I’ve lost 45lbs. Amazing! Unfortunately, I thought I had max 30lbs to lose. Nope. I’m now realizing I might need to lose up to 60lbs (give or take with muscle gain) to achieve the healthy body I was thinking I had under just a few pounds of fat.
Sigh. I know I look different, but I can’t help but feel like after all that work I still look… Meh?
I bleach my hair at home with 20vol, and the rest of my hair feels pretty healthy. I do masks and whatnot. However, I have a few pieces in the back that are chemical cut. They’re about mid length from the rest of my hair. Admittedly the back is where I’m less careful with the bleach because it’s harder to have precision.
So will I just slowly ruin it by continuing to bleach?
I have all my expenses tracked. I track every purchase, scan my receipts, and see where I am spending the most. I am looking up frugal meals and frugal life hacks.
I have two jobs, every other year before this I’ve had three. (One FT, one PT. Previously one FT, two PT)
It’s not spending on “stuff” or nights out or frivolous things. It’s the $700 tax bill because I forgot to take taxes out of one of three jobs, it’s the $600 vet bill because yes I dared to own pets, it’s the rent I can’t afford even though it’s split, it’s the $170 copay on my dental visit. It’s the sudden $60 jump in my student loan payment.
I just feel like no matter how much I budget there are so many expenses out of my control that just bury me.
I started at 220lbs and now I’m down to 175. And I do look thinner and I do know I look healthier but I’ve still got fat thighs, flabby arms, a stomach. I guess I just thought after that much weight I would look soooo different and I feel almost the same.
I guess I mostly feel deflated because I have a big event around the corner this summer and I really thought I would look toned and thinner, but mostly I look sort of the same minus a few lbs. 🫠
Ok so I’ve moved away from my college friends and been lots of places and now I’m in a new place with no adult friends. I have plenty of acquaintances through my second job or book club but we’ve never hung out besides those places. I would love to get a small group of gals together to go out on my birthday and I’d pay for idk a few rounds or a kareoke room or something. I just don’t know how to ask. The book club has a group chat but I feel like if I put it there it will feel impersonal and no one will come.
My second job I could ask in person but then I feel like I’m cornering someone and then what if they have to awkwardly be like no I don’t need friends from work no thanks.
Just don’t want to spend another birthday with my dogs alone 😞
I would love to know any dog parenting “life hacks” you have. Anything that makes it easier/simpler etc.
Maybe everyone does this and it isn’t a hack but I had a habit of taking off my dogs harnesses wherever and then forgetting where I put them and running around the house annoyed at myself for losing them. So I installed hooks by the front door and taught them to wait until I get their harnesses off to run in the house. 🤷♀️
Why does my little stubborn dog make me get up in the middle of the night to help him up the stairs only to go up them by himself once I am fully out of bed!? I’ll wait too, encourage him to do it, put on my phone flashlight. Nope, he will sit and growl until I get OUT of bed. Why!!!
In 2026 I realllly wanted to tackle my debt and spending. I joined two book clubs and reading has really really helped me focus on the book rather and not sit around scrolling for things I want to buy. I honestly miss like 3/4 meetings lol but I like that they choose a book for me. I got really into fetch as a way to get a gift card to shop “guilt free”. 25,000= $25. I started tracking every purchase, all of it. I saw a tiktok about rating how MUCH you want something and how sad you’d be if it was out of stock. I try to do that when I really want something. I add it to a list of “things I want” and after about 8-10 times referring back to the list when I had a little bit to spend, I never wanted anything on the list. That being said, I dropped an atrocious $500 on travel and clothing items because I just switched jobs and I am in person & traveling now. A LOT of my closet was casual/active wear. Did I need to spend that much though? No. Trying to do a no spend for the next two months to make up for it and look forward & be positive. ☺️ I hope this helps someone else struggling.