Pulling yourself together.

Loopyloo, I'm in the same position so sympathise totally. Recovering from an op so can only do a little bit of something before feeling exhausted. DH doing the cooking so how can I say, "not another pie/pizza/convenience dish"?! I can just feel the pounds piling on and see the carpet disappearing under "bits"! So am going to try some of the advice on here - Anya and MawBroon I think! Good luck and get well soon!

Don't give it a thought just yet.Your infection/virus is taking over you.So plenty of soothing drinks ie honey and lemon feet up watching tv, early nights then once the 'bugs' have left your system you will be raring to go.

Thanks so much everyone. Went to doctor this am and she said my chest was clear and she reduced my statins.I found this very heartening and reassuring so had a coffee in Costa, ordered new spec frames, had a manicure for £10, found exactly the book I wanted in B H F, and bought a new silvery watch strap for £8.
I might suggest to my husband that I get a cat. He really does not want one but he is not the person who spends all day alone. They are just a bit of company.
The book I found was the next in the series of the no1 detective agency, which I have just discovered about a decade after everyone else.
And lo , Chris Tarrant"s extreme railway journey was in Botswana.

sometimes doctors won't prescribe antibiotics for a cough - they just say that it's due to a virus and you don't treat viruses with antis. not what you need to hear though.
i've been "off colour" since last september when i had cellulitis in my arthritic knee and i couldn't walk for quite some time - it was so very painful.
but since october i've been able to walk a bit better [it's still painful] although i can't walk very far so can't really go for a walk anywhere.
the hospital i was referred to for a knee replacement op decided that my bmi i was 0.2 above the maximum for an op and told me to go away and lose weight!!
i have been losing weight slowly, very slowly, for the past two years and my doctor is very pleased with me and i have now reduced my bmi to where the hospital want. unfortunately i had a steroid injection into my knee in january [which didn't work unlike the others i've had every four months for several years] and the hospital won't do an op until after july. so my doctor is referring me for physio and hydrotherapy to strengthen my body for the op. i can't go to a public swimming pool as i can't walk from the changing room to the pool [and back again].
loopyloo - baby steps are what's needed. i know how you feel about housework as mine's been building up for months. daughter and grandaughters who live with me aren't very good with housework at all and it seems that it's just me whe gets stuff done.
i've worked out a way of doing things which means that i can potter and get things done and have a sit down. i potter until my back aches [can't stand with my weight equally on both feet which hurts my back] and then i sit down until it's rested. and then i start again with whatever i was doing before.
it used to take me a morning to go through my house and get it clean and sparkling - now if i've got the loo and bathroom clean and sparkling in a day i'm happy! well, not happy but it's better than nothing.
so sorry this has been such a long post - i'm sure you'll find your energy again soon and, when you have, you'll be able to potter around and get your housework done and you'll find that anything you eat will be "worked off" by doing housework. and then, later in the summer, you'll be a little lighter and your house will sparkle again.
just wish i could get mine done ........... but i will once i've had my op and recovered.

Just tell people you have flu, and lie down. THat's what men do.

Illness will throw you right off track. Don't blame yourself for feeling down and unable to eat properly.

I had a recent massive allergic attack which threw my immune system off kilter and triggered all sorts of minor viruses which, in turn, set off my asthma. The complaints and the cures (strong steroids for a while) kept me feeling alien in my own body and I knew I was putting on pounds and losing my level of fitness.

As I have got better, and after a course of antibiotics for the inevitable infection caused by all the shenanigans, I am back to strength. It has taken time and reassuring myself that things would return to normal.

I gradually felt myself again and was able to resume walking and my usual regime.

As for the extra eating, I set short term time goals, for example, in the mid morning I'd decide not to have anything until 12.30 and, to get there, I'd distract myself by ironing a few shirts and listen to Radio Four 'Catch-Up' while doing so.

Or it can be done the other way around. Say, 'if I can last 3/4 hour without eating I can have an apple or 20 nuts n' raisins.' Either works.

You will get better and on top of things. It takes time.

I also have 4 hours cleaning fortnightly and is really does take a lot of pressure off. They will do an extra one if we have visitors(rarely) but it enables you to do pleasurable things instead of chores.

Sorry, 'always could' morphed into 'oils'?

You've made the first step by posting on here for suggestions, I always think you feel better for hearing all the ideas from each individual and in turn you feel as though you are not alone in the way you are feeling. Be kind to yourself and as others have said, little steps, one at a time.

Hi Loopyloo, just be kind to yourself , no one is up to large chores after being poorly. As for the eating you oils add in some Floradix or Metatone, both very good ? when you've been ill and need a boost. Get well soon

Go for a short walk every day- it's a pain when it is raining but dog walks=ers have to do it. Start short & build up. It s such a small thing but very soon begins to help. When I lost my dog I used to take a small radio of phone with me & ear bugs so I could listen to music or radio while I walked.
It is amazing how much better you feel afterwards & sometimes you meet people to chat with too.
You may find you start walking further each day & your RALLY do feel better when you get back home.

Can you save up for a professional spring clean?

you can get an idea of the price:
firstmaid.co.uk/domestic-cleaning-services/deep-cleaning/

You might then decide you would rather do it yourself. Or focus on one room only ie. Kitchen. if you did book someone say for 3 weeks away you would than probably feel that you had to do a bit of tidying 'just to get ready'. Just and idea. I have a person to clean every fortnight for 4 hours and it makes a huge difference dut to all sorsts of pressures to keep tidy that arise out of her forthcoming visit!!!

I do the chores in the adverts thing and then often find I get cracking and don't get back to whatever trash I was watching...it just gets me started. Dance music with a good beat can get you going too or I listen to a radio play and work through that.

I have fibromyalgia and it hurts to move a lot of the time so have found ways of making tasks easier. Since a fall last year, I have quite lost confidence in even the short, slow walks I used to do and have assumed a Winnie the poo silhouette......which I loathe AND to make things worse my 4 year old grand daughter thinks I shall have a baby soon !!!

Roll on summer when being out in the garden helps a little.

Eating garlic helps with chesty things.....and stops people coming round and seeing what a state the place is in.

Good luck, I have been there few times it is a struggle but you will do it.

I've found that getting a FitBit has changed so much for me. It's so nice to be congratulated on every bit of exercise you do... set yourself a fairly low amount of steps to achieve at first and work up to 10,000 a day. It sounds difficult but it's really not... rather than viewing housework as an awful chore, which is what I have always done, now I rejoice at the little firework display that comes up when I have reached my goal for the day! I get a real sense of achievement.

I realise it does depend on your financial situation Loopy but once you are feeling a bit better, could you book a cleaning firm such as Molly Maid for a full house clean. They do one offs and I'm pretty sure it would really aid your recovery to see that your home was sparkling clean and give you the incentive to keep it up.

Lots of good suggestions on here, Loopy. The main thing is to look after yourself, and build up to doing things gradually. Housework can wait. Glad you are seeing the doctor - hopefully s/he will be able to prescribe something to help. Take care.

I think we all feel a bit like this sometime.

Firstly you need to get that cough seen to - has the doc had a listen to your chest?

Secondly, housework really does not matter! It has never mattered to me and I seemed to have survived this aberration! If it matters to you, and you cannot convince yourself otherwise, then do the tiniest weeniest bit of tidying and then go out for a walk - spot the daisies and the bluebells, make a point of admiring the sky and examining the cloud configurations, tut over the dog messes etc. - i.e. examine your walk in minute by minute detail and focus on that alone; try and stop your mind wandering to anything else but the details of the walk. You will get some exercise, which will help, you will have something to take your mind into a better place and you will have found some good things to think about.

Good luck - tomorrow is another day!

I meant of course

A silly game I have been known to play to get myself off my ae*e motivate myself, is to list 6 jobs of roughly equal importance and effort.
Then roll a dice and do whichever one comes up. Thereafter, that number means a break or a short walk or 15 minutes with a magazine.
Repeat until you get fed up! [smike]

Best wishes Loopy, glad you are going to docs today. Totally understand how you feel.

I was in the same place earlier this year loopy, if lists work for you then use them but don't forget to include something you will enjoy, something that lifts your spirits, each day. It can be as simple as allowing a guilt free time with a cuppa and a book, or just sitting and looking out of the window, a short walk if you have the energy, or a chat with a friend. Nothing exhausting or complicated. A trip to the doctor is a good idea in case anti biotics are needed, Hang on in there, it will pass.

loopyloo you have to walk before you can run Try Metatone which is a tonic from the chemist, it says dilute but i am naughty and just have a swig out of the bottle in the morning. it is a great pick you up.
Mabe the housework fairies will pay you a visit.

Thank you so much everybody. You are all so kind. Think I will go to the doctor tomorrow. Writing lists helps too, I find.

I can empathise loopyloo, I have had 15 months of inactivity so carry on as you are by going in baby steps. I think you have to accept there are some things you can't do and not fret about it.

After I had been off colour for a week or so I just felt exhausted and sat in front of the TV. Knowing I needed to get off my behind I started by getting up every time the adverts came on - it is incredible what you can do in the 2 or 3 minutes. During one programme ads I could give the whole bathroom a lick and a polish, next programme ads tidied the kitchen worktops etc. Once a little bit is done it doesn't look so daunting.