Anyone up for a ‘sort yourself out’ supportive encouraging thread?

[SpringOn]

Hi,
I’m 47, feeing old. I’ve very much lost my way with style, exercise, hair, you name it.
I need to:
lose two stone
decide what to do with my witchy mostly grey hair (I’ve been growing out dark brown dye for 10 months, decided to go grey, but I feel so old! Don’t know whether to go back to dye or stay grey).
mu wardrobe is a disaster. I have some decent smart work stuff but my casual clothes are basically lairy leggings and hoodies. I am a size 20.
My house needs a good clean and de clutter
I want to grow veg and have lovely flowers in the garden

Good bits:
I have a great husband, three fab kids and a job I love
I walk the dog for about 20 mins every day

Anyone want to join for self- improvement on an encouraging thread?

Welcome @GreenMarigold , @prettygirlincrimsonrose , @NurseCranesRolodex and @Stressybetty . Great to have you on board. Lots of us here taking it one day at a time and doing small things every day to improve things.

My plan today:
2nd Couch to 5k run
Healthy breakfast
One hour of work (it’s a day off but I have a meeting on Tuesday and want to do some work in advance)
one hour cleaning the house and prep for tomorrow
No snacking between meals
2 l water

Have a great day everyone. I encourage you to post your plan here so you can come back later to celebrate how you did!

I won’t be online this morning, but will be back at lunchtime to see how everyone is getting on!

I’d love to join! 52; could lose 2-3 stone but don’t do well focussing on weight so instead on eating nutrient dense food. House and garden in an overwhelming state, just launched my own business and am retraining (to change industry). Three teens at home with GCSEs coming up for one, and lots of food challenges in this house (ASD texture related). DH has stressful job and Big Hobby both of which cause domestic friction and mean he is rarely here. I struggle to look after myself and the house. Thanks for making this thread: loved reading it yesterday.

Today’s goals:
Go for a run w DD (C25k w6)
3 healthy meals and no snacks
one hour decluttering (spent yesterday on my arse feeling overwhelmed by all the clutter rather than DOING SOMETHING about it!)

Have a good day all.

Woke up and lost 2.5lbs - feels great after a 30 hour fast which tbh I didn’t need to finish last night as I wasn’t hungry. I’m now aiming to fast through til tomorrow afternoon when we are going out for a carvery and coming home to a terrys chocolate orange Easter egg and a hot cross bun that I will enjoy without a shred of guilt!

Goal for today is to get out in the sunshine for a walk with DS down to the castle and cathedral in our town, and grab a mango tea from costa on the way.

Can I join please!

I need to lose 3 stone, was making progress at the beginning of the year, then it all fell apart.

We have such a busy life, through various circumstances as well as primary aged DC also have caring responsibilities towards three sets of elderly relatives all with differing and complex needs.

I rush around looking after everyone else entirely powering myself on sugary snacks that just make me want more sugar. Then stare at my phone for hours in the evening and feel rubbish about everything.

I do know what works so this is my list:

Get back to exercising, prioritising walking as currently got a sore ankle, ideally swimming and running as well.

Make diet better, I eat crap and feel crap. Meal planning is the only way I can manage this.

Gardening - I’m not very good (which I’m trying to convince myself is fine) but love pootling about outside.

Less pointless screen time.

Plan to start on Tuesday! Good luck everyone and such a great thread

Morning all.

We're celebrating Easter with my family today so there won't be much progress here, but later on I'm going to download the organised time method (I think) same person as TOMM. I'm hoping it will help. I'm not very time efficient at all abd waste far too much time on my phone which I'm embarrassed to admit

I'm a bit all or nothing so tend to throw myself into things then burnout and spend ages doing nothing. I need to schedule downtime in too .

Food yesterday wasn't great but not terrible.

We went on our first family bike ride (me abd dc 6 and 7) first time I've ridden with them, one dc was previously struggling with confidence but both going well now. It was brilliant! I did consider doing C25K with them on their bikes.

Having an earlier night, and not drinking wine, always helps the next day. I willaim to read rather tham doom scroll.....

@SpringOn I like your idea of 3 things to include in every day. Mine are going to be -

1. Exercise . This will be either a walk, exercise bike (or actual bike) or workout in my front room.
2. Complete daily TOMM.
3. Half a plate of veg with lunch and dinner.

To add to your 3 things, I'll also suggest in the evening, doing 3 things to make the morning easier. For me, these are things like put DC school bags in the car. Fill up water containers and put in the car (I have to take water to my animals, and always leave it til the morning!) Make packed lunches.

With thus in mind, I'm getting up (I'm still in bed!) To do some TOMM tasks. I know its Saturday but I'm very behind.

Hi @Countrydiary I feel I'm nit very good at gardening too! My aim in to spend shorter amounts of time more often. I have an ignore/blitz cycle . Although tbf that applies to most of my life!

I’m like that too @Bemyclementine and I get into the idea that I’ll plant a few seeds and we’ll be self sufficient by the summer, then faintly annoyed when we’re not living the good life with my half an hour of effort. Sounds hippy dippy but need to just enjoy the process of being outside and doing the basics.

Ah, great to hear of all this progress! Well done everyone 😁 @Bemyclementine and @Countrydiary you sound like my kind of gardeners 😂

Huge welcome to @BunsenBurnerBaby and @Countrydiary , we’re all here to support your endeavours!

@Brewskipa fantastic! You have had a great 48 hours, well bloody done! And enjoy that chocolate orange, carvery and hot cross bun 😁

My one hour of work turned into three, but I am now well prepped for the meeting on Tuesday and can relax.

I’m off for my run now, have lined up the kids to help with housework later, and have had my vitamins! I’d lost a pound this morning - woohoo!

Can I join in please? I’ve been looking for a thread like this as I need all the support and motivation I can get! I have a big list of long term things I would like to achieve: lose weight, drink 2l water a day, exercise, night time skin care, buy a whole new wardrobe, learn how to do my makeup properly, start taking vitamins, establish an evening routine, stop scrolling on my phone all the time, get an adhd/autism assessment, do fun things, declutter the house, tidy the garden, read more, sort out my debts, establish a cleaning routine, meal plan, be more organised, read more work related things so I feel like I’m doing a good job etc.
I’m really not taking care of myself at all and haven’t been for a while. Even things like shaving my legs and using body lotion have disappeared from my routine.
I know I need to break it all down as everything is too overwhelming so I’m setting myself some daily goals. Today I’m going to:

spend 2 hours on work project that I should have been working on throughout the year and is now due in next week
read 10 pages
get organised for wedding I’m going to next week
sort out my pantry and freezer
meal plan for next week and set up supermarket delivery for tomorrow
check my bank account and make sure all standing orders etc are correct
shave my legs for the first time in forever
write a list of everything I need to do this coming week and where I’m going to fit it all in

Fab thread @SpringOn thanks for starting it!

@sundaymorningcall I shaved my legs last night, well up to the knee. Realised that the cropped trousers I had planned weren't really an option otherwise!

@sundaymorningcall Welcome!

There’s so much on your list for today!

What about this:
Quick look at pantry and freezer
Meal plan for next week
Set up supermarket delivery, preferably while drinking coffee.

Set timer for 1 hour of work. Do it. Keep paper next to you to add things you have forgotten from the shopping list that occur to you while working 😉. You can keep going for a second hour if you get into it.

Update shopping list. Have lunch. Consider wedding prep and make a list. Check for clean clothes etc, put a wash on.

Get a cuppa. Write a to do list for next week.

Then stop. Have a lovely bath. Shave your legs. You’ve done enough for the day!

Thank you for inviting me @SpringOn and for your kid reply to my thread yesterday.

kind

Hey there @Lostinplaces you are so welcome here and I am glad you’ve come across. Your post yesterday resonated really strongly with me, I think possibly with lots of us here. You are so hard on yourself. Here you’ll find friendship, support, and others in the same boat.

You can only do your best with what you have. What do you think is do-able today that is a step, however tiny, in the direction you want to go?

Great idea thank you 😊
I'd probably say exercising too.
This usually looks like a swim or a long dog walk.
Yoga session really helps too.
Think this might be my aim this week.

Ideally I want to start incorporating weights very cautiously, as I injured myself the last time I entered the gym 🙈

What a beautiful sunny day it is! Good luck to you all 😎🐣

@SpringOn thank you. I think today I am going to try and get back to drinking more water. It’s helped a bit with my appetite in the past.

Morning all!
I'm only just coming round with a coffee! I'm going to put another link to the Soulful Simplicity book for newcomers. ( I'm honestly not being paid to promote it 😁) but she covers so many of the things that people are talking about here and I have found the book really useful. I'm just about to start a re-read.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Soulful-Simplicity-Living-Less-Lead/dp/0143130684

After my slow start I need to finish the anti- moth deep clean of the bedroom and wash down the washing line outside.
I have admin I need to do for my mum ( she has early stages of dementia so I deal with her money/invoices and there are always carer invoices to be done). I probably ought to do some of my own admin too but we shall see!
The kitchen is a tip so I should at least put dirty stuff in dishwasher.

I don't really know what my "keystone" is. I find reading about decluttering/ organisation useful in inspiring me an Michael Moseley's "Just One Thing" Radio 4 programmes useful with health related stuff ( they are available on BBC Sounds)
For some reason I really resist making lists of what I will do in a day but maybe your 3 things idea @SpringOn might help!

Downloaded podbean app last night and listened to the first story in nothing much happens. Found it very relaxing and fell asleep during her second telling.

@Stressybetty welcome to the next stage of your life, where sleeping just happens. It’s a revelation!

Our planned walk to the castle
today turned into a walk to the park instead and then to the post office to collect a parcel. DS wanted a vegan sausage roll from his favourite bakery
on the way back so we stopped there and got some sausage rolls and cakes. Nowt for me thanks 😂 DP is still in bed - he always sleeps in at the weekends whilst I take DS out to swimming or to the park, and then after lunch when we are home he tells me to go for a nap and keeps DS occupied all afternoon playing together. It’s my favourite dynamic 😀

(I should add that DS isn’t his son before anyone starts asking why we don’t alternate who sleeps in!).

@EducatingArti hope your headache has gone! I have ordered that book - looking forward to reading it!

I’ve done my run, had a healthy lunch, done lunch for the kids and have so far drunk 1.5l water. 1st load of washing done, dishwasher emptied and refilled.

I still have a pavlova to make and the house to clean, but for now I am about to have a nap!

@SpringOn
I feel ridiculously excited that someone has ordered a book on my recommendation!
I've been lounging around all morning but have just started part 2 of the Great Bedroom Anti-moth Deep Clean which has involved vacuuming in and around the wardrobe! I even vacuumed the Baby Jesus!

Doesn't a nice sunny day make a difference? I had yoghurt and a banana for breakfast, then fridge-bottom soup for lunch. I put beans in for protein but I am not counting them (or the banana) as my daily dose of carbs ; )

I've deep cleaned one room today and now I'm going to have a glass of water then go out for a walk. Trying to decide on dinner tonight.

The bedroom deep clean had to get even deeper as I discovered another moth actually in the wardrobe! Nearly all my woolens are now I. The freezer and I had to totally empty the wardrobe, and wipe it out with moth killer spray rather than my plan which was to just vacuum out the bottom!
Stopping for another cup of tea and a snack!