⭐️LOSE IT! January Jumpstart 2026⭐️

[TheRealHousewife]

⭐️ Open to All ⭐️

January 2026! Following on from LOSE IT! 8 Week Christmas Countdown

Fresh Start, New Habits! To reach optimum health and vitality (as well as a trim body) we need to focus not only on our food intake; but movement, our 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 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) that’s based on several sensible principles including:-

1. Eat a variety of real whole foods such as fresh vegetables, salad, berries, beans, nuts, eggs, lean meat, good fats etc.

2. Reduce sugars, simple carbs, alcohol and UPFs.

3. Plan your meals & log your intake. Also be mindful of portion control.

4. Intermittent fasting - research suggests (Zoe study) that adhering to an eating window of 10 hours can have a positive effect on health, wellbeing and weight loss. I personally have a eating window of approximately 7hrs - 12:00 - 19:00.

5. Stay hydrated! 💧

6. Move as much as able. Particularly strength based exercise. Muscle keeps you strong as well as revs up your metabolism.

7. Get the fibre in! Great for your gut biome as well as 💩

8. SLEEP! Good sleep hygiene and a regularly sleep routine can be beneficial to weight loss. I’m always more hungry following poor sleep.

9. Be mindful about your own mental wellbeing and try not to eat your feelings. We’ve all been there!

10. Be kind to yourself. One or two slip ups won’t undo all your previous efforts. Just check-in with yourself, reinforce your good intentions and carry on.

I calorie count based on a lower carb Mediterranean diet. I intermittent fast and eat twice a day. Im a long time healthy eater and overall I’ve lost over 3 stone. After having been on the wrong side of 12st Im now hovering around 9st 2lbs.

Are you in?😊 What food plan will you be following? What do you want to change and why? Any recipes/workouts that have worked for you, you’d like to share?

Will come back and read later, just recording another 1/2lb off from yesterday, so 22lbs down from starting having hit 25lbs down mid December before the chaos began, so nicely on the way back to there.

Good luck to all WOW'ing today and special thanks to @TheRealHousewife for running the show

I own my milestone from happy scale from before Christmas again. Annoyed as I really thought I would have lost some new weight, but I went to the gym yesterday and I know it can make you heavier the next day.
Desperate to get under 80kg just now. I’m not going to try some clothes on until I get there.

morning all, had my second WOW this morning and 4lb down- have been sticking to three healthy small meals a day and no snacking/ booze. Also bought a Fitbit off Vinted and loving it. So plan is

1. meal plan
2. 10,000 steps a day atleast
3. try and stick to no more than 3 glasses of wine a week
4. not let slip ups unravel me! I’m 50 this year and heavier than I’ve ever been so it’s now or never. SW: 15 stone 5lb loss: -4lb week 1

loving this thread and good luck everyone 🙌

SW (01/01/26) : 150.2lbs (68.13kg)
CW: 144.8lbs (65.68kg)

So a loss of 5.4 lbs which I'm very happy with (whilst also mindful weight loss can be quicker the first few weeks!)

Well done everyone on all the losses! Although I haven't weighed in, I'm feeling very motivated today. Started strong with greek yoghurt, berries and seeds, will have avocado, eggs and toast for lunch, going to mum and baby Pilates this afternoon and then macaroni cheese for dinner... Less healthy but it's my 3yo's favourite dinner so we have it once a week as I cba making separate meals. Will just add lots of broccoli on the side! Loving peppermint tea in the evenings before bed. There will also be fruit/veg consumed throughout when I feel the need to snack. If I keep up this momentum all week, I'll join for next week's WOW!

Well done Wowers.

I forgot to weigh first thing so I’ll do it tomorrow.

I put on a 1lb 🤣.
I have been battling this half a stone since July and had hoped a month off dieting would kick start it. But…. I am ill and I am on antibiotics and pain killers and I am constipated and have done zero exercise. So maybe there’s a loss hiding.
well done everyone

SW 30 Oct 197 lbs
Last Wednesday 187.2
Today 187.3

Short term goal 181 lbs by Valentine’s Day (to be in 12 stone zone)

I put on .1 lb. I’m not worried, I have been daily weighing and have seen my weight go down to 185. I know I’m mostly eating well and walking a lot - even in this weather - so I’m sure next week it’ll be down.

SW in December 160lb, 72.5kg
CW 152lb, 69kg
GW 144-146lb, 65-66kg

WOW says I'm now 152, down from 154 at the beginning of the year which means I'm back to what I was before Christmas. Yay.

My next stepping stone is to get into the 140s...

I did something I've never done before yesterday which was to go to a restaurant having checked out the menu beforehand and then ordered exactly as planned. I had two starters - chicken satay and prawn & mango salad. And it was delicious and just as good as my usual pad thai. With a green juice. God I felt smug. Also made me realise how delicious a thai dressing is and has no oil - lime juice, bit of chilli, fish sauce. I'm definitely going to recreate at home.

Afternoon everyone and well done to all the WOWers - I will join in with WOW next Wednesday, feel like I want a full week of properly calorie counting before I face the truth of any damage from Christmas 😂🙈

L - Kale and broccoli soup, sourdough toast with butter
D - chickpea tofu with broccoli and a fried egg

snacks - coffee, tea, herbal teas and apple or banana

I went slightly over my calorie count yesterday because I had a large portion of pasta for dinner but I was well under on Monday so it’s all good for the weekly view! I was surprised I went over though because it’s not like I’d had anything high calorie throughout the day other than the pasta, but I had eaten three snacks of apple, banana and a yoghurt coated rice cake - enough to push the count over even though they’re all healthy snacks - makes me think even though I didn’t think I snacked much over Christmas holidays I deffo did 😂😂🙈🙈

Afternoon Everyone x

Good Grief the threads been busy. I couldn’t post earlier as out and about.

WOW - 9st 2lbs - a smidge back up. In reality I’m maintaining lovely but wish I was maintaining at half a stone less. I can’t cut any more calories, I’m moving as much as I can although I need to start with my hand weights again. But when I'm in pain (which is mostly all the time) I'm worried of injury. When I'm at rehab next week I'm going to discuss with her about exercising safely👍

@Ehlace Every bit helps … are the 7 minute Pilates online/youtube? 5.4lbs in a week wins the thread. Well done and congratulations 🥳 x

@LBB2020 Sometimes a break from the scales is healthy 👍

Welcome to the thread @Workingmammabear and congratulations on your second baby 👶 x. Fantastic to have maintained over the festive period 👍

@FreshLemonZest You've had a fabulous week! 3lbs gone whoosh! Well done 👏

@TheWayTheLightFalls Thats a good weekly loss 👏

@moondip Thats a great loss, well done 👏

Better than an overall gain @FreshLemonZest 😅

@Runssometimes I always think people are better off finding their own way which works for them. Only you know if what you’re doing is sustainable 👍. You step count is awesome 🙌

@biscuitcat a good trump will lose you .5lb 💨

@mermadeincornwall Welcome to the thread … I can’t remember if I had welcomed you or not x

@LegoTherapy Yes it’s true … arms do age which I didn’t realise before it happened to mine. Toning exercises will definitely help and I intend to use my hand weights more too.

@WhatWouldTheDoctorDo Id say half stone in 2 months is very doable for most people (I appear to be the exception 😅)

@cakeaddict Great update, thank you for sharing 👍

@PoachedCloud Sometimes it’s tough to get in the right headspace. Ask yourself why you want to lose and what you’d like to look like and be wearing come the warmer months. ☀️ Also it’s great for your health. Once you’ve have a few nutritionally dense days behind you, that will help keep cravings at bay and get you into the habit of reaching for healthier choices. 👍

@BraceFace92 Nice and slow is the way to go 👍 Sustainable weight loss comes from making sustainable changes to what you eat. Once you’ve come of a ‘quick fix diet’, the weight will pile on and brings his friends too.

@FridayNighFeeling Congratulations on hitting the milestone of 25lbs 😮 👏👏👏

@BlackCatFanClub Keep going, only you can do it (although we are all cheering you on)

@stellarose by name, Stella by nature … 4lbs is awesome 🙌

@JuniorMint14 broccoli is a super food. Loads of fibre and phytonutrients. It will definitely help in balancing the macaroni cheese (I love macaroni cheese but my blood sugars don’t. A rare treat for me)

@socks1107 We are in the same club. I’m also battling this last half a stone. I asked GROK about my diet and it replied that it was scientifically proven that to temporary increase calories as metabolism can get stuck or words to that effect.

@stealthninjamum Im certain you are right! Keep on track and the loss will come 👍

@Pollyparanoia Well done 👍 The Thai dishes you had sound awesome. Can you share you Thai dressing recipe pls x

@HappyLittleTreeFriend It sounds like over the week you calories will even out so I wouldn’t worry about being a bit over x

@TheRealHousewifethank you! 😊 It's on an app called Pilates Workout at home - ive paid so I can have access to the full 30 programmes - it's got pilates at varying levels, yoga and stretches. I actually did two lots today as I felt fine after the first 😊

Well done everyone 💗

I've decided not to post WOW this week; it's just before TOTM so I'm a tiny bit up. Will try again next WOW.

Driving is rearranged for tomorrow...and I just want it be done with and I really want to pass my test 😢

Life suddenly seemed to get really hard! Wtf.

Well done those of you that weren't babies like me and actually jumped on the scales and posted the numbers no matter what they said! 🥰

Sending love and good wishes for tomorrow.

Good luck for tomorrow @Marshmellowbunny and well
done to everyone on the brilliant weight losses!

Kitchen is closed for today.

L- sourdough chicken & a yoghurt.
D- chicken curry, rice and naan.

I had a big portion of dinner, home made naans were too hard to resist. On the plus side zero snacking and zero chocolate today.

Not been too bad today - hummus and bread for lunch, and having a pepper/onion/seed rice bowl for dinner once the kids are in bed, with some berries, yoghurt and meringue for dessert. A snack of some cheese and crackers, but still within calories for the day and bravely resisted the flapjacks I made for the kids’ snacks (apart from a small tester!)

I’ll also have to be very disciplined as arriving tomorrow in my supermarket shop is a selection box of Lindor - couldn’t resist as they were discounted from £18 to £4.50!

Thanks @TheRealHousewife I hit 25lbs down on 19/12, now trying to get back there... currently on 22lbs !

I think you are doing amazingly that you have remained stable over the years with all your health challenges.

Well done everyone 👏

My day has been ok:
L - ham salad with low fat salad cream and a banana
D - sweet chilli chicken stir fry, followed by a bowl of greek yoghurt with pomegranate seeds and blueberries
Snacks - tea (regular + fruit), apple, a small bowl of party mix crisps 😬 and 4 tiny wispa bites

Cals for the day: 1333 ✔️ carbs showing as too high but over 8 portions of fruit and veg!

Kitchen cleaned and closed which took ages as I’m really struggling today. Looking forward to an early night in my deliciously comfortable bed 🛌

Really enjoyed meal 2 today. Spicy chickens balls and roasted small bite vegetables and butter beans. 😋

Right I’m off now as I need to get horizontal x

So impressed by some of the results today, well done everyone regardless though, I think it takes time to get into the swing of things after new year! Certainly it's the case for me, I am weighing exactly the same as in 1st Jan. Oh well! Will keep trying. Hopefully it will be less icy next week and I'll get more moving around in.

SW (1/1/26): 90.5 kg (BMI 28.6)
CW: 90.5 kg (7/1/26)

Initial GW: 85 kg (BMI 26.8)
Ultimate GW: 75 kg (BMI 23.7)

Everyone is so motivated - I love it!

Kept to my calories today and did 40mins of yoga, and a bit of inside walking as the pavement was like a bloody ice rink today!

Having my hair cut tomorrow, and I think I’m going to do a moisturising face mask this evening. All part of trying to look after my body a bit better.

Today’s menu

B - boiled egg with toast
L - home made lentil soup, falafel & hummus, satsuma
D - a chicken chilli dish with rice. Packed with fibre and protein, but wouldn’t have again, it was an odd combo. Might have worked with turkey mince maybe.

Snack - a chocolate digestive biscuit.

Tried to keep my gallons of tea under control. I might have a slice of toast before bed. It will take me a tiny bit over calorie goal of 1346 for the day, but better than chocolate!!

No exercise as I’m pretty sore from this week’s bodypump and bodycombat adventures and I’m trying to get a balance between regular exercise and avoiding injury. I could have done a stretch class but it was freezing when I got home, and I had some admin stuff that needed sorted fairly urgently.

DH has just offered me some Christmas cake which I turned down!

I had a pastry this morning. I’ve really been struggling with hunger, I think a leftover from being unwell. It was great!
Ive started deep cleaning the house and went out for a 45 minute walk. Made sure I did my 10k steps though. Drank loads. Shattered and looking forward to going to sleep. Gym in the morning!

Week 1 weigh‑in

Start: 238.6 lb (31 Dec)

Today: 235.6 lb

Loss this week: 3 lb

Happy with that as didn't really get going on diet until the weekend 👍