Frugal February

cavewoman are you vegetarian?

Of course you are welcome michelle and everyone else I’ve not had a chance to reply to.

cavewoman I use Knorr stockpots.
They’re like concentrated jelly and don’t have that sharp powdery taste you get with granules or powders.
You don’t usually need to use a whole one - I wrap the leftover pot in cling film & keep it in the fridge.

OldMeg: how do we keep in touch with each other? I need mutual support and encouragement! Haven't started yet . . .

Can I join in please? Over the past few months I've put on a stone and my knicker size has gone from 14 to18. I don't quite know how it happened or how the pounds crept on. Going to a party tonight; rare occasion [and I dread parties anyway] but there is nothing in my wardrobe that fits. I've got rolls of fat around my waist; have always been pear shaped but have never had fat like this. Been quite careful with what I eat for the past couple of weeks but things haven't improved. I do blame it on wearing leggings as, when I used to wear jeans I had the warning signal of them not doing up. Also haven't been to my gym for ages [although did go to a gym three times when we were away last week].

cavewoman have you tried Marigold stock? Also has a vegan variety. I find it doesn’t have the odd tang that a lot of vegetable stocks do.

Of course Tegan ?? We’re all going to be losers. Join in, you’ve nothing to lose or rather ......?

Grandmama we’ll launch properly on 1st Feb. We can keep in touch on this thread and through PMs if you want.

You’ll find support on here. In the meantime get in the right mind set and start chucking out anything that needs getting rid of. If it’s not in the house you can’t eat it.

I'd like to join in too, please. I abandoned my usual diet and exercise routines over the holidays and have put on at least a stone.

Count me in please! After trying unsuccessfully to zip up a dress I was intending wearing to a Burns Supper last night, I feel the time has come to reassess my middle/old age spread! No more biscuits,cakes and sweets and stick to the 16:8 eating. That's my plan!

My trousers are all a bit tight and I bought a nice new top from White Stuff on Friday which would look much better a bit looser
Out comes the soup maker ready for Thursday, in the meantime DH wants a crumble for pudding today

I usually make soup at least twice a week in the winter. Each pot does us two days but I put it in the fridge and leave a day in between to vary our diet. I have been using Marigold stock since Delia started out but also use the Knorr jelly ones as mentioned by Janeainsworth. Will definitely be doing Frugal February and logging in here for encouragement!!

I'm in please...
But just made a parkin for work next week, and a banana loaf for here (at home) as OH is on rations in Feb for sure Drs orders and I certainly could do with some loss around the middle.
Also dd is has just declared herself non meat eating again so vegetable options are going to be good too.

Out last night to a Spanish tapas. So that is something I will have to avoid, as I put on 1lb overnight and it wasnt very frugal either!

It is so frustrating. So I lost and gained 1lb last week. I have a weighing app on my iPad and I haven’t entered anything since October last. I am exactly the same weight -12 13 -for my height my top healthy weight should be 11st and a bit so that is what I’m aiming for, but given I haven’t been that weight since about my 30s I don’t hold out too much hope. I’m a size 18.

The buggery thing is that I never buy, biscuits, cake or anything like that. Never have puddings except once in a blue moon.

Today we’ve had
1 boiled egg and a small piece of bread and butter
1 salad with Wensleydale and apricot cheese with olive oil dressing
Tea and coffee to drink.
Tonight’s supper is Mediterranean vegetable stew which is 216 calories.

See what happens to my weight in the morning.

Good luck with this, lets hope you don't get the snide comments I did when I said I was doing dry January and Veganuary - e..g I was just sheepishly following some money making fad and it wouldn't do anyone any good etc. Anyway, I am continuing into February as I feel much more energetic and have lost a few lbs, without any real effort. I would suggest one way of loosing a few lbs would be to eat anything you like, but it mustn't come in a packet with more than 3 ingredients on the list. That will cut out most processed (fattening) foods)

Already had a few of those suzied and I resisted the temptation to tell them to go and rain on their own parade ?

Grammar, GrannyHaggis, Jacq, Dogsmother st al great! The more the merrier.

I’ve also dug out the soup maker Jalima made a practice run yesterday with left over cabbage, an onion and bacon. Made up the recipe and it was ok for a leftover soup. Felt very virtuous. Also made a leaf loaf with left over dried fruit from Christmas, thinking that’ll last for yonks, but family arrived and devoured every last crumb ??

Tea loaf not leaf loaf ?

whitewave Try not to panic over 1lb - there is a lot of salt in the average tapa, so your body could have retained quite a lot of water overnight because of it, and you might find that both water and weight have disappeared again by tomorrow. That's what often happens to me, anyway.

Thanks mama I hadn’t thought of that. Fingers crossed, although I have had mixed quinoa, rice and seeds with the veg stew as I thought that the calories were so low we would be hungry later and would start to pick.

Have you all started?
I was waiting until Thursday oh dear - will try not to put any one in between now and then

on not one
not even one

I'd like to join in too please OldMeg ? I need to start job hunting and have realized that none of my 'smart' clothes fit me properly any more! It's far too easy on wet winter nights to curl up with comfort food, so having mutual support ( & distraction!) on this thread sounds like a great idea. Will try not to rush out and eat all the cakes in Yorkshire between now and Thursday....

Welcome Millbrook let’s get you back into your work suits.

I don’t think we’ve actually started yet Jalima but we’re under Starters Orders (put that on for Tegan!) and a couple are already on a diet so this is to spur them on and keep them going.

Only 4 more sleeps.

I'm not starting until Thursday either.

suzie I like your tip about 3 ingredients.

Not heard of Marigold stock before, so I will be giving it a try.

I'm keen to increase my level of healthy gut bacteria and I wondered if anyone uses kefir in their diet?

Well Wilma why don’t you be our guinea pig, give it a go and report back. It certainly sounds worth a try.

I was a bit tired when I posted last night. What I was trying to say is that most of us are starting on Thursday but there are a couple who have been on a diet for a while and might be flagging or losing incentive. These will join us on Thursday as an incentive to keep going.

My cupboards are bare of temptation. My only alcohol left is red wine. My soup maker is at the front of the cupboard and I have a a couple of crustless loaves in the freezer.

I’ve decided to keep to the 16:8, to cut way back on carbs, I’ll up my veg and the only treats I’m allowing myself are those I bake myself ?

What have others decided? Remember this is finding what suits you best and finding something you can stick to.

Three more sleeps???

DH tried to buy some kefir in ASDA, but couldn't find any even though online shows 2 brands available . Will try and look in Tesco this week.