Frolicking through February

[Octopus37]

Think I might have used a similar title last year, but here goes. Hopefully we might move towards frolicking cause things have got to improve in February right.

Weighed in at 9st4 this morning. A couple of pounds off this month would be great, but I'm mainly working on my motivation and trying to increase my energy levels.

Good day thus far. Fasted and active. Currently resisting ordering a take away. Need to start cooking now or I'll do it.

Dinner is on. That was a close call! Friday nights are dangerous

Hello ladies, would it be ok if I joined you? I started a thread the other day about where to begin and @FlatteredRhubardFool has kindly encouraged me in your friendly direction. I've never properly dieted, calorie counted or anything before, but having gone up a dress size and 10 kg from where I was pre-children, which was already very overweight, I need to do something. I'm on mat leave with a baby and can't get out to exercise apart from walking with the pram. So my aims are 1400 calories per day and 10k steps, plus I do an online Pilates class once a week.

I'm so hungry today. Proper growling stomach all day even when I've eaten. Just got back from a good walk and I'm on 9200 steps so far.
Teenagers are awful sometimes
Step away from the take away definitely. Ds really wants take away pizza because he likes to get onion rings too but there's no way.

I think my teen is really going through it physically at the minute. I've just sent him for a sleep. He is getting lots of sleep in irregular patterns but still tired a lot of the time. He's 14 in about a month and the pace of physical change has been steep over the last year. His legs are always aching and he has suddenly gotten a few spots for the first time ever.

He's also used to being very active out on his bike or playing basketball with his friends and obviously that hasn't been possible lately.

I'm really tired too. Might be an early night here which should at least limit snacking opportunities

That'll do pig.

@TheHoneyBadger I'm envious of your calorie burn. Is pig a typo? I've struggled today to stick to my calories for today and have gone 24 over. I really wanted to eat the packet of Maltesers I have in the freezer but settled for a 90 calories hot chocolate instead. I'm happy with my goals for today. No dancing round my bedroom needed.
I was comparing tdee for different people yesterday and discovered that my mum's maintenance calories are only 1500. I always think she doesn't eat very much compared to me but then she's 81 and older people do tend to eat less. My maintenance is over 2000 during normal times. I hadn't really thought of energy needs decreasing with age. It's depressing really. Grey pubes and a much lower tdee isn't something to look forward to😩

Does anyone have a fuck it day? As in a day off? We tend to have movie night on a Friday or Saturday and I try to model normal to my dc so I will on these nights abandon the IF and allow extra calories up to what would be normal if not trying to lose weight. We like popcorn and sweets and chocolate with a film and it's a highlight of the week. I suppose as long as things average out over the week then it should be ok. I find it so difficult to break from my self imposed rules though.

Welcome @Overweight although I hope you change your username soon

@FlatteredRhubardFool When I was cutting, i'd have a take away once a month. Sometimes I would skip lunch to try to balance it out and i'd always skip the scales for a few days after as the high salt content would make my body retain water weight.Popcorn is a great snack for film night if you have a air popper (and those are lots of fun too).

Now i'm trying to maintain, we have take away once a week and as you may know, I calorie cycle so that I have extra for weekends. While I find it easy enough to stick to my calorie cycling plan, sometimes I think the high calorie weekends make me hungrier early the next week. Sometimes I do struggle to stay in my budget during the week and i'm not sure completely what that's about. It could be emotional eating. I very much feel you about finding it difficult to break from self-imposed rules. I'm very afraid of putting it all back on so any 'transgression' has me feeling anxious.

You made me look up my TDEE at 10 year intervals. Won't be doing that again...

1/2lb off, and I'm now at a lower weight than any time in the last 12 months!

@Overweight welcome, I'm glad you've joined us!
Well done drspouse
I've got my covid vaccine today. I'm so excited it's ridiculous
What's calorie cycling?
It's a very rainy day here snd due to snow later with temperatures barely above freezing next week so I'm not sure how much walking we will get in if it's icy. I'm terrified of having to go to hospital and catching covid there.
Have a lovely Saturday everyone.

Well done @drspouse. @FlatteredRhubardFool good luck with your covid jab. @IDontMindMarmite you are doing so well, I'm really impressed by your exercise and the way you are maintaining. Not weighing today as I had a take away last night.

@FlatteredRhubardFool calorie cycling is where you have a higher calorie goal on some days and lower on others. Some people do that so they can eat more on days that they work out. I do it to allow extra calories for weekend days . To give an example, my TDEE is roughly 1800. On weekdays I eat to 1700 and on weekends have 250 a day extra, totalling an allowance of around 2050.

I've just been jabbed too (we are quite ahead in general in our area, and I'm down as DS carer so in that group).

No that'll do pig is a quote from Babe that has stuck in my head.

My calorie burn is because I'm so overweight so don't envy it. It pisses my friend off that she'll be running on the treadmill when I'm walking on the one beside her and I'll be burning more calories but it's purely because she's slim.

I just slept for nearly 17 hours. Ds came in and turned the overhead light on to check I was alive. Presume it's to do with the meds switch. Now drinking lots of water to rehydrate.

Well done on losses.

Thanks all. I'm coming to the end of my third full day of calories counting. It's eye opening! With a target of 1,400 on day one I ate what I already had in, but reduced my snacks and portions and still came in at 1,971 . Yesterday my meals were better and I managed 1,371 including a glass of wine and four chocolate buttons! Today I'm on track for 1,309 so might have another four buttons .

God it's hard work. I'm hungry and really struggled not to get ratty with my toddler!

Hi all. I've managed a daily average of almost 11k steps a day this last week. Very pleased with that. That and my 3L water are all I can stick to you right now and I'm hoping that will halt weight gain.

I've not had a very successful day as have eaten mint humbugs, heroes and not drink much of anything. I didn't have lunch though so I think I'm still within my allowance and have met all activity targets. I've had my covid vaccine though and so happy about it. Once I've had the second dose I might have a little party for our household to celebrate It's going to be such a relief to be fully vaccinated. I just hope the vaccine proves to be more effective than the current 60-80% or whatever it is for the AZ one which is the one I had. My mum had the Pfizer so I'm happy with that as that's 95% and I won't have to worry about my dc when they are bank at school passing anything on to her.
Anyway, I'm off to calculate my calories

Dammit, I was doing ok until I remembered that Mr Kipling Apple pie 1706 calories in but with my exercise calories I'm only 46 over and with 2000 burnt then I haven't got the energy to beat myself up. Crap, then there was the fun size bag of Maltesers this morning. Well, it's still not excessive. Just not a healthy good day at all. Tomorrow will be better and I've stuck to 15:9 and that was my main goal.

Concentrate on what you achieved and well done.

Haven't felt very well today (headache, coldy thing) so haven't done very much (about 4,000 steps), foodwise think I have done okish today, probably less than1500 cals, but will be offset by the lack of steps.

That's very little cals tho octopus! Well done!!

I've had to get up and make myself a cup of tea and biscuits. I'm shivering, can't stop yawning, feel sick, keep needing to stretch and have a headache and back and stomachache.
I'm trying think that this is all positive but I feel dreadful.

Sorry to hear that @FlatteredRhubardFool sounds like you're coming down with something 😕 Hope you're back to normal quickly.

@Overweight, are you sure you need to aim for 1400?

@Overweight it's the vaccine side effects. I didn't expect to feel this bad.
Have a good day everyone!