Fat Brain

Yesterday was our second weigh day.  I lost another 1.2 kgs taking my total loss to 4kgs. Himself has also lost weight.

The problem is that my fat/diet brain is starting to play games with me.

I think that as one puts on weight one manages to avoid looking in mirrors or really seeing what is there and therefore is blissfully unaware of how bad the situation is.  Once a decision has been made to address things then the mirror is a constant in the scheme of things and a constant reminder of how bad things actually were.

It took me over 12 months this time to get to this size and it's going to take quite a few months to rectify the situation.

Unfortunately, I want it all NOW!

Also, this is so unlike any 'diet' I have ever been on that I feel it can't possibly be working.  I don't feel hungry.  I don't feel deprived.  I have no cravings (apart from wine but that's a whole different issue!).

We are really happy with Lite n Easy.  The food has been fantastic and when there was a small problem with Himself's recent order (a leaky yoghurt, squashy kiwifruit and crushed egg - suggesting poor packing or handling) the customer service was outstanding.  We are going to lunch at the club tomorrow to say goodbye to some friends and I am really resenting the fact that I will have to eat sub par (haha - it's a golf club!) food when I would rather my lite n easy lunch.  I will see if I can get away with something very light and then come home and enjoy a decent lunch.

We are still struggling to get used to this whole retirement lifestyle.  We need structure and focus in our lives.  At least we are aware of this so gives us something to work on.  I just hope that Himself gets into a better frame of mind soon as he is very down.

Early days ...

First week down

It's been a week since we started on Lite n Easy and weigh in day.

Himself has lost 1.8 kgs - he seems very disappointed but what can you do!

I lost *drum roll*  2.8 kgs .... gotta be happy with that.  I know it's mainly fluid and all that but I'm taking it.

Dinner last night was the salmon pasta again for Himself and I had the spaghetti carbonara.  I had read reviews canning this because it had too many mushrooms.  It was OK.  I would have preferred more mushrooms and less of the meat.

Breakfasts and lunches continue to be great.  The best thing about this is that I am never starving or stuffed.  And I don't have to think about what to eat, what to buy from the supermarket and whether or not I can have anything else to eat!

So, verdict after the first week? Absolute winner.

Cool change ....pleeeeease

Well we have had some horrible weather.  It's been in the high 30's low 40's and muggy. Yesterday Melbourne and some of the inner suburbs had some spectacular storms and rain but we just got the heat and humidity.  Last night we had a brilliant lightening display that lasted several hours but no rain.

This morning it's still warm and muggy.  It's trying to rain but we have been promised a cool change with heavy rain over the next two or three days.  I can't wait.

All this isn't helping the sleep situation.  In the past I would have downed several wines so getting to sleep wasn't as much of a problem.  Last night I took another sleeping pill but woke through the night cos of the heat and that wasn't a pleasant experience at all.  Drowsy but hot and sticky.  yuck

Yesterday we went to look at a new car for Himself.  He currently has a Holden Cruze in a diesel and he's never been happy with it.  While petrol prices are coming down diesel is still up there and now that we are doing lots of short trips the economy isn't there either.  So come February he will be taking delivery of a spanking new Mazda 3.  Apart from freaking about the cost (which is normal for him) he is very excited.

It took longer than expected to get the sale done so by the time we got home it was way past lunch and I was hungry and grumpy and hot.  Not an attractive combination.  Lunch was smoked beef, tomato and chutney sandwich and went down very well, I must say.  Breakfast was cereal with two pieces of toast and vegemite.  I had one slice at breakfast and the other later in the day.  Dinner was honey soy chicken which, again, was delicious.

Breakfast today is bacon, egg, tomato on toast and was lovely.  I kept the second egg and slice of bread for later.  If I'm not hungry the dogs can share the egg!

Best get a wriggle on. I'm catching up with a friend for coffee shortly.

Day 4 dinner and Day 5

Day 4 dinner was beef and red wine casserole:

It was delicious.


I have been having trouble sleeping lately for a variety of reasons and last night I succumbed and took a sleeping pill.  I take one every couple of years!  I had a good night's sleep and was reluctant to get up and walk the dogs but remembered that the forecast for the next few days is a bit grim so I bit the bullet and off we went.  I'm glad I did as I feel better for the walk, the dogs appreciate it and it does my soul good to know that I did something I said I would.

Came home to breakfast which was beans and bacon and cheese on toast.  Two slices of toast and I only had one.  While I was having breakfast our order arrived.  THREE eskies today!  This is because Himself has extra snacks, a lot of which are frozen (they are like mini meals).  All I can say is I'm glad I'm not on the same allowance as he is or we wouldn't have enough freezer space!  As it is, a lot of stuff was thrown in the bin and the dogs will be eating well over the next few nights!  Wasteful? Perhaps but eating icecream is not going to help our efforts and the container was less than half full.

The beans were OK.  They weren't the same as the baked beans you get in a tin ... they seemed like a different variety of bean.  Not a breakfast I will be hankering to have again but maybe once in a while for a change.

An old friend came down and we went for a walk along the beach and then had lunch.  We went to the local Coffee Club and the menu has kj counts so I was able to get a rough idea of what I'd eaten.  I chose a salad with beetroot, feta and walnuts.  The walnuts were scant, if there at all.  When I got home I decided to have the lunch from Lite and Easy which was chicken and cashews.  It was delicious.  I figured that by not eating the second slice of toast at breakfast and foregoing the apple and orange I haven't done too much damage.  Plus the extra walk. I don't want to become too pedantic about this (which I have been known to do which is why any programme that requires counting my own calories or points or carbs or whatever doesn't work for me) but this is week one and I want to get a good feel for it.  One of the reasons we chose this is that it does give us flexibility to eat out now and again.

Dinner tonight is Chicken Tikka Masala and I will be microwaving.  Snacks are aforementioned fruit, some crackers and a fruit cookie.

This has been a short Lite and Easy week due to the order stuff up at the beginning.  Tomorrow is Week 2 Day 1.  I shall continue to write about our experiences but not necessarily every day.  This is as much a tool for me to look back on and I don't think I need to keep repeating myself.

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A few days ago I bought some Milky Feet.  I have used this product before a couple of years ago. My feet are very calloused and I wanted to give them another treatment.  I'd forgotten how dramatic the results are!  Next time I will do it in Winter when I don't have my peeling feet on display in sandals!  It does do the job, though and the new skin is lovely and soft.  It's just that the peeling process is rather gross!!!!

Lite and Easy Day 3 review and starting Day 4

 Day 3

This was lunch.  The soy chicken tender with an Asian salad, peking bbq sauce in a wrap. Himself's wrap was broken so he ate it like this:

This was mine as a wrap!  You can see from the above shot how much you actually get in the wrap and it was delicious.

Dinner last night was a butter chicken.  The chicken was really tasty but I wasn't happy with the texture of the rice.  It could be because I tried heating it in the oven.  Next time I will microwave and see if that makes a difference.  Himself had the Tasmanian Salmon Pasta and loved it.

I had the chocolate cake with my iced coffee and it was fine.  The ciabatta with tomato bruschetta was also tasty

My after dinner snack was breakfast's kiwi fruit with the golden raisin mix and, again, a pleasant way to end the day without feeling deprived or stuffed!

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Day 4

Breakfast this morning was a toasted muffin with ham, cheese and tomato popped under the grill.  I read in one of the many reviews I found when researching Lite and Easy that someone complained about having to prepare their own breakfasts!  I wonder how they thought they would get toast.  Or eggs.  Or grilled cheese. I must say, I love the little bit of effort it takes to put some of the breakfasts and lunches together.  It adds to the whole enjoyment of eating the meal and I think enhances the feeling of being satisfied as the brain registers the preparation and anticipation of the meal.

And it was really nice:

 I had walked the dogs this morning and was meeting a friend for coffee (I had black tea *polishes halo*) so didn't have the cereal that went with breakfast.  That may well be my after dinner snack for a change this evening.

Lunch was a hamburger.  The hamburger patty was frozen and I zapped it for a minute as per instructions.  It didn't come out grey and soggy as I expected and was really tasty.  Again, a small roll and a small patty but more than adequate with a slice of beetroot, tomato and baby spinach leaves.  No photo ...a) I was hungry! and b) I think we all know what a hamburger looks like.

A red apple completes lunch and I have a cinnamon oat bar and popcorn for snacks later and an orange left over from breakfast.

Dinner will be tortilla stacks for Himself and a beef and red wine casserole for me.

Yesterday afternoon we sat down and worked out our menus for the three weeks starting next week (we have already ordered tomorrow's delivery).  I think we will save time by doing this on a monthly basis and I will know the orders are in. As Lite and Easy operates on a 4 weekly cycle this works well.  Our credit card will only be debited before each order is delivered and we can change our orders up to 11am on the day before deliveries.

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Himself asked me if I felt any different.  We both agreed that we are feeling a lot less bloated and uncomfortable.  I just can't wait until the weight starts to shift and I no longer cringe when I catch sight of my reflection in shop windows.  

I didn't get this overweight overnight and I know it will take time to change.

Day 2 Review and into Day 3

DAY 2


Yesterday's lunch:

And it was delicious.  The salad was lovely and fresh and the dressing was so yummy. The chicken was proper chicken, not the processed stuff.

And dinner:

It doesn't look the most appetising but it's hard to make a curry with rice and veges look elegant if you're not a food stylist!  It had an interesting flavour.  Definitely had some heat in it which was fine with both of us.  I'm guessing being a Malay curry, the spices used are different from the ones we're used to.  My initial reaction was uncertain but after finishing it I have decided to give it another go.  I microwaved this meal.  Next time I might try heating it in the oven.

My snacks were a muffin which I had with an iced coffee and some roasted almonds that I had with my soda water and lime and I added a sprig of mint as well which was really refreshing.  I had the strawberry yoghurt with the tropical crush after dinner and both were more than acceptable.

So far so good!

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DAY 3 (Sunday)

Yay for the cool change that came through late yesterday.  It was still quite muggy overnight but I did get up and take the dogs for a walk.  

When I got home I had the creamy almond and vanilla oats for breakfast followed by two slices of multigrain toast with butter and honey.  I was delighted to see that it was actually butter and not margarine or other low fat abomination.  My only complaint was there really wasn't enough to cover 2 slices of toast so next time I might just have one slice and see if I get hungry.  Himself had 2 slices of fruit and muesli toast with butter (he got two packets of butter!) and a passionfruit yoghurt.

Lunch was soy chicken tender, asian salad and peking bbq sauce in a wrap.  And it was delicious! I shall post a photo tomorrow.  My only complaint was that the cucumber slices were a little dry but that wasn't noticeable once combined with the chicken and sauce.  And again, it was real chicken.

Snacks today are a small piece of ciabatta bread to be toasted and spread with tomato bruschetta and a piece of chocolate cake.  The fruit from lunch was a small packet of raisins and I have a kiwi fruit from breakfast.  I would have preferred some more substantial fruit - either fresh or in a cup but we'll see how we go.  Himself gets some rice crackers and a baked potato bolognese as his extra snacks to make up his calorie allowance.  As he has always been a bit of a grazer he is appreciating the extra snacks.

Dinner tonight:  a tasmanian salmon pasta for him and a butter chicken for me.

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I'm certain I will get bored of documenting this on a daily basis but if I can keep it up for a week and then maybe do a week by week summary it will give me something to look back on.

We had to go to Bunnings (well, it is Sunday) and I bought some seeds and a geranium.  The veges/herbs I planted at the start of summer had past their use by date and as we won't be cooking from scratch for a wile I couldn't see the point in replanting so the tomato pot now sports a rather handsome red geranium and the vege trug and coriander pot have been seeded with flowers.  Hopefully the balcony will look rather gorgeous as we head into late summer/early autumn.  Aaaahhhhh .... autumn - my favourite time of the year.  Only another couple of months.

I have nearly finished "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" and am now really enjoying it.  It's not an easy read for several reasons but it is well worth it and is one of those books that I think I will keep recalling over time to come.

The knitted rug is nearly there, too.  It may take a bit longer than it should to finish as I am trying to crochet a border and have never crocheted in my life.  That is my first project for my craft afternoons this year.  There is a woman who used to be a professional knitter and she is going to teach me to crochet properly.  

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On a sad note, the bush fire season has hit with a vengeance, especially in South Australia.  My heart goes out to those who have lost property and in particular, to those whose cats and dogs perished when a cattery/kennel was unable to be saved from the fires.  What makes my blood boil is how many of these fires are deliberately lit.  No punishment is too harsh for these people.

Lite and easy Day 1 review and bring on Day 2!

Day One (Friday) review

Breakfast and lunch were great.  I was a bit concerned about the size of the bread roll for lunch but with cranberry sauce and 2 slices of turkey it was way adequate.  Add the green apple and I was a happy cat.

Around afternoon tea time I had a slice of date and walnut cake, toasted.  It was OK.  I'm not a huge cake eater and was concerned about the lack of butter but it wasn't too dry and was tasty.  I had it with a shot of coffee which I chilled and added ice and the remainder of my milk allowance.  The coffee balanced the sweetness of the cake nicely.

I also was given some popcorn which I had with a wine tumbler filled with ice, lime slices and soda water. It's very hot here at the moment and this was perfect.  And it was the time of day I would have gone looking for wine and chippies or nuts so this really hit the spot.

I didn't take a photo of dinner last night.  In the container it actually looked better than the image I posted yesterday (more cheese and sauce) but I put it on a plate and it sort of fell apart ... but to be fair, that happens whenever I cook a meal like that - says more about the person dishing up than the dish itself!  We heated in the oven rather than the microwave and I think we got a better result.  Some meals are fine heated in the microwave but anything with a cheesy topping really needs the melty brownness only achievable in a proper oven.

As for the taste ... Oh. My. God.  It was fantastic.  Mr Fussy was delighted with it and is still raving about it this morning.  And that says a lot as he loves his mexican food.  This one will definitely be on the repeat list.

After dinner I had the peaches which came with breakfast and went to bed feeling satisfied but not over full.

There wasn't much in the way of veges yesterday but looking ahead there are salads in our lunches and veges in our dinners so I am not concerned at this stage.  Once we are used to this I will make sure that the evening meal has veges if our lunches don't.  But we were both really keen to try the chicken enchiladas!!

Himself and I agree that Day 1 was a winner.

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Day Two (Saturday) 

After a disgustingly hot night which resulted in little sleep (not a happy place after the barking dog from the night before) we didn't leap out of bed at sparrow's fart to walk the dogs.  When I did get up, I put on my walking gear and went down to check on the dogs.  It was already very hot but I decided to have my slice of toast and coffee and then take them for a quick walk around the block.  Himself got up and went downstairs and came back declaring it too hot.  Which means it must be!  It's also very windy which neither two nor four footed family members like.  If the change comes through without too much rain and wind we will take them later.

My toast was a slice of soy and linseed with some plum jam.  Again, not what I would have normally chosen but more than acceptable.  After the decision to stay inside I had my bowl of fruit and bran flakes.  Again, not a huge serving but, dare I say it, probably what one is meant to eat.  I still have a small pot of yoghurt and a fruit salad cup from breakfast.  The yoghurt will be interesting as I have read very mixed reviews on a recent change to Lite and Easy's yoghurts.

Lunch is sliced roast chicken breast with crunchy corn salad and garlic lemon vinaigrette followed by tropical crush.

My snacks are an apple and cranberry muffin and some roasted almonds.  I shall probably do the same with the muffin and almonds as I did with the cake and popcorn yesterday.  The 2 fruit containers and the yoghurt will fit in through the day and one will probably be an after dinner snack.

Dinner tonight (at this stage) is a malay beef curry.

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As it's another scorcher we will be inside most of the day.  I did get some work done on the knitted rug and will do some more today.  The book club book is nearly finished.  It's "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" by Richard Flanagan as was the Man Booker prize winner last year.  I have mixed feelings about the book.  Initially I hated it but am coming to really enjoy it.  It will be interesting to see what the other book club members think about it.  Quite a harrowing read but beautifully written.

And on that note I'm off to keep cool.

2015 BRING IT ON!!

Well, the best laid plans and all that.

We cleaned out the pantry and fridge and sent Two and Mads back to Sydney with all sorts of stuff and then Three came around and was sent home with tins of stuff and other sundry bits and pieces.

Tuesday came and we waited ... and waited ... and waited ... until 4.50 when with no delivery from Lite n Easy I rang them to be told that there had been a first time order glitch and our order had not been lodged.  This was despite an email from them with a confirmation number and my online history showing a lodged order.  NOT HAPPY!!!!  Boy, was I NOT HAPPY!!  Especially when I was told this was not uncommon.  The person I spoke to was very apologetic and helpful and arranged for a delivery to arrive today.  Some time between 9 and 5.

Last night I went to bed relatively early with plans to get up early and walk the dogs.  I want this to be my new regime as I find if I walk early then it's done and I'm less likely to find excuses later in the day.  Also if I walk early, I'm more inclined to go out again later.  And today the weather is hot hot hot.

Another best laid plan ...

Just after midnight the dog next door started barking.  And he barked for THREE HOURS.  He doesn't usually bark but his owners were obviously out and some idiots were setting off fireworks which is what got him started.  Poor dog, he was getting hoarser and hoarser and must have barked himself into exhaustion around 3.30.  Needless to say when I woke at 5.50 I was not enthused to leap out of bed but rolled over for another couple of hours kip.

When we did get up just after 9, himself went downstairs and found two eskies at the front door.  *HAPPY DANCE*.  I quickly unpacked them and put the contents in the fridge or freezer.  At this point I must apologise for not taking a photo!  I had planned to photograph the whole thing but I guess two polystyrene eskies aren't too difficult to imagine.

We took the dogs for a good walk and came home to work out what was what.

Breakfast today was a bowl of cereal, a bagel with egg mayo and bacon and a little tub of diced peaches.  I was most impressed with the quality and the quantity.  Because we started the day rather late I still haven't had the peaches and my lunch of a bread roll with turkey and cranberry sauce still awaits.  As do the snacks of an apple, a rather generous looking bag of popcorn and a slice of cake.

Himself is on a higher calorie allowance and has everything I do plus extras ... I will be interested to see if he manages to eat it all but considering he is a bit of a grazer I am guessing he will.

The dinners are frozen and will be the real test.

So, apart from the initial glitch (which was quite serious in my book, but adequately resolved - we got a discount on this order, too) I am quite pleased with things so far.

A huge change in our lifestyle will be not working out what to eat, shopping for it and then preparing it.  But there is enough preparation to feel that we are involved in our meals.

I know that Paleo/LCHF/Primal are the in thing at the moment and I strongly agree with the principles behind this type of eating but I've come to realise that not everyone is cut from the same cloth and it doesn't matter how good a plan is if it doesn't work for you then it doesn't work for you. The only way I can see Himself and me getting a good start on weight loss and healthier eating is by handing over the planning/counting/shopping/preparation to someone else.  That way we don't have temptation in the house, we don't lead each other astray and we can relearn portion sizes.  And what I've seen so far in my magic esky is a lot of fresh food so that can't be bad, can it?

Not much else is happening here.  As I said before it's hot today so that means I will be bunkered down at home.  I have a book to finish for bookclub, a knitted blanket to be finished (but don't really feel like handling knitted stuff in the heat), a couple of quilts to design and start for Two and Three and various jobs to do around the house.  The boys gave me a box of Nude by Nature cosmetics for Christmas.  I need to go through my bathroom drawers and toss out all my old makeup and make room for the lovely fresh stuff to go with my lovely new fresh look!

So before I waffle on much more I shall hit the "publish" button and find a cool spot to sit in.

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  I knicked this image from the Lite n Easy website.  Chicken enchiladas and I think this is what we will be having for dinner.  I wonder if they will look quite like this!!

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I suppose I should put my starting weight up here.  I'm not happy at all but there you go.  If I was, I wouldn't be writing all this would I?

So ... 2/1/15  I weigh 92.8kgs.  *hangs head*