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.

Aw thanks @poorpaws ❤️

ready meals are tiny portions aren’t they? The gym kitchen ones are quite nice and I think some shops do their own versions of them, but I still have to bulk them out with some veg or half a bag of salad. You’ve done well on your decorating, those kind of jobs ate the worst when you’re having to go over and over the same walls. The end is in sight!

I feel a bit better today, I’m going to try my dress on again and try to feel confident in it, my dd who is 23 said I look good in it and I just need to be confident. I will try….

Thursday again, the weeks thunder past. I had a good day yesterday and hopefully another good one today. I am out tomorrow and sort of wishing I wasn’t because I don’t want my weekend written off, and even though I could not drink it’s pretty inevitable I will. Especially after a long week.

my food is planned out for today and I want to go for a run at lunchtime as well. I am trying to do 2 gentle ones a week to keep my fitness up during my rest. I haven’t used my gym this week although have done 2 bootcamp, will try to get out there today as well.

I tried my dress on again yesterday, it’s ok, I’m going to wear it and just be confident. It makes me realise that I am clearly bigger than I think and that’s a bit of a reality check but I don’t look awful in it, in fact objectively it looks nice and I think that’s what’s freaking me out a bit, it is such a long time since I dressed up and tried to look glamorous.

Hope everyone is ok

@thenewaveragebear1983 if I could go back in time, the one thing I would tell the younger me is to have more confidence. Wear that dress with pride and confidence and just know you look glamorous and you will I’m sure.

So after my first week of the hundred diet restarts I’ve lost 4 lbs. I know this sounds good but it is the first week and I’m not where I was back in March and April yet. If only I had kept up the good work I did in the first three months of this year I would now be at goal and feeling great but of course it didn’t happen and I gave in to the triple ice creams and all the other calorific food I ate during the summer. Ah never mind, I have time left this year to catch up if I can just control the cravings.

The decorating is going slowly, but surely. We are having most of the day off today because DP is taking his neighbour to the hospital for a checkup. Later this afternoon he is coming down here to walk the dogs and check if the walls have dried properly. We have the first layer of the thermal liner on and the second lining paper/ adhesive arrived yesterday. So tomorrow we will start again going around all the walls and from the first layer we know there are some really difficult pieces to hang.

all in all with the work I’m doing I’m almost forgetting about food in the day, although of course I have to feed DP. It’s still the evenings that are my problem. I’ve had some really nice ready meals this week but even bulking out with veg or salad, they aren’t that big. I know from previous experience that my second week will be difficult because there’s a good loss the first week and this spurs you on, then the second week you lose very little or nothing and that makes me give in and think it’s not worth it. I am however aware of this so as long as I keep to plan and don’t expect much of a loss, I should get through it.

Happy Thursday, everyone I hope you all have a good day.

@poorpawscould you spend a couple of hours batch cooking something hearty or putting the slow cooker on instead of having to resort to ready meals? Last night I made 3 cottage pies that will each serve 2 huge portions which work out at just 400 calories each portion. So much better calorie wise for the portion size. Yes it’s a bit of a grind having to do it but it saves time and effort in the long run I think

@thenewaveragebear1983 yes I agree, I always batch cook particularly in autumn. Just before we thought about starting this room I decided to eat out of my freezer because it’s only a four drawer one and some of the meals had been in there a long time. This is typical of my timing, I ate all the lasagnes, cottage pies, fish pies and mince I’d pre-cooked and THEN I decide I need them 🤦🏼‍♀️

it’s okay though at the end of a full day working on this room a ready meal with a bit of extra veg or salad is working. When this room is done though I will always keep in mind to have some meals pre-prepared. Maybe on my day off I’ll get the slow cooker out but atm it’s a day to wash my hair and catch up on some rest.

I didn’t fully appreciate just what a massive job this was going to be. I only hope it will be all done by Christmas. I’ve got to choose dog friendly flooring because my newest dog is terrified of the laminate and I’ve had to put rugs down for her to walk in the room. I’ve got to choose an electric log stove too and I don’t like the blind so that will have to be replaced. There is just so much to do and think about and it’s such a small room, it should be easy. My partner doesn’t want us to have the days off, but I really need them. Anyway, tomorrow we start again lining paper layer 2. I only hope it goes well.

Oh it’s so annoying when you’re stuck doing a job like that. It can feel like forever! You’ll be glad once it’s done though, hang in there!

batch cooking is a tricky one because some things don’t freeze well and I often find I end up with loads of slightly bland soup. I like the idea of the prep bags where you cut up raw chicken, seasoning, mushrooms and veg, and then freeze it all raw then dump that in your slow cooker, but I must admit I’ve not tried that. I do however love a prep- carrot sticks, boil some eggs, prep overnight oats for a few days etc…

I had another really good day today. I fasted til 12, I was hungry but I then went for a run, came home and ate my cottage pie! It does seem to help me overall during the day but I am hungry in the morning and i miss my yoghurt. Ended up exactly on calorie goal today and 140g protein. I also stepped on the scales, couldn’t resist, and I’ve lost 3.5lb since 1st October which is amazing for me! I am going to hide them now though as I am quite enjoying not weighing as much, it’s quite liberating.

tomorrow will be fun, I feel ok in my dress and one have some tape and a big hair piece which makes my hair look very full and ‘done’, I will have a few drinks and enjoy. Walk the dog first thing and will do weights at lunchtime, and try to finish work early!

@thenewaveragebear1983 are you a chuck anything in for your cottage pie or do you follow a recipe? I must admit two batches are never the same here, I just brown onions, add mince and then anything I can find goes in. I feel I should follow a proper recipe but I never do so I might try that next time.

it ended up being a good day yesterday, I enjoyed the rest and late afternoon a dog walk and then in the evening when I usually eat everything in the cupboards, my friend FaceTimed and as soon as we finished, I went to bed so no evening snacking whatsoever. It just proves I’m not hungry in the evening, it’s just boredom.

DP is coming at nine this morning and we’re taking the dogs straight out so that we can get on and I’d like to see one whole wall with the second lining paper on by the time he goes home but we’ll see because I’d rather have it done properly than done quickly (although I’m already fed up of it and want it done).

I’ve got a chicken pasta salad for lunch which is premade by Asda, but it’s nice And this evening, I’ve got to use up some large potatoes so it will be a jacket with whatever I can find.

I can’t believe it’s Friday already, the days are flying at the moment but have a good one everyone.

@poorpaws this time I was trying to get more veg in so I put 4 onions, 2 carrots, 4 celery sticks and 2 cubes of frozen garlic and a whole box of mushrooms into my food processor to make a base. Then browned my mince and added all the veg base, cooked it all off, stock, bovril, gravy granules, and a tin of tomatoes. Boiled potatoes without peeling them and did the mash. I’d bought medium size foil trays and this recipe made 3 of those, so 6 portions at 400 cals each.

@thenewaveragebear1983 that sounds lovely and I’ve done a screenshot so that when I have some time I’ll make it. I don’t like bovril or tomatoes so I thought I could change those for maybe Worcestershire sauce or hoisin and just use a small amount of passata instead of a whole tin of tomatoes and maybe a dash of sweet chilli. Making a base is genius, thank you for sharing.

i did quite well yesterday, a very busy day with an early dog walk and then working on the room of doom and gloom. I was very tired in the evening and cracked one of my bad habits. I’ve said on here a few times that I have foods and drinks that go together and I can’t have one without the other. I really fancied a latte, which is about 80 cals but I always have chocolate with it. Last night I settled for just the latte, enjoyed it and the Daim bars stayed in the cupboard. I’m very pleased with myself and will try that again tonight.

today is another very busy day, an early dog walk and back to wanting to kill DP 😂 (he just wants to take over all the time and if I’m cutting he’s pacing like a caged animal).

I really struggled to believe it was Saturday this morning again it only seems two days since it was Saturday before. Anyway, I hope everyone has a good weekend.

@poorpaws the bovril just adds a bit of depth to the sauce, you could definitely use Worcs sauce, or there is something called mushroom ketchup (which is NOT like Tom ketchup) that’s like an old fashioned stock/depth seasoning, it’s great for dishes like this.

the do last night was really good, it was so nice to catch up and have a dance, but oh dear there was a lot of alcohol as it was a free bar and I drank too much wine. Felt dreadful all day and have done absolutely nothing, just lazed on the sofa all day 💤

tomorrow I will have to squeeze a lot in, I want to do a workout and walk the dog, kids football, few jobs and some meal prep for the week. For tonight though, I am going to eat my pre-made cottage pie as the dc and dh are having junk food, and I am
not drinking.

I may be losing the plot. I thought I'd posted a post about cooking an apple strudel and eating it last night and this morning. 🤔 Diet going well you can say!

@TalkToTheHand123 ooh I love a strudel though, with a bit of vanilla ice cream 😋

I feel much better today after a decent sleep. Alcohol really is no good for me, yesterday was written off totally. I suppose if I’d had to do things I would have but as I didn’t I could just laze around but the day got wasted. Anyway, I feel brighter today and it just helps confirm to me that I actually don’t enjoy the feeling.

back on track today though and actually looking at the diary I have a straight run of days now with nothing to get in my way. A few social plans but nothing that will derail me and actually October and November look pretty clear.

today I plan to fast til late morning, I have some smoked salmon and lots of eggs so that will be brunch/ lunch , then dinner will be a roast chicken and I will prep loads of veg to keep in the fridge for the week as well. I want to make some scotch eggs for my protein snacks for the week.

have a lovely Sunday

I love strudel too.

yesterday did not go well. DP and I had a row although we got over it. I’ll be so glad when life gets back to normal. I don’t know if it’s just me but when I’m decorating every room in the house seems to be a mess and it’s just getting me down. I’ve got four large dog beds in the kitchen and you can hardly move around parts of it. This sent me into a depressed evening where I ate loads but still no chocolate.

Like bear, I’m starting again today. Hopefully the decorating will go well, so the day will go well.

happy Sunday.

Aww ice cream with strudel sounds delicious but I'm trying to give it up. It's been a few days now and I have also cut down on the yoghurt also.

I really like stewed fruit on yoghurt, and it’s not too bad calorie wise. It could be a good substitute for strudel?

I'll give it a go!

I have had a good couple of days, I don’t know what’s changed really but everything feels like it’s sort of clicked into place a little bit. I suppose focussing on my protein and eating more veg, and not running so much- these are quite significant changes to my general day to day routine so maybe they are having an effect. Although I don’t know if I am having any impact on the scales but I really feel so much more in control right now. I do think I’ve lost a little bit of weight because certain places on my body just feel smaller, weirdly my lower back seems to have less of a ‘handful’ of chub at the back- strange place to notice weight loss but I’ll take it

Hi everyone

just a quick catch up as I’m really busy.

Dgd stayed over last weekend so I broke my no chocolate rule big time. We had a lovely evening just eating crap really. This gave me permission (in my head) to carry on with crazy eating so come weigh-in on Thursday I had gained two pounds 😳. Sadly this hasn’t stopped me bingeing and last night, too tired to cook, the binge continued. Today I will try harder.

yesterday we looked at vinyl flooring and there was tons to choose from. Of course I can’t decide but it doesn’t matter yet because we haven’t finished preparing the room.

i think it will be full steam ahead here for a couple of weeks now so you might not here from me but I have to get back on track somehow. I’ll be watching your progress.

Good morning all. It’s hard when you’re so busy @poorpaws, keep checking in with us when you can. Your evening with dgd sounds lovely, life is more than just calories and you shouldn’t feel guilty.

I have had a good week actually, I’ve had a couple of higher calorie days because of totm and generally I’m tired, but I have tracked everything and I have eaten proper food and got my protein grams over 100 every day. I haven’t weighed myself yet in October so no idea if it’s working but I feel so much better and much more in control.

My weekend plans consist of big clean and tidy of my house. Make banana bread and do some meal preps. I want to do a run and will do a workout as well. I’m not drinking this weekend and already I feel better for it!
food wise, I am enjoying my time restricting eating and holding off breakfast til 12 most days. Lunches I have been having soup and Ryvita and Boursin cheese. Dinner tonight is Marry Me chicken which is just yummy and cheesey so I’m really looking forward to that.

have a great Saturday!

Good morning all. I seem to be having a better sleep with a new mattress I treated myself to a couple of days ago. I have been listening to my weight loss music also. Trying to use up cupboard and freezer food I came across a big bag of cabbage so made cabbage sandwiches and cabbage soup 😝 to start my day.

@TalkToTheHand123 oh I am envious, I would love a new mattress but dh loves ours so much.

I had a really productive day yesterday, got loads done in the house, did a good workout. We made banana bread and I also ate chocolate (quite a lot) in the evening but I came in around 1650 cals because I’d barely eaten anything all day. I am really on it at the moment and I don’t want to undo my hard work. I haven’t weighed myself, I think if I did I would find I’d probably maintained this week- I didn’t get much of a deficit and I had a couple of days where I ate too much. But nothing too dramatic. My official weigh in for my diet group is next Monday so I will do my best to have a really good week this week.

today I am going to take Maggie out, then go with my in-laws to watch ds play football. I’d like a run this afternoon and I think I will do a good stretch session as well. We have a roast chicken for dinner today and I will batch cook a load of chicken drumsticks as well for snacks this week.

last week at work was really tough, I hope this week will be a bit smoother. Then I am off for a week which I am really in need of, can’t wait.

I’m having a much needed day off today although DP wanted us to keep working 🙁. Yesterday was horrendous, we cut two paper lengths too short, DPs fault but I couldn’t make him understand where he’d gone wrong and he thought it was my fault 🙄.

im going out with dd and dgc to Dunelm, The Range, and then b&Q to choose paint. We’ll probably end up at MacDonalds if the kids have a choice but I’ll go with it and be cross with myself later. It’s lovely to be taking time away from this project, it’s getting me down now so I’m hoping tomorrow I’ll be happy to start again.

i hope everyone is doing well. Asda have the big bars of Tony’s Chocolonely on sale at £3 each, I bought a lot, big mistake!

have a good Sunday everyone,

Aww busy ladies. I just feel exhausted and lacking energy no matter how much sleep I get. I need to try change my mcd's orders as it appears to be becoming a regular visit now.

Plan today was to make a Sunday dinner. Totally forgot as been busy. Ended up having chips and chicken in a bun. It's knocked me out zzzzz.

@TalkToTheHand123 that’s not good if you feel like that, have you seen a gp? I don’t know your age but thyroid, peri, low ferritin all have that effect and it can be incredibly difficult to just get through normal life when you feel like that. My ferritin was very low, not below “normal” but still low and I think it probably still isn’t optimum, the tiredness and aching and generally feeling dreadful was all encompassing. And it doesn’t help with food because if you feel exhausted all the time you grab easy sugary carby things to keep you going. Be kind to yourself.

Just planning my office day, it’s my worst day of the week but I’m going to take my food and make sure I drink enough, that’s usually my big downfall. I’m feeling really tired but I finish on Friday for a week and I can’t wait, looking forward to a nice few days just doing nice autumnal things with kids, baking, watching movies, walking the dog… really I cannot wait!

have a good day all