Blurghhhhhhh 3.5ish stone to lose.

[RedScarf]

So today is day 1, I've just taken my before pictures had a little cry and weighed myself.

I've got 3.5 stone to lose and then some more that I'll assess when I get there.
Because I WILL get there!

Starting off with calorie counting, no choc/crisps and either a bike ride or c25k every evening after dc2 goes to sleep. And will tweak as necessary as I go.

I'm planning on posting here A LOT as dh is less than helpful and tbh is he's annoying me during lock down so I'll probably moan about him here too!

Feel free to join in, share tips, try stay sane and on track.

Well done @Toomanycats99 you are very inspiring!!

Oooh, DS1 definitely needs a new bed @BluePajamas - might ask PIL to contribute to that for Christmas - and he does sleep better with a heavy blanket (thinking about getting him a weighted one). Of course I do not need any extra weight on me

It's the DC's birthday at the end of the week - obviously no birthday parties going on round here but there'll still be cake - after that I have no further excuses for not cracking on with my weight loss/ exercise plan/ get my life in better shape campaign

(It's me Ruby by the way with a new username!)

@ClaraTheImpossibleGirl @BluePajamas

Good good luck on the sleeping front.

I have a dilemma. A friend messaged me yesterday and said she had another friend training to be a stylist and she needed some guinea pigs for her portfolio. She thought as I had lost the weight I might like it - I don't know what to do.

Reasons against.

I hate attention
I always default to comfy clothes as never really go out anyway
Don't have loads of money to buy new clothes
I hate having my photo taken!

Reasons for

I probably default to comfy (black / grey) clothes because I lack confidence about what to wear and this may get me out of it
It's the sort of thing I have mused on in the past about having like a fairy godmother!
I divorced a year ago so should be going out and having a life for which I need more interesting clothes.

I don't know what to do! Just typing this has made me think I should....maybe I need to find a bit more about what is involved....

I think you should go for it @Toomanycats99! It sounds like a great opportunity and presumably you don't have to actually buy any clothes (or even try them on!) if you don't like them?! I was thinking of doing something similar - Debenhams had a free personal shopper service but it's suspended due to, guess what, Covid

The potential stylist is only aiming to make you look as good as possible and if it's out of your comfort zone, well, you never have to look at the photos honestly, a friend did it a couple of years ago for the same reason as you - she'd got divorced after a long marriage and no longer had any confidence in 'different' clothes (she wears a uniform at work too). She definitely recommended it!

DS1 slept all night. Yippee!! I'm aware that this could change any night though...!

It's my birthday this week too (Oct is best!) Also ds and dh this month too!

Ahh glad you got a good nights kip!

I've been to the shop and stocked up with fruit and veg, so hopefully this week(minus the birthday cake) should be well behaved

Blimey @BluePajamas, October's a busy month in your house!!

I'm getting a fruit & veg delivery towards the end of the week (did do a quick supermarket shop but mainly for birthday cake ) - need to do some meal planning though before I do a proper big shop. TBH though I'm just exhausted; it does help with the DC being at school (hooray!!) but this is the first time I've had off since they were born (5 years ago!), literally I've never had a day or part of a day to do nothing in. I'm wondering if this is my body thinking "ahhhh, now I can relax and be ill, never had time to before"

Trying to take it a bit easier today but the massive amount of household and birthday stuff that needs to be done is creeping up on me! And I'm getting really worried about being obese with a second wave of Covid approaching...

Did you make a decision about the makeover @Toomanycats99?

Hope all the birthday planning/ celebrations are going well @BluePajamas!

@ClaraTheImpossibleGirl

I haven't decided.....I feel like it's a bit too early as I still want to lose more weight. Plus I'm quite unconfident so don't like having a spotlight on me.

I know I should do it! My friend checked with her friend and it would be clothes hair and makeup. I hardly ever wear makeup because don't feel confident enough putting it on and again hair I usually just pull back (not helped by a mix of leaving for work pre 6am so was too tired or wfh when I think what's the point!)

I want to say yes but I guess I'm scared she will look at me and think you are nearly 50 what have you done until now!

Yesterday was my birthday (another October one!) so I bought a loaf of fresh bread and ate about half of it for lunch! Then takeaway for tea and my daughters made me a cake.

Tomorrow I am introducing my 13yo to the wonders of Camden market and the mac and cheese stall is calling me......

How's the sleeping going? I hope it's good news!

How's the sleeping going!

Well. I have smashed that next stone bracket... unfortunately it's the next stone up and not a stone down and I am now at the heaviest I have ever ever been.

I have no excuse other than I'm a piglet

How was Camden market @Toomanycats99? It's many years since I was last there!

I understand that you'd like to lose a bit more weight before the makeover; is it an indefinite offer or is there a time limit though? Just thinking that if you don't accept for a while and then you can't do it you might be irritated that you didn't! Honestly, I wouldn't worry about weight/ hair/ make-up - presumably if they want a client to 'make over' then the more they can suggest to you the better, from their point of view

@BluePajamas I'm going to weigh in tomorrow. Don't know where you live but if it's within 100 miles of me then you will probably hear my cries of horror

@ClaraTheImpossibleGirl

Camden was great thanks. Still stalls selling iron maiden t shirts and the smell of incense everywhere ! Cannot believe its 30 years since I used to go. 13yo loved it. Lots of 'cool' teens like she aspires to be. E.g mini kilts and ripped tights with bucket hats!

She likes a chance to have sometime with me without her younger sister so we will go again in a few months when I can get their dad to have a extra day with youngest. At the moment he's not working so I am trying to get childcare during the week as clubs not open so have to balance those extra requirements. Completely off planer food for a few days so need to get back focused. The fried chicken at Camden was worth it though!

It's hard with more than one DC isn't it @Toomanycats99 - honestly when I only have one of the DTs it's a joy! When I have both to entertain they just end up squabbling

No after school clubs here either, hence we are spending £££ letting them try out stuff privately that usually they'd be doing at school much more cheaply or free. It won't be for long though, I'd just like them to find sports that they're interested in and keep playing. Not to a professional level or anything, more for fitness and making friends!

Ahhh the t shirts and incense smell how are they managing social distancing etc? The outside bits are presumably ok, but the covered bits tend to be narrow, from what I can recall?

And oh, to be a cool teen again not that I was ever that cool - it always throws me when I see teenagers wearing Nirvana t shirts and realise that there's no way they could have been born by the time Kurt Cobain died. Makes me feel very old

@ClaraTheImpossibleGirl

Thinking about it there really wasn't much social distancing!

We got there about 11.15 so quite early I guess (by camden standards) and it wasn't too busy - definitely way more people around when we left.

I do need to make a trip back by myself. There was a Japanese shop and they had unusual flavour Oreos etc so need to pick some up for girls stockings.

I can imagine social distancing would be tricky there... the indoors bit is so narrow and mazelike (part of its charm!) but that doesn't lend itself easily to staying 2m away from people

Well @BluePajamas, I weighed myself this morning - I have 45lb to lose on the bright side I haven't really put weight on, probably because I am quite active, but since January 1st I have put 2lb ON. Pah. So much for various fresh starts! However, I went for a run on the way home from the school drop off (a short one, and there was much puffing and panting!) and so far haven't eaten any Nutella sandwiches, so I feel today is an excellent dieting day

On a non-dieting subject @Toomanycats99 - Amazon have a limited edition Oreos gift box with 5 different flavours for £12.99 - might save you a trip back to Camden?

Thanks @ClaraTheImpossibleGirl

I will keep that as a backup in case I don't get to London. I tend to try and do a shopping day early December. I do 90% online but I like to have a say to browse and pickup little bits. I need to find a shop selling American sweets and bits at a good price as well. I have previously picked up a couple of bits at a central London sainsburys close to where I used to work and a small newsagents but need new sources!

Little one particularly is obsessed by all the American stuff from watching too much Disney and Nickelodeon!

I used to work near a tiny shop selling American stuff @Toomanycats99 - it was in Watford - think it's still there if you're ever nearby!

If you're looking for theme clothes too have a look at character.com, my DC like Paw Patrol/ Spiderman/ Lego but they do plenty of others, plus they usually have a decent clearance section and Black Friday deals.

In weight-related news I went for another run today. My legs are still in shock!!

@ClaraTheImpossibleGirl

My new office as of the last couple of months is at Watford junction! Bloody miles from home.

Could you let me know name of shop please.

It's a small world @Toomanycats99!!

The shop was/ is called Sweets From Heaven - it was upstairs in the Harlequin/ intu centre at the Charter Place end, so maybe a 10 minute walk from your office, if you go straight along Clarendon Road and not up Queens Road. I'll try to post some photos so you can see what I mean; it's only a small shop (I think classed as a newsagent) but did specialise in American sweets.

Disclaimer: I haven't been to Watford for a few years, and definitely not since they redid Charter Place and built Debenhams and the cinema, but on the intu map it looks like the sweet shop is still there!

On the bright side it doesn't need to be a wasted journey anyway as Hotel Chocolat is a few doors down

Photos attached (hopefully!)

Thanks for that @ClaraTheImpossibleGirl

How's the sleep going?

@BluePajamas how's it going for you?

DS1 was awful Friday night @Toomanycats99 but better Saturday night and last night... he was exhausted Friday but it took him TWO HOURS to go to sleep after that I think he worked out that we were just going to leave him to it and not fuss over him any more, and last night was only half an hour. I do hope he'll improve as his behaviour was starting to go downhill too with too little sleep.

On the bright side I lost half a pound this week it was AF week which made things trickier so I'm relatively pleased with that. How are things with you?

Hope all is well with you @BluePajamas!

Slowed down a bit @ClaraTheImpossibleGirl but 33lbs in total so far so still good. I'm relaxing a little bit as I want to keep going so I would rather keep going at a slower rate than give up. Away for a night next weekend as well so that will be a few meals out.

I think I'm going to find the low carb harder as we come into winter. I tend to want something warm at lunch rather than a salad.

Wow, that's amazing @Toomanycats99! I can understand the general desire for stodge during the cold season plus large jumpers and coats can hide a multitude of sins!!

I am trying to prepare for half term and 24/7 of small children again I've already hidden all the Halloween sweets so they don't eat the lot before the actual day...

Wow! That's incredible!

I've got one more birthday to celebrate this month and by then I'll have finished lady time and will have ZERO excuses!

Going to have a no naughties November!