Male, 45: Journey to 100

This topic contains 6 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by simcoeluv 9 years, 12 months ago.

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Captain Scarlett

9:40 am
4 Dec 14
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Hello 5:2ers

So it’s just over 9 weeks now since my birthday and my second and more serious attempt at shifting some weight, and I’m reaching to point of needing some help and feedback from the collective.

Quick Intro about me:
Father-of-3, Husband-of-1, desk-bound job with hourly commute by tube.
Former rugby player (prop),
Currently a Cub leader and Minis Rugby Coach

Goals:
Ultimately 100kg
Current goal – which was by the end of the year/Christmas: 130kg

Progress so far:
Got into the 5:2 routine quite easily – tried it last year, so knew some of what to expect.
Have lost a steady 1kg a week for the first 7 weeks (including a Half term blip), and then the past 2 weeks or so it’s plateaued at around 136kg.

Exercise:
Have been Fitbit-ing (it came with my new HTC phone) for the past 3 weeks, so am becoming more aware of my walking.

Help and Questions:
How can I break my plateau?
The gently increase in exercise doesn’t appear to be making a difference.
With my daily walks to the station, i was already averaging 5k steps, with a bit more conscious effort that’s risen to 7k, and this week I’m aiming for more 10k days.

Am I possibly not eating enough?
Maybe I need to go back and read the book.

Cheers

PeelyWally

11:32 am
4 Dec 14
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Captain Scarlett, I’m going to stick my neck out and say the reason for your plateau is NOT because you are not eating enough.
Although the scales may not show a reduction, your body shape is almost certainly changing, particularly with the increase in exercise.
If you make sure you are not eating above your TDEE figure on your non-fast days (or at least some of them) your weight loss should resume soon.

Couscous

11:44 am
4 Dec 14
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Hi Captain Scarlet. Well done on your weight loss and commisserations on your sticking point. As you asked for some suggestions here goes.
1. Keep a daily diary for a month. (Buy a cheap notebook that you can keep with you). Keep a note of EVERYTHING you eat and drink.
2. Make a note of your BMR and TDEE. Try to stick within them.
3. Alcohol?. Restrict to one specific day, say a Saturday night.When at the rugby club stick to sparkling water.
4. Tea/ Coffee?. Do you add milk, sugar, consider the extra cals.
5. Consider going 4-3 for a week as a bit of a kick start again OR…consider a week of alternative day fasting with an eating window of two hours. Krista Varady suggests this in her version of fasting. This means 600 cals eaten say between 12.noon and two pm.
6. Carefully check your feeding day consumption is not to much.
7. If these suggestions are not helpful, remember we are all different. Try to tweak your diet to make it work for you.
Finally… YOU WILL GET THERE.
gOOD LUCK.

Captain Scarlett

12:35 pm
4 Dec 14
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Thanks Guys

PeelyWally – yes I’m consoling myself with the feeling that trousers are looser and having to use a tighter belt notch. I meant to re-measure myself last night.

Couscous-
The Fitbit app has a food diary which I’ve been playing with. But I probably need to do the note book thing to build up the database of regular foods i eat.
Alcohol – noted, if I’m honest with myself (and you all) it’s been the weeks that I’ve imbibed more than once in a week that have been least productive
Tea/Coffee – tea has a splash of semi-skimmed and drink 1 a day if that. Coffee – as black as it comes
Tried 4-3 last week or the week before – more to see if I could manage it (which I could). May hold that one for January
Feeding consumption is low – I have the same breakfast, small lunch – probably don’t exceed 2000 cals total for the day. But the clue is in ‘probably’ – food diary will reveal all.

OK – let’s be honest December is going to be a hard month to stay on the straight and narrow. So exercise will continue, and will start a diary. Whether I can stick within the limits, we shall see. But i should have habits started in time for New Year and new goals.

Oh! is there a Calorie Calculator – App (Android) or Website – that you could recommend?

PeelyWally

1:02 pm
4 Dec 14
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Yes using the tighter belt notch is the only sign I go by to be honest. I am in Week 8 or 9 and haven’t got round to weighing myself since about August.
Someone took a photo of me on Saturday night and there’s certainly less of me than there was a few month’s back.
As you say this will be a tough month to lose weight. I plan to just keep doing my 5:2 as long as I can before Christmas week itself and like you walk when I can.
As regards Calorie counters I’ve heard others on here talk about myfitnesspal but have no experience of using it.

Captain Scarlett

1:35 pm
4 Dec 14
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I have a number of photos from the summer and I definitely have less chin and stomach now :o)

BTW, by Calorie Calculator I mean for food

simcoeluv

6:18 pm
4 Dec 14
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Hi Cap and welcome:

It is fairly easy to lose quickly at the start, but it is very hard to continue losing over two pounds a week as you get lighter – your TDEE goes down and unless you eat less than you have been, your weight loss slows.

In addition, weight loss is never consistent. You may go for several weeks without a loss, and then lose quite a bit in one or two weeks.

Finally, the average weight loss on 5:2 over time (longer than three months) is about a pound a week. You may just be working toward that average.

Here are some tips that cover the basics (#1), how much you might reasonably expect to lose over time given your ‘numbers’ (#4), the consistency of weight loss (#2) and plateaus (#2) – but it is not really a plateau until you have not lost any weight for over a month. https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!