Frugal Frump to Fab - 2015

maman

Good to hear from you rose just reading your list makes me feel exhausted! You must be super fit! Have a good time with DGD next week:).


In contrast, I managed a short, brisk walk this afternoon as promised. Must be a bit fitter than I thought though as I allowed myself half a hour but managed it in twenty. Only round the block but I found myself walking down cul de sacs to stretch it out. Must plan a longer route next time.


Managed to book our short holiday. We're off to Malta the week after next for 6 days. Looking forward to that:).

lessonlearned

Good morning ladies

Rose - lovely to hear from you. I too feel exhausted just reading your post. It makes my attempts at getting fit look really pathetic........

Maman - great news about the holiday to Malta. It'll set you up for winter......

Well now - i have been really struggling with my leg. I don't know what triggered it but for the last couple of weeks ive been suffering from outer thigh pain so it has rather held me back. I seem to have to rest it a great deal, just when I think its improving I manage to overdo things and I'm back to square one again. So frustrating.

Hey ho - im sure it wil heal in time.

The good news is ive managed to jump,start the weight loss again, another lb off this morning.

Just need to,stay focussed and keep at it.

Yesterday I had a bit of a wardrobe sort out - not much to get tid of just yet but hopefully once I have dropped a dress size I can start wearing some of my new things.

Visiting dad later so I shall prep the veg and shepherds pie before I go so dinner is nice and easy when I get back.

I'm finding the key to keeping to my weight loss is by being organised and making the things easy for myself. I sometimes run out of steam by the afternoon and that's when I'm tempted to eat the wrong things or go for an easier option for dinner.

Preparing as much as I can in the morning whilst my energy levels are higher seems to help.

Tiggger

Maman where are you staying in Malta? We were in Silema earlier in the year and the one thing I would recommend is sensible sandals and flats for walking on poor or marble pavements. I can't remember if you know Malta well but I would think about your footwear, the first time we went I took heels, I don't bother now!

Right back off to lurkdom now and to enjoy our sunny day.......

maman

lessonlearned wrote: »

I'm finding the key to keeping to my weight loss is by being organised and making the things easy for myself. I sometimes run out of steam by the afternoon and that's when I'm tempted to eat the wrong things or go for an easier option for dinner.

Preparing as much as I can in the morning whilst my energy levels are higher seems to help.

Couldn't' agree more LL. Obviously you've got an issue with running out of steam but (other than vegetables:o) I think planning is the Number 1 essential to losing weight. I do a meal plan and a shopping list to go with it every week and make sure I have some HM ready meals in the freezer just in case of a change of plan. :TOn getting back on track.

Tiggger wrote: »

Maman where are you staying in Malta? We were in Silema earlier in the year and the one thing I would recommend is sensible sandals and flats for walking on poor or marble pavements. I can't remember if you know Malta well but I would think about your footwear, the first time we went I took heels, I don't bother now!

Right back off to lurkdom now and to enjoy our sunny day.......

Thanks so much for the advice tiggger. Id already given it a little thought and decided that as we want to travel light I'll wear my Sketchers (unless I track down a new pair) and take some ballet flats for the evening in case we walk to restaurants. I'm staying in Silema but understand that it's relatively easy to get around the island. I've never been before so any advice on what to see/do would be very welcome.:)


Done all the basic fabbing. I'm still preserving a bit of colour with the self tan/body lotion and now I think I'll keep it up until after my holiday. Must dash off as I need to style hair before it's too dry.


Back Soon;).

Ellsbel

Hello ladies, just popping in quickly before bed as I'm so tired!
maman how lovely to have a nice break to look forward to:)
rose I do admire your discipline in keeping up your exercise routine.
ll are you still using that serum you had (I'm sure it was you?!) - the one like snake venom? If so, how are you finding it? I ask because I stood under those bright fluorescent type lights today in the ladies' and was horrified by how haggard I looked! I need a miracle cream!
I also need a makeover for my hair - no matter what I do with it lately, it does nothing for me at all; I loathe women's fashion type mags usually as I think they set unrealistic ideals for us, but I think at the weekend I'm going to search for some of the more down to earth ones to get some ideas for an overhaul!
Fab Friday tomorrow - going to book in a manicure for next weekend:)
Have a good night everyone x

lessonlearned

Ellsbel - yes I'm still using the serum,but only once a day, not twice as recommended. I found it a bit too strong using it twice., so maybe I'm not using it to it's best advantage.

I find my skin feels soft and has a nice glow, however I can't say that its made a great difference to my wrinkles. I think I need something a bit more radical......:D

I feel I look healthier rather than younger, iyswim. I'm happy to continue using it.

indiepanda

Hello fellow fabbers, good to hear all your news, LL, great progress on the diet, well done.

Good news - the internal change of job I mentioned is going ahead. I've been a bit reluctant to celebrate as the whole process I've been through was so informal that I was sure there must be something else to come before a decision was made - but no. The official announcement goes out to my team today and the role is effective from next week.

I am very happy. I will have to do some travel to our regional offices, but it will be largely down to me to decide when, and otherwise I'll be based at our central London office rather than any client sites. There's a gym there with pre work, lunchtime and after work classes and showers if I want to run at lunchtime - one of my running buddies works nearby. It should be less hours than I was doing on the really stressful months of the client job I did last year and less urgent pressure. It will also be interesting to do something new - I've been in my profession for 21 years now, and I was getting a bit bored. The people I will be working with seem very nice and the guy who was doing the role wasn't very good, so it shouldn't be too hard to impress them. Apparently the guy who is leaving was making legal decisions on things he should have left to the lawyers and not doing parts of his job that he should have been doing instead.

The partner who runs my old team and was my appraiser is not very happy with me - saying if it's about the hours then they can manage that better - which is nonsense. I've been there eight years and the hours are always unpredictable and sometimes very long and I don't believe they will ever be anything different. I spent just over a week after I got back on a client job and I had an hour extra travel each day, worked at least 2 hours over my contract every day, had to defer my day off from this week to next week and worked till midnight on Wednesday to finish it off. If they were trying one last ditch attempt to convince me I should stick with client work they failed! The work wasn't even very interesting...

I hadn't run for weeks - in between holidays for me and my running buddies in different weeks, a bit of sickness and two house moves we've all got a bit out of the habit. Anyway, went out this morning with one of them for a gentle run to ease us back into it - just one lap of the park which is 2.7k, but it's a good start.

I've just about managed to keep up with beauty routine and healthy-iish eating over the two weeks I've been back at work even if the exercise has gone to pot, which is good as usually I put everything aside for work.

So, feeling quite confident I can get everything back on track now - nice place to be at the start of the weekend.

Got a wedding to go to tomorrow. Last Sunday I bought myself some new shoes and a bag to go with the dress I bought with the personal shopper a few weeks ago. The shoes are smart but have some nice detailing which I think means they'll be ok for the wedding, and they're Hotter which means they're really cushioned inside, which is a definite plus. It's these in black:

http://www.hotter.com/gb/en/womens/viewallwomens/donna-heels

As well as a black clutch for the wedding, I made a completely frivolous unnecessary handbag purchase too - it was so pretty I couldn't resist. It's described as light pink but because of the shimmer it looks almost like rose gold. Anyway, it will work with jeans and a pretty top at the pub and it wasn't massively expensive, so I'll forgive myself.
http://www.aldoshoes.com/uk/en_UK/handbags/clutches-%26-evening-bags/c/343/WILDIN/p/38375940-55

I probably shouldn't then have even looked in Swarovski... I've been coveting some of their bracelets for ages, and bought myself this one - but in teal blue which they don't seem to have on their website.
http://www.swarovski.com/Web_GB/en/5021032/product/Slake_Deluxe_Black_Bracelet.html

So a bit naughty, but I'll tell the bag and bracelet are a birthday present to myself and celebration of new job, and that means it needs to stop there.

Off to the hairdressers tomorrow. Been pleased with having my hair a bit shorter, it is still long enough to look feminine and to tie up and wear in different style, but being above the shoulders it takes less time to dry, doesn't get tangled in the chain on my pendants and doesn't do that thing of not knowing whether to sit in front, or top or behind my shoulders - looks neater. Want to go for a deeper, warmer colour for autumn. Will be nice to go to the wedding after looking my best.

Arranged a session with a house of colour consultant for a couple of weeks time - chance to refresh what I learned before, see if my skin tone has changed so different colours in my palete are now my best (I would still be an autumn, but I gather as you age the best colours within that can shift), get some new styling tips and get a bit more structure into planning my wardrobe.

I really want to push to ultimately get down to a size 12, but I am 16 at the moment and have nothing tucked away in a 14, and I want to plan how to shop if I get to 14. I will want to buy myself some nice stuff as it's over 15 years since I was last that small so it would be a great result - but equally don't want to spend too much as I don't want to give myself too much incentive to stop there. So it will be about careful planning of a capsule wardrobe etc. Come to that, even when I get down to a 12 it wouldn't hurt to buy a few less different items and invest a bit more in good quality pieces that will last for a change. Wardrobe might bulge less doing that.

Right, better stop here or I won't get to work today. Happy fabbing all xx

Tiggger

maman wrote: »

Thanks so much for the advice tiggger. Id already given it a little thought and decided that as we want to travel light I'll wear my Sketchers (unless I track down a new pair) and take some ballet flats for the evening in case we walk to restaurants. I'm staying in Silema but understand that it's relatively easy to get around the island. I've never been before so any advice on what to see/do would be very welcome.

Silema is a fantastic place to stay, food wise lots to choose from, I would recommend Fresco's restaurant on Tower Road towards St Juliens, just expect a wait as things are cooked fresh to order. Barraccuda restaurant in St Julien's (but just a longer walk down Tower Road) is v special and we always try to treat ourselves once. Mint is an amazing coffee shop run by Kiwi's, so laid back but with cheesecake to die for! Last time we also tried an Argentian restaurant That was very meat focused which might suit your eating plan, great for carnivores!

We spent some time in Valetta, the Barrakka gardens are wonderful as well as the city centre. The trick is to catch the water bus back from Valetta as the road down from the town to the waterfront is steep and it's easier to walk down rather than up. We haven't done the museum yet but have had it recommended. We also did a trip out from the harbour which meant we saw Valetta from the sea, a completely different viewpoint, I could spend a lot more time in Valetta.

Mdina the walled city was a wonderful place to visit, we then took a land train to a friend's house and had a very stunning lunch on her balcony involving lots of Prosecco but that's another story! Our friends took us out to Hagar Qim a really interesting visit, but I'm not sure how accessible it is by public transport.

On our last visit in May we didn't hire a car and found the buses easy to use, the weekly pass, which you can buy at the airport, is really good value if you want to do days out. We had v good intentions but with sunshine and 28'C the furthest I got on most days was the roof top pool!

Maman hopefully this gives you a few ideas, Tripadvisor details the top10 things to do in Malta which will give you more ideas for Valetta itself.

maman

Thank you so much for taking the trouble tigger. I'll note what you say and also check out Trip Advisor. The restaurant ideas are especially welcome.


:T on your 'new' job indie. That'll make a big difference to you fabbing your life particularly with exercise and planned time to yourself. Completely agree with you that this week's schedule really proved the point that you had to change things. It'd be such a shame to lose all the pluses you made on your 'sabbatical' now you can get building them into your daily routine knowing that the job won't get in the way.


You're right not to buy too much until you get to a target weight you're comfortable with. Shoes and bags are OK but not too many clothes. Now you've got the time to focus on healthy food and exercise you could easily drop a couple more dress sizes if you want to.


I like the pretty bag and the shoes look really comfy as well as smart so they're good buys. The dress and jacket will get good wear at work after the wedding and (sadly) the trench will probably earn it's keep too with our weather.


I've done Fab Friday today. Went with friends to a restaurant that just got it's first Michelin star last week. Food was good and usual lots of flavours and small portions. Interesting to people watch too. Staff had a 'uniform' of jeans, shirts and jackets and I was wearing much the same. I wore skinny dark denim, a denim/cambric Quicksilver jacket and my dusky pink Jigsaw top with Dune ballet flats. I really enjoy seeing what other people wear for such occasions.


I need to do a bit of clothes shopping before my holiday. I'm loving my skinny jeans but they're a bit too soft and stretchy so having taken the plunge (from straights) need to try a few more. I'm fine with the calves but conscious of not wanting to look like 'thunder thighs'.

indiepanda

Thanks Maman. How long do you have to go until your holiday? Your outfit sounds nice, I love the look of smart jeans with ballet flats. Over the summer I walked so much I usually put sturdier shoes on with my jeans - ballet pumps are smart but the chiropodist ticked me off for wearing them too much and giving myself bad calluses - but I should wear them on shorter trips before the weather gets so bad I will only want to wear my boots.

I have to admit I still haven't managed to make the move to really skinny jeans. It's the calves that are the problem for me - I can deal with the thighs as the straight ones I wear are relatively close fitting through the thighs. But my calves are really chunky - I think they were even when I was slim, I never owned a knee high pair of booths then either.

Still, the straights are much more flattering than the bootcuts I used to wear. I know they're meant to balance wide thighs etc, but they just used to make me look shorter really - I didn't wear long enough to brush the floor with super high heels (as I mainly live in flats) and on reflection, wearing jeans so wide at the bottom my little size 4 feet only just poked out the front wasn't a good look.

The trench has already started to earn it's keep - been quite wet down in London recently. Fortunately forecast is set fair for today. I was wondering if I should rethink my wedding outfit as they were forecasting sun and I might be too warm in a dress with sleeves, but actually it's only meant to be bright in the morning and expected to be 17 when the church bit kicks off - and most churches are pretty cool inside, so I reckon I won't overheat.

I slipped the dress on last night to check the relative inactivity of the last couple of weeks hadn't messed up the fit, but if anything it looks a little bit looser than I recall. Maybe the hiking burnt a bit off? You'd think I would know, but I've given up getting on the scales and am going by how my clothes fit these days - I really vary a lot due to water retention at different times of the month and the scales make things sound worse than they are and then I feel miserable. Plus I am working at strengthening my muscles, and if I trade a pound of fat for a pound of muscle and stay the same weight, that's actually a great result.

Anyway, must get organised - got to be at the hairdressers for 10 and that's in central London, so will go in leggings and t shirt and change into the wedding outfit afterwards. My hairdresser rents the basement (which is nicer than it sounds) of a salon in Fitzrovia and I think there's enough space there I can do my make up after he's finished with me and is busy with the next client.