help and support needed to stay on track !

Hi guys !

I've a newbie to this site, I've set myself a goal to lose 25kg and I'm hoping the site and app will help me do that!

I've wanted to lose weight for years, sometimes I lose some but just end up gaining it all back and more. I'm now at my heaviest and have decided enough is enough I need to lose some serious weight !!

I started the cambridge diet. It was awful. I felt sick all the time, had a terrible headache and all I could think about was food. I didn't find myself hungry, but when it came to eating the thought of another soup or shake made me want to vomit. So i ended up eating less than what I was supposed to.

We lasted 3 days before calling papa John's. I lost 2.5kg in those 3 days and to be honest after reading other people's experiences with the cambridge diet, I was expecting to gain it back straight away ! The following day I had gained half a kg back.

This is when I decided to go on a low calorie diet (800 per day) giving myself nutritional food but not cutting out the foods I love completely! I figured that seeing as I just love food, going on a really restrictive diet is bound to end up with me failing. I think this has been part of my problem in the past. I dont do any exercise so I know that's something that has to change. I'm in the process of choosing a gym, but have already started exercising at home. I swam 20 lengths today and will continue to increase that. I'm on day 2 of eating healthy now and I've already dropped that half kg that I gained after coming off the cambridge diet! I'm feeling good and I haven't been hungry at all.

Does anyone have any tips and advise for staying on track? As I really have the worse track record for sticking to diets and I'm worried I'll lose interest in the gym and stop going. I know everyone says once you start seeing your body change, it's motivation enough. But I'm still worried I won't stick at this.

Advise anyone ?

Replies

  • I think the "trick" is finding something you enjoy doing (exercise wise) and foods that you enjoy eating that will also nourish and fuel your body (real foods). Start there, then figure out the calories and how much you can have of each. Consistency is the magic word. If you are consistent with your lifestyle change you will see amazing results. Also, don't low-ball yourself with calories. You need to be healthy too not malnourished.

    Message me for more support!

    Xo
  • Froody2
    Froody2 Posts: 338 Member
    1. Experiment and find a way of eating that is easy for you to stick to. High carb, low carb, keto, IIFYM, whatever. The diet doesn't really matter, your ability to stick to it does.

    2. Don't overly restrict your calories. It will only end in failure. You're young, without knowing how tall or how much you weigh however, the MINIMUM you should be eating is 1200 calories (I'd curl up and die if I ate that little).

    3. Build activity into your day if you really can't face exercise. Take every opportunity you can to walk or move.

    4. Manage your expectations. It will likely take a long time to lose your weight, so don't be in a rush.


    Good luck.
  • Lottiotta
    Lottiotta Posts: 162 Member
    A healthy weight loss is 1-2kg per week, says the NHS website. 800 kcal per day sounds kinda dangerous, a la the starvation experiment, and if you're not far off average height you'll probably feel rubbish, so er. If you feel like giving up at any point, don't actually give up, just increase your calories so that you're eating more but you've still got a calorie deficit.
  • Hi there,

    You should try IIFYM / flexible dieting (if it fit your macros).

    It's simply finding out what your daily calorie intake is per day and cut back as little as possible while still loosing.
    if it stops, cut back a little bit more (much like the old bodybuilding style of dieting).

    The big diffrence with this kind of "diet" is that you can eat whatever you want, as long as it fits your macros (protein, carbs and fat).

    I would recomend starting out with just trying to hit ONLY the calories over 2-3 weeks, and keep track of the weight.
    Then add hitting your protein, carbs and fat goals within 15g for a week or two, then 10g and finally 5g (and why not 0?).
    This should take you a maximum of 6 weeks, and by that time you will have a sufficient amount of data to se if these goals are making you gain or loose weight, and not before that - adjust the carbs.

    Example.

    Lets say your a 22yr old female, 170cm at 85kg.
    Basal metabolic rate to maintain (english; what you need to stay as ou are) should be around1640 kcal.
    Protein: 150g, Carbs: 134g, Fat: 56g

    This is something that works very well, and something that allows what others calls cheating.
    It's not cheating, as long as it fits your macros. :)

    Good luck!
  • Snip8241
    Snip8241 Posts: 767 Member
    Good for you for being here. I cannot post links on my iPad but do this:

    Go to community, getting started...see at the top where there are several topics with post pins on them?

    This is great information. The one I read and re read is

    " The guide to get you started on your path to sexy pants ".

    This topic has several links in it, take your time, read everything and you will be able to come up with a plan.

    Then be honest with yourself....
    Good luck!!
  • Like others already mentioned, the key is finding the foods and exercise that are healthy and that you like so you will stick with it. "get slim quick" gimmicky diets are almost impossible to maintain long term, and usually will result in not only gaining the weight back, but gaining more than when you started the diet! This is because with those types of diets you are compromising muscle mass, which on a daily basis burns more calories. A few basic tips I'd suggest:

    -Find a workout you enjoy doing (sounds like you like to swim-great full body workout!) You won't stick with something you don't like to do.
    -Strength train! Again, the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn on a daily basis. This doesn't necessarily mean grunting over free weights in the gym if that is not your thing. There are plenty of boot camp or Cross-fit type classes that use primarily your own body weight in exercises that can help you accomplish this.
    -Join a like-minded group. This helps you to stay accountable. I recently joined a group that sets up teams and offers classes like bootcamp & kickboxing. Every week we need to email our weight to the team captain, and had a private page on Facebook where we could ask questions/get support.
    -Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. This is where you will find fresh produce, lean meats, eggs. As a general rule stay away from anything that comes in a box (typically means all the nutrients have been "processed" out, and likely loaded with sugar and additives.) Eating clean takes some time to master, you will need to prepare meals in advance, particularly if you work outside of your home and need to take meals with you.
    -Be patient! This is really a lifestyle change more than a diet and won't happen overnight, but the results will last long term and you will not only be thinner and more fit, but also healthy! Good luck!
  • suzana006
    suzana006 Posts: 9 Member
    At the beginning of January this year I had the goal of losing 25kg as well

    The road at that time seemed like a long one but I was determined

    8 months have passed and I have now lost 21kg and have 4kg to go

    I feel amazing and the sense of achievement is the best feeling in the world

    I encourage you to never lose sight of your goal...you will get there

    Be patient with yourself. The scales will fluctuate, but do not let that deter you

    What worked for me:

    - filling out a food diary everyday
    - limiting my food intake to 1300-1350 calories.
    - I don't worry about the amount of carbs, sugar, fat, salt it sets for you on the app. I just count the calories.
    - I don't buy anything low fat. I think the full fat versions are more satisfying and keep you fuller for longer. I just limit the portion sizes
    - no snacking, eating 3 square meals...breakfast lunch and dinner
    - not eliminating my favourite foods...instead I ate them in moderation and made them a part of my diet
    - consistency consistency consistency!! Overeating on one day did not ruin my progress. I just got back on track the next day
    - drinking water
    - eating until I'm satisfied but not full

    I don't exercise as I have an injury but I was still able to consistently lose weight just with my diet. You can lose weight without exercise but it's important to know that you need it for muscle tone and being fit does feel great and is good for your health

    Do exercise you enjoy, you are more likely to stick to it. Whether it's walking, bicycling, running...whatever it is, get your body moving

    In a nutshell...Eat Less and Move More

    Welcome and congrats on getting started :)