Ach, if it isn’t one thing, it’s another!

Tried to weigh myself yesterday…only to find the batteries have died! No problem…I can get some today…except that there is no freaking way I am going out today! I am unsteady enough on a good day – but I woke up this morning to find that it has snowed over night – and heavy enough to settle – at least for the day. (currently raining – so I guess the snow will melt overnight)

Thanks for the lovely comments!

Terry- Hotters is a shoe store – mostly they sell from catalogues. They make the only shoes that I can actually walk in!….and the Chalet School series is a series of schoolstories written for girls between the 1920s and 1970s bt Elinor Brent Dyer. She wrote over 50 books in the series so it is the second longest children’s series ever written (longest series was the Biggles series about pilot)- the Chalet Series has quite a fanbase, and some fans have published ‘fill-in’ books to complete the missing terms from the series. (I love books! …and collect schoolgirl stories and also evangelical books for children)

I cooked dinner for Mum yesterday (UK Mother’s Day….we will do the whole thing again in May for the German/continental version!) Lemon Chicken – which though I say it myself was pretty darned delicious!

I have decided to defrost the freezer, so am eating my way through the contents! A few bits of chicken, portion of fricks (sort of meatballs) in tomato sauce, and a couple of frozen bananas left – I should have it empty for the weekend…..then I can restock. I have the Fast Cook book and will make some of the spag bol for the freezer (add some spiralized veg ‘pasta’ and I can have that for a fasting day meal!)…I also have a hankering for a nice burger – I make my own – only 20z (50g) of beef in each. They are quite small, but they do hit the spot when I NEED a burger! (And being home made, I can control what goes into them)- and the same burger mix can easily be adapted for filling stuffed cabbage leaves.

I am so cold at the moment….I will go and grab a wrap for my shoulders and put the bar-fire on and do some knitting….I will NOT use the cold weather as an excuse to have tea and toast (dripping with butter and peanut butter and mixed berry jam!) followed by biscuits to dunk in my tea!

Although I can’t use the scales today, I am confident I have lost a bit this week!..clothes are feeling looser if that makes sense!

So, here we are, another week gone…another Sunday is here!

ikandoo, good to see another Hotter fan! Their shoes are so comfy! Go for the cheerful red shoes as your next ‘reward’!

The freezer has been defrosted – and restocking has begun….frozen bananas (I love them!)…and chicken thighs (I cook one with a slather of joghurt and Dijon mustard….adapted from the ‘Fast Cook’ book…great book for inspiration – and as a total foodie I love to read cook books – this one doesn’t tempt me off the straight and narrow on a fast day!)

I am planning on baking this week – time to plan the year’s Easter bread. I have a recipe, so will just need to make sure I have the dried fruit and spices…just the one loaf for me, sliced and put in the freezer to limit temptation, but I will bake bread as a gift for others too.

It is also coming to the time when I need to check my spring/summer wardrobe…I have a couple of new teeshirts which should see me through the year, and summer nighties were bought last year….so I will have stuff that is not ‘indecently’ large! The only issue is going to be trousers/jeans…my hips are a good size and a half bigger than my waist!….Still, it is something ‘new’ for me to be looking at clothes, I used to just struggle into whatever I could find that came close to fitting!

Now…the scales have batteries…and what do they have to say this morning?

14 stone…4 1/2 pounds

Oh, that’s not bad! A pound and a half down! (aka 3 packs of butter!)….not long now and I’ll start hoping for the 13 stone something mark!

Happy Easter!….Christ is Risen!

It has been a busy week, getting the last bits ready for Easter.

Easter Bread was safely given away -my portions being carefully portioned and frozen. Bread is a real weakness of mine – just baked…fresh and warm and squidgy!

I will be wearing that green twin-set today!…Bought on offer in the hope I would get in to it…which I did!

I enjoyed a burger during the week….home made! I really had a fancy for a burger, so sat myself down and asked myself what EXACTLY did I want…was it the meaty sandwich? (in which case would a lean chicken sandwich hit the spot?)…was it the chips that so often go with the burger?( in which case how about some nice oven baked wedges instead?)….and I decided it was actually the meat patty I craved – not the bun or the chips – so that’s what I had for my evening meal, a lovely juicy burger (home made = no additives and no ‘fillers’) cooked ever so slightly rare, with a big plate of salad…I just LOVE the way no food is forbidden, and also that I am starting to be able to make the healthy choices!

On the scales this morning….14 stones…..3 pounds

There goes yet another pound!…(even with that burger…and a couple of mini eggs…)

Off now to listen to the Easter Service and have a hot cross bun for breakfast!

Easter Blessings to all!

Bleargh!!!!….I have had such a heavy cold this week….really run down with it (so OF COURSE my skin broke out in sympathy!)…I had a couple of days of ‘everything aches’ and steadfastly resisted the lure of the ‘feed a cold’ temptation.

I did, however, make the decision to do just the one fast day during the week…so I have had a stay-the-same week….it happens and I will accept it.

One thing made me smile….I was sorting through my wardrobe – looking at the winter stuff deciding what to pack away for now and what will not be worn again…and equally opening up the suitcases and looking at the spring/summer stuff I have. Mum was with me and we had a small pile of items that are due to be taken to the charity shop. Opening a drawer, I looked at a few hand-knitted jumpers. Somewhat reluctantly I put one onto the charity pile and then looked at the next – I used to love that one….navy and white oblique stripes and batwing sleeves…but now, add a couple of poles and it would make a nice tent!…Mum sighed as she looked at it (she is the one who knitted it)…”Why did you have to go and lose so much weight!!!!”… Actually, Mum has been my greatest support in 5:2, – and I’m sure she will happily knit me a new one – or perhaps I will do one myself, I have recently taught myself cable-knitting.

I have been trying out a few different ‘milks’ with my breakfast oats recently. I have started soaking a portion of oats overnight – and then I can eat the as they are in the morning, or heat them like porridge…and add whatever fruit I like….Coconut milk wasn’t a favourite with me (but I do like this in my veggie smoothies) but almond milk worked rather well.

Fasting day today…I am thinking of taking a chicken thigh out of the freezer, and marinading it for a few hours in low-fat joghurt and curry spices before cooking it and serving it with cauliflower ‘rice’ ….a curry dinner even on a fast day!

Here we go on another Sunday!

Yes, Terry – I’m staying the course….I’m in this for the long haul. I put the weight on over a few years, it is not going to disappear in a few weeks/months!..I had a chuckle over the idea of my wearing trainers! On a good day, when I manage to get out and about it is in flat shoes which have a good support – and with the assistance of my wheeled walker!

Knitting is certainly good for the mind!…and I highly recommend it as an activity on a fast day!…You get something to focus your mind on….you are keeping your fingers busy (and away from the biscuit tin!)…and you get the positive feeling of having produced something at the end of the afternoon!

K-Lo…I’m going to have to look up Ravelry now!…as if I needed mire internet distractions!!!!

Weight loss wise it has been another slow week…I did everything right and still stayed the same!….but I also see it as ‘oh well, shit happens!…and I haven’t gained any weight!’…(I always said my middle name should be Pollyanna!)

I need to be careful this week…relatives coming to visit…so I will arrange my fast days around the visit – and be super careful to stick to my TDEE on the other days…that’s the beauty of 5:2, it is so flexible!

It’s a pretty cold day today, hard to believe we will soon be in May!

No, Lolly. Mum is terrific and thoroughly accepted my choice – she is so proud of my weight loss!….Austrian, I LOVE marzipan!(and Mum makes her own…I only ever indulge at Christmas!)

There was a slight change in plans this week…no relatives, but they will be here this week instead -and staying for a couple of days….Now, they don’t know I’m 5:2ing…and I don’t think they will find out this week! (last time I saw the the weight loss was noted and commented on favourably, but my reluctance to discuss it was also taken on board!)…cake is already being planned and baked!…I will join the group and probably take one slice of my favourite cake – and then stick to coffee….there is also talk of going out for a meal – not my favourite activity (part of my HFA means that I don’t like eating n public…and have loads of rules to be followed if I DO go out!)…it might mean that I make the decision to just fast one day this week – we shall see.

On the scales this morning…

Hovering around the 14 stone 2.5 pound mark…so at least a half pound off this week (another pack of butter!)….it might be a little more but the scales were hovering under and then back up…so I’ll happily just take the half!

Not being to exercise much/at all makes weight loss tough and slow – but it speaks volumes for the 5:2 plan that it even works without exercise!

Thanks LA Chubster…the problem with designating the day as a ‘fast’ day would be that one of my close relatives is the sort who would make a HUGE thing of it if I wasn’t eating. I haven’t told her about 5:2ing…I really don’t feel the time is right yet. …And even not-eating in a restaurant is an issue for me without prior planning (I need a table in the corner… and my chair has to face the wall so that no other customer can see me!…and if I am having a bad day I will be mute, so no conversation!)

Mum is fantastic and will back me up in whatever decision I make.

AWWWW….thanks guys!…What lovely comments!

Fuvvie…that weight gain is probably nowhere near as bad as you think!….as Austrian says it is probably mostly water! We all have days when things don’t go to plan…and all you need to do is start afresh the next morning…..Weather is starting to slowly warm up here…I have an internet-friend in Brisbane, so we sometimes exchange weather-moans…too hot for her, whilst I am freezing!

I have had a bit of a miserable day today…not diet wise so much…but I have an attack of Hexenschuss….or as the English call it, Lumbago…the German is SO much more descriptive! (It sort of translates as having been shot by a witch!)…very misery-making…I have tucked a warm wheat-bag at my back which helps.

Fuvvie….I LOVE Wilhelm Busch. hi had a real ‘feel’ for the rhythm of language. His stories were MEANT to be read aloud! And the pictures were just so comical in Max und Moritz (I have this, and Die Fromme Helene on my Kindle – still enjoy reading them!)…you can re-acquaint yourself with Max and Moritz online….http://www.wilhelm-busch-seiten.de/werke/maxundmoritz/streich1.html
…and the onomatopoeia was schnupdiwup!

Coldpizza…I have regular check-ups with my GP…and specialists….all my meds are up to date. I agree with you that medication should be reviewed – most of mine is done each year – it’s important to make sure that firstly they still do their job (the body can get used to some meds if you take them for a long period, and they can lose their effectiveness) and also that the different meds don’t counter-indicate each other.

K-Lo…well done on the weight loss! It’s fantastic when you see the results! ….but you do end up having to learn a few new skills with putting in darts, re-elasticating waistbands, et.c…you will be well-motivated to master the steeking!

I have indulged myself…and bought a new flavoured-coffee…Maple-walnut flavour….these coffees are my current indulgence. Just 2 cals a cup (before adding milk)

Yes…it IS Sunday…and even without weigh-in I am here to update!

THe not weighing has been enlightening in some ways. At first, it seemed almost a relief. No need to worry about what the scales were going to say. I KNEW I had fasted, I KNEW I had stuck to my TDEE on other days….So no need to fret about my weight. I will see a result at the end of the month…..But these last couple of days have been a bit of a struggle. All sorts of doubts have been creeping in…’are you SURE you stayed within your allowance’….’What if there is some sort of blip and you have actually put ON weight this week..you know it happens…check the scales and see of you maybe need to 4:3…or more this week!’…’Those new coffees are delicious – but are you SURE they are only 2 cals each…WEIGH YOURSELF and make sure you are not putting weight on!’…..I hadn’t realised just HOW dependant I have become on those darned scales! I have stuck to my resolve, and not stepped on – tempting though it is …’ooooh go ON!…no one will ever know!’

I think it is symptomatic of society that we over-focus on weight and size….Of course, I know I am still overweight with a good distance to travel on this journey….But I absolutely refuse to define myself by my weight! I have lived too long like that. …If I am not defined by my disability then neither will I be defined by my weight or the size of my jeans!

This scales free month is certainly ‘interesting’

The coffees are certainly good! And it is a joy to drink something ‘different’ on a fast day.

A current favourite on a fast day is courgette (spiralized courgette – so it looks like pasta) – a big bowlful – which is steamed in the microwave..then I stir in a teaspoon of home-made joghurt with spices stirred in (black pepper, touch of garlic and maybe a dash of chilli or paprika….or swap the chilli for a few chopped herbs)…and finally add a small portion of protein – a little shredded wafer-thin ham…or one rasher of well grilled and crumbled bacon…or last night it was a few prawns….absolutely delicious and so filling for very few calories and no carbs!…Especially good when I NEED a pasta supper.

It is freezing cold here today..I am telling myself I actually prefer this to the blazing heat of summer! (Not that we get much of that in England!)

Austrian – I think the use of story books for teaching languages is quite usual in some schools…I am different I guess, because my Mum is German and we had books in both languages at home – and I grew up with bilingual lullabies and nursery rhymes! …One British School I went to, the teacher German teacher gave us one 30 minute lesson a week for German reading – he brought in all sorts of magazines and books for us to read (Pop magazines, Story=Papers, Papers with Sports Articles…and short stories like Nesthaekchen) – I was one of the more fluent readers and would usually grab a Krimi! I think the first Agatha Christie book I read was actually a German translation!…..On the other hand, Mum was taught English in school in Germany and they read Milly-Molly-Mandy stories!

Right…time to go and get the kettle on..Mum is coming up soon…non-fasting day, so maybe a chocolate too?

Sunday evening…and this not-weighing is still causing me a few worries!

I almost gave in this morning…ALMOST…but I remained adamant, and stayed off the scales!

I keep getting this niggle that tells me I have put on weight this month…despite having 2 fast days a week = just like ‘normal’….I have to keep telling myself that this is ridiculous…but even if I DID put on weight, then so what? Of course it would be disappointing, but it would not be insurmountable.

Fuvvie – I am just SO blessed to have a mum like mine! Really. How many people of her age (90 this year!) would be prepared to be a carer?! She is awesome!

I am totally confused!

Fuvvie…I doubt you would ever intrude so much I told you to get lost!

I thought it was Monday today!….Those bank holidays get me so muddled! …Still that’s the last one for a while!

We had visitors over the weekend. ..I have been strong and had one slice of cake and then stuck to coffee.

The month without scales has almost come to an end…hard to believe that tomorrow will see the start of June!….I am SO nervous about stepping back onto the scales on Sunday!…In one way it has been liberating – but in another very nerve-wracking. I keep getting the nagging feeling that things have not gone well and I will have put weight on! – And this despite the fact that I have stuck to fasting!..It really does show the stupid fixation we have with arbitrary figures!

I am fasting today …so have an afternoon of embroidery planned = and maybe a nice DVD….chicken thigh is marinating in spicy joghurt ready top be cooked for an ersatz-Indian meal tonight…maybe serve it with cauliflower rice?…the calories might even stretch to having small nectarine for dessert!