Monday 16th July Weigh in.

Hello glass! Hope you had a really good holiday - how was the weather ? I'm kind of 'maintaining' under the 11 stone mark, so I'm happy enough with that - though I did have some chocolate the other night (at midnight ). I'd kept thinking about it languishing in the cupboard.....and I just don't know what came over me !

Welcome back glass. I hope you've enjoyed your break. I have lost 3 lbs in a week (thank goodness) and hope I can carry on like this. We're all finding that this MyFitnessPal app has a few little foibles, but it's great for keeping me disciplined. Looking forward to hearing how others using this app have got on

Great to see you back glass. I've found the MyFitnessPal app really helpful (I use the online site as my phone doesn't do apps) I've lost the 2lbs I put on last week, and I'm pleased with that. MFP has certainly helped to keep me on track so thanks again for introducing it when.

Thank you I will get chance to have a look at last week later on, as I have Tom with me today, when he appears back down the stairs... think a monster may have kidnapped him [shocked]

I have posted a couple of photos of Jeni and I when we meet for coffee last week.

But the results so far look great

Hi glass welcome back, I hope you are refreshed after your holiday.

I have yet again only lost a little bit, 1.1 lbs, which is depressing as MFP has confirmed that I don't eat very much and I think the weight loss is because it didn't rain so much over the last week and I got more exercise.

MFP recommends I have 1200 calories a day which means, even counting for the binging night out, I have underspent 1080 calories over the 6 days I have been using it. I have been really honest and whenever there is the slightest doubt have entered a higher figure e.g. cottage cheese I have entered 100gm but a 227gm pot is lasting 4 lunches. A small nectarine I have added as a medium etc. I've manually changed it to 1100 calories a day now.

I think we all assume that if someone is not losing weight they must be kidding themselves about what they eat, or at least be sitting on the sofa all day, but I have entered everything I eat and am pretty active.

Lovely picture of you and jeni, glass.

Hi glass hope you found a little sun in Cornwall. Have been using MFP but have put on 1lb as it started to annoy me and I was inclined to eat more out of devilment......but I did swim in the sea as a punishment!one of its weaknesses is that some of the items do not have a full breakdown eg fat and sugar content missing.I checked this on the FAQs and it gave you instructions how to log in and change the information....so it seems that it works a bit like Wikipedia..the users control the content.Pleased though that it's working for some.

Welcome home glass. Wish I could say I have lost since you went away, but can't. Am going back to weighing on Wednesdays,so hope I can squeeze a pound off by then.

green if you are maintaining you cant deny yourself a treat every now and then life would be very dull and you would end up throwing it all aside and going off the rails. Its all about getting the balance between good food days and days when you are easier on yourself. You are doing well dont knock yourself.

when well done 3lbs, I have had a read through all the posts from last week and looked at the MFP online, as I dont have my I phone until tomorrow (then I have to find out how it works) but it seems very helpful and what better discipline than writing it all down.

notso great , you are on track again.

alison you need to eat enough to loose weight, have you tried taking your full allowance, you may find that you have a better loss.

grannylin sounds like something I would do just for the hell of it was that you swimming on the little bay next to The Minack Theatre on Friday I shivered as she dived in and wondered if she was a Gransnetter. We managed to have good weather until Thursday and saw the sun.

golden you will manage to get some off before then

I have lost 3/4lb this week not sure how as the cream teas were very nice (amongst other things) and you all did tell me to have some for you

Wow that's fantastic glass.Sometimes I think it's a toss up between your mental health and your physical health and when the weather is like this I'd rather eat something nice to feel better then go mad on the physical stuff.Thats a lovely spot by the Minack and I'd love to say it was me but I can't dive!

Welcome back glass hope you enjoyed your break
I started last week with good intentions ,but I was forced to go out for lunch twice, although I was very good!
Then my gds came on Sunday, big roast dinner....still good.....til pudding
Chocolate brownies with gooey cream.
Added to that the weather had put the mockers on my brisk walks!

Must try harder this week (out on thursday for lunch again) Hey Ho!

Oh dear one pound on this week but I did have some extras and a meal out and proably far too much ine. Must do better.

Well done Glass to enjoy cream teas and lose weight! Great picture of you and Jeni. I have lost 2lb this week thanks to MFP and willpower. This is the first week I haven't gained weight since becoming so immobile so it's a bonus to actually lose some. Encouraged now to keep going as a family wedding in September. Thanks When for pointing us all to MFP.

susie come on your nearly there, dont loose the plot

sew that is a fantastic result 2lbs, I also have a wedding in September so we can loose it together.

I'm visiting my very slim sister at the end of August....so that's my incentive at the moment.

glass please elaborate on the suggestion that I should eat more. I don't understand how that would help. People in Belsen lost weight. I saw a programme some time ago about people who thought they were not eating enough and it transpired they were all eating more than they needed. With MFP at least I know exactly what I am eating.

Is it possible it is what I am eating, would some things increase my metabolism? Apart from excercise that is as I'm doing as much as I can.

AlisonMA if you drastically cut back on your calories your body thinks that it's gone into starvation mode and will then hang on to the fat because it doesn't know where the next lot is coming from. I'm sure someone will put it much more eloquently than that, but that's more or less how I understand it!
I've only lost a pound this week but I must confess to being a little naughty a few times, will try harder this week. I like the "my fitness plan" and think that it's very clever but enthusiasm for entering every single mouthful began to wane

alison about 25 years ago I had a gall bladder removed but had to wait a long time before I could have the op, I was living on veg for the 1st 6mths no oil/fat/bread etc, nothing other than the veg, then I was able to introduce a little chicken. When I went back to see the consultant I thought I have to have lost weight eating next to nothing, I climbed on the scales and my weight was exactly the same I was stunned.... the Consultant said he had not expected me to loose anything as I was not eating enough and my body had gone into starvation mode and held onto everything it had.

I have found this on the
www.coachcalorie.com/not-eating-enough-calories-to-lose-weight/

What Happens When You’re Not Eating Enough Calories?
When most people start dieting, they slash their calories and add a large amount of exercise to their daily routine. That’s fine, but they usually cut their calories way too low. Add in the extra exercise, and all of a sudden you have an extreme calorie deficit that is working against you.
Not eating enough calories causes many metabolic changes. Your body is a smart machine and senses a large decrease in dietary energy. Your large calorie deficit might work for a few days or even weeks, but eventually your body will wake up and sound alarms that it needs to conserve energy. It doesn’t want to just waste away. It needs that energy (fat) to survive. So, what does your body do when it senses prolonged energy restriction? Not eating enough calories…
Slows down thyroid production – Your thyroid is responsible for fat, carbohydrate, and protein metabolism among other things. Your body has the ability to slow down thyroid output in an effort to maintain energy balance [1].
Decreases muscle mass – Muscle is highly calorie intensive to maintain. In a prolonged extreme calorie deficit, it is one of the first things that your body looks to get rid of. Your body needs the fat, wants the fat, and the muscle can be spared. It breaks down the muscle tissue and uses it for energy.
Lowers testosterone levels – An important hormone for both men and women, testosterone is just one of many hormones that are affected with severe calorie restriction [2]. Testosterone is anabolic to muscle tissue. Without it, it becomes that much harder to maintain, let alone put on muscle mass.
Decreases leptin levels – Leptin is one of many energy regulating hormones. More importantly, it’s a “hunger” hormone that tells you whether to eat or not. High leptin levels signal that it’s OK to stop eating, while low leptin levels are a signal to eat more energy. Because of this, leptin levels decrease in calorie restricted environments [3].
Decreases energy levels – There are many physical actions your body takes when you’re not eating enough calories to lose weight, but there are also some mental ones. Neurotransmitter production is limited, which can lead to a lack of motivation. It’s your body’s way of telling you to “slow down” – conserve your energy.
How Many Calories Should You Be Eating?
Your goal should be to eat as many calories as possible and still lose weight. You always want to start high and then come down with your calorie intake. It’s much easier to do this than come up in calories after your weight loss has stalled and you’ve lost all your motivation. How many calories should you eat? There is no perfect number. Each person’s metabolism is different. Calorie calculators are a good starting point, but they can’t take into account all the individualistic variables. To do that, you need to find your calorie intake through experimentation. I laid out a plan to determine this number in – How Many Calories Should I Eat? You might want to give it a read.
The problem is most people want the weight gone, and they want it gone now. Weight loss is a patience game. It takes time and consistency to make it work. Losing 2lbs per week is the most I would aim for. At this pace, it will ensure that the majority of your weight loss is coming from stored body fat instead of muscle. You will also give yourself the best chance to build muscle while you lose fat, which is what you should be striving to do. It will make weight loss much easier if you can hold onto your muscle, or even put some on in the process.
So if your progress has stalled, but you think you’re eating the right foods and exercising intensely, more than likely your problem is that you’re not eating enough calories to lose weight. Eat as much as you can, get in as many nutrients as possible, and your weight loss will start moving forward again.

yoga well done a 1lb off

Thanks glass for this most informative response. I do have some more questions though, sorry.

1 I don't have a thyroid gland so all my thyroxin comes in tablet form, does that make a difference?

2 I am losing less than a 1lb per week and have been from the beginning so how does that impact on this theory.

3 When I first went to see an Endocrinologist about my thyroid he disagreed with this theory and said that anorexics lose weight and so did those in Belsen. What is your opinion of this? (he did tell me there was nothing wrong with my thyroid and it was later discovered it had grown hugely into my chest cavity!)

4 I wasn't eating very much before I started dieting but was putting on lots of weight so how would eating more now help? I never ate bread, potatoes, pastry etc. Mainly I lived on fruit and veg with a little pasta or rice once or twice a week. I have been eating like this for many years.

Sorry, I'm really not being difficult, I really do want to lose weight but am at a loss about how to do it.

Alison I think you are just going to have to be careful over the choice of foods and try not to be tempted with tasty bits, and if you like a glass of wine that can also slow down your loss.

Thanks glass I think it may all be down to the lack of thyroid. I'm happy for everyone else though

If your thyroid profile is ok it can't be thyroid lack.

Weight this am :- 13 2