Gransnet forums

Dieting & exercise

I’m a Pear/Apple - Part 5. Still going!!

(852 Posts)
NanKate Tue 22-Oct-24 12:47:23

On 08 May 2018 I started this thread for those who wanted to lose weight and have a healthier lifestyle.

We now have a small band of ā€˜regulars’ called Pears and Apples. I am so grateful to those who have stayed loyal and contributed a lot of useful information and given support, especially Whiff šŸ‘

Do join us, the rules are simple.

Choose your own style of diet plan.

Check in regularly with a report of the highs and lows of the diet.

Have an occasional binge but get back on the wagon ASAP.

Pass on any useful diet tips.

You have nothing to lose on this thread, other than weight.

Our mantra is - EAT LESS FOR LIFE.

NanKate Sun 27-Apr-25 07:27:37

MayBe70 this weight loss lark is not easy.

Is there any chance that you could explain to your partner how important it is for your health to lose some weight? Some days of the week I cook for DH and myself, others he cooks for himself and I cook my meal. When I feel I have eaten too much in the day for supper I have a bowl of cereal topped with yogurt and fruit to even things out a bit.

MayBee70 Sun 27-Apr-25 09:18:42

I have been more assertive recently and told him that if I fancy eg egg on toast for my tea that’s what I’ll have. Ever since I’ve know him he’s been a ā€˜ feeder’ and I’m someone that will never leave any food on my plate. I’ve, hopefully, meal planned for the next week in a way that doesn’t leave me in the kitchen too much. I hate cooking!

NanKate Sun 27-Apr-25 10:13:04

Snap I hate cooking too šŸ˜„

silverlining48 Sun 27-Apr-25 13:54:38

I don’t cook any more, dh likes cooking, I don’t, so I have handed the apron over, but have to watch him because he is a feeder too, and I find it hard to leave food on the plate. Old habits….

MayBee70 Sun 27-Apr-25 16:31:49

He once bought me a huge chocolate birthday cake because someone he knew at work made them. But I was the only person that would be eating it. When I first knew him and pointed out that I was putting on weight he said ā€˜ you must be content then’. My reply being how on earth can I be content about putting on weight. I’ve always thought that comment was a throw back to his childhood and would have been something his mother would say to him. He is the complete opposite of my ex who wanted me stick thin and contributed to my having a lifelong unhealthy relationship with food as, when I started going out with him I’d put on a lot of weight after yet another disastrous relationship ( I’d met him prior to that when I was thin but he had remarked to his friend that I had horrible fat legs sad ). No matter how much weight I’ve lost throughout my life my legs have always been fat; even when I was 7 stone and lived on fresh air.

MayBee70 Mon 28-Apr-25 12:37:01

Well, that was a good start. I binged on a load of bread and jam late last night ( at least it was healthy brown sourdough) something I haven’t done for ages. I am going to not eat till teatime because of it. Again something I don’t do now as I just try to go back to normal eating asap not eg trying not to eat for a day to compensate for it.

silverlining48 Mon 28-Apr-25 13:34:01

I am struggling because I just feel hungry all the time. I have been on the weight loss path for 35 years and know the routine.
Always eat healthily but these past few days just want unhealthy food and lots of it.
So far have resisted but it’s getting harder.

MayBee70 Mon 28-Apr-25 15:11:11

I never actually feel hungry. When I ate my tea last night I wasn’t actually hungry, I ate because it was tea time. And when I ate the bread I wasn’t hungry at all but couldn’t seem to stop myself. I do find that sipping hot water helps. It’s all down to my mood. When I’m very miserable I can’t eat at all but a bit fed up and I can devour packets of crisps or mounds of chocolate!

silverlining48 Mon 28-Apr-25 16:07:42

I say I am hungry all the time, I realise it’s not hunger, but suddenly I think of chocolate or crisps and then really want them.
I am ok in the day but it’s evenings when my mind turns to chocolate. Why it never turns to carrots šŸ„• or cabbage 🄬 I will never understand.

MayBee70 Mon 28-Apr-25 17:03:28

I’m never hungry, but I’m never full, either. I don’t have a stop button that says if you eat another chocolate you won’t enjoy it you’ll just feel sick and regret it. So I eat it without enjoying it, almost as if I’m punishing myself in some way. The pandemic did improve my mindset in that I wasn’t sure if I could replace anything I ate so I did manage to have two pieces of Kit Kat and save the other two for the next day and, most of the time I can still do that. But if I have a box of chocolates in the house I will eat the whole box. I can now usually eat three digestive biscuits ( it has to be three!) and not the whole packet but still occasionally will eat lots of them late at night.

Lesley60 Mon 28-Apr-25 17:18:40

Could I join your group please, I don’t eat big portions but I have a very sweet tooth and keep pinching chocolate from my grandchildren’s chocolate cupboard (it’s in my house šŸ˜‚) I have a fair bit of weight to lose as it has crept up.
One of my problems is that my mobility isn’t great due to multiple reasons so can’t exercise

NanKate Mon 28-Apr-25 17:37:44

Lesley60 you are most welcome to join us on our Eating Less for Life Plan. We all choose our own method, mine is calorie counting,

We don’t criticise here and if we have a bad few day/days/months we get back on the band wagon asap.

silverlining48 Mon 28-Apr-25 17:47:31

I am never full either, I could eat much more if I waited for the I have had enough moment, so I just stop when I think I need to.
I have a friend who feels full after half a sandwich. She often asks if we can share a bog standard two slice sandwich, but it’s definitely not enough for me. I could easily manage two rounds, but wouldn’t.
Welcome Lesley. smile

NanKate Mon 28-Apr-25 19:56:00

For those of you not feeling full, have you tried drinking a large glass of water with a low calorie cordial, that can take the edge of hunger.

If you like Kefir that is a very good way to reduce hunger. Half a small glass and it feels as if your stomach is no longer empty.

Losing weight is a mind game in my opinion.

MayBee70 Mon 28-Apr-25 20:24:15

Lesley. My mobility is bad these days, too, which is one of my problems. When I think about it I used to be on my feet all day at work and I now eat the same amount but hardly leave the house. It’s difficult isn’t it. I’d set myself 4 weeks away from home and half a stone lighter (the half stone I’d put on) but three weeks on and the weight hasn’t gone.

silverlining48 Mon 28-Apr-25 20:41:41

Maybee It has taken me 10 weeks with SW to lose my half stone and I am mobile so don’t be disheartened. I am now looking towards the next half stone but accept it may take a while.

MayBee70 Mon 28-Apr-25 21:24:11

I’m quite good at losing weight when I set my mind to it. I’ve got five days to try to lose a bit. I ate a huge meal tonight because I’d cooked for both of us and I’ve made a trifle because there’s food to be used up before I go home. I wish I could go on the sort of holidays I used to have in which I didn’t have to cook and clean.

silverlining48 Tue 29-Apr-25 09:55:42

Lesley, do yourself a favour by moving the children’s chocolate cupboard else where. Their house perhaps but not yours.
As for exercise, yes it’s important for many reasons, but losing weight is more about how much food we eat.
I was surprised that a small apple requires half hour on a treadmill to work the cals off. Imagine a whole days food eaten. We wouldnt have any time for anything else as we’d be on that treadmill the whole time.

So worry less about exercise good though it is, and more about that cupboard full of danger ….and oh, such (short term) joy. 🤩

MayBee70 Tue 29-Apr-25 14:44:59

I lost a lot of weight during the pandemic even though I wasn’t getting much exercise and it was purely down to not snacking between meals. I even lost inches as well as weight. I’d assume that I wasn’t eating much bread, either; something I try not to do but I then get back into the habit of eating it again. It’s surprising how many calories a bit of snacking can knock up.

MayBee70 Wed 30-Apr-25 00:32:29

Oh dear. Feeling really fed up tonight and have eaten two slices of bread and butter, three digestive biscuits and three packets of crisps. This on top of quite a large evening meal with pudding ( trifle).Don’t think I’m going to get back in track till I go home. Doesn’t help that the dog is poorly again ( bad tum).

NanKate Wed 30-Apr-25 07:12:02

Maybee you are feeling down and worried about your dog no wonder you have slipped back in your eating habits. Cut your self a bit of slack. Start each day freshly and try bit by bit to eat less. Try my trick of drinking plenty of liquid when you feel like snacking.

The really good thing is that you haven’t left this Pears and Apples thread, so you haven’t given up. Well done. šŸ’

Whiff Wed 30-Apr-25 07:19:22

Unfortunately I gave in to the munchies this week but it was yogurt and fruit unfortunately it took me over my cal allowance every day which means I put 2 lb on. Why is I know I don't need it and even after having a drink to stave it off I still eat it 😔🤦🤦. Trying really hard as I go away on the 12th to Llandudno and will be eating differently but will try pick all the lower cal options . Plus go without lunch. As I do have muesli and yogurt,followed by carbs for breakfast love Premier Inn breakfast selection . Plus have booked the meal deal so that's 2 courses.

I will still do my morning exercises and will walk as much as I can with rests in-between.

silverlining your body is getting used to having less cals a day so it has to adjust itself hence staying the same . Well that's my theory as my body did that when the stones came off. Are you able to do any exercise that gets you as our move it or lose instructor says gets you hot and sweaty but not out of breath. Don't agree with the sweaty bit as a good deodorant deals with that . If you can't find a class you would like to do sit fit ,pilates etc . Move it or lose it has on line exercise routine plus a book. I have brought the book as I can't remember the moves and our instructor is away for the whole of August. I wish she would do most of the exercises the same every week with alternating with different ones but still repeating them after a couple of weeks. I will have a word with her. As I can't be the only one who likes repetition.

That's the great thing about our sit fit instructor we do most the same exercises every week in different order after the stretching. Plus adds a few ones we repeat every few weeks . I can remember all the moves . Have been going for 2 years since January. 10 weeks at move it or lose it .

MayBee could you still cook the meals but make lower cal ones if you give him a bigger portion he shouldn't notice. But I have meet you both and if you explain how unhappy you are with your weight even though I know he will say you are perfect I am sure he will understand and may want to lose a few pounds himself . Can you manage to do a few exercises other than walking . No matter how much pain I am in or if my HPX is playing up I still do my exercises at home and go to my classes each week. In move it or lose it lost my balance twice but I sit by the wall and it stopped me from falling during the stand up exercises.

Well it's my birthday today 67 . Going out for lunch with my daughter and grandson. She text me on Monday and asked if I had plans as I hadn't she sent me the link to the menu to the restaurant she thought I would like to make sure their was food I could and would like to eat. šŸ˜‹. Will cut down on my breakfast and if we have 2 courses just have my soup for dinner. This is where the book will come in handy because when I come back and count the cals. That's the good thing about Primier inn and Travel lodge they have cals on their menus . Just wish the meal deal had more veggie options. They have beef lasagne but not veggie. I did email about lack of veggie options on the meal deal last year and done so again this year . On the main menu there are lots more.

Whiff Wed 30-Apr-25 07:56:28

I was a page behind so only just reading this page.

MayBee be careful with wholemeal sourdough as it can upset your tummy if you eat to much . I can't have chocolate in my home . My grandsons brought me a Maltesers bunny and a little Lindt bunny as soon as they left I eat them . If I need chocolate for a cake for my craft group or if having the grandsons can't buy the chocolate until the day before. Christmas as soon as I have brought chocolate or biscuits for presents have to wrap them otherwise I will eat them and have to buy replacements. 🤦.

I always feel hungry of a morning but I do my exercises and my pedals before I have my breakfast . Don't feel hungry during the day but I like having my meals at set times when home . It's my love of routine it's how I have coped with my HPX my whole life. Plus my parents brought us up having meals at set times.

Welcome Lesley to the fruits . I am disabled and my mobility is effected but if you would like I could give you some exercises I am sure you could do . My sister in law has MS and exercises and has physio to keep her mobility. She uses a wheelchair when out and friend has osteoporosis since she was 30 over 40 years now and has physio. If you PM and if you don't mind telling me what is wrong I will give you exercises you could do . But if you don't want to I respect your privacy.

I have hereditary Hyperekplexia gene mutation SLC6A5 type 3 which is a mutant gene in my brain receptors it's rare and only having my whole genome genetically tested found out when I was 63 what it was. In 2020 and confirmed where it was also born with a small hole in the side of my heart . I have PAF and on heart medication to regulate it but still miss heart beats,get heart flutters and palpitations occasionally. My mobility has been effected my whole life and fall,lose my balance and numerous other things my HPX effects .

MayBee sorry your dog is poorly again she is lovely and sweet natured.

I don't give my grandsons sweets or chocolate any time as my daughter and my son before the estrangement limit what they can have.

But I do bake cakes and biscuits for them but always ask my daughter if they can have them before making them. But when I have them for the day separately as they are 7&4we always bake as they love cooking with nannie . They are only allowed one cake or biscuits here and take the rest home . I always tell them mommy and daddy are to have some . They try and say but only one , but tell them they have to share equally .

Well think that's that for this week hope I haven't missed anyone out. I to have missed Frug dam forgot the rest of her name and can't go back a page or will lose this post. I hope she is well.

This is a wonderful group but it's not just about weight it's like talking to old friends about what we are up to .

MayBee70 Wed 30-Apr-25 12:15:44

I’m not too worried about the dog as she has a bad tummy every few months. But I was up with her 5/6 times in the night and she wanders around the garden and it’s exhausting. I do feel sorry for her, though, and worry that her tum is hurting her. I would really like a holiday in which I could read and exercise and not cook/clean etc. The only difference with being at my partners compared to home is that I can’t drive anywhere and I have to cook, because I don’t cook at home. And I have to leave the house spotless as, when he’s not here he lets friends stay. His idea of ā€˜clean and tidy’ isn’t mine so we argue about it. I bought one of those Pilates exercise hoops the other day and now have a pain in my lower tummy. I’m hoping it’s because of the exercises I’ve been doing. I want to start going to the gym again when I go home.

Sillymoo Wed 30-Apr-25 15:26:06

I braved the meeting scales after the Easter excesses. Pleased to have shed the extra and back to my pre chocolate weight. 3 weeks to hols and 3 above target.....can I do it??

Barbecue tonight which could be healthy and low calorie, but probably won't be!