Banting and banter - making less of ourselves into February!

[WellErrr]

Banting is my favourite old fashioned word. Means slimming, and I got it from Agatha Christie

That's great @everycowandagain

Excellent! @everycowandagain

Well done everycow. Was 9st5 this morning, small fluctuation. Not doing too badly, dinners may be too large and cannot give up having 1 chocolate snack a day, but that's loads less than I was eating before Christmas.

Still finding it difficult, very stressed at the moment, will check in and out now and again, don't let me disappear completely though! I'm hoping next month will have a bit more head space x

Well done @everycowandagain!

I'm also finding it very hard at the moment @DontFundHate. Work is crazy busy and I've had a few bad nights sleep with kids.

I popped to the shops on my lunch break today and I definitely thought I looked better in the changing room mirrors. So I treated myself to a blouse and two jumpers. I'm in dire straits for jumpers. Anyone else find random holes in their tops near their belly button???

Sorry DontFund and also Twixes that you are struggling, Twixes find treating yourself can give you a real lift. Think the enthusiasm has worn off for a lot of us, hang on in there. DontFund, don't disappear, you are doing really well.

I'm the same guys, hanging on in there just about, have had a few slips and itsit's so easy for the habit to start up again despite five weeks! :(

Today I may have just maintained but I've eaten good stuff and haven't binged. I'm going back to leaving my wallet at home!

How do you guys handle the office snack table? People keep bringing in huge amounts of chocolate and cookies. Is sitting there a few metres from me, really hard to resist in the afternoon, particularly if I'm stressed.

I find that very hard too @porpoises I bring in my own healthy snacks - banana crisps, mango crisps, coconut crisps, popcorn (all from Tesco) and on certain days I do allow myself something from the table, eg there's a meeting we always have on a Tuesday where I will factor in one biscuit into my calories that day. And on a Friday I know I'm not allowed anything as we will have our takeaway later so I have that to look forward to. Interested to hear other people's strategies too!

@Heygirlheyboy wallet idea is genius! New habits are so hard aren't they, I think it must take a year or so to build new habits? Perhaps just aim to follow your new habits most of the time, 90% of the time? Rather than an all or nothing approach, as time goes on it should get easier (telling myself all of this as well as you!!)

@Octopus37 aw thank you. I'll still be here but I think I'll just relax it all a bit for now and hope that I maintain my weight, won't bother counting calories etc. Just don't have the headspace at all right now. But things should improve in a month or so so I'll pick it back up then

Wondering about what someone said a while back about dieting on and off? Who said that? Like diet for a week, then have a week off? Or something like that anyway! What do we all think?

Oops I'll stop filling up the thread now!

@DontFundHate I had a few days off, I was exhausted and work was crazy plus the diet fatigue had kicked in!

We all need to make this sustainable so having a week or whatever where you maintain i.e. a bit more relaxed but not a binge seems like a good strategy to me.

I feel a lot better for a few days of recovery and am back in the zone again.

I also think we expect so much of ourselves sometimes, and expect the impossible. Sometimes a maintenance diet is a good achievement when life is so busy!

I think marinating weight is underrated as a goal. It has health benefits and it turns around the upward trend so is a real achievement which requires changes too.

I have an office with nothing but coffee, soya milk etc. Everybody except me brings in healthy homemade lunches. Very occasionally there will be a cake or biscuits but it will be rare. I think plan a snack for the afternoon or count in a biscuit to the day?

Marinating = maintaining

What a slip.

I also think that just maintaining or even just marinating is fine as a goal some weeks.
I think the key, really, is to find ways of tweaking your eating habits so that they fit in with everyday, family life and allow you to lose a bit of weight, even if slowly. I've been going for over a year now (since January 1st 2019) and do feel that my mindset and habits have changed quite significantly, but it has taken a while of just plodding on.

Agree with everyone that the whole thing needs to be sustainable, not a quick fix thing. Wow Hounds didn't realise you had been losing weight for that long. I was 9st4.5 this morning, so chuffed with that but know I mustn't get complacent now. I have however just eaten a cereal bar for breakfast with my almonds for breakfast, cause I have run out of oat cakes. Could be a mistake cause it probably wont fill me up for as long but we'll see.

Totally agree @Hounds and @Canklesforankles if you can broadly maintain even when life throws curveballs and when normal life happens with all its parties and takeaways and stress and birthdays then you've kind of cracked it!

I generally try to maintain within a range of about 5 pounds and, every so often (like now) have a focused blast to get right back down to a good lean weight.

I am really noticing the difference from making good choices as often as possible even if it's not perfect all the time. All about consistency I guess!

Good progress @Octopus37 stick with it!

I might try your almonds and oatcakes breakfast one day, it sounds right up my street!

Ahh, big long message has disappeared!! :(

This thread keeps me going.

Work snacks don't bother me as I prefer my sugar solo! In work I always have fruit and nuts handy and today also have hummus and carrot sticks. Have a good day all.

Back down to 73.5kg this morning. Think the upwards blip on Monday was partly due to AF coming on.

Have been thinking of the advantages for me of being a bit more active and eating less crap (not just weight loss)

More energy/less fatigued
Less heartburn
Better sleep
Fewer and milder hot flushes
More stable blood sugar
Less worried about getting diabetes

I do miss eating sugary snacks on the commute home but try to plan something (melon in a tub today) or sometimes buy dark chocolate which I’m happy to have a couple of squares.

I get frustrated as I want to be where I want to be NOW but actually will be delighted if I get there by the summer or beyond.

Hi!
I’ve slipped off the radar sorry! Had 3 bad days of bingeing.
Back on it today and it is so so difficult. It’s like coming off a drug or something! I’ve had my soup and sandwich thin for lunch and I’m just thinking of food constantly.

I know I just need to get through a day or two to break the habit.

Need to stay strong!!!

Today’s menu:

B - banana (81)
L - Tuscan bean soup (217), sandwich thin (101), tiny bit of donut (53)
D - Tesco carbonara (324)

S - hot chocolate (184), 100g grapes (67)

Total 1027.
373 left, but I’m going to try to stick to 1027 after my bad few days....

I have a splitting headache today so am.fed up of all my usual greens and raw veg..but I probably have it because of going back to bulk chocolate eating!