May 2025 Starters Thread 7 - Ending the year as we mean to go on ✌️

[FlorenceNightshade]

A sparkly new thread for our chatty gang!

That’s a good meme @ElsieJay. Very true.
I woke up to snow on the hilltops today, but nothing to affect the roads.
Yesterday I went to a torchlit memorial walk for the hospice that my friend died in. It was beautiful and I did 13000 steps, so that’s a bonus. I did have a hot choc with cream at the end because I was so cold, but I’m sure I earned it!
My Renpho (sp) scales have died already. Only had them a couple of months. I think it’s the batteries. I know I get on them a lot praying they will change, but still! I’m not very happy impressed. I haven’t even got the fat assessment bit on.

That sounds very moving and a lovely way to remember your friend .
Hot chocolate is so nice and warming isn’t it . I used to like the sachets of Cadburys Highlights, but rarely find them now. Tried an Options Belgian hot chocolate last night but it wasn’t great. Maybe a cream topping would help ! ☕️

That must have been very emotional @Gingercar

It was beautiful. Really lovely. There was a bagpipe band walking too. They stopped at the hospice and played Amazing Grace. And they had a big Xmas tree in front of a cathedral at the end where people were pinning gift tags with messages to those they’d lost. That was emotional.

I’ve never been able to stand those options hot chocs, they just taste weedy and of artificial sweeteners. I’d rather have more calories and have regular hot chocolate in milk. If you want a relatively healthy one try dissolving dark choc in hot milk? But I’m obviously biased as I make hot choc for a living!
Im always thinking a season ahead, so trying to think of some low cal but tasty things for January- ideas always welcome.

I am all for making calories count: no water based hot choc, but proper milky nesquik chocolate - yes!

TAlking about treats… there is a packet of biscuits in my house, with chocolate sandwiched in between two discs of crumbly shortbread and it has been opened since last friday. That is almost a week… i thought biscuits were like butterflies, that they lived for one day only… Now i am worried they’ll become stale… who knew this could happen!!! Obv nothing to do with myself and DP being on MJ…..

I think I need to increase my dose. I'm hungry all the time at the moment. Very annoyed because I'm almost at target and was beginning to think about reducing. It gives me mild despair for ever coming off it.

Do you think the cold weather has made you feel extra hungry @SutekhsEars? I think our primitive survival instincts might be kicking in. We should - if we were early humans - be feeding up and semi-hibernating. I'm fantasising about hot chocolate - and I don't even like it!

The weather forecast suggests it might be less cold next week so maybe that will help us all.

Possibly, @Apprenante , I had considered that - or maybe a post-chest infection thing, as I didn't eat much for the last month or so. Anyway, I jabbed slightly less this week as I was finishing off a pen, so I'll see how long it lasts me. I'm enjoying starting up regular exercise again gradually.

I jabbed 3.75 on Saturday evening , and decided to use what remained in the pen - not the “golden dose “ , just the leftovers which totalled 20 clicks - last night.
Felt very odd today, lots of burps , and the dreaded diarrhoea (not had that side effect previously).
By my reckoning, I should have no more than 3.6mg in my system so hoping it’s not the MJ, as was planning to go up to 5mg next week…

I ordered some size 14 jeans from Vinted in a "one day they'll fit" moment as they were a bit of a bargain.

Arrived today and thought I'd give them a try...they only flipping well fit. They are TIGHT I won't lie..but wow.

My eyes just do not see the weight difference and in many ways I'm feeling less body confident than I used to (is that just me?) but a nice, very real show that there are changes...even if I don't see them.

Is anyone else feeling strange in a slightly new but not quite there body? None of my usual clothes suit me anymore...I've even had to change the shape of jeans I wear (RIP skinny jeans 😂) there's some loose skin and DH swears my boobs are smaller and higher...I think they're looser and lower!

All of my LBDs have had to go on Vinted as they look frumpy and crap now... it's weird!!

Apologies for the rambling...x

Is anyone else feeling strange in a slightly new but not quite there body?

Yes! I've buried myself in fat for 50 years and it's making me quite jittery, losing that protective shield. I'm also freezing. Clothes don't look quite right, so I'm still wading around in a lot of stuff that's way too big. I've bought some cheap stuff from New Look - £7.99 long sleeve tops for layering and £16.99 jersey trousers. I am happy in these, which is a bit odd as I am usually a Boden/Seasalt sort, but I suppose because my (nearly) 5 stone lighter figure looks neater, I don't need to splash out a fortune on stuff to hide in.

Yes I know what you mean. Sometimes I feel I’m starting to look ok, then I see a photo someone took of me from a difficult angle and I still look awful!

My first pair of size 16 jeans (Sainsbury’s) are now starting to fall down a bit, but I’ve also got one remaining pair of size 18 jeans (M&S) that I still wear (all other pairs of size 18s are long gone). I wish companies made clothes to a set size so you could really appreciate how well you’ve done without then feeling crap again the next moment because you don’t fit in that size at the next shop! It would be interesting to know which shops you think have roomy sizes and which aren’t.

Oh and our fridge just broke! With five pens stored in it. Luckily our pantry is absolutely freezing, especially in this weather, so everything is in there! Now I have to scour the Black Friday sales.

Thank you both...I really appreciate the thoughts and that it's not just me.

Same here...my usual shops don't suit me. I've always been a skinny jeans and floaty, broderie anglaise blouse gal. Suddenly that feels frumpy and makes me look bigger than I am. Like you say, hiding in the fat a bit!

And YES I am FREEZING. I've got some base layers that are not at all sexy and some fleece lined leggings.. they're not fun but keeping me slightly warmer...the electric blanket is getting a lot of use ATM.

The lack of consistency in sizing is really frustrating...and gutting when you just want to go into a shop and BUY something.

Super crap about the broken fridge. Adulting is never ending.

I think my fish finger sandwich yesterday must have worked - I woke up today not hungry, for the first time in ages!

Decided to really change things up last week after reading all your inspiring posts: I've drunk at least 3L of water a day, eaten breakfast every day and cut out sugar completely...I have felt TERRIBLE and haven't been warm all week 😂

But - I've lost 5lbs this week - so, that's telling me what I need to do 🙏

Echoing what’s been said about inconsistency in clothes sizing, it’s so irritating - and also about using our clothes as a “protective shield”.
@SussexLass87 - don’t put yourself down, I enjoy the rambling conversations we all have on this thread !
And what a fab loss this week too 👏. You put the work in and it paid off .
Sorry to hear about your fridge, @Gingercar - hope you don’t have to wait too long for repair/ replacement.

Just back from WW and lost 2lbs which was more than expected ( maybe due to dodgy tummy issues yesterday ? ).
8lbs to target 🤞.
Decided to take the plunge and go up to 5mg with the next pen , with a view to titrating down on the following one . Hope Christmas doesn’t derail my plan .. …
Onwards and downwards ! ⛷️

Weekly check in for me today. 28th jab done today - wild to think how long it’s been as it feels so fast! This will be my second week at attempting to maintain.

So here we go…

SW 92.9kg. BMI 30
GW 77.4kg met!
CW 66.2kg BMI 21.4

Loss this week 0.2kg. Total loss 26.7kg, 58lbs or 4stone!

Final GW maybe 65.4kg not sure but I feel like I’ll know when I get there! Really not looking to lose much more but want a buffer for maintenance.

I stuck with 2.5mg again this week, that’s my fourth time after dropping from 3.75mg. I think if all stays pretty stable this week I’ll drop to 1.25mg next week. I have been eating a bit more but not out of control (yet!) willpower is working and I’m happy with how it’s gone this week.

Early days with this maintenance stuff but finding so many helpful ideas on the maintenance thread, the what I eat in a day thread and of course here with you lovely lot!!

Onwards and downwards lovelies ✌️

Wow @SussexLass87 cutting out sugar for a week is an amazing achievement well done you!!! I’m so glad you’re seeing the scale shift down too it really (annoyingly!) makes all the difference doesn’t it!?!

Well done @ElsieJay on being so close to your target!

Congratulations @ElsieJay - that's a great loss! Always love your contributions and so happy for you that you're so close to target!! 🎯

Well done on your week! 😁

Thanks...it's been tough but glad I've done it. Had some ABSOLUTELY wild dreams (sex dream about Joe Wilkinson in the Waitrose ad was errr interesting...😂😂😂) I always get mad dreams when I don't eat sugar...!

@SussexLass87 : think we’ll all be on a no-sugar regime soon !! 🤣🤣
( though tbh not sure about Joe Wilkinson - wonder what I’d need to give up for George Clooney to feature…… 🤔🤔 )
@FlorenceNightshade well done on the maintenance, I suspect that’s going to be the most difficult part of the journey.
Are you aiming to quit the jabs completely at some point ?

@SussexLass87 ooh Joe Wilkinson….. 😉

@ElsieJay yeah I’m planning to use up the pen I have now and then use one more to space out and reduce doses. Then stop but I will have a back up pen with a 2027 expiry in fridge just in case. Obviously will have to be flexible and see how I feel but that’s my rough plan for it

@ElsieJay maybe try to up your nespresso consumption… it might work for George Cloo ey! (Not sure it will work with sleeping though!)

welldone @FlorenceNightshade so exciting to be at maintenance!! Cant wait to be there but my pace is snail like at the minute…

Oh you're ALL doing so amazingly well!

I now am overweight - albeit only just under 30 but I'm enjoying it whilst it lasts.

I have developed a Vinted obsession. Currently buying a new lambswool or cashmere or merino jumper every week. All are from a company called Woollovers. I justify it by saying to myself that they're less than half the original price, it's very cold so I need them, they suit me .... but really it's an addiction. How do I stop, wise May friends?