Newbie from Vancouver, Canada

This topic contains 5 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by catinhat 10 years, 10 months ago.

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Stef.

7:53 am
29 Nov 13
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Hi everybody,

I have been reading this forum now for a while and finally signed up.

I am 48 years old and I have started to cut down on calories on the 6th of November 2013 with 143lbs/65kg. I am 170cm/ 5.6ft tall.

I have lost 3kg/ 6.6lbs in the last three weeks by cutting down on calories and leaving out sugar. (My biggest sin is my love for Coke…and no…not the lower sugar version)

Unfortunately…I like sweets, chocolate and ice cream…

I want to loose 4 more kgs (nearly 9 pounds) and am now doing the 5:2 diet as I cut too many calories out over the last three weeks. I was basically living on around 800 kalories for three weeks.

I am doing a brisk one hour walk with my two very energetic soft coated Wheaten terrier dogs every day and I might hit the gym again. I used to go four times a week, but I have the tendency to develop very strong muscles which is not very attractive.

Anyhow am glad to have found this friendly forum!

Stef.

Nika

8:05 am
29 Nov 13
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Hey Stef! Good on you on losing that weight, but I’m glad you’ve turned to the Fast Diet. You could also go 4:3 if you still want that extra weight loss boost, but then you should really aim for your TDEE on your normal days.

About the gym, how about doing more reps with less weight? I know for muscle building they say to use the weight that’ll let you do 10-15 reps, right? Well what about doing 40 reps? That way you shouldn’t bulk up too much I think…
And maybe just go once a week and do more cardio than weight training? I don’t go to the gym, I do purely bodyweight exercises.

Your dogs sound lovely ^^ Take them for a run sometime instead of a walk!

Stef.

1:58 pm
29 Nov 13
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Hi Nika,
Thanks for your warm welcome!

Unfortunately, running is a no no for me. Ruined my knee two years ago skiing and can’t run.

I used to be a complete gym fan and no I do not do weights that much. Cross trainer is my fav and biking, but in no time do I develop muscle legs that really look funny when I am in a swimsuit.

I will now do two days of fasting and the other days I will aim for my TDEE.

I have read in a very interesting article that for the calculation of your TDEE you take not your actual weight but your goal weight.

Anyhow, will keep you pasted.
Stef.

Nika

3:46 pm
29 Nov 13
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Sure, you can keep me pasted… what kind of paste tho?

Aye, that is a theory I’ve heard as well, to calculate your TDEE on your goal weight. To me, TDEE is a guideline that tells you how much you need to eat to maintain your current weight, so naturally if you want to lose weight you need to eat less than your TDEE. On normal calorie counting diets this is done by cutting a few hundred on a daily basis, but on the fast diet we just cut 1000-1500 two days a week (stil totalling on 2000-3000 a week).

To be honest I rarely eat my TDEE. It’s just so much food. Like tonight I made a soup and just munched away at it (it was a bit on the spicy side, hope my stomach forgives me for that…) and found that afterwards I wasn’t hungry at all anymore. I had to force myself to eat the chicken I had also bought to get at least some extra calories and protein in, but almost felt sick afterwards… and this is a normal day for me, not a fast day!! Can’t have gone over 800 cals.

I like to see this whole deal (you know, weightloss, diets, lifestyle changes) as one big experiment to see what works for you personally. Asking others for advice is fine, but never just take someone’s words for truths (not even healthcare professionals, although these do deserve some listening to). I tweak my diet almost daily, but mostly every week to adjust for weightloss I did or did not have.

Anyway, I’m rambling. 😉 And like you already said, keep us pasted!

Stef.

4:30 pm
29 Nov 13
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Hehe…Nika…”pasted”, must have been yesterday’s fast day. Have probably been dreaming of pastry 😉

Anyhow, I agree, everybody needs to tailor the diet to their own needs. I have only “dieted” once before as I have never been overweight and that was just before a summer holiday.

Over the last couple of years and with the onset of the menopause, lbs slowly crept up. Unfortunately for me, they do not creep up over my body equally but on my tummy, double chin and my arms. My legs are skinny and now I am hoping that the loss of weight is at the “right” corners of my body.

Anyhow, we will see.
Stef.

catinhat

7:01 pm
29 Jan 14
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Stef, you are so sweet to always pop into my journal with a word of encouragement. It helps me to not think I’m just talking to myself. Thank you!!

I hope you’re doing well – sounds like it – and keeping warm! Have you been getting the snow and cold where you are? We live in Colorado, and the weather here is ever-changing. Today is sunny and thaw-ing, after several very cold snowy days. It’s beautiful, and I feel blessed by the sunshine. I hope your day is a lovely one!

(Also, I am your Coca-Cola twin…blush!)

Best,
-catinhat