I want a different me! Do you?

[DoctorDolittle]

Accountability thread. I piled on a huge amount of weight at start of menopause, was ravenous all the time, and am really struggling to lose it. I thought an accountability thread that also focused on increasing self-care and self-worth would be good.

So - food wise I think I’ll try “no snacks”, that gives some wiggle room with meals to be what I most fancy/will fit in with kids the most.

Self-care: I bought a whole new skincare regime a month ago, just start using it woman!!! Am pampering my decades-long neglected feet each night and have booked in to salon for eyelash tint and curl as now suddenly need to wear glasses and want to feel better about eye area behind them.

Fluids!!!

Any company would be welcome 😊

Beautiful today in Co. Wexford, I have a lovely 10k walk this morning & then did lots of work in the garden & got 2 washes dried & ironed. This weather is great for the soul, long may it last.
Food today was good, & lasagne for dinner but made it as low fat as possible, was still delicious.
And tomorrow is a Bank holiday, 😀😀

I’m jealous. Cold to the marrow here, a really dreich day, had to put a fire on early evening and everyone’s got a hot water bottle!

So, I’ve lost 6lbs in two weeks!! Down to 13st 7.4. About two stone lost since January. More than that though - I got back up quickly after the cake-induced binge, rather than spiralling. A huge accomplishment.

So plans for this week…
Drink a lot more water.
Have less caffeine.
Eat more raw vegetables.

I also would really like to go for a swim and steam room. I haven’t swum seriously for years.

Hope everyone has a great Monday!
(Still grey here, boo.)

@DrDolittle
I'm so pleased for you. With all that's been going on with school too, believing in oneself must have important. I'm desperate to get back swimming too. There's a swimming pool round here which is open air...still need to travel there so requires motivation..

I'm sure the new pony has been a pick me up too...how is that going?!!!

@Misshollys hopefully I'm going to Ireland on Tuesday. I am lakes (Midlands)and will get to do some proper walking, although alas without my trusty companion.

@Pukekopalace hope weekend went well.

Well my weight after steadily dropping every day has now stalled at 89kg for three days...slightly exasperated but possibly too many raw vegetables and that banana ...no, no more banana/bread breakfast! I need to reduce portion size if I'm eating these brown carbs, so 50g dried pasta not 80g. Despite DH saying Italians eat 100g dried pasta as just a starter!

However this is a diet so I have to put assumption of portion size out of the window for now. The main thing is I was feeling full before I finished my supper so that is probably a sign that it was too much.

Today is a blank slate...lots to do but not yet sure in what order. Dd appeared at midnight as university closed tomorrow and she fancied a day at home. She was complaining the library was closed and I said but surely you need a day off, and can't you research at home? No, I can only work in the library she said! I think she is a people person 😀

She's actually doing a practical design subject.

Hello - can I join you please?

I've come to the conclusion that the biggest issue with my weight, and why I struggle with it so much (long history of yo-yo dieting - I'm 51 now and totally had enough of that) is that I don't prioritise food (planning, prep etc) and have a tendency to reach for the wine too often. I love healthy food so that's not the issue. It is a long-term habit of laziness around food, which lead to junk food which leads to over-eating and feeling rubbish.

I started to get organised about three weeks ago (last week a step back due to a chest infection) and have lost just under 5 lbs so far. Now I'm feeling a bit better I need to pick up where I left off - feels daunting again somehow though! Plan for today is to make egg cups for breakfast tomorrow (eat at work); miso bean soup for lunch; have a chia pudding and some hard boiled eggs on standby in the fridge and also come up with an idea for the next two night's dinners. None of that is hard yet...it feels like a challenge.

wow 6 lbs in two weeks is impressive @DoctorDolittle - well done!

What diet are you doing @Nettleskeins ? Even when I did a VLCD in the past I would sts for days on end and then it would whoosh off.

I'm WI in an ad hoc way at the moment. I used to daily weigh (when I lost weight the last few times) and enter it into a spreadsheet every day but I've now realised that whilst I understand normal fluctuations and stalls I don't want to see them!

Not much progress here. I've made the Chia pudding (plan is to always have on in the fridge) but as that takes about 1 minute it is hardly a big step forward!

I'm not good at planning @Verlag but I worked out I just needed lots of "ingredients" in the house and it was a lot easier to eat diet meals of quality.

So flavoured oils, veg, whole grains, tins of beans,lentils, bit of meat, yogurt,seeds. And less cheese, bread, salami, ham, peanuts, alcohol, dried fruit, oatcakes, muesli because I was snacking on those (not alcohol cos I don't drink hardly any anyway)

I've reintroduced nuts to the house but for the last few weeks I had only a tiny snack bag of shelled pistachios in cupboard so I could only eat five with a meal as a garnish. Nuts really were binge ingredients for me before.

I'm not on any particular diet except the three meals and no snacks or added sugar in meals of any kind- including fruit - diet! I find no carbs makes me constipated as do too many eggs.
I'm drinking a lot of water and eating a lot of vegetables. Very occasionally Ill add a bit of fruit now into a meal...like a tablespoon full. But mostly no fruit. It sets off sugar cravings for me

Last night and today I had to eat some prunes though..it was like eating marzipan!!

We love miso soup in this house, but as I said upthread I need to find some buckwheat noodles 😂

I hope it's not too late to join in. I'd really love a different me.

I've also let myself pile on the pounds. A pregnancy at 44 and then simply couldn't lose the weight, lost motivation and headed straight into menopause. All the old tricks to motivate myself to take care of myself isn't working, nor am I seeing any results when I try. This is going to be a slow, long journey.

Is it ok if I join you please?

Will be starting tomorrow.

Maybe we should have a weigh in on Mondays starting today?!
I'm now 89kg and want to go down to
GW 80kg,

hoping to lose a 2kg a week on a 3 meal, moderate complex carbs balanced diet (no calorie counting)

I do about 8,000 steps a day, that's just walking

@DoctorDolittle Thats a brilliant loss, Well done you 🥰
@Nettleskeins Enjoy the trip, weather isn't great here today but it's improving again tomorrow so should be lovely for your trip.
I did a 4 mile walk this morning, definitely not as enjoyable as yesterday because it was damp and dismal & I have a very shouty Alsation Dog take a big interest in me, thank god he was on the other side of a big gate!
I weigh in Wednesday but I can start logging here next Monday,
Welcome to our newbies 😍 the more the merrier, good to havecthe support & bounce things off each other.
And my water intake is still not what ir should, this week I will try harder.

I like your plan @Nettleskeins !

I make this miso bean soup the most (from ZOE and it scores really highly). Just back from shopping and have all the ingredients for it now (I'll use any beans - usually one of the bold bean jars, although that does up the cost a bit). It is so nice and filling! I do need to try more recipes though, could very get boring.

https://www.copymethat.com/r/ocnAGuiW5/miso-brothy-beans-zoe/

I've really noticed that I drink a lot of water at work (have a water bottle there) but very little at home during the day (tend to have tea/coffee instead). Mental note to sort that out.

How are you getting on with the skincare regime @DoctorDolittle ? I was being pretty good with one a few months back but...yep, need to pick that up again too.

Hi @EasternEcho & @DirtyDensDog ! Thanks for the welcome @Misshollys .

I've got so many things I want to sort out/research/start but for today I've just got to focus on prepping this food I've just bought and not overwhelm myself into doing nothing.

Breakfast: Brown pitta at 10am with a bit of butter, 3 prunes, black fresh coffee

Lunch at 2pm was: a salad of

1.5 fresh boiled beetroot (from fridge)chunks
Sliced little gem lettuce
Tahini sauce made with hot water, chilli, garlic, heaped teaspoon of tahini (revived from fridge)
Cider vinegar sprinkle
Chopped quarter apple
4 walnut halves broken up

Actually very filling

That tahini chilli and garlic dressing sounds good @Nettleskeins

I've made some progress - chicken now marinating for dinner tonight and tomorrow, made the egg cup things for breakfast, watched a YT video to get further ideas. Still need to make the soup (only take 10 mins) and the bean bravas to go with the chicken tonight.

I really don't know if I've still knackered from the chest infection or I've just got used to being lazy. It is definitely 10 mins on 20 mins off (at best).

Thinking of going really old school and writing down ingredients/brief recipes/ideas of things to try in a nice notebook (I have lots) and building it up that way. Finding trying to remember which app I got a recipe from/reading from a small phone screen more hassle. I'm sure there are ways to do this digitally but...Yep, I'm going to just try it and see how it goes.

@Nettleskeins i miss open air pools, you should definitely go!

New Pony has settled in to the herd wonderfully and is the most affectionate girl.

Oh, got to dash, will continue reading thread in a bit.

Supper was:
Half tin of cannellini beans
Fried onion
Half tin of tomatoes
Tbs of olive oil
I courgette sliced
Dried herbs, chilli flakes. Simmered

@Verlag welcome! Don’t be too hard on yourself straight after a chest infection - you’ll be run down so doing anything at all is an achievement. Could you tell me how you make your chia pudding?

Hi @EasternEcho sounds like you had a tiring few years! We’re always here, so don’t feel alone with your weight loss journey. I tried unsuccessfully for another child for five years from 40, and that was actually the reason I piled the weight on as each month I ‘comfort’ ate.

@DirtyDensDog dsfintely join us, the more the merrier!

@Misshollys I’ve started taking a pint of water with me to bed as I know I’m doing badly. I don’t understand why though, just drink woman!!

Yesterday I spent a while in the garden: planted a second Kilmarnock willow tree, this time in back garden, a couple of tree hollyhocks, a smoke bush cutting, filled some more pots and sat listening to bees happy in my wonderful mess of entwined clematis and jasmine in a secluded corner. A lot of my (unpleasant) neighbours in the village have very regimented, manicured gardens and make it clear they don’t like my style (whatever that is 🤣) but the gardens are maturing in to a lovely, peaceful haven.

Today’s food will be wild garlic omelette, and dinner mackerel with chilli oil, and tonnes of mushrooms and wilted nettles. I’d like a new recipe for dandelion heads - I’ve always battered them a Alys Fowler suggested years ago but there must be something more diet-friendly.

Forgot to say, the mackerel is one I caught yesterday - first one of the year.

The is the Chia pudding recipe I first used (I can't see it anymore as I've reach the limit of free articles). They are all basically 2-3 tablespoons of Chia seeds mixed with milk of your choice (1/8 -1/4 cup per tablespoon depending on the consistency you want). Some have maple syrup and or vanilla - I want to avoid added sugar so just use tsp of cinnamon mixed in. When ready to eat top with what ever you fancy - flaked almonds, berries etc.

https://www.redonline.co.uk/wellbeing/health/a515945/honestly-healthys-chia-seed-porridge/

Your day sounded lovely @DoctorDolittle and satisfyingly productive!

@DoctorDolittle Thank you so much! That's awesome that you caught your own mackerel! I think the only mackerel I've ever tried are the tinned variety.

I've just an omlette stuffed with shredded Cheddar for an early lunch, as I don't usually have breakfast. (I'm one hour ahead of the UK in Northern Europe) Haven't been doing any exercising lately, which is really bad, but have been painting the hallway :)

Last night, I made a quick curry. Emptied a bag of chicken in a big pot, added a cut up eggplant, peppers, and onions and lentils. Put in bottle of Smokey Harrissa Curry Sauce (which I love) and let it cook and simmer for a while. Have portioned it and put it in the freezer. It will do me for about 5 days for dinner.

My food during the day tends to be quite boring and repetitious. I love nuts and tend to overeat them, so I'm going to try not to buy them for the foreseeable future :)

After dinner is where it all goes to hell for me. I have a tendency to binge eat at night and the sugar cravings are off the charts. No matter how good my resolve, I can't seem to control myself. That's what I really need to work on.

What helped me was to have a really filling supper at 7.30, and even a piece of fruit or nut or bread THEN at supper. And keep asking myself the rest of the evening if I was actually hungry? Which I wasn't
Also things like cups of tea with milk or green tea even or peppermint tea just to get me used to getting through the evening before bed; it's hard not to need some "sensory" input

But any snacks after supper, even leftovers which conceivably I could have had at supper itself I just made a rule no. And that sort of helped too...the gap element

And I would wake up next morning full so I clearly wasn't hungry when those cravings had hit in the evening