I’m a pear ? the sequel!

Well done Whiff - with everything you have gone through over recent months it is brilliant that you haven't piled it on!

Bad news here - I lost a very good friend this week - has anyone seen William? He's been a good friend most of the time but has done a runner! His name is William (Usually known as Will) and his surname is Power
If you find him please tell him to get back here PDQ!!!
I KNOW I have sinned badly this week and as a result put on nearly 2lb All my own fault but I blame Will!

It's been a frustrating week as the painter has been a bit haphazard - the weather has been against him at times as well. Drizzly misty rain, strong sunshine and very gusty winds all cause havoc in their time! My laptop is slowly dying and my 'computer man' is getting me a replacement and the photo project seems to be taking forever although the end is in sight. Once I get the last lot of chosen ones transferred from laptop (backed up thank goodness) to USB and my 'man' prints them for me, we will be on the last lap!!!

However I am resolved this week to 'don my mask' and get out for a half decent walk each morning. Sadly there are loads of idiots around who, unknowingly, could be carrying the virus and seem to be flocking to the beauty spots and, having terminally ill relations, we've been reluctant to venture too far. I'm not scared but very very aware. If I go out early I should be able to avoid the crowds.

Good luck to everyone else this week - isn't it lovely to have so many great new people joining us! Welcome all the newbies - together we will succeed

Whiff it didn’t go up which is a good thing - it’s so difficult when you’ve pretty much stuck to your plan and seen no difference, but you’ve done amazingly well over the weeks/months/years (can’t believe how long this thread’s been going for!) and you sound very disciplined so I’m sure it’ll start moving again soon....??

Dorsetcupcake61 I love the sound of your daughter’s cakes - it’s unfortunately something I find hard to resist so rarely buy it, but I have a friend who loves making cakes then does a delivery round to all her friends, leaving little parcels on the doorstep! Yesterday it was Victoria sponge and very yummy - yes of course I ate it! I’ll have to tell her to leave me out in future....anyway in spite of cake my first reported weigh-in is 3 pounds down! However last Sunday’s was the heaviest I’ve been for 7 years, so nothing to crow about and of course most of that is water anyway. Still I guess it didn’t go up which is a good thing. I’m so pleased I found this thread when I did, had to do something - although I’ve only put on about 8 pounds overall it’s made a lot of difference to my clothes with most trousers particularly feeling uncomfortably tight - quite surprisingly so, to the point where I’ve been trying to find some cheap-ish ones to tide me over until I (hopefully) lose a few pounds. Pre-lockdown I went to the gym 3 times weekly, doing quite a bit of resistance exercise and although I’ve been able to find some kettlebells and dumbbells and am maintaining the same routine at home, I’m sure it’s not building muscle in the same way so I guess most of my extra poundage is where I’ve lost muscle but added fat...I do feel a lot more wobbly ? Whiff I have been planning my meals and that definitely helps, also reduces waste I find, and makes me more creative with what I’m eating. I have literally hundreds of cookery books and have had fun looking through them to get ideas and see how I can adapt recipes so they’re less calorific. It’s a beautiful day today, my wedding anniversary tomorrow (47th) so am having a mini barbecue this pm with my daughter who’s coming round (in a bubble with her)....enjoy the sun everyone, look forward to seeing everyone’s weigh-ins ?

Weight stayed the same. Decided to try a week without meat. Just veggies and Quorn. See if that gets it moving. Moving into my bedroom today. And next weekend will be able to put up the bed in spare room as it will be all decorated ready for when I can have visitors to stay. Have a good week everyone.

Dorsetcupcake61 well done on the pound loss. Just spend 3 hours in the front garden weeding , adding more compost and planting the large bed up. Hopefully it has helped. See in the morning when I weigh myself. Hope everyone has the sun.

Thankyou Whiff. Yes, I think if you take into account the hours it takes and charged even minimum wage plus materials etc the cost may be extortionate! For me they are a labour of love. The throw I made for my daughter is something hopefully will last for generations and its lovely to think of her and the grandchilderen snuggling under it when I'm not there?. I would expect anything I made to be perfect if I was selling it which adds element of stress! I have a couple of friends who are very arty and getting your stuff out there is quite a challenge. One is very talented and has been involved in projects for the local area but he struggled to make a living,fortunately his wife had a reasonably well paid job. My youngest daughters cupcakes etc are jaw dropping in the way she decorates them. I did mention that she should break down costs etc. I dont know whether she did but it has been such a tremendous boost to her self esteem that I'm not pushing the point!
Anyway,back to the battle of the bulge! Stepped on the scales this morning and another pound dropped! I certainly thing the lack of bread is helping! Today I'm going to make the diabetes uk chicken and lentil curry. I had a root around in the freezer and found some chicken. My daughter left her freezer in the garage. She was going to take it with her but didnt need it. She also kindly donated its contents. It's like an edible treasure chest. I did get quite excited when I saw some oven chips. Excitement dulled by fact they were slimming world ones. Still I expect if times get hard it will be better than cat biscuits?. I also found some chicken that had been in there for 2 years,looked at it dubiously and put it back. A google search informs me that frozen meat if kept in constant conditions can last indefinitely although may have changes to texture. I'm sure after a defrost and good sniff to be sure it will be fine in curry or stew.
One very useful resource I found was a diet Journal from The Works,at the time they were only a £1 so I bought a few! There were lots of tips and motivating activities and opportunities to record daily food intake,recipes and measurements. I particularly liked the suggestion that you find two boxes or jars and then some pretty stones or shells to represent the amount of weight you want to lose.(you could use toffees but I suppose that would rather defeat their purpose!). As you lose weight you move a shell etc from one jar to the other. It is a very good visual reward. I keep mine in my bedroom. This morning I blew the dust off the top and looked thoughtfully at the 20 or so pre lockdown shells, time for 18 of them to join their friends again!
It is a lot of mind over matter! Good luck everyone and have a lovely weekend ?

Dorsetcupcake61 lovely post. Really enjoyed reading it. Trouble with selling your knitting is that people won't want to pay for all the time it takes for you to make it. My daughter in law crochet me a wonderful blanket. It's circular with lots of different stitches and flowers and textures. It must have taken months . With the wool and time taken she couldn't have sold it for less that £500 + . But who would pay that. It was my welcome to your new home gift from her and my son and family.

That should read reheat not repeat ?

Good morning all?. Well it's not quite a week but its Friday! I've maintained the pound I lost which is a good start! I havent followed a strict diet but I have tried to follow healthier options. I think availability plays a very big part for me! I havent had an online shop delivered this week as there wasnt anything I needed. I have a good selection of frozen foods etc and making of healthy meals. Like you Whiff I bulk cook so I have my own healthy ready meals. Diabetes UK are a brilliant source of healthy recipes ,one of my favourites is chicken and lentil curry which is so tasty. Their baking selection did make me smile. My eyes lit up when I saw a biscuit recipe that looked yummy and low calorie. Then I saw the size of the biscuits-teeny tiny!
So at the moment I'm out of sliced bread which is good as toast/ sandwiches are my lazy option/go to comfort food! I'm also out of cheese apart from low fat feta. I do have bread mix and flour/ yeast if desperate! The frozen cake supply is depleted but may experiment with Sukrin. I have a supermarket delivery booked next week so will spend some time menu planning. Although their diet didnt work for me some slimming world recipes have become firm favourites. Their recipes are low fat and sugar. The portions tend to be enormous but I just freeze more. Their spaghetti bolognese is lovely. Also highly recommended is garlic and lemon chicken. They also have an interesting take on lasagne. Make Ragu sauce as usual and layer with pasta. Blend a tin of macaroni cheese,adding milk if needed although I've never had to. Spread on top and sprinkle with small amount of cheddar according to preference ie low fat etc. When I first heard about it I thought sounded gross, but its lovely and makes 8 portions!
Another favourite was to roast sweet potato,chillies,garlic and red onion with a good few sprays of spray oil. Take one pre rolled sheet of puff pastry. Spread lightly with tomato puree and put veg on top and bake until golden. Cut into 6 pieces. It also freezes and repeats very well. Cant remember exact calories but under 400 and more importantly felt very decadent and very tasty!
I think anything's possible with a few tweaks and a bit of imagination.! As a special treat I made my favourite lemon drizzle cake but put it into fairy cake cases(not muffin) and worked out calories which were 120 cake. A nice way of having "real" cake and a better way of treating grandsons as I know 100 calories is recommended as a snack.
I've also been quite busy craft wise. It's my daughters wedding anniversary, a wool one,so I've made her a tea cosy that looks like a beehive with bees and flowers. I made my youngest one for xmas and she admired it so much so fingers crossed! I also made an aeroplane and travel noughts and crosses for grandsons. The idea was to post it so was working to a timetable. Yesterday she announced they are coming down next week so I can give it to them in person?.
I do enjoy knitting Whiff . A few years ago I decided to be more creative. I'm not a beginner but not attempted anything too complex! Before this year I was going to join a knit and natter group but never got round to it! Fortunately there are some lovely knitting groups on Facebook. Several things I've knitted have ended up with people asking if I sell them. I must admit I'm quite a perfectionist and I loathe the sewing up of items which isnt my best skill! I'm also wary of of turning a relaxing hobby into something demanding. Still who knows? I cant see me returning to care any time soon. My youngest daughter has started selling cupcakes for what we both think is silly money. That said people seem happy to pay for what they cant or dont have time to do. Still I digress,certainly for now craft keeps me occupied and if hands are busy knitting they cant be making cheese sandwiches?. Have a lovely week everyone. Good luck!

Hi Alima, it’s strange isn’t it how fasting suits some people so well whilst others find it impossible - for me it just seems easier to have two super-strict days then 5 relaxed, rather than all days restricted as I hate the feeling of ‘dieting’ and find it almost impossible to stick to. However that’s what I’ve got to do as I’m just slowly increasing in spite of my 2 x 500 calorie days - all I’m trying so far is to avoid breakfast apart from the day after fasting, keep bread down to 7 slices a week, chocolate just once a week and generally keeping portion sizes down....will see whether it’s helped on Sunday. I know just what you mean re roast dinner though...one of my favourite meals ?

Hi Reader56, your way of dieting sounds very similar to the plan I have been following for the last six months. I started off on the Fast 800 with the fasting way of 16.8. More recently as I am more on the maintenance part now I seem to be doing the 4:3, meaning more of a splurge Friday to Sunday and more restraint shown Monday- Thursday. Seems to be working for now, haven’t managed to keep the weight off this time for nearly as long as you! (As someone who always used to eat breakfast, only fresh fruit and a banana, I thought it may be too hard not eating until 12 midday on the 16:8 but it has worked out well, no blood rushing to my head or fainting thankfully). I plan my meals too, boy do I look forward to a roast dinner on Sundays! Good luck with your weigh-in.

Whiff, thanks for your advice - it’s always useful to see what others are doing and what they found works for them! I got into the habit of missing breakfast on the days I go (went!) to the gym, and found no problems with energy levels - these were also frequently fasting days too and the exercise/classes took my mind off it. I just find I’m not usually hungry till later, but must see how it goes. I have had the chance to look back through the thread and as you say, lots of good advice/support etc on there, I definitely think it helps me to plan meals for a few days ahead, have only started doing that since lockdown...by the way will try to have my weigh-in day on Sunday, hopefully will have good news ??

Reader56 I would advise you don't miss out on breakfast. I usually have porridge made with coconut milk or Weetabix.. That way I don't need to add honey to sweeten it. A whole grain cereal is a good breakfast. But if you don't like cereal then whole grain toast and light spread and topping of your choice. After sleeping your body needs the energy food gives to get your metabolism to work . That way you won't over do lunch. I found if I have home made soup plus some sort of bread broken up in it filling. Also it slows your eating down. Can't eat boiling hot soup quickly. For me it is better than a sandwich or salad as that is wolfed down in a few minutes. My dinner is usually a stew of some sort. Last week I tried to vary it as usually I make enough stew for 6 dinners. Last week 4 meals of chicken stew 3 of Quorn sausage pasta bake. This week it's 3 dinners of pork stew 4 of vegetable lasagna. I don't bother with white sauce to cut calories and just sprinkle 50 g of grated mature cheddar on top. Always low fat Easiyo yogurt and stewed fruit for dessert my sweet treat. I stew the fruit usually frozen mixed berries with couple tablespoons of sugar and the sweetener tablets with water and then blitz it. It keeps for days in the fridge. I have a packet of rich tea finger biscuits once every 6 weeks and have 3 each day once gone that's it. I snack on 25g of bite size shredded wheat with blueberry in the middle shops own with a hot drink dry but tasty.

I plan my food each week as it's easier for me to do it that way. But everyone has to find what works for them. But whatever you decide be kind to yourself. Took me decades to learn that. If you have read back on this thread others have very good advise on how they plan what they are eating.

If I have a bad day it's only a day. The old me would give up but not this new me. You will get a lot of help , support and kindness here . Good luck whatever way you go.

Hello, I’m a newbie to this thread, hoping it will give me some motivation to form a revised plan and stick to it. I’m not new to dieting, have a long history of pretty much every diet going, but 7 years ago I saw the Michael Moseley documentary and I was away! Started 5:2 along with my husband and took to it like a duck to water. Lost 3 1/2 stones, from a 16/18 down to a comfortable 12, most of it within the first 6 months, started regular gym programme - all good. Am still fasting 5 days a week and have maintained my weight loss - I even dared to take all my old ‘big’ clothes to the charity shop - until the last 6 months or so. However, somehow things have changed. I’m obviously eating too much on my ‘normal’ days as I’ve put on 6-8 lbs and I’m now in a size 14. I really need to nip this in the bud but it’s difficult; the thing I love about 5:2 is that it doesn’t feel like a diet. Although I record everything I eat, I’ve always eaten quite freely on my normal days and would hate to start excluding certain foods etc. Somehow I have to make a plan, I’ve started excluding breakfast most days and just starting to eat at lunch time but I think I end up having a larger lunch! Any suggestions, help, support or advice would be very welcome. I’m now going to have a read of some of your posts, hopefully will get some inspiration.

Dorsetcupcake61 well done on the pound. Cakes and chocolate are a rare treat for all my grandsons think that way it makes it special. I went to a mixed craft group before lockdown at my local library. I cross stitch. One of our number knitted lovely hats. One was like a sky line and she sewed airplane buttons on, another one was a road with car buttons and the third was a railway track with train buttons. She got the patterns free but don't know what web site but if you Google them should find them She said they where easy to do.

Good afternoon everyone! I initially started this reply at 10am this morning!I then received a call from my Union and have spent hours organising information and emails to send to him and heaven forbid filling in an application for Universal Credit! Whatever happened to a relaxing day of knitting?Anyway enough of that nonsense! On plus side its been very good for the diet as not eaten anything apart from low sugar muffin! Well done all of you in the battle to keep spirits up and scales down!
Im terrible at remembering names so bear with me. I usually have to write everything down thats important. It did occur to me in a spot of panic a few weeks ago that i might forget my PIN number as havent used it since March,soo ive written it down, somewhere very safe...
Still so far i have managed to lose a pound! I havent been calorie counting but theres nothing high cakorie in the house to nibble on and im trying to keep it healthy.!
That said my youngest daughter turned up with a lovely slice of cake on Saturday,plus a new top bless her! Shes started to bake cakes and do cream teas to sell to people, so far on a small scale. I think i can hang up my apron!
Its so interesting how we view food as a treat. I must admit its made me view how i define my grandsons treats very carefully. My eldest grandson is nearly 5 and adores cakeMy eldest daughter also can struggle with her weight and she doesnt want him to.Neither do i. When he sees the other Grandparents its chocolate and puddings galore,amazingly both of them are incredibly skinny. I will bake him a cake for special occasions but treats tend to be a small book etc or as they live in Surrey a letter or photo book of when he was down here. He also loves the fact i can knit. Im a fairly basic knitter but he loves the hats etc ive done as well as a throw i made him!
Anyway,good luck everyone,have a lovely week!

Well done Beechnut. I remember Limmits they were awful. Used to have Carnation slimming drinks. Remember the cabbage soup diet and who can forget the grapefruit and boiled egg one. Yuk.

Thank you NanKate.

Oh my! Dorset that was a blast from the past with your mention of Limmits and Ayds. It took me back to my shop assistant days in a chemist. Popular items especially Limmits.

Well done Beechnut. There is definitely a downward trend on our friendly thread recently. I’m just keeping steady and have cut back on snacking.

It’s 1lb off for me this week. My weight in pounds is in the single figure bracket so I aim to keep it there and go lower this week.
Now I’ll go back and see how you have all done. Good luck this week all ?

Fourormore well done it's a loss and it's an achievement. Fingers crossed your painter can finish this week.

Isn't it lovely having new members of the gang!!!
Welcome everyone!

I'm delighted to report a loss of 0.8lb which is good. However last week I had that blip and put on 1.2 so I can't preen my feathers yet

I am still stable in my 188/189 range though. Having to remain shielded as much as we can does mean that I can't do proper walks but that will happen in time, so I am content to stay in my little weight bubble!

Oh yes Whiff let's have some sunshine this week as for two weeks running our exterior decorator has had to abort the painting. The first week the poor man was in strong unshaded sun - the second week we had the intermittent sudden showers and very gusty winds. We didn't want him either passing out in the heat or being blown off his ladder! Hopefully this week looks more promising and he will be able to complete as it's horrible being half done! We are a corner house which means we get the lot from all directions so fingers crossed!

Keep up the good work everyone and most importantly keep safe!

Thank you all for your kind words . Up quarter of a pound. Last week had 4 chicken stew dinners and ,3 Quorn sausage pasta bake dinners. Will reverse it this week making a pork stew for 3 dinners and 4 veggie ones. See if that is better . Hope everyone has a good week. Love reading the new posts. Hopefully we will have sunshine this week.

Thanks Four for your kind words. I couldn’t manage without you all.

Another interesting story from Dorset this time. We all have different stories to tell with a common theme.