Lockdown stones to lose, please join me

[poorpaws]

I’ve joined many diet threads on here over the years and in time they have all crumbled into dust. This time it’s dire so I’ve decided to create my own post for the first time and just hope some lovely people will join me and this time stick to it until we are all thinner and happier with our bodies.

During the first lockdown I managed to lose a stone and was overjoyed. Last November my partner moved in with me for six months and whilst I fed him large meals I ate the same plus a lot of evening snacking. He is thin and can eat a lot of food without weight gain because he has a manual job. He left three weeks ago and I have eaten even more food. I can’t fit into any of my clothes apart from a couple of baggy t-shirts and some very old stretch jeans, which to add insult to injury ripped today.

I have to do something NOW. I think (am pretty sure) I have gained 2.1/2 stones. I am 5ft 4 and tomorrow I will face the scales and really lose it this time. Please if anyone is feeling overweight, lethargic and totally overwhelmed by weight gain, do join me, make me feel better and help yourself too.

Thanks @poorpaws, the rash looks similar though mine is not as widespread. The itch is manageable at the moment, it's the leg pain that's a killer!

Sorry about your rash @MegBusset I had suspected shingles on my face last year, the pictures you've shared @poorpaws look similar. I hope you're feeling better soon.

I'm similar to you @poorpaws, don't think I'm losing weight this week, but I've not done much walking due to the heat. I did go on the scales this morning and I am half lb down, so was quite pleased. I am definitely more mindful, my dh made us a cuppa last night and offered me a kitkat but I checked mfp and I only had 30 calories left, so resisted. Funny how I wouldn't have thought twice before. Which explains why I have so much to lose!

Hope it's cooler (but still sunny) for us all today :)

@MegBusset That sounds like a horrible rash to have to deal with. I don't know anything about shingles (and hope I never find out!!) but I hope it gets better for you soon.

@poorpaws Aha, but your neighbour could be offering you her floaty dresses because they are too small for her and she has resigned herself to not wearing them again. So they could be a 14 or a 16. I bet your garden is wonderful. It certainly sounds as though you put plenty of effort in. Ours is small and full of evergreen shrubs and bushes because there's very little maintenance. I'm not green fingered (I might have been called the plant slayer a couple of times!!), but have always fancied growing vegetables. I tried growing tomatoes a couple of times and failed miserably. I really went for it too, making my own tomato cages with bamboo and ties, but I think I probably need a greenhouse for success as the frost lasts well into spring here due to us being high up and the plants don't get a proper chance to establish themselves. There are lots of lovely gardens around here for me to admire as I run past

Speaking of running, there still isn't too much of that going on here at the minute due to the temperature. We have taken the DC for a couple of late evening rambles, so I managed my 10000 or so steps, but even then the heat was unbelievable. I got up this morning and felt hung over, even though I hadn't been drinking. So I decided to allow myself a longer holiday from running, since the weather is supposed to cool a little this weekend. Sometimes a break really helps me to feel reinvigorated (or so I tell myself). I haven't been as careful as I could have been with my diet, but nothing crazy. I'm definitely developing a new cut-off point if that makes any sense. I do need to be careful though, as I find the casual snacking does tend to creep back if I relax too much. I am definitely doing much, much better than I was before this thread appeared to help me along.

@MegBusset I so hope the leg pain lessens very soon. My photographs are at the beginning of the shingles and they became so much worse and more widespread as time went on. Fingers crossed it’s not shingles and something less difficult to deal with.

@VenusStarr what I’d give at this moment to eat a kitkat. I haven’t had one for about six weeks or any other chocolate for that matter except a chocolate ice lolly (or two, maybe three ...). I’ve actually got a kitkat in the cupboard in a container but I’ve put it at the back so I don’t see it. I’m so missing my chocolate feasts but it did get out of hand, every night and a lot of it, which is the main reason I’ve ended up with all this fat ☹️. My own fault!

@FunnyWonder I hear what you say about my neighbour and you might be right, except she is under 5ft and wears her clothes shorter than I do. Now I’m no giant but I definitely need my knees covered, I don’t want to frighten wildlife and small children 🤣
I’ve not had any luck with tomatoes either. Last year the same lovely neighbour gave me tomato plants she’d started off in her greenhouse. They were doing well as they slowly started to ripen and then suddenly as they turned red they exploded. Every tomato had huge splits in them and we didn’t get one single tomato from quite a lot of plants. I’ve now given up with them.
I so envy your garden, I’d love a low maintenance one. Mine is such hard work and eye watering expensive. The previous owner thought he was good at DIY (he most definitely wasn’t) and he didn’t like to spend money. He lived here for nearly 40 years and you can do a lot of damage to a property in that time. The garden is very steep and terraced. He built all the walls (badly and without any footings) so in time they have all collapsed, every single one of them. I could go on, it’s been a complete nightmare for years.

Anyway back to slimming news. I’ve done ok today, done a longer dog walk because it was cooler (which I found hard work). I’ve been in the garden all afternoon weeding and dead-heading but I’ve been so hungry all day. I might have to up my meal portions a little but I’m losing slowly as it is. Sadly I’ve been a yo-yo dieter all my adult life and I think I’ve messed up my metabolism. I’ve never been as big as I was at the beginning this time though which is why I have to lose a lot and keep it off.

I do hope everyone is doing well this week and we see some good losses on Monday. Have a good Friday evening everyone.

Hi everyone

I’ve gone into panic mode! My OH has a friend who has been wanting to meet me for a long time. She sent an email this morning to say she will be in our area on Tuesday about 12-1 pm and could she call at OHs flat to, at last, meet me. He replied with a resounding yes, how lovely it will be.

I am fat, I have no decent clothes that fit me (definitely not lovely neighbours floaty skirts 🤣) and I don’t know what to do. It seems I cannot get out of it and how do I lose 2 stones by Tuesday?

I’ve said I don’t want to go and I don’t want to let OH down and of course he said all the right things about never being ashamed of me etc. Why did I put all this weight on, I look awful. Even one year ago I was so much slimmer and could have dressed nicely.

Help!

Oh poorpaws honestly you will be fine, I'm sure you will look great. If you need to maybe get yourself something new to wear on Monday but please don't let that stop you from meeting someone if you really want to.

If you really can't face it then just pull a sickie, but I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think. We are rarely as harsh on others as we are on ourselves.

Oh @poorpaws. I really feel for you. But I'm sure your OH's friend is a lovely person who will not be judging you on your weight or what you're wearing, but rather on how nice and welcoming you are, which I can't imagine you're not from how you come across on here!

It's not a job interview or a date, you don't need to 'dress to impress', wear something you're comfortable in and that will help you to relax and hopefully enjoy yourself x

Aw thank you @Mulletsaremisunderstood and @MegBusset. I believe this lady is really lovely and my OH is not a social animal and does not take to people easily. She is really looking forward to meeting me and OH has told her a lot about me over the years (probably said I was thin, which I was).

It will only be for one hour but first impressions ...

I so wish I looked like I did a year ago.

Silver lining - I am even more determined to lose these stones. If there is another friend to meet or I meet this lady a second time I WILL LOOK GOOD, I WILL! ☹️

@Mulletsaremisunderstood. My first thought was pulling a sickie and 0H read my thoughts and warned me not to dare.

@poorpaws Your OH will have told his friend how great you are. I doubt he mentioned your weight, be it slim or larger. She won't give a monkey's. I do understand how you feel though and that you want to make a good impression, which includes feeling happy with your appearance. As Meg says, wear something you're comfortable in. And a 100 watt mega-smile always helps!

I have let my hair grow out grey over lockdown. It was black when I was young, but I have been covering the greys for years, with the dye getting lighter and murkier looking over the years, but still a colour of sorts. I'm dreading anyone who hasn't seen me for a couple of years wondering who the rotund woman with the mad grey hair is. Don't get me wrong, I'm owning the grey and won't be going back, but with the weight and the hair combo, I look very different!

@FunnyWonder. I’ve grown my hair colour out over lockdown too. I was a sort of dark blonde but to my absolute astonishment (I haven’t seen my true hair colour for years) my hair is white not grey. I actually quite like it and two different people have said to me that they colour their hair to my natural colour. As you say own the grey! I just wondered who I thought I was kidding that I was still a blonde 😀

@poorpaws I'm sure your OH's friend won't notice/ care about your weight at all, she's just looking forward to meeting you I hope you have a fab time!

Hope you are feeling better now @MegBusset?

Another hair colour change here @FunnyWonder although I'm not quite brave enough to see how grey my hair is naturally had it red for years but it was too high maintenance over lockdown, I've gone for dark blonde which I can do myself.

Urgh, a rubbish day for me after two days of activity with the DC. My earache (which I thought was finally going) has returned with a scratchy sore throat and a cough, so I've had a PCR test. I don't think it's Covid (lateral flow tests have been negative all week) but better safe than sorry, especially if I might have to go to the GP about the earache at some point! Haven't been very hungry but when I am I still scoff too much toast

poorpaws your new friend is probably just as nervous about meeting you. I think most people had a tough time during lockdown and are just starting to feel a bit like themselves again.

I hope everyone is having a good morning. Yesterday was a bit better for me, the weather was cooler here (finally) so I went for a long walk and then did a short workout. I'm going to try and do the same today, and hope for the best on the scale tomorrow.

That mini August deadline is fast approaching and I feel like the scale has not really moved.

Good afternoon everyone

I hope you are all having a happy Sunday and doing your very best because Monday morning is approaching fast.

This afternoon I’ve been trying to clear all the rubbish from the store. The store goes under the bungalow, it’s a bit higher than crawlspace but is nowhere near full head height so I’ve been stooping all afternoon. It is really disgusting. When OH has had a busy day working he just places his tools down anywhere. I’m talking huge tools that cut or drill or shred. I’m just as bad, I throw things down when I’m tired. I made a start on it after the dog walk and I want to throw a lot of stuff away but it’s a work in progress and it’s going to take a few afternoons I fear to do it properly. The saving grace is that when I’m busy trying to sort everything out I’m not eating.

I hope you all have a good Sunday evening with little snacking and very good luck to everyone for tomorrow’s weigh-in, it will be our seventh or eighth depending if you count the very first one. My how time has flown.

On hair colour, I grew out my light blonde over lockdown, and am now my natural dark blonde/mouse. Literally no-one has complimented me, although I thought it looked ok . I grew it out because root maintenance was a PITA and the condition of my hair was getting worse. I have an appointment booked this week for what I hope will be a tiny amount of baylage for a little lift with minimal maintenance - fingers crossed.

I have managed to lose a pound this week. Very pleased as I cut back hard on Thurs and Fri to allow for a day off on Saturday.

SW 13st 4 (April)
CW 12st 1
Mini-Goal 11st 13
GW 11st

Well done @TheTurn0fTheScrew every pound is one nearer and it won’t be long before you’re in the 11s. I love it when the stones number goes down as well as the pounds.

SW: 12st 2.3/4
CW: 11st. 7.1/2
Mini Goal: 11st 3
GW: 9st anything

So I’ve lost 1.1/2 lbs, so so delighted at this stage.

Great stuff poorpaws! The longer we go, the harder it is IMO. Keeping on a downward curve is fabulous.

Fantastic, @TheTurn0fTheScrew and @poorpaws. Great losses. You will have to serve as my inspiration as I have not lost an ounce, not a sausage (think I ate them all).

The only surprise - and relief - is that I didn't gain. I have not tried as hard this past week and that's two weeks with no loss. I know what I need to do and just have to get on with it.

Good luck everyone else!

@TheTurn0fTheScrew I totally agree it does get harder and we also get very bored with it. But if we all keep on it will be so worth it. My mood has lifted no end this morning and I can’t wait until people start to notice (another half stone for that?)

Looking forward to hear from everyone else. On Monday morning I keep checking my iPad, it’s so exciting when we all lose or even maintain.

@FunnyWonder, I chuckled at the sausage. Never mind there’s always next week and you didn’t gain! I think I might be the only one who gained (that pesky half a pound a couple of weeks ago, it ruined my record). Next week you’ll probably lose 🤞🏻You’ll get there in time I’m sure.

I called you all “my girls”, in a nice way not owning you. It makes OH smile when I say I’ve got to go and check on my girls and I see how they’ve done. 😁

Morning all and well done @poorpaws and @TheTurn0fTheScrew

@FunnyWonder well done on maintaining, some weeks that's a victory in itself!

I am adjusting my target downwards one last time. I feel this is achievable and staying on this thread is definitely keeping me motivated. My rash has definitely turned out to be shingles - it's just got to the blistering stage although thankfully is a lot less painful than it was last week. So hopefully will be able to get back to running and Zumba in a couple of weeks.

SW: 10st 2lb
CW: 9st 4.4lb
GW: 9st

@MegBusset so sorry about the shingles, they are nasty. You must look fantastic by now , well done you! So nearly at your new goal already, you’re an inspiration.

Morning all, I've maintained again, but I also came on yesterday and I'm feeling quite bloated so could be worse. I think with the heat last week, I wasn't as active, so now the weather is cooler I'm hoping I can kick start my metabolism.

Well done on the losses ☺️

@poorpaws it's a long time since I've been referred to as a girl. I'll take whatever I can get😂

@MegBusset you're having a time of it with shingles, but I'm glad your rash isn't as painful now. Light at the end of the tunnel. And still doing well with your weight loss in the middle of it all!