Yes we STILL Canuary! The Lose 7lbs in a Month Thread #2

[BitOutOfPractice]

Hello Slenderistas. Gather round and worship the goddess Linda as we shed the pounds

#1 Canuary thread here

I'm not sure I can be counted as a success story as so far I've only lost 6lb. However, I feel much better this time than I have on previous weight loss adventures, and I put it down to these factors:

1. drinking more water - never done this before
2. running
3. being on this thread - I don't feel I'm battling on alone
4. doing 16:8, easy to stick to as I don't feel deprived not having breakfast
5. avoiding triggers eg I'm not working at the mo so not having that habitual 11am scone (see also point 4 above!)
6. 52 small changes has meant I haven't cut everything out in one go

I've always failed previously because I used to get so miserable feeling deprived all the time. This time I don't feel deprived, although I'm aware I could be being more scrupulous than I am.

Sorry about the long post!

Last, I found when I was eating breakfast that I didn't get properly hungry (as in rumbling tum), but it unleashed almighty sugar cravings. Doing 16:8 I'm actually experiencing proper hunger, which is a new thing for me.

Koko I've been doing Dry January which although dull AF is actually brilliant for keeping me focused and on track.

Also I've cut out all chocolate & sweet things which has knocked out all my sugar cravings.

Finally I'm no longer scared of feeling a bit hungry, I used to think that I would probably have some kind of collapse if I felt hungry, actually I just feel hungry and then eat something. Nothing else happens

arsey can I ask what is 16:8?

Fitting all of your food into the 8 hours and then fasting for 16 hours.

Eg when I do it... breakfast at 8, lunch at 12, dinner at 4. Then nothing til next breakfast

My tricks and general things I do and will carry on doing.

Hot water and lemon, in a decent plastic bottle, once it is empty I fill it up and have another I am for 3-4 liters a day
Cut down on caffeine - one coffee in the AM two cups of tea in the evening and that is it! everything else is herbal
Try to be active every day even if it is just vigorous cleaning, or my fave saturday morning exercise IYKWIM
Keep trying on old things from your wardrobe if the scales are sticky
Skip brekkie, small high fat and protein lunch good sized dinner
ALL the green veg in the world
Weighing every day - keeps me in the zone
One treat a day aloud at the weekend eg. =1 glass of wine, 1 small portion of chips with dinner, one small choccy bar.
No more than one massive blow out a month, I am not a saint, and sometimes I need to eat a whole pizza washed down with a bottle of prosecco.
Small goals, 5-7lbs at a time, not letting myself go back once I have passed a marker.
Low calorie/carb snacks that I can eat if I really need the urge to snack - celery, babybel (just one though!), gherkins, peanuts (25g), pepper sticks, cucumber, boiled egg etc.
Close the kitchen after dinner - if I can't get to food I can't eat it!
Take packed lunch to work and leave purse at home so I can't buy any extra.
Make plans with people you haven't seen in ages so they go WOW!
Measurements and before and after photos to keep motivated!

Long list! But it works for me!

I can't say what has worked for me in January because so far I have only managed to gain a pound - eeeek! However, my aims for february will be:

More walking - 10,000 steps a day at least. I am going to start getting off a stop or so early on the way to work, so I can get some more steps in.
Body pump - once a week, more if possible
Running - I can't run when it's this cold because it sets off my asthma, but when it gets warmer I will. In the meantime I will just do yoga videos at home. In the warm.

Stick to 5:2
On non-fast days during the week, try to eat well (no puddings/snacks/alcohol etc. and stick to about 1500-1800 calories)
At the weekend I can have more "unhealthy" food, but still not much more than 1800 calories.

Hopefully I will lose at least some weight in February, but my goal would be 4-5lbs.

Hello TV. I do a different 8 hours to Bellend, I eat between noon and 8pm, so for me that would be just lunch and dinner. So far it seems to have been helping to minimise snack cravings, and I suppose at it's most basic level I'm down about 250 calories by not eating breakfast.

That's a good list hairspray!

I am at the exact same weight I was on my first weigh-in of the month. Week 2 I was a Linda down; week 3 I had gained a Linda+ 100g. Today I've lost the 100g so am exactly back at square one.

It's so frustrating, I've had 3 golden days this week and on the day I was out for dinner I hit my step goal and only ate an avocado and some Prosciutto during the day. (I ate and drank like a wildebeest when I got to the restaurant, but quite often when I know I'm "off" I lose focus and the whole day becomes a write-off.)

It's so frustrating!

Bleurgh

Hi ladies, some great tips on here!

I am finding 16:8 good, just low carb lunch and dinner every day, as trying to guzzle bucket loads of water. (Failed today as have been in meetings all day and have managed 4 cups of tea and 0 water - useless!).

I skipped dinner last night because I wasn't very hungry and unfortunately I didn't get a chance to get lunch before the canteen closed. Now all I can get is a sandwich and that doesn't work for my low carbing so I've settled for a coffee instead. But it means I've done an accidental 24 hour fast and will hopefully slightly counteract the wine and dinner out I'm going to tuck into tonight!!!

Goodness tea do try and eat something before you hit the wine, you'll fall off your chair if you start on 24hrs empty!

Excellent work though I aim for 16:8 too but often only manage 14 hours.

I'm going to be back on the 800cal for February. It's only four weeks, I can do it!!

That is a very good point quim - thanks for the reminder. I can usually hold my wine really well but a totally empty tummy is not at all a good idea!

Oh lord, I've spotted an errant apostrophe in my previous post.

arsey and bell...thanks for the explanation

I think I might give this a try, something like noon - 8pm could work for me. I just need to get out of breakfast habit. I guess you still have a tea or coffee in the morning ?

quim we will all do better in February..........

I don't drink tea or coffee, TV, so I go for a pint of water. Boring, but exceptionally virtuous.

I've fallen off the wagon this afternoon! Two packets of crips and a slice of chocolate cake that I put caramel on top of, trying to avoid the kitchen and not let it spiral into a complete binge and then eat for the entire weekend.

I'm just so hungry and cold. I've got new changes in my job coming up in the next month that I don't want to happen and all I want to do is eat

Everyone is doing so well!

Ya dancer! I am another Linda down which means that - for the first time since I joined these threads six months ago - I have actually shed the mythical 7lbs in a month!

I have been low-carbing as a way of life for 2.5 years but I logged everything in MFP, kept under 1,300 cals as much as possible and made sure I hit my step goal daily (must admit I did eat drink back any exercise calories). But I have had months doing that with no results (I am looking at you, September, November and December). I think the difference this time has been lots of water, and lowering my step goal from 10k to a more attainable 7k - I have happily marched for 10-15mins to hit target where the prospect of doing that for half an hour or so more to reach 10k meant I rarely did.

I am out for dinner tonight though and had planned to drive but now contemplating a taxi...

WOW pony that's incredible, well done! I remember you maintaining month on month, you were so patient with it and look at you now! Bloody nailed it!

Oh dear, Squiffy, that sounds really tough. If you're having problems with cravings could you try hypnotherapy?

Squif you poor thing Y'know I'm a great believer in there being more to life than dieting, and sometimes bad news / stress / events etc. just do get in the way and we should just let it go. It doesn't sound like your binge has made you feel better though! Can you remind me what eating plan you're following? Cold and hungry all the time doesn't sound good or sustainable at all.

pony well done! Good on you for sticking at it so many people would have given up, mainly me .

quim I'm not doing anything too extreme just trying to stay at 1200 calories a day and do at least 15k steps a day. In reality it's more between 1200-1500. I'm just getting so disheartened but really don't want to give up.

I'm also a stress eater so trying to keep a lid on it when I'm stressed and not knowing what's happening in a few areas of my life.

Dquiffy what are you getting for your 1200?