My biggest dilemma is that I have to take medicine in the morning. I don't want to eat until around 11 am because I like to have a late night snack of 100 calorie pack of cocoa dusted almonds. I've been putting off taking my medicine but the one I can't put off is an anti biotic.

I guess I can share this ,lol. I have to take an antibiotic before have sex or I will get a UTI.I have to take it with food.

I guess half of a Greek Yogurt would be 50 calories. I need to look up string cheese and baby bell light.

How about you? Is the 5:2 plan working with your life? I also don't like working out with my trainer on an empty stomach.

Will this not work if you have 11 hours in between instead of 12? There must be some reason you have to have 12 hours off.

Hourglass here

Hello!

Sorry I've been away - been uber busy and I've been feeling a little down - the job I applied for was a no go... didn't get to the interview stage, which I was really gutted about as I would of like the experience.  But I'm ok with it now... just gotta plod along and keep looking. I've picked myself up and dusted myself down and feel more positive again.

 

At the end of term I took a coach/bus load of kids to Paris.  The guy who originally organised it couldn't do it so they asked me to lead it... I was nervous of the responsibility but we had a great time and no dramas.The kids loved it, all 46 of them, and the other members of staff were really cool and did as I asked!  Happy days.

 

It was mine and my daughter's birthday yesterday... we had a great day.  I have sorta resigned myself to the fact that it is her day now and go with the flow, so I spent the day running around after 11 teenagers... it was like being in work! lol.  We had a BBQ for them and they all enjoyed themselves.  Each went home with happy smiley faces!  When the guests had gone, we say outside around the fire pit and drank tea - Betty had a can of Fosters...lol... apparently that is what 16yr olds do...lol.  When I get chance I will post some pics - they are on my phone now and I want to put them on the puter.

 

On the 5:2 front, I've been doing really well... not good in Paris and I did some damage limitation at the BBQ yesterday, but previously I've been getting in two really good fast days.  Steve is still doing it with me and has got to a new low for him... jammy bugger... I have managed to get down to the top end of my bounce range again, but can't break the set point.  I haven't been exercising over the last 3 weeks as I've been so busy, run down and have a lingering cold. Now we are off for another week (although I do have to go into work for two revision sessions) I will try to get to Curves a few times.

 

I hope everyone is dealing with the major things that are going on... I wish I had words of wisdom but I don't... unfortunately.

 

Oh and Cathy... I LOVE Banksy - I have a decal of the girl with the balloon in my kitchen!  I would love to see that piece of graffiti art in Cheltnam!

 

And as for the shape thing - I think I am back to my original pear shape that I was when I was a youngster! From looking at pics I would say my excess weight is lower body (not including my arms and the skin on them...grrr!)

144.3 and my appetite is returning to normal. This is a good place to stop.

I had an incredible day Friday. It was a work holiday. I sold a saddle and a trailer in one day. Spent a bunch of time with Steven and he fixed something for me that really helped. After bandaging his wounds I treated him to lunch. We also talked alot -good day. He headed back east to do Easter with his family.

Then I went to a movie with a meetup group. I tried doing stuff with meetup groups last year and felt awkward with strangers but this was a friendly nice group. I hit it off with a couple of ladies and a cute guy shared popcorn with me. We all went out after. I am going to do more of this. I have sworn off online dating but I might meet some friends via the meetup. I exchanged numbers with a fellow horse woman.

It's hard to explain how much more normal I feel the last few days. Like I am functioning again. Selling that trailer was a huge event for me and I did it!

Edited April 19, 201412 yr by CowgirlJane

That's great news, Sheryl! Do you think the medication is working already? I thought it took a few weeks for it to start helping. I m so glad to hear you're feeling better!

 

 

 

Coops, so glad to hear you're rockin the 5:2! I've been so lucky not to regain any of it that I lost. I love 5:2 That Paris trip sounded like so much fun!  That's a lot of kids to contend with! You must be a saint.

heheheee... not a saint Denise!  Just took really good kids and really good staff! I was organised so everyone knew what to expect and it turned out well... it was good fun; exhausting but fun!

Does anyone have tips on how to wear skinny jeans? my normal straight leg "boyfriend" jeans (Levi's) are a size 10 petite, the only pair of Calvin Klein skinny stretch jeans left were a size 16 but I figured they are Calvins so probably run small so I tried them. They fit nicely, not remotely tight, but they just look like regular jeans, straight leg and don't hug so I think I'm wearing them wrong. Help?

Went on a chaplain's trip to the town of Speyer, wonderful ancient cathedral and synegogue and interesting history - it is the place that the protest happened which actually gave the name "Protestant" to the religion! I went shopping for real world clothes and bought the most exquisite Italian-made blouses, the thinnest spider web gauze silk with delicate layers that camouflage my middle

Florinda, one thing I cannot give is any fashion advice, I feel I have a distinct lack of style. The blouse however sound gorgeous and you should post a pic for us to see.

142..3 this qualities as the lightest I have been in my whole life - even as a teen I was never under 145.

I am eating again but last night I couldn't cook for myself. I know that sounds crazy as I have cooked for myself for years but I just couldn't bear it. This is why counselor calls this rough patch grief and not depressed.

Saturday I rode with a friend then went wine tasting and had a manipedi with two girlie girl friends. Spending today with both sons today....hike! Yes I am better but I recognize that I still have that lurking grief or whatever that seems at bay but not gone.

I wear skinny jeans with boots in the winter and usually flats now. I think they are fun with shooties or pumps too. I have wild hair most days so I have to be a little careful to not overdo it....So depends on the setting.

Sizes are so inconsistent, I wear a size 8 pants mostly but my skinnies from white house black market are baggy at size 6. You just have to try them on. They should hug your shape without causing rolls or muffin top anywhere.

Edited April 20, 201412 yr by CowgirlJane

Florinda, sounds like those jeans are too big...proper skinny jeans should be more fitted I think!

I went out with a few friends last night for birthday drinkies... it was a lovely night, plenty of cider and dancing and had a good giggle. I wore skinny jeans with high heeled brogues and a 'floaty' shirt. Happy Days!

Coops I love that you had a good giggle! I go out with friends and dance once a week. I love to dance. I have so much fun when I'm dancing. I am glad you had a good time!

Florinda, What is going on with you? Are you still in Germany? Have you figured out if you're coming home?

I wear skinny jeans with flats. Mine are skin tight.

I was really active this weekend. It was good and I mostly kept the blues at bay. I am pretty lonely and I think it comes from so many years of being part of a really busy hive or rather several hives (work, kids at home, busy barn where my horse lived, seeing some extended family alot) and now it's quiet. I have same or more friends and fun activities I think..it is just much more isolated much of the time and I am not used to it.

I am liking my weight in the low 140s but if I keep losing this fast I might call my surgeons office. It hit me that even though tremendous effort, I haven't been able to lose 8-10 in 2 weeks and maybe something physical is going on that should be checked. After our hike on Sunday I took my sons to a diner for lunch. I had a 1/4 of a sandwich and a few fries and I felt sick from overeating. I then went on a short bike ride and did hard work around my place and had no appetite for dinner but forced down a protein drink. That is not normal for me.

Maybe the Lexapro is having a side of effect . I know when I took it, I felt like I had about a thousand cups of coffee.

I'm glad you have a lot of friends and activites. I know how you feel. Before I met Bill, I got really tired of being alone so much.

Well ladies I have been watching and listening to you all while at the same time falling off the wagon. I have put on 4 lb and am very disappointed with myself. I know what has done the damage it is the carbs. I have not done a proper 5:2 week for at least 3 weeks and I feel very bloated. I have however cleared the carbs from the house and tomorrow I start over. I also have not completed mfp for a few weeks either. What started me off was my inability to get frozen raspberries! 3 shops and for 3 weeks I could not get any and as these are the basis of my fast day (together with Greek yoghurt) it threw me and sent me off track. Got some today though and battle begins again tomorrow.

The move is proving more stressful than I thought. We hope yo move out 30 April and into new house on 13 May, in the meantime we will have a 4 day break by the coast followed by 9 days at a friends house. The only thing is they the move happens in 9 days time and we have not exchanged contracts yet. Here in the Uk it is a 2 stage process, exchange followed by completion and in some cases both processes happen on the same day. We should have exchanged a couple of weeks ago but our buyers had a blip with their mortgage application and they were away last week plus we have just had Easter weekend where nothing happens. The people we are buying off are nervous now as they want exchange to happen ASAP but we need the 10% deposit from our buyers so we can pay our 10% over. Offices/banks etc ate open as normal tomorrow so I hope we can get it sorted. In the meantime I have given away furniture, clothes, bedding etc and incurred expense by ordering some new things for the house so this transaction has to take place. One consolation is that our buyers go to the same church and they have been telling people they are buying our house so they do have the best of intentions. I need to keep calm.

I have just had a 2 week break from work, I'm back in tomorrow and students are returning too, just settling students back in tomorrow and lessons start Wednesday.

I'm really excited as I might be meeting up with Coops at the weekend - that will be so good

Best wishes to all

Bill and I made it to California. I don't know what was wrong with me today. I woke up crying and basically cried all day. Bill kept asking me what was wrong and I really could not tell him. I was just grumpy and mean to him all day.

I finally snapped out of it at dinner. We are in Sacremento and Bill has 2 doctor's appointments tomorrow. One is to get a new mask prescription for the CPAP machine that Kelly sent us.

I love being in California. It's so nice and warm here. We went to an outdoor mall and sat outside this evening while bill had a beer. There is no way we could have done that at home. It's still freezing cold at home.

I am wondering what every one is up to today!

Cathy I know exactly what you mean. I am so stressed out with my house on the market. I just want someone to buy it and get this whole process over with!

Interesting feedback from my counselor. It is so funny, I tend to see myself as so messed up and she really doesn't.

What she said is that anxiety spells like I get are a learned response, neuropathways are established for my brain to react to triggers. I may not even recognize the triggers all the time, as it is seldom an "event". It comes from my traumatic childhood and I used obesity and food for decades to quiet the internal noise and that is why I wasn't really aware of the problem until post weight loss.

So, the way to fix it besides the distraction techniques I use (exercise, go out with friends, do farm work etc) is to simply learn to tolerate them. In other words, the amp up happens, then use deep breathing or other exercises to manage through it. Over time, new neurophathways start forming and the brain/body finds a new response to whatever the triggers are.

I am not very good at that because it is like I can't stand feeling emotionally bad. I have been successful a few times at changing the pattern like she said, but it isn't easy.

Years ago, i went to an eating disorders clinic. They assessed that i didn't have an eating disorder, but rather the disordered eating where I used food as an emotional ballast. Like, things start getting dicey and I would numb myself with food. I think that is really true and i am paying the price for a lifetime of that behavior now. Not only do I not eat like that anymore, food doesn't actually numb me so it wouldn't work even if I wanted it to.

It does give me a lot of hope though that this is learned behavior that i can unlearn.