Slenderista: Spring clean your diet and exercise - Lose 7lbs with us

[AutumnNymph]

Spring has sprung; the clocks have changed and Easter is just around the corner.

As the days get longer, let's spring clean our diets and blitz away the extra pounds.

Don't let the chocolate bunnies tempt you too much!

quim....i wish...I meant 12st 1, just a very small improvement but hopeful its going in right direction again

Well... 300g down.

Talk about slow progress I honestly don't think I could possibly be more golden, I can't think why I'm losing so slowly!

Oh well. I guess if it carries on at this rate, at least I'll be in the right kg bracket by the end of the month. I might add a couple of smoothies back into my diet, that's the only thing I can think that I used to do differently; maybe lack of fibre is making my digestion sluggish.

Quim - I try not to weigh myself too often, because my weight loss is bloody weird. Nothing will shift for ages, then it’ll suddenly drop. When I do weigh in, I try to do it on a Sunday. No scientific reason why!

Have done 2x circuits, 2x kickboxing sessions and a PT weights session last night. I did lift before, but using a PT for a while to make sure my form is right and I don’t do myself in. There’s a circuits class tomorrow but I think I’m going to skip it and do my own session. Arms were like jelly leaving the PT last night & I’m certainly feeling it today, so tomorrow might be a good day for legs.

I never thought I’d see the day when I actually A) looked forward to getting up early and going to the gym and B) thought of something else to do rather than just sacking the idea off completely cos my arms are sore.

Yeah the weight loss is great, but I’m also enjoying seeing my fitness progress week on week.

Well done smoke. Sounds like you are in the zone! I'm up early for park run. My teenage self wouldnt recognise me

I'm a Saturday weigher. 10 12 this morning which I'm more than happy with given my indulgences this week. Still aiming for 10 10 by the end of the month.

Any of you who do 16 8 or similar - do you eat early if you're exercising? I don't normally eat breakfast but I can't do park run without my porridge and it makes me want to eat all day.

@kickBishopBrennanUpTheArse yup the days I know I am going to have an early start the next day and need early breakfast I start my fasting window early if that makes sense? So if I know I need breakfast at 8 am the next day I would not anything after 4pm that day.
If It’s unplanned I would still have something to eat (or use that as a excuse
To not exercise :p)

I have had a happy weigh in as well and have somehow weighed in at 56.8 this morning. Fingers crossed it isn’t a blip.

Thanks autumn. And well done on your loss.

That's a good idea. Not sure I would want to miss dinner on a Friday night although I'm normally shattered by Friday so not cooking would be a bonus. I only had a small meal last night anyway.

In other news I got a PB this morning . I like to think the 7lb I've lost in the last few months have contributed.

Hello all. Can I sneak back in?

I have been shockingly bad. So bad. Have gained over 8 pounds since 5 March. In all I have re-gained over a stone from my lowest. Which was 14 7.8 last October. I’m now 15st 10.9. May as well say 15st 11.

Sooo pissed off at myself.

It’s completely stress related. Marriage is shit but we have called a truce until DS finishes his A levels at the end of June. Also have a holiday booked for July. Day to day it’s ok. No arguments but mainly as I’m biting my tongue and eating for England and then hitting the wine in the evenings. Of course the truce seems to have led DH to think all is back to normal. And I don’t want to say anything as it will all blow up again.

Anyway. Sorry to hear you are going trough similar lastqueenofscotland.

This week’s aim is a daily walk. No wine. No bread or biscuits. Not trying to aim too high just get myself back in the zone as it were.

Welcome back @peridot1 huge hug sorry you are going through a tough patch. Hope things settle down for you and @last in a way that's best for you.

I go a bit in the opposite direction. When life gets chaotic and feels out of control thats when I have been my fittest as I feel like my diet and exercise are the only things I can control when everything else has spun out of control.

I would say the most important is to focus on what feels right for you at this moment in time. Hope you have some support IRL to help you through the rough patch and remember that we are here anytime you need to stop biting your tongue an vent somewhere :)

I have had a good weigh in today. Weighted in at 56.7 kgs which is one whole kilo down from last week. :)

Really hoping I manage to maintain this and don't pile it back on again.

Thanks Autumn. Just had Greek yoghurt and blueberries for breakfast. Having a cuppa and then heading out for a walk once my Fitbit is charged.

@peridot1 there you have already made a start. Breakfast tends to my largest meal of the day as I skip dinner (16:8) so I wake up starving.

I have had savoury oats porridge with veggies loaded in and lots of caffeine as I didn't sleep well last night.

Taking a client out to lunch today so need to stay sensible then.

So sorry to hear you're having a rough time Peridot. I'm sure several of those pounds will come off pretty quickly once you put your mind to it, and hopefully daily walks and less wine will help you keep some equilibrium too, it does for me.

Kick well done on the PB, what a great feeling!

Autumn Well done on the new low, you're doing so well! A kilo in one week is amazing! Also, what veggies do you put in porridge?!

@QuimReaper any veggies on hand really! Spinach, carrots, peas, bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini , beans, corn.

I am used to eating a cooked breakfast and can't eat anything sweet first thing in the morning so I cook oats with veggies and some Indian spices. I normally make up a working weeks worth. They heat up really well.

Thanks Quim. I know getting back into eating well and exercising will help so much. Just haven’t had th motivation.

Anyway - a good day today.

Greek yoghurt, blueberries and seeds for breakfast
Home made butternut squash soup follows by 2 Ryvita and a slice of cheese for lunch
An apple mid afternoon
Dinner was home made beef, sweet potato and black bean stew with some brown rice.

And...no wine.

DH actually didn’t drink either which helped.

In bed now so I’m not tempted to snack. Feeling a bit headachy.

Am also really pleased I went for a walk. Did 6km.

Autumn - the savoury porridge sounds interesting. Not sure I’d fancy it first thing but I could def do for lunch. Would be good with quinoa too maybe?

No actual food making for me this week. Have a million and one things on so using a local meal prep service. Three meals a day totalling between 1200 & 1400 daily. So today’s meals

Egg & bacon omelette with chipotle baked beans
Chinese beef curry
Chicken chow mein

Which came in at 1368.

Has a yogurt mid afternoon at 100.

Traffic was an absolute disaster at evening rush hour so didn’t get to boxing. Took the dogs for a longer than usual walk instead to make up. Have to say I’ve found the meals really filling. I didn’t actually need the yogurt from a hunger point of view, but at that stage was planning to go boxing and wanted something in me as I don’t usually get dinner until 8.30pm on a Monday.

I also usually have an evening snack, but am still feeling full from dinner so no need. 6am circuits in the morning. No rest day now until Sunday!

Finally a beautiful day!

I made a conscious effort to up the water quite a lot yesterday which I'm hoping will make a difference, and doing the same today. Last night's dinner was salmon and veg, tonight it's slow cooker chicken chilli. Not the most virtuous but so delicious! I'm not sure how beans crept into my repertoire though, I'm so strict on carbs during the week usually - I have this idea that they're "not that bad" but I don't really know why I'm sure they won't do much harm though, and I do tend to have a fairly sensible portion.

How's everyone else doing?

Smoke I can't believe you get that much out of 1300 calories, that sounds lovely!

Chicken chilli sounds lovely quim
A pretty good week and a half for me. My 12st 1 last sunday has become 11st 11 and that was after two pub visits at weekend. I usually have 2 bags of peanuts if I'm in the pub and bizarrely i have never looked at calories in a bag....307 OMG...i made my one bag last twice as long....

I have cut down lunches to cup a soup, 80cal crisps, a low cal mousse, babybel and apple. Dinner is a low cal M and S meal after my walk and appetite suppressing coffee.

Fingers crossed that i see a positive result by end of week with only 2 weeks to go until holiday....

Sounds like you're on a roll TV, and back in the 11s is definitely to be celebrated, well done!

The chicken chilli is brilliant - I think I've been on at you (and everyone else!) to get a slow cooker for a while, did I ever succeed? They're great for having food ready when you walk through the door to forestall nibbling, and certainly less bank-breaking than ready meals

Having said that I tend to have a sensible portion from the slow cooker, I ate so much last night that my belly hurt Using a small bowl generally works well for me, but when there's more food right there it's so easy to just keep adding a tiny bit more. And then there was an annoying amount of chilli left, only a few spoonfuls so not enough to bother with a Tupperware, so I just ate it right out of the slow cooker even though I already felt uncomfortably full I have a mental block about putting "perfectly good food" in the bin. Next time I'll save it as a tiiiiiny snack for when I need something to keep me going - guess you can't physically overdo it if there's only a few spoonfuls!

Well done tv. You're in the zone!

Quim I tried with a slow cooker but just never got organised enough to use it. I have found batch cooking once a month works better for me. I do a big shop and make a few soups, chilli, curry, casserole etc. Then it's very quick to microwave them with some pasta or rice.

I do need some fresh ideas though.

I've got one more day at work then a week and a day off. No major plans except a day out on Thursday. I'm on a mission to get to 10 10 in the week. Only 2lb away but I've been stuck for weeks so I need to mix it up a bit. I think long walks, no sugar, no snacking and v healthy meals with some fasting might just get me there.

I just hope Easter eggs don't start appearing yet

Hi all. Still here. Not a great week as had a big night on Tuesday with far too much red wine. But reigned it back in since and I am down 3.3 pounds since Monday. Very happy with that. Aim for the weekend is to not gain. But I’m out for dinner and drinks with a friend tonight........

Quim - your chicken chill sounds good. I do have a slow cooker but hardly ever use it. Might investigate a chicken chilli recipe. I’m sure I have one saved on Pinterest.

I was out last night and needed something quick before I went so stupidly had a sandwich. From a small Hovis whole meal loaf. I was soooo bloated afterwards. Ugh.

Hey all!. still here and okayish. Still clinging on at 56.7 - 56.8 which I am happy with.

I seem to have somehow regressed to teenage skin with a horrific breakout of acne. I never had acne as a child so it’s probably some kind of weird karma that I get menopausal acne! On the bright side I have been sleeping better so I guess I will learn to live with the acne and hope they disappear in time.

What does everyone have planned for the weekend ?

I had a good week followed up by not a good weekend, definitely ate and drank too much and not looking forward to the scales tomorrow.

Badminton tonight and will try to get back into walking and eating better for rest of week.

Autumn poor you, how annoying! I suffered with acne in my late teens / early twenties, and would be dismayed to see it coming back as an adult, hope it clears up quickly!

Peridot my chicken chilli recipe is this one, it's very easy and the Philadelphia MAKES it!

I was up 100g on Friday Still treading water... Can't believe I've lost less than a kilo all year! And my weekend was shocking food-wise, and the long weekend is coming up. Argh! I'm starting to think these 3 Lindas are here to stay, I really just can't seem to shift them.