Accountability thread, anyone?

[Essie274]

I've just pulled my head out of the sand and got on the scales for the first time since I had my eldest child 4 years ago and FML, I have about 3.5 stone I need to lose JUST be overweight rather than obese 😩. Just over 5 stone to lose to be a healthy weight. Whilst I really want to sit and cry into a packet of crisps - that's not going to change anything. I feel a bit sick at the enormity of it. I knew it was getting bad but was kind of kidding myself that my clothes didn't fit because my shape had changed with pregnancies, not that I'm just obese.

Ideally I'd like to TTC for baby #3 in July/August next year and would at least like to have lost some of the weight and live a healthier lifestyle by then.

ANYWAY, I'm going to use this thread to update and hold myself accountable. Post my weigh-ins, maybe some food diaries and moans when I fall off the wagon. Please, please join me!

Not sure if I'm going to choose a weekly weigh day or weigh in every morning, anyone prefer one way over the other?

@85isalive have you lost weight what’s you view on the claims they said in two weeks time people were feeling better etc I am just not sure how much to believe. Lots of noise around getting more protein etc but this challenged my thinking

Hello all! Starting properly today- it’s been hard this weekend as had works Christmas party but we soldier on! Today I’m having poached eggs on toast for lunch and then cod with potatoes and asparagus for dinner! I’m away for work the next few days in a hotel so that will be a challenge but will weigh in Friday

I have lost 4 stone over a few years, slowly mind - I've gained chunks back at times too. I am a bit of a glutton if I don't keep myself in check. That's why I am trying to be so mindful between now and Christmas, I don't want to undo any of the work I just put in!
If you eat 100% plantbased, cook from scratch, no processed products - my experience is you'll lose weight without really trying. (in my experience) you end up eating less and self-regulating, because you lose the urge/hunger/inclination to over eat. And I've always felt better, less sluggish, less tired etc.
If you eat plantbased, but still use processed foods, you need to count cals as usual.
Also people are OBSESSED with how do vegans get protein. I don't know why. I don't know if I was getting much more protein when I ate meat, I wasn't eating loads of it. I eat a mix of beans, veg, tofu, but because I like it.

I find your body craves what it needs. If I start thinking about beef burgers, I usually up my kidney beans 😉 There are some interesting writers/doctors, I won't derail this thread but PM me if you want me to go into more.

Hope I haven't broken this thread 🙈

I weigh in on Wednesdays but because I was eating out on Friday, I wanted to see how that would impact the scales.

On Sat morning I was 3lbs heavier than Friday. Obviously not real weight gain, but in previous Decembers I would have ignored it and given myself a pass to enjoy the whole weekend and month

That gain has gone now, today I am halfway a pound lighter than last Wednesday. Hoping for a 1lb loss on my official weigh in tomorrow.

I am finding it a bit tough to stick to cals at the moment, so that's why I joined this thread, but seeing that small losses has helped. Going to stick it out until I finish up for Christmas next Friday

“I weigh in on Wednesdays but because I was eating out on Friday, I wanted to see how that would impact the scales.”

@85isalive would one day of eating out impact the scales that much? Surely if you eat a big lunch / dinner you adjust other meals around it?

It does for me - I'll be a few pounds up after a meal out, from the heavier food, salt, wine etc. It's not real weight gain, it will go down after a few days, if I get back on careful eating.

Previously though I'd have a meal out on e.g. Friday, feel hungover on Saturday, eat more junk on Saturday to ease the munchies, and I'd be starving all day. Then probably again on Sunday, might as well finish off the weekend! Then on Monday be "back on my diet". So one meal would end up being maybe 3 days of eating far too much, and that gain could stick.

Had Christmas work meal yesterday so calorie counting went out the window. Scales are up 3 pounds this morning. Usually this would discourage me, I would overly restrict to counteract or press the feck it button and overeat for the next few days. This time round I am just moving on and sticking to the plan as i realise that the scales will stabilise and that it isn't pounds of fat ( as much as ate it wasn't 11 thousand calories over my maintenance calories).

Lost 1lb this week, really happy with that after the busy weekend.
Going to keep tracking until next Tuesday, when I am having a day out with my friend. I might go back to tracking Wed-Fri next week, but then I am taking a break over Christmas.

Hi all, how’s it going? I’ve done my Thursday weigh in and I’m 14st 1, so down 4 pounds. Feeling slightly more optimistic and trying to battle off eating too much around Christmas.

i think I know deep down that it’ll be January when I’m able to start without any festive disruptions! But it’s not bad to have a head start!

Hows Everyone getting on?

@DaisySnowdrop absolutely never bad to have a head start! Being in the swing of things is always easier than coming off the back of a big binge over xmas or the old "I'll start on Monday" rhetoric! 4lbs is brilliant - well done!

I've been all over the place; my youngest DS has been in handout of hospital with respiratory infections and it has been pretty hellish (hence my silence on updating here). Thankfully he's home and very much on the mend now. I've lost 11lbs since I started (finally weighed myself!) but I think that's most likely due to not eating much over the last few days rather than my commitment to the cause haha.

Todays food:
Breakfast - Seeded sourdough, scrambled eggs, grapes and clementines
Snack - Coffee with 150ml whole milk and vanilla syrup, bit of healthy-ish flapjack
Lunch - Garlic chicken salad (bistro salad mix, cucumber, peppers, carrot, beetroot, chicken, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, homemade creamy garlic yoghurt dressing).
Snack - Coffee with vanilla syrup and 50ml whole milk, apple and pear
Dinner - Homemade BBQ chicken and red pepper pizza, corn on the cob (I made the base with just Greek yoghurt and SR flour! Nice for a bit of a protein boost compared to standard dough).
Snack - small scoop chocolate orange ice cream, dollop of Greek yoghurt, drizzle of chocolate ganache

So while not what I'd choose to eat on a typical day to lose weight, I'm pretty happy with it. We have pizza and ice cream as a family every Friday which I'll continue to participate in, even if I do now forego the fries and have a scoop or two less of ice cream

@85isalive am seriously thinking I’ll start the meat free approach but gradually ease into it I want to target a bmi of 21 but also keep build some muscle. What’s your options around feeling full also was told white rice not good so what do use instead?

I do eat white rice, not every day but probably a couple of times a week. I have never had a problem digesting it, and it is handy. I also use wholegrain rice, wholewheat noodles, potatoes, cous cous and sometimes pasta. I don't cut carbs, any time i've tried it has left me ravenous and thinking about food too much. I calorie count everything I make. I write it down and tot it up, then work out my portions x cals.

To keep me full:

I eat a late breakfast, I wait until I am hungry which is normally 11ish. Nearly always porridge with a banana mashed into it

For lunch and dinner, I try to cook a big pot of something a few days a week, that will cover a few meals. So curries, chilis, bolognese (lentils instead of mince) - stuff that is easy to portion out and reheat. I use a variety of veg in all of these, but my staples are onion, peppers, cauliflower rice. Then I add whatever else is in the fridge.

I will caveat the following by saying I know this isn't the healthiest option, but works for me and my time constraints at the moment (and they are tasty)

I am using a Aldi plant based frozen food at the moment. So I will have my curry or whatever, and add in a chopped up chicken-style burger or their meatless balls. Add in some cous cous or rice and it's a filling meal. I tend to do this for dinner. For lunch, I won't add the extra Aldi stuff.

In the new year, I am going to ease back on the Aldi stuff and go back to healthier options like tofu, chickpeas, kidney beans, less processed things like falafel.

Lunch at 1pm

I don't snack much, I have an apple mid afternoon.

Dinner around 7pm

I don't know if that is helpful
I am genuinely not hungry on 3 veggie meals a day. The carbs keep me full.

I have noticed that alcohol, even a small amount, makes me hungrier the next day. So I don't drink much/often any more. Same with a meal out, I think it sends my blood sugars a bit haywire. A couple of days back on track and it settles down again.

@Essie274 your pizza evening sounds like a lovely ritual. You don't want to be the one saying no to doing stuff, so you are spot on about making something you can have, to join in. And if you want to go the whole hog sometimes, what odds? Lovely family time should be encouraged! Hope your wee lad is feeling better.

@DaisySnowdrop if we can avoid gaining too much over the next 2 weeks, I think we should take it as a win! I hope to start January at the same weight as I am now.

@qazxc hope you got over your Christmas party OK- your experience sounds identical to mine. It took 3 or 4 days for my bloat to go away 😨

Went Xmas shopping today and just scoffed an M&S chocolate log and packet of hand cooked lightly salted crisps feels so bad but I need it

Just wanted to add had good breakfast and lunch: porridge with oat milk and coconut and flex seeds and for lunch lots of veg and cous cous with humus and other dips

Hello everyone, how are we all doing? I’ve joined the gym today! I’m hoping to go for the first time tonight when I finish work and then start thereafter. I WFH full time so hardly move so hoping it’ll increase some weight loss.

Well done in joining the gym, exercise has made a massive difference to me. Not so much with the weight loss but massively with mobility, sleep, mental health and feeling better in my body.
No massive movements in the scales, hit a bit of a plateau at the moment, which can be frustrating at times.
DP and DD say they are noticing that I have lost weight though which is a boost as I don't see it myself.

@qazxc what sort of exercise do you do and how often I am just binge eating at the moment so hard to get my mind to do exercise in the gym… just had to many chocolates and feel guilty…

@DaisySnowdrop Good idea re gym membership think they put prices up in January so best to get in now

wish I could be more like you lot all so positive taking the right actions

@MummyShah369 I started by walking, so that's most of my cardio. I use the gym for strength training mix of free weights and machines ( a trainer set-up a program with me). I also go swimming, do aqua aerobics ( either whennin pool with DD or in a class) a few times a week. The gym has family fitness classes ( cardio) that me and DD (9) go to At the moment, I am just trying to get in routine and finding exercise that I enjoy. I am a bit limited due to size and dodgy knees/ back. The strength training has improved the knee and back pain. The cardio has improved the stamina and energy levels, I can do things easier than I used to ( walking around town, climbing stairs,...). Having an hour where I can get into my body and out of my head has improved my mental health ( I have anxiety and depression). Having a good workout tires me and helps me fall asleep ( I have rubbish sleep due to anxiety). As my fitness improves, I want to try more classes ( maybe some indoor cycling or yoga) and step up/ vary the strength training ( maybe reward myself with a PT session.

@qazxc well done that is all really good stuff… what made you stay with the program just worried that it’s so easy to get gym membership now and then come new year it’s hard to stick with it…. PT as a reward sounds like just pain to me… but if you get results like back pain relief you must have the right PT.
well done keep it going

I think it's partly the way I have changed my thinking about exercise viewing not as chore but as self care and knowing that I feel better doing it ( I won't lie though sometimes you don't feel like going, but I find getting to the gym is the hardest in those says, once there you get stuff done).
Varying exercises, finding something you like or are interested in trying also helps a lot. You are never going to stick to something you hate doing.
Ditto finding ways of making exercise pleasurable, I got myself a set of headphones and listen to audio books or podcasts on walks, it makes the walks a lot more enjoyable for me.

Hello all, weighed myself this morning and I was 14 stone exactly- so I have lost 5 pound. I’m praying not to put it on over Christmas. Going to really make an effort to not over indulge and go crazy while still trying to enjoy the festivities.

I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas and I’m sure we’ll be posting when January hits haha!

Wow 5 pounds is great over what period?

@qazxc how do you mentally change did it happen over night or something you read wish I could but just find it so hard!

I again had chocolate yesterday! A few glasses of muld wine…. Somebody stop me!

Hello everyone, going to give this thread a little post-Christmas bump for anyone (me!) who needs a kick to hop back on the wagon. How's everyone been over Christmas? Tbh, I've eaten whatever I've wanted to but I have been surprised that I just haven't fancied as much of the usual treats as I typically would; I've not touched any of the tins of biscuits or stollen bites (my weakness normally!) as I just haven't fancied them. I'm taking it as a good sign that my tastebuds are getting used to less sugar and more veg!! I have slipped out of the habit of eating breakfast again, though which isn't ideal as it really does send me snacking in the afternoons.

Todays food:
"Breakfast": 2x hot water with Lemon, honey, ginger and turmeric
Lunch: 1/2 cheese and ham toastie, with a spinach, red cabbage, carrot and cucumber salad on the side with a little lemon/garlic yoghurt dressing. Was planning to eat the whole toastie but little hands came grabbing (and they've not had much of an appetite since they were unwell so I'm just happy to see them eat!).
Snack: Handful of salted roasted cashews, 6 squares of cadburys snowball chocolate bar, Black coffee with last of my Christmas treat bottle of hazelnut syrup.
Snack: Bite of DH's pre-dinner brownie...
Dinner: Potato and carrot hash with chorizo, leeks, onions, and broccoli stem, topped with buffalo sauce, a dollop of Greek yoghurt and two (dry) fried eggs.
Snack: 2 gummy worms and a sip of DH's full-sugar cocacola (what was I saying about taste buds changing? Apparently not, eh?).

^This isn't terrible for me, but really really need to start having breakfast again ASAP!