The diet begins Boxing Day! Lose weight, stay happy

[HattietheManatee]

So after a really crap year where I had a severe depressive episode, I’ve ended up mentally much healthier but heavier due to my medication (mirtzapine). Oh, and my obscene addiction to sugar!! I’m finally in a place where I feel I can tackle my weight gain. Having braved the scales yesterday I weighed in at 10st 7lb - I was 9st in April, so quite a gain. I’m 5ft 3 and this gives me a BMI of 26 (so in the overweight category!)

Target weight is 8st 7lb so want to lose 2st. First mini goal is 10st by end of January.

I plan to follow a HFLC diet as this should help me tackle my sugar additiction once and for all. I have terrible problems with blood sugar and lots of people say this clears up on the diet. Am going to use India Knights idiot proof diet book after a recommendation here.

I can’t wait til next year so I have 4 more days to wallow in Christmas biscuits then Boxing Day will start my diet! We have a family meal out that day which could be interesting...I’m not planning to mention it in RL so will use this as a diary. Please feel free to post, join in, give support (flowers emojis rather than biscuits please or I may end up nibbling on my iPad) etc.

[PinkHeart5914]

HattietheManatee That is a marvellous loss

For me today
Breakfast was light cranberry juice & coffee ( no sugar) as I wasn’t hungry.
Lunch chicken and gerhkin wholemeal sandwich & a banana
Snack I’ve got 3 marshmallow wafer things ( 50 calories each so not too bad)
Dinner is going to be pork tenderloin, baby potatoes, sprouts, carrots and gravy.

Hope you all have a good day 😃

[FiveShelties]

Well done Hattie - excellent start to the New Year.

[Hippywannabe]

After my yule log I gained 4lbs overnight! That isn't physically possible butIit has made me resolve to put the scales away.
I do much better when I weigh less frequently so my personal resolve now is that I am only going to weigh myself on the 1st of the month.
I feel better already.

[Pavonia]

I've managed another day of sensible eating, no snacking and 10,000 steps.

The challenge will be whether I can stick to the diet when I got an emotional low.

[LadyWobbleton]

I've managed my first day! Wooo! 10k steps under syns and tons of water. I'm sadly chuffed with myself as it's lady time and I usually pig out!

[Bonkersblond]

Wow Hattie, you are really spurring me on, well done you. Sadly I haven’t lost weight, 1st weigh in at SW more than I thought @ 11st 1lb, but that’s at the end of the day with clothes on. So glad I went though as consultant reckons I could be at my target weight within 3mths, so I’ve come home and prepped breakfast and lunch 2mro. Hoping I may be able to join you with weight loss this time next week.

Hope everyone else had a good Tuesday, was really hard getting the kids back to school and me to work, I need another break already!

[HattietheManatee]

Hey all, drafted a post which I will share later but just coming on to ask for ALL.THE.STRENGTH!

First day back at work and a) feel the urge to nibble constantly at my desk, despite not being hungry and b) there is pannetone in the shared office biscuit space!!!!

Am also craving a latte.

Please please send me some willpower!

I have drunk a pot of herbal tea so definitely hydrated.

[PinkHeart5914]

step away from the pannetone and you just know if you had that latte afterwards you would just think it so wasn’t worth it.

[HattietheManatee]

Thanks @PinkHeart5914. There's also now brioche available . I've treated myself to a decaf unsweeted soya latte which only has 0.1g of carbs per 100g and that has dampened my cravings.

Will go for a walk at lunchtime to get some eggs in for easy snacks or breakfast/lunches.

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

Good luck Hattie!

I’m starting today. Not up to weighing yet - it just makes me miserable! Aiming for 1200 cals and I’m on track so far. Packing up the house means lots of moving around if not formal exercise, so here’s hoping!

[SageYourResoluteOracle]

Oh I love panettone (misses point) @HattietheManatee - be strong! But also remember you could actually have some panettone if you've the spare calories. 370 calories per 100g according to MFP. You could have a half piece coming in at around 200 cals without butter . Oh hang on: you're doing low carb though, right? Erm, maybe eat the butter???

I had my requisite 1675 Cals yesterday and am on track for today too. Just boring old weighing and counting all foods for me.

Hang on in there everyone!

#scrawnynothorny

[Applesandpears23]

Well done Hattie. I am weighing myself every morning and recording the weight in an app called Happy Scale. It calculates a clever smoothed average figure that you can look at to see how you are really doing ignoring random heavy and light days.

[Bonkersblond]

Feeling your pain Hattie, nibbling gets me though the day at work and today nothing. Repeat the mantra ‘I will not give in’ with me to get you through!

[PinkHeart5914]

Hope you managed to stay strong HattietheManatee Once you know the stuff is there it can be so tempting!

For me today
Breakfast porridge. Coffee (black, no sugar)
Lunch scrambled eggs, wholemeal toast and a banana
Snack I had pink marshmallow wafers, ok at 50 calories.
Dinner dh is currently cooking red Thai curry I will have it with a very small portion of rice and some veggies.

Over Christmas and new year some nights I felt so stuffed by bedtime it was uncomfortable, it’s actually been quite nice the last few days to feel satisfied but not stuffed by bed.

[jinglebells123]

Well done Hattie! Stay strong.

After a couple of false starts I’m back at work today and on it!

Breakfast- 40gm fruit and fibre and boiled water.
Fat free yoghurt and apple as a snack
Home made chicken, veg and brown rice soup for lunch with a packet of skinny popcorn for after.
Banana for late afternoon snack.
Dinner - healthy chicken fried rice with loads of veg.

Still have some syns left so going to have a meringue nest with forest fruit, fat free yoghurt and drop of honey and if I have enough syns left a chimp.

Done 11k steps so far and still need to take the dog for her last walk.

Non working day tomorrow which will be more of a challenge - I eat better when I’m in a routine!

[jinglebells123]

Chomp not chimp 😂

[biscuitbasket]

Have managed to stick to under 1200 cal every day bar one, sugar free 6 days out of 9. Don't feel any slimmer but my teeth are liking the sugar free!

[HattietheManatee]

Thanks everyone for the praise (and the star! I’ll wear it virtually with pride :) )
I spent yesterday feeling all happy and skinny - until I tried on my new exercise outfit and the mirror made it very clear I still have over a stone and a half to lose! I also realised at this stage of a diet/healthy eating phase I would normally loosen the reins, celebrate my (actually not huge) success by allowing myself ‘the odd’ treat. To break that pattern I didn’t allow myself ‘a treat’ yesterday, my treat will be getting on that scale and seeing 8 stone something! (TBH I’m also ridiculously excited about 9 stone something!)

Yesterday I ate
B Indian scrambled eggs - made them a little bland
S decaf coffee with cream
L leftover fake shepherds pie
S decaf coffee with cream, handful smoked nuts
D cup lamb and tomato consommé*, stir fried cauliflower leaves, sprouts and bacon with sweet chilli and soy sauce (OH cooked it and think there would have been a bit of carbs from the sauces, but hopefully not too much, he promised he only used a teaspoon or two of each and we shared it).
10k steps

Today:
B salmon and cream cheese rolls
S smoked nuts (really going to miss these!), decaf unsweetened soya latte
L leftover fake shepherds pie
S cubes of cheddar, bit of Stilton (thanks cheese counter!), couple of slices of prosciutto
D cheese and meat platter (have to start using up our Christmas stocks!)
15k steps (no wonder I’m knackered!)

You will note there’s no panettone or brioche , the weird decaf unsweetened soya latte was enough to kill my cravings. One day down, just the rest of my life to go .

I took a walk at lunchtime to stock up on some emergency supplies for work fridge - now have eggs, cheddar, Parmesan, cucumber and a tin of sardines in oil incase I get hungry or come without supplies. Will bring in the egg cooker tomorrow. Was planning to cycle in tomorrow but so bloody exhausted I think it will have to wait til next week. I promise to you guys to do some toning exercises over the weekend to make up for it, is that a fair deal?

*it’s actually the cooking liquid from the lamb stew the night before, the dinner was swimming in it so I scooped it out then realised it was delicious so kept it. But that was quite a long description!

[HattietheManatee]

Wrote that on the journey home. Thanks everyone for support today, hope to catch up properly tomorrow. V v tired and still 2 more days to the weekend... when we’re entertaining. Woo.

[Pavonia]

Well done Hattie. I think I would struggle to low carb, I'm veggie so have fewer protein options. Any veggie low carbers here?

I stuck to my three sensible meals plus fruit for snacks yesterday and managed 14000 steps.

[HattietheManatee]

Quick lunchtime catch up before take a brisk walk...

@pavonia, yes I'm eating a lot more meat (and dairy) than usual although I imagine if you like eggs, cheese and nuts you might be ok :) Well done on the last few days of sensible eating. Re: risks around emotional eating - can you jot down a few things you can do if you start to feel down that might help you feel better, and refer to them as needed?

@biscuitbasket well done on the sugar free days, sounds like the diet is going really well.

@jinglebells123 - put the chimp down! You sound really focused.

@bonkersblonde - 'I will not give in...I will not give in' - may need that mantra a lot when the all department emails go around announcing the arrival of more sugary treats. Three months to target - that will go really quickly, and you'll be horny not scrawny just in time for spring

@Applesandpears23 - thanks for the suggestion, will take a look at the app!

@SageYourResoluteOracle #justeatthebutter Keep on keeping on, what's your next target?

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar - lovely to see you back, and hope yesterday went to plan.

[PinkHeart5914]

Hope your all having a good day

I had my first weigh in today I have lost 4 pounds! I am pleased with that, I think the breast feeding might be aiding the weight loss. Only another 1 and half stone to go now.

For me today
Breakfast Porridge, Coffee (no sugar)
Lunch beans on toast & a banana
Snack I’ve got a bag of skinny popcorn
Dinner tonight is going to be tomato & chicken risotto (will put lots of courgette & peppers in it)

Me and dh have taken the dc out for a walk so I’ve got some exercise today. I want to get back to my running and pole dancing but I will wait for my 6 week post natal check.

[HattietheManatee]

@PinkHeart5914 that’s a brilliant loss, well done! I lost a lot while breastfeeding so am sure that it helps. And definitely take it easy until the 6 week check. Running and pole dancing - you must be super fit!

[HattietheManatee]

Hey all, another day done, and no temptation today at work.
B: salmon cream cheese rolls, decaf coffee with cream
S: smoked nuts
L: fake shepherds pie
S: two boiled eggs, decaf latte with almond milk. Totally rank.
D: chipolatas with mushrooms and tomatoes
17k steps

I felt a bit faint yesterday between lunch and dinner so upped my afternoon snack today. I definitely feel better for it. Egg cooker at work a great idea, really nice to have warm boiled eggs.

I’ve also stayed off the scales too, and feel better for it.