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.

Today:

Breakfast: Bagel - 150
Peanut butter - 100
Green smoothie - 100

Lunch: Cottage cheese - 150
Sweetcorn - 50
Red pepper - 50
Tiny little pear - 50

Snack: Ginger immunity shot - 50

Dinner: The rest of the minestrone - 400

Dessert: Banana - 100
Activia - 50
Cake bar - 100

Total: 1350

Two half hour walks today.

Arghhh bad day yesterday and today, I can’t stop eating! I was doing well yesterday, even went to the gym last night then came home and ate half a dominoes pizza and a chocolate bar! Today I’ve not stopped eating rubbish, so annoyed with myself.
You’re doing so well @SnuggleBuggleBoo 😊

Weigh day today and despite meal planning, no upf, logging my food on mfp, no alcohol, no sugar, 10,000 steps a day, IF 19:5……I’m up another 1lb!

sw 154
cw 151
gw 140

Must be portion size🤔 I bloody love food and enjoy feeling full after eating. My daily calorie intake is usually around 1500-1600 and I’m a bit reluctant to drop too low as it feels less sustainable for me.

I’ll keep going. Meal planning and logging on mfp really helps me make better food choices and I do feel more energetic at least.

Hi all, have been busy nursing my mum. Still plugging away at the weight loss. Finally, after 2 months of really trying, I'm down to 10st something! (10st 13.8lbs). Only just there, but I'm there. First time I've been in that weight bracket since 2005!

Well done for maintaining because that knowledge that you can maintain your weight will be a powerful aid going forwards. That knowing will give you the inner confidence to trust yourself which is what it is all about really!

Dialogue with yourself- tell yourself you are motivated and excited to be choosing vegetables choosing salad choosing to love your body just the way it is. Your body is awesome it serves you so well it is your vehicle for life.

I've gone over with the calories today. Ah well, will rein it in tomorrow!

Breakfast: Smoothie - 150

Lunch: Monster big salad with added pinenuts and lots of dressing - 500
Bread and cheese - 350

Snack: Ginger immunity shot- 50

Dinner: Can of Heinz soup - 200
Flat bread - 200
Cheese spread - 100

Dessert: Pear - 100
Activia - 50
Cake bar - 100

Total: 1800

In better news, I weighed myself today and am down to 11:13! It's great to be down into the next stone bracket! I had a couple of walks of 40 mins each too.

I’m back on it tomorrow, have gone completely off track over the weekend but did at least exercise Friday and today so that’s something at least!
Well done @SnuggleBuggleBoo

Morning all

Can't quite believe it's Monday again.

I've been laid up over the weekend with a horrible cold so no exercise and food not great either. Isn't it typical I made it through the working week then was ill all weekend but now feeling much better again on Monday morning 😫

Lovely to hear your skin is glowing @SnuggleBuggleBoo that's a great side effect to be having of eating healthier! Time for a fanfare....Awesome news about being in the 11s - give yourself an enormous pat on the back - all the work has been worth it - well done! Have you got another target to aim for now you're in the 11s? 🙂

@LBB2020 I think the Dominos was a theme of the weekend 😳I had one too last night. Was feeling rubbish and couldn't be bothered to cook in the end - at least you went to the gym!

@Bloodylovetelly Try and focus on the improvements you've made to your diet, there are loads and these will benefit you even if the scales haven't moved in the right direction. I love my food too and portion control really is key - I have to really consciously serve myself less on the plate otherwise I overeat. I think it helps though that as I've got older I have more digestive issues so actually end up suffering a bit of discomfort if I overeat so that's good motivation for portion control....Keep going, we're all in this together 🙂

@Openmouthinsertfood sorry to hear you've been preoccupied with nursing your mum but.....whoop whoop for being in the 10s - huge congratulations, that's amazing, well done! Try and use it as motivation to keep at it and put some distance between you and the 11s now

I agree @Refire maintaining is a good result and sometimes a fantastic result in some circumstances.

I haven't weighed again this morning as I've been off plan all weekend and have probably undone all my good work from last week. For me at the moment though I have a lot of things going on and am content that I'm doing the best I can. I have a big weekend this week with family coming over from Ireland for our Christmas present exchange and celebration so there will be plenty of eating, drinking and making merry. I'm determined therefore that I'm going to be on plan completely until Friday evening, when we have a big meal out booked.

I've started well this morning with a 30 minute walking workout followed by Day 1 of Joe Wicks' 21 Days of Strength. I really need to get back on the strength training as I've let it slide over the last month or two. Food is all planned to be within calories. 6 weeks to go - still time to make a difference.

Today:

Breakfast: Smoothie - 150

Lunch: Cottage cheese - 150
Sweetcorn - 50
Red pepper - 50
Bread - 200
Butter - 50

Snack: Cake bar - 100
Ginger immunity shot - 50

Dinner: Butternut squash stuffed pasta - 300
Butter - 100
Cheese - 150
Baby leaf salad - neg

Dessert: Banana - 100
Yoghurt - 50
Cake bar - 100

Total: 1600

Oh. That's much more than I thought. Damn. Just one walk today, around an hour.

@bigdecisionstomake glad it wasn’t just me with the pizza! Well done on starting your day with some exercise.
Your walk will have bought your net calories down @SnuggleBuggleBoo, sounds like you had a great start to the week!
My day was pretty rubbish to be honest. Work stress lead me to comfort eating this evening. Will draw a line under it and start again tomorrow

Morning all

1600 plus a walk will bring your calories under 1500, probably even a bit less @SnuggleBuggleBoo so I think you should take that as a win

Aaaargh, hope that's not a sign of how the day's going to be..... went to add a smiley emoji and pressed post by mistake!

Sorry you had a rubbish day @LBB2020 but you're spot on to put it behind you. Is there anything you (or anyone else) could do to help alleviate some of the work stress?

I was happy with my day overall yesterday, I only managed 6.5K steps which was a bit disappointing but my food was good and I've woken up this morning with pleasantly achy biceps and triceps from the Joe Wicks workout which bizarrely encourages me to want to exercise more 😂

Workout wise leg days are my nemesis, I hate them with a passion but know I need to do them. I bit the bullet this morning and started an Olivia Lawson 40 minute lower body workout but only made it to around 20 minutes before my legs had turned to jelly and I didn't think it was safe to carry on. The osteoarthritis in my hip means it's a bit unstable and I don't trust myself not to fall if the muscles aren't working properly. This is a bit of a chicken and egg situation as working the leg/glute muscles will over time help with this but I obviously went in too hard too soon after a long break so need to pace myself a bit I think.

I did 20 minutes of a walking workout afterwards and will pick up the second half of the leg day when I've recovered from this one - I'm expecting to be very sore for the next few days 😫

Food wise today is all planned out but I'm slightly over calories as we're having a Hello Fresh meal for tea that comes in at 800 calories. I will have a smaller portion so only around 700 calories but it's still quite tight and there's no room for snacking today - it should be a busy one at work though so that should keep my mind off food fingers crossed.

Have good days all.

Struggling again this week, no workouts yet, I just can't seem to wake up in the morning 😔 Hopefully tomorrow..🤷🏻‍♀️

Today:

Breakfast: Smoothie - 150

Lunch: Popcorn - 50

Snack: Banana - 100

Dinner: Risotto - 650
Head of lettuce - neg

Dessert: Cheats trifle - 200
Pear - 100

Total: 1250

I'll prop have turmeric immunity shot before bed too, so it'll be more like 1300

Just the world's shortest jog attempt today.

I hear you! I've hardly had any workouts at all. I'm losing weight because of cutting down on calories but I'm just getting wobblier, I'd really like to firm things up! It's the last thing I feel like after work though with the short days!

I really hope you've had a better day today. I know just what you mean with the stress eating. I gained weight when I was unemployed for over a year and just ate my way through the misery of it! It's so easy to reach for the treats when you're having a pants time!

@Backinthedress You're engaged! How exciting!! Seen any dresses you're drawn to yet?

@bigdecisionstomake

How's the lurgy today? It's that horrible germy time of year again!

I lost 3 stone with Joe Wicks during lockdown! I've not been able to get back into him since though. Can anyone recommend any fun youtube workouts? I get bored very easily!

I always round off my exercise sessions joining in with these guys! They cheer me up no end! Definitely recommend 'aerobing' along with them if you're having a bad day.😄

Much better day today and I went to a spin class this evening. Work is probably going to be quite busy and stressful now until the new year so I’m going to need to find a way to deal with it other than raiding the cupboards and eating rubbish!
It’s only Tuesday @Gemzee you still have most of the week left to fit in some exercise. I’m really struggling to get up in the mornings too, it’s so dark and even my toddler is sleeping in and not wanting to get up!
Well done @bigdecisionstomake and @SnuggleBuggleBoo sounds like you’ve both had a great start to the week!

Well done on the discipline x

@SnuggleBuggleBoo Exercise recomendation: Team Body Project on YouTube are great 😊

I exercised this morning, only a 30 min cardio but better than nothing! Need a walk later as well then hopefully back on track.

@Gemzee I've been reading about fitness lately and the advice seems to be largly focused on just achieving just 20 to 30 minutes a day. It seems the consensus has changed to that being the goal now, not doing three hours in gym. It seems more achievable for people who have work and kids etc to fit in.

I can see how eating 1700 and burning 300 walking = 1400 is a sustainable weightloss strategy

rather

than trying to eat and train like an athlete whilst running our modern day lives is better advice.

So basically, take your 30 mins as an absolute win 🏆