Weight loss thread for those not following any particular plan.

R

Russet

Active Member
Nov 14, 2009
610
50
28
I've seen the threads for Slimming World, Weight Watchers and meal replacement diets, but there doesn't seem to be one for losing weight by doing your own thing. Would anybody else like to join in?

I've done WW twice, the first time reaching my goal of losing a stone, which I kept off for about 4 years. As usually happens, it has gradually crept up, and last year I reached my heaviest ever weight of 11 stone 6. I have lost half a stone without actually trying; I don't quite know how that happened, but I'm certainly not complaining!

I'm actually feeling motivated to do something about my weight at long last. I planned to start in January last year, but I wasn't in the right place. Something seems to have clicked in my head, so I'm going for it now. My starting weight was 10 st 13, and I've lost 2 pounds in the last week; yeehah! I'm planning to do it by eating more healthily, and cutting out the chocolate, cakes, sweets and ice cream, as the more sweet stuff I eat, the more I want. I went cold turkey on sugar a few years back, and once I'd got over the initial cravings, found that it is actually easier not to eat the addictive things than to try to moderate them. I read a very good book a few years ago called Slim for Life by Jason Vale, and he describes sugar as the cocaine of the food world. People don't tell alcoholics to just have one drink, and I think it's the same with sugar. If we could "do" moderation, we wouldn't have a problem.

Unfortunately I thought I could start eating chocolate etc. again in moderation, and I was back at square one within a few days. Lesson learnt. Weight Watchers yoghurts/fromage frais are really nice, and only about 50 calories a pot. I will eat fruit or yoghurt when I want something sweet, with some almonds which are very good for you.

I am going to start cycling/using my exercise bike again and go for fairly brisk walks. I plan to exercise 5 days a week, starting with 10-15 mins cycling, and gradually build it up (I've got ME, so can't exercise for very long). I can walk for longer, so will start with about 30 mins on my good days. I've also started to use a great exercise DVD for toning exercises which is the Y Plan. I used it years ago on video, and they've now brought it out on DVD. It's great - each section only lasts for 12 minutes, it's very easy to follow, and has 3 levels to progress through. Each level has a toning and aerobic session, but I'm not keen on aerobics, and find it too hard so don't do that. I prefer to do my aerobic exercise outdoors, at my own pace.

I'd like to keep a diary of my weight loss progress on here to motivate me, and as a record. I'm fed up with looking at myself in a mirror and thinking yuk, and not being able to wear loads of my clothes. :frown: I know I'm not hugely overweight, but I will feel more comfortable and better about myself if I lose at least a stone, preferably 1 1/2, then I can hopefully get back into my size 14 trousers.
 
I only want to loss 1/2 stone I am quite small already but my work skirt is to tight. I have found over the years that lossing a small amount is really hard and you have to count every caloire you eat. I like food to so much but bothered by sweets or chocolate. I exercise most days and ride my boy every night to a good standard I never get out of breath or need to stop (my RI hates this as I dont tire out) so lossing thses last couple of ilbs is proving difficult.

So I will up the exercise and try to knock a bit of food out but really not sure where.

Good luck with your diet and exercise plan.
 
I'm with you Russet, but I think I have about six times the amount you have to lose!
Starting Weight - 16st 1lb
Weight Loss This Week - 1lb
Weight Loss So Far - 2.5lbs (in the last three weeks)

Its coming off uber slowly but I'm not denying myself. I really like your comment re sugar though and might go a-ebaying to see what its all about. I gave up smoking and found it much much easier than this dieting malarky and I appreciate its because you can't completely abstain. I guess I'd have more success with the likes of the cambridge diet but I'm too scared that I'd go back to my old ways afterwards and want to learn to cope with it myself. (Not dissing other diets, different strokes for different folks)
I've just been adding more veg and cutting down pasta and rice portion sizes. Eating homemade soup for lunch and trying to watch my snacking late at night (danger zone). I've been doing a bit more exercise - but I always try and make it functional - that motivates me more. If I'm going to the horses I tend to run down and back now, taking a wee detour to make it longer. Today I've got my car going in to the garage in half an hour and I've deliberately chosen a garage over the bridge so I leave it there, walk into town and then back for the car later on. (Just wish the weather wasn't so bad as have to go back to work after!)
I've not denyed myself completely, this week I had a takeaway and went out for tea with a mate but I'm cutting my portion size and still loving it. I feel healthy, I feel in control, I have less headaches (but having had to cut cheese, chocolate and caffeine out of my diet for this, I'm not surprised!)
Good luck to us all I say.
 
Well done FM.
Thats good going and you are not denying yourself.
I cut out drink and its been big losses for the first few weeks.
Portions reduced too and feeling full which is not normal for me as I am greedy:sluggish:
 
I am not really following a plan as such, but my aim is to get back to being 10 and a half stone. Even though I am short on leg, this weight is perfect for me, and as we all know, muscle weighs heavier than fatlol! I certainly don't have any extra flab when I'm that weight and all my clothes fit nicely. So, atm I am (dare I say this on here!!!!!) 11 stone. There, said it!
I have been losing a couple of pounds a week since Christmas (not huge amounts).
I have chopped out of my diet, all crisps, sweets, fried foods like chips, sausages, cooked breakfasts from Maccy D's!
Basically, OH is cooking as much fresh, healthy stuff (with lots of veg) as poss. We've swapped any snacks that we used to partake of for celery, carrots and raw cauliflower. Very tasty!
Also I have switched to an extremely low alcholol percent lager (I do like to have some pleasures!lol) which I believe is sensible, in that the higher the alcohol in something the more calories it contains?
So far, my jeans are getting slacker, I feel better all round really. My skin is suffering though, like its spitting all the bad stuff out, I've got spots any teenager would worry about!!!!
 
I hold the record in resolving to lose weight and then not.
Started yesterday but then suddenly friend came to dinner and we had 3 courses.
I will gladly join. For the next month. But watch those almonds - I totally love almonds which OH buys for his muesli in summer - such temptation and they are very high in calories.
 
Just wanted to add: I am taking every opportunity I can to get a bit more walking in, for instance, I have stopped using the quad bike unless absolutely necessary, ie, I walk up to check on the girls and only use the bike for carrying the heavy stuff like water.
I also try and make lots of trips back and forth to the house, carrying extra things like the hoover etc (don't ask!) tothe caravan to keep it nice and neat! OH and I are also doing lots of evening walks, I love it, its so nice wandering around in the semi-darkness, and you get to meet the owls too! (Shame about disturbing the odd sheepy mind!)
Luckily for me, all our fields are more or less up a hill, which is great for toning legs! Also, I am doing what I call "power mucking" and do it at a great speed, enough to get me out of breath!lol. It all helps me thinks!
 
My weight has fluctuated lots over the last 10 years, did WW successfully but as soon as I stopped it went back on but I lost nearly a stone last year (mostly thanks to S and not spending every evening after work sat on the sofa munching) I'm about 5lbs away from my original target weight but I'm giving myself a break as all the mucking out, carrying fed/shavings/hay and general being active seem to have given me muscles so less focused on weight atm....just clothes fitting.

Decided to stop eating in the work cafe as none of it was remotely healthy!! I don't snack at work now but do at home where as before I did both...hoping it stays off this time!
 
I am eating healthy, cutting out the rubbish I used to eat. excercising at a gym:showoff: and swimming most evening and the weight is comming off slowly :) I can feel the benefits already my feet aren't aching as much carrying all my weight around.

I try to walk more with the dog. I am not getting as out of breath as i used to. I do have nights where I completely forget and have a drink or some choccies but I am limiting these. I have also cut out sugar in my tea, i used to have 2 in each cuppa.

I have dropped a jean size but still a long way to go yet. I have dropped from a 20 on top/size 18 bottoms

To a 18 on top and a 16 bottoms which I am very proud of but want to lose even more and aim on being a 16 top and 14 bottom by summer :) Then I will no longer be a plus size as far as most shops are concerned :)

I am currently selling my house and downsizing so my OH said I can have a 3.5 ton horsebox once we sell. So I will be mobile so lots of showing inhand should drop my weight with all the running :) I have lots of incentives to keep me focussed.
 
Last edited:
I will update this thread as well as my own diary as it may help keep me on track!

I haven't been good the past two days because of celebrations but shall get back on track tomorrow! Got the zumba fitness for the wii for my birthday so will indulge in some exercise also!
 
Hehehee, my gin drinking days are over!lol, used to love the stuff. Sadly I can only manage Sainsburys own brand lager at 2percent alcohol!lol.
 
I lost almost 3 stone just cutting down on junk and quantites of meals (I did eat fairly bg ones to start with so not like I have childs portions BTW!!),and getting more exercise,mainly cycling as have poorly feet so even though I love walking it's not much of an option these days.Took over a year,but I got there in the end and without a diet plan in sight!!

I have over xmas put on half a stone,so back to being careful and when nights get lighter and have a bit more time back on the bike!!

It can be done,and IMO far better than a strict diet,I can't cope with them,almost like setting myself up to fail making a conscious decision to diet lol.

Happy to join in and share progress (or not lol) with others:smile:

Tonight is beef casserole,baked potato and broccolli which should be filling and not too high in fat or cals.
 
I'm really pleased so many of you have joined this thread, it sounds as if you're doing really well. I take my hat off to those who have a larger amount to lose, as to me losing 1 1/2 stone seems like a lot. Hopefully feeling better and our clothes getting looser will help us to stay motivated. For me it is also about improving my health, because my ME is always worse in the winter, and my diet is far from good. A friend who is a nutritionist is going to help me with eating more healthily, so that will make me more accountable.

Another friend has a friend weigh her which is a really good idea, and I think I might do this, as it will mean I have more incentive to stay on track. It seems daft to go to a club just to be weighed, which I know is what some people do. When I went to WW I went mostly for the talk, which helped to motivate me. There's no way I'd pay £5 a week or more just for someone to weigh me. I don't want to line the pockets of diet clubs any more, and if they are so good, why do most of us put the weight back on?
 
Its really weird, but I feel slimmer, and my jeans feel slacker, BUT, according to the scales I've only lost 2lb this past couple of weeks?! I wish I'd invested in the digital ones now - I was being mean fisted and got the ordinairy ones from Asda. Humph.

Just a quick question too - how come scales weigh differently on different surfaces and in different parts of the house?!
 
Trewsers said:
Its really weird, but I feel slimmer, and my jeans feel slacker, BUT, according to the scales I've only lost 2lb this past couple of weeks?! I wish I'd invested in the digital ones now - I was being mean fisted and got the ordinairy ones from Asda. Humph.

Just a quick question too - how come scales weigh differently on different surfaces and in different parts of the house?!
Click to expand...

It sounds as if you've built up your muscle mass, which is heavier than fat. That would make you look slimmer, and your clothes looser, without losing much weight. :smile: That's a lot more important than what the scales say, so it sounds as if you're doing really well. I bet walking up those hills is doing your legs the power of good.

I've got Tanita digital scales (which are very accurate) which also show how much of your weight is fat as a percentage - gulp. :unsure: This gives you a more accurate picture of your fat loss. I'm not brave enough to put my percentage of fat here, but it is quite depressing. Unfortunately I'm the body type which has more fat and less muscle than the other types (is it mesomorph?).

It might help explain why I've always been rubbish at sports, and have never felt particularly physically strong. I also never noticed a difference in my appearance when I used to go to the gym, twice a week, though I worked hard for 1 1/2 hours, including weight training. I did feel stronger then, though.

Keep up the good work, Trewsers, and if your clothes are looser that's the most important thing. We all get so hung up on the number on the scales, but that's only part of the picture.
 
I've lost almost two stones since last January, I think I was getting up to 17 stone but then I lost it through diet and exercise. Had tried WW and SW on and off but decided to follow an online calorie counting plan with Sainsburys just to help me get started, but then continued on my own with sensible diet and exercise. I have a condition which actually caused weight gain so have sought more help from the NHS and I saw a dietician who gave me a plan with low glycaemic index foods and she explained that more veg and less carbs is the way to go. I give my body variety by eating as many different varieties as I can every day - one day I'll give myself a 'treat' with a carbohydrate like some dried low fat noodles - and another day I'll be really good and have a sweet potato with baked beans. With some trepidation, I started taking a drug called Xenical which stops your body from absorbing the fat and (sorry to sound a bit graphic) passes it straight out of the body. So I now know if I've eaten too much fat in a meal as I have to get to the toilet with some urgency. I've found I can still have half fat cheese and I never feel hungry as I snack on fruit and low fat/cal snacks. I am now 15.5 stones and my small goal by summer is to be 14 stones.
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back