Lockdown is easing but our waistbands are not as forgiving......Slenderistas unite to shift the stubborn lockdown pounds

[RedLipsAndRosyCheeks]

So, once again I've started again, drawn lines in the sand, made plans, batched cooked etc (you all know the score!).

I will be slim this year!

Slightly scared of the scales so not willing to weigh until Monday but come and join us to get slender!

All diets and weighing frequencies welcome!

I’ve been thinking ... (my partner hates those words because it usually means a lot of work for him).

Anyway I've been thinking if we have a “push” every month it becomes meaningless and I have one or two celebrations in September, so I am proposing another push in October. We could all go easy in September but still be careful of course and then push in October and all be thin by Christmas - simples!

What I’m trying to do here is recruit members to our Push Club whilst giving you plenty of time to get your head around it and then we can all really go for it.

So who is in?

1. Paws 🙋‍♀️

Good idea paws. I've got a couple of things in September too so going hard at it in October sounds doable.

1. Red 🙋🏼‍♀️

The scales contemplated 9.12 this morning and settled on 9.13

Yayyy Red glad you’re onboard.

So we have:

1. Paws
2. Red

That can’t be all surely? I’m hoping for at least a couple more 😀

I’m struggling a little again today, it’s the heat! I’ve tried hard in the day and done quite well but I know this evening will be a problem, evenings are always my problem time. I’m going to try really hard though.

How are you all doing today?

Paws exactly the same. On plan all day then terrible all evening. I've come to bed but the damage has been done.

DH has given up sugar. I'm going to join him when we get back from holiday.

I would normally go to bed early like you Red but I stayed up tonight to watch the Michael Mosley programme on diet. I think I need Every bit of help I can get. I’m really struggling tonight. I darent hit the chocolate or that could lead to real trouble as I can’t stop once I start and then I’d be upset. I’m very tempted to give in tonight, this is getting so difficult.

I watched that too and I enjoyed the mushroom pizza from last week. I'm going to carry on eating bananas though. I've lost 2lbs so quite pleased with that. Happy to go for the October push, though as I've just started I'll need to keep going through September too!

1. Kick.

But not until next Monday.

I'm out for dinner tomorrow night and I have plans this weekend but I need to get back on that wagon. No more excuses

Can I join the push club

Good work on the 2lb @Downton57

I'm currently eating crisps (only the one packet mind) but I'm celebrating the next 36 hours of child freedom!

Getting drunk tomorrow with my SIL for her 30th but will have to show some restraint as going on holiday Saturday morning 😳.

I will have ice cream and fish and chips on holiday but no booze and no snacks.

I have written it so it must be true!

Also, welcome all to the push club!!

Kick I think paws is proposing an October Push Club! Next week is definitely your week though - a good solid week to see out August, and then you can surge into Autumn full of positivity!

lasty Ooooh it's so annoying when the scales tease like that! Any luck today?

paws I hope you didn't crack! I know this line of argument never works on me so probably won't on you, but you never ever regret not cracking and practically always regret cracking. I think of will power as being like a muscle, the more you exercise it the easier it is next time, and I certainly find that after all these years the idea of random evening chocolate / wine / whatever during the week just doesn't cross my mind (and I was definitely someone with zero will power). I actually sometimes have dreams where I'm in the middle of eating something and realise it's a weekday and I somehow haven't noticed, and I'm horrified with myself (My subconscious is a very dull place...)

I think it sounds like a great idea, and I think I will join but with a focus on exercise. I am so horribly unfit, and my lack of muscle tone definitely makes me look bigger. Well, it makes me actually bigger: I put on a dress this morning which I wore quite a bit last summer when I know for a fact I was heavier on the scale, and it was tight around the waist today It did up, but I don't remember it being uncomfortable before. This is on a Thursday too, when I shouldn't have any residual bloat or anything. I think I do need to focus on inches rather than kilos!

Meanwhile, I'm not holding out for anything earth shattering this week, as I've had fewer steps than I've had in ages due to this vile heat. I'm hoping to try and make it up today now it's a bit cooler, and might get some more in tomorrow to even things out a bit. It's a shame as I am planning a blowout at the end of Aug and could have done with a good few golden weeks under my ever-tighter belt, but this week's been about survival!

Downton 2lb is a fab start! Sorry for accusing you of having been here before We must have chatted on another thread.

Red Gosh I'm envious of the lovely things you have lined up! 36hrs child-free, a boozy 30th and a beach holiday, what a lovely prospect! And as you say, you've done the hard work now by making the worthy commitments, gloriously golden behaviour will effortlessly follow

Honestly, with the trauma of these horrid few months and the summer already almost over, I think we should all just be making the most of things like holidays and birthdays when they come around. Too many plans were scuppered and too many birthdays went uncelebrated not to enjoy the ones we can. Not to say nobody should be bothering right now, just not to feel guilty about making the most of it when you feel like it!

Just checking in because I said I would on a daily basis but I haven’t got a lot to report.

This heat is really getting to me now and I can usually cope with heat, I’m usually (always) cold but this heat is becoming unbearable.

No I didn’t cave Quim but I’m mighty sick of not being able to eat chocolate. I think when I’ve weighed on Saturday it’s time I had a chocolate treat on Saturday evening, I’m so over rice cakes.

So pleased we have quite a few of you offering to join our October push club. September is going to be a difficult month for me for sure as we’ve got one or two significant birthdays to celebrate but I’ll do my best not to pig out. There’s no point gaining weight in September to have to re-lose it in October (I’ve been doing that for years 😀).

Onward, ever onward everyone! (Nearly time for our second weigh-in Red, I don’t think I’ve lost much).

9.12
Going to go for another lb this week

So the night before the second weigh-in of the month, mmm I’m not looking forward to it. I haven’t been too bad this week but after a big loss last week if I manage only half a pound so be it.

I’ve been baking most of the afternoon, salted caramel cupcakes and a lemon and lime drizzle cake. I haven’t tasted ANY yet but they don’t look that good, my oven is very temperamental and too low so some cakes tend to sink ☹️ My partner will eat anything so is ok and I use very good ingredients so if not perfect it should be alright. (Oh blimey I’m rambling again).

Enjoy you holiday tomorrow Red, I hope you have a lovely time.

Last I’m so envious of your 9.12, I’d love to be in the 9s on either side, stones or lbs.

Quim I must start exercising again soon too. I was doing ok during lockdown but now I find any excuse, too busy (not true), too tired, too hot. I’ve been wearing old clothes for ages now and I think if I put something half decent on I’d see they are tighter.

I know you’ve probably said before but what exercise do you actually do? I am the most un-sporty person in the universe. I walk a lot as you know and have an ancient dvd I do (used to do), but other than that I do nothing.

Thank you Paws I can't wait for holiday tomorrow! Had lots of cake and booze and party food for lovely SIL's birthday tonight.

I am not looking forward to weigh in tomorrow but hey ho. Life is to be lived and all that.

The o my exercise I do is running 2 or 3 times a week and riding every other week. I'd ride every day but it's too £££. I am the opposite of a fair weather runner, I only run when it's not hot! I did C25K 4 years ago and it took me from being unable to run for more than 10 seconds to 5-7K a run

Red that’s so impressive! Nothing in the world could make me run, or anything else for that matter except walking (definitely not power walking) and I do plenty of that. I really must do the dvd exercise though, it’s not tough but it does make a measurement difference over time, it’s just being bothered to start it.

Weigh-in no. 2 and I’ve lost a measly 3/4 lb, better than nothing so I’ll take it.

It's still a loss paws.

I was 2.5lb up this morning but not surprised after the booze and party food!

On holiday now but it's not a free for all food wise so damage won't be too bad. I am having fish and chips for tea tonight though!

Aww it’s very quiet on here and I feel I’m on my own now Red is on holiday.

NSV today. I tried on some black trousers I wore last May to a funeral (I’ve never worn them since). I KNEW if I could get into them they’d be tight but they weren’t. I was so shocked and they are a lovely thin soft material so I wore them to go out and felt quite good about myself 😀

Even though it’s quiet here I hope everyone is doing well.

Oooh paws I love a NSV! Well done.

I'm enjoying fish and chips and ice cream by the sea. Going to go for a run this morning once the rain clears up.

I've not been going mad on ab evening with snacking so that's going well.

Hello all! So on Friday I'd regained the 300g I lost the week before It was a very sedentary week so I wasn't expecting a loss but hoped for a STS, as I got far more steps than I felt like doing! I did a pilates workout which killed my abs though, so I'm deluding myself that it was water weight from my muscles. I've just done the same workout again and it was a bit easier.

Apropos paws, I'm just the same as you - I get plenty of walking in but that's really it. I really do need to start doing something to build my muscle density up, hence the pilates, as the lack of tone looks awful and will only get worse as the years progress.

Bloody brilliant news on the NSV, and well done for your determination in resisting the chocolate! And Red, running on holiday is a true win, and will definitely more than counter the fish and chips Hope you're having a lovely time and the weather isn't as hectic as it is where I am...!

Quim sedentary weeks are a bugger. When I am sedentry I always gain weight but we can’t be walking lots every single day, although I do try hard. I need to get back to the dvd exercise but I just don’t want to do it and I find any excuse. When I do manage to get it done I feel so much better.

Red I just keep thinking of fish chips now, I bet they were good. I hope you are enjoying your time away wherever you are. I hope you’re not here in Devon, the rain is constant and it’s miserable.

I’ve been making a carrot loaf cake today. I don’t know what I’ve been playing at but it’s taken me most of the sodding day. I haven’t tried it yet but yesterday’s coconut cake went down a storm because it was very moist. At least if I keep busy I’m not eating all day.

I hope everyone is doing okay. I have to admit I am finding it difficult some days but I really need to do it this year, I’ve been faffing around with this weight for far too long.