with some goal lines until the end of the year...

1 Pound/Week until last Sat in 2015 (46 weeks = 46 pounds)


Until going to NY...



2 Pounds/Week until last Sat in 2015 (46 weeks = 92 pounds = way more than want I to lose)


Until going to NY...


The end of May is a key date for me as we are going to NY for a few nights and a couple of weeks I'm going away with a group of friends for the weekend (who are ALL slim!)...being closer to 180 lbs (where I can get my wedding ring off and comfortably wear clothes a size smaller) would be rather nice...motivation to crank it up a bit?! Maybe!

 

[zeke]

Yesterday was one of those days that confirms why, for me, it is best to set calories to maintenance!

A few little extra valentines day treats (mini bottle of wine, more kcals at dinner...) meant I was up to 1800 (still 200 less than maintenance though). I felt too full tbh and definitely back to 1500 today!

I made a hairy dieters curry yesterday, which I haven't tried yet. Six portions so I've put 4 in the freezer and 2 in the fridge. 283 Kcals a portion I think - will prob have with a big pile of veggies.

Exercise. What about exercise? I haven't even done any Pilates in the last few days...

 

[zeke]

Just tried the Hairy Dieters (bk 1) Lamb, Spinach and potato curry - Gorgeous

Loving these books!

 

[zeke]

Met my first 5 lbs goal (well 4.4 lbs this time as I rounded up to make things neat)

with the goal line I had...(3 weeks)



with adjusted goal line to fit actual (9 days)



So...time to add 5 lbs on to the goal line! I'll also add on 5 weeks (although, of course, I hope I can hit it before that...)

 

[mrs_b_88]

Hiiiiiii! Well we seem quite similar! I also have back problems and plantar fasciitis and we are also around a similar weight!

Good luck in your journey I will be subscribing xx

 

[zeke]

Hiiiiiii! Well we seem quite similar! I also have back problems and plantar fasciitis and we are also around a similar weight!

Good luck in your journey I will be subscribing xx

Hi Mrs B!

Sorry to hear that you have plantar fasciitis and back problems too

Very nice to find someone who has a similar background and goals though

Do you have a diary?

I've got the Hairy Bikers steak and ale casserole in the oven - take a while to cook so that is for tomorrow's dinner! DH and DS are going to try this one, so fingers crossed they like it too (soooo fussy!). Tomorrow is my cookery course (for my new steam combination oven - which we are shamefully not really using...) so no idea what we will be having for lunch (I think we cook the lunch). Really looking forward to it - should be fun! Something different anyway.

Learning point today - enter food straight away. I had crème fraiche with the turkey chilli at lunch and finished off the tub (having more than usual) - I am now doubting the amount. I was definitely not more than 150 g (think it was 147g). Not happy to see how the kcals add up - that was double what I normally have. Bad me! Ha ha! Anyway, Just put on what I am having for dinner and I still have 150 kcals left for a sweet snack so I'm happy still.

 

[zeke]

That's me done for the day

Up early (well, considering I am on holiday) to get to cookery course on time.

Still no exercise at all today! I did get some jobs ticked off though (and moved some furniture) - DS's room needed a bit of a help! Ordered him his first wardrobe, a large desk and a chair from ikea (know what I will be doing next Monday after work then...). Hopefully he will be tempted to start doing some homework ready for starting secondary school in September!

MFP says that what I am currently eating (range 1450 - 1550 generally) will pretty much have me losing 1 lb/week. If I want to speed that up then I will have to get moving!

 

[Scrumbles]

Hi zeke!

Can really relate to the yo-yo problem - I'd hate to know how many stones I've gained and lost in my lifetime

Well done on achieving your first milestone! I think breaking it up into 5lb chunks as you are doing is such a sensible way to go about it - makes it seem much less daunting.

I think your rules are excellent too, especially the one about logging food. When I lost the bulk of my weight 3 years ago I was meticulous in recording my daily food intake on FitDay, and I think that was one of the key factors in my success - if you've written it down, you can't pretend you didn't eat it, lol!

Anyway, just thought I'd cheer you on and wish you good luck!

 

[mrs_b_88]

Morning
Yep we are very much similar with circumstances and goals arnt we!!

I hear alot about this hairy bikers book, is it good then? I may have to have a nosey!

Have a fab day at the cookery course!! xxx

Sent from my Slider SL101 using MiniMins.com mobile app

 

[zeke]

Thank you Scrumbles & Mrs B!

It is the 5 year anniversary of my weight graph on the 20th - I may work out approx. how many pounds I have lost & gained in those years when I get back! It was a similar story previous to the last 5 years - the weights were lower and the fluctuations slightly less but I think the general shape of the graph was the same. Now I have properly found calorie counting it will start looking as it should though

On that note I had fun on the spreadsheet last night - more about that this evening when I get back though. Really, really hope this is good (and healthy/low cal - should be really because who buys a steam combination oven if they don't want to be healthy?)

Yes, Hairy Dieters books are great - I have #1 & #3 (#2 on order).

 

[zeke]

Had a fantastic day @ the cookery course Feel a lot more confident using the oven now and made some lovely things!

Definitely had more Kcals for lunch than I would normally but it wasn't ott - had a very small portion of a very healthy soup, a fairly small portion of lamb casserole (put a small circle of puff pastry too) and the 1/4 of a serving of an apple and blueberry streusel with crème Anglaise. Obviously I have no idea of the kcals - so I will just put in a guess. I'm going to go for 1000 kcals...soup (150), lamb casserole (350), Pastry (250), dessert (250). It will have to do!

I'll have a portion of the casserole I made yesterday for dinner and veg and skip having more usual 150-200 kcals of something for supper if I can (not hungry at all at the moment and haven't had dinner so it should be ok!). That will take me up to approx. 1650 kcals - the main thing being that I won't let this turn into a 'weight gaining' day! Who knows maybe I overestimated lunch and I am really coming in at 1500 kcals.

 

[zeke]

Spreadsheet!

I've build myself a simple multi-page spreadsheet (just because I love that kind of thing!)

First page is simply stats conversion (lbs to st/lb to kg to BMI)

Second page is my weekly results and future prediction page - green rows are school holiday weeks:


Week 16 is pretty key at the moment - as I will be in NY that week! Not that it really matters (I will still be overweight!) but it would be nice to be less 184.4 lbs then (point of change from obese to overweight). We'll see!

Last page is my BMR at different masses, multiplied for activity levels. I've just picked out today's weight, the highest 'overweight' mass, the highest 'healthy' mass and my goal weight:



What strikes me most if the affect of the activity multiplier. At the moment I am sedentary so need approx. 1928 kcals to maintain my weight. If I want to lose 1 lb/week I need to lose 500 kcals/day - so I am down to 1428 kcals. Quite clear that if I upped the exercise to 'moderate' then I could still be eating 1500 kcals/day but hope to lose nearly 2 lbs/wk (on average).

One other thing is pretty obvious if I want to maintain 140 lbs then I will need to stick to 1500 kcals to maintain! That isn't going to happen...

I am, of course, held back by the plantar fasciitis BUT I can definitely be doing more! THAT is my target for tomorrow.

 

[Bella-slimmer]

Ah wow I like the spreadsheets and the BMR table!

It sounds like you're doing well, motivated and heading towards your goals.

 

[Scrumbles]

Loving your work with the spreadsheets and graphs and stuff - right up my street!

Last page is my BMR at different masses, multiplied for activity levels. I've just picked out today's weight, the highest 'overweight' mass, the highest 'healthy' mass and my goal weight:



What strikes me most if the affect of the activity multiplier. At the moment I am sedentary so need approx. 1928 kcals to maintain my weight. If I want to lose 1 lb/week I need to lose 500 kcals/day - so I am down to 1428 kcals. Quite clear that if I upped the exercise to 'moderate' then I could still be eating 1500 kcals/day but hope to lose nearly 2 lbs/wk (on average).

I have to say that that table is scarily accurate for "sedentary" - at age 45 I maintained for several months at around 150lbs on just a little more than 1650 cals.

Can't vouch for the effects of exercise, however, 'cos I don't do any

One other thing is pretty obvious if I want to maintain 140 lbs then I will need to stick to 1500 kcals to maintain! That isn't going to happen...

You are very wise to have taken that into consideration at the outset. I certainly did, which is why I set my goal weight right at the top end of my BMI range, and even then it has proved VERY difficult to maintain.

Though that, of course, is where exercise really becomes valuable: you can earn yourself extra calories to make maintaining easier. (I should probably dust off my trainers and heed my own advice this time round, lol!)

 

[mrs_b_88]

Morning!
Flipping Nora that is some chart isn't it! Me like!! I may have to do something similaR! Xx