Countdown to Christmas. Anyone with me.

[Dowser]

Just got back from holiday this morning and while I feel like I've stayed the same or even lost a bit ( I don't weigh myself as I don't want reasons to celebrate or commiserate) I want to continue with the healthy eating I did while there

I was pretty careful . Limited myself to one treat a day, a gluten free cake , ice cream lolly with chocolate and nuts around.

I never bought any chocolate ( unusual for me). Very few potatoes. I found veg and protein was enough in that heat.
Not a big drinker. A gin and tonic for me is a tonic with a splash of gin a couple of times a day and we walked for miles.

So....I have a wedding coming up next year and I have four lovely dresses to choose from. Two I got married in ( knee length rather than bridal). One champagne, other a kindd of French beige. I can get them zipped but can't breathe in them.

Then I have a pale green and a pale pink. They are unworn as they were new last year and I couldn't wear them as I'd put some weight on.

So...my plan is to practice healthy eating and intermittent fasting till Christmas.

My usual breakfast omelette but this time allowing more than 13 hours of fasting between dinner the night before and breakfast. Green soup. Today's looked putrid but tasted fine. It was a rich dark blue green as a teaspoon of spirulina went in as well. Plus a few cashews and a bit of feta

Tonight will be homemade turkey curry. Eaten by 7 to allow for the fast.

I don't want to go back to chocolate or crisps when I snack.
It's going to be painful as Im Already gluten and mostly dairy free, so I can only cut back on sugary snacks and it's so much cooler here so I want to eat.

I'm also going to look into mindful eating.

Anyone with me till Christmas.

Then it will be a couple of days off. Then back on till our next break in march where I'll have to watch myself for the wedding in may.

I like to have a goal.

Hi

I've been reading this thread, and you are all doing so well. You all sound so positive and motivated - I'm hoping to try and soak up a bit of that motivation! I have put on lots of weight over the last few months and despite being miserable I can't seem to motivate myself to change. I feel such a failure. Last Christmas I was the slimmest I'd been as an adult and yet now I look and feel terrible. I think now I am panicking about seeing family at Christmas and them noticing how much weight I've put on. I'm also going on holiday 4 weeks tomorrow and I'm so worried it's now too late to make a difference. I know that putting pressure on myself to lose weight in a certain time is not a good idea but I feel like I've tried and failed so many times that I don't believe I can do it anymore and I'm so gutted that I've run out of time to make a big difference.

Well done to you all, love hearing how well you're doing,

xx

Well you can start by making the changes today.
I've been back from holiday 20 days and while away I made the decision not to turn it into an eatfest.
I barely ate potatoes. I had one sweet treat a day. One or two g and ts. We sc so had a bit more control over food
Took long walks
Definitely didn't put on
Carried on the good work at home but cut out sweet treats.

No point worrying about family at Christmas. You can't change that...they ought to love you anyway

Be the Christmas cracker next year

Morning ladies

Dowser you certainly do deserve your two pieces of chocolate! And well done for only having that, under the circumstances I think eating the whole thing would have been understandable.

Brill get you with your xmas baking sorted! I thought I was doing well with the presents being sorted!

Bebe hello and welcome, it's so hard when you are in the mindset of I can't do anything about this.. I have been in it for a long time but 4 weeks is long enough to loose a fair amount if you are committed, have you tried using a calorie counter like MFP? I find it really helps me to see daily what's going in and where I need to make changes if you combine something like that with a little excercise I'm sure you will see results remember xmas is still 49 days away which is plenty.. we are all here to support and encourage you if you want us too!

Thank you for all good wishes.
Slept ok last night and the craving for chocolate has calmed down.
Trying to decide where to go for Sunday lunch.
Running out of options...

Well theee courses for £6-95

Not robbed
Home made lentil soup
Lamb, veg , potatoes ...no Yorkshire ( left a little bit. Of food on my plate)
Chocolate ice cream...gave some to dh as he only had coffee

No supper for me then.

Dowser - that sounds like a great deal!

I really need to do a food shop, but it's so cold and I'm dressed like a slob so trying to work out if I can cook double tonight, to cover lunches tomorrow, so I can stay on the sofa and go shopping after work tomorrow!

Still on course for today - had some really creamy and cheesy mushrooms for lunch, and think it will be chili tonight - I'll shove on some rice for DH and the DCs and I'll just have mine with a dollop of sour cream and avocado. Low carb is really tasty!

Yes...it's why I like living in the north.
It's cheap lol

Thanks for being so welcoming, I really hope you're right and there is time to make a difference. I planning lots of healthy meals for this week so wish me luck,

xxx

You can do this. Just keep your sights on the goal.

Hi everyone! Had a fab day out with a girlfriend eating and drinking all sorts of unhelpful things. Back to the path of virtue tomorrow!
Welcome BeBe! You can so make a difference in four weeks. Remember - it's only food.

Bebe - welcome! I've just finished my meal plan for the week, it definitely helps me stay on track (and makes sure the leftovers are used up!)

That sounds like a great day out Brill - the sort of day that is good for the soul!

What sort of a week are we going to have ladies?
Let's make it a good one.
The weathers turned cold...are you going to fill your fridges with some warming veg soups so you've got something tasty to enjoy while waiting for your main meal to cook.

We do a lovely one.
Lots of soupy veg, carrots, onions, leeks, bit of kale, broccoli. When soft , liquidise...we use a Bamix so can do it in the same pot, then add a pot of Aldi pease pudding which is just lentils and salt.
You have a quick and easy lentil and veg soup.
We add a few whole cashews for extra protein and on serving a bit of crumbled feta if it's going to be a main meal like a lunch.

We freeze any that's left in the pease pudding pots.

It's easy to overeat and comfort eat this weather. So a bit of ready made, home made soup on standby can just take the edge off and stop you ramming something thoughtlessly into our mouths.

I had a bit of chocolate about 8pm. Now back on straight and narrow again.
Have a great Monday every one. I've got more sorting of mums below. Clothes mainly and I finally unpacked the last of my case from Tenerife last night. So that's to go in the loft.
Never a dull moment.

Mums belongings

Morning ladies!!

Its bloody freezing here.. so as Dowser says I'm getting my soups/stews made to see me through the evenings! Weekdays I am fine as my husband works away so find it easier to avoid bad things.. its the weekends that are more of a challenge! Although saying that I did pretty well this weekend, no wine at all I had a couple of cans of g&t but they are only 75cal a go so much better than vino, and at our confire party I had a jacket potato with chilli and that's it! had no sweets or chocolate so am definitely getting better!

Hope everyone has a good Monday!

I of course mean Bonfire party... not sure what a confire is!

Hi everyone! Doing well so far today: rye bread with butter and a little Manuka honey for breakfast, then into town for a meeting so got a Crussh noodle pot (basically posh Pot Noodle only with actual food in it) at the station for lunch.
Plan to spend the next two hours lying on the sofa until I go to pick up boy.

Well done all! I'm making cauliflower soup tonight, for tomorrows lunch (yes, I've finally done some food shopping )

Good day today (diet-wise) - had a bit of a 'mare at work, but strangely don't feel the urge to drown myself in crisps, like I normally do. Maybe my taste buds are starting to forget about them? Don't really remember the last time I went so long without a crisp or two million

Well done Tractors! It's amazing how much you can eat and still lose weight if you stay away from the crap.
I was expecting to pay the price for yesterday when I stepped on the scales this morning, but actually hadn't gained anything. Thinking about it, I had two slices of bread with hummus and more wine than I am prepared to admit to, but everything else was protein/veg based.

Well done Tractors sounds like you are on the right track!

I've had chicken and veg broth with some rice for dinner really low cal and very filling! Having the other half for lunch tomorrow and for dinner having fish with something... haven't decided what yet! 😬

Hope we have all had a good day!

Thanks guys - I've been thinking about food a lot recently, so it was quite a relief to be a bit 'meh' about it whilst shopping. Let's see how long it lasts!

I'd be counting that as a win Brill - you obviously weren't as badly behaved yesterday as you thought!

Ron and Dowser - both of your soups sound delish! I go into a bit of a soup frenzy at this time of year, but it's always variations on the same thing, so I'm trying to widen my range

All this talk of soup is inspiring me to get chopping! Had salmon and kale with tahini dressing, though slightly appalled to discover from MFP just how many calories there are in tahini. Have actually gone slightly over 1,200 calories today - so no food until tomorrow morning now!

Helllllpppppp!

I'm struggling.
I'm just wanting something.

Had omelette this morning
Soup for lunch
G and t and 2 squares of chocolate at 4pm
( what was all that about, ordering mum's flowers, going through her belongings, taking them to the charity shop. Dh printing out a photo of my parents in 1947...or just this awful wet and cold)
Something triggering it.

So had lamb shanks and veg for supper...but could so easily stuff my face.

Trying to step away.
Although I thought I was ok....maybe I'm not a sock as I thought.

In an hour I should go to bed...keep away from the food.....
No damage done today...yet

Dowser take a breath and let yourself grieve.. your healthy eating can cope with a day or two off if that's what you really need.. you won't fall off the wagon you may just need a tiny break to let yourself go and just remember your mum and not worry about how well you have eaten for the day or how many calories must be in a certain food. You have had a lot to deal with over the last couple of weeks don't beat yourself up.

And if you do just go to bed and have the same feeling tomorrow that's ok too.. I can't imagine how hard this must be for you and think you are doing an amazing job dealing with everything and keeping on track with weight loss too

Just echoing what Ron said really. This is a time for being kind to yourself and focusing on things that really matter, not guilt-tripping over two squares of chocolate. Give yourself permission to eat and drink the things that your body and soul are asking for, recognise the battering that your system is receiving, and respect its right to be nurtured too.