LOSE IT! June 2021

[TheRealHousewife]

Hello & Welcome 😊 WOW 😯 June already! What a start to meteorological Summer; stunning weather and easing of Lockdown.

Firstly a massive Thank You to @SunshineCake who has done a stellar job in taking charge of May’s thread 🙏🌟❤️. I was happy for sunshine to carry on but she kindly invited me back to start the new month, so we agreed to make it a joint effort. (I’m still battling ill health and will post when I can).

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 & Articles

NHS Free 12 Week Plan

MFP

Water & Weight Loss

@BirthdayCakeBelly DH and I used to have crackers and cheese in the evenings. We weren't hungry most of the time we had them we were eating them for the enjoyment of the food. Eventually I suggested we have the crackers and cheese for our actual meal . Then @TheRealHousewife introduced me to IF and it has been great for me. It actually didn't take that long to stop the habit of evening snacking and stop being hungry.

Hope your run goes okay @BrioLover. Be careful, it is very hot where we are and I've just been for a walk and now have a bit of a headache.

@swampytiggaa! Your weight is brilliant. Are you sure you need to lose more?.

Ouch @Crazzzycat. Take it easy! I did yoga in school and a couple of years or four ago via the Wii but none since.

I won't say what my dh says when I tell him I've gone up a pound @FearlessFairy but don't fret. I hope you enjoyed the food you had and it will soon go.

Make sure you have plenty of water @1stJuneNewStartBoom as that should help with feeling better. Enjoy your dinner.

Hi @Ionacat will you weigh tomorrow to get a base for the month?

@SunshineCake thank you 😊 but I’m not fitting into my clothes as well as I used to and I’m too mean to buy new… my ideal weight is about 9.7 which gives me a bit of leeway to go up and down iyswim.

Peri menopause caused me to go a stone over my preferred weight and I felt dreadful so I’m tackling it before it gets out of control 😊

I don’t deny myself anything… just had chippy chips for tea 😂😂

. I had chips too! Half a fish pie ready meal shared with dh then lots of sweetcorn, carrots, broccoli and home grown spinach.

Hi everyone! Thank you for the new thread 😊 Hope everyone had a wonderful BH weekend. I'm back from a lovely extended weekend at my dad's. Haven't seen that side of the family in nearly a year so I have been off plan all weekend. Drank a fair amount of alcohol, food wise not toooo bad but definitely a fair amount more than I've been having (and the absolute best cream tea I've had in a long time). So, I'm a bit scared about weighing myself tomorrow but I will put my big girl pants on and do it first thing. I'm also going to try to get out for a run tomorrow, if its not too hot.

Welcome to everyone who is new! I joined this little group in April and have found it a great way to stay accountable and everyone is lovely.
My starting weight was 12 st 7 and I got to 11 st 7 a couple of weeks ago. I'm aiming now for 11 st 2 which would put me in healthy BMI range. I think ultimately I want to get to about 10 st 7 but not sure yet.

I'm calorie counting and intermittent fasting (16:8) which I found out about via this group! Trying to up my exercise too but that's what I'm struggling the most with at the moment - in terms of motivation and finding the time.

Glad to hear you had a wonderful time @CocoaMojo. Don't take too much notice of your weight tomorrow. All it is is a starting point for June's loss as opposed to consequences of a lovely cream tea!

@SunshineCake Yes - will weigh in tomorrow morning to get a baseline. As long as I’ve not undone all my good work before I can cope with a couple of lb gain.

I'm sure you'll be okay @Ionacat.

Hope ok to join what is clearly a long running thread. I have significant obstacles to weight loss mainly not being able to exercise (not allowed to do anything but what physio says due to disability) but also I am housebound and so can't shop around as easily as others. I also have ocd and that can tip over into ED if one isn't careful so I'm also being guided by therapist who says no cutting out food groups, fasting or meal replacement and no drastic changes.

I'm veggie too

How do you plan to do it?

I did weight watchers YEARS ago relatively successfully (lost 2 stone ish but was still overweight, continued to lose after I stopped going) but from looking at the current way they are doing things I think I would just find it confusing. When I did it before everyone had the same points values and the books/app easily told you the points for things and there wasn't loads of weighing and measuring So at this point I'm thinking to do some swaps so I'm using lower cal products (help on this would be much appreciated), aiming to actually have my 5 a day every day, eating less crap (crisps, biscuits, toast with loads of butter/cheese spread/cheese roasties, processed nut snacks, cakes, high cal puddings, sweets, milkshake) and adjust my usual meals to healthier/lower cal options

What do you want to achieve?

My physical disability would be easier to manage if I weighed less (constantly having that told to me by gp it just feels annoying at this point) also a family history of diabetes and stroke I would like to avoid

What excites you about your future self?

I have modest hopes. I hope it will mean less pain and might also help with things like insomnia and just general well being. When I'm better physically I feel more able to tackle the mh stuff but when mh bad appetite appalling I don't feel like cooking properly and eat more crap and I get run down

I don't even know what I weigh need to get scales, but I know last time I was weighed at drs I was over 13 stone and I'm only 5'2" I don't think I'm back to 16 stone as I was when I joined weight watchers but I fear I may be around 14 stone mark which I know is WAY too heavy! Which is why I chose this thread as I fear on others I may get a much more negative response which wouldn't be helpful at all.

I haven't been a healthy weight for almost 20 years, I had dd, lost the weight after the pregnancy but then after she turned 1 I started gaining significantly yet certainly initially my diet and exercise didn't change so I don't know why for definite (have my suspicions re thyroid issues)

My areas of weakness are:

Portion size (I'm really struggling to adjust to cooking for one since dd left home, also it's damn near impossible to buy certain foods in portions for one, everything is geared towards couples and families)

"Convenience" foods - with the disability which is progressive there are certain tasks I simply can't manage anymore - like peeling and cutting veg, standing for long periods cooking my limit is 30 mins Max, but these kind of foods do tend to be more calorific

Savoury temptations - I LOVE crisps and cheese, usually have at least 4 different kinds of cheese in, anything from plastic cheese slices and dairylea triangles to Brie and Stilton, I can resist sweet treats far more easily than these

Sweet treats - that said I do like sweet stuff too. A meal isn't complete without a pud - mothers fault

So...off the top of my head I am thinking to:

go through what I usually eat and make swaps

find a way to control portions that doesn't involve a ton of weighing and measuring (as I know I won't maintain that) I'm better with "real life" ways of doing this like "x handfuls of y" or "2 (normal not measuring) spoons of z" if that makes sense ?

For too long I have been buying and eating what I want as I'm not on as tight a budget as I was in the past and frankly dd moving out has saved me fortune but I'm eating like a 14 year old! Without the metabolism!

I've also been (in vain) trying to remember the tips I learned from ww and the changes I made then

Does my plan make any sense at all? I know small changes but still changes

Welcome back @TheRealHousewife x
SW jan 16-10
CW 12-10
GW not sure yet
June goal as close to 12even as I can.

Welcome @Graphista. Your post resonated with me in parts and also made me proud that we are a noticeably welcoming, friendly and supportive bunch. It sounds like you have a handle on everything but as we all know it can be hard to put it into practice. Half the battle is getting your head in the right zone as once you start losing it is easier to keep it there.

I agree about not cutting out things. Most days I have sweets or chocolate, I just have less of them but buy them with my running. As a fellow cheese lover maybe make that your lunch or dinner and then you don't feel deprived and end up eating it later as an unneeded snack? I advocated for a chocolate lunch once as I found with IF there weren't enough meals/feeling hungry times but haven't done it yet.

I have found my back and hip pain has mostly gone since I have lost some weight and I hope your situation improves too. With the weight gain, is it possible you have food intolerances? You don't mention stomach issues but I put on two stone without doing anything different and it turned out I was intolerant to a lot of food and I did lose weight once I gave them up.

I hear you re Mental Health. My confidence has grown so much as it turns out I am a pretty good runner, I look a lot better with the weight off and I can lose the weight. Not as useless as I've spent most of my life thinking and feeling. I am in the 🐢 group with Puff and Cocoa, or is it Crazzzy, but we are all getting there.

Re portion size - what about treating yourself to some new crockery and using the smaller plates?

Convenience - could you do small amounts of food prep in advance for several meals then your actual nightly meal would take less time stood and getting tired?

Savoury and sweet temptations - I have a 3pm snack some days and that would be when I had what I call treats and we all should just call food. One day have them as your meal. Have your pudding at lunch maybe. You don't have to deprive yourself and it makes it all easier when we still get food we like. It can't all be virtuous!

@Avocadorable four stone! Go you, well done .

Shout outs to @fallfallfall @MrsJonesAndMe - sorry forgot your new name, @Foreverlexicon @HakfShrunkMoreToGo.

I'm not running today. Tbh emotionally I need too but after my epic one yesterday I think my legs might complain. Will go for a long walk with the dog anyway.

Hi all and sorry for going AWOL, I needed a break from dieting.

Last weigh in was 21st April, since then I haven't logged or watched my food much at all and the scales are showing it this morning so I do need to re-start and do better.

I have put on a massive 17lb in 6 weeks which feels like it should be impossible cos it sure as hell doesn't come off as quick as it goes on!

Starting weight: 233lb
Lowest weight:169lb
Re- Starting today at 186lb
GW: 164lb

Oh and I'm pretty sure I can blame at least 10 of the 17lb gain on Tesco Cheese and Jalapeño bread from the fresh bakery, so if anyone was wondering what to avoid that's definitely on the list. It's like crack, I can eat a whole loaf of that stuff in a day just spread with butter, or even better with some mexicana cheese. Oh how I shall miss it!

Hello , hopping on board if I may .
How do you plan to do it? I’ll use MFP a and try and be sensible 👍
What do you want to achieve? I want to look and feel better , too much wobbling going on at the moment !
What excites you about your future self? Together, we can create a whole new you! my future self ? Hmmm , I’ll have a think about that

Started running last lockdown ( work at a hotel that has a health club and the owner let us use it on a strict social distance timetable ) started off thinking if I can just run for 5 minutes and ended up doing the C25K
Have now joined an outdoor B25K which I’m really enjoying ,

My plan is to cut down on my white wine habit , top up on the fruit and vegetables and drink lots of water

I’ve been on the Bootcamp , and been successful on that but at the moment I can’t manage the lack of fruit ... there’s something about raspberries , strawberries, peaches etc in the summer that I can’t resist

So
SW 11 st 12
GW ( end of June ) 11 st 05 ( ambitious ! )
Height 5 ft 5
Waist 33
Hips 40
Will have a thorough read through and look at the links later today and will report back on a successful first day 👍thanks for all the info @TheRealHousewife

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo Tesco also do a gorgeous cranberry and cashew loaf which is delicious and I can easily eat a loaf of that at once
Got on the scales today and am 1.5 lbs up from last week but I can live with that given my weekend.
About to go for a run/walk before it gets too hot. Not sure what plans are for the day but having salmon and veggies for dinner. Trying to get back to the IF though not sure I will make it today as had a glass of wine yesterday evening and don't think I'll make it to 1pm with no eating given the running!

Wednesday weigh in for me:

SW (end April) : 70kg / 11st
CW (today): 66kg / 10st 4lbs
GW: was 65 but after trying on some summer things from last year it's when my palazzo pants fit!

@SunshineCake I ran at 8:30pm yesterday and it was lovely. Shady and breezy. I was a hot sweaty mess 

Welcome @Graphista! I have found that buying things like ready chopped carrot sticks and those pre-prepped bags of veg has really helped. It means I don't have a reason to reach for easy stuff because that is just as easy. I am also a cheese lover and have discovered I can have a goats cheese and lentil salad for lunch which is delicious, and I still get my cheese fix!

@SunshineCake thank you

Half the battle is getting your head in the right zone as once you start losing it is easier to keep it there

Definitely that's the hardest part and I'm not totally sure I'm there yet, baby steps I think

As a fellow cheese lover maybe make that your lunch or dinner and then you don't feel deprived and end up eating it later as an unneeded snack? that's what I should do I know, but I can quite easily have cheese for 3 meals plus snack and not even notice! I have to plan better I think

@Graphista I love cheese too, I either go for something really strong like a very sharp extra mature cheddar that I can use in smaller portions or a really nice cottage cheese, I particularly like the longley farms full fat cottage cheese which is thicker and creamier than the own brand store ones, although Lidl full fat one is good too.

Welcome back @HalfShrunkMoreToGo. Don't give any gain another thought. You enjoyed some lovely food and you can enjoy the achievement of getting more weight off!

@Doilooklikeatourist welcome! I started with C25k in May last year and yesterday I ran my furthest- 13km.

Nearly 1pm @CocoaMojo. You've got this and if you eat before it doesn't matter.

Well done for your evening run @BrioLover. I took today off to rest and won't have time tomorrow morning but you have reminded me I can go in the evening.

Sorry everyone but I have just put some home made seeded bread in the oven to bake and I am having it with some mature cheddar and chorizo cheese bake recommended on another thread here. I'll take it for the team . DH went to Asda and brought back berries so I'll try and redeem myself.

Welcome to all the newcomers!

@Graphista, I think making small changes makes a lot of sense. When I started my weightloss journey, I initially focussed on just building better habits. Fewer snacks, smaller meals etc. I don’t know how much I lost in that month, as I didn’t weigh myself at the start, but my jeans felt a lot looser and I definitely had more energy. That then encouraged me to start more of a “proper diet” (calorie counting and intermittent fasting), but I still try to take it relatively easy. I have a fair amount of weight to lose, so I’m going to be here for a while. I need something healthy and sustainable, not some kind of crash diet that I lose interest in after a few days.

One tip that may help - I used to snack a lot in the evening, so I set a rule to not eat after 20:00. That was a very easy rule to implement and probably cut my calories down by at least 25% 😳 If you have certain times of the day when you are likely to snack a lot, you may find it useful to do something similar?

Like @SunshineCake, I also don’t believe in cutting out any foods or snacks. As soon as you tell yourself you can’t have something, you’ll just want it more! So if you like cheese, have some cheese, but just have less of it. You can even build it up slowly - have just a tiny bit less the first week, then a bit less again the next. Your body gets used to these kind of changes very quickly and before you know it what used to be your standard portion size will start to feel like a huge amount.

@BrioLover goats cheese and lentil salad sounds amazing. Can I be cheeky and ask if you have a recipe?

@SunshineCake I love how supportive you are! Unfortunately I have not had the best start to getting back on the wagon today. I went for a run this morning and it was awful. Made it to 5k but it was so hot and horrible, had a couple of walks and a couple of pauses, just never felt like I got into it. I had some berries and a babybel light when I got in as felt dizzy and weird. Then my DH reminded me we were sofa shopping today and had promised the kids Pizza express for lunch 🤦‍♀️ I thought it would be ok as I'd have their superfood salad but we got there and it wasnt on the menu!! However I did make good choices, diet coke and a leggera pizza which was under 600 cals and only a plain white coffee for after with no pud. So from a calorie perspective at least I am still on track as long as I have a light tea!

Wrote a long post and it vanished! Hate when that happens. Trying again

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo I like longley farms cottage cheese too, I know I need to sort the cheese consumption, no access to lidl or Aldi as housebound. I use Tesco online

@Crazzzycat yes I am thinking small changes at first.

I need to use what I have in first, next delivery is Friday so will review and make changes to that delivery as follows:

Full sugar tango - diet orange crush

Microwave rice (I have no microwave but these can be cooked on hob but only come in 2 portion pouches and nothing on pack re storing once opened so assume can’t be) to cauliflower rice (also 2 portion pack but much fewer cals AND can be stored after opening)

Stir fry sauces - again use the ready made pouches, I do know how to make own but struggle to make small portions and not sure if ok to store in fridge and if so how long? Thinking I’ll switch to less sugar ones initially and try and figure out the home made thing

Cakes - been going a bit mad on these! Especially partial to country slices (packs of 2) soreen lunchbox loaves and kinder milk slices

Bread - I get a warburtons 400g white sliced, struggle to use it all before it goes off (stale, mouldy esp in this heat), I do always keep some in freezer but small freezer and I only really like to use frozen bread for toast

Pasta - fresh filled. Quick and easy to cook, thinking I maybe need to go back to dried?

Pasta sauce - been having pasta with pesto and grated cheese every time lately, generous helpings of both! I have ingredients to make a tomato and herb sauce but I’m unsure on how long I can store and again struggle with making small amounts

Crisps - which are the lower cal ones? I have at least stopped buying sharing size and polishing off in one or two sittings!

Nuts - need to portion out properly not have a big bag in one go

Sweets and choc - need to be reminded of lower cal options and tricks, I seem to remember refrigerating/freezing certain brands meant they were still edible but took longer to eat so I felt like I’d had more to eat than I did

I still use skimmed milk and low fat Mayo but I know I’m using way too much Mayo, I always get in plenty of fruit (apples, bananas, grapes, melon portions) and have at least one portion a day no more than 2

I love my veg and will happily snack on the following raw -

Sweet peppers sliced
Carrot sticks
Celery sticks
Mushrooms
Cucumber
Cherry tomatoes
Baby corn
Peas (though it’s hard to get good fresh ones)
Bean sprouts

I’m just very much out of the habit and reaching for “easy” things instead

When I started my weightloss journey, I initially focussed on just building better habits.

Yea I’m thinking same idea

I need something healthy and sustainable exactly true for me too

I don’t have a time where I snack a lot just when I do snack tends to be unhealthy stuff and occasionally binge snack cos I forget to eat altogether for as much as 24 hours (I literally forget) and then realise I’m starving and grab whatever appeals!

Mention of babybel has reminded me I used to get the "pick and mix" cheeses off to see if they're still around, made it easier to control and count portions last time

@CocoaMojo it sounds really fancy but isn't! I cut up a handful of spinach/green leaves, some baby plum tomatoes, about a quarter of a cucumber and put them in a bowl. Then about 6 olives and add half a pack of the 'French style' ready make lentils from a pouch. I buy the merchant gourmet ones from Tesco or the (much!) cheaper ones at Aldi when I can get there. Then a few bits of goats cheese on top, salt pepper and a drizzle of white wine vinegar. I find I don't need oil due to the lentils already having a tomatoey sauce.

@Graphista all sounds very reasonable, what a great start. Pasta sauce I tend to make a small batch, keep one airtight pot in the fridge for 4 days or so and then two small pots in the freezer.

Just done a very slow 12 mile run with friends fortunately the thunderstorm didn’t happen 😂😂

Got to the cafe and the heavens opened! Had a gorgeous lunch of a cheese scone with chutney bacon and melted Brie with salad. OMG it was amazing! Had water with it and will eat sensibly this evening 😊

@Graphista all the sauces will be ok in the fridge for 3 days once opened if you want to just use half. The microwave rice, if you put the packet into a ziplock bag and squeeze the air out will also be fine to keep half till the next day or 2.

If I'm making sauces or soups I freeze any portions I know I won't eat within the next 3 days. The easiest way to freeze them is to put ziplock bags into mugs with the top of the bag folded down around the mug to give you a solid container to pour into. Pour in the sauce or soup in portion sizes, then seal with as much air squeezed out as possible. Then you can flatten and stack them so they fit neatly into the freezer. Just take them out and put in the fridge the night before you want to use them and let them defrost.

I also chop up any fruit or veg into the freezer if it's getting to the end of its life into mixed bags. I end up with a pretty random bag of chunks of apple, plum, banana, some berries or whatever. Great for if you want to make a quick fruit smoothie or crumble. The veg goes into casseroles or soup.

When I'm dieting I try to reduce carbs, so buy the small loaves with the little slices rather than the full size loaves. They have less calories but I still get to eat bread, and I end up throwing less away as DD and DH can't eat a full sized loaf before it goes off.