monday mundanity

Still not feeling 100% physically (still having abdominal pain etc.), but emotionally I feel quite a bit better. Last night I really argued with myself about food. Specifically I back-and-forthed about ordering a Chinese takeaway. The Husband Unit also fancied one. But I decided in the end that I was definitely doing it to make myself feel better, and that's not a good motivation for eating (for me). So I contented myself with another delicious and exciting glass of water.

Food today:

Breakfast: Watermelon and honeydew melon, 2 slices apricot bread and a little cheese.

Lunch: Pork stir fried Chinese-style with carrots, onions and mushrooms, with a tablespoonful of egg noodles.

Snack: Apple.

Dinner: Red lentil dhal with home-made rotis.

I saw "Cemetery Junction" today and it was great. I had a moment (or two) of overwhelming longing when queuing to buy our tickets at the concession stand, surrounded by sweets, chocolate, popcorn and nachos.

I bought shoes for an upcoming wedding (€4!) and we went to IKEA for a filing cabinet which is being enthusiastically constructed as I type. Here too I resisted the meatballs and Daim cake, as well as loading up on treats to take home in their supermarket section. I really do feel bombarded by food wherever I go. :(

Might hit the gym tonight...but the Indian spices from the dhal do tend to repeat if you work out after eating. Mmm. Are the spice-burps worth it?

strawberry smoothie dessert

So I made smoothies for me and the Husband Unit for our evening meal. They were delicious and filling, so I thought I'd share. Bear in mind they have quite a few calories, which is why they make a good meal, as opposed to a drink. I will probably make them again for a quick breakfast. If you want to cut calories, leave out the peanut butter and maple syrup.

These smoothies are very thick. If you like them thinner, use less strawberries or more juice/milk. I like them thick, because it's like having a big glass of dessert.

This makes about 2 pints, so 2 large servings (450 calories approx each) or 4 medium (225 calories approx each).

Ingredients:

350g frozen strawberries

150g strawberry yoghurt (I used Glenisk low-fat)

1 banana

1 cup of orange juice

Half a cup of low-fat milk

Quarter cup of oats

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

2 teaspoons of peanut butter

Method:

Blend. Eat with a spoon. :)

pfff

Last night we went to a great seafood restaurant in Howth, called "Deep". I had goat's cheese, followed by cod, and the Husband Unit had fish cakes, followed by blackened salmon.

It was wonderful.

We also walked on the pier with 99s. For anyone who has never experienced a 99, it's a vanilla soft-serve ice cream on a wafer cone with a chocolate flake stuck in it. (I only managed to eat about a third of mine...I just can't do quantity the way I used to.) 99s are fantastic and are the stuff of memories for Irish kids growing up in the eighties and nineties.

Today:

Breakfast: Pumpkin banana oats with cinnamon, raisins and peanut butter.

Main meal: Grilled chicken breast with a roasted sweet potato and ratatouille with chorizo.

Evening: Nothing yet. Maybe some fruit salad and yoghurt.

I am feeling physically unwell, and emotionally extremely out of sorts. I didn't make it to church today. The urge to binge hovers on the fringes at all times. It's lashing rain and earlier, I heard the biggest thunderclap I've ever heard in my life. Even though the rain is depressing (and the cold - and I can't turn the heat on because the boiler needs to be serviced), I do enjoy thunder and lightning. I always have. Is that odd?

honesty...

Last night at the party, across about 5 hours, I ate lots of melon, raspberries and watermelon, 3 grape and cheese sticks, 3 nachos with M's delicious dip, 7 Pringles, 2 jelly sweets, 1 chocolate-dipped strawberry, a slice of carrot cake, a handful of crisps and a few peanuts. I drank water and Diet 7up.

Written down it does seem rather a lot (oops). However, it was a million miles from a binge, and it's better to acknowledge the quantity than to deny it. I did avoid excess with any particular food, and also steered clear of the cupcakes and other quickly-eaten calorie-laden treats. I really enjoyed myself and danced also for at least three hours.

Food today:

Brunch: 1 egg, two sausages and a bagel.

Snack: Handful grapes.

Dinner: Variable! We're going out somewhere for date-night.

The sun has disappeared, along with my good mood. A trip to the cinema is in order. S'long folks.

that friday feeling

It's another beautiful sunny day here.

I managed to make it to the Friday morning prayer meeting (8am) ...I'm always so glad when I go. We were even up early enough to walk. :)

Speaking of prayer meetings, the commitment that the Husband Unit made with me to meet for prayer and breakfast every single morning has continued since Day 1. This has been so important to me. Being unemployed, it gives me a good reason to get up early. It also encourages me to prepare a good breakfast, and start the day's eating on the right foot. It's also a chance to get a solid thirty minutes together each day, in a lifestyle where we often don't see much of each other. I wish we had done this years ago.

Breakfast: 40g of granola with rhubarb yoghurt. (The rhubarb yoghurt was too sweet...I'll stick to natural yoghurt in future.)

Snack: 2 small slices of apricot bread.

Lunch: Bagel with grilled chicken breast, roasted pickled peppers, salad, Parmesan shavings and Caesar dressing.

Dinner: Spicy prawn and vegetable stir-fry, I think. Something with fresh prawns anyway.

Post-dinner snacks: I'm going to a party. I'm bringing a fresh fruit platter to share so I'll eat some of that, and possibly a slice of birthday cake, but hopefully not much more than that.

...and that's all I have to say about that. Hope you all are preparing for a fun and restful weekend. I plan to dance, cycle and eat good food. :)

the wind was so gentle it tied my shoe-laces

Breakfast: Pumpkin banana oats with cinnamon, raisins and peanut butter.

Lunch: This was so crap! I was out and got a brown bread sandwich with ham, cheese and red onion, with a cup of vegetable soup. The soup was lukewarm and inedible, and the sandwich tasted like cardboard. I was hungry so I ate three-quarters of it. It came with a handful of crisps (that's chips to the Americans reading) and I ate those. I also ate four chicken bites from my God-daughter's Burger King meal!

Snack: 2 mandarins.

Dinner: Leftovers from yesterday - spicy sausage in a tomato sauce with mixed vegetables and 40g pasta.

Today was nice. Not only did I get to spend time with three of my favourite people and soak up some sun, I also got some treats, courtesy of the Husband Unit, who announced that I should "go crazy". So I did. :)

I bought myself a really good urea-based facial moisturiser and some really good Max Factor foundation, as well as some (very cheap) nail polish, eyeliner, lip gloss and concealer. I also got a new black boyfriend cardigan (as opposed to a new black boyfriend), which goes with everything. I always feel a little guilty buying things for myself. Still, I'm really chuffed with my purchases and looking forward to trying them all out.

There's a lot of stuff going on in my head but I'm still not in a position to really write about it. Maybe another day.

Tally-ho, bean-poles!

official weigh-day

The scale this morning said 244.6. That's a loss of 2.6 lbs this week.

I have a really nice day planned...shopping and lunch with a good friend, followed by a walk in Donadea Forest Park with another friend later.

Shout out to Deborah who is graduating from her Masters degree today. Whoo! :)