Tipperary wobbles into 2024

ooo four hour lectures are long! Yes, definitely make sure you have somewhere comfortable to sit. I work from home, and quite often end up in back to back meetings. I had underestimated how much different a proper chair would make (and paid for it with sciatica and hip pain!)

You sound like you've got a good plan in place, though! Good luck :)
 
Evening all, well as you can see I went missing again. It has been a strange few weeks. Went back to work and got my usual post holidays blues. Its even worse at this time of the year cos you come home and find winter has already set in. I took shorter working year and had unpaid leave for 4 weeks and it was made very clear that there was no way I would get it for next year so that's annoying me as it means any annual leave I do have will be used up by other people's plans and not mine due to the weddings abroad.
Back at work I was offered both the flu and COVID shot and got them both on a Wednesday. As usual exactly 24 hours later got a scratchy throat and very swollen glands...exactly the same as last time. On Friday at work I was coughing with streaming eyes but told everyone not to worry, it was just a reaction to the two shots. Was miserable Saturday and Sunday, went to work Monday and came home early with exhaustion. Driving in on Tuesday was a chore and my husband rang me to say he had just tested and had COVID. Naturally I was concerned for him but knew I was fine, id just been vaccinated. Took a test at work to be cautious and f@ck, I had COVID 😨. I was totally shocked. So came home. I wasn't hugely sick but absolutely roasting, totally exhausted and also unable to sleep. Second week back at work now and still not sleeping and unable to control my body temperature, it's all over the place.
Was really struggling with the Data Analytics course, it was taking every evening and the full Saturday and Sunday. So contacted who I hope my future manager will be and they said it was way more than I needed for my potential new job and recommended a different one. So I made the decision to give up the one I was doing, it was just to great a time commitment for me, annoying but overall the best decision.
Was still hopeful of getting a new work position before Christmas but an embargo has been announced on all new positions. We are now on industrial action and on a work to rule. I thought my new position was still safe but further cuts were announced and it looks like the embargo will continue to end of 2024😭 so I'm firmly stuck where I am.
Anyway...all of this combined has meant I have totally lost my mojo, I went off the rails, lots of carbs, lots of wine, no exercise and no sleep pattern at all. Rather than drop weight I've gained and on Sunday the scale hit 77kg. Remember I had got to 72.5kg in August.
I'm finding it hard to go swimming now before work, I'm not sleeping, it's dark at 0630 and traffic has increased and my commute is now over an hour each morning. So back into planning and preparation mode. I've mapped out my goals for the year. I want to be 70kg for Christmas, BMI about 31 and 60kg for the wedding next October, BMI about 26. I know there will be times of small gains, Christmas itself and the wedding in May and I think I have accounted for them.
I'm easing myself into it, back with intermittent fasting for 19 hours daily, back monitoring my glucose and ketone levels. I'm cooking low carb food but I have also been eating crackers and cheese which I need to stop. I'm wearing detox patches on my feet at night. Drinking 2.5l water daily. Hopefully next week with the change in the clocks I will find it a bit easier to get up early for swimming. I've spoken to my manager and if I'm not running reception I don't need to be in by 9am.
Will be back on Friday to see if I have lost any weight and started my new six month health journal today filling in all my weekly targets.
Fingers crossed I get my mojo back, if I'm still too tired and too hot next Monday (I'm hoping that's just a combination of post COVID and carb overload) then I will make an appointment for some acupuncture, it usually helps.

That's all for now, a bit of a whinge but I really do feel like I've totally lost October.
 
A little positivity. I'm back in winter clothes, so dresses, tights and boots. I put on my knee length boots and they aren't tight on my calves like they where last year, happy days 👍
 
Strange few weeks, but it really does sound like you have plans/goals in place, and know how to achieve them.

We've got fun and games at work as well, with funding review time - not just for us, but effecting lots of departments. Because of the nature of the work, we're getting a lot of "oh your team can pick that up", but actually, a lot of the time they can't. Which means management are super busy, with training and reports that aren't really our remit, whilst the TL is having to keep the team motivated and engaged.

You're reminded me - I need to buy some tights. They seem to have all vanished since last winter!
 
Thanks @Torn_Tranquility, yes I know what I need to do...it's just a case of sticking to it.
Official weigh in today and I've lost that extra kilo gained while sick. Was 77kg now 75.8kg. If I can get another good week I will be back in a good routine.
Been testing my bloods and while they could be a lot better aren't too bad and more importantly aren't spiking when I eat. I was in mild ketosis yesterday.
Swam 20 lengths in the morning. Chicken noodle soup for lunch ( homemade stock, lots of veg and no carb konjac noodles) followed by a yogurt pot (blueberries, chia seed, greek yogurt, cinnamon). Then I did have two chocolate hobnobs. I had them straight after lunch and then was doing a lot of movement, well just moving boxes, so when I checked my glucose levels 90 minutes later there was no jump. Dinner was some chicken goujons, peas and rocket...and that was it. No follow up with cheese, or cheese and crackers, or dark chocolate. 2.5 L of water through the day including 500ml with chia seed and 5 large mugs of lukewarm peppermint tea made up my day.
I was falling asleep on the couch so went to bed, not realising it was only 2030😀. Slept lightly on and off but no totally wide awake time. And I didn't spend the night sweating, I knew the carbs and wine was definitely contributing to that.
Meals will be similar today but as it's Friday I will have some wine, not much though.
Quiet enough day at work, I'm not on reception. I've to organise some craft sessions for service users to make Christmas decorations for the centre, so that's fun. I'm not going to go out for Friday lunch, that's a triple saving, saving on time, money and carbs 👍.
Going to go swimming at 7am, will aim for the 20 lengths again and do arm exercises as well. I renewed my pool membership yesterday for another 6 months.
Chat later.
 
Morning all, went swimming on Friday and Saturday morning and thinking about it for today. Weight down again but not counting it till Friday, hopefully I stay going well. I only had one meal yesterday, meatballs, green beans and cheddar. And then I had popcorn. It just didn't occur to me to eat later.
Birthday in our house tomorrow so will be making birthday brunch and will have to try hard to stay away from the carbs and bucks fizz
 
Hi, Tipp - good to catch up and to see you are still swimming. I am thinking about going swimming. I have a badly arthritic hip - so crawl legs - up and down, would probably be good.
 
tipperary said:
I'm back into planning and preparation mode. I've mapped out my goals for the year. I want to be 70kg for Christmas, BMI about 31 and 60kg for the wedding next October, BMI about 26. I know there will be times of small gains, Christmas itself and the wedding in May and I think I have accounted for them.
Click to expand...
Well that didn't happen🥴

Morning all, it's mid February and I'm rolling in at 81kg, big, swollen and uncomfortable.
Since I had COVID in October I have never been 100% well. Cold, cough, aches n pains, chest infection and now fighting a sinus infection. I also had a pretty bad stomach infection for the New Year. I'm not blaming COVID or the vaccine but my work environment, there is always someone sick there and it just goes around in circles. My hip got worse and a combination of that and being ill has meant no swimming, no walking, no exercise at all and a big increase in weight. Food and drink wise I feel like it was Christmas for 8 weeks and only pulling myself out of it now.
I'm off work this week and taking the time to tackle some work in the house but also some work on me.

My last hip injection wasn't as successful as I hoped so was referred to another consultant this week. I need surgery on it, I had been advised this was down the line and knew it was keyhole surgery so wasn't too concerned thinking it would be similar to the arthogram I had. Nope, not at all, it is keyhole but still surgery under full anaesthetic and I will need 6 weeks to recover and no flying for 2 months. While I can time work and travel it was the full anaesthetic that concerned me the most, i really have a fear of it. So I'm thinking about it. I certainly don't want surgery at this weight so this has scared me into having to do something so easing myself into it and making a plan this week.

Will be back later to chat once I have it thought out it my head.
 
Morning, ate at 1130 yesterday. We had hardly any food in the house so I had IKEA meatballs and cabbage, soya yogurt with cinnamon, blueberries and hemp. Went shopping and at about 1530 had 2 Brogies with cheddar. At about 1700 I had some Pistachios and that was it for the day.
This morning I had 2 Brogies with cheddar and a bowl of homemade courgette and coconut soup with lots of turmeric in it.
 
Lovely to see you back - but sad that Covid has left you so unwell.
 
Thanks @AliGal , I'm not sure if it was COVID, or getting flu and COVID vaccine together or just an unhealthy work environment but I just haven't been 100% since.
Lunch yesterday at 3pm was a two egg plus spinach omelette stuffed with sauteed celery, carrot and courgette and topped with mixed seeds. Then some peanuts. But then I had biscuits, chocolate and wine.

I'm going with keto approach and intermittent fasting, so first meal at lunchtime and dinner as early as I can once home from work. Hoping to keep it quite high in veg and add nuts and seeds where I can. I'm looking at 30 plant foods weekly.
I will monitor blood sugars and aim for daily ketosis. I need to fit in swimming or walking daily, the hip consultant said walk until I feel pain. He also suggested pilates and an exercise bike to loosen up my hip. I'm going to see if I can find pilates type exercises I can do in the water. I do have an exercise bike I bought in 2021 and barely used. I reorganised my office and the exercise bike is much more accessible now.
I'm going to manifest daily and have create a vision board as a slide show, the idea is to look at it last thing at night and first thing each morning to keep my mind focussed.

I'm off to food prep now for the week then eat. I have the last of the courgette, coconut and tumeric soup. Then I hope to go and get some work done on the polytunnel, I didn't use it last year and it's totally overgrown. And I really need to work myself up to go for a swim, my bag is packed and in the car.

Chat later
 
Goal for end of May is 71kg. I have a wedding to go to and don't actually won't to buy an outfit for it. I have a lovely posh dress bought about 6 years ago and only worn once, for my 30th wedding anniversary, I would love to wear that. If not I also have a dress from Shein bought about 5 months ago and not yet worn, it's a wrap dress and at the roundy size I am now it looks more like a dressing gown.
 
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Breakfast at 1130 was the last of the courgette and coconut soup, some stir fried cabbage with sesame oil and a slice of ham. Followed by soya yogurt with blueberries Dinner at 1730 was a homemade burger with some cheddar, mixed leaf salad greens with pistachio oil and baby tomatoes. I've had some dark chocolate and also chia seeds in water.
I went swimming....finally. Did just 12 lengths swimming, 200 arm exercises and some hip flexibility exercises, and used the jacuzzi.It was great to get back and hoping to go in the morning.

Food prep for the week, I've made a borscht type soup, minced beef and red cabbage in a broth with smoked paprika and garlic. I've also put turmeric in, I'm putting it into nearly everything to try to reduce the inflammation in my hands. I've made greek yogurt pots, so blueberries then greek yogurt mixed with cinnamon and probiotics and topped with some hemp.And I've also cooked some chicken in a leek and cream sauce. That's work lunches and the base of evening dinners sorted.

Chat tomorrow.
 
tipperary said:
I need to fit in swimming or walking daily, the hip consultant said walk until I feel pain. He also suggested pilates and an exercise bike to loosen up my hip. I'm going to see if I can find pilates type exercises I can do in the water.
Click to expand...
Brilliant you've got back swimming. I am planning to do that by March - and to start with chair exercise tomorrow at the old Cottage Hospital. I'll bring the average age of attendees down by a few years! If you find water pilates exercuses, please share them.
 
It was just regular hip stretches i did but easier to do on water
 
End of the day and not too bad. Swim again, 12 lengths plus arm and hip exercises. First meal at 1pm of the Borscht soup, 2 cracottes with butter, slice of cheese and then a yogurt and fruit pot. Then I went for a 10 minute stroll outside work. Some peanuts about 4pm and dinner at home 6pm was some breaded air fried fish and green beans followed by some soft goats cheese. That was it for the day . Blood sugars still going down slowly and surprisingly was in low ketosis. Plan tomorrow is similar with chicken instead of fish.
Chat tomorrow
 
Another morning swim, mamaged to get up a bit earlier and made it to work for 0901. Hopefully with mornings getting brighter it will be easier to get up. Did a good 12 lenghts and them 200 hip stretches and 200 arm exercises which include marching which helps hip.
Lunch will be same as yesterday but no crackers or cheese
 
Morning, Tuesday went as planned with the Borscht for lunch and a yogurt pot. No Short walk as could only take a quick break. Dinner was chicken in leek and cream sauce and courgette hash browns followed by soft cheese.
Wednesday started good, went swimming, My lengths are getting stronger but I'm not going to increase them yet as I want to concentrate on the hip stretches first. Lunch the same Borscht and yogurt pot, andi did get a short walk...and by short I mean not even 10 minutes. Came home and as it was Valentine's day husband had candles lighting and wine open and the fire lighting. I had the chicken again for dinner with green beans. Son had cooked dinner for his girlfriend and I ate a slice of the pizza he had made. And I had some wine, so not perfect but not overboard.
So it's Thursday now, I'm not going swimming, my arms need a break. I can feel my shoulders tightening and don't want to cause the problem I had in it before. Not bringing lunch to work today, I've to go to the shopping centre, I've to get moisturizer in Boots, a strong one to protect my face while swimming. And want to go to the health food shop and see if I can get some Mulberry leaf tea,,it's supposed to be very good for stabilising blood sugar. Then I'm going to have lunch out, a coffee shop at the centre does a lovely quiche and salad so will have that.
I'm taking a long lunch today, I'm on my own in the office with lots of document editing to do so will need a decent break. My walk today will be all through the shopping centre.
Weight on its way down but tomorrow is official weigh in day. I hope I haven't sabotaged it with the pizza and wine, chat later.
 
Has anyone watched The Blue Zones documentary on Netflix, it's really interesting and worth a watch. It's where I heard about Mulberry leaf first
 
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