🥳LOSE IT! 🥳Christmas 2023 Countdown Thread 🥳

[TheRealHousewife]

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN EDITION.

8 week countdown to Christmas. November brings a fresh new month to become a healthier version of yourself. If you’re up for being your best self in time for the festivities you’ve come to the right place.

These threads are for those who’d like to stay healthy, lose weight as well as those who wish to maintain; to encourage a healthy & varied diet and to exercise.

As no one size fits all, members need to follow their own way of eating. This thread aims to offer guidance, support and a bit of hand holding.

We generally have WOW (weigh on Wednesday) day each week. However post and share your progress as often or as little as you prefer. Do what works for you.

The important thing is not to think of it as a diet (based on deprivation and unsustainable) but more a way of life (sustainable & enjoyable).

I calorie count based on a lower carb Mediterranean diet. I intermittent fast and eat twice a day. Im a long time healthy eater and overall I’ve lost over 3 stone. After having been on the wrong side of 12st Im now hovering around 8st 12lbs. I had a blip a couple of years ago when my thyroid went wonky but now back (mainly) on track. I Would love to wave bye to another few lbs 😬 The main thing is to never give up! Keep going!

Are you in😊 What food plan will you be following? What do you want to change and why?

PS - Positive thought:- If you were to lose on average of a 1lb - 2lbs per week you could be a half a stone to a stone lighter by Christmas 🎄🥳

Update from me:-

WW weigh in I was 2.5 llbs down from last week so was pleased.
had tea with rich tea light biscuit at WW
Dinner:- veggie and tofu stir fry with small white rice
snack:- tangerines x 2, pineapple chunks and cheese ritz biscuits with light cheese - I know but the biscuit box is now empty!

Breakfast:- usual porridge with water splash slimmed milk and blueberries
lunch:- 3 Ryvita with no fat cottage cheese, cucumber batons and 3 cherry tomatoes and Chinese chicken low fat cup soup

Walked there and back to WW class which is approx an hour each way.

@ImALittlePea hi yes everything good thanks!

@TheRealHousewife ooh could you post the cottage cheese cheesecake recipe please?

@2Early4Breakfast if you really really want to snack then:-

popchips individual bags ok - approx 70 cal
skinny popcorn unsure re cals but you can weigh out a portion from a large bag
houmous low fat with veggie crudités
boiled eggs
chicken with no skin on
fat free yogurt
sugar free jelly

I find if I must have lattes (when out etc), I try to do skimmed milk or semi if they don’t have skimmed. At home just use skimmed milk.

I have recently been trying to cut down on tea with skimmed milk and replace with green and herbal tea and water.

I've found adding more protein and a little more fat help keep me fuller for longer. Semi skimmed milk in porridge tastes much creamier and gives a better texture and is better than skimmed. I would t touch it otherwise has certainly not in drinks. The calories aren't enough to worry about. I have also cut right rien on eating processed things. Greek yogurt with fruit and honey over store bought biscuits, cakes or similar preservative and additive items. Real good as much as possible. It's made a big difference.

Sorry about the typos in that 🙈

Today:

-boiled egg and rye toast
-greek yoghurt with honey
-spicy butternut squash soup and rye toast + apple
-chicken bhuna and rice

5km walk this morning.
Now enjoying the peace and quiet for an hour (kids and DH out!) with my water and herbal tea.

Rest of day food:-

snacks:- big bag pop chips and skinny choc bar
plum, tangerines and apple cheese and digestive light biscuit
dinner:- cheese and parsley omelette with baked potato small and broccoli and carrots

Feel like might be getting sore throat…

Dd made banana pancakes for dinner. They are vegan ones and really nice but not what I'd normally have for dinner. I've been hungry today and eaten some of my exercise calories the last 2 days but I don't care. I've walked over 51 miles so far this week and it's so hilly round here that it's never a stroll and is always done at speed and with some determination on the biggest hills. Tomorrow I'll walk around 3 miles as a minimum but Sunday is a rest day.

I know I'm only 5 days in on being back on track but I've successfully not eaten after dinner all week and have been very active. Fruit and veg intake is good, sugar intake much improved, fibre is better, fat and carbs probably the same although I've not been eating sweets or chocolate like I normally do. I'm on target to hit my goal by Christmas Eve and am feeling very positive about things tonight. Tired with achey legs, but positive.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and has better weather than we are due here. Don't forget to drink plenty of 🍾🍾🍾🍾

Well the walk today is off because ds is poorly. We had plans to see family too. Despite the heavy carbs of the last two days I'm down to 56.2kg this morning and am very happy with that and hoping to be in the 55s by Wednesday. Slow and steady as always but it works and unless I completely abandon my better habits it should stay off.

@JustACountryMusicGirlInCowboyBoots sounds like you do a lot of walking! Sorry to hear your son is poorly hope he feels better soon. I think you mentioned about milk- well that’s just reminded me I have been have whole milk in my coffee and need to switch to something less calorific. Kids always have whole milk so I’ve always just used that!
Its raining here a lot I’m hoping to get out for some fresh air later and get my steps in!

@JustACountryMusicGirlInCowboyBoots sounds really positive! I'm also a slow and steady loser. Feel so much better without the junk or evening eating. Just worked out I've lost 5% of my body weight in the last 6 weeks 💪

Had a 4km walk with DS in the woods this morning. Raining here now.

Today:

-boiled egg and rye toast, coffee
-rice, spinach, egg, mushrooms, satay sauce
-chicken fajitas with some tortilla chips and dips
-apple crumble, custard and hot chocolate

@secondtimemumma we had skimmed at home from age 7 so I can't tolerate anything else in tea although semi skimmed is ok if there's no choice like on holiday. I drink 3 cups of tea a day max and no sugar.

@PatienceOfEngels that's amazing well done! I started losing in September last year and was 68kg with a BMI of 26 point something. Now my BMI is 21.7 and it's thanks to these threads that kept me going and allowed me to feel confident to come back when I had been away for a while. Not eating after dinner is probably the hardest thing but the one that seems to help the most and I do get used to it quickly. I've found that although I feel hungry at bedtime I don't wake up starving so I've learnt to tell my brain to shut up and that it's not truly hungry, it just wants me to eat something. I used to eat share bags of revels or Maltesers or popcorn or lentil chips in bed night after night and now I just don't. Porridge with chia for breakfast 95% of the time although I do load it with syrup. I got rid of my cinnamon swirl elevenses habit too. My diet was terrible! I'm so grateful to these threads.

@JustACountryMusicGirlInCowboyBoots sorry to hear about your son, hope he feels better soon and well done on the loss!

@secondtimemumma re milk, try semi skimmed first then maybe skimmed. I’ve had skimmed for so long, I think DM started me on it when it first came out but I know it’s not for everyone. Or you can try goats milk which comes in semi, skimmed, whole which my stepdad likes or soya (🤮) or hazelnut or other variations. I agree with you re rain, doesn’t make you want to go out.

I’m off to a local pre Christmas fair which I can walk around and set over a few streets and maybe a film screening in Mayfair later.

breakfast:- peanut butter and marmite on Vogel soya and linseed toast
lunch:- cathedral city light cheese and branston pickle on above bread plus cucumber batons and 4 cherry tomatoes
Snacks:- 2 rich tea light biscuits

Have a great weekend all!

Hit 73kg today 💪🎉(exactly 4kg off in 6 weeks) so feeling positive and motivated.

Today:
-boiled egg, rye toast, coffee
-wraps with falafel, salad, garlic sauce (as long as I get the falafel made!)
-chicken korma with rice

My UPF/pork hasn't massively affected my weight loss this week but I can feel the impact in my skin which is breaking out and not happy. Also have dry lips - first time it's really felt chilly this week outside. Going to give myself a pamper this evening.

@PatienceOfEngels that's amazing well done! I need a pamper too. I think hormones are affecting my skin.
I hit 56.05kg this morning.
Thanks for the well wishes for ds. I'm taking him to the out of hours clinic today because it looks like tonsillitis.
Hope everyone has a nice Sunday. We are watching Christmas movies today around the clinic visit. Perfect time for it when under a duvet on the sofa feeling unwell.

Morning!

I’m late to the party but I’d like to join and get some weight loss in pre Christmas and then carry on after.

I’m going to start tomorrow as it’s my Daughters birthday meal today & we’ve pre ordered l, only a roast but not what I’d chose for weight loss.

I'm doing a good plan and will shop today. I’ll post my weight etc tomorrow! have a great Sunday all x

@witnessprotection73 welcome! Glad you have joined us! I'm sure you'll find these threads really good. There's no fads or judgement, or strict anything, just friendly support whether losing or falling off and gaining.

I'm not sure when I last posted on this thread or the last but I've been actively trying to lose weight since end of August.

I was doing ok food intake wise, I'm doing CICO. I had a few birthdays and family events during October half term and start of November so I was eating different foods to my usual healthier meals. I wasn't exercising as much for a week or so. My bathroom scales also stopped working - needed replacement batteries - and getting that sorted took some time so I paused daily weighing from 7th Nov to yesterday. That was difficult because I need to see the scales, I don't mind if it's the same weight or more but I like monitoring and seeing the graph develop on MFP (really like data collection).

I've been trying to eat healthily but I've dropped the whole 30 thing, cooking from scratch. I'm starting to introduce more ultraprocessed foods back in a tiny bit (e.g toffee popcorn, crumpets).

I was worried that my weight increased but actually it's gone down slightly, not as much as if I dieted and exercised more, but still a huge win because I've never been 53.6kg as an adult or as a teen. Work has been busy so it's possible that although I've been eating more unhealthily compared to before I've been eating less overall as there isn't really time to eat at work still.

For end of December I'd like to get down to 52kg or at least maintain my weight.

Room for another latecomer? I was posting on another thread but it’s gone extremely quiet.

I’d love to lose half a stone before Christmas. I have lost 18lbs so far but would like to lose another 22.

Im doing Noom but reducing carbs and alcohol too. I’m pretty short so calories are quite tight!

Always room @Spudlover! Welcome and congratulations on your loss so far, that's very impressive!

Totally out of routine today with ds being ill. I had my usual porridge breakfast but am out of yogurt and soup and have had chocolate raisins, some toast and 3 caramel wafers. Rubbish on the water from too. Ah well, tomorrow will be better.

Good morning all and hope you’ve all had a good weekend! Welcome to the newcomers.

Only 5 weeks til xmas day now and I’m feeling motivated as that’s definitely enough time to drop some more pounds although it’s going to be a challenge.

My weekend of food was okay… as usual social stuff means unhealthy food on offer but I tried to limit my overall intake so hopefully that will have helped. I’m continuing to work on my portion size and take a step back and think if I really need seconds etc.

Im kickstarting the week with an intermittent fast day today so I will only be having 1 meal and that will be later today. I’m hoping to find some time to do some gentle stretches but don’t have much hope for many steps as it’s miserable weather here but if it picks up I will be going out.

Have a good Monday all let’s smash it this week 😀

Oh gosh, only 5 weeks! I think my goal of losing 2kg might not be possible. I'll be happy with anywhere between 54 and 55kg though.
I've woken up this morning with an unexpected and very painful period. Good job ds is still off school so we can both lie on the sofa watching Christmas movies and hugging hot water bottles. This explains me wanting chocolate yesterday. Thankfully no weight gain with it and am the same as yesterday at 56.05kg.
Hope everyone had a good weekend and is ready for the week. Don't forget your 🍾. That's a reminder to me too as I've not been to hot on water the last few days.

Morning all.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and like @secondtimemumma I’m not going to list all the food as I probably fell off the wagon. Did do a 30 minute workout yesterday though!

Breakfast:- porridge, blueberries with water plus splash skimmed milk

Will have to be good as first time in office tomorrow and Thursday for what seems like ages so will have to avoid temptation and as long journey swap porridge and blueberries for low fat yogurt and blueberries.

5 weeks! Feeling motivated to keep on keeping on. Happy with how it's going - still need to up water and start moving more but have food under control.

Today:
-boiled egg and rye toast
-falafel wrap, lettuce, garlic sauce
-pea soup and bread
-melon, apple, satsuma, greek yoghurt with honey

3km walk this evening

Tomorrow:
-boiled egg and rye toast
-egg fried rice with mushrooms and carrot
-meatballs with red wine gravy, broccoli and rice
-avocado, pear

do a walk in the morning and try to do some yoga.

Love the username @Spudlover

Morning!

Posting food for accountability!

yesterday:
out for lunch- naked cheese burger with a large salad, Diet Coke

dinner - smoked salmon, 2 poached eggs, fresh tomato and a small piece of avocado.

had about a litre of water but I know this isn’t enough.

10k steps

today: in the office

lunch - homemade smoked salmon crustless quiche with salad

snack - 2 small clementines

dinner- homemade chicken casserole with cauliflower mash.

a very sedentary day ahead

Have a good day all x