Countdown to Easter

[ItRainsItPours]

All welcome!

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

@StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans yes, I feel similar because I would push through with longer fasts if I knew for certain they really were beneficial, but there is definitely an anti fasting contingent and the uncertainty has taken away some of my motivation. I used to really focus on autophagy before and that helped me stick with water and salt. It’s annoying not to know for sure!

To be fair my weight has gone up a lot so clearly the long fasts were at least working for weightloss/maintenance

That sounds like a good plan @StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans - parenting teenagers is just as tiring tiny children - just in a different way. I definitely feel tired and like I am not getting enough done as I just don’t have much energy. Then trying to lose weight for years is tiring too- headspace and low calories. I think doing something that is sustainable like 16:8 and you can just have a routine is a great way to work around this.

wow that sounds very special champagne 🥂 that’s perfect as champagne is self limiting because of cost but nearly always available on special occasions!

Yes consistency (well lack of!) is my problem - hopefully sticking to the basics enough will mean we get more content

I think not having bread has really helped me and you mentioning you generally haven’t had it for a year was helpful for me. I hope I can keep it up - it makes things simpler because it helps keep calories and carbs lower which in turn lowers my cravings in general

Sorry more content - not sure where I was going with that 😂

Sorry just to add one consistent thing I have been doing for a week or two is scanning packaged things on yuka and aiming for green - this is a bit less strict than aiming for zero upf so easier to stick to.

That’s really interesting about gluten @StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans - it’s crazy how many things menopause affects - my gums, eyesight and hearing have taken a turn among other things.

How’s everyone doing? It’s been quiet so hope everyone is ok.

I have had a pretty decent week in as much as I have eaten well, decent amount of veg, mostly logged my cals, generally kept carbs under 100ish and kept my protein up. It’s definitely a drag logging, but the day I only logged breakfast was the only day that led to no weightloss. I find this interesting as I have been going over my planned calories, albeit with nutritious food, but still losing when I log (it’s water weight but still). I am yo-yoing right now but happy to be back at 199. I think I will switch my scales to stones and aim to get out of the 13s as quickly as possible.

Have a lovely bank holiday everyone x

@StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans i hardly ever do this but logging in advance (Sometimes in the kitchen while putting a meal together) is soo good for spotting calorie/carb bombs etc and I get a weird pleasure in deleting them and getting the numbers looking better! It’s not sustainable day in day out, but when I am in the right mood logging really works.

Hello lovely peeps and I am SO impressed by all the discussion on here..lovely to come back and read all the chat.

I'm celebrating your getting to 199 @Clearingaspace ....A huge achievement and deeply satisfying to be out of the 200s. I love the idea of changing to weighing in stones and pounds now so you can aim for another rung down - the 13s! I certainly find this approach gently motivating.

I so agree about bread - I feel worse when I eat it and am fascinating by your oestrogen comment @StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans. I probably only eat it once a month now, when out with friends, alongside a meal and not much of it... I definitely find that not eating it helps keep cravings down, and strangely often don't feel that well after eating it

And me this week - I really am still on an emotional roller coaster, and gently envious but also inspired by your cracking that link between emotions and food especially UPFs @StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans .

So I did weigh yesterday for the first time in days - knowing that Friday was weigh in day - and was so shocked I held off posting on here for the day (!!), so am glad that although it is still a BIG increase today, I am one pound down on yesterday
SW: 14.2
CW: 11.6 so 4lbs up from last week, and 8lbs up from 2 weeks ago
GW: 10.12

It is so fascinating how different our bodies are - I am so impressed by your joyful eating with friends and only gaining a pound @ItRainsItPours - mine soars so fast - but thankfully usually dips with the same speed...fingers crossed on this

For me, the daily weighing and logging of what I eat is crucial - as soon as I stop doing it, I know I am in trouble! - and as soon as I get back to doing it again, I know life is getting easier again, my emotions are more balanced and my weight will drop or stabilise....

I did find your idea about jumping down in chunks and then maintaining @StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans very interesting... you are doing so well to maintain at 70kg! This was MEANT to be my approach when I reached 10.12 two weeks ago and I am somewhat startled to have not maintained in such a dramatic fashion... while recognising this is still my pattern though at least I am mainly eating very healthy stuff...

Given it's Easter, I've decided to be a little relaxed with myself and then refocus after the bank holiday.... and to focus on the fact that I'm still under 11.7... while feeling just a tad foolish that I am about to have to lose the same weight all over again... hmm... this is what I want to break away from.

And yes, we can only cope with so much - teenagers and exam stress is a LOT!! Good luck all and hope you enjoy your Easter weekend, whatever form it takes...

How the couch to 5k going @HarpQuartet ?

What are people's Easter eating plans?

Mine - to enjoy but not excessively - and celebrate with some extremely expensive chocolates in smallish quantities....

And I'm very aware that emotionally I am not as stable as over Christmas, when I felt SO good and triumphant about how I was able to eat and maintain my weight loss.... I will get back there, just experiencing it has given me the power of knowing it is possible... while also recognising that being gentle and genuinely kind to myself is what I need now.

So happy to hear from you @loveyouradvice - I am very curious about the delicious chocolate!

Lol re James 1 tax. Your day and pudding plan soundsvery delicious @StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans

I didn’t have a good weighin despite turning down wine yesterday which kind of makes me want to eat anything and everything! If am given chocolate I may have some, but I will try to not let it turn into a munch everything in sight day!! I have got some very pretty macarons from lidl which hopefully people will all want to eat but maybe I can have one or two if not eating chocolate.

happy Easter weekend everyone

Pretty macaroons sound gorgeous @Clearingaspace ... our yummy chocs got their first outing yesterday- deeply satisfying. No eggs in the house with noDC home... which feels strange, but okay... actually I've just realised there are a bag of little ones in the cupboard so will take those to mates this evening

Happy Easter everyone!

good idea to share your mini treats @loveyouradvice

i ‘forgot’ - actually I genuinely did forget! - to log my calories over the long weekend and fell into the usual bread and chocolate habit. Predictably my weight has gone up a few lbs.

back on it today! Will remember to log and back to cheese omelettes this morning. One slight issue I am having is that when I am not eating bread I have ended up eating a lot more dairy and nuts and it’s actually making me feel a bit sick and making my skin look a bit crap so I need to have a rethink. It is so hard to get the 30g of protein in at breakfast without eating excessive amounts of eggs and dairy.

I am putting it here that I will start a water fast by 7:00 this evening even if just 13 hours. Will have a salt crystal with water to try and remind myself.

@StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans I think you are an amazing example and give me hope of one day maintaining a decent weight rather than yo-yoing like crazy - please don’t feel like a fraud! From other threads I have read that lots of people drink milk during fasts and still count it. I am contemplating skipping dinner so pressed fast earlier after lunch, i have had one milky drink so far - if I can stick to one I will still let the fasting app tick on. One thing you could do is count water hours and liquid only hours as both are beneficial. I might do the same actually. I think the free app I use has space for notes.

By the way I am terrible at drinking water and love milky tea type drinks and have had them since a toddler (!) so it’s pretty ingrained and I definitely feel the same way!

Well fasting properly with only water and black coffee seems to have damaged my stomach so don’t know what is best. I too am a thread fraud as I just have to eat little and often whilst I recover. Currently reducing the meds to get back on track.