uk/europe and expats feb 2013

[Mimosa23]

Shy! How horrible to hear you are ill! Lots of chicken broth, coconut oil, vitamins and love is what you need... Hopefully you will be looked after well. Sending good thoughts your way and hope you will be better soon!

[Blondie Baby]

I suck at keeping up!!!! So busy at work the only I get to go online is to look up words or phrases for my writing!!! But I am thinking of you all!!!

[Junoesque]

Oh Shy, so sorry about the flu. Feel better soon!! Meanwhile I'm pretty sure that stuff eaten whilst poorly doesn't actually count (this could be because my default setting whilst convalescent used to be Heinz tomato soup with white plastic bread and butter, mind... probably a good thing I can't get any of that here!).

Mimosa, thanks for the dog whisperer's name! Glad you enjoyed it. And please continue to post your menus so I can get all jealous. I never want to eat the stuff I have in the house once I read your posts

Blondie, I reckon we all understand about being too busy from time to time. Glad to see you're still there (and I DO love your pic in the fabulous dress!).

First day of rehearsals went pretty well. Most Russian words stuck, although I had to apologise to a colleague for spitting all over her when some of the fast ones got a bit out of control Looking forward to a costume fitting on Thurs when I shall beg for the least flattering cut there is. Or a bit of a fat-suit or something. It is very nice to need help looking old, haha!

Juno x x x

[Kissa]

Back home, feeling fatter! Doing a DD today and tomorrow, which is unusual but necessary as we are off on Thursday for a posh lunch and then have people staying for a couple of nights...

Sorry you are poorly shy, hope you feel better soon.

Juno, that sounds like a wonderful challenge, and you will be great. LOL to the fat suit idea.

Waving to everyone else. Wish me luck on the scales tomorrow!

[Rene]

Hi all, gosh I had 2 busy weeks working extra hours on top of working full time was soooo tired but having today and tomorrow off and I am doing as little as possible.
Made a cream of mushroom soup and some flaxseed with cheese bread its really tasty.

This week I haven't lost anything just stayed the same which is fine.

Kids are off school for a week so went to asda and got the latest ice age 4 film so funny like all the other ones really good fun worth watching only £8 cheaper than amazon lol.

Yes I should do some exercise but I'm always tired after I've been to work all day exercise is the last thing on my mind when I finish work don't know if anybody else feels similar .
Anyway hope you all have nice evening.

Ps. Had a sleep in this morning, I haven't done this in absolute weeks it was sooooo nice lol

[janj]

Just typed a long reply and lost it - so will re-do an abbreviated version!

Sorry you're ill, Shy. The flu has been horrid worldwide this year. Hope you manage to avoid it at work, Mimosa. But even if you do, you'll be exhausted covering for the 40% who are out sick....

Kissa, Istambul sounds lovely. Would love to go there one day.

Juno, I bet Carnival was fun. Your whole life sounds fun. You have the best attitude

Mint, all those mushrooms....how were they??

Blotto, have you deduced who sent the mystery roses? What a lovely surprise!

All is well here - can't wait for all the snow to be gone. I am babysitting my granddoggy, Denzel, an English bulldog, while his parents (middle daughter Hannah and boyfriend) are on holiday. He is so funny, and so low-energy he cracks me up! The other dogs can't make him out at all.

Finally in a sensible eating pattern again. I am going to consider the 5:2 diet seriously. My DH loves it and has followed it religiously since September. I look forward to reading Mosley's new book.

Hi to everyone I missed.

[blotto76]

I had a Turkish boyfriend for a long time, so spent many a weekend in Istanbul - one of my favourite cities. Hope you enjoyed it Kissa, and that the scales weren't too unkind.

Jan, has hubbie lost anything on 5:2?

Rene, the lie in sounds good - I could do with one of those!

Juno, glad rehersals are going well. Good luck looking old and shruken, haha!

Mim, hope you're surviving in the under-staffed office - bet you're glad not to have caught any of the lurgy going round.

Speaking of lurgy, Shy, so sorry to hear you are poorly. Roll on sunshine in Egypt hey?

Lola, how's the see saw?

Mint, did you lose after the mushroom day?

Blondie, great to see you - we miss you but know you are mega busy with the new job!

To all those asking, no, I never did find out who the roses were from - it's a complete mystery!!

x

[Rene]

Good morning to you all, it's my last day off today back to work tomorrow but won't think about that yet, it's love sitting in your dressing gown with cup of tea in your hand and lounge about

Taking kids to the dentist for a check up.

Bought the ice age 4 yesterday really funny

Started online shopping with asda and I'm amazed how much less I spent I guess you get side tracked when you are in the actual shop going through the aisles and you buy more than you need. My friend recommended it to me, glad she did

Shy, hope you got over your bug, plenty of fluid xx

Everybody else have nice day!!!

[Mimosa23]

Morning all!

Seriously, now another person is here coughing all over everything! And he (yes, it's a he...) thinks my colleague and I are ridiculous for wanting him to go home and be sick all over his wife instead of us. People just don't understand how antisocial and selfish it is to bring your germs to your place of work!!!

Enough already, I need to stay healthy, so I am only doing my own work that needs to be done and to hell with everything else!

My menu today:

B: BPC, and mid morning a virus preventing TB of EVCO and a shot of grapefruit seed extract
L: tuna with salad, and another virus preventing cocktail, this time also some extra vit D3...
D: dunno, BF has a few days off, so I'm hoping he'll come up with something yummy! (he usually does, he's good like that... )

Have a good day everyone!

[lola5k]

Morning everyone.

Hope that you are all doing OK.

Shy: Hope that you are feeling better now with nasty flu bug. How many weeks till Egypt...oooh lovely sunshine.

Rene: Good to see you back and pants to going back to work...glad you enjoyed your dressing gown moment. Hope that the kids didn't have you ripping your hair out too much...Yep I agree we are victims of picking up extra bits that are loaded at the end of isles trying to temp us. The only worry I have about online shopping is will they pick the best stuff for me. Think it must be my fruit control profile exhibiting itself. Sounds good way to go though. Hope that the plan is still working for you.

Blotto: Awh how lovely with the roses hope that you have enjoyed them. I love a bit of mystery!! Hope plan is still going good for you.

Jan: Good to see you back too and what a lovely Nannie you are doing all that babysitting. I visited a friend the other day who has two "hardcore dogs" as I would describe them. She put them in the garden knowing that I wouldn't want them hurtling through the air and landing on my lap...how freaky is that. One which is a Jack Russell was mad jumping up at least 3 feet off the ground in the garden and banging his head against the patio door...Scary. Re 5:2 I am following (lurking) a 5:2 thread that Kissa also contributes to...some people are finding it's a good way to maintain.

Kissa: Hope that the scales were good for you and if not a couple of DD and you seem to soon sort out any deviations. How was Instanbul?

Mint: How is JUDDD/5:2 going for you? I love mushrooms so will definitely have a mushroom day soon.

Juno: As always laughing at your "spitting tirade" as my kids always say we wanted the news not the weather. ha ha. And definitely good having to ask to look old.

Well after 2 DD's this week. Scales back in the 65kg.range so just need to make sure that I keep my UD eating clean (as Americans say lol) so that I don't bounce back into 66kg again. As mentioned before that's all I seem to do...go up go down and back up again...like I am just stuck again. I have also decided to have set down days. Sunday Tuesday and Thursday. I think that will fit in better with my life as I find Friday and Saturday hard to do if a DD. So finger's xx.d I start heading towards 64kg soon.

Hi to everyone else reading. Have a nice day.

[janj]

Quick answers re the 5:2 diet....

DH has lost about 10lbs since starting the diet in September. He did it for the health/longevity benefits and likes it too much to stop. He has to eat more on the up days to maintain.

I am lurking on the 5:2 thread too, Lola. I just found it a couple of days ago. I find 500 calories a bit low though - I get grumpy! - so may join you in 3 lowish (say 750) days instead. That might at least be a transition phase....

Have a good day. I'm sat by the phone hoping that my son gets to come home from Texas today. They typically don't tell them they're leaving till the morning that they fly. Grrrr. Will be nice to have him home and settled on a new path. Wonderful, smart young man, but absolutely no staying power!!

[Kissa]

Yay! Nice scales. 125.6 could not be happier.

Spring cleaning today.

[janj]

Well done, Kissa! One good thing about having such a long winter here is that I can postpone any thoughts of Spring cleaning for months yet!!

[Kissa]

Not really spring yet Jan, but the builders dust had got to me. So much happier now it is done...not the builders work though...

[MintQ8]

Hi All

Mushroom day went well until the evening - when neighbours invited us over - thought we were having a BBQ = no problems - then it rained and they did something else - oh well!! Until the evening - I had eaten quite well and only had 172 cals.

Anyway - seems I'm now going to try Paul McKenna's latest - Hypnotic Gastric Band - I'll give anything a go once!! I will be 'performing the procdedure' on Friday! It's currently getting rave reviews.

Blondie - I can imagine you are busy! Glad you're enjoying it.

Mum - love, love, love Istanbul - bet you didn't have to go on a boat with a bunch of very loud Iranians though - did you?

Hi to everyone else - have the dreaded lurgy - and am supposed to be delivering a workshop this evening - so not impressed!!!

[lola5k]

Morning all

Kissa: Great you are the queen of that way of eating...great news.

Jan: Sounds like DH got it sorted...especially eating more on the UD's. Hope you find 4:3 to be a good interim for you as you are also very close to your target so should hopefully be OK.

Mint: Hmm soz the mushroom day went wrong. Good luck with the new idea. Keep us posted. Hope its not too painful lol. Have to say I.ve tried his tape for insomnia but it didn't work for me so not sure that type of thing would be right for me.

Mimosa: Hope you got your mask pulled up really tightly...I am with you on that one you know it.

Have a good one

[Kissa]

Go for it Vicky, try anything I say. Feel better soon.x

Well I did the second DD and was only down a tiny bit this morning. But I feel better for not having eaten too much before a few more days of serious eating.

[MintQ8]

Hi All - performed the procedure this morning and have started a journal

Vicky's Hypnotic Gastric Band Journal

Hope you all have a great weekend!

[lola5k]

Morning all.

Good idea with journal Vicky. Hope it works for you. Do you weigh once a week with this, every day or does he suggest not to weigh ? Hope you enjoy Thai meal. Keep us posted on your journal.

Have a good day everyone else reading.

[MintQ8]

Think he doesn't like every day, but I do!

[Kissa]

I posted there. Good luck.

DHs birthday today but we are going to celebrate tomorrow as we have to take part in a 'reading' tonight.

Hating this freeeeezing weather. Keep warm if you are suffering with us.

[MintQ8]

Did mean to phone, but off to bed very soon! Give him our best xxx

[Kissa]

No worries, I haven't bought him a pressie even!

[Junoesque]

Oooh, Kissa, what sort of a reading? You don't, I have to say, sound 100% into this

Mint - GOOD LUCK with this!!

Jan - bloody hell, spring cleaning?? Not yet. Please. It's actually the only time that I am really CALLED to clean. I SEE the dirty windows and the cobwebby corners, and it bothers me. Probably ought to arrange to emigrate for that bit of the year

Lola, it really sounds like you've hit a plateau, weight-wise. Don't panic!! Keep on doing what you're doing and *eventually* it WILL shift. Honestly, that's how our bodies work. Maybe thank yours for looking after you so well?

Mimosa, hope you're successfully managing to avoid the lurgy. And that things improve dramatically at work.

Rene, so glad online shopping is working out well for you!! Brilliant.

Blotto, wow I am jealous of the unspoken romance involved in mystery bunches of flowers. Anything that ever arrived for me either (a)´got paid for out of the joint account (my ex, sweet but a bit hopeless with financial stuff) or came with the price tag on (my mother's trademark)...

Who'd I miss? Sorry And HELLO LURKERS, come and join in, the water's pretty warm.

Right where was I? Oh yes. Now through with first week of rehearsals. Totally fascinated by the director although I wish, not for the first time, that I had a functioning gaydar.

And obsessed by posture. If anyone's interested, these are my current thoughts. I was totally blindsided.

Meant to eat the other half of a steak before going out, but... forgot. A friend's leaving party, but he's a bit eccentric and hasn't actually responded to his girlfriend's Facebook invitation. I would find it quite funny if we had a leaving party for Boris without him. That's two perfectly certifiable German eccentrics I have collected. I am proud of myself.

And.

This between us, girls, OK? Just for the purposes of cheering you up...

So yesterday I was just about to head out to rehearsal, and I thought, hmmm actually these tights are a bit sheerer than usual, better bung some knickers on to avoid shocking those with whom I share a rehearsal "changing room". Too lazy to re-dress so shovelled them over the tights.

Lovely silky things, which fitted wonderfully when I was bigger.

Coffee break. I walk through the canteen door, and.... they fall off!!! OMG. I would have completely DIED had it not been only me and the soprano. Ended up breathless and howling with laughter on the floor.

Thanks, low carb. That's really a new one on me!!!

With love to you all,

Juno x x x

[MintQ8]

That had me laughing out loud!

[blotto76]

Mint, keep us posted on Paul McKenna. Don't think it would work for me somehow.

Jan, I like your idea of having 3 slightly higher DDs each week. I wonder if I could do that - like you I find 500 cals too low but might just survive on 750.

Lola, I think set days for the DDs is a good plan. You need to make it fit into your life.

Shy, how are you feeling now?

Kissa, hope you have fun celebrating DHs birthday,

Rene, I miss online food shopping - doesn't exist over here in Abu Dhabi.

Mim, hope all the sick people disappear soon!

Juno, your post had me in hysterics - just what I needed on a Sunday morning in the office, thank you!

I had a rather indulgent weekend - too much booze and far too many carbs. Feel bloated and sluggish today. Back to low carb and no scale hopping for a few days, haha!

x

[Rene]

Spring cleaning well I think I need an industrial cleaner in my house - only joking but yeah love to have a weekly cleaner will see...

Online grocery shopping came early great, I didn't have to waste time in a supermarket it was sooooooo nice not having to go I went to my mother in law and had a cup of tea instead now what a great way swopping shopping for supping tea lol

Unfortunately people at my place come to work ill as there is no cover at all otherwise the work would not get done, it's wrong though...

Anyway on the down side I'm still on 10.5 lbs for a 2nd week so frustrating

Anyway have ordered some gluten powder to make bread with gluten and wheat free flour but without the gluten the dough does not rise and it makes it rock hard,

Anyway have good Sunday

[lola5k]

Juno: OMG how funny. At least they were nice silky one's. That's up there with me coming out of my spin class and being told by another participant that I had toilet roll hanging out the back of my leggings. Omg !! Why did someone wait till I'd finished the class before they told me. And two lush guys were sitting behind me on bikes as we'll. oh well they probably had a good laugh.

So come on gals. Spill your embarrassing moments. Let have a little laughter thread.

Blotto: You'll soon feel good after a few clean days. I think it's good to feel how toxic too much good stuff makes us feel. Hmmm maybe 750 could work for you. Some people on 5:2 thread say more on DD works for them. Worth a try. I've had 2 UDs and not put any on. I think it's getting the numbers right and playing around with them until you find right combo.

Kissa : Hope you have nice celebration with DH today.

Rene; Sorry no loss for 2 weeks. Like Juno says. Little blip and hopefully will shift again soon. However my blip seems to have lasted since Xmas. Lets hope the next week for everyone is a positive loss week.

Hi to Blondie Mimosa , Jan, Shy and whoever is out there. Have nice day.

[Kissa]

Juno, silk slip offs... love it! Skinny you.

I have too many embarrassing moments, mostly because I NEVER wear knickers. I have caused Vicky grief, so many times...

Looking forward to a good DD tomorrow and a visit to the gym.

[blotto76]

Rene, hope the stall passes soon.

Lola, I'm laughing out loud at you and the toilet roll! I've had far too many embarassing moments - mostly falling over in front of large crowds when I'm on my own with no one to laugh it off with! Interesting that you say some folk do 5:2 with higher DDs - any idea how high they go and does it actually work?

Kissa, oh la la, no knickers hey?! Lucky hubbie!

A work friend has just given me a slice of home made cheesecake - omg, how am I supposed to resist?!?!

x