I’m a Pear ? the sequel part 3 - Wow!

Ah another Monday morning dear Pears! Still I finish work on Thursday and all the preparations done!
I love catching up with everyone. This is indeed probably the most motivating diet aid I have ever found?. It's made me so much more accountable.
You will get there Doodledog, just be gentle with yourself. We all know what it's like here and will be there for you. Everyone has a different method and approach. After many years I have returned to calorie counting,I find more effective as over got older. For me steepest learning curve was portion sizes! Fruit teas can be very good-time finding one you enjoy.
Glad you liked the sugar scrub idea Cocopops ?.
I put on 1 and 1/4 pounds this week. I havent really got into the festive treats yet but combining a busy work week and festive planning led to me feeling tired and making some unwise food choices. 2 take away not good ,well they were, but not exactly healthy!
Have a wonderful Christmas fellow Pears???

Thanks for your kind words CocoPops

A very big welcome Doodledog. You have come to the right place for help and encouragement , we are a lovely lot of Losers.

I have an underactive thyroid so fully understand the problems weight wise that the thyroid can cause.

The NHS 12 week Diet plan found online kick started me into eating less. In fact our latest mantra is Eat Less for Life.

With regard to drinks I love all the Feverfew drinks which I get at Sainsbury's I have trained myself to add water to all my drinks, even white wine, and now it seems normal to drink that way.

If you scan back you will see we all have found ‘eventually’ the eating plan that suits us best. I do suggest that you don’t go for anything too dramatic in weight loss as I have found from experience enthusiasm quickly wanes. Slowly but surely is my way.

From my experience it took me sometime to lose 3 stone so I suggest you choose your eating plan and just doggedly work at it. Quick weight loss in my experience is doomed from the start as usually the moment you let up you pile it back on and more.

If you have a bad day, as we all do, get straight on the wagon the next day don’t wait a week or a fortnight or even longer.

We are all here to give you help and encouragement.

Finally I have to congratulate you on your brilliant posts on GN, you will know the topic I mean. I wondered if you had some legal background as you answered some of the really nasty comments with calm, clear and sane answers. ?

Best of luck, Kate

@Doodledog Myvegan sell sweetener drops (FlavDrops) that are wonderful in tea & coffee (& cereal, tho I really shouldn't!). My favourites are Toffee in tea & coffee (really!) and White chocolate with cereal. Also great in protein shakes if using unsweetened soya milk. Best sweeteners I've ever tried.
Never buy them full price - they're always doing 50% off offers ?

NanKate Thanks so much for starting and continuing this thread. It has really helped me and I enjoy everyone's news and encouragement.
Brilliant news Sarah I knew you would succeed.
Dorset I made your sugar scrub with sugar, olive oil, lavender oil and food coluring. Thanks so much for the idea.
Whiff Your dragon is superb.
Doodledog Sorry that you have Graves disease. Aah.. New Year Resolutions! I think mine might be to stop baking other than when entertaining. Re: drinks. do you like herbal teas? I like the licorice and the ginger ones.
I am going away for Christmas and will postpone a weigh-in until January 1st when I will get back on the wagon.
Have a Merry Christmas Dear Pears.

I'm embarrassed to say that I have gained over 3 stone since lockdown. Partly this is because I have Graves Disease, which was diagnosed just before the first lockdown, and I have only had telephone conversations with my endocrinologist since then. I have also had breathing difficulties, which I think have been caused by the thyroid, as despite numerous tests there appears to be nothing wrong with my lungs or heart. Of course this, this has meant that I haven't wanted to go out during Covid, so have been getting very little exercise, and the weight has piled on.

I saw a photo of me taken recently, and was horrified. I have been living in baggy jumpers and leggings around the house, but had dressed up for an occasion which involved seeing people I had only met on Zoom for 18 months or so, before which I was a size 12. I felt awkward on the day, as I could see what people were thinking on their faces, but the photograph was the final straw.

I know that losing weight will be difficult with a thyroid complaint, but if I don't do something now, it will only get worse. I am supposedly having radiotherapy on my thyroid soon, but who knows what 'soon' means now that Covid is back, or whether the treatment will make things better or worse.

Anyway. I plan to have Christmas as planned, and start dieting on January 1st along with all the others with New Year resolutions. To be honest, I don't know where to start. I flirted with intermittent fasting a while ago, but it didn't really work. I know I eat too much sugar, and I need to cut back on that, particularly in drinks. I don't drink alcohol, but I don't like plain water, and have yet to find a drink I like that has neither sugar nor aspartame in it. Otherwise, I'm not sure what diet to follow. My husband is vegetarian, so a meat-heavy one like Atkins wouldn't really work. I also need to find ways to exercise that don't make me breathless .

My son gets married in May, which will give me five months to sort myself out so that I don't spoil his wedding photos. So this is me signing up to a promise to lose that 3 stone (or more) by then. All advice and encouragement is welcome, please?

That’s fanatastic sarahmob many congrats…..now to maintain ?.
I haven’t and won’t be stepping on scales till 27th…I have all ready started on festive eating and drinking, that was from Friday when all the family came down and we all went out for a 3 course …a lovely evening it was too….
Having left cataract done later, go in at 7.30am… be glad when this evening appears.
Has been very misty this last couple of days and frosty in mornings….I like the frosty mornings going out with J. but not the thick mist, can’t see in the distance and whether another dog is off lead at all, one came bounding up to J. Last week And fought instantly, both up on their hind legs lol….bloke rushed up and retrieved his dog and apologised , could do without that in early morning walks ….
Hope you all have a lovely time this Christmas, I hope we can still get to see family ?..

Up 0.3lb - been in training for Christmas having had to test odd bits and pieces to check they're ok for the festive season
Not overly concerned as am expecting it over the next few weeks - still hoping to be able to go away but who knows ...
Good luck everyone - all of you have a great Christmas (or the best possible!) - we will put on a bit I'm sure but with the new year comes new encouragement and determination!!!
Well done everyone for sticking with us - Sarahmob has done so well - congratulations!!!!!!
Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!

NanKate we where lucky we met when we where young. We where both stubborn and had tempers. Both the children are the same. We argued but never about anything important. But making up was fun.

When I got ill at 29 in 1988 he just said we will alter our way of life so we can still have a family life. Some men would have walked out but not my rock. Mind you he had wheelchair rage. In the early years my walking was so bad it was easier for me to go in a wheelchair. Wow betide anyone who got to close or cut in front for me he would aim for them. Clipped quite a few. Medical profession class me as disabled .I don't I just say I have problems. As far as benefits system I don't exist. No label no money.

He was an one off that's why I have never wanted to find love again as I still love him and he is still my husband that will never change.

Anyway my weight has stayed the same this week . Ok with that. My brother, sister in law and Aggie are coming for the day tomorrow. They exchanged and completed on there house last week and staying with her dad. The people buying his house want to move in before Christmas . So they will be staying with friends until they can move into their bungalow hopefully by the second week in January. They will be living on the north east. Moving over 100 miles like I did but I am in the north west.

Have a good week everyone. ?

Whiff I’m glad I reminded you of the wonderful times you had with your DH sadly cut short too soon. You must have been a perfect match. ❤️

NanKate you did make me laugh. I think cammy knickers and a Madonna pointed bra wouldn't have fit my then 19+st frame. Did wear french knickers pre marriage when I was 13st with stockings and suspender belt. For special occasions.
?.

Thank you for making remember those times. Made me remember the first time he kissed me . We where walking along next thing my back was against a electricity sub station. And he was kissing me. I remember thinking do I like this or not and am I don't it right . I was only 16 he was my first boyfriend not the first boy I had kissed.

He never stopped kissing for 29 years. The last time was the night before he died.

You did make me laugh.

Good morning all. Wow-massive well done Sarahmob ????. Not expecting a very good result when step on scales tomorrow! Thought I would pop in today before I wrap the last few presents and make my Christmas cake???. I also wanted to be able to find new thread easily! Happy Saturday!

Sarah a gold star ⭐️ for you. What a wonderful achievement. RESPECT.

Whiff you little devil I can see you now sashaying around the kitchen in you come and get me cammy knickers and Madonna pointed bra ??

Sarah brilliant ??????.

My husband loved me know matter how big I got. My weight was never an issue. He could never keep his hands to himself. Which was wonderful and miss that so much. He was a bugger and waited until my hand where in the sink and undo my bra?.

We are very lucky to have or had husband's that love and loved us so much.

He never had a weight problem and could eat what he liked?. Unfortunately that gene is missing in my make up.

?

??? huge celebrations in my house this morning, I stepped on the scales to see that I’d hit my target. I’ve achieved this with a great deal of will power on my part and the encouragement of all my fellow pears, I definitely couldn’t have done it without you, so huge thanks. I will be sticking around, I’m expecting an increase again over Christmas and will need to shift that and maybe the new year might see a new target, Juries out on that one, I’d like to go half a stone lower, DH says I’m perfect as I am (although he said that when I was at my heaviest ?)

What a great dragon Whiff.

Thanks for saying Whiff that I ‘sort out’ any negative, nasty comments. I surprise myself sometimes ?

You are very welcome kazzerb. Apples, pears and any shape you like make up our lovely bunch of losers.

Everyone here is given some dispensation at Christmas, we’re all human. However Christmas over eating used to last for about 2 weeks for me with my hips getting bigger by the day, so now I give myself 3 days of indulging and then I get back on the wagon. ? oh I should add New Year’s Eve too ?

Fabulous dragon, Whiff. Being crafty does help keep hands away from the biscuit barrel! (Which has been empty most of the year, but atm has naughtiness within! New Year’s resolutions are still a couple of weeks away….)

kazzerb look forward to reading your posts . This is a lovely thread to be on . No nasty posters. NanKate soon sorts then out. ?

Apple here but would love to join please

JoMarch hope you have a wonderful Christmas to.

Just heard my brother and sister in law have exchanged on their house. Should have been Friday and then yesterday. My brother told his solicitor and estate agent if it didn't happen today he was putting the house back on the market. Their buyers buyer wanted to exchange and complete on Friday but they said no. Their buyers agreed but my brother said no. Because they didn't want to be homeless for 2 days. But like my brother said not his problem. Their solicitor had dragged things out. They should have moved before Christmas but January now.

Going to blow my own trumpet as I am pleased with how it's turned out. It's a dragon I cross stitched as part of my sister in law's 60th birthday in January present.

So happy that this thread is continuing in its Part 3 guise! It helped me maintain ( more or less/ or ever so slightly more, tb absolutely h - it could have been SO much worse!!) last year. Although Christmas is not helpful to the waistline, I look forward to chatting and reading your posts in the New Year, dear Pears, and feeling the support from this wonderful community of losers. Please take that last in the spirit it is intended! A very merry one to you all!

Well said Whiff All fruit welcome. ?

NanKate and the rest of welcome any shape and size of fruit. We are a mixed bowl of fruit

Before losing some weight my boobs where small melons think they are now more grapefruit which disappear when I lie on my back ??.

I’m an Apple..?… are we permitted to post or is it just pears?