⭐️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?

Happy Monday.

Scales up this morning. Need to look at curbing my weekend habits so it doesn’t ruin the weeks efforts. Also need to send the Christmas chocolates to work with dh so I’m not tempted to eat them anymore. I was determined to not eat a big box mil gave me and I’ve already eaten most of them.

@Fellsbellsthats exactly what I need to do too- the weekends are so hazardous and can wreck a week of hard work 🥹

Feeling irritable this morning as the scales showed me up 2lbs from yesterday - when I was pleased then as I was finally below my pre Christmas weight! I know it’s not a true reflection of where I am as I ate below my maintenance calories yesterday but still very annoying. I also wonder if my period is coming back - DS is 10 months and still breastfed quite frequently, but I’ve been feeling crampy and it was about this time it came back with the other two so it would make sense.

Today’s food plan:

L - bacon and eggs
D - Asian-style chicken salad

Well I stepped on the scales and am down 2lbs since last Monday and my moving average is coming down nicely. Very happy and taking that this morning.
that means I have one more stone to loose in total to take me to where I really want to be and that means just short of four stone lost so I’m very motivated again today and feeling good!

Hapoy Monday everyone

Happy Monday all

Scales are annoying, but in the long run it's going down for most of us, so easy to undo the hard work with one blow out at the weekend though isn't it???

I made a really tasty breakfast this morning - roughly 500 calories and about 25g of protein (use MFP for rough idea)

Frozen berries topped with a "crumble" made from oats, nut butter and flax seeds and baked. Need an airfrier really as not worth putting the oven on for just that. Served with some Fage and a drizzle of honey - absolutely delicious and set me up for the 5 mile walk I did too.

Hello all! My New Year start did not go to plan, the flu hit the house on New Year's Day and I feel like we are only just crawling out from under it! I maintained my weight last week so if I manage the same this week, I'll be happy. I've been checking in regularly, loads of common sense and positivity on the thread, which is great for keeping motivated. Hope everyone is having a good day x

OMAD is carrying on here - it was a slightly irritating morning with lots of nonsense to do here, there and everywhere but I ate a meal of whipped feta salad (Sains deli salad), some chicken breast and a chocolate croissant. Won't set the world on fire nutritionally but broadly ok. Now just on coffees etc, mainly for the warmth!

Good Afternoon Lovelies x

@stellarose Nothing wrong with a Prawn cocktail followed by a steak dinner, it sounds delicious… right up my street 👍

@FridayNighFeeling Yes it’s very easy to undo all the progress made during the week with a blowout weekend. If I know I’ve got some heavy duty munching coming up I find it helps if I compensate the day before and after. 👍 I have a small Tefal (I think) air fryer and it’s so useful for smaller amounts. I use mine often. Relatively easy to clean after each use too.

@MabeltheAble Sorry to read you’ve been flu ridden! Pleased you’re now on the other side of it 👍

@socks1107 Great update! Well done 👏

@biscuitcat Give it a few days and your equilibrium should return. Have you a hot water bottle for the cramps?

Good plan re:- the chocolates @Fellsbells … send them away to work with husband 😬 Fantastic walk you got done too 👏👏👏

@PatienceOfEngels I hear your frustrations. If I didn’t keep on it I gain really easily. I’d really like to lose another half stone but kinda accepting I’m currently maintaining. If I didn’t do what I do I know I’d be much more unhealthy and less mobile due to weight. What I’m trying to say is that your efforts last year were not wasted, they still made a difference and I know you’ll soon be in your groove again. Like you said you can do it! ❤️

Menu
Meal 1 - Chicken salad. Seeded crackers. Hazelnuts
Meal 2 - Heck sausages, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, carrots, leeks & peas. Gravy. Fage, chia seeds & kiwi.

Drinks - Tea, Black Coffee, Hibiscus Flower Tea, Water.

@TheWayTheLightFalls Cross posted. Whipped feta salad sounds very tasty 😋!

Kitchen is closed and it’s been a good Monday.

L- sourdough, chicken. Greek yoghurt, flax, chia, fruit & granola.
D- roast dinner. Greek yoghurt etc again.
S- nuts

4km run so I’m well under calories for the day. Musing today that this whole process is a long slow job, but worth it. I feel so much better than I did two years ago.

Good evening everyone! I felt a bit defeatist this morning @PatienceOfEngelsmyself, I hopped on the scales yesterday and they said 9st 8lbs so I thought okay, up a pound from Christmas, not terrible, then got on them this morning and they read 9st 11 which would put me back to where I was months ago - argh!! I’m hoping it’s not that accurate because I’m due on my period - we’ll see. I’m thinking of getting some new smart scales to track my weight daily with an app so I can get a better overall idea of what’s going on 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 I just can’t believe I could have gained much at all from Christmas really, I only didn’t track for a couple of weeks and I didn’t go totally crazy!

L - Soup and a slice of sourdough
D - Quiche, potato wedges and salad

Drinks/snacks - tea, coffee, herbal teas and an apple and some grapes

Evening all. Reasonably pleased with progress - I went over my calories at the weekend, but not by loads, so for the week since Wednesday I am still under my calorie allowance. Did a half hour bodypump class today, and I had slightly more willpower and motivation to do it!

Today’s menu:

B Porridge with chia seeds and flax seeds topped with some frozen berries.

L Home made leek & potato soup, satsuma, falafel & humous, small portion of graze seed mix

D - keema pie, with a sweet potato mash with a side of green beans.

No snacks!

Had a sneaky weigh in this morning and was half a pound down from my WOW so I have my fingers crossed for this week.

Well, my week was immediately derailed by being unwell. Spend half of it at our local walk in centre waiting to be seen and have come home with antibiotics. DH had to cater and as such, we shared a pizza from the freezer and some chips. I haven't updated my nutracheck yet, but I will when I (hopefully) have some energy back tomorrow.

Managed a nice early lunch before going to the docs though - a thin bagel with low fat soft cheese, half an avocado, some cherry tomatoes and a little balsamic drizzle. Super tasty!

Keeping everything crossed I can rest well tonight and tomorrow and stick to a reasonable day on the food front. Got a Tesco delivery coming with lots of fruit and veg. Might delay my first weigh in until next week though 😬

@ImALittlePea I hope the antibiotics soon kick in and you’re soon better! 💐

Sorry to see a number of people feeling under the weather! It’s the time of year I think. Fewer searing stomach cramps here today, but still pretty uncomfortable and feeling quite sorry for myself, especially after a number of stinking colds in the run up to Christmas.

I know I’m stressed and run down after a shitty year, but struggling to know how to perk myself up! Any suggestions welcome 🙏🏻

Weighed just now and have hit my goal. Like, my Goal goal - 70kg exactly / BMI 21. So that is just about 20kg / 44lbs off in 11 months. Obviously very much helped by my appetite evaporating with health stress since December, which makes it a more mixed set of feelings, but there we are.

Planning two healthy-ish meals today and need to up my protein before surgery on Friday, and in the period after. The healthy ready meals I sometimes order have a higher protein version that costs a little more - I have ordered those for next week.

@LemonDrizzle23 I would do whatever gives you some comfort in all honesty. If that’s old tv shows or hunkering down in bed or whatever, do it. It’s rubbish being ill and it will pass.

Hope it’s a good day to all!

@TheWayTheLightFalls Congratulations on meeting your goal! But sorry of course to hear it’s bittersweet. X

Morning All,
Still here and still full of a cold 😢 I just want to stay in bed, but I've got to go out driving again. Wahhh.

Got on the scales today and I'm at 9.5'8
.8 of a pound from goal goal! Woo.

Trying to catch up on posts whilst feeling rubbish but there's a lot @TheWayTheLightFalls yours is above here and you seem like you're doing really well! Well done.

@LemonDrizzle23 I'm in a similar boat. I've just been drinking lots of flavoured tea and reading a lot and making sure I get at least 10 mins of daylight a day, even if the weather is terrible and I have to force myself.
I hope you start feeling perkier soon!

Have a good day everyone 🥰 happy Tuesday! See you tomorrow for WOW.

Good morning

@LemonDrizzle23 do you take Vit D? I'd definitely recommend it if you don't already.

@TheWayTheLightFalls well done on reaching your target and having a very healthy BMI. I hope that all goes as well as can be on Friday and that you have all the support both physical and emotional in this difficult time.

Keep at it @Marshmellowbunny

I've reached - 24 3/4lbs so pretty much back to pre Christmas lowest. Going to see my osteopath again end of Feb and looking to join a gym in March because they have power plates which are meant to be good for the lymph and classes are things like yoga, pilates and weights so sounds what I need. Why wait??? because I don't want to be on the January band wagon, don't want to do anything to aggravate my back/hips and lighter evenings will make it easier I feel. Bonus that the osteo works with the gym and their clients already but I'd found them independently, so not that she's trying to push anyone on me at all.

Morning everyone!

I’ve ordered my smart scales, so when they arrive tomorrow I’m going to start daily weighing and tracking with the app which might be better than weekly weighing, we’ll see! Stayed under calories yesterday even with a treat of a chocolate bar and was way under calories on weekly view for last week so all good!

L - Soup and a slice of sourdough
D - Tofu and udon stir fry with lots of veg

Snacks/drinks - coffee, tea, herbal tea and fruit

Good Morning Ladies

Weather as per is very blaaaa 🥶 💦 🌧️ Roll on some spring sunshine ☀️

@HappyLittleTreeFriend I invested in some smart scales last year, the Renpho ones. I don’t fully understand how they collect the data they or how accurate they are but I do find all the readings fascinating. I can age by as much as 3 years overnight and that number isn’t always accompanied by weight a loss/gain. The following week I’m 3 years younger 😅. I’m gearing up to jump on them tomorrow for WOW 👍

@FridayNighFeeling Great update 👌

@Marshmellowbunny How awful for you. Wrap up warm won’t you. (Sound like your mother) Here’s hoping it soon clears up and you’re back to feeling alive once again x

Menu
Meal 1 - Chicken wrap & salad. Walnuts & hazelnuts.
Meal 2 - King prawn stir fry & Quinoa. Greek yoghurt & Strawberries. Drizzle of kefir.

Drinks - Tea, black coffee, hibiscus flower tea & water.

Absolutely fantastic progress @TheWayTheLightFalls. Excellent BMI! You’ve done so well under such difficult circumstances. Sending you love and strength ❤️

I've taken a sick day to rest, daydreaming of snacks but thankfully my antibiotics are putting a stop to that as I can't eat 2 hours before or an hour after!

I've updated my nutracheck for yesterday, and would have been within calories had it not been for finishing off the bag of m&ms after dinner. As it happens, 140 over for the day.

Today's meals are logged as follows:
L - thin high fibre bagel with soft cheese, ham, tomato and rocket, followed by greek yogurt, lots of fruit and a drizzle of honey
D - 2 sausages, homemade sweet potato chips, broccoli, green beans and peas

Including my teas so far today, comes in at just under 1100 calories, so about 250 left for anything else.

Question - for those who track calories on an app, do you log exercise and/or steps? I can't work out whether it's best to do so or not. I don't eat my step calories in general, but as an overall process I was wondering what others did?

Thank you so much @TheRealHousewife it's getting better now that I can actually sleep. The first couple of nights were horrific because I couldn't breathe. Starting to feel like myself a bit again now.
Just lying around drinking lots of tea! 🤣🙈

💖

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Thanks for checking @TheRealHousewife - I do luckily, DH got me a new hot water bottle for Christmas!

What amazing progress, @TheWayTheLightFalls - sorry that it’s tinged with worry, but absolutely still celebrate your achievement, that’s amazing. All the very best for Friday 💜

@moondip - I usually track if I’ve done some actual exercise but don’t log steps (though if I’ve done a lot more than average I might be a bit less strict).

Today’s menu:

L - baked potato with chicken breast
D - belly pork with an Asian slaw (I didn’t look up quite how many calories were in even a small amount of pork belly before adding it to my supermarket shop - I knew it was high, but not that high!! So very much looking forward to it, and it’s within calories, but not going to become part of the regular rotation sadly.)