Back at target, still thinking...

[Scrumbles]

So, official weigh in for this week is: 10st 12.4lbs That's 1.4lbs down from last week and 2.6lbs down for the fortnight. Crazy stuff! Cos I ain't had that big of a deficit over the past couple of weeks - no way!

I have to say, perimenopause has been a real game-changer for me. I used to know almost exactly how my weight loss pattern went, but for the past year I haven't had a clue! I can follow my plan for weeks and weeks with no apparent result, then all of a sudden several pounds will vanish in a twinkling.

So, to anyone out there in the same boat, if you know you're doing the right things but the weight isn't shifting, keep the faith. You're probably losing fat but you might not see it on the scales for weeks and weeks because of random water-overload Our bodies do weird stuff at the best of times, but when you get to the change of life, all bets are off, it seems

Anyway, I'm away to freeze my bits off walking round the neighbourhood. Lovely and sunny, but oh boy, is it cold

Have a good one, folks!x

 

[Scrumbles]

Thanks, CG! x

I wouldn't knock other plans but I certainly feel CC offers what I need at this stage of my life, which is reassurance that I'm going in the right direction regardless of what the scales might say.

Case in point: official weigh-in was great this week, but since then I'm back up 1.4lbs. If I were following a non-calorie-counting plan, chances are I would be fretting about having done something wrong and be beating myself up over it, but because I know pretty accurately that what I've eaten and what I've likely burned puts me solidly in deficit, I recognise it for the random water-weight nonsense that it is, and accept it. Makes life a lot less stressful IMO!

Been out walking a couple of miles every day this week, though with the current temperatures barely struggling above zero, I can't say it's been much of a pleasure.

Ho hum...roll on spring

 

[ladyfelsham]

Scrummie I love the way you have relaxed about gains - because you know it's just water weight or hormones. That's really quite inspiring.

And ditto on the peri/menopausal stuff - I spent 5 years in perimen stage and it was a bugga sometimes, with unexplained bloating and gains and then a loss!

Blimey, well done on the walking - I hear you've had freezing temperatures - although i guess it's quite nice and (ahem) crisp once you get going .

 

[Passion fruit]

Just had a little read of a few of your latest posts on this thread and I think you have found a great way of incorporating just enough movement to just enough deficit to achieve long-term loss and maintenance - without feeling too restricted that you feel you want to give up - well frickin done! This is what I am trying to work out now and I'm hoping I'm on the right track now, my cycle affects my weight so much and I've now come to expect no loss or even a gain around ovulating and TOTM. It would usually dishearten me but being aware of it does help me to just stick to what I know is science, the deficit. And like you I know I'm now slowly moving the fat stores that have been sitting there waiting to be used for years! Good luck with keeping it up

 

[Scrumbles]

Scrummie I love the way you have relaxed about gains - because you know it's just water weight or hormones. That's really quite inspiring.

And ditto on the peri/menopausal stuff - I spent 5 years in perimen stage and it was a bugga sometimes, with unexplained bloating and gains and then a loss!

Blimey, well done on the walking - I hear you've had freezing temperatures - although i guess it's quite nice and (ahem) crisp once you get going .

Thanks Susie - I certainly don't dawdle in these temps, that's for sure! It even snowed a bit over the weekend, though it didn't settle, so nothing remotely resembling what you've had.

5 years of peri sounds like fun. Not. To be honest, I'm a bit of a mess with it right now, but at least I know it has to come to an end sometime, and when it does, I'll hopefully be a slimmer, fitter version of myself than when it started. I'll feel quite proud of myself if I manage that, I have to say.

Just had a little read of a few of your latest posts on this thread and I think you have found a great way of incorporating just enough movement to just enough deficit to achieve long-term loss and maintenance - without feeling too restricted that you feel you want to give up - well frickin done! This is what I am trying to work out now and I'm hoping I'm on the right track now, my cycle affects my weight so much and I've now come to expect no loss or even a gain around ovulating and TOTM. It would usually dishearten me but being aware of it does help me to just stick to what I know is science, the deficit. And like you I know I'm now slowly moving the fat stores that have been sitting there waiting to be used for years! Good luck with keeping it up

Hi Passion fruit! Thank you for stopping by and leaving such a lovely message!

TOTM makes such a difference, doesn't it? It's why I've favoured daily weighing for years now, because then you get to see and understand your own patterns of hormonal water weight gain/loss, and are far less likely to get derailed because of them. Knowledge is power, for sure.

And yes, in the end it's all about striking a balance. No plan can ever be perfect, but if you can isolate the things that truly matter to you and make sure to get just enough of those, I believe you are more likely to be able to accept the inevitable compromises that come with attaining and maintaining a healthy weight. We can never go back to what we did before or we will end up as we were before; the trick is finding a new normal that ticks enough of the boxes to be sustainable.

I think...I hope... I've finally come to the point of understanding how my life has to be to stay this way, and I'm cool with it. And it's only taken me 40+ years to get here, lol!

Good luck with discovering what works best for you - I absolutely believe there's a successful path for everyone if we truly want to find it.x


Official weigh-in yesterday was 10st 12.6lbs, so a virtual stay the same - can't be bothered to change my stats for 0.2lb. I'm quite surprised actually because by Wednesday of last week I'd shot back up to 11 stone, and I thought I'd probably be staying there a while, but no. Just can't predict it these days!

Weather looks to be getting a fair bit warmer this week - temps in double digits, even - so I should be getting outside for walks a lot more. Cool beans - means I can stop wearing the carpets out quite so much!

Sun is shining, so I'm off for my constitutional...have a good one, folks!x

 

[Passion fruit]

Well done on your loss I totally agree with everything you said, I daily weigh to see patterns, but now I know them I sometimes avoid weighing if my mood is a bit negative and seeing numbers I don't want to see may ruin my day - in terms of I will want to eat more and less wise decisions! But if I'm in a good mood and I'm prepared for it I'll do it anyway lol up until now I've used food to balance my emotions, so I'm finding my emotions and moods are a bit all over place. I'm not sure if you are the same? If you are how long do you think it takes our bodies to feel normal again after combating 'comfort eating'? To deal with an emotion happy/sad/stressed and not turn to food? And do you think it's a internal battle we will live with forever? Sorry for the deep questions I've been having a very deep think today !! Sun is lovely today, am so glad to see it, have missed it.. hope you have enjoyed it

 

[vanessawren]

You say you time your dinner in the evening. Do u also watch the telly or do you switch everything off and just focus on your food?
I once went to a hypnotherapist who said that all distractions should be switched off

 

[ladyfelsham]

in the end it's all about striking a balance. No plan can ever be perfect, but if you can isolate the things that truly matter to you and make sure to get just enough of those, I believe you are more likely to be able to accept the inevitable compromises that come with attaining and maintaining a healthy weight. We can never go back to what we did before or we will end up as we were before; the trick is finding a new normal that ticks enough of the boxes to be sustainable.

That makes such perfect sense to me - I'm going on the Scrummie's Common Sense diet . And daily WIs make sense too, I always feel much more focused when I do (and will again, once batteries arrive for the scales!).

Peri isn't much fun, I'm afraid, but you'll get through it and hopefully be lucky. I once read a list of all the things attributed to menopause - and it was a LONG list LOL, from memory loss to hair falling out. The bugga for me is restless leg syndrome, absolute nightmare, although made bearable with magnesium.

Hope you're having a lovely Sunday xx

 

[Scrumbles]

Well done on your loss I totally agree with everything you said, I daily weigh to see patterns, but now I know them I sometimes avoid weighing if my mood is a bit negative and seeing numbers I don't want to see may ruin my day - in terms of I will want to eat more and less wise decisions! But if I'm in a good mood and I'm prepared for it I'll do it anyway lol up until now I've used food to balance my emotions, so I'm finding my emotions and moods are a bit all over place. I'm not sure if you are the same? If you are how long do you think it takes our bodies to feel normal again after combating 'comfort eating'? To deal with an emotion happy/sad/stressed and not turn to food? And do you think it's a internal battle we will live with forever? Sorry for the deep questions I've been having a very deep think today !! Sun is lovely today, am so glad to see it, have missed it.. hope you have enjoyed it

Hi Pf, yes I have been enjoying the sun - it's been lovely!

To answer your question, I have used food to smother uncomfortable feelings, yes, but I don't really consider myself a full-blown emotional eater, so I'm not sure I can be very helpful here. Major emotions tend to make me eat less rather than more: it's the small stuff that sometimes gets to me.

And as cliched as it is, I think exercising is helping me manage my emotions as much as anything. If I find myself getting anxious or agitated about something, I use activity to change my state, be it a brisk 10 minute walk or just a couple of minutes of shimmying about to some 90's dance tune or other (depends where I am and whether I'm alone at the time!). I find that to be more powerful than food comfort ever was - almost like pressing a reset button.

As to whether we have to fight it forever, I believe it's learned behaviour that we can unlearn over time, just like any bad habit. Not easy though, because coping mechanisms tend to be deeply ingrained. I'm guessing there are some excellent books out there on the subject, so if you feel emotional eating is a real stumbling block for you, I'd give it a Google. x

You say you time your dinner in the evening. Do u also watch the telly or do you switch everything off and just focus on your food?
I once went to a hypnotherapist who said that all distractions should be switched off

Hi vanessa - thanks for stopping by!

Timing my dinner was something I did for a while to become more of a conscious eater, and it definitely worked because I still eat it much slower than I used to even though I haven't actually timed myself in over a year.

I don't switch the telly off when I'm eating because I don't find it all that distracting - I'm not someone who gets so involved in watching something that a whole plate of food disappears without me noticing. But it's definitely good advice for people who have that problem.

That makes such perfect sense to me - I'm going on the Scrummie's Common Sense diet . And daily WIs make sense too, I always feel much more focused when I do (and will again, once batteries arrive for the scales!).

Peri isn't much fun, I'm afraid, but you'll get through it and hopefully be lucky. I once read a list of all the things attributed to menopause - and it was a LONG list LOL, from memory loss to hair falling out. The bugga for me is restless leg syndrome, absolute nightmare, although made bearable with magnesium.

Hope you're having a lovely Sunday xx

Scrummie's Common Sense Diet? It has a ring.... I should write a book, lol

As for peri, when odd things started happening to me a year and a half ago I googled it and found a list of 34 symptoms, many of which I seem to have had already No restless legs (yet!) but definitely hair loss and dodgy memory. The worst for me has been dizziness/nausea: I can be absolutely fine one minute, then suddenly my brain and eyes seem to go out of sync and I feel like I'm about to fall over, even if I'm sitting down!? Then the nausea hits me , and that's me out for the count for about 15 minutes. Nice, eh?

I started taking Menopace in December, and that does seem to be helping with some things, but if it gets too bad I guess I'll have to get HRT or something - don't really want to, but if needs must!

That aside, I am enjoying today The weather has been much milder this week with quite a few hours of sunshine - so much more inviting to get out for walks

Weight-wise it's been another up and down week - peaked on Wednesday, and back to Monday's weight this morning. I don't expect to see a loss tomorrow for my official weigh-in, but ya never know. Will be a nice surprise if it happens!

I watched a programme this week on Channel 4 (possibly a repeat) following up on people who'd lost a lot of weight in the past to find out if they'd kept it off. Sadly, only 1 out of the 6 featured slimmers had managed to do so, and there were quite a lot of depressing messages regarding the likelihood of long term success, but there was one interesting conclusion. People who keep the weight off tend to have a couple of things in common: they make weight maintenance a central focus of their lives and they exercise in some shape or form for an hour or more every single day.

Now I have to say that that exercise requirement would have horrified me previously, but as I'm actually doing that already and have realised that it doesn't have to be a big deal, it doesn't scare me - in fact, it gives me hope.

When I got down to this weight previously I felt I would never be able to maintain it because I could never eat enough to silence the hunger alarm bells that were constantly going off in my brain. Now I know that through consistent light exercise I can actually earn enough extra calories to keep my body from panicking, so this weight should be sustainable this time, as long as I don't lose sight of what I have to do to maintain it.

Only time will tell I guess.

Have a good one, folks!x

 

[Passion fruit]

Definitely, I think I should see if theres any books in the library, its also quite a walk so good exercise too I seem to have an issue with binge eating aswell as emotional eating, all well ingrained from childhood and I need to unlearn it, wish it was as easy as it looks on paper (or computer screen!) thanks for the advice x

 

[ladyfelsham]

I started taking Menopace in December, and that does seem to be helping with some things, but if it gets too bad I guess I'll have to get HRT or something - don't really want to, but if needs must!

There are lots of herbal alternatives to HRT, which i refuse to take - linked to too many bad things! Have a good google and see what you can find.

I watched a programme this week on Channel 4 (possibly a repeat) following up on people who'd lost a lot of weight in the past to find out if they'd kept it off. Sadly, only 1 out of the 6 featured slimmers had managed to do so, and there were quite a lot of depressing messages regarding the likelihood of long term success, but there was one interesting conclusion. People who keep the weight off tend to have a couple of things in common: they make weight maintenance a central focus of their lives and they exercise in some shape or form for an hour or more every single day. Now I have to say that that exercise requirement would have horrified me previously, but as I'm actually doing that already and have realised that it doesn't have to be a big deal, it doesn't scare me - in fact, it gives me hope.

Depressing isn't it? But the people I know who have kept off the weight are like you - focused on it every day, and exercise. So that's the reality - although one you've got well under control, sweetie!

 

[Scrumbles]

Definitely, I think I should see if theres any books in the library, its also quite a walk so good exercise too I seem to have an issue with binge eating aswell as emotional eating, all well ingrained from childhood and I need to unlearn it, wish it was as easy as it looks on paper (or computer screen!) thanks for the advice x

I remember a programme I saw on BBC2 a year or so ago which split overweight people into three basic types, and depending which category you fitted into, that determined your best way of losing the weight/keeping it off. (The simplified test is still available here http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z2csfg8 ) From memory, I think emotional eaters were encouraged to join slimming clubs because the camaraderie and support of a group are proven to help them. I don't know if you are/have been a member of something like WW or SW, but might be another avenue to consider?x

There are lots of herbal alternatives to HRT, which i refuse to take - linked to too many bad things! Have a good google and see what you can find.

Will do - I really don't want HRT if I can avoid it. I will have to raid the shelves of Holland & Barratt!

Depressing isn't it? But the people I know who have kept off the weight are like you - focused on it every day, and exercise. So that's the reality - although one you've got well under control, sweetie!

Thanks, hun - I certainly have control for now, but I can't deny that there's still this little voice in the back of my head that pops up from time to time telling me that when the going gets rough, I'll fail. The struggle is real


Official weigh-in: 10st 12lbs exactly, so another small loss (0.4lbs) and another new low

I had a couple of higher cal days this week (Valentine's and Saturday night, so chocolate and wine) but still came in at an average daily deficit of 250 calories, which is right where I want to be. The better weather definitely helped because my average step count shot up from about 8000 per day to over 11000 per day, so I've been able to eat more and still keep a decent deficit. Long may this mild spell continue!

Have a good one, folks!x

 

[Passion fruit]

I will have a look at that thanks. I've not tried ww but I've tried sw and been to 3 different groups but I don't find I mix too well. I get anxiety about being around lots of people and maybe I look unapproachable or awkward.

Also the last one I went to, the leader embarrassed me, she told me I was just making excuses, I wanted her help with how to do sw dairy free as my son has a milk allergy and I went without milk for just over a year while breastfeeding him, this was about a year and a half ago. She kept saying I could have x,y,z I don't eat meat so I felt like 2 or 3 meals were not going to be sustainable. She said I wasn't serious about it, boy did she get a mouthful in front of everyone in that group, I was serious, I was just stuck with what to eat, before I'd survived on low fat dairy, soya based is synned. I decided to wait until I could introduce milk back in a little as it was stressful enough at the time.

I tell my husband now if I've binged and I ask him to take the food I binged on away, it helps to admit it and move on, rather than it being my guilty secret that I just feel bad about (which then makes me want to eat). I actually have been feeling nauseous shortly after and a bit off my head, I think that shows I've got my blood sugar lower so when I've slipped my body has a hypo, not as serious as a diabetic but similar, I even got shaky one day, which had never happened before because my body was constantly in high sugar mode I think, before I reigned it in. Sorry total ramble there...

 

[Scrumbles]

I will have a look at that thanks. I've not tried ww but I've tried sw and been to 3 different groups but I don't find I mix too well. I get anxiety about being around lots of people and maybe I look unapproachable or awkward.

Also the last one I went to, the leader embarrassed me, she told me I was just making excuses, I wanted her help with how to do sw dairy free as my son has a milk allergy and I went without milk for just over a year while breastfeeding him, this was about a year and a half ago. She kept saying I could have x,y,z I don't eat meat so I felt like 2 or 3 meals were not going to be sustainable. She said I wasn't serious about it, boy did she get a mouthful in front of everyone in that group, I was serious, I was just stuck with what to eat, before I'd survived on low fat dairy, soya based is synned. I decided to wait until I could introduce milk back in a little as it was stressful enough at the time.

I tell my husband now if I've binged and I ask him to take the food I binged on away, it helps to admit it and move on, rather than it being my guilty secret that I just feel bad about (which then makes me want to eat). I actually have been feeling nauseous shortly after and a bit off my head, I think that shows I've got my blood sugar lower so when I've slipped my body has a hypo, not as serious as a diabetic but similar, I even got shaky one day, which had never happened before because my body was constantly in high sugar mode I think, before I reigned it in. Sorry total ramble there...

Ramble away, hun...good to let it out I always think.

That's a shame that you had an unhelpful consultant - I guess it's pure luck whether you get a good one or not. And I totally sympathise regarding the group scenario. I would actually find the whole thing really awkward, especially having to explain myself if I had a gain (which probably would only be hormonal water weight anyway, but I would think everyone else was thinking I'd been stuffing my face with pizza all week and be mortified).

It's good that you have your husband's help, and I think you're right that breaking the wall of secrecy is a really positive step. Secrecy is denial; openness is owning the issue, which ultimately gives you the power to control it rather than have it control you. Sounds to me like you're on the right path.x

(Hope that makes sense, btw - I have perimenopause brain fog going on this morning)

 

[Scrumbles]

Official weigh-in this morning: 10st 11.8lbs

So I've dropped 0.2lb this week, which may not sound very exciting but represents a significant landmark for me.

When I lost my big chunk of weight (6+ stone) in 2011/12/13 I was aiming for 10st 10lbs, but I never quite made it, the lowest number I saw on the scales being 10st 12lbs exactly.

So with that fraction of a pound loss I feel as though I've broken through a barrier and am now in new, exciting territory: I'm at my lowest weight for at least a decade, and in a couple of months I will hopefully be leaving my 40's lighter and fitter than when I entered them. Can't grumble at that

Now *all* I have to do is survive peri and not get complacent. Heh.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Oh Scrumbles that is brilliant hun! Well done for breaking down that barrier .

 

[Scrumbles]

Thanks, Susie! Feels good, I have to say

Feels even better this morning because I weighed in at a new low of 10st 11lbs precisely, so only one solitary little pound remains to get to my target

Btw, I've decided to abandon my "official" Monday weigh-in because it's a bit daft - I'm weighing every day, so I might just as well record my new low weight when it arrives.

I've been thinking (always dangerous!) and I've decided that given how comfortable I feel at this weight I can afford to lower my goal a little and aim for 10st 7lbs. That should be no less sustainable than 10st 10lbs and would give me a whole half stone buffer to the 11's (where I do not wish to be again!). It would also give me a 3 pound fluctuation zone to stay within a healthy BMI, which would be nice.

So that's the plan!

Onwards and downwards...

 

[Julia78]

You are doing fantastic

Love reading diaries like yours - it gives me hope that not only can I lose the weight but I can also keep it off.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Wow Scrummie that is so fabulous! One pound to target, what a feeling that must be!

And if you feel comfortable going a bit lower, why not - you know better than anyone how your bod works and the ups and downs that happen naturally. Rock on!

 

[Scrumbles]

Thanks, ladies!

New low weight this morning: 10st 10.6lbs Only 0.6lbs to go to my original target!

Think I'm probably at the low point of my cycle - almost impossible to tell these days, mind you - so I may still be waiting a while before I hit 10:10 exactly, but it's excitingly close now.

For the record, my average daily calorie intake is in the region of 1800-1850 at this point, which, if I were sedentary, would actually have me gaining weight. But, thanks to my Polar Loop activity tracker, I'm doing enough light cardio to burn between 2100 and 2250 calories every single day, thereby giving me a deficit of around 300 calories daily, adding up to a weekly fat burn of about half a pound.

Which is why I absolutely friggin' LOVE my Polar Loop, because it gives me far tighter control of the process than I've ever had before. I've always been good at the "calories in" part of the CI:CO equation because I'm meticulous when it comes to weighing and logging food, but the "calories out" side of it has always been an annoying guessing game that I could never quite come to terms with, and I would generally end up under eating just to be sure that I wasn't over eating. Now I have a pretty accurate idea of my daily calorie burn, I can fine tune my intake so that I get to eat plenty of food - including fun foods - and lose at exactly the slow, sensible pace that suits where I'm at in my journey and in my life. I would be totally lost without that handy little device, I have to say.

Bit of a rubbish weekend here weather-wise - still cold and can't decide whether to rain, shine or hail Hoping for something more spring-like next week so I can actually get some gardening done!