please help me speed up weight loss
leanne_townsend
Posts: 43 Member
Hi all,
I need to lose 2 stone in total. That would put me at a neat size 12. I'm 39 years old and it might be my imagination but weight loss seems to be getting harder...
After my whole adult life on this diet or that diet, I tried to shun diets and at New Year I embraced clean eating. I had been led to believe that clean eating itself would help me lose weight. OK so I lost a few lbs, but the emphasis on good fats, nuts and nut butters and also the "clean treats" you can bake with lots of honey wasn't helping. So I started a clean eating challenge halfway through February which was a bit stricter - no caffeine, alcohol, cows dairy and no carbs after 4pm. Since January my total weight loss is only 1 stone.
I have my dream holiday on July 5th - two weeks in St Lucia in a beautiful resort. I would LOVE to lose one more stone by then, putting me at a size 14 and I would feel so much better about myself even though I hadn't reached my goal. I know it's a cliche that people want to lose weight for holidays, but I don't want a repeat of last year where I was really disappointed in myself for not losing the weight.
In the last few weeks I switched to low carb clean eating and it worked for a couple of days then I just got stuck again. There have been a few birthdays and meals out but largely I've been good. I need to try something else now with a stronger guarantee of success as I'm running out of time. To my horror I've just done the maths and it's 6 weeks - I thought I had two months
So my logic tells me I need to get back to exercising - although doing weights in the gym earlier in the year seemed to be stopping me from losing weight. What can I do without going to the gym now? Would a daily swim and dog walk do it?
My logic also tells me I need to be cutting back on the fat. This clean eating/paleo movement focuses on good fats and low sugars, but I think this may have been my downfall - avocados, nuts, coconut oil and animal fats. So I'm dialling in the fat a bit and focusing on lean proteins and low starch veg. I'm also going to embrace (American style) spray oil and stop using so much oils for cooking - even though it's not clean. Can I show you today's plan and you can tell me what you think?
Today's plan:
Breakfast: spinach, cherry tomatoes, mushroom and one egg done in spray oil.
Lunch: tomato and chipotle soup (onion cooked in spray oil) with a salad of one tin tuna, iceberg, spring onion, lime juice and one capful of sesame oil.
Snack: kiwi fruit.
Dinner: cod fillet with mixed roast veg done in spray oil.
Can you help me? Is this the right approach? What approach should I take to complex carbs like barley, spelt, quinoa etc?
I need to lose 2 stone in total. That would put me at a neat size 12. I'm 39 years old and it might be my imagination but weight loss seems to be getting harder...
After my whole adult life on this diet or that diet, I tried to shun diets and at New Year I embraced clean eating. I had been led to believe that clean eating itself would help me lose weight. OK so I lost a few lbs, but the emphasis on good fats, nuts and nut butters and also the "clean treats" you can bake with lots of honey wasn't helping. So I started a clean eating challenge halfway through February which was a bit stricter - no caffeine, alcohol, cows dairy and no carbs after 4pm. Since January my total weight loss is only 1 stone.
I have my dream holiday on July 5th - two weeks in St Lucia in a beautiful resort. I would LOVE to lose one more stone by then, putting me at a size 14 and I would feel so much better about myself even though I hadn't reached my goal. I know it's a cliche that people want to lose weight for holidays, but I don't want a repeat of last year where I was really disappointed in myself for not losing the weight.
In the last few weeks I switched to low carb clean eating and it worked for a couple of days then I just got stuck again. There have been a few birthdays and meals out but largely I've been good. I need to try something else now with a stronger guarantee of success as I'm running out of time. To my horror I've just done the maths and it's 6 weeks - I thought I had two months
So my logic tells me I need to get back to exercising - although doing weights in the gym earlier in the year seemed to be stopping me from losing weight. What can I do without going to the gym now? Would a daily swim and dog walk do it?
My logic also tells me I need to be cutting back on the fat. This clean eating/paleo movement focuses on good fats and low sugars, but I think this may have been my downfall - avocados, nuts, coconut oil and animal fats. So I'm dialling in the fat a bit and focusing on lean proteins and low starch veg. I'm also going to embrace (American style) spray oil and stop using so much oils for cooking - even though it's not clean. Can I show you today's plan and you can tell me what you think?
Today's plan:
Breakfast: spinach, cherry tomatoes, mushroom and one egg done in spray oil.
Lunch: tomato and chipotle soup (onion cooked in spray oil) with a salad of one tin tuna, iceberg, spring onion, lime juice and one capful of sesame oil.
Snack: kiwi fruit.
Dinner: cod fillet with mixed roast veg done in spray oil.
Can you help me? Is this the right approach? What approach should I take to complex carbs like barley, spelt, quinoa etc?
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Replies
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Eat at a defecit
-weigh your foods / log accurately
Move more
- don't overestimate calorie burns - halve MFP database burns
Lift heavy
- that's how you preserve your LBM and look good at a lower weight
Throw away all your fads and rules and focus on the main things0 -
How about stop dieting and start using myfitnesspal? Eat at a calorie deficit, and use your calorie allowance on food that makes you happy and content. Type of food matters för health, amount of food matter for Weightloss.0
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thanks both. What does "halve MyFitnessPal database burns" mean? (sorry)0
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doktorglass wrote: »How about stop dieting and start using myfitnesspal? Eat at a calorie deficit, and use your calorie allowance on food that makes you happy and content. Type of food matters för health, amount of food matter for Weightloss.
do you mean that if I wanted to use 200 calories on a mars bar or something wholefood/clean - it wouldn't matter for my weight loss?
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Weigh your food, count your calories.0
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Yes. (The problem is usually that 200kcal mars bar is not the same as 200kcal of vegetables in terms of satiety and volume. So people might overeat later.)0
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deniztuzu2 wrote: »Weigh your food, count your calories.
thank you. I loathe counting (calories, points, syns - you name it I've been there) but I am really serious about this now, and I want to do whatever I can in the next 6 weeks. So I will go and start doing that now.0 -
doktorglass wrote: »Yes. (The problem is usually that 200kcal mars bar is not the same as 200kcal of vegetables in terms of satiety and volume. So people might overeat later.)
ok good point thank you. The occasional small bar of dark chocolate would improve my quality of life much more than any 'sweet potato brownie' ever could.0 -
I have a horse and ride almost daily, but it's not turning out to be the best exercise it could be, apparently.0
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You seem determined to make something simple as complex as possible!
Stop with all the nonsense of clean eating, Paleo/Primal, exclusion diets, categorising food as good or bad, short term challenges. It really isn't helping you is it?
Your logic isn't actually logic I'm afraid - it's just a bunch of beliefs and fads.
Log your food accurately, choose an appropriate calorie deficit that is sustainable and do some exercise that you enjoy.
Losing 14lbs in 6 weeks is very aggressive and unlikely to be a good idea when you don't have a great deal to lose.
Suggest you read the sticky threads in the Getting Started forum.
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leanne_townsend wrote: »doktorglass wrote: »How about stop dieting and start using myfitnesspal? Eat at a calorie deficit, and use your calorie allowance on food that makes you happy and content. Type of food matters för health, amount of food matter for Weightloss.
do you mean that if I wanted to use 200 calories on a mars bar or something wholefood/clean - it wouldn't matter for my weight loss?
Exactly. For weight loss it's all about eating at a deficit. That said, for health you should also be focussing on nutrition. Get most of your food from nutritionally dense sources, but incorporate some treats here and there too if you want to.
'Halving MFP database burns' just means only eat back half of what MFP tells you you've burnt for your workout (it tends to be inaccurate).
Are you currently tracking your calories? Weighing and measuring everything and logging accurately? You can eat 'clean' and still consume too many calories, in which case you won't lose weight.0 -
leanne_townsend wrote: »doktorglass wrote: »How about stop dieting and start using myfitnesspal? Eat at a calorie deficit, and use your calorie allowance on food that makes you happy and content. Type of food matters för health, amount of food matter for Weightloss.
do you mean that if I wanted to use 200 calories on a mars bar or something wholefood/clean - it wouldn't matter for my weight loss?
Yes it wouldn't matter for weight loss.
Weight loss in theory is simple - you eat less calories than you burn and you will lose weight.
Use MFP's calculators to give you a 'target' number of calories to eat to lose, eg 1lb a week.
Weight and measure food/drinks accurately (use a food scale) to work out how many calories you are eating (Calories In) and track calories burned doing exercise (Calories Out). If CI<CO then you will lose weight. IF CI=CO you will maintain weight. IF CI>CO you will gain weight.
MFP often overestimates calories burned on certain exercises, therefore you may want to not eat back all your exercise calories burned - some people only eat back half, to allow a little 'wiggle room' in estimations.
As to WHAT you eat, it doesn't matter for weight loss. If your goal was, let's say, to eat 1500 calories, that can be made up of anything. BUT for nutritional reasons, you may want to use that 1500 cals on foods that are preceived to be more 'healthy'. Proteins and fats can also fill you up more, rather than carbs, so that you feel less hungry.
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leanne_townsend wrote: »deniztuzu2 wrote: »Weigh your food, count your calories.
thank you. I loathe counting (calories, points, syns - you name it I've been there) but I am really serious about this now, and I want to do whatever I can in the next 6 weeks. So I will go and start doing that now.
The app does the counting for you. All you have to do is weigh your food and enter it into your diary
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thank you all! You make it sound much easier (although it's not easy eating 1200 calories when you're not used to it but I will get used to it. That's what MFP says I should be consuming).0
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Nony_Mouse wrote: »leanne_townsend wrote: »deniztuzu2 wrote: »Weigh your food, count your calories.
thank you. I loathe counting (calories, points, syns - you name it I've been there) but I am really serious about this now, and I want to do whatever I can in the next 6 weeks. So I will go and start doing that now.
The app does the counting for you. All you have to do is weigh your food and enter it into your diary.
sounds good. I'll use it on my macbook for now as my phone is away getting fixed. Then I'll install it on my phone too - which seems quicker to you?
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stupid question but, when MFP tracks calories out, it includes the calories you burn just sitting down/being human throughout the day yes? Not just those used in exercise?
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leanne_townsend wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »leanne_townsend wrote: »deniztuzu2 wrote: »Weigh your food, count your calories.
thank you. I loathe counting (calories, points, syns - you name it I've been there) but I am really serious about this now, and I want to do whatever I can in the next 6 weeks. So I will go and start doing that now.
The app does the counting for you. All you have to do is weigh your food and enter it into your diary.
sounds good. I'll use it on my macbook for now as my phone is away getting fixed. Then I'll install it on my phone too - which seems quicker to you?
I prefer pre logging on the computer - it's easier to check the accuracy of entries or make changes.
And AMEN to the chocolate being more satisfied than a sweet potato brownie. I tried to convince myself for so long that I loved these "healthy" substitute foods... Pfft.0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »leanne_townsend wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »leanne_townsend wrote: »deniztuzu2 wrote: »Weigh your food, count your calories.
thank you. I loathe counting (calories, points, syns - you name it I've been there) but I am really serious about this now, and I want to do whatever I can in the next 6 weeks. So I will go and start doing that now.
The app does the counting for you. All you have to do is weigh your food and enter it into your diary.
sounds good. I'll use it on my macbook for now as my phone is away getting fixed. Then I'll install it on my phone too - which seems quicker to you?
I prefer pre logging on the computer - it's easier to check the accuracy of entries or make changes.
And AMEN to the chocolate being more satisfied than a sweet potato brownie. I tried to convince myself for so long that I loved these "healthy" substitute foods... Pfft.
Did you try to convince anyone else? My kids will eat almost anything under this sun, love my little foodies - but the clean treats were just not doing it for them!
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One thing though everyone - I've been "educated" that low fat foods like yoghurt, milk etc. are bad for me as they contain nasties. I'm hoping I can cope without going back to "fat free". Anyone any thoughts on this? (obviously the spray oil is a deviation from this).0
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leanne_townsend wrote: »
stupid question but, when MFP tracks calories out, it includes the calories you burn just sitting down/being human throughout the day yes? Not just those used in exercise?
MFP target calories is based on your height, weight, age, chosen weight loss goal, and activity level
Activity level is what you do generally during the day and excludes purposeful exercise so if you work a desk job and rarely move you're sedentary ...if you walk a few miles each day you're probably lightly active
When you do purposeful exercise eg jogging, gym, tennis etc you log it as exercise and earn more calories (but MFP database tends to overestimate so cut them in half) and you eat those on top of your initial goal
Over 8 weeks judge how quickly you're losing against your target and you can adjust the percentage of exercise calories you eat back
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faster weight loss = bigger caloric deficit, it's that simple
so eat less and/or move more0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »leanne_townsend wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »leanne_townsend wrote: »deniztuzu2 wrote: »Weigh your food, count your calories.
thank you. I loathe counting (calories, points, syns - you name it I've been there) but I am really serious about this now, and I want to do whatever I can in the next 6 weeks. So I will go and start doing that now.
The app does the counting for you. All you have to do is weigh your food and enter it into your diary.
sounds good. I'll use it on my macbook for now as my phone is away getting fixed. Then I'll install it on my phone too - which seems quicker to you?
I prefer pre logging on the computer - it's easier to check the accuracy of entries or make changes.
And AMEN to the chocolate being more satisfied than a sweet potato brownie. I tried to convince myself for so long that I loved these "healthy" substitute foods... Pfft.
I agree--log on the computer at first. It's more complete than the AP. Get a good digital scale. it will be your best friend in the next couple months. As said, ditch the diet ideas. Eat the correct amount for your stats, and don't give up--ever.
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Like everyone else has been saying, you do not need to "eat clean" or count carbs or fat for weight loss. It also doesnt matter what times you eat. It's actually very simple, find the correct caloric deficit for you, and eat that many calores.0
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leanne_townsend wrote: »thank you all! You make it sound much easier (although it's not easy eating 1200 calories when you're not used to it but I will get used to it. That's what MFP says I should be consuming).
Did you set it to lose 2 lb per week? That's a pretty big ask when you don't have a lot to lose. Reset it to 1 lb a week.0 -
leanne_townsend wrote: »One thing though everyone - I've been "educated" that low fat foods like yoghurt, milk etc. are bad for me as they contain nasties. I'm hoping I can cope without going back to "fat free". Anyone any thoughts on this? (obviously the spray oil is a deviation from this).
why fat free? you need fat to help absorb vitamins and minerals.
and what is your rate of lose per week? 1200 typically is the lowest MFP will go and it is usually because someone has chosen 2lbs a week....and remember to eat back at least 50-75% of your exercise calories back.0 -
thanks all - great advice. I like that everyone is pretty much in agreement (can be a problem when asking advice online if every bit of advice is different!).Nony_Mouse wrote: »leanne_townsend wrote: »thank you all! You make it sound much easier (although it's not easy eating 1200 calories when you're not used to it but I will get used to it. That's what MFP says I should be consuming).
Did you set it to lose 2 lb per week? That's a pretty big ask when you don't have a lot to lose. Reset it to 1 lb a week.
Yeah I did but it says I will only lose 1.2lb per week I REALLY want to lose 2 a week, giving me a stab at a size 14 for my holiday. Surely, 2 lb a week can be done? Everyone here is saying I don't have a lot to lose but I do have 2 stone to lose in total.
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p.s. I've been logging - do you guys make your diaries public so people can advise, or better to be private?0
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leanne_townsend wrote: »thanks all - great advice. I like that everyone is pretty much in agreement (can be a problem when asking advice online if every bit of advice is different!).Nony_Mouse wrote: »leanne_townsend wrote: »thank you all! You make it sound much easier (although it's not easy eating 1200 calories when you're not used to it but I will get used to it. That's what MFP says I should be consuming).
Did you set it to lose 2 lb per week? That's a pretty big ask when you don't have a lot to lose. Reset it to 1 lb a week.
Yeah I did but it says I will only lose 1.2lb per week I REALLY want to lose 2 a week, giving me a stab at a size 14 for my holiday. Surely, 2 lb a week can be done? Everyone here is saying I don't have a lot to lose but I do have 2 stone to lose in total.
I know it feels like a lot to you, but it really isn't. The reason it's saying you will only lose 1.2 lb per week is because 1200 cals is the lowest MFP will go for women, because it is very difficult to meet your nutritional needs on less than that.leanne_townsend wrote: »p.s. I've been logging - do you guys make your diaries public so people can advise, or better to be private?
If you'd like advice, make it public 0 -
ok thanks Nony-Mouse, will do. Let's see then, if I stick to the plan, how accurate MFP will be. Perhaps I can lose 1.5-2lb per week, it has been known in the past.
I don't want to ever go back, but I really don't understand why Slimming World works so well, when it lets you have unlimited amounts of certain foods, therefore you're probably way over calories wise. But yet it seems to work...0 -
You seem determined to make something simple as complex as possible!
Stop with all the nonsense of clean eating, Paleo/Primal, exclusion diets, categorising food as good or bad, short term challenges. It really isn't helping you is it?
Your logic isn't actually logic I'm afraid - it's just a bunch of beliefs and fads.
Log your food accurately, choose an appropriate calorie deficit that is sustainable and do some exercise that you enjoy.
Losing 14lbs in 6 weeks is very aggressive and unlikely to be a good idea when you don't have a great deal to lose.
Suggest you read the sticky threads in the Getting Started forum.
This +1, saved me the effort of having to type it. OP you are all over the place, so its no surprise that youve swing from one thing to the other and none of them have worked. Its about you and your approach. If you calorie count properly then you will lose weight over time. You need to absorb the simple basic concepts and then you will start realising what your misconceptions are over a number of topics. If you have only 6 weeks then you need to get to grips quickly with things so imo you can lose about 5-10lbs between now and your holiday. Get smart and lose the rest when you return by being consistent.
Nope slimming world works but giving you the illusion of freedom and statistically people still eat at a deficit. MFP is calorie counting laid bare, no gimmicks.
By all means try to lose 2lb a week, but you will find it hard to create an accurate 7,000 calorie a week deficit. Nope 2stone isnt a lot to lose when compared to several people on these forums who are 300lbs +.
Keep it simple, do the basics well, be realistic and you will lose weight.0
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