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!

Better day today then

I'm doing ok at the moment but the weight loss has definitely slowed down and it's much harder than it was. I'm trying to exercise everyday now and watch out for the quality of the calories. I am having some wine tonight but with griddled tuna, roasted peepers and salad so at least not the takeaway I actually want. I was fantasising about all sorts of crap yesterday.

I would ideally like to be 9 stone and maintain at that. If I continue to lose 1lb every fortnight, that could take until October .

I bought a tankini for this weekend (!), not brave enough for a bikini but was feeling reckless enough not to get a swimsuit. Now the weather has turned I don't know if I'm relieved or disappointed.

From what I've read it does get much harder to lose the closer you get to your goal. Your evening meal sounds lovely (well except the tuna obv, being a veggie).

I have been loving my salads, despite the cold weather, but sadly am still seemingly unable to resist eating crap in between. I haven't weighed myself, but my clothes are feeling a bit more snug, so I know things are going in the wrong direction. That said, TOM is now 6 days late based on the past few months, so things are all out of kilter anyway. (Before anyone suggests it, there's absolutely zero chance I could be pregnant.)

Ds's blooming presents still haven't turned up. Just spent the best part of an hour on the phone first to Amazon, who barely spoke English and told me the Royal Mail had emailed them to say my parcel will be delayed by 2 days and should be here by Saturday.

Then I spoke the Royal Mail, who assured me they have sent no such email and have no idea where my parcel is because its first class, so not tracked. They were sure that there are no problems reported that would have affected it though. Blooming lying Amazon! Ironically, if I'd gone with free super saver delivery, it would have been tracked - but wouldn't arrive on time anyway, so I was stuffed either way. The RM guy was lovely though and really helpful. Our sorting office (where my parcels usually disappear - remember my 11 missing parcels at Christmas?) closes at lunchtime, so he emailed the manager and told him to check for my parcel at 7.00 am Saturday, as soon as they open. I can then call him at 7.00 and find out whether or not its going to arrive at all that day.

Back on to Amazon, got another overseas call centre, but this time much better and more helpful she agreed that the first one had lied and there was no email from RM. She apologised and said if it hasn't arrived by late Monday morning, call them and she's left a note for them to send replacements by express delivery, which should arrive before 1.00 on Tuesday. Not ideal, but at least he'll have his presents on his birthday (well all but the one he really wanted, which is now out of stock and impossible to get anywhere else ).

I have prepared ds1 for the possiblity that the majority of his presents might not arrive until lunchtime on his birthday and he says he's ok with it, as long as they do actually come on his birthday, BUT, I have a strong feeling he isn't going to feel like that on the day.

Am thinking it might be better to despatch dh to try and get hold of at least a couple of them from high street shops. There are some for which that would be just impossible though.

I've heard so many bad stories about Amazon, quite a lot on here. Most of the stuff I buy you can't track and when it arrives late there's no apology. It could all still arrive in time but that's a gamble that is not fair when it's your ds's birthday. You could make it like a game, he gets a token for each present owing and when it arrives he trades it in ... or something ....

I've found the two Lego sets at ToysRus, Waterstones have the Lego Visual Dictionary and HMV have one of the DS games. DH has said if its not here by Saturday lunchtime he's just going to go out and buy those things from the shops. There will still be a few items missing we can't buy from the high street (typical ds and his obscure/niche present requests) but at least he'll have something to open if we do that. I'll still ask Amazon to do the express delivery and will just return anything that we end up with duplicates of, that way we've covered every option.

I like the trading in tokens idea, that could work really well. Ds is a great one for negotiating trades.

Lamb - well done for getting under 10 stone. Completely agree that the more you lose, the harder it becomes, as when you are thinner, you'll need that bit less calories.Have managed to get under 13 stone again, but dont feel securely under iyswim, have managed to start doing some exercise again. Now my tummy has settled my back has been playing up (aaargh), had to do some shifting of heavy stuff at work, and guy working in the room (a stranger) studiously ignoring my difficulties . I am an absolutely stickler for courtesy at work, in terms of keeping doors open etc when people are manoeuvring heavy stuff.

Moose - sorry about the mares with amazon. And glad you have managed to replicate the pressies For the missing DS game, do you have cex or grainger games nearby. You can check the cex website to see if they have the game anywhere remotely local.

Yodel (HDN as was) has a pretty erm interesting reputation if you google it. My replacement kindle was left out all day on the doorstep by them (was out at work), it saved arranging redelivery, but good job I live in an honest area!!!

Well done at getting under 13 st TLP. Sorry to hear about your back.

Thanks for the DS game idea, but I've never heard of either place, so assume we don't have them nearby. The game concerned is a vintage game - typical ds1 to choose something that is not only vintage, but also rare and almost impossible to get hold of.

Ah yes, HDN were the people that dumped ds2's scooter (Christmas prsent) outside the front door in pouring rain when we were in and it wasn't even wrapped, just in its original box, which was battered to hell. Opened the front door to go out and had to shove ds2 back in the house so he didn't see it.

We frequently get stuff left on the doorstep, fortunately we also live in an honest area and the front door is obscured from the street by a blooming great vw camper in its 'winter coat' (as dd calls it ).

Ds2 is not a well boy at all this morning. He came down to watch tv with ds1 at 7.30 and when I came down to bring a coffee up for dh and I he was curled up looking extremely pale and said he felt dehydrated. So I got him a drink of water. Then dh went down half and hour later and found him shivering on the sofa and unable to stand up or walk. Took his temp - just under 39 degrees, so dosed him up with calprofen and put him to bed. Am going to take his temp again and if he doesn't show signs of improvement will call OOHGP. This is scarily like the other times he's had pneumonia. The first time he'd seen 3 different GP's before the OOHD saw him while he was spiking a temp of 42 and called an ambulance! None of the other docs could hear any crackles in his lungs because there were actually no breath sounds - no air was getting in, so they all assumed virus, rather than bacterial and because his temp was spiking, it wasn't high enough for them to worry when they took it themselves. He doesn't present with typical symptoms, he just has high temp spikes, shakes and chest/stomach pain and twice he has only presented with a temp and leg pain.

He was in hospital in an isolation room for over a week, not responding to antibiotics, totally motionless, just sleeping and not eating or communicating. He wasn't eating but the abs gave him horrendous diarrhoea so the weight just fell off him. I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with dd at the time and didn't leave his side - never been so scared in my life and was sure we were going to lose him. They were really concerned it had encapsulated and that would probably have been fatal. Apparently they only just caught it in time.

It took him well over a year to recover physically, he was a skeleton and his beautiful thick curly hair fell out in chunks. He also regressed to toddler state, stopped speaking and lost all the skills he'd learned at school, which ended up with him on the SEN register for 2 1/2 years until he caught up. Up until he was taken ill he was the sweetest natured child you could ever hope to meet, but we brought home a different child from the hospital. He was moody, refused to do anything he was told, refused to eat or drink, screamed and tantrummed - I felt like I had lost him.

So ... that's why I get a bit twitchy when he's ill like this.

Sorry, went off on one a bit there.

sorry your DS2 is so poorly, you are absolutely right to want to get him seen today, given the history of pneumonia, it must be v stressful for you whenever he gets ill given what he went through when he was younger. I wouldn't wait too long to call OOH tbh, on the basis that as it's start of bank holiday weekend, I imagine the later you wait, the busier they will be iyswim.

That sounds horrendous moose . I don't think you can overreact in a situation like that. At least this time you know what to look out for. I second TLP in getting someone to take a look at him, it's always under staffed at weekends.

TLP, well done on getting under 13 stone! It always feels good to get under a whole number

Going away for a couple of days to visit my mum today, hope you have a good Easter and don't eat too much chocolate! Take care x

Hope you have a nice weekend Lamb.

Moose - thinking of you and your lad. Have a horrible feeling your absence means theres been a hospital run.

Sorry, absence actually meant my errant TOM started and I've been curled up in a ball in bed. I did get up to lie under and blanket and watch Puss in Boots with dh last night. He wasn't impressed with my choice of film, but I needed something easy and funny to watch.

I've got the worst cramps I've had since I was a teenager - just like back to back contractions. Had to resort to cocodamol at 7.00 am, which then knocked me out and I've only just got up to watch the dcs, while dh goes to collect the Amazon parcel. (Turns out it was sitting at the sorting office, but when we rang they said it wouldn't be delivered today because they're short staffed. I paid bloody first class on that as well - pointless waste of money!)

Ds2 is doing ok-ish. Calprofen brought his temp right down, so OOD didn't want to/wouldn't see him, but he still stayed in bed all day sleeping and watching Star Wars intermittently. He says he feels quite a bit better today, but temp is still spiking, so we're keeping him quiet and still keeping a close eye on him. He does seem much brighter and more with it, so fingers crossed.

Hope you have a nice weekend at your Mum's Lamb.

oh good, I'm relieved you aren't stuck in a paed hospital ward, sorry you have such grisly period pains, can completely relate to the periods pains being as bad as labour issue, have taken the wimps way out of dealing with it (taking the pill/mini-pill for as long as they'll give it me) rather than aim to get fixed by gynaes.

Thanks TLP. Unfortunately, despite appearing a bit better today, he's spiked a high temp and gone all wobbly again this evening at bedtime, just when we thought he was starting to improve. Have given some more calprofen and am going to take his temp again when dh gets back from his mates party in an hour or so, then keep a chart of his hourly temps from early tomorrow morning. If it doesn't come down and stay down this time we are definitely going to push for them to see him.

Period pains aren't much better either, so all in all I'm not having a great Easter break. I'm not allowed to use any hormonal pills/meds thanks to my wonky brain, so there's not much else they can do really. Both my elder and younger sisters have it worse than me, seems to be a bit of theme with the girls in our family. I have been lucky really, because I haven't suffered too badly from having ds1 until recently. I can't help wondering if the difference this month is all the crap I've been eating.

Weighed in this morning and am back up to 11 stone. I think I was 10 stone 11 last time I weighed in, but I'm not surprised as I've done no exercise and my diet has been atrocious. I have a plan to get serious with it again once dh goes back to work on Wednesday. Going to start building up my exercise again and have worked out some daily menus in advance and added them up in MFP to make sure they are suitable. Basically just small amount of porridge or some natural yoghurt and fruit for breakfast, salad every day for lunch instead of sandwiches and either soup, salad or ratatouille (home made pasta sauce without the pasta really) for evening meal. Very boring and repetitive, but I feel like I need to go back to being really strict and go cold turkey on refined sugar to get back on track.

How's DS been overnight, Moose? I have heard of links between PMT and "bad" carby stuff, but wouldn't have thought a cervix woul be that responsive to junk food (?), but if it works, don't knock it.

I also need to bootcamp myself with food as well, more sweet potatoes and tinned/fresh fish, more protein etc. THis month is a bit lean financially but have overtime money next month so can afford more nice protein and berries!

Ds2 had a good night. I woke him to take his temp at 12.30, because he felt sweaty, but his temp was under 37, so normal. Its been 37.6 this morning and we haven't caught any spikes yet. He's still very pale with red cheeks, but has managed to put away half his bodyweight in chocolate this morning!

I was told the link between painful periods and junk food is the effect it has on the digestive tract, causing inflammation and slow motility, meaning that everything is under more pressure and pushing on each other - hence the pain. My elder sister suffers from really bad ibs and has also been told its the inflammation in her bowel that makes her period pains so much worse.

Maybe we should make a pact with each other to really get stuck into healthy eating and exercise starting after the Easter weekend.

I'm not doing berries either at the moment, as we're also a bit tight with both boy's birthdays this month. Fortunately Legoland was paid for months ago, but we will have to buy our evening meal and probably a round of ice-creams. Dh is due his bonus on payday this month, so we should be able to breathe again then.

The children bought me two huge Easter eggs! I have a big Thortons Premium and a Lindor one. Apparently they had an argument about which one to buy, so dh gave in and bought both! (Very sensible considering what I've just said about money. )

Unlike my children, I haven't opened mine yet though. I have a veggie roast dinner to get through later as well, so I could well be a good few lbs heavier by the time I start on Wednesday.

oh good, glad to hear mini-moose sounds to be on the mend, fingers crossed.

that makes sense re:digestive issues and periods, as starting my period always seemed to set my guts off (tmi). we could be brave re:berries and start looking into frozen ones like lamb!

I used to buy frozen blueberries to add to the dcs porridge. They'd probably be ok thawed in yoghurt I suppose - I know they're lovely in Eton Mess, but that's probably not very helpful information when dieting!

Just having a bowl of fat free natural yoghurt and fruit in a vain attempt to balance the chocolate and roast dinner fest I have planned for this evening!

The Tesco value natural yoghurt is a good buy - only 50p for a 500g pot and two pots tend to last me a week. I buy the ripen at home nectarines when they're on offer and have those in it.

I'm wondering if perhaps we should pop to the garden centre and invest in a pot and some berry seeds. Can't be that much for a plastic plant pot and a few seeds can it? Then (if we actually manage to get them to grow) we could have lo-cost berries all through the summer.

We were going to do hanging tomato plants last year and didn't get round to it, but the financial incentive might actually get us off our backsides this year.

Survived the weekend! Spent most of the journey back decompressing emotionally, and have had to have some wine and some cheese to compensate for the lack of cheer, BUT have a week sans ds2

(Am actually missing him quite a bit already)

Interesting about junk food and period pain. Typical that what you crave should be what's worst for you. Why does your body do that?

Aw, you're bound to miss him Lamb, but you know that doesn't mean you don't need the break. [buwink] Do you have anything planned - or just the enjoyment of a quiet tidy house? [buenvy]

I have eaten waaay too much chocolate this weekend, but am still standing firm on my plans to get right back into things properly come Wednesday.

I have all ds1's presents to wrap up this evening, but have told him he won't be getting a fancy cake, as I'm just not up to it. I will throw him together a lemon drizzle cake tomorrow, as that's his favourite - just realised, we might not have any birthday candles though. [crap mother emoticon]

I have ds2 sitting here with me, waiting to see if his temp comes down. He really seems ok in himself to be honest - well apart from going a bit limp every now and again and being a bit short tempered, but is still coughing intermittently and spiking temps up to 38.7. Going to call the GP for advice in the morning, as tomorrow it will have been 7 days since I first recorded a high temp and I'm pretty sure he was having them for a few days before that, but didn't actually use a thermometer to check.

Everything I've googled (yes, I know I shouldn't have) seems to suggest its not desperate if he seems happy in himself, which he does. (Quite apart from anything else, if chocolate eating capacity was indicator of health, he'd have to be described as fighting fit! ) So I'm not panicking, but I would like some professional advice at this point I think.

My pfb is 10 today! He's had a lovely day, had his best friend round to play, gorgeous sunshine, lots of lovely presents and a good dollop of cash to spend at Legoland as well, so he's a happy bunny.

Called the docs first thing about ds2 and they said to bring him in again, as it has been 12 days since he first became ill. Doc sounded doubtful at first and said he would check for a bacterial source, but there are a lot of long-running viruses that are taking a good 12 days to die off around at the moment and it may just be one of those. Then he listened to his chest .... and his face fell. He said its not quite pneumonia, but it is a lower lobe infection and needs anti-b's and careful monitoring, especially given ds's history. Its the same side and position as the pneumonia that amost encapsulated, so very worrying even though we've caught it before it gets really serious.

Ds2 pulled a face at having antibiotics again so I said, "Oh well ds, at least it means you'll be better in time for your birthday." (birthday is on the 18th) to which the doc said, "Mmm, well perhaps, but don't count on it." He's asked me to watch him closely for signs he may be getting worse and take him straight back if I am at all concerned. I know it usually takes a couple of courses of anti-b's to clear his chest completely though, so realistically, we'll be lucky if he's properly better in time for Legoland at the end of the month.

Popped into the supermarket while I was waiting for ds2's prescription and stocked up on loads of salad stuff, ready for my new start tomorrow. Unfortunately we still have far too many goodies in the house, but I'm going to be strong and stick to my guns. I have one small easter egg to scoff tonight and then I'm going cold-turkey as of breakfast tomorrow. Dh says he's dreading it! I am too truth be told, the first few days are always hell, but well worth doing, so I'm going to try and focus on the potential gains and try to grit my teeth through the withdrawal.

I shall be weighing-in properly this Friday and building up an new weekly breakdown from there - like I did when I was still doing things properly last year. I'm determined to get down to at least 10 stone 4 pounds, but preferably 10 stone zero, by our 20th anniversary in July.

Lamb, hope you are making the most of your child-free time and loving having a home that stays tidy once you've finished the housework etc.

TLP, hope you're doing ok and still up for getting stuck back into this weightloss malarkey.

Madwoman, I know you aren't here, but hope you're enjoying your trip back home and the weather is being kind to you.

i'm ba-aaaack!

had a lovely trip and fab to see everyone. weather not too bad, mostly (but not as nice as it was for the two weeks before, obv). am now knackered and have a houseful of jetlagged children. deep joy. well, dd2 anyway. the wailing in the early hours wasn't great, but at least everyone was up early and no-one missed the school bus for a change...

poor ol' ds2, moose. pneumonia stuff scares the crap out of me tbh. ds1 is similar, and have also been in the same situation where the gp has said 'no crackles, lungs seem fine' only to be told an hour later after a chest x ray that he has double pneumonia and needs massive meds and nebulising 5 times a day to try and get it under control. really hope he responds to the anti-b's quickly x

tlp - yay for 13 stone! all going in the right direction. i'm back up to 12 after the hols but was back to boot camp this morning (urgh to exercising with jet lag) and am off to find my book to menu plan for the next couple of weeks to see if i can get shifting again.

lamb, 10 stone and a tankini woooo!

Welcome back madwoman!

Glad you had a nice trip, but don't envy you the aftermath of tired children and inevitable washing mountain. Am very impressed at you bootcamping it with jetlag!

Thanks for the well-wishes re ds2. His temp was inching up to the high 38s at bedtime, so we're keeping everything crossed that the anti-b's kick in soon.

I'm a bit cross with myself for not taking him back sooner, but then I'm pretty sure it would have been a huge fight to get them to take me seriously - not that that's an excuse. He's been remarkably chipper through it all really and I think that made me doubt my gut feelings about how ill he really is. In the past he's always lost his appetite and just wanted to sleep or lie on the sofa, so his lack of apparent 'poorliness' wrong-footed me a bit.

ds1 was the same. it was just as though he'd lost his voice (and the temp). he seemed fine in every other way... scary, though. i'm totally neurotic about chests, now. good luck for tonight!

Same with ds2, his voice goes all thin, squeaky and quiet - and ds2 is never quiet, he is usually either loud or asleep! I pointed this out to the doctor on the first visit last week, but at the time ds2 had a sore throat and his his neck glands were up, so he just put down to 'a virus'. I wish I was better at face to face confrontation, as I feel like such a crap mum for not pushing harder and getting him anti-b's last week.

He slept well last night. Woke him in the small hours to give him his anti-b's and take his temp, which fortunately hadn't climbed any higher. He was actually up early this morning as he wanted to watch ds1's new Star Wars Clone Wars movie with him, but he's obviously not well. I think he did too much yesterday, as he wanted to join in with ds1 and his friend. He's been told its strict rest today, but I have relented to let him play ds1's new Lego board game with him, so he's sitting on the bedroom floor with his duvet at the moment.

I've been keeping busy this morning, so I don't think about food - especially not the sugary variety. Had a small bowl of apple porridge for breakfast and am limiting myself to one cup of decaff coffee a day for a few days and drinking detox tea instead in the hope of getting through the sugar withdrawals a bit more quickly. Salad for lunch and tea today and am going to attempt a workout when dd goes down for her nap later. Already have a toxicy headache though, so that doesn't bode well.

Well, dd1 is looking at me balefully but didn't appear crying during the night. She claims she woke up at 3 but went back to sleep twice for two minutes each time. She does look rough as chuff, but I think we are getting somewhere... The news chez mad this morning is that my kettle has gone on strike over night, so. I am boiling water for tea on the stove and twitching slightly... That might help me reduce the caffeine levels this week!!

Today I will be showing Davina what I'm made of and finishing my menu planning from my book... If I can find it. I spent an hour yesterday looking for it, but have put it down somewhere. Read it just before we went back to uk, so know it's here somewhere . This obv means I also need to tidy up!

Are you moving again Madwoman? I'm very . You're positively nomadic compared to us, we've been stuck in the same godforsaken miniature house for the past 9 years now.

I have just managed to get through a level one shred. First workout since 10th March, so I am quite pleased with that really. My legs were a tad wobbly by the end, but I kept up and got through it all without collapsing. Of course I am now far too tired to do anything else for the rest of the day, which is not quite so good.

Had a lovely salad with for my lunch and have more of the same for my evening meal. Dh actually looked quite jealous of my lunch when I presented him with his sandwiches.

Here's my news - I am going to start learning to drive again on Sunday! Mum is having the dcs for an hour, while dh takes me out in our old car. Just going to go somewhere like a business park that'll be quiet on a Sunday and re-acquaint myself with the pedals and controls etc on the first time out, but then he's going to take me out a couple of times a week and I've found a fairly cheap local driving instructress that I'll ring once I get my confidence back. I'm very nervous about it, but the timing feels right and I feel like I need to do it now, for myself as much as anything else.