12 weeks to lose 2 stone

[SmiledWithTheRisingSun]

That's slightly over 2lbs a week.
I'm planning to exercise every day & do the 5:2.
Anyone fancy joining me?

I have an amazing bum already it just doesn't know yet ;)

Yay, 2lb loss this week (but why am I disappointed it's not more? I know I'm being an idiot!).

Now 11st 11 lbs

That's 1st 7 lbs/21b/9.5 KGs loss to date (9 weeks)

25lbs to go do nearly half way although I'm well aware it will most probably get more difficult. Hoping to be at my goal weight by Halloween 🎃

Plans for today;

B- Vanilla and almond milk shake

L- almond milk hot choc and some fruit

D- meatballs and spaghetti

Should round off on about 1000 calories. Day off today and ai need to do a little out of town shopping, I will also take the dog for a woodland walk

What are your plans today everyone?

My waist is down to 30" too

That's amazing @DottieLottie1 !!! Incredible progress!

You must be looking pretty svelte already now, no?

@TantricTwist maybe our bums missed the memo... inside every not-so-great bum is an amazing bum dying to get out

I ate something I have a bad intolerance to last night (it was in a different form and so I didn't click at the time) so have been up writhing in pain all night. Decided to have breakfast for once as I felt it would help settle my system. I have an important call this morning so the timing is great to be shattered and in pain

Plans today...

B: ancient grains muffin with tahini, tomato and fresh basil (300 cals)
L: miso, veg and 4 itsu dumplings (160)
D: spaghetti and v meatballs with broccoli (400 cals)

Even with the breakfast I should be able to keep below 1k cals today

You're officially a size 12 with that waist now @DottieLottie1

Oh no @Seer hope it passes soon.

I think I look 'normal' as in no slim but not overweight, somewhere in between. My stomach isn't quite flat yet but I might struggle a bit as I too had an emergency C section (albeit 12 years ago!). Although that's probably an excuse in my case as it was flat 4 years ago . I'd say I need to be 11st to be called slim.

No one has noticed either, or at least not mentioned anything. I must look a bit different? Most importantly I'm starting to feel different for the better

Stick to plan everyone, remembering the plan can include treats etc!

You really must look different/better @DottieLottie1 !

I was just considering that I'm probably getting close to the same weight roughly that I was this time last year, it's really hard to know for sure tho.

I could feel annoyed about all this effort I've needed to put in to lose the weight but actually I'm strangely enjoying this project! I feel I'll be even slimmer, fitter and healthier at the end of this than I was before I put weight on! And with better eating habits to sustain it going forward.

So far so good today. Only eaten a fig that was off plan.

@DottieLottie1 anything that's down is better than up so -2lb is great as is a 30' waist.

@Seer Your poor tum, hope it's settled down a bit.

I'm working

B - Fast
L - Chicken, tomato, lettuce and mozzarella salad
Afternoon snack with coffee - 3 hobnobs.

No idea what I'll be eating for dinner but might just have some Spag Bol with salad.

@Seer I've got no idea what I weighed last year or the year before! Last time I was happy in my body was summer 2016.

I've still got a way to go to get to my goal, but not bad considering that lightbulb moment was only 9 weeks ago . Like you @Seer I'm hoping this will change my habits for good. I'm thinking ahead and trying to work out how many calories I need to maintain, that could be trial and hopefully not too much error!

Will finish today just shy of 1000 cals, Full and happy.

I'm feeling miles better now, thank you @DottieLottie1 And @TantricTwist And the important call this morning went brilliantly despite my concern.

I think we all had spaghetti today,  I ended up making lentil spaghetti bol.

Finishing on 1165 cals which I'm ok with given the emergency breakfast!

It's funny really how recently we all had the realisation about our weight, isn't it? And how amazing our weight loss has been in such a short space of time!

It's made it soooo much more enjoyable having you two alongside!

Yes @Seer and not being judged!

I'm not kidding myself I know I'm virtually half way and am well aware it will probably slow.

Glad your phone call went well.

So we had pasta bolognaise with some teething issues. First of all I started to accidentally defrost chilli con carne I'd made (the kidney beans were a giveaway), then I took out another bag which was plain tomato pasta sauce and started defrosting that till I finally hit upon the beef bolognaise sauce what an annoying palaver.

Not to self - write on freezer bags when batch cooking.

so suffice it to say tomorrow we'll be having chilli con carne with rice.

The tomato one has gone back in the freezer as it was only slightly defrosted but we'll be having that early next week or sooner.

I feel really full from the pasta, slightly uncomfortably so.

The second I walked in the door though I went for some of my chocolate.

So I'm around 1400. I need to add something more to my work lunch.

Good Morning

HaHa @TantricTwist just the sort of thing I'd do- all my dishes are the same shade of orangey brown too!

I'm rubbish with my own lunch as up until I started my diet I generally skipped it (along with breakfast ). How about making your chicken and mozzarella salad into a wrap or sandwich (mini wrap- 88 cals, sandwich thin - 100 cals) and maybe a piece of fruit? I'm sure @Seer might have a better idea!

Another non-working day for me so long walk with dog 4-5 Miles.

B- Vanilla & Almond milk shake- enjoying these at the moment and they really keep me going

L- Almond Milk based hot choc and cherries

D- Small portion of pesto pasta with goats cheese. Dipping bread ,

Should be around 1000 cals if I measure correctly

Morning @DottieLottie1 and @TantricTwist !

Your 'Freezer Surprise' made me giggle too, Tantric

I'm like you Tantric and find any form of bread more-ish and easy to overeat, plus it's hard to buy bread that's really wholesome (which matters given I aim to make my diet 80/20 whole food to processed and tend to need the 20 for the weekend!), so I usually avoid it altogether in the week.

I use potatoes to fill me up instead (apparently boiled potatoes are the most satiating food in the world!) eg I boil a batch of new potatoes and keep them in the fridge and add them into my lunch salads. They're fairly low in cals given how filling they are. You could do the same with cold roast sweet potato if you like it.

Plan today:

B: fast
L: salad: palm hearts, boiled potatoes, sweetcorn, hummus, pickled beetroot, fresh herbs and mixed leaves (165 cals)
D: Thai veg curry, brown rice, spring rolls (600 cals)

Aiming to keep to 1k today, so much easier now I've broken the habit of having a spritzer every evening!

My seemingly random waffle about bread and potatoes was in reply to @DottieLottie1 saying I might have ideas to make your lunch more filling @TantricTwist

I always freeze my bread/bread products and only take out what I'm using. But, yes I get that it's rather moreish!

Yes to wraps @DottieLottie1 and potatoes @Seer both of which I'm a big fan of.

I'm off today and will prepare a chicken salad wrap for tomorrows lunch with a side of potatoes of some description so I don't veer off down the rabbit hole of bad choice snacks.

B - Fast (still full from last nights pasta)
L - Lettuce, tomatoes, potato salad or couscous. Maybe mozzarella.
Afternoon snack - apple
D - Chilli con carne with rice

I was going to not make more ratatouille for a while, but to be honest I miss my tub of it in the fridge as it's such a good go to food.

(hmm) I think I'm going to make a huge tub of cous cous with tomato, cucumber and spring onions instead.

Need to keep busy anyway as I have the plumber coming over in a minute to fix a leaky toilet, which has been driving me nuts for ages.

Weird that @TantricTwist I've also got toilet problems Whenever we flush one of the upstairs loo the downstairs one starts running I'm thinking a blockage, but of what

That's weird @DottieLottie1
Ours was just constantly running in the end non stop. It's fixed now yay. Did a bit of gardening and made my delicious cous cous with tomato, cucumber and spring onion flavoured with paprika, garlic, lemon and lime.
Need to tidy up but I just can't be arsed.

@TantricTwist your cous cous sounds lovely. That's something I like but have failed to try since I started trying to lose weight. Problem is, because I've had success with what I'm currently eating I'm scared to try anything else. Im not particularly fussy so I definitely need to be a little more adventurous with all this!

My plan for today has changed a bit due to this lovely weather- 27oC here!

B- Vanilla and Almond milk shake
L- to warm for my planned almond milk hot choc so having a nice cold glass of Pepsi Zero I'm the garden. Might have some blueberries shortly as haven't picked up any cherries.
D- Pesto Pasta as planned.

Will be shy of 1000 cals.

I have been on a long walk with the dog (before it got too hot) the barley field I had been walking in a couple of hours earlier has since set alight but firefighters now have it under control.

Work tomorrow.

How have you spent with he day @Seer working?

Obviously that have said too hot not to! And Pepsi Max !

Yum to your cous cous @TantricTwist

It's funny you mentioning barley @DottieLottie1 because we're surrounded by barley fields too. I just had a fleeting thought that we might be near each other until I realised that ours has been cut today (dust everywhere) not on fire! (and of course there's also the small fact that there's barley fields all over the country!)

Yes been working all day except a brief school thing for my dd (so bloody busy this time of year).

Have a call tonight too so just enjoying this brief window of relaxing in the sunshine.

Been pondering today how much we need other ways to keep us positive and on track given the big tangible result (weight loss) is so slow.

On that note... I bought two bikinis today! Haven't tried them on yet tho.

Are you going away soon @Seer ?

Can't wait to feel comfortable in a bikini again but saying that I'd probably go for a skimpy cut tankini.

My holiday (abroad, got some UK ones coming up) isn't until March. I'm aiming to be confident in my body by then!

Dare I ask how old you two are? I'm 41

I was literally just wondering that re ages @DottieLottie1 ! I'm 47

Yes we're going away in August but I'm also planning to take most of August off so hoping to spend lots of time in sunbathing in the garden too!

@Seer and @DottieLottie1 I'm 48

My lunch is prepared for tomorrow, the cous cous with 2 chicken thighs and some lettuce. I bought some apples and they are horrible, all mushy. I like crispy braeburns and these are not those.

Very disappointing as I love my apples.

Today I had the cous cous for lunch which was very filling and the chilli con carne with rice which was also filling.