The best start to 2025!

[igotbills]

An accountability thread for myself (and absolutely anybody else interested) to drop a dress size or two within the coming months to get back in my lovely dresses. Had a stressful year of all sorts going on hence some weight gain but I'm now ready to shift it.

Starting Janruary 1st instead of now just means there will be even more to lose.. so starting today I'm counting calories and looking at some exercises on YouTube. I've dug out my workout clothes and ordered some new sports bras.

Perhaps with Christmas, New years etc I won't actually lose a pound but that's okay - maintaining I'm more than happy with as long as I don't put anymore on.

I don't like to use scales to weigh myself but I will be judging by how clothes are fitting. I have a midi skirt I'd love to wear for my friends birthday at the end of January but its far too tight so this will be my first goal.

Anyone care to join?

I’ve had a good five days in a row now, I might brave the scales just to keep me on track over the weekend as this is where I start to go wrong.

I didn't have a great day to be honest. I ate quite a lot of bread. I'm tired and I'm hormonal, so it was all the carbs today. I did go for a run and actually did a good pace, but I felt unfit. I was supposed to go to bootcamp this evening but it was cold and dark and rainy so I cancelled!

I did step on the scales, I don't even know why I did as it was after my dinner (so maximum weight possible 🤦‍♀️ ) but it was a BIG number. It's given me a bit of a kick up the bum though, I decided not to drink tonight. We have a busy weekend ahead so I hope I can at least try not to eat constant rubbish

@thenewaveragebear1983 sometimes carbs are just what you need!

I'm knackered after what feels like a long week and combined with the after effects of a run (well, more of a jog) first thing this morning, I could cheerfully devour the contents of my fridge and then start on my cupboards.

I did manage to resist a mince pie in work today (to make up for the quality st i ate the day before 🙊). Still, small steps.

I've been weighing every day with a view to taking a weekly average (I can fluctuate wildly from day to day, so it's a tad less depressing than catching myself on a bloaty day).

Here's hoping its the start of a downward trend.

Hi all, I’d like to join please as I’m aiming to not gain weight over Christmas and the start of the new year. I’m an early Jan birthday and away for the first weekend so weight loss won’t start until after 6th but if I maintain until then I’ll be very happy! Have a lot of social things going on involving food and alcohol and I’m not planning on depriving myself or feeling guilty for enjoying them but do aim to be very mindful on all the other days.

This weekend socials actually don’t include food / drinks so planning on an alcohol free weekend but am then out Thurs, Fri, Sat and Mon next weekend so need to be really good from now until then and I know some accountability always helps!

@SaggyOldClothDog do you follow Emma Storey-Gorden? Daily weighing and then using the average is what she recommends to avoid the days the scale has jumped. If you don’t but are on Instagram I’d recommend, lots of good podcasts too.

Well done for going running @SaggyOldClothDog and @thenewaveragebear1983 I wish I could run, I used to but stopped due to an injury. The most exercise I’ve done in the past year is walking with the pram! I need to change that in January.

Welcome @AdventureTravelDreamer your situation sounds like mine as I won’t be starting properly until around January 10th after my sons birthday, but I’m just trying to minimise any damage until then.

I stepped on the scales this morning as soon as I woke up and I’ve lost 2lb, I’m happy with that. I’ve got nothing on this week that should tempt me either so I can hopefully stay on track now until the 22nd when we have our family Christmas get together.

SW 12.7
CW 12.5
GW 10.7

Good morning everyone . Thanks for the tip of the weekly average weigh in . I'm well in the 14st range after being in the 11st region few years ago .

Apologies if I don't always address everyone directly as I don't have the best eyesight and I struggle with the text on my phone.

I have a foot injury too so not exercising as much but I'm thinking of upping the strength training and just using my walks for the dogs enjoyment going forward so as not to exacerbate my feet issues . I'm mid 50s so really need to get on top of my health issues now.

Had a good food day again yesterday so I feel at least I'm making headway . Think the switch flipped for me again last week when i couldn't fit in my jeans

Find this thread very helpful so thank you

@AdventureTravelDreamer Ooh no, I've not heard of her. I'll take a look, thanks.

Feeling quite virtuous this morning, did 40 mins of walking/dance workouts (mainly to get some steps) in followed by 30 mins of upper body with weights. Then realised my fitbit's battery had run out and it hadn't tracked it. 😬

Breakfast was a mix of greek yoghurt and kefir, protein powder, nuts, seeds and fruit, washed down with green tea. The start of the day is always the easiest - it's mid afternoon onwards when the wheels tend to fall off.

My weight's been on an upward trajectory for most of the year, but I started taking creatine at the end of the summer, after listening to various podcasts saying how great it is for various things, particularly for women of a certain age (as Greg(g) would probably put it 🤣). Within about a week my weight went up by 1-2 kilos and while it's supposed to water weight, it's still a bit unsettling.

I'm still reserving judgement about whether to keep taking it but, as it also coincided with me upping hours at work and no longer needing to do the walk to school (DCs are both in secondary now), I'm also a bit concerned that it actually might just be all fat (I've no doubt some if it is 😂) and it won't shift even if i stop taking the creatine.

I'm not expecting miracles over the next few weeks but some damage limitation would be nice. Afternoon snacks and post tea-grazing are my first targets!!

Can I join too - I'm also another one ashamed of the baby weight my baby has just turned 9 months old and so much for 9 months on 9 months off - I've still got about 1.5 stone to lose of the 3 stone I put on! I'd even be happy with an initial 10lbs - I'm really trying to not buy new clothes but nothing fits properly and I'm back to work in February so won't be able to keep living in leggings. I'm finding it tough to get into the swing of it and have had a lot of false starts the last few months. My DD doesn't sleep and being tired is really affecting my will power. My plan is to go 16:8 for the rest of December and try to be mindful of what I'm eating but to enjoy the festivities IF I have a day out or something planned rather than munching on chocs all day long. I'm hoping that will stop me gaining anything over December and then I can start the calorie counting in January although I have downloaded Nutracheck so will count on my days at home now. I'm only 5ft so my calorie allowance is low which is tricky esp when at the minute with 3dc convenience is key 🙈

@SaggyOldClothDog I’m also a woman of a certain age and have just started taking créatine. By just I mean a couple of days but really hoping it doesn’t affect the scales!!!

Good day yesterday, not great nutrition wise but on target calorie wise, did 40 mins weights plus 8k steps.

Also chuffed that I got up and walked this morning so already over 6k steps today 😁 Also haven’t had any wine Fri or Sat which was the plan but also knew it was possibly the area I was most likely to fail on!

I just keep telling myself I am just saving some calories for next weekend. Have a good Sunday all.

I'll join you all. I have around 6 stone to lose to get back to a size where I feel I looked nice in pictures.

I am hideous at the moment, the number on the scale is far too high, my BMI is shocking and I'm just so sad.

I have a holiday in June and I'd like a good chunk gone by then. What would be a reasonable amount to lose in 6 months?

I'm just going to be calorie counting and making changes - I tried Slimming World twice and I'm now heavier than the first time I started, which is a shame as the weekly weigh ins were a great source of accountability, but the plan and I just don't get on.

Evening all .

What's this about creatine and women of a certain age milarky ? I'm in my 50s should I be taking it ? Off to google that

Good job on the runs ladies . Good to get the steps in .

@LollipopViolet I think you should be well well to lose a couple of stone before June . I did like SW but long term I couldn't be counting syns and eating sw bars and all the low fat choices . I like real food. For me I am cutting out sweets for now .

I have a foot injury and it's difficult to do lots of walks . I have an appt with a health coach Tuesday to try encourage me a bit .

Food was ok ish today had a little more biscuits than I planned . But hey Ho

@Trialnerror not sure about the creatine but I have been taking collagen for under a month and I have noticed my skin feels much softer and my face just seems generally 'brighter'. It may be completely unrelated but it feels like it's due to the supplements.

I had a better day today although last night I had an awful night.just couldn't sleep. I think my decaf latte in the cafe was not decaf!! But in that tossing and turning I listened to a new hypno recording to stop overeating, and I definitely felt a difference today. I just didn't eat anything I didn't actually need. I didn't finish my meal at dinner either, just felt uncomfortably full and rather than battle through, I left it and have saved it for tomorrow. I will try to listen again a few times this week.

You caught my attention at creatine!
Technically it helps you deliver more energy to the muscles so will help with exercise or strength training. However, there's more research these days on how it also helps with cognitive function esp. as you get older, and since it's a well researched supplement with no side effects, it's been argued we should all take it. The only down side is that it retains water in the body so on the scales it might make you heavier (doesn't change appearance and it's not body fat).

I'm currently on a pre-Christmas sprint of fat loss, I hope I can shift another half a kilo before seeing my folks on the day, and will have a week of maintenance before going back to more fat loss (before my mum's 80th). I don't like the January rush, but I like being mindful before so I don't regret it by the new year!

Hey everyone, I would like to join it's nice to have some accountability and support. Iv been calorie counting & weight training since October, iv lost just over a stone so far with another stone to loose.

@thenewaveragebear1983 I take a collagen pill recently too . Taking it for joints etc. but you could be right about the soft skin

@Oldgalgames congrats on the loss so far that's Brillaint and @safetyzone keep plugging away you got this

Today was not a great day but could have been worse .

I'm so tired and feel overwhelmed with all the work to be done . Christmas for me is going to consist of dog walks and relaxing I think .

@thenewaveragebear1983 Snap! I started taking collagen a month ago - I haven't noticed a thing yet. 😂

Goals for this week are to avoid mid-afternoon toast while i'm working at home and try and bump my step count up a notch.

Big ticks so far (it's Monday!) but think i overdid it a bit at tea time. I dideliberately pile my plate high with veg so hopefully the actual calorie count wasn't too high.

That being said, this will be the week
when it starts getting hard, with a work do, a birthday and the start of the holidays.

I'm planning on choosing my treats wisely and not "wasting" calories on food i'd otherwise be a bit meh about (I'm not calorie counting, just trying to be a bit more mindful). Hopefully some if it will stick for the new year.

I had a good few days. I have been listening to a hypno audio for binge eating which definitely helps to curb my appetite. I stuck to 1500 cals yesterday and went to bootcamp after work. I had intended to do run club afterwards but I am so so busy and overwhelmed with everything I need to do, I cancelled. Today is my office day, I always find it a tricky day food wise and I never manage any exercise on Tuesdays. I was supposed to be running tomorrow as well, then doing the pub quiz but dh is also out so I may not be able to. I might just stay home and wrap presents instead. Or go for the run but not the quiz.... then Friday I'm at pots and Prosecco at a local painting cafe with a work friend. But hopefully after Friday we all break up and can have a bit more chill time.

It's bloody exhausting isn't it? Then throw all this interesting festive food into the mix and it's a real challenge to stay on track. I'm managing at the moment because nothing has been opened yet!

Good morning all . Sounds like we are all just managing to get by .

I had a few sweets yesterday and a mc d 6 chicken nugget meal . I only ate a few fries and tbh the nuggets were bland and tasteless. I also had a magnum . Cals were probably ok

Had a gp appt and was told to make sure I have a calorie deficit to lose weight . And to do cardio 5 times a week and 2 strength sessions a week .

This is where I struggle how on earth am i supposed to fit this all in . But I'm struggling with my mobility now so I have no choice but to turn it around . I have suffered with tendons and ligament issues from over doing exercise in past and I'm worried 😟 oh well .

Xmas party tomorrow eve . Already decided no dessert I'll have a baileys instead .

That amount of exercise seems completely unrealistic and unsustainable to me, I lost 6 stone in 2016 over the space of a year and a half and did no exercise at all apart from some walking. It was 100% diet.

My husband came home with Malteser truffles from work yesterday and I ate two of them in the evening, apart from that I've had a good weekend and start to the week. Yesterday I roasted a whole chicken and had it with salad and some low fat coleslaw. I'd usually have a jacket potato too but decided not too and I didn't even miss the jacket potato.

Hello. Hope it's okay if I join too. I have already started last year, and didn't do too bad, but at the moment I am in a bit of a rut and could use some new motivation/inspiration/reminders to keep it up.

I lost 15k, but I need to lose quite a lot more to get into a healthy bmi range. Logging calories and working on healthier eating habits is what worked mostly. But I stopped doing that in november/december because I was sick of it. And I can't decently log going out for dinner anyway. So far I have not gained weight, so I guess I am doing something right at least, despite the lure of december-chocolates.

@Inmydreams88 I lost weight about 6 years ago too with very little exercise just with my age and menopause I think o may need it more now .

I am going out tonight and wearing something that fits me rather than something I really like . This time next year I want to be back in a nice dressy outfit for the party !!

@PurpleWillow welcome 🤗 . I am going to be logging cals too just not quite managed more than a say or two . Will prob leave it now and just try maintain over Xmas .

I'm aiming for 1700 cals a day once I get into it .