One of them there "sort my life out" threads

[SteviebunsBottrittrundle]

I'm looking for one of the threads for general S&B self-improvement threads, a bit like the princess ones there used to be.

For the record I'm planning to cut out alcohol completely for a while. I have a social thing tomorrow where I'll probably have a glass of wine or two but after that will cut out. Also doing as much yoga as I can to tone up a bit (finding inner leave along the way would be lovely too).

Does anyone know if there are any threads like this running atm?

Very stressful morning. Really not a glamorous job to look after smalls. Suffice to say it involved gloves, wipes and lots of gagging

Oh no unconscious! Yep, I can sympathise.

I have been dreadful with diet and had a (really disappointing) ice cream this afternoon as well. Definitely was not worth the calories. I only ate it to stop it melting all over me! Must try harder.

Unconscious your morning sounds really stressful! Hope you will have some restful moments later on.

Stevie it's so hard to eat right sometimes, isn't it. Let's hope that tomorrow is a better day for you!

I've walked home every day since Monday. I feel a bit that I haven't realized before how easy it is to fit a bit more physical activity into my day. If I walk to work and back, it equals 12000+ steps per day. And it only adds 15-20 min to my commute. I'm also able to unwind a bit during the walk home. And a quick snack before I leave work means that I am far less hungry and less likely to eat random unhealthy stuff when I arrive home. (My previous after-work routine .)

Hi all

What an awful night with the heat and humidity, fighting cats and a restless boy who decided 5am was indeed morning! Don't think today is going to be much easier, but at least my own 2 + 1 reliable toilet user so should be OK. Off to do some fruit/veg picking.

Oven fixed so hoping that I can get back on track with decent meals over the weekend once I've some time to sit and do an online shop and sort myself out.

Frustrated that is really good - I half wish that I did have a fit bit or similar as I'm sure I will be clocking up the miles once school starts. Maybe that can be my birthday request - beats the usual baking stuff I ask for and much healthier

Unconscious hoping today will be a bit easier for you! Having a working oven helps but I know how tough and long days can feel with small children...

Regarding activity trackers, I received mine as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago from DH. It has helped me a lot! If you have a smartphone, it might have either an accelometer/pedometer (iPhone5 and up, many Android phones have them too, google pedometer app). If your phone is an older smartphone, you could download a GPS-based app that measures the distances you cover. I used those before I had an proper tracker and they were fine, got me started. Early on I was happy if I covered 5-7000 steps a day (pram pushing). There are also cheap pedometers on Amazon (£2-5).

Yes, it was dreadfully hot here last night. I hate the heat anyway and it's so much worse when you're worried about DCs getting too hot. I ended up going back and forth in the night undoing DD's sleeping bag, opening windows wider, then closing them a bit when the rain started, putting up a blackout blind at about 3am when it was cold enough, so we wouldn't get woken too early. Silly really, as I've just tired myself out more than if I'd just left the thing off and let DD wake up at 5! Hope it cools down a bit now and hope your oven gets sorted unconscious!

Thanks for pedometer tips frustrated! I bought a cheap one from Amazon, but couldn't work it out at all (technophobe ), so it ended up going to the charity shop. Might try the iPhone app you suggested instead.

Today has started better as I've just had some yoghurt and a fruit / veg smooth and now having some matcha tea .

Hope everyone has lovely days!

Better today as expected though there's plenty of time for it all to go down the pan yet

It's the perpetual baby hood that I'm stuck in that I struggle with at times - my smallest is now toilet trained and fairly self sufficient but I've been through it twice in the last 6 months with other people's and it's hard work! Such an undervalued career. Hence me deciding to cut down to 3 days a week so I can have some time for myself and my children. (however working 4 days this week)

I have had a handful of nuts, some pineapple and a slice of PB toast for breakfast and then some filled pasta and sauce for lunch. We've been fruit picking so will have pavlova tonight - be rude not to.

That sounds great Unconscious!

Walking home is my new default setting, 15500 steps today. Then I took DC to a children's block party. I assumed it would be a hellish experience but actually it was a lot of fun. They made flower wreaths and painted sunflowers and I got to relax. There was a DJ and the music was really great and everyone was mellow and relaxed and we could have sushi burritos and vegan ice cream for tea. The only slight problem was that the khaki jeans I had grabbed in the morning kept sliding down and I had to hoik them up constantly. This means that weight loss is real!

(Name change but I'm sure you'll figure it out.)

Great stuff Frugal - that sounds like a lovely time together and the trousers shows how hard you've worked!

My day 'off' today but already up and roasting a chicken otherwise there won't be tea Hoping to cram in a bit of quality time with my own children today.

Hi need! Oh glad you're getting a day off today. It sounds very hard work. I'm sort of on holiday too (staying with my dad and DH is here on annual leave too). Am being as healthy as I can manage but will start again in earnest when we all get back.

I'm starting to apply for some jobs (I'm currently a SAHM) and would love to feel a bit fitter and things for interviews. Also, my size 14 LK Bennet suit is so perfect for interviews but was snug the last time I wore it and I think I've gained weight since then . I'm sure being at home all day leads to me snacking on rubbish, so it's becoming a bit of a viscous circle. Again will be doing lots of walks while here as my dad lives in a gorgeous place by the sea. Plenty of water, fruit and veg for me too.

We've had a lovely morning - the sort where you want to freeze time or something.

I have my favourite suit upstairs - it's a 12! and it really doesn't fit. It's pre babies and clearly I've never recovered.

Got on the scales in town this morning while weighing DS for car seat purposes and it was horrific!

CostaDetox I love your new name! I might need a detox too. I think taking care of children is one of the toughest jobs out there, I admire anyone who can do it! I had the hardest time with my two...

Stevie your holiday sounds fab, and good luck with your job search! Working from home was disastrous for my weight, and during summer holidays I returned to the same pattern (snacking when I felt bored).

A colleague is leaving us and we celebrated with cake and wine. It was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon so no regrets I'm organizing a party tomorrow and had to shop for food after work. Managed 12000 steps anyway and also found the energy to get started with cooking (merengues for a pavlova in the oven as I type).

I feel that being physically active makes me feel less hungry. I might also have a bit more energy in the evening. I am eating normal meals during the day (sans dessert) and a granola bar after work, and occasionally something sweet plus three glasses of wine per week. But I am eating far less random crap, if I feel hungry in the evening, I'll have a bowl of 2% Greek yogurt with honey and dried mulberries or a mini can of tuna (high-protein snacks are pretty effective against hunger).

So far today has been much more under control.

Went out for my C25K, had decent meals, 2 portions of fruit so far and bought a new hand cream in the hope it will stop my hands falling to pieces.

I've not been into Costa since we've come back from holiday, but I've had a couple hot chocolates while out. Must resist

Kids are hard work hence me cutting down to 3 days a week now mine are both going to be in school - feel a bit guilty that DH doesn't have that option but I'm sure I will get to a point where I feel I can cope with more again. He gets the house kept, children looked after, washing, cooking etc done so all he has to think about is going to work. Feel that's a fair deal for him.

Very tired now - terrible nights sleep (I can thank the dog and husband for that). Not the most productive of days.
On a positive note - had a lovely couple of nights away with friends; weighed in again and I am 2 lbs down; cut down on the booze but room for improvement still; managed an hours walk today.
Hopefully I will get a better night's sleep tonight and be in a much better place to come up with a weight loss/hair/beauty/health strategy to tomorrow...summer holidays nearly over!

GreenHen and Costa, fantastic progress! I find having one or two really good days creates momentum - and then it's easier to have more good days and also take some occasional setbacks in stride. And GreenHen hope you were able to catch up on sleep a bit.

I organized a party yesterday (we are up in Scandinavia so it was a traditional crayfish party) and had at least four glasses of wine - so have exceeded this week's alcohol quota but I could not say no to Sauternes I ran some errands yesterday morning and clocked 12000 steps. I found I really missed my weekend afternoon long walk, but having longtime friends over (we've been friends for almost 30 years!) was worth it, it was lovely to see them. I'm hangover free this morning and it's sunny but DH and DC have an awful head cold and everybody is sneezing a lot. I might have a touch of it too... We'll see.

Wishing everyone a great Sunday!

Hello Green welcome back, hope you're caught up with sleep.

Frustrated sometimes you have to go with what's more important. Sounds like a good weekend!

I've had one of those mornings where you decide living in a cave on your own is a good idea. (Don't know if anyone else ever feels like this - sure it's normal) Spent about an hour crying when we got in but have pulled myself together now. Just going to mooch around and make a nice healthy risotto for tea.

I know the feeling Costa - sorry that you've had such a tough morning.

Zero exercise today, less than 3000 steps! Father emerged on our doorstep early this afternoon with two plastic bags bursting with apples from their garden. I've made apple butter all day, first coring and chopping and then cooking and stirring and finally sterilizing jars in the dishwasher and filling them and sealing them with a drop of calvados. A very long day, feel totally wiped out, but apple butter is delicious, and there is about ten litres of it

Hmm that sounds lovely!

We went to a NT property today and had a really good day - such is life with children. We played games, explored, found a dragon and I had the biggest, yummiest brownie ever.

Food wise, the rest of the day's been good - home made granola, yogurt and raspberries for breakfast, roast chicken and salad wrap and crisps for lunch and curry and rice for tea.

Self care wise, I got full body creamed (try to do that every day now straight from the shower) and special foot cream on my hooves

Exercise wise, I did my C25K and took DD to the park with me - she played while I did it, but expressed an interest in going with me, so will do that soon.

Hope everyone had a good BH...last week of the holidays kick off tomorrow.

Oooooh there's a new princessing thread! Exciting. I shall add a link to this thread to the new one.

I'm adding a link to the new thread.

12k yesterday and 10k steps today. I think I've learned three really major things on this thread:

1. that I can easily increase my daily activity by walking to and from work (will not renew my bus pass next month), and
2. that a healthy snack eaten at 3-5pm will drastically decrease what I will eat in the evening.
3. that daily accountability and tracking weekly totals also really helps.

Thanks everyone for your support!

Oh yes should have done that - thanks frustrated

I've posted on the Princessing thread now too. See you on there.

I've posted my goals on the other thread.
Posting updates here because the other thread seems to be more about goal-setting - 13k steps yesterday and 13k steps today despite having very stressful days at work and a lot of deadlines.

I'm taking the stairs instead of the elevator more often at work, and should do that at home too. I'm near my weight loss goal, hit a new low (58kg) today. I am Wearing jeans that felt far too tight a month ago but fit well now, it feels great. I used to wear floaty tops to hide my waistline but tucked my top in today and it felt okay!

Had my second glass of wine today, celebrating success at work. Still working on getting more sleep...

Oh good, felt a bit lost without you lot.

Well, I am well and truly lost today. Just tucking into a thank you gift of chocolates and don't intend to stop apart from the horrible coffee ones - why do they include them? They're vile.

How people who you love most can drive you so close to the brink of wanting to pack your bags! Tells myself it's just 3 days to go and school routine will help sort stuff out is there a face for [denial]???

Well done Frustrated

Costa sending you a lot of positive vibes today. My family sometimes makes me feel like that too!

I totally get why you feel so awful. Is there any other way to release anger, frustration, hurt and other negative feelings? Not easy but sometimes writing things down (MN, notebook, an angry letter you'll never post...) or confiding in someone really helps. I had some really turbulent moments with someone at work earlier this week but was able to release the anger gradually by talking it through with DH and two friends.

Next week will be much easier for you I promise!