Well I never expected that...

Friday 30th August 2024

I only went and lost a pound!  I didn't expect it so I need to be good this week and not get cocky thinking 'well I got away with it last week so..."  I weigh exactly the same weight as I did at the beginning of the summer holidays so I'm pleased with that, now to lose some in time for Christmas. 

I'm away the weekend again after work Saturday morning, but I'm going to take a pasta bake with me for tomorrows dinner and we've been invited to a bbq Sunday which I won't go mad at, I can resist easily.

Yesterday was 100% on track and I ended under my allowance so happy with that, I had a thai curry for lunch, the kit was from Aldi and very nice, instead of rice I tried this riced cauli & broccoli and I thought it was great for only 40 calories!  I'd buy both again.

  

For dinner I made a fish cob, using a gastro piece of fish, that wasn't the best, I overcooked the fish in the air fryer, but I did have some celery, pepper, cucumber and tomato with it which I crunched on whilst watching tele.  They helped me get to my five a day, I've just realised I forgot to do carrots sticks too.

It's Friday and the cat woke me up at silly o'clock, so my day started earlier than I expected, but I don't have lots to do, got to go and get a gift for a 12 year old girl, told at the last so I can't use Amazon - deep sigh!  

Actually I can, I've just gone and found a present that'll be here by 10pm tonight, perfect that was ten minutes well spent, better than driving round shops! 

I might go to the gym today or use the morning to do stuff round the house.  I want to cook a couple of meals and nip to the shop, need fuel in the car too - yay rock and roll lifestyle right there! 

Bloody cats asleep now, I'm tempted to wake him up in revenge :) 

I won't though cos I'm a pushover!

Here's to day 4 on track, burning some calories and yeah I'm gonna go to the gym and get a bit done. 

Have a great day, 

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me x

If it's not there - you can't eat it!

Thursday 29th August 2024

I survived another day, again slightly over on my allowance but I was under the calories I burned according to my fitbit.  Now if I hadn't had a packet of snack size dry roasted peanuts in the cupboard, I couldn't have eaten them and I would've been on track.  Temptation is real and I work best when it's not there!  We're all different though and it's important to find your own way and what works for you, some need to have treats on hand to stop them going off track, I'm the opposite, if it's not there, it doesn't bother me. 

Anyway today, we're having thai red chicken curry using chicken I've defrosted and a mix I had from Aldi I think.  Yesterday I had these meals...

  

I wanted to use up the stuff I have, so breakfast was a hotdog roll with a scrambled egg in, the I added a leftover hotdog to give  it a bit of flavour, it was quite bland before that.  Then I was starving when I ate my dinner, I used up some mash and topped with cheese and grilled it, then had tinned tomatoes, I had the cheapest ones they sell in Aldi and warmed them slowly on the stove, threw in the last of the hot dogs and I have to say, I will buy those beans going forward, there's nothing wrong with them and I think they're only 24p.  I was enjoying them so much I went back and ate the whole can, I've never eaten a whole can of beans in my life!  

I snacked on Ryvita and smashed avocado which was tasty and I'm emptying the fridge in the process, I hate waste and to be fair, I can't afford to waste food! 

I have cobs left and hot dog rolls, what to use them for - mmmm decisions, decisions...

I did do half hour on the recumbent bike, so back at the gym and then I enjoyed a couple of hours at the shooting range, it was busy yesterday at least half dozen blokes there but they're really friendly and  helpful.

Today's my weigh day so I'll take whatever they throw at me and that'll be my starting number for being back on track and look forward to weight loss for Christmas!

Anyway, it's Thursday and it's a busy day so I need to get my backside in the shower and get ready for work, see some of you soon, the rest of you, keep going.

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx

First day tracked

Wednesday 28th August 2024

I managed to track everything, even though I ended up -140, it was tracked and a start!  I started my day with a couple of ryvita with a bit of smashed avocado, then I had the hotdogs I'd planned for lunch, 533 calories, I saved over a hundred calories not frying the onions, as much as I love fried onions, for hot dogs I like them boiled in the brine water from the hot dog can, they taste like the ones from the hot dog man then.  

When I nipped into Aldi for a bit of salad, they had sprouts and that formed the idea for dinner, I had leftovers, it cost me 833 calories, but damn it was worth it.  I wouldn't usually eat two meals like that, but I enjoyed both of them a lot!  

It was a busy day as it always is on a Tuesday, I was telling Elle how Aryn has grown a couple of inches over the summer and she responded with, 'do his school trousers still fit' - damn, I hadn't thought of that, I'm glad she did!  He now needs extra long trousers so men's it is!  15 and 6ft 2in already, EEK! 

I've just took chicken breast out of the freezer, think I'm going to make chicken burgers today, I'm trying to not waste anything and I have cobs left from the weekend, I'm also trying to remind myself I can eat 'normal' foods that the rest of the family eat and still lose weight.  

Not sure what I've got planned today, I want to get to the gym straight from this mornings huddle, get me easing back into it, that's an hour at least.  He goes back to school next Wednesday so we'll have some routine back, he doesn't want to do anything with his last few days off, I have asked him!

Here's to surviving day 2 of tracking, I got this and so have you if you believe you have - heck fake it till you make it!

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me x

Never stop trying!

Tuesday 27th August 2024

I'm officially a rubbish loser lately!  I'm talking weight loss, but I decided over the weekend (yeah I know once again!) that I need to get a grip.  I've had a lovely summer, spending most weekends in Wales, eating out or having takeaways and not going to the gym!

We stayed home this weekend and got stuff done, we did go out Saturday night and had a takeaway and whilst getting ready, I noticed the addition of a new spare tyre round my waist or maybe it's an existing one that's got bigger!  I didn't like it, I felt uncomfortable because of it all weekend, so it's time to get a grip.  Someone put a post on Facebook on Sunday saying 4 months today it would be Christmas day and I thought - EEK!  I love Christmas but it's another time where over indulging is guaranteed, so I need to lose some before I gain again!  I love eating and drinking and I'll never change but I can control it and have some weight loss success now ready for the fun.  

Right let's do this!  

I've fancied hot dogs all week so I bought the dogs Sunday morning and I will be having them today, they're all tracked ready as my main meal, you can eat anything as long as it's within your calories and you track it!  I plan to 'plan' my days going forward too, if it ain't on the tracker, it ain't going in the mouth.  Oh and the rest of the week will be healthier choices than hot dogs but I fancied them and as I'll be opening the can, I may have to have them tomorrow because Aryn don't like them! 

    

They'll be a lot of freezer eating this week, I don't want to go shopping when I have so much in there that needs using, I will nip to Aldi today but only for water and maybe a bit of salad or some veg although I have froze veggies in freezer.

I need to ease myself back into the gym, I stopped going because of an injury to my knee and also because it's the holidays and Aryn's home, so I'll definitely go tomorrow and Friday, was gonna say today too but that's expecting too much from myself, I have a busy day with 3 huddles!  Plus I don't wanna do 3 sessions this week and set myself back. 

I did burn some good calories Friday cleaning the house, all 'exercise' doesn't have to be at the gym, I did 38 active minutes doing the cleaning, it's not fun but the after effects (i.e. lovely clean house) is great.

I need to focus on one pound a week loss, not try and be super good because that's when it goes wrong because I miss the stuff I like and then I fall off the weight loss wagon and land on a big food truck! 

1777 calories per day is my allowance, if I actually think about what I'm eating, I can have good meals with that and include a bit of red wine, although I'm going to cut down on that in the week.

That's enough 'I'm going to do this....' statements, again, I need to focus on one thing at a time.  I measured myself yesterday as I wanted to work out what size I needed to order for a dress off the internet - ouch, that wasn't pretty.

On a positive, my pain levels aren't too bad at all, I still can't stand for long periods of time but I can move about and do stuff like house cleaning without crying.  I did this house lovely Friday although looking at it now with a drill on the cat box and the box open on the living room floor - you wouldn't think it!  He's not great at putting his stuff away, but in his defence, he had to get off so he wasn't sorting the motorhome in the dark when he got to the site. 

Right, it's Tuesday morning and I need to get ready for work, which I'm happy to go to because I've had a lovely weekend with family, went out with one brother Saturday, had the other come for lunch yesterday, that was unplanned but good, plus of course spending the weekend with the family I've made and chosen to spend my life with, I'm a very, happy lady in my world, I can't believe this time next week, it'll be 3 years since he knocked my door again and he hasn't left my life since.

Let's have a good day, I'm going to!

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx

Living my best life

Tuesday 20th August 2024

I really am living my best life but it's really not helping my weight loss efforts, I mean who's going to turn down this meal; 

  

 

He took me out Saturday lunchtime when I got to Wales after work and we went to The Cefn Mably Arms it was incredible, it was all we ate that day though ;) as the food put him in a coma very early evening when we got back and he slept almost 12 hours, he works really hard too of course.

Sunday was a quite day, bacon sandwich for breakfast.

Aryn fancied a Chinese for his tea so I was okay, thought I'll just have fried rice and a pancake roll, I have to say it wasn't good, Willow House by the Pheasant is not as good as it one was, the best round here is Golden Wok off Stubby Lane roundabout but they don't open on a Monday.  How a Chinese takeaway can make a mess of egg fried rice is beyond me!

Now to try and eat some healthy food for the rest of the week!

I was in bed for half seven last night, I've had 9h 8m sleep according to Fitbit, lots of dreaming though, I'm not a fan of this dreaming lark!  

Anyway, I've got to get ready for work, eggs for breakfast, they're free range from the park he's staying at, Andrew gave them to me Sunday night, I left his some and managed to find myself a tub to bring the rest home, they'll taste amazing!  

Here's to a great day, 

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx

Food glorious food

Friday 16th August 2024

Well I gained a pound!  I'm not surprised and I'm okay with the result but obviously I want it to be going in the other direction so it's time to behave.  I was over my calories yesterday because I have these HelloFresh meals that need using up and I'm not wasting them.  I have to say the salad at lunchtime was delicious, Aryn didn't want it so I had all of it which cost me 788 calories.  

It was really good though and I'd make a version of it myself in the future, the roast peppers and ciabatta croutons with the serrano ham were lovely.  It would've been nice with balsamic dressing rather than the oil and fig jam too.

  

For dinner I made Aryn cheesy garlic chicken pops with a parsley and garlic butter, I had just a few to try and they were good, again I'd make these again, we both agreed they didn't need the garlic butter but if they had them we'd rather have them as a dip rather than the chicken mixed in them at the end.  It'd save calories not having the garlic butter too.  

  

 

  

Other than cooking, working and washing clothes, my day was calm.  Work was a real laugh, Elle and I laugh so much at the scales over daft stuff, it's a pleasure to go to work. 

Today I've got to take Aryn to SpecSavers so that's this morning full, I've got housework to do, was hoping to get to gym or shooting range but I don't think that's gonna happen!  We'll see, I do have the time when Aryns at MMA but again I need to get fuel and food from shops for weekend.  I love going away at the weekend to see himself but it means I lose Mondays - well I lose the whole of Monday this week didn't I!

I'm playing catch up on housework, it needs a good go and if I was being a grown up, I'd do that, I guess I can do it with some vigour so that makes it exercise too!

What will I do - we shall see....

Whatever your day holds, have a good one x

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me x

Cheap chocolate!

Thursday 15th August 2024

I had a good day yesterday, not been tracking again lately, so I need to sort that out but my weight has remained stable over the last few weeks, pound off, pound on but steady.  I'm quite pleased with that as I've been away every weekend for the last month haven't I.  

Today I will open my Nutracheck app and stop messing about, and at least track so I know what I'm doing.  I've not been going to the gym either for a couple of weeks, my knee is struggling, but again starting tomorrow, I'm going to get back to it.  The other reason the gym has been awkward is Aryn and I want to go at different times but he's not been for weeks so we had a chat yesterday and as he's enjoying his MMA and doing 5 hours of that a week, I'm going to buy him a bench so he can do the stuff he was doing at the gym in his bedroom and then I can go back to morning gym sessions. 

We also agreed to cancel HelloFresh again, we don't like having to eat those meals if we don't fancy cooking because yes you can freeze the meat but not all the other ingredients keep, my big percentage saving ended this week too so I'm not fussed about 20% off, so I've cancelled the subscription.  We can spend that money on a few nice M&S meals next week, we nipped to Tesco yesterday for a few bits, Aryn's turned into a very sensible shopper, he appreciates the cost of food and yesterday opted for Ms Molly products, that's Tesco's cheap brand, he had the ice cream, cream jam doughnut and the chocolate.  Feedback doughnut not the best, he said it tasted like a stale on would but the 49p chocolate bar was good, we both agreed it tasted like Easter egg chocolate!  100g bar too for 49p compared to other brands which are 3 times the price, he'd have it again.

After our morning huddle, I snuck off to have a couple of hours at the shooting range on my own, I love it, fresh air, good chat with the blokes that are there, so far they've all been really friendly and helpful. The time goes so quickly, it costs me £6 for up to 3 hours, then all I have to buy are the pellets so not a too expensive hobby, don't get me wrong, it would be easy to spend more on STUFF but I'm being a grown up and resisting.  At least the lads will have plenty of things they can buy me for Christmas now I have a new hobby because I don't need any more jigsaws :) 

Wow it's half six, I need to move myself, I've got to get ready for work, I leave in an hour.  

Here's to a good tracking day, getting my act together! 

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx

Love a good bowl of pasta!

Tuesday 14th August 2024

Well yesterday was much calmer than Monday thankfully!  Got all my washing on the line before going to work, had a brilliant morning, such a laugh in our huddles and lots of celebration of weight loss.

I cooked when I got home on the night, I've had another Hello Fresh box because they sent me an offer and we really enjoyed this one.  It had a lot of flavour, it wasn't 'hot & spicy' at all just tasty.  You could lower the calories by using half fat creme fraiche, that would save 250 calories on the recipe.  Swap the lamb mince out for pork, another 500 calories saved, you could use quorn and make it vegetarian.  I'd make it again for sure, I've put the recipe at the bottom.

If you fancy 60% off to try a box use this link.  You can pause or continue the subscription really easily.

My day overall was work, food, finishing my jigsaw and watching rubbish tv, perfect in other words!  

This is the main reason I don't have loads to blog because my life is quite calm.  

I'm not loving the heat, it's not helping my sleep pattern at all, my fitbit says I've had 7hrs 30m but it doesn't feel like I have, I'm dreaming more lately and getting up to go to the loo around 3am (cos you really wanted to know that!).

Todays a huddle, followed by a trip to the supermarket with Aryn, he needs feeding daily apparently!  I'm toying with trying to fit in a couple of hours at the shooting range, I'm loving my new hobby, it's so calming, for the time I'm there, I completely zone out from the world and focus on the target in front of me, I'm outdoors getting some fresh air too and all the walking to and from the target is exercise - what more could I want.

I've got a couple of  Vinted parcels to drop off too, if you've not used this app to sell your stuff on yet, you should, even if you only get a couple of pounds, it adds up doesn't it.  I've only just started using it but its so easy because the buyer pays the postage.

Right that's me for today, seriously go treat yourself to the gochujang paste and make that recipe, you'll like it a lot, I'd add more mushrooms too, actually I'd consider putting peppers, courgettes and other veggie and maybe removing the mince altogether!  

Here's to a great day, smiling at life whatever gets thrown your way.

Mwah, luv ya

Love me x

  

What a day!

Monday 12th August 2024

It's been a while, life's been a bit busy, away at weekends, back Mondays playing catch up with everything and the blogs been ignored!  Today's events though, need recording, it was quite the day.

I left Wales at 4.30 because he went to work at that time and I'd got a dentist appointment at 9.50am so I thought if I leave early, I'll be back before the morning rush and I can have a shower and be there in time.

Well that didn't happen....

An hour later, just before leaving M50 to join the M5, I got pulled over by the police, it was weird because I'd seen a white car parked at the side and thought to myself  'I wonder if that's the police', turns out it was.

So I heard the wur wurs and saw the lights flashing and at first I thought is he just going round me but he didn't so I pulled in.  Now I'm thinking 'WHY?', as he came up to the car, I said, 'what did I do?' and he replied, 'can you take your keys out of the ignition, if you come and sit in the back of my car, I'll explain'.  Now I'm a bit worried because I wasn't speeding, I was doing 60 in a 70 because it was dark and I'm not a fan of night driving.  I got in his car and he asked me who's car it was, I said mine, he asked how long I'd had it, I said a couple of years, then he told me it was a stolen car!  I'm like nah, it's my car, I've not reported it stolen.  He tells me it was reported stolen 3 years ago!  I asked him if he was the white car in the layby - he said yes, I was impressed and asked how did you run all these checks in a minute, he told me they'd clocked me a long time ago and were putting things in place to stop me!  

DEEP SIGH.

He asked who I'd bought it from, I said a garage and he asked if I knew who, yeah not only did I know but I had their keyring on my keys with their name and phone number.  Now another car pulls up and two policemen get out ask if he's okay (cos I look dangerous - not), he said yeah and they started to check my car over, check vin numbers etc.  We chat, they were all very nice and treated me with respect, he said it sounded like I was innocent in this but he needed to check a few things.  Ultimately it ended with him telling me they were taking my car from me, I'm like what happens to it, he explained it would go back down to Thames Valley where the stolen report was made and then returned to the insurance company who would probably auction it off.  I'm like what about me, he said he would ask the tow truck to drop me at the services!  Seriously what is going on.

He let me call himself to tell him what was going on, I told him I'd got 3 police men with me, the one that had stopped me smiled and said there was a lot more than that, if you hadn't stopped, there were 3 cars at the roundabout with stingers to cover all directions - EEK!  I then called my brother to get him to pick me up, he'd be an hour.

So 10 minutes later I'm dropped at Strensham services on the M5 Northbound, allowed to remove all my worldly goods to a bench to wait.  I mean look at this lot! I couldn't go to the loo as it was all there, I couldn't get a drink, no one would make eye contact with me as I looked like a vagrant, it was not a pleasant hour.  

Whilst I'm sorting getting home, himself was trying to get to the bottom of the situation, thankfully he's done a lot of business with the garage and he went in early to find the paperwork to trace it back and see what had happened.  When the seller was called, he told him that he had reported it stolen before realising it hadn't been, it had been towed by the council for not having any tax, he would all the police and have the marker removed immediately and in fairness he did call them.  This meant I could then start calling round to try and make sure the car wasn't taken from Gloucester police and returned to Thames Valley.  You have to pay to get a car out of a pound, plus the tow fee!  

I'd been paying attention in the car and I knew the car was reported stolen in August 2021, however the garage had bought the car in July 2021 so the seller reported it after selling it!  The plot thickens.

I finally got the okay to collect my car, the police said they would cover all the costs as it wasn't my fault and I'd had quite the day already.  Took almost 3 hours do do that journey because of the traffic but at least I have my car back.  As the car was empty for a change, I treated it to a valet and me and Aryn to an Indian, I wasn't cooking after that day.

I've emailed the information I have to the policeman who stopped me, so let's see if they follow it up.

On a positive - I made that dentist appointment though! 

They were really lovely with me in a horrible situation, they were just doing their job, but they did it in a respectful way.  I'm not gonna pretend it was a pleasant experience, I got a little teary as they put my car on the tow truck and I got in the back thinking, I'm not getting that car back.  Unloading my car at the services whilst the towman waited, then sitting there for an hour feeling like people were staring but not making eye contact, it was horrible. 

But it's done and I have my car, it's all clean and smells nice too, I'm gonna enjoy a glass of wine and have an early night - I'm shattered!

Tomorrow's another day, let's hope it less hectic and traumatic!

Mwah, luv ya,

Love me xx