LOSE IT! January 2022

[TheRealHousewife]

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022 🍾 🎊 🎉 🍾

Fresh new year, fresh new start, fresh new habits. Jump right in to reset & refresh to become a healthier version of yourself.

As no one size fits all, members need to follow their own way of eating. 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. 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).

I calorie count based on a lower carb Mediterranean diet. I intermittent fasting and eat twice a day.

Are you in😊 What food plan will you be following? What do you want to change and why?

Useful Link - more to follow

Reset After Over Eating

@swampytiggaa yeah I think I'm going to have to set a limit and I KNOW it's boredom as I've just finished my crochet project which keeps my fingers busy! I'm going to sort out my stash and find another thing to make!!
I'm also in this week so that maybe a contributing factor *grasps at straws 😂

Also, does anyone know an app that can calculate the amount of calories burnt up by shifting a wooden filing cabinet up a flight of stairs? I wonder how many filing cabinet removals equal one slice of Terrys Chocolate Orange 🍊🍫🤔😀

Good Morning All

@campingqueen121 your salad looks delicious 😋 Right up my street!

Some great losses being posted!

@onwardsandupwards22 whatever way of eating you choose needs to be enjoyable, sustainable, satiating and something you can imagine doing for the rest of your life. I for example naturally only want to eat twice a day as I can’t face food in the am (I wasn’t always like this) I naturally enjoy eating vegetables, avocados, berries, pulses, beans, cheeses, fish, chicken, some red meat occasionally. I naturally don’t enjoy alcohol as I have got older due to be unable to tolerate it. I don’t have any added sugar in hot drinks or sugary drinks like fruit juice or squash. I have full fat everything (portion controlled) although I do calorie count. I’m lucky enough to have the time to prepare foods from scratch and enjoy cooking. Having said that I do not ban anything (except gluten due to being celiac) and if I fancy chocolate or an ice cream I’ll have it. My way of eating isn’t a diet it’s a way of life. Good luck!

Someone at the door … better pst before I lose it.

I use Happy Scale too. It's a really friendly gentle weight loss tracker I find.

@TheRealHousewife

Good Morning All

@campingqueen121 your salad looks delicious 😋 Right up my street!

Some great losses being posted!

@onwardsandupwards22 whatever way of eating you choose needs to be enjoyable, sustainable, satiating and something you can imagine doing for the rest of your life. I for example naturally only want to eat twice a day as I can’t face food in the am (I wasn’t always like this) I naturally enjoy eating vegetables, avocados, berries, pulses, beans, cheeses, fish, chicken, some red meat occasionally. I naturally don’t enjoy alcohol as I have got older due to be unable to tolerate it. I don’t have any added sugar in hot drinks or sugary drinks like fruit juice or squash. I have full fat everything (portion controlled) although I do calorie count. I’m lucky enough to have the time to prepare foods from scratch and enjoy cooking. Having said that I do not ban anything (except gluten due to being celiac) and if I fancy chocolate or an ice cream I’ll have it. My way of eating isn’t a diet it’s a way of life. Good luck!

Someone at the door … better pst before I lose it.

Thanks.. I think you are right. I am going to calorie count this week and start adding fast days. I did it before and hopefully with some willpower I can do it again !

I weigh in pants only too

When I did ww I weighed in the same outfit every week (no shoes ever and in winter I'd take all my woollies etc off too) so that it kept me honest

@SunshineCake1 you MUST follow the medical advice and give yourself a chance to recover properly physically

@campingqueen121 yea in my experience the constant peeing normally eases off within a week. I'm at the stage myself just now having got out the habit of drinking enough myself (I only ever actually feel thirsty during heatwaves! I'm terrible for forgetting to drink!)

I'm also a big cheese and mayo person, I've switched to lower fat versions and have smaller portions but also I add flavour from what ww used to call flavour boosters - herbs, spices, marmite, soy sauce etc (depending on the dish of course)

Just checked and seen salad cream approx half the cals of mayo so might get some in myself, although for me mayo is also a way for me to get certain nutrients that are hard to get in a veggie diet.

Did my physio AND some tummy crunches yesterday which I plan to do AT LEAST these daily.

@SavedbytheShaktimat choc wise I like muller light choc fix layers which is only 69 cals a pop! Also tunnocks tea cakes and ww caramel wafer biscuits - I'm not a big choc person but when I do fancy a hit these are what I use

I track my intake on my phone as I find that easiest but a nice notebook is good too

@TheRealHousewife 3rd day in a row having breakfast!

@8stone13 just be aware on the nuts and fruit as they can be quite high cal even though can be part of a healthy diet

I'd better watch my new nut addiction... 🌰

See? Pistachios are best option cal wise plus they take a while to eat as you have to shell them. I'll sometimes have a 25g portion if rest of that day quite low cal

I think @swampytiggaa is almost at maintenance point more or less and is still on thread - you certainly won't be booted off!

@onwardsandupwards22 different plans work for different people. Perhaps IF doesn't suit your body? Some people find low fat suits them, some low carb... personally I think everything in moderation is sensible as then you're getting all nutrients too. Very low calorie plans (eg 1000 cals per day) imo shouldn't be followed for too long as you're also restricting nutrition. They can be good for a "kick start" and I would say if you have other long term health issues you should check with your dr before embarking on a plan like this.

I have used the nhs bmi calculator throughout to get an idea of how many cals to have daily - inc checking when I lose and reducing accordingly as you need less cals the less you weigh of course. I started on approx 1900 cals per day - and I did lose on this amount! Because I was heavier then and needed more cals. I'm now on 1400 cals a day. If I'd thought that would be the case at the beginning I'd have thought I'd be STARVING at this stage. But as it's been a gradual change my body and appetite have adjusted.

I do think if you cut down to a really low number of cals at the beginning there's a risk of setting yourself up to fail - because you'll feel hungry, you'll get cravings! I certainly don't think it's sustainable for more than a week or so.

I'm very much a fan of 🐢 method of slow and steady.

Others on thread have been doing it for longer of course, I started in June last year and at my lowest weight this represented almost a 2 stone loss (but that was post Covid and I was bad with it!) but more likely it's about 1.5 stone lost which may not seem a lot but I am v happy with that as it's been losses most weeks AND it's mostly stayed off!

Just my thoughts/experience

What I always remember/refer back to is my ww leader used to tell us most weeks

"It didn't go on overnight it won't come off overnight!"

And she was right based on my experience there. The ww members that tried to speed things up by never using their allowed extras etc tended to find they couldn't sustain what they were doing and either quit altogether - claiming "ww doesn't work" - or cottoned on and then did it the way we were advised to.

Being too strict I think is too hard to sustain.

I don't find the cal counting apps are accurate I prefer to check labels myself or nhs calorie checker for items that aren't labelled like fresh fruit

Most of us tend to eat the same brands and products most weeks and I've found I generally have the same amount of something in my most regularly used recipes/dishes so you quickly learn/remember the cals of the things you eat. I do also weigh and measure things where I'm not using eg a full pack of something so like pasta, rice, mayo etc

@Fooshufflewickjbannanapants A loss is a loss! It's in the right direction nothing wrong with that - be a proud member of the 🐢 club!

There's a few of us!

It's better than a STS (stayed the same) and DEFINITELY better than a gain!

7 weeks of 1lb a week loss is half a stone gone!

@supertedious You will get gains as well as losses as it takes your body time to adjust to your new intake level and your metabolism adjusts. Someone (again apologies as I forget who!) posted a link on a previous thread to an article that explained why this happens and why it's actually a sign you're losing weight in a sustainable way

Plateaus and occasional gains are a normal part of a long term weight loss journey (yes I know "journey" is kinda twee can't think how else to put it!)

There seems to be no way to input previous weight loss though, which is a shame as I'd love to be able to see a graph starting 10 days ago

You can - when you're inputting to the log the weight you can change the date by tapping on the date part you can scroll back to earlier dates. (See screenshot attached)

whatever way of eating you choose needs to be enjoyable, sustainable, satiating and something you can imagine doing for the rest of your life.

Totally agree

Here's my happy scale graph

Thanks @Graphista I just inputted my data from the start & it whizzed me through several milestones 😀

Thanks also @TheRealHousewife for not booting me 😀 🥾

@8stone13 I got to goal before and stayed around then life got in the way so it crept up again 😊 planning on staying regardless as it’s such a supportive thread 😊

@swampytiggaa I think for a lot of us it's an ongoing work, especially the older we get, the more life gets in the way, & the more we want to make sustainable lifestyle changes, as it starts to become less about the weight & more about an ongoing healthier lifestyle I think 🙂

I did virtual London marathon in October and everything went downhill from there 😂😂 resetting now tho 😊

Thanks 😊 @SunshineCake1! And please let yourself rest and recover before going at it too hard with the running!

I hope everyone is doing OK, remember this will be hard work but you need to just stick at it, Rome wasn't built in a day!!

I went swimming at 6.30 this morning and beat my personal best again, 36 lengths in 40 minutes this time! Considering I'm aching down my back and glutes and finding it hard to bend down, get up, sit down, chase DD around etc, that's not too bad!
I'm certainly feeling the 2 weeks off now!!

I didn't run this morning as met a friend and thought that solved the bleeding but I've just had a gentle walk with the dog and it's back . Making me a bit disheartened but it isn't much and it won't be forever and to be frank I think my mental health is more important than physical at the moment. I might go tomorrow but will see how I feel. At least I am less achey than I was.

Sending love @SunshineCake1

Mental health far more important than physical @SunshineCake1. Takes more effort and energy too I reckon! Head in the right place then the rest will follow.

Congrats to everyone who've had losses already this week - keep it up!! And on the exercise front - every little does help. Congrats You with your swimming PB and your bootcamp award.

I need to be careful of nuts too Graphista. I've been on a slightly slippery snacking slope this month so far. Resisted sugar, but have been on the nuts, salty popcorn, crackers, and rice cakes. None sadly calorie free. I need to get my head back into the mindset that I want a slim body more than I want a snack.

In very good news, I'm still with Dry Jan, and amazingly sleeping really well. No insomnia at 3 / 3.30 (touch wood), and night sweats reduced considerably. So might not be reporting a loss at WOW tomorrow, but am seeing other health benefits.

Keep on going everyone! Effort now = happy summer bodies!

@Graphista thank you it's really given me a boost re weight loss and some gains are all part of the process. I plan to do it slow and steady and then hopefully it will stay off!

14k step count today in my baggy knickers today 😂 . I wish it would stop drizzling in London… I’m craving a walk in the sun ☀️

Last weekend I bought some new underwear - a well overdue task and so far this week I have spent my time hoisting my new underwear up as they keep slipping down. So!… maybe I’m losing a bit of weight 😁 I got a size 12… and my usual size (pre baby) was 10… I think I might be in between sizes.

Breakfast: raspberries, greek yoghurt, linseeds

Lunch: baked tofu and aubergine with baby spinach in a homemade teriyaki and chilli dressing + miso soup

Dinner: roast chicken and sweet potato mash + apple crumble (oat and walnut crumble top) with double cream

Snacks: pistachios, 1 square dark chocolate, 1 macchiato, 1 black filter coffee

I’m trying to pay attention to my portion sizes so for breakfast I found that 2 heaped tablespoons of greek yoghurt is about right for me. It seems to be a bit of a balancing act because I don’t do well when I’m feeling hungry!

I also managed to fit in a 30 min yoga video and started Yoga with Adriene’s 30 days of yoga course for the new year. Day 1 was quite tough because while I’m quite active I’m missing some strength training in my routine. I was trembling in the poses!

Btw, if you’re craving dessert I totally recommend homemade apple crumble - it’s so easy to make and you can add just 1 tablespoon of sugar to the entire crumble top along with oats, nuts and cinnamon - serves about 4 - 6 people.

Great to hear everyone’s progress :)

Managed a 3 mile walk this morning 😊 going to do a short run tomorrow morning 😊 starting Thursday I have 7 late shifts in a row which is going to be challenging…

Hey everyone! Just checking in, still in track and doing my 30 mins of exercise daily

Today’s meals

Breakfast - boiled eggs on toast

Lunch - lean venison grillsteak with roasted veggies

Dinner - baked haddock risotto

First day of my period today and im absolutely knackered, really did not want to go for a walk today but I forced myself

Have a great day tomorrow everyone

Checking in before weighing in tomorrow... On my period this week so bracing myself for possibly not seeing what I'd like on the scales in the morning.

I've been so happy with how on track I've stayed since the last weigh in. I'm getting out for a long walk every morning before work, and then most days at lunch time I do a workout on the spin bike or a Body Pump class as I recently got the equipment to do it from home, and I even fit in a little bit of yoga. Some days have been harder than others motivation wise.

I'm feeling a difference already in my clothes, I'm visibly less bloated, so that's giving me the drive to keep going.

Hopefully can participate in the thread more the coming week - first two weeks of my new job have been chaotic. Checking in daily and keeping up with everyone will probably help my motivation.

I've had an odd day. I've been very spacey, really struggled to concentrate, kept getting a head rush, it felt like my blood pressure was too low, & it's chronically low as it is (the last time I had it taken as part of a routine medical appointment the Dr wouldn't let me leave the health centre for several hours until it came back up from almost dead to vaguely human 😬) I ate more than usual today but felt I needed it, I was much better when I did, I came back to life really 😐

I also tried clothes on that had become too tight & they all fit well, they're even a bit loose. I looked at myself in the mirror & realised that if I didn't have scales I'd think I'd hit my target already. I have some analyser scales but my partner has got them at her place, she's going to bring them over at the weekend. I'm interested to know what my body fat is like now...

I had the first sweet treat I've had in 2022 (other than my daily hot choc ☕️) in the shape of 6 small pieces of salted caramel fudge. I can't express how much I enjoyed it! More so than if I'd stuffed the whole pack, as I really savoured it. That's the way forward in terms of the management of my sweet tooth I think - more mindful eating of smaller amounts.

Not sure who said you don’t pour the bottle over the shirt if you spill a drop but it kept me out of the biscuit tin tonight so thank you! Have made a lovely slimming world biryani tonight and been for a swim. Consistency is what I need most of all! Taking a min to plan and reading this thread is keeping me focussed.