January 2025 starters - goal weight era

[HeidiLite]

New thread!

@PenelopePitstopPersists oh I’m glad it’s not just me being grumpy about the heat. It does stop you getting on with things. However you ate right about the appetite suppression. I haven’t actually eaten a proper meal since Thursday. I’ve probably still put weight on though. And now tonight I e got to eat up what was rescued from the freezer - a mountain of peas, Yorkshire puddings and veggie burgers 😂

I’ve done absolutely nothing productive at all @Polkadotdash, can’t even be bothered to read. I made these vege burgers the day before yesterday and there are two uncooked ones in the fridge. I think I’m going to pan fry them and try freezing them as I’m not hungry at all. Nice recipe if you want an unsolicited recommendation.

@Polkadotdash Oh I totally understand the GP fatigue when you just can't have yet ANOTHER conversation with them about the same thing 🤦‍♀️ I'd really recommend getting you b12 checked before you get an injection though. You could always pay for a private finger prick test if you can't face the GP. If you need it you should be on it for life. I buy supplies from Germany and self-inject so that I can do it weekly, then just have the three monthly one from the GP.

Ive got to take my youngest in to try and get her referred for a tilt table test, we suspect she might have POTS. She's had many issues over the last few years and it looks like that might explain all of them. Anticipating a battle of course.

exam season seems to be going well here, DS is working hard. He's matured a LOT since GCSEs and is really keen to do well to get to his preferred uni 🤞

I felt very virtuous yesterday because I had a reformer Pilates assessment and DIDN'T cancel and I was her only non-cancellation of the day 😂 signed up for 3 months, hoping it will get my back pain sorted out. Also went to our local lido (early morning) which was glorious. Meeting MIL for lunch today, then will scurry home before it gets too hot. We're finally in the couple of days each year where our freezing-cold house comes into its own!

We went to a 21st last night. The plan was to slip away after a couple of hours so as not to be the spectre at the feast but staying that long was a real challenge. It’s only 7 years since I had a 21 year old and his mates for comparison but there appears to have been quite a change in that time. They all sat round quietly and sober and while I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the music so much it was for a totally different reason. It felt like the DJ waa playing those top of the pops albums back to back and 70s pop wasn’t my thing even in the 70s. I’ve never heard so much ABBA. Luckily it was my turn to drive so called the shots on leaving time.

One of the mums told me that all the young people like this sort of music nowadays when I expressed surprise. Surely not? DS2 agrees with me that it seemed pretty niche and DS1 declared it boomer music with that look of contempt he does so well.

Aside from that the weekend has been stellar and I’ve topped my tan up very well. I’m with @HeidiLite. I love hot weather and I’ve absolutely adored the last few days.

@PenelopePitstopPersists that recipe looks good. Thank you!

@MJalltheway that’s interesting about the b12. Doesn’t it hurt to inject yourself though? I always hate having the b12 because it really stings going in. I looked back at my last test result from December. My level was borderline then after dropping from my previous test. I can’t imagine it has increased in the last 6 months, so I’m pretty sure I need topping up.

Well done to everyone managing to exercise and do their reformer Pilates in this heat.

@Jins I was having pretty much the same conversation with my DH last night about music. Our next door neighbours’ 17 year old son had a big party yesterday (we were pre warned and they finished by 11pm) but the playlist was mainly 90s stuff. We were enjoying it! My teens listen to a lot of 70s/80s/90s stuff too. They have a broad church. We like to credit ourselves for this by being cool parents (or ‘tough’ as they say now 🫣) 😂😂

young people are different nowadays. Most don't seem to drink and yes parties are very timid. Not necessarily a bad thing, I have made some very questionable choices when I was young, but then again, a lot of fun was had too.
Probably as they know that everything they do might be recorded, uploaded and preserved for eternity? Whereas we could just deny anything happened 😂

My young adults don’t drink very much, nothing most of the time but a couple now and then.

I rarely drink but I do like aperol mixed with fever tree ginger beer. Lots of ice, 50ml Aperol, 250ml can ginger beer and a few frozen blueberries. Sometimes I add cassis, but I feel quite 🥴 after only one if I do.

I do subcut injections (into fat) instead of into muscle @Polkadotdash nowhere near as painful! They are more painful than the MJ, but I'm very used to them now, I've been doing it for nearly 10 years.

i dont think my DS has had the memo about young folk not drinking or partying hard, he's absolutely living his best life (when it's not exam season....). He DJs a bit at D&B/garage/afrobeats nights (probably got those genres wrong! 🤨) and loves a bit of 90s hip hop

My kids don't drink much, which I'm delighted with. I drink more again now I'm off the MJ.

And I'm loving this weather, but that's because we are out in the camper by the sea yesterday, and now in the Brecon beacons. The heat is enjoyable when you are required to do nothing in it. Although I did a very hilly run this morning along a coastal path which required me to have a nap this afternoon to get over it.

Trying not to think about my weight until I get home...

Enjoying everyone's warm weather stories!
I managed a work out this evening, for various reasons my first in a week 🙄
Work is brutal as I have a new job (within the same firm) and there is loads of internal politics around it all. My boss is struggling to let me go and it's a time limited project so I need to get started!
I've put on 7lbs from my lowest ever weight but I am still (just) in my 'acceptable ' zone- hoping the heat knocks my appetite on the head too!
Have a lovely, warm evening everyone, i'n going to try for a few minutes with a book in the garden before it thunders xxx

Morning! 🌄 mainteners and losers
@Thelittlestranger enjoy the mountains! Definitely the best place to be in this heat.
@MJalltheway having a DJ in the family could turn out to be really helpful in the future, weddings ( probably not funerals!), parties etc
@PenelopePitstopPersists I haven't drank alcohol for many years. I'm trying out some new mocktail recipes for a party we ( me and the new man) are iladvisedly throwing! Got a lovely one with cloudy lemonade, grape juice, elderflower and lemon slice and . . . The show stopper frozen grapes 🍇
It's delicious!
Have a great day everyone. Enjoy the sunshine if you can

Well my bubble about feeling ok in most clothes burst yesterday. I popped into a charity shop and there were two fat face dresses like a friend has there in size 12. I’ve always loved the dress on her so I snapped them both up. Got home and tried them on and they do not pass the flatter test. The waist is really high, almost underbust, and I just look bulky. They’ll probably end up on Vinted at a loss but I’m going to try one out today.

Regarding alcohol I’m in that boomer/GenX grey area so make of that what you will. Binge drinking is a speciality in that I’ll go weeks or months without a drop then cane it one evening. I’ve always been the same and so are most of my mates. MJ affected alcohol impact only briefly. We popped round to DS1s house yesterday and the 21st cropped up in conversation and he said it was a classic GenZ gathering and we should remember that before accepting any more invitations 😆. I realise this makes me sound like a bit of a boozer and I’m really not but I can’t get away from believing that a 21st party in a huge garden on a lovely day is the perfect opportunity to live in the moment.

Car failed its MOT yesterday so that’s spoiled my week. Now trying to find someone to replace coil springs in the next week. DH would do it but we can’t get access to the pit until he finishes the work on his hobby car so I’ll just have to raid the savings. Parts are cheap so hopefully not too scary.

Have a fabulous midweek all!

I’m loving the heat. Shame it will be over soon. Went for a good walk at lunchtime yesterday and will walk to hairdressers and back today rather than driving. It just makes me so happy to feel the sun on my skin.

I have noticed my scraggy neck has settled down somewhat which is a relief. I was quite upset by it when it was at its worst but it has definitely tightened up and smoothed over.

I'm a heat-hater but it is noticeably more comfortable without many rolls of fat. Going for a (hopefully shady!) walk this morning with a friend and then got a big compost delivery which all needs to be shifted off the driveway. DH and DS out all day so will have to be me 😬
our garden is a bit of a mess, we've spent 10 years working on the house and ignoring it and now we've finished everything in the house, we're shifting attention to the garden. It's quite overwhelming how much there is to be done though. And how expensive getting the patio replaced is! 😮

@Zempy same, neck and stomach much better, but I have noticed that hydration makes a huge difference too. Stomach immediately looks much better if I slap some body lotion on.

@MJalltheway same same we have a tiny garden but it really needs some attention now that house is pretty much done. But it's all such boring but expensive work. Drive way has dipped, needs to be taken up and re-done - brings me no joy though. Weeds all over, hedge trimming, lawn is not grass but mostly random weeds. And gardeners are just so bloody expensive here, otherwise I would have a regular one.

We already have a regular gardener and lawn mowing service - without this we'd live in a jungle! But garden is over an acre so it very very quickly gets out of hand. We do have lots of lovely mature fruit trees though which are fabulous in autumn. More apples and plums than we know what to do with!

My garden is postage stamp size but I still employ a gardener to keep it looking nice. I am just not equipped to deal with it.

Just catching up on thread
kids - urgh
@BreezyPeer great to hear you have a nice new man!
heat, not too bad with careful window and blind management
haven't managed the gym in 10 days so that needs to be a priority (along with the usual mountain of work)
weight fairly stable, sadly still needs really keeping an eye on but clothes fit OK. I haven’t titrated down past 7, think I need to wait until life feels a bit more under control

Ok so I got it very wrong about how the fat face dress looked as compliments came in thick and fast, including from DH which is a rare occurrence. My relationship with mirrors has always been negative but it’s clearly not improving.

Midweek weigh in has me at 8st 8.6 so the water retention from flying has shifted and I’m back into my comfort zone. I’ve bumped my dose up slightly to deal with holiday weight gain and will probably keep it on the high side until we get back from Crete. Feels very luxurious to be off on hols so soon after coming back but we’ve had so many years where I was uninsurable for foreign travel and I’m making up for it while I can.

Off to Manchester this afternoon for a Banksy tribute exhibition which I’m really looking forward to. We were in Norfolk when he did the Great British Spraycation so went hunting for them.

I definitely have gardener envy. Ours is quite big as it wraps around the house which is L shaped. I did a module in landscape architecture as part of my masters so when we moved here I designed it to be as manageable as possible and so far so good. It’s just mowing and the odd bit of pruning nowadays. At the time I was really into rewilding and natural regeneration and those areas are looking amazing. The front is very small and just a patch of lawn. I’m not really much of a gardener so it works for me.

we get gardeners for bigger tasks but the pretty much daily weeding and cleaning and trimming - why does everything grow so fast? One of the dogs also thinks there's some kind of treasure buried in the front garden, so there's a massive hole that she keeps re-diffing every time I fill it.

show us the dress @Jins
had the same today, wore a butter yellow midi dress today got compliments from many people. I never wear yellow, but seems that this really pale butter colour actually works well.

And I can't even express how much I love having small boobs. I live in built in bra tops, have never been able to wear them, always industrial strength Bravissimo bras. But now, backless tiny yoga tops, soooo comfy!
also ordered the viral Halara dress: https://thehalara.fr/products/crisscross-backless-square-neck-sleeveless-ruched-built-in-bra-midi-resort-flowy-dress-28-44?variant=5562255&locale=fr&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=frcpcshopping&utm_campaign=23276007341&utm_content=&utm_term=5562255&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23276007341&gbraid=0AAAAAB_7KRHerhTyqSTZe9BitBHnoqiUX&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz9_QBhD_ARIsADnSCfCPF6Eb_7agPqpbJ0XlO7bHdOgK7YEcoNa4PcGtODkRrPL5wA1su0oaAs89EALw_wcB
got the blue but now thinking if I should order the yellow as well?

@jins 👏👏👏 on the dress feedback. And that’s shite that your car failed its MOT. Hope it’s not a major job to get it fixed.

Our broken freezer has started working again. Not sure how or why. So now we have the emergency freezer and the original one.

And on the gardening - we deliberately bought a house with a yard rather than a garden as neither of us have the time to look after one.

I’ve had my vitamin d and b12 jabs. Have still felt awful today though. Why aren’t they instant? Struggled through a day trip with the kids. Will be in bed soon I’m so exhausted. I had another unhappy day at work yesterday. We have this thing where at the end of the reporting year we get given a one word rating from a grid of 9 performance assessment types. They range from ‘inconsistent’ to ‘star’. These ratings do nothing but cause ill will as they are not linked to delivering targets, earning rewards or promotions. All they do is offer managers a way to praise their favourites and put down their most unliked team members. Now, I usually just plump for the middle one which is ‘good’ because I cannot be bothered arguing for anything else. I’d say 80% of people get rated as good so it can cover anyone who is getting on with their job and delivering to anyone who just logs in and nods at the right time. However, this year based on my non-stop crisis level output and the fact that I just missed out on promotion I rated myself as the next one up which is ‘’strong’. Yesterday I was slapped back down and told that no, I’m just ‘good’ as I was on sick leave for three months after my hysterectomy. I’m torn now between complaining that that is discrimination and just thinking ‘fuck it. At least now I know my boss doesn’t like me’.

Ooh @HeidiLite that dress is foxy! I like that the yellow is called ‘Vague’ in French

@Polkadotdash wtf they can't mark you down for sick leave! Your boss is a cow.
I have team drama at work, honestly in some situations I feel like my pre-teen DC are more reasonable. Colleague x sent an email that upset colleague y who then escalated and I am now trying to sort it out and mediate with the usual: so I understand that you meant this, and you can also understand that they might have felt that..blah blah. While what I really want to say is that "HOW hard exactly is to say that 'oh yes I see how you could have read it this way, I didn't mean it like that, but I will try to be more mindful in the future'"??. Whether you mean it or not.
But nooooo, we need to spend an hour arguing who was more wrong..