I want a different me! Do you?

[DoctorDolittle]

Accountability thread. I piled on a huge amount of weight at start of menopause, was ravenous all the time, and am really struggling to lose it. I thought an accountability thread that also focused on increasing self-care and self-worth would be good.

So - food wise I think I’ll try “no snacks”, that gives some wiggle room with meals to be what I most fancy/will fit in with kids the most.

Self-care: I bought a whole new skincare regime a month ago, just start using it woman!!! Am pampering my decades-long neglected feet each night and have booked in to salon for eyelash tint and curl as now suddenly need to wear glasses and want to feel better about eye area behind them.

Fluids!!!

Any company would be welcome 😊

Are you planning to keep all the records @Nettleskeins ? We stored DH's for years in those really useful boxes made for that purpose...now I've emptied a sideboard for them so he actually uses them again. DH bought a new turntable because he thought the old one that he had stored in the loft was shot. Turns on it was a simple fix and now he has two 🤐.

Glad you've got the compost now! Happy seedings soon! Sounds like you've had a nice productive day.

Not sure I have really - lovely long chat with a friend this morning (regular Saturday thing), bought a handheld vacuum just for the stairs, grocery shopping, long chat with DS, fair amount of piano practice. I quite like playing along with a professional off Spotify in one ear - really hit home whether or not I have mastered a section...or not!

I definitely can tell if I'm not eating enough protein.
I'm hungry an hour later!

It's exhausting cooking exciting family meals and it's such a relief to just plan simple stuff for oneself...

You've had a week at work so weekends should be "off" and recuperative, whereas I am on a 7 day hit and miss programme🤗Not that productive...anxiety setting in that Im not making progress with the decluttering. Five adults will be living here from September and our possessions are going to swamp us!

I have a v large shelving cabinet for the records but it is another hoard really...and unfortunately the hoarders in question don't see it as such. I could throw away my scratched Joseph and the Technicolour dream cost from 1970s and my dance tracks 😀Ds2 has only just started accumulating vinyl but I don't think this is going to end well...He has a tiny bedroom so it's all in the living room..

And my cookbooks from the dresser are a reminder of my lack of cooking!

Anyway some serious thinking to be done.

The dresser is now cream with a biscuit trim. Hurrah! It was stone blue and then various green testers in a patchwork of paint splodges but cosy and cheery was not "airy" so I've reverted to matching room colour to make room look bigger. Table covered in everything from dresser. Another coat needed though.

Dream COAT

I feel your pain - decluttering is so hard! I'm well overdue a good clear out. Last week I cleared out some of the excessive amount of cushions we have - much better. Stalled again now though.

DH has a CD hoard too, it was stored in boxes for years in the tiny loft storage room we have (rest is an office for DH) until I got annoyed that a significant amount of our storage space was taken up with vinyls, CDs and music videos. I got tee book shelves for the CDs & videos (they are £££ but have been well worth it) and they are now effectively floating on the wall of the loft landing. DH has maxed out the sideboard space now I think, so I dare say some will start ending up back in the store room again as the hoard grows...unless he wants more sideboard space!

I'm pleased with yesterday - ended up having porridge with berries/few nuts and seeds; chicken salad; salmon and veg; Greek yogurt and berries. No snacking and definitely more water thanks to new bottle.

Enjoy getting that final coat on today - and the lovely new airy feel to the room.

Just had porridge with a scoop of protein powder (purition, unflavoured), topped with the usual berries, and a few nuts/seeds and a splash on milk (I make it with water). Tasted fine. The smell was slightly off-putting though - now to see if the extra 92 kcals was worth it for the 23g of protein.

Just put yesterday's food into MFP (as precise as possible) and it came out at 123g carbs, 38g fat, 89g protein and 1163 kcals. I've got no intention of putting food into MFP every day but do want to check fairly frequently that I am in the right area. According to Renpro my BMR is 1676 kcal (which also tells me I have a metabolic age of 58, I am 51 😮). I think my target initially is to hit 100g protein/day and keep calories under 1600/day (but not under 1200 kcals). We'll see...I think I am going to need to be closer to 1200 to lose weight as I am pretty sedentary due to foot.

Walking around the house, commuting, being on your feet at work; that isn't sedentary.

Finished another coat of paint. Rapidly losing interest in perfection! But have managed in process to declutter another half used tin of paint.

Now considering whether to throw away some cake tins 😀

True - I'll think of myself as 'lightly active' then!

Yes, the unknown coats - think three will do it but...my banisters definitely needed another coat. I'm reminded of that every time I go up and down the stairs. Don't quit too early like me!

I had the Hugh chunky chilli for dinner with a pile of veg - it was very tasty. I still didn't fancy it but I wasn't going to throw it away either. Anyway, a success for dinner. Also, have cooked some chicken breasts to have cold in salad and have salmon and sea bream ready for dinners too. Oh and more chunky chilli. Might have to freeze something...

I'm getting much better at taking supplements - the key seems to be keeping them on my office desk (where I am now). I'm taking B12 spay, Vitamin B complex, vitamin D in the morning and Jointace sport (glucosamine, hyaluronic acid, chomdroitin & bromelain) and magnesium after dinner. Probably don't need any of them but I already had them so may as well use them up. The jointace sport is out of date (three packets!), so almost certainly less potent. I know I am doubling up on some but none to be concerned about.

This weekend has gone fast 😣

I take Vitamin D as I was diagnosed with deficiency 13 years ago, and then again about 7 years ago, so I take 10,000 iu week.
Recent blood tests show good levels for everything else folates iron etc B vits so I think that is down to diet alone. But vit d has been a longstanding issue for me due to Irish summers, plus I never wear shorts or vest tops as they are soo unflattering 😎so never enough flesh to get the suns rays.

My weight this morning is 95.40kg. not as low as I wanted but manageable.

So hopefully this week I'm heading for the 94kg range. 😀

Dresser back in action again. It's not a proper dresser, really just shelving which used to be a toy cupboard back when room was a playroom. Happy days.😅

Well done Nettleskeins!

Presume you mean 85.40 kg not 95.40 kg!

I had overnight oats for breakfast today (but not until nearly 11 am) - I added 2 tbsp of chia seeds to it rather than one. Zero interest in having lunch (chicken salad) then until 3.30 pm, and then I could've left it.

Making the fennel, chickpea and fish traybake tonight. DS wants it after his sports club (so 8.15 pm) so everything has shifted forward.

So far another evening of not really doing anything much other than spending time on the internet and a bit of piano so far.

That's interesting about shifting meal times. Sounds a very good new system. And then breakfast will wait because you'll be full from a later supper at 8.15.

Yes weigh in 85.4kg.!!!!!!..what could have possessed me...some sort of deep seated attachment to my original weight perhaps 😶

Chilli con carne with lots of veg in it for supper. Sons have returned. Had a rather tricky day and ended up eating parmesan, boiled sweets and two dates as snacks to survive the turmoil! Luckily there was no bread in the house at all

There is a lot to be said for not having things in the house!

It wasn't a conscious decision to move the meal times, just what has worked. Upping the protein a bit seems to have really worked in keeping me fuller longer.

Hi all!

@Verlag @Nettleskeins You both seem to be doing well. Your meals sound lovely.

I've not weighed myself lately, and have tried to not get hung up on the number on the scale. I took stock of the areas I've become more consisted in, including skincare, getting out more, eating healthier and working out. I see improvements in the appearance of my skin, muscle tone, and my clothes are fitting better. I noticed that I have to keep pulling my chinos up when I'm walking as they are beginning to slide down to my hips. I am not going to let the scale rob me of my joy as it usually does at the times I'm otherwise feeling good about myself :D

I intend to get my art supplies out and start actively painting again. I have some to finish, and some new ideas. I need a large painting for my hallway, and this is a good time to start as any.

Have a good week everyone!

Hi all, just popped in to say hello, hope everyone is doing good, you sound like you are.
Things here have been a bit challenging & chaotic but I'm hopeing that from next week it'll get somewhat less crazy, still busy but not like these past weeks.
My weight has stayed the same & I am only getting 2 walks a week but I'm also not making great choices some days. I need to get organised to have a fresh start next week.
@Nettleskeins I love that type of dresser, reminds me of my grans house, there was one very like yours. But throw out cake tins!! Never!! 🤣

Well I just had an extremely stressful day (involving dog mess/shoes/floor) and the only solution was restorative justice from son in form of the choc ice he presented me with!

Goodness it sounds like a storm in a teacup now...I should have just sipped some herbal tea 😂

Hello @Misshollys Arranging dressers can be v therapeutic 🤗

DD has graduated with a 2:1 from art college!

Great decision to get those art supplies out again @EasternEcho - how lovely to have a talent like that and create something for your own home. Hope you love creating the large painting for your hallway - have you got any plans/ideas for it?

What you've described (improvements in the appearance of skin, muscle tone, and clothes are fitting better) is what the weight loss is all about really - looking and feeling better!

I can finally report a weight loss, now I am actually trying rather than just 'prepping' - 2 kg. Hopefully that is the start now. It is really helping focusing on protein/fibre AND ditching the wine (mainly ditching the wine as that leads to many other negatives things - less prep, less sleep, more junk food and just makes everything harder).

I wrote previous post this morning!

Many congratulations to you son @Nettleskeins - fabulous news!! 🌟Bet that turned the day around quite quickly for you!

Hi @Misshollys - staying the same is success, especially when things get busy and chaotic, well done!

DD is the one graduating, ds is the one with the choc ice who has been inexpertly mopping floors...actually everyone has been quarrelling today, regardless of their exploits. DD is a bit miffed she didn't win "a prize"..never satisfied. But I'm v happy for her, and I hope she will feel that glow soon.

Im also interested to hear the subject/style of Eastern 's picture.

2kg! What a leap Verlag😀

Oh yes, sorry! Misread that - congratulations to your daughter! 🎉

I weighed in again today (as sat is my official day) and no change since Wed (well 0.1 kg up). I'm fine with that as it is still 1.9 kg this week, and a good start at last.

The food organisation is an on-going project, I accept that - currently sat here quite hungry rather than make a decision about breakfast. Guess it will be porridge/berries/nuts/seeds again!

Now need to start making a conscious effort to make progress in the other areas - housework/homemaking; facial routines; body care; foot exercises; weights. Thinking about buying an incline board to motivate me to do the calf stretches. Yet more gear though! I wonder if the wobble board would work...

How is everyone else getting on? @DoctorDolittle @Nettleskeins @EasternEcho @Misshollys

Ahh this sounds a great thread, so I'd like to join if I can?

I now realise I need to make a bit of an effort with my diet and appearance so I don't deteriorate too far!

I've been size 14 for over 10 years now. Before that I was a 10/12.

I keep on waiting to bounce back. I don't have scales, but if I could get back to a size 12, that would be ideal.

I generally thought my health and fitness was ok, but I think I should make a bit more of an effort.

I have a real aversion to suffering and straining, so I'm trying to keep things manageable and comfortable.

I work full time in a hard job, so being hungry or fatigued knocks me sideways.
Generally eat a chocolate bar, cake and crisps every day. Which is what I'd never have done in my 20s.

This week I went back to my standard lunch I ate in my 20s and it worked really well. German style rye bread with houmous and an apple. The rye bread is so filling.

Also aiming to cut down my tea and coffee to no more than 2 per day.

And would like to have more vegetables for dinner. But 3 teen boys at home mean dinners are very meat and chips based- so that will require a big effort to sort out my evening meals.

Hi, Blending welcome to this thread.
I was a size 12 in my twenties and cannot remember eating particularly abstemiously (!) so I do put a lot of weight gain down to metabolic changes not just lifestyle. I can embrace being heavier because it's associated in my mind with more wisdom and more responsibility, acceptance of self etc, childbearing.
However, there are simple things I've found helped me feel fitter and less tired, regardless of weight loss (and weightloss has followed too)
Intermittent fasting (IF) so big gaps between meals, and no snacks
Reducing carbs in early weeks but reintroducing good carbs (wholemeal usually but jacket potatoes etc) after a while rather than full on low carb
So wholemeal pasta and jacket potato when everyone else eating white stuff or chips.
Really being avoidant of bread and cake and pastry but even this has been flexible ...weightloss has still continued when I cut out snacks regardless of quiche or apple crumble at meals.

No added sugar or sweetner to anything.
Also walking. Embracing going up and down the stairs posting a letter nipping to shop

Will check in again Monday!

I've also got into new habits of just chopping up a veg...cauliflower carrot courgette whatever, steaming or boiling or raw, and just adding it to my meal whatever anyone else eats ...not any fancy cooking involved. And then less carb on my plate.