Fat fighting frugaleers finding their fabulous in 2024

[lifelongfrugaleer]

So as we are about to embark into 2024 and our year of fabulousness time for a new thread.

I’m going to begin in earnest next week when the gym is back open but I’m not eating as much this week and mucking out every day for fitness . Weirdly I’ve gone off sweet stuff, long may it last

Reporting in as weight stable (which is a relief).

Recent events have persuaded DH that he should make a concerted effort to shed some body fat. We've agreed to substituting a meal replacement shake for 3 dinners. This means he has a meal replacement drink for lunch 6 days a week and we both do this for 3 evening meals a week.

We'll review the trajectory of our respective experience in 4 weeks time. This is less rigorous than the well-reviewed and evidence-based NHS plan but I want to be confident that we don't trigger DH's over-eating. If we need to shift to a more austere plan, we'll have that conversation in 4 weeks time.

My cardiovascular NSVs are still holding well. My stamina is variable but I think it's reflecting various disruptions and stresses.

I'm weight stable too
I've introduced 250mg of metformin daily this week and will increase to twice a day once my half marathon is out of the way.
My clothes feel good, my stomach is flat and rarely bloated.
Would like to push through the eleven stone and get into the tens before the year is out.

How's everyone?

Tonight is the first replacement meal for me. I'm also following a Power Zone programme on the Peloton and today is my first ever Power Zone Max ride and it involve high intensity and prolonged exertion.

Bad timing for this, so I might consider substituting an easier class tonight and moving this class to a day when I'll have a meal afterwards.

Happier - when is the half marathon? And you've reminded me that I've signed up for a century ride in October and I should check when that is. (On the Peloton, 100miles or so over a 48hr period.)

Sunday hack

Very impressed with you doing a half marathon happier

Hope the meal replacement is ok, hack I can’t do those as I was seriously ill in 2014 and lived on them for months before being fed via a drip into my neck and I find them very triggery

I am loving my new job and the town is beautiful but DH has injured his back somehow and has been in agony for a week, he can hardly move and needs lots of help to do anything plus I now have to do all the housework and cooking etc which is a lot on top of a new job. 🫠 hoping it eases up soon, it seems very extreme pain to just be a muscle strain. The doctor has said he can come back at the end of the week if no improvement.

I am back to near where my weight was pre move, DH being unwell isn’t helping as he’s disrupting my sleep and I just turn to carbs and sugar when I’m so tired.

Gen - Hope the meal replacement is ok, hack I can’t do those as I was seriously ill in 2014

I understand why you can't bear them after that experience. The powders dissolve well and they're considerably better than I thought they'd be. DH likes them and I'm optimistic that he won't get bored of them over the next 4-8 weeks.

What a mess for your DH and it sounds like ithe consequences of it are adding to the to-be-expected settling down and settling-in issues. I hope that the back troubles resolve in a timely manner for both your sakes.

I completely understand the soothing balm of carbohydrates. Potatoes, rice, or pasta soothe me like little else!

Happier - good luck for the half-marathon.

Good luck happier

yeah I can see why you avoid them gen, hope dh back gets better and carbs will get you through then you will be back on it. Pleased you are settling though

i wouldn’t do strenuous exercise on a fast / meal replacement day hack. At least not until you get used to them

been making a half ass attempt at my fatness pal. Trying to do 3 strength classes a week. Sssooooo tired and dr no help

Happier - how was the half marathon?

Gensola - is DH any better (re: back)? How are you faring?

Life - has there been any improvement in the level of tiredness?

Me? There has been a drop, but I need it to be sustained for a week or so before I'm confident that it isn't a new floor of my bounce, IYSWIM. I'm mindful that it might be a new floor because of the meal replacements but we'll see if it hangs about long enough to be an official drop. :)

I did it, delighted to be back into running.
I was banjaxed after it & didn't achieve the time I had hoped for/

I think maybe one a year from now on and do a 10k every month to keep up the longer distances. The long run is a big commitment every weekend where the 10k is just over an hour.

My scales is at 11st 11 for ages it seems, since I started new job my routine with food seems to be gone out the window.
Yesterday was day 1 & day 2 is going fairly well also.

Physical or mental tiredness life?
Do you sleep well & wake up refreshed or wake up tired?

My endocrinologist put me on amitriptyline, I honestly think it's great, I don't take it every night but I sleep well on it. Just 10mg

Wonderful happier

fingers crossed the new low is a keeper hack

both but more physical tired. They won’t change my hrt want to change my anxiety meds as gp thinks depression

I’m not on board with that so going to keep trying lifestyle improvements

Ok well physical tired is better imo.

Hopefully you can get it sorted

11st 8.5lbs this morning.
Back on track this week, chocolate at work had crept in!

Congratulations on the half, happier

sorry you’re feeling low life

DH is still waiting to hear from the pain management team at the hospital. It all seems to have gone very slow so we are worried the insurance company is playing silly buggers. An anxious time as he is in such pain and just wants to know when/if treatment is available.

hack I hope your drop turned out to be lasting!

Gen nothing worse than pain

I’ll be reet Gen
sorry your dh is still in so much pain

Gen - I don't know what the best system is but it's not the one that leaves anyone in pain and uncertainty.

Happier - well done for getting on track and banging the chocolate on the head or whatever it is that you've done.

Life - good luck with lifestyle changes. They can be effective but, as you know, quite slow to show up in a measurable or recognisable way.

The drop seems to be hanging around but I need a few more days to be confident that it's not just a lower floor of a new bounce range.

i think I’m going to give myself a kick and have a shake for lunch. Then stop blinking snacking.

I hope that you can find one that you enjoy and doesn't taste of deprivation or restriction!

I had several disappointments last week. Onwards and upwards. I should be pleased that I'm still in drop zone territory but, as above, I will wait longer to confirm and trust it.

😂

I use natural nutrients. After a long search they suit me best

naturalnutrients.co.uk/

Life if that will help go for it

I can confirm that my drop has been sustained for a week: it's somewhere between 2-3lbs.

From when he started on meal replacements (originally, just weekday lunch) until now (weekday lunch plus 3 evening meal substitutes a week), DH has shed 16lbs.

Overall, we're doing OK. I actually seemed to have dropped rather than bounced to a new floor but we'll see. DH needs a follow-up procedure in another 8 weeks. He seems to be feeling more in control of himself now he can see that he's shedding some weight.

We'll review in 2 weeks time or so and see if we'll maintain our current schedule or add in an additional evening meal replacement. As above, I don't want to trigger his over-eating. OTOH, it would mean a lot to DH to be able to maintain a 2lb a week weight loss until the follow-up. After needing to be persuaded to increase use of the Peloton, he's following the current Power Zone challenge programme so well that he's actively planning to have a de-load week after this one ends and then starting another one.

Wow, 16 pounds! That’s amazing, hack well done to your DH! And of course well done on your loss too 😄
My period just came so I feel super bloated, I did do Pilates today and just over 10,000 steps. Did also have a G&T 😅
We are eating out far less here as we both find it disagrees with us even though it tastes nice at the time, I think it must be chemicals or additives we aren’t used to as so many more things are allowed here. We had prawns and they tasted of the swimming pool and when we enquired they’d been bleached. Insane! so we have been frequenting the local farmers market for basic veg that hasn’t been fucked about with. Groceries here are super expensive so we are trying hard not to waste food.
My goal this week is to actually join the gym…

Great going hack and dh

sounds grim gen