Lost 2lb didn't I!

Wednesday 16th June 2021 

The way you speak to yourself matters.

Another great day at the huddles yesterday, lots of smiles and success, it's just so lovely to be in a room having a natter with others and enjoying being at work again.  It was my weigh day and I lost 2lb so I was really chuffed, now to keep it going, I wanted half stone by the next bank holiday so 5lb to go!   

I nipped to B&Q but it was too hot to walk round and concentrate with a mask on, just horrid, I once again have a crazy kind of respect for all the NHS workers and all workers to be fair who are having to wear them all day long, I can't wait to be rid of them, they're stopping me shopping as there's no pleasure in it at all when you can't breathe properly.

I then did a live video in our Be Happy Owls Huddle private facebook group whilst I made my lunch which was cauliflower cheese and pulled pork.  I made my own white sauce and wanted to show how easy it was, I used 

450ml skimmed milk 153 calories 

40g low fat spread 136 calories 

40g flour (I usually use plain but only had self raising and it worked fine) 141 calories 

Total calories 430, feeds 4 at 107.5 calories 

Put it all in a pan together and stir constantly whilst it heats up to boiling then turn down to medium until it thickens. 

To make it into a cheese sauce, I added tsp dijon mustard (9 cals), 60g cheddar (250 calories) and 20g parmesan (83 cals), 

I made two cauliflower cheese, one large one that will be a complete meal and the one below which I had with sweet bbq pulled pork, 40g of cheddar was enough to cover both dishes.  There's also a portion of cheese sauce left which I might have on a bowl of pasta as a meal too.  Oh and a large portion of cauliflower is only 35 calories so you can afford to spend all those calories on a delicious cheese sauces. 

I'd rather have the pulled pork without the sauce if I'm honest it was a little too sweet, although it would be nice with a bit of hoisin on it, a lot of calories in that small portion, over 300. 

 

I had a simple tea though, so it all balanced out in the end. 

The paint samples I got from B&Q aren't what I want, the one is a too dark, the other is the virtually same colour as the plaster which made me smile, I don't want walls the colour of the plaster it is now!  I can see me ending up with magnolia!  I'd got the idea of a white with a hint of brown, but meh after a few months when it starts to get dirty, it'll be like magnolia anyway won't it. 

Another hot day ahead, I've got a zoom with V this morning and a trip to the vets, so I better get going and get ready for my day.  Here's to a great day, Wednesday already and halfway through June, absolutely crazy! 

Mwah, luv ya

Love me x

Tracking Tuesday again!

Tuesday 15th June 2021 

Don't let yesterday take up too much of today.

Well I had a brilliant day yesterday, I really made Monday matter, started it off with a walk with Alfie, he lasted about 15 minutes before giving up and getting in the pushchair, then I had a good half hour walk before I picked him out to see if he was up for another little walk.  We'd clocked 5k steps by the time we got home which was great. 

Next I went to work on getting the plaster off the cornices in the living room, I'm glad to say that my back is okay this morning, my knee on the other had, not so much, it's full of inflammation, hey ho!  After hoovering and mopping the floors, I wasn't in the mood to sit, so I decided to trim the bush that was getting out of control by the house.  By the time I'd finished, I'd cut it all down because it was covered in green fly and I got carried away, more bags of greenery to get rid of!  I also came away with a blister on my thumb - ouchy - it's been a long time since I've done manual work obviously.

Oh I went through my freezer and did an inventory of food, I will not be buying anything other than fruit, veg and bread for the next week, my brothers due next Tuesday, or I'd have said longer.  He'll want treating with all I'm going to be having him doing. 

This made me smile a lot last night, I haven't seen those kind of numbers for a very long time, look at those active minutes!  Look at the calories I burned, love it, especially as lower down the screen it told me I'd done 28 minutes of sport (145 calories), this was when I was cutting down branches and also it clocked the walk burning 218 calories.  Alfie also took me out for a second walk, V nipped round and as she's leaving he's followed her but continued walking down the road, so I got his lead and collar and he walked me all round the park, no pushchair needed, he's like the rest of us, has good days and bad days with his joints, I'm giving him YuMove dog supplements, that will hopefully help ease those joints once they kick in, although it says takes up to 6 weeks, he's been on them about a week.

Foodwise I was good too, had banana and natural yogurt for breakfast, I love full fat natural yogurt, it tastes so creamy.  Then I didn't eat till five on the afternoon, I had these chicken and chorizo skewers, wouldn't buy them again, although in their defence I didn't cook them the best, I left them too long, but I'd rather make my own with thigh rather than breast.  Those were the leftover spuds from the day before and a roasted pepper, which initially I'd put in whole because I was going to stuff it with rice but remembered the spuds whilst it was all cooking.  

 There was too much chicken for one meal, it should've served two, I thought Alfie would poke his nose in but he didn't so I made a Focaccia cob for tea time with the leftovers and had them with a packet of french fries rip off's which I have to say are yak but I keep bloody eating them because they are there, so I'm taking them to the huddle this morning to see if anyone actually likes them and to get rid. 

I've got one Focaccia cob left so I'll eat that today, no waste in this house.  I've took out a bbq pulled pork from the freezer, which I'm going to have with rice, I will have rice lol, I also have a cauliflower that needs using, mmm might make a cauliflower cheese, yeah, ooo might make do a FB live in my group to show people how easy white sauce is to make, as not everyone makes their own. 

Had a lovely natter in the garden with Julie too, I love that people can just pop round and we can have a cuppa and a natter, well I had a G&T actually, more T than G, very much deserved after all the work I'd done, blooming hot sun though.

Right, let's have a tracking good Tuesday,  I'm off to make me a cuppa, have a shower and my breakfast, not necessarily in that order! 

Mwah, luv ya

Have a great day 

Love me x

Make Monday Matter

Monday 14th June 2021

Amazing things happen when you try.

Yesterday I took Alfie out when I'd finished my blog, we left the house as we always do, him on his lead and me pushing a doggy pushchair, Tracey had let me have for a few days to see if he'd be okay in one.  Usually Alfie is either in the mood to walk or he isn't, in which case he walks as far as the shops, does his business, then sits down and watches the world go by.  I need to walk more and he doesn't like being left alone so the pushchair was hopefully going to be the solution, so when it was evident he wasn't in the walking mood I gave it a go, lifted him up and put him in and started walking, well he seemed happy sitting there, watching the world go by, being able to people watch as is his hobby without having to do anything!  We did a loop of the drive which is a mile, then went round the block, then had a natter on the corner with my sister, I will try him again this morning.  If I can add a mile a day to my movement, it's got to help hasn't it.  I won't say anymore, as I've got to build my activity levels up a bit at a time.

The rest of the day was very relaxed, the most I did was a load of washing and I cooked me a bit of dinner, oh I nipped over the coop as well to get bananas after seeing Karen eating bananas on toast on our zoom catch up.  It was really good too, definitely have again, but not today, the breads gone green!  

I had cod in butter sauce with new potatoes and asparagus which was delicious, then other half of the new potatoes, I'm going to make a potato salad with today and have it with the rest of the mozzarella cheese for lunch.  I've also took out the chicken and chorizo skewers to defrost, might have them with some rice. 

My plan today, after we've had our walk, is to go through my freezer and do an inventory of what's in there, the cupboards too, so I can start planning some meals with them, rather than keep buying more!  

I'm also going to wash down the cornice in the living room, if my neck/back can cope with it, before it gets too warm!  Then I'll take the rest of the day as it comes.

I hope to make Monday matter, get stuff done, my first pint of water has been drunk and I'm feeling good.  

My feet feel great this morning, I treated myself to a nice foot bowl last night whilst watching a bit of tele, then I put on the pedi cream that Vicky had got me, it's made a difference in just one application, so I'm impressed.  My heels get really dry this time of year, they start to crack so if I can prevent that, happy days.  A lovely lady on the zoom asked if I was still doing my skincare routine yesterday because she said my skin looked good, I am, again stuff from Vicky, it's not just really good, it's cheap too which matters, I've tried stuff in the past and paid a lot of money for it and it's not done much so to get something that actually works at a price I don't mind paying - happy days. 

Okay, I'm off, have a great day, I'm going to, 

mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx

Owls, foxes, it's all happening here!

Sunday 13th June 2021

If there is no struggle, there is no progress.

What a brilliant morning at the huddle yesterday, it just keeps getting better, I love seeing faces I haven't seen for so long or ever, rebuilding or building relationships with people who you're on a level with and who you get is just the best and then having a good laugh as well as tacking the tough topics too in a safe space is so needed right now.  

I didn't do a fat lot the rest of the day, gave a neighbour a lift back with her shopping from Aldi, had my cupboards fitted in the back bedroom, they're nearly finished, he's just got to cut out the pieces to go round the sides of them so they are 'fitted' in the alcove, I will have no excuse for not having everything out of sight once they're complete. 

I must of fell asleep in front of the tele before 8!  I woke up and went to bed, warm night so lots of tossing and turning, 17 times restless, 3 times awake, Alfie woke me to go up the garden, can't complain as he needed to pee.  Even with 52 minutes awake/restless I still managed over 8 hours :) I'll take that. 

It's nice and cool so I'm going to try and get him to walk this morning, there was no walking by him yesterday, although he is getting better about not being right by my side and he went for a nosey around in the garden at the church.

This week we've talked about lots in huddles but we've challenged our members to start their day with a glass of water, I was asked why a couple of times and as much as I wanted to say "because I said so" :) but the real reasons include the fact we dehydrate in the night, more so in this heat, and we need to rehydrate, our brains are mostly made up of water so let's help that get going in the morning too. Drinking water in the morning can help flush out all the toxins that stores in your body overnight. As you drink water, it naturally stimulates movement in your bowels and also helps regularise your morning spree to the bathroom!  During the night, your body repairs itself and casts out all the toxins in the body. As you drink water on an empty stomach in the morning, you will surely flush out these harmful toxins, leaving a fresh and healthy body.  

Now some members said does it start your metabolism, the truth is your metabolism never stops, but googling this morning, I've found plenty of websites that suggest it does boost it but also websites that counter argue that, including this one Drinking Water in the Morning: Does It Have Benefits? (healthline.com).

Why did Elle & I challenge members to drink a glass of water first thing in the morning?  Main reason was so that they'd drunk at least one glass of water that day, water is good for us end of, by drinking that one glass, it might make them think about drinking more, or remind them they're getting their healthy on so they'll make wiser choices that day.  We all get so busy in the day, I know many people will go for hours without a drink, knowing we've got them to drink at least one glass is a start, if they can make it a daily habit, happy days, reducing their caffeine intake a little would be a bonus.  I have naturally reduced by caffeine intake over the last lockdown period because I stopped drinking in the day as no one was offering me a cup, now I only have one or two a day, usually in the morning and this week since drinking the water, it's been one maximum. 

I have just full on had a conversation with a fox!  Yeah, I know, I've been a crazy cat lady for years feeding the cat that's not my cat and his ginger mate but this fox knows me by sight now, as sometimes when he comes to the back garden I'll be in the kitchen and he'll see me and back off, then if I go out with Alfie first thing he stares before running.  This morning, I've just seen him through the front window as I'm typing and he was being annoyed by a magpie who was following him and picking on him lol, yeah he was, the fox was just looking for food so whether they were trying to keep him away from something I don't know.  I went to get a tube of webbox for him and when I opened the front door, he was stood across the road, I held the tube up so he could see it, put it in the dish and went back inside, a minute later he walked over and got it and took it home!  I know different people have different opinions of them, but I'm a fan of all creatures and we've encroached on their territory so in my eyes, if I feed him, he ain't gonna kill another creature to be fed.  

Right I need to get off, got a zoom this morning with lovely people, wanna fit a walk in beforehand, here's to a good, very possible lazy day ;) xx 

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me x

 

Early morning, ready for our huddle

Saturday 12th June 2021 
Good vibes only, do you, be you, for you

.

4am wake up this morning, feel fresh as a daisy though on 6 hours and once works done this morning, I'm free to chill out and do things at my leisure so it's all good.

My sister nipped round yesterday and we ended up ordering KFC, then I remembered I was trying to lose weight this week lol, but once I checked the calories, it was all good.  732 calories for 3 pieces, with a bit of salad and I was sated, I'd had a 15% discount with free delivery from JustEat and they had a £15 double bucket matchday offer, so 10 pieces of chicken and 10 hot wings, no sides or chips - perfect.  I really don't like their chips so I was okay with that and I don't like the hot wings so Anne took them too. 

 

This was all I ate yesterday, I had another piece cold later on but no more food, I wasn't hungry, I did enjoy some wine and a bit of tv, but I'm not going to eat 3 meals a day if I'm not needing it, some days I wake up famished, others not hungry at all, so I shall listen to my body. 

I was tagged in a post yesterday about weight loss groups and one lady was recommending me the other wasn't impressed with me at all :), I didn't comment, what other people think of me is none of my business.  It wouldn't do us all to be the same, now me, when I don't like someone, which to be honest I can't think of anyone I don't like, there are people I prefer to be around but I haven't got the energy for bad feelings, but if I take issue with someone, I always question why, I ask myself what did they do and did I have anything to do with their behaviour, or could something have been going on in their world to make them behave in such a way.  I don't assume everything is about me or they are just horrible people.  Who would we be without our stories ay, those tales we make up in our heads that we don't really know are truth.  You know the sort of thing, someone ignores you in the street or someone doesn't comment on your Facebook post and you think 'what have I done to them', so you start making up all these reasons in your head, when the truth of the matter could be they didn't see you because they were rushing or the were so preoccupied with the crap that's going on in their world they were away with the fairies.  Maybe they didn't see your post on Facebook or they were just scrolling past and not really paying attention, or again just overwhelmed by life.  We really shouldn't take everything so personally. 

Yeah life is so much easier and more enjoyable when you don't hold grudges, resent people or stew over things.  Let that stuff go! 

I know over the last year or two, I have been downright rude at times with people, particularly when walking the dog and they asked after mom, "How's your mom?", me "SHIT" and I'd carry on walking.  Why, because I was exhausted and going a little crazy, does that make me a bad person?  No, it makes me someone who was trying to survive a situation.  I withdrew from life a lot, let's not forget the start of lockdown, I spent a good 3 months locked up with my mom and no one came to the house as I was scared for mom, not even my sister set foot in the place.  

I honestly think I ended up with some kind of PTSD after that, I'd forgot how to socialise, how to communicate with people, how to interact in society and I wasn't the only one.  When I did have to leave the house, if anyone got close to me I was snappy with them because I was terrified that my mom would catch covid from me being out, I remember when a member told me she had covid and she'd been to get weighed, I full on went over the top with my reaction, but at the time, I didn't feel I was overreacting, hindsight is a powerful thing. 

Ah, I've just seen 2 foxes just strolling down the street from my living room window, see they don't have none of this thinking malarkey, they just sleep all day, wake at night and go looking for food!  They don't go round unfriending each other on Facebook lol, I never do that btw, but occasionally, I've realised others have done it to me and it makes me smile because it's so much easier than actually talking to the person if you have an issue isn't it.  Can you imagine pre Facebook, if you'd seen someone in the street and said, "oh don't talk to me, I've unfriended you!"  Again, it all takes too much energy, my Facebook profile is 100% public anyway, there's no such thing as private on social media, hence I don't unfriend folk. 

Well, I'm ready for my day, I'm looking forward to our Be Happy Owls Huddle this morning, I've got a bit of cold KFC left which I'm going to make a bap of later for lunch, I'm peckish this morning so might have egg on toast, we'll see.

Have a wonderful weekend, be nice, be kind, be happy 

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx

I am a very Happy Owl!

Friday 11th June 2021

Find happiness in simple things.

I have taken life one day at a time for so long now because of mom's illness, it helped me get through the days, it enabled me to be able to survive those tough times.  Now, I'm actually still doing it but it's not a survival mechanism now, it's so I can enjoy each and every day for what it is.  I don't want to think about the future, I want to enjoy the now, because the now is so damn good. 

How I got to this point involved a lot of difficult decisions, scary moments, concern for my future and really tough days, but I made it and I'm grateful to every person that held me up and helped me through.  

As I filled in my Happy Owls journal yesterday, I got to the bottom of the page, where it says, 'Today's 3 good things' and I wrote, "Everything about today was good! #NOBADSTUFF!" and that was the best feeling because I genuinely feel like me again, the me that existed before Alzheimer's/dementia did it's worst on moms and my life for all those years.  I'm so glad I'm not a thinker/dweller because I don't think about the past and what it was like in detail, as that would destroy my joy now.  

Okay, so why was yesterday all good, well the huddles were brill, just lovely seeing people and meeting new people too, that's an added bonus.  Working as partners is great too as it means we can have a good natter with people and not just 'weigh them'.  

Foodwise, I skipped breakfast, just had a couple of spoons of yogurt.  Then for lunch, I had a mozzarella salad with a focaccia bun (total 450 calories) the buns from Sainsbury's were delicious for 130 calories; 

For dinner I really enjoyed egg, chips and beans with a slice of bread and butter, a whooping 658 calories but damn it was good.  I had half hour in the garden with a glass of wine before setting in front of the tele to watch Greys Anatomy and Station 19.  Yeah life is good, I'm living my happy life and it's so good, I'm trying not to be smug because I know so many people out there are struggling as I was, but me not being happy won't help them will it.

Today's menu, mmm, I've defrosted a back of beef mince which was a whoopsie, Alfie and I will share it as it was cheaper than dog food :) I'm gonna make a square burger to go on a focaccia bun and I'll have with salad, nom nom.  Thinking something with rice for tea, oh hold on I have a savoy cabbage and a cauliflower that need using, so I'm going to have a think what I can do with them, it's Friday, a day off, so I can go experiment maybe.  We shall see.

I was a rebel last night, I stayed up till half ten, but I've managed a better night, seven and a half hours, I'll take that, I ended my day on 1785 calories and according to Fitbit I earned 2250, I'm not in a rush for weight loss, I want to enjoy the journey, fool my body, I'm not willing to kill it at the gym, neither me or my body would like that, I'll just get more active in my day to day life, a walk here and there, more housework and gardening kind of active.  Oh and a bit of yoga thrown in for good measure, you've got to enjoy what you do for it to work. 

On that note, I've drunk my big glass of water, I think I'll have a cuppa now!  Enjoy your day, try and take yourself 15 minutes for you to do something that you enjoy.

Mwah luv ya 

Love me xx

Happy Owls website to be updated!

Thursday 10th June 2021

Will it be easy? NO!  Worth it? Absolutely 

I forgot to tell you, somehow I managed to lose 1/2lb on Tuesday when I was weighed - woo hoo!  When you think about the indulging I did over the weekend, it was a tiny miracle, but I was improved before and after.

Not had the best night, what with the heat, the dog waking me up to go out, the foxes, my aches and pains, but I've have managed some sleep, so it's all good, plenty of water today and protein and I'll be right. 

Speaking of water, I drank pints and pints yesterday, it's amazing how much easier I find it to drink water if I use a straw.  Don't forget though when they recommend anything up to 9 glasses a day, that's 250ml glasses, not pints!  In the UK, the Eatwell Guide suggests you should aim for 6-8 glasses of water and other liquids each day to replace normal water loss – around 1.2 to 1.5 litres. Water, lower fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count.  

Food wise, I didn't do too badly, 

I did murder my egg as you can see but this plate of food was still tasty, high at 400 calories for breakfast, but worth it.  

I made a sandwich out of a piece of the frittata from yesterday, it worked and again around 400 calories. 

now these were a little more disappointing, I like chicken wings A LOT, but I hadn't spotted 'spicy' written on the box, they were supposed to be 177 calories per 1/4 box, there's about 2/3rds on that plate, but that included using 2 tbsp oil to cook in and coat in the sachet of sauces, I didn't do either, so saved 248 calories on leaving out the the oil alone!  

now I love cold coffee!  But I ordered the wrong one (wasn't great with paying attention here was I!) this was 154 calories for a 220ml tub, I could've had red wine for that!  & Guess what?  I did have a glass, I fancied one and I really enjoyed it, only one with a slice of bread and butter and a chunk of cheese, nom nom.  My entire day was just shy of 1800 calories but according to my fitbit app I used 2121 calories / was active for 51 minutes and managed 7117 steps.  I was sat down for a few hours on the morning on a brilliant training session with https://www.chatterboxlearning.co.uk/ was lucky to get the place as she needed a few people to make the numbers up. 

I enjoyed a lovely bath too before settling down to watch a daft film and America's Got Talent.  I went to bed at 10 but I didn't go straight to sleep, I was up and down opening and closing the windows, the noise coming in bothers me, so I have to shut them even though it's cooler, when I get home tonight, I'll go up and open all the windows for a couple of hours before I go to bed, see if that helps. 

We've been so busy with our Huddles, that we'd completely ignored my old Happy Owls website that had lots of recipes and old success stories on there, well I've had an email asking me to remove any reference to WW so if you try to access anything, it won't be there, we will update it as soon as we can using calories.  

But not today, today Elle and I shall be enjoying chatting with our Huddle members and enjoying life, whilst doing our best to stay below our calorie intake and heading towards a weight loss but paying attention to everything we eat and drink, because there's no such thing as free / zero foods, everything counts.   Here's a great example that was posted on Facebook yesterday;

I'll leave you with this thought....

If what you've done in the past, hasn't worked or lasted, how about trying something different!  Become your own experts like our members are, they are making changes that work for them, then they don't have to rely on a 'system' to keep them going.  This is just a few of them celebrating from the last seven days.  

Ooo another day beginning with T, shall we do Tracking Thursday too?  

Mwah, luv ya

Love me xx

Wickedly Wonderful Wednesday...

Wednesday 9th June 2021 

It's a slow process but quitting won't speed it up.

2 days completely on track in the bag, oh plus no alcohol!  I'm ready for some weight loss, I'd like half stone by the next bank holiday, so I need to keep reminding myself on my why's.  Mainly so I can get back in my clothes but also because I'm hoping it'll ease my joint/muscle pain and make me more comfortable all round.  I can't say it will make me any happier, because I'm really happy right now!

We had a brilliant day at the huddles, I just love them, they're so friendly and we're building a real community.  I then came home and jumped on a training workshop on zoom which as brilliant and was a great couple of hours to make me even better at facilitating meetings.  You can never know too much and it's always good to have refreshers. New tab (chatterboxlearning.co.uk) is her website and I as she says use learning to start earning.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and what she included in those two hours will make a difference to me going forward. 

Now food, I ended on 1,300 calories, amazing what I can do when I don't drink, it's not forever, I'm giving myself a kick start.  

Breakfast 2 slices of 400g Warburtons wholemeal toasted and 10g butter - 179 cals,   I buy this bread because I like it and I'm used to having 2 slices of smaller bread, it's enough for me. 

Lunch - frittata and salad 250 calories.  I made this using the leftover butternut squash in fridge and the two peppers that were about to make a run for it, very thinly sliced streaky bacon, 1 tomato, spring onions and some grated cheese on top.

 

Alfie helped me eat a quarter, but he spat out the bits he didn't like, basically the veggies!  I'll have another piece today, quick easy way to use up leftovers and eggs. 

Then I had the other half of the can of soup before going back to work (120 cals).  Got back and enjoyed fish in batter (222) Jacket potato (202) green beans (30) flora light (106) and  tartare sauce (44).  

snacks included a mini baby bel and 20g edam, plus two cups of tea, oh and I drank my water yesterday and one can of fanta zero. 

Now to try to do it all again! 

I'm on a zoom workshop again this morning 10-12.30, hopefully Alfie will walk in a bit, then I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my afternoon, I do know I want a long bath to ease my aching muscles.

I had a lovely chat with my bro on the phone, hopefully it's all going okay for him to fly back in a fortnight, he'll be staying with me, so can self isolate no issues there, he'll be busy working on the back garden :) 

I know the blogs late (some of you don't get up till you've read it lol) but I had a lie in, it takes so long to get to sleep in this heat and I'd had a few late nights at the weekend, so I've gone back to sleep a couple of times taking advantage of the fact I can.

Right Wednesday, let's make it a wickedly wonderful one for all the right reasons, find a way to make your food so delicious it seems naughty but you're still within your allowance - now there's a challenge, mmm what shall I make....

Have a great day,

Mwah, luv ya, 

love me 

Tracking Tuesday - you in?

Tuesday 8th June 2021

Don't expect to see a change if you don't make one.

Warm night wasn't it and my shoulders playing up again after I painted fence panels yesterday, I almost finished the one side before running out of paint, my painful shoulder even become part of my dreams lol.

On a positive I had a completely tracked day yesterday and booze free, I ended on just shy of 1300 calories which is pretty low for me but as a one off, it's okay. burned 2,333 according to my Fitbit and 49 active minutes which didn't include the fence painting because my Fitbit doesn't pick up that activity as you're stood still aren't you when you do it, but ma'an did it make me sweat!

What did I eat, well my mission was to use whatever I could before it walked out the fridge so it's a bit of an odd day for me, but I enjoyed it all.  I skipped breakfast, felt so full from the weekend that I wanted to give my belly a rest, then for lunch at noon, I used the last bit of the pork from yesterdays dinner, I trimmed all the fat off and gave it till Alfie, then made a simple salad with what I had in the fridge, that was just over 200 calories, then I enjoyed a Kenco Instant Iced latte for 84 calories, I love cold coffee drinks.  I'd defrosted some sausages at the weekend thinking me and Chantel would have a sandwich but I forgot about them, so I cooked them and ate one but for 155 calories, they weren't worth it, so Alfie got one, he didn't want any more, the foxes got the other two.  It's better to give them to the foxes than let them end up adding to the fat I already have on my belly! 

My dinner (335 cals) was roasted butternut squash (been chopped in fridge ready since Thursday!) Birds eye perfectly baked haddock fillet in white wine and onion sauce, I added another fillet of Iceland sea bass to bulk it out. I also fried all the mushrooms I had ready to walk out the fridge and added them to a can of Heinz chicken soup. which was only 115 calories for a bowl, can have the other bowl today.

Then for supper, I really enjoyed an breakfast muffin that was defrosted and was gonna go stale, with butter and a little bit of cheese, so good with my cup of cappuccino.  

That was my day done, no booze instead plenty of water, I intend to repeat the day again today!  

Now I tracked on the noom app yesterday, but I'm really not impressed with it to be honest because going in to look at what I've had like I just did, is a bit of a pain, it's not as easy as looking at it, you have to keep clicking stuff!   I know the nutracheck app is the most popular but I've already paid for noom so don't want to sign up to another app, I'm going to find my Happy Owls journal today and use that, I like it in front of me, especially as then I have meal ideas already in front of me for when I need motivating.  

Track It Tuesday, has a good ring to it doesn't it, day one's always easy isn't it!  I want to lose some weight now, it's different, up to now I haven't been that fussed, as long as I didn't feel ill, I was okay but I want to get back in my clothes, I can't afford to go spend loads of money on new, plus if I eat less, I'll spend less on food and booze!  I've got enough food in the house to keep me going for a few weeks easy, will just need fresh stuff and Alfie's bits, so that's the plan, only fresh being ordered.

I'm going to suggest everyone in our Be Happy Owls group shares their tracker today to give each other meal ideas and to keep us all in the zone and thinking about our choices, everything's better together.  We've had lots of people commit to the 12 week offer, which will help them stay focused.  

I went on a call for Utility Warehouse yesterday which reminded me how blooming good they are, I've not been focusing on that so much because of our new venture, but I need to make sure as many people as possible know about it because as most people know energy costs went up in April, well they're going up again in October, we now offer a better deal than British Gas, E.on, Octopus and Bulb with fixed tariffs which if customers sign up now, not only will the miss the October hikes but also next April when it's likely to happen again.  Not to mention the £10 unlimited sim offers, they do phones with free insurance too.  Anyway, I'll shut up about that, I get over excited, especially as I've finally got my sim as I couldn't get out my phone contract when I signed up so I had a sim for my sister then instead!  Get in touch if you want me to show you how much it can save you.  

Gutted my shoulders hurt, can't move my neck to the left lol, I wanted to clean up the cornices, get the plaster off ready for painting, but it'll have to wait again or I'll make the pain worse.  

Alfie and I had a lovely walk over the park yesterday where he just plonked himself down on the grass, so I did the same, so good to be able to do that and not stress about getting back, I don't think that novelty will ever wear off.  I don't ever want to take these simple things for granted ever again.  

Okay, that's me, let's get this day started, go find some painkillers to take the edge off.  Here's to Tracking Tuesday, hope you'll join in, ah I've just seen the fox cub run out the bushes by the doctor and back to him den, bedtime for them now. 

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx

Nice cool breeze this morning

7th June 2021

Breathe and remember who you are!

I've slept but I've been warm and Alfie has woke me up so many time, he was obviously uncomfortable too!  We were up the garden just before 1am, but he did need the loo so we'll forgive him, he's now snoring like a good un, lying on the settee!

A lovely restful day yesterday, watching films with Chantel, she even cooked my dinner, lovely piece of pork I had from Westwoods butchers in Great Wyrley made all the better by someone cooking it who knows how to cook meat - not my forte at all.  We also indulged in a bit of Vienetta, oh and then later on an Indian takeaway arrived!  I'm not to blame for that though, but it was yummy.

Now for a week of very, healthy living, my body is ready for a break from indulging and is looking forward to losing a few pounds, it's even wanting a break from booze which can only help with the weight loss can't eat.  Plenty of water and lots of veggies with my meals.  Hopefully we'll have more sunshine so I can get in the garden and finish painting the fence panels and burn a few calories. 

I've got a couple of weeks before my next visitor arrives so here's to being a bit healthier, I want to get in my clothes more comfortably, especially now it's so warm, it's really noticeable that things are TIGHT!  

I've been looking at dog pushchairs/strollers as was thinking if I could get Alfie to sit in one of them, I could walk more with purpose rather than just sauntering along like his does most of the time.  I just don't want to fork out all that money, if he won't sit in one!  

I'm not going to have a shopping delivery this week, I have plenty of food in this house to keep me going for another week at least, so I shall be eating the contents of the freezer, I have plenty of fish in there and frozen veg, loads of stuff, it'll save me some money too which is always a good thing.  

My cupboards have been made and will be fitted in the back bedroom this week, that's the final stage of my tidy up because the last few things that need a home, will go in there and they'll be no clutter anywhere, just tidy and decluttered - I love it.  Chantel's going home today so I'll have a good hoover, mop and clean up, that's burn a few calories.  I've also got to print some more 7lb weight loss certificates and weigh-in cards because members are doing so well and we've run out!  

I'm so full from the weekend, I can't even think about eating right now, so I can't plan any meals yet, I'll just enjoy a few glasses of water this morning and sit and enjoy the cool air coming through the window and the stillness of the day, whilst listening to Alfie gently snoring.  Such a good life x

If you've had what some would say a 'bad' weekend but really is because you were having a good time, draw your line, hit reset and have a healthier day today.  If you've not already joined our huddle or even if you have, consider investing in yourself, treat yourself to the 12 week pass and put yourself on your to do list!  

Let's have a magic Monday and make things happen. 

Mwah, luv ya

Love me x

Stop waiting till tomorrow...

Sunday 6th June 2021

If not now - WHEN!

Seriously, stop putting it off till we're out of lockdown, till we've enjoyed our first summer of freedom, till after the holiday, till after our birthday, till..... blah blah blah.  There will always be a reason NOT to start, but remember, if you keep putting it off, it may end up being too late - we're not here forever you know!

The thing is there's never a really good time to start because the truth is we should never stop trying.  I got on the scales 'official first weigh in' last Tuesday, knowing full well I was having friends over Friday and Chantel staying the weekend, but that still left 4 days of the week where I could eat a little healthier and drink a little less.  It also meant I have enjoyed the last few days but not had 'sod it' syndrome, I've not eaten stuff just because it was there or because 'I'm starting Monday...' no I am now in a place where I do what I can when I can to be as healthy and happy as I'm able to be and I have to say for me it's working.  

I'll never be 'dieter of the week' or skinny but I could win 'smiler of the week' or 'best relationship with food' as it's no longer the enemy, it hasn't been for a very, long time.  

The same with activity, I see the stuff that has to be done like housework, decorating, gardening as a chance to burn some calories, instead of being 'on a diet', I'm working on living a healthy, happy life with the support of likeminded people, speaking of which I need to arrange that walk we've been talking about all week.  

I was very, very delicate yesterday morning, learnt my lesson there, I'm used to drinking but not the sun, the dehydration and the extra drink and I don't like headaches nor hangovers, they're not for me.  Yesterday was a much more civilised day.  Our members and Elle were very lovely with me, I loved that a few were pleased to see me in that way, not from spite but because they loved that I'd finally been able to let my hair down and have a good time after years of not doing it.  I have never had a group of friends over like that EVER!  I used to have Lynne come and stay but even that had to stop as mom got worse, so yeah I loved that they got that and were happy for me.   I HAVE THE BEST TRIBE, I really do, I'm truly pleased to know so many amazing, incredible individuals and to be able to see them on a weekly basis in one place, how great is that. 

Yeah, back to yesterday, we chilled all day, enjoyed some wine, curry, binge watched The Pact, but had to keep pausing it to natter and watched the final of the Masked Dancer, bed at 10.30 which is still a little hardcore for me, I've managed to sleep till 6 thankfully because today I have a pork dinner to make, a zoom huddle this morning and another day of chilling, the weathers drizzly so no fence painting today, although I wouldn't have with Chantel here anyway, they'll still be there next week won't they.

I'm thinking croissant and coffee for breakfast, pork dinner with loads of veggies and whatever the mood takes us for tea, not forgetting a bit of fresh air with Alfie when he wakes up bless him, he's shattered and done nowt.  The challenge for this week for all our members has been to try and up their activity a little, just add 500 steps a day as every little bit counts and we could all benefit from a little more movement. 

We got to watch the fox cubs running round my front garden last night, they're so cute, they really are, Alfie wasn't impressed, I wouldn't let him out to get them!  I'm not usually awake at that time so haven't been seeing them, although the other night they were out at 8ish whilst it was still broad daylight! 

That's me this morning, I need another cuppa, I'm being quiet because Chantel's still asleep and she needs it as she doesn't sleep well but I know she's had a few hours as I woke at 2 and again at 4 before waking at 6 and heard her light sleep purr, we won't say snore cos that makes you think of those noisy snores and it wasn't one of them :) 

Enjoy your Sunday, whatever you've got planned.

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx

Ouch!

Saturday 5th June 2021
You are the most valuable investment you'll ever work on!

Night ay morning :) that's what my mom used to say and she wasn't wrong!  My head is in need of paracetamol, I've just come down, moved something and a bottle of wine fell on the floor and smashed!  Getting that up in my delicate state was not fun.  Still yesterday was a very, good day indeed so it's all okay.

I spent the morning making curry, walking Alfie and chilling before my mates landed, then we spent the rest of the day in the garden enjoying life.  Lucy rocked up with this;

What a platter of joy!   V bought nibbles, Chantel bought bubbles and a fun time was had by all as you can imagine.

I've got a couple of hours to come back to life before our huddle this morning, I'll be right in an hour, then the weekend is going to be very relaxed after that I think.

Very short and sweet from me this morning ;)

Have a epic weekend, 

mwah, luv ya 

love me xx

We all deserve to be happy!

Friday 4th June 2021

Commit to take care of yourself.

Such a good day yesterday and now I've got a fab Friday to look forward to and a cracking good weekend.  Bloxwich was brilliant, the weight loss was great, especially considering the Bank Holiday, plus those who didn't lose weight didn't mind because they'd had a banging Bank Holiday!  We also had some new faces that neither Elle or I had met before which is brilliant as it shows the words spreading.

Elle the made the day better by reminding me we were having our first business lunch, we'd organised it ages ago, really it was just an excuse to have yellow chips ;) and it was great, we had an hour in the garden, a natter and food - perfect way to pass the time.  I indulged in this kebab and chips but it was the only thing I ate yesterday other than 2 slices of bread and spread later and a bar of white chocolate that Elle had treated me too.  Actually she paid for lunch, so now we'll have to have another where I pay, but not for a while as we can't be eating this sort of food everyday if we want to lose some weight. 

We decided that because we know so many are struggling financially, but also because we all need to commit to taking care of ourselves, it's too easy to become the Annie of getting our act together and keeping saying 'tomorrow, tomorrow, I love me tomorrow' but it's always a day away isn't it, so we decided to do an offer to get people to prioritise themselves.  

They say it take 12 weeks to make a difference so that's what we want people to give us, it'll take them to the next Bank Holiday and will take us through summer, so when the kids go back to school, everyone will be asking, 'wow, what have you done to lose that weight?', please don't go stand at the school gates if you haven't got kids, get the question asked somewhere else :) 

I sat watching the Masked dancer last night, interacting on facebook with my mates and for a very, brief moment I felt guilty for feeling so happy when my moms not long died!  It was only brief, I quickly reminded myself my mom wouldn't want me too and I did everything I could to give her the best life possible once I was old enough to do so.  I remember conversations we used to have when I was a kid, I always told her I'd take care of her and we could run away from dad when I was 16.  I was actually annoyed at her when she wouldn't when I hit 16!  The truth was though, that she loved dad for all his faults and as I grew up, I did too, I realised he too was a product of his childhood and he did the best he was able to.

Well I won't be being 'good' today, pizza, alcohol and lots of laughter is on the menu and I'm so looking forward to it.  I see V fleetingly lately because she's working her ass off so to get her from lunchtime all day will be a real treat and a rest for her, Chantel's driving up too, she's here till Monday cos she's my 'bubble' well she has been since mom passed, have we still got bubbles?  Who knows but she's the only person that's slept here since the pandemic hit!  

I'm gonna spend my morning cooking curry for the freezer, Alfie's snoozing on my feet at the minute so I'll leave it half hour, he took me for an hours walk when we got back from the morning huddle.  He's being golden now when we're there, I even forgot his collar and lead last night and he didn't offer to go out the door at all!

Enjoy your day folks, hope to see some of you tomorrow. 

Mwah, luv ya, 

Love me xx

Cos a curry in this weather makes sense!

Thursday 3rd June 2021

Invest in yourself, it pays the best interest.

I was a busy bird yesterday, the sunshine definitely gives me energy and obviously having my freedom back means I'm able to do things without thinking.  Alfie and I had a shortish walk, then I got back and cleaned the living room windows, then cleaned out two kitchen cupboards (the last two I hadn't done) all the sauces and spices, that's always the interesting one, where I find stuff that I think 'why did I buy that?'  Once I'd done that and a load of washing, I drove to Westwoods butchers in Great Wyrley to get me some beef on bone to make a curry which I'll do today once my shopping has been delivered or if it's too late I'll do in morning, I'll share the recipe with you too at the weekend, not sure I've shared this one before but it's epic and the recipe that finally makes me proud to say I can finally cook a curry.  I sat for a bit in the garden looking at the fence panels and decided to start painting them, four panels later and sweating like a bitch, I decided to stop and have a shower.  I didn't want to overdo it and hurt my back again, trying to be a grown up! 

I managed over 11k steps but it says I was only active for 11 minutes, erm I beg to differ!  Just goes to show, you know your body better sometimes that a gadget attached to your wrist.  

I had beans on toast for breakfast which was delicious, followed by liver and onions for tea which beat me, I left some because I'd had a bit of bread dunking it in the gravy which was epic.  The mash had come out the freezer, leftovers from another day and yes mash is just as good out the freezer, I defrosted it first in microwave before heating it up.  The gravy was from the freezer too, it was the leftovers from the meal Chantel had cooked for me back in April and it was bloody epic on that liver, which Alfie helped me eat! 

It was about 5 when I finally sat down, did a bit of work, then watched a movie on Prime called Black or White which was enjoyable. I'd also finished another audiobook which I definitely recommend, especially if you're the sort of person that lives thinking 'what if' a lot or has regrets.  It's called The Midnight Garden by Matt Haig, yeah I thoroughly enjoyed it, I'd started it a couple of times over the last few months but didn't get past the first chapter because my head was all over the place and I couldn't concentrate, I'm so glad I tried again and also truly grateful to the mom of a friend who said to me back when I was 17, 'if you're gonna regret it, don't do it', because that's been my mantra all my life, I can honestly say I don't live with thoughts like, 'I wished I'd.....'

What to read next?  Maybe the huddle Facebook group could start a book club?  Mmm, I like that idea a lot.

Another day of huddles at Bloxwich, it's great to be enjoying going to work again, I have said many times over the last year that I could happily be a lady of leisure if it was financially possible and I could but I do enjoy getting to see all these wonderful people and supporting them on their journey, it's a damn good job and it's even better with Elle as my partner because we've always got that constant support.  In the past we were scared to be ill or need time off for holidays because we couldn't get cover, now as long as we don't want to go together, this is never going to be an issue.  

I don't want to sound smug but life is good right now, I think I've earned it to be fair, don't get me wrong, more income would be good but I'd rather be on a real tight budget and have this life than not.

Hope you're getting to enjoy this sunshine, surviving the half term, here's to another lovely, sunny day. 

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx

What a difference a few months make!

Wednesday 2nd June 2021

Enjoy today!

I still find myself almost pinching myself, I can't believe the difference in how my world is and how I feel compared to the start of the year, back then I was truly exhausted for starters but let's not look back, I'm not going that way.  Now I am loving every little part of my life, I've got amazing friends, a new partnership, great members, a lovely little dog and time to relax, I've even got a house that's tidy, yeah you can see the floor in every room and the worktops in the kitchen!  

Life's good!

Yesterday's huddles were fab, it's so lovely to be able to just have a chat and a natter, we're going to arrange a few walks so we can enjoy some fresh air whilst walking and we're going to keep them local because there's plenty round here to look at and let's be honest when you're walking and talking, you're not really looking at the scenery so much.  

Alfie is getting used to being their too, he just lies on his bed most of the time, once he's cadged a couple of treats from Elle. The huddles are more relaxed because theirs two of us, we're able to chat more and enjoy them.  

I got on the scales 'officially', Elle will weigh me on a Tuesday and I'll weigh her Thursday, I'd maintained, even though it looked like I'd gained, I had clothes on and they'd have weighed the difference.  I'm really pleased with that, it's been 10 weeks since mom died and I've managed to lose 9  pounds in that time which I'm chuffed about because I have been on a 'holiday' in my head.

Now the sunshine has arrived, I'm happy to eat salads, yesterday I enjoyed a bit of toast for breakfast, I had these for lunch, they were simple and delicious; 

Hoisin beef tacos and salad, 365 calories and delicious, need to add taco shells to my shopping list, finally used the last one, they last a very long time, just been sitting in the bread bin but a few minutes in the oven and they're great and only 66 calories each, so good.  All I did was dry fry the mince and add a spoonful of hoisin sauce, don't get me wrong if I'd had spring onions they would've added a bit of niceness and diced tomatoes but I didn't have those things and it was just delicious.  It would work with sweet chilli sauce instead of hoisin too, or teriyaki sauce, mmm I love food.

For tea, I hard boiled the eggs that needed using and Alfie ate the yolks and I made a sandwich from the whites with a bit of lettuce and cucumber, later I had another butter with micro crinkle chips on, so I overdid the bread yesterday.  Today I'm going to cook a meal, I've already cubed the butternut squash, was going to make a risotto but don't have enough to do the recipe, unless I try and break it down and make a one portion option, mmm maybe, or use normal rice rather than risotto rice, mmm, how great is it that this is the biggest decision I have to make today.

I loved that huddle members who had really enjoyed the bank holiday weekend, didn't feel bad or guilty about it, they were came to share their wonderful weekends and agree they'd be getting back to eating a little healthier again this week, although some were off to enjoy the sunshine which included a meal together over the pub for two and tea and the in-laws for another.  This is real life, Tracey's off to her caravan, she's not going to be golden and that's okay, I've got my mates coming Friday, it's gonna be the first time this year, not counting when Chantel came just after mom passed but that doesn't count as I didn't entertain her, she came to comfort me lol and make my dinner :).  We're going to be having pizza and other niceness, so I'll eat healthier until then, drink a little less (honest) and make sure I'm all rested up so I don't fall asleep on them at 9pm!  

It's all about balance and enjoying life, this is the first time we've all been able to get out and enjoy each others company, the first time the suns really shone this year, no wonder we want to go out and have a good time, eat good food, drink and make memories.  

That's why I'm happy to lose weight a little at a time so that I enjoy the journey and that's what I advocate to others, if you do it slowly, you can trick your body and mind into not realising you're on a 'diet' as such.  The truth is when life's good, weight loss is easy, when life's not so good, life is so much harder.  We then tend to blame 'the plan' when in truth, all these so called plans and diets work if you follow them, it's just that we're not in the right place to follow them to the letter.  Our emotional state also affects our bodies which has an effect on our metabolism, the body is a complex thing and nutritional science seems to change constantly because they're always learning new things.  My advice, listen to your body, give yourself a break and enjoy the journey.

On that note, I'm off to work out what to do with my squash, to make a bit of breakfast and a cup of coffee, fill my water because that's the one thing I have realised I need to up, especially in this weather, then I'm going to do a bit of housework before the weather heats up, although it's forecast a bit of rain later on.  

Have a great day, take care of you and enjoy life x

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me x

Let's start Chapter 6 of 12, 2021

Tuesday 1st June 2021
It may not be easy, but it will be worth it.

Well what a glorious weekend we've had and I had to make use of it by getting stuff done, so I have filled a huge amount of bin bags full of garden waste, I've cut back some of the shrubs on the one side of the garden, which has given me back a couple of foot on the drive.  There's still more to do but it's a start.  Not only am I saving money doing it myself, I'm getting some exercise at the same time, I was also able to listen to my audiobook whilst doing it, so win/win.  Finished the book, brilliant as always but a little disappointed, I now have to wait till October for the final book, when I was under the belief this one would wrap things up, seventh book about seven sisters after all, you'd have thought wouldn't you!  But no, there's another one about the father coming, hey ho, maybe I'll re-read them all between now and then so I can remind myself of everything in them.  

I also oiled my kitchen worktops yesterday, so my kitchen was unusable all day, thankfully a neighbour gave me some chicken, rice and peas which was lunch and I put a couple of Chicago town subs in the oven for tea, which meant I didn't have to use the worktops at all.  I've just made a cup of tea with the kettle on the bin, gonna leave them till I get back from huddle just to be on the safe side, make sure they are properly dry.  One coat should be more than enough, they look as good as new again.  

I was productive wasn't I, don't worry I still managed to spend plenty of time on my backside, enjoying the weather, mostly in the shade, I don't wanna be burning these days, I'm a proper grown up.  

It was so good to see people posting photos of them having bank holiday fun after the year we've all had, I really do hope the final lockdown ease happens this month - yes we are in June already and we all need our freedom back, I need to see my brother, I want a hug, I want to talk about my mom with him and laugh and cry together, it's just not the same over the phone, we need to get drunk and maudlin as it's all part of the process which we've not been able to do yet. 

I also want my decking in the back garden and my front room sorting lol, I'm not gonna pretend it's all about the love tee hee :) 

My body ain't hurting too badly to say what I've been doing, which I'm thrilled about, I might be getting the garden fork out next and doing a bit of digging. It's a bloody mess the front, it really is, the weeds between the slabs are of superior strength and quality!  That won't be happening today, today is all about the huddles, we're at the church on Stubby Lane and hoping to see lots of people. 

There's 12 Mondays between now and the next Bank Holiday, they say it take 4 weeks for you to notice the difference, 8 for friends and family and 12 for the rest of the world, what would you like to achieve in that time?  I'm wanting to get my fitness levels back up, after all that time sitting round doing nothing, I want my body to not hurt so much, some weight loss would be a bonus, although I do still feel like I'm on an extended holiday making up for all the lost time over the last few years.  

I better go get ready, need to shower and find clothes, life is good here right now, I hope yours is too and if it isn't, I'm sending you positive vibes and hang in there xx 

Mwah, luv ya

Love me xx