When you get a surprise...

margaretclare

...this week I discovered that my size 40D bra was too roomy. I'm now wearing size 38D. I then measured my hips. Amazing. 39". How long is it since I could realistically say I'm size 14? Must be the early 1980s. I know that when I worked in Saudi in 1988 I was weighed then and I weighed 11 stone, now down slightly below 10 1/2. I was told so many times 'oh you can't lose weight when you get older...' which I translate as meaning 'oh I like my biscuit or three with my cuppa, can't possibly do without them'.

The drawback of all this is that it costs money. Because I'm short I can't walk into a shop and buy a pair of trousers. What I wear around the house and live in most of the time are Lands End crops. Anything else is going to be too long for me. Fortunately there is one small designer/supplier in Derbyshire where I can get trousers with the right length made for me, and long may they continue in business. I've recently changed all my nightwear, dressing gown etc from L to S because I can't bear wearing things that are too big for me. And the drawback of being my age is that I no longer have a waist, that's because the pads between my vertebrae have collapsed with time and my spine is shorter, no longer a space between the bottom of my rib-cage and top of my hip-bones.

OH decided that he didn't like the funny semi-automatic gearbox on the car we bought in September 2010 so yesterday we were in London negotiating to buy another car, same mileage as ours but younger, we collect it on Thursday. He's now discovered that he can get into the passenger side - his left knee will now bend to 90 degrees although still painful - so that will be easier for us when we go any distance because we can both share the driving or if for any reason he's not allowed to drive, which happened when he went for surgery back in February.

pollypenny

I don't know whether to say 'well done' or not, MC.

I'm still at the tubby stage! Problem is, I still think I'm size 10, which I was for most of my life. 14 now, with a very pronounced spare tyre, which I hate.

Errata

pollypenny wrote: »

I don't know whether to say 'well done' or not, MC.

I'm still at the tubby stage! Problem is, I still think I'm size 10, which I was for most of my life. 14 now, with a very pronounced spare tyre, which I hate.

I'm exactly the same - we could start a club

margaretclare

pollypenny wrote: »

I don't know whether to say 'well done' or not, MC.

I'm still at the tubby stage! Problem is, I still think I'm size 10, which I was for most of my life. 14 now, with a very pronounced spare tyre, which I hate.

Well, I think I've achieved something, when you remember that I got to size 22! I probably won't get below 14 because I know I have wide hips and the bone structure won't change, but I'm happy with that.

As you hate your pronounced spare tyre, are you doing anything about it?

One of my friends at church, one of the people who was always telling me it's impossible (funny she hasn't said it so much lately) has lovely slim legs and ankles and can wear elegant shoes, but the middle part of her is not only a spare tyre, it's the spare wheel and a lot more besides!

Errata

MC - you certainly have achieved something. Personally, I'd rather eat my own knees than do the Durkan diet, but appreciate it's worked for you.

margaretclare

Errata wrote: »

MC - you certainly have achieved something. Personally, I'd rather eat my own knees than do the Dukan diet, but appreciate it's worked for you.

It hasn't been that bad, and I don't think anything else would have worked, because I'd tried most other things. I'm now on the 3rd stage where I can start reintroducing more foods.