Shorties trying to lose weight - thread number 4!

[SwimmingOnEggshells]

Can you believe we're on number 4?!

@neverenoughchelseaboots
@Knittingnanny2
@purplegirl13
@Sooverthemill
@WellTidy
@Morningmaeve

New thread!

Anyone below 5'3 please join us if you like!

@purplegirl13 itnis no coincidence that when I stopped posting in the middle of last year, I started to gain again. By the time I came back to the thread at the start of this year, I’d gained just over a stone. Stay with us, if you can. And I like having you here 😀

Well done in the workout @thislittlebird

@Cailindeas35 I’d love to think that it is muscle. But apparently it’s really hard to gain muscle as a woman, you have to work very hard at it. And cardio on weekdays apparently isn’t enough!

I made a carrot, parsnip, celery, onion and cream soup earlier. A bbc recipe, which says it works out as 200 cals per portion. It is really tasty, I’m very pleased with it. That’s me and DH sorted for lunches until the end of the week. Super cheap too, I costed it as 50 pence per portion (Tesco prices)!

Hi I've been following the thread since I popped on around Easter. Finally had what I hope is my first consistent loss last week, whereby I'd lost 2lb during the week and didn't put it back on at the weekend - woohoo. I'm throwing everything at it now, calorie counting, 16:8 and along with my other exercise I've decided to get up earlier and start C25K on the treadmill, just hoping my hip holds out as I gave up running 3 years ago due to wear and tear of my hip tendons.
Weigh in this morning 10st 3.8lb.

The holy grail of weight loss for me @Neversaygoodbye is not undoing all my good work during the week with mini blowouts/too much wine at the weekend! Is daft as I end up making no progress overall. I'm very busy at work this week but I'm going to try and do a C25K run at the weekend. Will probably struggle and might have to go back a week as will be first one since I had a break due to covid/Easter.

Stay with us @purplegirl13 if you can. It definitely helps with the accountability. I'm maintaining these days not losing but that is better than gaining and posting here helps me remember that

Thanks Ladies, first step today will be to not have cake/ pastries and coffee. They've become a habit when going into the office, and the more I have the more sugar I want. I know cutting out refined white carbs takes away my sugar cravings so that'll be the next step

Today: I will try to fast this morning, my tummy has been off so I think no food for a bit will help my gut.

L- veggie sushi from Itsu

D- tbc but like a few of you I'm trying to work through my freezer and cupboard stash.

I've got drinks after work, and they are free so I will try to be restrained.

I already feel much better for posting on here, thank you for your kind messages!

@Sooverthemill that's lovely that your DS is opening a pizzeria, I wish him all the best in his new venture. The Hungarian chicken sounds yummy, I have both sour cream and chicken drumsticks in the fridge so I might make it later in the week.

@WellTidy it's scientifically impossible for you to have gained, honestly it has to be water. Stay strong!

@Cailindeas35 I'm going to look up 30 day shred. My holiday is in two months and I'm feeling very focused.

@purplegirl13 stay with us! You'll get back on it. My jeans are all stuck on me at the moment, I'm trying to not wear anything with an elasticated weight as it lures me into a false sense of security.

Waves to anyone else I might have missed.

Today I'm in the office so for lunch I'm having fish pate with crackers, banana, bag of popcorn. There's a meeting scheduled over lunchtime and it's possible that lunch will be provided so I may just end up eating whatever soggy sandwiches they have on offer

Dinner is going to be pork stir fry with rice.

Lovely to see so many posts! I did a spin class this morning which was loads better than the one I did ten days ago due to (1) much better music with this instructor (80s), (2) my magic cycling leggings which have left me with no undercarriage pain whatsoever, and (3) both of those things making me far happier during the class and therefore working harder.

Spin is hard though! I’m trying not to be demoralised by the calorie count thing in the hike, which is clearly set for a generic man, and says 200 calories burnt. Which isn’t much for 45 minutes. I know I should have my eye on the long term health benefits, but I am purely motivated by vanity for now and I know I’d have burnt more on the treadmill. And felt less like I was dying.

Still 9st bloody 5.5lb despite a 6km/one hour walk at high gradient and eating 1200 cals. But keeping the faith, as Jon Bon Jovi would say.

Hope everyone has good days. Keeeeeeeeeep posting!

Hi everyone. Sounds like some good progress has been made and lots of great food ideas and recipes being shared.

I totally fell off thread again (and any semblance of watching what I eat). I get really angry at my height meaning I have to be so careful. Food is one of my few pleasures and I really don’t want all the joy taken out of it, I really don’t want to be someone who can’t eat the cake or drink the wine without feeling guilty.

But I can’t keep eating the way I have been if I don’t want to keep putting on weight. At the moment it’s only 5 kg I want to lose (@Cathy31 think we are around the same in weight and goals) which doesn’t sound that bad but that also makes it harder to get motivated and on the other hand I can’t pretend that 5 kg doesn’t show on me.

I’m just in a constant battle with myself at the moment!

@WellTidy I’m very impressed with you and any others who are finding the motivation to exercise. It’s one thing I’ve always struggled with (apart from walking, I do like walking but even that I’m struggling with at the moment-probably mainly because having a toddler in tow doesn’t lead to a good walk!). I really enjoyed daily yoga for a couple of years but then I had a lot of other stuff going on and it became yet another chore to try to fit in and I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to get the full benefits. I’ve kept up a weekly class which I really enjoy but could do with incorporating it into my routine again.

@Cailindeas35 I did 30 day shred about ten years ago in preparation for my first holiday with dp. It definitely helped with some overall toning. Maybe I should try it again. I also have a holiday coming up which I’m really nervous about anyway as it’s with a group of women and I’ve never done that kind of holiday before so don’t know what to expect. Would be good to feel slightly happier in my skin for it!

@Pommelegible I'm going to give 30 day shred a go. It can't hurt and may motivate me.

In the interests of shaming myself into action so far today I’ve had

Breakfast: 2 cups of tea
2 weetabix and oat milk
half a slice of toast with butter (dc discards, should have chucked it)

Snack: coffee with oat milk
2 bourbon creams

Lunch: leftover veggie teriyaki rice
kombucha
cream eclair
green tea

Then 4 chocolates. Ffs. Complete boredom eating.

Ive only done 4K steps so far too due to being stuck at home with poorly child. Have yoga tonight and will try to go for a walk afterwards.

dinner will be Thai green curry (chicken) with lots of veggies.

@WellTidy I can't believe you've become a gym-goer :) Push on through, you are doing all the right things and it will show on the scales eventually

I had a banana for a morning snack, and lunch was a veggie meatball coconut soup rice concoction from Itsu (438 cals) plus a soft poached egg so I think I am doing ok (so far).

I mentioned there will be drinks after work (free ones at that) but my aim today was not to have cake/coffee and if I manage that I'll be happy. Obvs alcohol later will impact my dinner choices.

Checking in for accountability. Not sure how I was expected to stay seems sensible when I was taken out for free drinks after work. Had about 5 glasses of prosecco and 1 cocktail. Got a McDonald's veggie burger and fries on the way home.

Still pleased I resisted the sugary coffees/ cakes etc especially when someone had left out pastries in the office kitchen in the morning.

I'm hovering still just under nine and a half stone where I've been for about two months. But yet again look slimmer in my start-of-month bra and pants photo. It's nice to have 5 months now to skip through and see the gradual difference.

I'm sooo hungry all the time though - cereal in the night levels of hunger 😕. DS is stepping up his milk intake though so I guess it's that.

Hope everyone is doing well.

I think you can't be expected to resist free drinks Purple. And there's probably a lot more fat in the pastry you resisted than the drinks. Clearly you hold us all together - you stop posting and we all go quiet!

Hope you're feeling better Knitting, tooth work is such an unbearable pain.

Hi to the newer folk who are on it and giving me motivation.

I just saw your name on a hand cream thread WellTidy and felt like I'd bumped into a friend at the shops 😆.

@neverenoughchelseboots 😂I regularly pop out to the shops for something I’ve forgotten!

@purplegirl13 leaving the pastries is formidable. I absolutely could not have done that, they’re a huge weakness for me.

Drum roll please. I’ve dropped down 1.5lb to 9st 4lb overnight. I am finally crediting the exercise with something rather than blaming it for everything! So obviously I’ve booked that same spin class as I did yesterday again as it seems that is the answer to everything. Starting couch to 5km in the gym this afternoon. I havent run for years and years and always feel like I’m having a heart attack when I do. But I’m going to give it a go. I’ve downloaded the app and I have Sarah Millican to help me through.

Taking a monthly bra and pants photo is a good idea. I think my waist is smaller than it was at the start of January, but I can’t be sure as I don’t take measurements and have no photos.

@Pommelegible and @Cailindeas35 hope you have good days today!

I've also just had a jump in progress - 9st 5.5 this morning. Clearly your scales gave my scales the memo Welltidy.

Although I've been thinking about pizza since you mentioned your son's new business Soover. Maybe Friday night can be pizza night but it won't be like a good restaurant one.

@neverenoughchelseboots apologies! He's a busy bee as he jointly owns a bakery and an 'artisan food production' business as well as having a stake in any franchises that are opened ( 3 so far). I think he wants to be Rick stein or Jamie Oliver but without bankruptcy. Given he only started training to be a baker in December 2017 he's done very well

The scales showed 9.5 today which may just be a blip. But it continues to motivate me.

I do daily yoga and we have a thread on the yoga board too @Pommelegible

Yay @WellTidy, that's brilliant, just what you need to keep you going. And for you too @neverenoughchelseboots kudos to you for dieting and breastfeeding at the same time, that's amazing.

I read last night that antihistamines can make you gain weight which might explain why I wasn't losing anything a few weeks ago despite trying really hard. I've decided to ditch them and see how I get on.

Had a good day yesterday, no soggy sandwiches at the work meeting so I had my fish pate, 6 x ryvita and hummous, 1 bag of popcorn and then 6 squares of chocolate - the lunch of crackers wasn't enough!

Then dinner was pork stirfry and I had nothing else after that, I went to bed slightly hungry :-/

I've just eaten a snack of about 10 cherry tomatoes and I've cauliflower roasting for a soup I'm going to make. Not sure what I'll make for dinner this evening yet...

More holiday clothes arrived today, this time from Zara - two dresses, three camisole-type vest tops and 2 skirts. All medium. One skirt is practically painted on to me so that's definitely going back and I'm not sure the other is very flattering. As for the dresses; the white linen one makes me look dumpy and is way too booby, the green one is nice but possibly a bit booby too. I'm just not into the styles at the moment, and because I'm so short tops don't sit quite right on me. The search goes on!

So - Couch to 5km is hard! Far harder than I’d anticipated. I thought I’d built up some fitness with all the walking and the recently introduced spin and rowing machine, but clearly not! I finished it, but the 7 x 60 second long runs (which I realise is actually a very short amount of time 😂) were actually quite a challenge for me. I did it on the treadmill, and the calorie count burn for the runs was far lower than the calorie count for the walks I do at gradient and which I don’t find anything like as much of a challenge. Maybe it’s the impact. I don’t think I’m going to turn into a runner but I will persevere for now.

I did run one week one and then walked at gradient for half an hour. 25 minute walk each way to the gym and I was done for the day.

I’ve come in at 1150 cals today and am not at all hungry. We had jacket potatoes for dinner and they were delicious.

Lets hope everyone’s scales have got the memo for Friday weigh in tomorrow!

Bought this dress in black in Boden which I would 100% recommend for a ‘take you anywhere dress’ - www.boden.co.uk/en-gb/flutter-sleeve-jersey-dress-black/sty-d0113-blk

It is reduced in the navy!

Delighted with a 0.5lb loss overnight, so down to 9st 3.5lb. This matches my low of 2021, so I’m really pleased. It’s the lowest I’ve been for maybe 3-4 years. I’ve done a spin class (music wasn’t as good as the last one and I find that it makes a real difference to my enjoyment level) so that’s me done on the exercise front until Monday.

Glorious day here already. I sent Ds2 into school in a thermal vest (he generally feels the cold) under his polo shirt which is under his sweatshirt. Oops!

@WellTidy amazeballs on the weight loss, I'm so happy for you, you've been working so hard :)

All your talk of the C25k made me start it yesterday too! I also started on the treadmill and I agree it was tough.

I used to do a lot of running many years ago but I fell on a step and really hurt my back, after that time my back started to seize up after a run. But I'm hoping the gentle (ish!) approach of this programme won't be too much of a shock to the system. I think what causes my back to hurt after a lot of exercising is tight muscles - if my quads are tight I seem to get a very sore back. So I used my TENS machine last night to try to work away some of the lactic acid :D

that dress is really lovely and it totally a style I go for as it's generally so flattering. I think I might get the geometric one seeing that so many of the clothes I bought in Zara are going back :)

@WellTidy just bought the moroccan print one - woo!

Checking in! Yesterday I hit my calorie target and did 30 Day Shred again. Need to try again today, and Saturday because I'm heading out for a meal in the evening and the restaurant menus will now rub my face in how many calories I'm eating! I've done couch to 5k on and off a lot over the last few years and one year I nearly finished it before a holiday and looked noticeably slimmer. I hadn't planned on doing it again before this holiday, I sprained my ankle a couple of weeks in to it last summer/autumn when I fell in a pothole but I might attempt a few runs here and there.

I have bought swimming costumes for holiday and hoping I don't tone up so much they get too lose on top. Fingers crossed it won't make much difference to the fit.

I weighed myself on Monday so probably nothing much to see today on the scales.

Love that flutter sleeve dress, very tempted to get one!

I bought this skirt from Joules this week for the holiday, I found it quite flattering on me. www.joules.com/Women/Clothing/Maeve/Button-Through-Skirt?size=10&id=218900%7CBLUEFLRL%7C10