Fantastic, flabless February

pinkneonmartini

CompletelyLost wrote: »

Re: the BMR calculation. What is the '655'? Where does that number come from? As I'd like to work mine out

Thats just the female starting point, so everyone has the same 655 calories to start with. I'll post both formulas and the website i got it off:


MALE: 66 + (6.3 × body weight in pounds) + (12.9 × height in inches) − (6.8 × age in years)
FEMALE: 655 + (4.3 × weight in pounds) + (4.7 × height in inches) − (4.7 × age in years)

http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fitness-and-diet-tips/determining-your-AMR

it's just one of those things thats handy to know, so you can actively try not to consume more than your body actually needs

AdrianHi

pinkneonmartini wrote: »

Diet-wise they also recommend that you never let your blood sugar levels drop, because if your starving then you'll reach for the bread/crisps etc to keep you going.

Half the battle I think, keeping blood sugar level steady means fewer occasionas feeling hungry so the whole process is less testing of the will power. If 5 small meals a day works for you to do this great!
If you eat something sugary it's going to cause blood sugar to shoot up then crash back when the insulin kicks in. So I'm not sure this
7.00pm: snack (sainsburys own mint choc mini magnum thing)
is a good snack choice plus sugar creates a "habit" of wanting more sugar. That said, your loosing weight, so you've got a pattern of eating that works for you so best stick with it. This wouldn't have worked for me.

pinkneonmartini wrote:

And do not eat after 7pm, just drink water or chew gum.

I'm going to disagree with this one, it is a myth that eating late in the evening hampers weight loss. Lots of people are going to be eating 8pm, 9pm or later because that's what fits into their lives. We don't want "I cannnot loose weight because I cannot avoid eating a meal late in the evening". I typically eat 8.30pm to 9.30pm most days of the week and I still managed to loose 2st 9lbs - 25% of my starting body weight - last year.
It really doesn't matter when the calories come in so long as the number is right.

pinkneonmartini

CompletelyLost wrote: »

Oh right, thanks pinkneonmartini

Mine came out at 1661. I've been eating around the 1500 calorie mark (when things go to plan) and although I don't do much in the way of physical activity, I do go out a few times a week and walk. Maybe I should reduce my intake?

Really you should be fine around the 1500-1600 mark, if you cut your intake too low then your body's metabolism will actually slow down because it's in starvation mode brought on by the lack of calories. It'd probably be better to try and stick to 1600 but make sure you get atleast 15 mins of exercise in somewhere, it doesn't have to be lycra clad madness, just blasting through a pile of ironing, or as my mum has started doing, walking when she's on the phone, lol if she's on the phone she moves, simple but when my aunties tend to ring for an hour at a time, it means she's getting her daily "wander" in, instead of settling down for a chat with a cup of tea and a biscuit lol.

pinkneonmartini

AdrianHi wrote: »

Originally Posted by pinkneonmartini
And do not eat after 7pm, just drink water or chew gum.

I'm going to disagree with this one, it is a myth that eating late in the evening hampers weight loss. Lots of people are going to be eating 8pm, 9pm or later because that's what fits into their lives. We don't want "I cannnot loose weight because I cannot avoid eating a meal late in the evening". I typically eat 8.30pm to 9.30pm most days of the week and I still managed to loose 2st 9lbs - 25% of my starting body weight - last year.
It really doesn't matter when the calories come in so long as the number is right.

I can understand your logic on that one, but at the same time it can make a difference what time you eat your meals, if your not active after eating them.

I agree that eating late is unavoidable for some people, my OH is a paramedic who does 12 hour shift patterns, and her timings are atroscious (and as such she struggles to lose weight). She can't garuntee from one day to the next what shift she'll be on, when/if she'll get her breaks, her sleep patterns are shot to poop coz of the night shifts she has to do, so this sort of routine is useless to her.

This is not a "one-size-fits-all" plan, it's a model that can applied to most peoples lives. The 7pm thing ties into TBL model that is suggested for average joes who work 9-5, and your supposed to alter it to fit your lifestyle.

Me being one of them, I'm up at 6am everyday, work 7-4, and in bed by 10.30pm, so it suits me fine. By 7pm I know that having already been up for 13 hours, been to work, to the gym, done my household bits and pieces, that I've done all my active things for the day, I'm not going to expend any further calories after this time. Plus by following the meal-snack thing through the day, the idea is to have no calories left anyway. You've fed your body while it needed it.

Amanita_2

pinkneonmartini wrote: »

I can understand your logic on that one, but at the same time it can make a difference what time you eat your meals, if your not active after eating them.
lifestyle.

I'm sure I saw a recent study published that concluded that it made no difference when you ate. It was just the number of calories consumed that counted. I can't search for it now but I'll try later.

AdrianHi

pinkneonmartini wrote: »

I can understand your logic on that one, but at the same time it can make a difference what time you eat your meals, if your not active after eating them.

OK we're all going to react to methods differently, I'll just say that following my 8.30pm to 9.30pm main meal time I'd watch TV for an hour, load the dishwasher and go to bed. Shifting calorie intake to earlier in the day certainly helps to keep hunger under control so it's a good idea to do that as much as you can.
I just think no one should take away the idea that there is no point in trying to loose weight if they cannot avoid a main meal time follwed by bed time like I have. You can still loose weight if your stuck with this pattern.

pinkneonmartini

AdrianHi wrote: »

OK we're all going to react to methods differently, I'll just say that following my 8.30pm to 9.30pm main meal time I'd watch TV for an hour, load the dishwasher and go to bed. Shifting calorie intake to earlier in the day certainly helps to keep hunger under control so it's a good idea to do that as much as you can.
I just think no one should take away the idea that there is no point in trying to loose weight if they cannot avoid a main meal time follwed by bed time like I have. You can still loose weight if your stuck with this pattern.

Oh I agree, like i said this isn't a one-size-fits-all programme, everyone is different and finding the right method for you is the only real way to lose weight. And i'm glad you were able to lose your weight through an alternative method that suited your lifestyle. A loss is still a loss, however you do it

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If diets worked, then there would only be one, it would be called The Diet, everyone would do it, and everyone would be thin. :rotfl:

But, alas, life just doesn't work that way I'm simply passing on what i've learned over the last couple of weeks, and i'm in no way suggesting people should try to produce a carbon copy of what i've done. I have a standing fortnightly meeting a friend for a meal/drink, but she's only ever available after 8pm, but it's only once a fortnight and doesn't upset the routine I've made, because I know I can make up for the glass of wine etc the next day in the gym. There has to be a certain degree of balance, we can't all be little fitness robots, life would be so boring!

I've had countless friends recommend weightwatchers/ slimmingworld/ lighterlife/ atkins because they've seen amazing results, and not one of them has suited me. The methods used by The Biggest Loser seem to be doing the job, so i'm going to stick with it and see what happens.

If the same methods happen to be of any help to anyone on here then great :j after all thats the point of forums like this, to share ideas and successes, failings and horror stories. You can only learn through personal experiences, but you can make educated decisions based on the experiences of others

Charlie1986

I haven't been out today, its throwing it down with rain I am planning on hoovering the whole house later though so that might count for some exercise.
I've been looking at my food diary and noticed that starchy foods, sugary foods and high carb foods seem to affect me most.
Have also got the slow cooker on so I can freeze the mince i'm cooking and the bread maker is making pizza dough for homemade pizza tonight. I do feel a little bit lost as to what i'm meant to be eating though . And the battery has gone in the bathroom scales so I can't weigh myself, this could be a good thing?

AdrianHi

What ever it is you choose to do, you've got to be able to keep it up for a long time and realistically modify it slightly come the day you change to maintaining weight instead of loosing it.
Now I'm maintaining and have been since last October (except for correcting the Christmas period extra 4lbs that turned up ) I have not change my eating routine that much. I have an extra piece of fruit in the afternoons, I'm a bit more relaxed about the calories in evening meals and lunches, have a modest sized desert a couple of times a week and probably have a couple more pints of beer.
I can't actually eat the size of meals I used to anyway now, stomach must have shrunk!
Most of all I've gained the discipline to not eat too much high calorie foods. I really can put a chocolate bar back in the fridge after 3 squares these days :rotfl:

bramble1

totally agree with the above! - You shouldn't see it as a diet, but more, a lifestyle change, otherwise you will slip back to old habits and the weight will creep back on!