I’m a Pear ? the sequel part 3 - Wow!

May I join? I did brilliantly over 2020 but 2021 has seen a marked reversal and I'm disgusted with myself for lack of willpower. I thought I had it finally sorted. I'm definitely a pear, if not sometimes a quince and have invested in a wardrobe of size 12 clothing where I used to be 18-20. I can't afford in any sense to relapse. Well done to all on that journey to better health and wellbeing!

Please join us Rowantree. ?

Thank you for the welcome

I do like fruit teas. I'll stock up on them after Christmas. I'm not usually much of a hot drink drinker (although I do love hot chocolate) I guess that will have to go on the banned list.

I'd never heard of the sweetener drops, but I'll definitely look into those, so thanks for that too. I'll also check out the NHS plan - the beauty of planning ahead is that I can do the research before I start.

I wondered about a calorie counting approach. It seems maybe more complicated than others, and I quite like the simplicity of ones where you can have as much as you like of a limited range of foods, although I can see that they aren't going to be ideal long-term.

I'll be back on here on (or soon after!) January 1st, raring to go.

Oh, NanKate - no, I don't have a legal background, but I do have experience of dealing with difficult people .

Hi Doodledog my own thoughts on having a diet of limited food is as soon as you come off this regime you will pile the weight back on.

My regime now is eating what I like but in the half the quantity. So I eat half a cake 2 pieces and of dark chocolate instead of half a bar ? this way you don’t feel deprived. Admittedly the first week your stomach craves more food but it soon gets used to it. Cups of tea and coffee or glasses of water with mint and ice in (I know the hot drinks are out for you) can fill you up. I think you can get low cal hot choc. My son’s partner has had great success with the Keto diet where you eat lots of protein and little sugar.

Thanks, NanKate. I don't dislike hot drinks, I just don't drink them often, as they cool down too quickly. The beauty of fruit teas is that they can be drunk hot or cold, so I'm not always pouring away half-finished drinks.

I really think that getting even some exercise will help. Being stuck indoors and feeling breathless for 18 months really has added to the problem.

Four love your Christmas cherubs. Hopefully you will be able to have the Christmas you want. Chance to recharge your batteries and have quality time with Mr F.

Shirley hope your operation when well and you will be singing I can see clearly now very soon. Glad you had a lovely time with your family.

Doodledog never put yourself down. I used to do that for decades where my weight was concerned. Felt a failure every time I gave up on a diet. But like I said my husband love me no matter how big I got. If you have read the thread you can see he was a devil. And I was so lucky to have him in my life.

Fasting is not a good idea if you have any illness. I started my losing weight for life as NanKate has renamed dieting 4.5 years ago. I have lost 7st still want to lose a stone and a bit. Was a 32 now a 16. I did it by weighing and measuring everything writing it down and counting calories. I know it sounds a faff but it very soon becomes a way of life.

Remember it's a marathon not a sprint. And I found setting myself targets was doomed to failure. So I don't . Foolish thought I could get to the next stone level by Christmas but won't so will just keep doing what I have.

You say your husband is vegetarian. Do you eat the same meals as he does? I have decided to stop eating meat as I eat so little. I make 2 pork steaks into a stew with pearl barley and loads of veg and it lasts me 6 dinners. Then next 6 dinners are my from either Quorn mince ,chicken pieces or 8 sausages.

I will stick to Quorn products and just have chicken thighs 3 skinned makes 6 dinners. My way of eating my not suit most some people but it works for me . I make my red lentil and whatever veg soup in my largest saucepan that does me for 6-7 lunches. It thickens in the fridge like my stews so always add more water when I reheat

I stopped buying my danger foods . Things I have no control over.

Watch how much cheese and nuts you have they are loaded with calories . Like NanKate Said the NHS site could place to start

There should be a dietitian attached to the endocrinology clinic who may be able to help.

My breakfast everyday is 50g of porridge made with coconut milk. That way don't need to add honey to sweeten it .

I go to an exercise class called active ageing. We do exercises sitting down ,holding on to back of a chair and walking exercises. Last lesson didn't need to use my walking stick. I am 63. It's run by my local council GP referral . I found it and my GP was happy to refer me. Had been doing another class but it closed due to Covid . I live in the north west. The aims of the class is strength and stability. I am the youngest at 63 oldest is 92. We laugh for a hour but our instructors don't let us get away without working hard. Then tea and biscuits and a natter afterwards.

Will have to get back to posting later . Need to get up now.

Back soon ?

Thank you so much for such a detailed reply.

Re vegetarianism - I tend to eat veggie food almost always in the house (it's easier) and eat meat when I go out (rarely just now, obviously) and if I get a takeaway. I cook a lot with beans and lentils, as well as vegetables. I only eat meat that I can 'see' anyway, (so no meat sausages, burgers or mince) which means that when I do use mince it is always Quorn.

I am not working to a target as such - just to lose as much as I can by the wedding (or before I buy a dress). I am carrying on as usual until January, then will stop buying danger foods so I can't eat them, and start better meal planning. As it is, I tend to stock up on things we like, then decide on the day what I want to make with them.

I will also look into whether there is a class such as the one you describe. I don't go to a clinic as such - the endocrinologist used to come to the GP surgery, but since lockdown I have just had telephone appointments from locums at the hospital. I think the GP surgery has a dietician though, so I will find out about that and tap into whatever's on offer.

Thanks again for the support.

Rowantree that is a great achievement to get to a 12. This is a lovely thread to be on.

I was given a pack with the exercises we do on cards I will photo some and see if I can post them . Might give you an idea of what we do . Doodledog did I say I live in the north west. Age UK used to do community fit clubs. It was free a 12 week course . Talked about nutrition and then exercised. I did it where I used to live. Because of health problems the instructor altered the exercises for me and others who couldn't do them the usual way .

If you Google sit down exercises in your area some should come up. Give you an idea for January.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202112/medium-397426-img-20211222-122217144.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202112/medium-617415-img-20211222-122232183.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202112/medium-513104-img-20211222-122240908.jpg

Hopefully this works.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202112/medium-753925-img-20211222-122354321.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202112/medium-195267-img-20211222-122405251.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202112/medium-880056-img-20211222-122347564.jpg

Few more.

Won't be facing the scales this week decided to give myself a break and get back to eating less for life on Monday.

Have a wonderful Christmas all of you and a happy new year. Hopefully 2022 will be a less Covid year. ❤️?

Can anyone join? I have reached the point where I’m completely fed up of my lockdown weight gain and have signed up for 12 weeks of a ‘healthy eating’ programme with access to our local leisure centre’s activities and classes, which starts 11th January. I’m not going to pretend to start or even weigh myself before Christmas.
I’ve got 11 days off from today so plan to get some walks in with our dog (well, to be honest, they’re more like slow meanders these days, given his age and health conditions) as much of the problem is working from home 3 days a week, sitting on my bum in the dining room with access to the kitchen.

Ravelling you have joyed a lovely thread.

NanKate's fruit bowl is getting bigger.

Lovely to see new people and look forward to getting to know all newbies in the new year. ??

Oh can I join please?
Really need support in trying to shift all the extra weight I’ve put on recently.
Trying to be good over Christmas but the chocolates keep tempting me!
New year new me…….

Ravelling and Kandinsky you are both more than welcome. You will find some lovely mixed fruit on this thread who are kind and supportive. Enjoy your Christmas food and savour it all, then set a date to start Eating Less for Life.

Happy Christmas you lovely lot. ?

Merry Christmas fellow pears old and new??♥️xxxx

Morning ……oh well here goes……up 5lb and that’s in 4 weeks I think as not weighed for ages…better than I thought though , thought it was going to be the next stone up …..I’ve reset nhs weight loss app ….off to a new start ….again…..

Hope you all had a good Christmas and a healthy one.

Shirley you are braver than me. I haven't braved the scales yet. Know my weight will be up. Unfortunately had a ready bad day boxing day missing my son and grandson's so comfort eat and them felt discussed with myself afterwards. Haven't stuffed my face with everything in sight for 4 years.

My daughter's in law's brought me 3 boxes of luxury chocs. After I ate the first box luckily only 4 chocs in the box. The next box had 6 cheesecake flavoured ones and the third 12 cupcake looking chocs. So climbed up on my stool and threw them to the back of my tallest cupboard. I can't get to them. Next time my daughter comes I will get her to take them home.

Made the mistake of having bread in luckily it was only a 400g loaf half of it went boxing day. Hate hate letting myself down. I don't want to be that fat woman anymore. I have worked to hard and for to many years to go back. Never want to be a 32 again happy being a 16.

Will not brave the scales Sunday and start again eating less for life Monday.

But will try very hard to control myself before hand.

Wish I was like my late husband he could eat anything and not put weight on. Do extra exercises today .

Anyway hope you all have a happy New year extra bank holiday on Monday again. Hope we will be a bowl of losers in 2022.

?

Hi Pears, now is the time to accept whatever indulgences you have had over the Christmas period, brush yourselves down and as the song goes ‘start all over again’.

I will fess up to having a large glass of wine each day over the hols which always makes me crave chocolate afterwards.

Enjoy your festive treats at New Year and then join me on the bandwagon for 2022. We can do it, we have done it before, so let’s do it together. ????

I'm in!

I have a Sainsbury's order coming on Saturday, and it's brimming with veg.

I got a Pinch of Nom book for Christmas, and dug out a couple of veggie slow cooker books, and have planned a week's meals from those - well, 4 meals and 3 lots of leftovers. My plan is to aim for 16/8, keep simple carbs to a minimum, have no added sugar or obviously sugary treats/foods ?, and keep each meal to below 500 calories.

My downfall will be drinks, as I said above. I like to drink 'pretend' wine in the evenings, and it is full of sugar. I know it's just a habit, but it marks the transition from day to evening, and I like the ritual of opening a bottle and pouring the drink. I need to find a way of replacing that with a different habit, but it will take time, I think. I will have a tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar in hot water in the morning, and subsequent daytime drinks will be fruit tea, drunk hot or cold. I have soda water, and thought I could pour some of that into a gin glass in the evening, and drink it with a slice of lemon or cucumber. I will allow myself 'wine' at weekends.

So, tomorrow will involve finishing opened boxes of sweets and hoovering up the mince pies.

I downloaded the Lose It app, and will log progress on there.
I'll do a weigh-in and tummy measurement tomorrow to give myself a baseline. I won't be sharing them on here, as I'm too embarrassed, but I hope to be able to report reductions in both as time goes by.

Sorry for the splurge, but it feels more real if I type it out, and I like to plan for things like this. If there are any glaring gaps or errors, please let me know?

Whiff, I also have chocolates - my favourite ones, too. I am not giving them away, but plan to savour one a day at weekends, and not replace them when they are gone. Better than gorging on them tomorrow ahead of D Day!

Doodledog you have more will power than me over chocolates . If I could reach them the box would be gone in minutes that's why I climbed up on my stool and threw them to the back of my tallest cupboard. I have no stop. If I know the chocolates are mine that's it I eat them. Tried many decades ago to only have one a day never worked. I know my limits. Ice cream ,cake , bread products and cheese are also my no stop foods. Luckily I don't drink due to the amount of tablets I take.

Your plan is well thought out and sensible. Remember it's a marathon not a sprint.

I am making a lamb stew today only using the last 200g raw weight I had left in the freezer. I won't be buying anymore meat. For the amount I use it's not worth it . As the lamb will last me 6 dinners and I can make 2 pork steaks last 6 dinners. So I will only buy chicken thighs and Quorn mince chicken pieces and sausages which I already use. Don't want to go veggie still enjoy my chicken stews all year round.

Always add 150g pearl barley plus lots of veg. I try and eat a rainbow as a nutritionist told me many moons ago. Just means different coloured veg. Anyway it looks pretty.

If my calories are down on the day. I always add extra water as stews thicken in the fridge and can add extra veg or put in 30-40g pasta or bulger wheat.

Just discovered frozen rice in packs of 4 to microwave. Each pack is 280cal so I weight out half and pop that into a stew with 40g of my home made mango chutney turns it into a curry.

Doodledog write as much as you want. I ramble on . This is a lovely thread to be on . We are an assortment in NanKate's fruit bowl.

I know it's early but want to wish you all a happy new year and hope 2022 is a better year for everyone and you achieve all your goals . ???

A belated Merry Christmas to all my fellow pears and I wish us all A very happy and successful new year!!!
Could this picture be of us pears exercising in 2022???

I am delaying my 'getting stuck in again after Christmas' commitment as we have commitments next week that I know I would struggle through so it's best to wait.

I put on a bit over Christmas I'm sure, but thanks to having a tooth extracted on Wednesday and not being able to eat anything that wouldn't fit through a straw it looks like I may not be too bad? However, I'm not recording my weight this weekend but will register in next weekend as that will be my starting point for 2022!!!

Happy new year everyone - we will all see less of each other in 2022 but losses or blips we will all stick together and together will be get there! As Whiff said it is a marathon not a sprint and as I've said in the past - we're all in the same boat but some of us can paddle harder than others!

Always good advice from our Fruit Bowl. You’ve come to the right place Doodledog and I admire your Plan of Action.

Two tips, that might not suit everyone but help me. I put chocolates in the freezer and when I allow myself one I start by sucking it and make it last as long as possible. I too enjoy a tipple Doodledog I started watering down my white wine a year or so back and now prefer it like that.

See you all in the New Year Pears ? and Apples ? ?

I don’t drink alcohol - when I say wine, I mean non-alcoholic variety, usually fizz. It’s basically sugary water, but as I say, it’s a habit. I don’t think that watering it down would work - it’s probably better to ration it to weekends and switch to soda with lemon. The chocolate idea is a good one though. I wondered about putting them in a spare bedroom. That way I won’t see them (they are on the coffee table just now) and at least I’d burn a few calories going to get one ?.

Happy New Year everyone!

Sainsburys are delivering at 12, so let’s hope everything I ordered is in stock. It usually is, but people will be restocking after Christmas, so fingers crossed.

1st Jan 2022 - here we go - hoping to lose more than a couple of pounds this year , healthy eating starts today , 2 or 3 mini breaks coming up and ordered new dresses ( a size smaller , of course)
Fingers crossed xx