Who is up for 40 good days on plan before the summer hols

[thenewaveragebear1983]

My goal this year was to lose 23lbs in 2023, and prior to coming away on whitsun holiday I had lost around 14 of those… I dread to think how many I have regained while I’ve been away but 🤦‍♀️

Anyway- I turn 40 about 6 weeks after I get back, and this is my final strong push. I’m challenging myself to have 40 good days on plan before I turn 40, which conveniently ties in with the dc breaking up from school and our summer holiday.
the plan:

• I am going to try to cut UPF out of my diet completely
• try to reduce alcohol down to a very occasional drink.
• I already exercise a fair bit but I’m going to do a specific 30 days programme alongside my running and classes.
• i need to control my portion sizes, my snacking, and my overall calorie intake.
• I like IF and especially on weekdays it really works for me to skip breakfast
• I’m going to eat real food, (no protein shakes or things like that)
• I need to eat more veg
• I’m going to cut out dairy and bread, both of which I really shouldn’t eat and do, so I always feel better when I cut them out.
• I’m going to track on nutracheck with a goal of 1500 cals

I have more than 40 days to play with so that does buy me a couple of ‘nights off’ for significant events if needed.

and this is the biggie…… I’m not going to weigh myself. I’ll weigh at the start and hide the scales. Maybe do measurements as well.

anyone who would like to join me for a chat thread and accountability please do!
for reference, I’m 5’7, and prior to this week I was 154lbs. I’ll update my starting weight on Monday 5th June.

@ferntwist cheese is processed, but not ultra processed. I have been basing it on ingredients- if I wanted to, could I recreate this food myself in my own kitchen? Some processed foods it is possible to do that, others it’s not. I’ll be honest, I’ve not been 100% this week (I was much better last week) but I am definitely reading labels more and thinking about what it actually is I’m eating.

So today is day 12. I slept really well, lots of dreams and felt like I had good quality sleep which I really needed. I’m all aching and stuff this morning so I’m not going out for a run but I will go for a short walk to get my steps up a bit.

my food is all sorted and we have lots of healthy stuff in which really helps. I have another super busy weekend planned but I hope this weekend will be the last final push to get my house finished/decorated- curtain rails up, table being delivered, final coat of white on my woodwork. That should hopefully be it all done and we can start putting everything in its proper place for the first time this year! We are also out all afternoon tomorrow and on Sunday it’s our anniversary and it’s Father’s Day.

Anyway, back to today. I might rethink my dinner plans once I look in the fridge at use by dates, as there’s some chicken I’m thinking will need used before the steaks I had planned. I’m going to fast as long as I can this morning, it seems to hold off the snacky bored eating for me. I find Fridays especially hard as I wfh and literally only me and the 2 data analysts are working, so there’s no communication at all really and I get very bored and easily distracted. But I do have an assessment piece for a course I’ve been doing, and a few other bits to work on.

Its very likely I will drink tonight, I think it’s unrealistic to think I wouldn’t as it’s another glorious sunny day, but as part of my plan it’s ok provided my meals are good and I follow my other ‘rules’. I have lost the urge to weigh myself compulsively which is really positive, however I do get ‘the fear’ that I have eaten so much and I’ll have gained lots of weight rather than losing it. But now wouldn’t be a good time to weigh as I am retaining so much water in the heat. If I do a long run tomorrow morning I may hop on the scales after that, maybe 🤔

anyway, enough of my wittering, have a great day y’all.

@thenewaveragebear1983 Thank you, that’s very useful to know

Can anyone recommend a non-UPF brand of mayonnaise?

Also any pizza brand or pizza place that is non-UPF (or am I living in a dream world?!)

@ferntwist I think you’d struggle with any pizza place except for somewhere that makes everything totally from scratch. When I was doing whole 30 I would use Lloyd grossman sugar free pasta sauces as they had no preservatives/e numbers etc (but whole 30 is dairy and grain free so no pizza…). I bet you would struggle to find any kind of chain restaurants or pubs that doesn’t use pre-made things in their menu. Even places like Prezzo it’s all frozen, pre-made.

For mayo, I make my own. I genuinely cannot eat shop bought mayo now, it tastes like custard it’s so sweet! Real mayo/aioli is delicious and good for you and it’s a simple art to get it right.

300 ml light olive oil in a jug at room temp. Don’t use Extra virgin it’s too strong. Use the lighter, more refined generic olive oil.
crack a fresh, room temp egg into the oil and let it sink to the bottom.
You need a stick blender . Put it in the jug and trap the egg underneath it.

Blend very carefully, don’t jiggle, don’t move it about. Just hold it totally still and the egg and oil will emulsify and you make mayonnaise. They must be room temp and the egg must be the absolute freshest you can get.

add juice of a lemon, garlic granules, salt, and a half tsp of mustard powder and blend again. It will keep in the fridge until the date on your egg.

Ooh that mayonnaise recipe sounds really do-able @thenewaveragebear1983
Thanks for sharing it.

It is a good recipe. I’ll give you three warnings- one, I cannot stress enough how important it is for the egg and oil to be the same room temperature. Two: it doesn’t taste like Helman’s, it tastes how mayonnaise should actually taste. Very olive oily. And three, every now and then, for no discernible reason, it just won’t work. And you may cry. If it doesn’t work, leave the horrible oily eggy mess to get to room temp, add another egg (Also at room temp) and try again.
and also never add the salt and lemon until after you’ve whipped the mayo.

seriously, it will change your life.

😂

I weighed in this morning at 156.8lbs (11.2.8) - yes I know I wasn’t going to weigh in, but I am feeling myself basically spiralling off piste with not calorie counting or weighing and I wanted to a) check I’ve not gained loads and b) give myself a bit of a check and get myself back on track. I’m basically the same as last week but I’m actually ok with that given I haven’t exactly stuck to my plan this week. My meals, as always, have been great. But I have snacked incessantly and had lots of sweet stuff and wine. I think it’s the heat, I’ve been in holiday mode all week!

it’s going to be a bit cooler this coming week which is good, and I am still very determined to stay on track. I don’t think I can really claim yesterday as “a good day on plan” given what I eventually ate, so today is Day 12 and I’m ready for it….

Thanks so much for that mayo recipe! I’ll give it a go

Yesterday was certainly NOT a good day on plan - again. There is too much sweet stuff in the house, I’d bought mr Kipling chocolate slices for the dc and ended up eating a few of them, and again had a few glasses of wine. It’s alcohol that’s ruining me right now, I did go through a phase of not really wanting it but I’m really enjoying it again 🤦‍♀️ I only drank 2 glasses of wine last night, but it made me tired and I fell asleep on the sofa, then struggled to sleep once I went to bed.

it’s our wedding anniversary today (12years) and rather than think it’s actually quite impressive that I weigh pretty much the same (or a few pounds less) than I did 12 years ago, despite having 2 10lbs pregnancies and gaining and losing 4 stone TWICE in that time, instead I feel a bit sad that I’ve spent that time, and more, just obsessing about diet/calories/food and I’m still not actually any lighter. I’m certainly fitter and more toned than I was then, but I feel bigger now. I’m 40 in one month tomorrow and I’m really tempted to go full throttle for the next month- except I know that I will struggle to sustain that.

last night I listened to some hypnosis to help me fall asleep and it reminded me how much I enjoyed that when I used it before- and (I feel) it actually works as well. I have a weight loss one and a ‘drink less’ one, so maybe I’ll add them into my plan for the next month. My original plan is solid and I know will actually work for me, but I think I’ve not actually followed it much this week. I’ve had more UPF foods (pre- seasoned meat and lots of snacks/ biscuits/ice cream) than I wanted, and have drunk alcohol more than I intended as well.

so- back to basics and back to my plan.
3 healthy meals each day
lots of veg
no snacks
try not to drink
get lots of water
exercise-I’m going to do a 30 day programme, I keep promising myself I will start but I really will today I promise, plus my usual running/walking/gym
try to listen to my hypno a couple of times this week
calories- start tracking again, max 1500 and keep the carbs low.

I've eaten way more than usual today so far! We had a really lovely Father's Day day out and the picnic was too good to resist.

I'll try and have a very light dinner to add a bit of balance!

Interesting day yesterday. My food was excellent and I didn’t snack but I did drink as it was our anniversary and we had a few glasses of wine to toast our happy 12 years together.

However, It’s now exactly 1 month til I turn 40, it’s game on. I’m going back to tracking calories and all my healthy habits.
food today:
b: yoghurt, chia, peanut butter and raspberries
l: mixed bean and mushroom chilli with feta crumbled on it
D: roast chicken and salad.

exercise: I’ve hurt my ankle as I slipped in the shower yesterday so I will try to run later but it may be a walk. I’m going to do Kari Pearce day 1 Abs.

I’m going to put my headphones on at some point and listen to my hypno recording again. It does seem to take the edge off my appetite and stop the mindless eating/bingeing.

I don’t think I can really claim either day this weekend as “a good day on plan” so today is day…13? I think? Here’s to a successful day anyway.

Day 13: good day today. I have weighed all my food and tracked my calories so I know that I’m being accurate, and I have come in at around 1450 cals which is great for me. I didn’t run because I’ve hurt my ankle but I did walk at lunch with dd to go and post some Vinted things.

tomorrow I’m going to basically replicate today- it’s my office day so I’ll take my chilli and heat it up at work, plus fruit. Evening meal the kids will have pasta bake and I’ll have chicken and salad again. My biggest extravagance today was peanut butter- I know it’s calorie dense but a tiny 22g spoonful was 128 cals! I do enjoy it on my breakfast though so I will continue to have it but it does make me think of all the times a little spoon or two has landed in my mouth!

I’m at the gym tomorrow at 6am and will probably squeeze a walk in after work as well.

so going into the rest of the week feeling really positive.

I had breakfast out with a friend today so had a lighter lunch and dinner to balance.

I'm feeling pretty good at the moment.

I'm out with some friends at the weekend and I know that'll be a boozy affair! So I'm banking some "good days" in preparation.

Day 14. I had a good day today but I think two days of vegan bean chilli for lunch, plus chia seeds, plus fruit and veg has left me feeling quite bloated and uncomfortable. My stomach is sticking out like I’m 6 months pregnant! I’m ending on 1600 cals today, a little high to be honest, I was totally starving after work and ate 2 oatcakes with peanut butter. Then for dinner instead of my healthy chicken salad I had a sausage sandwich, although I did originally calculate 2 sausages and a bread roll, but once I saw the total I switched out to a sausage and a single slice of wholemeal bread.

Went to the gym this morning and a walk with dh after work.

Tomorrow it’s gym again in the morning and I might try to get a short run in after work as the dc are going to granny’s for tea. I have some chicken left so that will be my lunch and I need to check the freezer for suitable dinner food. We get through so much food at the moment, seriously it’s insane. Salad especially. I need to eke out the weeks food at least another day or 2.

well done @MakeYourself , sounds like you’re doing really well.

Aah thanks @thenewaveragebear1983

How's everyone getting on?

I've got 2 and 1/2 weeks until the festival I am wanting to look my best and most confident self for 🙌

Day 15. I had a pretty crappy day at work, I was really tired and just totally unmotivated and I just couldn’t get moving at all. The day dragged painfully slowly.I ate all my calories by 4pm because in the end I made a cheese roll 🤦‍♀️ I didn’t eat any sugary crap though, and I have come in at 1600 cals so I’m still classing that as a good day on plan. I went to the gym and after work I did a 1hr walk. I’m not going to eat dinner because I ate my calories earlier.

I did weigh yesterday, I shouldn’t have- I’m back up almost to where I started, a combination of heat, too much fibre and beans, and ovulation making me bloat out. My stomach is still sticking right out today and I feel really swollen in my fingers and feet. It’s horrible.

tomorrow, I hope I’ll have had a better night sleep. I would like to go for a run in the morning as I haven’t been since Sunday. Then I’m going to try to fast until lunch time again, I do find it helps me eat less overall. Lunch will be roasted veg and new potatoes with salad, and dinner will be meat/salad Also.

Still plodding on here too after a weekend of eating too much crap.
Weighed Monday - 10st 5.6, so a loss of 1.2 lb I think (will have to check last week's weight). Happy with that but can feel I'm losing motivation abit and have another weekend of social stuff coming up.

Has anyone bought clothes for their occasions yet? I'm holding out for as long as possible in the hope that my tummy goes down more. Unfortunately my weight seems to go from my boobs first!

@Jeds55 i have a few things earmarked that I will wear for my various things, but it’s likely to change. I felt so miserable early in the year that none of my summer clothes fit me that I sold literally piles of it on Vinted and then set about restocking my wardrobe with nice bits from places like Uniqlo (all from Vinted) - so I now actually have a decent quality casual wardrobe of basics which I have never really had before. I have a couple of nice dresses. For my actual 40th I have a really nice floral jumpsuit that is really flattering, and I will wear that out in the evening.

I am very annoyed with myself generally, I had 7 weeks to make an impact on my weight and I have once again just yo-yo'd about and I don’t feel I have lost anything. My motivation is super low. I still feel really fat! And I keep having disastrous days that override any good days I’m having 🤦‍♀️

i’m going to drink my coffee and head out for a run this morning in the sunshine, then plan out my food for the day.

Well done @Jeds55 that's great progress.

I haven't bought anything new yet but I'm able to feel confident in lots more of my summer clothes. So I've definitely got more options in my wardrobe.

@thenewaveragebear1983 I think you're being hard on yourself. For what it's worth, I don't think any of your days have been disastrous. Keep on keeping on ❤️

@MakeYourself thanks. It’s so weird, the last few days I’ve felt so down, it’s clearly hormonal because today I’m like a new woman, I’ve had 1100 cals, no snacks, 18 portions of fruit and veg and it’s been a totally different kind of day. Bodies are weird aren’t they?

don’t want to jinx myself with the weekend looming, but today was certainly a huge improvement on the rest of this week!

tomorrow, if I get up early enough I will run but I left it a bit late today and it was too hot at 7.45 when I finally got out. I’m going to do exactly the same food as I did today- I made a smoothie with matcha, frozen fruit and coconut milk but not until I was hungry, around 10.30. Then lunch was salad and a frozen meal (homemade) from the murky depths of the freezer. Then dinner was a duck breast, new potatoes and more salad. Tomorrow I’ll have the same breakfast/lunch and dinner will be homemade pesto burgers with salad. And realistically, there will probably be some wine.

in other news, my building work is finally finally finishing tomorrow with carpets going down and all the mess and piles of stuff everywhere can start to be put away- that’s my plan for the weekend, to get my storage cupboard all equipped and all mess put away. It’s been a long 5.5 months and I cannot wait!!