What steps are you taking today/tomorrow (and how did it go)?

[Peae]

An accountability/planning/thinking-out-loud thread. State what you'll be doing today or tomorrow towards your weight-loss and health goals. Then check-in afterwards and let us know how you did.

Please say hello and tell us a bit about yourself...

Back to work yesterday so hopefully some sort of normality will follow.

Aim for the day was to get back to tracking my food - I've been a bit lax recently. Managed it (although did a bit of guesstimating at tea, after i went a bit rogue nibbling on extra bits 🤦). Need to continue that today, without the nibbling.

Continuing to stay off phone as much as possible. @Peae , I'm currently listening to an audiobook, The Dose Effect, that really highlights benefit of phone fasting. It suggests setting a timer and seeing how long you can go without looking at it, and trying to beat your times. I've also started blocking certain apps at certain times to make me a bit more conscious of when I pick my phone up.

Workout is already ticked off for today but want to get in a walk before i start work, and get a bit of movement in at lunch time (no i'm no longer required for the school run, the step count on my wfh days really suffers!).

I love that idea of competing with the timer, thank you!

Normal day here, apart from I found myself mooching in the kitchen for a snack early afternoon. Luckily we only have healthy foods in, so didn't/couldn't succumb.
I am getting sooo bored of eating salad. DP says there's only one portion left in, so that's good but leaves me wondering what to eat on Friday. Work are paying for breakfast butties for everyone. I'm opting out but wondering what to eat instead. (Also on a break from dairy. I find it doesn't do me much good 7 days a week).

@Peae I’ve not stopped caffeine, I think it will be sugar mainly, and also dairy. Whenever I have cut dairy before I get very emotional as it leaves my system, I think I am one of those people that’s very sensitive to the opioids in it. After a few days I’ll be fine.

I also love the idea of a phone timer, I look at mine a lot especially when I’m working and I have to put it out of the room.

Evening, I forgot to post my morning checklist but I have been quite successful 😁

• Protein shake for breakfast ✅
• Lean protein salad for lunch ✅ *10k steps ✅
• Swimming with kids ✅

Not too many goals today. Got more work to do this evening, but I will be off to the gym tomorrow night for pilates.

Peae I don't think you'll be interested in my rather boring lunch, but for tea I had harissa chickpea stew. It's based on a Hello Fresh recipe with minced lamb, though I substitute turkey mince and chuck in lentils, and HF has you serve it with charred courgettes but I make this as a slow cooker meal on our busiest day of the week so anyone can just grab a bowl when they're hungry so I just grate the courgette in. I can link to the original if you're interested?

Morning, I have woken bright and early and can't seem to get back over.

Plan for today is:

• Protein shake for breakfast
• Lean protein salad for lunch *10k steps
• Pilates
• No white rice for tea

I had potatoes with my tea last night and have put 2lb on over night!! Tonight's tea is another HF recipe, chicken and mushroom crumble which is a lighter take on chicken and mushroom pie, and is usually served with rice but the plan is to roast some veggies and have those instead. It works well with Quorn chicken as well.

Good morning all,

steps today- count calories! I ate a lot yesterday.
I need to drink more water, I feel quite dehydrated this morning
going to walk the dog and run at lunchtime.

food:
chia pot with fruit
melon
homemade scotch egg and salad for lunch
not sure about dinner yet as I can’t remember what I planned. I might have leftovers if dh and kids are having something exciting
fruit to snack
water 💦 black coffee ☕️

'Morning everyone.

@thenewaveragebear1983 I forget that there are non-UPF sources of caffeine! Your plans for today sound super positive.

@YippeeAbsentmindedly Thank you, I would be interested in that recipe if you get time. I'm also going to look at the two new recipe books I've bought and hardly opened.

I have no real healthy goals for today. I'm feeling full of ennui without the pleasures of either food or exercise. Every day feels like groundhog day and I am still struggling with symptoms. God knows how I'd handle anything really serious :(

Peae is there anything sedentary that you never usually get time to do? Colouring? Crochet? Meal planning?

It's my day off with DD today and I'm hoping to get out and do some gardening with her this afternoon if the weather holds.

Recipes:

Harissa stew

Chicken and mushroom crumble

I adapt both of them to suit us (I add frozen green beans and sweetcorn to the crumble, and make it with Oatly fraiche as DH is dairy intolerant)

@Peaewhen I was ‘resting’ after I was ill at Christmas I ended up watching 8 seasons of call the midwife. I now feel I am qualified to deliver babies 🤣 however, I wish I had a) done some sort of cross stitch or craft and b) put all my photos into albums.

Thank you both

I don’t know why I don’t pick up my crochet. Probably because it’s bright sunshine and feel that I should be outside walking or gardening.

Anywat, I’m counting today as a success. Did half day at work, no sugar, no Diet Coke. Two healthy meals. And… I went to the gym. Just did cable machines where I could sit down. Not massively satisfying but a huge success to just get there.
Tomorrow’s goal is to walk my commute one way.

Peae that's great, little steps to start with. And very well done on getting to the gym!

I'm very happy with how today has gone.

• Protein shake for breakfast ✅
• Lean protein salad for lunch ✅ *10k steps ✅
• Pilates ✅
• No white rice for tea ✅

I'm going to go brush my teeth so no more eating and then finish my prep work for tomorrow.

I don't think I'm going to be able to get up from my desk much tomorrow, can't do my usual morning gym class, and DH is out tomorrow night so can't even get to the gym then. I can't see me being motivated to do a home workout after I get the kids to bed, so just going to concentrate on food goals.

On Saturday I'm out for bottomless brunch. I'm not sure what a realistic goal would be for that 😄

Weigh-in Friday for me and I think a combination of the gym and a large tea have led me to putting a pound on the scales. Still 2lb off for the week.
SW 14st
CW 12st 7lb
New GW 11st 13.9lb

Today's plan is:

• walk in to work (possibly. Am feeling an increase in symptoms this morning).
• I have a deluxe breakfast planned of Greek yogurt, kefir, collagen powder, berries, seeds and nuts planned for when everyone is eating bacon and sausage butties at work.
• Tea is left over bolognaise and pasta.
• No sugar and Diet Coke (am currently on day 18!! It's the best thing ever).

Have really been struggling being consistent with tracking my food this week. Breakfasts and lunches are relatively easy, but the wheels fall off at teatime 🤦.

Weight loss has ground to a halt (although judging by my symptoms, my cycle is also returning, so that's something at least).

I have been better with restricting my doom scrolling though. Time restricting access to apps has been a game changer.

Exercise is one thing I am able to be consistent at. I even squeezed in an extra, short run at lunchtime yesterday (mainly because a new symptom of my cycle is anxiety - thank you perimenopause - and i wanted to clear my head).

Did my usual, longer run this morning (although it's only about 6k - i'm really not designed for running 😂) and it felt much harder than usual - my legs were clearly not in the mood. Am slightly regretting it, as now I need to go into the office, which involves a fair bit of walking with a weighty backpack 🤦.

I'll be focussing on my food for the rest of the day - I'm always ravenous after a run.
Breakfast was protein porridge, fruit, nuts and chia seeds.

Lunch is leftover turkey chilli with some quinoa (and an apple).

By time I get in from work, I suspect I'll be in hoover mode, so it will all be about damage limitation...

Happy Friday everyone (how is it possible a four day week feels so long?!)!

I admire your running, Saggy. It's something I have never been able to do get into.

I'm just on my lunch break from my day-long meeting. I've dragged the treadmill out to get some steps in, as I haven't got time to go for a walk. Or, if I tried to MN while walking in the real world I'd walk into a wall or trip over someone's dog 🤣

Well done on quitting Diet Coke. I had a friend who also used to drink a lot of it, and it was really hard to stop. And she wasn't also trying to lose weight at the same time!!

Plan for today is:

• Protein shake for breakfast
• Lean protein salad for lunch *8k steps
• Meatballs, no pasta for tea

Oh, I’m feeling down in the dumps again. A little work-related and a little due to being fed up with ill-health.
However, I did walk my commute one way and I’ve finally got myself up to 10k steps. So I should focus on the positives. This time last week I would not have imagined there was a chance I’d be doing that,or yesterday’s gym session, already.

Remember it's a marathon, not a sprint. You don't want to overdo it and relapse, especially not when you're doing so well.

Today went well. Even with my all day meeting/training, I managed over 9k steps by walking around in the breaks, and then walking to the shop to collect my Vinted parcels.

• Protein shake for breakfast ✅
• Lean protein salad for lunch ✅
• 8k steps ✅
• Meatballs, no pasta for tea ✅

Tomorrow is bottomless brunch. I sort of have a plan, but it's more of a guideline 😁

• Gym class tomorrow morning
• Protein shake for breakfast
• Enjoy bottomless brunch
• 8k steps
• Lean protein and veggies for tea

16hr fast, 10k steps, protein goal hit, plenty of water, no sugar, weightlifting at the gym... but... 1 can of Diet Coke consumed.

Evening, how's everyone's weekend going?

I'm back from bottomless brunch, which I very much enjoyed, and have apparently lost half a pound! Clearly in order to lose weight I just need to become an alcoholic 🤨

• Gym class ✅ I found it difficult, though, much more so than usual. Need to ensure I'm eating properly to have enough energy for classes.

• Protein shake for breakfast ✅

• Enjoy bottomless brunch ✅

• 8k steps ✅ I'm currently on 13.5k, clearly I underestimated my day!

• Lean protein and veggies for tea ❌ I grabbed a handful of chips from the kids and now I'm not really hungry.

That's a good day, Peae.

Don't beat yourself up about the Diet Coke. Having a treat now and then is fine, as long as you're in control.

It was really enjoyable to sit in the sun with an ice cold Coke. Did get awful heartburn afterwards. Now I need to prove to myself that I can have just the one and abstain for a couple of weeks again. Your day sounds v positive!

Bit down in the dumps today and had two packets of crisps for my dinner instead of salad. Glad for the sunny weather though, and it’s not too cold or windy.

Any reason that you can think of? You still thinking about work?

I think just a general dissatisfaction with my life. It was getting to a better place before my recent illness and I was relying a lot on walking to keep me sane. Now vertigo and fatigue have greatly curtailed that. Also, before, I relied on chocolate and Diet Coke to lift my spirits(!).