Frump to Fab 2024

Makingabobor2

Watty1 said:

Not fab, struggling rather with the cold as I live in a rural area and have horses, one of which is on what in human terms would be "bed rest".

I'm single work full time and struggling but on the positives I got up, cleaned my teeth, have clean underwear and have used a moisturiser and my hair is tied up.  I dont feel fab but I do feel competent and that is good enough for today. I've had a healthy breakfast and I've a healthy salad planned for lunch.

You've covered the essentials, that's what matters. 1 step in front the other & you'll get there  x

helensbiggestfan

Well said MB.  

Watty - MB is right. Keeping up with the basics and taking it step by step is how we get to achieve our goals.  Then, when we are able, we can add in "extras".   I agree the cold weather doesn't help.  

The past few weeks have been cold and pretty miserable but then it is mid winter so I guess we can't expect too much.  I do find that sticking to diets, exercise and good self care routines always seems much harder in winter.  I often wish I could just curl up and hibernate.  Go to sleep after the new year celebrations and then wake up in time for Easter, having fasted and lost weight over the winter,  

Well I have to say I am well chuffed with my skin.  I did read that cutting out sugar and caffeine helped restore the skin but I wasn't entirely convinced.  However, I must say I think I am looking a lot better.  My skin looks fresher and clearer somehow and it's definitely a better colour.  I am usually very pale and washed out in the winter but I actually have some colour in my face, quite a nice healthy looking glow.  I'll take that. 😁

Just one more step down to go re caffeine intake (early next week) so I think I'm now ready to start on my next challenge.  Weight loss.......  I have a fair bit to lose so once again I'm going to break it down into (hopefully) manageable mini goals.  My initial target is to lose 10lbs by Easter. That's in 10 weeks so with a bit of luck that should be achievable.  

Just got to keep the faith and trust in the process, meeting the challenges head on and beating them.  One by one.  

Have a lovely weekend and keeeeep fabbing.  

Makingabobor2

So glad your sugar reduction is paying off for you. I am trying, but find this time of year I am eating more cakes & chocolate, which is soooo bad.  Will try extra hard. The strange thing is, the rest of my diet is so healthy and then I spoil it with this. Will make a resolution to only have cake occasionally as a treat, and to have less chocolate. It is the 85% or 90% dark chocolate, so not so high in sugar, but I still should have a lot less.   Think I will try and set a goal to have a lot less from Monday onwards. Can't say from now as we still have some in the house.....lol

sheilavw

I cut out sugar in tea years ago, probably when I was approx 20. I just cannot drink coffee without, I just have one sweetener in it. I have tried!

sukeyboo

You are doing OK @Watty1 - sometimes the basics are all you can do.

Glad to hear you skin is looking better @helensbiggestfan - a definite upside from the caffeine and sugar reduction along with all the other health benefits.

My fabbing yesterday was to colour my hair - I was looking a bit ‘Lily Savage’ with my grey roots 😱. I would love to let the grey take over but mine is a horrible dark murky grey not a nice silver-tone.

Working today but it will be feet up tonight with a M &S pizza and couple of glasses of red wine - not the healthiest I know, but a treat for me 🍷🍕.

Have a good weekend all - take care on Sunday as we have a new storm on its way ☔️.

Watty1

thank you.   You've bought teas to me eyes to be honest, your kind words were exactly what I needed to hear.

I've not gone on a planned day out with girl friends to an art gallery and nice lunch because I just couldn't see how I could manage horse care as well.  I've got up, cleaned teeth, tied hair back washed face and added moisturiser and clean underwear again.     It is all I can manage but it is fine for today.  Thank you.

chanie

i have had to overhaul my diet recently for health reasons.  i haven’t found it too difficult most of the time, but it can be difficult when i’m not organised and the temptation is to grab something unhealthy. i’ve cleared out a shelf in the kitchen for healthy foods so i have them easily available and that’s been a big help.
 
OH and i have both agreed that we need to ‘do more in 2024’.  We used to take the children out quite a lot BC (Before Covid) but we have gotten lazy and the children are glued to their screens.  We’ve talked about some things we can all do as a family.  i’m also taking a few days off work at half term and i’m going  to plan some trips for the children and their cousins. 

helensbiggestfan

Chanie.....Good luck with the dietary changes.  Hope you feel better as a result,  yes, I agree it does often require extra planning and forethought when you can't just "grab and go".   A quick sandwich or something on toast used to be my standbys when I needed a quick refuel but now that I have to avoid grains that is no longer an option for me.  

Watty......,Sorry to hear you are feeling under pressure. What a shame you had to cancel your lunch with your friends,  My sister keeps horses and still works and I know she is very time constrained.  Worse in the winter too when the mornings and evenings are so dark.  

Well it is now over 24 hours since I had any caffeine. Don't feel too bad at the moment,  Or at least no worse than usual.  Lol.  Still some headaches and disturbed sleep, and still feeling very fatigued but here's hoping. 🤞.  I am having to eat quite a bit to fend off the withdrawal symptoms so I'm not actively trying to diet at the moment, just trying to be sensible.  Have minor flu like symptoms but I don't think it's a virus or a lurgy, I think it's caffeine withdrawal. 

It's slow progress and I'm not always the most patient of people.  Wish I could just skip to the good part.......😂

Chiro tomorrow. Definitely ready for a reset, shoulder and neck are giving me gyp.  other than that, no real news.  Will give myself a mini skin peel later.  

Have a good week. 💕

ps.  MB.  Good luck with the sugar reduction.  Just be gentle with yourself, maybe step down gradually rather than go cold Turkey.  

Sukeyboo.  The decision to go grey isn't easy.  I didn't have a choice because I went white within a matter of weeks when my husband got sick.  (stress). I would love to have some colour but my hair just won't "grab" the colour properly any more.   I tried a few times but it only lasted about 3 weeks and I couldn't be bothered with either the time or the money.  Everyone likes my hair and I know it's a nice silvery white but I do miss the "old me" sometimes. 

Watty1

Congratulations on getting off the caffeine @helensbiggestfan   That is quite something.  I've been caffeine free for years and now can have the odd tea or coffee without a side effect but in the early days it really knocked me out when one slipped in somewhere.

Unable to sleep because of the wind and probably because of the 2 glasses of wine I had last night   I'm really noticed that wine messes with my sleep.

artistlifestyle

Morning all. Everyone is doing so very well with their early challenges of 2024. I remember thinking once upon a time that 2024 was a LONG way off, and now we are here. 😂😂😂
This week I’ve  had a huge win, I’ve been gifted a huge amount of yarn so that’s my knitting and crochet projects for the next 2-3 years sorted. They’re not all my colour choices but with clever colour mixing will make lovely things for gifting and fundraising. I usually make two single blankets per year, and then use the scraps on baby blankets. Just wondering where to store it as it came in bin bags 🤣🤣🤣 I find the act of knitting and crochet so good for me. The mindfulness of it, the muscle memory combined with  colour and then the finished items, although the running in of endless ends of the striped blankets can be challenging. Lucy at #Attic24 is a wonderful inspiration and how I learned to do blankets about 8 years ago. 
I’ve finally started the BIG admin sort out which includes a big box of paper and the black hole of the filing cabinet. I bought a pack of 10 new suspension files in WHSmith and realised I needed more so ordered more packs online @£4 for 10, much cheaper than the shop. They come in bright colours which always encourages me to get things done. The old green hanging files are bent, broken, without labels, and probably 25 years old! This time I’m sorting it for once and all, and then intend to be filing regularly. It’s always been a struggle but as I’m no longer working 60 hours a week I’m hoping it’ll be more manageable. I know one old lady in her 90’s who is surrounded by paper and I do not want that to be me one day! 

My unexpected expense for this month was replacing the vacuum, it died after a busy 10+ years. Not what I’d planned and has led me to start systematically eating through the cupboards and freezers this month and probably next month too. Currently only buying milk, yogurt, eggs, fresh fruit and veg. There’s been one or two mystery meals eg what I thought was soup was stewed apple. The bonus may be that I can turn off the extra mini freezer and just use the fridge freezer going forward, and again be more organised. After all the freezer is a filing cabinet for food isn’t it! The replacement phone I'm saving for will have to wait. 

Have a good week, and let’s keep encouraging each other.