Dancing through December

[Octopus37]

Well thought I would start the last thread of the year. Weighed in at 9st2.25 this month, my aim is to end December at a similar weight. I'm not realistically expecting to lose.

ooh Monochrome, you'll be at your goal in no time! Great progress, well done!

Monkeytennis - well done on 1lb this week! You know what they say, the slower it comes off, the slower it comes back on. It's natural for weight loss to slow the closer you get to your goal as well.

I need to hop on the scales tomorrow, I forgot this morning as DD woke us up at 5am looking for a toy duck Tomorrow it is.

I also need to register for my last Race At Your Pace challenge - I've done every month this year (highest medal I did is 100 miles, lowest is 35) and then I'll get an extra medal with my actual annual total miles on which is very exciting.

60.7kg this morning but I expected more due to the chip barm. Well done on your losses!

Afternoon everyone.

Amazing loss MonkeyTennis! You must be so proud.

Marmite well done on the Christmas shopping! I have barely started mine.

Husband's birthday yesterday. I made a ridiculously rich cake with the kids, then we went out to dinner. No point working out how many calories that added up to, but interesting that I felt over-full whereas I'd have eaten that much in a day without batting an eyelid before. Back to healthy eating today.

We are baking mince pies and gingerbread cookies

Sounds yum. Monochrome, hope your husband had a nice Birthday. 9st1.75 this morning, after that big fluctuation, had a high protein yoghurt and half a Nature Valley bar for lunch. However, stopped to get food with DS1 after his football match and have just eaten 6 jalapeno poppers a few chips (wasn't may and 2 Foxes chocolate rounds. Got very cold, dont know if that makes a difference.

I love baking Festive and Monochrome. I'd love to bake something Christmassy but minced pies aren't really my thing. What ridiculously rich cake did you bake?

I've been obsessively making cookies trying to get the perfect chocolate chip. I've got peanut butter perfected, blueberry cookies too. I'm too fussy about chocolate chip though. I want them to be really thick, almost under baked and cakey.

Marmite this probably isn't the best thread to be discussing such matters but it was a Sachertorte. The ingredients included 5 big bars of Green & Blacks and 6 eggs. There were a lot of fun baking skills for the kids to do. My 6yo son learnt how to separate eggs (there were 6 to do) and melt chocolate in a bowl over a water bath, and there was plenty of measuring, whisking and stirring for him and my 3yo daughter to do. My 6yo also got to pipe melted chocolate over the top. I don't have the patience to make and decorate cakes so I get the kids to do it. That way, I have an excuse for it looking higgledy piggledy. A bit like wrapping presents.

Hmm. Christmassy bakes. I do like mince pies, but only proper home made ones with home made mincemeat. I'm not a fan of traditional fruit cake, but I do like Stollen and Panettone and gingerbread biscuits.

Sachertorte! Oh very fancy! Ah yes, I have to make Stollen every year since I made it once a few years ago and now all of DH's family can't live without it. Never tried Panettone but do buy that from Carluccio's as gifts. Always goes down well.

That reminds me: I need piping bags!

I had 2 mince pies for lunch we had a roast for dinner. Well, roast potatoes (5 small ones), 3 medium pieces of broccoli, 3 healed tablespoons carrots, 2 small homemade Yorkshire puddings, and 2 very small stuffing balls. No gravy. That's the devil's diarrhoea in my book. I've no idea how many calories that would be so if anyone could help out there that would be great. Then there might have been about a third of a tube of Pringles whilst watching Jingle Jangle with the children. I broke my rule of no eating after 6pm. Partly because the gingerbread took so many batches to do so dinner wasn't ready until after 6pm. It's been a lovely family day though with all the baking and we got the Christmas decorations down out of the loft.

Have a great week everyone! Here's to lots of water drinking and high step counts

1830 calories today as best as I can figure out from MFP. Ah well, I enjoyed every mouthful and my dc wound think me odd if we watched a film and I didn't join in the snacking with them. I try very hard to be normal regarding food around them. There are no good or bad foods in this house, just that there are some that aren't good if you eat too much of them and ones that help keep you healthy. Food is such a complicated thing but it shouldn't be at all. Bastard advertising and celebrities have a lot to answer for I think.

Hi all, just checking in fro accountabilities!

9st12 this morning which is amazing as we had Chinese on Friday night and fish and chips yesterday 😬 Ive had to be up at 6am for work all weekend and was shattered. I gave blood yesterday so think that offset some of the fish & chip load 😊

Need to stay on track this week and next, and will not worry at all for Christmas week.

Well done to you all for keeping posting and keeping going x

9st1.75 this morning. Going to carry on trying to up my protein this week, although I might be going out for a drink tonight, not sure. Happy Monday all

14:4 exactly. Period just starting which explains having been so hungry the last couple of days.

Well done everyone.

Good morning. I've had a 2lb upswing over the weekend. I did eat more food as part of my calorie cycling weekend plan, but also did more cycling and have sore legs so am wondering if that is something to do with it. I think I read somewhere that exercise can make you retain more water or something...

I have yogurt!! So it's yogurt and muesli for lunch. I had toast and Nutella for breakfast at 7am and I'm only just having my lunch so more filling than just butter and jam. I've been on an extended walk back from school and might go the long, long way there. I forgot my Fitbit again this morning again so I've entered the exercise as a one hour walk. I forgot to weigh myself before breakfast so had had 2 big mugs of tea and the aforementioned toast along with a glass of water before I hopped on the scales and got 61.9kg.

Balls, that yogurt and muesli has barely touched the sides. Who was it that doesn't like eggs but wishes they did? That's me too. They make me want to vomit even though I like the taste. I've tried so hard but can only stand them in things like cake and even then I have issues. It sucks. Scrambled tofu might be worth a go perhaps.

I hope everyone has a little of the sunshine I've got here today. It really helps my mood and motivation.

Afternoon everyone.

Pffff what dark foggy weather. Thank goodness for Christmas decorations.

Well done everyone for checking in. I'm checking in for accountability. I look forward to that bloody chocolate cake being finished. I had a small piece with lunch but I should still be able to stick within 1600 as long as I'm careful at dinner and avoid snacks.

HoneyBadger that pre-period week makes me so hungry! And makes the scales go right up.

I did make a resolution not to weigh myself the week before period, but my cycle is doing odd things this month so hard to tell when that is.

FestiveFannyGallops I agree very important to be normal about food with the kids. They do see me weighing my plate but haven't asked any questions about it.

Thanks for the water reminders everyone. I keep forgetting.

Does anyone else's diet give them constipation? I've had it on and off since I started. I'd have thought that plenty of fruit, veg, wholemeal things and water would do the opposite.

I've had random constipation Monochrome. I drank lots of water (although maybe not as much as it felt like i did from being so bloated) and did exercise, not sure if that was the reason it shifted but it did eventually go.

Thanks for the water reminder. So tired it's silly. No dinner plans which is dangerous territory.

Think there's a toad in the hole ready meal in the freezer that I'll do for ds with veg so he has something substantial. I may just have a jacket potato with mackerel and green veg. Really doesn't sound appealing but will fill me up hopefully.

Off to fill my water jug.

Making pasta bake instead as ds was keen and periods need carbs maybe.

No gym tonight. Will take the dog out for a brisk walk in the fog after dinner but he isn't very keen on the cold so won't be a long one but should help up my steps and get a bit of cardio in.

Shopping coming in the morning. I've ordered plenty of easy meals like eg ready to cook seasoned chicken breasts in bacon. Not low calorie obviously but better than reaching for junk or takeaway when too tired to think about cooking.

And no beer! I love beer so much but it is not my friend

Sounds like a good plan Honeybadger. Sorry re no beer though :-(

Hey, we made this Chickpea and Spinach curry recipe omitting oil and the optional coconut milk. We had it with cauliflower rice and it made for a filling and very low calorie dinner. It's nice with a bit of 0 fat greek yoghurt too for added creaminess. It was a bit spicy for me but that's easily remedied by being more cautious.

I've now been back on track for a full week and my average daily intake is 1432 calories, average steps is 13,000. I'm on track to lose 6kg in 5 weeks according to MFP but who knows with Christmas and no school run I won't be burning the calories with my daily hilly walk.

Thank you all for keeping me focused!

Well done FestiveFannyGallops! Can I have some of your motivation mojo please? Not feeling it right now.

Hi there. I am 69.1kg this morning from 70.7kg. As I have said this is almost an inadvertent loss as I have a sore mouth. I am starting to eat normal food again though so I need to start being thoughtful and intentional this week.
Have a great day everyone.