🎄LOSE IT! 8 Week Countdown to Christmas 🎄

[TheRealHousewife]

Hello Members both Founders & New ❤️

Following on from https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5177149-lose-it-october-opt-in-2024?reply=139067760 🍁LOSE IT! October 2024🍁

We are now in the 8 Week Countdown to Christmas 🎄🎄🎄 Do you want to look and feel absolutely fabulous in time for the festivities?

In adopting a few lifestyle changes and food choices you can 👌

If you’re a returner or a new starter feel free to jump right in to reset & refresh to 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 a 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 follow a lower carb Mediterranean diet. I intermittent fast and eat twice a day. Im a long time healthy eater and overall I’ve lost 4 stones. After having been on the wrong side of 12st I am currently idling around 8st 10lbs.

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

Feel free to share your own links, tips & recipes.

Thanks for the welcome @TheRealHousewife !

Day 3 yesterday, stayed under calories, nearly did 10k steps but didn't quite hit it due to being mowed down by a dodgy tummy. DP wanted takeaway for dinner, compromised by having junk from the freezer- not as many calories, but still too carb heavy.

Day 4 started, not broken my fast yet (except tea, which I'm not counting, they can bugger off). 7k dog walk done first thing to try and help me hit 10k on a work day.
Aiming to have some leftover cottage pie and broccoli at 1pm, and I think I'll do Bolognese for dinner.

When I'm back I'll photo recipe for you 👍

Thanks for the warm welcome 😊

I’ve just got back from my first day of Couch to 5 k. Had a veggie lasagne in the park afterwards (and a small portion of chips 🤔) but did the whole cafe without cake thing, so I’m feeling pleased with myself and cooking a paella for the family this evening. Back to work!

Keep up the good intentions and new commitments everyone. We’ve got this.

Thank you @TheRealHousewife

:)

@HangryHandful Thanks for the reminder to drink more water! Love all the positivity and support on this thread.

Last night I was unfortunately tempted by a Chinese post-fireworks as I'd had my IKEA meal mid-afternoon. I only had half a container of chicken fried rice though and left my husband to the rest, so it could have been worse!

Better today and back on it. I don't think I'll weigh myself again for at least another week and will start using the tape measure for body measurements.

B/L: Spicy hash with air fried potatoes, vegan bacon, onion, peppers, sliced radish and stir fried mange tout on the side (bit random but needed using up)

D: Chilli with 5% fat pork mince (Amy + Jacky pressure cook chilli, the only one I ever make now - it's the best)

S: 2 falafels, red pepper houmous, cucumber with za'atar.
Fibre up popcorn bar
Options mint hot choc

It’s a 5:2 day for me. I haven’t eaten anything today, just had gallons of tea. It was a busy day at work so I didn’t have time to think about food. An early night will hopefully stop me snacking. I’m craving carbs, but need to make sure my meal is protein heavy. Perhaps an omelette.

So today was a good start
My plan:
I will stop eating cake every time I pass a cafe ✅
I will eat balanced, healthy meals cooked from scratch with lots of veggies and low carbs ✅
I will stop drinking alcohol until Christmas Day ❌
I will exercise every day (classes, C25K) ✅
I will read instead of doomscrolling ✅
I will write every day ✅

Day 3 done and I'm proud of myself

A brisk 45 minutes walk
Yoga
Meditation

Apple and oat bar for breakfast

Tomato salad with Parma ham

2 egg omelette with mushrooms,bacon,courgettes and cheese.

100 calories under my daily limit and feeling good 👍🏻

Day 1 done! Easier than I thought.
lunch was chicken salad and 2 x boiled eggs. The eggs were supposed to be breakfast but work was so busy. Snack of some grapes and dinner was chicken skewers , skinny rice and veg. Took all my vitamins, steps I don’t know as my Fitbit broke! Good luck for this week everyone and well done so far!

Successful day!

• ate my slow cooker chicken lunch
• followed my nutracheck
• got 10,000 steps in
• completed my "move" ring

Getting a couple of car tyres fitted tomorrow in a retail park, so will get my steps in having a wander round while I wait.

A great start to the week for us! My healthy walk on Monday has somehow left me with ankle pain :(, my left ankle is sore to put weight on. Must have somehow turned the ankle and not realised (damn hypermobility! I swear I spend half the time being unable to exercise because of some injury or other). So haven't been able to get steps in but am sticking to food plan. Was under my calories yesterday so quite chuffed about that!

Currently obsessed with Lidl sour cream and onion rice crackers, they're so good and you can have quite a few for just 100cal. Great with hummus or other dips. Today's plan:

B: 2X pancakes with Greek yoghurt, tropical fruit, milled chia & low cal maple flavour syrup
L: Mushroom omelette with cheese
D: White bean and kale soup
S: Babybel light, pickled cucumber, Lentil curl crisps

Happy Bonfire Night 🔥

@QuirkyRaven Congrats on starting couch to 5k! You’ll get so much benefit for completing this program! Don’t be too hard on yourself … Not knocking your plan or anything but perhaps you’re trying to change too much too soon. Good luck ❤️

@beezlebubnicky Loving your menu! 😋 Sorry to hear about your ankle injury! Wishing you a speedy recovery!

@Autumnorganising Protein and some fibre will keep you fuller for longer (and help keep you regular 😬) 👍

@worriedgal Excellent day you had yesterday 👍👌

@Rosie2496 & @LemonDrizzle23 Congratulations on staying on plan and completing your rings 👍 Lemon I never complete my rings as I’m too slow … not enough momentum 😂

Menu
Meal 1 - Mushroom & Chicken stirfry. Seed crackers.
Meal 2 - Home made chicken curry with shredded veg (in leu of rice). Greek yoghurt. Pecans.
Tea, black coffee & water.

Stay safe tonight if partaking in Bonfire Celebrations 🔥🥳

Yesterday was a success, got my 10,000 steps done by walking the dog AM & PM.

Drank at least 1.5L of water, had 2x teas but didn't have any coffee. Also had a peppermint tea and a sleepy tea in the evening - I don't want to eat biscuits with those!

B: Small box of grapes
L: Bagel thin with ham, laughing cow, lettuce & tomato with cucumber sticks. Muller light
D: Bowl of lamb stew, slice of crusty bread
Snack: Tangerine, greek yoghurt

Came in under my calorie limit, very happy with that. Wasn't hungry - could have reached for the biscuits mid afternoon at work but didn't and had a tangerine instead 😇

Go to healthy cinema snacks? What do you like? Planning ahead. I know I won't be able to sit through a two and a half hour film and have nothing. Kids will be munching popcorn and sweets. I guess I could chop up some carrot sticks....

@TheRealHousewife Rarely manage to complete my rings either 😂 but big congrats to @Rosie2496 @LemonDrizzle23 keep it up! It's the pesky standing target I never seem to manage, even though I feel like I'm always getting up for a wee that's clearly not enough standing.

@Sparxdislike Popcorn isn't terrible calorie wise if you make it yourself, limit your portion size and have salted, no butter. You can get those multi pack bags of Proper Corn if you want it pre-portioned so there's no temptation to overeat. Mini Haribo packets are only 50 cals, also been loving BBQ or sour cream mini rice crackers which are really tasty. Or a bag of healthy ish under 100 cal crisps (popchips, lentil curls etc) and have with some cucumber, carrot or fruit. A 15g serving of nuts. Mini Babybel (can get light for even fewer cals).

Thank you for the suggestions :) I think I'll make my own popcorn and have some mini haribo in the cupboard 😜

What is a movement ring?? Never heard of one, feel I must be missing out!

I had a good first day back on plan yesterday and finished under my calories target but not feeling hungry.

I’m now entering month 6 of this particular weight loss journey which I am so chuffed about as I usually stick with it for 2 to 3 months and then spend months on the rebound! The main difference this time has been a much lower weight loss target (1/2-1lb a week max, and allowing myself weeks or months where I maintain or gain slightly along the way.

also focusing on not falling into ‘all or nothing’ thinking about food and diet. Being pragmatic rather than perfectionist. I want this weight to come off for good and for a two decade cycle of yo-yo dieting to end. And I’m feeling like it’s happening!!

Hello all. Joining in - been lurking for lung enough to gather momentum!
having a think about the best way to go about losing for me, and know whatever it is, I need a PLAN but having spent SO long either eating my weight in junk food or on a fierce diet, I can't do the calorie counting. Looking for a more healthy approach, focusing on whole foods (and generally, less food 🤪🤣)
I'm going to have a proper think tonight about what that looks like for me - but posting my pledge to not eat processed sweet things until at least the 29th (birthday in the family), if not till 19th (family over for Christmas!)
that, and no more than 3 meals a day - no snacking (that can quite easily turn into more than a meal itself 🫣)

SW 89.85.
I've just looked online and for my height my ideal weight is just shy of 65kgs🤔 haven't been that since I was early 20s 🤣

@Sparxdislike I have to take nice snacks or I feel very hard done by indeed!

So usually take a bag of popcorn (I liked the sweet and salty 'proper corn' ones), bag of grapes, babybels, things like that. And a can of fizzy pop. Saves me about £20 too as well and 20,000 calories!

I'm in, I, ll weigh myself tomo. Just back from 2 weeks holiday where I ran amok, eating all calorie heavy meals and having alcohol after being alcohol free for 2 years. Even loosing 7 pounds would be great!.

I'm going to look for that. I did see they do a salt and pepper one that sounded nice :)

Thanks for the luck @TheRealHousewife It was good to do the first run.
Today was a good day:
I will stop eating cake every time I pass a cafe ✅
I will eat balanced, healthy meals cooked from scratch with lots of veggies and low carbs ✅
I will stop drinking alcohol until Christmas Day ❌
I will exercise every day (classes, C25K) ✅
I will read instead of doomscrolling ✅
I will write every day ✅

@OneDayIWillLearn The move ring is one of three "rings" / goals on the Apple Watch. Basically your calorie burning goal for the day. If you have a lazy few weeks, it passively aggressively suggests that you should lower your goal 😂

10,000 steps and move goal met today. Also had my slow cooker chicken. Although had parents over for dinner and fireworks and I think a few more calories were consumed than planned...

Hello,

Good day today. 15623 steps, 1500 cals.

B - greek yogurt, pomegranate and pumpkin seeds
L - cheese wrap and carrot sticks
D - bolognese

No snacking, no alcohol.

WoW day!
12 stone 4lbs this morning, one pound up from when I last weighed in two weeks ago but two pounds down from my post-holiday weigh in on Monday. So I’m happy with that. Seems very fair for ten days off plan!

Monday and Tuesday both went well and I stuck to my calories. Today’s goal is to drink more water and avoid the urge to scroll every time I feel like it.