Mums Running Club

wow - i'm impressed you are also restricting calories on non-fast days. that's very dedicated. i'm not counting calories on non-fast days. today i had a bowl of cereal for bfast with soya milk; a wrap with veggies and ham for lunch and a yoghurt; and for tea i will do some pasta and veggies i expect. i'm not thinking about it too much on my non-fast days - just going with the flow for now. haven't weighed myself and won't until i know i have lost a bit of weight or i will get too demotivated when i see how much i have to lose! i know where i want to get to, so i want to get part of the way there first, otherwise i will give up when it takes too long!

You guys are so focused with your calories and fasting.  I am so lucky that I don't have to watch what I eat in terms of gaining weight - but the downside is I know I probably eat far too much saturated fat and my arteries are probably clogging as I type.  I know I don't always eat as healthily as I should and don't always manage my 5 a day, especially at the weekend when I always fail to eat any fruit (although do eat salad and veg).

I love butter and would not dream of having a piece of toast, sandwich or jacket potato without it (and I do put quite a bit in a jacket potato - and mash for that matter).  I'm not a big snacker though, apart from crisps while I'm preparing dinner if I'm hungry - especially on a Thursday evening when hubby goes rowing.  Probably because I don't get home from work until 7:30pm and even if I save my banana for the train home I'm always completely ravenous by the time I get in.  I probably need to snack more with all the miles I'm running at the moment but I rarely eat unless I'm hungry and then I can end up raiding the cupboards like a crazy woman devouring anything in my path!

i really wish i didn't have to worry about what i eat. i hate the way i look; i hide under long jumpers and long skirts / trousers. i never wear make-up or jewellery because i don't want to draw attention to myself. and i keep thinking that if i can lose weight, everything will be ok as i will feel and look better. i manage to lose weight by dieting but it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep it off if i return to eating 3 meals a day every day. i have to work out a way of eating which means that i can maintain my weight. i think it will inevitably mean some kind of fasting on a weekly basis for me - maybe just twice a week for maintenance. i'm actually planning two consecutive fast days next week as i have E's birthday and i want to eat on that day and i would rather do two consecutive fasting days than two consecutive eating days at the moment. even when i run regularly, i still gain weight if i eat 3 meals a day... sometimes it just doesn't seem fair!!

Slim and attractive IS way closer to the mark than CMs rather distorted view of herself!!! Sigh, we all think are beautiful anyway CM even if you don't

Definitely need to go and see asthma nurse I think as I have sore patches etc in my mouth again (along with a large blood-filled blister on the roof of my mouth that burst!!! Oh the joys), despite me rinsing after each inhalation. Such a bl**dy pain but can only assume it's caused by the inhaler. Ho hum.

I never thought I'd be capable of fasting (I haven't tried it), but strangely I have found since the summer I definitely have less appetite than I used to - even when I have been up to 50ish mpw training (yes there was some of that before Christmas!), wierd but just assume metabolism has changed a bit, along with the missing half a stone!!

Glad friends are helping you out hoggle.

Oh, CC - that sounds really miserable.  Maybe your asthma medication and the different things you've been trying have had a negative effect on your appetite?  Some medication can do that.  If you have lost half a stone you must be very light now?  Although I only weigh around 7 stone (probably less right now as I always get lighter when marathon training and/or in the very cold weather) I never look thin, I just have a very slight frame.  Although I do think that now I'm getting older I can't afford to be too thin as it makes my face look quite gaunt.

CM, you definitely have a very distorted self-image.  I imagine that's a result of years of having your self-esteem chipped away at both by your parents (mainly your mum) and then T in latter years.  But you really need to start being kind to yourself - there are not many people who would have found the strength of character to leave a loveless and destructive marriage and also walk away from their closest relatives. You have a fabulous relationship with your children, N clearly thinks the world of you, and your photos on FB show that you look great with your fab new haircut.  So when you can afford it, treat yourself to some new clothes - better yet, come up to London for a day and I will go shopping with you and make you! - and start believing that you are worthy of love, respect and a positive self-image.  Take a leaf out of TT's book and don't hide away under baggy and shapeless clothes which will just make you feel old and frumpy.  You're not even 40 yet woman!  There is still so much living to be done!

Hoggle, glad friends are able to help you out and hope back continues to improve.

Minks - the asthma meds are new since January, which is why I definitely think it's connected to the mouth thing, and possibly the cramp (although fingers crossed last couple of days nothing - on calcium + vit D and magnesium supps at the moment). Weight is 7 stone give or take a lb or two depending on totm ... was odd just dropped off steadily over the summer despite me doing no running whatsoever for seven weeks and has stayed that way no matter what I do ... endured endless comments at Christmas from friends about 'no meat on my bones' etc but hubby says I don't look wierd on it and he would be the first to comment. He'd notice too as he doesn't see me all week. Agree with the not looking too thin and ageing thing though so is a fine line!! I'd wouldn't say you look too thin in fbook pics of you.

I think we'd all love to get hold of you CM and spoil you something rotten and I would give anything to inject you with a HUMUNGOUS dose of ++++ vibes.

Is scary about the kiddies growing up for sure, Kit 6 next week, my S 6 next month and then other one being 8.5 ... but then other aspects I love. Just want to hold them in current bubble (even though they drive me nuts at times) and protect them from the nasty world. Even the kids are complaining about nothing cheerful on the news at all!!

Minks is dreadful at doing slow runs Camlo - that's why!

thanks girls. you lot have nearly made me blub! the only thing i want in the world is for my 2 kids to grow up without a single doubt in their heads about their self-worth. like we all do, i guess.  E is certainly brim full of confidence; J is much less so, but i work hard at telling both of them all the time how wonderful they are and how much i love them. i know a lot of the way i feel about myself is down to the way i was brought up. and i have put a lot of that behind me, but i suppose 40 years of feeling the same way about myself (i AM 40 now, minks) means that i am not going to lose my self-image problems for a while, if ever

now, cc - you really ARE very light. i shall never EVER EVER weigh that little again. i weighed less than that once - when i was anorexic.

i just want some control back in my life at the moment - and having a plan to lose weight is giving me that while i can do no exercise at all. it won't last forever, but it will last at least 3 months until i can exercise again

just been to asda, peacocks and new look looking for a long sleeved green t-shirt for J. he wants to be robin (as in batman and...) for world book day. i have green trousers, black boots, a belt and a red top on which i will draw abs. i need a long sleeved green tshirt for him to wear underneath. he can wear my college gown and i will make him a mask. no point buying him a fancy dress costume as he won't wear it - but at least with all of this stuff, apart from the belt, it is reusable! and the belt only cost me £2.

E on the other hand - she will wear a fancy dress costume constantly. so any one bought for her is worth its weight in gold! she gets through about 5 or 6 a day and there is always one in the wash because it has dinner / juice on it!

I guess some of the concepts from the FIRST program would work perhaps Vixo - essentially the three runs a week should all have a focus ... so a long(ish) run (appropriate to the distance), a speed session of sorts and a tempo run. Is what I followed for my first marathon post-baby and kept that concept going all the while I could only fit in three runs a week.

Like you Vixo, i frequently look at what CM does with hers and think, 'oh I really should ...' cos I know mine would absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it all. I am definitely guilty of taking mine for granted at times and they do get the rough end of the deal when I've got to Thurs eve and had enough of running around after them all the time!  But in reality we all bring different aspects of parenting to our childrens lives, it's good to see what others do and gain ideas and enthusiasm but we should be proud of what we manage for sure ...

CM - you are taller than me for starters.

Vixo - I found introducing a small speed session each week brought improvements pretty quick.

phew to the worms MM ... and love the idea of a very clean house, sadly not quite the case here!!  My task for today really ... am going to attempt a run though - a whole three miles is the challenge ...