Hi jojo, I vowed not to post but your experience this morning takes the biscuit and I have to support you in your rant. Believe me, I’m extremely good at ranting and can get downright evil if something gets up my nose. On a bad day I make Osama Bin Laden look like Mother Teresa.

I’m assuuming that at least some of these so-and-sos were older blokes. Happily, most younger guys, and to be fair a good percentage of older ones, have learned to behave like decent human beings and are just as likely to insist on making YOU a cup of tea, or even cooking dinner, rather than demanding that you wait on them as they sit around doing sod all. But there’s still that bunch of dinosaurs born before, during and immediately after WW2 who still treat women as second-class human beings, there to be patronised, to wash their underpants, cook their meals and generally fulfil all their needs.

You’ve reminded me of an incident when I was doing my PGCE and was on my first teaching practice. Nice school, nice colleagues, nice kids, but knackering none the less. We were having some work done to the flat – can’t remember what – but as I fell in the front door late on a Friday afteroon one of the guys said “At last! We were waiting for you to come home and make us a cup of tea.” Needless to say, some very un-teacherly language was used.

Quick answer to your question about my dissertation. The deadline is 29th September. Fortunately, the day job has been really busy this year (which has involved a lot of juggling) so I can just about afford to take “study leave” while getting the assignment on which the whole MA hangs (60% of the final mark) out of the way. I had already done and written up a fair bit of research. Now it’s a question of putting it all together.

Nothing worse than a silly old MCP, although there are some young ones out there too.

Revenge is sweet, indeed. I bit of righteous anger never did anyone any harm. Well done you. 🙂

Hi Hermaj
I live in Indianapolis. Near downtown. It’s a state capital city so there’s this that and everything else. Except for the landscape is very flat, most attractions are based on something intresting, rather than water falls or lakes. I guess that what the the 500 mile race track so stable is how flat everything is. We have to travel about 75 miles before it starts to get a little hilly to south. I my understanding is there were glaciers here in ancient past and made the area very flat. Asfar as resurants and things to do. Were running and biking clubs and downtown has been refitted with pedestrian friendly side walks for both walkers and bike riders.
Recent addition is community bicycles that were can rent for $1 and ride to the next bicycle station , or rent for 24hours. Our mayor wants our city to be accessible to cyclists . And much effort has been made in street improvements to connect all the cultral relevant areas to linked by bike paths. Especially our monon trail that was an abandoned train line . Now crosses our entire city and another trail from a train line was improved by the state to cross the entire states walking ,hiking cycling path from east to west all 280 miles.
I have to say I like it that so much attention and effort has been made to help pedestrians be safe in community. There’s even a path from the city circle to the 500 itself. I’ve not been on it but will wait for a nice day. Also we improved an abandoned canal that came into downtown area from 100 years ago is also a very nice walk .

Hi everyone.

JoJo, completely justified rant. The nerve of them! Revenge is definitely a dish best served cold – good on you.

Hermaj, great to see you are sticking at it.

SAMM, what a wonderful long-term planning strategy. My weight loss is slow and steady and will at the current rate of loss going to take at least another year. Good habits take at least as long to establish as bad ones to lose so taking things steadily should result in ultimately a completely lifestyle change. You inspire me to set new goals.

Discovered a new and easy form of HIIT yesterday morning. We have a 100m long driveway which is steeply uphill from the house to the road. The steeper part is at the bottom and concreted and I walked briskly up to the end of the concrete (30s) and then strolled down to get my breath and repeated three more times. Just about gasping after the last ‘up’ so should fill the bill for intensity. So easy to do as it’s outside the door and with improving weather I will aim for at least 3x/week.

Slipped over the obese/overweight BMI boundary this week, only by 0.2kg but still very pleased.

Bay, safe trip home. Spring is well under way. Perfume of wattle fills the air here.

Keep up the good work everyone and once again, thanks for welcoming me to this thread. Smiffy, Bay, Hermaj, Purple and all, very happy to have found you here.

Hi jojo,

Not guilty, Your Honour. As far as I can remember, it wasn’t me who posted about the obesity threshold – unless I did and the old brain is having the weekend off.

I’ve lost a bit over two stone with another one, or if I can manage it, one and a half to go. All I would say about the threshhold is that is surprisingly low. And “obese” doesn’t necessarily mean huge and blubbery, in the style of the grossly overweight that the media wheel out when there’s an obesity-related story.

Somewhere online, I can’t remember where, is a visual showing half a dozen women with BMI 30. As it says, while some look fat others look “almost normal” but are still technically obese. Having lost all that weight I’m still borderline obese at BMI 29.1. And though I say it myself, I no longer look like “watch out, here comes Fatso”.

Enjoy your chorizo and bean soup. If you’ve got The Fast Diet Recipe Book – worth investing in a used one if you havent – there’s a very nice FD-friendly recipe at only 144-145 calories. It’s seriously yummy and quite filling, especially if you add a bit more fluid at no extra calorie cost, and of course you could chuck in some zero noodles. It’s a regular feature of our fast day lunches in the winter.

Hi jojo,

Just reading some of the most recent posts, it was Nicky who was talking about threshholds. It’s good to see I haven’t totally lost it. 🙂

Good afternoon all.
It was so overcast when I got up this morning but I can now see blue sky and the sun is shining.
I had such a tough fast day yesterday, but fortunately the tennis was so enthralling I managed to forget about hunger for most of the evening. I divided my calories into two meals and my struggle has convinced me that it is best if I stick to fasting for as long as possible and have one meal late afternoon/early evening, so I’ll go back to that tomorrow.
I’m in domestic goddess mode so am busy making lots of comforting food and freezing it in calorie counted portions.
I’ve made a beef casserole and am about to start on a vegetable and lentil curry.
After reading all the comments on here about low carb eating I’ve decided to make the ultimate sacrifice. I had a bacon sarnie this morning with the last two slices of bread in the freezer and have decided not to make any more between now and when I go on holiday at the end of November. I am going to try to avoid it when I eat out too.
Mosquitos love me too but I’ve only been unlucky a couple of times recently. I sympathise with you jojo.

I love the “trousers of truth” 😆

Found this about protein and thought it’s a quick read to copy and paste.

When I count calories. I don’t count my fats or proteins anymore as it make the counting seem more complicated than it needs to be. So I count my grams of fat and protein. Verry easy to do.

Then it’s only my carbs. Seems to me the healthier veggies and fruits are the best carbs. Lower in calories and nutrition dense.

Protein is an important part of every diet. Proteins are considered to be “building blocks” as they are responsible for the growth and repair of tissue in the body. For people who have had the lap band surgery for weight loss, protein becomes more important and should be included daily. Because you will only be able to eat a small quantity of food (~1/2 cup) then you must be sure to consume adequate protein in your diet.

Proteins are complex organic compounds and broken down in either essential or nonessential amino acids. Our bodies require about 20 amino acids for the synthesis of its proteins. Our bodies make some amino acids, but there are 9 amino acids we must obtain through food sources.

Meat and other animal products, like eggs and milk, are sources of complete proteins. Other foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables have either incomplete, low protein or lack one of the essential amino acids. These foods are considered incomplete proteins. Incomplete proteins can be combined to make a complete protein. Combinations include rice and beans, milk and wheat cereal, and corn and beans.

It is recommended that people with lap bands consume adequate protein every day to prevent side effects associated with low protein intake – which include, but are not limited to, hair loss and poor wound healing. The amount of protein people need to consume varies with age, sex, current weight, and medical conditions. For people with lap bands, the recommendation is to consume at least 40 grams of protein per day. The Recommend Daily Allowance (RDA) is 56 grams for men and 46 grams for women.

Here are some examples of appropriate food choices:

Plant-Based Sources and Protein Content (g)

Tofu, firm (½ cup) 10

Soymilk, plain (8 oz.) 10

Kidney beans, cooked (½ cup) 8

Pinto beans, cooked (½ cup) 7

Lima beans, cooked (½ cup) 5

Rice, brown (1 cup) 4.5

Pasta, cooked (1 cup) 6.5

Animal-Based Sources Protein Content (g)

Chicken, boneless, cooked (3 oz.) 27

Turkey, roasted (3 oz.) 25

Ground Turkey, cooked (3 oz.) 23

Ground Beef, lean, cooked (3 oz.) 24

Beef Sirloin, cooked (3 oz.) 24

It is strongly encouraged that an individual monitors and records their daily protein intake to ensure proper nutrition and that they are meeting their dietary needs.

Ron Hekier is an Internet Marketing consultant primarily involved with the Health Care Industry. He brings with him many years of experience in web design, SEO, and presentation enhancement to Tova Media, LLC. Those wishing to learn more of his career as a general surgeon specializing in weight loss surgery, can learn more at http://noscales.com

I’ve had to part with a few items of clothing that I really liked, but saying goodbye to size 18-20 forever and the day I came out of the shop with a bag containing a pair of size 14 narrow legged jeans more than made up for it. I would say that they are a rather generous 14 and have a bit of stretch in them but that’ll do for me until they start falling down which I hope will happen in the not too distant future!

Hi Cheeseplease.

Thanks. Getting into smaller clothes has had a huge effect on the way I feel about myself as well as understanding that it is not impossible to be slim again!

Reading the efforts of others on this thread has made me realise that there is more that I can do to ensure that I’m as healthy as possible and optimising weight loss. I might hate low carb but I’m willing to give it a go, and I have a hunch that if I step on the scales and it has made a difference, that I’ll learn to live with it for a while.

Size 12 will be a street party 😆

jojo, I’m glad to hear that your first impression of the new bowls club is good. I hope it works out.

I’ve got a shirt that I can’t bear to part with so I’m going to alter it. I used to sew a lot so I should be able to make a good job of it.

As for the carbs, I’ll still eat the odd potato and some rice now and then, but I’m giving up everything else for a month to see how much difference it makes.

weemam, I hadn’t worn jeans for over 20 years, but I vowed that I was going to lose all of my excess weight this time and never go anywhere near an elasticated waist again, apart from underwear. Wearing them makes me feel good and reminds me that losing weight is worth the effort.

Never tried Zero rice . I love cauliflower,cabbage broccoli in fact all veg .but in the normal state . tonight I had Turnip( suede ) and home made mince . I made a load of mince yesterday and froze it in ten portions . I love my veg .

I am into the tightest hook on my 2nd bra since starting 5.2 and have new ones I bought when I lost weight before . I can’t wait until I get into them . I get soo excited now getting into smaller clothes . I know I have a good bit to go but now I don’t think ….I know I will and that is just such an amazing Feeling .

Jojo I know what you mean about wearing bright colours . I had an orange top on today and it felt so nice . Congratulations those getting into smaller sizes .it is so great that we can all compare notes 🙂

Wee xx

Hi Hermaj
A somewhat belated post re the Devils Kitchen – yes, it is rather appropriate a resting place for a renegade chef isn’t it? In the same way I guess that we played Shine on you Crazy Diamond at his funeral. However it was also the last major walk/hike he and my OH took together so appropriate in that regard as well.

Glad to hear the dissertation is coming together. Will you heave a huge sigh of relief when it’s finished or be sorry to see it go?

Hi Cheeseplease,
Hi Cheeseplease,

By strange coincidence, as and when my turn comes – hopefully not for a couple of decades – I want the first 15 minutes of Shine on You Crazy Diamond, the bit before the vocals begin.

Thanks for asking about the dissertation. While for some aspects I’ve still got some reading to do, I’ve done most of the research and written it up in note form, ready to be cut and pasted into the main text and then tweaked into something readable. I’ve also started writing the draft of the final text.

The overall condition of the dissertation is somewhat like Eric Morecambe’s interpretation of the Grieg Piano Concert – all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order. 🙂 So it’s mixed emotions really. It will be a relief to see the back of it but on the other hand I will probably be sorry to see it go. Then all I can do is to wait for the result in mid-November.

Hi Cheeseplease,

Oh Brother is one of my all-time favourite films, not least for the wonderful soundtrack, especially Down to the River (and for me A Man of Constant Sorrow and the one where the three guys put on silly beards). I don’t know the other two pieces, but I’ll search them out.

I am all for the DIY funeral. Although I had never got on well with my dad, something inside me made me determined that he would have a personalised send-off. I would have been happy to be clergy-free but thought some family members might be offended. So I spent several days scouting around for a friendly dog collar who would be prepared to anchor the proceedings.

Some were very kind but said as dad wasn’t a parishioner they couldn’t really help. One non-Conformist got quite nasty when I told him one of the grandchildren wanted to read a Buddhist text. In the end, a very nice official at the crematorium revealed that he was a member of the Salvation Army and used to conducting services so would be happy to be our anchor man – “I’ll even put on a long black dress if you’d like me to.”

We chose our own music – it had to be terribly British, nothing that dad would term “foreign rubbish” so we opened with Vaughan Williams’s Variations on a Theme of Thomas Tallis. I did the eulogy, my OH read from Arnold Bennett’s The Card, dad’s favourite book, my niece read her Buddhist piece and, as we’d found a bookmark in a page on William Blake in one of dad’s reference books, we ended with everyone singing Jerusalem.

The response was amazing. Dad’s solicitor came up to me and confessed that he would love to have done something similar for his late wife, but hadn’t dared to. Several friends felt they shouldn’t say they “really enjoyed” a funeral but they certainly had. Afterwards I felt dreadful that I hadn’t done the same for my mum.

Four years ago my former sister-in-law asked me to say a few words at my ex’s funeral which, as a fundamentalist Christian, she would conduct herself. The ex and I had been divorced for years but had remained on good terms. I said I wouldn’t say a few words, but I’d be delighted to read Dylan Thomas’s And Death Shall Have No Dominion. The ex was half-Welsh after all. The other half was Spanish so together she and I chose some guitar pieces by Rodrigo, and my OH burned a CD for her.

Although it was obviously a solemn occasion, there was one comical moment. There were no musicians among the mourners and the chapel didn’t have its own organist, but they supplied us with CDs to which we could sing along. As the grand finale my s-i-l had chosen Guide Me, Oh Thou Great Jehovah (very Welsh) sung by Bryn Terfel. First verse, fine, then Bryn suddenly lapsed into Welsh. At that point, there were a few moments of bewilderment before a wave of gentle giggling broke out.

Jojo, wise words as ever. Good night all .

Good morning, all! Had a great day yesterday. Hubby had the day off, and I convinced him that the hike was a good idea. Absolutely perfect weather. The hike was quite challenging; lots of steep, rocky sections to scramble up and down. Took almost 2 hours in all, but the reward was the gorgeous view from the summit and the sense of accomplishment in doing it! We went to lunch after and sat outside by the water. There were tons of people out and about, a band playing, people dancing…just a glorious afternoon! There were lettuce wraps on the menu, so I got those…totally yum and very low cal. I did have an frozen yogurt cone afterward, but I had plenty of room in my calorie bank for it!
No protein, Jojo, interesting. I will let you be the guinea pig on this plan, but if you lose 5 pounds in a week I will hop on board!
Great job with weight loss and smaller sizes, all! Love hearing about successes!
Agree with all about personalized services. At my father-in-law’s funeral mass, the priest was quite visibly angry because he felt that my two brothers-in-law took too much time in their remarks about their father. Can you imagine? My in-laws are devout Ctholics, and have been members of that particular church for their entire lives.
Good luck to fosters and non today! I am ready for the challenge, are you?? Love the battle cries so far, don’t think we’ve found “the one” yet!

Hi versy2010
I haven’t actually been up Snowden, I hear it can get quite busy. Sorry you hated it! Our particular walk involves scrambling up a big gulley which is basically a rock fall, so there will be lots of heaving, huffing and puffing – and moaning! It takes me about three hours up and two hours down. At least I will be hauling up a lighter body this year!

Jojo, good luck with the new eating regime – now I see why you wanted quinoa recipes. Personally I don’t know how I would cope with it, I eat quite a lot of fish. It will be interesting to hear about the meals you eat.