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.

I don't know what you've put in your daily allowances to get that. I've just put a cup of chopped carrots in and was told it was high in vitamin A. If you've set your carbs to very low though that might be it so check your settings.

I don't think I set them to anything! Assume default based on weight? I'm not too worried because I'm only focusing on calories. It gave me a wry smile.

At least you have the common sense to ignore overweight! Madness. I've had an OK day but v headachey period coming in the next few days again somehow. My food wasn't wonderful but no snacking and only a 7h eating window the way the day went so I'm happy with that. Must go make my ono for the morning. Not at 10k steps yet, just over 9k but I'll make a point of hitting 10 anyway and will get another litre of water down me as I think the headache may have been partly to do with dehydration after 1.5h walk last night. Another vote for a fitbit here, it's made a massive difference for me. Night all!

Late evening over tired fail involving sugary crap.

This is why I need to take protein more seriously and try out higher amounts I think. Weirdly it's not hunger it's like a point of exhaustion where I should go to sleep but suddenly I'm wide awake with my body screaming for sugar at such intensity that I think I'd sleep walk to the kitchen.

It's got to be worth trying increasing my protein intake earlier in the day.

It's extremely hard Honeybadger. I know that panicked sugar feeling but it helps me remember, from reading Allen Carr, which I'm going to reread, that that's not you but your tricked brain. It is so hard to ignore it and ride it out. I honestly feel a little anxious with it but if I wait it does pass..

@HeyGirlHeyBoy

It's extremely hard Honeybadger. I know that panicked sugar feeling but it helps me remember, from reading Allen Carr, which I'm going to reread, that that's not you but your tricked brain. It is so hard to ignore it and ride it out. I honestly feel a little anxious with it but if I wait it does pass..

Thanks I should maybe read that. It's weird because I can happily fast yet that nearly asleep switch into need sugar is so compelling. I think it's a sleep issue as much as a food issue and also the half asleep state makes it easy for my brain to be hijacked and usual defences get bypassed?

Dunno. Anyway I took a very late night long walk to try to compensate for the calories. Scales look good today but I know how much I fluctuate so we'll see. Tomorrow is official weigh in day.

Weighed in at 9st5.25 this morning. The weather is awful here, lots of slippery snow, so I didn't go out yesterday apart from to take DS2 to the dentist (one of my worst jobs of parenting, luckily they didn't have to do anything). Food wasn't terrible but wasn't amazing, steps obviously shocking, only exercise was a 20 minute work out. Might try and brave it outside more today. Think I need to start counting calories more, sorry to state the obvious so out of the zone.

60.1kg this morning. I've weighed the milk for my tea and have been overestimating this a lot as went off what was on mfp. There's only 10 calories even in my big mug.
Have a good day everyone.

Just try and hold steady octopus and keep your chin up.

Another month and the days will be brighter and there'll be signs of spring and you'll soon walk it off and be back on track for your under 9st goals.

It's only a few pounds you've gained over the whole of a bloody difficult winter and you had loads on your plate last year as well with moving and your dad. I piled 12lbs back on over the November lockdown and through to late January. You're doing great, honestly.

I agree octopus, really you're not up much. I think, like me, you'll drop it quickly if only we could get our heads in the game! I'm feeling good this AM. Honeybadger I think you'd find the book useful and yes exactly, your defences are down and good choices are difficult when you're tired or stressed. Again if you can just pause and wait a little that nagging compulsion will pass.

Today's aims:10k steps, 3L water, a glass before and after each meal, no after dinner snacking. I will read book between Thurs and Fri, need it.
B: ono
L: omlette
D: beef stew with mash

I'm in awe of you all! Chins up and spring will be here before we know it. Life is always better when the sun is shining. This is such bloody hard work. And I can't blame the work canteen or anything, being at home all of the time. It's just me against myself.

Yesterday was tough. I have got myself utterly locked out of my work laptop because I haven't used it for ages and can't remember the password, but I need to update some forms. Long story short, it took about two hours and remains unresolved. My toddler was an absolute nightmare at bedtime and the baby had me up three times the previous night so I was very tired. I so wanted to stuff my face with chocolate.

I think to make this sustainable, and do my utmost to avoid 'fuck it' days, I'm not going to get upset for having e.g. an extra cup of tea (I've already reduced the milk from 40ml to 30ml), especially when it's so cold. I think what I've found over the last week is I need to stop snacking, especially carb snaking like crackers, watch what I'm eating for main meals and reduce portion sizes. I feel like those should have the bigger impact. Let's hope so!

Absolutely overweight, I'm just keeping my basic goals and forgiving myself after that. That sounds like an exhausting night, like you I'd be reaching for the chocs.

Just checking in to remind you all to drink your water! Just finished a delicious omelette with mushrooms, tomatoes and feta and a heap of rocket on top. Top marks. Off out now.

How is 125g of those delicious Waitrose chips a portion?? Photo attached so you can see they are big chunky chips but come on those 4 at the top next to my nut burger are 125g which according to the packet is a portion and 176calories. Ffs. I would happily eat three portions or at least two. Dd eats 3 portions easily. Pfft. Life's unfair.

@Overweight sounds as if you're doing really well, so hard when they are little, I remember never having a minute and the sleep deprivation is a killer @TheHoneyBadger and @HeyGirlHeyBoy thanks for the pep talk, has all been hard but brighter days are hopefully coming. Some of the snow has melted so managed 5,698 steps today and an aerobics workout. Food and water as every so so. @FlatteredRhubardFool that is very unfair about the chips, I could eat three times that many and the rest

Blimey you could have a huge jacket potato for those calories - what on earth do they do to them to make them so high in calories?

Ds kept shoving a pain au chocolate in my face earlier till I gave in and ate it. 185cals - only slightly more than your four chips Rhubarb how crazy is that.

That's all I've had and I need to make dinner. I defrosted thin steaks in my bid to eat more protein but really don't fancy steak now. Tempted to cut it into strips and make a stir fry because ds will eat that too but that is with noodles and sauce so not exactly low calorie. Also having quite a cba response to the idea of going to the kitchen and actually cooking.

Worked from home today so haven't been very active and am generally just tired and meh. This would be high risk for takeaway before but thankfully don't have that urge. I'll summon up the energy to cook once ds starts nagging me about food.

Well done octopus! I was entering into the 'would a biscuit be so bad?' trap and your post has got me back on track. Just wait, hang on, is my new motto! Going to visit my DDad tonight, looking forward.

Also I have found herbal teas good 5odah to the water in. One of the Allen Carr tips, not in book, was to write a letter about all the ways sugar has annoyed you, made you feel like crap etc. I didn't do it but think I will this time. My mood and my energy and headaches are all really effected by it so the kindest thing to myself would be not to eat it, that would be the comfort not the overeating as a so called treat..

Talking of biscuits, all I've wanted all afternoon is a dark chocolate digestive (no danger, don't have any in) and then the word biscuit came up on Countdown just to rub it in.

@FlatteredRhubardFool can I double check, oven chip portions are presumably based on uncooked weight? It is a meagre amount isn't it!

@TheHoneyBadger I've got stir fry tonight. I've already counted it up and sauce and noodles aren't great are they . I'm going to try without using any oil and see what happens.

Just use a splash of water instead of oil though to be honest oil won't make much difference and we do need some fats in our diet. It's the sauce and the noodles that do it.

I could happily not eat tonight to be honest and just go to sleep but I keep worrying that the steak will get wasted. I took it out on Monday night. Do you think it will be ok till tomorrow lunch time?

What does it smell like? Was it frozen Monday?

Over weight load up on veg. What are your total cals? I have two lovely stir-fry recipes I've posted before, under 500 and incredibly filling.

I got it out of the freezer on Monday night and it is sealed in a tied up freezer bag so no idea about smell. I did split and freeze them as soon as I bought them which would help?

I personally think they'd be absolutely fine. Give a good smell before cooking. I'm sitting down with my camomile feeling super smug. Going to take a little peak tomorrow to see if have even slightly reversed my gain, first day of period so not ideal but nonetheless, maybe it will be motivating!

My mum has always used meat within a day of taking it out of the freezer but I wouldn't know. Google will be your friend there. If you get food poisoning it will give your weight loss a boost though 🤣 I wouldn't risk it personally.

I totally didn't eat 100g of Maltesers whilst watching BritBox. No, no not me. If I had though, my defence would be that I needed to make up for the lack of calories over the past few days and that it would average out over the week so it's not really a crime.