Weight loss accountability/support 2022 edition

Good luck!

Its generally understood that weight isn't the most important metric, but it is the easiest to measure and track progress with.
Body shape changes, whether by weight/fat loss or muscle gain takes a while, so more regular weigh ins might help remind you that you're going in the right direction?

If you're controlling portion sizes, reading food packaging, or weighing your rice/pasta etc, then you might as well weigh yourself!

Anyone feel lockdown has had the biggest influence on their health?

I used to feel I had to look a certain way, ultimately thin and healthy looking, as I met people often... now I don't i have definitely loosened my care. Which has led me to here.

Maybe the years of catholic school mean i thrive in guilt...

Thanks, yeah agreed. However, I'm not a huge data / numbers type so will just keep an eye on it.

If you're controlling portion sizes, reading food packaging, or weighing your rice/pasta etc

Nope, I'm not regimented in this manner; I check ingredients and am just trying to not put as much food on my plate / drink more water.

I cut out refined sugar for some years and although I was definitely more slender, it was a boresome endeavour. I feel like if I start weighing my food and counting grains I'll develop a bad (worse?) relationship with eating.

Lock down was class for me.

It meant I had nothing else to do...so I chose bikes and being over the top about my diet. You'll remember when lock down first kicked in the weather was fabulous and I was out everyday putting in big miles...itll all came together. I fixed my head and my gut.

Now my issue, in regards to maintaining a fighting weight, is that I'm too happy to care about a few extra pounds. Thats why I failed on about 4 different occasions to turn it around last year.

the 3 week holiday break of fried food and 8% beers did boost my weight up.

120kg on the scale yesterday morning, felt pretty bleak, but does motivate me to definitely take this stuff seriously now. just need to hit the sweet spot of a caloric deficit where I am losing the most I can without compromising on strength / joy.

According to Nutracheck, 4 [FOUR] Oatie biscuits (Aldi knock-off Hobnobs) are 280 kcal. Some of the reasons for my weight fluctuations are becoming clearer

Yep, 95 calories a pop. It’s no drama for me to pack 10+ away in the workshop and that’s why biscuits are banned.

Im certainly learning alot with this app aswell.

Finding some days that although I feel I'm eating very well, there isn't a whole lot in 1500 calories.

I did a hard 5 hour gravel ride on Sunday and took in a total of 2000 calories that day and still felt bad about going 500 over the intake target. I wish I could know, accurately, how much I'm burning.

After joining the forum way back in 2008 I dropped steadily from 90 down to a range since 2011 of 72-75kg more, having a child on 2019 and resulting drop in time to exercise meant I got up to 80kg by the start of lockdown, held steady until I ran a marathon last year where I worked hard to get down to 74 ish again, and then between April and December got up to 88kg. The annoying thing is that I feel fat but fit in that I do at least an hour of exercise per day, I can run sub 20 mins for 5k and close to 4w/kg ftp, avg steps are >12000, so it’s not that I’m not getting enough exercise so must be food/booze.

I’ve got into a habit of drinking a lot of diet fizzy drinks in lockdown so I’ve cut those out, have banned drinking non-Thursday including alcohol free beers, and late night snacking.

I’ve also started doing a low calorie/keto diet that I plan to follow for around 4 weeks to have a bit of a kick start to weight loss.

One week in, and I’ve lost a pretty crazy 4.5kg, 1.5cm from my waist but it is bloody hard in terms of I hit a real wall about 30 mins into exercise, if I keep it low intensity (hr <140 or so) then it becomes manageable, and it’s much worse running than riding, also seem to be much more thirsty than I ever remember being…

Anyway sticking with this for a few more weeks, while I try to figure a routine where I get to do all the things I like, but in moderation, but fit my clothes, don’t get sweaty when going for a walk and am generally a fair bit healthier..

Hope is to get to around 80 by end of January , then set about getting the rest of the way down to old me weight by the end of the summer.

12 ikea meatballs

Made some of these - slightly different proportions (because of the size of packages from the supermarket), no egg & milk to bind (because not necessary), Worcestershire sauce (not soy, because no) and chicken stock (because I made some on the weekend), no cream (because why?).

10 meatballs for me (8 for my partner) at 450kcal per serving, and the same again frozen for another day.

Tiptop suggestion. Ta!

Good job! Extremely easy to portion control, and you can have a couple less or a couple more if you’ve got a bit more calorie deficit to fill.

Same with mini burgers (which to be fair is basically a flattened meatball) and sausages/chipolatas.

Sausages can have a huge amount of fat and calories in them, the higher meat content and slightly reduced fat versions (using leaner cuts of pork) are useful to buy in a pinch.

The diet drinks are relatively harmless I think, unless it causes you to have cravings for other things.
A can of caffeine free Diet Coke is pretty helpful for me to ward off a sweet craving on some evenings.

You’ve likely shed a lot of stored glycogen/carbs, and body is retaining less water. Which would explain the thirst. A Keto/low carb diet tends to shed you of excess water, and you feel dehydration more than if you were holding 2l of water from the large bowl of pasta that you had last night.

The wall that you feel is very common on Keto. Your body’s glycogen reserves are depleted, and you’ve not yet got very good and producing or using ketones.
The low intensity ‘fat burning zone’ should be fine, but it’s very easy to bonk on Keto.

My wife keeps buying them :(

You should probably ask her not to…

Or store them separately. I keep a dark chocolate bar for my partner, she keeps a fizzy drink for me. If we’re having a particularly low mood, even just knowing that extra little cheat treat is available has been helpful.

On the flip side, I’ve realised that I’ve become a stress eater. Have to sort that out addressing the root cause, while not adding more stress lol. Would not recommend using food as medication; that said, it does have its uses.

98.7kg (6' 1")

I work in pounds so that's 217.6lbs and my first milestone is sub-200, last time I managed that was after a bout of noro so it was mostly fluid loss but I'll take that!

04/01 - 83.1kg
11/01 - 81.7kg

Target - 75kg

Not the huge initial drop I've experienced before but still a move in the right direction and especially considering weekend festivities. Onwards and upwards.

Would totally agree with this. I am a mega stress eater. Someone once said people often eat to "push their feelings down". Found that really helpful the idea that I am often shoving food in to push feelings further down my gullet and away from my head.

Also have the issue of a partner who can literally eat anything she wants and struggles to put on weight. She boshes biscuits and carbs galore, so the temptation is always in the house for those days when the stresshead comes out to play.

My wife is the same - she can eat and eat and never gain a pound

I'd argue that if you were to count the calories of what was being eaten, then it would be less than you think.
If your wives ate the same amount as you at, say, 85kg doing 8 hours of gym/cycling a week, then they would fairly rapidly approach 85kg themselves.
A faster metabolism doesn't overcome a 1500kcal daily surplus.

Some people are very good at regulating their weight without thinking too much about it. Lower appetite, instinctively choosing things like a lighter breakfast because yesterday's dinner was heavy. Opting for salads sometimes rather than a mixed grill with extra onion rings.

Compared to a festive season breakfast for me, which for me might have been a cooked breakfast, followed up by 6 mince pies...

Healthy eating is great but I’ve not done (or really needed) a plop for three days now. Hence I’ve gained weight.

Trying to drink plenty because I know it’s fibre stuck in my digestive tract.

I'd argue that if you were to count the calories of what was being eaten, then it would be less than you think.

I'd back you up on this too.

Calorie counting always comes with that "Oh, I seeeeee!" moment.

Finally got some scales, 85.5kg for my 190cm.

Aiming for around 80 in March but would love to see a 7 at the beginning of my weight, even at 79.9. I have been down to 77/78 in the past though I wasn’t cycling as much and I have definitely got more muscles in my legs now so not sure how easily attainable that could be now so keeping an open mind.

I know my downfall is unhealthy snacking and treats, so will try and make sure none are in the house or office in the coming weeks and will look for filling replacements where needed.

Lower intensity morning rides on an empty stomach are something I used to do daily pre-covid in the form of my commute and definitely helped - the moment I switched to breakfast at work and not at home I started seeing a difference, so will try and get back on those regularly whether I am commuting or WFH.

Think I may be going overboard with the calorie deficit. I always go hard in these situations but I think the app is meaning I go more hard than just guessing.

I'll see how this week pans out, might have to up the cals.

Crap work-day yesterday. Swapped out the takeaway and lager for an oven pizza and a few 0%, so maybe 900kcal vs ???thousands???kcal.
Also mad how much you can get away with at tea time if you just have a small lunch otherwise.