December Gratitude and Chat Thread

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DreamOn145
DreamOn145 Posts: 468 Member
Good morning everyone! Here I am back for my once a month check in. I have been with this group so long (2013 I started with MFP, maybe with this group too?) that doing my monthly weigh in just automatically leads to my monthly post! I would post more often, but now that I no longer track food or calories (God I am so glad I no longer have to do that!) I am just soooo busy with other things (mainly my Etsy shop which keeps me REALLY busy and trying to stay up with daily exercise as well) I just don't think about it.

So, the month of November brought its own, and new, set of challenges! Its amazing to me that every month can be a learning experience still! I lost 4.6 lbs this month after a plateau last month. We moved back (home) to upstate NY from Florida last summer (leaving Panama City just a couple of months before the hurricane) and to welcome us, we had a HUGE snowstorm a week before Thanksgiving and the temperatures have been COLD. Well, the reason I gained last month is that I found these new cold temperatures (I have been in the south for over 30 years! I am not used to this) were horrible for me. I am continuing with the intermittent fasting and that lowers both my temperature and pulse rate and I was soooooooo miserably cold that I could not stop eating! Well, this month I figured out how to solve the problem. HOT SOUP!! I started with chicken vegetable (and added collagen, turmeric, things that HEAL), then branched out to vegetable beef (made with beef bones and stew beef) and now am on a kick of roasted butternut squash with apples and curry. Lunch most days is a big bowl of soup with gluten free crackers and a little cheese. It has stopped the gain in its tracks and turned it around!! Since starting the IF (Sept 1/17) I have now lost 76.6 lbs. Originally I was doing OMAD (one meal a day) but now I have gotten lazy and my husband is doing it with me, so we have pretty well settled in with a light lunch at noon then an early dinner at 4, in other words a five hour window. I am still gluten free and avoid most nightshade plants to control my rheumatoid arthritis (I do not take any meds), but other than that I pretty much eat what I want. I also do not not control the amount that I eat for my one meal, just eat a nice comfortable dinner including dessert (generally 2 squares of dark chocolate or a small dish of ice cream). I have wine a couple of nights a week as well. I have dropped from a size 24 to a size 14 so needless to say, I am THRILLED with that! I am so deeply grateful that I found intermittent fasting that I simply cannot say enough about it!

I hope all of you have a fantastic Christmas season! I am having a month long Christmas sale in my shop so its very possible that I will not be back until we rev up for the New Year and tweak our weight loss programs yet again! I will also say that I follow an intermittent fasting facebook group (I never have time for that much either!) and there is a whole sub group in there of people over 60. Intermittent fasting is working for all of us! LOL You would think I was selling something something the way I push it, but I'm not. It simply works and that is a word I love spreading.

Happy Holidays everyone! See you next month!

Replies

  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,752 Member
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    @DreamOn145 So happy to see this posting from you. That is a great weight loss. I'm so happy you feel into a routine that works for you. I do a lot of Intermittent fasting, with an occasional longer fast up to 90 hrs. thrown in when my weight drifts upwards, IFing brings it right down. It is great to hear your husband is doing the same I hope he is seeing results as well.

    I have jumped on the soup bandwagon as well! Front Range of CO gets cold and snowy too. I bought an Instant Pot and it makes it so easy to make bone broths to use as the base for soups and stews. And while I don't consume as much wine and dark chocolate as I used to, I refuse to let go of them entirely. I have found that they don't impact me negatively, so why give up my last remaining vices???? :p

    Was happy to see you missed the hurricane that hit the Fl panhandle area.

    Wishing you much success with the Etsy store, feel free to post a link in here if you wish.
  • wandakc
    wandakc Posts: 227 Member
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    OK, I'm definitely interested in this "Intermittent Fasting". I would love if you both could share information for me ! I'll be turning 67 on December 8th, I've been through a tough year~~ PMR diagnosis, taking Medrol (steroid) battling the pounds. I am determined to remain persistent in losing !
    I am a very grateful for my family, for all the support they give me! Grateful to God for the gifts he has given me !
    Very excited to see what December will bring !!


  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,752 Member
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    Wanda, have you read our thread in the announcements about IFing? It is a good place to start. My biggest tip is just start doing it, 14/10 is a good place to start. Helps eliminate nightly snacking, you can work your way to to a smaller eating window, but 10 hrs. will work for most people's social schedule. Eating is often centered around things like family meals, work commitments, and your friends' socializing. Even starting out at 12/12 just to prove to yourself you can set limits is an okay way to begin.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10234502/intermittant-fasting-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work-for-you#latest
  • wandakc
    wandakc Posts: 227 Member
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    I am glad to report I have a routine down, from 7pm to 10am I do not eat solids foods, I do drink tea and water. I've been practicing this for the last few days. I'm sure I'll change the times as needed. So far so good !!
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,752 Member
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    Wanda that is a good routine. Not eating anything within about 3-4 hrs. of bed is always a good practice.