Calling the Louise Parker Method folk!

[RolyPolyBatFacedGirl]

It's me - Owl.

I lost access to my previous account so I cannot seem to find the old thread.

Shall we have a new one for 2024? Fresh start and all that?

I'll tag as many of us as I can recall!

@PlantsFallLikeDominoes
I had to laugh. This sounds like a meal I'd make:
D, a shit freezer breadcrumbed chicken breast in the airfryer and 3 g&ts.

So far, today:
Almond butter on wholemeal toast
Baked chicken breast and apple
Dinner will be a chicken and vegetable soup with hardly any flavor. Am going to do this no-acid thing through January...hope this will be all it takes. I miss vinegar and citrus!

Good job to everyone sticking to it. I am so amazed at how easy LPM is and how I'm not constantly hungry or counting down the days until it is over.

Morning all, hope everyone is keeping well.

Well done on the losses @plantsfalllikedominoes and @thinksalot - always a great motivator to stay with it!

Thanks everyone for sharing recipes and snacks, it's great to get ideas and inspiration.

I haven't weighed myself yet but feel that I had a good week food wise, and have definitely found some habits that I want to maintain - I'd usually sit down on a Friday night with a beer or wine and a treat, but last night I had a lovely shower and got into bed with my book, fell asleep all relaxed and woke up ready to go this morning - feels lovely!

The area I haven't quite figured out yet is exercise, I've managed to get to 10,000 steps each day but nothing more. Will have a think today about what is practical/sustainable.

Hope everyone has a good weekend

Morning all

It's me, Owl. Keep having issues with logging in. Or err getting banned. One of the two

Still here and still keeping on. Catching up with you all now

Well done on your weight loss @PlantsFallLikeDominoes and @ThinksALot!

Yesterday was a mixed bag, didn’t work out as was tired, went to the pub with friends after work but stuck to diet lemonade which I know isn’t compliant as such but was better than the wine I wanted.
Food:
Greek yogurt pancakes from the book
Nakd bar
Chicken tortilla wrap with salad
Oat cakes
Parma ham, artichokes and stuffed peppers

Today was definitely better, although I feel a bit nauseous after my Bircher pot - I think it was very high fat. I’ll probably just have some dry oat cakes for dinner. And a satsuma because I’ve just realised I haven’t really had any fruit and veg today and dinner would have been a nice salad🙈
Food:
Wholemeal toast with peanut butter and banana
Turkish eggs with pitta
Nakd bar
Bircher Pot

Rent: 8km run and 30 mins weights session

Hi all,
@BattyOwl how many bats have you been forced to be now?! 🤣

@PlantsFallLikeDominoes your 3g&t etc meal sounds not entirely dissimilar to mine yesterday, but mine involved chocolate rather than alcohol. I've had a ropey couple of days. Today has been much better.

Today:
Egg, bacon and avocado sandwich
Handful nuts
Salad (various veg, grated cheese, pinenuts)
3 oat cakes and peanut butter
Fish pie

Rent, long walk. May try and get in a few pilates moves at bedtime.

Evening all!

I've had a pretty good day today. I've still managed to avoid the birthday cake and Xmas chocolate that's hanging around - it's a blimmin miracle.

B: oatbran vanilla porridge with coconut
S: Hot chocolate (not on plan but we were out at a farm with the kids and I was freezing - or that's my excuse at least)
L: messy eggs on wholemeal toast
S: hummus and carrots
D: chicken tikka and chickpeas from the 3rd book
Cheeky 3rd snack: freshly roasted chicken (I had just cooked a chicken ready for salads and I couldn't resist)!

I've walked 15k steps today - whoop!

Looking forward to the kids going back to school on Monday, so I can at least have part of the day where I don't have to listen to them bicker!

@ElvenDreamer I honestly lose count!

OO so have started positive today

Greek yogurt, chia seed mix, sliced banana, clementine pieces, few pecans.

Small glass of kefir

@Runnr like the sound of the banana and peanut butter on toast!

@ElvenDreamer did you make your fish pie on plan? If so how, I absolutely love fishpie, deffo one of my favourites.

Owl, MN doesn't like you very much then 😂 I wonder what you post using a different name 😂!

Not speaking of trolls or anything Owl.. 😂 but has anyone else noticed how regular they are when on plan and also how often! I feel completely empty every day and have been going about 4x a day since starting! Maybe that's why I lost so quickly. I've now lost 5lbs altogether!

Not the best weekend but not the worst for me. Planning on a very good week staying on plan.

Yesterday:

Two pieces of bacon, fried egg and fried cherry tomatoes.

Sainsburys meal deal, mozzarella and pesto wrap, samosa snack and fizzy water.

Out again for food. Had one cocktail and one vodka lime and soda. Food I had greek salad and meat so on plan enough ish and didn't overeat. We'll ignore the drinks.

No rent.

Today I've not eaten enough and it's given me wind.

B, ava and poached egg on one piece of wholemeal toast and a few smoked salmon trimmings

No snacks or lunch. Did have a skinny latte.

D, butterbean mash, good sausages and saviy cabbage dressed in lemon and evo.

Smashed a pilates class out! Was hard work! No idea of stepcount but have done a lot! I actually prefer eating 5 mini meals a day, my body has definitely got used to it and did not like missing out!

@BattyOwl it’s pretty a good breakfast pre-run / gym I find.
Well done with the Pilates @PlantsFallLikeDominoes . I actually find I struggle with the 5 meals as I’ve gotten used to eating 3 proper meals with maybe one snack and being fine.

Food:
Wholemeal toast with almond butter (for variety) and peanut butter
2 satsumas
Mediterranean sausage open faced sandwich with tahini and a cucumber
Nakd bar
Antipasti - nice Parma ham, feta stuffed peppers, artichoke hearts
Then I fell off the wagon, very pre-menstrual and made a crepe (1 egg, splash of milk, 2 tbsp flour) and put some dark chocolate chips in it and ate with strawberries.

Rent: 5km run

One thing I want to work on next week is my bedtime routine. I want to be in the habit of getting up early and that means going to bed early and screen free time. I know I sleep much better when I do. I also struggle with doing that and having a social life.

Evening all!

Today has been alright but I've just felt inexplicably angry and moody! Think I had best just go to bed soon in the hope I wake up in a better mood tomorrow.

Today's food:

B: messy eggs
S: hummus, wholemeal pitta and carrots
L: chicken salad
S: Eat natural bar (not on plan but felt I needed it in my rage)
D: bolognese with shredded cabbage (fried lightly in a small amount of butter) - I preferred this to courgetti as it was warm.

Steps: just over 10k.

I start my 3 x weekly fitness sessions tomorrow - I'm feeling rather nervous as I'm so unfit!

@Runnr I've lost 20 pounds drinking diet lemonade. My thought is that if I'm really wanting something, I'd rather have the low/no-cal version than the sugar one.

Yesterday:
Oatmeal with apples
Chicken tacos on low-carb tortillas.
One rice cake with almond butter
Grilled chicken on wholemeal bun with small amount of fries and brussels sprouts.

How did your session go @ThinksALot?

Today:

Blueberry bircher
Baby bell and handful of almonds
Makeral dip and sugar snaps
Another baby bell
3x chicken sausages and loads of Brocoli

Evening!

The training session went really well, thanks @PlantsFallLikeDominoes. There was only one other lady plus the trainer, so it was great value for money (I think there is meant to be one more) - lots of resistance training - I can feel it already and know I'm going to be in pain getting out of bed tomorrow!

Today's been good:

B: messy eggs
S: mini egg souffle (I made a batch of the caramelised onion and cheddar ones - yum)
L: chicken salad
D: chicken and chorizo stew - I used butter beans rather than the chickpeas as per the recipe
S: Hot chocolate from the book - needed something to warm me up.

Have done over 10k steps but I broke the strap on my fitbit this evening, so I haven't tracked all my steps! New strap arriving via amazon tomorrow!

My friend is planning a route for a long walk together in the cold tomorrow - it's so nice to be supported 😁

Wow @MisshapenHat that’s good going!

Yesterday was an absolute humdinger at work. Ended up finishing work really late and as a consequence didn’t get up early before work to run. Thought I might be able to squeeze it in before going out for dinner tonight but work has meant that’s not the case. May have to double up tomorrow on my workouts. Going to get off my phone shortly in the hope that I get a good sleep tonight.

Yesterday’s food:
Turkish eggs
Nakd bar
Tuna pitta with salad
Oat cakes
Open faced sausage sandwich with tahini and 2 satsumas

Today’s food:
Greek yogurt, banana and peanut butter
Oat cakes
Grilled chicken tortilla with salad
Nakd bar, apple
Dinner out - Gin and slimline tonic, a bit of Brie with cranberry and salad leaves, grilled chicke with steamed veg and brown rice.

Today could have been better but it also could have been worse. Plus no pudding. I have agreed to go wine tasting with friends this weekend which I feel might be an error…

@ThinksALot which book is the hot chocolate recipe from? My period is due soon and I know with the cold etc I will probably want one. Hope you had a good long walk today!

Evening,

@Runnr - it's from the cookbook. It's:

200ml semi skimmed milk or soya milk,
1 heaped teaspoon of cocoa,
1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla paste,
plus stevia to taste (I only need a tiny bit).

It's not as creamy as a regular hot chocolate but I find it does the trick!

Also, it sounds like you're doing really well with your food and in picking healthier options when you're eating out- you should be kinder to yourself!

My day's been good food-wise but my friend's son was sick, so we couldn't meet but luckily I met another friend for a bit and then still went for a long walk. New fitbit strap didn't arrive until tonight, so I've no idea of steps, but think it should be around 10k.

Food today:

B: vanilla and coconut oatbran porridge
S: cheddar and caramelised red onion soufflés
L: Chicken salad
S: Hot chocolate from the cookbook
D: Appley meatballs (really lovely recipe) with green veg

Back to the gym tomorrow....

Doesn't the hot chocolate have chilli powder along with cinnamon or have I imagined that?

B, two scrambled eggs
S, mackerel pate and sugar snaps
L, one Avacado mushed up and spread on three rivitas
S, babybell
D, small portion of lasagne and salad. 3 pieces of garlic bread 😂 it's only Tuesday and I swore I'd stick to it this week!

Thank you @ThinksALot - it’s quite easy to focus on the negatives! I feel really shattered atm and I feel very much like I am failing with the bedtime and morning routines but actually I just need to work on it rather than feel bad. One thing I am quite good at is getting away from my desk for lunch and sitting with friends/colleagues. It’s not technically LP compliant but I quite like having my dinner on the sofa watching tv. I do try and pay attention to what I am eating and not get too distracted by the TV 😂

Thanks also for the hot choc recipe. I might have that tonight. Good luck with the gym!

@PlantsFallLikeDominoes that does sound familiar. I’ve got all three books and hopefully should be out of work at a reasonable time today and will have a look through to check. Well done with all you did stick to yesterday. Can’t say I blame you with the garlic bread!

I’m feeling much better this evening, probably because I left work at a decent time and got a run in and feel like my eating has been much better today.

Food:
Porridge with raspberries, blueberries, almond butter, flaked almonds and a few dark chocolate chips
Oat cakes
Grilled chicken tortilla wrap and salad
Nakd bar
Small bowl bran flakes
Messy eggs with the addition of a tiny sweet potato and a bit of feta

Rent: 5km run

Well done @Runnr I also find work gets in the way of LP. Have been working from home to enable 5 mini meals and no canteen food or lattes. I have zero self control!

I skipped the gym this morning as I was going to go to a class tonight but have skipped that as well. Very tired today and hungry. I'm struggling not to eat biscuits.

B, oatbran porridge
S, babybell
L, salad with mackerel
S, apple and peanut butter
D, chilli made with turkey mince, added chickpeas, dollop of natural yog and a sprinkling of cheese.

All I want is sugary tea and biscuits 😕

Evening,

@Runnr and @PlantsFallLikeDominoes - yep, there's a Mexican hot choc recipe in the cookbook too - do you want me to post the ingredients?

Work is a pain! As are children! Without both, I'm sure I'd do amazing! I've actually taken some time off work to help me focus on making some better health and lifestyle choices and cement in good habits. I've been really ill of late with exhaustion from sleep apneoa and some digestive issues, so this is my time for a reset but I am worried about continuing this when I envitably have to go back to work in a couple of weeks. I have a long commute and it's a killer.

Today has been good exercise-wise. Gym session this morning, over 11k steps (new fitbit strap arrived) and I went swimming with the kids tonight, but that was mostly just splashing around!

Today's food:

B: vanilla and coconut oatbran porridge
S: cheddar and caramelised red onion soufflés
L: messy eggs with mushrooms and bacon
D: meatballs and green veg (again - there was loads left from yesterday)
S: 2 plain slices of malt loaf - not on plan but I just fancied it!

I've got the book downloaded somewhere with the mexican hot chocolate, soufflés and turkey apple meatballs. I do like those recipes. The bean burgers are nice too, my dc like them, I just call them falafels which is basically what they are!

I have given in and eaten the last two naice xmas chocolates. I have not gone in on the biscuits. I'm going to bed before I keep eating.

I don't know how you will manage a hellish commute and being active and eating well @ThinksALot can you shift things around to get a bit more balance? Do you drive in? If you caught the train you could get off at an earlier station and walk home. Book a class during your lunch break near to your work? Or a gym near to your work and you go in earlier to work out before starting? Does your company have any walking clubs at lunchtime? If they don't start one!

Going back to work is going to be a challenge @PlantsFallLikeDominoes - I normally work 4 1/2 days in 4 - so 4 slightly longer days with Friday off. In an ideal week, I wfh home 2 days a week, meaning I only commute into London twice a week but often I commute in 3 days a week and it's exhausting - my days are 13/14 hrs long and I'm good for nothing at the end of them (my commute is 2 hrs each way). I'll be going back to work on a phased return for 12 weeks and at the end I'll likely reduce my hours - either to 4 regular days or maybe even 4 slightly shorter days - I think work will be fine with that - I just need to see how much less I'll earn! There is also possibly space at an office that is closer to home that I could work from one day a week, so that would just mean one day in London. I do a fair amount of walking as part of my commute at the moment, so it isn't too difficult to meet my step count on those days but the whole day just exhausts me. Lots of new habits to try to embed to make it work...making lunches up, only working my hours, taking a lunch break, going for walk, not snacking when wfh...

@ThinksALot if you crack how to take lunchbreaks, how to only work your hours and how to be motivated enough to make and take a lunch then please let me know! I used to swear by a 9 day fortnight but working longer hours didn't give me work life balance. If you can afford to go on 4 days without the extra then hopefully it all works out - and it doesn't mean you're still doing the same amount of work and being paid less.

I'm off to bed, hopefully I get up and get to the gym tomorrow 💪