January 2025 starters - it's our anniversary!

[HeidiLite]

new thread, losers!

Thanks for all the jeans recommendations.

Have a good week 😊

@Polkadotdash I know you will have done this already but have you recalculated your TDEE? Just in case that helps. Also would keeping the choc but switching it to a fun size one help? Having one posh truffle instead of a bar (frankly I think this is a pile of shite but it must work for some people!). Could you look to swap it for something else chocolatey (aero mousse, coconut collab little choc pots both around 100 cals). Swap it for something non chocolatey to break the habit (cheap shortbread fingers are not upfs!). Not sure is any of that helped but filthy joke headed your way

@Polkadotdash increase protein?

@Polkadotdash you need a ChatGPT account (free) and you just continue the conversation in the same chat. I have told my ChatGPT to cut out all the annoying waffle and act more British 😂. You get better results if you're quite specific with what you want. So I would tell it - I am going to tell you my food for the next week. I want you to give me a breakdown of macros, calories, nutrition and plant diversity over the week.
then add the info every day. remember to include everything!
I'm more interested in the macros and nutrition than the calories, but it has been quite illuminating anyway.
And then once you've done a week of eating as you normally do, it can give you tips to swap things in/out to increase protein and fibre for example. I thought I was pretty good on protein but I'm 30-40g short every day.

LOL @MJalltheway DH had to ask the same, that cut the hyping up and act normally. Otherwise ChatGPT was like a Golden Retriever on caffeine. OMG you're doing soooo well! Amahhhzzzinnng!!

@Polkadotdash stalled weightloss is one of the most frustrating things and I sympathise. My losses on MJ were surprisingly linear and predictable at the start but when I was nearing BMI 25 it stalled a bit and again when I was approaching my arbitrary goal weight. I think it’s actually an important part of the process and we need to just sit tight until our body realises that it isn’t preparing for famine.

I found it helpful to think about how much I would have gained if I wasn’t on WLI as well. For me 5 months could easily have been 5kg gained.

Paint is going on the walls of the rooms that have been worked on so things are moving. My current sewing space is 90% packed and the rest of the room is stacked with boxes to the point that the only living creatures that can get to the opposite wall are the cats. I’m getting very frustrated by the utter chaos but the end is almost in sight now.

Some great news to report - my brother’s tests are all back and no malignant cells have been found. There are still some significant issues but hopefully they are manageable. I can’t put into words how much relief I’ve had from this news.

ah what a relief @jins!

I also need some accountability again. Would like to lose 1-2 kilos of fat, so the muscles I've worked hard for would be more visible now that warm weather is approaching. I want to look slightly scary 😁WIll try without strict calorie counting, but need to keep up my protein.

Thank you for the suggestions. I know my protein is probably low. It’s tricky when you don’t eat meat. I’m also thinking about everything that you read on WLIs says you lose muscle first and since I had no muscle in the first place, maybe my body has drained that option and really cannot burn any fat!

Having the worst week at work. Currently being undermined, sidelined and quite frankly gas lit. I just have to keep telling myself that I get paid the same if I’m excellent or mediocre and do the bare minimum.

I have just realised that I was supposed to do my jab on a Monday and I have totally forgotten all flaming week 🫣

sorry about work @Polkadotdash , what's going on there?

Hi everyone!

I had a rare day in the office this week and had a reminder of the power of sugar!

There was so much food! So I decided as I am maintaining, it was fine to eat a jam doughnut at 11am. Well of course that sent me spiralling and I spent the next three hours hoovering up cake, chocolate and biscuits. 🫢 It really was a useful reminder of how I became obese. I simply can’t handle sugar.

Weighed this morning and I have bizarrely lost a pound, but I think it’s just a temporary deviation. I will keep an eye on it though as I am not too keen on my face or my arse, which is where any additional loss will come from, rather than my still flabby tummy or G cup boobs.

Great news about your brother @Jins

Hope things improve at work @Polkadotdash

Hi everyone,

Great news on your brother @Jins, I’m so pleased, what a relief! Hope they can manage the issues and that your sewing room is finished soon too.
@Zempyi know exactly what you mean, if I have sweets/ cakes it sends me into the Cookie Monster!!

@Polkadotdashwork sounds horrendous, I’m sorry, what’s going on? May it be worth speaking to your provider / GP re lack of weight loss, so disheartening and bloody annoying when you’re doing everything right ( and paying money). Instead of a chocolate bar, could you have something with protein or even something like a Nakd bar/ nuts and fibre maybe? Hope you have a nice restful weekend and can do something nice for you.

hows the gym/ running going @myladyjane?

@MJalltheway🤣🤣on your instructions to Chat GPT, I’ve had to do similar, it was so gushing and ‘go you!’, now it’s much better! Have been using it lots for everything from exercise routines to meal planning/ telling me what I need more of to CV/ job fit/ interview prep. In the main it’s brilliant but you do need to watch out for it making things up!!

In terms of maintenance, 5mg working, I’m maintaining at around 10 9 give or take a pound or two and I’ve not had any binges this week so 🤞🏻that was just HRT related or something.

on the interview note I’ve had a busy week, especially excited about an HRD role I’ve had 2 interviews for including the CPO who wants me to go for coffee and meet the team next week. No one else at this stage so I’m really crossing my fingers that this could be it. Slight issue is it’s 4 days a week in London initially but the role sounds amazing and she was brilliant so I will make it work 🤞🏻.

Off To Helsinki for the weekend with my best friend today and cannot wait, sauna and cold dips, park run and cinnamon and cardamom buns!! Have great weekends losers.

Sorry to hear of the work issues @Polkadotdash - sound like a nightmare. Can you loop in HR?

Fantastic news regarding your brother @jins.

Best of luck with the meeting @26inprogress!

it’s been a tough week health wise chez Meaty. DH has been away with work and my work week has been shockingly intense. To make all of that so much harder, I’ve been floored by a cough/cold that has completely zapped my energy and left me hacking away day and night. I’m hoping it’s better by tomorrow as I have plans for afternoon tea with a dear friend.

All that said, the week was kind on the scales and I lost 2.5lbs!

SW 15.10
CW 10.1.3
GW 9.10

I'm taking care of friend's pets this weekend (dog, cats, chickens, fish), as they are still stuck in Doha and no idea when they will get home. My own original country is organising repatriation flights for a reduced price, and everybody is whining. Half the people think the government should not charge anything and just get people home. The other half whines because they think the government shouldn't spend any money on this and it was travellers' own risk. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Very glad I didn't go into politics.

I'm waiting for a radiology app for DS, as he has a lump under his chin - probably just swollen gland, but has been there for a few weeks so pediatrician sent us for an ultrasound, health care is really good over here. Always stressful when there's something with kids.

have fun in Helsinki @26inprogress !

So pleased uo hear about your brother @Jins hope your sewing room is sorted soon.

I’m the same @Zempy - I can’t seem to stop once I’ve had chocolate but also can’t see a life without it - maybe I’ll restrict to weekends.

@26inprogress sounds very promising - hope works out for you 🤞 I’ve tried the Emma Lewisham serum and it does seem quite gentle.
enjoy your lovely weekend - your very good at doing things !

@meatyryvita hope you feel better soon, glad the scales were kind.

Hope all is well with your son @HeidiLite more than likely a cold/virus related inflamed node.

weight wise I’m a nudge under 9 stone but had a tummy bug so not sure I can take the win.

have a great Friday 😊

@Polkadotdash that all sounds horrible. Shit work is exhausting because you dont really get a choice do you - obvs find a better role but thats tiring in itself.

@26inprogresseverything crossed this is it. Sauna and buns sound amazing

@jins- what a relief

@meatyryvita get well soon. @HeidiLite dd had one of those that got checked out. Shotty node (basically from a run of the mill infection and just stayed raised). It only went away when she was 12 and it came up when she was 4…

@Zempy it’s bread for me. I have been having a few hot cross buns and find I eat more crap.

I have done a running session and a gym session so far this week with a run tomorrow and gym on Sunday. Weight is inching down so last weigh in saw me 3 ounces from goal. Seem to have settled at a small size 12 now which feels good. Also my LED facemask seems to be a quality purchase - my skin has perked right up!

The work thing is complex, but to try to summarise. I’m seconded to a big project. 18 months of work. I was moved on to it because of my knowledge and experience. Person running the project is slowly cutting me out of the information feed. Forgetting to invite me to meetings, making decisions and not telling me about them for days, things like that. This week he dropped a huge amount of work on me on Tuesday and asked for it to be all done by Thursday, with a very scant brief and at the same time as something else which was also mega urgent. No push back was accepted. So I locked in and did both things. Thursday morning before our meeting to discuss, he emailed me to let me know he’d done the work he’d asked me to do so didn’t need my stuff and also he was bringing in someone to manage me because I obviously can’t cope. I’m absolutely furious. I spoke to my line manager and another senior person and the answer I got was basically that I have to have a can-do attitude and that this isn’t a big deal. I just feel totally pushed around, taken advantage of and essentially tricked into providing the ‘evidence’ that I’m not good enough.

WTF what a bastard. You need to start documenting everything. Something in the lines of:
I just wanted to briefly follow up in writing on the task you asked me to work on earlier.
When you asked me to prepare the [analysis/work/task], I mentioned that I was currently dealing with another urgent matter and that taking this on immediately might be difficult. However, as requested, I prioritised the task and went ahead and completed the work.
Before I had the opportunity to present or share the output, you mentioned that you had already completed the work yourself and that my version was no longer needed.
I just wanted to document this for clarity, as I had reallocated time from the other urgent matter in order to complete the task. In future, it would be helpful to align on priorities and whether work is still required before time is committed.
Best regards

@myladyjane wow that's a long time! DS's is quite big though, doc said 2 cm. I was thinking submandibular salivary gland. But anyway I expect to get an ultrasound app in a few days so will see.

Funny thing is that I used to have slightly raised lymph nodes on my neck for quite a while, doc wasn't concerned. But after the cyst surgery, they are now gone. So guess the cyst must have been brewing for a while.

gym session planned for this evening - back, shoulders and arms. I love working my back, can do more than bodyweight on seated row and keep buying tiny tops to show it all off. 😁

How awful @Polkadotdash keep a bullying and harassment log. Excellent advice from @HeidiLite
So near goal @myladyjane delighted for you.

@Polkadotdash that sounds tough. Is there a chance they are trying to make you quit? Hang in there.

My work situation is coming to a resolution finally, and I can't wait to start fresh once all signed, sealed and delivered.

A week of having little control over work situation has meant I have had less control over what goes in my mouth, so scales this morning showed high for a Friday. So, went out for a run, followed by body balance and some weights. Theatre tonight and a weekend hanging with my son to look forward to.

Good luck @26inprogress on the interviews!

@myladyjane good gym'ing.

I start my pilates teacher training course next week. Very much looking forward to it. At the very least it will keep me busy, super strengthen my core, and I'll learn something that will hopefully be put to good earning use in the future.

what a great idea @Thelittlestranger .
Pilates not my thing but I just love teaching fitness classes and am always trying to recruit other people.
Am thinking about offering my services to my French gym as well - not for the money and not as a regular instructor, but would love to do some substitute classes every now and then. Only problem is that my French is quite abysmal but some of those classes require very little talking anyway.

@Polkadotdashthat is really shitty and how awful to not be backed up by senior management. Is there someone else you trust? Definitely get documenting as @HeidiLitesuggested. Hugs 🤗

@Polkadotdash that is awful. Better advice will come from others but I’m right behind you and filled with righteous anger. I suspect this lies behind your stalled weightloss more than you think.

Thanks all for your messages re brother. He’s doing ok and obviously enormously relieved. He remains under consultant care so will find out next steps soon but a bit of positivity has returned.

Weigh in and jab day and I’ve lost 2lb this week which is unexpected. I’m going with it as my BMI is 21.3 and there’s still plenty of fat around my midriff. I’d quite like to see how 8.7 looks but any lower than that would be a mistake.

I’ve just read that the ‘new’ pens with less liquid will be rolling out in April. My immediate thought was to buy a couple but can’t really afford to and don’t really need to. I’ve also been reading that Voy are now prescribing off label to BMI 25+ and are also allowing click counting. I’m expecting them to be inundated but I’m also keeping them in mind for the future.

Have a great weekend all.