LOSE IT! November 2021

[TheRealHousewife]

Hello & Welcome

October has flown by and now November is upon us! The outside temperature is actually warmer than this time last month, so feels quite unseasonal. Still have bumble bees and lady birds in the garden 😮. I for one do look forward to cosy nights by the fire and prepping for the coming festive season.

With just 59 days until Christmas there's still 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 October’s 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. The important thing is not to think of it as a diet (based on deprivation and unsustainable) but more a way of life (sustainable & enjoyable).

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

Blood Sugar Diet based on Mediterranean Recipes

Intermittent Fasting

MFP App also available.

25 Tips to lose weight & improve health

The Science behind sleep & weight gain

Holistic approaches to Eat Sleep Move Be

The Importance of Fibre

The Importance of Water for Weight Loss

Hello! I’m back with balanced chakra’s 😊 had a lovely relaxing time will wait and see if it changes anything 😊 this is the cage layout on my troubled chakras 😊

Fasting is going well accidentally managed 20 hours today due to working over today. Did a weights workout at 4am again 👍 it’s not as horrific as it sounds 😂😂just getting up 15 minutes earlier 😊

Couple days late, but I'd like to join, too.

Mid 50s, been in menopause for a couple years now. Definitely think there is impact of hormones on weight gain.

Started trying to lose since March 2021 when my doctor said I had to really come to grips and lose weight (I had gained over a stone since my prior visit with her 5 months earlier).

SW: 90kg
CW: 76kg
GW: 68kg

Primarily cut out salt, sugar and many processed foods and started walking the dog a whole lot more (had already cut out alcohol).

Then stopped the exercise about 2 months ago after feeling sick. Sorta lost motivation. Thankfully mostly maintained prior weight loss. But really feel need to push for final loss.

Have a mini-goal of losing 8 lbs over the next 4 weeks prior to a weekend away.

I think the only way is going to be through increased exercise at this point. So - just when it's getting cold and it's dark out, will be walking the dog again and trying to fit in some weights. And here I sit on my couch. Ugh.

Food is largely under control:
Salads, soups, veggies, vinegars for dressing. Tons of legumes. Sometimes eggs or chicken. Limited cheese.

I find once I start with processed carbs, added salt or added sugar, I can't stop. The only exception I make is adding high protein shake to my morning coffee.

Welcome @pennefabredux. You've got a handle on this. Well done.

They couldn’t position me/it to do the biopsy. It’s too deep by the chest wall. Will now seed to see a surgeon.
More waiting and anxiety. Dh bought carrot cake to cheer me up.

@pennefabredux I’m exactly the same with carbs and sugar I started end of august and got into rhythm then last week I had the week off work and wasn’t very well i decided to do some baking with little one and said one gingerbread for a treat this turned into me eating a number of them and going on a large binge for three days my first blip in seven weeks remarkably I have pulled it in & am now day 3 back on track but yes same problem I can’t stop when I get going x ☹️

Sorry to hear that, @fallfallfall. I hope you get an appointment very soon.

Ever since the children were old enough for cakes etc I have only ever put 1/3-less than 1/2 of the sugar stated in. The kids have never known any different and the recipes all tasted nice. If you bake a lot it is an easy calorie save.

Sorry to read they're couldn't do your biopsy @fallfallfall.

A clear mammogram @SunshineCake1 that's great.

Some of the exercise and boot camps sound so inspiring.

I have internal wrangling over should I? Shouldn't I? snack, and that type of thing. Drinking water instead of a snack is a great strategy, I do that too. I'm best when I make decisions before hand. Like no snacks today, then stick to it.

I've had a good week. I've not been going overboard with eating and I've not felt deprived. I'm not sure when I'll weigh myself.

I did a nice 8km walk today. I saw a small rabbit, some birds that looked like quail, and lots of other birds. So nice. Lovely to be outside in the country side, in nature. It wasn't too hot. It rained a bit, but I quite like that.

You really have had a good week @DownUdderer and what a lovely walk that sounds. I can't wait until I can do more.

Thanks for the welcome everyone
@buzzofthebumblebee I actually love a cold pint of beer but I will steer clear of that and switch to gin and tonic or vodka and d.coke. We have got into such a bad habit with our regular drinking so this is a good chance for a bit of a reset.
@Yoyo2021 gingerbread would have been y downfall as well.

One of the things I know from experience that I will struggle with is food boredom. I tend to eat the same things when I am trying to lose weight and really need to find some inspiration. I love cooking and my main meal is not so much the issue but my go to for b.fast and lunch tends to be boiled egg and a slice of toast and then soup or salad .
Any ideas gratefully received.

I tend to obsess too and once I find something I like have it for every lunch for a while. Once it was avocado on toast with chilli sauce on the top. When pregnant it was slice tomatoes on toast with olive oil and pepper. I'd put it all together then toast under the grill. Sublime.

Hi Everyone,

Just did a big read through and caught up but it either sounds like things are going well for some, or really tough for others. But everyone is so supportive of each other this seems like a good place to be with good or bad news!

Looks like some people having lost loads before coming here, it's so inspiring to see everyones numbers and the non-restrictive way they've been doing things

Weighed in today at 10 st 2. Hoping to really pull my socks up and get into the 9s by next week. Would be so good just to see that number that was the one I was in the whole of my 20s.

I've applied to about 10 jobs this past month or two and haven't heard back from any yet (other than saying I'd been shortlisted for a couple, which is good), but the constant email checking and waiting and imagining the worst is quite miserable.

I'm going to start running again from Sunday this week, can't wait. actually, and the saunas are back open in the gym which is suuuuch a treat! Better than getting cake on the way home from the preschool run :/
That's key isn't it, finding ways to genuinely treat yourself that isn't food!

Good Morning All

Sorry to hear you’ve a sick household @jellyrolly. Fingers crossed they soon recover. Well done on swerving the snakes!

@swampytiggaa oooo are those your chakras? Have they removed them? I thought chakras were internal. Do you feel differently?

A warm welcome @pennefabredux never too late to join us all. Great inspiring ladies on here 😊 BTW you’ve made great progress to date 👍👏

@fallfallfall sorry to hear that. Hoping they’ll quickly see to you ❤️

@SunshineCake1 happy to read your mammogram is clear 👍

@DownUdderer your 8k walk sounds so appealing and therapeutic! It’s lovely to get up close to nature.

@Timetobuckup there are some free recipes on Fast800 or the blood sugar diet. Both websites endorsed by Dr Michael Moseley. What foods to you like and I’ll post some recipes for you.

Menu
Meal 1 - Halloumi stir fry (same as yesterday)
Meal 2 - Chicken tray bake. Apple. Walnuts.
Water, tea with milk, coffee with cream (a small one)

Have a great day everyone … possibly crossed posted as been doing post over an hour 😮

A warm welcome @amorningperson fingers crossed you hear back (positively with offers) from your interviews 🤞. Saunas are so beneficial and I agree an utter treat. You’ll nail your desired loss with that plan you have.

I thought I’d share These I’ve come across; they are podcasts by Dr Michael Mosley. They are titled Just One Thing. Each one focuses on changing one thing that will improve your life/weight/health for the better.

Let me know what you think if you take a listen.

Ola peeps!!

@fallfallfall thinking of you

Bootcamp done!!
Have to admit that I was feeling a bit miffed after yesterday's weigh in and was really tempted to not go this morning but my bladder had me up so I thought I might as well go and I'm glad I did.

Spoke to my coaches this morning and I said I'd gained 1lb and they said that I'm weighing myself too much and I should also think about upping my calories to build muscle and strength.

Noom taught me that I should weigh myself every day to get used to fluctuations that naturally occur but I've done that and know it happens so I'm going to stay off the scales for a couple of weeks now and concentrate on eating right and exercise.

Bootcamp is getting a bit harder as it gets colder but I was on the frozen ground looking up at all the planes flying across the sky thinking about next year's holiday and getting "beach body" ready!! Certainly encouraged me this morning!

Happy Friday!

@TheRealHousewife just had a listen to a a couple of the change one thing podcasts, quite interesting so thanks for those

@SunshineCake1 I completely understand about getting caught up in one food for ages. Yours sound so yummy! I hadn't had quinoa for years, and then last month when I saw my family (for the first time in 1.5 yrs!), my sister made a quinoa and veggie dish with roasted red pepper sauce. It was yum and then for the next 2 weeks after I returned home, I had the same meal every day. Now I'm on a daily soup: base in chicken bone broth for protein, add spices (change that one out daily: harissa or ginger/garlic or cumin and cayenne, garam massal and curry, etc.), can of legumes (change it up depending on spices) and then add veggies at the end. So many options, low calorie, filling, and high in protein with the bone broth and legumes.

Also made the ill advised choice of having a couple glasses of wine while visiting family, and, unfortunately, having a tougher time giving that up than I should. I know that it's empty calories and not worth it. So, I need to get my head straight about that.

@TheRealHousewife the podcasts sound intriguing. Will give them a listen later.

Here's to a good weekend for us all!

@Herewegoagainx4 welcome that sounds tough! What about getting in healthier/lower cal snacks you can grab "on the go" prepped veggies, fruit, I like quorn sliced fillets, veggie fridge raiders etc

@Yoyo2021 welcome that's great going!

@DownUdderer I'm a night owl so we may be posting at similar times are you an Aussie or an expat? I'm the same there are certain items I'm just better off not having in the house! I started off with baby steps too - cutting out the high cal snacks, switching to sugar free drinks etc

@joysmoy66 Covid takes a while back to fully recover I'm still not quite there

@TheRealHousewife I'm having a similar plateau issue so interested in how to overcome that

@bluesky45 I can't really exercise unfortunately though could maybe do a little more activity than I am doing been trying to have less cals but then I hit late eve and I'm STARVING. And all my willpower is going out the window!

@SunshineCake1 it's a genuine offer whenever you need it I'm often awake in the wee small hours when there's nobody else awake to talk to and I'm pretty unshockable too! Great news on the mammogram GORGEOUS wee puppy! 😍

And we're the same age!

@jellyrolly Yea pill makes things vague but if I'm not through meno yet the endo would be unbearable and it also badly affects my Mh so I am not in a hurry to test it

@swampytiggaa I'm debating trying wrist weights (as I can't drop them!) to try and tone up arms a bit - the awful bingo wings!

@fatflump another 1972 baby! There's a few of us on the thread!

@Yoyo2021 it's better to have fruit with other food as it mitigates the impact on blood sugars plus I've found it makes it less likely to irritate stomach if an acidic fruit like satsumas. A blood sugar spike and then drop can trigger excessive feelings of hunger

I definitely absolutely need to drink MUCH more water! Not just the weight loss but as we're headed into autumn/winter my skin dries out and eczema more likely to flare up. Skincare products only do so much hydration I've learned really is the key but I don't stick to it!

@swampytiggaa oh I am a big fan of new age and complimentary therapies. I've used aromatherapy for YEARS after an old nursing colleague used to advise me and give me massages etc, parents and grandparents very into natural healing.home remedies I only take "medication" when it's absolutely necessary. I'd love to try chakra balancing definitely let us know effects over next few days if any

I've had various types of massage, acupressure (wonderful for period pain! And with the endo I had it bad!), very interested in herbal therapies - eg if I'm bunged up with a cold I'll have turmeric tea and use eucalyptus oil to decongest. The eucalyptus oil also works with MILD asthma symptoms but I have my inhaler in case of an actual attack.

I've had anxiety basically all my life so not sure how I'd notice meno anxiety

@fallfallfall good luck with a new appointment for the the biopsy sending healthy blessings and calming thoughts for you 

@132orbust great to have you back! You can do this! I'm sure of it

@Youdoyoutoday I tend to take the same approach to eating out but I don't think it's serving me well!

I forgot to measure on Monday (measure once a month) so I've done it today :

Ugh - what's the opposite of a nsv?!

Busy and waist same, hips - 1.5" ON!

Gained 1.75lbs this week too! I haven't had a loss since 20 October

I need to get a grip! Help me!

I've just had a look at my food diary for that week and I was having more protein think I need to bear that in mind

@Timetobuckup welcome I did ww years ago how you finding it? I'm doing 1/2 stone at a time too but I'm stuck at the moment. What kinda thing do you normally eat/like so we can make suggestions - any dietary requirements?

Off the top of my head :

Breakfasts - oats if you like them (I don't), yoghurt, scrambled eggs (I mix in a rasher or two of veggie bacon and some sliced peppers), omelette,

Lunches - cous cous warm "salad", small portion of casserole or stew without any carbs on the side, tacos actually aren't too bad if you only have 1 or 2 and only fill with some low cal/veggie chilli, egg dishes again, skewers/kebabs, sushi can be low cal if you're careful, have miso soup as a "starter"

@ILoveYouMoreTheEnd hello well done on the 3lb loss

@pennefabredux welcome everyone has different things that work for them. I take an "everything in moderation" approach I think a wide variety of foods is best for nutrition but with a watchful eye on portion sizes and higher cal items

@TheRealHousewife thanks for podcast link I may try those! In fact I'm listening now

Gah! Forgot to post weigh in properly

Sw 13 stone 12.5lbs

Cw 12 stone 12 lbs

This week - 1.75 lbs on 😭

Thank you @Graphista.

Don't stress about the gain. It will come off.

I have walked the dog twice today and will go running tomorrow. I am feeling hungry so had crisps while dinner was cooking. Best it was I'm not beating myself up about it. Food is just fuel. It had no power over me.

Hi @Graphista that’s a amazing weight loss I would love to be your starting weight let alone current weight I can only dream !👍 I will have some melon in that case in a minute! I’m not sure if you or anyone else can explain why they say it’s bad to eat in the evening past 6 ?

@TheRealHousewife the chakras are internal but the crystal grid is external because they treat the imbalances that show in your aura (I think) honestly it was the most relaxing thing I have done in ages. Think she is going to combine it with aromatherapy which I think would totally bliss me out 😂😂

@Graphista she identified an imbalance in 3 of my chakras two of which were my reproductive area (unsurprising really as I’m perimenapausal) and another in my throat which is connected to communication. Tbh I’m struggling with remembering words at times which is my age I think so maybe that’s part of it?

I had the treatment as a freebie while she’s practicing this part of her treatments but I’ve had aromatherapy massages from her before and she did me a cream to help with a bad insect bite I had and another one to help the swelling and soreness after I broke my arm last year which both helped and smelled amazing too 😊

I’m convinced by aromatherapy not so sure on the other stuff but open minded and tbh I’d pay for another treatment because it was just so lovely. I’ve signed myself up for Novembers crystal club which is about healing 😊so I’ll see how that goes.

@Yoyo2021 I try not to eat after 6 because if I do it’s chocolate/crisps/biscuits other snacks😂😂 I do intermittent fasting so I fast from after my evening meal to after I finish work late morning. Minimum 16 hours 😊

Too late & too tired to tag anyone, but just caught up on everyone's posts. The good news my end is that I have had just one meal today. Too busy for breakfast, out all day (when thought it was going to be couple of hours) so missed lunch, ate leftover bolognaise & rice at 6pm, so won't eat dinner. Plus clocked 12k steps, and had a really good day (volunteering).

Can't remember who said they need to find non-food treats, might I suggest catching up with a girlfriend or two? I don't "get out" enough, and being with my lovely group of ladies today volunteering (all pretty much strangers) was just SO good for the soul, to laugh, to just enjoy being in other people's company, and to realise & be reassured that what you feel / think is the same as the next person. Such a positive boost.

@fallfallfall - so sorry about the biopsy. Easier said than done but try not to worry.

Might brave the scales tomorrow. Feel a bit bloated (bunged up) so can't rely too much on what the scales say.

@Graphista - am sure you just didn't pull the tape measure tight enough ; )

thanks everyone. i'm okay with the differnt testing plan and have calmed down significantly from the day i found out.
although my eating and exercising are a touch out of control.
food wise: i baked my pumpkin yesterday and have about 10cups of mash. i've made pumpkin/apple/curry soup (used milk not cream) that smells amazing! and just took out some pumpkin muffins out of the oven (put six in the deep freeze for when my dd and family come next month from the uk).
@buzzofthebumblebee, believe me if i can show up at the clinic for (occasionally nasty staff) you can brave the scales!!
btw the mammo gal's tone of voice was clearly pissed off as it became obvious the location of the calcification and the equipment were not going to line up.