What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours.

30^th November 2014

The only thing you can really control is how you react to things ouf of your control. Bassam Tarazi

What a difference a day makes, yesterday morning I felt lousy, migraine from hell and mood quite low, however a look through my Facebook photos cheered me up after seeing how fortunate I am to love my work and to know so many incredible people.

Now I do struggle at this time of year with the dark and gloomy but nothing I can’t cope with, it’s just not my preferred season.  I’m now in a bit of a dilemma!  Yesterday we watched a couple of Christmas movies, Elf which made me laugh and another one about saving a snow lodge which made me so want a bit of Christmas in my home.  This is the first time we’ve been at home for the holidays in over twenty years I think so we haven’t got any Christmassy stuff at all, and now I’m thinking do I just not bother because it’s only mom and I, there’s not kids to do it for or do I go spend a fortune on a small tree, mmm decisions, decisions.

I’ll think on that and then decide, weigh up the pro’s and cons of having a tree in amongst all the untidy!

Today I’m off to pick up my colleagues as we’re off to the Weight Watchers annual conference, how lucky are we that it’s in Telford so less than an hour away.  Lunch included, hope it’s a good one ;) you know me and my food, I kinda like it a little!  I’m hoping to get to see some of my Facebook buddies too, it’s amazing how you get to know people online, then even more amazing when you find out they’re completely different in real life.

My migraine pain finally went about lunchtime when Janette with her magic fingers did my massage and totally relaxed my mind and body, sending me away feeling much better.  I thought it best to rest for the remainder of the day as I didn’t want to feel out of sorts for today, so there was no wine involved yesterday at all, and I had a reasonably early night, although sleep wasn’t quick to arrive, at least I was resting.

When I got back from my massage, I went to put something in the waste bin in the kitchen and on the top of it was 3 empty crisp packets, two of which I hadn’t purchased, sly devil my mom and not very good at resisting temptation (that must be who I get that off!), I must make sure people know NOT to buy her edible gifts for Christmas or any time of the year to be fair – we’re doing our best to be healthy and we’re so very easily led astray!

Right I’m off to have a shower and get dressed, I really should have got everything ready last night, instead I’ve got to go searching for my shoes, my tights, my bag, at least I emptied my car so my colleagues have somewhere to sit!   I can’t believe I’m going to be spending the day in a huge conference hall with my bestie and we won’t be sat next to each other! 

Roll on next Saturday and Manchester Christmas Market where we get to spend a whole day being Christmassy Besties without kids – cool or what!

Have a great day whatever you’re up too, if you have the winter blues too, go do what I did, find something to make you smile, giggles cure all, see those grey clouds as silver and count your blessings, trust me you have LOTS!

And as I said yesterday to a few friends who I know are self conscious about their appearance at the moment, embrace your BeYOUtiful, when I look in the mirror I see an almost 45 year old with grey hair and I’m never going to have the same body I had when I was 24, am I saying I couldn’t work hard, train hard, eat clean and get it almost the same, nope if that’s what I desired enough, I know I could get quite close, but you know what, I don’t mind, I don’t want it – not unless it comes instantly at the click of a finger and is permanent without work!  Why not, well because I know have contentment in who I am, I have a sense of humour that keeps me sane, a freedom to be the me I always was and the confidence to know that people actually like that version of me whatever I look like!  I have the most wonderful best friend who remind me of all this if I have a wobble, she’s incredible you know, everyone needs a bestie like that.  And I believe that nothing is more attractive than a smile on a happy face, being beautiful can be boring and such hard work, being BeYOUtiful is incredible.  I spent way to many years stressing about how I looked, what people thought of me and it spoilt some of my youth because I was that busy thinking, I wasn’t doing and enjoying.  I’ve realised that those that matter in my life really don’t care what I look like as long as I wash occasionally ;-), then don’t seem to care about my weight either as long as I’m healthy, they love me for how I make them feel and the good company we share together.  Let’s be honest being thin is hard work, it also for me means being sober and hungry quite often, being healthy means getting tipsy and eating out occasionally without stressing, yep I’m a Weight Watcher, I’m watching my weight not obsessing about it. 

Off to sort mom before I get gone, see ya xx

not loving my head this morning!

29^th November 2014

3 things you can’t recover in life: the word after it’s said, the moment after it’s missed, and the time after it’s gone.

Went to bed with a headache, woke up with a migraine, I’ve resorted to tablet, hate bad heads more than anything in the world, so I’m hoping it’ll be gone soon.  A lovely chilled out day was had yesterday once my paperwork was done.  Epic fail on the veggie front though, I think I managed a few cherry tomatoes and some salad leaves, having said that I didn’t actually eat a great deal, skipped breakfast, had a warby thin ham salad sandwich for lunch and jacket potato with chicken and mayo for tea.  Mmm no wonder I have a migraine, I’m not exactly looking after the nutritional side of my life there am I! I just fancied a jacket potato and then didn’t want anything else or there was ½ box of Maltesers involved, that’s what happens when you buy stuff to put on your front table in your meetings!  I need to stop doing that, I didn’t resist the bottle of apricot brandy I’ve bought for a Christmas gift at least, although I was tempted, need to get that wrapped today!

I had planned to go do a bit of Christmas shopping yesterday until I realised it was Black Friday and the shops were full of crazed folk looking for bargains that weren’t really bargains, I changed my mind and that’s why I ended up having a lazy afternoon once I’d finished with all the work stuff.  Might brave them this morning or not, undecided!

Food is easy today, I bought a piece of cooked salmon Thursday, will have with a nice salad or wholewheat pasta and veggies, depending on how hungry I am later.  I fancy poached eggs for breakfast – boring blog this morning ay!

That’s a bit how I feel at the moment ‘boring’ no not boring just calm and missing enthusiasm, it’s the time of year I know, although I’ve been a little like that all year, I used the saying “I’ll be glad when this year’s over” for the first time in my life yesterday, I’ve never felt that way before but this year it just didn’t start well and we had all that upset with mom spending time in hospital and not being sure about what was going to happen there and other than my work I don’t remember to many highlights of 2014, so yes I’m hoping for a better 2015.

I take that back, I’ve just gone through my photos on facebook and there has been fun this year and lots of it, London, Harry Potter World, lots of lunchtime giggles with the girls, I’m obviously suffering from a splattering of the winter blues and they can do one!  I just need to give myself a kick up the bum and find something to do!

We have our Weight Watcher conference tomorrow to look forward to, let’s hope they tell us things to make me feel passionate about the year ahead.  I do love my job and we’ve had some great days this year promoting our meetings and interacting with my members, carnivals, car boots, walks and even a teddy bears picnic!

Headaches still there ;( so I’m going to go sit in a dark room for a bit I think and hope it goes away, then when it does I’m going to start working on getting my umph back, I likes a bit of lazy but too much needs sorting out. 

Have a great day.

It's all about the veg, no chocolate!

28^th November 2014

You are what you eat – so don’t be fast, cheap, easy or fake!

Well the Weight Watcher challenge for this week was to cook with a seasonal vegetable you’ve not tried before, I’ve been having enough trouble eating my five a day let alone try something new!  I managed it yesterday though, mushrooms and tomatoes at breakfast, broccoli and salad at lunch and beansprouts for tea – only just got there though!  I’m going to make a conscious effort to eat healthy this weekend, I’ve got a little lazy in the kitchen, and it’s become a place I visit for convenience and bread!  That needs to stop, I want energy back in my meals, less carbs more fruit and vegetables and good lean protein.  Yep this weekend is all about the clean…

There was a thread started in my group yesterday about time, not having enough of it to cook up all these lovely meals that people seem to be concocting, and that’s a really good point.  Let’s be honest when you’ve left the house at 8am and get back at 6pm, cooking isn’t the first thing you want to be doing, that’s where planning has to come into play and quick ideas, slow cookers, fast recipes and convenient healthy food.  One of my favourite quick foods is microwave brown rice, I stir fry some diced vegetables (if I’m in a super rush, I have frozen veg including, peas, diced peppers, mushrooms, Mediterranean veg) and throw that in, I have fried rice in less than five minutes.

For quickness you can buy veggies chopped up already, if it’s the difference between cooking and not, then buy them!  I find cook in the bags great too, ooo and my George Foreman is awesome, with those maggi paper flavouring things you can have salmon or chicken cooked to perfection really quickly, with some microwave rice, tinned veg – sorted in ten minutes.

Wholemeal Spaghetti takes 11 minutes, whilst that’s cooking I usually have some vegetables stir frying, ooo wraps too, I like them put on the George too with a veggie filling, then they go crisp.  See I can eat healthy; I just needed to remind myself that I can!  If you’ve got any quick, easy meal ideas or recipes, inbox me so I can share.  Here’s a good one;

Speedy Spaghetti Carbonara

Serves 4, 15pp per serving (3pp on F&H day for parmesan cheese – oil from allowance) takes 15 minutes

400 g Wholewheat Spaghetti (35pp)

Cooking oil spray (1pp)

100 g Bacon Medallions, Raw (3pp) chopped into 2cm pieces

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 large eggs, lightly beaten (8pp)

120 g Parmesan Cheese, (13pp)

Salt & pepper to taste

Cook spaghetti according to instructions on packet.  Meanwhile, spray frying pan with oil and add bacon, fry for 2-3mins until lightly browned.  Add garlic and fry for another 30 seconds.  Set aside.

Drain spaghetti and add to bacon mixture in the pan, add eggs and half parmesan cheese, season and toss together.  The heat from the spaghetti will partly cook the egg, but leave it moist.

Serve and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.

Right I’m off, it’s Friday – YAY, chilling later as I’m at a conference all day Sunday and I need to recharge and spend time with mom.

Have a healthy and happy day folks and watch this video, it’s so true!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNPLuSx_06U

Off to make soup...

27^th November 2014

The only time you run out of chances is when you stop trying.

I realised yesterday I need to get those five a day back into my life, and not just the odd day but every day because the last few weeks that’s not been happening.  So yesterday my day started with mushrooms and tomatoes on my breakfast, that was two done.  I had baked beans with my lunch, that counts as one too, then for my tea I had curry which had onions and butternut squash in it, that’s only just hitting the 5!  I was going to have a banana but they weren’t ripe, so today I will do that again but try to hit it better than yesterday, I need some healthy in my life!

This week in meetings we’re talking about battling the supermarkets at Christmas and last night Aimee shared with us her plan for Christmas, she’s having the day off!  Her excitement and enthusiasm was lovely, it’s the first year she’s cooking for both families, they’re all coming to her new house and she’s cooking dinner.  Her daughter is three and a half so now understands totally what Christmas is all about and Aimee is so excited, she even has a Christmas cupboard (see photo above) in the kitchen full of the goodies for the day, including a rocky road house that they will build together, chocolates, crackers, chocolates, Christmas pudding, chocolates, biscuits, chocolates and brandy snaps, did I mention chocolates!  The plan is to have Christmas day completely of plan and eat / drink whatever she wishes.  When I asked what she plans to do with the leftover chocolates on Boxing Day, her plan apparently is to send all her visitors’ home with goodie bags full of the leftovers….. I look forward to hearing if that happens!

Do you have a plan, are you prepared to survive and cope with the supermarkets at this time of year?  I find it extremely difficult so I plan to stay out of them as much as possible!  And Christmas week my shopping with be delivered to save me from myself!  Yesterday I booked my slot, I couldn’t get 23/24^th so I’ve got with 22^nd which is fine as everything I’m ordering will keep and the shops are open again on boxing day let’s not forget.

Yep I’ve done my Christmas food shop online already and it looks like any other shop to be honest, I’m just not doing it this year, I did struggle not to go into the Christmas section and go a little crazy even now a month before which is why I know I couldn’t be trusted in a supermarket a few days beforehand, I’d just do what I do every year and cave to temptation, hence I’m staying away.  The only thing in that order so far that would give it away is a packet of twiglets, and I mean 1 packet, not a pack of 6 because they were cheaper! Oh and a tiger loaf because we never have white bread but just once it’ll be nice to have a bacon sarnie on white!  Easily pleased or what….

Today though, today it’s all about the 5 a day, I need some goodness in my life, because I’m going to carb hell otherwise, tomorrow I shall go all out and make a roast chicken dinner with lots off veggies but I won’t have time for that today, I’m thinking beansprouts with something for lunch, maybe chicken stir fry, that will be quick and easy, yeah that’ll do, then tomatos and mushrooms again for breakfast.  I’m definitely going to make that broccoli soup today, actually I’m going to go do it as soon as I’ve finished this blog and posted it.

Right I’m off to do just that, here’s to a healthy & happy day, you too!

Today BE GOOD or I will text Santa! ;)