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 😊

@Nettleskeins that's a good shout thank you! I have my neice coming round tonight so I can help her with her maths so I settled on a fried egg barm.. easy for me to point on WW and quick to make!

Wow - that is very different! No wonder there is a significant difference in comfort @DoctorDolittle

I got the 'eat better forever' book. Attached a photo of the recipe I made last night. Keen to try a lot of them - if not all!

It does have a large written section at the front about healthy eating - so it isn't all recipes. He released a new book this week 'How to eat 30 plants a week', which I will probably get at some point. Think this current one will keep me busy for a while though!

Thanks for that recipe @verlag I really prefer ones that have personal recommendations, can’t really afford to risk others.

Tonight I'm making a red Thai curry from a blue dragon spice kit (comes with the coconut paste) with green peppers, chicken cubes, and sweet potato, and jasmine rice for other family members. Was going to make chicken stir-fry with cashews and green pepper to avoid shopping but what has happened to the raw cashew nuts I thought I bought a while back?? I definitely didn't eat them, but I can't find them. Have unearthed a sweet potato and a green pepper anyway and chicken in freezer. I did have Tofu too but no one likes it except me.
Have been on another long walk with dog, saw friend for cup of tea on the way past.

I made the mistake of stepping on the scales 2 days early, I'm 2lbs up, possibly not a mistake so 😂 I'll be very good now, I knew I was straying, I made choc chip muffins on Thursday & I've indulged & then the mammies dinner on Sat, anyways onwards & downwards.
Such a busy day today but I had butternut squash and coconut soup for dinner with brown bread, but was only 2 small slices.
I have to bake tomorrow after work, shortbread cookies, so I need have self control again 🫣

@Nettleskeins now I want some cashews 😆

@Misshollys onward and downwards is the way forwards! Refocuses are good.

Ended up having a tuna salad roll and a twirl today, such a long busy day. Hope tomorrow will have more food! Will be quite a stressful day as in meetings for hours about my DD’s extra needs, one meeting will be positive re the future and one will have difficult decisions regarding legal action re previous disability discrimination. Not conducive to eating really!

I’m feeling okay, don’t think I’m drinking enough still so bought a water bottle for myself and a big bag of ice cubes. Both should help.

Good morning everyone! I CANNOT get myself out of bed this this morning, but I really need to to get ready for work and make my dinner, ideally before DS wakes up, which could be at any point from now!

Last night was a success! I took some treats upstairs last night for watching TV in bed (Freddo, Milky Bar, Buttons...) but had a sugar free Werthers Original instead! So feeling optimistic!

@Chocolateeggsarebetterthannormalchocolate that was a definite achievement!

545. 😮@Chocolateeggsarebetterthannormalchocolate You are heroic. Well done on the choc avoidance, it really prevents cravings. Btw cocoa made with cocoa powder and hot water and a splash of milk NO sugar really beats chocolate cravings. It's the magnesium and the theobromine (good for coughs) I've never been good at early starts. I had to do them when DD was at school because her school was an hour away so it was a 6.30 wakeup for years. But I just don't function first thing. I can wake up very early let the dog out etc, admire garden/dawn if I can crawl back into bed afterwards for another hour but otherwise 8am is my optimum.

Scales are showing another kilo down suddenly 87!!! What's that all about ..water retention faulty scales ???? Havei hit on a magical fat burning ingredient???!!!! Miso or sweet potato perhaps😏

Very best wishes for your important meetings today @DrDolittle.

I'm sitting here again not the slightest bit hungry after last night's chicken dish. Two meals a day a long fast overnight,/morning suits me well. As long as I can have coffee in the morning and water.

I never used it for dieting before but the Hairy Bikers "Hairy Dieters" from 2012 is a very good book for nice family meals/or freezer portions as each portion is calorie counted. The lamb curry and the chicken jalfrezi are my go to recipes. But it has risottos, cakes, rice salads, lunch box stuff all calorie counted for those calorie counting.
I don't do calorie counting as I'm too incompetent, and I just used to cook their food with extra fat, but I do recommend the recipes!!!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/p00vq8c6/recipes

And here is the BBC selection. Don't know these recipes but they look good too.😀

@Nettleskeins definitely going to try that when I want some chocolate! I have had a cupcake earlier as its someone's birthday at work, but it's pointed and accounted for!!

Well done on your kilo down!

How often do people weigh here? I weigh Mon-Fri but only log the Friday one on my WW app!

Made it to lunchtime without food apart from tea with milk and two black coffees.

Lunch was baked 1/5 of a butternut squash, baked whole aubergine, mashed separately and served with tablespoon of sesame oil, teaspoon of soy sauce (should have been tamari but wasn't)black sesame seeds, 150g of tofu sliced and fried in tablespoom of sunfloerr oil. With garlic.
10 pistachio kernels unsalted.
Lime half squeezed in water to drink

Supper is butternut squash soup, spinach and bacon pasta for family. Me hot cooked spinach bacon and feta cheese, with lettuce salad

@Nettleskeins a kilo down, that’s great! It sounds like you’ve hit on a way of dealing with food that is really working for you. Thanks for the recipe recommendations, I know the H Dieters lasagne made with opened up “sheets” of leeks rather than pasta which I thought ingenious. I used to cook bolognese a lot and have it with roasted butternut squash instead of pasta. People can get bogged down with the “right” way to eat something. Leftovers for breakfast tastes amazing.

@Chocolateeggsarebetterthannormalchocolate I weigh when I feel like it, trying not to get obsessive about anything to do with food/weight….years ago I would only weigh weekly first thing in the morning, after going to the toilet, naked and even remove my wedding ring for it! Then I weighed daily. Now, it’s as and when.

Meetings finally over, nearly five hours non stop was pretty draining. Then straight after DD needed measuring by Occupational Therapist and Consultant Physiotherapist for her wheelchair and specialist furniture/clothing. That was also draining. There is absolutely no way I can eat right now - still have twenty mile school run and then forty mile round trip for swimming lessons, and four hours working to fit in before I go to bed.

I'm worried you are running on empty @DrDolittle
Maybe some spoonfuls of something easy to swallow like hummus or full fat yoghurt. You need SOME energy.
And lots of fluids.

I remember losing lots of weight when my son had an accident many years ago, anxiety stopped me eating for about three weeks, I was on red alert, as one is protecting a loved one/s.

But you must look after yourself and that might mean having some digestible easy food.

Well done on the losses @Nettleskeins , you're going great since your return home,
but @Chocolateeggsarebetterthannormalchocolate taking chocolate to bed & not eating it, now that's willpower!! I don't think I'd be able to resist it.
@DoctorDolittle Please try get something to eat, even something small, I know from experience as a carer that we often forget about ourselves but if we don't take care of us, how can we take care of our loved ones.
Roast chicken here for dinner with roasted vegetables & boiled baby potatoes, I'm stuffed now & will leave it at that for the night, I've noticed I've been slipping on my intermittent fasting too so resetting that too. I've to go bake shortbread now, 🫣🫣

Thankyou, I k ow you are both right. Stress never used to cause me not to eat - I think it’s ever since I had a pancreatitis attack, I get worried eating right then at high away will make that likely to happen again and the pain was so much worse than childbirth!

DD19 has made me and her roast salmon and asparagus for dinner. I’ll eat as much as I can.

What a lovely daughter you have @DoctorDolittle! Hope you've managed to have some.

The chocolate is still next to my bed but I had my tea at about 4.45pm so I'm not having anything now and starting my fast from there! Had a good day foodwise, like when I first started!

@Chocolateeggsarebetterthannormalchocolate she’s one in a million. Today she was at work all day then cleaned out the stables, came with me to the wee ones’ swimming lessons just to keep me company, made dinner and did all the washing up…without being asked.

You’re doing brilliantly in the evenings, do you feel more positive?

Oh, and yes - I ate plenty of asparagus and a nice, though small, portion of salmon.
Tomorrow is a far less busy day, I plan to cook moussaka.

Ah she is a gem @DoctorDolittle! How lovely of her 😊

Yes I definitely feel more positive! I feel so disappointed in myself when I just binge in the week because I know there's no need - I allow myself anything I want on a weekend.

Moussaka sounds delicious but I've never had it! I will have a Google of it.

Also, good morning all! Hope ypu have wonderful days

Hi everyone, I've read all your update, apologies if I don't respond to each one separately, or missed anyone.

@DoctorDolittle You do seem to have a lot on your plate, but glad to hear you'll be having a not so busy day today. The moussaka sounds lovely. @Nettleskeins Well done on your weight loss!
@Misshollys Hope the baking went well and you managed to lay off the shortbreads :) I'd have a struggle!
@Chocolateeggsarebetterthannormalchocolate Good job on avoiding the chocolate and having a good food day!

I weighed myself this morning and no change. No gain I suppose is a good thing, but feel a bit deflated. But I'll keep going. Have been very busy with work and taking a few walks, but haven't really gotten into exercise properly. That's an area I will start working on today. My plan is today is to keep meals very low carb or keto to try and ease into IF without constant sugar cravings. An omlette and green salad for lunch, and smoke salmon and cauliflower rice for dinner.

I've cut way back on processed food, but found this Danone protein pudding that satisfies my sweet craving after dinner, so I'll stick to that for a while.

On the holistic side of a different me, I've been better at sticking to my skincare routine, although it's still a work in progress.

Have a great day everyone!

Day off work for me today - thank goodness as I need a re-set. Glad you've got a quieter day @DoctorDolittle , I hope you can relax after the intensity of yesterday.

I've decided I need a tick chart -simple tweaks to start/stop that I'm just not managing - load of things being put off until 'tomorrow' and I am staying stuck. I'm going to have to add times to some of them too.

One of which will be a skincare routine @EasternEcho - I had one sorted out but it has been months now! Not sure I can even remember it now...just ordered new moisturiser so hope that helps kickstart things again.

@EasternEcho that sounds really sensible, a smooth way of changing food habits without to much feeling deprived or sugar-slumping.
@verlag I neeed a tick chart…but I’d constantly forget where I put it hahaha. I’m the same with tomorrows.

Just planted a scabious, an iris and some heliopsis…pottering around with a cuppa weeding now, finally kind of relaxing ☺️.