orangesmarties Member

Ah, it was on and off for about a year or so. I was at my heaviest December 2013, lost some then gained it again the next December, but looked completely different due to all my training. Then I had a really good go at Carol Vorderman's detox diet, got down to about 9 and a half, stopped a while and didn't diet, then lost…

Hard work is the answer, but I would advise you that the only reason I am succeeding in my weight loss now is because I cleaned up my diet big time, and now pay super-hyper-duper-crazy attention to what and how much I eat. You need to understand that the number of calories you burn is dependent on many factors, one major…

Gah, tell me about it!! Here are some things that have been making a difference for me: 1) Work your arms and shoulders. Although in women, they don't build muscle that readily, just having a little going on will balance you out and also help with fat burning. It doesn't have to be much, just a couple tricep dips, press…

Yes! Yes! Yes! I fast 20 hrs a day, with an eating window of between 4pm and 8pm. It is awesome! I didn't really get on with 5:2, but this is mending my relationship with food. It was causing me a lot of stress and worry and now I've just compressed it into a 4 hour slot. I wouldn't stress about metabolism or starvation…

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses! :)

Nope! That is one plus! I just worry that I won't have as much time to exercise, and that convenience will conquer health when I come to cook. Or just comfort eating :/

Because scales are pretty expensive! And a massive faff to take to and from university, because they are heavy and delicate.

If I were you, I would seek some help and support before it gets bad. I used to binge eat horribly and my big thing was sugar. The hardest part was being "found out" and telling my family. I just completely cut out the processed stuff for a couple months, got it out of the house, wouldn't be anywhere near it. I was so…

I actually tried 5:2 (albeit when I wasn't really in the right place to be dieting at all) and it more or less led me to bulimia. I would find that I would stick to the fast days, but then have phenomenal binges on other days and try to make myself sick. It was one of the worst seasons of my life. I don't think it really…

Well I put my breakfast as being no more than 300 calories, as I measure everything out carefully to count it. And I'd estimate my tea as being a maximum of 500 calories, seeing as it is always healthy and vegan...so low calories being approximately 800. Honestly with no hunger! Thank you for your replies guys :)

Absolutely not! However, it really is worth cutting back on simple carbs and sugar, and replacing them with "good carbs" like brown rice, potato, wholegrain bread, and vegetables. As a vegan long-distance runner, part of the problem (low energy, low mood) was not enough of these, as they contain so many important…

I don't count the calories burned in exercise to be honest, because I think that it is a slippery slope. Although I do sometimes take them into account when I'm training REALLY hard (I'm talking anything over a half marathon!). To be honest, I think of exercise's main function as to keep my body looking "pretty" and not…

I'm doing this and I love it! I started doing it more to clear my head of worrying about the next meal than weight loss, but I have never known weight fall off so fast since I was overweight!! Basically my protocol is to have eaten my last meal by 8pm, then fast through to about 4pm, when I eat a healthy breakfast of…

I would stay well away from diuretics, most of them cause an inflammatory response that can make you feel incredibly bloated. The two things I can recommend are loads of water, to keep the belly bloat to a minimum, and some herbal teas: I like lemon and ginger during the day. Often when I'm craving something, I actually…

Hello! I'm starting over again too, after way too many failed attempts at losing weight :) I am 19 and on my way to university also - that is a big motivator for me as we'll be getting weighed and measured for nurses' uniforms and have all sorts of health tests done on us. I want to be proud of those results! I could also…

Thank you!

Wow! This is really encouraging! And doing three 24 hour fasts seems more sustainable somehow than a full-blown regime :) And it is good that you find yourself eating less: I think I tried it at first at the wrong time - over my A levels, so was very prone indeed to either binge or starve on my off days... but this is…

Thank you! :)

Yep. The reason why I am the size I am is that although I will do more or less as much exercise as I can in a day (that can mean 2 dog walks, a long run and potentially circuits), my diet completely lets me down. I can put away embarassing quantities of food. So part of the idea of the fasting is to restrict the eating,…

Thank you! And wow, what an amazing weight loss! How fast did it start coming off? Do you struggle at all with energy/concentration/hunger levels? How do you make your fasting cycles work with daily life?

Almonds are ludicrously good for you! I am a vegan and have struggled with feeling tired for most of the year since I made the decision; did some research; and they have so many nutrients that you need, especially as a lady. I now sprinkle just a few flaked ones on top of my breakfast every morning, with some almond milk,…

Thank you for your reply, it is really helpful. You say you fast from 12-5, is that both pm (so like 5 hours)? And what kind of things do you do in your workouts? I run 6 days a week, often twice a day, and have recently started circuits and boot camp a few times a week, but haven't seen any great results in the change…

To gain weight is completely normal, I would recommend just drinking loads, and keeping up the exercise. I've had a really nasty one this month, and as soon as I started exercising (all drugged up on Ibuprofen), I felt tonnes better. However, if the weight doesn't budge after your period, or you're finding it hard to lose…

Me! :)

Thank you, that's a really helpful post! I think you're both right and I should just follow that advice. I'm overcomplicating things, and losing the blubber by using common sense is the way forward :)

Thank you, I think that was the answer I needed to hear. I just need to get my butt into gear and sort myself out! I have a couple questions: - I assume bf% = body fat percentage? That would make sense as I think what I was getting at was that I thought all that muscle was covered in fat, which is making me bulky - what…

Puberty hit late - before puberty.

Well all I can really say is that I need to go at weight loss hard to stick at it, otherwise habits creep in and I get too arrogant. I am so desperate to lose the weight, so I say strike while the iron's still hot. I am fed up with the way I look now and can't wait to change, I want to wake up and look in the mirror and…

I'm sorry that you had to face those comments, I really am. I am struggling with the same kind of issue I think. Its a deeply ingrained one, and one day I just broke down and had to tell someone. On a daily basis, these things have helped me: - black coffee! Decaf if you prefer. It just reduces my appetite, and gives me a…

I can definitely relate! I am currently on the detox diet, which over the years I have found to be very helpful. I am not eating meat, dairy, wheat, gluten, sugar, caffeine or alcohol. Although it is only really "necessary" to be on it for 28 days, for me it is a blueprint for my regular diet, being a vegan. In the past I…