The RD Chronicles - Bowing out for now

[Russiandoll]

Hi Barb & Mindless
Thanks for asking after me ... I have been a bit quiet haven't I!

Last week was a bit draining to say the least. As I mentioned a few days ago, we went to Plymouth to help my daughter out with her car but hubby couldn't complete the job without a certain part so we had to go back again on Friday.

We took my youngest daughter and my niece with us too and stayed overnight at my daughter's on an airbed (an under-inflated nightmare I have to say). The next day, after hubby had fixed the car, we all nipped over to Cornwall via the Torpoint ferry and had a great but exhausting few hours trudging down a cliff path to a fab beach with heaps of rock pools to explore.

Needless to say, both my youngest daughter and niece ended up with trousers rolled up and investigated the delights of the rock pools barefooted (insanity but that's kids for you!)

I had a little climb up a bit of cliff ... something I'd NEVER have done before for fear of not being able to get down again (I never want to feature on 'Seaside Rescue'!) then we all traipsed back up the cliff path (surprisingly easily I have to say) and then we had to leave for the long drive home.

Just before we left, my youngest daughter decided to run down the hill next to my older daughter's house and slammed into a wall at the bottom. She hurt her thumb but, being in a frazzled mood, I briefly comforted her and said 'give it a rub - it'll be OK'.

Well, it wasn't OK and became more swollen and painful overnight. I ended up taking her to A&E last night where they X-rayed it to find she's broken it at the knuckle. So the poor mite had suffered for hours with a busted thumb - How bad do I feel???

Sole sourcing went to the wall this week with two trips to Plymouth and the difficulties organising packs on the move. I ran out of bars and ended up eating. On the upside, I avoided carbs like the plague and stuck to lean chicken and cottage cheese ... I didn't even have any salad or veg but I know I didn't pay attention to 'amounts' and I feel this is going to show later today at my weigh-in.

If I can just lose 1lb I'll be satisfied - anything would be better than a gain.
So, the sun is shining outside and I should be full of the joys of (almost) spring but for some strange reason I'm feeling as flat as a pancake. I'm just fed up and feeling daunted by everything... Uni, family, finances and my house which is still in a state of 'we've only just moved in' 18 months down the line. It's all getting to me a bit.

I know it's temporary and I'll rev up soon but for the moment I have to accept I'm not my usual bubbly self.

Hope everyone else if feeling a bit chirpier than I am!

 

[IreneH]

Debbie
Just keep thinking about how much you've lost and how many things you can now do that you couldn't or wouldn't do before.

Hope daughter is feeling a bit better

Irene xx

 

[mindless]

Debbie
Just keep thinking about how much you've lost and how many things you can now do that you couldn't or wouldn't do before.

Hope daughter is feeling a bit better

Irene xx

echo the sentiment entirely and besides, lean chicken and cottage cheese doesn't sound too bad especially if youhave been doing quite a bit of running around and climbing n'all

 

[flirty40greeneyes]

Debbie Sorry you are feeling a little down.

I think you should be fine re the chicken and cottage cheese. Don't forget on 790 you can have 6oz chicken and 8oz cottage cheese - and you still lose about the same amount of weight. So here's hoping it will be more than the 1lb you would be happy with.

Hope your daughter is on the mend now. And hopefully things will pick up for you soon.

 

[Barb]

Hi Debbie - sounds to me like you burnt off a heck of a lot more than a bit of chicken and cottage cheese. Sorry about your daughter - we've all been there though, we either make too much fuss or not quite enough, so long as she is all right, that's all that matters.

I am still on my pressure off campaign and I have to say I feel 100% better. I am not pigging out or starving, I am only allowing myself a glass of wine with dinner if I have exercised. I am staying off the scales until the 1st of March and bearing in mind I have a weeks All inc holiday in Eygpt in 9 days, I am not expecting any miracles. However, I think if I am being sensible I may have lost a lb or 2 and that will be great. I've been swimming today -26 lengths - and that really makes me feel a lot better. I know your life is pretty full on Debbie but I do feel with the amount of exercise you are getting and the fact that you are not munching on mars bars and crisps, you should see a good drop this week. I really hope so, I can tell you could really do with the lift that would give you.

Take care of yourself, Lots of love, Barbxxxxxxxx

 

[pandora]

like the others said, chicken & cottage cheese arn't too bad & with all the activity you should be ok.
lots of love & cuddles for your daughter, i have to say you sound just like me, esp if its my eldest, she is such a drama queen !!!
good luck for weigh in
xx

 

[Geri]

I had a little climb up a bit of cliff ... something I'd NEVER have done before for fear of not being able to get down again (I never want to feature on 'Seaside Rescue'!)

Oh debbie,
you have such a great way with words- that really made me laugh what a great acheivement, even more special when it's something you couldn't have done before

Ahh hope you daughter is feeling better - hindsight is a great thing eh!

Good luck for your weigh in, and well done for staying away from the carbs

 

[FatFairNForty(ish)]

Hi Debbie

Not been on much of late so only just picked up on this.... really sorry you're feeling low.. but to echo all t'other sentiments - you have done SOOOO well, focus on your achievements and you are bound to feel so much better really soon!

Chicken and cottage cheese - pah! s'nuffin hon (now.. if you had said pizza, curries and a chinese takeaway .... )

Hope you have that beautiful smile back on your face very soon xxxx

 

[Russiandoll]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!

Well, the reason for all the nibbling and the 'low' became apparent the day after I wrote it .... TOTM! Hellelujah!! Within a day all the nibbly feelings had gone and my mood lifted!

I only lost 1lb this week but I feel OK about it (... it's to be expected because of 'you know what'): I'm hoping for a better result next week.

I feel quite bright today - wish the weather was better so I could get out into the fresh air and walk the dog along the bay (my absolute favourite place) ... if it was just cold, I would layer up like an onion and go but it's cold AND raining - I don't do 'cold and wet'!!

My youngest sister and myself have arranged a big 'family night' for Feb 17th. This also coincides with my second daughter's 23rd birthday and it's my 10th wedding anniversary the next day so it'll cover several events! We're trying to organise some really meaningful family gatherings whilst my dad is still with us (for those who don't know, he has prostate and bone cancer). Not all the family will be there but the majority will ... over 20 of us. We're going to go bowling after (I'm about to book four lanes!)

The good thing is that we've really strived to mend some broken family bridges: two of my sisters hadn't been in contact with the family for seven or eight years and I bit the bullet and did a bit of bridge building ... luckily it's going well and we have relative harmony at the moment

I also booked a photo session for the same day. There's a photo of me and my three sisters taken when I was about 6 years old and the youngest was a baby and we thought it would be a nice pressie for our parents to have one done now with us all in our forties. Had this been a year ago, I would have done it but would have been very reluctant and self conscious, feeling I'd be ruining the photo (I shunned cameras if at all possible) but this year I'm happy to do it. Another plus that has come from losing weight

Onwards and downwards!

 

[FatFairNForty(ish)]

OOOh lovely! A photo of you all sounds like a fab idea (especially now you look so gorgeous!!)... and the party sounds great fun, you should be dead proud of getting your family back together!

I'm sure your dad will appreciate it all very very much.

Bowling sounds wicked!!

Glad you got the 'reason' for your nibbling attack!! Next week will be a belting loss I bet!

So glad you are more upbeat today xx

 

[pandora]

Hi Debbie,
i think that the photo idea will be a truly wonderful gift to your parent & will be so much more poignant (sp) since you have reunited a split family.
you will look wonderful in the photo & your inner beauty will shine thru
have a fab time at all your cellebrations
xx

 

[Russiandoll]

Feb 10th

It's been a pretty good weeks so far ... the pre-mentrual cravings that plagued me last week have gone and I just feel 'brighter'. I was 13st 4lb last Monday: I'm hoping I'll be close to leaving the 13s by Monday!

Hubby has booked my birthday present for tomorrow ... a riding session at the local stables. So at 11am tomorrow, my 11 year old daughter and myself will get into the saddle and have some fun (I hope!). The horse that has been alloted to me is called Dandy and he'd huge! (Hope they have a box for me to stand on) .. DD's horse is called Angel.

Riding a horse was on my list of things 'to do' as my weight came down. That will be achieved tomorrow - I'll get hubby to take a pic or two and I'll post them. There was no way I was going to attempt riding a horse at close to 22st but, despite not being at goal yet, I now feel confident enough to give it a go.

So far, the things I've crossed off my 'to do' list have been to go swimming and go down a flume, to go on a fairground ride, to get back on my bike and to climb up some rocks. Things left to do include ice-skating, some kind of dancing lessons and to buy saucy lingerie (especially a corset ... oo-err missus!)

So it's onwards and downwards, ticking those goals off as I go!

 

[cah-ching]

Have a wonderful time RD. You are one amazing lady and it was an absolute pleasure meeting you. I can't wait to meet you again.

Happy Birthday. !

 

[Barb]

Have fun Debbie - sounds brilliant! It is good to hear you sounding back in positive mode - doing stuff you couldn't before must make it so real. More so in a way than the drop on the scales - bit like clothes fitting or not, you know if you have lost or gained by your clothes don't you? Yes, you've guessed, I am still avoiding the scales and I am still feeling better for it. For instance yesterday I really wasn't that hungry at lunchtime but really fancied a pot of choc mousse - so that was all I had. In full dieting mode I would have had my allocated calories and then still wanted the choc mousse. In my 'I'm going on a diet soon better eat whilst I can mode' I would have probably had some crisps, then a mousse, then another one! I'm learning I think! Sorry, didn't mean to go off on a tangent on your diary but once I start........

Anyway, happy riding, lots of love, Barbxxx

 

[FatFairNForty(ish)]

have a brilliant day Debbie - I love your list! I bet you have a great time. can't wait to see the photos!

You've come so far... and I know I say it all the time, but seriously, you ARE a massive inspiration!!

 

[pandora]

hope you have lots of fun on the horse ridding lesson & enjoy the experience of sharing it with your daughter, look forward to seeing the pics
xx

 

[Russiandoll]

Mon 12th Feb

The horse riding session went really well yesterday - I had great fun!
We got to the riding stables and we were led to our horses, Dandy and Angel. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I saw the size of Dandy: his back was higher than my head!

I managed to climb aboard with the help of some step-ladders and thought 'what the hell am I doing up here'!! However, very soon I felt a lot more at ease and Dandy was a perfect gentleman so I felt totally safe.

I was fine, walking about and steering Dandy this way and that but then the instructor said 'OK - I think you're all ready to trot ..."

It's over 34 uyears since I rode a horse and I certainly couldn't remember how to 'rise' to the trot so just had to sit there and bob about. The worst part was that I could feel (and hear) my ample bottom slapping on the saddle - ouch!

At the end of the lesson, came the dismount. "Take both feet out of the stirrups, hold your reins with your left hand, lean forward then swing your right leg over the saddle and slide down" said the instructor.

I looked down and gulped - this is where it could all go very wrong! However, I 'went for it' and next thing I know, I was standing on the floor alongside the horse and in one piece!

I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely do it again. However, the only down side is that by the evening, I had the mother of sore buttocks ... small price to pay though for the feeling of achievement.

Today I went into town with hubby and ticked another 'to do' off my list. I bought a dress in Monsoon ...

OK REWIND ...................

• I (that is, me)
• Bought a dress (hubby has never in 13 years seen me in a dress)
• In Monsoon (yes, not Evans)

I have bought a strapless satin dress (ok - in a size 18 but still in Monsoon). Old gold satin with embroidered flowers AND black patent shoes with high spikey heels!!

I'll be wearing it on Saturday night at the family bash. The last time I wore a dress was 1984 so I imagine it'll be a shock. I'll get hubby to take some pics

Had my weigh in a bit earlier and lost 3lb this week. Not exactly setting the weight loss world alight but every pound counts towards that goal!

 

[FatFairNForty(ish)]

RD - this is fab. So pleased the riding was so much fun (despiteds ore botty - lol) Makes me think that I might want to add it to my ever-extending 'to-do' list! lol

Sounds like you had a lovely day!

As for the dress - now THIS is exciting indeed!!! you must gethubby to take pics - I bet you look amazing in it! Monsoon is the best shop! I can't flippin' wait to get in there! lol (will have to be patient though - mebbe this autumn )

Gold and strapless - wow! Sounds lush!

And, to top it all... another 3lbs off - what a week

 

[jane]

I just wanted to say hello.I've read just finished reading the diary& although It only charts a fraction of your weightloss journey - I TAKE MY HAT OFF TO YOU.
what an inspiration.
I notice that you've been off air for several days-hope that you're ok & have just been too busy to post

 

[Russiandoll]

Thanks for your concern Jane.
Circumstances have changed ... don't have the energy to elaborate but suffice to say I'm bowing out of the forum for now.

I'll pop in from time to time to see how others are doing. Good luck to you all in your continuing journeys.