Follow the Yellow Brick Road 2023

KajiKita

I can’t remember what I said before but hardy geraniums are often a good option. Pretty leaves, low growing cushion like plants. Quite a long flowering period. Verbena bonariensis is a classic, tall, wispy purple flowered plant. Foxgloves? 

Various bulbs all year round. From spring to autumn - apart from tulips most of them are reliably perennial. 

It might be nice to have one or two small shrubs in there? A daphne perhaps? Evergreen, scented flowers in spring. 

KK

SandyShores

Completely agree @debtfreeoneday, in the words of Dory 'just keep going', its all you can do really, but its amazing how it all adds up.

Thanks @savingholmes and @KajiKita, great ideas

SandyShores

Well just had my morning weigh, bit early I know, but its time for water and coffee so its now or never.  Stayed the same weight as last week, but I'm not going to get down about it, I'm overjoyed not to have gone up.  I've not gone hungry and I've been exercising, so I know I'm going the right way.  Maybe there is some truth in muscle weighing more, or maybe the scales will show up for me next week. (if I step on my scales 3x they are around 100 or 200g difference, so I always take the highest measure).  I'm also going to reduce my daily calorie goal to 1650, it was 1728 but maybe just a little less will help (I'll reduce the amount of bread I have at lunchtime).  I also had 2 days when exercise was just about okay but not great - days of heavy meetings or staying in waiting for parcels!  This week will be better for exercise definitely

Going to get out in the garden this weekend, and maybe a trip to the garden centre(s) to see if I can find some of those plants recommended by Kajikita and Savingholmes

SandyShores

Garden tidied, and rubbish taken to the recycling centre.  Pottered along to the garden centre, but no joy with the things on my list.  There were some daphne's but I could only see the 1.5m high ones, so I'm going to keep looking and maybe go for the dwarf rhododendrums instead.  Found a few sale items - bulbs and a polyanthus - planted up and looking lovely £13.99 spent.

Seat cushions out and tea in the sun enjoyed with scatty cat, who also enjoyed the sunshine.  Although I pulled a bamboo stick out of the ground by the fence, where the Lid1 clematis was I thought had died.  Only to look closer and find it was poking its head out of the ground, so I moved some of the bark away to give it a bit more room.  Five  mins later scatty cat thought it was a great spot for resting and when I looked again the clematis was covered by a mound of fur!  He got up 20 mins later and the clematis bounced back into life so hopefully no harm done and stick now back in place

KajiKita

Scatty cat was just warming the clematis for you … ! 😂😉

For plants, don’t ever look at Crocus, Sarah Raven, Special Plants etc. … we will never see you again! 😉

KK

LadyWithAPlan

Well done on the OP and seeing the mortgage come down 

SandyShores

KajiKita said:

Scatty cat was just warming the clematis for you … ! 😂😉

For plants, don’t ever look at Crocus, Sarah Raven, Special Plants etc. … we will never see you again! 😉

KK

I like that, perhaps he was trying to hatch it for me 😂.  I've two or three more local garden centres to look at first before I enter the black hole that seems to be online plant shopping .

Thanks LWAP, its always good to have a reminder of the OPs .  Its easy to forget progress made when the money falls into the black hole that is the mortgage so its nice to have a reminder.   Quick calculation and it looks like interest is now £7.52 per day, down from £8.65 so a saving of £1.13 per day approx .  Letter came through this afternoon showing that 18 months knocked off the mortgage end date.  Nice to think that when I get my pension lump sum next year we might get to bring the end date to well before my 70th birthday.  Getting closer to SPA slowly but surely

I had to do a quick try on of my 'snug' trousers.  I'm pleased to say, that although the scales might not say I've reduced in size, the trousers definitely do.  They are almost at the point where I could tuck a blouse in - almost but not quite.  Its nice to know that even though the scales are static, my body shape is improving

debtfreeoneday

Well done on the loss. It’s absolutely done to how your clothes fit rather than a number on the scale. 

SandyShores

Thanks debtfree, my trousers still a little snug, but they are no longer unwearable

I keep reminding myself that this is about long term maintenance and health, which motivates me to keep going.  Lots of diets focus on the quick wins of the scales coming down and unrealistic eating goals - just not helpful when you are in menopause.  I couldn't help myself jumping on the scales this morning to find another half pound gone!  But I am getting less reliant on the buzz from seeing the dial drop. I'd be more than happy to maintain this current weight now, but I am determined to keep going and exchange a bit more fat for muscle, so that my size 14s are loose.  My target is to get under 12 stone (11st 13lbs sounds so much better).  Been looking at old photos from 2015 when I was last at that weight, so it will have been a 10 year journey to lose 2 stone.  Its been up and down but I've always been able to keep slightly lower each time.  Only 6lbs to go now - I can do this

KajiKita

You are doing so well and I love your approach 😊

KK