Good heavens S-G that must have been a real shock suddenly feeling so bad & very pleased you were able to recover from your hypo & not go to hospital!
With best wishes
Margaret xx

Good morning
I’m pleased to say that I have just weighed & lost 4.25lbs of my cruise weight gain with two more pounds to go. I don’t seem to be shaking off this cold that I have acquired with a streaming nose, cough & sneezing & I’m now wondering if it might be hay fever & reacting to grass pollen. It doesn’t seem to be going away.
My husband & I watched the BBC tribute programme to Dr Michael Mosley & I hadn’t realised quite how many different health issues he had tackled & highlighted. I believe his previous programmes will be available on BBCiPlayer & I will have a look for any I missed seeing.
I continue to do TRE & to try at least one fast each week but must do better with this. Anyway at least another one to two stone to lose to help my knees which were badly affected by all the coach sitting & being isolated at home since getting back & my husband is now Covid negative. We have my youngest son coming down tomorrow for us to have a Fathers Day dinner at our local pub which will be lovely & to catch up with him after his completion of his first week at his new permanent role. We will be back to playing short mat bowls again next week.
It’s pouring with rain here & I’m going to watch the Trooping of the Colour at Horse Guards Parade on tv & not sit in the rain at our usual Saturday morning neighbours coffee meeting☔️😀
I hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend 👍🤞
Margaret xx

Well done Margaret. I am not doing quite so well after losing my 4lb holiday gain but I am going down again and still at one of the lowest weights I have been for a few years. I had hoped to be swimming but we have once again had nothing but rain. I had a memory flash up on FB saying it was 35 degrees today 2 years ago and heading to 41. Glad it is not that hot but where is the sunshine.

Had 1.5 egg scrambled (half left over from last nights dip for cod) with a small amount of cheese. Lunch was a homemade soup made from vegetable scraps I put in the freezer every time I prep veg. No idea what I will be having for dinner as it is hubbys turn to cook and he has no idea. I guess it will be chicken sausages, beans and egg. Wish he would be more inventive – a bit of chicken would be nice.

Have a good weekend.

I have just made the best ever hummous using the recipe by Phil Vickery. Smooth as silk and lower in calories. The secret is to use some of the water from the chickpeas rather than olive oil and whiz for a long as possible – 10 minutes – although that would have burnt out my nutribullet so had to do it in spurts. Also, one hell of a job to get it out so might use a proper mixer next time. Recipe:

one can (400g) chickpeas or fresh soaked overnight and cooked for 15 mins – plus some of the aqua fava
lemon juice, garlic and 2 tablespoons tahini. Whiz and put into serving dish. For serving use a little olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.

If it is too thick add some more aqua fava or a bit of water. He says to serve it warm but I’m not sure how to do that without causing it is split or go crusty, so cold for me with lots of carrot sticks. Enjoy.

BTW hubby is making some oat cake with lots of fruit, nuts and seeds, so I guess I am going to have to try some 🙂

Good evening everyone.
Well done Margaret. Definitely best to just attack the holiday weight gain immediately, it works.

S-g your recipe sounds really good and I’ll definitely try it when I’ve eaten the store bought stuff in the fridge!

Well had daughter and grandchildren here today for lunch to celebrate Fathers Day. I cooked so was in charge of the menu…. roast chicken, Korean chicken, broccoli, peas and boiled new potatoes., followed by rasberry tart and ‘real’ ice cream. I declined the potatoes and the tart. Turned into a really interesting lunch.

I used to buy a slightly ‘upmarket’ brand of ice cream I looked at the ingredients a couple of months ago and realised I was ‘poisoning’ my grandchildren! So today we had ice cream with ‘real’ ingredients. Had to take out of the freezer 15 minutes before we needed it because of course it’s not ‘soft scoop’and needs to soften up. Grandsons were really sceptical because the container looked much smaller than usual. Anyway, we served the ice cream, much smaller portions than the ‘manufactured’ stuff and they were over the moon. The ice cream tasted so much different and they didn’t have the urge to keep eating more and more (not as addictive maybe).For me it was a win win situation and I just hope they realise that a small portion of ‘real’ food is so much more satisfying, and less addictive, than a huge portion of UPF’s!

Anyway, Monday tomorrow, new day, new week, new start if needed, if not just keep on keeping on ……

ooh SG and Verano, great to hear new recipes

Verano, please could you tell us how you make your ice cream?

I have been good except for yesterday, but it was a lot of travelling to get to a family birthday celebration, and I did just eat what was there, on the plus side, 3 hours of dancing as it was a ceiledh 🙂

My weight loss has passed the water loss stage (6lbs) and stalled a bit…I am hoping it will get going again, trying to stick to it as well as I can.

Love to all xxx

Tulip, sorry I mislead you into thinking that I made my own ice cream! I just buy one that is made with milk, cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. I have only found two makes that don’t have added emulsifiers, thickeners, stabilisers and colours etc. Sorry!

I have not been on for a few days because I seem to have totally lost it, diet-wise. Because of that I have regained 1kg and feel so cross with myself. Part of it is trying to avoid having another hypo and making bad snacking choices, but have made the hummus now. In fairness I do have other things on my mind that are worrying me, more about that later in the week but just to say I have further medical appointments – well, just had one and another on Thursday – so maybe I can be reassured or not, at least I will know what I am dealing with.

I also know that half of that kilo will be gone by Friday so I should just get my mind back into gear and get on with it.

I had a swim yesterday so that is 3 in the last week, storms coming so not bothering today and tomorrow the gardener will be here and I don’t fancy parading around in my cozzie.

Hope you are all having a better week than I am. Still just under 5 and half weeks to family arriving so aiming for at least 5lbs off.

HI everyone
Sorry about your hypo SG but reassured in knowing you and hubby know what to do . I hope the upcoming medical appointments can reassure you too . Keep us updated .

I have never been on a cruise but I am definitely ‘cruising’ at the moment ! I’m not quite in the zone as I am between trips ! We go to Ile de Ré on Sunday for 5 nights . We went years ago and it’s beautiful .Hopefully it won’t be too busy at this time of year but we are planning to hire bikes and use the cycle paths around the island.Lots of markets too so salads and no doubt cheese and hopefully sea food !

July will be quiet until my family descend in August ! There are enough of us to share the cooking etc and I just have to stock up on beans and grains for the veggies and vegans .

We have had some lovely days which does lift the spirit and it gets the washing dry !! Aquagym later

Well done to those who are managing to stay focused and not straying too far off track . Just do your best folks xx

Good morning everyone
I have just done a test weigh & seem to be going up not down in weight & feel rather ashamed of myself. Our son stayed over the weekend & until Tuesday supper after a lovely Fathers Day evening meal at our local pub on Sunday. My eating & social wine drinking does rather go haywire when he is staying with us & I did fast yesterday so need to do another one today.
Our son is into the second week of his new permanent contract that he is fortunately enjoying & the company is very supportive of their staff which is amazing. My husband & I will be going on a two week holiday to a cottage in Devon the end of next week & our son will join us for a long weekend over the middle one & we are hoping the weather will have bucked up. It’s lovely & sunny here for the next few days apart from Saturday with showers when our autistic grandson will be coming to lunch with his Mother & we haven’t seen her for over a year although our son brought him to see us a couple of months ago when our grandson met his cousins.
I hope things will stay calm with her visiting from Germany where she is now living because she can become very emotional & the whole very complex situation with our grandson is very upsetting for our son who will also come down. Oh well we are doing the diplomatic bit & maintaining contact because she still calls us Mum & Dad & regards us as her second parents having come over to Europe from Brazil & living with us soon after meeting him & then as our sons partner for many years before walking out on him with their son. We & she now realise she was suffering from acute depression following his birth which she refused to accept but she promptly moved in to living with someone else that after eight years she much regretted & has now left him going to Germany with a new boyfriend. She is an emotional, charming, self centred person who has always acted on impulse without engaging her brain or ever considering any of the consequences or resulting hurt to others of her actions & is now trying to redress but manipulate the situation to her satisfaction. We all tag along trying to keep the peace & our son is still trying to recover from all the emotional hurt she has caused whilst building & trying to remain in contact with his son. As grandparents we of course have no influence without causing more disruption & hold our tongues whilst supporting our son. Relationships can be so very complicated sometimes & sorry for the rant & the saga but better I feel expressed fairly anonymously here than more explosively on Saturday 🤔
Margaret xx

Hi everyone, Wendy sometimes it is hard to get your head in the right space especially when things have been up in the air and still are. I can’t imagine you gaining or being too far off plan to have done much damage. You will be in good company on the ile de re as many famous people have houses there. Though doubt you wont bump into Johnny Halliday but maybe Orlando Bloom. Just enjoy life.

Margaret, I am going to have to reprimand you. There is no such thing as shame on this site. You can be mad at yourself as I was, or even disappointed but never ashamed of eating or drinking something not quite on plan. And everyone here will know what you are going through with family complications etc. Good to get it all off your chest and mind. Stay calm and carry on as they used to say.

I am going to have to practice what I preach as I have now been diagnosed with glaucoma. No doubt, I have had all the tests. It means I am slowly going blind but hopefully VERY SLOWLY. I have to take eye drops every night for life – just another thing to add to my long list of meds. I have to have regular field of vision tests and also an MRI scan to see that it is not coming from brain damage in the eye area of the brain. It is possibly it was caused by the build up of pressure when I had the problem with my carotid artery. Lack of blood flow to the brain. I told the ophthalmologist I have had 2 brain scans in the last 2 years (hoping I could just bring in my previous results) and she said ‘and you are going to have another’ 🙂 It is a build up of pressure so nothing to do with diabetes. Just something I am going to have to live with. I know it must get boring but can I say I am so glad I live in France. The only thing is we have to make our own arrangements for tests so I have to ring or go on line to find somewhere they do MRI’s and I will go back to the same person who did my field of vision test.

Thats it for now, except that I have lost half of the 1kg I gained, so moving down again.

Wendy, Margaret, S-g (Denise) sounds like you are all having issues but I guess really that’s what we call ‘life’! Sometimes, ‘sticking to plans’ is more destructive than just ‘going with the flow’ at difficult times. Difficult times pass and life returns to ‘normal’ and then we can reassess our lives/eating plans.

S-g sorry to hear about your glaucoma diagnosis but, as with diabetes, the ‘end result’ may never happen. Just keep using the drops and try to be positive. My cousins mother-in-law had glaucoma for around 15 years and never really had any deterioration in her sight …. she kept using the drops!

Hope everyone has a good weekend. Enjoy your trip Wendy.

Longest day today. New week just around the corner. There is always a reason to have a new beginning!

Hi all, I survived the evening without caving in to a drink. My daughter says her mil has 2 fake eyes but I think she has got it a bit wrong. Said she has problems with side vision and has had new eyes fitted. I think she must have had her corenas replaced, never heard of an eye transplant 🙂 I will be fine and will be well looked after.

I have now gone under a certain kg level and I am very happy even if I am still 3 quarters of a pound up. A while ago I said I never wanted to see 74 on the scales and I have kept to that even after the cruise. I tipped into 73 something but now under and my new resolve is I never want to see 73 again. With that in mind I am going to be strict until we go out on 1st July to a quiz night. I am sure I can do that. Just 2 weekends to battle.

We picked up our new bathroom sink unit today and decided to order the matching tall cabinet and mirror which will be ready to collect on 2nd July then we have the installation on the 4th or 5th, so not long now. As long as it is before family arrive – 8 people in the house with only one toilet was not ideal.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Another night without caving in. Weight is nearly back down, just 0.1kg to go to get to my pre-cruise level and what I got back down to after the cruise. Need another 2kgs before family come out.

Wendy, I think you said someone visiting you is vegan/veggie. What are you cooking them. I have ideas for a chickpea and lentil cottage pie, butternut squash curry and doing a tapas evening one night when we have already been out for a lunch. I am not giving you advice, I am asking for it. Roasted veg by the ton, especially aubergine and courgettes (we are getting a good few in the garden). She also cannot eat wheat so no pasta but she also doesn’t eat many carbs.

It is raining AGAIN here but we at least got our hedge cut. Now waiting for gardener to tidy up our bushes which sort of form a hedge at the front. Then we have the plumber coming to fit the new sink unit and toilet in the bathroom. Can’t wait. What an exciting life I lead.

Oh crikey Margaret I hope things are manageable for you today and you can remain calm and diplomatic despite the obvious stress.Thinking of you xx
Yes SG you will be well monitored for your glaucoma in France .I understand it is very common , but manageable . Enjoy your fab new bathroom ! We fortunately have 2 bathrooms with loos as there are likely to be 20 members of my family here !! Fortunately I have access to a friend’s gite and pool otherwise it’s blow up mattresses !! It will be great !

For meals SG , for sure lots of tomatoes and summer veg .Also feta , halloumi and other cheeses for the veggies.My vegan niece loves tofu so I wil get that from the bio shop .She likes making big salads with grains ( quinoa mainly) with chickpeas, gigantes beans and tomatoes, lots of olive oil …I make aubergine parmegiana a lot for the non meat eaters, also bolognaise with lentils .

I am busy getting ready for our Ile de Re trip , a 4 to 5 hour drive away .Looking forward to the walking , cycling and just wandering around the markets .Weather should be ok, warm at around 23 ° but not mega hot .We have had so much rain and a violent storm the other day !
I will keep an eye on the posts and check in when I can .Take care everyone and just do your best in challenging situations .July will be my reset point for sure xx

Hi All,

I’be already eaten my 800 cals with breakfast and lunch so I’m going to try a fast from now until breakfast tomorrow….tbh, I’ve never skipped a meal before 😅…..well, except after a lunchtime roast dinner occasionally…..soooo…..will it be ok? How does everyone else find it? I am trying to incorporate more TRE and proper low cal days (I’m more of a 1000 or so cals a day sort of relaxed fast 800-er usually, but I think it’s helpful to have a holiday deadline coming up where getting into my shorts and swimwear would be helpful 😅…..we’re off to the Vendee (can’t work out how to do the right accents on my phone, apologies to French speakers!) camping by the beach, sounds lovely 🙂 on 28th July…..so it’s see how much I can lose by then for a starter! I’m 7lbs down from my 2 st 7 I needed to lose, but I think a lot of the 1st bit was water….so need to push it on…..

Love to all xxxxx

Hi Tulip/Clare
Good to see you focused and motivated for your holiday ! Well done you !|I will join you on July 1st but realistically I know I will not be on plan next week.

Skipping your evening meal will be fine. Fasting is quite a liberating experience but if you are new to it then you have to build up slowly. You will be fine as you will be sleeping most of the time . Have some soothing herbal tea ?
Keep going.You are doing great, especially after the tough times you have had recently xx

Hi there, feeling good, the sun is shining and I am hoping today will warm the pool back up and I can swim from tomorrow when we will have 31 degrees. Europe are having very hot weather but more southern Europe. Here in France and across the north ie Germany, Switzerland, northern Italy are particularly wet. Summer is starting tomorrow with hopefully not too much above 30.

I was interested to hear someone on a UK TV programme that people on holiday can realise that 40 degrees is too hot but think when it cools down in the evening to say, 30 that it is cooler but really that is still so hot. We can find the hottest time of the day is around 5 to 6pm as the heat of the day doesn’t go away but seems to bear down. Take care if you are holidaying somewhere hot. Drink plenty of water, cover your head and arms, wear sunscreen of 30 to 50, keep in the shade or stay indoors. We had friends here last September and it was around 35 and they just laid out in full sun and baked, I did try to warn them but they wanted to go home with a tan???? Not just the sun, my friend had around 30 mosquito lumps on her arms and legs, refused the spray I offered and parked her sun lounger out on the grass where there are all sorts of little blighters. Just stay safe. You don’t see locals out in the sun, that is what siestas are for 🙂

Weight has shifted down again and hoping to be on 72 by Tuesday. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Good afternoon.
At last we’ve had a few sunny days. Life seems so much brighter when the sun shines!

S- g glad your weight is getting to where you want it to be.

Tulip, a loss is a loss. Funny when we put weight on its ‘fat’ when we lose that same weight it’s ‘water’!

Wendy enjoy your trip. 23C sounds lovely.

We are off for three days tomorrow to the races in the North East. The weather looks as though it might stay dry which is all we need really, although a little bit of sunshine would also be good!

I really could do without the disruption of a hotel stay at the moment as I’m steadily moving downwards. I think I will just have to take an extra dose of ‘willpower’ with me and just keep remembering the number that is lowering on the scale week by week. I will do my very best to eat ‘thoughtfully’.

Have a good week!