Weight Loss Discussion Thread

[Chris S]

Why do you keep saying it's doomed to failure?  Calorie control and exercise work for the vast majority of people, as has been shown in a large number of studies.  In my case, despite some plateauing, I've gone from 116 to 89kg.

I didn't - I said "dietary and exercise advice is doomed to failure", and your own experience underlines that; you made something work that I simply couldn't. We're all different, and there isn't a one-size-fits-all plan.

The best advice is "try a whole bunch of different things and eventually something will work for you."

[clarion]

I disagree.  The best advice is to try the method which has the evidence base, and will work for pretty much e everybody (so long as they stick to it).  Then, if you are one of the few for whom that doesn't work (and it seems pretty evident that you and boab are in that category), then you should be guided towards other diets which have something to back them up, even if the evidence is thinner, and the risks higher.

Abandoning dietary advice altogether sets a bomb ticking for the NHS as people who need to lose weight for their health either give up, or are prey to charlatans.

[hellymedic]

Down 0.5kg in three weeks.
Must try harder but every little helps...

[Wowbagger]

I was down a little this morning, to my surprise. There had been a strong upward curve at the weekend.

[Butterfly]

Up 1.4kg . I hope that clarion's baking is going on the baby not me . I'm going to be the size of a house.

[crowriver]

I've lost 2.7kg* in the three weeks since I started this intermittent fasting thingy. Half way to my target weight already. I'm definately going to keep going with this and see where I get to by September.

* - Or as a visual guide, nearly 11 standard packets of lard.

[Wowbagger]

Up 1.4kg . I hope that clarion's baking is going on the baby not me . I'm going to be the size of a house.

You are a house!   

[Psychler]

I'm down 5.2kg since 7th January when I bought some scales that would measure my heftiness.  I have made a point of weighing myself daily and recording the results on my own graph.  I find daily weigh-ins keeps weight loss at the forefront of my mind.

Although this graph is showing a fairly steady decrease since I started, I have seen some pretty dramatic increases and losses overnight.  Throughout January I didn't drink and then on the 2nd Feb I went on a bit of a bender for a mates birthday.  I put on 10lbs overnight!  This was obviously a belly full of grub and a body full of liquid and it subsided over the next couple of days.

Since the start of February, I have been having a few drinks again and my weight loss has continued but not at such a rate as before, it's much steadier.  I think not drinking gave me a kick start so I now limited the amount I have.

I'm also back in the gym regularly three times a week [Monday, Wednesday and Friday], doing a variety of cardio and weights for a couple of hours at a time.  On Tuesday and Thursdays I am now doing some weights at home [I own a variety of dumbbells, kettle bells and a curl bar] and do quite a lot of stretches.  I haven't started back on my bike yet mainly due to the weather [weak excuse] but plan to start cycling again at weekends.

Although not following any particular diet, I've cut back on the carbs and now eat very little bread.  I tend to eat quite a lot of meat, eggs and fish anyway and have continued with this, so in theory one could say I was on a fairly high protein diet.  I was told [by one of the England rugby nutritionalists] to, as a very generalised rule, eat plenty of veg that grows above the ground, but limit that which grows below; this would give sufficient useful carbs.  I also drink lots of water [and tea and coffee] and take some vitamin and mineral supplements.

I'm finding that a combination of the exercise and weight loss has improved the state of my knees and therefore I move more, the dog's walks have got longer and hopefully this will promote more weight loss.  A nice circle to be on.

I've got a long, long way to go but I'm on course to hit my target weight of 113kg by early September.

[clarion]

Good going, Psychler!

[Psychler]

Good going, Psychler!

Cheers, Clarion 

[ran doner]

I seem to have found the new wonder exercise regime for losing weight.

Don't do any.

Over the last 2 weigh-ins I've lost over 4lbs and the only exercise I've done is 1500m swimming 

Seriously, it must be down to not living out of hotels the last few weeks.
I've still been having a lunch time beer (or 2 within 1900 daily calorie limit) and not bothering to count at the weekends.

Hope I can keep the flip side at bay.

[madcow]

Just short of a kilo loss. Last 3 weeks has been a round of hotels, driving and meetings mostly.
All you can eat buffet breakfasts are the work of Satan. Temptation inevitably takes over. At home its  easier as we are both watching how much we eat.
I have managed to stop eating after teatime.
 I think this helps a lot, learning that you dont need food , even though you think you are hungry.

[TimC]

A week of being with my Mrs, celebrating her birthday, and general dietary hedonism has had predictable consequences. Up 1.7kg. Back to the grindstone now...

[simonp]

I assume my increased weight this week has something to do with cycling 237 miles in 7 days (and that with 3 non-cycling* days). This means I have a lot of food in my system.

* I don't count 7km round trip to the doctor's as a cycling day.

[itsbruce]

Lost 7 pounds in almost exactly one month (forgive the imperial measurements but half a stone sounds like so much more of a milestone than 3.17 kilos).  That's the winter padding done away with.

[simonp]

My weight has gone a bit out of control this last week or three. I am 73kg today so I'm 5kg heavier than 6 months ago. My milage is way up but I think my calorie consumption is up too. I will have to start refusing seconds of rhubarb crumble.

[Feline]

My weight has gone a bit out of control this last week or three. I am 73kg today so I'm 5kg heavier than 6 months ago. My milage is way up but I think my calorie consumption is up too. I will have to start refusing seconds of rhubarb crumble.

I didn't make you eat it
Maybe I should stop feeding you like you are 2 people, even though you scoff it all without difficulty!

[simonp]

Some of it may be on my thighs, judging by where my freshly washed jeans were snug yesterday (everywhere!). And I was back down to 72kg yesterday.

Still 4kg above LEL target weight.

[itsbruce]

You're a kilo heavier than me but 9cm taller. Doesn't sound very out of control.

[simonp]

You're a kilo heavier than me but 9cm taller. Doesn't sound very out of control.

The long-term trend has been upwards for months, if that trend continued without some adjustment it'd become a problem. It's a lot easier to stop it getting it out of control than it is to get it back under control, IMO.

[SteveC]

The elusive initial '13' still eludes me 

That's what elusive things do.

It's still being elusive

[Marmitegeoff]

Still going in the wrong direction.  More focus needed.

[crowriver]

Down another 0.6kg this week. 5:2 fasting diet seems to be working so far.

[caerau]

I went back up a pound this week - I thought an audax would help but all it seems to make do is eat like a horse for a few days afterwards. 

[Wowbagger]

I'm still vacillating randomly in the vicinity of 114kg.