Lots to lose in little time - help!

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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,982 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    Weigh solid food with a digital scale. Measure liquids with a measuring cup. Log accurately using usda or food label info. Eat below your maintenance calories. Do that and you'll lose weight.

    Will try tightening up my measuring! i am using cups at the minute is a scale better?

    Yes, a digital food scale is more accurate. I'm sure someone will be a long with the video showing how you can overestimate quite a bit when you are using cups.
  • bubblefreakkerry
    bubblefreakkerry Posts: 11 Member
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    CollieFit wrote: »
    I use a digital scale and find it helpful.

    5 stone in a year is a stack of weight to gain. I'm assuming you were in a rugby team when you were at Uni and trained regularly, so until then you never had to think about food?

    Are you still injured or can you train again? I mean beyond swimming & yoga?

    Yes i played forward positions usually flanker but second row in 10s and loosehead prop in 7s. i was also an army cadet so started everyday with a mile run and basic body resistance workout. i went to the gym 3or4 times a week sometimes weight training sometimes cardio training. i was also on the trampolining team. i had always been active and had never weighed myself (apart from start of uni health check when i was 10.5stone). i never had access to enough food to get fat and it took a ehile for me not to consume all my groceries in one sitting because i could - sad as that sounds! Intellectually I knew that if you ate too much you got fat but i was so accustomed to huge portions i didn't think i was eating too much, plus i drank alot of my calories!

    i'm building up i just did a body combat class which i've managed to adapt to being low impact and that is a serious case of doms but otherwise ok! too much impact can have me on pain meds for weeks!
  • ModernRock
    ModernRock Posts: 372 Member
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    Unreasonable expectations make it easier to give up because it's "too hard". A far more reasonable expectation of losing between 1 and 1.5 pounds a week puts the pressure squarely on you. Your eating habits. Your desire to make a commitment to your health and well-being. A 27 year old female at your current weight (and guessing 5'5" inches tall) can be sedentary and lose 1 to 1.5 pounds a week eating around 1500-1750 calories a day. Plenty of room to have a 100-200 calorie treat...every...single...day...and still get your adequate nutrition. If you have an active job and/or do a bit of exercise, you might be closer to 1750-2000 and still lose.

    Put your numbers into MFP, choose 1.5 pound a week loss, stick with it, and see where you are in 5 months. No crazy amounts of exercising are necessary, nor are any crazy food restrictions. If you were to lose 25-30 pounds in a healthy way--small, consistent changes-- you should be thrilled. Plus, you'll have a foundation of habits in place to keep chugging along for the rest of your loss. Indeed, as you get closer to your goal weight your calorie intake will have to get lower unless you balance it out with increased activity.

    The way I see things, some people are looking at changing at least 2 habits: 1. Eating fewer calories on a consistent basis. 2. Changing what they eat to be more filling and nutritionally dense to make up for the reduced calorie intake. (A third habit of increasing daily activity is encouraged, but not necessary or sufficient for basic weight loss, particular when starting out highly overweight.)

    People facing both changes (or all 3) and try to make them all at once are likely going to struggle to stay consistent. Rare, but not impossible. On the other hand, active people who already eat a good mix of foods---but simply too much of them---only need to reduce their portion sizes. It might be a bit easier for them to stay consistent.



  • bubblefreakkerry
    bubblefreakkerry Posts: 11 Member
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    bisky wrote: »
    Make sure you don't "drink" your calories too, water is great and tea...esp. green tea in Japan! I agree with healthy eating but I don't think there is anything wrong with setting a goal to look good...just don't go on a crazy diet...walk, try to fill up with fruits, veggies and lean meats. I love rice but it loves my hips. And measure! You can do it. One thing I found, and this is crazy but really long walks, hikes or slow running...esp. if you can find hills helps me with break plateaus. Especially if I am eating right. No need to starve. You can easily lose at least 20 lbs... and you will look and feel much better about yourself.YOU CAN DO IT!!!
    Go Bubblefreak!

    Lol thankyou Bisky for the encouragement! slow running might be a stretch right now but it is the perfect season to go for walks!
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
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    I feel for you. I injured when I was Ironman triathlon training, and I carried on eating but didn't carry on with 15+ hours of training a week! It soon piles on.
    The best you can do is be patient, be really vigilant about weighing and keeping within your calorie limit, and be as active as possible within your current limits. Yoga and swimming is all good. Body Combat will shift some calories for sure. If you're looking for non impact, you could also try spin classes, as they are based on interval training principles and pretty effective at shifting some calories. Then there are just little changes in life that all add up, like not taking the car if it's somewhere you could walk to, or taking a parking space far away from the supermarket entry etc. :)
  • bisky
    bisky Posts: 1,001 Member
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    I can't run anymore but walking and hiking are good for you mentally and physically. I love listening to music and can walk further with music. I made myself several walking playlists including one for rain that gets me going!
  • bubblefreakkerry
    bubblefreakkerry Posts: 11 Member
    edited February 2016
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    CollieFit wrote: »
    I feel for you. I injured when I was Ironman triathlon training, and I carried on eating but didn't carry on with 15+ hours of training a week! It soon piles on.
    The best you can do is be patient, be really vigilant about weighing and keeping within your calorie limit, and be as active as possible within your current limits. Yoga and swimming is all good. Body Combat will shift some calories for sure. If you're looking for non impact, you could also try spin classes, as they are based on interval training principles and pretty effective at shifting some calories. Then there are just little changes in life that all add up, like not taking the car if it's somewhere you could walk to, or taking a parking space far away from the supermarket entry etc. :)


    it did shock me how much i piled on, but i still never really accepted i was fat until christmas. measuring my bum to see if i could fit in the airline seat was a real low point for me!

    i will definitely look for a spin class, i never thought of that since i hate cycling! but then i used to say that about swimming!
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
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    If you hate either, at least you get more bang for your buck in a spin class. ;-)
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
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    First year of uni I was super fit and active (and ate to maintain this) then i picked up a rugby injury but didn't stop eating (weight had never been an issue and I didn't think!). i gained about 4 or 5 stone in a year.

    I feel your pain. I stopped running but didn't stop eating like I was running and put on about 40 lbs in less than a year. I just kept making excuses for the next two years and am only now just getting back into running. If I had to do all over again I'd make sure that break off didn't last that long the first time. If it had only been a couple weeks I might not have put on all that weight.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I have 5 months before my sisters graduation. I want to lose about 4 stone or more before then. I weigh close to 19stone and my ultimate goal is 10stone. so this would be about halfway. it would be the lightest i've been in many years. I have been trying to lose weight for the last year but have only been successful in gaining or maintaining. I've managed to lose cms but not weight and I've even stopped doing that much. Running out of ideas and struggling with day to day motivation - help please I am getting desperate!

    I would set a goal of 1 or 1.5 lbs a week and not worry about losing a particular number of lbs by a certain date. Just get started, stick to your calorie goal and be patient.
    Work on logging everything you consume as accurately as you can and sticking to your calorie goal. Use a food scale. Choose accurate entries. Don't forget things like cooking oil and condiments.
    Eat food you like and would normally want to eat. It will be easier to stick to long term than an extremely restrictive, bland diet.
    Get enough protein, fats, and fiber to feel satisfied. Increase your vegetables and fruits. Eat smaller portions of higher calorie foods and fill the rest of your plate with more lower calorie foods like vegetables.
    I found pre-logging my whole day to be very helpful. I also drink mostly water or unsweetened tea and save calories for food.
  • 2snakeswoman
    2snakeswoman Posts: 655 Member
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    I have about the same amount of weight to lose, but I don't have a deadline. I know this isn't true for all people here, but I've found that I do much better if I keep grains out of my diet. I'm like an alcoholic with grains; one more serving won't hurt. The next thing I know, I'm stuffed and still want one more. I've gone through this again and again, and the truth is that I never reach satiety with grains. So I'm cutting them out. If you have anything like that going on, try cutting it out.

    Best wishes to both of us!
  • niniundlapin
    niniundlapin Posts: 327 Member
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    CollieFit wrote: »
    I use a digital scale and find it helpful.

    5 stone in a year is a stack of weight to gain. I'm assuming you were in a rugby team when you were at Uni and trained regularly, so until then you never had to think about food?

    Are you still injured or can you train again? I mean beyond swimming & yoga?

    Yes i played forward positions usually flanker but second row in 10s and loosehead prop in 7s. i was also an army cadet so started everyday with a mile run and basic body resistance workout. i went to the gym 3or4 times a week sometimes weight training sometimes cardio training. i was also on the trampolining team. i had always been active and had never weighed myself (apart from start of uni health check when i was 10.5stone). i never had access to enough food to get fat and it took a ehile for me not to consume all my groceries in one sitting because i could - sad as that sounds! Intellectually I knew that if you ate too much you got fat but i was so accustomed to huge portions i didn't think i was eating too much, plus i drank alot of my calories!

    i'm building up i just did a body combat class which i've managed to adapt to being low impact and that is a serious case of doms but otherwise ok! too much impact can have me on pain meds for weeks!

    Just want to second the "effect" from body combat... It's painful in the beginning but the hard work will pay off if your diet is also on track! It's also stress-relieving & I'd think it's a good tool for you as well :smile: