Thanks for visiting me and continuing to give me such a lot of support and encouragement.
Natalie Jo
I am pleased that you like the creaming regime. I certainly think that it is a good idea. We would all like our skins to remain in as good a condition as possible and we are asking a lot of it if we are hoping that it will shrink again as we lose the pounds.
We deserve to have lovely skin both at our current shape / size - and at the shape / size that we aspire towards.
I would certainly be creaming and massaging all the areas that concern you if I were you. All it costs is your time and the price of a little bit of cream. Most creams / oils are very similar so supermarket own brands will probably work pretty well. I actually think that the most important factor is the act of massaging.
I certainly have stretch marks (mainly acquired many years ago when I was on the way up) - thankfully they are clear coloured so not too obvious. I also certainly have some loose skin - but I think that it is not as much loose skin as I deserve to have at this stage of the project. Naturally with rolls of fat still to be dealt with there is plenty of scope for acquiring more loose skin as the project continues.
My daily creaming is as follows:
daytime moisturiser and vaseline lips
2 bio-oil 5 minute massages to abdomen - but I seem to be often just doing one of these most days
Massage thighs with body lotion. I rub body lotion using sweeping up and down movements 140 times up and down
Massage bum with body lotion - both hands one on each cheek - 70 times up and down
Massage upper arms with body lotion - 70 times up and down
Massage each breast with body lotion
Night-time moisturiser and vaseline lips
If you have dark stretch marks they can be turned into the clear ones that are not so obvious by laser treatment.
Since you mention feet:
I do not cream my feet every day - I tend to be in for the evening when I do.
I soak my feet in a bowl of warm water with soda crystals.
If there are hard skin areas I give them a little gentle scrape.
I cream with a foot repair cream
I then wear white socks for the rest of the day
People say that you cannot use exercise to target the areas that we would most like to reduce first. I am inclined to think that massage may be able to direct things a little.
I credit my moisturising with the fact that I lost my double chin while some people who are taller than me and weigh less than me are still complaining about theirs. I was very happy to see mine go.
Janice
I know that you will sort out that pound soon. I have put a note in your diary about the joy of plateaus.
Angel
7000 steps was good for you during a busy day.
No wonder you are tired. I think that you were up until 4 am working on that college assignment. And it wasnt the first time this week.
I know that I will be wasting my time and sounding incredibly old if I mention that these things could be scheduled into the day and allowing you to get a regular good night of sleep. I know that I didnt do that when I was your age - but it honestly would be a good idea. One of those dont do what I did but do what I say moments......
Kimberly
I was stunned that he had never been away from London. But you have to remember that in London you can drive all day and still be in London. Of course you may be going round in circles and the traffic may be jammed.
His mother had a very odd idea about the rest of the country. She actually asked me about a month before the wedding if there were shoe shops in Newcastle! I very nearly said "no - that is why we all walk around barefoot".
Some people have a love/hate relationship. I have always had a loath/hate relationship with my mother in law. When she was told that we had got engaged her comment to her son was "couldnt you find a nice girl instead".
Despite the rain - I think that my germs are still in retreat. I really swear by echinacea. I hope that your germs beat a hasty retreat soon.
Take care
Love
Margaret
