AIBU to want a gentler health/weight discussion

[argumentativefeminist]

Want to interact with others and get support/motivation for getting healthier and active, and in the process losing weight. But I absolutely don't want to hear any "diet culture", calorie counting or unhealthy disordered eating promotion. Surely I can't be the only one? Sometimes it seems like every thread I click on is just full of upsetting, unhelpful comments that sound like they could have been lifted from a thinspo website.

I've had a lackluster week as laid low with a mystery virus but had to keep working regardless.

So had toast for breakfast about 3 times as literally hadn't the energy to put porridge in the microwave! Oh dear! Still though, am eating less in general. We've had mash with dinner twice this week and both times I ate very little or none at all - I don't really like it and was eating it cos of cultural brainwashing, really.

Have also switched from wine to (pink) gin as I don't drink much of it - 1 or 2 max - but still gives you that treat yourself feeling. And am averaging 4 or 5 days between alcohol

But exercise on my days off has been non existant this week as Ive been under the weather. And this weekend it's just kids stuff. The weather here has been absolutely shit too! Heatwaves in the UK but I'm in Ireland and it's been so depressing. All the rain but also all the lovely humidity!

Poor you Elspeth! Can't believe you dont like mash - you'll get very fed up with my meal updates come winter if we still have this thread 😂 don't worry about the exercise, just focus on feeling better 💕

I could eat mash until I turn into Mr Creosote! I mean...butter and spuds. What could be better?!

Knackered today from a late night with friends and then 3 night feeds (he is nearly 1 for the love of all that is holy ) but had a potter round the market this morning, then pre-prepared dinner so we can walk to the pub in a minute (couple of miles cross country in the sunshine, lovely) then come home to an easy tea.

That sounds like a dreamy afternoon Verbena - tell babyVerbena to get his act together, the only time it's acceptable to wake up 3 times a night for food is when you're a 20yr old student with an early bedtime but a hungry tummy 😂😂

I actually really like potatoes but just mash leaves me cold! It's just bland sludge. You have to put butter in it to even taste like anything!

Give me boiled spuds any day. Or wedges. Or chips. Or gratin....... Ooooooh gratin.....

Elspeth I put cheese and mustard in my mash 😳😳

What's everyone else been up to today? I'm going on holiday on Monday!!

I love cheesy mash! Anything with cheese added tastes lovely 😋

Just got back from an hour & a half bike ride and the cafe which we usually stop at was closed. I ended up buying the ingredients to make hot chocolates: cream, marshmallows and a flake to crumble over the top. I need to stop the habit of drinking/eating the exercise calories I’ve lost, but it was very nice!

Bet you can’t wait for your holiday AF are you all packed?

You deserved it Pixie! But I agree, maybe not every time after a workout 😂 (I do exactly the same tho you're not alone!)

It's a UK holiday for only 4 days so not packed yet! Gonna wait until Monday morning when we know how much we can squeeze in the hire car with 2 dogs 😂

af I do cheese, whole milk, whole grain mustard AND butter . If I’m really on it, I also mash in leeks sweated down in butter. In my defence, it is an occasional treat!

Hello all. Did someone mention mash? 💕

I’m continuing to do well. Eating two meals a day and managing to dismiss the nagging snack voice the rest of the time. No formal exercise but today I’m weeding like a mofo.

Had a lovely dinner last night of cheese, pate and crackers with a big fruit salad and natural yoghurt. Probably not healthy in a diet sense but I really enjoyed. And of course we’re not about that dieting shit.

Made myself feel good this morning by setting about my elephant hide skin with a body scrub and cutting my toenails. I am irresistible!

Agatha I’ve been weeding and toenail pruning too - think we’re all weirdly in synch?

All sounds lovely Agatha! I've been doing a bit of dissertation research, and a bit of packing for holidays! Did also just have a lovely shower and a good ol moisturise after, so it must be the day for that sort of thing!

V jealous of your holiday, AF, I love getting away.

af I’m feeling nosey about your dissertation. Give us a clue? And hope the packing went well.

Feeling a bit shit this eve as I’ve been wearing my garmin the last few days and am getting nowhere near 10,000 steps a day (more like 6000). My resting heart rate is good I think (47) but I feel like I must be more sedentary than I thought. Kick up the arse to get off my arse a bit more please?

Hi Ladies, I’m back home now & pleasantly surprised to find that I’m back to the weight I was a couple of weeks ago! I’d gone up a bit just before my holiday so feeling pretty good

Af I’d love to know what your dissertation is about too, esp if you’ll be studying Frankenstein at some point. I love literature & my degree was mainly lit based.

@Verbena You sound incredibly active to me from your posts so maybe it’s getting back to some kind of post holiday routine? Are you going to keep up with swimming? I’ve got my first Pilates class tonight.

I agree with Pixie Verbena, I'm in awe of how active you are normally and especially everything you did on your holidays! One thing I do to get more active which is really easy is dancing/moving from side to side a bit when cooking/cleaning/anything standing up in the house. Like Vals dance from Bake Off if you ever watched that? 6000 is still really good though and they don't always work totally accurately, so don't beat yourself up about it 💕

My dissertation is actually more the politics side of my course (I'm really quite a reluctant lit student!). It's going to be about how political mockumentary reflects and impacts the political process in the UK, using The Thick of It as my main example. Unless I change it again, of course! I dont start it properly until September so plenty of time to change my mind 😂

Maybe that’s it pixie. Am going to try pool swimming once a week but not daily as seawater makes my skin happy but pool water makes me itchy and flaky (yuk). We’ve also ordered a turbo trainer as my husband’s a keen cyclist so can use it on dark/wet evenings in winter and I can use it to hopefully get a bit of a cardio buzz back in my life without the fear of my crappy road sense causing me or a driver a mischief!! Have also just booked a spin class for this evening - eeeek!

Good luck with Pilates! I’d say you’ll do much better by sticking to the ‘easiest’ option and going slowly but really concentrating on getting it all right. I was powering through the exercises in my first session thinking ‘well this is a piece of cake’, then the instructor came and corrected my form and it became a LOT tougher!

Ha Verbena that’s just reminded me of my first experience of yoga & the teacher coming over to ‘correct’ my form. She physically pulled my shoulders back when I was in some odd position which made me exclaim ‘ouch!’ as it was pretty painful and my body did not want to be bent that way. I remember her saying, ‘That doesn’t hurt.’ Errr Yes it actually did! 😳 😂 Good luck with your spinning class.

Af I’m always dancing around the kitchen. It’s the one form of exercise I really enjoy. Also started doing random squats or star jumps every now & then - trying to shock my body into losing a few pounds lol

Hey all! First day of husband back on holiday today. Desperately trying to get some order in the house so the cleaner is not horrified when she comes in!

Have a new phone, it’s awesome.

Am not being good with food today OR training but I am planning meals for my husband and I for the next week and will be focusing on Joe Wickes meals

So that should add a bit of health to me

For today it’s all about the scones and tea though

Oh and not putting a bra on.

Sounds like a plan Verbena! I want to start indoor cycling classes when I go back to uni. Enjoy your scones Camel!

Pixie you’ve got to be careful with over-zealous yoga teachers. My friend has been permanently injured by one

Had dinner delivered to our little cabin, now lying under a spare duvet on the sofa watching police docs waiting for the family to get back from a walk so we can hot tub!! Already had an amazing day 😍😍

af that sounds really interesting. I do think satire is sometimes able to present really radical ideas because it’s ‘just a joke’. Good luck with it all.

pixie that’s dreadful! Hope your class was less...well...assaulty!

camel scones and tea and bralessness are all good ideas - I gave up underwires during pregnancy and I’ve yet to invite them back into my life (except for exercise, because breastfeeding udders aren’t about to support themselves )

Spin class was fab - on such a high from actually doing some proper cardio: getting sweaty and heart-thumpy washes my mind clean like nothing else. Highly highly highly recommend it for feeling sane and alive.

Hope everyone’s had good days

Verbena

Agreed RE exercise, I’m still in my holiday bubble and haven’t been back to CrossFit, I blame the hot weather but I’m actually being lazy!

Without fail I will go Wednesday/Thursday/Friday

Really well done Verbena!! I feel exactly the same about cardio - although I have found the hot tub very mind cleansing as well! Thank you for the dissertation well wishes 💕💕