LOSE IT! April 2021

[TheRealHousewife]

Hello & Welcome 😊 WOW 😯 April came around so fast. The sunny Spring weather and easing of Lockdown brings so much joy and promise for the coming year.

This thread is for those of us who enjoy healthy eating, exercising and feeling motivated to reach (or maintain) a healthy weight/bmi. The members of these threads are inspirational, supportive and happy to share their progress (the ups and the downs).

We all know that if we eat right, get outside & move more your mental health will heap the rewards. Better mental health = better choices. It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

There are so many enjoyable lifestyle options out there without the need to resort to extreme measures. Whatever way you choose, it needs to be enjoyable & sustainable for the long term. This is a long term commitment rather than a quick fix. I rarely drink alcohol and keep sugar to a minimum. I exercise by doing walking vids & strength sessions with light weighs.

As no one size fits all members need to follow their own way of eating. Nonetheless this thread aims to offer guidance, support and a bit of hand holding.

There is no shaming, competition or harsh words to be found on these threads. We are in this together.

Jump right in! If you’re not too shy, post a bit about yourself 😊. How do you plan to do it? What do you want to achieve? What excites you about your future self? Together, we can create a whole new you!

You’ll be glad you got on board this time next month 😊

Useful Links

Useful Tips For Lockdown Weight Loss

Free Recipes

Free NHS 12 Week Plan

MFP

How drinking more water helps you lose weight

Good luck today @minthumbugs. You've got this!

I'm still in shock at 2.6lbs off in a week and we'll gloss over the fact about February etc. I may have gone back up but I have lost it again.

2.6 lb is brilliant @SunshineCake - well done!

Welcome @minthumbugs . Totally agree with everyone else that weight gain is best tackled as soon as you start to feel unhappy with your weight. I wish I had had the guts to step on the scales earlier - so easily to bury your head in the sand while the weight creeps on.

Well done @SunshineCake and great to see some 'oldies' and 'newbies" on the thread.
I haven't disappeared from view but it has taken me all this time to lose the wrath of the tiger bread purchase (and blue cheeses, cheddar cheese, Brie etc.) Crisps and weekend wine and get back to lowest weight again. I am pleased enough really and though I really really really enjoyed it I'll not be buying it again as I'm too frugal to buy it and have 4 slices and then bin it and with DD1 away no-one else eats it so....

Forgot the important bit!
Day 114
SW:151
CW:136.75
GW:132
4.75lbs to go to get where I want to be for now anyway

Well done sunshine that's amazing! Welcome to the newcomers I will weigh in Friday but not expecting much. I've hurt my back so my workouts which I've done 6 days a week since Christmas will need to be toned right down for a few days. Hoping that will be enough to put it right(has in the past when I've twinged it)

Would it work if you froze the loaf, @132orbust and then you have to think about if you really need it? Well done on the loss!

Thank you @joysmoy66. Sorry you are injured. You must take it easy so you don't do more damage.

Dh has said I need to eat more. I was feeling faint yesterday and he said drink more but I told him I drink a lot of water, need to time it better so I'm not sure up every night so he said more food. I think he is right some days. I fill my plate with salad leaves and it is surprising how much effort it takes to eat and I do feel full but I don't think I am having enough of solid stuff, protein? to fill me up.

Today I'm having home made sesame rolls and soup for lunch and roast chicken, salad and lots of veg for dinner.

It wouldn't @SunshineCake as it the delicious crunchy crust and the soft soft centre smothered with blue cheese when it is sooooo fresh and crust dipped in St Agur spreadable for extra punch.
Slice after slice of chewy centre with Findlaters chicken liver pate....
If you freeze, it is not as nice and I wouldn't bother at all.
Ooooooohhhhhh - yum yum but sadly too much yum yum leads to fat bum!
Thanks for the thought though and I am joining you with homemade soup today for lunch.

Well done SunshineCake on your loss. If you feel faint you do need more protein as your DH says and some more fat, I read a lot of diet/nutrition books and they always say women are too low on protein.

8/77
So I’ve done week 1 and weighed. Lost 5.75 lbs. I am thrilled. But it was really hard, I love the food I am eating but I can’t eat any less. I cut all the rubbish (other than the slice of pork pie). And I only eat at midday and 6/7 pm. Just got to keep going.

Make it a special treat then, @132orbust or maybe buy the tiger rolls.

Any ideas for my protein @Wiebsa as we aren't shopping at the moment but the freezer, cupboards and pantry is full so might well have protein in there but not thought of it, please? Thank you.

Well done on your losses! That is fabulous. Remembering you have done this will help keep you motivated. It doesn't take long to get used to eating in a six hour window. Learn from me and make sure you ate eating enough. I find the 3pm snack most days helps me or I have started to have a bigger lunch.

I eat 12.30-12.45 and 5-5.15pm as DH likes to eat earlier now he is at home and the benefit for me is the longer fasting time.

Tiger rolls? What are these , tell more, tell all please sunshine??
Protein sources - quorn mince from the freezer? Kidney beans or even baked beans from the pantry?You could make a mean chilli and have it with Cauliflower rice - little grated cheese, more protein and yummy taste.

@SunshineCake you're right about the protein. I've started to pay a lot more attention to my protein intake and it has really helped me to feel full and snack less. On my fasting days I eat eggs or veggie sausages for my last meal of the day at about 4.30 and it keeps me going until the next morning. Before I discovered this approach I was feeling faint and horribly hungry in the evenings.
MFP is helpful for keeping track and has educated me - broccoli is high in protein, apparently. Who knew?!

Well done @Wiebsa and @132orbust on your losses.

I think I have seen rolls with the same topping as the tiger loaf. I will look next time I go shopping.

I haven't got any Quorn but will give kidney beans a go. I'm sure there is a vegetarian chilli I could make with them or a cold salad. I was intolerant to kidney beans and got horrible stomach pain but as long as I am careful I can try a small amount. I think I've made cauliflower rice once and made a mess but that is something I would definitely try again. Thank you.

I love broccoli so will definitely have more of that.

Gosh don't make it @SunshineCake!

www.ocado.com/search?entry=cauliflower%20rice

That's the stuff you want - great choice and I like the broccoli and cauliflower best.

Thanks everyone.

SunshineCake protein you might have:

Bags or tins of lentils, split peas, chickpeas, beans (maybe start chucking 50 grams in one pot meals and increase as you get used to them)

Fish, any frozen, tinned sardines and tuna, (salmon is a bit pricey) prawns

Cheese, yogurt and plain nuts, (I only eat 10 nuts at a time, handfuls will just be too many calories)

132orbust I had forgotten how much I love chilli con carne, going to make a batch for next week, funnily enough none of the family like it so I can up the spices.

Forgot to post today’s food, lunch was a chicken drumstick and wing with roasted courgettes (I am eating a lot of courgettes), dinner is portobello mushrooms, puy lentils, peppers, roast tomatoes (clearing out fridge).

Thank you both of you. Very helpful. Much appreciated .

Things like pasta and bulgur are also relatively high in protein - 75 grams of pasta will give you 9 grams of protein. That’s more protein than you’d get from half a tin of beans.

I have to watch those as I'm intolerant so can't eat much but I will get some recipe books out and look for some nice protein heavy salad meals on the go. Thank you.

@Arbadacarba thanks! You're right, it's so easy to ignore it and think oh I don't have to do anything (yet!)

@SunshineCake definitely chickpeas, lentils and beans! Love a chickpea omelette with lots of veg.

@Wiebsa well done! That's fabulous!

Hi everyone, lunch is sausages and roast tomatoes, dinner is smoked mackerel and whatever veg is left. Only exercise I am doing is a 30 min fast walk, I get sweaty so hopefully that counts. I am going to start some sort of easy beginner weights programme next week, it’s recommended for us over 50s. Any recommendations v welcome. My upper body strength is pathetic, as in we have frying pans I have to use two hands to pick up.

Your food sounds delicious @Wiebsa.

I have no idea about exercise but as long as you do some and enjoy it enough to keep it up, it is all good.

I've been running and walked the dog and just done the ironing so now I'm having some pottering around time. I had to be back to take DS2 to school so only ran 5.7km and then walked 4.81km in 1 hour 37. I burnt more calories walking than running. Annoys me but @TheRealHousewife told me why so it's all good.

Food wise I'm doing chicken with salad and left over potato salad I have just remembered I have for lunch and dinner will be soup and a sesame flat bread I made.

Have a good day everyone. One more day to the end of the month. Let us make it a good one.

@Wiebsa, I think walking is a bit underrated as exercise. I do cross-training, cycling and walking and according to my FitBit, my walks are only about 15% less intense than the other types of exercise. I live in a very hilly part of the U.K. though, so that probably helps!

As we’re coming towards the end of the month, I took another waist measurement this morning. By the looks of it, I’ve lost almost an inch this month. That’s more than I thought would be possible! 🥳

Hi everyone,

Good news: I lost the 2lbs I randomly put on last week, so that's positive as I've been a bloody angel food-wise this week overall.

Bad news: because of all the to-ing and fro-ing I'm only on a 1lb loss this month and STILL 1lb away from my 2 stone mark. Bah!

Yay, @Puffalicious - well done! You've given me hope that my 2lb gain from last week might do the same - thank you .

Your month on month trajectory is in the right direction and that's what counts!

Yes, you're right, Arbadacabra. Staying positive but I've sooooo plateaued!

Fingers crossed for you.