Tortoise pace but hope to win the race

This topic contains 14 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by AnnetteBoe 10 years, 9 months ago.

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jojo58

1:22 pm
22 Feb 14
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12 lbs down since beginning of Jan, fit and happy, but still only just under 16 stone. Feels like slow going compared to many but I guess that is just what my body wants. I do one hour at the gym bike, treadmill and Crosstrainer 5 times a week but no high intensive work. I guess I may be building some muscle.
Honestly at my weight I am a bit scared of doing fast fit, I am worried about asthma atack or injury. I walk daily with dogs and play badminton weekly which can be exhausting, certainly sweating after two hours of alternate match games.I know I should step it up but I don’t want to do it alone, I will try to get a committed gym buddy as I can’t afford a personal trainer.

Anyone out there felt like this but found they could push it up a notch without a problem?

I would be so happy if I could drop 2 lbs per week, how do people do it?

Angie090465

3:01 pm
22 Feb 14
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Hi Jojo58

I think you have done amazingly well so far, yes its slow, but that’s the whole point, I am not sure many people loose 2 lbs a week that easy!! probably half that is more realistic, its not a race, take your time!!

you seem like a very active person anyway, so keep going!!
you’re doing great 🙂

simcoeluv

6:46 pm
22 Feb 14
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Hi jojo58:

I’m with Angie. The average weight loss for women on 5:2 is between one-half and one pound a week. Here is why: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/tdee-for-the-curious-or-why-dont-i-lose-weight-faster/

If you want to lose faster, you will have to eat a lot less than you are eating.

I’m sorry.

But you are doing better than a large majority of 5:2ers. Congratulations!

jojo58

11:10 pm
22 Feb 14
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Thanks simoleum and Angie but I am doing 4:3 not 5:2 so I was hoping for more than one pound per week. I know I am probably being unrealistic but this is my priority right now. It’s the first time in my sad life that I am not caring for parents, kids, relatives and my husband and his parents. I am now on my own and in semi retirement, it’s my time. I want to focus on me before grand-children arrive, if I am lucky I reckon I have two years, that is not a huge amount of time to lose 6 stone.

I would like to be slim before I do some worldwide travelling if only to have a bit more room in my case.

simcoeluv

11:55 pm
22 Feb 14
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jojo:

At best, 4:3 adds only about seven ounces additional weight loss per week. Most people doing 4:3 lose less than that additional amount:
http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/tdee-for-the-curious-or-why-dont-i-lose-weight-faster/

The average woman has a TDEE of around 2000 calories a day, or 14,000 per week. There are 3500 calories in a pound. To lose two pounds a week, she would have to average eating 1000 calories a day, 7 days a week. That is almost a starvation diet, and is not doable on 5:2 or 4:3, if you do them as normally outlined.

I believe your expectations are too high for this diet.

Good Luck!

jojo58

12:10 am
23 Feb 14
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Thanks for your input simcoeluv,
You are probably right, you are certainly well informed. Guess it pays to do some more research. Thanks for enlightening me, I really appreciate it.
I have always been inpatient.
Before I started 5:2 in Jan I was doing 1200 cals per day for months, even slower weight loss.
Obviously I need to work on my mindset.

simcoeluv

12:27 am
23 Feb 14
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jojo:

Start with the basics. Figure out your TDEE (my link gives guidance on how to do it). Once you get your TDEE, just subtract 1000 from it and that will tell you how many calories, max, you can eat a day to lose two pounds a week – on any diet, not just 5:2. Then you can decide if you really want to eat that number of calories. Also, remember to really count, not estimate, calories you eat. Most people underestimate how much they eat by about 50%.

Good Luck!

jojo58

11:20 am
23 Feb 14
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Hi simcoeluv,
Thanks I have done that 2183 take 1000 leaves 1183, so almost 1200 which is the diet limit I was on for the last year. I weigh and record everything on myfitnesspal so I have been able to analyse things. I am very sociable with lots of friends, mostly retired, who enjoy going out for coffee and a bite, also the occasional(weekly) meal. This makes life harder but more fun. It’s like last night, I went to a show( Panto) annual charity event. It was boiling in there so come the interval I had an ice cream. Cold and minty but no calorie value on it. Therefore guessed the cals from similar sizes listed on myfitnesspal pal. When you are out at restaurants(unless chain types) you can only guess. I always choose sensible options e.g. Fish and veg. I always eat very little the rest of the day if I am going out. I don’t drink latte either. Honestly I really work at getting honest evaluations of what I record. I am beginning to think it is more about what foods each individual body reacts to and I am looking into that seriously. Have you looked into food intolerances? Saying all of this I have changed my diet over the last two years phenomenally which is all to the good. If only my desires could be brain washed away life would be sweet. My preferences(these days ignored) would still be ‘a Cornish pasty’ , what can you do?
It’s good to talk and acknowledge our demons!

jojo58

9:28 am
24 Feb 14
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Half a pound up today but putting it down to late drinking last evening. Fast day today so really focused. Very busy day too with 6 appointments, I find it works best when you are busy. I am planning to go to several evening class groups to keep me out of the kitchen and away from the telly, those adverts are killers to my self control.

I am having problems balancing my diet foods even using myfitnesspal pal, 20 per cent protein seems so little. Two boiled eggs and one tiny piece of fish is over the limit. Anyone else having this trouble?

macloud

9:59 am
24 Feb 14
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I actually think you are doing pretty well, jojo. Your weight loss is similar to mine over the same period; I have lost 10lbs from 194 to 184 in that time .. with a l o n g way to go yet. And, yes, I do slip up from time to time ! I am impressed with your exercise regime too.

I understand your impatience with ‘slow’ weight loss but I suspect you are more likely to keep it off, come the end, than someone who has crash-dieted like on some of the jaw-dropping performances on TV programmes. So around 1 lb per week less is quite to be expected .. and enjoyed.

I would also echo the pithy wisdom of simcoeluv’s post above.

Be patient and keep the faith !

vicki

11:04 am
24 Feb 14
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Hi again JoJo

Your progress is NOT SLOW – it’s terrific. 12lb in the last 7 weeks is very good, an average of a pound a week is excellent and seems to be about average for long term fasters. You will build up muscle with the training you are doing (very like I did at the beginning) and muscle is HEAVIER THAN FAT so slows down weight loss, but you will still change shape (for the better!) I lost 9kg (19lbs) in the first 12 weeks but then stabilised, it really is a long term thing. I’ve now lost 21kg (46lbs) over 55 weeks, so averaging out at a bit under a lb a week. But that would mean by Christmas you should be about 13stone, which would be a huge loss.

The main thing is that you will be able to maintain it for life.

I started in january 2013 – I’m 63 and was 90.8kg, BMI 34.18
Now after 55 weeks am 69.9kg, BMI 26.31 and aiming for 66kg
The really important thing is the health benefits:
Cholesterol from 7.2 (January), 5.9 (April), 5.4 (December)
Tryglicerides from 3.2 (January), 0.8 (April), 0.6 (December)

I also have exercised since starting last January – I was swimming 3km 5 mornings a week until July when my shoulder “went” and now do an hour cardio (crosstrainer and bike) 5 mornings. But it is the fasting that loses the weight, I think the exercise is vital to stop getting floppy, my legs and arms are now amazing!
I have never tried 4:3 – just not my lifestyle.

Keep at it and keep posting, the support and advice here found really helpful and inspiring
Vicki

vicki

11:06 am
24 Feb 14
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ps. JoJo

It sounds as though you might be weighing every day – don’t!
Weekly is far better and more accurate (and much less frustrating)

jojo58

2:23 pm
25 Feb 14
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Hello all,
Just to let you all know that I have finally accepted that losing one pound per week is acceptable, even good. People are beginning to notice I have lost weight and all my physical activities are becoming easier. I have a very long journey at this rate, but I am determined to succeed. My eating habits are 100 % different and I no longer drink alcohol or tea and coffee. My calories are reserved for healthy fresh food. This all sounds too good to be true, what a saint? Actually I am proud to say I am in charge of my eating now, long may it continue.

vicki

11:30 am
26 Feb 14
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Hi Jojo
thats great, it really is a matter of getting in control of what you eat and drink (and I’m afraid I could never give up the wine – I can on a fast day but not on the rest)
Just think of 3 stone less by Christmas and how beautiful you will feel (and look)
In February last year I couldn’t even dream of how I would look and feel a year later.
keep in contact
Vicki

AnnetteBoe

7:49 pm
10 Mar 14
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Hello, it’s slow going for me also. I’ve lost 4.8 pounds since the beginning. My body fat analysis has shown that 4.28 pounds of that loss is fat. I am going to keep this up, because I have never been able to lose weight before. It is working for me, however slowly.