*** Big Fat Weight Loss Thread ***

[randomshenans]

In hindsight, I should have taken some pictures and measurements at the start of the year.

I need to do some updated pics but have some older ones and I have a spreadsheet of measurements over the last 3 yrs of up and downs lol at least it's starting to trend downwards

 

[AndyCr15]

even though I am walking 10km a day and going to the gym twice a week.

Is that actually heading out and walking 10k a day, or just through the course of your workday or something? How active are you outside of the 10k? Also, what do you do in the gym. Most folk I see in the gym aren't burning many calories is all. Are you able to up the intensity of your exercise perhaps? I guess it also depends on what shape you're in at the moment? If you're 'quite large' still, then 10k walk a day is great and maybe you need to monitor the calories in a bit more/tighter?

 

[Somnambulist]

Is it normal for weight loss to plateau?

For the past two weeks, my weight has stayed pretty much the same even though I am walking 10km a day and going to the gym twice a week. What I have noticed though over that period according to my Fitbit scales I have lost 5% in body fat.

Yes. There are usually 2 scenarios where weight loss stalls:

1) you are still in a calorie deficit but fat loss is masked by things like water retention. You will often still see measurement changes despite the scales not budging.

2) due to diet-related adaptations such as reduced non-exercise activity, there simply being less of you, or unconsciously eating a bit more, your deficit has been reduced or removed to the point where it's closer to a new maintenance and not much fat loss is occurring.

 

[nlel1975]

I've been on a diet since April 24th, started out like this...

I'm now this...

Well on my way to my target weight of 10.5 Stone, I'm 5 foot 9.5 inches and 45 years old.

 

[AndyCr15]

Nice work

 

[Danthus]

Is that actually heading out and walking 10k a day, or just through the course of your workday or something? How active are you outside of the 10k? Also, what do you do in the gym. Most folk I see in the gym aren't burning many calories is all. Are you able to up the intensity of your exercise perhaps? I guess it also depends on what shape you're in at the moment? If you're 'quite large' still, then 10k walk a day is great and maybe you need to monitor the calories in a bit more/tighter?

I go out and walk that distance.

When I go the gym, that is a 2km walk there and back so I will do 8km on a treadmill with the incline going up every 500m and then I do a series of weights.

Yes. There are usually 2 scenarios where weight loss stalls:

1) you are still in a calorie deficit but fat loss is masked by things like water retention. You will often still see measurement changes despite the scales not budging.

2) due to diet-related adaptations such as reduced non-exercise activity, there simply being less of you, or unconsciously eating a bit more, your deficit has been reduced or removed to the point where it's closer to a new maintenance and not much fat loss is occurring.

I am pretty sure I am running a calorie deficit based on what I scan into the Fitbit app, I am drinking lots of water though but I have completely cut out fizzy drinks.

 

[Somnambulist]

I go out and walk that distance.

When I go the gym, that is a 2km walk there and back so I will do 8km on a treadmill with the incline going up every 500m and then I do a series of weights.

I am pretty sure I am running a calorie deficit based on what I scan into the Fitbit app, I am drinking lots of water though but I have completely cut out fizzy drinks.

My simple heuristic is that if weight has stalled for more than a couple of weeks then something needs to be changed. Anything less than that and it’s just a trust the process thing and change nothing.

 

[Defy Belief]

Would NOT recommend using a watch as an accurate judgement of calories burnt.

I'd look at increasing protein intake due to the thermic effect (and it helping you feel more full) and limiting your calories more.

Another thing to note is if you haven't updated your weight loss into your fitbit/Garmin or whatever, it'll still be basing it off your higher bmr at your previous heavier weight, so update that if you haven't, but watches have around a 30% margin for error in calorie expenditure so I just wouldn't recommend using it as a guideline.

 

[wonko]

Would NOT recommend using a watch as an accurate judgement of calories burnt.

Mine seems pretty accurate (fenix 6) and tallies well with calories in and weight gain/loss.
I'd agree they aren't perfect though but newer generations (of the Garmin at least) are fairly good and probably give a better whole day figure than I can estimate.
Having said that, accuracy is probably dependent on the watch and the person, so if you're not losing weight despite a calorie deficit over a couple of weeks then you've either got your calories in and/or calories out figures wrong.

 

[Danthus]

So I've noticed a clear pattern with my weight loss.

I will lose weight for a week and then it plateaus, the following week I see a steady fat loss but my weight is stable. Rinse and repeat.

Is this to be expected?

 

[Martynt74]

Well who knew all it'd take was to run a marathon in the Lake District to lose weight. Went from 101kg on Friday down to 94kg today.

I know it's likely to come back on, especially as i didn't eat much yesterday after the run, i am however currently eating leftover takeaway pizza that my daughter didn't finish last night

 

[AndyCr15]

Ha ha, yeah, I notice that a lot. Just like when I have a big meal, I will be up a few lbs for a couple of days, if I cycle 60 miles or something, I would be down a couple of days, but it will (mostly) come back.

 

[Somnambulist]

Marathons burn a LOT of calories. Physiological limits for amount of fat than can burned over 24hrs though so not advisable as a fat loss strategy if the goal is lean mass retention.

About 2.5kg down after 1 week of dieting, decent deficit but nothing crazy. Gone more towards the lower end of the recommendations for % of calories from fat in order to fit a bit more carbs in this time.

 

[Martynt74]

Yeah. Given it was a slow and brutal trail one it says 5000 calories on my Garmin!

 

[AndyCr15]

I had been getting worried that I was putting a bit of weight back on. Then this morning I realised it perhaps co-insides with the gyms closing and opening again?

The start of this graph is Jan 1st, I think they closed around the end of December? Then they opened again around April? Or am I remembering it wrong? I don't lift a lot, so I don't think it's the whole reason, but I'm hopeful that 4 to 6lbs is muscle that left and then came back

 

[randomshenans]

I rarely do comparisons but wanted to see how far I'd come, as trousers were feeling more loose and I generally was feeling better so thought I'd do a comparison of where I'm at now vs. the last year really. Well, mid lockdown v1 to today.

Plenty left to go but at least it's moving in the right direction. Down from 107kg to 92kg but not really bothered about the weight, more getting rid of some of this fat!

 

[Martynt74]

Damn Ross. No one needs that early in the morning!


I managed to spell a great V in my weight tracker graph. From 100kg to 94kg and today back to 100kg.
Have been around 1000kcal over my goal each day this week as my body has just craved food.

On Monday I had a 10” leftover pizza for breakfast and then a leftover dinner kebab on naan for lunch….
Tuesday I ate an entire loaf of bread with Pate for lunch.

I need to sort my **** out. Hopefully today I can get back to running today and might even try the gym tonight as I can tell my shape has changed since I last went around 6 weeks ago.

 

[Somnambulist]

So I've noticed a clear pattern with my weight loss.

I will lose weight for a week and then it plateaus, the following week I see a steady fat loss but my weight is stable. Rinse and repeat.

Is this to be expected?

Yes. Weight loss is rarely linear - can be for a few reasons - trust the process and as long as this trend continues you don’t need to change anything.

Some people stall and immediately start wanting to drop calories which is something that should only be reserved for when you’ve stalled for several weeks.

 

[randomshenans]

I've been on a diet since April 24th, started out like this...

What app / scales are these?

 

[randomshenans]

Damn Ross. No one needs that early in the morning!

Never too early for a bit of half naked me

I did the whole Joe Wicks 90 day plan thing ages ago and while I really liked it, I got half way through 3rd month and fell off the wagon. At the same time, restarting again this year I actually use the principles of his plan for myself. I eat higher fat and protein meals for my reduced carb meals, and eat a carb refuel meal after a workout. I eat **** like steak, mushrooms, baby new potatoes and three fried eggs for my reduced carb, or his chicken cashew curry with cauli rice. Tonight I'm popping to the gym for a bit and will have his pizza when home. The base is made with greek yogurt and flour, dry fried and then ovened for 10mins. Simple and actually tasty! If I don't eat one of his recipes, I'll make something up roughly following that sort of guide. 210g meat (obv bit less for beef vs. chicken but for the most part I just eye ball it now), as much green veg as I like, some added fats and carbs of some sort if I worked out. Means I still do things like tomorrow I'm off to the pub and will no doubt get through about 8 pints, but I've worked out every day this week so far and it's all a balance. My progress isn't as fast as it would have been had I quit everything, but at the same time I wouldn't still be doing it I don't think! Just learning to not limit calories to the point you're starving and will eat all the ****, but properly fueling your body to build muscle has been my biggest takeaway. I spent years dropping cals to like 1500 a day and worked out loads but never sustained it and felt ****.