Countdown to Easter

[ItRainsItPours]

All welcome!

Supportive thread for setting goals including self care and fasting, and chat in between.

Thank you @ItRainsItPours

I had a very stressful year, finishing with extra stress from October to December, during which I gave up fasting and ate poorly. But I'm going to start where I am:

81.8kg

Goal for end of January: a smidge under 80kg

How: start fasting again, and back to my normal cooking routines (veg heavy). I was in a 16-18hr groove and will get back there starting next Monday (still a topsy turvy timetable until then). At first I'll go for 14 hours, then once that feels natural I'll extend. I have to watch out for anything that feels like deprivation.

I'll report in at least once a week and will read everyone's post for encouragement, community and ideas.

Thanking everyone in advance ☺️❤️

My goals for January are to do some yoga, keep up my 10k average steps and keep a fasting window of at least 16 hours.
Despite overeating and having plenty of festive food I have mostly kept up that fasting window. My challenge now is to get back to all my normal food whilst the dc are off school and we still have treats in the house. I need to pull the nuts, seeds and dark chocolate out of the cupboard so I don’t feel I am missing out.

happy New Year’s Day everyone!

I forgot to weigh in but will do so tomorrow. My aim looking towards Easter is to lose weight every week even if it is just a fraction of a lb. I have plenty weight to let go of, so this should be possible - I might log my weight once a week or so if that’s ok. I will achieve this goal by daily weighing to keep on track and by fasting for at least 18 hours at least 3 times a week.

Well I weighed in today and had lost 2lb so the new year is going well so far. I had lost some before Christmas though so it is the easy on easy off weight. I had a lovely walk today and whilst cold it was so bright and crisp.
How is everyone else getting on?

Hello all and HAPPY NEW YEAR

I know we are going to do great things together in 2025

I'll post more fully soon - Im currently fighting a virus and a bit below par. (Though wrote very fully in final Countdown to Christmas)

And I love the habit of us all weighing in on a Friday and setting care or other goals for the coming week... so here goes:

SW (Xmas): 11.3.8
CW: 11.6.2
GW for Xmas period: 11.5

I'm pretty chuffed with how Christmas/New Year went - two eating generously periods - 2 days over Xmas, another 2 over New Year... and fairly moderate in between, so only put on a couple of pounds each time and hopeful the extra pound will come off in the next day or so.

I've got 6 weeks til we go to Spain with friends for a week, so that feels a good interim chunk of time, just under half way to Easter.

I would like to lose 3-4 pounds by then, and am aiming to then lost another 2-3 to arrive at 11.0 by Easter, which I would like to maintain for the rest of the year (an overall weightless of 3 stone).

So my main goals this year are

1. building health and fitness - not the easiest, given I have an auto-immune condition and am often limited in what I can do. Starting with 8,000 steps a day and 10 minutes of dancing around the kitchen - adding in strength training gradually after that. And improving my sleep.
2. Creating a different relationship between me and food - where I have power over food, and can enjoy it without fearing it may lead to loss of control

And self care for this week? Lots of lovely long baths, with some body scrubbing and face care thrown in and beginning to sort out my clothes, so that I have out the ones I most enjoy wearing and know what else is in the attic for later.

Hello everyone!

ooh I am struggling to get my first fast done! It’s like writing down my intention threw me off! I am currently coming up to 7 hours. Ideally I want to wait until 10:00 am tomorrow morning to break the fast.

good luck with your goals @loveyouradvice - I will hopefully join the Friday weigh in, but I forgot this morning! Think I was 193,6 yesterday

I had long bath for my self care and am now super tired so need to sign off!

Hello everyone and thank you to @ItRainsItPours for starting a new thread!

I've been a bit absent from the last few threads but I am in and committed (as much as I can be!!). I have a big bday coming up at the end of September and I want to be 65kg for it. I'll weigh myself tomorrow but it's likely to be a 9kg loss over 9 months which I think is doable.

I finished c25k before Christmas and my goal is to continue with 5k runs x3 a week and also weigh train at least x2 a week if I can with the odd Pilates session here and there. also aiming for calories 1500-1600 calories a day.

I've got acid reflux again and it sometimes happens when I fast but I haven't had it for so long. I'm hoping it will go soon!

@Fouramclub - I misread that you were having a big baby in September and predicting a loss over 9 months so I was very confused 😂 your exercise plan sounds very good. I could really do with some motivation on that front so please keep mentioning it and maybe I will get off my bum in and do some workouts too!

just about to break fast #1at 19 hours!! I did have milk though. I might keep a log of fasts over 18 hours.

Sw 193.4 cw 192 tw 139

@Fouramclub Great to have you back and we'll be cheering you on every gram of thoes 9kg in 9 months - sounds like a wonderful healthy goal

Have you thought about what you might like to wear? I found this hugely motivating before a big event, really helped me lose those 22lbs....

Exercise... yes @Clearingaspace. What's your goal?? What do you enjoy?

Alongside walking, I've promised myself lots more dancing - to 3 tracks a day at home to start with. LOVED dancing so much at a wedding before Christmas - want it back in my life! And Im going to look for one of those middle aged discos where you dance from 5-9 to old favourites and then go home to bed!!

@loveyouradvice love the idea of middle aged disco! Although the last time I went dancing I just felt so awkward - I prefer dancing by myself!

I think I would like to do weights but right now I have a really bad hip so maybe not good to start just yet. Maybe yoga? I actually hate yoga though and find it really hard!

I am not really meeting my goals at the moment need a good shake.

how is everyone

I have a weekend away booked just before Easter, so my first target is to fit into some of my smarter clothes before then.
So far I am sticking to 16:8 and 2l of water a day. Already feeling less sluggish than I did last week.
I have set monthly targets leading up to that and weighed in this morning. I'll check in here at the end of January and report on progress (downwards I hope!)

I am feeling a bit bored with the cold weather, it is forecast to go down to -10 here tonight. We had tonnes of snow, then it melted and everywhere was slushy and now it’s colder it has turned to ice. Can’t get out for walks and I think I eat more when I’m unable to get out and about. I have done 20 minutes of yoga everyday though so will try to keep that up.
That said I have cut back a little food wise compared to the festive season and therefore dropped 3lbs this year. Was the easy on easy off weight but still quite pleased.
How is everyone else getting on?

Hello lovely people ..

Friday morning, reporting in...

Gorgeous indulgent supper last night including chocolate mousse and aubergine parmigiana with friends - so yes, scales up 2 pounds today... Sunday is our final "christmas/New Year" celebration so then it will be easier to manage my food. Meanwhile, eating well for next couple of days to bring it down again...

SW (Xmas): 11.3.8
CW: 11.6.0
GW for Xmas period: 11.5

And going to remind myself each Friday I post on here...
I can have power over food and I'm well on the way to this!
It's controlled me for far too long - I can do tough things.....and then I hesitated! Can I? Yes, with determination and support of all of you I certainly can

@Clearingaspace ... I do believe the knack with exercise is finding something you love (and only doing a small amount of stuff you don't) ... is there something that might give the same benefits as yoga but you'd enjoy more? I get so bored with yoga but love Tai Chi, with its flowing almost balletic movements... that's one for my list a bit later this year, I did around 8 classes last year and loved it

@IDareSay Welcome! Sounds like a great goal - and yes, I find getting into favourite clothes for special events one of the most inspiring ways to lose weight ... far more motivating than just getting healthy... It may make me shallow but its a lot more fun!

@ItRainsItPours Congrats - it's great getting those first 3lbs off, however easy or difficult. Yes the cold is making me resist going out for walks. What do you fancy doing instead alongside the yoga??

And I feel we are missing a fair few in action... Might we tempt you back now that January is well underway?

I'm longing to hear your gorgeous voices and to cheer you on towards your goals whatever they are (and commiserate when things are tough) in 2025, how are things going for you @EmbraceTheBeans @GameOfJones

And how has your week gone @Fouramclub and @HarpQuartet ?

Have I missed anyone??

I'm still in the grip of Christmas eating 😞

I'll report back in another week.

How are you doing, @loveyouradvice ?

Look forward to hearing from you then @HarpQuartet and Happy New Year.. I'm feeling good - the first Christmas were I've felt I started to have power over food.... not 100% but a good chunk of the time.

And I discovered that having bowls of my favourite olives and bowls of clementines everywhere meant I just chomped down on those most of the time when feeling that I wanted a nibble...

@IDareSay great that you are already feeling some benefits - def check back in!

@loveyouradvice the easy on easy off weight only comes off if you manage to get back on track so well done!

@HarpQuartet i in a half way place - there are still some Christmas bits around and I am not completely on track - it always takes me a few goes to get back on track.

@loveyouradvice i will look in to tai chi! A lot of it for me is that I have to get up early and get exercise out of the way or it just doesn’t happen, but i am so tired right now I cant face an early start! I am fine about walking though so that’s something.

so I managed 2 18 hour fasts and am done 1lb somewhere! Cw 191.5

I don’t think this cold weather is helping, I would normally get out and about even just to the shops or in the garden but we have icy roads and snow everywhere. First time in years we have had a prolonged cold snap so not what we are used to here.
I also now have a cold so after a routine blood test this morning I have to admit I have not been eating healthily.
Have to look on the bright side though as have dropped 4lbs this year so far.

Yes, when it’s cold I just want to stand next to a radiator and not move, never mind exercise. 4 lbs is fantastic @ItRainsItPours

my post was unintelligible as usual! I meant to say I had dropped a lb somehow not somewhere - giving visions of me dropping a pound down the side of the sofa!

Hope everyone had a lovely evening. I am planning an 18 hour fast today, however in general I think I need to go focus more on what I am eating - for instance I am about to eat some toast now and it is basically as I know I am not eating dinner today!

Urgh lovely weekend not evening!

My dh is gluten free and we accidentally ended up trying out a new cafe we happened across that has lots of cakes he can eat. We may have both had huge slabs of cake, delicious but not good for weight loss.
I am optimistic that now everything around me is warming up I will be able to get back on track.