May 2025 Starters Thread 5

[FlorenceNightshade]

I noticed we were almost full (again!) so took the liberty of starting thread 5 now so I don’t get confused on nightshift and can’t find you all!

I've decided that I've lost enough weight that the skin tags can go. Wish me luck!

Good luck @SutekhsEars, will you be removing them yourself?

I'm going to make a concerted effort this week to increase my protein and water intake. I got Renpho stats this morning and both of those were low, which I knew they would be. I haven't been able to find my water bottle since we moved house and I haven't had any protein shakes or tracked my protein since I moved.

Going to make a bit of a renewed effort!

I got a device from Amazon that applies a tiny elastic band. I'm not brave enough to cut them off.

Twirls in. Guess who just went out in public in shorts? Oh yes!

Well done you !!

Hopefully the GIF will upload in due course !

@HereIGoOnceMore go you!!!! That’s awsome!!!!

I’ve started noticing my skin tags more (I think I’m just looking in the mirror more!! )

I hate them! I’ve got a little cluster on the side of my neck . @SutekhsEars please let us know how you get on!!!!

Hmmmm - should have been animated , but you get the idea .

Interesting about the skin tags - I’m definitely starting to notice other ‘imperfections’ now, it’s almost like when I was at my heaviest I’d given up on how I looked but now I’m starting to think more about nails, hair, clothes etc.
Feeling SO sick today. I love how powerful this stuff is but I do not enjoy the SE at all…

I’ve got loads of skin tags too. Also watching with interest. (@sutekhsears you must feel like a crash test dummy!)

Well done to all the losers! 👏👏

I'm also noticing more 'imperfections' as I lose weight.

Actually this week ive been on a bit of a 'journey' (at the risk of sounding like a Strictly contestant).

I've lost 12kg in 12 weeks but this week (weigh in tomorrow) I've actually gained. I've had some treatment (rituximab for rheumatoid arthritis) which is given with a large dose of steroids to stop the body rejecting the drug. So ive been ravenous. And eaten a lot more than usual. I've also been missing my mum and chosen crap and suffered because of that.

And although in the beginning I had set my goal as bmi 27 ( been obese all my adult life and some research suggests bmi 27 is acceptable as we age), I had begun to persuade myself that I should aim for 'perfect' bmi, give myself some wiggle room yada yada...

And I drove myself mad with these thoughts and dealt with the discomfort with a couple of packs of Dolly mixture 😳.

But today ive had an audiobook on Johann Hari's The Magic Pill, which is about weight loss injections but a lot more too. And ive come full circle and gone back to aiming for bmi 27 again.

So, after all that, do I weigh tomorrow, knowing that I've gained, or do I just pretend that I'm not weighing til next week 😆. I've got the same treatment in 10 days time so will have this dilemma all over again 😅

Anyway, thanks to anyone who made it to the end of my ramblings...

Aww @BerfyTigot sending hugs to you! It’s tricky but if I were in your situation I would weigh in as normal knowing that whatever number you see is just this weeks data! Log it and move on! You’ve got a lot of physical and emotional stuff going on by the sounds of it so will need to give yourself some grace.

Goals can shift, set whatever goal feels right for you and if as it gets closer you feel you want to shift it then do it! I’ve done that myself, and I’ll do it again if my new goal doesn’t make sense for (future) me.

A few days of “bad” choices won’t undo all your progress, just try to make more “good” choices the next day. You’ve got this ✌️

Thanks @FlorenceNightshade you're probably right. Better to see what the damage is. I'm assuming there'll be a lot of water weight

@BerfyTigot You're dealing with a lot of challenged currently. Maybe just carrying on as you have been, doing your best to make good choices and not looking too far ahead might be your best strategy?

I don't remember how old you are, sorry. But I've been looking at BMI for my age (71) and I think aiming for around 27 would work for me. Still a way to go!

@Apprenante I'm 53. Definitely a good idea to not look too far ahead.

Hi all
i went away for a few days with friends and haven’t been on here. Healthy eating and even just staying hydrated has been tricky with high temps and non stop sightseeing. I’m not expecting the scales to be too kind on Wednesday, but onwards…
I had some skin tags frozen off last year and it was a great job. I’m back at my dermatologist in a few months and going to ask him to do another few that are annoying me under one arm. Too chicken to do it myself

Hi all
i went away for a few days in London with friends and haven’t been on here. Healthy eating and even just staying hydrated has been tricky with high temps and non stop sightseeing. I have completely avoided alcohol but I’m not expecting the scales to be too kind on Wednesday, but onwards…
I had some skin tags frozen off last year and it was a great job. I’m back at my dermatologist in a few months and going to ask him to do another few that are annoying me under one arm. Too chicken to do it myself

I'm enjoying summer a bit too much too, @MyScaredCat . Although I've been having fun, I've been finding it quite difficult to eat sensibly. I'm looking forward to getting back into an exercise and healthy eating routine.

@BerfyTigot I would bite the bullet and weigh. Because you might just be surprised, and even if the worst comes to the worst you know you’ll get it off again.

Just found new thread after a holiday. AI cruise. Gained 3lbs although I didn’t go overboard (😏) with food and drink. But neither did indent myself. A few ice creams and first chips in ages. Not worried about the gain whereas previously that might have been the end of diet.

Thanks @Gingercar Good to see that you guys all agree that I should weigh!

Ok here it is...in a week I have gained 1.5kg! (Or 3lb ish).

I know it's what happens now that's important. On past diets I would either have had my head in the sand, refused to weigh and gone up and up. Or used the gain to spiral and gone up and up.

I've been able to jab again today, so should get some suppression and have a bit more control.

@RoaryMouth commiserations on your gain - but I'm copying your attitude and not letting the gain defeat me.

nothing like a pair of primark denim shorts to kill your mojo and thoughts that you are getting smaller! I am a size 16, baggy 16 in almost all my clothing including new Levis. I picked up a pair of shorts in primark yesterday and brought them home... They don't do up - by 4 inches! I may have sworn, cried and thrown them. I checked the size - yup 16, the tiny amount of confidence I was gaining back is shot and now I have to return them!

It's not you, it's them!

@DidILeaveTheGasOn yes, I must get insect bite cream.

Well done on your weight loss, that's amazing.

What you said really resonates with me - empowered not trapped.

As I start to feel more like I can really do this and shift the weight, I start to think about all the things I haven't been able to do/wear, or felt uncomfortable doing/wearing. I feel sad for the former me, and a bit for the current me who's very obese, but excited for the future me.

It took a rash decision, that I then almost immediately wished I could take back, to get me into a gym. But proving to myself that I can do much more than I thought I could has already increased my confidence, even after only 2 weeks. I'm trying to pluck up the courage to go swimming next...