Skaelgoil sent me a message about BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and a link to help me work out how many calories I should be consuming, it is a great help as it explains how and why and what you need to do to lose weight.
It firstly works out your BMR by firstly inputting your height, weight and age (mine is 1737.85), the next step is for it to work out your basica calorie needs. To work this out you take your BMR and times it by the appropriate number according to your physical activity, I selected the option "lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)" even though I am exercising everyday I don't consider it strenuous in any way as I am just not fit enough!
So to work out my daily calorie needs I have to do this sum : BMR x 1.375 (1737.85 x 1.375 = 2389.54). This indicated that I need 2389 calories to maintain my current weight but obviously I want to lose the weight so have one more calculation to do.
To see what my calorie intake to lose weight is I have to reduce my calorie intake by 500 calories meaning I should be consuming 1889 calories. I am aiming at 1500 calories per day but will probably eat out once a week which will allow a bit of slack in the week to enjoy a meal out at the weekend.
Does this make sense?
The website to do your own calculations and see exactly what you should be consuming is www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator
It is really a great tool as it explains step by step what to do and educates you along the way! Hope it helps someone else too!
The main one is the support I have been shown on this site and all the valuable help and advice you have all given me ... you know who you are and I am so grateful for you helping me. I truely am! Last night I went to bed and messages from my EP family kept coming through on my ipad and everytime I got one I felt so blessed and thankful to have you all there helping me on this very rocky road.
A lot of what I have been told makes total sense but the general senses for having a gain is that I am not eating enough calories! Great news but baffles me. You eat more to lose weight ... as I keep saying this is a learning curve for me and boy am I learning.
I have therefore decided to up my calorie intake this week to 1500 calories which is 300 more than I have been. I will try this out this week to see how I get along, I will be able to weigh in on my home scales as I will be back from England on Monday.
The other thing is that I lost 1lb. A lot better than I ever imagined as usuallly I don't lose weight at night. I am still a tad disappointed as that means I have only lost 0.5lb per week. I am working so hard and spending every minute focusing on my diet and making sure I stay on track and don't seem to be reaping the rewards at all. My aim was to lose 2lb per week and I am way off that mark but hopefully by eating more I will see a more consistent loss.
I am also going to start on the acai berry supplement today, it has a lot of good vitamins and minerals so can't see it doing any harm and the one I have selected is from a very reputible health store (one of the main ones here) and it is actually their own product. I researched it last night and checked the ingredients and it seems fine to take so thought why not. It isn't cheap so am going to give it a month and see how it makes me feel, if it helps me lose weight it will be a bonus but am hoping that it helps me feel better within myself as it claims to!
Well am off to get this day started. Think I will exercise before getting showered .. makes sense ... must remember to close the blinds as don't want anyone to see me getting jiggy with it! LOL I am going to do Just Dance 2 as I haven't done it in so long and it really makes me sweat!
Thanks again for all your advice and guidance. I am so thankful for you all educating me and helping me to understand how my body works, it has only taken me 38 years to find out and finally begin to understand what it needs and that is thanks to you.
I am off to re-read your messages and comments as I was in the land of nod when they came through.
Just wondering if anyone has heard of Acai??? This is the capsules my parents and sister have started taking for weight loss and for general health.
Mum said she researched it and it was a healthy supplement. I sneaked a bottle of it and this is what is says:-
"for centuries known as the power berry. Acai has been a traditional food of the native people of the Amazon. The fruit is rich in B vitamins, minerals, fibre, essential fatty acids and the flavonoid antioxidants. Acai is packed full of antioxidents, amino acids and essential omegas).
No artificial flavours or sweetners, no preservatives, no milk, no lactose, no gluten, no wheat, no yeast, no fish, no porcine".
This is what I have read on the internet about it:-
Everything we eat can produce side effects, sometimes those side
effects can be negative side effects, other times we may in fact enjoy
some positive side effects. The same occurs with acai berry, which is
called commonly acai berry side effects.
The acai berry is a fruit that has been growing in the Amazon Jungle
for centuries. Also, fifty to sixty percent of the regional people have
made it essential part of their daily diet and they are extremely
healthy. Indeed they are free of many toxins that are in our bodies in
the western world.
Also, the comsumption of this fruit increase over 200% the number of
anti-oxidants, which our body uses to fight cancer cells. Other benefits
are high quantities of vitamin A, B and C, iron and calcium, as other
kinds of minerals, acids which benefit your body.
We may hear a lot of acai berry benefits, but there are some acai
berry side effects too. This acai berry side effects won’t hurt your
organs or your body, but it will decrease your appetite.
A lot of people don’t consider a decreased appetite as an acai berry
side effect at all, in fact many medications are used to decrease
appetite, so for many people who have difficulties controlling their
hunger this could be an extra advantage.
Also, acai berry contains cleanser ingredients because of the high
fiber. Not only it will remove toxins from your body and replace them
with healthy vitamins, minerals and acids; but it will force your body
to lose weight as well.
The acai berry side effect of appetite suppression gives you a chance to be healthy, to get trim without any need of diets.
If you want to experience the acai berry side effect of appetite
suppression, you would have to eat lot of the fruit itself, but
unfortunately, the fruit is not the kind that you can just get in your
everyday grocery store. The scarcity makes it difficult to get the
benefits from the fruit itself.
Fortunately, lately the nutrition market has been flooded with
different brands and different kind of products, so we can take
advantage of this magnificent fruit.
Wrapping it up; it has been clinically proven all over the world that
the acai berry products and diet are effective for weight loose and
body cleanse and that they give great results. Those are facts that
everyone knows, including the acai berry side effects. The problem starTs
when we have to choose a best product to use.
If you decide to use acai berry based products, be aware that a lot
of products out of that don’t have or falsely claim that they have the
right amount and concentration of pure fruit that is require for the
product or supplement to be effective.
In most cases these products don’t contain the right amount of pure
fruit or they don’t even contain the fruit at all. You will end up
frustrated because the product won’t help you, you won’t feel any better
and you won’t loose any weight. You will get to the conclusion that
these products don’t work for you, when in fact you never tried to begin
with.
If you make a decision of start a nutrition program based in acai
berry products be aware of these scams and only buy products that have
already been tested, and are known to be of the highest quality.
I have decided to give this a try for a week or two to see how it works for me. I have never ever taken diet pills and have never had a desire to take them as I don't honestly believe in them but this pill seems provide so many other benefits that I honestly don't see the harm. I have purchased it from a very reputible health food shop and have checked the ingredients and each capsule contains 500mg of acai fruit (from 25mg of 20:1 extract).
At this minute in time I don't see the harm on helping my body along this road with something that has so many vitamins and benefits. Will keep you posted.
WHAT AM I DOING WRONG TO BE GAINING INSTEAD OF LOSING!
Hi everyone
Not doing so well to be honest.
I flew home last night but stayed down with my family before travelling today and have just got home.
So why am not on tip top form?
For any of you who follow my blog will know that I spend time here and in England and bought a new set of scales for when I am in England and weighed in on them last week but didn't log my weight as I thought the scales were weighing a bit heavy ... I am fully aware that scales are not the same and can vary so I put it to the back of my mind.
I came in the house and dashed up the stairs as I needed to see how I was doing ... tomorrow morning is my official weigh in day. What did I see???? 226lb!!!! This means I am 3lb up! HOW????
I have been counting my calories and exercising every single day without fail and what do I get ... a 3lb gain! I was honestly expecting to see a 3lb loss not a gain! A gain!!!
I know I have to officially weigh in tomorrow morning and will do that but there is no way I will lose 3lb overnight, I did weigh in with my trousers and top on too but that won't make a 3lb difference. I didn't want to strip off because the house is so cold as I forgot to put the heating to auto and I has been off for over a week, need to get it warmed through. It won't make that much of a difference anyway.
I don't know where I am going wrong! I know there will be reasons but this is really hard to swallow. It could be water retention, it could be muscle building, it could be I am not eating enough! So frustrating as I am giving this my all and not getting the results I feel I deserve. I would be disappointed if my weight even remained the same as two weeks ago but to see a gain is so disheartening!
I guess tomorrow starts a new weight loss week for me. I just need to do something else ... goodness knows what that is but I have to do something as I am determined to see this through!
Today was an ok day, I had to get some groceries and spent some time with Mum and Dad, they have a treadmill so I walked for 30mins on that as it was raining and plan on going on the exercise bike while my tv show is on to burn more calories.
Wish I could be a bit more upbeat today but sorry I feel so disappointed and disheartened knowing I haven't lost and might have gained ... it has zapped me to be honest but I am not going to let this fat on my body beat me ... I am stronger than this and tomorrow starts a new day and a new weight loss week. I really need to see a big loss next week. This isn't fair!
I will let you know how I get on in the morning but don't hold out for any good news, don't think much will change overnight!
Anyone with any tips or ideas of where I am going wrong please let me know ... looks like I could do with all the help I can get!
I have just finished my walk ... I can't believe I am going to say this but I actually really enjoyed it! It was refreshing and I had lots of time to think and listen to my music ... I found it quite invigorating!
While walking things kept popping into my head ... the main one being where did I get 1200 daily calories from? What made me decide to consume 1200 calories a day, is it right? Is it enough? Is it too little? I simly plucked that figure out of the sky but where did I get that figure? I am off to research it now ... hold on a tick ...
Emmm now I am confused .... even moreso! I have tried a few online calculatators and they vary a bit but are all saying the same, a couple have said I should be consuming 2694!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! over double what I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So what it is saying is that I need to consume 2142 calories per day and up my exercise to lose weight! I am only consuming 1200 calories per day and feeling quite satisfied with my food intake ... I am opting for fresh fruit and vegetables and have a main main everyday. I don't have a big breakfast but it is better than not having any which is what I have done for the past 30 years!
Do you think I should be eating more than I am? I feel good and am usually satisfied with my eats and don't feel too hungry as I think my body has finally realised that I am a new person and this is the way my eating is going to be from now on. It is becoming more satisfied with what I am giving it!
Emmm what to do? I don't know? I want to be healthy more than anything but can't see how if eating more I will achieve that.
I haven't been to my doctor in about 17 years maybe it is time I paid him a visit and get the low down from the professionals, I really don't want to be doing myself more harm than good and don't want to be doing this and not seeing the results either. Oh decisions decisions. I am soooo confused!
UPDATE - Kat951 (thanks for your help by the way) has recommended that I check it out on dailyplate.com to see how many calories I should be consuming ... this is their recommendation:-
"Our estimate is that you may consume about 1,387 calories a day to lose two pounds per week. "
This sounds more like it ... I am aiming at losing 2lb per week so this isn't too far off the mark I have set myself but maybe need to up my calories a little .... what do you think?
Think of the word "DIET," and what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Visions of joyless eating, piles of pale lettuce, bored taste buds, more pale lettuce, meals that would starve a mouse, and mounds of food labeled "Off Limits" and locked away, never to be tasted again. Oh, and lettuce. In other words:
Don’t Imagine Eating This
Boooring! Deprivation diets, fad diets and taboo-food diets send the wrong message. Your body is not an enemy that needs to be beaten and starved into submission. Building healthy habits can – and should – be fun! This is a positive thing you’re doing, making yourself healthy and happy at the same time.
Food was created for a reason. Each food has specific benefits and potential drawbacks. Even chocolate, in certain forms, is said to protect against high blood pressure and heart disease. On the other hand, if you eat nothing but grapefruits, you'll be loading up on certain vitamins, but missing out on a lot of other very important nutrients. The key is balance. Too much of anything can hurt. But not enough of everything can hurt even more.
How far do you think your car would go on watered down gas or without any oil? About 20 miles, probably. You’re no different. Deprive your body of what it needs and it’ll break down. The secret is to be conscious of the grades of "oil" and "gas" that you use. Some are more powerful than others, and help you run longer on less fuel.
To fuel your body for optimal performance while losing weight, here are 4 strategies to use when starting a weight loss program:
Control your food portions. Who really needs "Biggie" anything? Control your portions ... weigh and measure everything you eat!
Make smart substitutions. Why not try mustard (11 calories) instead of mayonnaise (99 calories) on that deli sandwich? Who knows, you might even like it better.
Focus on "power foods." High protein, high fiber, healthy fats and good carbs give you the most punch for your lunch.
Watch your eating habits. Mindless munching, emotional binging, and twice-a-day trough feedings are sneaky habits that steal momentum and leave pounds.
Gosh but don't the weekends fly by!! I can't believe it is Monday morning again!
Today sees the start of the wonderful Laelia's challenge to exercise for 30 mins everyday for the next few days. I am about to go out and do my 3 mile walk so so far I am on target. If you haven't joined you still have time, got to Laelia's blog (she is on my friends list) and you will see her post ... just let her know you are joining in.
Sometimes we need something to motivate us! Good luck to everyone doing the challenge.
Today is a housework day. I am flying back to Ireland tonight so want to get everything in order for James for the rest of the week, ironing, cleaning etc ... wonderful! I don't mind really!
I am back again on Thursday night so will just be home a few days this week before coming back as I have to be here for the weekend anyway as we are off to London to see Mamma Mia on Saturday ... I can't wait!
I had a sneak peak on the scales this morning and it is registering that I am 0.4lb up .... I am not concerned as it could be all the water I drunk last night and today isn't my weigh in day I was just being a bit naughty! I am a tad nervous about Wednesdays weigh in at home as I won't have weighed in for two weeks and have no idea how I have done! I keep saying so long as I haven't gained that will be ok but with all the effort I have been putting in I hope that I see a loss, I honestly don't think i could do any more anyway so know I am doing my best and that is all I can ask of myself.
I will take my dress home with me tonight as the wedding is over home and my mum and sisters can see the dress on me and give me their opinion. I hope it is as favourable as James reaction .... I was so happy that night! I could see in his eyes that he loved the dress and was proud of how my body is changing.
My family are all trying to lose weight but I phoned mum on Saturday and she said she and my sister have picked up some diet pills of some sort in the health food shop, I think they think because they are in a health food shop they are healthy. I bet they haven't researched them or found out what exactly they are ... must try and get a sneak peak when I am home visiting! I worry about diet pills and what might happen if you use them long term, you just don't know what they are doing to your body!
Well I must get started, I done all the laundry yesterday but have to iron it all ... yuck! I want to get my walk in now first as I don't want to make any excuses for not completing Laelias challenge .... come join us!!!!
Have a great day everyone ... will check up on you tomorrow when I am back home again!
Yip you guessed it from the title ... my dress fitted and I am so pleased. I didn't know when to try it on as I was a tad nervous but needn't have been.
I sneaked into the bedroom last night as I was getting on my pjs and slipped the dress on ... I expected to be sweating and huffing and puffing pulling up that zip but it zipped up just fine! If anything the dress is a tad big!
I came out and showed James and he said "gosh but you notice your weight loss in that dres, you look really beautiful, that is so slimming on you", I didn't need to hear any more. The dress is so comfortable and the one person in this world that I want to like it (besides myself) loves it. So glad I don't have to go shopping for a dress now ... I feel so good in that dress and it has really given me a boost. My confidence is sky high at the minute.
I was going to photograph the dress and let you all see it but would rather post a picture when I am in my full glory with my hair and make up done so you will have to wait until after the wedding! Sorry!
I caught a glimpse of myself in a window today and was surprised by the way my body is shaping, I usually avoid mirrors as I hate the way I look. Don't get me wrong I still didn't like what I saw but it was an improvement.
I went to bed buzzing last night, I was so chuffed. I can't wait to get home and show my sisters and mum and see what they think, I just hope I get the same reaction but know they will be honest with me.
Today has been a really good day. We had tickets booked to the cinema for 12.30pm to see the Kings Speech, we had a lazy morning and then went to the cinema. James fancied a pic n mix, my favourite all those yummy sweets! I told him I was strong enough and for him to go ahead. I brought a bag of grapes from home to nibble on during the movie as I knew it was at lunchtime and I would no doubt be hungry by the time it was over as it was a 2 hour film. I was ready for the stewarts to ask me to refrain from eating the grapes but was ready to have my say ... if they sold fruit I would have bought it in there even at their crazy high prices! I really think there should be a substitute for people who are trying to be healthy.
I know you aren't supposed to bring food into the cinema and food consumed there should be purchased on the premises, there are signs everywhere but what if you want to make healthy choices? There was absolutely nothing there as a healthy option other than a bottle of water.
After the cinema we went for a nice long walk ... boy was it cold .... I still can't feel my cheeks! I was glad to get my exercise out of the way for the day to be honest I can now concentrate on settling down for the evening and spending the evening with James as I have decided to go back home tomorrow, even though I am back again on Thursday. I want to check up on the house, don't like the thought of it lying empty out in the country ... I worry about the tiniest things.
I totally forgot that we are going to the theatre on Saturday to see Mamma Mia in the West End in London, soooo looking forward to that now! I remembered about it but wasn't sure of the date and didn't realise it was so soon. We went to see Dirty Dancing in the westend a while back and it was absolutely amazing ... I love the theatre!
I am going to have my dinner shortly as I haven't really had any lunch with being in the cinema so can afford to have a wee treat tonight. I am going to try another one of the dishes from Marks and Spencers new range ... risotto with chicken and asparagus at 325 calories. It does look to be a very small portion but once again I will have lots of calories left to have a weight watcher desert. So far I have had 310 calories and my 325 dinner will mean I will have 625 calories and then my desert will be 180 which will mean after dinner I will have consumed 805 calories which leaves me 395 calories so might treat myself to a slice of bread as I have been craving some bread BIG TIME! What a treat that will be!
I am feeling very positive ... think the dress fitting and feeling a bit loose really has given me the boost I needed. I am so pleased with it and it is one of those dresses that you just feel really comfortable in it. I can't wait to buy some nice jewellery now ... I already have shoes but will need a new bag too! I love shopping for accessories.
I hope you are all having a great day ... off now to see how you have been getting along!
YUMMY DINNER AND DESERT AND STILL WITHIN MY CALORIES! WOO HOO
Hi everyone
How has your day gone?
I think I have cracked the breakfast thing! This morning I reduced my weetabix (wheat biscuits) in half, so only had two weetabix and semi skimmed milk and calculated a total for my breakfast of 177 calories.
We went today to a classic car auction (James has a little thing for classic cars), we knew we could get lunch there so didn't worry too much as they had a restaurant though on arrival there reallyw wasn't much for me to be honest. James opted for a hog roast sandwich (they were roasting it right there in front of us) ... so hard to resist but I did. Everything else was just as unhealthy but glad James enjoyed it and I didn't even have a nibble.
I was sooooo hungry though by the time the auction ended as I had only had water all afternoon so we went into the town and found a cafe and James and I shared a sandwich and I had more water. I shared the sandwich as James was talking about going out for dinner in the evening (we didn't in the end) but I was worrying about how many calories I would have left to enjoy a meal.
While out shopping we stopped in Marks and Spencers to see their new range that they are advertising on tv which is supposed to be low in calories and keep you fuller for longer ... that is actually the name of the range "fuller for longer". They have just started doing this line so it was on a promotion 3 for 2 so I got 3 different meals and decided to go home and try it out rather than eating out.
I grabbed a banana and had it as we browsed around the shops, this definitely gave me a new lease of energy!
While shopping we went into Debenhams to look at dresses for the wedding that we are attending at the end of February, I saw a nice black and silver one and James said I should just buy it, which I did. I am not really an impulsive buyer but James wanted to buy it for me and I know I need to start really looking for the wedding ... I haven't tried it on yet!!! It is a size smaller (20) than I usually wear and don't know if it will even suit me but I can always return it. I just didn't want to try it on as there were lots of assistants milling around and I would have felt paranoid. I then got a lovely silvery crochet style bolera cardigan thingy to go over the top ... I like to keep my shoulders covered when in church.
I need to pluck up the courage to try the dress on, I know I will be upset if it doesn't fit but this is a big possibilty as I did buy a size smaller which was maybe silly but they didn't have the dress in a 22! If it does fit of course it might not suit me .... I guess I won't know until I try! I might try it on in the morning after my shower. I am not particular looking forward to seeing myself in it, I am a girlie girl but only wear a dress on special occasions with the last time being about 3 years ago! Hate my legs in a dress!
I went to find a cashier and while standing in the queue I got a text message, it was from James who was right there behind me saying "you will look gorgeous in that dress", I turned round and he smiled at me. Bless him! I explained in the car that I loved the dress and thanked him for buying it but not to be upset if I have to take it back. I think this is the only time I have paid £135 for a dress (think that is around $250 for my American friends but not sure)! I have the receipt and if I am not happy will take it back and start looking all over again. I do have a few dresses which arrived while I am England from my catalogue so will not be out of options! Who knows maybe those dresses will be nicer ... I don't think I will be stuck somehow.
Anyway we have just got home and I have had my chicken tikka masala with fragrant rice and it was yummy ... really yummmy! The only problem is that there wasn't enough ... it was 400 calories exactly. As I was sitting at the table and James was asking me what I thought I realised that before starting this diet I would have easily have 5 times the amount of food on my plate and that I have to start getting it into my head that this is a normal portion! I was eating way to much and my portion control is something that has changed dramatically since starting this challenge.
I had 400 calories left for the day so treated myself to a desert after dinner, a weight watchers banoffi desert and it was soooo yummy and was only 178 calories so I still have 122 calories left for the day but doubt if I will need them, I don't think I will want any more to be honest but is this the right thing to be under by 122 calories. I feel my eats have been really good today and I am chuffed with my choices.
Over all I had a good day eats wise and once my meal settles we are off to brave the old weather and go for a 3 mile walk.
I hope you are all having a fab weekend ... off to see how you are getting on ... will do some now and some when I get in from my walk.
