pinksparklefairy Member

I lost about 1 kg in November and December as well, despite not logging anything and having pretty much what I wanted and being a couch potato. I was rather surprised. It does make me wonder if everyone has a perfect number of daily calories where they will lose weight, slowly but steadily, without even trying!

I had a look through a couple of pages of your diary. I notice you eat a lot of pizza ... this is something I would be VERY wary of when dieting, i.e. have a very thin slice every now and again as a treat rather than an actual meal. Pizzas are full of calories and it is easy to underestimate. When my family has pizza, I…

How about some swimming as a form of gentle resistance training? Have you been given some meds for the BP? It should not remain high.

Sounds like you had a really good workout! Your muscles will feel better in a few days. Epsom salts in the bath is meant to help. I am going to start weight training again soon and have the same beginners' aches and pains to look forward too!

If you have been for a blood test and your levels are where they should be, you should not have any symptoms from hypothyroidism. Maybe it's something else causing these issues? Check with your doctor.

I worked out what I hate about dieting most and created a plan based on what would be least painful for me, in the hopes I will stick with it. I try to keep bread and cheese to a minimum, as I love them but they are danger foods when on a diet! I am not too bothered about breakfast (never have been), so I have a cup of…

I agree with those who say that as you eat less, your metabolism eventually seems to slow down to match it. I found the only way to counteract this is some high-intensity workouts. I have just read about some new HIIT workouts in the water, which sound perfect as it's gentler on the joints than jumping around but still…

I would not bother with the diet, it seems too contrived - but the idea of cabbage soup is a great one. I made a week's worth last month, not really following the recipe but throwing in onions, garlic, lots of cabbage and pepper. I also added a tin of low-fat coconut milk, tomato puree and chili (no oil, obvs) to make a…

We went to Disney World a few years ago and were on our feet for most of the day - of course we were having fun so we did not notice all the physical activity we were doing. I ate the maximum possible amount of food and came home the same weight! I do think when you are enjoying yourself exploring new places etc. you don't…

You can also try dry brushing upwards towards your heart, juniper oil and massages. To help remove toxins from the body.

Try changing up the exercise now and then, as your body will get used to things you do regularly. Quite a few women do have thyroid issues without realising it, so you could get it checked out. I have hypothyroidism, but I really don't think it has that much impact on my weight.

Be gentle on yourself when exercising for about 9 months PP. I hurt my back because I jumped back into working out the way I used to too quickly.

I agree you need to mix things up. Try some weight lifting (not too light, you need to really work hard for results). How about varying the number of calories you have each day, e.g. 1000 on Monday, 2000 on Tuesday etc. - sticking to the same weekly average as previously? This might give your metabolism a boost.

When I go to the gym I categorise people into three groups, and usually get it right: 1. The not very fit people (usually slightly overweight or look like they sit in an office all day snacking on cookies) - going to a group exercise class e.g. Zumba 2. The muscular types - heading for the gym 3. The ultra-fit and…

No they are not included. If you entered sedentary for your level of activity, you need to add any exercise you do. If you only do a few short walks, it is not really worth logging them, but over 20 mins - yes!

Some foods that might work for you: eggs, low-fat meat, non-citrus fruits, oats, white bread and bagels, potatoes without skin or too much added fat I would be interested in what others have said about weights increasing the size of your thighs, as I have the same problem!

Sorry if I missed the answer to this - but how long have you been on this diet? I keep on failing due to the boredom factor. However, the one time I truly stuck to the plan for a solid 2.5 months, religiously weighed things, kept to the daily calorie limits (no cheating, no under-eating!) and kept up the workouts (just…

Is your leg swelling at all? Does it hurt when you move it or all the time? Is touching it painful?

Are you eating too much too soon before your workout? I just eat a banana or dried fruit about 40 mins beforehand - and only if it's high-impact cardio for some additional energy. Otherwise, avoid eating about 2 hours before the workout.

Wow that's amazing! Can I ask a couple of questions ... How many days a week do you lift? Do you eat TDEE on lifting days and around 20% deficit on non-lifting days?

I think your metabolism increases slightly when you have a cold. I always find I get hungrier and feel sorry for myself too, so it's a real willpower challenge!

I have increased my exercise too and it seems this slows down results on the scales, but gradually you do lose inches and your shape changes, which is the important thing anyway. Just keep eating healthy food, avoid the junk and exercise - it has to work :)

Sometimes it can be hard to judge yourself whether you look good in something - it seems everyone here thinks it looks great, me included. You have nothing to worry about

Apparently MANY people are dairy-intolerant. Maybe so mildly they never really notice. I think I might be, as a get a headache if I eat large amounts of yoghurt. But I'm fine with small portions :) I get a horrible stomach ache from peanuts :(

I log 400 calories. Before I lost my heart monitor chest band, it said I was burning closer to 500 - but I would rather stay on the safe side and under-estimate. It depends how much effort you put into it. I go all-out but I see some people and think "they won't top 300 calories in an hour" because they are treating it…

There you go, maybe it's all water retention rather than fat. How cool would that be :D

I think she meant her goal is 1200, not 2100

My husband has also been losing weight with me and the pounds are dropping off him! He does not even go to the gym :((( Still a big help though with the moral support. I guess he's just got more to lose and it's easier for men because they have more muscle and less fat.

- 20 minutes of HIIT training before breakfast - plus regular movement throughout the day (e.g. quick lunchtime walk) - Drink ice-cold water all day - lift weights - get lots of sleep - take fish oil supplements - drink green tea

If you were netting 850 for months and then increased your calories to TDEE PLUS exercise calories then no wonder you put weight on - temporarily. That is a big jump in calories! Your body would need time to re-adjust. Maybe I have misunderstood something?? Then you started the weight-lifting too which means you have some…