Lose 7lbs in August

[BustedDreams]

Following on from the July thread for those who wish to carry on and for new joiners alike.

Ive been inspired by the ladies who posted on the July thread. There have been some awesome losses.

Not quite the end of the month and I’ve achieved my July goal of getting below the elusive 140lbs. As of this morning I was 139.6lbs, bmi 27.3. Down from 145.9lbs, bmi 28.5.

I’m doing a lower carb Mediterranean diet. Plenty of veg, some berries, salad, olive oil, butter, cream, fish, chicken and some red meat. Occasionally I will have whole grain rice and gluten free pasta (good for my micro biome). I rarely drink alcohol. Chocolate can be my downfall . I naturally only want to eat twice a day. I’ve read that intermittent fasting can be beneficial in the battle of the bulge as well as keeping blood sugars in check.

How do you intend to lose?

Any tips you’d like to share?

My tips are drink plenty of water and be mindful of portion sizes.

Hello - hopping on after holidays, was about a bit on the July thread and can see a few familiar posters

Weight this morning was 68.8 which is a 1kg gain after a week of cheese and wine in the south of France, which could have been worse!

I lost 1.5 lbs this week. Was really hoping for 2, but it's a start. I'm almost into the 10's now. It will be good to see 10 on the scales next week.

Thanks everyone, most of your starting/current weights are my dream weights, so going to try not to be envious, it's all relative. So I think I will try fasting again, Monday and Thurs 500 cals, then the other weekdays 1000 - don't go crazy at weekends. I've been dieting for so long it feels like it's so much work, I don't have takeaways, my wine consumption is down to 2 glasses a week, I don't eat pasta, rice, bread or potatoes. I eat loads of veg, not v. much fruit. never desserts. I've just played an hour of badminton, which I feel like I am going to die after! mostly because it was so hot. So things to improve. More water, more activity, I only play badminton once a week, so I could do with another session, mildly contemplating the gym or Liposuction!! My weaknesses are peanuts, cheese and ice cream, so think there should be a total ban on those - it's much harder during the menopause, but can't use that as an excuse. Keep checking in on here, and hopefully help someone else who has the diet blues like me. - August I'm ready for you!

@busteddreams yes definitely connected to my cycle. The week or so before my period I get ravenous.. and grumpy :(

I'm not going to admit how much I ate last night 😆 We brought some treats home from the holiday (we were self catering mostly so shopped while away including M&S stops and Waitrose at the services ) so the last of its gone now.

I still logged it though, and going to stick with my extra snack avoiding techniques from now!

The DC are being a bit cheeky and not really doing anything I ask, they seem to think normal rules of getting ready in the morning or tidying up are suspended in holidays 🤔 Must try to not lose it at them.

Morning all, my first weigh day and I have lost 3.5lbs. I'm really happy with that. Just need to keep going now.

Amazing loss @naivemelody!

Fantastic loss @naivemelody

I'm making lemon drizzle cupcakes with DS2 - this is really going to test my resolve, but I think I should be ok with one after tea, as long as I stick to my salad and pork steak.

I've got some konjac noodles so I'm making a noodle soup type thing for dinner. Using this recipe from The Londoner but omitting the honey and using chicken, broccoli, spring onions etc

https://www.thelondoner.me/2015/02/zero-calorie-noodle-soup.html

Bloody love pho and noodle soups so excited for dinner

@BustedDreams no in a week!!

We had McDs for lunch which was after a 16hr fast - go me - and then I watched DS eat ice cream.

@rushka I think it's moderating things rather than mentioning it. So I now just make a salad for a picnic instead of sandwich and DS (7) hasn't mentioned it, but because I had a brownie yesterday and McDs today it's not obvious. At a social gathering, I would have a small portion probably, I'm an antisocial grump who never goes anywhere

I'm standing on the scales daily as per Michael Mosley's stuff linked by @BustedDreams but I won't worry about results till it's been a week which is Thursday. however the scales are telling me i'm 2kg/4.4lbs down Makes me realise just how much I was shovelling in before.

Have a good evening and report back on the soup @cheesenpickles

@beenrumbled I've made banana bread this morning with my girls and my restraint is being tested too!

I went to london yesterday and knew I wouldn't be able to log everything on mfp so I didn't even bother. I was good and didn't really snack but I definitely didn't drink enough. I weighed myself this morning and had gained a pound in a day ffs. I'm hoping itll be gone in the morning 🤞

Is there an official weigh in day on this group or is it more ad hoc?

I've been for a session at the gym and the guy has put together an exercise regime for me specifically to help strengthen the leg/hip/bum muscles that stem significantly weaker still from my hip problem and following operation.

As a result I cant walk now without looking constipated...and as for stairs!
I may go to aqua fit tomorrow but otherwise am having a rest day to recover!

I've started eating more healthily than I did on holiday but tomorrow so marks the say when I go back to planning and logging what I eat.

@DrMadelineMaxwell, no official weigh day. I joined the thread last Sunday so today was my first weigh day.

Great loss @naivemelody well done.

I fell off the wagon last night. It got to the evening and I just ate and ate. 3 ice creams, half a bar of dark chocolate, mini cheddars. I went for it. 650 calories over my allowance. Back on the wagon today though and being extra good. Weigh in tomorrow, I’m hoping it’s not too bad.

I got lost in the forest yesterday and it took me 2 hours to get out and I’m blaming that for my hunger last night!

@shecanmoveinanydirection You;re making fantastic progress, even if the scales aren’t showing it yet! Keeping going and they soon will! And well done on logging everything - your hard work will pay off!

@StepAwayFromTheChoc You just reminded me that I have some jelly in the cupboard! That is a good low calorie sweet treat! And your will power with the chocolate is admirable!

@rushka That is some fantastic advice and a good reminder! And learning to enjoy quiet moments will definitely help with feeling stressed! You deserve to have peace With the pudding thing, do whatever makes you feel most comfortable. A small portion isn’t going to throw everything off, but if you’d rather not, just say no. And if people push it? Just say no again. And then just be really relaxed about it, keep chatting etc. I had lots of family occasions when I was pregnant where I refused dessert (I was terrified about gestational diabetes) and had to argue a lot with the ‘but you can eat for two’ logic…

@suchsweetsorrow82 Thank you! Another fantastic day from you - impressed that you managed to keep such low calories whilst also having alcohol and ice cream!!

@crummyusername Welcome!! Sorry to hear you were injured, but glad to here you are on the mend now! Excellent mindset about exercise - you definitely think twice about eating that chocolate bar when you’ve spent that effort working out!

@busteddreams Having baby sleep definitely does make things easier! Sounds like you have a lovely day planned - both food and exercise! Hope you enjoy it!

@dancingmom @MrsJonesAndMe @RiddleyW @Oysterbabe Be kind to yourselves today with not having enough sleep! And wishing you all better nights sleep tonight!

@cheesenpickles Woohoo! Congratulations on the loss!!

So… I’ve decided that I’m not going to IF anymore. I apparently cannot get through the night feeds at the moment without a snack at 4am. Which is fine! I managed to have banana on toast this morning rather than chocolate so a win there! (And then baby went down for six hours… bliss). When we all woke up I made me and OH a brunch of banana pancakes which were AMAZING. (and there will be a lot of bananas in my future, I ordered 10 bananas from Iceland and they gave me 18?!). And then for late lunch we had sausage + veg omelettes with a small amount of chips. No idea what’s for dinner! Can’t decide if I’m going to go for a walk today but baby doesn’t want to sleep right now so that might get her to drop off!

Just had the soup (we have toddlers so eat ridiculously early) and OMG soooooo good. Ridiculously simple to make as well. Only rookie mistake was I didn't chop the broccoli and chicken up small enough. There's still half a pan left as well, so will have seconds when we watch tv a bit later.

@marvelmum3 it was a low day food wise. Egg whites have hardly any calories. Lunch big salad with no dressing. We ate in so was easy to manage. Small fillet steak for dinner with broccoli and mushrooms. Used fry light to cook with.

The ice cream and alcohol was probably half my calorie consumption 🤣

@MarvelMum3 banana pancakes sound AMAZING. Am not allowed any of that! I think IF is super hard let alone if you're getting up in night. I've had a good day diet wise but felt crap at lunchtime after a long walk and went to bed for an hour. Made courgette and leek cream soup and sea bass with pesto butter for dinner so good end of day! Soup was SO good. I'm going to do again tomorrow. Hope Sunday eve is good to you all 😊

Every time I comment and I think I've managed to reply to everyone, I look back and realize that I haven't! Maybe I am just losing my mind!

@naivemelody! Wonderful loss! Well done!

@MrsJonesAndMe 4.4lbs is AMAZING!

@DrMadelineMaxwell The exercise plan seem like such a positive thing - not only are you exercising for losing weight but to gain strength back in that area. That must be super motivating!

@Somuchroom Oh no for getting lost!! If that made you super hungry, it's understandable why you ended up over eating! But getting back into eating healthy is the way to go. Good luck with the weigh in!

@cheesenpickles Oh my god that soup looks INCREDIBLE. I'm glad it worked out for you! And good to have seconds in case you get tempted to snack later!

@dancingmom They are just bananas and eggs - are you allowed these? I prefer them to normal pancakes, no need to add any syrup or anything to get them sweet. Although my OH had chocolate sauce on his! Yeah, IF used to work really well for me I just didn't realise that a) getting up in the night would be throwing my appetite off as much as it has been, I never used to be hungry in the morning, and I used to get up at 4am for work. and B) That not being at work would make IF harder. Yes, having a baby is busy but honestly my days used to be beyond manic. Your dinner sounds so good... sea bass is my favourite fish! So jealous!

So it looks like this evening my dinner is going to be coffee because I am not hungry and can't be bothered to cook! We did end up going for a walk earlier in the hope baby would sleep (she did for the 45 minutes we were out and then woke up as soon as we got home) but as I didn't want to go alone I bribed the OH by saying I'd buy him a coffee. But I have swapped my caramel macchiato to a sugar free vanilla latte so saving calories and sugar there? But I didn't order decaf like an idiot so god knows what sleep is going to look like tonight.

@MarvelMum3 - oh no, I hope you sleep and find the caffeine doesn’t affect you too much!!

Thanks for your reply - I did go for moderation: half a slice of an amazing chocolate tart and then fruit salad, so I was happy with that.
I ended up having pasta & homemade sauce w the kids for dinner. Have had a few cravings for chocolate & wine, which did prompt me to eat seconds of the pasta, but now I am ignoring them! I’m drinking mint tea and have surrounded myself with newspapers & my book, and have told myself no more eating today.

Well I've only gone and just ordered an aerobics step, light weights and a skipping rope off Amazon lovelies . Although the weight is dropping nicely, and despite me walking and gardening loads I am very, er, floppy, for want of a better word! So, I shall dig out the headband, day-glo leg warmers and leotard from the loft. Jane Fonda, eat your bloody heart out! . My daughters despair of me. Now, let's get physical!

After a weekend of eating everything I feel ready to get back on the wagon and take it a bit more seriously again.

Meal plan for next week averages out at 1500 cals per day which is just where I want it.

@Cary2012 I used to have the motivation to do a warm up with my step then a weights circuit/bit of abs work... It's been a while though 🙈

What a lot of posts today!
@Cary2012 yoga is also good for toning - I do Yoga with Adrienne

Well done @rushka

You can do it @Foreverlexicon

Hope you get some sleep @MarvelMum3

I'm sure tomorrow will hurt more @DrMadelineMaxwell but better after that. Everyone just weighs whenever - I'm doing Thursdays as the 1st was a Thursday.

Sleep well all of you.

@galvantula, are yes, motivation...I need to find that again! I loved aerobics back in the 80s. Used to go three times a week without fail. Over a hundred of us packed in a gym, fitness instructor who bounced around like the Durecell bunny on acid, and us lot, with our Bananarama hair, trying to keep up! So, I have found a "gentle" ten minute beginners guide on You Tube, and watched that, which was enough for today. The stuff should arrive Wednesday. Am quite excited.