January 2025 Starters - Onwards and Downwards

[meatyryvita]

Thread 12 right here losers!

Hi all, I’ve not been keeping up with the thread at all and didn’t realise there was a new one. 124 messages to read!! Going to try and skim through later on if I get a chance.

Plodding along here. Diet isn’t the best, I am struggling a lot with sugar cravings at the minute and regularly giving in. I am stressed and feeling a bit binge eat-y which has been a running theme throughout my whole life. Need to up my protein and water as I know that helps, and I’ve been slacking a LOT with that recently.

My body seems to want to maintain between 8st 8 and 8st 10 and doesn’t seem to go any lower or higher. So at least that seems stable for now.

Sorry to those who are unwell etc. Also keeping fingers crossed for those job hunters. How funny that so many are interviewing at the minute. I work in a creative job in arts & culture and my contract ends in Dec, which is pretty much the source of my stress as it’s one of the worst times for my kind of work right now. I am swinging towards freelancing but not sure I have it in me to do the whole networking thing, and I’ve only got 3 months to get my act together!

SW before MJ 16st
SW 15st 12lb
CW 11st 4lb
1st GW 14st 6lb MET!! 🎉
2nd GW 13st 3lb MET!! 🥳 🎉
Final GW 12st 0 MET!! 🥳 🎉 🎊
1st Interim goal 11st 7lb MET!! 🥳 🎉 🎊🌟
2nd Interim goal 11st 0lb
New final GW 10st 7lb
Week 38 3lb loss
Total loss so far 4st 10lb
A good loss this week, especially as i had two meals out! Expect a STS next week.
Good luck to everyone weighing and jabbing xxx

Good luck to all the job hunters! I had to go to the job centre this week to claim jobseeker allowance, and dear lord, it was just as grotty as last time I went 15 years ago! Thankfully, I won’t need to go again 😮‍💨

@PolkadotdashI didn’t miss my work either when I was off after my surgery! I thought I would be bored, but I wasn’t, not once. I seriously considered early retirement, but alas, I can’t afford that.

I’ve lost another 0.5 kg this week, hmph. But at least the scales are moving. Did another of the fancy body metrics scans at my gym, which cheered me up again - I’m still losing body fat, but have now started to increase muscle mass, which is exactly what I want. Started to decrease my dose now, fingers crossed.

I went into town yesterday and for the first time in literally years enjoyed shopping again! Although I kept thinking ‘I can get this for a fraction of the price on Vinted’ 😂 But I decided I will treat myself to a trench coat, as an investment piece and reward - and I think I found the one I want (just need to muster up the courage to buy it 🫣).

Getting my nails done today, hurray! Halve a good day, everyone!

Morning all,

Good luck to all the job hunters, career changers. It’s such a brave thing to do, leaving the old familiar behind and going for what you want. I’ve no big career myself, just a little job in retail. But I absolutely love it and do feel like we make a difference to peoples lives every day. Even if it’s just to make someone smile.

Hit 3.5 stone loss this week. We go on holiday in just over a month and I’d like to be at 4 stone off by then. Just a mini goal I’ve set myself.

Weight training this morning and then work later on. Have a great day everyone!

Thank you for all the well wishes. I am up and showered (which feels like a small victory for mankind).

Have a lovely trip @2025istheyeari , try to forget about job hunting and have a break.

@meatyryvita it is rotten, are you feeling well now? I think I must have missed that you had it (or forgot with my hazy brain).

@Jins , we all have so many shared experiences don’t we. The job I have been invited for interview for would have been my dream job six months ago. I’ve come second several times in the last year hence deciding to become self employed. I would be torn if I was offered it. The CS job (reserve list one) is also really interesting. I’ll just bob along and cross whatever bridge I need to at the time I think, I could come second again. If I was offered the dream one and I could carry on with consulting contract 1, I would probably take it but then I would be really overcommitted and I've got used to the thought of slowing down a bit. I am currently enjoying not getting up at 6am every day (officially on gardening leave).

@Zempy and @discov , those both sound like great maintenance journeys.

@BreezyPeer - wow, your statistics are amazing.🏆

@cloudjumper , thank god you don’t need to go to the JC again, enjoy your nails.😊

@CurlsandCurves , well done, 3.5 stone is massive. Your feelings about making a difference at work is wonderful. I am not sure I can say the same about making a difference, but I have always tried to make a difference for my team/the people who report to me.

I haven't posted as much recently, but this is such a lovely group isn't it.

@PenelopesPursuitPrevails I thought I just had a rotten cold (last Tuesday) and then was rough for about 5 days. Feeling much better today, first day I've managed to work out (gently though) since last Monday. I had the fever, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, extreme exhaustion (I couldn't even turn over in bed to prop myself up to get water, and I was so thirsty but the prospect of doing so much to get to the water was seemingly insurmountable - bizarre) but I've also suffered cognitively too - I'm struggling to find my words, which is what I had linger when I had it back in 2021.

Look after yourself!!

@PenelopesPursuitPrevails if you do decide consulting as a sole trader is for you then make sure you have a robust disciplinary procedure! I had to give myself several warnings for rocking up to work late, with unbrushed hair and wearing a dressing gown 🤣

Seriously though - you’ll know what’s right if you follow your instincts

@Jins 😂. I already have a Ltd Co and am guilty of working from bed in my pjs at times. 😎 Love the flexibility!

I do need to have a stong word with myself, I am the wrong side of 55 and just think I might want a bit more time to live. I've worked FT (compressed week) plus time consulting for a few years now, averaging about 50 hours a week.

I need to keep reminding myself of that because if I entertain some of the options that might be in front of me I wouldn't be changing much.

Urgh this is me. I thought I had a cold on Monday and even went into the office. On Tuesday morning I was feeling like it was just a cold, but a few hours later it was like I was hit by a bus. I still feel horrendous today and keep googling how long it will take to feel better. I've skipped the gym Wednesday and cancelled for tomorrow and I am not in the office today (which means I need to make it up next week 😭). I'm hoping I'm well enough to go to the gym on Saturday.

@cloudjumper Vinted has ruined my ability to take the price of new clothes seriously. £79 for an acrylic jumper? I can get second hand cashmere on Vinted for a third of that! I’m like some Penny pinching Victorian old maid now.

Thanks all for the career nods. I do know I need to gather myself up and look for a new job, but I’m just so tired after my hysterectomy. I feel like I’m not in the headspace for selling myself to a new employer. I’m trying to get on top of being bitter as it just eats away at you. But I can’t help it. I’m a massive introvert and the world of promotions favours the extroverts, so I always get overlooked. I’m the plodder in the team. Reliable and can deliver so it’s in everyone’s interest to keep me where I am. Also I’ve been in the civil service for 20 years this month and I feel like I’ve only got skills suitable for the civil service! It’s completely institutionalised me.

Yeah a 'you have not been forgotten' email would be nice. My current job is fine, no issues, it's interesting and I have lovely colleagues, team and manager.
It's getting a bit too easy though, so a new challenge could be interesting.

Finally managed to find you all!! For some reason my phone lost the last thread and not matter what I tried I couldn’t find it again! I’ve been bouncing around the same weight for the last month or so which isn’t very surprising given how stressful it’s been with DHs accident and my late DFs birthday but I’m back on track now. I have been to the gym a few times as well since the DC have been back at school and I’ve really noticed a shape change - especially on my arms and bum 😳
hope I haven’t missed anything too important on the last thread? DH and I have decided to swap over to Wegovy after we do the golden dose from our current pen simply because of the cost. Fingers crossed it’s still as effective. Has anyone else switched?

@RockyisMYRhino hello! Welcome back!
me and @meatyryvita have switched to Wegovy. I’m on my second jab from first pen. Nothing really to report. I went down slightly in the recommended switchover dose though, just to be sure.

I've literally just finished my first Wegovy pen. I think I'm a bit hungrier on this drug (I've gone from 7.5mg MJ to 1mg of Wegovy but I was due to switch up to 10mg).

Huge thanks to @hunkydory54 who advised me that the reason I might get a bit sore when injecting Wegovy was because I didn't have enough fat on my outer thigh anymore (that has never been my reality!). I just jabbed into my stomach (no such luck re: lack of fat there) and it didn't hurt!

Eli Lilly recommended jabbing at an angle when you don't have much fat left

I thought I'd have a few brazil nuts and some greek yoghurt as I haven't eaten much today 😩. I gave up after two brazil nuts, even my jaw aches. Has anyone else had this? Tedious.

👋@RockyisMYRhino , welcome back.

I have barely eaten today. It hasn’t been great nutrition wise.

Weetabix for breakfast, two ginger nuts for lunch, and a pack of cold sliced turkey for dinner. Followed by a protein pudding. 🤣

I’ve virtually caught the lurgy - we’re such good mates !!
heading home for hot bath and lemsip.

I'm feeling a lot better today, should survive. WFH so I could rest and recover, ha - literally back to back meetings the entire day, and of course squeezed a few loads of laundry in in between.
Yearly performance review time and our HR changes the bloody system every year. So every time before we can even start, we need to carefully read pages of instructions, watch videos and join a few meetings to understand what's new this year and who needs to do what in which specific order. I think I got it...now need to fill in my own as well. And nobody really cares anyway, waste of time.

That's good @HeidiLite . I'm feeling better than I did earlier today.

I've spent hours looking for a new monitor for my desk, thinking of ditching two for a 4k 32" wonder as I think it might help with my eyesight situation. I cannot belive the cost of a decent screen. 😳

@PenelopesPursuitPrevails it's worth it though. I have a huuuge curved screen at home (no idea about specs, DH is a geek and does all that stuff) and it's just so much better than 2 or 3 separate screens

Is it @HeidiLite ? I've currently got a 24" and a 27" screen running from my Mac mini. Consultancy no.1 comes with a secure laptop, I cannot physically see to use the research software I need to on a laptop screen, even with my new specs, so I will definitely need to connect that.

I'm struggling to get my head round having one 32" curved screen and how it can be better as it is less screen space than two but hoping the 4K makes a difference. I've ordered one now so will give it a try.

Hello all, sorry to hear so many lurgy sufferers at the moment! hope you all recover quickly, sending virtual hugs as long as that doesn't get me close enough to get virtual lurgy 😷 Plenty of covid circulating here too, surely it's a matter of time before one child or other brings it home from school?

Lovely meal out for our anniversary this evening, now waiting in a car park for DD to finish at a school event - supposed to be done at 9 🤨

I've been quite happy on 12.5mg this week so will probably do the same again tomorrow just to try and get rid of this last few kilos. Absolutely gobsmacked at the idea that some people would struggle with having enough fat to inject into though, still plenty of wobbly belly here!

Morning 🌄 losers!
Last day of training week. Looking forward to today but also looking forward to getting back to normal next week 😀
@MJalltheway glad you had a nice meal out and hope DD didn't keep you much longer
@HeidiLite @PenelopesPursuitPrevails I am loving the monitor chat! I am determined to get my home office set up properly.
Also hope you are feeling better Heidi and Penelope!
@BlueLimes hope the lurgy naffs off before the weekend
@meatyryvita and @Polkadotdash it's so interesting hearing about wegovy. I hope the appetite suppression steps up.
@RockyisMYRhino welcome back and hope your stressful times are (mostly) behind you!
Have a great Friday everyone!
In personal news, I have a date on Saturday night!! First one in many years. I will assemble the judgy panel afterwards and see what the wise women of MN have to say 😅

ooh exciting @BreezyPeer

@PenelopesPursuitPrevails maybe it's just me but I find one big screen much easier to use than 2 next to each other. Can totally recommend.

For home office set up, I also love my standing/height adjustable desk (IKEA Bekant, the electric one) - I never use the chair. I also have an underdesk treadmill, but that one to be honest is gathering dust, should really sell it. If you get one, do not get the type that auto adjusts to your walking speed. What it means is you can never get a constant speed, but it keeps randomly slowing down and speeding up, not comfortable at all.
If you like standing, I do recommend one of those soft standing mats, and a balance disk or bosu.