LOSE IT! July 2021

[TheRealHousewife]

Hello and a warm welcome to new & established members. July already! Lockdown easing and an end in sight! Hallelujah! Let’s embrace the summer and extending freedoms feeling like our best selves.

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 reap the rewards. Better mental health = better choices. It becomes a healthy cycle.

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. Personally, I rarely drink alcohol and keep sugar to a minimum. I try to not overload on carbs etc, include a protein source with most meals and aim to glug enough water. 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. We generally have WOW (weigh on Wednesday) day each week. However post and share your progress as often or as little as you prefer. I’ve weighed daily at times and weekly at other times. Do what works for you.

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

June 2021 Thread

NHS 12 Wk Weight Loss Plan

Fast800 Recipes Free Content

Benefits of Water to aid Weight Loss

MyFitnessPal

Evidence Based Weight Loss Tips

The Psychology of Weight Loss

Thanks sunshine hope you are well

@73kittycat73 sounds like a bug. Hope you're feeling better today.

@SunshineCake sorry you're feeling rough too.

I also woke with a banging head today but put it down to weather/atmospheric pressure as I react badly to that

Generally I can tell when a storm coming by I get a particular type of headache.

I'm sticking to cals but not as healthily as usual need to get back in the zone!

Quorn, cheese and cucumber sandwiches for lunch. I've dug a home made chilli out the freezer and had to guesstimate the cals. It's made with Quorn mince, tinned tomatoes, a little tomato purée, peppers, garlic and spices so based on a likely 75g Ish amount of mince I'm thinking 200cals should cover it - thoughts? Gonna have it with a jacket potato (loving the McCain jacket potatoes they're crispy outside soft inside) and some low fat sour cream which I have in which needs using up.

Planning to use remainder of sour cream for a stroganoff tomorrow.

Will be having cheese thins and cottage cheese and salad for lunch.

Been eating frazzles/twiglets instead of my usual crudites type snack which I fear may bite me on the arse.

Not weighing until thu, sticking to once a week as I tend to get obsessive and sabotage myself if I don't stick to that.

It's the late night/early morning snacking that's tricky for me.

While I don't work, I also do better when I'm sticking to my own routine which I am struggling with this week. Not good for mh either.

Calorie free ice cream is good - calorie free bbq Pringles would be my dream!

It was two weeks SunshineCake. Thank you for the get better wishes. I ate lunch today then felt very green around the gills so went for a lay down. Woke just before 5pm and still feel like crap so going back to bed soon. Hope everyone else is having a really good day.

Thanks Graphista.

A loss is a loss and a pound is still great. Be proud. Don't be sad [calorie free hug].

Thank you SunshineCake. Appreciate the (Calorie free! lol) hug.

Thank you @SunshineCake. You are right, it makes no sense at all, but I guess sometimes I just can’t control where my mind goes. I feel a lot better now that I’ve hidden the scales though 😄

@Graphista, 200 calories for that chilli sounds a little low, but not by much. I guess it kind of depends on how much oil you used, as all other ingredients are pretty low in calories. Are there any beans in that chilli? (I know you didn’t list any, but just checking)

I hope you feel better soon @73kittycat73. That sounds like a really unpleasant bug

Good Morning All

@Crazzzycat you’re doing great! Well done on losing whilst on holiday. That in itself is an achievement. It’s very normal for weight loss to slow or plateau as we get nearer to goal. Keep going.

Hope you’re feeling better @73kittycat73! Well done on your progress 👍

I can’t weigh atm as I need batteries for scale. Waistbands aren’t any tighter so I’m hoping I’m at least maintaining 😬

Have a great day.

Thank you Crazzzycat and TheRealHousewife. Still feeling rough today. Last night wanted ALL OF THE CHOCOLATE. Only ate two Celebrations chocolates. That is amazing restraint for me! lol
Hope everyone is having a good day and completes any goals they have today.

I was due to do a long run with my friend today but she wasn’t feeling 100% so we decided to have a walk instead. Did just under 20 miles 😂😂 shattered now! We set out at 7am had breakfast at the halfway point then walked home. 48k steps 😱

Wow @swampytiggaa that’s a hell of a walk! Very impressed with 48k steps.

I think my best ever day step wise was 25k and that was when I was having my kitchen fitted and I had to go out of the house to get baby ds1 to nap. Maybe I should get some more work done to get my steps up

Not feeling great today as I’ve had a bad cold with a very sore throat for the last few days. Will get an early night and hopefully feel better tomorrow.

Today’s menu has been -

B - peaches and Greek yoghurt
L- Edam and coleslaw on a thin, a few pop chips and a banana
S - raw carrot and marmite houmous (a bit strange, not sure I’d get it again!)
D - will be a vegan pad Thai

Think I’ll have a few calories left over so will have a frozen yoghurt ice lolly to help my sore throat.

Oh my goodness @swampytiggaa … you broke the thread with that walk 💥 👊 respect girl! Awesome 👏 I’m having a good day if I hit 3k 😆… then I have to lay down for a week.

@73kittycat73 well done on your restraint. 👍

Lovely grub @MarmaladeToastAndAMarmaladeCat, looks very tasty.

In other news my iPad is totally playing up. Freezing, screen unresponsive, not typing etc. Totally out of reach to replace at the
moment.

Menu

Meal 1 - lamb cutlet and veg tray bake. Pecans.

Meal 2 - guacamole, salad, boiled eggs. Pear & apple cutted up in a bowl all fancy, drop of fresh cream.

Anyways wishing you all a great evening.

Thank you!

I am doing the virtual London marathon in October. Plan was to run it locally with a friend. Since then another friend is doing it who runs slower than we walk and another friend who was due to run in London will probably have to pull out but may still be able to walk it with us. So me and original friend have agreed that the kind thing to do is be prepared to walk it to support our other friends. Then we will run an actual marathon next year.

I generally do 20k plus steps every day. I have usually done 10k by the end of a short shift at work 😂😂 I’m very active but my issue is eating loads to compensate 😂😂

Thanks TheRealHousewife. Feeling better this evening as I have since Sunday. Do you access the internet on your iPad? Sorry to hear you can't replace it atm. Cash Converters not an option?
Hope you feel better soon MarmaladeToastAndAMarmaladeCat and that the lolly helps your throat.
Blimey swampytiggaa! 48k?! What a walk!

Wow @swampytiggaa, that’s quite a distance 😯

I hope you feel better soon @MarmaladeToastAndAMarmaladeCat!

I’m reading a book called “why calories don’t count”. I haven’t got very far yet, but the general gist seems to be that calorie counting is a pretty inexact science. I will report back when I learn something new 😂

I’ve also started a new challenge, to eat 30 different plant foods in a week. It sounded pretty easy, especially as I’m veggie anyway, but it’s made me realise how often I repeat meals and keep eating exactly the same vegetables and fruit over and over again. With any luck it will encourage me to be more adventurous!

I hope everyone is having a good day?

Good Afternoon Everyone

It’s absolutely roasting hot today. Really sticky hot. 2 cool showers already, 3rd on its way.

Menu

Meal 1 - Chilli and small portion oven chips.

Meal 2 - Salad with chicken fillet

Refreshing glass of G&T.

I totally agree @Crazzzycat that calories aren’t an exact science. Neither is weight loss really as so many variables. Nonetheless if I don’t track I gain, very quickly. Yes I’ve also been reading about 30 varieties of veg a week too. I try to eat as many as I can tbh. Your gut biome will love you for it 😘

Didn’t weigh today as no batteries for scale. Hopefully not gained, defo not lost 😬

Please to read you’re feeling better @73kittycat73! I’m hoping in about 8 weeks I can replace iPad. Fingers crossed.

Hi all, feeling better in myself today but my voice has almost completely gone. My boys (2 and 4) are being little pests today and keep starting fighting games and jumping off dangerous things while I stand there hoarsely and ineffectively telling them off. Roll on bedtime .

We made a carrot cake today and I’ve had a small slice so planning to have soup and a slice of bread for dinner later. I’ve got a nice sweet potato, coconut and chili fresh soup in the fridge so looking forward to that. Made a chicken pot pie for boys and DH earlier but I’m pescatarian so used to having a different dinner to them anyway.

That’s very interesting @Crazzzycat about the calories. I’ve heard from lots of people that calorie counting isn’t as precise as we like to think. But definitely works for me as I’ve lost 3 stone this way.

I might try that 30 veg a week. I tend to eat the same things quite often so would like to mix it up a bit.

Oooohhh Crazzzycat that sounds a great challenge. Should I just Google 30 plantfood challenge?

Coulda sworn I posted yesterday.

That chilli was a batch cook:

300g Quorn mince
400g tinned tomatoes
3tbsp purée
1/2 small tin corn
Onions, garlic and spices (which I don't count as they were zero on ww)
20 sprays or less fry light

Which works out to 175cals about per portion so if anything I underestimated

Yesterday

Meal 1 - celery and sour cream, fridge raiders, milk slice, fruit

Meal 2 - "beef" stroganoff with Cous cous, choc pud, fruit

Meal 3 - cheese thins with "ham" and cottage cheese, 3 borders biscuits

Not eaten today yet as I've been v anxious and then busy. Just away to make a stir fry I think as quick and easy.

@73kittycat73 admirable restraint on the choc

@swampytiggaa that was some walk!

@TheRealHousewife is a cheaper tablet an option ?

I'm also guilty of having mostly same fruit/veg every week but it's down to availability, cost and minimising food waste

Hi @Graphista I’ve done that! Come to thread to find my previous post hasn’t posted! Does happen. Sorry to hear you’re feeling anxious. Have you tried deep breathing. Seriously it can help settle the para sympathetic nervous system. Calming Breath Your menu yesterday looked rather delicious 😋 I’m all appled up. Phone, watch, iTunes etc. I do like my apples. I know I know I’m a mug 😬

For those interested in 30 veg/legumes a week you might like this challenge

I’m melting it’s so hot. I wish our squidgy bits did really melt off in this heat 😬

I probably should have mentioned that I’m an avid calorie counter too! I have yet to come across anything in the book that will convince me to drop it. It may not be 100% accurate, but it’s a pretty good starting point.

@Puffalicious, there’s a bit more information about eating at least 30 different plant foods here: www.theguthealthdoctor.com/how-to-get-your-gut-loving-30-plant-points-a-week/

I saw something the other day about the link between gut health and mental health, so this looked like a good “challenge” to try. I’ve only added three new foods to my list today, which just goes to show how much I repeat the same things

X-posted with @TheRealHousewife there! I think your link explains it better 😄

Ahh bless you op. I have ocd and general anxiety and have something coming up next week which is very anxiety inducing for me. Unfortunately relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, hypnosis etc don't work on me. I wish! They actually make me worse! The only thing that works if I'm REALLY bad is diazepam. Which I don't like taking as it makes me really badly nauseous.

I have an iPhone so no criticism on the Apple love, was just thinking as maybe a stop gap?

I've gone and broken my tablet stand! (To be fair it's done me 7 years!) so I'm now hoping one that's available at Tesco which says it's for an iPad will do for my wee kindle.

I've got both fans on the go AND my chill Max pillow in place and I'm still roasting!

Re gut health and mh, this is something I am naturally interested in and at various points have tried things to address this.

I'm having an actimel a day at the moment and I think it has helped a little. Hard to know for sure as it's coincided with this thread and eating more healthily generally.