LOSE IT! October 2021

[TheRealHousewife]

Hello & Welcome

September has flown by and now October is upon us! There's a definite autumnal chill in the air and this change in seasons is a natural transition that we echo in our day-to-day lives'. I for one look forward to cosy nights by the fire and prepping for the coming festive season. .

With 86 days until Christmas there's plenty of time to svelte up for the Christmas holidays. A part of my Christmas prep includes dropping a few extra lbs ‘to make room’ for a little foody extravagance… and a Baileys or two 😬

Carrying on from September Thread, this is a space 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 😊

I will add links on my next post.

Quick post - more later when I read others posts too

Wow - 12 stone 9.75

That's a 0.75lb loss

Not huge but it is a loss so I'm taking it and running with it!

Well done @graphista

And to you too @youdoyoutoo for getting up. Glad it went well!

@Youdoyoutoday well done! I was just getting off to sleep when you were getting up!

I REALLY need to sort the exercise aspect

@buzzofthebumblebee think you meant me with the clearing the kitchen comment? Motivation I REALLY struggle with both mentally and because my physical issues make doing physical stuff off putting. I put the radio/music on blasting (lucky enough to have Alexas i bought on Black Friday deals in kitchen and bedroom, the one in kitchen is a bit knackered which is why I got the 2nd one. But it's ok for occasional use) and that makes me get off my arse! I have a Spotify playlist called "motivational" for such days when I'm really struggling.

It has tracks like :

Avicii - wake me up
Kelly clarkson - stronger
Elbow - one day like this
Gloria Estefan - get on your feet
Des'ree - you gotta be

Yea my musical taste is quite dated! I'm trying to listen to more modern stuff.

Back was sore which nixed the fry up I ended up having jacket potato, cottage cheese and oven cooked bacon mixed into the cottage cheese (the bacon needed used) was very nice but next time I can manage to stand to do it I will try low cal fry up

@CumbrianExile thanks - and that was me weighing after a big breakfast which I fancied today - weetabix with milk and granulated sweetener, toast and jam and cuppa tea

What actually is buggering me up is my one day a week "in town" as I am erring towards high cal "treat" meals - 3 course jobs inc pud! This is because initially it WAS a treat a rare event, but also because I need proper seats! I can't do breakfast bar type nonsense.

I'm sure many of us struggle with the eating out thing.

BUT I am taking it in hand in 2 ways -

1 instead of having lunch in town I'm usually getting the train around lunch time and it's about an hour so plenty of time to eat so I'm gonna do a "packed lunch" and eat it on the train. It's much easier for me to do a healthy/low cal lunch this way and then I'm also not hungry when I arrive. I can even make it the day before and pop in the fridge ready to grab on my way out.

2 stop seeing it as a "big treat" and having "proper" 3 course jobs! Head to more "snacky places" for "dinner" like costa or even fast food places. As I'm veggie even in those the options are fairly low cal and there are salads etc OR if I go "posher" places ONLY have a main and choose carefully

Thoughts? How do you guys navigate eating out?

Morning! I need to kick myself in the arse because since the marathon I have done fuck all and eaten crap and put on 3lbs 😱 I’m so cross with myself!

I need to up the water and stop the crisps and chocolate. Plus I need to motivate myself to clean the house properly 😩 I’ve been really lazy recently!

Good Morning All

Didn’t manage to post yesterday’s wow:- down the previous weeks gain plus additional .5lb. Pleased but I realise the gain wasn’t food per sa, water weight/bloat from meds.

@Graphista pleased to see you back ❤️👍 Side note, my OH loves those soreen mini banana loaves 😋 Nice steady loss 👍👏 BTW great playlist! When I eat out I generally plan for it by eating lighter in the day if going out later and visa versa. I’ll eat a roast dinner sans Yorkshire pudding/stuffing or a large salad with chicken dressing on the side. I keep away from pasta, rice or sauce rich dishes as the portions are usually so much bigger than a regular at home portion. I generally don’t do the starter or dessert and will end with a large black coffee with cream to add myself. The one thing I don’t do is worry about it as I don’t go out as often as I used to and really enjoy the social aspect.

@buzzofthebumblebee nice loss 👍👏

@Youdoyoutoday i agree about Big Breakfast/Full Breakfast being a feasible part of healthy eating 😬 A similar recipe is in Fast800. Quite calorific so have something lighter for the rest of the day. They are good for the soul 😊

Menu
Meal 1 - Mushroom omelette
Meal 2 - Chicken, green beans, carrots, broccoli, kale. Bisto gravy.

One of yesterday’s meal was usual but it was what I fancied.
Meal 1 - Platter of Avocado mushed up, Cornish cruncher cheddar cubes, cut up apple, sliced banana, spoon of peanut butter. No I’m not pregnant 😬 😋

Crossed posted. @swampytiggaa it’s a blip and you know when you’re on it it’ll soon be gone. Put it behind you, it’s normal to have a slide back from time to time (plus you might be building muscle😬) Overall you are doing brilliantly 👍🌟👏. For cleaning motivation, I set the timer on my Apple Watch for 5 minute intervals and do something. I struggle due to disability/pain/discomfort and a timer helps me to get going.

Morning all
Feeling achey this morning but dubious about my weigh in, scales said I was 5lbs down from yesterday! Not sure if if it's an actual loss or water loss but that said I'm drinking so much water these days, probably 2.5 litres are day, and I'm on my period so who knows what is going on or off

@Graphista I like playing music on alexa, makes me far more productive than having the TV on and so does putting my phone down 🤣

@swampytiggaa I think you deserve a lazy few days so don't be too hard on yourself

Happy Thursday 😊

Off to put my phone and alexa on to get some stuff done around here!! What a shame house elves aren't real 😕

@Youdoyoutoday I just re read my previous post and the bit that reads
A similar recipe is in Fast800. Quite calorific so I have something lighter for the rest of the day. They are good for the soul should have had I inserted. As it is it’s reads bossy towards you and that wasn’t my intention 😬

Oh bless. I didn't take it that way x

I'm having such a hungry day today!!
I've munched a big bag of those veg crisps then had a ham and salad wholemeal wrap! Feel a bit guilty about the crisps as although they were nice, I ate too many then felt a bit queasy but the wrap was nice though, should have had that first instead of munching the crisps in the car on the way home from shopping.

Well done on your loss Graphista. Eating out - whilst I would love to order the most calorific food, and just stuff my face with lasagne, burger & chips etc pls starters and deserts, my current thinking is to have something light and tasty, that I wouldn't normally cook myself, such as fish.

Hope your loss stays off tomorrow You - or at least part. I was another 1/4 lb down from yesterday, so confident the scales weren't just playing a nasty trick on me ; )

I'm making chicken & veg curry tonight, and really looking forward to it. Sm amount wholegrain rice to go with.

@swampytiggaa I think you of all of us are allowed to slip! You'll get back on track

@TheRealHousewife problem is I'm essentially out for the whole day as it's so far for me to go

You're right on no starter or dessert though the desserts in particular are horrific cal wise

I don't want to be worrying about it cos it's a huge step for me mh wise as you know and I don't want to put negative feelings on it

makes me far more productive than having the TV on and so does putting my phone down

Yep same here 

@Youdoyoutoday I daren't even buy large packs of crisps or similar I can't be trusted! Multipacks only and the lower cal ones

@buzzofthebumblebee yea I'm somewhat restricted in choice when eating out due to where I feel "safe" eating with the ocd and where has suitable seats etc, then it's a case that of course these places are designed to encourage you to buy and eat more than you planned on eating! But I know this and should and can resist this.

@Graphista I don't normally but I was looking some specific ones my DP had asked which I couldn't find but spotted these veg crisps which I always had a weakness for and somehow, they ended up on the passenger seat with my handbag rather than in the boot with the rest of the shopping 🤔🤔

Oh well! I can't remember the last time I actually had a pack of ready salted, my favourite, which I never buy! But at least this little episode has put me off them as I felt icky after so lesson learnt!!

Hi everyone

You fell off my threads I'm on and I'm so not with it I didn't notice .

Blood tests results are in and not great. Did too much today and now
back in bed. Plan to stay here for a few days. Had two lots of paracetamol as I am so uncomfortable with the enlarged spleen.

I made my usual mincemeat for Christmas mince pies earlier in the week so at least I have achieved that.

Is it too late to join?! I know we're half way through already, but don't really want to wait til November

I'd really like to join slimming club IRL, as I struggle to keep to a diet by the time I get to 3pm! But don't get on with slimming world at all, which is all that seems to be on offer

Welcome @Yetanothernamechange123. Good luck!

@Yetanothernamechange123 welcome and good luck with your journey!!
Start off logging all the food and drinks you consume and be honest with yourself, drink plenty of water and try to walk more. My fitness pal is good and free! Personally, I've done slimming world and anyone who says you can eat as much pasta as you like and still lose weight is wrong, it really doesn't work. I started Noom (it's calorie counting) back in January and so far have lost 38lbs and have managed to keep it off by going slowly. 1-2lbs a week is great, no loss for week is still great because you have maintained your previous loss and if you gain, well your body changes throughout the month so realise this and don't beat yourself up about it.
Also, can I ask what are you eating before 3pm?
My other top tip, is lay off the alcohol if you do drink, I've lost 13lbs in just the past 6 weeks by cutting out daily drinking, I've only drank 4 nights since the beginning of September and honestly, I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner because it really has helped my weight loss and also made life far less stressful!

@SunshineCake1 hello again, how are you feeling this week?

Happy Friday everyone!

Another bootcamp done and OMG it was hard today but I think I kept up well! Met some more people there today, 1 guy whose done it for 11 weeks and has lost 2 stones and another guy who has been doing it for 3 years because he loves it so much! I want to be both, I want the weight loss and the love for the exercising so I can maintain my loss going forward. That's the biggest thing for me, its all very well losing weight but it is the maintenance that is the hardest thing and I really want to change that this (final 🤞) time round!

Scales said 14 stones this morning so 2lb back up from yesterday (thought -4lbs yesterday was too good to be true!) but I'm still 3lbs down for the week so all good. 4lbs away from the 3 stone mark then it will be time to set another goal weight!!

I tried natural Greek yoghurt with berries and mixed seeds this morning for my post work out breakfast and it was quite nice. Thinking sweet potato and tuna for lunch today with a nice salad and then a fish tray bake and green beans for dinner.

Right, I'm off to get Alexa singing at me and do my chores!!

XX

Thank you @Youdoyoutoday. I am envious of your boot camp. I can't imagine when I can run again - doctor said six weeks but that isn't happening - never mind do a boot camp! Well done you. I was never a gym bunny but absolutely love running and got pretty good.

Yesterday I went out and did too much and I have been in pain and in bed since. Staying her until at least Sunday as arranged to see a friend on Monday a few days ago and really want and need to.

Put too much weight on. Eating as hungry but also eating my feelings as going through a really hard personal time as well as physical.

@Youdoyoutoday I get what you mean. This is why I couldn't be trusted to even buy them!

@SunshineCake1 it falls off my "I'm on" too don't know why, annoying

Well done on doing the mincemeat but yea you need to pace yourself lovey!

@Yetanothernamechange123 welcome never too late/early to join

I also disagree with slimming world it wouldn't work for me but it works for some

Are there no other slimming clubs near you? There's usually at least a ww and sometimes local independent ones too, we have a few here that are basically run by practice nurses.

@Youdoyoutoday post is good for guidance I would add :

Don't just cut out a meal or snack or massively cut the portion size, replace with other healthier/lower cal items/meals/snacks

Increase veg intake - nutritious and will fill the gap left by removing more calorific foods

Don't be too strict straight away - it's not sustainable and you're likely to get fed up and hungry and lose motivation. I started with baby steps (swapped full sugar drinks for diet, switched to lower cal puds and treats, cut carb portions) and then gradually added in more changes. Trying to do it all at once won't work

Make sure you are having ENOUGH calories too - both for health and feeling full

I check the nhs bmi calculator regularly and it tells you roughly calorie range you should be having to maintain and to err to lower end of that range to lose, I tend towards the middle of that range, reason I check regularly is the range changes as you lose weight cos you need less calories then. Eg with my start weight the range was 1466-1885, now it's 1408-1810

Bmi has dropped 3 points

That'll do you for starters I think don't want to overwhelm you we have lots of tips and tricks and recipes we use ask anything

@Youdoyoutoday well done on another bootcamp! 3lb loss is good.

Tomorrow is gonna be my day for chores place needs a blitz! It'll knacker me but it'll be such a relief to have it done! - newbies I'm not normally a slattern I had COVID recently and still gradually recovering from that plus I'm disabled so that kinda thing is a struggle anyway

@Youdoyoutoday well done on bootcamp day 2! And the good loss.

Bless you @Graphista, I guessed you had been ill from some of your posts, but not that it was Covid. Hope you get back to feeling normal soon. i appreciate the advise you are giving on here. Helps me stay on track.

@SunshineCake1 hope you get some good rest this weekend and make it to see your friend on Monday.

I'm showing as down 4lb on the scales, but we have the weekend to go before my official weigh in on Monday so we will see.

I have managed to get two swim sessions in this week but not enough walking. I will try to add that in next week.

@Graphista. It falls off once we post on so many threads as no room to list them all.

Just waiting for dh to get back as I have to go to hospital to get checked out.

• @Youdoyoutoday * Well I think writing down exactly what I eat would be a great start, judging by today's food. I start the day with a swim, or this morning half an hour on the treadmill and then a swim. Get back and have a poached egg on wholemeal toast, no butter + a few cups of tea! Today I went out with a support group in the woods - 2 x cheese toasties, and a couple of spoonfuls of apple crumble. Then did food shopping, and bought Halloween sweets 🙄. Ate one small packet of haribo and 2 x Freddos! Got back 5pm and had avocado and poached egg.

I know I need to plan better. I'm quite active but sleep is terrible and sometimes eat later in the day just to keep me awake. (Last night I woke at 2am, 4am and then got up at 6:15).

I did do Michael Mosley's fast 800 a couple of years ago but don't seem to be able to get started xx

@Yetanothernamechange123 to be fair your diet isn't awful, maybe just 1 cheese toastie for lunch with salad and just the one sweet snack is really all I would change for you from what you have listed. Be mindful of liquid calories too. For I have coffee and tea with milk so 1 cup is 50 calories, several cups easily adds up.
Meal planning helps me as then I know what's coming and when it's coming so I meal plan all 3 meals a day and I have small dark chocolate bar in the evening once the kids are down.

I have the fast 800 recipe books because they are just easier for me to use as the calories are sorted, they do have meal plans in each of them so you could start with those if you feel a bit lost with that.

However, sleep is your main issue not necessarily your diet or exercise. You need to sort that for own sanity let alone anything else.
Is the sleep disruption a recent thing or have you always had it?
Sleep is one of the main factors of good, healthy weight loss because being tired before the day has even begun makes life so much harder as we all know.

Also I try to stick to 1200 calories a day and I'm OK with that. Some days I do go over and some, I'm under and if I'm out for dinner then goodbye calorie counting. I don't go mad but I just have the nice meal, enjoy it and carry on tomorrow

Yes the sleep, or lack of is a problem. I know the picking at food later in the day comes because I am exhausted.

I have quite a lot on my plate over the past year, I've recently cut back on ADs, wondering if this hasn't helped sleep.

I also worry about missing the alarm in the morning, so wonder if I am subconsciously thinking this and so not sleeping soundly. Maybe I'll set another alarm in case!