Rosebug's Diary [back on the chain gang~]

Fingers crossed for that lb by Sunday Rose. And Im glad to hear youre managing to eat again. No results from the docs yet?
 
Hi Rosebug :wavey:
hope you are enjoying your new food - bread butter and marmite thoughts are making me seriously hungry:D
Hope your bruising is reducing fairly fast - i hate the yellow effect though!
Xxxx
 
I have some really specialized blood work done, so it can take a while. Hopefully soon though - am a bit worried about why I fell the other day as I didn't trip or slip, but I'm sure I'm bothered about nowt.

One interesting thing - can't wear jeans right now as my knee is too swollen and I can't bend it - but all my old skirts I used to live in are too big for me. Well, a month or so ago I found an old skirt in a wardrobe clear out - never worn and still had it's labels on

Marks and Spencers, St Michael, size 20

I know it's about 10 years old as marks haven't done st Michael clothes for years and the label was seriously retro. However, tried it on and it's a decent fit. Odd, as I don't wear size 20 anymore.

Well I looked at the measurements on the label. Size 20 at marks and spencers a decade ago gave this skirt a 34 inch waist, 44 inch hips.

Then I went on the current Internet site for marks - according to their size guide now, size. 16 is a 33 inch waist, 43inch hip, and 18 is 35 inch waist, 45 inch hip.

20 today is 37 inch waist, 47 inch hip!

In 10 years or so, their sizes have become 4 inches more generous.

Very interesting to know, although a little depressing to know that, going by the sizes I grew up with, I'm a 20. I'm only a 16 today because of vanity sizing.
 
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Im ignoring the whole vanity sizing thing and just going with it, lol. As far as Im concerned if my clothes label says Im a 16 then thats what I am.
 
More exploring of clothing lines today. I ordered 2 dresses from peacocks because they were having a sale.

Now, at peacocks, my measurements make me an 18. At dotty p they are between 16 and 18. At marks, monsoon, new look, next, river island they make me a 16.

Though I own a 14 cardi from peacocks and have tried on 16s at marks that are too clingy.

I think I'd call myself an 18 as I only just scrape into a 16, and I'm definitely an 18 at least in jeans (16 at Evans).

I also tried 4 different bra size calculators and got told I was a 40A, 40B, 36D and 36DD. Which is quite the range. Maybe I should compromise and try on a 38C. I wear a C right now with a larger bandwidth, bought 6 months ago. I'm far too self conscious to get measured in person.

My biggest problem areas are my tummy, upper arms, and my legs. Even my lower legs are bad, they look lumpy - not cellulite but not nice and shapely. Just wrong. I really hate them. Fitted top dresses with flared skirts to about knee length suit me, but the sleeves are always too short and it means I have to expose my calves.

Arm wise, I need sleeves to elbow length and no shorter, or I feel uncomfortable. It's fine in cardigan season but awful on hot summer days. I need some kind of short length, mid arm sleeved cover ups in very thin fabric.

Leg wise, my skin is the colour of milk. I can wear black tights with some things, but skin colour or tan tights look absurd on me. White tights look childish. So how on earth do I cover the bumps on my legs. Sheer tights would be useless. I need opaque tights that work with light dresses and don't make me look like I've been tangoed from the waist down.

It's ridiculous, I read all the style magazines but am useless at dressing myself. I ruin nice clothes just by putting them on.
 
Hi Rose, sorry not much good on fashion - i tend to buy clothes that i like (colour, texture, feel), and make me feel good (comfort, colour again). Generally try not to look in mirror and dont like photos - but at least i cant see myself all day!

As promised we ARE going shopping in May - i bet there's some lovely stuff that will suit you really well:)

Xx
 
Fake tan isn't really an option - as I said my skin is the colour of milk - and I like it that way. I can't stand having colour on my face, I don't use blusher or foundation even. That's why tan tights won't work for me, or even normal skin colour - I'd look like a creme caramel, white on top, orangey underneath.

I think it might need to be window shopping! Most places in Richmond are way out of my financial league (oh ted baker, how pretty your windows are) and I'm too self conscious to try things on and show people, except my mum! I dress for comfort, too, but I feel uncomfortable in anything that shows the curve of my stomach (so tops that go over jeans have to be thigh length and loose, with elbow length sleeves) or my upper arms, and I'm very anxious about my lower legs (would NEVER show above my knees). I mean people would be sick if I exposed my arms and legs. It's not that they're big, big curvy arms look much better, it's that they're deflated and awful. And to go with all that I need to vaguely fit in at college - 99 percent of my classmates think I'm the same age as them, 19 -20 ish. It's a very young college, I only know one other mature student and he's not lucky enough to be able to pass.

Gah anyway, maybe I need to learn to accept my lumpy bumpy calves at least.

And that is Rose's shallow rambling session for today. Mission for summer : learn to wear dresses that aren't ankle length.
 
Morning Rosebug:)
Oh what we do to ourselves in our heads! Like your mission on dresses- maybe you could have a ticker showing dress length lol ;)

If i can be bothered to get dressed then i guess i really need to get some chores done today......... See you later
Xxxxx
 
Shopping in primark is like attempting some kind of urban warfare. Went out 9:30 am so it wasn't even peak time, my gosh. Did manage to get a few cheap cover up type things though and some new brogues. I think I might wear dresses with cropped white leggings... Might look odd but I'll look for some and give it a try. Gosh I've spent so much on clothes it feels like. Must cut myself off now (and put monsoon dress I love on birthday list).

I am really trying to accept myself more. It's hard when I've been someone with only one available shop (Evans) for their entire adult lives. Even when I was 16 i never shopped in the places I look in now - and so many clothes do seem to be designed for size 8s and then begrudgingly made in larger sizes. But yes, esteem issues are the biggest thing.
 
I hear you on the Primark nightmare, Rose, can't bring myself to do it very often :)

And how exciting on the clothes front, I bet you look lovely :)
 
Ach Rose I would love to take you proper clothes shopping and make you see how lovely you are.

Poor wee knees too - I fall over all the time and have knees like a warzone, but it's never nice. And I always cry. Big hugs to you pet.
 
You are all so amazingly fantastically lovely <3

I only wish this forum had a few more people who never sleep on it. I think I've forgotten what sleep even feels like. Well, thats not true. I'm either awake for almost 24 hrs on the trot or I'm falling asleep at 7pm. Occasionally I'll fall asleep at 7pm, wake at 9pm... And be awake for 24 more hours on the trot. Sigh sigh sigh.
 
Morning Rose
 
Aw Rose I would have been here with you in the night but didn't want to wake Trev as he's on shift and had to get up at 5.45am. I read a few posts from the bathroom at about 1.30 tho :)
 
Morning Rosebug - such a shame you can't sleep - i know that being awake at night is such a pain (unless you are out partying of course!) i guess we all have our tricks - when i'm having a bad time i listen to classical music in bed with the lights out - my theory is at least i'm resting and the music stops my mind spinning. Even if i dont sleep it feels more like a meditation and so im less stressed.

Hope you have a good sunday
Xxx
 
Eeek. I was so anxious about weighing this morning, particularly as it was a hungry day yesterday and I was eating like a gannet, and I wasn't counting hardcore but I know I was at 25ish g carbs. But.

12 st 9 lbs

2lb loss! Woop woop woop woop. And now less than a stone to go to 'overweight'.

Celebrating with pancetta, a scrambled egg and a slice of low carb toast (1.8g carbs). OFFICIALLY back on atkins tomorrow but pretty much have been the last 2 - 3 days.

Tonight I'm taking mum out to a place she likes. Not a vast amount there for me but I think I'll either have crispy duck salad or chicken. She'd better love me - I bought her the (original) forsyte saga on dvd, and moroccanoil hair oil, both of which she asked for, and then surprised her with a mahoosive bunch of flowers.

Lalalalalala.
 
Woohoo - well done rosebug you are back on your amazing path:D Have a lovely time with your mum
Xxxx
 
Thankyouuuuu. Hospital visit with Nana first of course. They're getting more and more upsetting but I've bought her some pretty hairclips and a nice card so hopefully she'll smile a bit.

I was going to say something else but I keep forgetting what it is. HMMM.
 
Afternoon Rose and well done on the loss! And what a good girl, buying all those lovely things for your mum and nan, enjoy your dinner :)
 
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