New Mums: Pre-diet we had pride, now we want new bodies!

[SolitudeSometimesIs]

Here we go again!

Ok it's the magic thread where we find inspiration, motivation and actually see the results we want and manage to hold on to them once we get them.

No more excuses (unless they are hilarious or necessary).

Welcome all!

We had a weekend of eating and drinking as well. I haven't stepped on the scales..

Well done on the exante Sol.

I have no idea what I am going to do!

Glad your wedding was great Green :)

We all had good weekends by the sound of it.

I'm glad to hear you had a great time at the wedding Green and a virtual high five for heading back out yesterday to continue the good times. Respect! I know what you mean about wanting to eat sensibly and normally, it just seems like I sabotage myself at every opportunity when I start. It's like I need a fad diet so I can blame IT rather than myself when it goes wrong.

Are you looking for a new diet Beyond? What about a vegan one like Beyonce was on about earlier today? I was vegan for years and managed on it really well, bet she doesn't have original hula hoops like I did.

I'm biding my time until bed. I can still taste the awful, burning flavour from the shake earlier. It was awful. I had hummous and carrot sticks for dinner, it wasn't bad and it was way better than more bloody Exante shakes.

Day 2 of Exante. How exciting! Not.

Lost 2.5 lbs since yesterday so that's good.

I've decided on 2 Exante meals per day and a really healthy dinner. So tonight is a huge quorn salad with low fat hummous as the dressing, so tons of veggies and protein. And then I have a chocolate dessert pack for the evening if I need it. I also made Exante ice cream with the vanilla shake, so I'll report back on that when I try it later.

I realised this morning that I have lost 22 lbs since September (but have gained 3 lbs due to mega eating weekend but they will be gone by Friday ). Why don't I give myself credit for that? Why am I beating myself up that I'm not really skinny when I've lost 22 bloody lbs.

So, what with being all sunny out - I've decided to adopt a positive attitude about my weight. I'm going to be more active (don't get me wrong, I'm not going to start running marathons, I haven't lost my mind), I'm going to ditch carbs during the week, I'm going to make healthier choices, I'm going to have a firm word with myself when I start sabotaging my good work. I'm going to use up the Exante and look up a few recipes for low carb meal plans.

I'm also going to buy one new item of clothing per week, be it half decent underwear or a nice top. It's going to be cheap and cheerful because I am not being this size for long but I may as well look like a hottie while I am!

C'mon Beyond and Green - let's motivate our arses and make some changes!!!

Exante ice cream is VILE! The person who recommended it as a "delicious alternative" clearly underwent some sort of taste bud removal prior to trying it. It is ice cold, but grainy and dry all at once. Like licking the beach on a cold Winter's morning I expect.

Had salad and 2 Exante packs so far today, I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing and will just keep chugging along. I was out a lot with the kids today and we had fun in the sunshine.

A little tip from me-buy a sand table, the 2 kids had the best time playing away with it and at the end of the day I put it in the shed and it's not a toilet for the foxes. There was much digging and sand castle making in our garden this afternoon.

Going to challenge DH to a very competitive game of swing ball when the kids have gone to bed. That counts as exercise right?

How's everybody getting on?

You sound really motivated Sol.

I am going to fast for next 2 days. I just feel I am getting no where, still stone and half to lose (as I was nearly 4 years ago!!).

I like your idea re healthier choices, I think I'm going to try the same.

Apologies for short post - things really hectic at the mo.

22lb is fantastic Sol. You do deserve lots of credit for that, it's a lot of weight. Well done on the positivity too. Love the idea of new clothes every week. I have bought more recently, but feel like I've denied myself from having nice clothes since having children. My reasoning for that was because I'm fat I don't deserve to look nice. Crazy stuff.

It's difficult to focus on the present sometimes when you're always thinking about 'when I'm thinner'. I've been reading loads of dieting stuff in the last week. The best advice I have seen said 'it's about the journey not the destination.' That has struck a chord with me. it's almost 6 months until Christmas. By the end of this year I will be under 12 stone, not exactly sure how I'll do it but I owe it to myself to get it done. I plan to enjoy doing it and take pleasure in the everyday things.

We have a sand pit, a table would probably be better as they keep flooding the pit. not many foxes round here, not ones that come too close to the house anyway. I'll have to start playing swing ball

I haven't had a bad couple of days, but I didn't manage to fast. I have swollen tonsils, PMT and still feel tired from the weekend! I don't think I've got much going on socially after next weekend so I might try Exante with a meal every day from then. Your plan sounds good.

Hi Beyond. I know how you feel about getting no where. I think I'm now the same weight I was after having DD1. We will get there eventually though! Hope the fasting goes well for you.

Thanks for the kind words, I do feel good that I have lost so much. I kind of forgot I was losing weight because I was so distracted by hating being hungry.

Sorry to hear you're not feeling well Green, maybe take it easy this week and eat healthier so you'll feel better. Six months to get in to the 12's is doable. Swing ball is great, but it'll only tone one arm really so that's not great.

I know how you feel about being stuck Beyond, maybe healthy eating and 5:2 is the way to go. Don't worry about the scales for now if you are snowed under.

Having a bad day today. Not foodwise, but my stomach has been very sore and I just feel rotton. I think it might be from the Exante, as the symptoms flare up after being on it a few days. Not really sure what to do about it, it's very uncomfortable.

Had soup for lunch and quorn salad for dinner and was pretty active all day with the kids, even though I didn't feel like it and wanted to go to bed.

Heading to bed in a little bit, hope everyone else had a good day.

Hope you feel better soon Sol. Your symptoms sound similar to mine the last couple of times I tried Exante. It got progressively worse over the week. Peppermint tea was helpful.

I've had an okay day food wise. The sore throat is now Tonsillitis and I feel dreadful. The Dr is ringing tomorrow so I hope I can get some antibiotics. It's definitely the bacterial strain. Yuk.

I spent the afternoon running round the park after DD2. Not fun, I've decided I prefer winter.

I've stopped with Exante for the moment to see if my unpleasant side effects calm down. I've just had protein, salad and soup today, it's not been too bad.

How are you feeling Green? Did you get some antibiotics? I hope you're managing to take it easy. I had tonsillitis years ago and I thought I was dying. Maybe this is why you haven't been feeling great in the last few weeks, this might have been brewing. I hope you feel better soon.

Sol - apologies, I didn't not say how fab your 22lbs was - just amazing.
Hope you feel better soon, sounds like an exante break is in order.

You poor thing Green - hope you are better soon. I have no idea what I will do with DC tomorrow. I find them a bit of a handful to take to park on my own (DD will not use a buggy!).

I continue my non dieting, going to try and get back on track.
Things been bit stressful, so been very unfocused. Trying to remember how good I felt pre holiday to see if will spur me on...

Thanks Beyond, a break is definitely in order, the unending gurgling from my stomach was horrendous.

I was about to put the kids in the car yesterday when they started charging around the garden and chasing each other, a neighbour who trains guide dogs walked past with her dog, and said "I'm just bringing her for a walk before we go in the car, she needs to let off some steam". I nodded at my kids and said "Yep, that's what I'm doing too".

My kids are wild bundles of energy these days - and I'm sure the sun has made it worse. Have you a back garden you can let them rampage in? We have swings, a slide, a sand table, a little plastic golf set and footballs and let them loose. Fresh air is fresh air, no matter if it's in a park or a garden. Oh and a bubble machine, they hit the bubbles with the golf clubs (and chop the heads off all my flowers). Then they bring various bits out of the house and play all day. Our garden isn't very big so some days I don't hang out washing so they have room to play.

Hi Sol- Yes garden could be my only sane option

We have sand/water table, mini trampoline, think am out of bubbles, they last minutes before poured on the grass...! I must get some this weekend. We have got a bubble rocket they love (cost about £5 for hours of fun).

Have ordered more exante, although unable to start for couple of weeks due to social things.

Being out in the garden is great. Snacks are to hand, near to toilets and there's no fear of escaping children or random dog poo being stood on. The park is way overrated. And it's always full of people!

What did you order from Exante? I have a ton of shakes you can have if you want them. I don't know what I was thinking when I ordered them, I don't like milkshakes.

I got some antibiotics yesterday and I'm feeling much better today. Although everything tastes weird. I'm pleased it doesn't feel like swallowing glass anymore.
I think it might have been brewing for awhile Sol, and my Mam reminded me that I was always catching it this time of year when I was working. I think the weekend bender was the final straw.
The Dr was going to give me a sick note, but I don't think you can use one when you're a Mother unfortunately.

Is your stomach feeling any better? Sounds exactly like mine was. I wonder if it's the milkshakes? It's a shame when the actual diet works so well. I had some Yakult and natural yogurt and it seemed to sort everything out.

My DD2 also dislikes the buggy Beyond. I hadn't been to a large park for awhile and she's lost any 'fear' she had. The smaller parks round here have fences round and are much more suitable. I'll stick to those in future.

We have a big garden and lots of toys which helps a lot. It's quite wild in places though and there's probably a high risk of them hurting themselves. So I lock them on the decking! I remember having quite vicious fights with my DB using mini golf clubs. I might not buy any of those.

Still thinking about being thin and how to achieve it.

Glad to hear you're on the mend Green. Can you hire someone to sort out your garden of you're not the green fingered type? I pay my nephew 20 quid per week to do my grass and strimming, it takes an hour and saves me hassle.

My stomach is ok, very bloated and tender but I'm hoping it'll go soon. I have a house full of visitors so I'm not in the humour for terrible cramps and wind that could be used as a chemical weapon

If only we could use a sick note Green :)
Hope you are feeling loads better now.

I continue to gain weight... I don't have a clear week where I can exante now for about 3 weeks. Not sure what to do - Pretty annoyed with myself. I may need to buy something in the sales to cheer myself up!
I ordered by mistake some of the 4 products a day:Shakes/bars/and thought I would try a few savoury meals. Thanks for the offer of shakes Sol. I think it would cost loads to post them though.

Hope you both had nice weekends>

Am idiot, I could do Wed-Mon (social plans this Tuesday and next Tuesday). Better than not doing it at all? I can then do a few fast days here and there maybe.

ps - have you got an exante code? I never get sent them for some reason.

Hi Beyond, I'm feeling much better thanks. Still tired though, we went to the beach on Saturday and I was wiped out. It was lovely though.

I feel your pain on gaining. I thought I'd lose something with being ill, but eating Cornetto's apparently prevents it.

You need to go shopping. We went to an outlet yesterday and Got some shirts from Levi's. They are all tight , a good incentive to re start dieting today.
I got some more shoes from Clarks and I've ordered an Orla Kiely bag. I need a job soon.

I suppose some fasting days are better than nothing. It's hard to get started though isn't it? I am just going to write down everything I eat this week and avoid the processed stuff. I don't feel up to fasting at the moment.
I had thought of trying Exante again next week, but DH might be taking the week off and that means we would be going out on the afternoons. I might start 5:2 again next week and Exante properly the week after.

It's 27 weeks until 21st December. I'm going to push myself. I want/need to lose a lot still. I'm thinking of 40lb, which is only 1.5lb per week. DD2 is sleeping better so I think I need to do some exercise on an evening.
DD2 is almost 2, so I feel that I can't use the 'be kind to myself' excuse anymore. Plus I don't seem to lose much unless I'm very strict with myself.

Exante have an offers section on their website.
They have 3 for 2 on the boxes of 7 products until the 19th June (code 3FOR2). Some of the packs are savoury (warning the cheese scone things are weird)
The only code they've sent me is for individual shakes 50 for £40 (SHAKE40)

How are you feeling now Sol? What's the diet plan for this week?

We sometimes get someone in to tidy the garden, but it would cost a fortune to get it done every week. It's slowly being landscaped which is the main problem. There is plenty of room for the girls to play on the grass. It's mainly DD2 being stubborn and heading for the dodgy areas. She's so clingy in the house, but bolts when we are outside. I'm sure she'll be easier next summer!

Who knew re cornetto's??

Glad you are feeling better. Good pan re new christmas goal. Shall I join you

What bag did you order? My nappy bag is an Orla K. I re like the Chloe marcie but they are £££. My friend got the small sized one for around £400, it's lovely but I wouldn't be able to get all my stuff in...

Are you thinking about going back to work?

Apparently you should only have 'just one Cornetto'.

I think we could really see some good results in 6 months. Although we all know it's easier said than done. I was reading the weight watchers magazine the other day and there were some impressive success stories. People had lots loads within a few months. All about will power I suppose. mine has disappeared for 6 months, it's due back soon.

I ordered this www.cotswoldtrading.com/Products/Orla-Kiely-Textured-Leather-Sweetpea-Bag-Lemon.aspx. It might get sent back. I was feverish when I ordered it. It was £90.
I love the Chloe Marcie, but it is too expensive for me. Marc Jacobs and Coach are the most expensive bags I own. I wish I hadn't bought lots of cheaper ones when I was working and just got a Mulberry before the prices went up.
I love the bag threads on Style and Beauty. Especially the posters who start talking about benches!

I'd like a job because I'm quite bored and I like buying things! But I don't fancy going back to teaching yet. So I'll probably wait til DD2 starts school.
I think I miss getting dressed for work and speaking to adults every day. I don't miss the stress and extra work though.

Ha I read that thread as well and tried to get tips if the Marcie would go in the sale..!

I like Coach bags, I'll look at the Marc Jacobs ones, I've never really studied them before. Have you looked at Anya Hindmarch? They are normally 50% off in the sale ( I hate all the brand stuff i.e. frostie bag etc but the classics are nice).
I have got a couple of Mulberry (ok 3) but they were significant birthday presents.

You could maybe think of a career change? I think of it all the time..

Agree re motivation - we are just having a break