Diet for Christmas Challenge 2023

[bigdecisionstomake]

This is a continuation of the Diet for Christmas Challenge thread started by @OhFatty in 2022 and the Diet for Summer Challenge thread started by @Dashel earlier this year. Thank you to them both.

It is open to everyone, whether you have a lot to lose, just a small amount to go or you're at target but facing the enormous challenge of maintaining your loss ongoing.

It is a thread for positivity, support, cheering each other on and the very occasional kick up the bum if and when requested.

Hopefully previous members of both threads will join us again and new members are always welcome.

Hi, do you mind if I join? I'd love to lose some more weight before December. I started back in May at 14st 1.6lb. Got to September then had a bit of a blip-Diet fatigue amongst other things. Got back on it last week and am now down to (Weighed earlier.) 11st 6.6lbs. I'd love to get down to 10st, but we'll see. I am roughly calorie counting. Will have a bit of a blip tonight, am being treated to a takeaway. 😀

I'll dip my toe in for now, if that's ok. Hopefully leap in this week

I've about 2 stone to lose, have lost 2lb 4oz over the last 9 days or so.

Really just trying to get my head in the right place to get it done once and for all.

CW: 11st 3
GW: 9st 3

Yes please! Im currently 11 stone 4 and desperate to get down to 10 stone for Christmas. It just doesn’t suit me at all at this weight and I want to fit back into lots of my clothes and feel nice for Christmas season. Currently trying to avoid snacking as much as I can (especially after I’ve had dinner) and cutting down on wine! Not really doing a lot of exercise but will try and get some more walking in. Looking forward to keeping each other motivated 🙌

Welcome to the thread @Openmouthinsertfood @SuperNoodleDoodle and @Tiredbarbie

@Openmouthinsertfood love your username - that would be suitable for me too! You've done amazingly well with your loss so far - congratulations! Your weight now is roughly what I started the Diet for Summer challenge at. I was down to 9st 12lb before I went on holiday earlier this month (will be much more than that now 😭) so it definitely is possible.

@SuperNoodleDoodle well done on your loss in the last 9 days, that's a great start. Dip in whenever you like, I tend to post daily for accountability but others just update their progress once a week. Great to have a target to aim for, this really works for me and helps to keep my head in the game 😃

@Tiredbarbie I found the previous thread really motivating and helpful to keep me on track so hopefully this one will help you too. I know just what you mean about wanting to fit back into your clothes, I'm not quite there yet but hopefully will be a whole lot closer by Christmas!

I'm off out shortly but will post a little more later about what my plan is.

Happy weekend everyone.

I'll join!

CW 11.2
GW 10.0

Hi!! 😊

I'm in! Need to maintain this year's loss so

Jan 2023: 10st 4lbs
Current: 8st 9lbs
Goal: (by Dec 22nd as I weigh in on Fri) 8st 8lbs - 8st 9lbs

I find maintaining harder than losing so fingers crossed 😊

Been slacking off a bit this week due to feeling rubbish (weather/start of a cold) so need to up my game next week.

Have a great weekend all!

I’d like to join please😊

Current weight 14.4st
First Goal 13.4st
UltimateGoal 10st-9.7st depending on when I look and feel great 😊

Welcome @whatsoccuringnow and @LostNoMore good to have you join us.

@Gemzee 👋Really glad to see you on the new thread. You did amazingly well on the summer challenge, but I know maintaining is even harder. I'm hoping to join you at maintenance at some point...*gazes longingly into the distance...😆

@whatsoccuringnow Just over a stone to lose sounds like a great target. We've got 13 weeks until Christmas so only just over a pound a week should do it!

@LostNoMore I think you're spot on having some mini-targets to hit along the way. It really helps to break up the loss into more manageable chunks. I did this during the summer challenge and it worked really well.

A little about me - I weighed around 9st 7lb for most of my adult life until around 2 and a half years ago when for various reasons life got on top of me and I lost my focus on health and fitness completely and slowly piled on quite a bit of weight. I saw the summer challenge on here and decided that day that enough was enough and I joined. My start weight was 11st 5lb, so nearly 2 stone over what I was used to being.

The thread (and the other lovely posters) kept me motivated and I got down to 9st 12lb just before going away in early September. I have over indulged significantly for the last few weeks so am expecting to be firmly back in the 10s again when I weigh in. I'm having a last blow out this weekend but will be back on it on Monday and will weigh in and record my new start weight then.

My target for the summer challenge was 9st 11lb as decreed by my GP as my ideal weight. However even at 9st 12lb I was still failing to get into quite a few of my old clothes (I've started to carry more weight around my tummy as I've got older) so I'm revising this target to 9st 7lb.

I like to try to do some form of exercise most days, either a YouTube workout or a walk but am very aware that weight loss is 80% about the food rather than the exercise so I count calories as my main weight loss tool. This combination got me a loss of 21lbs on the Diet for Summer Challenge so I'm hoping it will continue working for this new challenge so that I can go into Christmas fitting into my old clothes again.

Hoping this new thread will be just as motivating as the previous ones and that we can all get great results together 🙂

Hi everyone. Is anybody else M'Netting and watching Strictly? lol Haven't watched it for a few years but have got into this series.
Thank you for the lovely welcome @bigdecisionstomake. 😃
Today has been a big fat fail on the diet front. What a way to join a thread! 😂 Think I thought, I'm having takeaway so might as well press the f**k it button. I Had loads of protein bars and skinny bars.
Not too worried as before I was really restricting on about 1000 cals a day and found I ended up binging as it was too strict. Although I have binged today I know one blip won't derail a 1lb loss this week (I weigh on Saturdays if that's OK?) as I upped my cals to about 1400 a day last week and lost almost two pounds, even though I had a pig out day last week too.
I hope you are all doing better than me today. 😂Will be back on it tomorrow.

Yes I’ll join! I’m 11st 2, and would like to get to 9.5st. That might be massively optimistic though - but im going to try.

I’ve overhauled my fitness these last few months. At the start of the summer I was super unfit and now I can run a 5k in 25 mins so thanks to couch to 5k, not really seeing a benefit on the scales though…

Hi can I join please. I started my weight loss journey in January 2022 I am 5ft 4 was 11st 11 I'm currently 9st 6Ib I did get down to 9st 3Ib in November 2022 but Christmas hit I put on a few pounds and my body seems happy at 9st 7/9st 6 I'm happy that I have maintained it but really would like to get to 9st 🤞

I have done nothing working out wise since the end of June 🙈 I lost motivation and was just fed up. But I'm happy I didn't gain anymore weight even tho I wasn't the best food wise either. This week I've started back doing my rower, arm weights workout and walking. I'm hoping joining might help me get to 9st or close enough to it.

Thanks for the great welcome @bigdecisionstomake

@Openmouthinsertfood I've just come back from holiday and need to catch up with strictly so didn't watch it last night. Complete diet fail from me too - takeaway curry and eating up all the non diet stuff in readiness for being back on it on Monday 😳

@Farfarfarfarfaraway Welcome to the thread. Amazing job on the C25K - 25min for a 5K is really good. Good luck with your goal - if we all keep each other motivated we can do it.

@ilovetea14 Wow, that's amazing progress so far. I think losing the last little bit is really hard. The only thing harder is maintaining once you get there...😩Hopefully the exercising will help to start the scale shifting downwards again. Keep us posted.

I am having one last day eating and drinking at will and then will put my big girl pants on and weigh in in the morning. I'm crossing everything it won't be completely disastrous but if it is I know what to do to sort it - just need to get on with it 🙂

See you all tomorrow.

So not a great day today 🙈. I try and eat low UPF food where I can (hence the bread making) and I’ve also started making / eating sauerkraut to help my digestion.

the only positive is a did manage a short Pilates YouTube today, focusing on abs and core.

started well..

for breakfast I had poached egg on homemade sourdough, homemade sauerkraut.

lunch chicken and veg soup, sourdough, small bit of cheese and an apple

then it all went down hill…

1.5 large oat cookies as a snack

cottage cheese snack

humungous portion of roast chicken dinner with potatoes, roasted carrots and broccoli.
apple pie and double cream for dessert 🙈

must do better tomorrow!!

Thank you for the welcome 🤗 Good luck @bigdecisionstomake with the weigh in tomorrow! My scales were out of action for ages and I found this really bad for me. It was a bit of a shock when I first got on but gave me the motivation I needed! I personally do like to weigh every day but I know that’s definitely not for everyone! I’ve not done too badly this weekend, cutting down on wine does make me feel a lot better (and stops me reaching for the crisps!) but am sure it won’t be easy every weekend especially as we get closer to Christmas! @Farfarfarfarfaraway I’m really keen to start some Pilates, I’ve got very little core strength after two babies! And to be fair that roast dinner sounds delicious. Tomorrow is a new day! X

Morning all

@Farfarfarfarfaraway well done on the Pilates, it should be really good for kicking your core into shape. Yesterday is gone and you can't change it so focus on today now - although to be fair your food yesterday sounded delicious and really not too bad in the scheme of things. I am trying to eat less UPF where I can but struggling a bit, as I think a lot of people (women!) do with balancing work/home/children/caring responsibilities etc...which makes it tempting to reach for quick and easy processed foods. I'm trying to make small changes where I can though - any tips welcome - are there some small easy wins in terms of things to cut out/replace you could recommend?

@Tiredbarbie I am a daily weigher too, it keeps me motivated. Well done on cutting back on the wine over the weekend. I tend to not drink Monday to Thursday but have been drinking pretty much every day since early September, in the run up to my holiday and then 2 weeks away. I know I will feel better when I stop for a few days now. I was encouraged by another poster on the previous thread to stop altogether for January and although it was really hard it did kick start my weight loss really well and it got easier as the month went on. Don't think I could do it permanently though 😂

So, I've weighed in this morning and am starting this new thread at 10st 4.6lb. A gain of 6.6lb since early September 😳I'm hoping some of this is water due to eating a really carb heavy diet since I've been back so fingers crossed I will have a bit of an initial whoosh in the next few days. My target is 9st 7lb so that gives me around 12 pounds to lose which in theory is doable by Christmas.

I've done a gentle cardio workout this morning to ease me back in and have my food planned for the day to be within calories - I aim for a deficit of 500 per day to give me a pound a week loss. My first small target is to be back in the 9s.

Good luck everyone - here we go 😀

Morning, I plan on weighing myself the first week of Oct not hoping for much of a loss. I'm finding it hard to lose the last few Ib. I did my rower and weight workout this morning. I'm trying to not eat after my dinner and just to have water or coffee. Good luck everyone

Can I join? Weighed in this morning at 10 13.8 so perilously close to the next stone bracket and means I’ve put on 4lbs in the last month. I’d love to be 9 something for Christmas. I know if I start too strict I’ll just binge so aiming for eating sensibly, nothing after dinner and more water to start.

Joining in with you all from today please! Thanks for the thread.

I don't have loads to lose, but I'm a very slow loser. As I'm closer to my target my calories have to be so low to lose 1lb a week so I tend to be realistic and aim for 0.5lb off a week. Hoping to lose just over half a stone.

Start weight (today) - 130.5lbs (9st 4.5lbs)
Target weight - 123lbs (8st 11)

I'm allergic to milk and yeast and only discovered this a few months ago so still playing around with my diet a little and trying to figure out what I can/can't eat now. I also can't handle much gluten so try to be gluten-free where possible.

I tend to weigh daily, but will check-in on this thread to give me weight every week maybe!

Good morning everyone. 🙂Got up really early today waiting for a redelivery of a parcel. They came before 8am on Friday when they first tried to deliver so I got up early today to be prepared. Checked parcel tracking and they are not coming till this afternoon! Doh! lol
Speaking of Christmas, is anybody else a smidge worried that after all the hard work we're putting in, Christmas will ruin it all?!!!
Good luck with the woosh @bigdecisionstomake, I'm sure you'll smash it! 😃

Woo-Hoo, had a NSV (None Scale Victory.) today. Bought some clothes from Yours Clothing in a size 16, thought I would slim into them. But, tried them on and they all fit now! Was dead chuffed. 😂

Evening all

@ilovetea14 well done on your weight and rower work out and your plan sounds a good one. The last few pounds really do take a bit of extra effort I think. Best of luck with your weigh in next week.

Welcome to the thread @Frazzledbuthopeful I agree starting off too strictly is never a good idea - if I do I just give up a few days later. It's better to ease in slowly and make the changes over time to make it sustainable over the long term. Being so close to the next stone bracket is good motivation though so I would focus on that and putting some distance between you and the 11s.

@BookSuperWorm welcome to you too! I think it's really sensible to reduce your rate of loss for the last few pounds - I may do the same I think. It must be awkward having to avoid so many different foods but still get a varied diet - hope you manage to get onto an even keel with it all soon. Look forward to your updates.

@Openmouthinsertfood ha ha yes, I think we may all sabotage our good efforts over Christmas. This is certainly what happened to me on holiday. To be fair I'm happy with that though - I think it's good to have a couple of weeks off every now and then, as long as you don't let that become a month or three. Whoop whoop for your NSV - it's great to be in a smaller clothes size, well done. Great to see all your efforts so far paying off 😁

My day going well except for a bit of pesky left over camembert that isn't allowed for in my calories but was stinking the fridge out so had to be eaten....

Hey everyone - weighed myself today. Still at 11st 2. again, it started well and then fell off the band wagon.

breakfast - a bit of sourdough and a soft boiled egg

lunch - veg soup 2 x crackers and cheese.

dinner - chicken pasta and apple pie and cream.

snacks were cottage cheese, nuts and dried fruit.

i did a 6.5km run this evening though. So all is not lost.

@bigdecisionstomake - so the main thing that I do to eat low UPF is look at everything and check the ingredients list for everything I buy. Any ingredient that I can’t find in my kitchen I don’t buy. I also make my own sourdough - it’s easy once you get the rhythm. But understand it’s a bit of a faff!

Hi, I'd like to join please
My CW is 10 stone 11, my goal is 10 stone by Christmas. I want to lose 2 stone overall.

Ooh maybe I can join this group too?

Finding these groups super helpful as I’m trying not to eat after 6pm.

i’m 5’5
SW 11st 6
CW 11st 1

I actually don’t know my goal weight, I can’t remember a time (as an adult!) I’ve been lighter than 10st so I’ll try 10st and see how it feels I guess?

I’m 41 and I feel really ready to stop the binge eating…

thank you for staying the thread 🙏🏻