The Official Weight Loss Thread

Andybtsn · 1 Mar 2017 at 16:56

Hi All,

I don't think we have one of these threads, I wanted one for the fat bods to motivate each other in losing some weight, I'm sure it will be like the blind leading the blind but I'm sure the eating Pro's will lend a hand with advice!

Anyway, my background story is the following.

I'm 32, 6'4 and weigh 18.03 stone. I am a serial yo-yo dieter, have been for the past 10 years.

I have been as low as 15 stone and at the start of this year my highest at 18.10 stone. I remember last Christmas I was 17.10 and disgusted with that, managed to get down to 16stone odd and after various holidays and such low and behold I was a stone heavier at Christmas.

I'm not sure what triggered it but 3 weeks ago I was driving to work and started thinking how pathetic I am putting my health at risk for the sake of food. I have two young kids and a wife and I am eating myself into an early grave! So that day I went home and binned all the chocolate etc I had and started afresh.

For the past 5 years I would have eaten some kind of chocolate every day, I am a chocoholic so cutting this out was a big deal for me. Breakfast I wouldn’t have much, usually a banana. Lunch, a meal deal from Tesco, bad sandwich, chocolate bar and red bull. Dinner was whatever the wife cooked, pasta bakes, spaghetti, chicken varieties, lasagne, just all total carb fests. Pudding would always be some cake or something! Sounds horrific typing about it.

So this is my 3rd week of cutting a lot of the sugars, I have lost 7lb so far and sit at 18.03 stone. I would have hoped to lose more but I’m hoping slow loss will keep it off.

My breakfast:
Plain Porridge.

Lunch:
Chicken breast
2 boiled eggs
Total plain yogurt with some fruit

Tea:
Chicken with veg or other meaty variety

Plenty of water.

No puddings, no chocolate, no sweets.

Using the cross trainer for 30 minutes every day and play football once a week for an hour.

Any recommendations, thoughts?

Cheers

Kris_90 · 1 Mar 2017 at 18:28

To keep the weight off you need to understand how your body works. First you should calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) which is the number of calories you must eat to maintain your current weight. There are various TDEE calculators online but be warned they only give an estimate.

Next you need to track how many calories you are having. Buy a food scale and weigh your food, at least in the short term (to help understand portion sizes), and use an app such as myfitnesspal to track everything you eat - this will be annoying at first but you'll get used to it and it's the most crucial step IMO.

I use this: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8EbfzFB0mBrMGJ6V2N5QWNfeTg/view - you log your weight daily and track your daily calories. It calculates your TDEE and gives you all the information you need.

Now for weight loss, it's a simple as calories in vs calories out. You need to eat less than your body is burning (TDEE). Most people recommend eating 500 calories under your TDEE to lose about 2lbs per week.

I lost 4 stone over a year doing the above and have kept the weight off. I found I'd eat crap when I couldn't be bothered to cook so I meal prep'd as much as I could. I also gradually cut out all the crap I was eating and tried to cook as much myself as possible.

Diet is the vast majority of weight loss so it's crucial you get your diet in check. Exercise is not to be overlooked though, by burning calories via lifting weights or cardio will allow you to eat more which makes being in caloric deficit easier and it's worth mentioning the health benefits also!

Good luck

Andybtsn · 2 Mar 2017 at 00:35

Thanks for the reply and that spreadsheet. Are you expected to weigh yourself everyday or am I reading the days of the week inputs incorrectly?

It suggests I should be eating 2300 calories. I reckon I eat about 1300 currently, I'm not trying to eat less I just feel what I am having for breakfast, lunch and tea is sufficient and doesn't leave me hungry. Do I need to force myself to eat more in order to lose weight?

a66as · 2 Mar 2017 at 01:29

Andybtsn said:
Thanks for the reply and that spreadsheet. Are you expected to weigh yourself everyday or am I reading the days of the week inputs incorrectly?

It suggests I should be eating 2300 calories. I reckon I eat about 1300 currently, I'm not trying to eat less I just feel what I am having for breakfast, lunch and tea is sufficient and doesn't leave me hungry. Do I need to force myself to eat more in order to lose weight?

how the frack do you manage to only eat 1300, i'd starve to death on that

Andybtsn · 2 Mar 2017 at 08:45

a66as said:
how the frack do you manage to only eat 1300, i'd starve to death on that

Yeah especially at my size! I'm not starving myself it's just a comfortable diet. Should I be upping the calories?

tom_e · 2 Mar 2017 at 08:48

1300 is far too low at 18st you'll feel fine for another couple of weeks I'd imagine but it will hit you eventually and you'll feel like you've been run over by a truck. As Kris says work out your TDEE and go from there.

I'm a stone lighter than you and couldn't run on that little intake for very long.

Andybtsn · 2 Mar 2017 at 09:49

Any suggestions on what I should add? I think my lunch is big enough?

Psymonkee · 2 Mar 2017 at 10:30

Checking in - will post more later but I'm easily the worst one here!

Kris_90 · 2 Mar 2017 at 13:26

Andybtsn said:
Thanks for the reply and that spreadsheet. Are you expected to weigh yourself everyday or am I reading the days of the week inputs incorrectly?

It suggests I should be eating 2300 calories. I reckon I eat about 1300 currently, I'm not trying to eat less I just feel what I am having for breakfast, lunch and tea is sufficient and doesn't leave me hungry. Do I need to force myself to eat more in order to lose weight?

Yes you are correct, I'd recommend weighing everyday for a couple of weeks so you can get an accurate TDEE. The way that spreadsheet works is it updates your TDEE weekly so although it may say 2,300 now, it may change next week depending on how much weight you've lost.

1,300 cals is too little, I'd recommend bulking up your breakfast a bit. Personally I add to my porridge depending on how many calories I've got remaining. You can add various fruit or some nut butter (full of healthy fats). You could add some good carbs to your lunch such as sweet potatoes or brown rice.

It's all trial and error

The only thing I'd watch out for is your fat intake. Don't drop too low otherwise you'll feel awful.

Andybtsn · 2 Mar 2017 at 13:39

Thanks for that. I will make sure I update it every day then.

I must admit I missed the titbits off that list, I have grapes in my total yogurt, I have a couple of tangerines/pears throughout the day so this will up the amount. Always find it hard getting an accurate cal count of dinners but will try.

Weigh in tomorrow morning so hopefully I'm down some more.

PermaChanged · 2 Mar 2017 at 13:57

These weight loss logs really worked for me a few years back, think I was in on the 2011 and 2012 one quite heavily, no pun intended!

Andybtsn · 2 Mar 2017 at 14:01

I'd like some ideas for healthy lunches, plain chicken each day for three weeks is getting a bit tedious, and expensive!

MikeTheNative · 2 Mar 2017 at 14:09

I just put some random spices on my chicken. Usually some combination of chilli powder, paprika, garlic, onion powder.

Andybtsn · 2 Mar 2017 at 19:46

My current TDEE is 2500 cals and the goal is 1500 cals daily so I think my eating plan is okay. Maybe some more carbs are needed at lunch as I do feel quite low on energy when I get home from work.

I'm down to exactly 18 stone. I was hoping for the 17's but 10lb in 4 weeks is decent enough.

Kris_90 · 2 Mar 2017 at 20:44

If your TDEE is 2,500 cals then eat 2,000 cals per day, I wouldn't advise any less (1,500 cals is way too low).

Second lesson in weight loss

Your body adapts to the amount of calories you're eating so if you continue to eat 1,500 cals that'll end up being your TDEE in a couple of weeks. Instead you want eat at 2,000 calories per day until you stop losing weight then reduce your calories to 1,900 and continue until you stop losing weight then drop to 1,800 etc. Continue this until you end up at 1,500 or you hit your goal weight

Andybtsn · 2 Mar 2017 at 20:52

Not a problem, sir! Thanks for the advice, really helpful.

GSVBagpuss · 2 Mar 2017 at 21:16

What are you doing on the cross trainer? Hard intervals would be my suggestion over a medium / steady pace for 30 mins

Andybtsn · 3 Mar 2017 at 11:55

Hi, mainly HIT 20 mins sessions, I follow a guide off youtube. I mix it up with some 'easier' 30 min sessions when I'm busier with work etc.

Does anyone have any ideas for a more healthy cheat snack? Mainly for a Friday/Saturday night to watch with a film, I was thinking Nacho's but they're so high in salt I expect these won't be the best!

chroniclard · 3 Mar 2017 at 12:04

I make 5 lunches for work on a sunday evening and freeze 4. Take one out each evening, microwave at work.

Make things like brown rice based dishes, like spicy/tomato rice and some stir fried veg(peppers, chillis, garlic, onion) then a bit of stir fried chicken breast(with spices). At around 50g of brown rice per portion, chicken and veg its about 500 calories.

Or chilli, low fat curries, all easy enough to make and freeze for the week.

I was 19 stone 4 years ago, got down to 13 through diet and gym(mostly weights). Up to 16 again but back on the gym and diet trail now. I will get down again before this year is out.

Although I am not actually bothered about weight, just gainz and having a lower fat level.

shroomz · 3 Mar 2017 at 13:52

Hey guys, I'm planning to cut for the first time ever at the end of this month. Just wanted to ask how do people deal with trying to work out macros when they eat out?

** The Official Weight Loss Thread **

The Official Weight Loss Thread