⭐️LOSE IT! January 2024 Reset & Renew⭐️

[TheRealHousewife]

⭐️Open to All⭐️

January 2024! Fresh start & develop new habits. Join-in to reset & refresh and become a healthier version of yourself. These threads are for those who’d like to lose and those who wish to maintain whilst eating a healthy varied diet.

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 9st. I had a blip a couple of years ago when my thyroid went wonky but now back on track.

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

I have to have a week off the WL meds as part of the program so I will do this week until Sat. Fingers crossed the food noise doesn't come back, big style.

Had 2 strong coffees this morning and just come back from a big gym session. I feel very 😇 and 💪. Hunger has hit and I'm having my banana and poached egg on brown barm brunch. Sausage pasta is planned for dinner.

Good luck everyone. 🎉

@HighlandCowRose no, I absolutely do not weigh daily! I weighed in to see the December damage on 1st Jan, then weighed in Friday which is my normal weigh in day to get my numbers back on the routine I want. Hence day 4, which isn't normal, but gave me a huge boost.

Today we have finally seen some dry weather and got out for a bit of a walk. Supposed to be dry tomorrow and Monday before the children go back to school Tuesday, then obviously its turning frosty and bright and will involve car cleaning. Horrible miserable weather this Christmas.

Today:
B: Fried egg, 1 slice seeded bread, miso mushrooms
L: Vegetable, cannellini bean and nutritional yeast soup, rye crispbreads
D: Quorn nuggets, katsu curry, broccoli.

Got the slow cooker on with lentil bolognaise for the freezer.

@buzzofthebumblebee this really resonated with me...

*I've been doing lots of thinking about when / why I snack. No answers apart from the usual - stressed, comfort, boredom, sad - but what is always the case for me is that once I start, I can't stop. I don't think that is ever going to change. So what I need to do is not start on crisps, sugar, cake, chocolate, wine etc in the 1st place.

Hats off to anyone who can self-regulate and ration chocolate to 1 or 2 squares per evening, or one biscuit with a cuppa.*

Because I CAN self regulate when it comes to chocolate, but not with wine at all. I finally said it out loud to my DH this week, that I think I'm actually heading towards a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol and I'm quite upset by how clear that seems to me now. I'm not going to cut it out altogether, unless of course I can't get a handle on drinking less, but I'm determined to figure this out this year. It feels quite liberating, actually - I'm looking forward to procuring a healthier relationship with booze and working out the answer to 'why' I always say yes to 'one more'

❤️

In terms of food update...

Yesterday I had:
L - cheese and mushroom toastie at the cafe
D - couldn't find the bolognese sauce in the freezer so made loaded pasta and pesto instead
S - had a small crunchie bar after work (8pm, so still within fasting)
No booze or any drinks other than tea and water

Today:
L - small bacon baguette
D - planning lamb kebabs, salad, tzatziki and some wedges - if I get to Tesco this afternoon!

Picked up an elderflower fizz as a 'treat' drink instead of wine 💪😁

@LemonDrizzle23 this weekend is all about the big reset, lots of time with the family, and some deep cleaning and sorting of wardrobes and toy boxes etc. Our loft is bursting with goodies for boot fair season now!

DH wants a gravy dinner tomorrow - struggling for inspiration, feel a bit fed up of roast potatoes 🤣 any more wholesome recipes anyone can suggest?

Reset sounds great Imalittlepea I love a good clear out. I've just taken the last of the decorations down & had a super intense hoover & dust & it feels terrific!

I know how hard it is with the wine. I've never been a drinker (bar the wild teen-20s days 🤣) but supported a good friend through alcohol issues. You can figure it out, you're being realistic to cut rather than abstain.

Off out with cousins today and I WILL resist nibbles!

PS Gravy dinner- how about Venison, it has virtually no fat & is really under-rated (according to DH as I'm pescatarian). We had it in ours for New Year's day dinner & there were lots of mmmmms from our 3 sons too!

If anyone has Spotify I am currently listening to the Dr Chattergee x and Dr Chris podcast- ‘Why you can’t stop eating ultra processed foods’. It is SO good and worth listening to.

Had a mini binge yesterday.

I dont feel bad. It's gonna happen!

I'm back on track today

Exercise:
Sea swim
1 hour gym.
Walk ( will go another later)

Food:
Protein smoothie, yoghurt oats and berries for breakfast.

Cherry tomatoes, protein bagel, eggs turkey and cheese for lunch. Apple and protein yoghurt snack.

Dinner: meatballs with lentil pasta

At an event and the buffet has just opened. All beige and mostly gluten which makes me ill. I ate lunch before I came and I’ve got three Babybel light cheeses stashed in my handbag! Wish me luck!

@ImALittlePea you could try my meatballs in gravy (I posted on last page!).

Or toad in the hole (I use Jamie Olivers recipe).

Or a roast/chicken legs/pork chops and gravy and mashed potatoes instead of roast

@maybein2022 I'm listening to it right now while cooking. Now brainstorming different breakfasts/lunches for my kids to get them off bread!

@ImALittlePea 2 years ago I got through a whole bottle of gin in January. Last year I decided to do dry January (after my birthday was done and dusted). Coming up to a year and don't miss it all (and have learnt that water is way better for me than replacement AF drinks which are packed with sugar!).

Noticing your relationship with alcohol is your first step.

Personally I'm all or nothing. We have spirits in the house, DH drinks beer, wine for cooking, bottle of bubbles (I have 2 bottles of closed gin I got for my birthday last year!) But I'm not tempted.

Thanks @Puffalicious I am so determined and I fully believe I can cut it down properly. If not, then I'll see where I go from there.

@PatienceOfEngels I couldn't find the kebabs I wanted so we are now having meatballs and pasta tonight instead. Toad in the hole might be an idea for tomorrow, or I might make a chicken casserole, pack it full of veg and have a little mash on the side.

And yes - noticing it and being honest with myself (and others) is definitely the first step to improving how I drink. I'm actually feeling empowered by this week's silliness. I don't ever want to feel how I did on Thursday again - I never normally suffer the day after, so that shows how much I over indulged.

And another by-product of this epiphany, is that my overall calorie intake is going to be much lower as a result. There's only good things to come from this.

Hey All. This thread is moving pretty fast! Good to see.

I am still sticking to calories. Have been walking lots too. And I ventured back to swimming yesterday which was great, but I am feeling it now.

I did have friends coming over for tea today, and I was a bit worried about sticking to my calories. Planned Chilli cooked by DH so I knew the calories on that, but it was the snacks/alcohol that I was a little worried about. They have pulled out now due to illness and I feel bad that I was kind of relieved. I know I have to socialise but I was worried about doing it the first weekend of being on plan

I am going to stick to the no alcohol (I was doing damp January with planned 'nights off') for this weekend now. So I will be able to get out for another long walk tomorrow.

@ImALittlePea I was going to suggest toad in the hole for a gravy dinner as its a favourite in this house. You could just have loads of veg with it! I see it has been suggested though.

Well I had a win today. I tried on some trousers in a store on Wednesday (I had already ordered them online), and while they fitted, the Christmas bloating meant they were very tight and unflattering. My online order arrived today and they're absolutely fine! So pleased! I've down about 2.5 lbs since WOW, all of which is down to shedding the Christmas excess, rather than properly losing weight of course.

My Chinese takeaway last night put 1kg on the scales this morning! (obviously linked to water - was so salty). Never mind, it's why I like to weigh daily so I can see an average for the week and identify peaks linked to my behaviour/cycle.

Today:
-boiled egg, rye toast with butter, coffee
-leftover chinese takeaway (not much! shared with DH)
-Mashed potato and kale with bacon and smoke sausage, mustard.
-satsuma, pear, 3 birthday truffles (they're almost gone!)
-lots of herbal tea and water

No walk today but did YWA 30 days of yoga day 5 this evening. Feeling it in my body (in a good way!).

Fancy a potato bake tomorrow, with onion, bacon, white sauce, and carrots and broccoli on the side.

ImALittlePea

Because I CAN self regulate when it comes to chocolate, but not with wine at all. I finally said it out loud to my DH this week, that I think I'm actually heading towards a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol and I'm quite upset by how clear that seems to me now. I'm not going to cut it out altogether, unless of course I can't get a handle on drinking less, but I'm determined to figure this out this year. It feels quite liberating, actually - I'm looking forward to procuring a healthier relationship with booze and working out the answer to 'why' I always say yes to 'one more'

This part of your post has really resonated with me.
2 years ago I hardly drank at all, I never used to do dry January because it would be normal to not have a drink during a month.
I started drinking to cope with a difficult period in my life which is I think under control now but the drinking had definitely become a habit.

This year I didn't do dry january because I honestly didn't think I could, but I've really surprised myself by sticking to the limit I've put on myself.
I have forced myself to have a day off just to prove to myself that I can.

Hope you find the balance you're looking for

Thank you @HighlandCowRose, my consumption has definitely been impacted over the years by life events and developed into a habit, and I'm sorry that's been the same for you. Huge well done for sticking to your limit!

Most of the time, I don't drink during the week but it's very much a habit to have some wine at the weekends. I'm comfortable with that balance, my particular issue is that I have a real propensity to drink too much when I start (someone mentioned 'all or nothing' - definitely fits me!) What I'd like to achieve is being able to have a few, be more aware of when I start to feel the effects, and stop before it becomes too much.

I'm not doing dry January either, but I have set a limit to not having any of the casual Friday or Saturday night drinks when I'm just at home (ie it not being a social event, or sharing a bottle with DH). I've just been to the supermarket for dinner supplies and normally that would include wine, but the thought wasn't even there.

We can do this ❤️💪

Absolutely ImALittlePea yes we can

Thought I was going to struggle today, put off having breakfast to try and curb how much I'd eat, ended up having breakfast so late I skipped lunch and had an earlier dinner.

B Banana, choc au pain
D jacket potato, salad with left overs from last night's meat free beef
S Graze salt and pepper & plan a glass of wine

Got on with a lot of sorting today to keep myself busy but planning on having a lazy day tomorrow

I hope you've all been having a good Saturday. Despite a good first few days sticking to plan I fell off the wagon earlier and overindulged in lots of chocolate and crisps, which I very much enjoyed but still feel annoyed about!

I know this is to be expected every now and then but how do I stop it happening so often that it sabotages my efforts the rest of the time? This is the kind of pattern I've often fallen into before, which usually leads to losing a few pounds initially and then maintaining from then on. As soon as it happens once, it's easier to give in the next time. Does anyone have any helpful tips to avoid this kind of pattern?

Like someone else posted earlier, I find it impossible to just have a little bit of chocolate. It doesn't satisfy my cravings! But then avoiding chocolate completely isn't realistic either!

Feeling proud today. I went to an event with a booze bar and a buffet but swerved both. Drank Pepsi Max and ate the cheese I’d stashed in my handbag

B- Arla protein yoghurt, five dried apricots
L - Lentil and bacon soup, gluten free toast, a clementine
D - Salmon fish cakes with sautéed spinach, a Lindahl’s yoghurt

Snack was three Babybel lights.

Exercise: two dog walks and a yoga session. I’ve signed up to a step class at the gym for Thursday, hope it’s good. I used to love classes before the pandemic/my accident and never got back into them. I lost my confidence I think.

For those craving chocolate, have you tried options or highlights hot chocolate. Not exactly the same as a bar or chocolate I know, but I find it is just about enough to satisfy the immediate need.

@FlabMonsterIsDietingAgain Good idea thanks, I haven't had these for a few years but will give them a go again

Today's menu

B - scrambled egg and one slice of toast
L - Cajun bean soup (AGAIN! But made a big batch and it doesn't freeze brilliantly
D - Caldo Verde - recipe from a Rick Stein book. V tasty and low in calories

Exercise - 2.5 hour hill walk
Snack - small biscuit, small glass of wine with dinner. Enough calories left for another glass of wine and something small to eat later.

We're out for dinner with friends tomorrow which will be a challenge, but I weighted my calories on nutracheck to allow for it, so hopefully won't undo this week's progress!

You're right of course. When you're dieting you take account of everything you're eating and drinking. When you're not it's so easy just to have that snack, glass of wine, bar of chocolate, packet of crisps etc!

Measurements can be good because it gets round the issue of putting on muscle from exercise, which can be heavier than fat. It's a more reliable indicator than weight which for me can go up and down from one day to the next.

Annoying about the FItbit. It makes me realise how addicted I am to praise 😂. I get so excited when it does the confetti thing or my wrist buzzes. Does your phone have a fitness app? It might tide you over until you can afford a new Fitbit. Mine will show my steps - obviously can't use it for exercise classes though.