Please help me lose weight

[catgirl1976]

Hi

I really need to lose 2 stone. I tend to need pretty fast results when I am dieting or I get discouraged. I had good sucess with the Dukan but that was pre DS and I don't think I can be bothered cooking separate meals for all of us to accommodate a diet I am on (and if I am cooking carbs for the family I will crack) so I think low calorie is the way forward

I am going to download MFP but how many calories should I be aiming for?

I am 5ft 6 and weight about 12stone 6 atm. I want to be 10st 6.

Does anyone have any advice? Top tips on really low cal but filling foods would be great as would inspiring tales of how much weight you lost and over what time frame

Thank you :)

[Millie3030]

Hiya,

My advice would be use MFP every day and stick to it, if you don't lose weight or you put on weight you are underestimating the calories you are eating. It's simple maths.

I was about your size and I'm your height and I have lost over a stone so far. I truly don't deny myself anything, if I want a chocolate bar or a bag or crisps I have it, but I scan the barcode and count it in my daily allowance then soon regret it when I'm starving an hour later and not full! When you do that a few times you realise a jacket potato/chicken salad would fill you for longer and you will loose weight so it's a great motivator when you get on the scales.

I try to aim for 1200-1300 a day.

Salad is filling
Jacket potatoes
Bananas

Avoid bread, full of calories, and not very filling for long (well works for me)

[catgirl1976]

Thank you. I've downloaded mfp this morning so the diet starts today. :)

[SuzySuzSuz]

I'm 4 weeks in using MFP (feel free to add me Londonsuz) and the best advice I can give is

1. track EVERYTHING! Even if you're having a bad day or feel like poo, still track. I can have days where I eat anything and everything but by still tracking it does help with damage limitation and keeping things in prospective without mindless eating
   
2. keep your goals in mind, write them where you'll regularly see them so your motivation is always there
   
   I'm on 1400 cals, will review if I plateau but has worked so far and is manageable.

[snickers251]

Hi cat,

I can't offer any advice as only been doing MFP since weds but I'm the same height as you and started at 12st8 but have lost 4lbs since I started, slightly concerned its a bit too quick.

I did have a big blow out last night when friends came over (damn you dominoes)

I've been aiming for 1200 a day but find I'm struggling to get up to that and end up snacking on low cal snacks in the evening to get it closer to that figure j

[snickers251]

Oh boobs posted too soon

[catgirl1976]

Thanks everyone.

Unfortunately things have gone awry this weekend and the diet starts tomorrow

But I really am going to do it and it's encouraging to hear other people are doing it too and losing weight! :)

[bubalou]

Hi,

I'm on a very good diet at the moment which is showing great results. Things that I thought sounded like hassle were actually very simple, cheap and yummy. Also I was able to put the extra in the fridge or freezer for later in the week.

Tonight I had a vegetable stew - potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, peppers, mushrooms, chickpeas, butter beans and kidney beans. Just brown onions with oil in a pan, add rest of veg for 5 minutes then cover with vegetable stock and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 10 mins. Serve over brown rice.

Even my 5 years old loved it. I added salt, pepper and some Worcester sauce.

I eat a lot of fish and vegetables, sometimes an omelette, homemade vegetable soup with a wholemeal grated cheese sandwich.

[catgirl1976]

Oooh that sounds yummy!

I've been sticking to my 1200 calories but I have been feeling hungry - I need some good, filling, low cal recipes like that so thank you! :)

[bubalou]

No worries. I was really surprised how cheap and tasty it was.

A lot of people have heard of the crazy 'lemonade diet' where people drink the lemon water and cayenne pepper for 7 days and take salt water laxatives !!! But I found my diet on the so feminine website which was based on a MUCH less extreme version of this with a 1 day cleanse which you still eat lots and then a very healthy 7 day meal plan with 3 meals and 2 snacks a day.

Google - so feminine lemonade diet. This is what I am on and I feel great and never hungry. I'm about to eat my dessert which is baked banana and dark chocolate. I've lost 4lbs in 3 days already and I was already a very good eater and weighed 10st 10, now 10st 6 and closer to my 10st goal!

Have a look. I would recommend the knorr gel stocks for the soup and stew.

Good luck!

[jilly1970]

Any tips on getting Rid of water retention xx

[Toizzy]

hi all,

just started using mfp on Tuesday at 1200 calories. And ordered the 30 day shred dvd!
One good recipe so far I've had is red lentil and chickpea soup from bbc good food website, really easy to make, filling and delicious, can be frozen too

[peacoat]

jilly just drink loads of water! That always sorts me out after a few days. Low carving tends to help it, or sweating in the gym.

[Mini05]

Hi girls

I've started cutting back 2 nd day, please what is MFP and where do you download it?
Been apps store nothing!

[peacoat]

Mini it's short for My Fitness Pal

[Mini05]

Found it!!!

[Poppiesway]

I've been to slimming world for past 8 weeks, it was ok, doable.. But only lost 7lbs in 6 weeks (doesn't sound bad I know but i lost 3.5 then 3.5, put on 1.5 lost 1.5 then stayed the same.
This week I've used mfp and 30 day shred everyday and lost 3lb when weighed in last night.

I used my fitness pal a few years ago and lost just over 4stone.. So I know it works. It's just losing then maintaining I have issues with!

[peacoat]

Poppies that's impressive.

[PrePre]

Hi Catgirl,

How's it all going so far?

I also use MFP everyday, and the best advice I can give is to pre-filter your meal plans a day in advance so you know what you have to work with. It helps you keep on track and hopefully look forward to your next meal. Prepearing your own meals is cheaper, tastier and healthier.

With 1200 calories you may benefit from structuring your meals over 3 main and 2 snacks. Alongside this try and include protein in each meal.

Here's an example of what I follow and by the way I'm also 5ft 6 and a mother of 2!

Breakfast
Turkey bacon with boiled eggs

Snack
Apple with almond butter

Lunch
Chicken with brown rice pasta and veg

Snack
A good protein shake without the hidden sugars you get in manu high street brands

Dinner
Slamon & veg

This is just a guide so dont take it as gospel.

Remember to drink lots of water throughout the day. If you get hungry try eating some meat - strange as it may sound but I love going to my supermarket deli and buying slices of turkey or chicken. For a veggie option try carrot batons with Hummus.

I weigh my food too to stay on track. I'm sure you can do it and soon you will be able to increase your calories once your metabolism starts working faster.

Good luck and stay strong
xxx

PS. Doves Organic sell brown rice pasta which is better than the white kind and Tesco have a new healthy range section offering lots of protein and alternatives to bread/pasta etc.

[ShellyW40]

My advice is not to go on any popular "diet" like Dukan, Paleo etc. Although you will lose weight, they are not sustainable long-term and you will gain (maybe more) weight when you come off it. I dieted for years and watched my weight go up and down like a yo-yo making me miserable, so I know how much of a struggle it can be. Now I know these "diets" are just short-term fixes. The only long-term way to lose weight healthily and keep it off is to change your lifestyle. I lost my weight (although I don't advocate a scale as a guage of whether you need to lose weight, I suggest you use a mirror instead!) using the visimpact system I got after reading THIS review. There are plenty of systems to choose from available, just pick the one that looks right for you and make a commitment to stick to it.

[MintCar]

I definitely like MFP but I found no matter what your height / weight / need to lose - it will always tell you to eat 1200 cals. This simply was not acheivable for me!
I exercise atleast 3 times a week and need more calories to function.
I have 1600 cals on a rest day and 1800 when I work out. I dont always hit those targets and am oftern 100 or so below but much less restrictive than 1200 and I have been consistenly losing weight for 4 weeks =]

Good luck!

[almostfullyfunctional]

I had to get down to 30 bmi for ivf. Hit target last month. Lost 14kg. Used mfp and ate all calories -been drinking only water or fruit tea. I found I didn't get so hungry. For workouts I used youtube; started with Biggest Loser and worked up from there. It works because you can always find something for the time you have. Cheaper and more effective than anything else I've tried!

[Mutley77]

I am losing weight on 1200 cal per day and the foods I find to be really great in terms of value for calories are

sweet potato
avocado
banana
low fat ricotta
multi-grain bread
egg
spinach (and more and more spinach!)
white fish
chicken
beans (baked, canellini, mixed, kidney)
yoghurt
lentils