Calling all Grinches! Who wants to lose weight in December?

[FrancisdeSales]

I have to start watching what I eat and exercise as I am stuck in a rut! It may be bad timing but I don't care. My goal is 2lb a week so 8lb by the end of Dec. I am 159 lb right now (11 stone 5 lb). Please come and join in my insanity - I am also joining a gym this week.

Me too Persis, I was ready to chew my arm off yesterday evening and would have done if I didn't have to account for it on MFP.

I am also in a dieting grump today, I've been doing quite well up till now but I feel properly pissed off with it all. I've been stuck in for what feels like weeks with a poorly toddler with a chest infection, I hate it when the dc get sick, I get anxious and then I just want to fill my face with toast and biscuits.

Hello all, I am doing fairly well today. Low carb breakfast and out to lunch with a friend and managed to stay low carb so all going fairly well. My biggest problem is booze so I have to really knuckle down and stay off that...

Helena - I just wanted to say something about low carbing as have done it many times and it works really well as you are finding out :) Before you get into Ketosis you actually lose some water but mostly glycogen. Glycogen is stored in the liver and can weight between 3-7lbs, when you first start low carbing your body uses up the remaining carbs it has in your system and then it uses up the glycogen and then eventually once the glycogen is used up you are in ketosis and your body starts using the excess fat in your system for its energy. If you do decide to have carbs on Xmas day or day after (i.e. pizza) then you will naturally put some of that glycogen back into your system which will mean you weigh a little heavier. It won't be fat so you shouldn't be alarmed and should tail off again once you go back to low carb, in fact if you have only had one day or carbs you should get back into ketosis very quickly. I just wanted to warn you of this because so many people think they pile on weight after stopping low carb when they don't at all, it is just the glycogen being replaced. Ideally on a low carb diet you want to lose an additional 5-7lb more than your goal weight to account for the natural glycogen weight you will put on once the diet stops. Not sure if you knew this but you had mentioned water weight and I just thought it might be useful for you to understand Glycogen and it's part to play in a low carb diet.

I'm going to have to start doing MFP again - not doing v well with the snacking. Does anyone techy know if there is any way you guys can spy on me and check? Would be so embarrassed to have to put down "half a piece of toast, well buttered but mostly licked off by baby" in my food diary. Even the chewing gum isn't helping...

kondos stay strong.....I am an appalling role model, but stay strong.....

You can make your food diary public. Or you can set it to allow people who know the password you set. Then if you've friended them on MFP they can use the password to see what you've logged.

I'm doing ok on the new weightwatchers smart points. Pretty painless so far. But I don't eat breakfast anyway due to preferring to spend the time at home before the school run or going to work getting a few bits of housework done to free up time later for mnetting. That saves a few points.

Basically, Mon to Thurs (work days) I have no breakfast, a cuppa when I get to work, no mid morning snack as we don't have them in the staff room. THen I always have either a salad or a cup of soup with fruit and a cereal bar for lunch.

Tea is something healthy and then I have a bowl of cereal or porridge if I'm feeling hungry later on.

So work days are painless. But the weekend is a different matter and I'm always tempted to eat too much. I have to stay busy to avoid the temptation.

Hi Lou, I hope I don't sound rude but I do actually know all of that! I'm a keto veteran, but thank you for taking the time to help

I'm still on the wagon, plodding along though the scales aren't doing much. I always find after the first couple of weeks on low carb my weight holds steady and then I get a big wish on the scales.

Well, despite 2 days of misery I have gone up!!!!!! 71.8!!! Will make the baby have a massive feed and try again but am very disheartened!

I will try and make my food diary public and will actually start filling it in too. Grim.

Well done to all the ketotics!!

I'm not too surprised that the scales aren't doing much for me because I've not been to the loo in eight days it's beyond a joke, but on the plus side I've learned the orange flavoured Fybogel contains 5g of carbs

I've got my first ever blood test this afternoon and I'm so nervous, I hate needles. My doctor wants to check my thyroid, liver, kidneys and iron levels (unrelated to the diet) but the thought of a needle in my vein is giving me the boke!

helena, I hate blood tests but they seem to be better than they used to be - are the needles better, I don't know. Deep breaths!

may I join you all in losing weight over Xmas? I have a "bah humbug" T shirt if that helps?

I am on another weight loss thread but have a feeling that dedicated Xmas support will be needed! Going on holiday early Feb, wanted to be at least 2 stone down when started dieting in September. have lost about 6lb - nearly gave up at the rubbishness of it - so now kicking into high gear to maximise loss over next two months.

Am away for Xmas and don't wish to completely upset host - I will say I am trying to lose weight and she can see I'm fat, but you know what people are like! Hoping it's just a couple of days in reality - arrive 24th, leave after brekkie 27th - and keeping busy and being helpful should also mean that I can have enough not to make her feel she's wasted effort but also not enough to sabotage all the hard work I will be doing before and after.

I have felt a bit rubbish when I've overeaten at Xmas so I will keep that firmly in mind. Quite happy with one or two glasses of something so not worried about booze so much.

I actually find office days the hardest and we are closed at Xmas so that helps rather than hinders me.

lorelei I know what you mean about upsetting the host. I am at my aunts for Xmas and she is SUCH a feeder!! If I say I'm trying to lose weight she will deliberately sabotage me, she's done it before. Going to be a real challenge.

Persis - with someone like that, I'd just feign upset tummy - if they go into "feeder" mode that's even worse.

quite why people are so interested in what others eat is beyond me.

That's a good idea. And I will try and rush around after the kids so she doesn't notice me so much!! Wish she had a dog, I could slip it treats!

It's so unnecessary. Apart from my kids, I don't care at all what anyone eats!!

Apart from you lot. I am watching you like a HAWK!!

I had my blood drawn today, it was fine until I saw the vials of blood on the desk and came over all woozy

Food still on track though!

Hello all. I know its a bit late but can I join. Not exactly sure what I weigh ( no scales) but I now it's too much. My plan from now until Christmas is 3 meals a day. I will measure my success on my waist measurement as that's where I carry my weight. I snack and nibble mindlessly so want to try 3 meals. Once Christmas is done I might try the new WW.

Hi I'm joining in. Did a run/walk on machine for 30 mins. Did one last week. Not much but just started.

I think eating is emotional for me and about making feasts for other when I have to join in. Hmm not good as minus boyfriend we broke up and I've put on 2 stones!

Woooooo 70.1 this morning!!!!!! Ate almost nothing yesterday until evening so it's probably my glycogen or something (didn't understand all that!) but I don't care. I was so pleased I shouted for DH to come into the bathroom and look at the scales and he came in terrified that I was going to show him a pregnancy test!!! His face was hilarious!! Poor thing.

So.....plan for today is no snacking. Chewing gum is my friend here - my jaw is aching with how much I chewed yesterday!!

Good luck everyone. Remember that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.

scout try chewing gum to stop you snacking.

I'm down on the scales! 13st 11 this morning, 13lbs down in three weeks

Christmas night out tonight though, I'll steer clear of the scales for a few days until the water weight clears again!

are you all weighing yourselves daily?

helena, how have you done that - are you low carbing? Have lost plot a bit with who is doing what.

I weigh myself most days, I find it works for me. My "official" weigh day is Saturday but I like to be prepared; if I'd worked hard all week and the scales didn't move, I'd be likely to binge. If I'd been weighing at the same time most days and was prepared see that they hadn't moved, I wouldn't get that horrible surprise.

And yep, I'm low carbing. Although I've just eaten a black pudding and potato scone roll (first food all day) and I'll be having a three course meal tonight so today is a write off! I'm going to enjoy every bite and then I'll be back on it until Christmas

I've eaten around a thousand calories for the last four days but I'm going for a meal tonight. Obviously I have no idea how many cals I'll eat but I'm going to try and be sensible and then get back to controlled eating on saturday. I feel like I've lost a bit of weight but haven't been weighed as I'll only be disappointed when I inevitably see I've put it some back on after tonight. I don't want to give myself an excuse to think 'oh what is the point?' and then pig out all through Christmas!

never heard of a potato scone roll - probably just as well, lol!

I have been weighing myself daily because I know then what the lowest reading is, but with slow weight loss and this intense exercise routine (where measurements are more important) I was thinking I should weigh myself less, but then how do you ever know you've got the right day?

I'm out all day tomorrow, lethal. Meal, show, bar...! have looked at menus in advance to figure out what to have. Stuck to allowed calories yesterday, today lower so going to be harder but didn't eat breakfast till 12.30 so hopefully won't be that hard....

Potato scones are a Scottish thing, though I think you get them in Ireland (potato farls there, possibly?). They're amazing, and mandatory on a breakfast roll!

Here....i want to lose weight in December :D

oh I have had potato farls. I thought they were...okay. Probably just as well, I don't need to add to the list of what I like.

resisted buying Xmas ice cream earlier!