*** Big Fat Weight Loss Thread ***

[hardkore]

Hey my fellow fat fighters

Over the last 7 years I've gone from 12st 10lbs to 18st 5lbs. In hindsight, 12st was way too low for my size (stocky build and 6ft 1in) but I was in peak shape, if a little gaunt looking at times. Since last sunday, I joined a 24/7 gym and kept my calorie intake to 2000 max which should put me inline for around a 2lb loss per week. Also bought some Huel to replace my packup at work.

Since then, I'm now down to 17st 12lbs with my target of around 14st 6lbs. I've always yoyo'd in weight. I catch myself on the upper end of my comfortable weight range, train and eat well but I always seem to get to my ideal weight then slowly put it back on over a year or two.

That's now going to change for good!! I used to skateboard and buggered up my knees on a few occasions, the weight is starting to make knees ache so It's got to go.

 

[AndyCr15]

the weight is starting to make knees ache so It's got to go

This has been one of the best benefits I probably wouldn't have believed if you'd told me before I lost all the weight, my knee and my back feel so much better. I can tell there are still issues with both, but they generally give me so much less problems now.

 

[Martynt74]

This has been one of the best benefits I probably wouldn't have believed if you'd told me before I lost all the weight, my knee and my back feel so much better. I can tell there are still issues with both, but they generally give me so much less problems now.

Yeah, it's one thing i noticed get a lot better when i was down around 90kg and has since got worse as it's crept up.

My wife has also had a similar determination this time around as due to her illness she's gone from dog walking for 5-6 miles a day to sitting on the sofa due to fatigue and has noticed the weight gain so between us we're really trying to make it a new lifestyle. Can tell it's working as on Saturday i put a few beers in the fridge and after 2 i stopped and had water whereas in the past i'd have just carried on drinking till about midnight. Am proud of that!

Out of interest, how often do people weigh themselves? My wifes on a plan with something called "Noom" and it suggests weighing everyday, with some evidence pointing to the fact that even though some fluctuations/increases will always happen from day to day, it keeps your mind focussed.

I tend to do it once a week, i'm trying not to become obsessed about it, same with calorie logging, if i eat some grapes or have a milky coffee i won't add it as i know i'm still generally in a deficit.

 

[Brok]

Out of interest, how often do people weigh themselves? My wifes on a plan with something called "Noom" and it suggests weighing everyday, with some evidence pointing to the fact that even though some fluctuations/increases will always happen from day to day, it keeps your mind focussed.

I tend to do it once a week, i'm trying not to become obsessed about it, same with calorie logging, if i eat some grapes or have a milky coffee i won't add it as i know i'm still generally in a deficit.

I weigh myself at the same time every day and log it in MFP. I use another app called Happy Scale (which pulls these numbers via Apple Health) to monitor trends over the weeks/months rather than getting obsessed with daily values. This becomes more valuable after a couple of months of data as you can see a rolling 30 day delta which smooths out any short term blips. This shows I have a +/- 3-4lb weekly range so as long as I am not straying outside of this I do not pay much attention to the daily number.

I am reasonably careful with logging cals, but a meal we eat regularly I will create just copy rather than weighing everything each time. I do try and log everything I eat just for consistency but yes the odd crisp I pinch doesn't get logged

I also check waist measurement and body fat percentage (using caliper method) once a month.

 

[AndyCr15]

I generally weight myself everyday these days. As we know, weight can fluctuate 2 or 3 lbs based on various things, so when weighing weekly you might be a couple up one week and a couple down the next when really your weight hasn't changed... But looks like a 4lb swing... If that makes sense?

By jumping on everyday I can see the trend, as mentioned above. Mind you, if I have a bad cheat evening the night before, I don't bother for a day or two as it's a little meaningless at that point.

 

[MM-Seat]

Everyday for me otherwise I'm not as focused on my goals.

 

[hardkore]

I've been weighing myself everyday at the same time in the morning. Might knock it to twice a week though...

Today marks the first day of trying Huel. This morning I had 2 weetabix with 250ml of unsweetened soy milk. At 10am I've got 60g of carrot fingers and a banana then for lunch 2 scoops of Huel.

 

[Martynt74]

Might need to rethink weekly then!

Also does everyone just have regular scales or smart scales?

I've been annoyed that MFP doesn't seem to be syncing my wait to Garmin and wondering if i need to consider something else.

 

[Psymonkee]

I weigh weekly on a Sunday. Keep a spreadsheet of everything with a pretty graph as above.

 

[AndyCr15]

Also does everyone just have regular scales or smart scales?

I have the Withings scales, to go with their sleep mat and blood pressure monitor. It all syncs into the one account and gives me pretty graphs and such

 

[hardkore]

Well, so far since the 3rd of Feb I've gone from 18st 5lbs to 17st 6lbs as of this morning. Chuffed but still a long way to go. I always find the first few weeks hard until you see decent results but as soon as you see it its brilliant. Head down, grind it out

 

[Martynt74]

That's a great drop. Well done

I made some Oat and Raisin cookies for my run on Sunday, thought they'd be healthy but the amount of butter and sugar in them is silly and what i didn't realise is they work out around 300 calories each and the recipe made 12.

The cheapskate part of me wants to eat them all to avoid wasting them but the healthy part of me wants to just throw them now they've done what they were needed and give my high calorie fuel for the run!

 

[hardkore]

That's a great drop. Well done

Cheers mate! How are you doing?

 

[Martynt74]

Not too bad. Weighed myself yesterday and was 100.9kg, which is 15,9 stone.

I was eating a lot towards the end of last week to give me extra energy for Sunday so am relatively happy, Looking forward to getting under 100kg which will feel like a big achievement!

 

[AndyCr15]

Well, so far since the 3rd of Feb I've gone from 18st 5lbs to 17st 6lbs as of this morning.

Wow, that's huge in only a couple of weeks! Well done!

I weighed in at 15st 2 the last two mornings, so only 2 lbs of my most recent target now. March 10th will mark a year since I started, so part of me wonders about hitting it real hard to get to 14st 8 which would make it 7 stone lost in total.

Another part of me says I don't really need to lose any more now and I should either start eating more or exercising a little less. I think I need to balance it a little as today I am feeling quite low on energy and my legs ache a little. Maybe I'll allow myself a couple of days off.

**EDIT** I also realised this morning I could go down another notch on my belt... to the last hole... again! I think this is already the second belt I've had to buy. I think I'll need a third!

 

[HecFam]

I'll jump in here for a bit more motivation!

I'm back in my cycle of trying to cut my weight, at my heaviest I was bordering on 19st, I cut down to just over 16st over the past year or so.

I let myself slip since Christmas really, have gone back up to around 16 7. I just feel a bit slobby at the moment and just unhappy. The only thing I feel has worked for me is fasting. I'm not a massive gouger, but eating anything, I can't seem to drop weight, I'd normally have a 500cal lunch and a normal, attempting to be healthy dinner. And although I feel I should be in calorie deficit, I don't shift weight. I do go to the gym, try to do 3 days a week, but often 2. Normally do either weights and cardio. I'm not a strict routine person and I don't really want to be as I know that'd drive me mental. So going forward, I'm just doing OMAD, eating only within 6-9pm, no vices throughout the day, just water and black coffee. If I'm really struggling, I'll have 2 scoops of huel which is about 400 cal. I've also stopped drinking during the week as I know that's just needless calories, maybe i'll switch to a vodka and lemonade or something a bit less rather than the beer! I only really stick to things if I see change, people say you see a quick change with water weight, but I haven't seen that, it's been a slow slog to drop any pounds, but this has helped me lose weight so i'll stick with it!

 

[hardkore]

Not too bad. Weighed myself yesterday and was 100.9kg, which is 15,9 stone.

I was eating a lot towards the end of last week to give me extra energy for Sunday so am relatively happy, Looking forward to getting under 100kg which will feel like a big achievement!

Nice one, won't take long. Good work

Wow, that's huge in only a couple of weeks! Well done!

I weighed in at 15st 2 the last two mornings, so only 2 lbs of my most recent target now. March 10th will mark a year since I started, so part of me wonders about hitting it real hard to get to 14st 8 which would make it 7 stone lost in total.

Another part of me says I don't really need to lose any more now and I should either start eating more or exercising a little less. I think I need to balance it a little as today I am feeling quite low on energy and my legs ache a little. Maybe I'll allow myself a couple of days off.

Cheers bud. I take it as you've been hitting targets you've moved the goalposts as you was on a roll? Seriously good going.

I did notice in another thread you and No1Newts were talking about starting a britbowl thread or something along those lines? I used to play for King's Lynn Patriots but only managed a few games as my knees were fragile enough and couldn't afford any time off work. I played DE and occasionally tackle.

I'll jump in here for a bit more motivation!

I'm back in my cycle of trying to cut my weight, at my heaviest I was bordering on 19st, I cut down to just over 16st over the past year or so.

I let myself slip since Christmas really, have gone back up to around 16 7. I just feel a bit slobby at the moment and just unhappy. The only thing I feel has worked for me is fasting. I'm not a massive gouger, but eating anything, I can't seem to drop weight, I'd normally have a 500cal lunch and a normal, attempting to be healthy dinner. And although I feel I should be in calorie deficit, I don't shift weight. I do go to the gym, try to do 3 days a week, but often 2. Normally do either weights and cardio. I'm not a strict routine person and I don't really want to be as I know that'd drive me mental. So going forward, I'm just doing OMAD, eating only within 6-9pm, no vices throughout the day, just water and black coffee. If I'm really struggling, I'll have 2 scoops of huel which is about 400 cal. I've also stopped drinking during the week as I know that's just needless calories, maybe i'll switch to a vodka and lemonade or something a bit less rather than the beer! I only really stick to things if I see change, people say you see a quick change with water weight, but I haven't seen that, it's been a slow slog to drop any pounds, but this has helped me lose weight so i'll stick with it!

This time with my dieting i found i lost the initial water weight really fast. I did hit a wall after that for 4-5 days but then i kept losing chunks of weight. If i remember correctly, doesn't alcohol slow down your metabolism for around 12-24 after consuming? Might be worth while trying to kick the alcohol for a week and see how you get on?

 

[AndyCr15]

I take it as you've been hitting targets you've moved the goalposts as you was on a roll?

Yeah, basically. Initially, from 21st 8 I wanted to get to 19st and I remember thinking how hard that would be... but actually it was so easy, I just kept moving the target down a stone at a time, expecting it to slow up... but it didn't slow up until I got under 16st!

I feel I should be in calorie deficit

I would suggest track your calories properly and to state the obvious, don't cheat it I think it can be surprising how quickly they all add up. I personally would suggest this over OMAD as to me OMAD sounds pretty extreme and hard to stick to in the long term.

I did notice in another thread you and No1Newts were talking about starting a britbowl thread or something along those lines?

Yeah, really need to get this thread going!

If i remember correctly, doesn't alcohol slow down your metabolism for around 12-24 after consuming?

I'd heard it stops your liver from helping with burning fat or 24 hours. How true that is, I can't say and also how big an effect your liver has on burning fat, I don't know. I would say, try not drinking anything alcoholic for a week or two and see if they helps.

To me the calorie deficit clearly works and if you're not losing weight, you're probably not actually in a deficit.

 

[ic1male]

Do any of you track your carb intake or just go purely via calories?

 

[b00merang69]

Cals but again I never "dieted" they do not work eps long term.

I actually had to up protein to maintain, its hard today with so much crap in food but white bread make me fat (no intolerances) so throughput afternoon with my glass of water each hour (3L per day) is a small handful of mixed nuts (1 bag = two days worth) and always steak on Sundays.

I also eat two Nature Valley Protein Peanut & Chocolate Gluten Free Cereal Bars 40g (3 flavours available) per day, 1 in afternoon and 1 in early evening.

Now I can still eat crisps and chocolate bars, cakes etc but I try do do 2400ish Cal per day most days and can overindulge now and then.

If you were doing a lot of protein it would be very hard, you can eat a ton of protein based food before you hit 2000 Cals, but you can easily do 3000 Cals on not so much crap food (not so much crisps and chocolate there is worse junk like subway or Greggs sausage roils.

A can real coke, a package of Walkers crisps and a Dairy Milk would not be that much in Cals, less than most sandwiches but obv not so good for you every day minerals wise.