Member: Dolly
Tuesday On Line
Tuesday's LiveOnLine session was great fun with lots of inspirational tips and ideas floating around.
Just wanted to say that I did what I said i would do and booked a session with a Personal Trainer for next Monday afternoon. I spoke to her about a month ago and asked for the possibility of some sessions but said I would make contact with her - I didn't. She phoned me a few weeks ago and asked if I was ready to start - I said no. But after last night's on line session - I saw her at the gym today and bit the bullet ! Will report back on my progress.
And I've started the Food Diary again. I'd let it stay empty for the last few days and really noticed the difference. If I don't write things down, I find it really easy to slip a few extra bits of this and that into mouth without recognition. But if I see what I've eaten and visualise it all laid out in front of me - it does make me think about what I've done.
I love being part of this community and I'm managing three steps forward and one occasional step backward now, rather than the other way round. The one step forward and three steps backward has been the story of my dieting life for more years than I care to remember. Thank you girls and thank you Pete.
Off to read some more blogs now.
Dolly
A day I didn't expect
What a rubbish day I had yesterday. Tension, stress and anxiety built up - mostly based around my computer problems, dealing with incompetent service personnel, hours spent fruitlessly on the telephone and pressure of work. Migraine headache then started to build up and off I went. Comfort = food !
It just goes to show that the duck is always there, and I didn't even acknowledge it quacking. I lost all reason and ate out of sympathy for myself. Having recognised and acknowledged the problem in other people over the last few months, I thought I had cracked it. Oh no I hadn't !
As my stress levels rose throughout the day, so my self-control began to disintegrate and I comfort ate. Certainly not as much as I might have done, but it included toast and jam and CHOCOLATE. And, of course, I didn't enjoy any of it but I didn't stop.
So recognising it is one step. Not beating myself up about it is another step. For years, this pattern would have continued for days (or even weeks), but now I can turn it around, treat myself with respect and start another day full of understanding and acceptance. I am the way I am, I've changed so much thanks to what Pete and this community have taught me, and I can learn, learn, learn from this rather large hiccup.
And I also know that it takes smallish stress to do this to me - really bad stress makes me totally choke up, meaning that I can't eat anything at all. So, thank goodness, I'll be grateful for being able to deal with the "small" stress that broke my new found routine yesterday, put the whole experience (mentally) in a box so that I can look at it again in the future, and begin another day.
Today is a day of looking after our three grandchildren, in South London, fetching and carrying from two different schools. Two are at the German School so finish their schooldays earlier than their British counterparts. Making lunch, organising homework, piano practise,taking one to gymnastics, making supper. Getting them to bed, keeping things calm in the house while Valerie (their Mum) sees clients downstairs from 7.30 onwards and waiting for Richard to come home at about 9.00. So a full day, one that will be full of love, cuddles, giggles and delight. Food is already prepared and organised to take with us.
How our days vary just like our lives. Seesaws, yo-yo's and roller coasters.
Sorry to have blogged so much - but you all know how therapeutic it is and I hope that some of you can recognise a little of yourselves in what I've said. We come from so many different life-styles and backgrounds, but boy we can strike so many chords together.
Have a good day everyone.
Dolly
A day in the life of Dolly - still experimenting
Yesterday was a day on the run.
Set myself up with a,breakfast of apple puree (turned pink with a splash of Grenadine syrup) and Total 2% yogurt. David and I took the tube to the Watercolour Fair at the Science Museum - 2 hours of assessing everyone's stock of paintings and prints and deciding if we needed to buy anything. Made our purchases then took a bus to our next stop - New Bond Street. Met a friend at the art gallery where he works (one of the most expensive in London !).
Lunch at a pub. Made a great choice - a plate of peas, edamame beans (steamed green soya-beans like they have at Wagamama), watercress, mint and feta cheese. Only £2.99 and a dish that I'm certainly going to repeat at home. Yummy, yummy.
Then a walk to the Commonwealth Clubnear Charing Cross Station to meet a man,who had found us on the Internet, to buy some of his mother's First World War medals and memorabilia. Spent at least an hour chatting with him and looking through old scrap books that his grandmother had put together about his mother's war work as a nurse in Paris in the First World War. He has no family to pass these on to, so was delighted that we will be sharing these treasures with like-minded people. Then rucksacks on, bags and parcels at our sides and the Northern Line and a local bus brought us home.
In my new frame of mind, I chose to prepare a meal of ham and eggs, cheese and for something sweet - tried this. Just popped an eating apple and a pear in the oven, medium heat, no water, no sugar. Just ran a knife through the skin on one side and cooked until they were done. Someone had suggested this to me, and I love it. Hot or cold. With or without yogurt. The fruit softens and seems to become sweeter. When I think how much fruit and marmalade or honey I used to put into my baked apples - this tastes so fresh and different. Maybe it depends on the sort of fruit you use - I used a conference pear and a jazz apple. Try it and see.
If I wasn't in my present frame of mind, yesterday's food would have been so, so different. On the run, it would have been toast or cereal for breakfast, crisps, sandwiches, sweets through the day and then probably a take-away at the end of the day. Interesting, isn't it ?
But I know I've got to hold on tight !
Have a great weekend - and keep up that team spirit. I'm trying to read Victoria Hislop's book "The Return" but she's not getting a look in at the moment. Too busy reading blogs and podcasts !
Dolly
Just a quick blog
Just a quick blog.
Firstly, to say how much I enjoyed the LiveOnLine session last night. So good to see everyone and feel the closeness of the community that Pete's put together. Still find it very hard to handle speaking in front of everyone - visual is OK, but I'll have to work on voice overs !
I found that I had slipped back yesterday to the days when my body image was hard to face. We had friends coming for lunch and I changed my clothes at least 3 times because each time I looked in the mirror, I didn't like what I saw. Bulges and lumps and bumps that I'm sure no-one else was interested in. I used to be like that all the time - lacking in self-confidence and unsure of myself. I'll have to work on that too.
This week I want to focus on food (plus ca change) but in a different way. Doing without carbs has been so good for me - refreshing in making totally new choices away from the boring "diet" that I had become used to. And I feel so much better - energised and just more in a good place. I won't cut out carbs completely, but certainly try not to have too many "heavy" ones and still use bananas as a "good" food. Today I had a small piece of left-over M & S roast salmon and half an avocado for breakfast and an omelette, salad and a banana for lunch. Quite different menu combinations from usual for me. Out to a Persian restaurant tonight - and food there should be easy except for the amazing bread that they serve (like a mixture of pitta bread and nan).
I went to the gym today and forgot my headphones. Have to report that I was so much more focussed on what I was doing without the distractions of music or TV.
Sorry - this wasn't a quick blog at all. But I just wanted to get rid of a few things - and I've done so.
Thanks also to everyone who made comments about my migraine problems - it's so good to have support like that.
Dolly
Interesting feelings
Just doing a quick blog before going to bed.
My carb-free two days went like a dream. Yesterday, the third day, my Indian lunch meant that I had rice and nan bread. They definitely made me feel bloated and uncomfortable later on that day.
And today my stomach felt upset. Strangely, I yearned for something gentle and had oat cakes and hummus for lunch and cereal for dinner. Then I gave in to temptation and had a Marks and Spencer chocolate ginger biscuit. YUK ! So, so sweet and heavy. Back on the straight and narrow now. But experimenting has been so interesting.
I've been a domestic goddess today and have been preparing a meal for friends tomorrow. Two Nigel Slater recipes. Chicken portions are marinading in balsamic vinegar and olive oil with garlic, bay leaves orange rind and mixed herbs in the fridge. Butter beans are in soak to be cooked tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will fry (!) the chicken and then cook it for two hours in the oven with the addition of water, the cooked butter beans and more balsamic To be served with mashed potatoes and the reduced liquid poured over the chicken. I also made a simple cake with the addition of two chopped pears and a pack of blueberries. Looks good - so I'll just try a small piece and freeze any that is left over. And some apple puree to serve with it (rather than cream or ice-cream). I find that any Nigel Slater recipe that I try is almost exactly to our taste - we must be on the same wavelength. Wish me luck with my consumption - must remember to stop when I'm full and only give myself small portions.
See you tomorrow Tuesday girls.
Dolly
Carbless Day Two
Carbless Day Two has passed and has again gone really well. I'm finding it really exciting to choose different food and food combinations and I haven't missed the carbs at all. I think that's really surprising.
Smoked salmon for breakfast.
Yesterday's soup for lunch + some more home-made hummus and carrots, followed by an apple with a tiny bit of mascarpone cheese.
Friends came for tea and munched their way through biscuits made by our local baker - I wasn't even tempted and had a clementine with my cup of tea.
Tonight was chicken breast cooked with herbs and a sauce made from vinegar and chicken stock, then reduced so it was syrupy,with fresh beans. Strawberries and half a kiwi to follow.
Later hunger pangs were addressed with pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Haven't managed to get the Marmite cashews yet, but I'll have to be careful when I do because David hates Marmite so I'll be the only one eating them in the house !
We are going out with friends to a great Indian restaurant for lunch tomorrow so the carbs will be back for a bit. I wonder how my body will react (if at all).
The only downside has been a migraine aura tonight which I get from time to time This is a visual problem with a loss of an area of vision accompanied with flashing lights and zigzag lines. It was so frightening when I first had it but I was told it is typical of a form of migraine and now know that many people suffer from the same complaint. It only lasted 10 to 15 minutes this time but left me with a headache. A search on the Internet produces hundreds of references, and there are even videos made by fellow sufferers and medics.
Is that anything to do with missing carbs ? I don't think so but it's an interesting thought.
Off to bed now - my eyes are really sore - that's another bit of the migraine saga.
Nite, nite, everyone. Have a good Sunday.
Dolly
No CarbDay
What a great day I've had - and I certainly feel different. Not so bloated but fully satisfied.
Breakfast - a pear and parma ham + tea
Lunch - Raw herrings with red onion (like they have in Holland), a very small glass of Aquavit, some carrots and home-made hummus, an apple with a tiny spoonful of clear honey + coffee
Teatime - cashew nuts + coffee
Dinner - Prawns in home-made vegetable soup (unblended) + sugar snap peas and ginger added (while David had a prawn stir fry with rice noodles), yogurt, kiwi and dried cranberries. A few nuts + coffee.
And quite a lot of water throughout the day - although I should have drunk more.
Roll on tomorrow - I feel like the chefs in Ready, Steady, Cook who have a selection of ingredients to create a meal from - I'm thinking about chicken breasts, parma ham, packet of asparagus, strawberries, etc. etc. (yes, I have a fridge full of food as I did go shopping today !).
I feel refreshed - both in mind and body - it's a great feeling.
Sleep well everyone.
Dolly
Not a good week
I've just watched the Day 14 video which told me to "actually recognise what I've done." Well, looking back over the week, I realised I haven't done very wel and I really need to honestly blog that.
I haven't been lacking in motivation or focus but I just haven't managed to stop picking at things towards the end of the day. Looking back over my food diary - the main constituents are fine and sensible but it's the added extras which mean I haven't lost any weight and have not concentrated on what the videos are trying to teach me.
One of the most important things I realise having watched the Day 14 video is that I haven't used water as I should and how much better I would have felt with a glass of water, only to find that I'm drinking yet another cup of tea or coffee.
And the 5.00 p.m.ish slot where I tend to nibble a few breadsticks, olives, etc. while preparing a meal, and then eat a full meal afterwards. What happened to all my good intentions this week ?
So I'm going to focus on two habits that I have observed from writing everything down.
1. Drink more water, enjoy drinking more water and realise how much good it will do me.
2. Think about all the rubbish that I have put into my body this week that I haven't enjoyed. Imagine it laid out on a table in front of me and realise how much is there and how much I didn't need it or enjoy it.
I'm going to try and look at why I sabotage my good intentions. This week it has been - worry, tiredness and, I suppose, lack of "me" time to really think about what I'm doing. I've been avidly reading the blogs, looking and learning about everyone else and not really thinking about Dolly
Fiona sent me some charts at the beginning of the course (they look brilliant) and i've just remembered them. I haven't taken the opportunity to look at them and use them and, in fact, I'd forgotten about them until now. That shows something doesn't it - I seem to have left myself out of the equation ! So that's another project for today.
So, my on-line girls, see you all tonight. I feel better for getting this down - now I'm off to start the day with a cold glass of water and lots of good intentions !
Dolly
Day 1 and Keeping a Diary
It was so good to see everyone on the live on line session last night - I could feel the endorphins coming from everyone's smiles. And the technology worked so much better which made it much easier and more enjoyable to follow what was happening. My eyes were jumping from looking at my friends to looking at what they were writing in the text box, and then trying to see who was who !!
It certainly is a great tool to use when you keep a record of EVERYTHING that goes into your mouth and it's all there on paper in front of you. The temptation to cheat is pointless because you'd only be cheating yourself ! And if your mindset is right, you certainly don't want to do that. So even though I've done this so many times before, I think the feeling I have today is different - I really do. We'll see !
Just seeing for example, three walnuts written down when added to yogurt or fruit, makes me think of the handfuls that I have been "downing" with hardly a thought. And that applies to lots of other things - oatcakes, a square or two of chocolate, bread sticks, etc. etc. I'm sure many of you know what I mean !
The snow came down last night with such a vengeance - we had at least three inches this morning. And it's coming down again. I was so upset to see a green woodpecker trying to find grubs at the base of the hawthorns outside our house today - these birds feed from the ground, mostly, and there isn't a blade of grass in sight so it was trying its best to find food without much success, I think.
And then to see the devastation in Haiti on television this morning - what one minute of an earthquake can do to destroy so much and shatter so many people's lives. Two very different things I know, but things to think about when we're living our day to day lives in relative comfort and security.
Off to do the ironing now as I've spent too many hours working at the computer today so a change of seating is called for.
Love to you all for the rest of the day.
Dolly
Indian Root Vegetable Soup
Just thought I'd post a recipe that Mandie recommended from the Good Food Channel. Perfect for this sort of weather - warming and yummy ! We had it for lunch yesterday and I shall finish the remainder today.
Looking forward to tomorrow night's on line session - although I may be late because we're looking after the grandchildren in South London earlier in the day and I may not get back to my computer in North London in time for the start of the session. I'll do my best.
Ingredients:
5 tbsp. sunflower oil
2 onions, roughly chopped or sliced
2 cloves garlic - peeled and mashed
4 cm. piece fresh ginger, peeled and mashed or grated
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1 tsp. garam masala (see recipe below)
200 g. mixed root vegetables(carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, etc.)
Water or stock
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
200 g. block creamed or grated coconut
1 small handful fresh coriander (finely chopped)
naan breads to serve
Method:
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions, garlic paste and ginger paste for 5/6 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Stir in the cayenne pepper, ground coriander and garam masala and cook for a further 2/3 minutes or until aromatic.
Add the chopped root vegetables and add enough water or stock to cover. Simmer for 10/15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Blend the soup until smooth with a stick blender.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan and fry the mustard seeds and cumin seeds until they begin to pop. Stir them into the soup, then add the coconut until melted.
To serve, ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the remaining chopped coriander. Serve the naan bread alongside.
I didn't have any coconut so I left it out of the recipe.
I served the soup with some plain yogurt on top.
Enjoy !
Dolly
2010
I'm starting the New Year in the right frame of mind which is great - plus no New Year's resolutions to be broken, because I haven't made any !
The last few months have seen David and myself with bad cases of H1N1. David developed bad asthma and was on 6 sprays a day with light-headedness which went on for weeks - that's a bit scary. I recovered more quickly but then was diagnosed with (probably) gastritis but have to have more tests next week. Currently taking acid-blockers which have helped. Despite all this, I am feeling good and have been to the gym every couple of days after a prolonged absence of about 2 months while I was recovering.
Reading the blogs is always enlightening - I have just read Zenith's latest and shall read it again when I've finished my blog. Words of wisdom, especially these lines -
"I am so looking forward to feeling better as when I am not doing the do I just feel rubbish. I want this year to make it so much part of my life that I don't feel that there is any other way to be."
And Suefromcoast's blogs are becoming more and more powerful. And I feel like I'm sharing Mandy's ups and downs all the time. Along with so many other highs and lows that others are going through. It's really like belonging to a club where people get together in their own homes to share life experiences - look and learn - and we don't even have to leave the house !
Thanks to all of you for your inspiration.
Happy New Year to all of us !
Dolly
Another great eight thirty girls evening
It's such a great feeling to see how different and yet so alike we all are - our responses replicate each other so many times. And it's the feeling of togetherness that I love - nothing like the feeling in those dreadful Weight Watchers and Slimming World halls and meeting rooms. Yuk - the memory is so clear of waiting to be weighed (what can I take off before stepping on the scales ?), waiting for the approval of the group leader and then sitting through an hour or so of absolute twaddle and then thinking "I've got a whole week to go before I have to come back - I'll just have a bar of chocolate ...... !!!" And buying the recipe books, Weight Watchers treats, scales, calorie counters, etc. etc. etc. If you've been there, you'll know what I mean.
This is SO, SO different and such a pleasure. Even if I slip in and out of "being a good girl" mode, I still stay on the straight and narrow and I certainly know that if I hadn't been doing what I'm doing with petecohen.tv, I'd be a few stone heavier than I am now and a very unhappy bunny.
Looking forward to the challenges of the coming week and getting into the zone like Suefromcoast has managed to do for the last few weeks.
Take care everyone,
Dolly
Struggling a bit this week.
I'm struggling this week - but after reading the blogs, I can see that my mountains to climb are nothing in comparison with some of you girls. And the support that you are giving each other is fantastic.
Can't wait to see the ate thirty girls (and Pete) tomorrow - Tuesday nights seem to be such a great fix when things are not going smoothly - and it's so good to chat (on line) and see the people that I follow on the blogs.
I just can't seem to find the "me" time right now that I need to watch the videos, listen to the podcasts, etc. My food habits are much better but I don't always make the right choices and am riddled with guilt (and indigestion) afterwards. Here's an example. Out in an Oxford pub this week, I chose pasta as being the wisest choice. It came up as a large dish, filled to the brim with creamy pasta, blue cheese, olives, mushrooms, etc.. Did I leave one morsel on the plate - NO. Even though I was full, I just carried on eating. That's certainly a habit that has to change.
I also heard this week that the 23 year old son of friends of ours had been killed in Afghanistan in the second week of October. He had done a six month stint and had returned for a second time, and was killed four days after arriving there. The funeral is tomorrow. Why is life so cruel and unjust ? And why do some people have to deal with so much more heartache than others ? Life is certainly a big mystery and we have to treasure every good moment that we manage to have.
Off to do a mountain of ironing - and I'll be watching "Strictly" that I recorded on Saturday night.
Dolly
Yes, yes, yes !
Only one cheese on toast instead of two for lunch.
1 packet of mini bread and butter puddings from M & S. Contents = 2. One consumed by David and the other one returned to the fridge for David to eat before the 17th !
Yes, yes, yes !!!
Dolly
