Louise Parker fans - fancy getting getting together again?

[ChocChipOwl]

Fresh thread for a fresh start! It's me, Hard Baked Owl if anyone remembers me from our previous threads

Anyway, I've been off in the wilderness for the past month. I don't know why I have done this but I want to stop the rot before I put the weight back on

I've lost 2 stone since April and by some miracle, I'm still at a 2 stone loss. Despite eating magnums and crisps daily

So tomorrow I'm back to it. Back in the circle where I felt good and I'd like to lose one stone between now and the 19th November

This feels ambitious. Yet it's something to aim for isn't it?

Anyone fancy joining in or hopping back in the circle with me?

Hi all, hi @ChocChipOwl , good to have you back in.
Well this week so far for me has been 1 day fully in circle, 1 day minor slips, 1 day absolutely leaving the circle for dust, I'm running frantically back towards it today I hope! Honestly need to get a grip, am trying to analyse the days where I stress eat/comfort eat and come up with another plan but I've not really worked it out yet!

Nearly caved today! Dunno how I've held on tbh! Doesn't help that I have Red velvet cake in the cupboard and cookie dough pieces in the freezer!! Ugh

Anyway - food for today. Probably eaten a bit too much but I've done my best to stay on track

Yesterday's bircher with chopped banana and apple

Mixed nuts + cherries

Wholemeal roll with plant kitchen bbq pieces and salad + pumpkin seeds

Last bit of bircher with mango chunks

And dinner will be lentil protein noodles with salad, hummus, crushed peanuts and feta

Hi all. Hello @ChocChipOwl just to say I’m pleased you are back as I loved all the posts - the honesty made me decide to delurk. It’s so tough to keep going, well done on getting back in there!

I’m with you @ElvenDreamer, it’s the emotional eating that’s such a tough habit to break.
I am not quite in the circle but definitely closer than ever.
B: Coco porridge (love it)
L: Sort of salad (not so great)
D: Omelette (so full it wouldn’t fold-gargantuan rather than delicate)
S’s: Apple and raw veg.
The exercise pillar is still to be tackled.

Oh guys, I epically crashed and burned again yesterday, I'm so annoyed with myself. The exercise pillar I do have down pretty well and had a lovely run home from the school run (walked in and ran home the long way.) I had eggs for breakfast, morning snack was an entire large tube of orange smarties and it all went downhill rapidly from there. Today I am in an incredibly bad mood as I don't know what to do to change things! Hey ho, onwards and upwards. Porridge with berries today, now I'm at work so can't fridge raid and I have a smoked salmon and cucumber salad packed with me for lunch so hopefully that will help kick me back into the circle.

Hi just placemarking as I'm keen to try this.

Hi @Compelled sounds like a decent day in the circle. I must try that coco porridge as I haven't so far - just variations on it!

@ElvenDreamer booo to the bad day. Just shit when it happens isn't it? On the plus side, it's one day and you didn't cast yourself out into the wilderness like I did for err .. several months

I had a very wobbly day yesterday which I was expecting tbh. I've been too used to my daily pack of magnums recently so this was always going to be a struggle getting fully back into it

I compromised by having an extra snack, which was raw raspberry fruit balls and some roasted chickpeas

Food times so far today ..

Porridge with banana, mango chunks , kefir yogurt and peanut butter, pumpkins seeds, flaked almonds

Cherries + mixed nuts

2 slices wholemeal seeded bread with spinach leaves, tomato, hummus, red pepper and plant kitchen BBQ chicken pieces

Raspberry fruit balls + pineapple, watermelon and aloe Vera juice

Not sure about dinner yet but I think I may go for mozzarella, avocado and beef tomato salad potentially

A game of 2 halves for me yesterday, morning was a 4k run, lots of housework, quality time with kids, porridge, fruit and home cured ham and roast and green vegetables. Afternoon/evening involved feelings of annoyance, 7 cookies, wine, and a massive plate of cheese and biscuits. Honestly!
Back into the circle I go, and I guess that's the point isn't it, lifestyle, not diet, I can't give up. Will report back this evening!

Hi everyone. I’m having a bit of a struggle but like @ElvenDreamer and @ChocChipOwl determined to keep going. I think if I wasn’t trying how much would I be putting on? I was pleased by Friday last week I lost 3lbs but then came the weekend. We went out for a meal with with neighbours (pre planned and food preordered before LPM). It turned out to be an expensive dinner so I just went with the flow. In all honesty not sure it was worth the money or the calories but the company was really nice.
Although I tried to keep some control Fri and Sun I was well out of the circle. I’m back in it now. Weirdly, I feel shattered. I do feel better when eating healthily and no drinking. Anyway sad news is that 2lbs of that initial 3 is back…hoping that this early blip is just that…a blip.

Evening all. Sloping back. @Compelled try not to weigh too often. It is not super helpful as that 2lbs is quite possibly gone away again. I think thinking of a meal out the "is it worth it" encompasses happy chat and company too.
I've not weighed for ages which is not good. I'd sort of wanted to be 9st by Christmas but without actually checking I fear this may not happen.

Meals for me have been on method but I've had a couple of days of adding an extra snack in the form of bits and pieces here and there when cooking. Not so good, as it never seems like you ate and its hard to track.

Anyway today was

B- sourdough wholemeal toast 2 poached eggs and some savoury granola
S- egg muffins with onion and cheese and an apple
L- brocolli and leek soup with pistachios and some left over chicken
S- 2tbsp savoury granola and some strawberries.
T- chicken and chorizo stew and romanesco and green beans. I'm now planning next week's foods and doing my shop.

Or some if it anyway.
lots of doomscrolling and then thinking "why??? " recently.

@ElvenDreamer it's hard to break the habit of eating when annoyed. I'm in the same boat a lot of the time. Sucks. Don't have a good solution as kicking things is frowned upon.
Hoping to get away to bed soon but I need to work out what I can eat tomorrow when 4 meals will be tupperware ones. (Not breakfast)

@ChocChipOwl how are you doing?

Hi everyone

don’t give up-this method works and is a lifestyle not a diet. So remember-just step back in the circle!

that’s what I’ve done this week after a Xmas party last weekend.

I actually do weigh myself daily @Compelled and @Megasaur5keeper as I like to see the scale go down and it also helps to work out what might have been unhelpful. I know it will fluctuate.

I have really noticed two things: getting my steps in, and drinking enough water-these are key for my downward trend.

have a good day everyone!!

That’s a good reminder @Soyacappuccino , when I drink my water the method works better. I’m still in/close to the circle. Tomorrow I will food plan and then shop. Today was ok:
B: Bircher
S: crackers and humous (ran out of oatcakes not ideal but ok)
L and D: roasted veg and chicken (yum)
S: As above.
Bit lazy with food but I am doing a big household clean and tidy before I put the decs up. So cooking has gone out the window. Once the decs are up it’s great as they cover all dust!
i know the weighing thing has positives and negatives but it’s a habit with me.

Hi all, just crawling in to let you know I'm still here in spirit, I've been off work all week with flu and honestly never felt so rough in all my life, no idea what I've actually eaten in last week as it has been crawling to fridge for whatever is easiest or eating what is put in front of me if I could force myself. Obviously no exercise and definitely not living well 🤣 However, feeling vaguely more human today so planning a gentle walk to try and rediscover myself. Then just need to work out how to catch up all the missed work...it may be a crazy couple of weeks 😬
Has anyone thought about how they are going to play the Christmas period? I'm thinking approach them like the lifestyle phase maybe, ie have little bits of the things we fancy but just don't go crazy, then do an earnest 6 week cycle in the New Year to make sure I'm back on top of things.

@ElvenDreamer that's rubbish, hope you are feeling better soon. Hopefully work will not be too bad when you get back.

Christmas- what you are suggesting seems sensible and is mostly what I'm planning too. I'm working boxing day so will be back to almost my normal routine quite quickly...

@ElvenDreamer Flu is rubbish, glad you are feeling better and hope you enjoyed your walk. I’m going to follow your idea @Soyacappuccino . I think if I’m too strict it will backfire and I will be found passed out in a tub of chocolate or crisps or mince pies. Went shopping today, it’s already getting a little manic. I think people are buying smaller bits of shopping early to manage costs and probably to make sure they get stuff. Shelves look a bit sparse. And I think getting back into the routine early rather than later will be the key @Megasaur5keeper so I will keep that in mind…I also think not going overboard buying stuff that I end up eating, it something I’m really going to try. Every year I buy too much stuff and feel guilty, so eat it all.

Oh my word, where is the circle, I've lost it entirely in the past few weeks! Scrabbling to get back inside today and also feeling slightly panicky about the Christmas food list my DH has created.
Today had yoghurt with seeds for breakfast, banana snack. Lunch will be salad and hard boiled eggs I think. Not sure about tea yet.
How is anyone else doing?

:( I can’t see the circle…really need motivation.

It’s difficult at this time of year isn’t it @Compelled and @ElvenDreamer ?
I too have stepped way out of the circle-too busy with everything to think about it! I guess it boils down to habits.
start where you are. Plan plan plan for tomorrow but don’t write off today.
do one small thing today that will make you feel you are positively moving back towards the circle even if it’s a 10 minute walk or one of the other pillars. Then write it down!! I do think that LP’s steer to “think in ink” is a good one. Good luck !! X

Good call @Soyacappuccino i might get a nice new notebook. Plan. I don’t want to put weight on over Christmas. Even if I stay the same and put the habits in place like exercise. I want to do that.

Very sound advice there @Soyacappuccino !
I'm knackered having had a child with a sickness bug last week and then inevitably the same sickness bug myself.

Movement therefore limited, but food back to normal after a couple of days of nothing and toast.

@ElvenDreamer is there something in particular panicking you or is it volume and type? I'm trying to rationalise that it is just one day but in reality I know its not. I am approaching lifestyle anyway and I'm thinking its maybe best to enjoy the bits that you really like without stressing too much, not go too overboard to the point it's a bit unpleasant anyway and be selective about snacking.
Easier said than done I know, and I suspect all will go out the window approximately 1 glass of wine in. Also I have no self control around bendicks mints so that may doom me !

Maybe speak to him about how you are feeling? My husband has hit his goal weight and is now gleefully suggesting sausage rolls (the bacon roll kind, not pastry) for breakfast, glasses of port and basically swinging right back to normal so I know where you are coming from with the panic.

Thanks @Soyacappuccino , sometime we just need a friendly reminder, keeping on trying to plan and doing what I can, slightly better today.
@Compelled that's a good call, keeping weight stable and working on other good habits.
@Megasaur5keeper my problem is husband loves cooking and baking, normally due to work patterns I do it which keeps it all on my control, but I really don't enjoy cooking so on the weekends etc he takes over. Now he's off work for a week and has gone bananas baking things. Our fridge is stuffed to bursting with sausage rolls, mince pies, cheeses and goodness knows what else! I struggle with binge eating in the evenings, and right now, there is So. Much. Food. He does know I struggle but doesn't understand my angst about it. ("If you want the cheese/cake etc just have it, what's the problem?")

Oh wow. That is a lot. Does he realise that the "problem" is you are trying to lose body fat and trying to control the environment a bit? I know that seems a bit patronising to say but I think sometimes folk don't get things until it is spelled out.
We are the other way round which helps a but but I remember you saying about cooking before.

I think today is going to be a bit random for food for me; have a fun evening out planned though so meh.
I'm feeling better from puking but it's surprising how quickly I'm noticing a level of stiffness in my body from less movement. That said I an feeling too too tired to do much so I'm listening to body needs.

I know the feeling of being a bit stiff when your movement has been reduced for a few days, glad you're feeling a bit better now @Megasaur5keeper . I'm finding coping strategies for the next week, concentrating on the exercise and drinking lots of water etc to switch my focus. Intending to try and have lunches based on the food in the fridge so I feel like I'm partaking and not just being a kiljoy, so anti pasti salad etc. Have convince hubby that we need to do dry January, and also possibly cheese free January! That will help me get back on track a bit. It would be easier bot to have the stuff in the house but at the end of the day it's Christmas, 4 other people live here (plus guests at various points) who all want the food, it's not their fault I have zero will power 🤣 Hopefully by this time next year I will be where I want to be, have nailed lifestyle phase and can approach it all in a much more relaxed manner!

Merry Christmas all, I'll see anyone who wants to join me for a new 6 week round commencing Jan 🙂 off to menu plan for that, think in ink...⭕

Hi @ElvenDreamer , please count me in for 6 week Jan. That would mean no alcohol for me, which would be great. Meno and alcohol don’t seem to mix. Hope you are fully recovered @Megasaur5keeper.
I do think the LPM can be adapted for family but it is a bit tougher, well takes more planning. I’m going to spend some time planning after Christmas Day; reread the books and sort the fridge and freezer out.
I don’t want to go for my next medical and be overweight and have the young, slim health advisors suggesting how to cut down food and exercise more! Not being ageist etc but it was a lot, lot easier when I was younger and not the family chef (no idea how I got the job as I don’t remember applying).

I’m inspired by a lot of the insta pages about health and vitality in your 40s and 50s…ageing has changed but there is a focus on individual health. Unless you are in the tough position of battling with illness or other personal circumstances, there seems to be only one choice for a healthy older age (or extended midlife!). You have to eat, exercise but also be a little ‘selfish’ - put your needs first, which isn’t something many of us do. If I keep not having time to exercise, don’t food plan or cook for what I need, rather than what others like, I will not get to where I want to be.
Sorry for the ramble. Christmas is lovely but it is seriously hard work and I think the excess of it all (bills, shopping, gifts, decorating and now prepping etc) has made me have a bit of a think! Simple, healthy food, walks and time seem to be what we all need and to be honest that’s the LPM!

Morning all, I am so ready to jump back in the circle, going to use today and tomorrow as sort of prep days. Have done my food plan for next week and shopping bought. I dared to step on the scales yesterday and have gained 3 lbs over the last few weeks, I as expecting it to be worse so I am heartened by that. I have kept up my exercise generally (maybe slightly less than usual) so that has probably helped.