uk/europe february

[shykins]

ok heres our feb thread havent got time to post much in it at the moment but at least its open lol

x

[Kissa]

Thanks Shy!

Where is everyone???

[Mimosa23]

Marking my spot...

Yesterday I spent the whole day lying in bed. I couldn't even sit or stand up, and I was almost crying in agony from the pain in my back... Thanks to tons of painkillers and muscle relaxants, I was able to get up today and show my brother around the city... I'm glad the pain is almost gone, now just a tight feeling and some muscular ache, but no more shooting pains and breathing problems! I really thought I had a herniated disc or something!

Anyway, I think it was just a muscle or nerve that may have been slightly irritated or so...

Had a lovely day and now for the first time in a month it's actually been raining loads! Hopefully during the day tomorrow it will be fairly sunny, so I can show my brother some more sights! (tapas and drinks are good too, but not good for the waistline, so hopefully we can walk it off without being rained on!)

Hope everyone's weekend is/was good, and that you all haven't been snowed in in the UK!

[junkfoodmonkey]

Aw, feel better Mimosa.

I've been a bit too busy to post much lately, but I'm still lurking about and I'm down 1 and three quarter lbs on the week! Yay! Scale moving again

Must start exercising now my calf strain is healed up. And it's Sunday, the day I do all my meal prep ready for the week. I actualy quite enjoy doing that now. Stick on a CD or an audio book and get stuck in for a couple of hours. By the time it's done it's lunchtime.

[Alcmene]

Happy February!!!

Everyone take it easy, we only get one body.

[junkfoodmonkey]

Life is good. Lost nearly 2lbs, finished doing all my meal planning and prep for the week and about to sit down to lunch of chilli con carne (minus beans) with steamed veggies.

Later for Sunday "afternoon tea" I think I'll have a one minute muffin with a little whipped cream. And chicken stir fry is waiting for dinnner.

[Kissa]

JFM, well done on the losses and the food prep!

Mimosa, I am so sorry your back got so much worse before it got better. Enjoy having your brother there.

I went to see Sweeney Todd this afternoon, loved it.

[PrettyPaula]

helo everyone... im a little concerned about quiz... not seen her about for a bit and not had any emails from her either?


hope everyones ok.. i dont weigh in for a while yet, but im carrying on on plan, got my slow cooker delivered today so ive got some beef in there and im gonna have a go at linda sues deep dish pizza i think and then a bathc of oopsies.


we have almost finished decorating our lounge, its gorgeous and i love it. i would like to get it totally finished tonight

[Alcmene]

Watch out for that deep dish pizza, it's way TOO good!

Would love to see photos of your lounge. I got new kitchen cabinets but still need walls, ceiling and floor. Decided to spend the money on a holiday to Australia instead!

[shykins]

mimosa.. hope u are feeling a lot bettr today and the sightseeing went well

junk.. well done on the 2lbs and glad to hear u are feeling better... seems we all got aches and strains

alcmene.. i just sat and watchd yr video on the rolls, very informative yr kitchen units look great!!!... australia has to beat finishing yr kitchen!!!

paula...kissa and i were due to meet quiz but i couldnt make it and i belive she didnt not sure if kissa has heard back from her since.. i have chicken herbs and tomatoes in my slowcooker as we speak

well i had a terrible carbfest over the weekend after a stressful week (no excuse i know) so am gonna do kimkins for 5 days then back to atkins hopefully that will help me get back on track again

hope everyone isnt too cold!!!

x

[PrettyPaula]

my crockpot beef was so tender it was wonderful, and so easy!

im gonna put a chicken in it tomorrow... i love this new kitchen thing!!

i made some oopsies tonight entirely by eye as my scales (kitchen ones!) were bust when i went to use them they turned out better than ever!! lol

Just about to list LOADS of stuff on ebay, we are havin a clear out to raise funds for more decorating!

here are a few pics of our lounge decor

[Alcmene]

wow

I would never think of using grey in a front room but it looks grrrrrreat

[shykins]

ooh that looks lovely.. i love that red with the grey.. we have a similar red on our wallpaper against a sort of beigy grey (if that makes sense lol)

i am going to make oopsies tomorrow i think going to give some to son see if he likes them

x

[PrettyPaula]

i adore grey, and i think it looks so striking on walls!!

honestly if you could see our house, our kitchen walls are going to be bright fresh green, our dining room is bright blue with one wall of floral wallpaper, our lounge youve seen, our downstairs loo is going to be hot pink


haha you guys get the picture... i hate gawdy stuff but i colour, and im quite brave with it too

[Blondie Baby]

Originally Posted by PrettyPaula

i adore grey, and i think it looks so striking on walls!!

honestly if you could see our house, our kitchen walls are going to be bright fresh green, our dining room is bright blue with one wall of floral wallpaper, our lounge youve seen, our downstairs loo is going to be hot pink


haha you guys get the picture... i hate gawdy stuff but i colour, and im quite brave with it too

You sound just like me! Except I have NO talent for decorating! I HATE, HATE, HATE gawdy. But I love bright colors - especially pink and blue! I love the idea of bright green in the kitchen! I think kitchens should be bright and alive!!!!!!

[Mimosa23]

Seriously... Paula, can I hire you as my decorator? I love the look of your sitting room!!! Great colour combination! Now that you´ve told us about the rest, I´m waiting for more piccies.....

Ok, the back is better, a little stiff still but no more pain... Good thing too, as the anti-inflammatories were giving me tummy troubles!

The weekend was nice, found the tapas place I have been looking for for ages, as I was there 5 years ago, and couldn´t remember the name or where it was.. By coincidence we walked right past it this weekend! The food there was just as great as I remembered it to be!

Unfortunately the weather was quite bad: lots of rain and quite cold... Anyway, cold and rainy is all relative as it´s probably been much colder and rainier in the UK! It was very welcome though, as the rain has gotten rid of the smog that´s been quite bad for the last month and now it´s less dusty here. Apparently they are desperate for more rain, as it´s been too dry and we may have water shortage problems here come spring/summer time....

My menu for today:
B: usual non-LC brekkie: no sugar added Alpen muesli with skimmed milk and a small plain yogurt.
L: big salad with just some vinegar and olive oil over it, followed by grilled chicken leg with roasted aubergine and roasted red pepper strips. For dessert maybe a plain yogurt.
D: homemade chili con carne, minced steak without the beans but with lots of veggies instead, such as cauliflower, courgette, broccoli and some mushrooms for texture. I make this very often, and at the moment I´ve got a few batches in the freezer, so easy and healthy fast food!

[Kissa]

Hi, everyone. I am worried about Quizz too, I sent her a PM, but no reply. Come back Quizz, we need you here!!!!!

Love the colour scheme too though I know what you mean about gaudy!

Maryam you will get this I know, there is a 'style', very common in the Middle East and India, which I refer to as 'Saudi Baroque'! Not a good look.

Good work everyone, even you Shy, you are back on the wagon!

[shykins]

mimosa glad u are feeling better and had a good day despite the weather

i practically decorated the whole of the downstairs of my house before xmas (must be mad) and now we are starting little uns bedroom and then i went and bought some wallpaper today .. hubby wont be pleased lol

gawd kissa this being back on the wagon is no fun .. i got the carb withdrawals today head thumping, tum churning, oh well serves me right i guess

x

[Alcmene]

I just realised it is Shrove Tuesday today! It will pass me by, don't eat pancakes anyway!

[Kissa]

I am going to make some pancakes with the one minute muffin batter, only thinner.

[CosmicMuffin]

Sneaking in because I have been very bad and not posting. Actually I have been very bad and several different levels. But I did manage to make a dent in my basement and getting it sorted. I really need to get shelves in my closet that will help me out a lot. I am off this weekend to see Van Halen and I am so excited. WOOHOO!!!

Ohh yeah... how many UK/Europe threads are there as I feel like I am missing some?? I can't find the wibble thread.

[Kissa]

It should be there, and I've been wibbling...

[junkfoodmonkey]

Here be the wibblin'
UK/Europe/The World - 'Wibble' Challenge

And I finally wibbled today. No twinges from the dodgy calf, so I'm golden! Started slow, about 15 mins on the Step, at home. Need to build back up, I'm so out of condition!

[shykins]

we did have a clothes thread and we also have an active whinge thread lol

i been wibbling too tho not put it on thread maybe we should log it a bit more

junk glad to hear u feel fit enough to wibble again
ok cosmic come on why the grin after the being naughty we want to know more!!!

no pancakes here either i dont really like them altho i dolove the american ones but resisted them too (looks up at halo lol)... mind u i felt crap last night no doubt carb withdrawal

x

[Alcmene]

I did well last night no pancakes or replacment!

Nice sunny weather today! Wearing 3/4 sleeves inside.

Gotta run to my class now starts in 3 minutes. Still have a terrible cough and cannot breathe properly all bunged up. Don't think I have lost this week, I tend to not lose unless I work out.

[Kissa]

Didn't bother with the pancakes in the end, just had a salad.

Hope you class was good Al, I did 45 min body conditioning followed by 45 mins Step. I must be mad. Rest day tomorrow then on Friday the great Ski lesson...pray for me?

[Mandork]

Hello, got directed over here from the other thread.

I'm an expat American, and it's kind of wierd sometimes to straddle both--I'll be talking to my Mom about some low-carb strategy or other, then find out that whatever it is can't be had in Tesco (stevia and agave nectar, for instance).

As said over there,

Originally Posted by shykins

in some ways i think its better we cant get hold of all the products like u can in the states as it forces us to eat cleaner

This is true. Some of the low-carb products I've seen at home are full of really strange ingredients, and you know that when your food warns you about its laxative properties, there's cause for concern!

I am working on experimenting with different ways of making somewhat sweet things without a bunch of artificial sweeteners. I have been dreaming of a low-carb flapjack/granola bar (well, at least a low-er carb one) but so far I haven't had a brainwave as to what to put in it to make it sweet-ish. Pecans are as far as I've got on that one!

[Kissa]

Can't help on the 'granola' sorry.

I am a bit casual about artificial sweeteners, having lived through every scare since saccharine. I still think sugar is far more dangerous. Never forget that a lot of the research is funded by the sugar industry. I do take on board that less is better that more though.

Have you found the Tesco brand low carb shakes? they do chocolate and strawberry, not is all the stores but they will tell you where if you phone them.

Good to have you on board Mandork...that name cracks me up

Stevia can be ordered through the internet here, though I have not done it myself. Try googling Stevia followed by UK.