Indian Friday

We tried something new at work today. A bunch of us made a curry or some other Indian(ish) dish and brought it in for lunch time.

We were judged by Meera, our residents Indian chef. Food was so amazing it must ahve ben hard for her to choose ( I came second :)

We have now organised this for the last Friday lunchtime of every month.

Affordable fun we all agreed & as good as dining out.

New shopping plan

Jamal always shops with me when he is home. He is all about cooking for everyone and spoiling us and treats. But I need a complete change right now.

So I made a new plan. And whats more i am actually implementing it!

I found a farm which sells  meat 'wholesale' and placed an order. Fahed will pick this up and pay for it tomorrow. The plan was that it lasts for the month but I believe it will be longer. It is 2/3 the normal price. We have bought form their farm shop previously and the meat was lovely. They are award winning sausage makers! Not sure why thats so funny but it always makes me laugh.

Fahed drinks decaff diet coke as his treat (he doesn't drink or smoke so I think it fair enough) & bottled water for his work. I made a single order for a month of drinks from Asda. He is collecting these tomorrow.

We are not buying  bread, biscuits, cakes, sugar, butter/margarine, cream.

Olive oil is probably our biggest problem ara. We buy it or are given it annually on Crete. Its fantastic, healthy and yummy. But we, or more especially I, have to cut right back on it now to get my kilos moving again.

Once a week I will go to the smaller Lidl near to my work and stock up on veggies, a little fruit, some cheese, tinned veg, tinned tuna, salad cream and mayonnaise ( I can make it but its too yummy and irresistable)

Once a month I will go to the Asian supermarket in town for chillies, tahina and anything else which Fahed needs.

Cat food I already have delivered from Amazon. I go some really good quality stuff and if the shiness of their coats is anything to go by they should healthy little girlies, so its worth it.

This should make a bit of a financial saving but also be another step along the road to healthiness for me.

Anyone else thinking creatively about their shopping? I would really like to go to independent providers for everything so far only the farm and Asian supermarket fall into those categories. we hav a little greengrocer in the town but i think his fruit and veg are quite poor quality compared with the supermarkets. I have also tried various box schemes but we seem to prefer to choose what we have which includes a ton of salads. Sadly I will have to keep looking.

Out of excuses

I have started my medication. Jamal has finally been called. No more excuses!

Jamal flew out to Gran Canaria on Saturday, His ship was still in Casablanca so he didn't actually get aboard until Monday but he had a lovely weekend in Las Palmas, where apparently the people are really friendly and he was invited to what he called 'Ramadan night time munchies' after some of the crew had their evening prayers. He is now on his way to the Ivory Coast/ So anyway, now he is gone and  having a great time and learning lots. Oh and having lovely Indian food for every meal. He will be all fit and healthy when he comes home.

I started my medication on Friday and it was awful, no wonder it takes 3 weeks before you are on the full dosage. Today I am feeling fine though, which hopefully bodes well.

I missed my intended sign up at Slimming World as I wasn't well but my friend started and has been getting me up to speed today. Basically its not hugely different from my normal except, and now the penny drops with me, I eat too much fat. Way to much. Olive oil on my salads, full fat Greek yogurt, cheese, too fatty a meats, a little dab of butter on my steamed fish and vegetables. Oh dear. But I have made a whole load of other changes and I can make this one too.

I missed my dance class too because of my upset tummy (from the meds) but seems to be okay now so definitely next Monday. Again, cant wait. In the mean while I have been having a bit of a go on my exercise bike a few times a day. A slow start but something. And lifting my tiny little weights. The pains in my arms are going.

So its not good that I need medication but its good that I am changing my lifestyle and good that the medication seems to suit me. Maybe one day I post a photo of a skinny LIzzie on here instead of chunky Lizzie

It's a new dawn. It's a new day. It's a new life

or something like that.
I am feeling surprisingly sad. A bit of Nina Simone may help

New beginnings

I have felt lately like I am just killing time. I think it is because I knew I was going to have my third blood test. I have been trying to dodge the bullet but it wasn't happening. Had my third lot of blood tests on tuesday and today the doctor called me at work to say i need to start medication straight away rather than in three weeks time when I have my doctors appointment.

So there we are. Type 2 diabetes. Meds start in the morning. So apparently they tell me its no big deal and most of the oldies at work seem to be already in the club. I lost 2 stone and up my exercise regime but too little too late.

My priorities for the rest of this year are:
Getting my health back on track
Upping my fitness levels
Remembering to have fun
Keep on top of my finance
Help someone else to do the same
Continue declutter - so that everything which is left in my house by the time I have finished is stuff that I, or someone who lives here anyway, loves.

Blimey, it's Saturday again already

Where is the time going?

And what has happened this week?

Jamal got the call on Wednesday to fly to Gibraltar on Sunday (tomorrow) to join a ship which is going to Algeria initially.

After great flurries of activities on our part he got another call on Thursday changing the ship, date of travel and destination! Fortunately this doesn't bother him. At the moment we think he flies to Casablanca (so cool) next Saturday. We get him back mid to late November

Luckily for me Jamal is now a little bored and has started to do some work in the garden. Digging and re-modeling. So far the mess is greater every time I go out there. He did make me a lovely fence though and its all good work.

I will really miss him but I am kind off looking forward to having a tidy house.

Its really weird but it feels like treading water as we are waiting for him to go

Normal service will be resumed

Feel good Friday

I am so unstructured! Not only did i forget to post anything all week I have left it until Sunday to post my feel good Friday stuff. However it has a nice positive feel to it so I am doing it anyway.

• Lovely and sunny for a good chink of the week. And when it was cold and raining I was in my office working anyway, so I barely noticed.
• Ahdel and his girlfriend Becky have a budding graphic design business. Last Sunday she was working in the cafe at the leisure centre as Ahdel was working and a guy who she often sees down there approached to admire her work. He has a printing business and people often ask him to do some design work. He wondered if she might be interested in taking some of it as he is already too busy. Might work out and maybe not but good contacts being made.
• My friend Sue with the restaurant in Crete says customers are chasing for the recipe book we are pulling together for her.
• I am signed up for Slimming World next Tuesday, A positive for my health if not for my day to day life
• Today we are visiting the little kittens, who are now four weeks old, to choose which black one is for us.
• Both kids and a girlfriend are coming to dinner today. I am making fried chicken (shallow fried and then finished in the oven), coleslaw, white bean mash and roasted vegetables. And it is all in hand and low in carbs.