DIET FAILED AGAIN - maybe this time we're 7th time lucky, all are welcome

[thenewaveragebear1983]

Roll up roll up, it's time for thread 7... everyone is welcome here on our lively supportive chat thread.

She’s a very easy dog to love. Very confident but follows me everywhere. She’s very loving and a joy to have. My little collie likes her and accepts her, my other greyhound is sulking and lets me know she’s very unhappy about her being here.

The diet isn’t going too well. My daughter arrived last night with a Chinese takeaway and we’ve been to the cafe today. Maybe next week I’ll do better when all the animals settle down.

Aww they’ve cut her head off in the first photograph, it was there.

@poorpawsshe looks very peaceful there. I hope she settles in quickly, I’m sure your other dog will grow accustomed to her soon.

Good morning. Went a bit off track yesterday, had a few slices of pizza and a GU pudding. Both nice. Probably not needed!

I have had a really good week however, probably the best this year. I have been under my calorie allowance every day, (I have been trying to do fast800 but it’s just not enough food for me, hitting 1100 most days is much more manageable) but that’s still way under my ‘lose 1lb a week’ number in nutracheck- so maybe I will lose 1.5/2 this week?? ( 🙏) I have been exercising as well and not eating back any of those calories so another positive.

for the week ahead, I have bought a new recipe book- labelled as a high protein book, which I guess it is, but it’s also high carb with 75% dishes being pasta, rice or potato based. Serves me right for not checking properly. I’ve modified a couple of things from there for my shopping order, plus I want/need to eat some of my freezer meals and clear some space in there so that will be my lunches this week.

I’m about to head out in the rain to walk the dog, and will try for a run later, but I am feeling tired and it’s miserable out. It’s my last week in my current job and my boss is away, I am moving to a different part of the team from 1st April so I reckon I’ll have a pretty quiet week and could probably squeezes in a lunchtime run a few days this week!

@poorpaws what a beautiful dog I hope she continues to settle in well!

@thenewaveragebear1983 hope you have a nice quiet week and can fit in some runs! DP got pizza tonight too - not ideal but I couldn't use the kitchen today, DP's mate was supposed to be coming over to paint it for us - DP paid him three weeks ago and he's already let us down twice. I'll give you three guesses as to whether he actually turned up today

I was listening to a really good podcast yesterday about goal setting, and it mentioned about taking time for yourself - honestly it really struck a chord, I feel guilty about taking any time to myself (including meal planning/ cooking/ eating!) and I feel that's a massive contributor to me being overweight. I can never really relax - we were due to go to a family event yesterday which I thought would be enjoyable, then DS1 had an absolute meltdown beforehand and I was completely frazzled throughout! - I really wish DP was more energetic and would occasionally take the DC into the garden to play with them, but he spends hours on his Xbox instead. Not sure there's any point to this rant, other than to say it was a bit of a lightbulb moment for me!

happy Monday everyone! Last week of March! I cannot believe how fast the time is going at the moment. It’s absolutely thundering past.

I did manage a run yesterday, and it was actually not a bad effort with a few fast kms. I hit all my exercise goals last week- 5 hours walking, 20km run and 2 workouts. And my calorie goals. So I am hopeful for a loss today but it’s not always as simple as that is it?

@ClaraTheImpossibleGirl the Xbox would drive me mad. You should definitely prioritise yourself and not feel guilty for taking time for yourself. And meal planning/shopping is not time for you! You’ll probably read my posts and think I have lots of time for myself sometimes- and I guess I do. But it’s a conscious decision on our part to ensure we both have some leisure time, because it’s essential for your mental health. If dh chooses to use his on his Xbox that’s his prerogative- but you need yours as well.

@ClaraTheImpossibleGirl. I completely agree with what @thenewaveragebear1983 says. We’ve had this conversation before haven't we. Taking time out for you will make you an even better mum, wife etc. Since we “met” quite a long time ago now you’ve always been going to do something for yourself but you never have, now is the time!

@thenewaveragebear1983 all goals met is amazing and yet again you put me to shame but I’m really happy you are doing so well. Could I have some of your fairy dust please?

I started the week brilliantly, three days being golden, and then it all went wrong. We went out for lunch every day and that included a lot of chips and in evenings chocolate was involved <sigh>. I did manage to stay the same which is better than a gain so I'll take it. In fact I may just try to maintain until after Easter.

We are doing longer walks, quite a lot longer, now we have a much younger dog. The only trouble is when I eventually get home I’m absolutely shattered because I’m not used to it anymore. Before the dogs got old, we used to walk 3 1/2 hours every morning without fail for years. I couldn’t possibly do that now, but at least we are going further than we did a few weeks ago and the place we walked to is lovely, it’s high up and the view of the sea is beautiful.

Have a very happy Monday, everyone.

Hello all,

I'm sorry I went AWOL again. I got stuck in a rut and was getting fed up of myself always reporting the same thing. Gave up completely last few weeks and just tried not to think about it - which meant not looking at this thread - which I have really missed. Drinking, eating, exercise have all been very bad.

But feel like yesterday a switch was flicked and I want to get back on track. Maybe it's just because Spring is here, or I have been binge watching Sort Your Life Out with DD. Either way I am feeling motivated again to lose weight and be healthier.

Here's where I am at. I'm 10st7 - so gained nearly half a stone since Christmas. I'm going to set myself a fairly tough target to lose 7lbs by Easter Sunday.

I've signed up to a walking challenge with The Conqueror Challenge - they have different themed challenges, you log your miles and in the end you get a medal - I've signed up to the Lord of The Rings one - 144miles over the next 3 months. I'm going away this weekend with a friend to do some walks in Scotland which I think will give me a good kick start.

Other things I need to tackle:

• Bulk out meals with more vegetables
• Restrict alcohol to weekends
• Wean myself off my daily can of pop
• Reduce crisps and chocolate snacks

@poorpaws congratulations on your new dog! That's so exciting! Your dog walking sounds wonderful too - must be lovely to be so close to the sea.

@thenewaveragebear1983 wow you are in the zone right now! Hope I can follow your lead there. Really glad to hear you are doing so well!

@claratheimpossiblegirl agree with the others. There's always a reason to put yourself at the bottom of the list of people to look after - but us mums are worth looking after too. What would you like to do (not what should you do) if you had some free time for yourself?

I’ve had a textbook fast800 day today - 950 calories, 49g carbs, 100g protein. I’m not feeling 100% with a headache all day and my youngest dd is super snotty so I’m hoping I don’t have that on the way! Tuesday tomorrow, always my danger day- but my lunchbox is all packed and I have sorted out my snacks for after work so I don’t come home and crash into biscuits.

@thenewaveragebear1983 hope the bugs stay away and you have a good Tuesday.

Yesterday went well for me too. Walked 2 miles on my lunch hour. And didn't have any snack attacks after tea.

I've sabotaged myself a bit today. Didn't bring a coat to work and it's a bit drizzly out so don't think I'll get a walk in at lunch. Might get one in after tea or even a run? I have brought fruit to snack on instead of chocolate- little steps!

Morning! Yesterday was an OK day. Got 2 little walks in to get steps up to 10,000. Resisted wine and evening snacking. Finally caught up with the rest of the world and watched three episodes of Adolescence last night which kept my brain occupied and distracted from thinking about the contents of the fridge.

Got a busy day at work which will involve a lot of walking about and a complimentary pie and peas lunch. So my plan is to have chicken salad for tea. Hope you all have a good day ahead!

I had an absolutely dreadful Tuesday and completely crashed after work, ate very very many calories and it was NOT good.

back on the horse today though! Drinking lots of water, it’s sunny here so I am going to go for a lunchtime run and top up my vitamin D ☀️

Hi @Storyland it’s great to have you back.

@thenewaveragebear1983 you’re still doing well, one little crash day won’t ruin your overall progress so much.

It’s not going brilliantly here but I’m still walking more with the dogs. Wednesday is supposed to be my cleaning day but we went for a long walk and called at our cafe for lunch in the sunshine. I have to say it was much better than cleaning.

I don’t know what I want to eat tonight so I’ve just popped a large potato in the air fryer and I’ll probably cook burger and beans to go with it. I’m not wanting dinners just lots of snacks and anything with lots of calories 😱

I had a better day today but I could happily have eaten a load of rubbish. I ended up on 1250 cals, went for a run, my food was nice - but I’d still have liked some chocolate!

Morning all! May I join you? I was reading, and wondering whether to get involved, and then saw that animals feature highly, so the decision was made :-)

I've just added a kitten to our household and am in the maelstrom of introducing him to our 7 year old staffie. I've been here before (as has my staffie), but every animal is different and my staffie is part sighthound, so it's proving to be a bit of a challenge.

Re weight, I was a very thin child (I'm now in my 60s) until I became very ill with measles when I was around 8 or 9. After that the entire family decided they must feed me up and I've tended towards being overweight ever since. 3 years ago I'd crept up to the heaviest I'd ever been (even when pregnant!) and weighed in at 192lb. I finally found something that worked for me (the app, Lose It!) and so begin recording everything that I ate or drank. Going sensibly and slowly I reduced to my goal of 164lb (I'm 5' 6" and anything lower than that makes me look ill and scrawny - I'm fortunate to carry my weight very evenly) and maintained for about a year. I then started a new job where I get a free lunch every day and gave up trying to work out the calories as it's all 'home-cooked' style (which is lovely) so I have no idea of the full ingredient list. Predictably, I've put some weight back on, and join you at 172lb, which won't do at all!

The good news is that, since I last used the Lose It! app (I don't have any vested interest; it just works for me) they've introduced the facility to photograph a meal. The app asks a few questions, analyses it, and gives a rough calorie count, which is good enough for me. So, I'm back to logging everything.

So, hello, and please may I join in?

Welcome @ToutesetBonne! I have a young Labrador and 2 cats, one is a ragdoll princess who lets the stinky dog lick her from nose to tail, the other is a terrifying tabby who the dog won’t even walk past even to get to her food!

lovely spring morning today, fresh breeze on the dog walk. I’m having a very quiet and boring week at work, I wrap up one role tomorrow and start a new one and the same team next week, it’s weird to be leaving but not leaving, and both my old and new bosses are off so I am doing a lot of ‘admin’ - 🥱 💤 I will try to pop out for a little run at lunchtime, my blood results came back last week that my vitamin D is really really low, so along with a supplement I am going to go the natural route and try to get some sunlight on my face every day.

i did a little mid week weigh in and am 1/2 a pound down, I’m pleased with that after my Tuesday food fest, and it’s very motivating for the weekend looming ahead

Thanks @poorpaws it is good to be back!

Welcome @toutesetbonne! I also have a workplace that likes to feed. The drawers next to my desk are always full of free snacks. It's hard to stay on track.

@thenewaveragebear1983 hope the outside time relieves some of the admin sleepiness!

Flopped last night after work. Couldn't be bothered to make tea so had a chicken sandwich and pringles. But I did manage to get 12,000 steps in.

Going to go on a walk now during my lunch break and then tonight I need to pack for my weekend away. It is really nice to have a bit more sunshine again!

Good evening,
I had a much better few days, managed to rein in my cravings a bit. I’ve found a good balance at around 1250 which is still pretty low for me but is manageable. I’ve had nice meals and a few snacks , and I’m thoroughly enjoying the sunny weather so I’ve run two lunchtimes on the trot.

tomorrow, more of the same. We are having some sort of sausage based delight for dinner tomorrow. I’m trying to eat through my portions of leftovers to clear some space in my freezer so that’s been my lunches all week.

I want to do some prep tomorrow to see me through the weekend; some boiled eggs and some sugar free jelly with fruit in. we have no plans for Mother’s Day so nothing elaborate this weekend, and I am still decorating so will be keeping busy and active.

Hope everyone is doing well

Hi @ToutesetBonne and welcome. I think I post more about my animals and dog walks than I do about losing weight. I have an 11 year old blue merle border collie x whippet, an 8 year old black ex racing greyhound and a new 3 year old brindle ex racing greyhound. You’ll be hearing a lot more about all of them.

@thenewaveragebear1983 you do so well managing to pull back after a little food fest and still lose the weight. I have a “sod it” attitude which isn’t a great way to stay on track.

We left all the dogs together for the first time this morning to do a food shop and they didn’t kill each other so that was good. I did however buy many Easter eggs for the family and they are all in the spare room calling my name and you all know what I feel about Easter eggs, they are one of my many chocolate problems.

We did another long walk today, it’s quite slow going because the new dog has to be on lead constantly and she’s always sniffing so we have to keep stopping for her. We managed to walk past our café without going in which is more than we’ve done for the last two weeks. As I said in an earlier post I think I’ll just try and at least maintain until after Easter. So far as I know after the Easter break, I should be able to cut down as we don’t have lots of events or celebrations 🤞

Keep up the good work everyone and have a happy Friday tomorrow.

@poorpaws
Easter eggs are calling to me too, and mini eggs and chocolate bunnies. I don't know how but the chocolate does taste better in easter form.

Had a very short walk at lunchtime yesterday and then caved at a table of canapés for a work event. Mini pies. In love them!

But did pull it back a bit in the evening. No extra snacking and I was on my feet a lot, packing for my weekend away.

Going to shower and pack last bits now, take the kid to school and then I'm off to Scotland! I do have a bag of haribo to keep me company. But I think the sugar is needed to stay alert

Thanks for the welcome @poorpaws and @Storyland Love the sound of your dogs, and really understand the anxiety around leaving animals together for the first time. Still working hard to integrate my new kitten with my staffie....... It's going slowly!

Had a good day, food-wise, yesterday, but not for positive reasons. I felt very off-colour during the evening (nausea, sniffling, dizzy) so didn't feel like eating anything at all, and was expecting to wake up this morning with a full-on cold. So, in the hope of heading 'it' (whatever 'it' was) off, I dosed up on vitamins (I'm either very good about taking them or totally forget for weeks!) and took myself (and kitten!) off to bed. To my surprise I feel absolutely fine this morning - phew!

The Lose It! app I mentioned has a forum, so I decided to join that when I restarted using the app, but it's very American and, despite having an American son-in-law, most of it feels like a foreign language to me. (And, of course, food that's referred to often isn't available here.). The other issue it has is that there are a number of people who seem to think it's a dating app, which is very tedious.

All well - off to work. Daughter arriving soon to take charge of the animal-wrangling! Hope everyone has a good day.

@ToutesetBonnethat nausea/ dizzy/ stuffy feeling is what I had earlier in the week, I kept thinking I was going to get struck with full scale lurgy but nothing materialised. Very odd.
the nutracheck app is uk based and has a chat forum, but it isn’t free- there’s offers on currently so I think you can get a full year for £28. I do think it’s worth the money, the diary is very clear and flexible, different options for different types of diets etc, and you can get really good week summary views as well. I like the recipe feature- add all your ingredients, weigh the finished dish and then you weigh your portion for really accurate meal totals etc.

such a beautiful morning today, had a nice walk with the dog. It’s rest day today as I have run a lot this week, although I can tell I must be feeling good because I actually really fancy a run! All planned for the weekend, I’ve still not drink any alcohol since 1st Jan and I’m still not really missing it. They really helps keep me on track over the weekends. We’re having these delicious sounding tomato and mozzarella chicken sausages tonight, no idea what I’m going to do with them yet though. 😋

It’s looking sunny here this morning, unlike yesterday which was very grey, so I think we’ll go for a longer walk and try to get some vitamin D.

Daughter is visiting today with a Mothers Day gift which I've already been told is an Easter Egg as all the flowers weren’t very fresh 🙈. I’m going to have to eat it aren’t I? The flavour is a surprise apparently but no doubt whichever one she’s chosen, I will like.

Apart from a walk I have no plans but I think housework should take at least some of the day. DP’s rescue cat is having a cat dental today so after a little bit of gardening, he’ll be off early to look after him.

@ToutesetBonne DP got his rescue cat two weeks ago (Raven), after his other much loved cat sadly died. He’s black and 10-plus years old, deaf and blind in one eye, nasty rough stark coat, and DP knew he’d be difficult to re-home so he took him 😃

Havs a great day everyone.

@thenewaveragebear1983 set another place at the table please, those sausages sound delicious 😋

Thanks @thenewaveragebear1983 The facility to add my own recipes is what took me to Lose It! as I do a lot of batch cooking. I’m now a lifetime member so probably won’t be joining anywhere else, but thanks for the info.

@poorpaws Your DP sounds lovely.