Little and shrinking - shorties trying to lose weight pt2

[neverenoughchelseaboots]

New thread

thank you for the welcomes!

I will look into that Rick Gallop diet, @Sooverthemill (also, sorry you’ve had some real tough things to deal with )

I think I will up my calories a bit this weekend. I think 1300-1400 would feel a lot better for me.

Well done everyone who has gone down a bit this week. I’ve stayed the same but that’s better than gaining!
My size 12 summer dresses all fit nicely instead of being tight and a couple even need a bit of taking in!
That’s my exercise for tomorrow, machining!

Posting for accountability, and a kick up the bottom!

I’m up to 9st 5.75lb, which I think was my post Easter weight. So I need to stop gaining and come back to my recent low of 9st 3.5lb and then stay on track.

Socialising in the warmer weather is a big issue for me - it is one day a week, sometimes a day and an evening, and the combination of a few drinks and snacks, a meal that I wouldn’t normally eat, a pudding, some chocolates or maybe an ice cream etc on those days is just too much for me. I join in, because everyone else is having all of this, and because we’ve not seen people for what seems like so long, but I’m going to have to start saying no to all of those things, and decide on one drink or a small pudding or whatever. It is alien to me not to have what everyone else is enjoying, but then it comes out int be conversation that they’ve been for a run, or done an exercise class (or three) or whatever that day, and I haven’t! I haven’t walked for nearly two weeks, which I absolutely need to do to stay on top of this.

I really don’t want to gain any more!

Target is still 8 stone something (I will be happy with 8st 12lb, but would love to be in the region of 8st 7lb). Just have to remember that at the start of this year I was 10st 13lb, so I can do this if I really want to.

Great news on the summer dresses @Knittingnanny, that is lovely to achieve. Fitting into clothes is something that really motivates me, so I’m really happy for you

Fantastic that you’re in the nines @purplegirl13! That’s a real milestone. What a boost!

@SwimmingOnEggshells great that you’ve had a loss, well done

Welcome to the newcomers! And sorry to anyone I’ve missed out.

I've had such a fab few days! DH has gone up to see his very frail elderly mum for the first time since before Covid (5 and a half hour drive ve each way) and it's been total heaven just pleasing myself and DD. He's usually away for work 2 or 3 nights so this period of enforced togetherness has been extra hard, having to consider him always. I often feel torn between poorly DD and very needy DH. Anyway, I've sat in the sun and done my knitting, listened to my audiobook, cleaned the kitchen top to toe ( god I am old) and just enjoyed the little holiday! But, food has been bad. DD is bed bound and we used to have a once a week treat of me eating the same food as her in her room in the evening ( her illness brings a very restrictive diet) and since Covid webpve not been able to do that. So I've made her vegan pizza and eaten that with her and last night we had a curry delivered ( we only have 2 places that offer delivery as we are rural) and so obviously I ate that.it was all veggie/vegan but still. But it was HEAVEN and I don't care one jot. Just eaten my 35 g of granola and 40 g of lactose free yoghurt to get back on the wagon.

So glad to hear you've had a lovely few days @Sooverthemill. I plan on starting my diet efforts again tomorrow. Have a good Sunday everyone.

I’m pleased for you @Sooverthemill. I love the space of time without DH every so often too! My DH has been working from home, as have I, for over a year. He would normally be in the office working really long hours. He is at the cricket today, so the Dc and I are doing our own thing, which means a leisurely start to the day, and a walk into town to run some errands and possibly an oat latte in Starbucks. And then time in the garden this afternoon. Forecast was for rain from about 3pm but that now seems to have changed to being dry, so we’re happy with that. Burgers in. Ins with chips and salad planned for dinner. I will have a burger in a bun with salad, no chips. No snacks planned today, as I know I’ll be having that later.

I’m back for a kick up the bottom too. Dreading the scales after holiday this last week - ate and drank like a king. I won’t weigh till this Friday but fully expect to have put on half a stone.

Congrats to everyone who has lost this week. Well done @purplegirl13 for cracking the nines - that is a great milestone!

@BlodwinTheThird Glad you’ve had a lovely holiday. I always gain about the same on holiday, but I find that it is easier to lose if it has gone on quickly than if it is gained over a longer period. So I’m sure you’ll be back where you want to be in no time at all.

@WellTidy , I was loathe to permanently alter as I’m not sure that this weight will be maintainable. So I took in a couple of cheaper dresses and cut off the seam allowances. No going back from that alteration! I’ve probably made them into about a size 11. I’ve got a couple of those lovely linen shift dresses from next and a couple from Seasalt which I decided not to alter permanently. Bit pessimistic but we all know how tricky it is to maintain a weight.
In the 70’s Chelsea Girl did sizes 11.13.15 etc as well as the evens. Because of my large waist in proportion to the rest of me I wore a 13 or 14 . Except my wraparound Indian cotton maxi skirt with elephants on it, which covered every size of tummy!
Wish I’d kept it, they sell on eBay for about £60!
Bit dreary here today so I put the radio on loudly and made housework as strenuous as possible to work off a few extra calories.
Going to make a car picnic out of odds and ends for us later when Dh has finished some painting at the old house and eat it looking out at the Isle of Wight.
Enjoy your afternoon everyone.

@Sooverthemill, you always sound so positive, it must be very difficult for you as a full time carer. I have much admiration for you. One of my baby twin grandsons has been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition which will mean severe to profound learning difficulties, some mobility difficulties and health issues and will most likely not be able to live independently. I feel very helpless due to living the other side of the world and not being there to give support.

Absolutely @Sooverthemill I take my hat off to you. Caring responsibilities to the extent that you have them, along with the emotional strain must be really tough. You’re doing brilliantly

@Knittingnanny my mum says similar all the time. She lives about five hours drive/train journey from us, and my 9yo DS2 has classic autism (which for him is autism with low IQ/learning disabilities) and we are sure he will never live independently. He has lots of issues around rigidity and control, but also with food. He will be with us all the time and he needs a lot of understanding and patience. She would love to be able to do more and is very sad that she can’t. It’s tough for everyone, emotionally more than anything. But we know that she is there and I’m sure your family feel the same way about you.

@Knittingnanny m&s also did in between sizes when I was in my teens. Back to end I was a size 7! I remember having culottes and dresses and cotton sun tops that I absolutely loved, really good quality items. I also bought loads in Principles Petite back then where the quality was excellent. I used to be able to choose anything in a size 8 and know that it would fit me. It was so nice! Expensive though, when everyone else I knew was buying stuff in miss selfridge and topshop and could buy more items for the same money.

Hi. Is it too late for me to join?

I have been reading your stories and they are inspirational how well you have done since the thread started.
I'm 5ft2 and 11 stone. As with some others my ideal weight is 9 stone but frankly I'd just settle for 9 and a half at this stage.

I have been going up and down the last few months by 3/4llbs. I'm currently back up to my heaviest.

My 2 problems are not being consistent (I'll be religious with MFP for a welt then just forget and don't go back to it) and also... life is pretty stressful at the moment as my teen DD is undergoing significant MH issues and I have been drinking more Wine than normal. I know this isn't good for a whole host of reasons but I definitely think it's been affecting my weight loss.

Tomorrow is the start of a new week and I'm determined to stick to it this time. I just saw photos of myself from a party yesterday and it's making me so miserable I have to do it this time. Thanks for having me!

@welltidy, I’ve admiration for all of you parents, I was a Senco for years before I finished teaching a few years ago and am so aware of all the struggles you face at every step. Where my grandson lives ( Far East) the private health is amazing and he has had a very early diagnosis and therefore early interventions are already paying off. I’m very aware that sadly despite our wonderful free nhs he wouldn’t even have been diagnosed yet, it would be a case of “ he was a premature twin and he’s only 17 months, he will catch up”

Aaaah, don’t be nice to me @Knittingnanny or I will cry!!

@lemonsaretheonlyfruit I was in exactly your position at the beginning of the year. I am 5 foot 1 and was 10st 13lb, so I know where you’re coming from. By far the heaviest I’ve ever been when not pregnant (or even whilst pregnant, I just couldn’t see what the scales were showing as my babies were whoppers for my frame).

You can do this! We will support you all the way.

Thanks @WellTidy that's really encouraging to hear. As are all of yoir stories . The struggles and the progress.I just wish I had started properly when I said I would!
I know everyone does different on here but I think I am going to do intermittent fasting (8:16) and try and cut down on carbs too. Though I know I can't stick with any one method for any great length of time.. this has been my problem! I can't see how anyone could actually stick to it full time. As others have said. Now we can socialise. Maybe I will do it for this week as I have no social plans and see how it goes. If not I can see that kefir is a popular breakfast option. I have often had natural yoghurt and fruit for B'fast but not tried kefir. Should I get some?

Well, what a difference a day makes. Weighed in this morning at 9st 4lb, after weighing in yesterday morning at 9st 5.75lb. I've always been a daily weigher, as it helps keep me accountable, and I know about fluctuations, but this is a huge one! I will use this as motivation to now stay on track until we see friends for the day on Sunday. If I'm able to record a small loss between now and then, I will have a bit of a cushion for Sunday.

I do 16:8 @lemonsaretheonlyfruit as I tend not to have breakfast, or, if I do, it is an oat latte mid morning or so, and then I don't eat after dinner, and these days (DH and I working from home) we eat dinner at 6ish. When DH was in the office, he would come home anytime between 8 and 11pm, and it was hard to organise dinner around him. Now he eats with me and the DC at 6ish and then goes back upstairs to work until he's done.

I calorie count, as its the only way I know how to lose weight. I have to log everything on My Fitness Pal, or I completely lose track. If I've come in at 1,100 calories and walked that day, I call that a result.

Great news @WellTidy! I’m a daily weigher too otherwise I go out of control so weighed today even when I said I wouldn’t - put 3.5lbs on so not as bad as I feared. Need to get back on it though. Pics of me taken last week were a bit grim even though I’ve lost 1.5 stone since. Starting.

For @lemonsaretheonlyfruit I also basically calorie count but it’s more of a weekly than daily thing. I am very low calorie on week days and then higher calorie at weekends so I can enjoy some wine and favourite foods. I know I would be able to stick to it if I had to cut out certain foods forever.

@lemonsaretheonlyfruit, welcome to the discussion ( one of the threads on mumsnet that never descends into criticism/ rudeness/ arrogance/ etc!!!)
I’m doing calorie counting strictly still as it helps me with portion control. Also still trying to be processed sugar free.
I find 16/8 only works for me now at this stage of my life ie retired/ not getting up early/ preparing food for a family. When I was teaching full time and having breakfast at 7 am, sorting out 3 schoolchildren etc, I was starving by 10.30 playtime and ate anything that was on offer in the staff room! I’ve noticed on my one day a week of grandchild care ( breakfast around 8 am) that I eat much more. Whereas even if I’m awake and up the rest of the week, I can easily have a late breakfast/early lunch combination around 11. Snack around 3/4 pm and tea with Dh around 6.
Doesn’t always go to plan though! I opened a healthy bag of lentil crisps and measured out 100 calories but ended up eating the whole sharing( haha) bag without a second thought.
Off to the opticians to pick up new reading glasses, I got to 60 without needing any but have been prescribed varifocals this time. My step daughter warned me they might take some getting used to.
Then off for a stomp along the overcast beach to see if I can spot anyone famous! There is a film crew in the carpark and I managed to find out that they are making a new series for bbc2 with Daisy Cooper based on a 1968 film set in the 1600’s called Witchfinder general” I did hang around but wasn’t invited to be an extra. I could even have provided my own outfit ( hallieeen style). Their loss!
Unfortunately it is too cold today for me to waft along the prom in my newly altered lovely sleeveless shift dress!

That was lengthy! I would have suggested to my children at school that a few more paragraphs would have been helpful!

Tell us if spot anyone @Knittingnanny . I am back with renewed focus after a couple of off-plan weeks. Will weigh in Friday. Will be using MFP to log what I eat to keep me accountable. Also restarted C25K - as inspired by @purplegirl13.

I'm on my way home from a weekend visiting friends. Being around them was a lovely balm for my soul. I'll be weighing in tomorrow to see what the damage is (I'm also a daily weigher, but only record on Fridays).

There has been pizza, cake, wine, and more wine consumed. Unintentionally fasted a large part of yesterday as got the news my mum had another fall, so appetite disappeared for a bit. She has a sprain, it's her second fall is as many months. The fasting with one meal, and cake yesterday might balance out meals overall.

I'll be back later to catch up on posts when I'm at the laptop and can easily tag.

Lovely to hear everyone's updates.

I'm travelling with work the next two days which is always my excuse to go a bit mad. Bags of minstrels for the car etc. But come Wednesday I'm also back on it. Not to lose weight obviously, but to reset my bad habits. I've taken to sticking my head in the cupboard and grazing every half hour. Which would be fine but it's on chocolate mainly.

I'm going to try and get out for a few gentle jogs and reset my snacking to eating as much as I want, but healthier choices and break that sugar habit.

I'm not even doing it because of shifting all the weight after the baby (although it's obviously an incentive), I think it's affecting my energy by only ever getting quick hits and then crashes.