🥳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 🎄🥳

Thank you, this is so useful to know. Very motivating 😀

Hi Everyone, I'm in! I've done SW successfully for years but I need to go to class and my current job just makes it impossible, and DH always asks me "how many calories is tea?" so I've downloaded Nutracheck (I have calorie counted successfully in the past). My weigh day will be Friday if that's ok and I'm on 1200 cals. I kind of unknowingly intermittent fast as I don't eat breakfast and rarely bother with anything before 12pm.

SW 13st 3.5lb
GW 11st 7lb

Hoping to get as close to a stone off by 17th Dec as I'm off for a pre-Christmas trip to Europe for a few days.

Welcome @PieonaBarm I'm a Friday weigher too so glad to have some company!

So at the cafe today I had a cheese omelette. It came with a HUGE portion of fries which I shared 3/4 with my friends 👍 and a salad.

Dinner was a small bowl of pasta with a stir in sauce. Rest of family had garlic bread but I didn't.

I'm out with a friend tonight so there will be wine and probs some nibbles (I've forgotten who recently mentioned peanuts - my current weakness are s&v flavour - so salty and calorific but I can't resist them, so I just need to stop buying them!), but I've avoided my normal Friday fare of a bacon sandwich/treat dinner.

I had an annual health check with the nurse today for my blood pressure (high) my bmi was 27 so good motivation to drop the stone I'm trying to lose! I was just under 10st in June but I've been lucky and had 4 holidays away since then gaining around 4 pounds each time and I just haven't managed to shift them! I'm going away again in February and definitely want to be back under 10 so 1st 2 pounds to lose

I've been doing well past 2 days, back on track. The only thing is.. I am so hungry, especially in the evening once the kids go to bed. I have not given in, but crikey, 🤤🤤
Any tips on how to keep the hunger at bay?

@DomesticElf I find that evening hunger is worse for the first few days after I stop and then my body gets used to it so don't give up! Herbal tea in the evening helps fill me up and stop me reaching for biscuits of snacks. After I've done the washing up I put my tea cup and herbal tea out so that it's ready for me. I like mint or caramelised pear at the moment.

If you're still getting hungry in the evenings after a week then maybe you're not getting enough calories during the day.

@ImALittlePea going out I find it so difficult to make healthy choices as I often want to have something I can't make as well ay home (or always tastes better out!) lie steak and chips or seafood (often prawns cooked in oil and butter!). I have been alcohol free this year which helps me reign myself in and not go overboard. Hope you had a nice time with your friend.

We're out for pancakes today for DS birthday - will choose whatever I want but we won't do starters/desserts (unless e pick up some ice cream on the way home) and I will avoid booze and coke.

Can I join you, please? I’ve been saying I’m going to lose weight all year and have just faffed about losing and gaining the same kilo! Now’s my last chance to do something about my weight in 2023 - and it would be amazing to get dressed on Christmas morning and feel good about myself instead of feeling blobby and disappointed.

SW 70.7
CW 70.7
GW 60 (obvs not all by Christmas, but I’d like to see a good chunk gone by then!)

I plan to calorie count, cut out snacks and booze and up my daily steps.

Welcome @Clettercletterthatsbetter

Two ideas for evening hunger @DomesticElf - "cleaning and closing" after your evening meal (a la @TheRealHousewife) mentally helps feel like the kitchen is out of bounds. Also, brushing your teeth is often cited as a good tactic.

Totally agree, and I had a lovely evening and much needed rant natter with my friend @PatienceOfEngels

Welcome @Clettercletterthatsbetter and @PieonaBarm !

@Clettercletterthatsbetter I am also hoping to feel good about myself when I get dressed up for xmas day and various events and using that as a my main motivator now. Think the real test is keeping the motivation up from now through to December!

@DomesticElf I also find evening hunger a challenge 😬 for me it’s been such a long time habit of having a snack in the evening after dinner even if I’m not hungry that it’s such a tricky habit to shake

I realised I only wrote half a sentence earlier 🫣 the "cleaning and closing" refers to the kitchen - clean and close the kitchen after your evening meal.

My IF hours are 10-1700 so the evening hunger is really tough! Especially when I can smell dinner being cooked 😩

But herbal teas are like gold dust at the moment and keeping me sane! I’m with the others who want to look nice for Christmas - have been avoiding taking photos recently just being ashamed of how I look but not doing anything about it.

had my first session at the gym on Friday where I did a fat burn programme on the treadmill and planning to head back tomorrow.

Hope this group helps to keep the momentum going!

I think I’ve dropped a lb or two over past couple of days.

Today:-

breakfast: vogel soya and linseed toast with peanut butter and marmite
lunch: half carton new Covent Garden vegetable soup and 1 slice toast with olive oil spread
snacks: 4 rich tea light biscuits and 1 tiny snack maltesers, 1 plum and granary toast with spread and jam.
dinner: cheese and tomato omelette, small jacket potato, broccoli and carrots

Agreed with @PatienceOfEngels you can get out of evening snacking. I was regularly having a large bag of pop chips every other night plus other bits but stopped.

Now I haven’t done this for at least 2 weeks but if I want to do it the odd night then why not?

My WW group would say something about bad habits, breaking them and finding other things to do rather than snack.

It’s often thirst rather than hunger when snacks are a temptation for me, so I’m finding it useful to get a pint of water in the late evening and try to get through that before thinking about a snack.

I also do IF but 1-9 so I’m not left with much evening without food. I find that easier! Really depends on your lifestyle though.

So today I had my SF shake for bfast and made a mistake of going shopping couple of hours later with nothing healthy to eat in sight. Got hungry and ended up in food court with a chicken wrap. Thankfully resisted taking a meal so no fizzy drinks nor chips. Need to make a mental note to always be prepared if out for longer.
I did not eat anything else today to balance things out.
With regards to snacking, I think we're all guilty of it, it is a norm these days to eat between meals. I find it easier to go without if I had a meal with high protein/ fat content. I am simply not hungry then and able to resist temptation (mostly). Also make sure to have good type of snacks in the house if really need one.

Day 1 done! I stayed within my calorie allowance and walked about 13,000 steps and didn’t feel too hungry!
now I just need to keep it up for another 50 days!

Actually you’re correct, you do mistake thirst for hunger. My WW coach has a big water bottle orange squash and I have the same as I find water sometimes plain. Plus green tea and camomile tea. I also make low sugar jellies for the fridge for snacks but not done since October as colder.

Sadly I have never found that thirst is the reason for my hunger. I drink loads as it is. I just love snacks!

My plan this week is to cut down on salt to ease any water retention. And speaking of snacking I'm going to stop all snacks unless fruit and reward myself with some Lego if, i mean WHEN, I succeed.

I’ve had to switch snacks to healthier ones. So light popcorn, pop chips, lu mikado and similar. Boiled eggs and low fat yogurt is zero points on WW.

WW coach offers Rich tea biscuits (not sure if light or not) and if I go into the office it’s more fruit and veg snacks.

@GonnaGetGoingReturns my usual day is:

Breakfast: porridge with chia seeds and golden syrup, big mug of sugarless tea

Lunch: 0% Fage yogurt with homemade fruit compote, chia and honey

Dinner: homemade vegetable soup with 2 petit pain (no butter)

It's the snacks I add to that they are the problem!

I don't eat any low fat/sugar versions of anything that have additives. The 0% Fage doesn't have anything added to it and it's very filling. I'm trying to avoid as many UPF things as possible.

Good morning! 100g less today! I was hoping for more but maybe my body still retains water.
My cravings for snacking subsided a lot when I switched to low carb diet. No bread, pasta, rice, definitely no biscuits or other sugars. It is strict but it works.

Why is it so hard to stick to healthy eating on a weekend! Argh!
Going to meal plan the week shortly to try and get back on it tomorrow!!

After eating too much the last week, I haven't eaten anything for nearly 16th hours today although have had tea and coffee with milk and stevia sweetener.
Have just had a slice of toast with a light cheese triangle and tomato.
Will see how rest of the day goes!

DH is working so only have to make dinner for DC.

Started light jogging again and walking again at least 10,000 steps/ day between work, dog walking and every day activities.

Also not had any alcohol this weekend which is unusual for me! Had wine Tuesday and Wednesday, I end up having some as a way to unwind after a busy shift but trying to cut down as end up eating too much with it.

A good weekend 🙂

Boiled egg and rye toast with coffee for breakfast
spicy pumpkin soup yesterday and scrambled egg with spinach, mushrooms and rye toast for lunch today
chicken 'tortilla' pancake (with peppers, leeks, cheese, chilli sauce and nachos!) for dinner out yesterday, 2 tonics to drink
white fish with broccoli and dauphinoise potatoes today, followed by homemade apple pie

No snacking, no evening eating, no booze, and I'm not hungry! 💪

Could definitely have drunk more water, got more steps in (managed a walk today but got drenched so cut it short) or done some yoga/home work out but have had enough rest and ready for work tomorrow.