Dec 2008 - Hello 2011 the Year of the Toddler!

[DeidreBarlow]

Totally unispired but hope you all find it...

Here we go

lunch at jammys

CAbbage soup diet? Cabbage soup? Why? Why would you do that to yourself?

Actually I have been very good. Before all the snow/chicken pox/Christmas stuff I had been getting going with exercise again. I've got a yoga/pilates dvd which is good for general toning but I like the bit the focuses on abs as mine are terrible at the moment, I still have that line down teh middle of my tummy where muscles must have separated a bit. I can't do sit ups or anything much without huge strain on my neck so gentle abs stuff is good. Then there is Nell McAndrew the slave driving jumping around like a lunatic. I went for a real live run outside at the weekend too. I will get fit again if it kills me.

at taking photos of engorged norkage.

Thought dd was going to end up in A&E yesterday when ds managed ot close the door on her fingers. I actually had to push the handle down to open it, it was properly shut. She still has a red line between her knuckles and first joint over all 4 fingers but after 10 mins crying was using her hand fine, I'm not entirely sure how she has managed to escape without broken fingers there!

I'm not against cabbage soup per se (quite like it actually) but those sort of diets have never worked for me. But hey, if it works for you, Rubes, go for it. Though you are the person least in need of a cabbage soup diet that I can think of That maple syrup and cayenne powder diet - Beyonce swears by it I think that one really is a crock though - at least cabbage soup is good for you!

Right, have to do a big read and catch up whilst I have my soup. Which is, sadly, wild mushroom and celeriac. Which tastes as if it has a more than moderate amount of cream in. No wonder I am a blimp!

Oh that's easy Indith, why? Because it's more of a vegetable soup plus other healthy stuff, Because I love Veggie's (and Vaggie), because I'm not a huge sweets fan anyway, because it works, and because I'm not as comfortable with fat as you are I guess. It's not a hardship for me, as I still have my indulgence which is wine and the diet worked for me last time even with the wine! Happy days, and in the words of Kate Moss (and this is bound to ruffle a few feathers but hey ho) "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" DH even ate the soup last time and thought it was just Vegetable soup.
Lady you are not a blimp, and that soup sounds yummy too. Yeah the maple syrup diet? Now that's extreme! And you are right Lady, people should always do what works for them and if cakes and a jelly belly works for you indith, that's all that matters, as we each have to be happy
Lady thanks - yes I've lost most of the weight, but really want to be my wedding day weight again, so going for a bit extra, though honestly I'm still up about 3kg

Jam will pop over to your link soon.
Just did my PS3 workout and ds tried to do half of it with me! it was so cute. Then he got tired and went for a nap (big morning at toddler group)

indith - poor DD!

Rrrrroight, really long list of things to do (as bloody ever!) so catch up not as fulsome as I would like. My to-do list is 30 items long. It just doesn't seem to get smaller, and what's on it are just comparatively short term tasks, not everyday stuff (like houseworky stuff, or long term stuff, like get more work/do more writing). Sigh...I hope I don't offend anyone by saying my life was a whole lot more straightforward when I just went to work. (But obviously once you have kids that changes anyway - because nothing is ever easy again! Not that I regret them, of course).

ANYWAY, Jam, I would love to go to yours but a journey into London, then presumably across London, then another hour, might just spifflicate me. I need to think. I also need to fit in a long visit to Mum's before 20 Feb when we go away. I would also like to attend an evening bash but it's dependent on what DP is working - otherwise Cinders here has to get the 2148 train back!

JB, hurrah for the GTT. Hope the other monitoring stuff isn't too much of a bother. Your job sounds very interesting, btw.

NJAN - coast to coast? Wow! Sounds very exciting and very tough. You are all a fit bunch. The only bit of me that gets regular exercise, apart from my mouth, is my cheerfulness arm. However, I am going to shock you now and tell you I love walking, proper walking. I have good boots and everything. DP and I used to do a lot of it, with maps and everything. I can't get him out of the armchair now, the bugger.

SL - well done on the weight loss. It's lovely when one feels a bit slimmer and clothes feel a bit better. What have you been doing? Oh, I am sure the bike is quite old so probably wouldn't get much for it but anything would do, it could go in my holiday fund.

Indith, I have never been to Whitby but heard it is very nice. There are loads of places Oop North that I have never been to and would like to.

Like your names. WG. Are you still in touch with the childminder? Does it matter if you choose one of the same names?

RIght ladies, some advice please. I feel a bit rundown. It's not tiredness in the sense of sleeplessness, I am doing ok on that. But I am really lacking in physical energy. Furthermore any sex drive has completely vanished. It's not having a small baby, cos I remember even a couple of weeks after having her I felt quite keen. I suspect it's something hormonal, as it's not emotional, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I don't want to go to the doctor so no one tell me to do that Maybe getting fit would help? Or am I deficient in something?

Oh, and meant to say, Indith, that sounds excruciating I bet your heart nearly stopped. How amazing and how good that her fingers are ok.

Rubes, I haven't got a sweet tooth either. I actively dislike most sweet stuff. I should be as skinny as a lathe but suspect the wine and cheese and crisps and all the other baddies mitigate against it

Lady - what type of birth control are you using? Not your previous methods right? if you are on the pill, see if they will switch you to Yasmin - it actually helps with things like that. Yes exercise does give you more energy they say. I'm a big cheese fan but have cut back a lot recently. I do love it with wine too yum. Not a big crisps fan really but if they are in front of me I'll eat them. I am a very big dim sum fan though
Can you get to Jam's across the top without going into London? I'm clueless on how the trains work. re a night time do - if staying at mine would help you are more than welcome Lady? Although I see your problem since dp would have the girls. I have to check with dh anyway about the evening meet-up too as I am not sure if he does a late list that day.

Rubes, veg sounp sounds rather nicer than cabbage :) We eat quite a lot of veggie soup. Or chicken broth with lots of veggies and pearl barley, yum. The jelly belly is not really a great look, I just can't seem to stay off the chocolate when I get no sleep, there is a direct link between number of brownies consumed and how dd has slept the previous night!. My problem is I am still a size 8/10 just a bit squishy so I need to exercise more rather than eat less to get things toned again.

Does anyone here do the 30 day shred? I keep looking for short exercises I can fit into the day to work on my abs but I'm worried that while they might tone things they are also very much about weight loss and I don't need that part.

rubes I'm sure it was the CS lady that put weight on in week one, but she lost the most overall . Actually when i did WW and lost a lot of weight I used to maked loads of 'no-point' veggie soup. So same thing really.

indith I felt sick reading that, poor DD but just goes to show their bones really must be bendy!

lady Could be hormonal...how much/what are you eating. I know you have been cutting back. Low blood sugar can make you feel really sluggish, well it does me anyway.

vag Yep Maple syrup diet is well, maple syrup/lemon juice/cayenne pepper & water all mixed up and you drink it all day every day. In fact I'm sure that lady didn't even eat solid food. Makes CS diet look fattening!

I have just been for a run, did really well but now my left knee if really sore and achey. Just taken some Ibuprofen, hope its just a bit strained...

Oh indith I'm sure there is a thread on here in health about 30 day shred. The woman is the on on The Biggest Loser USA - she is hardcore! I reckon she could scare the marines.

But but but but the weight loss people might be scary!

Shall I come with you and hold your hand

Ha ha ha, DB. I think I need to watch some progs with very fat people in to make me feel better. I am a size 14 at the mo. I do have a few 12s as well but I am not kidding myself. Anyway, for me it's about a stone per dress size, and 2st is about what I want to lose anyway. Or c12kg.

Rubes, just condoms at the mo. They probably don't help matters. Need to get proper contraception sorted but as I said before I suspect a fat 38 yr old is not a prime candidate for the Pill...

Anyway, I can hear DD2 has just done her second Giant Poo of the day She is so unlike DD1 in that she is a chubby baby. Her arms and legs are like links of sausages

Indith I have a very fetching scar on my finger from that happening to me as a child (presumably it must have split - ugh - in order to leave a scar though I don't actually remember it!). WHat I do remember, however, is that it happened in the park, in the big old fashioned iron gate to the toilets, and that my sister told me that it wasn't her who slammed it on me, it was her Big Bear.

I was terrified of Big Bear for years. Thought he was out to get me.

LadyT My niece and nephew are like that.

Niece - little baby, slim, tiny toddler.

Nephew - 2 years younger, virtually same weight, enormoboy.

Both exclusively BF until 6 months, both weaned at same time... nephew actually weighed slightly less at birth. Genetics are strange.

What about a coil LadyT?

Ouch kiwi! Sounds very painful!

Ds was very subdued afterwards so hopefully it will serve as a bit of a lesson. I spend a million hours a day telling them not to play with doors but not like they really understand consequences yet Daft thing is he wasn't even playing with it then, he was just shutting it after dd had come in form teh garden.

DB I was brave, spotted a thread in active convos and jumped in.

Deids, you are right, my apologies, I just watched the show again as I'd recorded it (well I ffwed through to the weigh ins) She gained a stone, but then lost 2 stone overall doing it on an off for 5 weeks. They said she was using different scales (idiot) which is why it was so far out. Anyway, it worked for me last time, very well, but even more encouraging, is at the start of the show it said "studies show that crash dieting if done correctly, are very good for kick starting long term weight loss" They are much better if you are more overweight than I am (I am considered not overweight but those guides are way off as some people who are barely heavy at all are considered obese)

Someone on here (our thread) was talking about the 30day shred once Indith.

DD just ate the most enourmous lunch after a 3 hour nap

Both my babies have been the skinny type although they both have some solid thighs on them

rubes I recorded it too...sadlyI have a really bad short term memory except for trivial things like how much weight people lose.

Lady watch The Biggest Loser tonight on ITV at 9pm - brilliant!

Was it sybs that did 30 day shred??

Might have been Sybs - glad I'm not the only one who recorded it

Lady hmmm dunno then but I know Yasmin can help with not retaining water / bloat and doesn't put the weight on you like other pills but didn't know about being overweight and on the pill? Surely you aren't carrying enough weight to be included in that? Anyway, if you aren't on the pill at the moment then I guess it's irrelavent. Be careful you very fertile one!

Just a quickie. I am going home early for ANOTHER parent-teacher meeting. It seems a little early in the term for a progress report but that is what they do at DD1's school. I should not complain though. I want an opprtunity to talk to DD1's teacher as she is having nightmares every night . She has never had nightmares before. Even after I go to comfort her she keeps crying for ages and can't tell me what is wrong. Maybe starting Reception has been harder her concious behaviour has suggested.

I do the 30 Day Shred. So does Nolda. Its great. You have to do it every day and it takes 27 mins from start to finish (incl warm-up and cool-down). It tones you brilliantly. Its hard though. As the fierce instructor lady says "You don't get to work out for only 30 minutes a day and see results unless you REALLY push yourself for those 30 minutes". Sometimes I want to cry. I haven't lost weight on it but my tummy now has three large defined rolls of fat rather than one large plate of jelly.

I would love a meet-up but I am afraid Essex is just too far from West London. I have family out there that I have never even visited as the journey sounds so off putting. I am a wimp about travelling with children. Its a shame as a meet-up in somebody's house sounds ideal. But I am going to wait until the next RFH meet-up. Would anyone be up for me starting an RHF meet-up thread for a different day to Jam's meet-up? I was a at the RFH yesterday and we sat in the middle of the foyer and the girls had a whale of a time scooting round with lots of other kids. DD1 remembered meeting you guys there which I thought was quite impressive.

AVO am happy to make it a RFH instead of mine or as well as. I understand it is a trek for West of London peeps. I guess my children are more unruly and like the challenge of figuring out an escape route which is why going to someones lounge is much more appealing.

Avo - sorry about dd's nightmares. Hope they go away soon
I was at RFH yesterday too!!! Well I was at Ping Pong right there for most of the afternoon!
I'd be happy to go back there as it's WAY closer for me, or failing that EVERYONE is welcome to meet up at my house if that is easier - it's only that I'm not walking distance to a train - there's a bus but it's about 30 mins and quite annoying given the journety is only 6 mins to the station in a car

I feel a bit at a loose end with all this diet chat . I decided to weigh myself and I'm about 11 stone, which is a stone heavier than pre-kids and two stone more than my skinny student days. But I have to say I don't feel immensely motivated to shed it. I'm pretty happy with my shape (as is DH) and that stone doesn't make a huge amount of difference to my clothes size. I'm about a 12 now (14 some stores) and at 10 st was a 10-12. Flab on tummy: check. Large arse: check. Willingness to give up the biscuits: errr, not so much. I could do with getting more exercise though.