A weight loss thread with no boring diet info

[AcornAutumn]

Hi all
I really need to lose a total of about 4 stone.

I'm not keen on the usual weight loss type chats with methods and foods etc discussed in detail.

So I was trying to think how it could be more interesting.

This might be a crap idea but I know I do better when I have interesting things to do. Today I've done my workout, some drawing and keyboard practice. I've also read a couple of chapters of Women Who Kill (!) and watched The Crown, I'm on Season 2.

It was those things that made snacking on a boiled egg less of a shock 😂

So I was thinking, what about a support thread where we don't talk about the details of our methods, but just check in for support, and tell each other something interesting we've done that day, even just a film we've watched.

Is it a bonkers idea?

Ah that was a callback to a previous post. Gozleme are Turkish flatbreads stuffed with spinach and cheese or whatever inferior filling takes your fancy and cooked on a mushroom shaped grill thingy. A north London delicacy which I was introducing my friend to combined with a stroll around the reservoir.

God Gwen I feel tired just reading that. I have new blue walls and am now trying to persuade dh we need new curtains. Have ordered loads of samples. Other than that I have made pancakes (no sugar for me, my one concession) and stuck my jogging stuff on and am now on the sofa working up the energy to go running. Sent my application off which was a bit half arsed so won't be too surprised if I don't get an interview.

Ugh, job applications are the worst. The modern day HR phenomenon is A Bad Thing.

It’s precisely because the decorating job is so horrific that I’m doing it Forth Bridge stylee. I do maybe an hour at a time and then leave it for the day. Any more than that and I’d be completely defeated.

I am absolutely dreading job hunting. I am pretty sure the universal credit people will tell me to start when they phone on wed. I feel ready to work again but god the process is just soul destroying. I’m qualified for bugger all really so I just need something while I do my degree and build up volunteer experience etc in the right field (mental health/autism etc) but I also can’t do retail or anything physically demanding because of the fibro etc.

Well done on the decorating! We still haven’t started. The flooring planks are going to be in the cupboard forever at this rate!

Lots of admin to do today. Sigh.

I started planning my novel properly in the last few days. That should be a nice distraction from food...

This one was a bit of a cut and paste job, hence half arsed, but I'm not desperate, quite like my own job really.

Sorry to hear about fibro, sounds debilitating. Good luck with degree etc! Might you find an online job/volunteering post somewhere? I haven't been to the office for a year now.

Finally feel like my clothes are a bit looser. Perhaps I'll try and find a new battery for the scales. It's one of those irritating round flat ones that look identical to ones I have but always turn out to be different somehow.

Thanks gwen :) I’d really love something that is flexible enough (maybe more possible since lockdown etc?) to work from home if I need while also getting me out of the house to an office when I can, but it depends what I’m deemed capable of really. I worked in a library before my health got worse and got a customer service NVQ via that so maybe something phone based. Or admin would be great.

I have just started training for a fab volunteer role :) I’ll be a mentor for families who have just had their children diagnosed with autism. Guiding them through the process of seeking support etc. That’ll be an hour or two a week once I’ve trained. Keeping an eye out for similar stuff as it’ll be good to build up a range of experience. And stop me getting bored 😂

Hi Hope it is ok to join at a late stage? This sounds like a good place, not obsessing over food etc and plans but just being healthy ish.

I'm on some meds which can cause weight gain. Trying to combat this by eating healthy. Going to try walking more, can't wait for the pool to open again next month.

Welcome Orange! I'm pretty new but everyone has been very welcoming and you sound like you'll fit in. I can't wait for pools to open either. Do you have anywhere outdoors to swim because outdoor pools and ponds open next week! I'm in London and have a reservoir, Hampstead ponds and lidos to choose from but the reservoir is nearest and I'm a member there.

Having a rest day from running and going to cycle to my friend's for a walk. It's a ten mile round trip plus the walk so think that's plenty to be getting on with. Just had bacon butty to set me up for the journey though.

Welcome Orange - I'm a noob too but already very much myself at home.

I had planned a solo date in the Hampstead ponds when the schools were back/ littlest one started nursery. Can't wait to be swimming again.

I can't believe that's your reservoir LL! OH's aunt was trying to convince me to do water sports a few years ago and I schemed to do a canoeing course there, but the fates colluded against it that summer. I hadn't realised about the swimming. I suspect we have the same kebab stretch too.

Sorry to hear about your Fibro SS!
My mum's best friend and my best friend's mum both have it and were diagnosed decades ago when it didn't get mentioned much. Hope UC are understanding.

Going to see my mum today = all the calories. She can't help herself. She won a cooking competition in the 70s to get a place at Prue Leith's school, she won competitions whilst there too. You can't pop in without a tiered cakes stands and homemade tarts and pastries and scones appearing. Even if she's only had half an hours notice. She refuses even to pre- bake and freeze as she says it's just not as nice as good although no one's else notices. She's love epic tableware and silverware and making everything look like a storybook.

We go glamping with her sister's family each summer. The first year (in the before times) she had my dad brining candelabras and her coffee machine on the train. My aunt and I are more practically minded and would do quick Tupperware spread but she wouldn't be told. We were having a fête champtêtre and that was that. She wanted a beautiful picnic scene with flowers and candles on the table to welcome my children (then aged 3 and 1) on arrival. It was epic TBF.

Hi longestlurkerever and inkysplatter thanks for the welcome. Just the council indoor pool here, sadly but hoping for it to open mid April. There's a river nearby but not quite brave enough for that. (yet) although do love sea swimming. My favourite place for that is Studland bay in Dorset which is about 2 hrs away.

Welcome Orange, so nice to have you here!

Inky your Mum sounds epic- candelabra and a coffee machine for a picnic!!!! I am always cooking for my kids, it makes me so happy to feed them food they love and see them eat. I always make double too in case they want seconds. 

Long Gozleme's sound bloody lovely...I have a sandwich grill and like to do stuff on flat breads and might try to recreate one. Well done getting the application in...sometimes they are useful to work out what you don't want iyswim?

Sing you sound like you are at the beginning of an adventure - lots of new experiences, challenges and opportunities. I have an autistic child (probably 'officially' two soon, but my eldest is very high functioning) and I appreciated all the support I got when ds11 was 2. I just wanted someone who would let me be sad about it and would listen to what I was struggling with without telling me the 'up side' all the time. I never talked about it with friends because they were all hell bent on cheering me up (damn them!!).

Today I have ordered the fabric (canvas in yellow and a gingham) for a 1970s pattern re-issue for a poncho. I am so excited!!! If it turns out, I would like to diversify my business into selling these on a market stall, so I will post the finished result on here for market research

She is indeed, although to clarify carrying her coffee machine on the train was for the 3-4 day glamping trip, not just the fête champêtre (meal.) She brought fresh flowers too. It did look glorious. Apparently she's made cucumber mousse for hors d'oeuvres!

Welcome to newcomers.

Sorry not to have been on. I am just so, so low. But glad to see this thread is helping others. This may be madness but there's method in it!

Sorry to hear you're low Acorn

Welcome to Orange and hello to the rest of the gang.

Sorry to hear things are bleak, Acorn. Has something specific happened or is this something you’re dealing with longer term? Sending you good thoughts.

Sorry to hear you're feeling so low Acorn. Is it related to the medication transition, or something else?

Swimming booking opens this evening, in preparation for next week. Looking ahead to the Easter holidays there are in principle quite a lot of activities opening up - horse riding, Go Ape, sailing, white water rafting, that kind of thing. I think indoor swimming from 12 April. Might have to get booking, though dd2 is only 5 and some of the activities are for 8+, which is a complication. I think garden playdates may be allowed too though if I can find a chum to come and play. Feels weird suddenly to have options.

It looks like dd1 might be allowed to swim at Hampstead ponds. Is that wise yet, or wait till it warms up? She's 9 and I'd get her a wetsuit

Hello all
Thank you for the good wishes
I'll bounce back, with my large arse! I will post proper answers for all your fab activities.

I have lost half a pound this week. But at least I don't feel like I'm dieting.

I'm so impressed by the cold water swimming people!

Well done Acorn, and glad to hear you sounding a bit more perky.

Well done Acorn! I feel like my body looks a bit slimmer and more toned, though I'm not sure I've actually lost any weight, which was the main goal really, to reduce my diabetes risk. Oh well, I won't moan about more toned.

Good going Acorn, it is a real achievement when feeling low to avoid putting weight on so the fact you have lost half a pound is fab!

I've had a series of unfortunate events - car broke down, booked it into a garage which wasn't where I thought it was, thought I'd cycle to pick it up today, went to jump a kerb, missed and landed in an embarrassing heap.

Various parts of me are wounded, but nothing more so than my dignity.

I am too old to BMX. Am hoping none of my neighbours saw it.

Long I wish I could swim at the reservoir - let dd give it a go, I find my kids so are much tougher than me with the cold!

Oh MrsBob poor you. Are you okay?

Aw no Mrs Bob, I hope your day improved. Lovely afternoon sunshine. Was tempted to sack work off and read a book in the garden. Should have done really. Spent most of it battling an unforgiving spreadsheet

Oh no Mrs Bob, are you okay? I came crashing off with DD on the back last summer! My bike it too tall for me and I can't manage the extra weight. (Note to self get declutter house of bike seat.)

I seem to be the opposite of everyone - massive 5lb loss but no actual circumference change. I think it's all water and poo frankly.

I wanted to send my kids to forest school this holiday where I do my course, but the starting age is 5 which is annoying. Popped DD in for one day, but might be one for yours @longestlurkerever

My kids are absolute wusses (is that how you spell woose? About the cold, especially water. It annoys me so much. OH is the same I never took him seriously until went to the woods with MIL in summer, me and the kids bare arms and she had 4 layers in case of a slight breeze. I do try to equip them with a full scandi-esque wardrobe but inevitably fail at some crucial aspect and then they weep and stalk off taking themselves home. 😂

I've begun spring cleaning/ epic decluttering and it's epic. I've pulled out so much stuff - I don't know if we'll ever see the floor again frankly. I have lovely a man coming to take away boxes and boxes away to storage on Thursday so that's my motivation. Definitely less time to eat which is good and moving a lot but also can't see the cooker so they may be a(bother.) takeaway in it.

Okay decided to reweigh and loss less than it was than it appeared yesterday - last week 11-8 now 11-3.5/11-4/11-5 the scales are rubbish. Still a great start but my friends are talking about meeting up in Early April and there's Easter and my dad's birthday first 😅 I definitely want to enjoy all the celebrations and don't want my kids to see me not partaking - we never mention the D word in the house (well except for my fodmap medical diet).
I also want to be 10 stone 9 by April 12th. I can't see that happening without amputation. (And I don't really want to do it unhealthily anyway, I want gradual committed results. I'm just starting to wish we weren't coming out of lockdown so soon HA)

inky I was very jealous of that loss until I read the next sentence.

I don't do cold. My parents didn't either so they never bugged me about it but as an adult, I would like to be more resilient.

I envy the people who don't seem to feel the effect of any temperature. My flat is a sauna in summer. My best friend can go to Iceland in winter or India in summer and just shrug at the weather and say "dress accordingly".

New York winter, -5 in the day, nearly killed me! It was the only time I ever regretted being there. I just felt ill all the time.