⭐️LOSE IT!⭐️Optimistic October & 12 Week Countdown to Christmas⭐️

[TheRealHousewife]

Following on from ⭐️LOSE IT!⭐️ Slimmimg September 2025⭐️

⭐️OPEN TO ALL⭐️

Where did September go? There is a definite chill in the air some mornings now 🥶 I always feel when October is here it’s the start of the 12 week countdown to Christmas!

It’s never too late to make a change, to make a difference and feel confident in your body. To reach optimum health and vitality we need to focus not only on our food intake; but movement, mental health and sleep quality too!

Who doesn’t want to feel good and energetic as well looking great! Get on board to reset & refresh and become a healthier version of yourself.

These threads are for those who’d like to lose weight 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 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 calorie count based on a lower carb Mediterranean diet. I intermittent fast and generally eat twice a day. Im a long time healthy eater and overall I’ve lost around 45lbs.

I’m mainly maintaining but I would like to get back into the 8’s 🤞(I briefly dipped into the 8’s last month but the scale showing 9st 1lb this morning)

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

New members … Give it a go; it’s never too late! You'll be pleased you did 😊

Great meal inspo coming from you all. I have been a bit all over the place after a busy weekend but catching up on the comments here and feeling a bit more motivated to keep on track.

Meals today:
B - Porridge & fruit
L - Pork Chop, veg and potatoes
D - Soup & bagel with ham & cheese

Super stressful day today, it makes me very disinclined to eat due to fear of pancreatitis attack but I am trying…quark and berries and almonds for breakfast, a tin of chickpeas roasted with spices for lunch, roast pumpkin with tofu, Brussels sprouts and onion/pepper for dinner if I have the energy.

My weight temporarily went up after overeating at the weekend, but now back to where I was.

Usual cornflakes with oatmilk for breakfast with skinny oatmilk latte made with half water.

Lunch was lentil soup, cheese and onion toastie with salad at the gym. Drinks there: lemon and ginger tea plus filter coffee with a bit of oatmilk. Creatine added to the soup.

Tea will be two boiled eggs.

Today's exercise: half hour stretch class, followed by leg curls, leg extensions and calf raises. Now up to 45kg on the calf raise machine.

Did the leg press yesterday, concentrating on inner thighs. Anyone have a magic wand for old lady wrinkled inner thigh skin? Retinol serum and exercise can only do so much. Yeuch. No? grabs support shorts

On the plus side, compression leggings have been a revelation. Ignore the belly and I'm a whole new woman! I was so pleased with my Sweaty Betty sale yoga leggings that I sent off for another pair for pilates and stretch classes.

I'm so very happy that I signed on for those - I cannot believe how much more easily I'm moving at my age. Now wonder the classes are so popular.

Today down another 0.1kg so -1kg in 5 days (only 0.3lg to get to my pre-trip weight). My goal for October is the same as September now .... to get below 75kg, so 0.8kg to go.

Today
-brekkie - boiled egg with rye toast, butter, coffee with milk
-snacks - slice of <Dutch incoming> ontbijtkoek (breakfast cake) with appelstroop (kind of like an apple jam but with less sugar, very high in iron) followed by a krentenbol (currant bun but more bread-like than cake-like) with butter and a stroopwafel (caramel biscuity deliciousness). I never normally eat stuff like this but donated blood for the first time today and when I donated plasma int he summer reacted really badly so had to make sure `I ate something before and after.
-lunch - leek and potato soup with 3 slices of bread with cream cheese or butter
-dinner - pea soup with 2 slices of bread with cream cheese or butter
-earl grey tea and water

Cycled 8km to dentist and back with DS this morning so that's my exercise.

Feeling shattered at the moment. So many things on my to do list.

Keeping the weight loss off. Desperate to lose another 0.3kg to my next milestone.
Gym today, didn’t eat enough before and was a bit of a slog. Had a banana but it did nothing.

I went down yesterday half a pound then back up again today! So still at my holiday weight but if I’m being honest with myself I’ve been over eating since I got home on Sunday so not surprised: today is the day I’m back to it and work so normal routine.

im on my commute home though and my stomach is really complaining, think it’s all the rubbish I’ve eaten for ten days it’s so sore and swollen! Looking fwd to a pj night

@PatienceOfEngels I loooove stodgy Dutch pastries. And the rows and rows of “salads” which are just egg+mayo, crab+mayo and so on. I put on weight on the way in to Albert Heijn

OK day today. Baked beans for breakfast, then grilled chicken + salad for lunch, then biscuits after. Plus coffees etc. Rest of the week likely to be a conventional three meals a day; going a bit harder on Monday and Tuesday is working well for me at the moment.

Loving seeing peoples meal options! I have to say I’m a bit of a stalker on another thread which is all about meal planning. Gets me out of a rut some times, otherwise our family ends up eating too much some kind of chicken and rice!

@WearyAuldWumman TLC sport high waisted extra strength compression leggings are absolute heaven. I love that wearing them helps the lymphatic system and my circulation! Plus, so comfy.

DP nipped round for a little bit, bless him he brought me some ryvita and cheese spread, a banana, some tomatoes, an apple and an options hot chocolate for my supper…he thinks I’m run down and need to eat more little and often. It was a lovely, thoughtful gesture and I enjoyed it all.

Morning! WoW is 72.4kg, down 0.3kg/0.6lbs since last week. I’m broadly happy esp as I am on my period with associated bloat etc, just slowly losing and ignoring the blips.

Not much of a plan for today, but breakfast will be 10am or so.

Down another 0.2kg so only 0.1kg off my pre-trip weight. Heading back to the UK next week again but not in a hotel so fx can keep my food intake a bit more under control.

So for this week I have lost 1.2kg 😂 but the fact it's come off so quickly post trip shows me that either it was stress related (I find travelling hugely stressful nowadays) or linked to too much salt laden junk and it was mostly water retention. Now I can get on with the actual business of meeting my October goal, which is to drop below 75kg finally. 0.7kg to go!

Yesterday evening added some red grapes, cheese and a square of my favorite Lindt mint chocolate to my food for the day.

Today:
-boiled egg, rye toast, butter, coffee with milk.
-fruit snack (apple/mandarin)
-leek and potato soup with 2x wholemeal bread and butter
-spaghetti bolognese

Have a tonne of stuff to get done in the house today plus errands. And need to find time to relax and get some fresh air too. DH is going to the parents meeting at DC school instead of pre (no babysitter) so I can look forward to a night in.

@LemonDrizzle23 ooh, which thread? love meal planning.

SW 10 Stone 9.6
CW 10 Stone 1.8
GW 9 Stone 5

SW 67.85kg
CW 64.35kg
GW 59.4kg

So I've pretty much lost all of the holiday weight. So that's good! Only 1.8 pounds to go but birthday and Christmas are going to scupper that. It neeeeeeds to happen but I also need to not stress about it. I'm considering an October goal weight, but I'm not sure what's reasonable in the rest of the month. Maybe 2.35kg. so 62kg hmmm.

Thank you all for the messages and support with the sadness!
I feel a bit like I'm coming out of it. Hah. I've completely wasted 2025 being depressed. Oh dear. You're all the greatest for giving me ideas and talking to me and what not. So, yeah!

Hope your WOW goes okay 👍🏻

I’m down a pound from my post holiday weight, came back Sunday so pretty pleased with that today. I have a few birthdays and anniversaries that may scupper things as the month goes on but I’m hoping not!

@PatienceOfEngels It’s on the Food/Recipes board and called 2025 Meal Planners. Lots of people making some interesting stuff! And I just keep it in my watch list 👀

Well done to everyone weighing this morning. I’m not quite sure what my WOW is today, as of yesterday I’d apparently put on 4lbs this week, which is unlikely 😂 My body being a bit bunged up I think. I’m assuming I’ve stayed the same, still in the 13s for most of the week, so super happy!

SW: 15 st 8
CW: 13 st 13.8
15%: 13 st 4

If I could see 13 st 9 by the end of October that would be grand.

SW: 89kg
CW: 83.5kg
GW: no idea

another 0.1kg off today, 0.2kg to my next goal. Desperate to be under 80kg. Each kilo makes such a difference just now and it shows in my face (I don’t suit weight on my face so it’s such a relief)
I should have measured myself before joining the gym as I have shrunk so much, bum, legs and my stomach is so flat!

Well done everyone.

@Poisonwood life sounds tough at the moment, but pleased to see that your DP came round to look after you.

No one gains 4lbs overnight - this is what our female bodies are up against! Just keep plodding and look at the overall trend.

Interested in compression leggings as I'm doing dry body brushing to help my system a bit at the moment...

Happy WOW everyone!

I’m 0.5lbs down this week overall, which is about 1.5lbs higher than my low point a couple of days ago - and largely self inflicted I think as I’ve just snacked too much! But in the right direction nonetheless.

SW - 15st10.5
CW - 13st10.5
October aim - below 13st7

Meals today are:

B - Greek yoghurt with berries and honey
L - either eggs or Itsu dumplings
D - tacos with guac etc

Will catch up with everyone’s updates this afternoon but just WOWing in for now.

0.2lb gain, not sure what’s going I am just clinging to my weight at the moment. Will look to reduce calories a bit in the next few weeks if it continues.

Am away this weekend so maintaining will be the aim of the game but taking the trainers so will get a couple of runs in while I’m away to help a bit.

Happy WOW everyone.

Didn’t get a chance to weigh this morning. I think it’ll be about the same. Hormones and snacks might have bumped it up though.

B- greek yoghurt etc
L- egg sandwich
D- stew and veg

5km run yesterday.

Week one done and my WOW was a wow! 2.5lb down for my first week. I'm sure much is water and I've got my period, which weirdly makes me weigh less as a rule, but it's satisfying nonetheless. Glad I didn't undo too much with the guesstimates over the weekend too.

SW: 10st7lb
CW: 10st4.5lb
Goal: 10st.

I've had my usual greek yoghurt/granola/berries for breakfast pretty much everyday and have been eating lunch. I notice that my evening meals are quite high calorie- 600-800 in general- which just seems ridiculous and explains why I stress about eating lunch, it doesn't leave enough in the bank for some chocolate 😂 so I need to work on cutting that back a bit.

I bought some pork mince yesterday as it was leaner and cheaper than beef. Any recommendations on what to do with it would be great! I'd like to lean into it being pork rather than just use it as a sub for beef. I'm thinking some sort of Thai stir fry with half of it but stuck after that!

Sweaty Betty has a sale at the moment, but only for the less popular colours and styles.

I got a couple of pairs of the softer yoga leggings for pilates and stretch and find them to be very good. The power gym leggings are great, but the band rolled slightly when I had my pilates class (towards the end of the session) so I'm keeping them for gym sessions where I'm not doing a lot on the floor.

The yoga leggings have compression but not quite as much as the ones in the gym. By gum, they make a difference to my thighs, though.

FFS, 2lbs up today. There’s no way I’ve gone over my calories to that extent. Female biology 🙄

Today’s menu:

B - low sugar granola, Greek yoghurt, berries, chia seeds, flax seeds

L - leek & potato soup, half a whole meal pitta with tuna, apple, deliciously Ella almonds

D - prawn & chorizo dish with rice and peppers

better on the fibre today - 25g.

@Vapeaddict pinch of nom is good for lower calorie dinners. We try and stick to under 500 cals. Looking for ingredient substitutions is good too - spray oil, red wine stockpots instead of wine, reducing portion sizes etc. have all helped here.

I love sweaty Betty leggings!

Going on holiday on Saturday so I won’t weigh next week, but instead of ‘fuck it, I’m going on holiday this week’ I am going to try and be good till then!

@Vapeaddict this is delicious!

https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/sticky-pork-and-pickle-lettuce-wraps/amp/

I make it quite often (it’s for dinner tomorrow in fact!). I don’t usually bother with the cucumber and radish pickle, I tend to make a slaw instead or I usually have some other picked veg in the fridge, and often have with rice or inside bao buns. It also freezes beautifully. Also good with beef mince if you have that in future.

Thanks @WearyAuldWumman I can't bring myself to buy SB stuff - petty and personal reasons (a bit like my decade long boycott of Boots which I doubt they've noticed) but I can sure look into other brands

This looks so good.
Annoyingly we're all out of Bao though 🥲 and the only place we've found to buy them is in Leeds which is about an hour's drive away 😂🙈