Marvellous March

[Octopus37]

Here is the new thread for tomorrow.

I am taking my starting weight as the weight as yesterday's weight, 9st1.75, same as beginning of February. Its been a bit of a tricky month for various reasons, so hoping to do a bit better in March.

@swallowedAfly I've come across this when looking into my sleep disorder as I get it occasionally. It's actually a thing called NES

@HeyGirlHeyBoy as you are trying to lessen phone use overnight have you tried using a timer for do not disturb? I've just set mine up as even though I tell people I'm not taking calls in the evening, given I often worked from 8:30-8pm, people can't seem to grasp it and still call! Hopefully this will help

Absolutely IswallowedaFly, weather helps massively and your non formula is also reassuring in a way. I have fasted myself today. Last morsel last night around 8 and didn't eat today until 1pm and have finished food for the day now. Small lunch at 1pm and full dinner just now. Sport at 6 so suits to eat well beforehand. Period on the way which will balls it all up a bit. Water good.

Charlie, my phone is off overnight! But I being a fool turn it on at times for a half hour or so. Not good. And such a habit. Fitbit packed it in so now don't know time without it, which doesn't help.

Interesting Charlie , thank you for that information.

HeyGirl I'm really looking forward to brighter longer days. Well done on your small eating window. Hope you're not too hungry after exercise tonight.

The lighter afternoons are such a boost aren't they? Second day without bread and chocolate. I'm finding ice lollies satisfy my need for something sweet. I've had lots of rice cakes and yogurts and some fruit and of course magic water.

10/8 here today and day 18 off the cigarettes. I’ve done over 10k steps each day this week too. Just don’t ask me about water. 🙈

Two days in now and I am feeling much happier with myself. No eating after dinner, lots of water, no bread, no chocolate. Ds had a chip barm from the chippy last night and I would have loved it but made do happily with my chips and curry. I'd had yogurt and a tablespoon of muesli for breakfast, 4 rice crackers for lunch and a portion of lentil crisps so I thought I could work the chips and curry into my allowance.

Any good suggestions for rice cake toppings?

Tonight I am hungry going to bed but I know it's worth it and my stomach will feel much better for having a good rest.

Well done @DirtOnThePlough.

Half a pound up today, 9st2.25, not enough steps/water the last couple of days. Also hormones doing funny things. Nevermind, its nearly the weekend.

Thank you
I'm having oatcakes for lunch-can anyone inside me with toppings? I've only got butter and jam at the moment which isn't very healthy.

What about things like low fat cream cheese and salmon or cucumber/ham/tomatoes, hummus with carrot, tuna Mayo, avocado, peanut butter and banana. Not all low cal but healthy and less sugar

3lb down again this week. My BMI is at the low end of normal so now it's really just maintenance now.
Hope everyone has a great weekend. After a hideous week I'm hoping for a chilled one with walks, yoga, pottering and maybe some food prep. Thai chicken larb tonight and venison sausage casserole tomorrow

Well done @CharlieBubbles88 and @Judystilldreamsofhorses well done on giving up the cigarettes!
We had takeaway pizza and ice cream last night still no chocolate (which I’ve given up for Lent) got my steps in but not enough water! Will weigh in on Monday. Have a good weekend all x

Well done @CharlieBubbles88. Also @Judystilldreamsofhorses you are doing fantastically, it must be so hard.

TBH (feel a bit rubbish when everyone else is doing so well), but I'm struggling at the moment. I'm at a low ebb at the moment for various reasons and I'm up to 9st3 this morning. Hopefully I can turn things round soon, would love to just get back to what I was before Christmas.

Ah @Octopus37 try to use it to spur you on rather than dishearten you. I love seeing other people doing well and use their positivity and motivation to my advantage and push me forward. I'm quite lucky in that various people around me are trying to make positive changes. Some have different goals, or similar but are going about them in a completely different way, but it's their positivity and sense of purpose that drives me

Octopus you're doing great - think big picture - this is towards the end of the worst period of the year and you're feeling low and have stuff going on and you're at your worst weight in ages and it's only 9st3 and you know how quickly that turns around for you once you feel a bit more able and on it. Know what you mean about the hormone situation on hrt - I'm on day 26 of my cycle now but that could mean anything Today is last day of progesterone so period will come.... at some point.

I haven't weighed today because I only weigh naked but it was so cold in the bathroom when I woke up at stupid o' clock and then I wanted to drink lots of water and coffee. Yesterday was pretty good food wise and I've been being good with water and will endeavour to do well today too - I'll try and face the scales tomorrow before ruining it with lunch at my parents.

Aim is to make quorn bolognese today and not eat till late afternoon/early evening and then keep it light. Will aim to have mine with a baked potato rather than pasta I think and ds can have his usual enviable mountain of pasta. I will however be having a few cans of beer.

Just in case it is of any interest to anyone - not sure if we've got anyone with large amounts to lose anymore but... When I started out I would fairly regularly burn more than 2400cals in a day and set my goal on fitbit to calorie burn at 2200 a day. At some point that became unrealistic and I put it down to 2100, then 2000. Now if I have an inactive day I burn between 1500-1600 and on a busy day between 1800 and 1900.

Obvious point is that your bmr goes down as you lose weight (though I still find it surprising that it's gone down by that much) and that we have to adjust to that and it's another benefit of going slowly potentially because you get used to needing less calories gradually rather than the yoyo effect. The other point that dawned on me was that it was taking that much more energy to drag myself around and through my day before - just carrying that additional fat around took a significantly higher amount of fuel.

Would love to say oh I have so much more energy now but sadly I can't Normal people might though - I think health stuff and peri and just juggling lone parenting and work means I always tend to feel tired and worn out. It does however mean less strain on my heart and my joints etc though even if I don't 'feel' it.

I’m still hovering around 10/8, also still no fags, so balance etc. hope everyone has a lovely weekend. We’re going out for tapas, and the sun is shining ☀️

You're right @CharlieBubbles88, I'm really pleased for everyone doing well. @swallowedAfly, thanks, think hormones aren't helping. I'm about half way through the progesterone part of my HRT and I'm already had wierd spotting the last few days. I dont often have a proper period tbh, wondering if I need to talk to the GP about it cause I dont know if it means I'm getting further through peri now.

One day at a time, and breathe. Off to take the dog out in a minute, so will at least manage some steps. @Judystilldreamsofhorses enjoy your tapas

Yes I have tapas envy going on here!

It's confusing Octopus - I don't know what to expect tbh. My cycles have become more irregular and have changed but I don't know if that's peri progressing or the hrt. Def one day at a time. If you find you're more emotional or struggling in the progesterone part of hrt cycle it might be worth considering patches. I am very sensitive to progesterone affecting my mood and know the patches are less likely to cause those issues than tablets.

Well done to all who have achieved losses and/or making healthy changes.

@Octopus37 - I know 9st 3lb may seem less good to you but unless you are very short presumably you are in a healthy weight range? What were you before Christmas?

@swallowedAfly - it's really interesting what you say about BMR and activity. My BMR is really just over 1300 so unless I'm very active 1850 is enough to maintain for me. I can't cut low enough to "guarantee" 1lb down every week as it puts me too low to sustain. I'm out for dinner tonight AND lunch tomorrow so just trying to keep other meals small and healthy around those.

@Judystilldreamsofhorses - well done on still being cigarette free - that's a fantastic achievement.

@LBB2020 - I've also given up chocolate for Lent. Mainly because since having Covid it tastes weirdly chemical and I didn't want to give up wine!! Eggs are also horrible and possibly garlic - difficult to say. Some things just taste odd. Strangely I've only been affected since I've recovered!!

@QueenMabby, yes I need to get it in perspective. I was 8st12 before Christmas, only managed that cause of a lot of stress last Summer, obviously, I don't want those situations back. I am a healthy weight 5ft5 height but quite small framed (weirdly despite big hips and feet) so extra weight shows quickly.

@swallowedAfly I'm going to make a GP appointment to discuss my HRT I think. Hard to know whether it's the progesterone or other stuff. Sorry that you've been finding the same.

Hormones have a lot to answer for!

Yesterday I allowed myself a night off from intermittent fasting to eat some lentil chips with Dd while we watched tv and chatted. She likes late evening bonding time and a snack. Today I'm back on it though and although I'm hungry tonight I know I can do it. I don't think I've eaten much today really so that will be why I'm hungry. Oatcakes for breakfast and lunch (they are my new obsession), some lentil chips, roast potatoes, roast carrots, roast parsnips, stuffing, peas, cranberry sauce and two Yorkshire puddings, a fruit pie thing with ice cream. I've not eaten between meals the last few days so these are positives in the right direction.

Had my bestie over last night and we got take away and went out for a couple of drinks. Didn't all the takeaway but I'm somehow another two pounds up this morning, 9st5. I'm trying not to panic, think it is the salt as I've had these crazy fluctuations before. I'm aiming to drink lots of water today and not weigh for a few days. @DirtOnThePlough your bonding time with your daughter sounds lovely

@Octopus37 - yes definitely salt causing water retention and unless you've been to the loo then the actual weight of the food in your system. One takeaway and some drinks couldn't cause the 3500 calorie surplus needed to gain 1lb of fat! Give it a couple of days and you'll be back down again.

Three course dinner with wine for me last night and a three course lunch (no wine because I was driving!) today. Have managed to keep other meals small though and my hydration has been good. I only weigh in on Wednesdays so I've a couple of days to balance it out. Have a lunch out on Thursday though so need to factor that in for the next week.

Hope everyone's had a good weekend.

@Octopus37 I am also up 2lb today - neither of us ate 7,000 extra calories yesterday, I am certain! I know I should stop weighing daily really. I always weighed on a Wednesday pre pandemic, then never ever any other day. It’s just a stupid habit now, and I know it has the power to ruin my day.

@Allaboutthebooks and @Judystilldreamsofhorses, in the nicest possible way glad its not just me. I'm down quarter of a pound this morning. @QueenMabby I have been to the loo so its not that. I do feel very bloated and uncomfortable though. Will weigh again in a couple o weeks.