Weight Loss 2020

[Betty Bee]

Great post, geek!

[sally maclennane]

That's really interesting Geek, thanks!

[Luna]

Great post Geek. I've printed it off. I read a while ago that weights are especially beneficial around peri menopause to help with bone density. I'm going to get TRX straps for my birthday to get me going!

[Cosmopolitan]

That's such a great post and correlates so well with my experience. Weight training changes body shape for the better so much more than just dieting alone. And it's not like you even have to do a huge amount or have it take hours.

Kettlebells are very good for home workouts Luna

[Skips]

That resonates so much with when I lost weight last time too. I rejoined the gym last year and started doing weights again but stopped after my hospital visit. I went in yesterday to change my membership so I can go any time and I'm hoping to get back in the habit of lifting three times a week. In fact, last week my Facebook showed a 1 year before and after of when I was regularly lifting from a few years ago and the difference is astounding. I was eating roughly 1500 calories per day (I say roughly as I was terrible at tracking) but it did seem to make such a big difference.

[nineseven]

Thank you, Geek!

I've finally seen a downwards move in the scales after nearly three weeks hovering around the same weight.

[sally maclennane]

I've lost 2lbs since starting this (2 weeks ago), I've been fairly strict through the week but less so at weekends, and that works best for me. I'm happy with a slow loss as long as it keeps moving downwards.

[Loralei]

That is a good post, Geek, and definitely something to think about. I am sick of feeling like I know what to do but not doing it, and am beginning to think I don't know what I'm doing after all.

I've started with Noom after a friend had good results. It's only been a week but I've lost 3lbs and haven't felt at all deprived, although I am definitely making different choices. I have a coach who talks to me via messenger and we've had some interesting conversations about (for eg) the psychology of hunger. It's very much about the long term and changing bad habits, but also about being realistic, so I told my coach that I wasn't going to be thinking about diet and nutrition on Friday (Dad's funeral) and had zero guilt about it.

[Pippedydeadeye]

That sounds sensible a Lora.

I’ve done a 6-7 week exercise challenge which meant weighing and measuring at the start, but have let the not snacking at work slide and I’m 4lb up on where I was on 1st Jan. I’m annoyed but I can totally see where I’ve gone wrong. I’ve been drinking too much and eating chocolate loads, which isn’t usually me. The drinking totally is though.

[happyhighlandcoo]

Noom sounds great. Hope it is going well, Lora.

That's really frustrating, Pip. I guess the exercise must have had lots of other benefits though? Fitness, mental health, strength etc?

I'm back in the groove after a few very greedy days when we were away for half term. I'm reading the book 'Atomic Habits' just for general personal development but it has some very helpful ideas for weightloss too about focusing on the process not the goal and if you miss a day then get straight back on it the next day. I'm focusing on meeting my calorie goal every day (going for 1500 but aiming for less) and doing at least 10 minutes of exercise every day, just to build habits. I'm still up on the weight I was at the end of November but happy with how I'm eating so focusing on sticking to the system rather than weight loss too much.

[H1ppychick]

I’m on Noom too, Lora! I’ve been going 5 weeks, and I’ve lost 9 pounds. I’ve been plateaued the past week, but since that week included my own birthday and that of a friend I think that’s fairly understandable, and helpfully the Noom daily reads last week were about plateaus and how to get through them.

A minor gripe is that I think Noom can overestimate calorie allowances if you have use an activity tracker which is linked to the app, and your exercise type is one which increases your step count. For example I might do a BodyJAM class which is dance based and my Apple Watch records the calories expended and the steps. When Noom picks up the information it gives you calorie allowance based both on the calories expended from your watch but also gives you further calories based on the number of steps you’ve done, effectively double counting, so I always make sure I’m not eating my full exercise calories.

It’s also very American in its language, its food tracker and its recipes.

[mojojojo]

Is there no option to disable calories from steps, Hippy? You can do that on MFP, but I don’t know how similar the Noom app might be.

[Loralei]

I’m on Noom too, Lora! I’ve been going 5 weeks, and I’ve lost 9 pounds. I’ve been plateaued the past week, but since that week included my own birthday and that of a friend I think that’s fairly understandable, and helpfully the Noom daily reads last week were about plateaus and how to get through them.

The daily reads are surprisingly accurate for me, too. It's almost as if we all go through the same stages I was full CBA mode on Thursday and planned to go out for dinner with my sister, and that morning it told me it was time for a treat. I like the "if you can't do it for a year, dont do it now," philosophy. I completely agree about the exercise calories, although I hadn't worked out why it was so high. 120 bonus calories for a 25 minute run! I wish. I figure it's about encouraging good habits rather than simple maths. I've lost 5lbs in 2 weeks and haven't felt deprived at all (that's included several ice creams and a Chinese buffet). I love my coach but yes, very American!

I feel like you've totally cracked the lifestyle change bit, Pip, so while you're bound to fluctuate I reckon the benefits are lasting.

[Loralei]

I’m on Noom too, Lora! I’ve been going 5 weeks, and I’ve lost 9 pounds. I’ve been plateaued the past week, but since that week included my own birthday and that of a friend I think that’s fairly understandable, and helpfully the Noom daily reads last week were about plateaus and how to get through them.

The daily reads are surprisingly accurate for me, too. It's almost as if we all go through the same stages I was full CBA mode on Thursday and planned to go out for dinner with my sister, and that morning it told me it was time for a treat. I like the "if you can't do it for a year, dont do it now," philosophy. I completely agree about the exercise calories, although I hadn't worked out why it was so high. 120 bonus calories for a 25 minute run! I wish. I figure it's about encouraging good habits rather than simple maths. I've lost 5lbs in 2 weeks and haven't felt deprived at all (that's included several ice creams and a Chinese buffet). I love my coach but yes, very American!

I feel like you've totally cracked the lifestyle change bit, Pip, so while you're bound to fluctuate I reckon the benefits are lasting.

[sally maclennane]

That sounds good Lora. MFP overestimates exercise calories too but I'm ok with that

I have lost about 6 pounds, after 4 weeks ai I'm quite happy with that. I have 12 weeks till holiday so I hope to lose another stone in that time but equally I am trying not to focus too much on numbers. I'm trying to shift my attitude to food as I was/am a very emotional eater.

[maya]

Well done to all the losers, that’s great progress! I am in exactly the same place I was at the end of Jan which is frustrating - I’ve gained and lost the same 2lbs twice in that period. It seems like doing what I used to do isn’t really working for me anymore ‘diet-wise’. I’ve heard good things about Noom from others too so I’m going to sign up and see how I get on with that...I’m surprised at how low I’m feeling about it so I think I need to try something different.

[H1ppychick]

You can buy a two week trial of Noom for £1, then unless you cancel them they take £99 which covers the 4-month plan.

[FiveO'Clock]

Great post, thanks Geek!

I put on five pounds this week, the only change in my diet was having a crab cake with a cabbage slaw for lunch each day this week. I skipped the crab cake yesterday and, this morning, was down half the weight I put on. I really don't know how a small crab cake could make me gain weight, it's quite frustrating.

[smalex]

Unless the crab cake had, like 30,000 calories in it, its impossible. It's got to be natural fluctuations. I share your frustration though, I ' put on' and then lost 3lbs in 36hrs this week

[smalex]

Unless the crab cake had, like 30,000 calories in it, its impossible. It's got to be natural fluctuations. I share your frustration though, I ' put on' and then lost 3lbs in 36hrs this week