🥳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 🎄🥳

@GonnaGetGoingReturns I'm not in the UK so my supermarket probably isn't very helpful! The one I eat isn't a pure rye bread, but a mix of rye and wheat so not too crumbly. It's a variety common where I live on the border of Germany/Netherlands. Probably the only UPF I still regularly eat but I love it, even if it's only one slice a day. Otherwise I avoid bread for except when eating soup for dinner. I find that regular bread which isn't so dense doesn't fill me up so much (so I end up eating more of it).

Well done everyone on your losses!

I am pleased to report that the holiday weight gain (mostly) came off in a couple of days so I reckon it must have been mostly water.

My DD bakes a lot and I’ve been trying to steer her away from making too many sugary treats. This week she complied by making a full-on roast dinner! Plenty of veg with it, but also delicious roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings - and I didn’t have to cook which was a bonus. Not ideal for the waistline, especially as she also knocked out a batch of cinnamon buns, and DS got in on the act by making cookies too. I really don’t have the heart to refuse things they have made, even if it’s off-plan, so usually I just have one small portion. I’d probably have hit target without it though!

SW 128 lbs
CW 119.8 lbs
TW 119 lbs

This thread is so lovely! Well done, everyone on your losses. And thank you for the food ideas, it’s so inspiring :)

I saw on the app I’m using to record my weight that I was actually 13 stone in September last year. I completely forgot. But I’m still counting 12 stone 2 as my start because it’s only September this year that I’ve taken myself in hand. Doing it with kindness for myself and good food.

Welcome to the thread @biggerthanthebiggest 😊

@secondtimemumma Thank you, it is a tasty and filling soup. It freezes well too 👍

@NothingTraLaLa Your daughter is the bomb. A full roast plus buns 👏👏👏 I agree, you can’t refuse 😬

@MarzipanKnees You lost a stone already (without trying if I read correctly)! That’s a great start. Keep going 👏👍

@TheRealHousewife I have! I had a pretty stressful year so I think it dropped off while I was busy worrying and rushing around. Feels nice to be calm now.

Yes I've definitely done that too @PatienceOfEngels 😁

What a milestone @TheRealHousewife well done!

@secondtimemumma I don't normally have a sweet tooth, I think it's my mind trying to lure me off the good path as I've been getting so lax with my choices lately (well, since July!)

I reviewed my cottage pie recipe and portion size on MFP and calories have gone up a bit (I'd omitted the olive oil, and somehow split it by 5 instead of 4 portions), which is more realistic. I've also had one oreo biscuit with a cuppa this arvo. Yum. Currently tracking at just under 1,100 cals for the day 👍

SW 70kg
WoW 8/11 66.3kg
TW 60kg

• IF 12:30-20:30, with flexibility 😁
• given up alcohol during the week, just allowing Fri/Sat
• i’m vegan, and have found the explosion of mainstream vegan treat food is my downfall! I’m being strict with myself and stopping buying every vegan cake/pastry/doughnut I see. Keeping it to once a week or even once a fortnight.
• logging all calories and daily weigh ins on Better Me app
• trying to get back into doing the daily workouts on Better Me, but probably managing 3 x week just now

0.6kg loss this week, minimal but still heading in the right direction ✅

Thank you @ImALittlePea I was surprised when I saw the amount in lbs.

@Newname2308 You will notice a difference in your weight loss by giving up the week day alcohol 👍

Massive congrats on all the losses! I am enjoying reading all the updates.

I am still on track, getting into the swing of things I would say. I started using free version of BetterMe app, and so far, I like it (it's only been 1 day though..). Their exercise videos are pretty good. It's my birthday this week, so I may sway into cake territory on the weekend, hopefully scales will be merciful 😁

Well, I've lost the bit I gained last week. Not too bad.

Day 5 done. Stuck to calories, did 8k steps (not enough!). Could have drunk more water.

I forgot to weigh yesterday (it has Been A Week) so did this morning.

Lost 5lbs! 🎉

So lost the (I assume) water weight from my treat of eating bacon when my husband was away! and another pound down from previous lowest. Excellent!

Haven't done great with exercise this week, it's been an awful week, car battery flat Monday, two kind strangers stopped to help me (had the children with me too), so faith in humanity restored a little. Another Dad wouldn't leave until I'd phoned my parents to come and even offered to take the children home!

I guess not everybody in the world is awful!!

Dinner was just thrown on table in time for sports as we have to eat early, no time to cook veg instead of rice for me, so had a very small bit of bread.
Then forgot my noise cancelling earphones when took my family to martial arts class. So incredibly stressful.
Tuesday, chaos, mud, washing, after school clubs...
Wednesday, boiler service guys clomping all over the house in wet boots all morning.

But despite wishing for nothing more than to have a HUGE hunk of panettone with a coffee, I haven't done. I have tried to stick to my plans.

Been out for a walk today, but really began to rain, so not as long as I'd have liked.
Got dal in the slow cooker on now, lunch is soup defrosting, cooking peas (in an adorable little net!) and will chop vegetables for roasted vegetables with vegan sausage for dinner!

So all in all, so pleased to be a new low weight after a week like this!

Well done @WeirdPookah. Sounds like a stressful week!

Well done @WeirdPookah - that’s a great loss!

Afternoon All

@DomesticElf Happy Birthday 🎂 < Calorie free 😬Posted a card 🥳

@Bikechic 👍 Great!

@Clettercletterthatsbetter Great progress 👍Now keep going 😬

@WeirdPookah 5lbs in a week 😮 Fanblummingtastic! 👏👏👏Well done on swerving the panettone 👍

Menu
Meal 1 - Porridge, blueberries and splash of cream.
Meal 2 - Chicken stir fry.
Tea, black coffee and water.

No exercise a yet, still coughing 😷

Hi all! 65kg on the dot today. (CW around 75kg, GW 61kg)

AMAZING to see everyone's losses woohoo!!!!

Non-scale victory 1 - fit into sweatshirt my sister gave me of hers (she's a small size 8) which felt really good (until now I've felt like a whale next to her...)
Excited to see the number 64 on the scale... feel like it's looming. Again I kind of ate what I wanted today - fast until noon-ish, met my sister and shared a feta and ham and spinach pastry and a cheese sandwich and a cinnamon bun... with a big latte! I know it's not diet food but I feel strangely confident that it won't be a huge problem. Obviously I won't eat like that every day but I'm cool with it.

Non-scale victory 2 - feel like my face has de-puffed considerably as I'm not eating shit all day and night. oh yeah!

Anyone else doing IF?
I feel like I'm learning to kind of 'see' my triggers and watch without judgement and see when I want to eat. I do think I use eating to soothe myself and then it's become a habit. I'm dealing with lots of old emotional baggage so the eating had become so out of hand. I can't believe how good I feel and it's just been 4 days! Fingers crossed the good vibes last!

@TheRealHousewife Thanks for being such a great OP - that minestrone looked really nice - is there pasta in there? Wow 45 lbs that's incredible. Was that over a long period of time? Thanks for the vote of confidence re weighing each day, I know it's not for everyone but it's motivating me a lot to know that I might see a lil downward tick every morning (and I'm not seeing them every morning but it's not bumming me out too much thankfully!)

@fedupofbuilders great loss, so inspiring for me as we are at similar(ish) weights!!!! fab to hear your health check went well - also wanted to say I love your username haha- I HATE working with builders, honestly one of the repeatedly shitty things I have to deal with (living in an ancient fixer upper and zero time or skill for DIY).

@PatienceOfEngels I'm with you on the no calorie counting, I find it a bit stressful! Yes to wardrobe 'shop my stash' clear out - love it too! I've got some old bags of clothes from pre-baby sitting politely in the attic waiting for their day in the sun- and this may be their year! Velvet wide-leg trousers sound amazing!!!

@secondtimemumma omg well DONE with your weight loss! I really really relate to the 2nd/3rd week blues where you kind of stagnate.

Welcome @biggerthanthebiggest :) :) :)

@Newname2308 Also giving up week-day alcohol and really looking forward to some Friday night fizz with DH - will feel like I've earnt it!

@WeirdPookah well done wow! how lovely that those people helped you! it's mad isn't it that we assume everyone is awful but there you go! Love those kind of things! thanks for sharing. Stressful week, but you've nailed it!

@DomesticElf Happy birthday!

Good luck everyone tomorrow! :)

Lovely to hear everyone's updates.

Non-scale victory - my boobs are currently not falling out of my bra 😂

@TheRealHousewife I'm currently weighing everyday today. I like to have a weekly average to see where my weight is going (which helps if weigh-in day is a sudden jump as it can be at a certain point in my cycle).

Today:
boiled egg and toast (some bastard ate the last of my rye bread) with coffee
chestnut soup with turkish bread and salted butter
fornello (chicken, rice, veg, eggs dish, think it's Portuguese)
snacks - pineapple, melon, satsuma and cucumber
ginger and lemon tea, water

Plan for the weekend > burgers and homemade paprika wedges tomorrow, pasta pesto with bacon and green veg Sat, ribs feast on Sunday (need to decide what veg to have, but the ribs are the star so probably no carbs on the side).

@coffeecupslinedup I intermittent fast and have been more conscious of my timings recently rather than just kind of yeah it's about 16 hours, I've found I'm happier now I feel a bit more in control. I've done an extended fast today of 24 hours which has been quite easy to be honest but I'm absolutely freezing tonight.

@DomesticElf happy birthday!! Enjoy the cake!

First world problems...

Tomorrow I am home alone and want to have a lovely lunch, something that feels like a treat. In the bad old days this might be a McDonalds or an oven pizza, but I know I feel rubbish after having them (physically and mentally!).

Can't decide what to make! A few weeks ago I did a pesto chicken salad sandwich (went and bought some really nice bread and panfried the chicken and pesto). Have done an italian chicken salad with macaroni, olives, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, shavings of parmesan or made my own chicken nuggets.

I don't know what to choose this week! Maybe a BLT with crispy bacon. Or smoked salmon. Steak sandwich? Can pop to the shop after I've dropped the kids off at school.

I'm so good with eating my soup stash, eggs, spinach, baked potatoes...sometimes I just fancy something super delicious that's just for me (with no kids eyeing up my grub!).

For me another day without scales moving one bit. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since I started. I ate very little today, really determined to see some progress!
Ordered some nice clothes tonight, hopefully not too long before I will be the right size to wear them.
Congratulations to all who lost some this week!

Happy birthday @DomesticElf 🥳

5lb! Well done @WeirdPookah

Excellent NSVs @coffeecupslinedup @PatienceOfEngels

I also IF - not strict in terms of hours but I don't eat until lunch. I do have some tea, so my fast is technically broken, but calorie wise it's negligible.

Nice lunch... Hmm. Really depends doesn't it! How about a salad with some warm falafel, some houmous and sweet chilli sauce? Or a nice soup with a cheese toastie for dunking (I've seen this advertised at a local cafe and can't stop thinking about it 🤣). A small camembert with crusty bread and grapes?

Today has been another on plan day 🎉
Lunch - cup-a-soup special
Dinner - jacket potato, touch of butter, homemade chilli and cheese (all weighed 😇)
Lots of water, a few cups of tea, two Oreos and two celebration galaxy chocs

Calories coming in at 1250. I've also done a dance fit class - none of those calories being eaten. Feeling so motivated. Let's hope the scales reinforce the effort tomorrow 🤞

Just catching up from the October thread. Well done to everyone. And thank you for the new Christmas countdown thread.

I have lost 8lbs since September, but I’m still a few lbs heavier than this time last year. Looking back at my weight fluctuations I must be oblivious when I’m gaining and constantly eating rubbish. How can it be so obvious, but I don’t see it?

WoF.... 2lb off this week. Happy with that!

Morning, 1 lb down making it 2 pounds or 1 kg this week. Happy enough. I am off work today so plenty of temptations but I'll do my best. Joined low carb bootcamp, it's starting on Mon if anybody is interested. I will need to give up my dark chocolate! It will be worth it though. Already looking at all those lovely clothes I'll be able to wear. Eyes on the prize!