Trying to be less fat, but with Covid

 For me - I failed to have the will power to do this! 

Also I have two fonts on the go. This is Quicksand. 

Also I have two fonts on the go. This is Poppins.

I'm not sure which one is my go to? I like both because of the round 'a'. 

I just was leaving a comment on Joy's blog lamenting Covid eating. It has sapped my strength, energy and renewed efforts that I was doing so well with. 

This was my comment. 

Joy, Your chicken soup looks so delicious. My soups never look as good! Your chicken sizzler tea sounds tasty too. Sadly due to the covid, I've stuffed all the meat I had in the freezer and have been on beans on toast and grabbed things from the fridge when IU have fancied it. A baby bel here, a sliverof ham there. Yesterday I made the effort and took some fruit from the freezer, put it in my pretty glass dish and had it with thick greek yogurt,. I so enjoyed it. Tea was an easy and not too bad tastewise but struggled to get through it and didn't have extra veg SW lasagne frozen meal from Iceland. The prices of those are creeping up but I find them so convenient to have in. I missed class due to Covid so have fallen back into the secret eating mode. ( I might just carry this comment on as a blog post today! )

Here I am carrying it on! 

Her chicken soup DID look delicious - I wish she could post me some haha. 

It's here - Joy's weight loss food blog. - though the people who may read this very probably already read her blogs. 

I did take some fruit out of the freezer and have done so again today. It was soothing on my throat too and felt lovely to eat. This fancy little sundae dish was one of two I bought so cheap from a factory shop about ten years ago. One broke years ago but this one goes strong. 

I sometimes have a look see in the charity shops for somthing similar because it really does make fruit and yogurt look vair glamorous. I keep saying Im going to buy one of those heart shaped bowls too because I think soup looks fab in them haha. 

I am trying to drink more clear liquids today and flush this clovid out of me. I hate it. It's wearing me down. 

I will not self medicate with biscuits and crisps as I did on Monday. I only end up feeling even worse. 

Back soon. 

November 3rd evening

 Well thank you lovely friends for your comments. 

I’ve not strayed too far from the edge today! 

I started the day just after my post with a mile walk round the field. Here’s the before and after. I hosed her off in the garden before I let her in! 

I’d done 401 steps just getting ready to go out! 

Note my purple tub with my anti cat defence! I’ve cats on both sides to contend with and they are a bloody nuisance for using my garden as a toilet. So in the tub are my newly planted spring bulbs - some are already sprouting?! And they are wooden skewers designed to prick cat bottoms attempting to squat! So 

far so good! 

Got home, hosed her off in the garden because she was FILTHY and was pleased to see 2000 steps rocked up. 

Spurred on, I avoided all staffroom goodies and enjoyed a bowl of lettuce celery and tomato chopped up with a small jacket potato from my freezer with prawns in a 2 syn bit of sauce. Delicious. 

Tea was chicken curry which you can't see but I halved the rice and had it on a heap of steamed sweetheart cabbage. Filling and warm. 

No bread as promised. The total steps for the day = 13, 564 which claims to be 5.2miles!

I did have a sliver of cake. Will try harder today ( Friday ) 

Had a traumatic evening which I'll blog on 28 which is why this is being posted Friday morning. 

November and a moan.

 

Don't read if moany, self pitying, lemon suckers bug you! 

Well, went to class on the first. Paid for the Christmas group meal deposit. Got on the scales. 3.5lbs off -a bit to go and I took stock. I've been up and down the same half a stone now since April. Ridiculous of me to get stuck so! Even though I can congratulate myself on STILL being a lot lighter than when I rejoined group this time last year, I still am nowhere near where I want to be. 

SO why can I not do this? 

What is wrong with me? I know the science. I know the facts. I know that sugar and sweeteners cripple my joints. I am a fairly intelligent being. I am a good cook and am easily capable of adapting any recipe. My fridge is FULL of good wholesome stuff. I am just not choosing to eat wisely. Last night for instance. Nobody wanted anything much and I was glad really as I was tired. We had good old fashioned beans on toast. I had an expensive but had been reduced to half price artisan sourdough loaf that we used. For bread avoiders for reasons, sourdough is the most acceptable option. I had two slices toasted and we three adults shared two standard cans of baked beans - I had the smallest portion. Which doesn''t sound so bad BUT I absolutely slathered on the butter! Willingly, willfully, knowingly. 

There was chocolate swiss roll cake for afters - a half price colin the caterpillar from M and S. I only really had the crumbs from cutting their slices. But crumbs still hold calories and sugar! 

So today is Thursday. I have some beautiful prawns to eat today - not decided if I will have them cooked with onions and paprika for tea or have them in a salad bowl at lunch. Maybe at tea time. I am making a leftovers beef cottage pie from the brisket I cooked other day ( great again actually with plenty of speedy veg and only a tiny potato - but I DID then eat my own yorkshires ). I will then have the leftovers from that for my lunch with a portion of veg. We will all eat the same tea on Friday. A SW friendly chicken curry is planned. 

They say at class planning is the key. I am full of plans! Just also full of stupidity because that is all it is. I am a grown woman and I have no idea how I managed to lose weight every single week without a single gain or maintain in that full year August 2017 to August 2018. 

I have turned into one of the people I used to sit and judge internally week in week out for being at group and not going anywhere with it. I am quite a horrible person for that. A despicable trait. I depise myself for it.  Serves me right. I am now that woman. Arrrgh. 

Even writing it all down here probably won't make a difference! Maybe I should quit class for a bit? Maybe I should quit with the excuses and just do what I know works! 

Maybe a mini daily goal to include a 'do more' and 'eat less' suggestion! I've got very lazy and sluggish and I've certainly been eating more!

Right off for a bit of body magic - a schlep round the field with the dog. 

Goal for today - hit 10,000 steps, eat NO BREAD.

Will be back with the truth tomorrow. Or maybe I should try a post every night. Hmmmm will have a think. 

TTBLF Rachel x at least a try is better than nothing! 

Try again Tuesday!

 Here we go after another couple of weeks away from the healthy stuff. Shrugged me shoulders and lets plan again! 

My friend and I are going to photograph every morsel of food that goes in our mouths this week. There'll be a daily montage. Because it's Half Term I may be blogging a bit more. 

TTBLF TAT !

Taster

 Last night’s results were triumphant, both on the scales ( another 3.5lbs off - helped by my stomach bug over the weekend no doubt ) and my curry went down a storm. I use the pon butternut and butterbean tikka masala recipe for the base sauce and I sub chicken for the veggies - only bc I’ve no butternut squash in - served with 0% Yeo valley Greek yog with coriander stirred through. I took the mutti tomato purée tin to share the brand I rave about but only buy if on offer as it is more expensive than the others but the flavour is worth it. I’m not opposed to using smart price basics Tom purée at all but I am worth the extra cost for a better taste experience because that is important to me! 

Here is it on the table.

 In my little Christmassy festive book I wrote ‘do not go mad at taster’ and I didn’t! Here’s the full table! Lots of things still covered up to keep warm. 

 There were two different crustless quiches, both delicious. Salmon pate and veggie sticks - I wish I wish I liked salmon because everyone else liked it! My curry which was very popular. There was a South African spiced stew, baby bel stuffed jacket potatoes made by homity pie man ha ha so you bake your potato in the slow cooker or oven, when half done, slit it and slide in a baby bel, wrap in foil and finish baking. Really lovely it was, quite different to a traditional Jacket potato and cheese! A huge colourful tuna salad, flasks of soup - one was the pretend Heinz tomato SW recipe which is revolting! I’ve made it and thought yuk, I must have done something wrong but no, I tasted a spoon of the one at group - identical to mine, yak!!! It’s tinned tomatoes, carrots, baked beans and pickled onions. Does not do it for me I’m afraid! The other soup was a very thick chicken and vegetable broth - very good. There were lots of different Taoist and people brought low sun crisps and snacks to try - I didn’t - remembered by mantra! Usually there’s more sweet things but the group went savoury. Someone made the sw Ferraro rochers which are GOOD , there were the ‘pink and white’ marshmallow biscuits which you microwave to get the middle gooey, someone brought some chicken tikka pieces from Iceland which I’ve had and are lovely. Someone made spicy carrots and Bombay potatoes, SW samosas and oh yes someone made the SW weetabix cake that was lovely and some cinnamon swirls - low synned SW recipes. 

It was a good group - lots of people there. I was spurred on with my 3.5lbs however it happened and now I go on! 

It’s very early Wednesday morning and I’m sat here in the dark, with the dog on my knee thinking about the day ahead and how I’m going to enjoy the food I plan to have. I will fast until lunch and then will have something very quick because I’ll be walking madam - think I’ll make some overnight oats with some frozen berries and yogurt and chia seeds I think before I go to work. Yea- I’m going to have a Julia Childs omelette - I think it tastes different to me because it uses butter and maybe how it’s cooked? I may do two for the blog and show one how I used to always do them and now my new way!  and side salad. I was a little off plan at teatime yesterday because I got in from work and made some pastry for using up the leftover brisket from Sunday. 

I only had a smallish piece and my pastry is very thin and lovely! So synned the pastry and called it 10 and then the beef is free, potatoes, free, gravy 4syns and I had it with mushy peas, leftover cabbage from Sunday and some pickled red cabbage and pickled beetroot so lots of speed ( and pink wee this morning ) ! I’d had a light lunch of cottage cheese, fresh tomatoes and my homemade tomatoes, a slice of ham and a little roast beef. Delicious and filling!

 

Feeling successful and seeing the numbers going down is a feeling I like as opposed to the stuffed to the gills uncomfortable feeling after over eating the wrong things. I’ve so many clothes I could be wearing - so I will keep on keeping on it! For today at least, that’s the plan! 

R x 

Tomatoes

So my father in law did an experiment- he squashed a shop bought posh cherry tomato and saved and dried the seeds on a bit of kitchen roll. 

He then planted the seeds and then potted on the seedlings. He nurtured them and then distributed the baby plants. I had 7 plants. He kept 10 and gave another 10 away. I gave 4 plants away and kept 3. I really really looked after 1 of them - it’s own tub, in the sunshine, staked up and pruned properly. The others I’m afraid I gave them sunburn and nearly killed them off through lack of water. I shoved them among the plants in the border and left them to it. They all thrived and went about their business of producing 26780000000 tomatoes! 

About to go in the oven

Bluebell photobombing Grandad’s fine tomato plants

Erm believe it or not, this is the plant that O was making an effort with! All that scrap metal in the background has now been weighed in and the last of the rhubarb harvested today. 

Father in laws amazing tomato plants! 

Erm …spot mine that I shoved in the border!!! 

Me in the shadow! 

Oooooo

The very first ripe tomato! 

They are so delicious! 

I’ve just harvested the red ones that were on the plants and am leaving the rest another week but then they will probably end up on the compost! 

Todays harvest was halved, sprayed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sprinkled liberally with onion and garlic granules, salt and pepper and herbs de Provence and then shoved in the oven because it’s on low and left for about 40 mins. 

They are done and are absolutely delicious. They were destined to be added to a pasta sauce but I think I’ll pop them in a tub and have them sprinkled on my meals this week!! 

I went to class last Monday and saw half a pound shaved off my total! A smidge. But that’s ok. Me and my friend are starting a savings club for from October 1st so every pound off is a pound coin in a jar. If it’s another smidge tomorrow night, then that’s 50p in the jar! It’s taster, so I am going all out and am making a really delicious tikka masala from one of the Pinch of N books - their recipe is for a butternut squash and butterbean curry but I’m making it with boneless and skinless chicken thighs instead. It really is a lovely flavoured tasty dish. I’m going to double up on the make so I’ve some sauce for my freezer and will save a couple of the  chicken curry portions for myself too. It’s a really good group for taster and it’s a generous group too - need to make sure I try everything within reason!!!! One man always makes his famous homity pie and I’m really looking forward to eating that tomorrow hahaha! 

Right best get chopping me onions! 

Trying to be less fat with the help of tomato power! 

Glad I went

 Well yesterday, groups were

On with Louise the leader opening early for weigh in at 9. The HG took me and I only dropped in to get weighed and left. Because I was early we had time for a chit chat as she set up. She is just like me - as in loss A LOT, dallied at target and then faltered and regained but put the brakes on before all was back and then some and we do get along so well. She’d been struggling too this week but we were both delighted with my 2.5lbs off so that has spurred me on a bit more. I’m not sure if it’s a SW mantra or just hers 

But she says 

Let’s see less of you next week! Always makes me chuckle. I said to her as we left, let’s see less of each other! 

I returned home to watch the funeral which took longer than I imagined. Affected me emotionally and deeply. I made full non SW chicken dinner as in I made cheese sauce way over the cheese allowance for the cabbage and cauliflower! 

Today I will have fruit and yogurt to break my fast at lunchtime and then leftover roast chicken and lots of speedy veg for tea with syns being used for the gravy. 

I am also amused that I replied to a comment left by the lovely Poppy Patchwork and I had to go through my own comment moderation!!! It’s posted as anonymous! 

Rachel *definitely me* Radiostar xx

Sad day for many today

 Sugar free September has been a bit hit and miss, as probably predicted by my lack of posts. 

Our group is having groups as normal today which is my day and I woke up and do have a slightly different feeling about the day. Anyway 

Groups are on as normal today which kinda doesn’t sit right with me but she is doing an earlier weigh in which I intend to weigh and go in order to get back and properly settled. 

I’ve bought some fresh figs which I adore and will bake them drizzled with some of the orange essence honey I’ve been gifted by a grandparent at school to help with my arthritis - she swears by it and I feel

Humbled she gifted me some, it’s very expensive stuff! I’m not normally a fan of honey at all but this is lovely and I’ve been having just 1 teaspoon a day for medicinal purposes- ha that made me laugh!!! 

Anyway what is honey if not PURE SUGAR! Honestly, I really do set myself up to fail with my grand declarations!! I admire those who stick to their guns so much! 

Right 

Must get my shower and sort the dog out before class. Coffee first….

Rachel *too fat for her liking* Radiostar xxx

8am Sept 5th

 Just about to get sorted to go to work. I’ve had a pint of water, a vitamin tablet, a daily anti histamine tablet and a coffee with a smidge of warmed full fat milk. I will break my fast at 12.40

Probably as I’m in class

For the month of September supporting a little one who is non verbal with additional needs. And they are only little - 5 years old! 

I’ve done a covid test but it was negative - so let’s co time this SFS. It is like day 1 again because it was my father in law’s birthday yesterday and I had lemon drizzle cake. 

I am human after all !!! 

FR x

14.38 Saturday

 Had a few drinks with friends last night. Not totally sugar free as I did share some Chinese chicken and a ready mixed g&t. 

Today I am tired. Going to have a nap! Lamb curry is for tonight- always better a day later. 

8.46 Sept 2

 Morning- thanks for the comments and support as always x 

Slept better last night, though was mentally drained from work - and pre internet changeover stress. 

Day two so far I’ve had water and black coffee. Will break my fast with a tuna salad I think at lunch. Making Lamb Keema for tea very healthy and will have with cauliflower rice. Successfully navigated and didn’t have the free posh sandwiches/jacket potato to order  from the very nice deli that school paid for. There were no simple salad options. I go home anyway for the dog but it was quite hard to decline especially as it was free and from the posh shop!!! 

Bit of a headache still so two paracetamol and more water before I start work. 

R x

3pm day 1

 I’ve got a headache. 

Had lettuce leaves, cheese, tomato and onion for lunch with mayo. It was lovely. Need to up my water and I have got a coffee with oat milk. 

So far so good. 

SFS

 

No more Afternoon Tea for me until October! 

The title stands for 

Sugar Free September 

I have over indulged n the holidays. I can tell it on my scales, in my clothes, my chin, my joints. I’m bloated and uncomfortable and I know this happens every single time.

So I will be back at SW on Monday night but have properly tightened up my resolve to follow the F800 and SW principles that work so well with me. And the SFS stands for Sugar ( & Sweetner ) Free September 

And by this I mean sugar in it’s simplest for chemistry wise which includes all those simple carbohydrates that I have been stuffing my face with! 

Sugar, white bread, white pasta, potatoes and anything with sweetners in as much as I can manage. 

I will allow sourdough bread only if I have it. It’s allowed on F8. And I’ve been going to make my own sourdough starter for 100 years now so I might do that! 

Pasta and rice will be wholemeal and whole grain if I have it. 

8.20am so far so SFS! 

I will probably blog often recording my withdrawal!!! 

I’m fasting until lunchtime today. There will no doubt be goodies galore in the staffroom but no I will be strong! Lunch will be scrambled egg and leaves I think. Tea will be cottage pie SW recipe for them with mash and the base mix with veg for me. 

Going to measure my waist and neck and record it on the first of every month. Along with the scales! 

Back soon with progress. 

R x

August

 Well, it's been up and downy. I am still trying! The month of August has brought lots of challenges so far and many celebration meals planned out for my Mum's 70th. I will endeavor to keep the days in between as healthy as possible and will not go absolutely overboard at the events themselves. I will enjoy what I have and be mindful of what I am having. But I am having!!

 I am still following the F8 methods. It works best for me. I am determined that once the holidays are done and I am back to school routine that I will once and for all keep the downward trend in numbers going so I can change my wardrobe!! I had a morning yesterday looking at the things that are just not comfortable and with a bit of effort will be fully wearable. Then I will embrace the next phase of getting down to my target range of August 2018! 

Happy to report that I am a long way from the start range of August 2017 but letting go of feeling cross about it all was liberating. 

I've a new recipe I want to try for overnight oats. Tiramisu flavoured ones. I'll do a full report on it! 

Trying to be less Fat August 15th 2022 xx

What I ate in June 2022

 As promised to myself, here are most of the things I’ve eaten in June. 

It’s been my birthday month and the butterfly cakes you will see are made by my son, so light as a feather - I had one a day for three days! 

Mostly on track. A few days of hit and miss. I restarted my SW official progress as a tool to help me forge ahead with shifting this flab. 

My reasoning was if I had to re lose stupid pointless pounds to get where I was…I might not! It’s drawing that line that I have been scathing of a little in the past. 

I have a new mantra for any lapses, not relapses. See a previous post. 

There’s time for the day to get better. I have used this and it worked. Another way for me to stop that I’ve had a biscuit I might as well have the packet, and then a large unhealthy meal. Even if your last packet of crisps was 10pm 

There’s still time for the day to get better- have a large glass of water and go to bed! Instead of then having chocolate at 10.10pm ! Honestly, it’s a wonder I ever get anything done with this inner voice going on and on and on! 

I am still fasting and still believe it’s this that has helped in the gain and gain some more usual habit of my past 40 years of dieting. I have definitely stopped the immediate self loathing. It’s now a so what?  I tell you, if I think of this it deeply saddens me that that is my life. So we go on! 

As part of my role in the Pastoral Team at work, we had a well being celebration as part of our peer support group. In my line of work this is definitely needed. And we did some forest bathing stuff. In a teeny tiny public wood led by a wonderful human being who made me feel reenergised and enough. It’s true that at this moment in time, every form of human being on the planet seems to be recognised and accepted, yet never ever truly embraced across all walks of life are those who are larger. Why is this??? I don’t know if you ever watched a TV programme where a beautiful girl who I think is great, Scarlett Moffatt who came to fame via Gogglebox. Well they took their semi detached house and went to live with an African tribe. There was a scene that was powerful where she was invited to join in the village ceremony for coming of age for the girls I think it was. The just was the tribal women wear necklaces and a maybe a sarong to hide their nether regions but are bare naked elsewhere. I half understood her reasoning as she is on tv etc but the main reason was because of her self loathing and disgust - but the genuine love and admiration and messages from the tribal women about how her body and her shape was the desired one in their world and how she should never be ashamed had me in tears. Gosh I’m going off on a tangent here. 

So some stats to keep me going! 

Wearing smaller knickers and bra again. 

Definitely more comfortable moving about.

If I’ve lost this week I’ll get my stone award for this attempt! If I was talking in old money, ie. the SW card before this one it would have been my 2.5stone award. But I’m in new numbers for this time around and the next new number bracket, although a way off, means that some of the smaller clothes stashed in my wardrobe will finally fit again. 

Not every day’s food but a snapshot of what’s going in!! 

The baked cheese and honey crisps - YUMMY - but not buying them again! Dangerous!! 

Lots of love for now.

Today can still get better xx

Some of the meals I’ve had in April and May - photo heavy

 I just want to record some of the delicious meals I’ve enjoyed on this way of eating I’m doing. When I look at them, it amazes me why I revert in a lapse to boring beige stuff (crisps, chips, bread and biscuits although the empire biscuit shown is very colourful but that’s only on as it’s my absolute favourite treat when we go to DaisyClough ( pronounced cluff for my none local chums ) Tearoom ) 

Eggs Benedict

Greek chicken kebab

Mushroom omelette and salad

Sunday Roast beef

Omelette, bacon and tomatoes

Cajun dirty rice chicken

This is GRILLED tender stem broccoli a la James Martin - TRY IT with poached eggs and mushrooms

Jacket potato, synned full fat coleslaw 

Manky veg soup with lean ham

Full fat synned chicken liver pate in celery with salad

SW ready meal, halved with steamed sweetheart cabbage and leek.

Ham and egg salad

Plain salad

Manky veg soup with 30g cheddar grated on the top,
with strawberries and yogurt for pud.

Mmmmmmmmmm hahaha

Mixed salad to go with quiche at the caravan. 

Beige but healthy coffee and fruit salad with yogurt

Beginnings of a quiche

The pre roasted innards of a quiche

Overnight oats

Afore mentioned quiche

Chicken salad

Think I’ve shown this before, beans on a homemade bagel

SW ready meal with salad

Bonus freezer find campfire stew on cabbage medley

Tuna sweetcorn innards for another quiche

Another day, another overnight oats

Two Tuna sweetcorn quiches 

The SW ready meal featured in the pics  yummy

Steak and veg

Sunday Roast Chicken Dinner

Good stuff packed in my overnight oats
Pictured above. 

SO, having collated all of these, it is easy to remind myself that I am in no way being deprived or missing out. Yes, it takes a little effort and planning sometimes to have a good and varied daily menu, but most of the time it does give me joy. 

Doing this post has inspired me to post an honest and truthful record of everything that I am going to eat in the month of June. 

Challenging due to lots of birthday celebrations with friends and family. 

So as it is the 1st June, I will get started. I will somehow meld the photos and try and do one a week so will have 4 posts. I will also record my weight and measurements and note any difference- here’s hoping they are all going the preferred way hahaha. I am still combining the F8and SW. I have said it before, but it’s what has kept me going. I think, either of the regimes on their own, would have seen me with big sustained gains. I’m still far from target but still two and a bit stones lighter than I was in November 2021. 

Let’s see how I fair in June. TTBLF as ever x