A pre-Christmas diet (well, sort of)

No, but it's a good idea.

I am trying. Very trying DH would say!

I haven't had a mince pie yet.

Does that count as a diet?

I started Fast 800 mid August and have almost reached my target weight. I did a trial run of mince pies for the family and ate just a quarter of one. Put the other three quarters back in the tin. My previous self would have eaten......... several

I will make our first batch of mince pies tomorrow. DD is going to do a zoom chat and make hers at the same time.

We'll then have a glass of sherry and drink a toast to DD1 who used to love our family 'first mince pie of Christmas' ritual.

I’d made 4 dozen (trad little shallow ones, thin pastry) on 30th November, and they were virtually all gone by about the evening of the 3rd December. ?

In mitigation of sheer piggery, half a dozen had gone to a dd, and another half dozen to elderly neighbours, but still....

I’ve still made another big batch though. ??

Yes! I went low carb last month, cutting out starchy/sugary foods, and I felt great. I ate lots of anti-inflammatory foods ... my aches and pains all but disappeared, I slept better, had more energy, and I lost 11lbs!

Then, a week ago, I had the first of my pre-Christmas social events, pigged out, and I've not stopped eating rubbish since! Why do I do this to myself?! Consequently, this morning, the scales have revealed that I've re-gained several pounds ... not in the least bit surprising! I'm back on my healthy eating plan as of this morning!

Nansnet exactly my experience! Only it was a bit longer ago than last month - more like 3. I have no idea what flipped my eating switch, you couldn’t even call it a social event but somehow I had “found” all the weight I had lost.
Wondering if I can actually psych myself up to do it again or just slide beneath the duvet

I’m impressed by anyone who can just eat one quarter of a mince pie and save the rest!

I’ve stopped drinking alcohol. Day 15 now and I’m totally surprised that I’m not missing it ... although I have become addicted to my mug of Horlick around 9pm. I’m sleeping so much better. I’ve lost 3lbs but I think my liver is the biggest beneficiary!

Thanks Urmstongran

I’m impressed by anyone who can just eat one quarter of a mince pie and save the rest!

I’m impressed by anyone who can resist finishing the box

I too started this last week and then foolishly on a particularly cold day which required comfort food i found two small individual syrup sponge puds in the cupboard that needed using up so DH and i had one each with custard.....mmmmh. Yesterday i had a pot of cream that required using before it ran out of date so i made a victoria sponge and used the cream as the filling. Now it is going to take us several days to eat it!!!!! I will hopefully restart by the end of the week and try to stick to healthly eating until Xmas.

I'm on the famous seafood diet, see food and eat it!

Yes, I'm on a keto diet - cut out sugar and all carbs. Haven't missed them either. The pounds are melting off and I've never felt hungry. Only 5 more pounds to my goal weight!

Bravo GL. I'm curious as to your motivation. Was it an irritation thing with yourself or has your sweet tooth abated? I'm hoping the latter.

I have been low carb for three years now, dropped all my menopause weight, got rid of all my painful inflammatory problems and sleep well. So no crap and healthy fats are my diet...!

I've been lockdown dieting , and have lost at least 3 stone ( buried head under sand at beginning - didn't weigh myself ! )
Planning to come off at Christmas and enjoy a week of lovely food. Then back on to lose that pesky last 7lbs ! Or perhaps 10lbs by then ??

Prescribed diets (can't think of what else to call them) don't work for me . Reading some of the comments, it seems they don't work for many of us. They don't work for me because once I come off them, the weight is back on in the blink of an eye.

The only diet that has almost worked is a sensible diet. Correct portions of the right food types.

My downfall is the snacking I do when at a low ebb. Or the baking I do, mainly for DH and the odd visitor (when we used to have them !). Chocolate is a weakness too.

I joined in with the forum "I'm a `Pear, Sequel part 2" last April and did well. Lost 1/2 a stone. One stone was my target. Stress levels went through the roof a few months later. I'm now back where I started. Bad snacks again to blame.

My meals are all extremely sensible. Any dietitian would be proud of me. I'm commenting today with the determination to not open the cake tin or biscuit tin later. DH will have strict instructions he is to get his own when he wants it.

I have stopped drinking any alcohol during the week. Figured I was saving around 1500 cals a week... Cut down on carbs but my DH makes the most amazing bread so very difficult to cut it out completely. I have halved rice portions though which I think is helping.

I find it hard in the cold to cut carbs, my body craves stodge. I cut out bread during the week, only drink at the weekends and overdose on veg if meal requires. But chilli without rice..... spag bog I can do courgettini in the summer, but December.....nooo

I have slowly managed to shed 2 stones over the past year. I put some on again at the start of lockdown, through ‘boredom eating’, but have now lost it again.
I always find it harder to lose/keep level in the cold weather. Although my ideal weight is supposed to be around 120lbs I know that there’s no way on earth that I will ever reach that. Once I get down to 140 my body seems to decide that I have reached my target. Losing any more is almost impossible, and the slightest lapse sees pounds reappear almost overnight! Does anyone else have this problem?
I am just focusing on eating sensibly and trying to maintain the weight I am. Christmas will be a very quiet affair, with few temptations, and I am going to resist baking or buying a lot of goodies for myself. Hopefully, when the weather improves, I will have more incentive to try to shed a few more pounds.
Good luck to all of you who are struggling with weight problems.

If you cut out/down don't stinge on the butter. You need fat... it is not your enemy. Carbs are.
Btw.. you didn't mention cutting out sugar but i think you took that as read. Worst carbs ever

Well done to everyone who has successfully lost weight and to those who are losing and my sympathy with those who are struggling. Since I retired aged 62 three years ago I have put on about 10/11 pounds. It may not sound a lot but it makes a difference to how I feel generally and the fit of my clothes. I just can’t seem to shift it, despite trying to exercise more (trying to walk more). It’s very hard, isn’t’t it? I know I would feel so much better if I lost the 10 lbs. It has settled on my stomach and the waistband on my trousers are very tight so I’m wearing elasticated waist trousers at the moment. They’re alright to wear in the house with a long top but I don’t like wearing them outside. I might just have to accept the weight gain and buy a bigger size!☹️

mimismo! ha ha.. I go on the seafood' diet 'too! Trying to stop eating mince pies yet though!