Lose +/- 7lbs with me

[ifonly4]

Would anyone like to join me in losing just a few pounds?

Despite cutting back on biscuits and alcohol and keeping active, I've put on 8lbs due to the menopause - most of it feels like it's around my middle and I'm not feeling good about it.

I enjoy walking, so am going to try and to a bit more on top of my usual exercise, also some toning exercises for my stomach/core. Not willing to starve myself, so going to try and make better choices/have slightly smaller portions.

thenewaveragebear1983 and Marmut You both sound like you're keeping yourselves active.

It's not easy keeping those calories down is it? Just as you make a break through, a takeaway, meal out or a nice drink or two get in the way, which must be enjoyed😂. Has to be positive though if we're doing our best between the bad influences!

So I weighed myself yesterday. I've lost 1lb adding to 1lb the week before, leaves another 7lbs. Not a massive amount and I can't feel the difference, but fairly happy if I can continue to loose.

My aim is getting comfortably into my old jeans. I did go shopping yesterday and found some that aren't too bad in the next size up, but would rather have my old jeans and feel a bit better in them.

Phew seems it's not just me that's had a bit of a bumpy week!
I'll weigh in the morning and assess the damage from the alcohol and takeaway this weekend.
I've been thinking about it and it's the planning, or lack of, that seems to trip me up and I land face first into snacks.
With this in mind, I'm going to attempt to meal plan as far as I can this week. I think I'll factor in a swim too.
Those of you that fast, do you have milk ie in tea in your fasting bit or is it strictly zero cal?

@GFLoser I use green tea in the morning to avoid milk. Although sometimes DH forgets and makes me a normal tea that requires milk in 🙄

Checking back in, I've also been off track on Friday/Saturday. I had 6 on track days and lost 5lb, then Friday/Saturday put back on 3lbs (but I did have a nice time!)
I think alcohol is the main problem for me on days off, partly because I like sugary cocktails and lager and partly because if I feel a bit hungover I can't be bothered with calorie counting the next day. Anyway, overall 2lbs lost so that's a win. Back on track yesterday:
B. Avo toast 2 white coffees (300)
L. Pad thai (550?)
D. Butternut squash ravioli & mushrooms (450)
S. Orange (60)
The pad thai is a guess but I think still under 1500

I have a late day today (finish at 8 rather than 6) so need a good plan on how to manage that.

Last week wasn't great even though I managed some adjustments. Well on it today though, I'm full and have had a lot less calories. Going to drink plenty of water tonight in the hope I'm not hungry later.

Good start to the week here. Went for a 30min walk this morning with my knee strapped up - not far or fast but some movement at least.
Started the day with some hot water with lemon which made a change.
Lunch was ham and cottage cheese and tea was sweet chilli chicken with a feta salad which was lovely.
I'm deffo better when food planned and I'm hoping to go to gym tomorrow after work.
No excuses not to stick with it this week 💪

My day has been ok. Had wholemeal toast with a banana for breakfast, some cooked chicken before my gym class, and lunch was soup.no had a couple of biscuits with a cup of tea mid afternoon. Tonight’s tea was chicken thighs with a cream, garlic and onion sauce, homemade wedges and veg. I have just walked 3km with ds to go and buy dh some cake, but I have a sugar free jelly with raspberries in and I bought strawberries and mango for 10p each in co-op! So I fully intend to NOT eat the cake! I did go to the gym, and did a tough session, but this afternoon felt absolutely exhausted and went to sleep for an hour!

i think I probably broke even on the calories in/out today. I was discussing on another thread, I just cannot seem to get my calories low enough really, it’s hard being home all day.

@thenewaveragebear1983 I find it nearly impossible not to feel ravenous and want to eat all day when I'm home too. I try to drink more water but it doesn't really help when I can see the kitchen!
Not a terrible day for me, no breakfast then rice noodles for lunch (300 and not worth it but needed convenience) and a micro meal for dinner with a GF pitta on the side (630). Did nibble some crisps and had a mini caramel bar so I reckon I'm at about 1200 for the day. Was aiming for under 1300 so I'll take it and go brush my teeth to stop more snacking
Tomorrow I'm back to MFP and logging properly, today was a trial run, and actually cooking some proper food

Totally agree that being at home all day makes dieting really hard @GFLoser &@thenewaveragebear1983
Today I've managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
B. Fried egg on toast, 2 white coffees (300)
L. Small mixed grill & salad from comptoir libnais (500)
S. Mocha with almond milk (170)
S. 3x peroni zero (230)
D. Shakshuka (300)

Too many calorific drinks, but everyone was going for an after work pint and the mocha is a total addiction.

I'd recommend the shackshuka as a good low calorie thing: onion, pepper, spices and tinned toms stewed up and crack an egg in leave it to poach for 6-7 minutes and it feels like a decent meal for very little calorie outlay.

10,000 steps but no exercise.

Well done everyone, seems like everyone got the week off to a good start. I'm finding the long nights so bloody hard...it's nighttime forever and I just want to snack!

Good day here yesterday in terms of exercise (17000 steps and 20 min shred), and calories kept right down as an out for a curry tonight. Will stick to a main with rice and just have soup for lunch, so hopefully not too far off track!

So the batteries for my scales arrived yesterday evening, I (stupidly) put them in and weighed myself at 10pm and nearly cried (was over 160lbs which is the heaviest I have been in a very very long time) - however maybe that’s the kick up the bum I needed as I had a glimpse of the (not too distant) future

anyway, weighed one this morning at 157lbs (11s3) and even that is way above my happy weight so it’s game on. Annoyingly (well, not really) but I am ‘out out’ this weekend with friends at a gig and there will be drinks and pub food but other than that I really need to knuckle down. I’m actually tempted to try for 3 weeks off drinking after the 18th, I think that realistically as near to Christmas as I will get. I honestly cannot believe how close we are to the full on festive season and I cannot afford to just say ‘sod it, it’s Christmas’ just yet….

@thenewaveragebear1983 I'm like you...out out on Saturday. The way I'm trying to deal with it as using it for motivation to be super strict during the week, will be perfect with diet and exercise right up to the point I go out, and then strictly back on it on Sunday morning, no letting it drag out all weekend. I think it's all about balance!

@thenewaveragebear1983, I had exactly the same weigh in (and the exact same weight) at the beginning of the week - heaviest I've been for years and I was so annoyed with myself.
I lost a fair bit of weight a few years ago and got down to somewhere I was bloody chuffed with. I've put about 20lbs on over the last 2yrs 🙁

thenewaveragebear1983 don't let your weigh in defeat you. All the effort you've put in (and I appreciate none of us can do it all the time), has been a positive thing and stopped it being higher.

Glad to hear the positives yesterday, had a good day yesterday as well - food choices could have been a bit better, but definitely less calories). Just had a sandwich before work - still feeling hungry but am determined to drink water rather than reaching for chocolate (which would normally happen!). Not sure what's for tea, maybe some pasta in homemade tomato, veggie, kidney bean, chilli sauce thing I do - oh and I'll try and keep it to a small portion of parmesan on top.

@MuthaHubbard me too, I lost a lot a while ago and got down to 10.3 (actually 9.13 after a bout of food poisoning 😂) and thought I’ll just try and lose the last few vanity pounds…. Yeah I’m 15lbs up! I am definitely more muscular though, and I know the whole ‘muscle/fat’ thing applies here, I was running long distances at the start of the year and glutes/hamstrings- they are big heavy muscles. But still, I am a child of the 80’s, where it’s all about the number on the scales isn’t it?

@ifonly4 I try not to let it defeat me because I know that that only makes it even worse. It’s hard though. I think because I have always been a slow loser but I can gain a half stone of water weight after 1 night out. It’s very demoralising.

i think what I have realised over the last year is that actually a pound (or a half pound even) is actually good and if I can achieve that and still have a glass of wine and a snack or a meal out, that could work for me. If I want big quick weight loss I need to do drastic things (goodbye carbs 😢) - am I prepared to do that? I don’t know…..

today I ran 5km, (which included my 1000th Km this year!) , in the pouring rain and cold wind, and have had a relatively low carb day, chicken thighs and salad for lunch, sugar free jelly… dinner will be a portion of something from the freezer and lots of green veg.

hope everyone else is having a good day, and thank you all for your kind words ❤️

Day 10 - walked 10 km to and back from work. Calories intake about 1250 kkal.
Day 11 - ran 10.7 km, with calories intake about 1200 kkal.

Totally agree not to get too obsessed with the number on the scales, there will always be fluctuations. I try to just focus on the overall amount lost as much as I can.
Today has been ok.
B. Skyr yoghurt, 2 white coffees (300)
L. Butternut squash ravioli & pesto, 1 apple & a spoon of peanut butter (500)
D. Chicken goujions, oven fries, broccoli & carrots (580)

So about 100 calories left, I might have some diet ice-cream if I'm hungry later.
10,000 steps

How is everyone doing today? Such a drear day where I am, it always makes me feel like eating and drinking everything and having a snuggle on the sofa. I didn't go swimming but I did manage 12,000 steps and kept the calories down to 16,000

😂 I mean 1600
16000 was plan b

You do well to eat 1250 cals after running 10km.

I’m ending up on 1800 cals today, this is way over my ‘allowance’ but I’m still really struggling to find the right amount so I am not completely ravenous, but still able to lose. At least I ate nutritious food today (mostly) - I had porridge with chia and linseeds and grated apple this morning, lunch was veg soup and a sandwich, and dinner was a pasta bake with chicken. Lots of carbs today. I had a single finger twirl as well, and a few other bits here and there. Went to cardio core at lunch time and a short walk with my friend.
tomorrow I’m hoping to run and will walk my friends dog for her as She isn’t well. The run will depend on the weather though, I’m not going out in the pouring rain twice! I could do with writing a good menu for next week and doing a food shop but I keep trying to use up store cupboard things and eak everything out a bit longer but these tend to be things like pasta and sauce etc that are calorific and high carb.

Oh, and talk to me about soup. I love soup, but I cannot for love or money make nice soups! Today, peeled the veg (used fresh, I didn’t use all the limp old stuff in the fridge), stock, seasoning, lentils….in the Soup maker. Ended up with a gritty fibrous quite tasteless mush. So I did the whole cycle again on the soup maker thinking that the veg was maybe not soft enough, added another stock pot… nope, still tasteless although slightly less gritty. Where am I going wrong??????

After a positive Monday, I failed a bit on Tuesday and today, still had less calories than I used though! Yesterday it was pelting down when I finished work and to avoid a very wet walk home, went to Costa until rain slowed. Today bought wine for later in the week, which became very appealing around 4pm so iwas put in freezer for a fast chill. Luckily low calorie tea - baked fish and boiled veggies.

I think for most of us it has to be a balancing act, finding ways to cut calories/make better choices some of the time, but enjoying life.

thenewaveragebear1983 I admire you, just sticking to one finger of twirl. We have a couple of multipack twirls in the house, but honestly not going to touch after the wine!

A good day food wise - although due to forgetfulness. On a course all day and forgot to take my salad for lunch so didn't eat till 5pm. Didn't get too hungry as was kept busy.
Dinner was chicken with a ricotta & spinach crumb and roasted veg followed by a protein mousse