DIET FAILED AGAIN - it’s thread 8 (the one where we all lose weight) - all welcome

[thenewaveragebear1983]

New thread for the new year 2026! Everyone welcome to join us for motivation and encouragement, without judgement.

Ah @poorpaws, I am so sorry about your hand. I know there isn’t much anyone can say but I do just sincerely hope that over time it does improve for you.
@Specialneedsnightmare it must be hard if you are short, you don’t get as many calories to play with. I think your strategy is good though. I definitely find that I can eat more when the quality of my food is good. There is definitely truth that not all calories are equal, for me certainly.

I had a good day today, went into the office to see a new starter and actually I felt quite pleased with myself, it just shows how far I have come because 6 weeks ago I wanted to cry in despair and today I coached a new starter, explained things to him, and sounded very knowledgeable and informed - and I know my boss’s boss who was in the desk next to us was listening and just quietly observing, I think I impressed him. It’s always good for me to remind myself that i actually can do difficult things and I am smarter than I give myself credit for.

i swerved the gym after work, it’s torrential rain here. I will take Maggie out for a bonus walk later though. I’m still doing my Zoe plan and really enjoying it, I had dropped about 4lbs of water retention when I weighed this morning (I had gained 8lbs in my week away 🤦‍♀️). Today I took a big lentil and tuna pasta, with veg, and a box of fruit, plus a banana. When I got in I ate a few cold new potatoes, and now prepping a bolognese with salad and Parmesan on top. 😋

Well, the hand debacle has certainly taken a turn. I received a telephone call from the physio specialist this afternoon and during it I confirmed my worries about not having a clue how much I was paying for this and I felt we were flogging a dead horse because the operation obviously hasn’t worked. He did his normal dithering and would not admit the operation hadn’t worked but assured me we could get my hand to a better position than it is at the moment given time and effort. He said he would investigate the cost and rang me back later to confirm that I don’t have to pay anything. The insurer pays for the operation and three physio visits plus a post op discussion with the consultant, after that the hospital pay for difficult cases and he said that mine was an extremely difficult case.

I feel like a different person now, I still don’t believe my hand will ever be normal, but I’ve had a huge weight lifted from my shoulders.

I went to the dentist this morning and that’s not good news. My gums are bleeding and although the teeth are okay the gums are not. There’s not a lot that can be done and to be quite honest I’m too involved with my hand to worry about my teeth, but I think I’m falling to bits a little bit at a time.

I’ve had a really busy day. We walked the dogs then I had loads of physio to do and then I’ve cleaned three cupboards in my kitchen which is a job I’m not too fond of. 🙁. My food has been quite good, I’ve not snacked between meals and I’m hoping to have fruit tonight instead of the usual chocolate.

I’d say day 1 has gone quite well both with activity and eating healthy.

@Specialneedsnightmare I loosely calorie count, but as you said not obsessively. I too am short and I wished I wasn’t because every pound shows. My downfall is I don’t drink water, but I do drink a lot of Diet Coke Which thinking about it is probably to blame for my dental problems.

it’s quite cold here today and torrential rain at the moment, so different to how it’s been.

@poorpaws that sounds such a relief not having to cover the costs! I'm sorry about your hand though. I dont have the best teeth either but sometimes I think it is mainly genetic as I don't drink fizzy drinks.

I've gained weight 😐 . Not a lot and I'm still less than when I started, but it's frustrating. I've been hungrier the last two days and I ate a flapjack on Monday. I suppose it's going to be up and down. I've gone over 1200 calories too which I think is too much for me. I'm short and sedentary but in perimenopause which is playing havoc with my preexisting health issues. Joy...

@poorpawsthat’s a relief, and glad they are not planning to just send you away , I’m sure you will continue to improve

@Specialneedsnightmare it is tough when you don’t get many calories and are sedentary. Then add peri into the mix. I just feel like everything stood still as soon as I went on HRT, I wasn’t gaining but I wasn’t losing either, and I just felt so incredibly tired. I have found supplements help with my sleep and energy but they don’t help with the actual weight loss.

I’m really enjoying the Zoe plan, I’ve hit my 30 plants this week already and my meals have been really filling and varied and I’m already thinking of new ways I can get extra veg in. It’s my son’s birthday today so we are going out for a curry, I think I’m going to have a stuffed pepper starter as my main, with rice and salad. We will have cake but I have bought a big box of strawberries to go with it. I like the fact that I don’t feel like I’m going to ‘blow’ my diet, but I can limit the damage a bit by adding in extra fruit/veg to things. I’m feeling good, sleeping well and definitely notice I have lost some water weight round my middle. My legs and calves are incredibly achy though, I often get leg aches from running but this is something else, they are so painful and feel like I need to crack my ankle joints - maybe it’s an inflammation response to the diet change? I am also feeling very thirsty, very likely because I have been flushing out lots of water retention! So lots of water today for me 💦

@Specialneedsnightmare a small weight gain sometimes just happens, don’t let it put you off plan. You can easily pull back from a small gain and I have to admit I seem to have to do that almost every other week. If you are sedentary and I realise you have a disability, could you do some chair exercises? I’ve seen some on YouTube but I’ve no idea if they work but I wondered if doing something small might make you feel better.

@thenewaveragebear1983there are always some aches and pains lurking aren’t they? I hope your legs get back to normal very soon. Might be a silly question but are you doing too much, trying too hard? I’m pleased to hear you are enjoying the Zoe plan.

yesterday was busy and I don’t know where the time went. We did the normal grocery shop, usual dog walk and then it was evening! I did quite a lot of physio and a little housework but the day just galloped away.

today I’m home alone and had intended to blitz the house but I’m really tired and it’s so cold, I don’t hold out much hope for getting a lot done.

I want to keep on plan with eating less but I do have two bars of Tony’s Chocolonely which were on offer in Asda and DP has put chocolate ice lollies in my freezer so temptation is around.

i’ve got to be at the hospital at 9 o’clock tomorrow. It’s about 28 miles away and DP always has to be early and there’s rush-hour to consider so I think I’ve got to be up at the crack of dawn. I’m very interested to hear what challenges I’ve got this week that if we follow normal procedure, won’t work.

happy Wednesday everyone.

@thenewaveragebear1983 I'm sure that plant foods can be inflammatory as Iegumes definitely can- something to do with anti-nutrients? Plants contain them to put predators off eating them. Worth looking up. I think it can happen in large amounts. My ibs flares up on too much fibre but it might not be the same thing. Sorry you're achy, it's annoying when a new diet has a negative effect.

@poorpaws thanks for the suggestion. I will look into chair exercises but I'm probably doing as much as I can do. I'm not in a wheelchair and can potter around at home but too much activity is a no go as I'm very exercise intolerant. I'm glad you've had these ups and downs too as I know not to get too disheartened. Will plod on with it.

I’ve not done nearly as much as I’d hoped to do today, I’ve had no energy at all and I’ve been so cold all day.

A while ago I sent a lot of clothes to the charity shop but I kept back maybe four old favourite skirts. I tried a couple of them on today and they were too tight and I considered letting them go but instead of eating too much today I remembered how lovely I felt in them and if only I could be strong with my willpower and be able to wear them again. It has done me the power of good in monitoring what I ate and I’m hoping that will continue. I’m considering hanging one on the outside of my wardrobe as a reminder but it might become quite irritating on the eye.

I hope everyone is doing well now it’s cooler (freezing cold).

@Specialneedsnightmarei did wonder that, and also i have eaten more gluten in the last few weeks as i was trying to reintroduce it, plus i walked a lot in very flat shoes on holiday and they aren’t good for my calves so perhaps a combination of all 3 ?

we went for a curry tonight for our sons 14th birthday, i had a lamb tikka starter and a chicken dhansak and 2 glasses of wine, and a sliver of chocolate cake. So not “on plan” however the beauty of Zoe plan is there’s no calorie counting really, I can add my meals and move on.,

tomorrow I have a virtual induction at work all day, I’m expecting it to be very long and boring.

Another day that rushed away before I even realised.

we were five minutes late for my hospital appointment due to three separate road closures en route. We are never late, we are always at least half an hour early, it was a nightmare. However, after a terrible result last week this week is much better. I’ve got a few four finger brace to wear at night and a sort of spring contraption to straighten my finger. The physio guy is on holiday for three weeks so we’ve got time off but he’s expecting great results when he gets back, fingers crossed if I could.

my eating has been ok today plus a dog walk so it’s not been too bad but I’ve been up since before 6 am so I shattered tonight.

ive ordered some new summer tops which should be here tomorrow so I’m looking forward to seeing if they look ok.

Some good news for a change @poorpaws .

I've stopped with the soup and changed to taking a tub of veg. Drinking hot water also. Plan to eat salads and bowls of veg at home also. I'm aiming to stick with this as my main food consumption for the next couple of weeks as it usually takes this amount of t ime to notice a difference. I've also started to do a light workout before bed.

Can I jump in?
I'm 53 and I can relate to a lot of the stories on here.
I always managed my weight. Not perfectly but I knew my body. Then menopause arrived and honestly I didn't even realise it was happening at first. I just knew nothing was working anymore and I couldn't understand why.

And then my parents got ill and i was a carer for both of them. And then they died. And somewhere in the middle of all of that one glass of wine a night had turned into a bottle, (or more!). Because it was the only thing that switched my brain off. And the weight just kept coming.

I genuinely thought I was losing the plot. Blaming myself every single day. Weak. No willpower.
Turns out my body was doing things I knew absolutely nothing about. And nobody told me (didnt even know about menopause, let alone know what it actually meant).

I still have shocking sugar cravings even now 😂 so I'm absolutely not sitting here fixed and sorted. But I finally understand why my body does what it does. And that changes everything.

I just wanted to say you can do this. You can lose the weight and make better decisions. I genuinely believe that. But I completely understand how overwhelming it is out there — the contradicting information, the programmes that don't explain anything, the feeling that it must just be you.

It's not you. It's never been you. 💜

@CatherineRaleigh321 I’m just on my way out but I just wanted to say welcome. You sound as if you have been through a lot, we all must be kind to ourselves. We are a tiny group but very kind to each other and I hope you enjoy getting to know us. Welcome.

Thank you. I am new here and just navigating my around at the moment. There is so much to read, so many stories! Hopefully I can contribute and help others. Wish everyone a happy Friday! 💜

@CatherineRaleigh321 I totally agree about perimenopause. Up until 2023 I was underweight and had been all my life. Even in 2022 I remember a friend being shocked on holiday at how skinny I was. Then my mum died at the end of 2023. Cue peri and weight again. It just never stopped and now I'm 3 stone larger, which I appreciate could b3 worse. My mums death kickstarted peri as my periods became erratic around the same time. I always got away with eating whatever I wanted including lots of chocolate, but not anymore! It's an eye opener for sure.

I haven’t really gained weight in peri but everything has just absolutely stood still, I weigh the same now as I did when I went on HRT 3 years ago and anyone following this thread will know I work bloody hard to just maintain. Even if I lose a half stone, I will immediately regain it as soon as I have a day off and be back where I started. It’s annoying because I know maintenance is supposed to be the difficult bit and I’ve got that nailed. I have even considered drastic measure like super low calorie shakes (I know I would hate this) or injections for a short time to just get the weight off, then I can maintain forever 🤣

My exciting summer top order was a disaster. Four items have to go back to the shop all too big, DD said I looked like a garden parasol in one bright green top. Of the other items I quite liked, they are just a bit big so we’re going back to the shop today to see if a smaller size looks better, if not I’ll keep the ones I like anyway, it’s very disappointing. They are not big because I’m small, they are just huge.

It’s absolutely torrential rain here today and DD and I have to take these tops back in the rain.

My food has been okay again and with weigh day looming tomorrow I need to have a good day today. I only hope DD doesn’t mention coffee shops with cake but she might, or even a McDonald’s. 🙁. I need to get back to the weight I was before I went on my eating spree but I think I’ll lose a pound this week.

I find clothing ridiculously big in all shops at the moment @poorpaws. I genuinely don’t know how anyone buys anything in Primark it’s all just big wafty sacks of cheap fabric. I buy extra small or even kids sizes in there and they fit, and I am not extra small 🤣

I feel really sad today, I found my week stressful and I am stressing/angsty about stupid things about work which I know are all in my overthinking overtired hormonal head.i seem to be having a 2 week cycle at the moment so maybe i due on another period (I seem to have a period and also a breakthrough ovulation bleed 🤷‍♀️). Went to buy a vacuum cleaner and just left feeling so overwhelmed and decision fatigued. I need to spend some time just being kind to myself and let it pass I think.

I wouldn't object to viewing clothes as too big.

It’s not that though, kids clothes aren’t cut for women’s body shapes and everything just massive actually makes you look a lot bigger than you are I find. I don’t find any clothes slimming any more. I used to be able to put on a dress and think it makes me look slimmer, now everything just makes me look as big as I actually am!!

I agree about clothes being made big. I'm short and have a small frame even with my weight gain, and some brands are just crazy huge. It's difficult buying stuff online unless it's a trusted brand. I like Next petite as their range usually fits.

I've lost a bit more weight these last two days. Not sure how as my diet hasn't been the best, but it may well catch up with me. In the meantime I'll take any loss. I've never eaten big portions so I guess that's a bonus, but I love my junk food and have fallen off the wagon a lot recently. It's hard committing to a new way of eating. I crave chocolate so much and have had a fair bit. On Thursday evening I went out and took a flapjack with me. Health definitely factors into this because illness makes it harder to plan around food due to symptoms. I'm having blood tests soon and do wonder if I'm prediabetic.

So I took the huge tops back and the ones I like which are a bit big but not so huge. They had none in store so I couldn’t see what a smaller size would look like. I tried a very similar one on which fitted nicely on the shoulders and bust but showed my chuckle bags just below my waist so I’ve decided to keep the bigger size and returned the three huge sizes. I had to have a credit note but no doubt I can find something else to try.

we didn’t stay in town too long, no coffee and cake but DD did buy me hard liquorice from an old fashioned sweet shop. I was so hungry when I got home but I just had a slice of buttered toast so I’m very ready for my evening meal.

its very cold here again so I’m just going to relax this evening.

I had a rubbish day yesterday. I’m really hormonal and my cycle is screwed but I do think I’m actually due on even though it’s only been 2 weeks. I have had the pre-menstrual anxiety and complete overload feeling in my head all the time the last few days. I spent the day painting over a blackboard wall in our kitchen and putting up brackets for some, apparently idiot proof, scaffold board shelves. Well, hot and bothered , the bloody shelves did not fit, I was furious and so frustrated. I then had to quickly get dressed to go out to my son’s football team awards, it’s nice for the kids but it’s in the dingy clubhouse of a grassroots club in a rough part of town. Pouring with rain. I had 3 glasses of cheap wine on an empty stomach with only a packet of salt and vinegar crisps for my dinner! Needless to say I felt very tipsy, dh came home and ordered pizza with the kids which I ate a slice or two of, although I did sensibly have cheese on wholemeal toast myself rather than eat any more pizza. I then had a disturbed night, woke up at 3am after a weird dream absolutely parched and drank several glasses of water, and thought I’d never get back to sleep as I lay there thinking about work 🤷‍♀️
its things like that that make me utterly despise drinking and hate what it does to me (and I guess, who I am when I’ve been drinking) - I’m not a rowdy drunk and I don’t get loud or political or embarrassing but I do just hate the feeling of being too drunk. And only had 3 wines!

anyway, onwards to today. I’m going to take the dog out for a nice long walk, then dh and I are going to sort these shelves out and then spend the day clearing our garden rubbish into a skip. I would like a run but realise that might be a little ambitious. I am going to go back into my Zoe plan zone, lots of veg and fruit, make some good choices. I weighed on Friday this week and that will be my official weigh in, so I am 1.5lb down this week. My goal is to lose a stone by August 9th so I am on track.

Morning all. Friday night was very boozy. I've started drinking hot water, seems to be of quite benefit. I did 15mins slow walk on treadmil last night. First time in months. Plan to do lots of gently tummy tensing as this seems a really good easy way of toning tummy muscles. I seem to be down a couple of lbs since my big gain.
I got a big chocolate yoghurt yesterday. Bit naughty. I also cooked some turnip which was nice. I'm trying to add different types of fruit and veg to my diet for variety.

I cooked my porridge this morning and it was a bit runny so I put it back in the microwave. I stood by the microwave reading.@thenewaveragebear1983 last post when I realised there was porridge everywhere, all over the bowl onto the microwave base, such a mess and I’m blaming bear 😁

@thenewaveragebear1983 yesterday sounded like misery but today will be better. You’ll clear your head on the walk and be good. I hope the shelves go well. Well done on the loss and I’m sure your goal is achievable.

Weigh in this morning and I’ve lost 2.25 lbs. From my notes, I just need to lose another half a pound to be where I was before I went crazy. If only I hadn’t gone mad after my hand operation, I would’ve been nearly at goal by now, note to self - learn by this and keep on track <sigh>.

i’ve already got some washing in the machine, I’m taking the dogs out at about 11 and I haven’t got much else planned although I could do some housework.

Anyway, I’m pleased with today’s result but always a little nervous that next week I won’t lose anything or gain. I always feel this way if I’ve had a decent loss one week, the next week might bring me misery.

have a great Sunday, everyone.

Well done @poorpawsthat’s great 👏

on reflection I had a good week overall food wise except I did drink a bit too much and we had a meal out for Ds birthday. I haven’t weighed yet but I imagine I won’t have lost. My goal this week is to keep at the Zoe plan, I have some new things to add this week (bought rhubarb to make compote and a few veg I don’t normally buy), and I’m going to stick at it and make sure I log everything. I had 40 different plants last week. I am actually feeling quite tired and not experiencing this miraculous energy I was promised but I think that sometimes happens with diet changes and i definitely am sleeping deeply (although I had night sweats last night due to hormones/ totm). This week I’m going to focus not just on the plants but also the protein quality and try to get my “score” to increase. Last week i lost points for having biscuits and bread and things like that so i am going to be more mindful of that. Overall I am really enjoying the plan, its making me eat much better and it’s also taken away the all or nothing thinking that really sabotages me.

must try to exercise more this week, I have barely run in June so far and have not been to the gym at all!