When shall we three meet again? The not quite NT, not quite weightloss thread ......

[moosemama]

We were full up ladies, so we finally have our very own weightloss-ish thread!

Moose - Bugger about injuring yourself on holiday. I saw that Horizon programme, went on to dh about it, told him how I was going to do it ... day one was an epic fail, got to 7pm and I started to see flashing lights - actually thought it was a UFO until I realised it was ME! Then kept feeling really sick despite sipping water. Finally caved at 8pm in a pretty major way and stuffed loads of bread and cheese non-stop into my mouth until the sick feeling went away. It was just like being pregnant again

Not doing that again!

I think I prefer the Primal way of doing it where you include the sleeping hours, so if your last meal was at 8pm then 8am is 12 hours of fasting innit? Seriously though you just miss out on breakfast and then have lunch etc as normal.

I basically think I'm not eating that much between times to warrant full on fasting. I was being a bit daft.

I do think it's a good idea if you've got a bit to lose though. How much have you put on moose? Or is that a very rude question to ask a lady

I think the summer holidays are an impossible time to try to lose weight TLP so you're doing well maintaining. I dread to look personally. Feel about the same though.

Hi TLP, I think it's fine to be hovering at this time of year. School holidays, plus work stress etc. Hopefully things will start to slot back into place once the dcs are back at school.

Lamb Did you go for a total fast rather than the 25% alternate days or 5:2? Not sure that would work for me either, although I have done a 48 hour juice fast in the past.

I read about the primal way of fasting. Essentially as you present it as having a 'feeding period' rather than a fasting period and as you say, it works out for most people as just skipping breakfast.

I haven't weighed myself, firstly because the batteries are dead in the scales and secondly because I know it's very bad news and I'm too ashamed. I reckon at least a stone and a half higher than my lowest weight (which I think was 10 st 9lbs). I deserve every pound though as have eaten badly and then snacked on chocolate etc on top. I completely lost the plot and basically just gave up all control. I can still squeeze into my size 12's but it 'ain't pretty. All my lovely muscles have gone as well, as haven't been able to work out since the end of April due to an MS relapse.

I was going to address my eating and start easing into working out, but now it's looking like I am likely to have my leg in a cast. Off to A&E in the morning, as I'm fairly sure I've fractured my 5th metatarsal. Been trying to find out where to go, as I thought I couldn't go to A&E if it wasn't a recent accident. Finally got through to my GP this evening and they said, go to A&E. When I did it to the other foot two years ago I was in a cast for 10 weeks - so that would take me to November! No hope of getting back into the shred then.

Oh heck. That's crap.

Well, sil has been and gone, and I'm a bit non-plussed, to be honest. She's about half way to her target weight at the 61 pound point, and her target weight will put her inside the healthy bmi range (she wasn't specific about before and after weights). She uses the biggest loser club website/ diet, and has a personal trainer for two or three sessions a week (and he seems to be part of the biggest loser type franchise, so used to working with people with lots to lose). So, I think the main thing is will power, for her. She was using the holiday as a bit of a break in the end - she lost a few pounds whilst she was here, but was mostly not working it, as she needed a break before hitting it hard, again. She lost the weight quite quickly, so is hoping that by taking it easy for a few weeks, she'll get quick weight loss again now that she's home.

In other news, dd1 broke her wrist, (and then subsequently had to have it re-set, which was a bit grim and she'll now still be in plaster for the start of school), three of us had a recurring Norwalk virus (yes, I did lose a few pounds, but dear god, it was not fun) and I have three days left on my work contract (which they may or may not be extending...)

So, no miracles on the weight loss front (sympathies, moose, you sound like me last Christmas after I relapsed) and I've had a recall from the kidney doctor. Clearly he was pissed that I've been ignoring him. In a fit of 'oh, alright then', I thought I ought to tie up all the loose ends, so I also made that follow up appointment re the hole in the retina thing (which should have been in January)

Saw boot camp instructor the other day at the pool (not me swimming) and have promised to go back in September - she told me to pop round to drop off the registration forms and have a glass of vino. that's the sort of instructor I like.

September is my fave time of year though - it seems so ripe with possibility (more so than January), so I've decided to stay in the doldrums and eat ice cream for a few more days, whilst I plan the brave new world. That Mark chap and his mates may feature heavily. I need to have shifted a stone before sil returns at Christmas, and they all seem so right on and sensible. And Anna seems to work, so it's just a step further.

Oh Madwoman it sounds like your family has really been through the mill this summer.

Glad you've sorted your medical appointments out.

Ds1 had the most awful stomach thing on holiday as well. He was literally screaming and rolling on the floor in agony with bowel and stomach cramps. It lasted just over 24 hours and we think it must have been a gluten reaction, but can't seem to trace the source, except some ice-cream that appeared to be gf, but maybe had gluten at a level too low for them to have to list. At one point we were ready to bundle him into the camper and take him to the hospital, it was very scary.

I always get the doldrums at the end of August as well, then feel better in September. Dh has talked me into waiting until the dcs go back to school before attempting my new eating regime, so I have some time for myself and am less likely to be a grump with them. but actually he's probably right.

This morning I am mostly procrastinating and trying to convince dh and my mum that I don't need to go to the hospital. Two things, first I am dreading them poking it and second I am scared they will tell me I am just a wimp, it's not broken and I have wasted everyone's time. I was very sure I wasn't going to go when I woke up first thing and have been sitting with my foot down, rather than raised on cushions, since I got up, but am starting to feel I will have to admit how much it hurts to dh soon. Harrumph!

Just back from A&E.

I have a fractured little toe, but too late to strap so no treatment there.

They took three films of my foot (aerial, and lateral left and right) and two of my ankle, as there was a distinct tender spot over the external joint.

Nothing on the ankle, so that's good.

5th Metatarsal is a different matter. It's obviously swollen and very tender, but no sign of a fracture. The nurse said she was very puzzled, as given the swelling, pain and the way I'm walking she was sure it would come back with a break. She showed me the aerial film and there is no sign of an avulsion, although there is one further back towards my heel, that she said looks too rounded and must be an old break (although afaik I've never even sprained, let alone broken this foot before). There is also an odd sort of spike out of the side about a cm below the top of the 5th met, but she felt that it was probably just my natural anatomy, rather than a break.

Unfortunately, they didn't take xrays from the underside of my foot and that's where the pain is, it hurts from the base of the joint across inwards towards the arch of my foot. (I did reiterate that the worst pain was underneath.)

The consultant will review the films and call me back if he is suspicious, but the on-duty doctor said they were happy to agree with nurse. The consultant will agree as well though, as there was nothing showing on those angles.

Last time, the same hospital missed the fracture, but when I was sent to the big hospital 10 days later they took 9 films and found it straight away.

Their best guess was that the pain must be from the sprain, but as there is minimal swelling and I've had almost no bruising that seems unlikely. It's two weeks today since I fell down the hole.

Ouch moose, sounds miserable. Shame you don't get a nice dramatic cast though.

I was doing the 5:2 thing, carefully planned on mfp. Madness. I've had a lurk on the threads for it and everyone else is finding it easy, though it does very much depend on you eating 'well' on the other days.

My MA stuff has just arrived. Feel officially sick now

That's rough, moose - and a pita when you have a niggling doubt that they haven't been thorough enough... Is ds back to normal now? V scary.

Dd1 is on her third dramatic cast in ten days.

Our summer is now officially over. It snowed yesterday on the mountains, and last night our bank account got emptied in Montreal by someone who had skimmed dh's debit card. Fortunately I happened to be checking the bank as I was planning on doing the back to school shopping today, so we were able to stop the card this morning, but now it's going to be weeks before we get the money back. I'm guessing there aren't going to be new shoes for the start of term! Fortunately we both get paid on Friday, but that feels like a long time! Didn't sleep well because I was pissed off, obv.

Ooooo, lamb. send us your reading list.

Thanks guys. Feeling very sorry for myself this afternoon, but will snap out of it soon.

Lamb, very exciting that your MA stuff has arrived. Don't feel sick - feel excited.

Madwoman, yes thanks, he seems to be ok. There were no more occurrences on the holiday or since we got back. I've never seen him that bad though and it was very scary. I felt terrible that I couldn't do anything to help him, he's too young for anti-spasmodics, although I was tempted as we always have colofac with us for dh's IBS.

Poor dd1. How did she do it? My dd broke her wrist when she was about 18 months old. She slid out of the rocking chair when sitting in it with ds1 and he let go. She got through three casts as well, mainly because the little minx kept taking her arm out of them!

for you about your card. That happened to us a couple of years back. Card skimmed at local petrol station and then a few grand removed almost immediately from somewhere abroad - India I think. I totally understand your not sleeping, I was so angry when it happened to us. Kept 'saying how bloody dare they' - and - 'who the hell do they think they are to just take other people hard earned money'. It was in the paper the next week that they had done literally hundreds of people from the same garage. Hope you get your money back sooner rather than later. We now have a text message service set up with the bank that texts us any unusual transactions or if the card is used abroad and keeps dh updated with the balance.

Rollerblading. She decided to have a go on her brother's . Dd2 was in her swimming lesson, and ds1 wanted to go to the skate park, so I left him, dd1 and sil there for twenty minutes whilst I popped to the bank. I returned to the rec centre to be flagged down by a stranger who announced my daughter had broken her arm. All a bit bizarre. They'd got her sitting on a bench with a bag of ice, and sil was saying 'I don't think it's broken', but I could tell it was just by looking at her face. So we went straight to the hospital.

All bank stuff sorted. We went into the nearest open branch yesterday (a three hour round trip...) and they've refunded it straight away and given him new card etc. dd2 is well freaked and spent most of yesterday morning crying, despite us trying to reassure her that although it's not nice, and is stealing etc, it's not a very personal thing, and easily fixed. She kept saying 'but we've been robbed!' and sobbing. Lovely friend (mum of dd1's friend that was supposed to be back to school shopping with us) texted and invited us round for dinner, so we had a lovely evening after an odd day.

Work today. Only two days left after today. Feels v odd!

Hope you are all having a quiet Sunday with your feet up (moose). I'm still a bit 'meh', but can feel September looming...

Oo, evil things roller blades. I broke my coccyx rollerblading back in the 80's - big help during childbirth years later that was.

Am so pleased they refunded your money straight away. It's bad enough being ripped off, without you having to struggle to make ends meet until the banks sort it out.

Poor dd2 ds1 got very upset when he eavesdropped us talking when it happened to us. Mind you he didn't sleep for ages after he found out my mum had been burgled either.

Haven't work told you whether or not they're keeping you on yet?

Been stuck on the sofa all day today while dh took the dcs to do the visiting rounds of his relatives and return the holiday house keys. Am bored to tears and really frustrated at the mess that is building up around me. On the upside I am getting pretty good at the World of Goo game app we downloaded before we went on holiday. I never play computer games, but am honestly that bored now.

Dh is back now, with a supply of stronger painkillers. Found two cocodamol last night and slept for the first time since I did my foot. Going to stick to paracetamol and bufren in the day and just take a dose of cocodamol before bed. Don't fancy the side effects if I take any more than that.

Interesting morning... Dropped ds for his psych appointment, went back for debrief and to collect after his appointment and walked in to the waiting room to find a huge guy having a full blown psychotic episode and no one at the counter. Did that whole 'oh fuck' thing but he seemed fairly oblivious to my presence (was, I suspect, too busy battling whatever he was trying to fight off). Was just wondering whether I should head back out to the corridor and try to raise the alarm elsewhere in the building, when he charged past me out into the corridor, to be intercepted by one of the psychs and the poor receptionist who had obviously left her post to go for help. Psych very good and trying to talk him down, receptionist running around making phone calls, then they realized I was there and closed the door.

Ds's psych had no clue what was going on - she popped into the waiting room from reception (different door) to find me sitting there on my tod with the door shut, and muffled sounds of disturbance in the corridor. Came out after appointment to find car park full of police and ambulances (and slightly hysterical receptionist being soothed in back office) and shuffled ds off fairly fast.

Apart from that, ds's appointment fairly good. Some tracking of emotions and stuff to do over next couple of weeks, which I think will be interesting.

Work are apparently going to let this contract finish, and then possibly offer me new hours from October - but they won't know as they are deciding over the next few weeks what their opening times will be over the winter period.... Ho hum.

Cocodamol is good stuff, but I AMA a write off if I take it...

Oh my goodness, what a morning! A friend of ours from uni has schizophrenia (sp?) and I know from experience how scary it is when someone is having an episode. Glad you were safe and ds was kept out of it.

Good to hear ds's appointments are going well. Did you have to do the whole making him really uncomfortable thing in the end? (Apologies if I have forgotten what was decided in the end.)

Re cocodamol. That's why I only take it at bedtime. I takes a good hour to start working properly, but one it does I can't do anything but sleeeep.

I have been on my own or rather left with various combinations of dcs all day today. First dh went into town to get the boys' school shoes - which I really appreciated, as I knew it was going to be hell and no way I could do it myself. Thing is, for some reason he decided to have a jolly shopping trip as well, choosing himself some new clothes and spending hours in Game Exchance with the boys, meaning he was actually out for hours, rather than the hour the shoe shopping took. So I was left with a very overtired and disgruntled dd all morning. Then he came back with the boys and his dad and uncle turned up unannounced to talk VWs. Dh took them 'out for a spin' and was gone 2 blooming hours. No sooner had he done that, then he decided to 'get on and do stuff' and sodded off outside, leaving me still stuck on the sofa with my foot up and all three dcs.

So, as you can imagine, I am so not in a good mood this evening.

Ankle is much less swollen after three days of rest, but still hurts like hell under my 5th metatarsal and into the sole of my foot (and of course on my broken little toe). If it's no better by the end of the week I will go the GP and ask if they can order xrays from a different set of angles.

hello again, just catching up, sounds like a difficult week all round, with stomach bugs, fractures and bank fraud

madwoman - yep, that's the sort of drama you get around hospitals, never been near an emergency like that, but have been near a few interesting situations, shall we say, sounds like it was a good appointment otherwise.

He was dry last night.

He managed a run of six nights in the summer, but then had a major relapse and has been wet ever since again, but another night! Woohoo! He has been absolutely hyper though, and verbal and physical ticing (just seems to be manic/ excited as it's the end of the hols and I think he's looking forward to going back to school). He even asked if we could ride the bikes into town at the weekend so that he could learn the way to school in case he wanted to cycle to school some days. (He asked last year if he could ride to school and we said he could once he had ridden it with an adult so that he knew the crossings over the highway etc, but he refused.) Little steps, little steps.

Dd1 went back to school today (apparently they only prayed once ) and seems to have had a good day despite the broken arm. And dd2 had her first guitar lesson. (!) for the first twenty minutes it was frankly horrific and I thought the poor teacher was going to have a breakdown. She couldn't get balanced, couldn't get to grips with anything, all of her limbs were tense and making it impossible for her to do anything, and she couldn't even get a consistent note out. In the end he said he just wanted her to practice her position and holding her arm straight (her wrist was massively hooked) and just practice any two consecutive strings to get used to the movement at home over the next week, just 5 minutes a day. At that point she just magically she did it, so I assume she relaxed and her body loosened up. She gets intention spasticity, more so if she's stressed, but I'm not sure who was more relieved, me, her, or the poor dude who could see his Wednesday nights disappearing into oblivion with a child who couldn't even make a noise... He was so great with her though - he's only a young guy, about 20, and with the most awesome shaggy spiky dyed haircut with a huge fringe over his face that she was fascinated by, very patient, but obviously human, and she did seem like a Herculean task for the first twenty minutes!!

Weigh in for me on Saturday, I think... And then with a target to set for Christmas...

How's your foot, moose?

What are your texts, TLP? I have just found out that I can't finish my English masters here, as you have to take half of the MA in a second language... Apparently getting a first in an actual English degree isn't relevant, you have to be able to read and crit in a second language as well. Harsh!! I'm going to call them and double check, but the criteria seems quite clear. I can do tourist French and German, but I doubt at 41 that I can get lit crit under my belt in a second Lang...

Well, black dog spent yesterday throwing up, eventually regurgitating what looked like handfuls of clogged up tissues, and a receipt (?) - goodness only knows what he had eaten, no clues anywhere. Took him to vet as worried about blockage, and he checked him over and gave anti-emetic jab. Seems ok, but we have to take him back for x ray if any more blockage symptoms... Am hoping he cleared it himself yesterday... Then had to take dd1 back to hosp for check up x ray. And I had an email with reams of reports to comment on for a discrimination case where I am apparently a witness. And missed several phone calls from the solicitor for the Defence (in London). This morning I had a call from the defendant (well, one of them), and I asked him if they had a date for the tribunal yet. Apparently it starts on Monday...

No prizes for guessing what I'm doing today, then.

On a random (and weight loss) note, I weighed myself yesterday morning, and had lost 2 1/2 lbs. go figure - have done nothing.

I assume you're talking to me madwoman

The MA's on Influence and Intertextuality. Main texts:
Antigone (Sophocles and Anouilh)
Coriolanus (Shakespeare and Brecht)
Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre
Robinson Crusoe and Foe and Dusklands
Paradise Lost and Milton (Blake)

Then there's some other stuff but I'm just concentrating on this bunch for now.
I am very proud to announce that I have read them all . I just need to get my head round intertextuality properly and we're away! I can barely understand a lot of what's written in English never mind doing it in another language . I'm thankful for having done Linguistics and Stylistics as part of my first degree, still have the notes and books.

You need a bell moose - though I suppose a mobile is the modern equivalent! I've been reading too many old texts

My life seems very dull and safe compared to all yours. Looking forward to school starting again if only for the chance to do some exercise and get back to walking. Ds2 is not a fan of 'outside' and all he wants to do is play on Little Big Planet and talk about Little Big Planet.

My size hasn't changed but I've definitely lost quite a bit of muscle tone over the holidays. I feel flabby and unfit, so I'm getting back into it on Monday I think.

Oops, sorry! I got it right up thread and then got my posters jumbled!
You are well ahead of the drag curve if you've read them all already.

Monday is a bank hol here, so long weekend

I can't wait for Tuesday....

Sorry I've been awol. First my foot, then developed gastritis and had a gallbladder attack (thanks to the high dose ibuprofen) and haven't been able to eat anything but porridge made with water all week. Which is awful in many ways, but at least it was an unintentional sugar detox and hopefully I'll have lost a couple of pounds as well.

Then last night I developed a humdinging migraine, which was the lovely forebear to my totm starting today.

Dh text me this morning to see how I was and said he thinks my body is being extremely cruel to me at the moment. He's right - but then I deserve it after the way I've been treating it for the past couple of months.

So, it's all been a bit of a wake-up call really. Now I've done a porridge detox for a few days I am ready to get back into being good and logging my food intake. Going to do 5:2 fasting with food logging on MFP and as soon as my foot stops making me cry on a regular basis, I intend to start working out doing the floor, core circuit of BFBM as a way of getting restarted with exercise and building it up from there.

I am taking the boys to visit their cousin (slightly older boy - so much idolised, especially as we don't get to see him often anymore) at my sister's house this weekend and we're having a picnic (indoor if the weather requires it) but sis has recently gone vegan and is also trying to lose weight, so she's making some vegan salads and I'm taking some health stuff along as well.

Madwoman - yay for the dry nights! Sorry about the relapse, but it sounds like he's getting back on track again now. Will keep everything crossed for you.

I had guitar lessons as a child, but they were foisted on my sister and I by our Dad (who was a natural and self-taught) and we hated them. I really wish I'd stuck with it now, but the tutor was vile and we were terrified of her. She was a very scary gothy-punk (we're talking 1978 ish here) and told me I couldn't sing. Thing is I believed her and then wouldn't join the school choir, despite the teacher begging me because she wanted me as a soloist. I have since been told by many people that I have a really good singing voice - even had a stranger come up to me at a Christy Moore concert and tell I sang beautifully when he asked the audience to sing along - but I've never actually managed to get past that horrid guitar teachers' criticisms. Glad your dd has a good tutor - if she enjoys the lessons and has fun, that's the most important thing, imo.

Poor black dog - they have literally no common sense do they? I have just played tug of war with lurcher boy, because some clever soul left the back-door open and he was eating a banana skin out of the bin. He thinks the bin is his personal nosebag, because it's a flip top bin that is just the right height for his snout! His nickname around here is 'Finny the Binny Pig'. Hope black dog is feeling better soon.

Lamb, I would give anything for a dull life. Mine is crazy, but rarely fun! I'll swap if you like - but only if I can have your figure as well!

I did Antigone for my Classics A Level - can't remember much about it now, but I used to love Greek plays back then.

You are all so high brow with yer literature and linguistics. This holiday I have read Adam Ant's autobiography, The Levellers biography and the first two books in the Piers Anthony Xanth series. I have also completed two kriss kross word puzzle books, (where you have to fit words in the spaces, rather than answer clues) half a logic problems book and a book of general puzzles. It's amazing how much free time you get from injuring your foot and having to stay in the camper while everyone else goes off and has fun.

Next book on my list, after the other four xanth books I've got, is Danny Wallace's Yes Man, in the hope of developing a more positive mental attitude. Dh has just read it and I started it a couple of months back, but only read the first chapter. It's very funny, but not sure it's going to change my life.

Oo .... and I can't wait for Tuesday either! (INSET here on Monday)

... and some good news is that we have finally got a date for having our drive block-paved. They are coming the week after next while ds1 is on his outward bound course. So, no more having to build stepping stones across the flooded gravel pit to get the dcs to and from school every day - and I've only been waiting since before dd was born!

Lol, moose, maybe I should take you to the vet?

If I'm being honest, the vets couldn't be worse than the NHS care I've experienced and been witness to recently.

Sorry I am awol a lot. Still not well at all. Still on porridge and branflakes, still can't eat anything else and foot no better.

Boys back to school tomorrow, so at least I'll be able to rest a bit more, but I am so sick of this now. Been a bit pathetic and tearful today if I'm honest.

Time to go back once kids are at school?

It would be bad luck for them to have missed a fracture twice, but... Worth checking?

I have decided not to go back. Would have to go via gp now and that means an appointment with them, then probably being sent up to the hospital for xrays, then back to the gp for results, by which time I'll probably have been walking on it for another fortnight anyway. It'll be a month since I did it at the end of this week.

As you said, it would be really bad luck to have a foot fracture missed on two separate occasions - although from what I've read it's very common with this sort of accident. I reckon, if there is a crack, it's inside a joint so wouldn't have been seen on the xray from the angles they took. Can't help feeling there's a reason the big hospital takes 6-9 angles for this type of injury, whereas our little local hospital only takes 3.

I am keeping it well supported with a cohesive bandage and my sister has given me the crutches she was given when she did the same thing last year. Our hospital didn't give me anything, she was bandaged and given a pair of crutches and she didn't have a break. Blooming NHS lottery.

Had to do the school run this morning, because dh has a second interview this evening and I honestly don't know how I'd have managed it without the crutches - well the truth is I just wouldn't have managed. Of course not being able to take pain relief because of my stomach isn't exactly helping.

I'm a right old grump aren't I.

On a more positive note, the jeans that were tight on holiday fell down when I put them on this morning, so at least there's an upside to the porridge diet (can't do branflakes now either).