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Oops, pressed the button a bit too quick! I have to leave soon anyway, I have my monthly cut and Colour to endure now. I pulled my back again on Monday so it has been sore and painful all week, it's a little better now so hopefully I won't be too uncomfortable whilst they sort my hair out! I have been wondering if I have managed to lose this weight whilst being unable to walk/swim would I lose more when I can start gentle exercises again? What a lovely thought to dwell on!
Wishing you both a lovely weekend and hopefully the weather will be kind to you. (When I come home later, I am going to make a herbal tea and sit and read again your last posts, I read them quickly earlier, but want to take my time and enjoy them, I was exhausted reading them with all you have both been doing!).
Take Care, Deborah xx0 -
BM and MITM, your posts have been delightful, inspiring, and thought provoking to read. MITM, I am virtually shaking my head here as I read about the work you have done related to all that food preparation. Besides being angry, you must surely have been exhausted and tiredness is definitely the enemy of willing compliance to regulated eating which is hard enough at the best of times. So do not be hard on yourself. You will surely overcome this blip.
How interesting that both of you have strong feelings and experience with the issue of thank you notes and more widely the whole issue of gratitude. The article was a terrific one; I can see why you saved it, MITM. It should be posted in public places! But seriously, to be raised or given a fine sense of gratitude is really a great gift because it is a way of looking at the world and extends far beyond thank-you notes.
Deborah, I am very happy for you to hear how well you are doing with your (shall I call it a diet or not?) plan. 11 pounds is a significant achievement.
My own eating plan has been somewhat disorganised this week with so much continued gardening but I've basically kept within the portion boundaries I want at the moment and have been quite active. I was able to ride my horse this morning, still slowly working back up into it but at least I'm on. I rode quite early and had just returned home when predicted rain began which has lasted nearly all day so I could not do any gardening. I've been heavily mulching, more than usual this year, so hope to have less weeding during the really hot weather. In the afternoon, I went to a couple of garden centres to 'have a look.' Of course, I ended up buying more plants. My excuse was there was an excellent special offer on hanging baskets of the large tuberous begonias- I bought two. One is red and the other has a mixture of yellow plants and pink. The baskets were very lush. I also bought some cream coloured marigolds which I don't often see so could not pass them by. I wanted a packet of watercress seeds (I read they have the highest amount and variety of minerals and vitamins of all the greens) but have not found them anywhere yet. I have planted up my raised veg box with tomato, pepper, lettuce, beans, spinach and zucchini so it is quite full. At present, the lilac is in bloom; it is a dark purple variety. It came from a shoot that came from my mother's place and that tree came from a shoot that my grandmother dug for me to take home when I was quite a young child. I have some iris in bud that came from my mother's and also some from a good friend who died of breast cancer. The friend also gave me some Virginia bluebells which have just finished blooming. That is one thing I love about my garden. It has a lot of associations with
people who meant a lot to me. Also some English bluebells are in bloom; they too came from my friend who was a really excellent gardener.
Take care of yourselves. Regards.0 -
Morning Crackers
Well I logged in my weight which I forgot to do yesterday and although it somehow doesn't feel right after last night's dreadful attack on the young, innocent, defenseless youngsters in Manchester, at the same time I feel strongly terrorists cannot be allowed to win, so we must continue on with our daily lives. My thoughts and prayers are with the family's of the victims and the many injured.0 -
I know exactly what you mean MITM. I was worrying about which buttons to buy for a cardi I am knitting believe it or not. When I heard this news a little later I felt such a shallow person with so little to worry or complain about. However by feeling guilt we are allowing the cowards a victory and as you rightly say we cannot let them to dictate or change our way of life.
My heart goes out to these innocent victims and their families, they will be in my thoughts and prayers too.0 -
Ditto to what you have both said. Lots of news of Manchester here. I notice now after these attacks much more emphasis is put on giving a face to the victims. One heart rending story here was of a 22 year old man whose mother was trying to make money by selling her crafts at a local craft show but no one seemed to want them but the young man got his friends to buy them so the mother did not feel discouraged. Also a story about how two homeless men who had been outside the arena went to the aid of victims- a reflection of real values.0
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Good Evening Crackers!
As we enter the 6th month of the year I'm finally back in the dieting groove! Although as always I use the word 'dieting' lightly - I mean healthy lifestyle.... I'm once more in control of what I eat and at last I'm moving more again which combined with the better eating habits has equaled a minor weight loss in the past 2 weeks!
I am painting again... I did the main kitchen as when I was in England in April, I saw in John Lewis some material I liked for new curtains (I've been looking unsuccessfully for years!) so my Mother is kindly making them for me to bring back on my next trip in 2 weeks time, so I wanted to do it before I put them up. Because it was the 'kitchen' I felt obligated to get it done in the one day as there isn't so much actual wall to paint. However it still took me 12 hours in total to clear, clean, paint and then put everything back again. The following day I couldn't get out of bed - the pain! It was just like the first time I ever did the dreaded shred with the lovely Jillian! To walk down the staircase was sheer agony. It took me 2 days to recover but I lost 0.8 of a pound which made it all worthwhile and I'm pleased with my kitchen.
This week I'm painting my sitting room which was in dire need as it hasn't been done since I moved in 18 years ago! Again I spotted in London, this time some ready made curtains which were perfect and even better in the sale. As the daughter returns with me for the summer at the end of the month, it was a case of now or never as I need her bedroom to store everything. I have allowed myself a week, to slowly do the room without any pain and there's more to paint and I had far more prepping to do but it's keeping me occupied and out of the kitchen and I can feel the difference it's making to my body, as I'm up and down and stretching but without the Jillian pain! And I have been rewarded with a further 0.8 of a pound loss this week.
I have also been in the garden lots. What a difference 2 weeks of sunshine makes. The flower beds are full of colour, my pot plants are out on the terrace and my window boxes are up and the vegetable garden is fully planted hurrah! It makes me so happy! Which brings me to my final subject. I'm currently reading 'the Gratitude Diaries' by Janice Kaplan - how a year looking on the bright side transformed her life. I purchased it last year, having read a book review written by Bel Mooney who funnily enough wrote the reply to that letter on thank you letters! Anyway I haven't got far yet but I'm enjoying it and I'm currently reading the chapter on 'raising grateful kids' and I quote;
'It turns out that empathy is fundamental to gratitude - and to what psychologists now describe as 'emotional intelligence'. Various studies in brain and behaviour suggest that IQ accounts for only about 20% of a child's success in later life. A full 80% is determined by other factors that revolve around emotional style. When kids can step outside of themselves for a moment and imagine what it is to be someone else, they are better able to respond to other people's emotions - and to recognize their own. They also start to appreciate both what they have and what others have done for them.'
In a study done at Boston University on gratitude and kids one less positive side showed 'Teenagers have a sense of entitlement that fights gratitude. If they code it that parents or the community or the world is obligated to provision them with the things they want, then the parent is just living up to their obligations. That's not a mind-set that creates a grateful disposition.'
All very interesting. Well I must stop and get to my bed!
Be good Crackers!
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Hello Crackers. I had just been writing at some length when out of nowhere the screen changed to a screen that I had never seen before which brought up earlier entries and seemed to be a kind of print screen. Needless to say, my post has disappeared. At the moment I am too annoyed, rather tired,and can't face beginning all over tonight. So I will return tomorrow. In the meantime, I was delighted to read your post, MITM, and glad to hear you have found your groove again for healthy eating.0
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I'm back after the annoyance of losing the previous post but may do this in parts and post before it gets too long.
MITM, I am always interested in your painting projects. They usually make me feel quite exhausted just reading about the amount of painting you take on. You did not mention anything about colour choices which I always find interesting. What have you gone with this time and how do the curtains work into that? It is surely a nice bonus to find that the painting seems to be helping with your weight efforts too- well done. The Gratitude Diaries sounds interesting. There have been a number of books on gratitude here but yours sounds particularly interesting with its analysis of the importance of gratitude. It may seem like an obvious concept but I do think such books help us to focus on what may be obvious but is so easily taken forgranted and overlooked. I would say I have tried to be more conscious of the small joys around me as I have aged. I am glad I can take pleasure in the birds that visit my feeders although I am not a birder who will ever have huge list of birds I have seen.My garden would never win awards (not with Nellie in the backyard as well as the difficulty of having large trees that make it really shady and dry in summer!) but still I've had lovely flowers this year. A wiegelia bush has flourished with the extra rain and is full of pink blosoms. I had a surprising number of bluebells and now many purple spiderwort and a few iris that have bloomed in the shafts of light between the trees.
Today is lovely and sunny after a cloudy couple of days and the most dreadful thunderstorm on Sunday. I was caught in it driving home from my sister's. The rain was so intense I could hardly see the vehicle ahead and the wipers could not keep up with the rain. I was finally able to pull into a parking lot and wait out the storm. It was actually quite scary.0 -
Next part! Last week I visited my friend from the stable who has ALS. She has deteriorated further and now can not speak at all and sadly was having trouble using her tablet or cell phone to communicate as she has little strength or control in her right hand which is now her only hand with any function as her left is completely withered and gnarled, and she was left-handed on top of everything. She managed to scrawl a few written phrases with a pen. However, I think she was happy to see me as she managed a sort of smile. She is in a long term care section of the hospital where most others are very old, often with dementia. The days must be so long for her. The stable owner has been very good about visiting her with her two adult daughters and has also taken along other friends. I was surprised, and frankly disappointed, when another woman at the stable who has known her for over twenty years told me she would not visit her because she wants to remember her as she was before this disease. Also this person had for many years ridden her horse a couple of times a week (at little cost) because she only ever rode three times at most. I do not like to be judgemental but I think it would mean a lot to her if there was a visit from this woman. It is very sad that my friend has never shown her frustration, anger, fear, but always seems 'positive.' I know this is a rather sobering post but it is also by implication a reflection on gratitude.0
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The heat has come with a vengeance after the days of somewhat below usual temps and lots of rain. We have now jumped into the thirties with humidex making it feel about 35C- definitely not my kind of weather. Suddenly the plants need watering daily and my pansies which had remained glorious for so long have just wilted away; no amount of water will help them but rather seems to only make things worse and turn their leaves yellow. Today my two David Austen rose bushes, both lovely shades of pink, are suddenly in bloom. One thing I am missing is red geraniums for a large planter that I put on my front steps. It seems impossible to find them this year. All the red geraniums seem to be in pre-planted pots that are much more expensive. I suspect this is because of the Canada 150th anniversary and that it is more profitable to sell them in that fashion.
I weighed myself on Sunday after not doing so for quite a while. I had seemed to be stuck at the same weight for ages regardless of exercise or eating. So I was very surprised and pleased that I had dropped 6 pounds. I certainly have been exercising more- walking Nellie and some biking (this morning I was able to do almost half an hour despite the heat) as well as gradually doing more riding ( a long way to go still to get back to some of my better rides and at the moment definitely no jumping). I'm never quite sure about the weighing. One reads many different views from everyday to once a week to never. Of course, there always seems to be 'research' to support every view. One view I have read that seems quite agreed upon is weighing daily for people who are at their goal weight; however, that is not me. So for the moment, I am intermittent. I know Beck is quite supportive of daily weighing but in her thoughtful way advises people to be mindful and have the correct attitude before stepping on a scale. I do often think about the idea of remembering that weight, or even losing weight, is not a behaviour but the result of other behaviours like exercising or keeping one's sugar grams to a certain number. However, I'm sure that I am not alone in sometimes approaching a scale in a rational manner and can be frustrated, demoralised, etc. by a scale that won't seem to budge.
I'll leave off shortly as I have decided to go to a nearby theatre (surely air-conditioned unlike my house) to see "Megan Leavey" the movie about a woman in the U.S. army and her bomb sniffer dog- based on a true story. I wouldn't normally go to see a war themed movie, especially Iraq, but I can't resist a dog story!0 -
Good Evening Crackers!
There is a huge storm fast approaching from Italy which I shall try my very best to outrun as I want to quickly post before I leave for the UK again tomorrow.
Bracken lovely as always to hear your news and congratulations on your fantastic 6 pound loss. I do hope you are able to feel and see the difference and it spurs you on-wards. As you know I am a daily stepper on the scales and usually I'm pretty accurate at knowing what they will say! For example I forgot to log my last weight loss and then we had family staying over the long weekend.... I didn't think I was too bad but I was bad and come Tuesday the scales showed a 3 pound gain - no way! But it took a whole week 'of being good' for the scales to come down just slightly daily and I needed to see it happening!
As I mentioned I'm off to fetch the daughter 'home'. She's just completing her final exams - lots of stress for her and for me too having to listen to her! It's going to be a very long summer as she doesn't get her results until the middle of August and I think I've mentioned, to go to her chosen University she needs A's - so no pressure! Meanwhile I've been keeping myself busy and occupied in the garden and I've painted the woodshed. I had painted the lower half last year but whilst sorting out the roses I kept looking at the top half and thinking how dreadful it looked. So as the paint was there, I just started. Whilst lying flat on the sloping roof it occurred to me if I toppled off what a pathetic way to go, for the sake of a rustic woodshed - however having survived intact I'm actually very pleased with the finished result. The husband was working so isn't even aware I've done it (over 2 days) as he rarely comes in the front door and it runs one side of the house, so I shall wait and see how long it takes him to notice!
My kitchen and sitting room the colours are very understated. The whole house was once white and I've managed to persuade the husband to allow me to paint it many different shades of cream except our bedroom which is very pale blue/grey and almost caused him heart palpitations at the first few strokes! But the kitchen is now Farrow & Ball Dimity which goes well with our work surfaces and tiles, I just hope the paprika curtains I'm collecting are as I remembered!! The walls look so much warmer now which I want for the cold winter months. The sitting room is White Tie which goes very well with my many cream marble lamp bases and cream mirror, the rest of the room is shades of purple and green so I'm now happy and the husband approves.
Bracken I was very shocked at the story about your poor friend from the stable and the other woman. I think it's a dismal show of support and friendship when it's most needed. My favourite Aunt died from ALS and by the time I returned to the UK she could no longer speak but could still just about write although it was downhill from there very rapidly - a matter of weeks and she was gone. To be able to think still but not communicate must be dreadful and so frustrating but to be totally ignored is disgraceful as your friend is still the same person inside but a prisoner, trapped in a failing body. I too would be very disappointed.
Well I shall finish on some positive news as this week I have lost 2 pounds and I am back at my target weight! Actually I'm 0.6 below! It's taken me 6 months to get back here but there is a very good saying 'don't miss out on 95% of your life just to weigh 5% less' which I was obviously thinking of but I'm more than delighted to be back and able to wear my trusty capri jeans again and feel comfortable in them. I shall try and keep that in mind if any temptations are placed before me in the UK!
BM - long time since we've heard from you, hope all is well with you?
Be good Crackers!
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Many apologies for my absence, I have had a nasty bout of unexpected bleeding (sorry, too much information !) which has floored me for a while. It always seem to happen when I am so happy and feel good about walking, Swimming etc. I'm happy to say I'm over the worse which I am very Glad about as we are off to New Zealand tomorrow for the British and Irish Lions rugby tour. This time last week I was wondering if I'd make it, so I'm really happy to be so much better this week.
Bracken, your friends story is heartbreaking, and unfortunately the lady who won't visit seems to me to be very shallow and only thinking of herself. I appreciate it would be difficult for her to see a Friend so unwell, but definitely not as difficult as it would be to be in said friends shoes! A selfish lady and not a Friend I would choose. On a happier note well done on the 6 pounds!
MITM, I'm Glad you are getting your home the way you are happy with it, I should imagine it's difficult enough to live in your Husbands family home and being a man he's obviously resistant to change! Good for you for making it your own with such lovely colours and curtains.
I have to pack now, I just haven't had the energy to even think about it and now the almost empty case is on the bed waiting to be filled. It is Winter in NZ so I can't wait for the cold. It's 43c here today and 10c in Auckland, so quite a difference!
Wishing you both well and safe journey to the UK and back MITM.
BM xx0 -
Well, I've just got back from my annual endurance test in the UK and no one else has posted. I guess this is the end of our little group. I have loved being a part of it. You have been with me through the ups and down of being an overweight expat! MITM I wish you well and expect to hear a lot more of your Daughter in the future. I wish her well, her chosen subject is a valid one and unfortunately with Trump at the helm it is of more importance now more than ever. Bracken, your times spent in your garden and with Nellie have meant more to me than you will ever know. Your wisdom and gentle knowledge guided me on several occasions when I was at rock bottom and couldn't show it. I wish you both and your family much peace and happiness.
Take care both, love always, Deborah xxxx0 -
Well I would find it such a shame if our little group were to end after 5 lovely years together?! Deborah, I suspected you were on your 'annual endurance' test, as I noticed you were not logging in so I was just waiting for your return after the summer break, as is hopefully Bracken.
Sadly my summer has also been an endurance test of sorts - it will go down as the longest... The daughter was absolutely convinced she wasn't going to get into Southampton University and has spent much of the summer daily in floods of tears, enough to fill a river and has been as miserable as sin. She feared she had messed up her German exam to the point where she had printed the forms up ready to resit it next year and had asked her Father to get her a job on the biscuit line for the coming year from September...
The husband then decided to liven things up and put his hand into our industrial food mixer and almost lost a finger. It was saved by a whisker as fortunately for him the night he had his accident the finger surgeon was still operating in the hospital. So he couldn't work (day job, weekend job, wedding job, OUR schlipfkrapfen job) and guess what he was miserable as sin too!
Daughter had to step in, supervised by the husband and to our amazement she has the touch for rolling (thank goodness!) to keep us up and running and we have worked solidly around the clock, to keep on top of the orders - never had such a busy August before! Husband has now returned to his day job but can't get his hand wet... And the daughter is only here for 3 more weeks so we're still working, working, working.
The daughter did get her place at Southampton but I'm not sure how as although she got an A for German, A* for her extended project on the Holocaust, B for Politics she only got a C for History her top subject. She's never had anything less than an A for any exam paper or essay in History before and her coursework was graded an A and she was predicted an A*. This has absolutely stunned her and totally knocked her confidence. And to think she was worrying about German!
Her course is German and History at university and as she has still got her place without the A grade - I'm guessing because of the A*, rather than risk having it remarked and losing her place, she will just get a copy of her paper so her Head of History can look it over as she needs closure to be able to move on. Of course her college is on holiday but her old school History teacher contacted her and has reassured her this does not in anyway reflect her ability.
So it's been a very long, hard, hot summer but somehow I find myself just a pound over my target weight. I do hope Bracken pops in soon as I too could do with a dose of her common sense regarding education!
Deborah - did you get to do your knitting trip?
Be good Crackers!
Bridget
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So lovely to hear from you! I am delighted our little group are going to soldier on! Hopefully Bracken is just busy and that everything with herself and family are OK.
Well MITM, I cannot believe what a difficult time you and your family have gone through. I sincerely hope you are all over the worst of the many shocks you have all experienced. I hope than when your Daughter is able to go over her History paper it will give her some kind of comfort and closure so she can move on from it. I wish her well in Southampton!
Yes I went on my Shetland Textile tour and absolutely loved it! The 7 ladies I met were wonderful and thankfully we all got along brilliantly. Everyday was amazing, I fell in total love with Shetland and it's people. I am still having parcels delivered on an almost daily basis as due to the 20kg luggage restrictions for Shetland I had almost everything I bought shipped home to Singapore. So it feels like my holiday is never ending! Lol x
My other good news is we have sold the Cambridge house, it was all a ridiculous rush though. We put it for sale in the week before we came home on the Friday, a family looked at it on Saturday and bought it on the Monday! So poor OH had to spend the whole week I was in Shetland emptying the house, finding storage for some furniture and getting it ready for the new people. We have nothing in mind to buy yet though, the two houses we wanted, especially the new one in Somerset we lost last year knocked us a bit. So we are looking slowly and not in a desperate rush to buy yet. Hopefully the right house will come along.
Take good care of yourself too, whilst you are looking after and worrying about everyone else (understandably) take some time for yourself xxx0 -
Afternoon Crackers (hopefully Bracken will return)
Well summer is officially OVER 22nd September and I for one will be glad to see the back of it this year!
I am finally back at my target weight - after a summer of stress and final straw, after the washing machine flooding and the pipes then flooding downstairs in the basement... my husband wrote off my car yesterday - it was damp, unseasonably cold (we have snow on the mountaintops) and he skidded with summer wheels, spun around onto the opposite side of the road (fortunately no oncoming cars) before rolling down into a ditch. Climbed out with just a scratch on his head which after scanning at the hospital was given the all clear. He was on his way to do a wedding poor bride but they coped without him. So I do really hope that is it now - it most certainly is for the car!
However on a more positive note the college has been in touch with the daughter as they were 'very shocked' at her History result since she was second in the course work out of 180 in her year and they have asked her permission to get one paper remarked. Her university place is safe so she has agreed. The daughter is very much looking forward to starting Freshers this time next week! She has got her 1st choice accommodation in an old fashioned building, like something out of Harry Potter with a beautiful dining room like the old hall with long tables and high back chairs, so she is very happy, plus she has her modules including Anne Frank.
BM - so pleased you have sold the Cambridge house that is brilliant news and that you enjoyed your Shetland textile tour. Are you busy knitting at the moment for Christmas! Only 99 days away!!!! I cannot believe it is the Singapore Grand Prix already it has come around so quickly even if the summer seems to have gone on forever!
I had an email from the 'Beck Diet Program' as they have a new website which I found interesting and when I have more time to look and get back (2nd Oct) from my trip to the UK I'm going to make some changes and new commitments. This getting older lark is not fun and I need to improve my levels of fitness over the winter months and finally cut the price tags off the exercise clothes I bought in Spring!
Be good Crackers!0 -
I'm off to the UK today for 2 weeks back 2nd October.0
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Oh MITM, I'm certain you will be glad to put this whole year to bed! Thankfully your Husband is Ok. I know it's only a car but it will probably still be a pain to sort out. It looks as if your Daughter is getting back on top things, i agree it will be excellent to get her paper remarked. I am envious of the Harry Potter dining room! I am thoroughly enjoying my knitting and just today finished a jumper I knit with wool bought in Shetland!
Wishing you a safe journey an a good time with your family xxx
Ps Bracken, thinking of you and Nellie xxxxxxx
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Well hello!
What's happened to MFP? It's all different and I'm struggling to find my way around, but I found you in the end. I haven't read any of the posts so have no idea what you have been up to other than what MITM told me in her texts. I have posted a note to Bracken this morning so hopefully she will get in touch when she receives it if not before. I couldn't put my hands on her phone number to ring her although I know I have it here somewhere.
I am not doing well with my weight which has sky rocketed over a difficult summer when I had no routine and little exercise. I need to do something about it so MITM's text came at an apt moment. I'm also thinking of going to Weightwatchers tomorrow as I have a friend who has done well with it. Do you all remember New82day? Well she is now a Slimming World leader and runs her own group locally to where she lives. Well done her!
BM, my husband and I went away for a few days in September after a difficult time and we spent three of those days in a remote cottage up a mountain by Crickhowell. I thought of you while we were exploring the area. I obviously had to go to the wool shop in Abergavenny so have a winter jumper on the go. It's sage green with a fair isle section at the top of the back, front and sleeves in shades of green, brown, mulberry, pink and beige. I've nearly finished the back and am pleased with it. It will keep me cosy now that it's starting to get cold.
That's all I've got time for right now, but I hope that our lives will be more settled so that I can check in regularly.
Love to you all
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Evening Crackers!
Just quickly checking in to report, I have returned from the UK and what a treat to discover LMV you have navigated your way back to us! Do join Weightwatchers if that is what it takes to get you back on the straight and narrow again and weighing in weekly. I am eager for an exercise partner to help motivate me, as that is my goal for Christmas to lose a few extra pounds and to get fitter. I'm so pleased to hear that New82day is maintaining her weight how did you come across that?
Well my daughter has settled into uni, I spent the afternoon with her yesterday and she is loving the whole environment. Lectures start this week and she is buzzing! BM - the paper the college requested to be remarked has now come back as a B. Her new tutor an elderly professor (I hope she doesn't mean my age by that!) told her he got a B for History when he was expecting an A and it took him a year to get over it! So he understands but he is now Head of German so it didn't stop him and he told her a story, of a recent student who had a place at Oxford as she too was predicted an A* for History but got a B so lost her place and came to Southampton. She won a competition and is now working for the European Parliament. At least now her grades are A*, A, B, B, she met her conditional offer so feels worthy of her place which she didn't with the C grade!
Right well I must continue unpacking shame that burns more calories!
Be good Crackers!
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Evening Crackers,
Well I bit the bullet and went to weightwatchers. What a shock! I am wearing denim jeans and a sweater which are quite heavy clothes, but, I am only 5lbs away from my heaviest weight ever. Very sobering. I know why it happened and there is no point whining about it, it is what it is. Time to take control of the situation, get organised and get disciplined.
We booked our flights today for another trip to Australia so there's my motivation. We fly on 31st January so I have four months to get fit and get slimmer. On the plus side I find it easier to lose weight in the winter months as I love soups and casseroles. Generally, if I cut out sugar and stick to veg, whole grains, lean meats and fish I lose weight quite effectively. This fits in with the WW programme so I'm hopeful that it will work for me. Tomorrow I will do some meal planning and then shopping to make sure I have everything I need for the next few days.
Exercise is the other side of the equation so I need to get moving. Did you have anything in mind MITM? I'm thinking I probably need to set a daily step target and possibly a DVD workout challenge. I simply can't face Gillian and the 30 Day Shred but I might see if I can find something else. Any ideas anyone?
Re New8, we are friends on Facebook so keep in touch that way. Little Daisy is growing up, I think she is seven now. Your daughter has grown up too MITM. You must be so proud of her and what she has achieved and it will be exciting to see her start the next chapter in her life. I'm glad she has found a tutor she can relate to and who is encouraging her from the outset.
Time for bed - will look forward to gradually catching up with everyone's news.
xx
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Good Evening Crackers!
According to Beck 'It doesn't take that much time to actually do everything, what does take time is how long you spend deciding to do it.' So LMV I think you just got a 10/10 and now that you've drawn the line, faced the scales, booked your flight tickets there should be no stopping you!
I confess I tittered at the mere mention of the lovely Jillian, nooooooo I was not talking torture when I whispered the word exercise! I'm all for a daily step target that would be great. Whilst in the UK I saw Lorraine Kelly on the tv and I couldn't help admiring how she has kept her 2 stone weight loss off over 3 years and looks very trim, which she credits to fitness trainer Maxine Jones and the 3 classes she attends a week. So I had a look on youtube at their DVD and it looked doable and 'fun' it's dance aerobics, broken into 3 20 minute workouts. So I ordered the 'Lorraine Living to the Max' and today I got as far as putting it on and watching a bit. Tomorrow I'm cutting the labels out of my new exercise clothes I bought back in Spring and I will let you know what I think.
I also weighed in today and I gained 1.6 pounds on my travels which I'm blaming on food pushers and not having set any boundaries - just going with the flow. I said yes to stewed apple (as my Father thinks he's the only one who can cook apples..... - I've 2 trees of my own out here!) at dinner most evenings with a splash of cream and ice-cream, 2 things I only treat myself to now at Christmas time etc. never on a daily basis. I didn't even enjoy it as it was far too sweet and I thought how much sweetener has he put in. You guessed right. On my last day he put sugar down on the shopping list and my Mother said 'we only bought 3 bags last week!' He always used to cook it with low calorie sweetener not a bag of sugar. I dread to think how many calories I forced down! At least I was strong enough to say no to buying any mince pies knowing that I would be back in December, when I wish to be under target (ready for the mince pie calories) and feeling toned. The only part of me that feels toned at present is my fingers from making too many schlipfkrapfen this summer!
So that is my goals for the coming months.
Be good Crackers!
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Morning Crackers,
Day 1 of the new regime went quite well. I managed 14,177 steps and my eating was under control with no snacking. Today will be more of a challenge as I have a birthday lunch with a friend. I am making a birthday cake for him which I need to finish this morning. It's a caramel apple cake and I still have to put the caramel glaze on it - no licking the bowl! I'll have to have a small slice, but at least it isn't a rich chocolate cake!
A dance based DVD sounds right up my street so I'll take a look and order it later. Good luck with the new exercise wear!
We had our monthly book group meeting last night. We read Nutshell by Ian McEwan. He's a wonderful writer but I didn't like this book. I disliked all the characters and their actions so I didn't bond with it at all. It's a modern tale based on Hamlet. It split the group - three loved it, two thought it was middling, and three hated it. That always makes for a really good discussion so we had a really good evening.
Bad luck on the gain MITM, but you know where it came from and you will be able to shift it over the next couple of weeks if you decide you want to. It just takes a bit of discipline.
Right, I must get on with the cake.
Be good Crackers
xx0 -
My caramel apple cake. Just the candle to go on.
xx
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Evening Crackers!
Oh LMV that looks absolutely delicious! I'm not sure I could be trusted to stop at one slice.
I have spent today working out in the garden as there is much to do, so I did very little walking but lots of raking. That is a brilliant step count for day 1 what is your daily aim? This evening I cut the labels out of my exercise gear and regretted doing so 2 minutes later! I've just had to check on here when I bought them and it was back in January. On the 24th I described my new capri styled exercise trousers as like putting on a wet suit - however once in it was like a firm 2nd skin and I looked the part. Ha! Eight months on with no exercise in between, I struggled to squeeze myself into the trousers oh and the sight of the ripples of flab spilling over and I'm the same weight as I was when I bought them!! Just even more unfit. Tomorrow morning I am going to get the tape measure out.
Well I'm hoping that the DVD will do as it says on the box burn calories and shift fat. I only did one 20 minute workout 'Cardio Max' + warm up/cool down and it went very quickly although I think it was 40 minutes in total. My only complaint would be as is says on the Amazon reviews, the camera is often just on the top half of the instructor and they do the move a couple of times before you see her legs. However I got the hang of the steps eventually and I was surprised to find myself hot and bothered by the end and now as I'm tapping this I'm actually aware that I ache where my ripples of flab are - so that's a good sign!
Right I'm off to bed now - I think I might sleep well as I'm absolutely shattered!
Be good Crackers!0 -
Afternoon Crackers,
I only managed 7061 steps yesterday - too much time sitting around chatting at the birthday lunch and the we have such a bounteous crop of apples this year I spent several hours coring, peeling and chopping for the freezer. If I had managed to get a walk down to the marsh and back in I would have been much closer to 10,000. I don't always get time for a long walk so I need to set a realistic step target but aim high. I'd like to try and average 10,000 steps a day so my target is 70,000 steps a week. I have ordered the Lorraine DVD so I'll aim to do that three times a week too once it arrives. Had another good good day yesterday. It included a small slice of cake, but that can be accommodated within the WW programme. The cake went down well and I must say it was a lovely recipe and I would definitely use it again on another occasion. I loved your description of your gym clothes MITM. Think you should be pleased with ripples of flab, at the moment I have a tsunami of flab!
Right, I need to get on with more apples. I'm getting fed up to the back teeth of apples! When I've finished the apples I shall be getting on with some much nicer cooking. Hugh F-W has a new cookery book out, Much More Veg, so I am going to try some new recipes from it for this evening's dinner. I'm going to prepare a mezze of roasted sweet potatoes with guacamole; roast tomatoes with brown rice, orange and almonds; cucumber with caramelised cashews; spiced broccoli and cauliflower with split pea purée. Most of these ingredients are "free" on the WW programme, I'll just need to count the nuts, avocado and oil. There are always plenty of leftovers from dishes like this which can be used up for lunch over the week-end.
Time to get moving again, my Fitbit thinks I've been sitting down for too long!
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Evening Crackers,
LMV I'm not surprised the cake went down well! We too have apples coming out of our ears. I pick up a bucket load daily which the husband then takes to work to cook and those we've yet to pick, we will store in trays in the basement for cooking over the winter months.
I forgot to put my pedometer on again today. Which is a shame as I would have been interested to know how many steps I did since I was up and down 3 flights of stairs most of the afternoon. It was the biannual collection for 'rubbish' in the village and I finally got my act together and sorted out the old bedding which is up in the loft. No kidding there were duvets up there as old as me and the house (duvets have been used in Austria since 1896 unlike the UK where they were introduced by Terence Conran) and nothing has ever been thrown away in this house, so my husband's Grandmother's duvet was up there, plus pillows... Twelve sacks in total went plus 3 single mattresses. There was a wooden double bed base but the husband insists he will chop that up to burn - oh yes! Next week it's electricals and I've already spotted up there a coffee machine and a microwave...
This morning I got the tape measure out. I have a notebook appropriately covered with tape measures which I acquired in Bath from the fashion museum, where I have recorded my measurements over the years. Interestingly it's been 18 months since I last wrote in it and would you believe that last entry I was then the same weight as I am now 2 pounds over my target. However the difference those were the days when we did the dreaded 30 day Shred which I have not done in over a year and Rosemary who I've done a handful of times over the summer and I haven't even had time to walk much since June, so those 'ripples' are an inch gain all over from lack of exercise.
Still tonight I did stages 2 & 3 of the DVD. I wasn't very happy with stage 2 as I spent much of the time trying to work out the steps - the camera angle was really bad and the steps were fast so by the time I had worked it out, they were moving on. I didn't feel I'd worked out at all by the end so I decided to press on with stage 3 which is squatting! Funnily enough I did feel the burn this time and I had no problems keeping up. Now that you've ordered the DVD assuming it is the same one (they have a second also where perhaps the camera work is a lot better) - there are a lot of Jillian moves but without weights and incorporated into dance moves!!
Right I'm off to bed I didn't ache this morning but there's a good chance I might tomorrow.
Be good Crackers!
P.S. BM - hope you are okay?0 -
Evening Crackers,
Well done BM on your fantastic weight loss are you still online with Slimming World?
An absolutely beautiful day here so as the husband was doing a wedding, I spent the afternoon out in the garden working. I cut the grass hopefully for the last time this year and then set about clearing the leaves which in my absence have scattered a good way over the field outside our house. It took me 2 hours to gather them all up and I quickly discovered as I began raking, perhaps I had worked out a little more than I first thought, on the 'waistline max burn' yesterday! I did just the one workout tonight the cardio max and this time I recognised there are a few Rosemary moves also. Alas the outfit doesn't look any better but it is early days!
We are working tomorrow, the first time schlipfkrapfen making for the husband since his accident... Sticking the finger in the food mixer not writing off my car! And I daresay as it's the end of the summer season and he is not working in Italy we may climb what I call my mini Everest on our walking circuit, which will show just how unfit I really am...
Be good Crackers!
P.S. Walking steps: 158910 -
Evening Crackers,
Up until lunch time as we were working and I was sat, I hadn't done more than 200 steps however in the afternoon the husband did indeed drag me around the village and yes climbing up the hill behind us was hard work. I could tell I hadn't done that for 3 months puff puff - use it or lose it springs to mind. So to recover tonight I just did my 15 minutes of Rosemary which has brought my step count up to 11770. Hopefully that will help compensate for the husband cooking lunch.
Be good Crackers!1 -
Morning Crackers,
Very well done BM. Cracking result from a Cracker and inspiring for the rest of us.
MITM, you have the bit between your teeth on the exercise front and your new gear will be looking fabulous in no time. Soon you'll be back in those Kylie hotpants!
I'm not quite sure how many steps I've done. I seem to have a problem with the Fitbit app and haven't synced for a few days. I am reinstalling it as I write this. I know I haven't made 10,000 every day, but I've done more walking in recent days than I've done for a long time, so that's good.
We're off to the Lake District today for a week away with some friends. I don't know what the wifi situation will be until I get there. If there isn't wifi in the accommodation, I'll check in when we are out and about and I can log in. I might be doing a few mini Everests myself and I know I am going to struggle!
My DVD should be here when I get back so I can start maxing out with you MITM.
Keep going Crackers
xx0
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