Frump to Fab - Sizzling Summer Solstice to Awesome Autumn Equinox

WelshWoofer

Morning all!
Its not raining - for now! Doesn't look like it will last though. I'm supposed to be going to a NT park with my gay best friend (he calls himself that!) and the dogs today but will give it an hour or two before we decide whether its on or not - its no fun in the rain.
I'm a bit stiff in the calves this morning after the swimming and walking yesterday but hopefully that will ease off as I get going. I will do the last Couch to 5K week 4 run today - can't believe I've almost made it to week 5.

Had a sneaky weigh this morning (proper day is Friday) and it looks like I've lost again this week (1.5 lbs) but will wait until Friday to log it properly. All of this cal counting and exercise does work after all. And the extra good news is that I haven't woken up starving like I did yesterday so hopefully it will be a more controlled day for food.

I didn't do any schoolwork yesterday so will maybe do a little bit today - there's no mad pressure to do it but the more I do during the hols when I'm not busy the less I have to do on weekends when I'm working.

Finished book no 4 last night (the Stella Rimmington one) and started an old favourite - Ian Rankin. Getting through the books ok and it looks like I will get to the target of 10 over the hols, especially with my little Ibiza break coming up.

Right I'd better get going....

Everhopeful09

Morning All,

WW your doing well with all your exercise! Yesterday I didn't seem to stop eating, at 11pm was eating a 2nd helping of cottage pie! I just seem to feel hungry all the time even after I've just eaten, drinking plenty of water too. Hoping its just the PMT munchies and appetite will return to normal in a couple days!


Another long boring day in work ahead, I seem to keep popping on here to pass the day away which is no bad thing!


EH xx

WelshWoofer

Just been invited to a weekend away with my work friend in November to a spa weekend for her 40th birthday. Its £125 but I can save a bit each month to pay for it.
Quite looking forward to it now. Expect to come home looking 10 years younger but in reality will probably be tired and hungover!

podperson

Morning all,

faithless - glad you're still with us, don't worry about keeping up, I tend not to log on much at weekends and come back to pages full Sorry the physio seems a bit useless, have probably tried this already but have you looked at yoga/pilates based exercises - I used to get some back problems (though I'm sure not as bad as yours) and I found the pilates really helped it. Also there were some links on here a bit back for the Alexander Technique - if you look for it on Youtube I think there are lots of examples - which is meant to be good. I appreciate that if it's a bad problem then they're probably not going to be a miracle cure but if it eases a little then I suppose that's something.

LL - do not start me on the subject or I'll be ranting for hours :rotfl:OH is great at the technical side, half the other students in his class ask him for help with things, but the 'academic' module is a compulsary one so if he doesn't pass it then he fails the whole course, even though his marks for all the practical modules are excellent! It drives me mad :mad: Especially the presentations since they know he has anxiety problems, he has taken in numerous doctors notes but they still insist he has to do them or fail. It baffles me why they seem to think everyone has to be the same and therefore good at the same things? As you and WW say there are lots of people who are excellent at practical/technical things but because they can't write an essay (and let's face it when are they actually going to need that skill in the real world??) they can't follow the career they want - it's ridiculous. It sounds bad but I just write OH's essays for him now - I hate seeing him sitting there for hours struggling, getting frustrated and saying how he must be stupid because he can't do this. I find them quite easy but then he does technical things that I wouldn't have the slighest clue even how to start with - does that mean one of us is smarter then the other? Anyway, apologies, I did say I would start ranting ATOS meeting sounds a bit daft but hope they manage to sort something for you.

maman - it's interesting I used to do data-entry work and one of them was inputting the staff surveys from John Lewis, while some of the comments did crack me up I thought it was quite good how the staff all get a bonus based on their store and the company profits. I think you just see constantly staff working so hard to try and improve business and then get absolutely no compensation - or often even credit for it. Then they wonder why morale will be low!

WW - hope the rain holds off for you! Well done on the weight loss, you definately deserve it with all the exercise you've been doing

Well, actually had an ok day yesterday! OH did go to his presentation - have to admit I was fairly convinced he wasn't going to so was very impressed. He said he just read it off the sheet and stuffed up some questions afterwards but told him at least he's gone so anything he gets for it is a bonus. Also, finally got some good news from Student Finance - they are going to refund one year of his fees :j We are asking for two so going to keep on at them but it's something back, and apparently he should also get the maintenance grant he should have had for that year as well - they haven't confirmed an amount yet but anything's a bonus at this point. Still waiting to hear back about the formal complaint I put in and our MP has apparently written to both them and the uni so hoping that might give them the kick to do the second year as well. Is looking much more hopeful that he'll actually be able to go back this year though so feeling rather relieved.
Was back at choir last night after a two week holiday so was nice to be back - plus we were starting on Adele's Rolling in the Deep which I love Feeling a bit more positive today - have a wedding to finish off tonight if I can, plus lots of tidying but since my mum and dad are up this weekend will have to have a break from the work :rotfl:
Hope everyone has a good day x

lizzie157

floss2 wrote: »

I totally agree Maman, and would add that with NVQ's, or any work based qualification nowdays, one has to have "valid" maths & english qualifications...so the girl in our office doing her AAT accountancy technician exams has to do key skills in maths, despite only being 26!

So this means my qualifications are totally useless then! :eek::eek:
OMG don't say I need to do em all again.:eek:
I too watched both the programmes on Atos, it wasn't anything I didn't know already from experience but it still amazes how they expect some of those they either throw off altogether or place in the WRAG group to find work. I don't think many of them would be able to hold a job down even if they were easy to come by. Maybe the idea is to kill em off then they won't have to pay for them in any shape or form. :mad:

Mooloo is 'feel the fear and beyond' worth getting. I've got 'feel the fear and do it anyway' and do find it helpful ( though I'm going to re-read it ), just wondered if to get this one too.

LL hope you manage to get the ESA but I agree what was the point really?

WW wow you really seem to be on the up. Go you! You seem to be really enjoying your life now. It's good to know it can be done.:T

Did anyone read the article in the paper saying that exercise is bad for you? It says it creates free radicals which are ageing and associated with increased mortality rates. Apparently the key is to slow down you metabolism by eating a very restricted diet. Interesting!
Have manage dto get some fabbing in: eyebrows and lashes dyed
nails done
at home facial done
I've done a bit each day. I've been less successful wth the exercise (apart from walking), hope to manage a bit today.:)

lizzie157

PP psts crossed I think. Good news on the grant. Good to hear you a bit more upbeat.
Have a good day.

WelshWoofer

lizzie157 wrote: »

WW wow you really seem to be on the up. Go you! You seem to be really enjoying your life now. It's good to know it can be done.:T

Thanks Lizzie - it sounds very corny but I really do feel like I've had a second lease of life. Turning 40 and getting divorced could have totally depressed me but after licking my wounds for a little while I got up and got on with it.
I now have a better social life than ever, feel secure in my job and have been spoken to about another possible promotion, have lost some weight, doubled my fitness and activity levels, booked a holiday and feel fab!
There's still plenty of work to do - short term I need to lose about another half a stone to be happy with it (now at a healthy BMI though:)), want to run a proper 5K race and do a mile long open water swim for charity (get me, the biathlete:rotfl:), and get a new wardrobe for the autumn (money permitting).

Notice that there's no mention of men - I've found that I'm perefctly content being on my own - another first. My exOH left about a year ago now and I've had no interest in dating or "putting myself out there":eek: - and for once I'm happy. I think in the past I tried to please other people too much and put too much pressure on myself, now I'm just pleasing myself (sounds selfish but there really is nobody else to please!).
If I meet someone through my social activities so be it but I'm not going looking;)

So yes, life does begin at 40 for me:rotfl::rotfl:
If I can do it anyone can.

PS Run and belly and bingo wings exercises done - am now a sweaty smelly heap - better get fabbed up!

PPS - great news about the student finance Pod - bet its a massive relief!

adelight

ww the show looks brill!
ll i don't know anyone who dare look down on plumber, technician etc as they are indeed very skilled and useful people. On the flip side I hate how many people assume every civil servant is an overpaid jobsworth and we should get rid of the lot- would they rather everything be contracted out privately and cost double? Bus companies demand extortionate amounts for accepting concessionary bus passes, i'm talking double the actual fare!
pp brill news about student finance and uni!


I had planned to do an exercise dvd, test a new hair dye, face & hair mask today but i'm still waiting for some parcels to be collected so haven't started yet grr. I'm sending two big boxes of my stuff home as things are just not working with OH and I want a minimal amount of stuff to move when it comes to it. He knows it's coming too and did talk about it last week but has been plain crazy every since.

lessonlearned

PP - so glad things are looking better for you - great news about the grant and student finance.

WW - you are just going from strength to strength.

Another credit where it's due story...

Yesterday I went to Curry's to buy the new washing machine, then popped into Boots for a few bits. Later yesterday afternoon I got a call from Boots to say that I had dropped my Curry's receipt and they would hold it for me. I picked it up this morning. Great service - they didn't have to go to all that trouble.

Anyway I've been to see OH to meet with wheelchair services and try out his new power chair. Put some glad rags on and make quite an effort this morning.:D

Tried out some new face cream - Time Delay moisturiser and eye cream from Boots - currently half price. My skin has been a bit temperamental of late and I have been struggling to find a good moisturiser without having to resort to Clinique. I used to use Time Delay before but stopped for some reason (probably financial). Anyway my skin feels a lot happier today so hopefully I've cracked it.

Lizzie - just to let you know I still read your blog, even if I don't reply. It's such a farce really. It would be funny if it weren't for the fact that they are playing with peoples' lives.

Had a poor night's sleep last night so just going to have a cup of tea and snuggle down on the sofa for a little nap.;)

Bye for now X

podperson

Thanks all, can't tell you how relieved I feel about it - still probably facing a fight to try and get the second year but it's a start

adelight - sorry things aren't looking good with OH, sounds like you might be able to at least keep things civil though, which I guess is something.

Could do with a new moisturiser actually so might have a look in Boots this weekend if they have some offers on. Anyone got any recommendations for something pretty cheap? - I have fairly normal skin, not really any wrinkles yet though do get quite bad dark circles.