I’m a Pear ? the sequel part 3 - Wow!

Here I go again. Scared to get on the scales. Have put on all the weight I lost mainly because of the awful weather and not wanting to go out. Have just ate a load of chocolate ( I wish people wouldn’t buy it for me) but it’s gone now so I shall start again tomorrow. I’d give anything to go to the gym again.

Hello ladies! I'm not a member but I do pop in for a nose every now and again. You are such a positive, jovial and uplifting lot and I love your friendly and supportive banter to each other. It cheers me up no end. Thank you all and keep up the good work. Never an unkind or rude word on here. Bravo!

Doodledog I have a nuerolocial condition , PAF and was born with a heart defect . Don't know if it can
be fixed but I am 63 only found out when I was 62.

I go to an exercise class called active ageing run by my local council it's by GP referral.

It's a combination of sit down exercises,stand up holding the back of a chair and walking exercises. It's a hour. 12 weeks free them £2.50 a week and tea/coffee and biscuits afterwards. All the exercises are aimed at strength and stability. You get a workout but not out of breath. I am the youngest in the class oldest is 92. I use a walking stick but my last class before Christmas did the class without it.

Before I moved did a community fit club run by Age UK and did arm exercise sitting down and leg ones holding onto the back of a chair 12 weeks it was free.

If you Google sit down exercise classes some should be some in your area.

The whole put of exercising in my opinion is to feel better but not get out of breath or hurting. My stability has improved and my arms are stronger.

Don't know if this information is of any use to you. ?

I just joined Slimming world last night , need to lose about 2 and 1/2 stone. Although the SWbook says I should be 9st for my height ( totally unrealistic at my age) .
But the recipes seem nice and appetising . I will try my best to keep it up . Exercising will be a challenge !

Despite eating my body weight many times over in all sorts of good food and naughty food for about 3 weeks, I went to Slimming World yesterday and have "only" put of 3 lbs. I think this is because I swim about 3/4 times a week and try to do long (for me) walks a couple of times a week. I have about 4 stone to lose but if I can this year lose a couple of it I shall be happy. Up to me of course. I'm now about to put in an order for Iceland SW meals as I am a pretty lousy cook and these help me eat well. Be interesting to see how I go.

I’m trying to get more exercise too, Nansnet, but it’s tricky because I have Graves (a thyroid condition) and possibly related breathlessness. I can’t do a lot without getting out of breath, which is really limiting when it comes to exercise. It’s really limiting full stop, but that’s a different story.

I got an Apple Watch to track steps and general movement as well as more vigorous exercise, and I’m hoping that will encourage me to move more. I’ve only had it a couple of days, so it’s hard to tell how effective it will be.

At the moment I am getting used to the settings, and it feels like having a sergeant major on my wrist?. It’s always bossing me about and telling me to do something! I’ll shut it up a bit when I work out what I want it to do.

Mmm, soup. I go through phases of making it. I often seem to have leftover veg that ends up getting thrown away ... so wasteful, I know! I'm going to make an effort to use it all up by making soup for the freezer, then I'll always have a healthy lunch available if I want something warm.

Day 3 went well yesterday ... or at least as far as my food intake was concerned. However, DH came home from work, having had a stressful day, and suggested a glass of wine with dinner! I was feeling rather stressed/angry myself about the current situation where we live, regarding newly announced 'C' restrictions (I won't spell out the word as it's annoying me immensely!), but that's another thread, so I won't elaborate!Anyway, I'll confess that I had two glasses! I'm not going to let it worry me, and I'm straight back on track today, so hopefully it won't undo any good that I've already done!

I'm having an exercise class today, which I haven't done in a while, so I'm hoping I can manage it without too much of a struggle! I really would like to get back into it regularly, as I've noticed how much less supple I've become since not attending my classes. At least I'm making a start!

It's really looming at the moment, 2 of my children already had it and I didn't catch it then but this new variant is a lot more contagious. My booster won't have had time to kick in either. Fingers crossed.

I have been inspired to buy soup, this time, I bet home made is far superior

I make a lot of soup too, and also dhals. We get through a lot of lentils and pulses in this house.

I have chicken in the fridge that needs using today. My husband is vegetarian, so when I do have meat, which isn't often, I have to remember to eat it before it has to be binned.

Not fun Violet!! Bad luck! ?

Whiff thankyou for taking the time to do that. You have done SO well! As I am not on my own, and living with a husband who seems able to eat a mountain and not gain a pound, I just would not be able to follow quite the same regime, but can certainly take some of those ideas on board. I don't eat meat as I don't like it but I do eat a bit of fish. I love lentils etc, my husband rather less so but we compromise. He is actually very supportive but trying to sort out my portion/his portion seems to go haywire!! He needs to eat more than me basically otherwise he would be unhealthily thin!

Anyway I am going to think about your soups and things! ?

I think I will be off to a good start as I have no appetite. My two AC have tested positive for covid and I had my booster sunday and have been unwell since. So waiting for a PCR test result to rule out catching covid from them. Either way, bad stomach that does not want anything in it.

Forgot to say I do have treats . Yesterday had toasted teacake when I was with a friend but add the calories so only had extra veg with my stew last night.

Madgran this is my way of eating won't suit most people. But it works for me . Also because I am not always so well means I always have lunch and dinner in the fridge to reheat .
Breakfast is 50g of dry porridge and made with coconut milk. That way I don't need any honey in it. Coconut milk doesn't taste coconutty. But gives it a lovely texture. If I haven't got coconut milk I use skimmed milk with 15g honey .

Lunch is my lentil and whatever soup I use my largest saucepan. 150g red lentils ,5 veg oxo cubes and any veg fresh or frozen I want to put in.The one I am eating at the moment has 370g butternut squash,333g carrot,251g sweet potato,480g courgette and 362g onion. It works out at 136 cals per full bowl that I will have for 6-7 lunches. I always blitz my soup with stick blender. It thickens in the fridge. I use 8 level spoons of a serving spoon but always add some water to loosen it. Because I bring to the boil you have to eat it slowly . I even have soup in the summer no matter how hot it is.

Dinner is a stew of some sort or a lasagne which lasts 6 dinners. I alternate between meat or chicken and Quorn. With meat or chicken always use 150g of pearl barley and 5 oxos again in my largest saucepan the one I am eating at the moment 230g raw lamb weight,465g courgette,616g carrot,465g butternut squash and 10 spring onions . Comes to 200 cals portion. Always add extra water to reheat as it thickens in the fridge.

Always have some Easiyo unsweetened Greek style yogurt and stewed fruit sweetened with granular sweetener . Usually 130-138g yogurt and 130-150g fruit. Always weight this out when my breakfast is cooking so I now how many calories I have left for the day.

I drink tea or fruit tea and low cal hot chocolate 11g is 40cals.

If I am low on my cals for the day add extra veg to my dinner and either 30-40g of bulgar wheat or pasta to my dinner.

My lasagne is made with Quorn mince 300g only 4 lasagne sheets,30g flour,30g light olive spread ,skimmed milk and 50g mature cheddar. Sauce only on top . Add whatever veg I fancy when I cook the mince with 5 oxos.

If I use Quorn sausage I fry them in little oil to brown and cut each of the 8 sausages into 8. If I use Quorn chicken pieces it's 300g plus plenty of veg and either 150g pasta or tin of beans haricot etc.

This works for me and as I am my own I don't mind eating the same meals. I make my own jams, marmalade and chutney. So if I want a curry I add 40g of my mango chutney to a stew. Recently found frozen rice. It comes in 4 packs but only use half a packet 140cals add that to the curried stew from frozen and reheat.

Hopefully you are still awake. I always shred the meat or chicken when hot so a little goes a long way and you get meat in each mouth full.

Like I say it won't suit most people but it's how I lost 7st . But I started this journey April 2017. Still want to loss just over stone and a half. If it takes me a year so be it .

If I stay the same weight or put on I just keep going and don't give up. It's a marathon not a sprint. Lost weight quickly in the past and it went on even quicker plus more. But not anymore. So I just keep plodding along.

Probably more information you needed but I ramble on. ?

Nankate I also do the small cake portion etc. too and that works well for me.

Its pre cooked weights for things like pasta, rice, etc ...never know how much I should cook, then when I try to cook less it all looks so small in amount! Or I look up recommended portion size and end up thinking no that cant be right and add a bit more! Hmmm...the problem here is me not sticking to the recommendation isnt it!!

All welcome here DerbyshireLass.

One piece of advice from an old timer at this sort of thing, let yourself have an occasional treat so the you don’t feel too deprived. I like cake so occasionally I have a half or a quarter size portion. I’m so in the habit of doing this that it seems normal to have small portions. If DH and I go for coffee and cake at a garden centre I have a third of his cake and eat it slowly. It works for us.

Best of luck.

For me the problem is definitely portion size a lot of the time! I struggle to get it right. I really do need to look into portion eights pre cooked portion sizes more. Is that what you do Whiff when you say you weigh everything?

Doodledog it is a shock when you realise how much you eat between meals. The pineapple was a good choice as it also counts to your 5 a day .

Nansnet I write everything I eat and drink in note books. I like to see it at hand . I measure and weigh everything and count calories it's the only way that works for me .

Well I braved the scales this morning as I usually weight myself everyday but only count what I weigh on a Sunday . Hadn't weighed myself since the 19th December. I have been sticking to my usual way of eating since Saturday and much to my surprise and delight had only put on 1.75lbs. How I only put on so little I don't know as I have eaten 4 boxes of Turkish delight, 2 boxes of chocolates only 10 chocolates but they where the luxury sort and a small tin of biscuits. And Christmas day 2 slices of chocolate torte with salted caramel topping.

See what I weigh on Sunday as that is the weight I record in my note book. Same note book I have been using since I started this journey.

We all have ups and does with our weight and sometimes don't lose anything for weeks but I look on that
as an achievement. If I put on I don't give myself a hard time nor do I give up. Had decades of doing that. I love the new fitter slimmer me. Will always have flabby bits and big thighs but have learnt to love all my wobbles bits.

It's a long journey but well worth the effort. To be honest I have never owned so many items of clothing nor in such bright colours. And wearing trousers who would have thought I would do that. Definitely not the old size 32 me. But the size 16 me feels confident wearing them . That's thanks to my daughter persuading me to try a pair on.

Well carry on the good work. ?

Good morning! It certainly sounds like everyone is feeling very motivated, and off to a good start for the new year! I'm so glad that I joined this group, it's just what I need to keep me on track.

Doodledog, like you, I'm only going to weigh myself weekly, as I know I'd become a bit obsessive about it if I did it more often. Knowing how my weight fluctuates on a daily basis, I'd become despondent whenever I saw a slight increase. This time, I'm more interested in how my clothes fit, and the health benefits of losing weight. But it will be good to see the scales going down too!

I had a good second day on track yesterday, and I find it really helps me jot down everything that I've eaten in my little journal ... I know that there are plenty of apps out there to that, but I'm a bit 'old-school' when it comes it to technology, and prefer a pen and paper!

Hope you all a good day 'on track'!

I'm getting impatient, and I've only been doing this since Sunday?.

I decided only to weigh myself once a week, as really I'm more interested in how my clothes fit (and with luck being able to buy a dress in a smaller size for the wedding in May) than with weight. Obviously the two are linked, but I don't want to get obsessive about it.

I don't think I realised how much I snacked. I went into the kitchen earlier, and was about to get a bit of Christmas cake, when I remembered that I'm trying to lose weight, and was quite surprised at myself, as it would have been pretty much automatic pilot, and I wouldn't have noticed. Now that I'm logging everything on the Lose It app, I'm much more aware of what I eat.

I got a tub of chopped pineapple, and snacked on that instead. I know fruit has a lot of sugar in it, but I'll log it on the app, and think I will still be in credit, calories wise.

Thanks Whiff

Hopefully we can all keep ourselves on track Violetit is great getting ideas from others. Wish I had seen this thread before!

Madgran and DerbyshireLass glad you have joined this thread. Is a nice place to be. Best thing about it is everyone has various ways eating less for life. NanKate's new name for dieting. Plenty of tips ,advice and friendship.

Look forward to seeing your posts. ?

Pretty sure I just burned more calories than an After 8 rooting around in the box looking for an unempty packet

Hey Madgran we have the same weight loss goal, maybe we can keep each other on track!

Hello, Well I have just seen this thread referred to by Whiff on another thread, taken a look and thought ...Oh wow, why didn't see this before?!

I don't want to lose huge amounts of weight - about 1 stone - but I am certainly going to start looking at all the tips, advice and encouragement on here, from now on! Hopefully I might provide a few suggestions as well.