Weight Loss Discussion Thread

[Poly Hive]

I thought to pop my experience into the pot.

On Sept 25th 2023 I cut my meals down to two. My normal breakfast and then a diet lunch. My wife has a number of dietary issues so we cook everything from scratch ensuring we know exactly what we are eating. Mosely would find our shopping exemplary. So far I have lost 30 pounds and am aiming to lose close to the same again. I started at 17st 2 and am now just under 15st.

We bought an Air Frier for our main pressie and it has been a help as is a neighbour who stalks and so we are exchanging honey for venison. Along with the AF we bought a diet book and the lunches we are having from that book are seriously lovely. We cook for four and half the dish, then the next day do the same so we are constantly interspersing our meals. Novelty is a great way to broaden the culinary repertoire.

I just need to get my hands back into some sort of shape and I can get back on the bike.

Pete

[chrisbainbridge]

Great comments. I think cutting out a whole meal really helps.

[Blodwyn Pig]

Michael Mosley?

YEah, - not a couple who can blow £5k on takeaways a year.

I think you will find it was not £5k a year, but an astonishing £15K, that is why they weren't saving any money.  £300 per week they were spending. Victor Meldrew moment coming up me thinks.........I d...........!

[chrisbainbridge]

I haven’t seen any of the TV. I read the books after reading the diabetes diet data from Newcastle.

[rafletcher]

I’ve not had an alcoholic drink for 6 weeks. Nor have I partaken of any of the ersatz alternatives which all seem to have a high sugar content. As a consequence I’ve also not had my customary Friday and Saturday evening suppers of cheese or pate with crackers or bread. All this has helped significantly to reduce my calorie intake. The bulk of my drinking has been water or tea. I’ve also managed, with a few exceptions, to forgo sweet things. No more chocolate digestives with my getting-in cup of tea. And notably no more of the £1.10 “charity” flapjacks on offer at work. How long all this lasts is anyone’s guess. I’m thinking of treating myself to some sea trout for my birthday next month, an£ that might be accompanied by a decent white wine… but I’m almost worried about how it’ll make me feel the next day. Sadly moderation is a virtue I sadly lack! We shall see, but that’s another 3 weeks yet.

[velosam]

So I have put on 10 kg over last year, not sure how that happened.  Despite eating slightly less for 3 months, nothing has shifted and am stuck at 78kg.

I don’t remember it being this hard and have started to walk 6k steps a day in a bid for some exercise.

It’s the stomach I can’t seem to lose, sigh and my alcohol intake is substantially reduced, a bottle of red a month.

I do the 8 hour eating window and that has not helped.  Any advice , other go back to a fitness app?

[Regulator]

After a serious talking to from the cardiologist, I'm once again trying to lose weight (he's referred me into Tier 2 services and will refer me into Tier 3 if I don't lose enough weight in 12 weeks).  I'm also hoping to do the last part of the Via Francigena at the end of May.  So now:

• Intermittent fasting 16:8, with my eating window between 12 midday and 8.00 pm.
• Into the gym 6 mornings a week.  2 HIIT classes, 2 weights classes and 2 body conditioning classes over the week.
• No alcohol.
• Low carb diet.
• Vegetarian main meals three times a week.
• Sunday (my gym rest day) means a long walk.
• Attending Slimming World (not for the diet but the weekly weigh-in and accountability)

I lost 3.5kgs last week.  I'm hoping I can get another 2kg off this week. 

I'd be happy with a 1-2kg loss per week but know that I'll plateau at some time in the next few weeks.  That's when I find things tend to  go awry.  So I'm also seeing a hypnotherapist (it helped me give up smoking so I'm seeing if it can help me with the weight loss).

I have a lot of weight to lose...

[velosam]

After a serious talking to from the cardiologist, I'm once again trying to lose weight (he's referred me into Tier 2 services and will refer me into Tier 3 if I don't lose enough weight in 12 weeks).  I'm also hoping to do the last part of the Via Francigena at the end of May.  So now:

• Intermittent fasting 16:8, with my eating window between 12 midday and 8.00 pm.
• Into the gym 6 mornings a week.  2 HIIT classes, 2 weights classes and 2 body conditioning classes over the week.
• No alcohol.
• Low carb diet.
• Vegetarian main meals three times a week.
• Sunday (my gym rest day) means a long walk.
• Attending Slimming World (not for the diet but the weekly weigh-in and accountability)

.
[/list]

I lost 3.5kgs last week.  I'm hoping I can get another 2kg off this week. 

I'd be happy with a 1-2kg loss per week but know that I'll plateau at some time in the next few weeks.  That's when I find things tend to  go awry.  So I'm also seeing a hypnotherapist (it helped me give up smoking so I'm seeing if it can help me with the weight loss).

I have a lot of weight to lose...

Good luck, thats really good with the weight loss

[Canardly]

Quite happily maintaining a calorie deficient lower carb diet atm with no alcohol. Have lost 10kg since December but for now seem to have plateaud. Would like to lose another 10kg. Not in any particular rush but will be glad to see a significant reduction of visceral fat. Need some decent weather to dust the bike off as getting out and about on the bike has tailed off significantly.

[T42]

Quite happily maintaining a calorie deficient lower carb diet atm with no alcohol. Have lost 10kg since December but for now seem to have plateaud. Would like to lose another 10kg. Not in any particular rush but will be glad to see a significat reduction of visceral fat. Need some decent weather to dust the bike off as getting out and about on the bike has tailed off significantly.

If you can manage it, a change of surroundings and exercise work wonders. Away back in the early 90's I was on such a plateau for a couple of months, then we had a week's walking holiday and I came back 4 kg lighter. My weight went on dropping after we got home even though I went back onto the same diet.

Wouldn't mind doing that again but my ankles are too buggered.

[TimC]

After a serious talking to from the cardiologist, I'm once again trying to lose weight (he's referred me into Tier 2 services and will refer me into Tier 3 if I don't lose enough weight in 12 weeks).  I'm also hoping to do the last part of the Via Francigena at the end of May.  So now:

• Intermittent fasting 16:8, with my eating window between 12 midday and 8.00 pm.
• Into the gym 6 mornings a week.  2 HIIT classes, 2 weights classes and 2 body conditioning classes over the week.
• No alcohol.
• Low carb diet.
• Vegetarian main meals three times a week.
• Sunday (my gym rest day) means a long walk.
• Attending Slimming World (not for the diet but the weekly weigh-in and accountability)

I lost 3.5kgs last week.  I'm hoping I can get another 2kg off this week. 

I'd be happy with a 1-2kg loss per week but know that I'll plateau at some time in the next few weeks.  That's when I find things tend to  go awry.  So I'm also seeing a hypnotherapist (it helped me give up smoking so I'm seeing if it can help me with the weight loss).

I have a lot of weight to lose...

Yeah, I'm in a similar situation though my medical issue is pre-diabetes. I gave up alcohol for four months in 2023, and lost about 7kg. Since New Year I've been back on it and put most of that 7kg back on - despite increasing exercise to 3-4 vigorous rides a week. Walking significant distances is out of the question due arthritis (another aspect which would be improved by losing weight), but I know I can do more.

My problem is actually doing the stuff to make new habits. I'm now (as of two weeks ago) on the Zoe programme and I'm hoping that the oversight will motivate me to do what I need to do.

[Blodwyn Pig]

Mustn't be too complacent, but................4 1/2 bags of sugar lost since just before New Year......shhhh!

[rr]

I started the NHS diabetes remission program on 27 Feb - 4 shakes or soups per day at 215kcal each. I'm not as hungry as I feared, and apart from an unconnected stinking cold, I feel fine.
Dropped 4kg in the first week and although the rate is reducing it still seems to be coming off.
Blood glucose seems to be similar to what it was despite stopping the medication.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Weight seems to have stabilised at a bit over 84kg

Height is also stable 

That gives me a BMI of 27.7
Waist/height ratio is 0.56, which isn't great.

Our scales allegedly measure body fat; and it gives a flattering value of 18% (I think it under-measures).

That's been fairly consistent for a past 3 years; 17 - 18%

Weight has gone up, but looking at the history, muscle mass has increased.

[Flite]

Have any of you used smart scales?
Husband is thinking of buying some.
Most reviews I've seen seem to think they are pretty inaccurate.

I only weigh myself when I need to weigh the cat.
The "pinch an inch" test tells me when to eat less butter and cheese.

[Auntie Helen]

I have smart scales and like the convenience. All the measurements get into Apple Health.

They seem consistent enough with measuring body fat, muscle mass etc.

[mrcharly-YHT]

We have Renpho scales

I think that the body fat/muscle mass measurements aren't very accurate (I've previously had fat measured in a hospital, and that involved multiple electrodes all over my body).

The saving of data straight to my phone is simple and useful; even if you don't believe the other measurements, it is informative and simple to see weight over time.

[rafletcher]

Likewise I have Garmin scales. Not sure as to absolute accuracy, but good for comparisons and of course data straight to phone.

[Regulator]

I’ve got Withings scales.  Their measurements are consistent with those I get at the hospital.  I use them as a rough guide to what is happening in my body. 

[L CC]

We have Fitbit scales.

They are consistent if not accurate.

[Flite]

Thanks for your replies folks.

[rr]

As part of the program I am on I have been provided with some bodytrace smart scales, these seem to have a SIM card in them as they transmit results directly to the server without being connected to either my phone or my Wi-Fi.
I have zero confidence in they produce infeasible day-to-day weight changes and given the very restricted and monotonous diet on far too much variation. For comparison here are the last month's readings for these scales and my old-fashioned ones. I know which ones I believe.

[Regulator]

It was weigh in last night.  Another 2 kilos off last week.  Aiming for the same again this week. 

[Tim Hall]

Having weighed myself just after Christmas, I decided action was needed. Downloaded the NHS Weight Loss app, set a calorie target (2200kcal/day) and had a go to see what resolve I had. I've made a bit more of an effort to be more active too,with a self imposed cycling distance target. I do some of that by a half hour spin at lunch when time allows.

At the beginning of week 10 (last Saturday) of a 12 week programme I was 5kg down from my starting point. Quite Pleased. That's the lightest I've been for ages and ages.

Other than calorie counting, I haven't really made much change to my diet. I tend not to drink mid week, so that helps I guess.

[Regulator]

Only half a kilo off last week.  I need to address my snacking tendency.   

I've got 9 weeks to get as much weight as I can off before the Rome walk.