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Dieting & exercise

Frugal February

(570 Posts)
OldMeg Fri 26-Jan-18 08:09:59

Anyone like to join me in this?

You can set your own ‘frugal’ guidelines but the aim is to eat and drink in a more restrained (and healthy) manner that usual just for 28 days.

I did this last year and lost those few extra pounds that nobody wants. For those who have more than a few pounds to shift it can kick start a real weight loss plan for 2018.

It can be combined with 16:8 and any other ‘diets’ you are following.

So, anyone out there want to join in for 28 days and we’ll share ideas and support each other? ?

Millbrook Tue 06-Feb-18 11:52:25

Happy Tuesday Frugaleers... smile

I'm essentially greedy and have no willpower, so the only way to do this is to just fill the fridge /cupboards with foods that are very low in calories! So far I'm surviving on:

Home made veggie soup (by the bucketful)
King prawns ( low in calories but so tasty!)
Baked beans ( filling and cheap)
Cracked black pepper Ryvita (all that chewing must surely burn off calories!)

Am using the MyFitness App to help keep track. And avoiding cafes...( all those gorgeous cakes!)

MissAdventure Tue 06-Feb-18 11:06:56

I think I may go into boots and get on the scales today. I had cut down on my food a bit before joining the frugaleers, so am hoping that a little bit of weight loss might spur me on a bit. Assuming I've lost a little bit, that is.
Just a had a toasted banana sandwich. (No butter)

GrannyEggy1 Tue 06-Feb-18 11:00:58

Finding it hard , but holiday in two weeks so must persevere!

OldMeg Tue 06-Feb-18 07:48:53

Don’t be dispirited Tegan. You do get times when the weight just seems to cling on stubbornly but work through that. And if you’re spending a lot of time at the gym it might well be that you've built more muscle.

Do you feel lighter or fitter or are your clothes fitting better? To be honest I’d not care what I weighed if I could get into a size smaller jeans.

Yes Cavewoman I’m certainly spending less that usual on food.

cavewoman Tue 06-Feb-18 06:20:27

Glad you didn't succumb to eating your DH MesMopTop!

As part of Frugal Feb I had decided not to spend money on anything, apart from food, for the whole month. Unfortunately have just had to order more contact lenses as I
had miscalculated. Also found a couple of (stale) After Eights in the back of the fridge which just refused to go into the binsad
As a penance I'll wheelbarrow the last of the logs from the woodstore to the bunker and earn brownie points from OH !
Have a good day fellow frugaleers sunshine

MesMopTop Tue 06-Feb-18 01:19:30

Fell off the wagon yesterday, but to be fair, it was either the pizza and choc chip cookie or the DH., Will be making up for it with extra heavy scrubbing and cleaning. No vino this week either. Found the magic of ping ting meals for work. Probably get some for home too. I’m not good at planning or cooking, tend to just see what’s lurking in the fridge and we have that. Hubby is better at cooking. If you chop up some cooked cauliflower it can substitute well for rice when you make curry. I can make good curry from scratch! I’ve decided to resist weighing myself until the end of Feb, as don’t want to be disappointed if I haven’t lost each week. Despite my fall from grace, I feel lighter. Maybe just my imagination but that works for me? Thanks for that info about carrots, free range carrots for us now. Must say though, I’ve spent a lot less at the supermarket with not buying junk. Off to start scrubbing, hope you all have a good day and keep on track ????

MissAdventure Mon 05-Feb-18 23:47:24

Oh, I expect you've become more muscular.. hopefully next week you'll find you've lost a decent amount to make up for it.

Tegan2 Mon 05-Feb-18 23:44:24

Been to the gym tonight and did 2 hours in the sauna. Guess how much weight I've lost this week. Zilch sad....

MissAdventure Mon 05-Feb-18 22:23:20

I'm having an impromptu supper of 3 crispbakes with marmalade. (No butter)
I had to: my stomach thought my throat had been cut!

HillyN Mon 05-Feb-18 22:19:58

On the 5:2 and today is my first fasting day of February. Cup of tea and a digestive for breakfast (100 cals), half a tin of baked beans on unbuttered toast for lunch (200cals) and my WFF ready meal for dinner- beef with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, carrots and green beans (300 cals). Just got to resist snacking before bed now.

whitewave Mon 05-Feb-18 20:44:56

Well that’s my lot for the day. My hungry period is always mid- afternoon and when I’m likely to succumb. 3 crackers and butter today.

I also had wine with supper which I promise myself I wouldn’t.

Still not too bad today so today is the 5th and I’ve managed 1 out of 5 proper diet days. No wonder I never lose weight. I will keep on keeping on though.

MissAdventure Mon 05-Feb-18 20:09:31

I had tomatoes on toast for my dinner. 3 slices, including the nobby smile it was lovely! No butter though.

Jalima1108 Mon 05-Feb-18 19:41:13

grin ^then have one@ or 1.5
I will refrain tomorrow and on Thursday.

Maggiemaybe Mon 05-Feb-18 19:33:24

Well, I'm not going to (have wine) tonight, I'm going to be good!

We had soup for dinner - I think it was courgette (we decided to take a risk on one of the mysterious unmarked Tupperware containers in the freezer, so I'm not 100% sure. It wasn't bad and we haven't died yet anyway). With bread. Spinach omelette, couscous and veg for tea, but I spoilt it by spooning half a jar of aubergine pesto on the side (I'm a bit addicted to it), then reading that I'd had 350 calories worth. shock I've had fruit over the day - clementine, apple, four plums, bag of physalis - and a snack of those baked pea snacks I've convinced myself are good for me.

It doesn't sound too frugal written down. blush

OldMeg Mon 05-Feb-18 19:26:39

Jalima it’s your diet. If you feel a ?will help you stick to it then have one.

I’ve decided I’ll have one small (100ml) glass of wine most nights and a medium one at weekends. The secret is, when you feel ‘deprived’ that feeling that you’ve had enough and are tempted to eat something disasterous, yiu can say to yourself ‘I’ll hang on and have that ? this evening’.

Does that make sense?

Jalima1108 Mon 05-Feb-18 18:31:43

I’ve just had a ?
should I or shouldn't I?

OldMeg Mon 05-Feb-18 18:26:07

Great that s many are still on track ?? Some very impressive efforts ??

I’ve discovered I can eat salmon and broccoli so that was dinner. Breakfast was yoghurt, lunch smooth carrot and red pepper soup and I’ve just had a ? .

Every cloud as they say.

Tegan2 Mon 05-Feb-18 17:02:11

Miss Adventure; cheese is my downfall, too. I've developed a habit of eating a chunk of cheese when I wake up in the night [it's usually cause I'm in the kitchen having been woken up by the dog] which is one reason why I've put so much weight on. I now treat cheese as a treat and eat a little chunk every now and again [and savour every bit]. Have had a banana, sausage, mash, mushrooms and broccoli to use up bits and bobs but, from now on I'm eating my M&S ready meals. Going to the gym tonight and hoping there isn't a traffic jam. There were roadworks today; it takes me 15 minutes to get there but, if there is any sort of hold up the traffic coming off the M1, A50 completely jams the road up, which is why sometimes I stop going.

Jalima1108 Mon 05-Feb-18 15:33:04

I had egg on gf toast (with butter) for breakfast then seedfed crackers with strong Cheddar for lunch, not as much as I would normally have though.
But I have been busy today so I hope I've burnt some calories off.

MissAdventure Mon 05-Feb-18 15:29:25

grin it'd probably work out cheaper! Free range eggs are on special offer at the shop near me at the minute, so I'll probably be eating something different once that ends. I wish cheese was low calorie. I love cheese!

cavewoman Mon 05-Feb-18 15:25:12

Thanks whitewave Sounds right up my street.

MissA Have you considered keeping chickens? grin

MissAdventure Mon 05-Feb-18 15:18:54

I'm still on track. Had an egg sandwich a little while ago, and I think I might have tomatoes or beans on toast tonight. (Or both!)

whitewave Mon 05-Feb-18 15:18:05

Yes! And very quick 191 calories without rice.

So fry onion and garlic, add curry paste of choice a fish stock cube and then tin of chopped tomatoes cook for a bit then add pieces of white fish fillet. Takes about 10-15 minutes.

You can go posh and add coconut milk and prawns, but I’ve kept it low calorie

Just had three crackers and butter blush

cavewoman Mon 05-Feb-18 15:03:20

Is your fish curry homemade whitewave?
Whilst loving fish and (chicken or vegetable) curry I have never eaten a fish curry. Don't know why !

whitewave Mon 05-Feb-18 14:34:41

I am on track so far today.

So grilled bacon and poached egg for breakfast
Ham and cheese salad for lunch
Fish curry with possibly a small spoonful of rice for supper
Weight up and down a lb or two because I have had a few days when I didn’t do so well.