Days 216 - 221 (Christmas Eve (Saturday) - Thursday) - oh my word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi All

I have nothing to say in mitigation - it was all delicious, I ate and drank everything I wanted and on Tuesday (day after Boxing day) I went to SW to face the music and had put on 3lbs :(

I'm pretty certain that much of the weight stemmed from pre-Christmas mince pies & doughnuts, coupled with the enormous meal late on Boxing Day but I had some lovely things to eat including the two desserts I made below!!
For info the top one is 4 sins a portion (SW magazine) and was an apple & cranberry strudel - very easy to make & made 6 portions. The bottom one was a Baileys Cream with hazelnut meringue (Waitrose Magazine) topped with After Eight triangles and was delicious, very rich, and would have blown up the sins calculator had I have tried - which of course I didn't!!!

In truth, however, both desserts were eaten after very SW friendly meals and whilst I did indulge in desserts, champagne & the odd after dinner mint I did not go berserk - I'd have put on much more weight :0)

On Tuesday, Tobz went off to camp & I went off to face the music. I stayed for group where we collected our new books & came away in a determined state of mind which unfortunately lasted about 15 mins!!!!!

I've really struggled to get back in to any sort of routine this week & that's not because of the four days entertaining I did it's because for the last three weeks (in which I've gained five pounds) I haven't been in a routine - everything's gone by the wayside - no gym, no self-control BUT tomorrow is another day and I'm going to try very hard to eat more sensibly.

We have a barmitzvah & the party on New Year's Eve but I will be controlled tomorrow, during the day Saturday and Sunday to limit the damage before I'm back to face the music on Monday.

I will try to blog regularly - feel free to jog my memory if you wish :)

Love to all

Lisa x

Day 215 (Friday) - vanishing grey, cooking, shopping and a successful op :0)

Quite a late post today as it's been a very busy day.

Started early as I had my legs, eyebrows and other bits waxed - it has to be done!! Then off out to the deli, the butcher (to collect the turkey & stuffing for Boxing Day), and finally to Waitrose.
OMG - I have never seen so many people & staff running around like headless turkeys (well it is Christmas) also inexplicably the aisles were full of green trays of stock which weren't being put on the shelves because the staff were elsewhere. Still ignoring all that - I was very organised and just after 12:15 was back home.

The lovely Agnes had cleaned my house beautifully as always and so after putting everything away I got everything ready for dinner - duck in oven, potatoes par-boiled and into the roasting tray sprinkled with rosemary & sea salt, cabbage shredded, broccoli trimmed and mushrooms sliced. Then I made a chocolate & cranberry cake (from the Waitrose magazine), and prepared a pineapple, some cherries and lychees for dessert.

After all that it was off to the hairdressers (result below - rather lovely I think!)







Tonight our friends came for dinner - unfortunately my friend is in hospital but her daughters, sons & husband came and we had a lovely evening. Food all turned out well and next time Michelle I want you with us :0)

So that's it for today.
Tomorrow we've got friends for dinner so more cooking for me. Maybe going to shul (a bit of spiritual uplift never does any harm!!) but it depends on what time I wake up.
Hope everyone has a fab weekend.
Lx

PS: had a very small piece of choc & cranberry cake this evening to taste but otherwise have had a very good 'diet day'. Made sure I had breakfast, lunch, fruit as snacks and lots to drink - determined not to go berserk over Christmas :0)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:In my lounge!

Day 214 (Thursday) - last day at work :0)

Hi all
Just a quckie tonight because it's late (23:41), I'm tired and I've already written my work blog today - there is only so much jolly blogging a girl can do in one day.

I've eaten much better today but did have a donut at the shul Chanukah party and a mince pie at work but otherwise stuck to 'the plan'.

Tomorrow we've got friends for dinner tomorrow and I've cooked the chicken soup, made chopped liver, made egg & onion, taken the duck out of the freezer, made cranberry sauce and made apple sauce :)

Then I wrapped the rest of the presents & caught up on my emails. Now I'm watching Holby City & then too bed.

Tomorrow it's 'whole body waxing', followed by some shopping, a dessert to make and then lots of very grey hair to conceal - it's all go.......,


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Home

Day 213 (Wednesday) - Busy, Busy, Busy.........

Evening All - as Dixon of Dock Green would say - if that means nothing to you that's fine because it means you are very young and didn't watch B&W police programmes in the 60s!!

The days are going by in a whirl now that my brain seems to be back in gear - parental good health will do that for a girl :0)
Up early this morning to get a load of washing on & hung up before I went to work & then a second load in. Then got chicken & giblets out of freezer so I could make soup tonight (for Friday night - oh I'm so planned!!) AND remembered to get out some fish to defrost for dinner tonight - sea bass fillets (yummy). Whilst in the freezer at 6:30 am found some salmon steaks which is great as I won't have to buy more for Saturday night :)

Once I emerged from the garage (that's where my freezer is) I made breakfast - 2 chocolate Weetabix with semi-skimmed milk and blackberries with a glass of squash. Startlingly filling, probably because I've got out of the eating breakfast habit.
Then off to work but not before making sure that Andrew was awake to let in the man coming to fix the shower door that fell off in October (!) who was due at 8:30 - he came (yay!) so now I'll be able to shower again - can't use the one in the kid's bathroom as the ceiling's too low - no idea how Dom manages as he's taller than me but suppose he's used to it. Just reassure you I have bathed & washed since October - it's just that the shower was unusable.

Very busy day - it always gets busy when you are going to be off for a few days - with a meeting in the middles. I wanted to get all my paperwork in order before I finish tomorrow but not sure I'll be able to (ho hum!). Anyway ate two mince pies during the day, some grapes and lots of coffee - but not any food - wasn't hungry to be honest but also out of routine.

Anyway got home & was hungry so cooked dinner - sea bass fillets (grilled) with asparagus, broccoli and a couple of latkes (small and cooked in oven - not fried!!) followed by a satsuma and some squash.

Then made the chicken soup for Friday (truly the best cooking smell ever!), did more washing (it never ends!) and wrapped almost all the Christmas/Chanukah presents until I ran out of paper - still I'll be able to finish up tomorrow which is very early for me as I'm normally doing it at midnight on Christmas Eve!!

I think that's all for now.
Going to catch up on some TV while I wait for Tobz & his friends to get back from a party - two staying over tonight so hope they wont be too noisy.

Love to you all
Lisa xx

Day 212 (Tuesday) - funny old day!!

Hi All

Today I had a 'normal' day but it's so long since I've had one it seems weird!!

Woke up a bit late this morning but as Andrew was going out late and both boys are on school holidays I was able to wash my hair, get dressed & tidy round and be out of the house just after 8:15 and in the office by 9 - amazing :) BUT.........I didn't have breakfast or remember to take a bottle of water with me.

Very busy at work because I want to get through 'everything' by the time I finish on Thursday - so head down & no time for noshing :)
Went out to a meeting for a couple of hours - and when I got back to the office, Karen had arrived with mince pies - it would have been rude not to have one so I did but only one & it was delicious but very sickly.

I had a Mug Shot during the afternoon plus a couple of satsumas I found in my handbag - not sure how long they'd been there - and loads of coffee & water during the day but NOTHING ELSE!!

Got home & made Chanukah with the kids - we opened our presents from my auntie & uncle, Adventure Days for the boys and a restaurant discount card for Andrew & I - great pressies :)

Then I went out to see my friend in hospital - she's been very poorly for a long time and I haven't seen her for ages so it was lovely to catch up and I really hope she'll be on the mend and home again very soon.

Then home to wrap a couple of pressies and then sort menus and shopping for the weekend. Much to my surprise & pleasure there were delivery slots from Tesco for tomorrow so I've done as much as I can on-line with a little list of bits I'll try and get tomorrow so I can start cooking tomorrow night - fab!!!

And now it's 22:46 (according to my computer) I've had several glasses of squash and no food - bit strange but I'm not hungry (certainly could live off my ample fat reserves for several days I'm sure!) so that's all for now!

Next job is to file away all the papers I sorted out onto the table tennis table - if I don't I fear the kids will pile it all up again when they want to play!!!

Love to all
Lisa xx

Day 211 (part two) - facing the music!

Hi all
Just to let you know I went to face the music and put on another pound.

Not thrilled but not devastated either - it could have been a lot worse.

I'm going to do my best this week (and keep my fingers crossed) for damage limitation.

I'm also definitely going to weigh in on the day after Boxing Day and the day after New Years Day as I think that's the only way I can exert some control.

Now my mum & dad seems to be on a better health track, I need to focus on my weekend entertaining - 10 for dinner on Friday, 6 (or8) for dinner on Saturday & then 8 on Boxing Day - as as yet I've not sorted the complete menus just one or two courses for each meal and no shopping lists!!!

So hope you are all ok & I'll try to blog tomorrow.
Lxx


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Hills Ln,Northwood,United Kingdom

Days 204 - 211 Monday - Monday & another week has gone by..........

And as my sister reminded me I haven't been blogging - I have, of course, been eating & not in a good way.
So the reason I haven't been blogging is that I can't lie to the blog (no.1 rule) and I'm not strong enough to admit further disastrous eating patterns :(

In truth, I went to weigh-in last Monday evening and put on a pound which was definitely better than I anticipated so I left the class fairly optimistic. Came home had dinner got up the next morning and had a proper breakfast before making lunch to eat at work as well as an afternoon snack as I was going to Tobz's carol concert at St Albans Abbey in the evening - sadly that's where it all went wrong as all the preparation in the world is only as good as the person remembering to take it with them!!!!!!!!!

In truth I didn't stop noshing all day Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday - when it got much worse because mum was poorly again & had a 'hospital incident' :( I can't blame her - its entirely my doing ............. however she's improving now and so on Friday I pulled myself together.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday & today have been excellent SW days, within the bounds of going out to eat on Saturday night and Sunday night. I had decided not to weigh in today either as I took my dad to his hospital appointment this morning - thankfully he's been discharged so another dad-generated medical crisis has drawn to a close!!

BUT, having had a gentle lecture from my sister, and giving myself a stern talking too, I'm off to face the music.
I haven't missed a weigh in since June - another promise to myself - regardless of the outcome it is definitely better to weigh-in and suffer than not weigh-in and 'explode' because I know that will happen.

Whatever happens tonight, I'll be at least 1.5 stone lighter than I was this time last year - whilst not as good as I'd planned it is vastly better than it would have been had I not brought myself back under control.

So I'll let you know later (or tomorrow) how I get on and will try to post daily (even quick one's!) over the next two weeks - I'm sure it will help :)

PS: Thanks to Madeline for restarting her video blog yesterday & reminding me how powerful this is for both of us & that the goal was 'slow but steady' & not 'speedy but unsustainable) xx

Days 198 - 203 (Tues - Sunday) - A terrible week & I blame my mother.............

Because if I don't that only leaves me to blame!!!

As regular readers will be aware I haven't blogged since Monday when I was determined to follow the plan 'to the letter' (was what I wrote) - well I can only say life got in the way this week & as Craig Revel-Horwood (Strictly viewers will understand) would say 'Dahling it's been a disahster!!!'

Mum got taken in to hospital suddenly on Tuesday as the consultant felt he needed to resolve her heart issues swiftly & so he did - for the squeamish amongst you I won't go into all the details, but suffice to say she had a couple of very unpleasant procedures which did work & so she now has a heart that is beating in normal sinus rhythm (if slightly slowly). This is better than the excessively fast rate it was at. She came home from hospital on Friday night and is making steady progress at home.
She was in The London Independent & her treatment was top class - however it was a four hour round trip by car or 90 mins on three different tube lines so not the most convenient for me & I decided to use this as an excuse to stop eating proper meals but instead eat my body weight (& my sisters!) in chocolate, sandwiches, milkshakes etc because I could eat/drink these things in the car - I even drank the sugary Volvic instead of plain water or the sugar-free sort = stupid girl :(

I am beating myself up because I deserve it & sometimes you just need to be told. WHEN WILL I LEARN???

I'm so scared about the damage I might have done I haven't dared weigh myself - a really bad sign.
Also I'm taking mum for a blood test in the morning & then dad for a chest x-ray (it's all go!!) in preparation for his check up following pneumonia, so I can't get to my SW class in the morning.
This means I have to go in the evening & I'm not sure I can face it - but I'll see cos if I don't I suspect things will deteriorate again as I'm more in control today.

Hope all goes well with you - and that you might be learning from my bad habits better than me!

Lxx

Day 196 (no blog) & 197 - another half pound bites the dust

Hi all

Just to let you know I lost another half a pound this week.
Really pleased that the informed choices I made when out over the weekend as well as the 'Christmas lunch' last week meant that I succeeded without depriving myself.

Now onto this week - no meals out during the week so going to try really hard to follow the plan TO THE LETTER!!

Time will tell.......

Love to all
Lxx


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Days 193 to 4pm on day 195 - Thurs to Sat pm

Hi all

Sorry to to write but life has been very hectic over the last couple of days - nothing bad just busy.

Thursday I was at a conference at the RPS in Lambeth - quite interesting and, for once, food wasn't too bad. I had been and veg soup (SW dieters dream!!) with two quarter sandwiches and some fruit salad with lots of black coffee and water during the day. After the conference I went to mum & dad's so I could take dad to see the 'prostate man' in the evening. Was supposed to be going on the tube but station was closed so went on number 12 bus to Oxford Circus - really nice ride and got to see the lights in Regents Street which are gorgeous - Arthur Christmas is the theme :) Anyway I digress, got the tube to mum & dad and was reminded of my youth as I always got the tube to Redbridge Station - couldn't tell you the last time but it is such an easy journey.
Took dad to see consultant & it was good news (for once) - all signs are that prostate problems are benign and all he needs are tablets to help pee less & empty better (if you get my drift) - such a relief. Mum isn't great but I felt she seemed a bit better on Thursday - but we'll have to wait and see what consultant says on Tuesday.
Took tube home (left car at West Ruislip so had to travel entire length of Central line to get home) - journey was ok but had to wait quite a long time for train at Redbridge. By the time I got home I was so tired I just had a drink and went to bed!

Yesterday was similarly hectic - Tobz to school, gym, butcher, Tesco & deli  all before 1pm :) Then home to make chicken soup, get dinner ready and then collect boys from various places. Have to say its a bit of a blur as I'm not feeling great today but I kept to the plan - of that I'm sure.

Woke up quite early this morning with chesty cough & a throat that feels swollen not sore but quite weird :(
Andrew had decided to take Tobz to football & to stay & watch so Dom and I decided not to go to shul and had a very lazy morning. Made myself a nice breakfast of corn thins with smoked salmon (3) and smoked roe (3) with three sticks of celery and a black coffee.
For lunch we had more chicken soup and I had a portion of the boiled chicken with some baby beetroot.
I've had lots to drink today to try and keep headache at bay although not terribly successfully :(

Shortly we are going into town to meet friends for a pre-theatre drink and then off to see 'One Man & Two Guvnors' with James Cordon - cant wait as its supposed to be hilarious and I definitely need something light-hearted. After the theatre we are off to Soho House for dinner (always lovely) so hoping for a lovely evening.

Hope your weekend is fun.
Love
Lxx