Frugal Frump to Fab - 2015

greenbee

Jam is lovely with peanut butter on oatcakes...

Chutney is lovely just with cheese

Sorry to be a bad influence

Had my hair done today for the first time since my hairdresser went on maternity. They were lovely - the girl who did the colour had written notes and photos from my normal hairdresser, and the one who did the cut is the person who cuts my hairdresser's hair and had been given instructions last week when they met up. They both knew me as I've been going to the same girl for over 10 years and I let her do what she likes so I often have several people inspecting her creativity!

Hair appointment is timed around a work conference, so also had my waxing today. Apparently I've lost weight (TBH if the person who does your waxing doesn't know what you normally look like weight wise, then no one else is going to notice!) so I might risk weighing myself tomorrow (I did notice my belt is easier to do up, but assumed it had stretched. I've been doing 12k steps a day minimum religiously for the last 2 months even if my diet hasn't been great. I also did a pilates summer school (2 classes a week for 2 weeks) and a dance summer school (3 weekly classes), and got back to running.

Not running at the moment as I had a tooth extracted and an implant put in on Monday (please clean your teeth, floss, use tepe brushes and go to the dentist regularly to avoid this) and am sore. Missed Monday Pilates and Tuesday Keep Fit, but managed Wednesday Pilates and Thursday dance. Work will mean I miss swimming on Sunday (I've now signed up for lessons) and Monday, Tuesday and THursday classes, but I will make Wednesday. The reason I signed up for so many is that at least that way hopefully I won't miss them all!

My brother's kids were here today between my appointments so I've spend some time on the trampoline with them. Now that really IS good exercise. And I'm sure being tickled is too...

maman

Very quick post: reading about all your exercise is amazing greenbee. When you weigh, if you've lost that's great but even if you haven't it's very likely that you're far more toned from the exercise. Whatever, you're obviously looking good!!:)

chanie

greenbee you sound unstoppable.

I had a frugal today today, doing some baking.

We had a party to go to, so I made a cake. I also made some playdough, which the children playing with. I tried making soda bread, which didn't turn out very well, but it was worth a try!

indiepanda

Just a quick post today. Been madly busy this first week at work, no time to exercise at all.

Positives were:
- Despite a stressful first week back I took healthy snacks every day and a packed lunch two days, and didn't buy anything bad the days I bought lunch out. I did indulge in a pizza the first night, but I cooked something healthy the next ones. And usually the pizza would be preceded by Pringles and followed by chocolates when I am feeling really frustrated, so it wasn't that bad by my standards!
- I was pleased to wear a dress that pre career break was too small for me and now fits fine for work and other dresses that now hang a lot better.
- The new trench got used most days, really pleased with it.

I am also in the process of applying for an internal transfer within my company to a non-client facing one, which will enable me to control my hours better and mean I am mainly working out of our head office, whereas this week for example I was at a client office the other side of town adding an extra 1hr of commuting onto my day. It sounds like I am the only applicant and the person currently doing the job is leaving in just over a week, so I have a pretty good chance of getting it. Fingers crossed.

Been a hectic weekend, if fun, black tie dinner with the boyfriend's real tennis club on Friday (git didn't complement me on the new frock!!!!), day trip to Rochester and Upnor castle on Saturday and night out with friends in London last night. Didn't get to bed till about 2:30 am both nights so slept in late by my standards. Got to work on my day off this week because the project I've been put on has a very tight deadline, but will claw the day back soon - maybe even later in the week. So will need to get some useful stuff done today - food shop etc.

Good to hear everyone's news, you're all an inspiration. Keep up the fabbing and have a good week all x

3forholidays

indiepanda wrote: »

Just a quick post today. Been madly busy this first week at work, no time to exercise at all.

Positives were:
- Despite a stressful first week back I took healthy snacks every day and a packed lunch two days, and didn't buy anything bad the days I bought lunch out. I did indulge in a pizza the first night, but I cooked something healthy the next ones. And usually the pizza would be preceded by Pringles and followed by chocolates when I am feeling really frustrated, so it wasn't that bad by my standards!
- I was pleased to wear a dress that pre career break was too small for me and now fits fine for work and other dresses that now hang a lot better.
- The new trench got used most days, really pleased with it.

I am also in the process of applying for an internal transfer within my company to a non-client facing one, which will enable me to control my hours better and mean I am mainly working out of our head office, whereas this week for example I was at a client office the other side of town adding an extra 1hr of commuting onto my day. It sounds like I am the only applicant and the person currently doing the job is leaving in just over a week, so I have a pretty good chance of getting it. Fingers crossed.

Been a hectic weekend, if fun, black tie dinner with the boyfriend's real tennis club on Friday (git didn't complement me on the new frock!!!!), day trip to Rochester and Upnor castle on Saturday and night out with friends in London last night. Didn't get to bed till about 2:30 am both nights so slept in late by my standards. Got to work on my day off this week because the project I've been put on has a very tight deadline, but will claw the day back soon - maybe even later in the week. So will need to get some useful stuff done today - food shop etc.

Good to hear everyone's news, you're all an inspiration. Keep up the fabbing and have a good week all x

What a busy week! The healthy eating and exercise is obviously having an effect.

Men!! :mad: They are probably terrified to say the wrong thing so they just say nothing instead - which makes it worse!

Hope that you are successful in getting an interview.

maman

Baking sounds very creative and restful chanie. I enjoy cooking but I stick to mains as if I did baking I'd only want to eat it:o.


:T on the (mainly) healthy eating indie. No surprise that you got into some smaller dresses after all your exercise on your break. I think planning has to be the key to eating properly as it's all too easy to go for take aways after a hard day at work or just grabbing things like sandwiches, crisps and chocolate bars on the run.


Good luck with your job transfer application. It'll be so much easier to plan your life, including exercise, with hours more fixed. Shame your BF didn't comment on the dress but as long as you felt good that's what matters:). Sound like you've had a fun few days.


It's a glorious autumn day here. I'm off out later to watch my team play MUFC but it'll be good to walk through the parks on the way to the ground.


I've done all the basic fabbing this morning and chosen dark skinny jeans and stripy blue and white top. So quite traditional but I always feel smart in this outfit. Will need to wear my Sketchers as I'll be walking and take a little cardi and scarf as it won't be so warm when the sun goes in.


Hope everyone has a good day whatever you're up to:).

Ellsbel

Glad the first week went OK, Indie, and good luck with the transfer application
My sore throat turned into a full blown cold and has now gone to my chest so I'm coughing and spluttering and wasn't really too well all weekend; hope I don't struggle with it too much today!
By Friday, I'd managed to persevere enough with the people I'm training with to have had a conversation with every one of them! No mean feat given how things were to begin with, and the fact that I'm actually very shy, even if not quite as painfully so as when I was a child! So I'm quite proud of myself!:)
Have bought a few new tops for work but not seeing enough results in terms of slimming down - I'm still between sizes rather than in the next one down - so I need to work on cutting down the portion sizes and fitting in a little more exercise this week, as soon as I can breathe a bit better.
I hope you all have a good week x

maman

Ellsbel wrote: »

Glad the first week went OK, Indie, and good luck with the transfer application
My sore throat turned into a full blown cold and has now gone to my chest so I'm coughing and spluttering and wasn't really too well all weekend; hope I don't struggle with it too much today!
By Friday, I'd managed to persevere enough with the people I'm training with to have had a conversation with every one of them! No mean feat given how things were to begin with, and the fact that I'm actually very shy, even if not quite as painfully so as when I was a child! So I'm quite proud of myself!:)
Have bought a few new tops for work but not seeing enough results in terms of slimming down - I'm still between sizes rather than in the next one down - so I need to work on cutting down the portion sizes and fitting in a little more exercise this week, as soon as I can breathe a bit better.
I hope you all have a good week x

Sorry to hear about your cold. That can happen when you get out and mix with all the germs in the world outside;).


I think that was a brilliant idea to talk to everyone. This week you should try to do the same and you'll have the content of the training as a starting point. You've every right to be proud.:T


How are you tackling weightloss? The reason I ask is because I have massive portions. For me it's more a question of eating the right things. I try to have every meal between a half and a third of fruit and veg. So perhaps frozen berries with breakfast, vegetable soup or salad for lunch and a pile of veg with my dinner. I've just prepped the marinade for tonight: pork, noodles and then a pile (mange tout, mushrooms, peppers) of stir fried veg.


Up and about early today, I've got meetings all morning, dancing this evening and a dental appointment in between. Damp and miserable here today, what a contrast from the weekend:(.

lessonlearned

Good morning lovely ladies

Not much news - had a busy weekend, have worked myself to a standstill so going to try and slow down a bit this week and focus on myself for a few days. I'm a mass of aches and pains, these last few weeks have been a bit full on and I need to catch up with myself. Ive definitely overdone things a bit.

The new sofas arrived, am really pleased with them. Made the most of the sun yesterday and finsihed the outside painting. Still need to do the autum tidy up in the back garden but will get ds2 to do the heavy work.

Ellsbel - well done on breaking the ice with the girls at work, it will get easier - as Maman said the Training course itself will give you some common ground And things to talk about.

Maman - thats the way I'm eating now. Loads of food, the bulk of which is plant based, but some protein at each meal.my dinner plate is probably about 3/4 vegetables or salad, replacing starchy carbs with extra vegetables such as sweet potatoes, cauliflower etc.

I now have cauliflower Mash, and cauliflower "rice" and sweet potatoes are also very versatile. Instead of pasta I hAve courgettes. Ive not tried leek "lasagne" sheets yet but as I love leeks I think they will be fine. It's all been a bit of a learning curve but I am getting adapt at devising tasty and nutritious meals without carbs.

And I can truthfully say I don't miss bread, pasta, cakes etc any more. I did have a Sainsburys cookie on Saturday, I didn't particularly enjoy it, it tasted "synthetic" and left me feeling bloated.

If I need a treat I have a kit Kat, only 110 cals and they don't leave my tummy feeling uncomfortable. For a "pudding" then a bit of dark chocolate and I am happy. Even then it's not every day.

Like you Ellsbel im between sizes at the moment so my clothing choices are a bit restricted.

If I can lose another half stone then it will open up a whole wardrobe to me. Ive got a load of nice clothes that are just a tad too small, nearly there but not quite.

Weathers a bit grim here too. Very murky.

Right time to get cracking......

Have a great day.

chanie

All this talk of healthy eating is putting me to shame!!! I went out for a belated birthday Chinese meal and I had loads - although I didn't eat until I felt uncomfortable.

A new tip I have is wearing a bright lipstick to make yourself feel fab. I don't normally wear bright colours but I bought a deep pink which I have had lots of positive feedback on. I wore it with a casual outfit and instantly looked more glam.