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.

Evening all,

I'm sorry to hear about your FIL @bigdecisionstomake , and your mum @Openmouthinsertfood, I hope things will be brighter for both of you soon 💐

I’m more or less on track for this week, so I hope that when I weigh in on Monday there will be some loss 🤞

@LBB2020, I used to love the options hot chocolate sachets, especially the mint ones! I’ll have to grab some of those 😊 Thank you!

I hope everyone has good results when they next weigh in.

Thanks @LaBelleSauvage123 .
Hope everyone has had a good day?
Gonna try and log off in a mo to get some elusive sleep...

Got to sleep around 2ish again. At least I got to sleep!
Ok, was really looking forward to weighing this week after last weeks drop. Stayed on plan all week, and put on those size 16 jeans and top yesterday and they're too big! Kept having to pull the trousers up. So it was with great anticipation that I stepped on the scales this morning...and lost only 8oz!??? Am I having a plateau? Did I eat at maintenance calories? Gutted. I guess I just carry on with the plan and hope for next week? Never lost such a small amount. I was so sure I could get down to 10st something by next week.
Sorry, sounds like I'm having a pity party! I'll get over it, just got to keep on trying.
I hope you all have a great weekend.
Big Brother starts tomorrow night, anybody plan to watch it?

'FibreOne' chocolate cake bars are good for a chocolate fix. They're only like 86 calories or something, but feel very decadent. Also you can't have more than one thanks to all the fibre, so you can't binge on them. I put mine in the freezer so they're chewier and take longer to eat. They are expensive though!

Omg, I have binged on them before. Do not recommend

So far this week, I've stuck mostly to my healthy eating but I did have a cornetto last night 🤐

Staying the same so far after my initial 1lb loss, but had a good day today. Minimal snacking, healthy breakfast and lunch and a good (healthy) dinner planned. Fingers crossed for a positive result when I weigh in on Monday.

Oh yes! I used to eat the chocolate one. I'd completely forgotten about them! Thank you so much for your recommendation. 👏I must get some in my next shop. Good shout! 😀

Good luck for Monday @Farfarfarfarfaraway .
Ooh @MrsBobo I haven't had a Cornetto for ages. I hope it was nice. One icecream won't hurt.
Off to watch Strictly. (Gosh it sounds like all I do is watch TV. I honestly don't watch it that much! 😂)

Two weeks of Covid since I first posted and a 2lb weight gain, but back on track this morning at 13 3.75 - only half a pound down from starting weight , but at least in the right direction. Fish and vegetables most nights seems to do the trick when I'm not doing much exercise. Luckily I love fish!

Morning all

Apologies for going AWOL yesterday, as sometime happens, life got in the way and I ran out of time.

@LBB2020 That's a good tip for the Options hot chocolate, I'll get some of those on my weekly shop. Good luck with your weigh in this week 😃

Thanks @LostNoMore it has been a difficult few weeks since we found out and FIL who is usually a bit of a force of nature hasn't coped very well (understandably) so that is hard to see. Fingers crossed for your weigh in tomorrow.

@Openmouthinsertfood sorry to hear you have such problems sleeping. As a general rule of thumb I am so exhausted by the end of the day that I fall asleep really easily. Staying asleep is another matter. I started on HRT a couple of years ago which really helped with the night sweats but alcohol definitely doesn't help these days 😩and at the moment there are quite a few worries about various things that don't help either. Need a bit of a sleep detox I think...

Fabulous news on the size 16s being too big, that's a great motivational NSV. 0.5lb loss is still a loss so congratulations on that. Weight loss is never linear and if your clothes are getting looser you are losing fat so that's a big win. Don't let the small loss demotivate you - use it to spur you on to try really hard next week to get into the 10s.

I used to watch Big Brother when Davina did it but haven't for a few years - is it still the same format as it used to be?

@SnuggleBuggleBoo another good swap for when we get the chocolate cravings, thank you, I'll have a look for those when I do my shop 🙂

@MrsBobo ha ha, you do have to have a treat every now and again and as treats go I'm sure one Cornetto won't de-rail your weight loss efforts for the week. Sounds like you need to avoid the Fibre One cake bars though 😂

@Farfarfarfarfaraway well done on all the healthy habits you're sticking to and best of luck for the weigh in on Monday.

Glad you're coming out of other side of Covid @LaBelleSauvage123 and beginning to get back on track. Sounds like you're eating really healthily. I wouldn't worry about a gain while ill - I think you have to eat to help your body heal and I'm sure you'll smash it now you're back on plan 🙂

My head hasn't been in it this weekend - just too much else going on. I'm going to re-start again on Monday and although I haven't been really bad I've been drinking more red wine than I should and eating more crisps than strictly necessary....

I need to learn some tricks to deal with emotions and stress that don't involve food. I know I'm not unusual in this and I used to be really good at it (or perhaps my life was a bit more charmed, who knows 🤔).

DP is saying he is getting back on plan next week too after a few weeks off so I'm hoping that will help me focus as we do tend to lead each other astray....

I got on the scales with trepidation this morning and am currently 10st 2.8lb so a gain of 1.4lbs from last week. I know I have been eating a lot of rubbish etc... including salty crisps so I'm hoping some of this will come off quite quickly if I get back on track next week. Hey ho - life happens and it's done now.

Onwards and downwards next week folks.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone.

Checking in with my first week’s results….
sw 154lb
cw 150lb
gw 140lb by Christmas

Really chuffed with a loss in the first week. A steady 1lb per week loss until christmas would be amazing, but I know my body of old, it will be stubbornly hanging onto every ounce from now on!

I managed to stick to a meal plan and a five hour eating window this week and have started logging my food into the Fitbit app, to stay focussed. According to Fitbit I eat far too much fat and not enough protein. Going to ignore Fitbit and refuse to swap full fat natural yoghurt for diet version!💪

Listening to ‘Ultra Processed People’ at the moment which is really interesting.

After logging my calories for 40 days, I was ready for a day off yesterday. I just wanted the freedom from it. To just go out and enjoy food without those considerations. I did as well. I went out for brunch and had a indian takeaway for tea. I needed it. I feel ready to get back on track today. I think my body needed a good feed.

I just wanted to report on this to say, do you know sometimes doing this helps! It helps your wellbeing and I feel ready to have another good stint at weightloss.

Morning all
I've just weighed and I’m pleasantly surprised, 10st12lbs so that means I’m 2lb down this week!
@Yocal i agree with you, we had a MacDonalds yesterday as the children were asleep in the car after a birthday party and DH wanted lunch so drive through it was!
Just off to yoga, my fifth lot of exercise this week! Hope everyone has a great day

I've just weighed myself and after my first week I've lost a great big 1lb! Ah well, I haven't been counting calories, just trying not to overeat, so it's not really surprising! I'm going to start keeping a diary of what I'm eating and the calories so I know I'm keeping it to under 1500 a day.

@SnuggleBuggleBoo 1lb is great! Well done, slow and steady is more sustainable!

Hi @bigdecisionstomake , sorry to hear you are stressed too. With sleep, I stay tired all day till it comes to the night then, 'ping!' I'm awake. Once I get to sleep I'm usually ok, just wake 2-3 times a night but straight back to sleep. I hope you have a good night tonight and manage to sleep through.
Thank you for the kind words. I feel a bit better as I had a cheeky weigh in today and lost another 8oz, (Though I will officially weigh in next Saturday.). That I've lost anything is really encouraging. I thought I was stuck! lol
Really good luck to you and your DP for Monday. It's understandable your head hasn't been in the game. The only coping tactic I know is distraction. I hope you find something that works.
Congrats to you all for losing! 🌟And for the exercising. Good luck for the week ahead all.

‘My head hasn't been in it this weekend - just too much else going on. I'm going to re-start again on Monday and although I haven't been really bad I've been drinking more red wine than I should and eating more crisps than strictly necessary....
I need to learn some tricks to deal with emotions and stress that don't involve food.’ @bigdecisionstomake I hear you! I’m exactly the same.

The thought of a big audit next week has ruined my weekend and the wine has been flowing. I very much expect my 3lb loss to have gone back on. The only good thing is the stress of the audit will probably kill my appetite this week. We can live in hope 😉

Anyway, as you said, onwards and downwards 👍

Just thought I'd share a discovery for anyone wanting something filling at 120 calories!

I just rediscovered Staffordshire Oak Cakes. They are like a pancake made with oats for those not in the know. Nobody talks about them in the diet news... or any news for that matter. They're filling, like really filling for 120 cals.

Plus, my fussy eater (3yrs) even likes them...so it's a double win. Healthy, cheap, versatile and filling. You're welcome.

My very first day of counting calories and I've gone over my limit of 1500, which is already pretty high!

Breakfast: Multiberry immunity shot - 50

Brunch: Porridge with banana - 400

Snack: 2 small biscuits - 150
Mango immunity shot - 50

Dinner: Large roasted garlic flatbread - 350
1/2 a tub houmous - 250
Olives - 50
Feta - 100
Bag of salad leaves and large chunk of cucumber - negligible
Carrot juice - 50

Dessert: Cake bar - 100
Large plum - 50

1600 altogether, a disappointing start! I've been walking for around 2.5 hours today, but on a day out around a formal gardens so very slowly, not really 'exercise'.

Morning all

What a fantastic start @Bloodylovetelly a 4lb loss is really smashing it - well done! I agree about not swapping full fat for diet products, usually that just means swapping the fat (which keeps you fuller longer) for sugar which causes a blood sugar spike and makes you hungry again.

That's really good advice @yocal and I totally agree. In my case I just need to get the 40 days under my belt before I have any more days off....😆I've just put some of the oat cakes in my shopping basket, I always need new ideas for filling snacks.

Amazing work with 2lbs off @LBB2020 congratulations! Great work on all the exercise too, hope you're feeling the other benefits as well as the calories burned😀

@SnuggleBuggleBoo 1lb off is a great result, well done, that's a deficit of 3500 calories for the week which is no mean feat! I find I need the discipline of logging calories to keep me on track, at least until I get into the swing of things. @LBB2020 is right, a slow loss is more sustainable and will be easier to keep off in the long term. I would imagine 2.5 hours of walking, even if at a slow pace should easily burn the 100 calories you went over allowance by 🙂

Good news on the extra 0.5lb @Openmouthinsertfood well done 🙂As it turns out I had another rubbish night's sleep but I'm a bit more determined this morning to just get up and get back on it - we'll see how that goes. Thank you for mentioning distraction - I had forgotten but I bought some lovely peppermint tea bags for a treat earlier this year (they were more expensive than the tea I usually buy) and when I got the munchies late afternoon (a danger time for me) I would make myself one to sip on to distract me from wanting to eat. I also find these comforting if I'm stressed or anxious. I think there's still a few in the box so I'm going to dig those out now the weather is getting more autumnal and try those again. Thanks for the tip.

The whole emotion and food thing is complicated I think @ItsTapasTime sometimes I deal with it better than others. I'm going to try the peppermint tea and also I've got a lovely scented candle sitting on the side in the office which I'm going to burn if I'm feeling stressed - hopefully that will calm me too and stop me reaching for snacks. Sorry to hear about the audit - that must be really stressful. Hope it goes well and you find something to help you deal with the stress and if it kills your appetite for a week that's got to be a win right? 😉

Despite the rubbish night's sleep I was up early and did a 30 min Olivia Lawson cardio workout followed by Day 1 of Joe Wicks 21 Days of Strength series. I really need to incorporate some strength training into my routine regularly so have jumped back in with this series that I've done a couple of times before as they're quite slow paced so give you time to concentrate on form. I'm going to log my calories for the day again and hope that that gives me the discipline not to go off track again. My weight has STS at 10st 2.8lb. If I can get back into 10st 1lb something by Sunday I will be happy - however I have two evening meals out with friends to contend with this week so let's see how that goes.

Have good days all.

@bigdecisionstomake 😂 so funny. Just to confirm I have had one staffordshire oatcake with banana and peanut butter for breakfast coming in at 350 cals and I feel the perfect level of satiety. It's like a stodge bomb that slowly releases the energy. I reckon this will be filling until 1pm! What a solid diet hack this is.

I've done better with calories today:

Breakfast: Mango immunity shot - 50

Brunch: Porridge and banana - 400

Snack: Carrot juice - 100

Dinner: Vegetable lasagne - 400
Lettuce - negligible

Dessert: Pear - 100
Cake bar: 100
Yoghurt - 200

Total 1350

One half hour walk and one hour long one.

Good evening everyone. I hope you've all had a good day? I bought myself a Christmas present today. I have nearly done everyone else's, and birthdays, so I decided to treat myself. It's the most I've spent on myself on something 'frivolous.' Bought a bottle of perfume. Feeling slightly bad about it, don't know why?
Did you find the mint tea @bigdecisionstomake ? I hope you've been OK today with the lack of sleep. I hope it improves for you tonight. Good luck with the 1.8lb loss. And well done on that exercise so early, and with the lack of sleep! 👌
Good luck with the audit @ItsTapasTime . I hope the lead up isn't too stressful for you.
Hi @Yocal , really silly question I imagine, but what do the oat cakes taste like? Do they literally just taste of oats?
Hi @SnuggleBuggleBoo tomorrow is another day! Don't forget, you have been on your feet for all those hours so it must count for something?

Cross posted, congrats on today @SnuggleBuggleBoo ! Good going on the diet and walking! 👌

@Openmouthinsertfood i'd say like a pancake made with porridge! It's definitely a unique pancake local to Stoke. They haven't taken the world by storm like say tortilla wraps, but they do serve a good wallop of sustained energy and definitely worth seeing if they help you stay in a calorie deficit. Let me know what you think if you try them.

Thanks @Yocal . Got my Fibre one's in this weeks shop. so maybe try them next time.