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 😊

Glad to hear most things are going well @Verlag. I do find what can seem an uphill struggle can just start to flow if you catch it at the right time.

I was getting fatter and aging rapidly- and genuinely didn't know what to focus on.

I had a work event and was considering dresses in the £200-£300 range to make myself look better.

But stumbling across these threads, and the timing being right, kickstarted me to make small changes which have snowballed.

So what started with cutting out bread has turned into avoiding processed food and alcohol.

I am definitely seeing improvements now.

And that has led on to me exercising more.

I actually joined a running club in January. But despite completing the 6 week course, I didn't improve in fitness at all and just got a lot fatter.

Now I'm so much slimmer and healthier but have more or less left the club.

I suppose I'm saying the timing being right can make a difference- and also cutting out processed food has lifted my energy levels massively (although it is summer too).

Only worry is I'm so pleased at my progress I feel there won't be any harm to eating a cake or drinking wine now.

Haven't reduced dress size yet, but my stomach is so much flatter.

Ok - I finally weighed myself after starting my health kick!

I'm 11.43 stones. At my worst a few years ago I was well over 12 stone, and my aim was to break into the 11 stone mark.

I don't think I ever got below 11.5. So my aim now is to get below 11stone and stay there.

It is excruciatingly slow going to be honest.

I did parkrun and saw a photo from the photographer from yesterday's event, I looked absolutely awful- really big stomach and double chin.

I have totally cut out sugar- three reasonable sized meals per day - no snacking.

Have had wine or beer every night for last few days - it's amazing how I actually see the impact of one minor bad choice so obviously.

It makes me think really I should be eating a lot less still.

Hopefully my slow and steady approach pays off.

Parkrun is wonderful for making one feel good, regardless of how you look when you are running it! I'm sure most people don't LOOK very good in park run photos....(Memories of self running in strange leggings 😑)
We have all lost so many kg compared to where we started. Yes there is more room for improvement but it can be shifting the goal posts not to acknowledge success.
(I have been just watching Chariots of Fire...the winning wasn't really so powerful to me as the actual running but)
I'm still at 85.5 kg ... I would have said "stuck" but my instincts are just to say it is not stuck, just what it is; much better than before!!
Went to dd's graduation at the South Bank today and managed to wear a dress that skimmed the hips flatteringly, but I was short an elegant brocade jacket, wearing my red corduroy per Una number from charity shop instead...bit of a missed opportunity for bling.
Note to self: buy expensive clothes for photo opportunities

DD was wearing a £14 1950s green/violet and plum floral dress from a charity shop and looked amazing so I suppose it's not the money but the effort in being A New Me. She did buy expensive red shoes from Office though.
I bought her some expensive scent from Hermes too....other students were being presented with flowers by their relatives.

I'm walking miles every day it's exhausting ..had two hour nap today after function.

Maybe that was the Prosecco at lunch though. Really don't drink alcohol so when I do I sink like a stone, sugar crash

There was a wonderful Goethe quote at the graduation ceremony about how (approx version) once you commit to something wholeheartedly, magical things will follow that you weren't expecting, Providence itself will help you in your way. Your actions are only a starting point, and things will unfold beyond your imaginings.

"on"( not "in") your way

That's a great quote @Nettleskeins I was just listening to a podcast along the same lines - so very timely!

Although he wouldn't have meant it for dieting- I do believe if you put your intentions somewhere you do get there eventually!

And congrats to your daughter on graduating! We're just starting to think of university now after having initially not considered it for DD. But she's really excelling at school and surprising us all which is so great to see.

Funnily enough it was the Chris van Tullekan podcast which made me consider it for dd.

They had done this test on children's willpower in the 70s using marshmallows. But despite the outcome of the test- the biggest indicator of how well the child did in later life was whether the mother had a degree or not! So that has made me consider a degree for dd as vitally important now.

I've been in Ireland and it's been strenuous activity day after day. Not especially holistic either ...slog activity, errands dog shops garden with no car. To my surprise I've suddenly reached 81kg!??? Haven't weighed myself for a week. I was 93kg when we started this thread.

Eating rubbish food seems not to matter well not rubbish just erratic a tomato here a piece of cheese there. It's all about drinking gallons of milky tea and not really having meals as such.
A bit taken aback...by the sudden ability to fit comfortably into charity shop size 16 jeans I bought as a joke...

Anyway hope everyone is well. Just been reading The Beesting by Paul Murray.

Blending I think anyone who loves to learn gets the best from university or Art school. Whereas I think my children went partly to just have the rite of passage and because it seemed what everyone was doing, although ds2 does love learning too and DD really enjoyed her projects. HE has just written a very long dissertation for his MA definitely a labour of love although I don't necessarily think it will increase his job prospects !!!

And none of my children read books at all despite parents who read nonstop...so old statistics may not play out in modern life, in so far as readers WERE more likely to go into higher education but not such a direct correlation now.