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

Thank you everyone for your kind words, much appreciated all round 😬

I’m so sorry to read of your diagnosis @Elle200. That must have been a shock. Sending you massive positive vibes and a (((hug))). You sound so upbeat and positive, it’s inspirational! 🌟❤️🌟

Thank you for the link @Crazzzycat, always useful to browse.

@SunshineCake sending a settling & reassuring (((hug))). Have you ever tried those weighted blankets… very soothing and settling ❤️

@swampytiggaa great step count! 👍🌟👏

@Graphista your plan sounds sensible and very doable. Any extra loss will be a lovely bonus 👍👍👍. My pain is easing slightly in my foot and increasing in my back. It’s turning a lovely shade of blue 😬

@Golden2021a warm welcome! A decline in Mental health can make some people self sooth with food (me included). I call it eating my feelings, but end up feeling worse. Also I think some people are feeling the easing of lockdown a bit anxiety inducing or they are not as excited as they think they could/should be. It can all be a bit of a pressure. This thread is a safe place to share if that’s what you’d like to do. It might help. Well done on starting c25k 👍👏

My evening meal was pan fried chicken & veg (only a tablespoon of oil) and some quinoa with red pepper. Quite nice but didn’t finish it all.

Bye for now 😊

Crossposted @joysmoy66 … don’t be too hard on yourself. Tomorrow is a brand new day. In the past I’ve averaged out my daily allowance so might have more one day and less the next ( but not too less or you could end up overeating the following day if you allow yourself to get ravenous). Over the week it’s all evened out iyswim.

I just told dh about the weighted blanket and he said I'd be too hot in the summer . I will investigate myself. Thank you @TheRealHousewife.

@joysmoy66 draw a line under the binging and start again. Don’t starve yourself to make up otherwise you will binge again 💕

Hello everyone, I hope you don't mind if I join? I'd been reading your June thread and saw everyone was chatty and helpful. Graphista I think I read you have agoraphobia? I'm agoraphobic too (Not the open spaces, being away from home.). Sorry to come on and in my first post sound like I'm boasting () but today I made it to a shop I haven't been in for about a year and a half. Was dead pleased!
Diet wise, I started in February at 15st 1lb. I last weighed on the 28th June and I was11st 5,2lbs. I IF, 16:8 and calorie count. I used to weigh monthly but am going to do my next weight a fortnight from that date, see how much I've lost. I have taken up exercise in the last month. I go to yoga classes twice a week (Community Centre at the end of the road, very handy!) and the days I am not doing yoga I do a 10 min standing abs, 10 min HIIT, 5 mins balancing exercises, (All by the same lady on YouTube. Can post a link if anybody wants it?) and some weights on my arms. I'm finally getting some definition on my arms, only my right arm is more defined than my left, lol!
I am totally an apple shape and desperate to shift the weight on my stomach, but have come to realise today I will never have the perfect stomach I want (Overhang from being so over weight for so long, and I have a deep scar on my upper right where I had life saving surgery as a baby.). I just want it to go down! I don't think it will now.
Anyway, sorry for rambling on in my first post and getting moany! I look forward to catting with you all!

Welcome @73kittycat73! I’m a very new member too but everyone is so friendly I feel like I’ve been here forever

Hi @SunshineCake I don’t have mine on the bed to sleep under at night. I use it in the day time if I need a nap 😴. Couple of windows open so I can hear the birds. Bliss it is. It’s better for settling than cookies or chocolate 😬 Look at online reviews, they are very good.

A warm welcome @73kittycat73. Well done on your journey so far! Awesome progress 👍👏🌟. Id be interested in the link please.

Thanks both,you are right. Will eat less tomorrow but not too much less or Sunday will be another bad day. Your dinner looks delicious therealhousewife

Welcome @73kittycat73. Don't give up hope about your tummy. In 2019 mine was so big I looked pregnant and now it is fairly flat, at times . I've had a c section so it will never be perfect but I'll take it compared to how it used to be.

So lovely to hear we are thought of as the friendly bunch I thought we were.

Hi swampytiggaa, thank you for the welcome. Hi TheRealHousewife thank you for your warm welcome too. This is the link for the abs:

She has lots of videos (Do people still call them videos?! lol) on exercise and health. Although its' call fabulous fifties, all age groups do it (I'm 47.)

Hi everyone, I'd like to join. I joined a previous thread earlier in the year but didn't really have much of a direction. I'm still resistant to diets as such but as a first step am cutting out Coke, along with wheat and added sugar. Long-term I am (or will be) following the principles of Andrew Jenkinson's Why We Eat Too Much, although my book has been in the post for about two weeks now so I haven't actually read it but just going by the Mumsnet thread on this topic.

SW: 14 stone
CW: 13 st 11
GW: 13 stone

Since my starting weight was nice and round I'm going to just concentrate on a stone at a time. My final target weight is probably something around 9 stone though.

I've had a look at some blankets but I don't want to spend £100! I'll look into some others.

Welcome @veryblearyeyed. Good goals and well done on your losses so far.

I think a few of us cross posted there.

@sunshineCake I got a single weighted blanket from Amazon for about £30 - it's not washable but it has really helped my daughter with anxiety - it's easy enough to either pop in a duvet cover (though very heavy) or she just puts it over a flat sheet

Thank you for the link @73kittycat73 … when I’m not so battered and bruised I’ll try one of those! Not to long in time, perfect!

I can’t remember how much mine was @SunshineCake either 29 or 39 pounds. It was ‘on offer’. It came up on my insta … pesky algorithms 😬. You can get different sizes. Put in weighted blanket into Amazon and they start at around £28 weighted blanket

A warm welcome @veryblearyeyed … I have that book on kindle/audio I’ve only flicked through it for now and I fell asleep whilst listening to it. What I’ve read/ heard so far makes sense but the book covers such a lot.

You seem to have established some sensible aims and I’m sure you’ll do it. You can do it but like all of us, we need to be in the right frame of mind plus keep blood sugars balanced to banish the cravings.

Thanks @sultanasofping and @TheRealHousewife. I'll have a look later in the weekend. Off to bed shortly.

No worries TheRealHousewife. I'm having a huge craving for something to eat, but I won't give in. I'm going to go to bed and sleep instead and hopefully feel better in the morning. Night all!

Thanks for the welcome, @SunshineCake and @TheRealHousewife!

@SunshineCake

Welcome *@73kittycat73*. Don't give up hope about your tummy. In 2019 mine was so big I looked pregnant and now it is fairly flat, at times . I've had a c section so it will never be perfect but I'll take it compared to how it used to be.

So lovely to hear we are thought of as the friendly bunch I thought we were.

Thank you. There is hope then! Stuck to my 16:8 last night, even though I woke at 5am with my tummy rumbling! I think it's because I had double carbs for tea...? How is everyone else today? I hope you are having a lovely weekend.

Hi @73kittycat73 well done on sticking to plan! That’s half the battle. If I have too many carbs it can open the flood gates and I want to everything in sight. I try to keep my carbs lowish to maintain blood sugar levels and keep the pesky snack dragon 🐉 at bay 😬. You stayed the 🐉 last night 👍

I’m having a chilled day. Looking forward to football later! Come on England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿.

Thank you! I'm not usually hungry but I guess it was the carbs. I just go so fed up eating the same food all the time I just needed a break from it, hence the carbs (Jacket potato and ravioli.) . I have been low/medium carb for months. I have no regrets!
I don't usually follow football but might keep an eye on the game tonight. I agree, come on England!

Jacket potatoes are scrumptious…. And the skin contains valuable fibre which negates some carbs. Not a bad choice if you do want carbs @73kittycat73.

@SunshineCake great to hear you sounding more positive/happy

@Elle200 hope you're having an easy Ish weekend

@joysmoy66 draw a line under it and tortoise March on. No point beating yourself up. I agree with others trying to rectify by being overly strict just leads to more binging. It's balance that's needed. (Not that I'm an expert or I wouldn't be here!)

@TheRealHousewife hope you're not too sore. Hopefully my plans work, we'll see. Not off to a great start as had a fairly calorific day yesterday and ate WAY too late again. Planning to start today mainly with eating at reasonable times and not having loads of cals right before I go to sleep!

Right new cals limit daily 1600 (I'll review as I - hopefully - lose as I know the less I weigh the less I need)

Funny you had quinoa - based on another thread I have added to my shopping list I've never tried it

Trying to ensure I have a variety of foods as I think numbing my taste buds is an issue for me

Over the week it’s all evened out iyswim.

That's how ww kinda worked, you had a set amount of points (calories really) that you had to have as a MINIMUM daily, then extra points you COULD have if you wanted per week, you could either split them across the week and have a little extra daily OR you could "save" them for a "blowout" like a celebration or something.

@SunshineCake Asda doing 2 for £15 on cool pillows at the moment - could off set temp with blanket ?

@73kittycat73 yes i have agoraphobia, in my case it relates to ocd - outside = danger due to potential ocd triggers I can't predict. Well done on the shop visit! That is an incredible achievement and you should be proud! I've not been out in 4 years. Working on not making it 5!

Almost 4 stone lost in 4 months is incredible! Congratulations

I've been thinking of trying to do some kind of exercise too very interested in that link. I can't run/jump due to physical disability, I was thinking of using cans of food as free weights to do some arm toning. I've been doing over 50's exercise since I was 35 (got permission from dr) as I can't do even medium impact really.

I'm also an Apple - very much a family thing. We have great legs and big stomachs!

I have the typical cs "apron" but it's not just from cs, have had several gybae surgeries so it's a bit of a mess around there.

Even when I did get back to pre pregnancy size (size 8 ish) for about a year and was going gym daily inc abs toning that never went away. The muscles have been cut too much I reckon.

I'll be happy if I can get it as slim as possible and can reasonably tuck it in with granny pants!

So lovely to hear we are thought of as the friendly bunch I thought we were.

Definitely

@veryblearyeyed I agree it's best not to approach as "a diet" but more eating more healthily.

Cutting out coke is a great start, not only the sugar but the caffeine too - but a word of caution, if you currently drink a lot don't cut caffeine out altogether "cold turkey" I was unknowingly addicted to caffeine years ago, I quit to achieve a full term pregnancy and quit cold turkey and felt lousy! Dr correctly assessed caffeine withdrawal (I thought flu!) and advised to wean myself off gradually which I did.

Cutting out wheat I think also needs to be approached cautiously, at the very least make sure you're getting the nutrients you'd normally get from wheat from other sources.

B vitamins, folate, iron, calcium and vitamin d are in the main wheat based foods we eat so make sure you eat other foods containing these and/or take supplements.

Being veggie I try and watch my nutrient intake but I also take vit c, b complex + iron. Also since the link between COVID and vit d came to light I've been taking a higher dose vit d too (I was taking vit d before because of the agoraphobia - @73kittycat73 if you're rarely in the sun you may want to consider this too)

Supplements are best taken after eating something for best absorption. Vit d is fat soluble so best taken with higher fat foods.

That book interests me - op I have prime and kindle app on phone plus 2 kindles (an old one that started to get a bit "Juddery" and my current one. But I've never done the read/switch to audio or even used the audio option on kindle books as yet. Is it easy to do and can you give me an idiots guide?

Thinking to get the book and listen to it while stitching.

Hope those interested enjoy the match. I'm not really a footy person plus I'm a scot. But each to their own. I may seek out a good film to watch or have some music on and "bop along"

Thanks graphista. I've eaten normally today as you are all right. Done a longer workout instead feeling much more positive.

Hope you are ok therealhousewife