Frump to Fab - Onwards and Upwards

Rummer

LL Never apologise for being honest, you have been so supportive of everyone on this thread and it is our turn to support you through this challenging time. It sounds as if you are being sensible and taking time out to preserve your overall health which is so important. Maybe you can pencil in some lovely things this week be it baking, reading, bubble bath or whatever else makes you feel calm and relaxed.

I replaced my coffee intake with green tea and mint which although still has caffeine there is less of it and the tea has other benefits too. Now when I have a proper coffee is has quite and impact :rotfl:

This week I am going to get all the essentials done from eyebrows to haircut and my diet will be kept firmly on track as I now no longer have the luxury of lazy days.

pirateyqueen

LL I do hope you feel better soon. You have been through such a lot, and are such a brave and optimistic person, just make sure you take time to look after yourself.

Floss

LL, I think you are spot on - it is only a short time since your beloved DH's passing, and you have achieved so much in that time. You need to let your body catch up.


Much love from a sunny Blackpool
Floss xx

maman

pirateyqueen wrote: »

LL I do hope you feel better soon. You have been through such a lot, and are such a brave and optimistic person, just make sure you take time to look after yourself.

Couldn't agree more. I think what you should do is tell everyone you've got a bit of 'summer flu' or some such euphemism for your swollen glands and sniffles and pamper yourself. Somehow it seems easier to take time out with a physical illness than admit that it's just life getting on top of you.


What about having hot chocolate as a relaxing treat, especially in the evenings or when you're in coffee shops? Lots of my SW friends have the light Options one as that's very low calorie. If I want to cut down on caffeine I have hot Ribena.


I'm another who thinks a bit of spending on a hairdo is well worth it. Having had to delay mine for two weeks because of hairdresser's holiday I've realised how hard it is to look fab when highlights and cut need doing.


I had a good weekend away with family but food was hardly SW approved! So a good, healthy eating plan needed here all week before we go away on Saturday. Unfortunately I've no opportunity to go food shopping today so it'll have to be whatever I can find in the freezer.


Still bright and sunny here but getting colder. I'm trying to persevere and keep away from tights at least for this week. So it'll be longish skirts or trousers with socks. Between that and wanting to keep some of my favourite things clean for my holiday I might look a bit less than fab.;) Manicure, pedicure and hair appointment booked for the end of the week so I'll soon get back on track.


Loved the knicker drawer story kiwi. I did a cull a while back but could do with a Mark2 as some of the ones left aren't favourites. Before that I'll have to do some shopping or I'll be 'going commando'. :rotfl:

System

Hi all

LL I'm sorry you feel so rough but I have to agree with the others, you are doing the right thing in being kind to yourself.
Remember, not only are you still grieving but you are recovering from a stress overload too - however much you love your OH (and nobody doubts that) caring for him must have been so tiring for so long that I expect your body is wondering what's hit it, now that it's allowed to relax.
Give yourself time as you are doing, and as Rummer suggested, maybe plan some nice things to do that won't add to your stress but will make you happy.
Best wishes

System

Am trying to keep up with the fabbing. On Saturday the hairdresser suggested using a serum on my hair to tame it, and gave me a little sample, so I'm trying that. So far so good!
I'm also thinking about a wardrobe cull but I had a fairly brutal one last year so there may not be much left that needs to go!
I replace knickers every 6 months it seems - I hate it when they go baggy and they're not that expensive in M&S so that's one thing I keep on top off - also socks, I have 'work' socks and 'weekend' socks - just realised that might seem a bit mad :rotfl:

lessonlearned

Someone actually commented on my new socks the other day, said they were pretty.

Thanks for the ideas Maman.

I think the Summer Flu euphemism is especially good, I would never have thought of that one. Makes my current malaise easier to explain, especially to my Dad. I need to keep things simple for him to understand.

And what a good idea about the hot chocolate. I have some of the proper Spanish chocolate lurking in the cupboard - will make some up tonight. Not strictly Paleo but I'm only aiming for Paleo style not the Full Monty.

I will still eat some dairy to ensure my calcium levels don't drop, and I will still drink some tea and coffee and indulge in a little chocolate or the odd glass of wine. It seems to be wheat and grains in general that upset me the most, so avoiding all wheat based dishes, bread, cakes and biscuits should be a good starting point.

I've bought a Paleo cookbook and have been googling Paleo diets and recipes so I think it should be relatively easy. I guess its like anything else you just have to get organised.

This morning I have been replacing my usual teaspoon of white sugar for half a teaspoon of honey. So far so good. If I can kick sugar that would be such a help. Just one cup of coffee and one camomile tea - no withdrawal cravings or headaches so will just allow myself one cup of tea this afternoon and my usual after dinner cup of coffee, no later than 7pm. The rest will be water or herbal teas.

I've bought some caffeine free coffee but probably won't attempt that till next week. I'll try and see if I can manage on two cups of coffee and one cup of tea for a week or so first.

I've had a good tidy up - broken up with a few rests so now time for a little walk down to the shop for a few bits. No driving today so nice and stress free.

I feel like I have a huge mountain to climb but without any energy to begin the ascent. Oh well I will just have to meander around the foothills for a while.

A 10,000 mile journey starts with one step…….;)

PS I definitely agree with the hair. Get the hair right and fabbing seems to become much easier. A good hair cut is key.

Rummer

The great fabbing drive has begun I have booked to have my hair cut and my eyebrows done tomorrow

Now all I have to do is decide roughly what I want done with my hair. The last time I got it cut I really disliked it and I have been wearing it tied back since so I need to give it careful thought. The problem is that I love my hair long however I know others (many others) feel I suit it more jaw length. The last cut left it short and full and I really did look frumpy, however all that could be done would have been to make it shorter and that I couldn't face!

The brow treatment I have chosen is not just a standard wax, this time I have gone for an HD brow treatment. No idea if it will be worth the extra money however it was on offer and will hopefully make me look fabulous

I am chewing over getting some kind of gel/shellac/?? manicure done to add that little bit of finesse however the ongoing costs would be prohibitive and would probably leave my nails in a mess. Maybe I should just stick to tidy with clear varnish.

Rose_Wood

Good Afternoon All,

I agree with the general consensus Lesson Learned that you must take time to be kind to yourself. Definitely treat yourself as you would if you had a physical illness - lots of rest and little treats. Plenty of sunshine if you can manage it too - luckily we are having some lovely weather at the moment. Being outdoors and enjoying the natural world helps the spirits too. Another suggestion is indulging in a weepy film or book and having a really good cry - it has really helped me in the past.

I've had a lovely day out in the sunshine. Did my normal Monday morning run with 2 friends and then cycled to the next town with one of them and another friend, had lunch and cycled home again. There is a lovely cycle path that runs along an old railway and by the river so we were able to enjoy pedalling along with the sun on our faces and beautiful views all round. We did 14 miles in total. I then came home to see my Mother who has been away for a few days and sat in the square with an icecream each.

Fabbing this weekend has included sorting out my shoes - packing away the summer ones and digging out boots and winter shoes. Mind you, it is so lovely now that I am going to work in a summer dress and sandals so I've had to dig some out again! I also tweezered out a few stray eyebrow hairs to tidy up my brows. I haven't lost any more weight yet but have stayed the same which is better than going up! And considering the various treats I've been having is actually good going. DH had to go to our local seaside town (about 25 miles away) yesterday so took me along and we shared fish and chips and had a whippy ice cream each whilst we were there.

Work next but the first couple of hours should be fairly quiet so I should be able to sit and have a chat with DS as we will be the only two there until later on. I've made us some sandwiches. I usually try to avoid bread but having bought a fresh baguette for his sandwiches I succumbed to some of it for me too. However, I only had a salad for lunch when we were out and having run 3 miles and cycled 14 I can probably get away with it!

Rose

alec_eiffel

I'm thinking of having my eyebrows done, just tidied, nothing too exciting. I looked at myself the other day and really noticed them. Now I'm primping more it's really obvious I don't do anything with them. It'll have to be next week when I next get some cash but I'll see what's what in town.