6 weeks until Christmas Day - who wants to lose half a stone?

[Hollyhead]

I have been trying to lose the same half a stone all year, I’m sick to death of it, and if I’m honest I haven’t really tried. I’m not even that bothered about the weight number being exactly half a stone, it’s 2 inches I want to loose from bum/hips/stomach.

I know what I want to do - steps, home weight workouts, some 16:8 fasting and following a set regime of the following diet choices
Breakfast - eggs &a vegetable OR yoghurt with seeds/fruit OR porridge

Lunch - salad OR homemade soup OR plant based tray bake type thing (such as lentils and roasted veg

Dinner - small version of what we’re having with veg replacing carbs where possible - so for instance instead of rice with a stir fry do an extra portion of steamed broccoli.

Anyone want to join me with any weight loss method permissible? Whether it’s vanity pounds or getting a big weight loss kickstarted let’s do this! My wardrobe is full of clothes I love that I can only just get on, I want them back 😁

I think that after 2 weeks of trying to eat healthily I'm adjusting to smaller portion sizes, I'm not feeling quite so hungry. Portions have been my main issue, particularly as 1) I love food! and 2) DP has insane metabolism, he needs to eat literally 2-3 times the amount I need

@SlurpSlooChortle I drink Yorkshire Tea Malty Biscuit Brew sometimes. I personally enjoy it but I admit it tastes a little artificial if you think about it too much - think hard about biscuits so it tastes of them!

Anyone had any success breaking through plateaus? My weight loss is so SLOW. I seem to lose a pound, stay at that weight for two weeks then lose another half pound. Wish I could see some of the consistency others are reporting!

@SweatpantPotato Are you near your target weight?? I seemed to have plateaued too with a couple of pounds to go. When the weight isn’t shifting, I tend to up my steps and then have an early, light dinner but I’m only seeing 0.2lbs off the scale rather than the usual 0.6-1lb every 4-5 days or so.

@Scottishskifun @Toomanyemails
Yes I heard of that tea - I've not seen it in my supermarket so I might try and get some today.

Not really, I would say 2 stone left at least 😵‍💫 I absolutely need to drink more water though, I do try for an early dinner, need to be more consistent!

@SweatpantPotato previously when I have hit a plateau before I adjust when I am having my main carb portion. So I would shift it to lunch from dinner and use alternatives (cauliflower rice add coriander and then its pretty tasty, celariac mash, courgette noodles/spaghetti etc) for about 7-10 days til I started losing again and then switch it back.

This time I am at the start of it so haven't reached that point but know around the 5 week mark it happens.

I also use my fitnesspal for tracking meals and calories. Because I am not very active due to illness for me it recommends 1200 calories a day.

Hi everyone, yes I’d agree with all the plateau advice @SweatpantPotato also I find I don’t lose anything around my period. The key thing is to keep it up and to make sure you’re not lying to yourself about what you might be eating to prevent a loss - for instance at this time of year even just 4 celebrations (which is nothing and very restrained) is 200 calories of so, which could be enough to prevent a loss.

Not the best day for me, had a work meeting too much lunch, and had to stop on journey on the way home, then too much pasta for dinner. Going to try a super light day tomorrow to make up for it. Ready for Friday’s weigh in!

Well I survived my work Xmas do and resisted the chocolates and most of the sweet treats (had a mini mince pie). The lunch felt very beige as I think I have got really used to loads of veg!

Had a rainbow chopped salad for dinner with sharma spiced quorn pieces. I really enjoyed it!

Period arrived early so will be happy for damage control on Monday but so far have resisted reaching for chocolates and sugary stuff!

Slow progress here. Some travel for work which meant higher calorie meals. Then I picked up a bug from the public transport (or work!) so feeling ill and wanting to eat comfort food!

Hi everyone! Sorry I’ve been completely awol - and had a proper day off the diet for a party on Saturday (although not as bad as past years). I’m now hormonal again (in a dramatic way), so will be bloated until Thursday at least. However I weighed in this morning and have still maintained my new lower weight, so I’m pleased with that. I definitely feel better in my clothes already, and my plan is not to let Christmas food derail me too much so I think I’ll be able to shift another lb by the big day, and I’d rather a slow sustainable rate of loss
than anything dramatic which is completely undone quickly too. Plan for today is to break my fast with eggs about 11 if I can hold out that long, which at the moment will be easy as I had a cup of tea and instantly blew up like a balloon. Fucking hormones 🤣

Weigh in for me this morning now 11 stone 8 so a loss of 2lb which I'm amazed at given I have been on my period.
The biggest difference I have noticed is a reduction in muscle pain from doing 16 hour fasts which has meant I can actually do more little walks and my fatigue isn't as horrendous.

I am feeling so much better in myself and its thanks to finding this thread and the fasting suggestions.
I have a long way to go both in recovery and weight loss but I cannot put into words how much I have missed feeling more like me! Its definitely keeping me going its not about the scales now for me it's about seeing how much I can get to being back to "normal" which I haven't had for several years now.

Hi all, was travelling with work last week so not been on mumsnet. Food was pretty ok for a couple of days then I fell off the wagon and just started eating whatever I fancied whenever I fancied it😂

Back now and am not going to weigh myself, rather get back into the right mindset. Like many of you - I feel so good about myself when I'm being more restrained- almost like the feeling of control is as good as the feeling of being slim. So not too depressed, and quite keen to keep at it over these next two weeks.

Well done @Scottishskifun - that is absolutely fantastic
@Hollyhead hormones grrrrrrr

I absolutely cannot help myself from snacking during my cycle, solidarity @Hollyhead. You may be in for a dramatic loss by the end of the week though!

I really ate pretty poorly this weekend, a burger out when I really should have had salad and lots of carbs/very little veggies otherwise. At weigh in this morning though I think I'm down about a pound from my last check in (i should really be keeping a record somewhere!), we'll see if it sticks. My usual pattern is to lose a lb gain it back a few times then settle and begin working on the next lb.

I'm pulling some lentil soup from the freezer for when I break my fast later and making rainbow rollups, which are not the most virtuous but are at least high in fiber and protein.

@Scottishskifun oh your post made me a bit weepy. I'm glad you can see an improvement in yourself even if there's still a way to go. I'm going to commit to another thread after this Christmas challenge so we'll still be here to cheer you on!

@SweatpantPotato let's hope so, although I did snack more than I intended today, although then had a processed carb free dinner so not all bad.

@Ohyesthankyouglitter great approach - I always find punishing myself with a weigh in immediately after deviation just leads to more derailement. It's much better to get back on track and see a maintainance.

@Hollyhead it's a great thread which is really supportive I can find some weight loss threads to be quite full on!

Hope it's a happy week for everyone, I have drinks out on Friday so looking forward to that but switching my drinks to g and t instead of wine!

Morning all...all set for another day on track today. The last couple of days I have effectively done OMAD (although do have milk in tea) - weirdly it's not felt that difficult and I'm convinced it's not because of my immense will power but because of the particular week of the month that I'm on in my cycle (mid cycle). Anyway - not going to question it, just making the most of it while I can!

Well done @Ohyesthankyouglitter I think it's so important to 'go with your cycle' for this sort of thing. I definitely can eat less in my first half of my cycle, then I have to just cope with a slower loss in the 2nd half and make sure I keep up the exercise.

I'm so bloated I look like a balloon.

I sympathise with others finding weight loss very slow. I am trying to be realistic because I am doing a lot of exercise including HIIT and weights and I know I've lost inches as well as cutting back on less nutritious foods.

Does anyone else find that they've become so focused on the number on the scale that they lose perspective of other things? My clothes fit better, some measurements are smaller, I definitely look more toned, but I feel increasingly unhappy as the scale is moving so slowly despite working hard.

I also have no idea what weight/measurements I should really be targeting. I'm currently aiming for what I weighed at 18! The year I went to uni, went on the pill, gained a stone in a year and have been that weight ever since except when pregnant, so I feel like that reflects bad habits I picked up etc, but maybe it's just my normal adult weight as I've now been that weight for 16 years.

Sorry rambling now.

@Brieandbeetroot God I would never get down to what I was when I was 18 I was 8 and a half stone!

BMI is very flawed but my personal aim is to have a BMI around 22/23 which for my height is 9stone 10. But I'm focusing on fit of clothes and have a variety of aim for items.

Muscle weighs more then fat so highly likely you have converted it given your more toned, stuff fitting better etc.

P.s your username makes me want a brie and beetroot salad 😂