Starting today... 2st to lose.

[owlets]

Whilst shopping with my super slim friend over the weekend I realised just how fat I feel - and getting on the scales provided proof. I've put on 2 stone - 1 stone of which has come on very recently ( think a month or two?!).
Other than looking lumpy and increasingly featureless, my legs are achy and I don't feel like I've woken up properly ever.
So, I'm going to start on the diet today. The plan is to eat lots of veg and fruits, lean meats, and limited carbs. I'm going to have 3 decent sized meals a day, and not snack unless I'm truely hungry.

I'm going to weigh myself and post on here every Tuesday. Anyone who wants to join in please do!

Starting weight; 11st 13.
(Target weight 10st so 1st 13lbs to lose)

That would scare the militant 'dog people' we tend to meet on dog walks round here. I might give it a try actually. Its usually me who's afraid of them and they're all over 80 years old!

I am the same with that evening slot, but for me its craving sugar/chocolate. I said to dh last night that I think I probably need to go cold turkey on refined sugar again. I know it always works for me and if I don't do it I'll just keep giving in, but I really can't face it at the moment.

Back to my old diet today though, apple porridge for breakfast, salad for lunch and home made veggie soup for dinner. Think I might do a bit on my new exercise bike this morning as well. It just doesn't feel enough compared to shredding, so I'm never motivated to get on it, but I suppose its better than nothing and at least it will be helping me back to the point where I can shred again.

I'm in a foul mood, knowing that I have to start supervising homework at 10.30 am and the boys have both already had huge tantrums about it.

Didn't sleep last night and this time it wasn't caused by any of thd dcs, just horrible insomnia.

Sorry, I'm a real little ray of sunshine this morning aren't I. (blush)

Hope the homework went ok moose. I've been lucky there as ds only had 4 worksheets to do and has been happy to do 3 and a half so far as long as there has been a reward at the end of each one. Finish on Monday as he has an extra day off then.

I think it's the sugar in the wine that I crave too. I don't like to be drunk, I just like the balance of tastes; salt and sort of sweet. I tried swapping it for cranberry juice or pomegranate juice and they just felt like substitutes, so yes, I think the only way is cold turkey.

Did a Davina DVD this morning but felt awful, really weak and like I was going to pass out so kept stopping. Now feel like I'm coming down with the flu - oh joy!

Oh god. Also tried to give myself the MN haircut . Don't know whether to be relieved or mortified that I've got a hairdresser's appointment for next Wednesday. Why do I do this to myself! To be fair to myself it might not be that bad and it could have been a lot worse. Oh ffs who am I kidding!

Homework was hell, Lamb and is still ds1's is still barely started. Feel like I've been wrestling an octopus all day.

Hope you are able to rest this weekend and ward off that flu bug.

You are so brave attempting the MN haircut. I bet it looks great.

I was tempted so many times last year, but never quite plucked up the courage to go through with it. I put off going to the hairdressers for so long that I went from having shoulder length hair to it being down past the chest strap of my bra! Fortunately I love it now that I've now had it all layered. I was worried about having long hair at my age.

Failed on the diet again - had a lovely salad for lunch, but then dh's blooming birthday cake started calling me from the kitchen.

Oh. Sorry about the homework. I only got my ds to do it using bribery, could it be broken into small chunks with rewards after each bit? Listen to me talking like I know what to do! Ignore me. Everyone's child responds differently. My mum made me nearly cry (nearly) today. Talking about discipline and ds - she has no idea, he was violent towards me again this morning because I asked him to get dressed and he ranted and raved, but he did do it much quicker than he has been. But she's so hung up on punishing him and consequences she can't see the small achievements we make.

Update on the MN haircut. It looks fabulous!

My hair was all one length apart from a fringe I'm growing out, and was just beyond shoulder length. It is now a graduated feathered bob, longer at the front and quite short at the back. I'm so impressed! I've asked 2 hairdressers for this haircut and they've both said no, that it won't work. Well it does . I used to do it about 18 years ago when ds 1 was a baby and had forgotten about it. And what do you mean at my age you're the same age as me!

Btw you're not the only one to fail. I am drinking red wine and eating goat's cheese as I type. I think you've had a tough day though so you deserve some comfort food.

Lamb, that's what we were doing. He did a maths sheet this morning, then got a break and a piece of cake. Then lunch followed by a chunk of the project work before some ds time, but he had literally produced nothing after an hour, so we had a break and went back to it - still nothing.

I knew the haircut would look great really. I know a few other MNetters that have gone into shock after doing it, then decided it was great.

We might be the same age - but you're the one with a glamorous feathered bob and I'm the one with something akin to a cross between Tina Turner and the Wild Woman of Borneo!

Now stuffing carrot sticks, vegetable crisps and sour cream dip - so that'll be fat, fat and a bit more fat for my dinner then.

Gah! Carrot sticks and vegetable crisps are hardly chips and garlic bread are they? You have seriously done so well with your weight loss. You had more to lose than me and we are pretty much the same size and weight now. You put me to shame, I have no will power and you have loads (forget about tonight forget about tonight). We should have a meet up round at Madwoman's - up for it Madwoman? And stare in wonderment at how gorgeous and tiny tiny we are !

And if a glamorous feathered bob is what you want then get out your hair bobbles and a decent pair of scissors.

Projects that are also maths? That's just evil. What does he have to do? I used to teach maths to adults up to GCSE level so I feel your pain. Also another very good reason for not Home Educating!

Lol at meet-up in Canada!

The maths was in addition to the project. The project is four separate mini-projects on the Tudors, including researching the recipe for and then baking Tudor sailors' biscuits. He's the only one allowed to use the computer for all the writing and drawing aspects, but he's still not getting anywhere. He's genuinely interested in the topic, but totally overwhelmed by the amount of work he needs to do to complete it all.

I'd love an excuse to go to Canada! I'm just picturing the panic on Madwoman's face as she reads this later!

That homework sounds really interesting but I can see how he would find it overwhelming. The fact that he finds it interesting is a start that I bet most parents aren't having this week though. What ever he does will be good and I'm sure his teachers would rather that than pages of rubbish.

I hope you sleep better tonight. You've had a lot on your mind which really doesn't help. When do you find out about the SA?

Deadline for them to let us know is 26th March, so ages to go yet.

As far as I'm aware they have all the reports in now, which leaves them a whole month to make up their minds and draw up a draft statement - if he's getting one.

Lor, I was out when you started the party!! I have, erm, pizza on the way apparently, so it's a good job you warned me so I can hide it behind the sofa and get the celery out....

In my defence, I did actually have celery for lunch. And it's Friday. And dh has randomly had his interview next week cancelled, so feeling randomly pissy and cba...

It's lovely here at the mo, though, you really should pop round. All blue skies and snowy mountains, v picturesque. but bring your mitts, it's still a bit parky.

We can go tubing at norquay tomorrow if you like? Or skiing or dog sledding?

You'd cheer me up anyway, and stop me from being so glum. (glum is a Good Word, don't you think?)

I did lose two pounds when I weighed in this morning though, so not all bad... And that's with no classes running this week! (am now going to put it all back on with pizza, but at least I know the low carbing is working again!)

I can't do mn haircut. Mine is curly and v v wild woman of Borneo. Tis why I cut it all off. It's shorter than dh's now. had it long for soooooooo long and it was just time.

(listens for doorbell)

Boarding a flight as I type. I think I'll give the tubing a miss if that's ok. Dog sledding sounds like a plan though.

Sorry to hear you are glum, especially after a 2lb loss. One pizza won't put it back on, I predict just a temporary water retention blip.

I have woken up to a pukey dd this morning. She decided to wait until she'd just drunk a cup of milk to deposit the contents of her stomach all over the carpet I nearly killed myself to clean on Tuesday.

I am just sitting here eating my fruit and yoghurt and then dh and I are going to do the kickboxing circuits of bfbm together. Not at all sure I'll stay the course after so little exercise, but want to give it a try anyway.

Wow Madwoman! That looks amazing! I'll just grab my mitts then - put the kettle on . Seriously though, you are very lucky living there. Well done for losing 2lbs! That definitely cancels out a pizza

I felt really quite rough after the wine last night so back to being virtuous again until next week. I can't believe I would do that to myself on a regular basis, hate to think what I look like inside. Shrivelled probably.

They like to drag out the fun don't they Moose? Fingers crossed the right decision is made.

Got a kid's party this afternoon which I'm dreading. Dh has said he'll do it but an old friend is going to be there so I'd like to see her anyway.

I did it! Warm up, 2 kickboxing circuits and then some random crunches and other abs exercises .... and I survived!

I am ridiculously chuffed about it - very embarrassed at how much puffing and panting was involved compared to last time I did it, but really pleased I managed it at all.

Still a long way of a full-on shred though.

Halfway through the workout the rest of my Aeryn Sun costume arrived - faux leather biker style gilet and black utility belt. Whole lot cost less than a tenner off ebay. Dh's extremely large and noisy ray gun arrived with my stuff as well and now my gun definitely looks too small by comparison. I refuse to be out-gunned by a silver spaceman!

Hope the party goes well Lamb.

The pizza was great and I've woken up far less bad tempered as i caught up on some sleep and didn't get up until 9 . Having an organising sort of day so have postponed tubing to Monday, which is the 'family day' holiday here. And have plans tomorrow to visit the Calgary zoo. We haven't been for a year or so, and dh mentioned at breakfast that the penguins have arrived! (in that sort of exclamatory tone...) not a big thing in the uk, they've all got bleeding penguins, but here it seems to be a novelty, and they have made a big hoo ha of building the penguin compound for the last two years - all 'coming soon!' and glossy banners. (they did the same thing with the giraffe enclosure a few years ago lol) soooooo, apparently we're off to see the penguins tomorrow. It will be faintly bizarre, as we do have snow on the ground

Well done on the workout moose! (and lol at the gun envy- I think after the party you need to go on one kick ass dog walk with all the gear on and toting your spray painted super soaker, not just the spare combats. The idea of aeryn sun stalking the black country with a pooch or two is making me chuckle)

Hope the kids party went ok, lamb. I loathe loathe loathe the idea of them, but they aren't usually so bad in reality...

Huge salad for lunch and avoided the carbs, so feeling positive. And as I'm spending the day carrying junk up and down stairs and cleaning floors, no workout for me.

Oh, and hope dd is feeling better! Must be the weekend...

Well, the party was good actually. Bouncy castle and little cars that move when you turn the steering column back and forth (yes I did have a go and yes it was lots of fun! ). Lovely catching up with my old friend and hearing some gossip about others I've lost touch with.

Still in bed now though. Woke up at 3am convinced I was going to be sick so lay there for over an hour deep breathing and trying to take my mind off it (toilet's non too clean upstairs as ds wees all over the place so didn't fancy being face down in that!). I had eaten some tofu that had been opened for some time so I'm thinking it must have been that. I actually woke up heaving (sorry), how hideous is that?

I would love to have a go at tubing Madwoman (maybe not today though) although it does remind me a flume I upended in once top half underwater bottom half stuck in the tube and definitely above water. Have a lovely time there and the zoo - putting my lazy day to shame!

Good on you for getting through the workout Moose! It's so hard when you haven't done it for a while to get back in the zone. You sound all round kick ass now! I hope this gun thing isn't going to get out of hand, I don't want to hear about Brummies running for their lives when you go to this thing with you and your dh all dressed up with your vast weaponry

Ooh! Had to share! Just measured and my waist is 28.5 inches! when did that happen! Bloody love Davina!

As you were.

Madwoman, glad you enjoyed the pizza and managed to catch up on some sleep. A nice family day out to see the penguins sounds just what the doctor ordered as well. Have a lovely day.

Lambskin - great mental image of you in the the upended flume!

WOW on the 28.5" waist - WELL DONE! Mine went down to 29 briefly when I was doing all the shredding and BFBM-ing. I dread to think what it is now after a couple of months of very little exercise.

Dh did tell me that my hips are 'spiky' this morning though, so at least there's still one part of me that isn't covered in a layer of blubber!

We don't have any Brummies round these ere parts, more stuck up Warwickshire types. I would seriously love to get all tooled up and go for a dog walk to scare the pants of some of them.

The party isn't local - its in Ledbury, so another posh place to frighten the locals! We have booked a hotel along with some of our friends, so should be a good night - despite the fancy dress. Dogs are booked into kennels and the dcs will be going to Mum's overnight. First time ever for dd and only a handful of times for the other two.

Ds1 is bound to go green and throw up, because he always does if dh and I dare to go away overnight. We have raced back early so many times only to find he's ok but exhausted once we get home. Then we finally worked out that its not illness, its stress from being out of his routine. When he was very little he used to do it even if we went out for a couple of hours. My sister ended up refusing to babysit anymore because it always involved lots of sick. He even did it to her when she came to stay at our house while we went to a festival two years ago. He still had his own routine/food/bed etc, but within 24 hours was throwing up everywhere - including down my sisters back, which didn't go down well. It just stresses him out if we go away. We avoided doing it for years, but now realise we need to do it occasionally for our own sanity. Actually, thinking about it, he wasn't sick when we went to a music festival last year and he stayed at Mum's house overnight, so fingers crossed he's able to cope better now he's a bit older.

Right, I only came online to log my breakfast, off to do a workout now.

Hi, just came on to bump the thread.

Doing ok here I think. Staying within my MFP goals and have managed to do workout every day since Saturday, so hoping things will start shifting again soon.

Hope everyone else is having a good week.

Urgh, at boot camp today I was lolloping around like a whale. I am literally carrying 40lbs more than these twiglets and trying to keep up. Dear god. it was sooooo hard today, and I unfortunately found myself in a spot with a clear view of the mirror. motivating if nothing else!

Lovely instructor could see I was struggling, so once I could breathe again after the class I asked for a magic trick to lose 40lbs. she thinks low carbing is the answer as well, so fingers crossed. That said, I failed at the first hurdle, because the healthiest thing I could find was carrots and hummus, and I already had a vat of pea soup cooking, neither of which pass the low carb test. So I have to sit down and menu plan. I mean who knew? Hummus?

Of course, am now roaming the cupboards in search of anything as I feel weak and jittery after the class.

I can't decide if I want to measure my waist or not...

Well done for getting through it Madwoman. I was a bit like that with my own workout today - almost crying through the abs and planks section.

I did a workout in just leggings and my sports-bra yesterday and caught sight of myself jiggling in the living room mirror! Not a pretty sight - but as you said, highly motivational.

We are feeling similar this evening then. I didn't manage to get today's workout in until 5.00 pm and am now shaky and starving, although I did just indulge in a pancake made with skimmed milk, in honour of shrove Tuesday.

I take my hat of to you for low carbing. I just couldn't hack it.

I looked at my MFP reports for the last 90 days and realised I have been maintaining for that long and whilst I am pleased I haven't gained, its definitely time to kick things up a gear. Aiming to carry on with the kickboxing and abs for five days this week, with the hope of getting back into level 1 shredding next week.

Its hard, but I am just really pleased I'm able to do it again. I read some studies on vitamin D a couple of weeks ago and significantly upped my dosage. Can't help thinking it must have something to do with me suddenly feeling so much better. Lack of vitamin D is thought to be a trigger for both MS and ME, so I guess I'm covered either way!

I seem to have misplaced my tape measure - went to look for it yesterday and it wasn't there. Am now thinking it might be better to wait until I've done a couple of weeks consistent exercise, as I might cry if its bigger than last time I measured.

Well done Madwoman. That sounds pretty hellish! Low carbing does work but I have to say that I just cut out the major carbs like potatoes, bread, pasta, and rice, and only after 4pm. If you want to lose a significant amount fairly quickly you could do a lot worse than the 5 rules diet that I've just been on. This is my last day of the 14 and I've lost 5lbs (now 10st 1.7) and I'm pre-menstrual. I think I'm going to carry on with it. It's very easy to stick to and follow once you've set your mind to it. I've cheated a couple of times and it's still worked!

So pleased you're feeling well enough to kick some ass again Moose. Yes, I read that about vitamin D, interesting wasn't it? Especially that lack of it may also be the cause of cot death. How incredible and how tragic.
Sounds like you're ready for another wave of weight loss. You know you can do it. You did it last time so well. Bite the bullet; weigh yourself and measure yourself and watch it drop every week again.

Well done Lamb, 10st 1.7! I am so but have absolutely no right to be, as although I'm doing much better with my diet generally and working out daily again, I still succumbed to pizza for tea last night when I was too tired to cook. I can't bear to look at all the red numbers I got on MFP yesterday.

I have weighed and am now sitting at 154 consistently, which is a pound's improvement from the past week. Also managed to brave the tape measure eventually, when I found it. Only did waist and hips, but was pleased to find I haven't gained any inches at all on my hips and only a 1/4 of an inch on my waist. Waist is currently 29".

I think I'm slightly less motivated knowing the weekly losses are going to be smaller than last time, as I have less to lose. I'm kind of thinking I'll do better once the spring is here and I can get out and about more as well as doing workouts at home.

I read that about cot death as well. It made me shudder, because dd stopped breathing in her cot when she was 5 weeks old and if we hadn't had an Angelcare breathing monitor we'd never have known. It took a couple of minutes to revive her, called the GP, who told us to call an ambulance and she was whisked off to hospital and monitored. It was terrifying. From then on she had a breathing monitor permanently clipped to the waistband of her nappy. If she stopped breathing for longer than 20 seconds it would vibrate to rouse her and sound an alarm to alert us. Fortunately, she never did it again, but I do wonder now about the connection between me having low vit d and that incident - especially as its believed to be more of a problem in breastfeeding mothers who aren't passing enough on to the baby. Scary stuff.

Right, am off to do my workout before mum arrives now. Not looking forward to this afternoon. Toddler group, then double school pick-up thanks to cricket club, then parents' evening for both boys, including having to speak with ds2's math's teacher - who was previously ds1's class teacher that I had to complain about last year.

Good on you Moose, not so bad in the end now was it? Seriously though, I think once you get going again you will have no problem. Just think where you were this time last year. I was struggling to get into a size 14 and today I realised that my measurements actually make me a 10 in some shops/brands which is bonkers. I know I'm not really a 10-12 btw. I was a 10 when I weighed 9stone which makes sense and is now my ultimate goal.

Scarey about your dd . Thank god for technology. I remember when ds1 was newborn he slept in bed with me and there were a few times when he would stop breathing. I always think of that when you get advice not to co-sleep. I wouldn't have known if we hadn't been so close. My dad had died of skin cancer a few years before and I was probably deficient due to fear basically.

Hope your day is going ok and the Parents' Evening goes better than expected