Sign up here for the February Challenge!

[BecauseImWorthIt]

February has four complete weeks, so the aim of this challenge is to lose 8lbs.

How you do it is up to you - I'm a low carber.

We don't use our actual weights,(unless you want to,) but index our loss, so if you're starting tomorrow, your start weight is 100. You drop down one for each pound you lose.

I'm signing in from the 3 week challenge, and will report my weight tomorrow - but for the moment:

BecauseImWorthIt - 93

Might not get chance tomorrow (Monday was my start day) - another 2lbs, by simply cutting down portions.

BecauseImWorthIt - 93
justwhen -100
WilfSell - 87
theQuibbler - 86
thereistheball - 90 (1.5lb down)
TheFirstLady - 78 - (total loss since Nov 1)
eggandsoldiers
Pudding Penguin
isnowsoonenough - 96
Brollyflower - 86
racmac - 100
annmar - 98
SparkyMalarky - 93
Fruitgums 94.5
SweetGrapes - 98
bubble2bubble - 100
butadream - 100
pushmepullyou - 100
joe999 - 97
mamalino - 100
shortandsweet - 95
ptangyangkipperbang - 92
madwomanintheattic - 100
leander - 100
youlukaamazing 93
supersalstrawberry 84
mummymels - 39
Shiny - 70
Mejon - 95
Livvylouis - 95
londonone - 74
HinnyPet - 80
amazonianwoman - 100

Morning all - weighing in for this week and it's 3lbs
Even though I cheated for the first time yesterday, when I had a couple of prawn wonton dumplings from DH's plate . Anyway, got back on the wagon, tout de suite, as it wasn't as exciting as I thought it was going to be.

This week, I am going to make sure I keep up the exercise and also be more vigilant about carbs I'm eating to stop me getting complacent and screw it all up.

BecauseImWorthIt - 93
justwhen -100
WilfSell - 87
theQuibbler - 83thereistheball - 90 (1.5lb down)*
TheFirstLady - 78 - (total loss since Nov 1)
eggandsoldiers
Pudding Penguin
isnowsoonenough - 96
Brollyflower - 86
racmac - 100
annmar - 98
SparkyMalarky - 93
Fruitgums 94.5
SweetGrapes - 98
bubble2bubble - 100
butadream - 100
pushmepullyou - 100
joe999 - 97
mamalino - 100
shortandsweet - 95
ptangyangkipperbang - 92
madwomanintheattic - 100
leander - 100
youlukaamazing 93
supersalstrawberry 84
mummymels - 39
Shiny - 70
Mejon - 95
Livvylouis - 95
londonone - 74
HinnyPet - 80
amazonianwoman - 100

HOORAY lost another 2 lbs by doing similar to hinnypet - reduced bread, potatoes etc, changed to skimmed milk, cut out sweet stuff and ran 21 miles this week!

BecauseImWorthIt - 93
justwhen -100
WilfSell - 87
theQuibbler - 83
thereistheball - 90 (1.5lb down)*
TheFirstLady - 78 - (total loss since Nov 1)
eggandsoldiers
Pudding Penguin
isnowsoonenough - 96
Brollyflower - 86
racmac - 96
annmar - 98
SparkyMalarky - 93
Fruitgums 94.5
SweetGrapes - 98
bubble2bubble - 100
butadream - 100
pushmepullyou - 100
joe999 - 97
mamalino - 100
shortandsweet - 95
ptangyangkipperbang - 92
madwomanintheattic - 100
leander - 100
youlukaamazing 93
supersalstrawberry 84
mummymels - 39
Shiny - 70
Mejon - 95
Livvylouis - 95
londonone - 74
HinnyPet - 80
amazonianwoman - 100

OK have joined the low carb posse!

B: poached eggs & bacon

L: salmon & salad with olive oil/vinegar dressing

D: roast chicken & lots of green veg. Can I have a little gravy?!

Have also made some Greek yoghurt and have berries, nuts and cheese on standby.

Does that sound about right?

Hoorah, hoorah - back on track & 3lbs off!!

BecauseImWorthIt - 93
justwhen -100
WilfSell - 87
theQuibbler - 83
thereistheball - 90 (1.5lb down)*
TheFirstLady - 78 - (total loss since Nov 1)
eggandsoldiers
Pudding Penguin
isnowsoonenough - 96
Brollyflower - 86
racmac - 96
annmar - 98
SparkyMalarky - 93
Fruitgums 94.5
SweetGrapes - 98
bubble2bubble - 97
butadream - 100
pushmepullyou - 100
joe999 - 97
mamalino - 100
shortandsweet - 95
ptangyangkipperbang - 92
madwomanintheattic - 100
leander - 100
youlukaamazing 93
supersalstrawberry 84
mummymels - 39
Shiny - 70
Mejon - 95
Livvylouis - 95
londonone - 74
HinnyPet - 80
amazonianwoman - 100

Weigh-in today. Despite slight relapse last week (lasagne, garlic bread and mini syrup sponge ) I've managed to lose 2lbs.

BecauseImWorthIt - 93
justwhen -100
WilfSell - 87
theQuibbler - 83
thereistheball - 90 (1.5lb down)*
TheFirstLady - 78 - (total loss since Nov 1)
eggandsoldiers
Pudding Penguin
isnowsoonenough - 96
Brollyflower - 86
racmac - 96
annmar - 98
SparkyMalarky - 93
Fruitgums 94.5
SweetGrapes - 98
bubble2bubble - 97
butadream - 100
pushmepullyou - 100
joe999 - 97
mamalino - 100
shortandsweet - 95
ptangyangkipperbang - 92
madwomanintheattic - 100
leander - 100
youlukaamazing 93
supersalstrawberry 84
mummymels - 39
Shiny - 70
Mejon - 93
Livvylouis - 95
londonone - 74
HinnyPet - 80
amazonianwoman - 100

I'm on 79 wahoo! 12st on the nose, haven't been that for donkeys!
Have had some leek and bacon and potato soup for lunch as well as a 1/4 of pancake and carrot cake, took DD to a playdate where the other Mum had made loads of lovely things, it would have been rude not to eat anything. Came home and ate mini sausages and mini cheeses with a decaff coffee so hoping I haven't blotted my copy book and knacked it all .......

Hinnypet Congratulations.

This thread is really helping me stay focused. Thanks everyone.

i seem to have stopped losing weight. Doing very little different tbh. But the scales thought I'd put on a pound yesterday but today back to last week's weight.

I am struggling today because EVERYONE in my house is eating non-stop delicious pancakes and I WANT many ONE. I haven't craved anything so much since I started. Argh.

Well done everyone on all your losses this week.

supersalstrawberry ? if you are going to have a relapse you might as well do it with style!

Thereistheball ? walnut butter sounds lovely.

Amazonianwoman ? I am doing a low carb diet called Go Lower. They send you ready made, nutritious low carb meals and you eat mainly their food.

HinnyPet ? that sauce you make with the lime juice sounds yummy. Well done on reaching 12 stone.

Racmac ? wow that was a long run.

CillaSnowball ? we all have weeks every so often when we reach a plateau but I?m sure next week you will be losing again. Good luck.

Hello all - haven't been here much because of RL getting in the way.

Had a fabulous meal for Valentine's Day (River Cottage - present from DH for Christmas!) and ended up going off piste for that - and then was very bad the next day as well

But have just had 24 hour D&V bug, so weight loss is back to where I was before.

Cilla - stick with it and things will get going again soon. Just remember how much you've already lost and don't start to sabotage your good work!

Will go back and read the rest of the thread, and will be weighing in properly on Monday.

Hi everybody.
I am still being good (ish) but have realised that I said I had a treat once in a while, well it turns out that I'm having one nightly bad me!! so this is slowing down the old weight loss..will be making it weekly I think.
...does anybody think that this sugary treat (mousse / mini Crunchie etc) has anything to do with falling asleep almost straight away afterwards?

I have failed I have had a big cake and a packet of crisp. I need the kids to get back to school - no treats in the house normally.

Weighed myself yesterday morning, but can't remember what I weighed last Tuesday

The first half of the week I was crap, but have been v good since Monday

Went to Weight Watchers last Friday (not counting points, doing low carb, just need the motivation/humiliation of being weighed) so will work out & post my new (hopefully) 100 - lbs lost on Friday!

BecauseImWorthIt - hope you're feeling better. I think it is going around. DS had the bug last week.

HinnyPet - Once a week for treats sounds good. I don't know about any links with sleeping.

isnowsoonenough - halfway through half term now so not long to go.

amazonianwoman - thats a good idea going to ww to be weighed for the motivation even though you are not doing their diet.

supersalstrawberry - it sounds as if you had a lovely weekend.

Hello ladies - I'm still here but haven't been checking in for the last few days, glad to see it's all going well. Got my period this morning so am steering clear of the scales for a few days. PMT has given me massive carb / comfort food cravings, and yesterday was compelled to drink almost a whole bottle of wine. Feel rubbish this morning!

But am hoping that in a few days things will be back to normal and hopefully a little slimmer. Given the circs I think I've been reasonably well behaved.

Amazonianwoman: I typed a long post to you a day or so ago but it got lost. I'll try and remember the gist: basically it was to recommend that you do some reading about low carbing before you jump in, because it can be dramatically effective if you do it right and just as bad if you do it wrong - you can put on up to 5lb overnight, apparently. I like the Neris and India book. Looking at your eating plan that you posted I'd say that you need to be careful with yoghurt and berries as they are both quite carby. To get this way of eating started you really want to be very strict for the first two weeks, called induction by Atkins, and most of us who are low carbing did it in January: here is the thread, and it helpfully lists all the foods that are allowed in induction, and in what quantities.

A positive benefit of being ill is that I'm really in a strict form of induction! On Tuesday I ate nothing; yesterday I managed a boiled egg for breakfast, then a salad with a cheese omelette for dinner. No coffee, a couple of slimline tonics on the train and plenty of water.

I'm a bit headachey at the moment, which I suspect is the lack of coffee, but could still be the last dregs of whatever bug I've picked up.

Hopefully this will redress my bad behaviour over the last couple of weeks and will get me back on track. Although it was a bit of a serious way to do it!

Amazonianwoman - absolutely agree with thereistheball. Even if you don't follow a specific plan (I don't), it is important to understand the principles behind low carbing and therefore what you can/can't/should/shouldn't eat. As well as reading Atkins and India/Neris, I can also recommend Dr Charles Clark's book "The High Protein Diet". He doesn't have an induction phase, and has a daily carb limit suggestion of 60g (I think - it's a while since I read it), which allows for one slice of wholemeal bread a day and one orange.

Thanks Sal - I'm taking care of myself as much as my work schedule will allow! Travelled up to Manchester yesterday to work in the evening - got back to my lovely hotel room at around 11, to my massive, massive bed, only to find I coudn't sleep . I managed a couple of hours, then woke, then another couple of hours - and was then woken at 7.00 by a text .

Then off to Leeds today, when I will be working until 9.30; I'm being driven back home, but reckon I won't be in my own bed until around 1.30am - and have to be up again at 6.45! Still, at least it's the weekend and I can collapse a bit then.

Foodwise today, I have only eaten some biscuits - not brilliant, but only 22g altogether, so carb count will be a little lower than that - and I've got a salad ordered for 5.45pm. I'm not really hungry. I've had a couple of coffees, to stave off the headache, and feeling OK. The adrenaline with work will keep me going this evening!

BIWI - sorry you've been unwell, how miserable to have to be traveling too. Keep on taking care of yourself. A few biscuits a day is no way to eat! Can you take some ham and cream cheese or nuts in a bag with you for emergencies? (Easy for me to say as I have all day to forage for nice nutritious things to munch on.)

Thanks Becauseimworthit and thereistheball. Have the India/Neris book now and have vague memories of Atkins from a couple of years ago. Also have The Harcombe Diet book - might go with that if I can't stick with very low carbs!

Anyway have been very good this week - will post hopeful weightloss in couple of hours.

Thanks all for your kind words. I'm usually very well organised when I travel, and know where all the M&S Simply Food outlets are on the motorways, so I can buy ham/prawns/cheese/nuts etc! The main problem yesterday was just not feeling hungry - although I did eat my salad, and then ate again in the car on the way home.

But I still couldn't sleep last night . I hate that. But I have a day to myself today, so think I'll take myself off to bed this afternoon.

Woo hoo 6lbs off!

On phone so will update list on laptop later