carolejo's daily Check in

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 7:11 am

Yesterday was pretty good for NoS, although I forgot to take my lunch with me into the office so I was limited to what I could get out of the vending machine. In the end, I found a cup of instant noodles and a peach joghurt. They would have both fitted on a plate, so that was fine. Not the best ever foodstuff nutritionally, but it could have been much worse. The noodles were chemical soup, pure and simple and the joghurt had a ton of added sugar in it - it tasted really really sweet to me, given that I've more-or-less given up eating pre-packaged fruit joghurts - at least during the week. I won't count it as an S though, cos it's not predominantly sugar and the odd one now and again is not a problem.

Came home in the evening and made mixed roasted vegetables for dinner. Whilst they were in the oven, I did 14 minutes of SG. That means that if I succeed today, I'll have done a whole week of MILA (Move It, Lard Arse!) without breaking it. That's a third of the way to my habit-building 21 days!

In fact, I'm going to go and swing that hammer right now, so that I can *definately* say I've done a week's worth

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:22 am

if I succeed today, I'll have done a whole week of MILA (Move It, Lard Arse!) without breaking it. That's a third of the way to my habit-building 21 days!

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's awesome CJ!!!!!!!
You are my hero!!!!!!!

And, even though it's funny, it's not really productive to think of ourselves in derogotory (sp?) ways.... so can the lard ass terminology and just love thineself unconditionally!

Hard to do sometimes, but it helps sooo much to try this...
I am proud of you!!!

You won't need any friends to help you wreck any gardens this year, if you keep up this good work!!!
Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:37 am

Hi Deb,

It's alright. I don't need to love my lard-arse, cos I have viscount_s who loves it enough for the both of us

I can now say that I've really done a WHOLE week of 14 minutes exercise every day for the first time ever in my life.

It feels pretty good. My arms and shoulders have that slightly 'tight' feeling - not quite pain, but they feel slightly heavier because the muscles have had to do some work for a change.

So, onwards. Today's task is to finalise the arrangements for flying my Cat Lyra over to Amsterdam in a bag under my seat in the plane cabin.... Wish me luck!

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:41 am

SG is sooo quick! Flab gets wonderfully transformed!
I suggest you get a tape measure and once a week, check your arm measurements...
Find the flabbiest part of your arm (mine are like grandma bags! LOL...)
and use the tape measure there...

Peace and Glove!

Deb

See you later...
Good luck with your kitty~
Glad Steve is such a great hubby!

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 8:12 am

Last night the Boy picked up the hammer and did a full 14 minutes of Shovelglove. He discovered a new move - like doing the army rifle drill but using the hammer - you know, swing it up onto your shoulder from the ground, stand tall and balance it there, arms down, then arms up and bring it down in a controlled swing back to the ground and repeat. He tells me "It Burnsss us! It burnssss!!! *hello Gollum*

Other news, we switched back to Skimmed milk. I prefer it anyway, but Steve had picked up some buttermilk by mistake when he first arrived in Amsterdam and used it in his tea - the result was predictably gross. After that, he spent some time convinced that you couldn't get proper non-rancid skimmed milk here and had been buying Semi ever since. I know this place and NoS isn't about eating Diet products, but the skimmed milk has been a part of our lives for so long before that and as I said, you get used to it and actually end up finding the full or part cream stuff too rich after a while.

Anyhow, today is an S day (YAY!) and we're going to spend it cleaning up the flat. When everything is gleaming, we shall reward ourselves with a trip to try out a Japanese Noodle bar I spotted on t'interweb. I don't know if it will ever be good enough to replace the Fuji Hiro in Leeds in my affections, but even if it's a halfway decent standby, I'll be happy just to be able to order me a large plate of Yaki Udon again.

Right. Better get off the net and start scrubbing my bathroom... It's pretty good exercise, anyway.

C.

Jammin' Jan · Post by **Jammin' Jan** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 11:48 am

How does Lyra like her new home?

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:51 pm

Sadly I don't know yet, Jan. I'm going over to get her this week though, so she'll be over here with us next Friday morning.

I'll be sure to let you know how it goes though *grin*
C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 8:11 pm

Carolejo!
Buttermilk in Tea?????
Yuck-O!!!!!!
LOL...
Say hi to SG'ing Gollum for me

Hope you have a great big steaming bowl of good Udon~
That is my kind of comfort food!

I can relate to not liking the richness of whole milk, after getting accustomed to lighter stuff... We have been using soymilk for about six years now and if I ever use milk, it totally covers up the taste of the coffee and sugar... That fat just cancels it all out! LOL..
I used to love half and half, and now I am sure I would hate it, unless it was used over fresh strawberries and sugar.....

Have a great evening and let us know about the new noodle shop~
Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 7:48 pm

Sadly we got to the noodle shop and it was CLOSED! I mean, what kind of crazy-ass country IS this place anyway, that the restaurants are closed on a saturday night...?

We'll have to go back during the week. It's only open between 11:30 and 9pm monday to friday. I guess it's because it's in a business district. In the end, we got pizzas on the way home and ate those instead. They were yummy, but not as good as noodles would've been.

So, tomorrow I'm here at home in Amsterdam, and then Tuesday I have to go back to the UK for a medical appointment AGAIN.

Oh well. As I mentioned before, I'm coming back home on Friday and I'll be bringing my baby home with me

Yes, the third small and fluffy member of our little family is coming home with us at last - Lyra-the-Wondercat

So, tomorrow, back to the usual plan. T'was a good couple of S days, but I'm ready to go back to eating the straightforward stuff again and actually looking forward to tomorrow now.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:29 pm

not such a good day for me today, so far. NoS - Failure.
I ate a load of sweets and chocolate after my lunch.

The MILA goal was a success though - I did my 14 minutes Shovelglove this morning. I'm only too aware though that I'm away again from tomorrow until Friday, and can't take the hammer with me, so that's a bummer.

TOO MUCH happening today! Am feeling uncharacteristically 'drowned' by it all at the moment. I just wish I could click my fingers and everything would be magically in the right place, everything sorted out and that I wouldn't have to return back to the UK AGAIN tomorrow. I'm pretty sick of all this hurtling about.

Oh well. I know it's only transient and everything will be sorted soon.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 8:43 am

More hurtling through the skies for me again today, squashed into a space about 60cm square. The flight leaves at about 2 O'clock this afternoon.

last night the Boy took me out to a Japanese noodle bar to cheer me up. It was very pleasant, but of course, no match for my favourite one ever in leeds *grin*. We did 'sin' some more by splitting a side order of Duck Gyoza between us, but were otherwise well behaved.

This morning I've already done my 14 minutes of Shovelglove. It's definately getting easier - both from the point of view of swinging the hammer, and from the point of view of actually picking it up and starting in the first place each day. Pity I'm away now for the next 3 days

. Oh well. I'll get back to it on Friday afternoon after I return with Lyra the Cat

Have a great Tuesday everyone.
C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 8:48 am

He's a picture of my baby, BTW:

C.

mondurvic · Post by **mondurvic** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:32 am

A beauty!

Judy

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:58 am

Back in the UK again.

I miss the hammer already and I've only been here about 16 hours!

Yesterday I stuck mostly to noS, except that I did have a coke with my lunch at the airport. That's definately liquid sugar, so the day has to count as a FAILURE really.

This morning I ate a couple of boiled eggs for breakfast. So far so good.

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 12:59 pm

Lyra the regal black queen!!!
Too bad I'm allergic to cats

How am I going to come visit you????
LOL..

Just keep trying Carolejo!!!
I doubt it was a "total failure"
You had to do something well!
Focus on the few good things you did and move along!
Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 1:42 pm

If you were gonna come and stay with me, I'd do what I do when my Aunt is visiting (she's very seriously allergic to all furry stuff AND very badly asthmatic to boot). I shut Lyra out of the spare room totally for 2 whole weeks beforehand, clean clean everything thoroughly TWICE at least a week before she arrives (the dust stirred into the atmosphere through cleaning just before they arrive is about the WORST thing you can do to an asthmatic with a dust allergy - they'd rather you didn't clean at all!

). The rest of the house is becatted, obviously - it's unavoidable - but at least there's a relatively allergen free sleeping space to ensure that her nights are not too broken. Add a mild antihistamine, and everything is fine.

I did loads of things well yesterday. I didn't eat anything else untoward. I didn't snack and I didn't have seconds.

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 1:56 pm

Wow! You are great CJ!!!
I have a girlfriend here with two cats, whom I haven't really been able to visit for years, and I know she would never go to those lengths to have me stay over! LOL....
I love you!!!!
LOL...
Okay, I'm coming over next year!
Have a great day!
Off to conquer the world now....
Peace,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 3:15 pm

my Cultural Shotgun (random listing of all my CDs on my work laptop, music and otherwise) just threw out the Evanescence tune that I like to shovelglove to! Oh, I really miss my hammer - but it's in a different time zone to me right now

I thought about leaping up and dancing around the office with the large cardboard box that's in the corner, but I don't think my workmates would be able to cope with so much loopy-ness all at once.

Oh well. Back on Friday and I'll do it then.
C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:27 pm

NoS success yesterday.

I even managed to only eat 1 portion of my chinese takeaway at dinner time and am currently enjoying the leftovers for my lunch today.

Looking forward to getting home tomorrow and swinging that hammer again.

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:38 pm

Good for you Carolejo!!!!!

I think there is some unexplainable magic ingredient in Chinese food, which makes us want to eat three servings in one sitting!!!
If you can stick to one plate, you are winning in the major leagues!!!!
Yay you!!!!

Have a groovy day girlie

Peace&Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:01 pm

Not doing too badly, but today is not a textbook eating day. Didn't get to eat a proper breakfast with all that rushing around to get to the airport in the morning, so I had a bag of cheese & onion crisps, a bottle of water and a packet of Polomints.

Yes, it would've fitted on one plate, but Polomints are *definately* an S for Sugar.

I'm going to try for another straight 21 days on habit though, starting on Monday. It should be a bit easier, as things are settling down a lot.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 8:59 pm

Well, spent a large part of today asleep. Everything seems to have caught up with me this weekend, now I'm safely back home with my whole family (Lyra and Steve - Now we are three

).

My stomach has been pretty sore these past couple of days, but I've been busy ignoring it as I had far too much to do to be ill. There was NO WAY I was gonna miss that plane on Friday! Now it's like I've crashed out though and my body needs to recouperate a bit.

My Nan is in hospital again. She had an operation to remove the lump last Thursday. The doctors say it was a success as it wasn't on her pancreas afterall, just on the outside lining of her stomach. They've removed her stomach and made a new one out of some intestines. They're still doing tests to see if it's cancer and if it's spread anywhere else. Right now, she's stable, but fragile and it could still go either way. She was able to give my Grandad a goodnight kiss though on the evening after the op, so the important things are still there. My sister reckons my stomach pain might be 'sympathetic pain', but I really don't think I'm *that* sensitive a soul

Onwards though. Tomorrow is another S day. Yay!
C.

mondurvic · Post by **mondurvic** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:00 am

Hi, CJ. I'm glad you and Lyra made it safely home. Your grandparents sound like a very loving couple. My prayers are with your family.

Judy

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 2:08 pm

Thanks Judy. My grandparents are my model for a long and happy marriage and life. Yes, they have arguments and do things that drive each other crazy sometimes, but they never go to sleep angry. Today's problems should be sorted out today. I think that's a very important thing and I try also to stick to that rule, whatever life throws at me.

Today would definately be an S for Sick day, even if it wasn't an S for Sunday. I feel really knackered and filled with a general malaise. I have ZERO energy for anything. I think it's probably delayed stress reaction to all the stuff going on around here. Like my body saying "finally things are getting together and your life is starting to settle down a bit. NOW you have time to be ill, so I'm gonna force you to slow down for a day or two"

Even the gentlest of physical tasks has me out of breath and all my limbs are very heavy.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 8:24 pm

MILA's back on track (14 minutes of SG done this evening when I got in from work), but I'm not so sure about the eating yet. I only had my 3 meals, no snacks and no second helpings, but my breakfast was Eierkoken. These are like gently chewy plain sponge cakes. They're very nice and easy to grab and eat when running for the train in the morning, but I'm coming round to the idea that they're an S for Sugar.

Fortunately I'm feeling a lot better today. Urban rangered too for about half an hour this evening by doing a long detour on my way home. There's an autumn chill in the air, but because of the long indian summer we've been having, the autumn colours are particularly spectacular in most of Northen Europe this year. Also, there's been very little wind so the leaves are mostly still on the trees. Not that I could see any of this, cos it was already dark! Oh well. The little Dutch houses with their open curtains and candles and lamps were super cosy anyway.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:58 pm

So far so good today. More Eierkoken for breakfast (can't just throw them out, and they'd have gone off by the weekend. I just won't buy them during the week again as I'm pretty sure they should be an S item)

Working from home today, but no SG yet. I'm going to an aerobics class with the boy's ueber-boss lady tonight so I'm saving up my strength and energy for that

I'm not normally the aerobics torture-class type, but the golden rule for meeting folks and making friends is never turn down a social offer, and they asked if I was interested so the answer is automatically YES. I'm quite looking forward to it, actually. These will be the first new people I've met on my own since I got here. Delightful company as S and the LyraCat are, I think I'm gonna go numbnuts if I don't make a few new friends around here, fairly soon!

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 9:58 pm

Hey Carolejo!
I am sorry for being so delayed on responding to what you wrote before, but I've been distracted (LOL...)
I really hope your Mum recovers well, and you too!
That sounded like some intense stress...
I wouldn't completely rule out what your Sister said..
I bet your stomach pain might just be very much sympathy pain...
Well hope you don't go Numbnuts, whatever that means!!!
Are you talking about going stir crazy or something??? LOL..
Let us know how your torture class went!
I bet you had fun!
Peace and Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:48 am

Hey Y'all,

The torture class really wasn't all that bad. Our trainer was very kind to us, and motivated by kindness and care, rather than the 'C'mon Ladies!! Let's see some EFFORT here' style that you sometimes get. I'm gonna sign up and do this every Tuesday evening from now on.

It was nice to see some new faces, but of course I was too out of breath to make any real friends yet

. It's a good start though. Afterall, I'm never gonna meet anyone sat in my own front room now, am I? People are hardly going to beat a path to my door, knock and introduce themselves just cos they thought I might like to get to know them, are they

This weekend, the Boy is back in Leeds sorting out a few things with the house and also kicking back and relaxing with our mates there. I'm stopping here though (someone has to look after the LyraCat and until I meet some folks and make friends, I can't exactly expect some random stranger to come and feed her for me when I'm not here!). On Sunday, I'm gonna join the Amsterdam Hash House Harriers (they call themselves a 'drinking club with a running problem' - http://www.harrier.nl ) and go meet some more random folks.

All this exercise!! My oh My.

On the diet front, I've been good too. Weighed myself this morning and I'm still on 90Kg dead. That's lower than I was *before* I started doing Judo back in Grad school. Just to confuse everyone totally by mixing my measurement systems, I've lost a stone in weight since I started, back in June / July.

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 2:24 pm

Hash house harriers?????
LOL..
That sounds like my kind of club!

Glad you had a good class and feel motivated to go back!
Yay CJ!!!
Hugs..

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 8:17 am

yesterday I was good. I even did my SG for 14 minutes (well, nearly, as the doorbell went in the middle somewhere, but it didn't take me long to sort that out) despite my abs being pretty sore from the Aerobics class.

And NoS - Success.

C.

inghol · Post by **inghol** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 12:22 pm

That's brilliant, CJ, a stone since June !!! Well done, to achieve that weightloss with nearby's Belgium and their luscious chocolates beckoning..(well, they were to me when we went there years ago. I came back a stone heavier)
Incidently I've a stupid question - are pounds (454g) the same in America i. e. 10 st = 140 pounds? I suppose it must be ...
Thumbs up for the exercise, too!

love
Ingrid

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 1:38 pm

Wooooo hoooo you!!!!!!!!
Great work Carolejo!!!
Love,
Yer mate,

Chicken Debs.. LOL..

Oooh, sore abs is good stuff babe!!!!

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 2:17 pm

yes, one stone is 14 pounds in the UK.

One KG is 2.2lb here. I think that's the same too.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 2:34 pm

Ah. Hang on a minute. I just twigged you're not a Yank, but a fellow Brit. Sorry Ingrid

In that case, one of our American friends will have to confirm that our British pounds (weight) are no fatter or leaner than a US one.

Anyone...?

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 2:57 pm

Duhhhhhhhh.............................................?????????????

(drool dripping from the gaping mouth.....)

Ask Dave T....
LOL..

Deb

navin · Post by **navin** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 11:35 pm

I thought a pound was a unit of money in Britian?

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 7:51 am

Now, why then would I be trying to LOSE pounds (sterling) ? Surely I'd want to GAIN them instead!!

Actually, I am trying to lose pounds in both senses. I'm still waiting for my company to transfer me to a Dutch contract and start paying me in Euros.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 12:35 pm

Slipped up a little yesterday afternoon when I ate about 5 gummy pig faces, of all things!

...they were tasty, but would have tasted all the sweeter if I'd waited until tomorrow.

Did my 14 minutes of SG though.

Didn't eat anything else I wasn't supposed to either, so it didn't trigger some major binge attack or anything.

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 1:34 pm

Hey Carolejo!
Good for not using the slipup as a binge excuse....
NoS is really good for destroying that bad old psychology....
Binging, pretty much, never happens anymore...
I had a piece of chocolate last night, and that sufficed....
(snack sized!)
Peace and Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 2:04 pm

Yeah, this is the thing I'm finding. Even if I'm only doing NoS in a 'less than perfect, slightly more than half-arsed way' I'm *STILL* eating way less crap and way less in general than I was before. It's like I've regained some measure of control and can actually eat a small amount of sweets without wanting or needing to eat the whole packet, go out to the store (or send Steve

) to buy a whole load more and eat them too.

I suppose it's a bit like 'recovering alcoholics' who go totally teetotal. You could argue that they're not actually 'cured' until they can have a more normal attitude to alcohol - not an 'all or nothing' mentality. Sadly for many people that's just too hard and the total strict ban is actually easier to enforce and work with.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 6:06 pm

Friday - SUCCESS NoS

SUCCESS MILA

Today is a nice S day. I've been eating a ton of chocolate and slumming out around the house, reading. The Boy is back in Blighty for the weekend, so it's just me and the LyraCat.

Tomorrow is my big adventure, hashing and meeting a load of random new people. I'm really looking forward to this. There's a birthday party afterwards too which I've been invited to as well. Better not overdo it though as I've gotta get up early on Monday morning and go register with the Aliens police to get my residency card.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 10:00 am

Monday morning weigh in.
I'm at 89 kg. Going down down down! *grin*

This is back to the weight I was 5 years ago, before I started Judo. My lowest ever was 77.9kg, but that was seriously 'manipulated' for Judo competition (heavyweight for girls is 78kg and above, so if you can get below there, you've got a fighting chance, even if you starve and dehydrate yourself on the day of the weigh in just to make the scales say you're light enough... Otherwise, the bigger the better cos most heavyweights are 100kg or more! Some of the people I had to fight were AT LEAST as wide as they were tall! Most of them were much shorter than me too). Of course after all that, I started putting the weight straight back on after I was 'done' dieting and finished at Uni so was no longer doing all that exercise - with about 15kg more on top besides.

I'm starting to ask myself that very interesting question. Where do I ultimately want to be, weightwise? I mean, a number on a scale is so arbitrary, unreliable, forced. Surely it should be about health and wellbeing and how I feel within myself, right? Well, that's unreliable too! I'm sure it takes the brain a very long time to catch up with the image you look at in the mirror, if ever.

I suppose the answer is I'm gonna try to keep going with the NoSdiet for the rest of my life, and see where it takes me. My feeling is that there's a little more to come off before things level out, but at least with this plan there's no artifical switch between 'weight loss' and 'maintainance' to deal with. I guess I have to trust my body to know itself where the right weight for me is. I'm guessing it'll be around 80 - 85kg if I keep also building up my lean muscle tissue and getting fitter and stronger, but I'm also guessing it'll take another year at least to get there.

So what though. I really don't give a stuff how long it takes for me to get to the right size and weight for ME. I've got the rest of my life to get there and stay there. Right now it just feels so good to be in control for a change.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 12:59 pm

Found the best SG music for me so far. Sheryl Crow's globe sessions. tracks one and two have a nice swinging beat that fits very well with the shovels and wood chops. Track 3 is not so good (I find the beat a little too indistinct) so I've taken to skipping that one. Track 4 is back to a good tempo though and tracks 1, 2 and 4 together are almost EXACTLY 14 minutes in length!

I can now also do my shovels and wood chops with one hand at the end of the handle furthest from the head (as always) but the second hand is now a good 10cm from the hammer head, instead of choked right up underneath it like it used to be. Concrete evidence that I'm getting stronger! Yay!!!

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:53 pm

technically today was a failure day, but I don't think it was so bad.

I had to go to Kleve, Germany for a customer meeting but on the way home my train got diverted. Ultimate result was I ended up standing around in Utrecht about an hour and a half after I was expecting to have been at home, really tired, fed up and hungry.

So, I got myself a small portion of Burger king fries.

When I got home though, I really wasn't feeling very hungry anymore. S had been shopping though and come back with a huge bag of Curly Kale (my FAVOURITE green vegetable EVER

) so I had a bowl of that with a little gravy on it for my dinner. Together with the french fries, it probably virtually plates as a reasonable food portion, although this was not my intention so I definately can't claim the above.

Haven't done any SG yet today either. Only just got home about 30 minutes ago, so I was out of the house for nearly 14 hours today. I might do this before I go to bed, but I don't know yet. I'll let you know tomorrow anyway.

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 1:22 am

Small fries is definitely better than a Super Sized portion, with a chocolate milkshake to wash them down...

Good for you CJ... I think you defintely can call it a virtually plated meal!
Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 3:37 pm

Yesterday evening I didn't get around to doing my SG, which was bad, but I did do it today again.

I'm really liking the obvious signs that I'm getting stronger and fitter. I can definately cope with holding the handle a lot further away from the head of the sledgehammer than I used to. The Boy is also making appreciative noises (even more than usual, I mean. He's a terrible mirror. I say 'Hey, does my arse look big in this?' and he replies 'Your arse looks gorgeous in everything!' and tries to grab it

) about the gentle muscle definition and toning that is taking place. If I make a 'strongman' pose with my arm and clench my fist, I can DEFINATLEY see muscles on both sides for about the first time in my life ever! Not 'muscle beach' style (that *would* be yucky), just the ordinarily toned and strong compact muscles of a healthy person with good functioning arms.

C.

gj · Post by gj » Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:28 pm

Congratulations on the muscle tone and weight loss!

But ... I am just dying to hear more about the Hash House Harriers. Please tell us more!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 12:57 am

Yay Carolejo!!!
Congrats on your rockin arms and gorgeous arse! LOL...
Peace and Love,

Deb

ps.. my mirror doesn't grab me, so I am jealous! LOL...

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 8:29 am

OK, well... By popular demand, here's some more info about The Hash House Harriers. http://www.harrier.nl. Warning, It'll be quite a long post!
I had some loose idea of what to expect before I got there, as a friend of mine in Paris happens to be the Grand mistress for one of the hashes that runs in there, and I've tagged along on a couple of occasions when I was visiting her. I'm pretty sure therefore that my debut with the Amsterdam hash was a fairly typical outing so I'll describe what happened.

At the appointed hour of 3pm, I arrived at the meeting point, outside Niewmarkt metro station. I was greeted by the letters AH3 ON OUT and an arrow pointing to the left of me (Amsterdam Hash House Harriers - starting point. Trail starts this way) scrawled in yellow chalk on the pavement, so I stood there. It wasn't long before a chap I recognised from the website appeared, towing a LARGE suitcase - Postman Prat (his hash handle) with the haberdashery. Hashers are very fond of commemorative t-shirts - the more brightly coloured and funny the better - and each hash club has their own collection of same for sale. Another chap appeared without a suitcase - he was another newbie like me. We stood around, chatting about nothing much in particular and everything in between "Where are you from?" "How long have you been doing this?" "Do you know anything about today's trail?" and so on. I introduced myself as "Just Carole" to tell them that I've not been around long enough to have a hash handle. These are awarded for some really daft or funny thing that you once did, usually whilst out on a hash. You don't get to choose them yourself, and they usually veer between mildly funny-sounding to downright rude! It wasn't long before another 10 or so people turned up.

So for today, we were the pack of harriers. But where was the Hare?
The Hare sets up a trail in advance (usually marked with blobs of flour or chalk on the floor, with the odd chalk arrow drawn as well). The hare would usually be there to explain the markings and give some hints, but our hare appeared to be stuck in a bar somewhere... Oh well. In places, the trail stops and you have to search for where it goes next. This is all marked using a series of Hash markings that are explained at the start of the run. The Harriers follow this trail - some walk, some run, most do a combination of both. The check marks (find the trail from here) serve to slow up the front runners (Front Running Bastards, FRBs) and allow the back markers to catch up. The idea is that the whole lot of harriers should arrive at pretty much the same time at the destination. When one of the FRBs spots a hash mark to confirm that they're still on the trail, they will shout out "On On!" to guide those who follow. There's usually a beer stop about 2/3 of the way round at a friendly pub. The whole 'run' is designed to take about an hour and a half to navigate. The chief purpose of the run is to work up a thirst and there are 'punishments' metered out to people who are seen to be taking it altogether too seriously! It's supposed to be FUN, afterall.

At the destination, there is beer and snacks (good job this was on a Sunday afternoon *grin*) and a circle is formed. This is the 'On In'. People are required to down small portions of beer in 'punishment' for various misdemenours, again, these are generally pretty daft but funny. Each time a person has to do a 'down down' (drink down the beer) there's a song that goes with it.

After that's completed, there's usually an 'On After' - either an agreed pub meet, or a party, or a meal somewhere. This time it was Excremental Earnings birthday, so we all went to her flat for dinner.

So there you are. Hope that satisfies your curiousity. There are 'Kennels' of Hash House Harriers all over the globe. Understanding each other is no problem - English is the language for just about everyone, most hashers are random expats from all over the world, athough there are usually quite a few 'natives' too. Most of them have websites with information about when and where they meet, and / or contact details to find out that information. For example, the website for the VIENNA hash is at http://www.geocities.com/viennahash/ so if you fancied investigating GJ, you can find details there. It looks like there's a run there on Sunday afternoon this week, in fact. When they go on holiday, hashers quite often look up the local kennel to where they're going and visit them for a run or two. Hashers will offer visitors assistance with somewhere to stay, tourist guide services and a ready-made network of social contacts.

In short, Hashing is a combination of 1 part treasure hunt, 2 parts exercise, 2 parts beer and a hefty squeeze of random sociability. You don't have to be particularly fit or a quick runner - you don't even have to run at all most of the time! If you want to though, there's nothing stopping you. A well designed trail will cater to everone's needs and still be a lot of fun for all.

Hope that gives you enough of an idea and that I haven't bored the pants off you! I for one will be going back again for another shot at it this coming weekend.

On On!
C.

gj · Post by gj » Thu Nov 17, 2005 12:21 pm

Not boring at all, sounds fascinating!

Only problem is, I stopped drinking a couple of years ago. While I would not call myself a recovering alcoholic, I am definitely an all-or-nothing kind of guy and I have come to prefer nothing.

So I wont be investigating, although I am sorely tempted

I did break my no-surfing-before-dinner rule though. See what you made me do!

(No, I am not blaming you for my surfing. I should be doing my accounting, and I am stalling)

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 12:56 pm

They will let you have soft drinks instead, but I imagine it's still the wrong kind of 'culture' if you're trying to avoid the *demon drink*.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 8:07 am

Yesterday NoS SUCCESS
MILA SUCCESS.

Shovelglove keeps getting to be more fun with each passing day. I now find myself swinging the hammer in time to Sheryl Crow with some really daft 'idiot' grin from ear to ear. It's more like dancing with a hammer than the straightforward snow-shovelling / wood-chopping of its origins, but the movements are still recognisable and the end effect is the same

It also helps that I don't have to mess around with a countdown timer either anymore, cos my 'soundtrack' is already the right length. The only timer I had was on my mobile phone - I could also set the oven to 'hot air, 40 degrees C' and run it for 14 minutes, but that just seemed too wasteful. I know that's probably also against the spirit of working for da man, cos I've ususally got a pretty good idea how long I have left, but somehow that makes it slightly more efficient for me.

have a good day folks.
C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 2:27 pm

I now find myself swinging the hammer in time to Sheryl Crow with some really daft 'idiot' grin from ear to ear. It's more like dancing with a hammer

"All I wanna do, is shove some gloves!" (that's supposed to be Sheryl Crowe singing... LOL...)

Okay Carolejo!! Time to make a home video of this daftness on parade! Let's get a quicktime up in the shovelglove section! LOL...

Yeah, that "dumb idiot" smile/ dancing thing, is pretty much how I used to do Shovelglove... It's just so much fun!

But I always play
Grateful Dead!!!

Rock on girly!!!!
Have a lovely day and great weekend!
Hugs!

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 1:31 pm

Friday NoS

and MILA

I didn't even take my 'friday evening after 6pm' exception this week. In fact, I've not even Essed at all yet today - not had anything suitable in the house and not felt motivated enough to go out and get anything either - although I expect that will change as I'm going to the supermarket this afternoon.

Happy S days, everyone.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 5:06 pm

Well, I had some nice Sweeties this afternoon, but I couldn't finish the whole packet. I don't think I'll finish the whole lot tomorrow either, but I don't want to throw them out! I'm gonna put them in a sealed box at the back of my uppermost kitchen cupboard. Out of sight and (hopefully) out of mind for the rest of the week.

This cupboard is so tall, I have to get the stepladder to reach it, and I'm not exactly a midget either (I stand at 5'10" in my socks).

This is definately a marker for how much NoS has changed me. I didn't think I'd EVER get to a stage where an open packet of sweets wasn't an instantly empty one! I ate some and enjoyed them immensely, but have no wish or need to eat any more now. I really am sated on much less sugary stuff than I ever thought would be possible. I'm honestly a CHANGED WOMAN!

Tonight I'm off to an 'I love 1966' party with some people I met on the Amsterdam hash last Sunday.

Have a good day, everyone.
C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 5:15 pm

1966 was a very good year for hash I have heard.. LOL...

Enjoy your weekend, you changed woman you!!!!
Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 7:51 am

Morning everyone.

I think it's time I applied some Everyday Systems thinking to another area of my life and scaled back the time I'm spending on the web... Not that I don't LOVE talking and posting to you all, (Oh my, that's most of the problem! Between this board and LiveJournal I can happily squander hours and hours of time I don't really have!

) but I'm finding I'm spending too much time SURFING when I should be WORKING. Working from home is great, but with nobody to look over my shoulder I gotta do it for myself.

So, from now on, I will only check in on NoS and the Checkins before 9am CET, for about 30 minutes at Lunchtime and after 5pm in the evening. NO MORE SURFING on company time!!!

These restrictions apply to all websites which are not business critical (and that means about 99% of them to be honest). This initiative will be called 'Work Day Luddite' after Reinhard's Weekend Luddite system.

So, in my final 10 minutes before my NetCurfew kicks in, let me just say that I had a great S day yesterday and that today is already running well so far.

Love to all,
C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 3:12 pm

Good luck Carolejo!

Love,

Deb

ang_grrr · Post by **ang_grrr** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 3:31 pm

good luck with getting off the net. I know how much time lj, for instance, can eat up before you realise.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 4:57 pm

HA! I survived my first day of 'workday luddite'! Boy, that was HARD! That was almost as hard as not eating those Twix bars was at the very start of NoS. I'm really glad that it's past 5pm and I can surf again. Yay!

MILA

NoS (so far)

Luddite

I also UR'd at lunchtime over to the social centre and asked about the Yoga class they run. I had to give in my phone number and they said the lady will call me back. I hope she does!

Have a great evening, everyone.
C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 8:37 pm

Hey CJ...
I really hope that instructor works well for you..
I used to take Yoga about a year ago with a different teacher than I have now..
It was a night and day experience...
Plus, if you are just starting, I suggest starting with Hatha or Vinyasa Yoga...
Not really tough forms like Ashtanga!

I say find an instructor who has been living a Yogic life and teaching for a substantial time... It's also a personal match thing...
I will never find another teacher for me like my beloved Guruji Larry!

Have a nice time surfing all night!

LOL..
Love,
Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:01 pm

I broke the no surfing rule, and it's only day 2!!

This is *HARD*. It's really really hard.

NoS and MILA are all OK though. And I heard back from the Yoga person. I just need to turn up on a Wednesday evening and have a go. If I decide its for me, then I can sign up.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:59 am

Workday luddite so far has only a 33% success rate.
That's one day out of the 3 I've been going so far!

Went again to the Aerobics class last night. S's boss didn't show up, but there were lots of nice Dutch people there and I was the only foreigner, which was nice.

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 3:14 pm

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Workday luddite so far has only a 33% success rate.
That's one day out of the 3 I've been going so far!

LOL....
That doesn't sound too bad, considering you are working from home...
So just don't go up to 34%! LOL...
Have a nice one CJ... Talk later tonight, and if you are reading this, I order you to stop this second!!! LOL..
Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 5:05 pm

the Boy and I took today as an S day, cos we both took the day off work (nothing to do with Thanksgiving or anything - we're both Brits) Initially, we were going to go out in town and just chill out, but the weather was spectacularly bad. We've had about 6 hours of thunderstorm, with driving rain and huge hailstones. So, we decided to swap our weekend days about a bit and do all our chores today. In the end it became just a day to get the house in order and make a final putsch with the unpacking.

I can officially say that we have moved in properly now! We have unpacked the very last box. The moving company are coming to collect all the empty ones on Thursday at last - which will be good, cos there's about 50 of them folded flat and stored in the downstairs loo. It'll be nice to have use of the downstairs loo at last

For all that, I've not Essed insanely. We had a nice late S day breakfast of blueberry pancakes with lots of Maple syrup on them, then about 3:30pm I had a couple of caramel stroopwaffles. I plan to eat a relatively 'normal' dinner to balance things out.

I've noticed generally that on S days I don't think I actually eat many more calories than I do on N days anymore (not that I've been counting them up - it's just a 'hand-waving' feeling), but the quality of the food I eat on S days is definately not as good from a nutritional balance point of view!

I did my SG this morning too, having missed it yesterday. Somehow it doesn't usually get done if I go into the office, rather than working from home. Fortunately as I only go near the office about once a week it's not that bad. Going to the office also requires me to do a lot more urban rangering and lugging my heavy laptop bag about, so it's probably a fair exchange really.

I'm gonna try and go for a walk in my lunchbreak when I'm working at home though - on those days when it isn't tipping down with rain anyhow.

Right. That's enough of an essay for one day. Hope all you Yanks out there had a great thanksgiving celebration and I wish everyone a very nice weekend too.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 5:08 pm

Oh, and apart from the very first day, I've broken my 'no surfing during work hours' rule every single day!

I never thought it would be harder than giving up all that sugary junk, but it sure is!!!!

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 7:40 pm

Hugs CJ!!!

Hope your rotten weather improves...
Any hashing plans this weekend??? LOL...

Love,

Deb

Lane · Post by **Lane** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 8:05 pm

Hey C!

I'd love to know what a stroopwaffle is -- sounds yummy!

Lane

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 8:54 pm

Stroopwaffels are a kind of thin waffle biscuit with a syrup layer embedded in the middle. They're almost like a national dish in themselves over here. they get served with coffee and are also good topped with icecream. Very very sweet though. I used to be the queen of sweet things, but these days I only want a couple of these before it gets too much for me

Very nice in small doses.

Tomorrow there's a hash run in a place called Wageningen. It's about an hour's train ride away. S and I will probably go over by train - but not if it's sideways hailing, like it was yesterday!!
Today's weather was a lot more stable at least. Overcast with the odd light drizzle, but mostly dry. We went into the city centre and spent a few hours just wandering about.

Happy Saturday everyone.
C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 8:57 pm

Oh, and a 'biscuit' to us brits is like a cookie to you

I was just reading Freakwitch's log and I realised my explanation of what a stroopwaffel is might not make much sense to you!!!! The kind of biscuit I think Freakwitch is referring to is closer to what we would call a savoury scone - although we'd never eat them with gravy. I guess this is one of those "divided by a common language" moments.

A stroopwaffel is like a kind of cookie.

C.

JWL · Post by **JWL** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 10:36 pm

Carolejo, indeed my wife's "southern biscuits" are to die for, a staple of American cuisine, esp in the south. They aren't quite as dense as scones, but you're in the ball park at least....

Sounds like you're doing very well, keep it up!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 11:18 pm

So, probably more Stroop and not as much Waffle.. LOL...

Drool is starting to drip from the corners of my mouth!

I think we are going to a diner tomorrow for Waffles dripping with butter and syrup~ LOL..
Thanks a lot CJ!!!

ps... *Regular* biscuits (not tea ones) with sausage gravy are one of the reasons I packed on the pounds when I lived in New Orleans...
Those are really yummo~
Ah my heart is clogging at the mere thought!

\

Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 10:52 am

Hi folks,

yeah, I've spent a total of 15 weeks in the states at varous times, including some time in the southern part of the east coast (Carolinas, Georgia, Florida) so I've eaten a few 'biscuits' in my time too

Today the weather is truly manky. I'm trying to work up the enthusiasm to leave the house and go meet up with the amsterdam hash.... I think I'll get myself out that door, but reserve judgement on whether or not I'm gonna do the run until I actually get there.

This might sound a little mad, but it's a mind trick I found often works if I'm not feeling like doing some exercise or going out or something. I'll get changed and get ready, telling myself that I don't have to go and do it, but I *do* have to get ready anyway. I tell myself it's OK not to do it if I still don't want to, but that I should see how I feel when I'm ready to go. Often I find there's a powerful pull to actually go and get on with it, once I'm changed and ready. A kind of "oh well. Why not? I've gotten changed already, so you might as well do it now".

I'm hoping this will work today. We'll see. Either way, I'm leaving this house and going to meet up with them all.

C.

JWL · Post by **JWL** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 5:58 pm

Hi Carolejo, I've always wanted to try Amsterdam Hash, esp in a culture much more enlightened in that area that the states.... heh heh heh

I like that Mind Trick, I may have to try that myself....

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 7:49 am

I made it out of the house yesterday, and all the way to Wageningen for the hash meet. I went running and then did a lot of drinking. Mixed in was a lot of talking (which I'm much better at than running

) so on balance it made for a very enjoyable and worthwhile afternoon. S came with me, but didn't run cos his kneecap is still sore. He had a grand time sitting in a pub and minding the bags for us though

Wageningen was having a 'shopping Sunday' in preparation for Sintaklaas. Dutch kids get their presents on the 5th December (St Nicholas' day). I won't be unwrapping mine till 25th December. From what I saw of it, it's a prosperous small town with a fairly distinct town centre and quite a bit of green space around-about. Of course I mostly saw the blobs of sawdust which marked this weeks' trail. Just as well they didn't use chalk cos there was a couple of inches of snow lying around.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 7:28 am

Yesterday NoS

, MILA

Luddite

I think I'm not ready for this luddite goal. I only managed to stick to it once in the whole time I've been trying.

I'm gonna buy a kitchen timer when I go into town next weekend, and every time I switch the internet on, set it for 14 minutes so I can only surf for a maximum of 14 minutes at a time. I'll set a limit of 4 sessions a day, between 9 and 5pm. I think an hour online per day is reasonable as it's what I would have if I surfed through all my breaks, and definately better than the amount of time I'm spending now! Gotta buy a timer first though. Kick my butt if I haven't confirmed the purchase and use of said device in a week's time!!

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 11:35 am

in the office today so surfing is somewhat curtailed, which is good.

Last night I broke the NoS rules - in the name of trying something new. It was definately funny stuff though, cos I could have waited til the weekend really.

We got a pail of Dutch apple syrup. This is made from apple juice and only contains natural sugars, but it's definately an S all the same! The Boy and I each had a single spoonful to see what it tasted like - and then had to physically restrain each other from tucking in to the rest of the tub.

It's GORGEOUS!! It's like an apple flavoured treacle stuff. Very intense and sweet tasting, but also has a strong sharp fruity taste that lingers deliciously on the palate. It would be really good spread on walnut bread, stirred through natural yoghurt, spread on eierkoken, make into stroopwaffels, over icecream, and so on. Wow. I'm gonna be eating several things with it in this weekend, I can tell you!!

Today so far has been OK. Cos I'm in the office though, I don't know if I'll get my SG done. Did go to the aerobics class last night though. It's actually pretty fun and I NEVER thought I'd ever say that about an exercise class. The lady that runs it is really great.

On other news, my Dutch contract finally came through. Today is my last day working for the UK branch of my employer. After that I officially work for the Dutch division. Yay! It'll be nice to get paid in the right currency for a change - it sure as hell will make things a lot simpler.

C.

ang_grrr · Post by **ang_grrr** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 12:08 pm

I was thinking about your timer idea last night when I spent 30 minutes playing backgammon when I should have been cooking soup!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 4:28 pm

Wow! That apple syrup sounds like totally delicious liquid candy, but better! LOL...

Rock on with your badass self in your aeorbics class!!!!
I'm soooo happy you are enjoying it!
Exercise really rocks! It does.. It's the excuses and all that stuff, which is sets up a resistance and procrastinating attitude towards it.. Once you actually start moving, it's amazing how great it feels and how all the "dread" of exercise is just a made up mind psych-out...
Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:53 pm

Hi folks,

did my SG today

but not yesterday. It really doesn't happen if I go into the office, despite my best efforts.

Broke NoS this morning by eating another spoonful of that apple syrup stuff. Man, I'm gonna need to lock that stuff up in a strong box and give the key away for safekeeping!!! I looked at the ingredients a bit better too. It's unrefined sugar beet syrup with concentrated apple juice. 'Made with 140g apples per 100g syrup'.

Bet it's got plenty of vitamins and trace minerals, but it also has a 55% fruit sugar content.

Dammit, this is DEFINATELY an S for sugar, and I HAVE TO LET IT ALONE!!!!!!!!!!! I suppose I could spread it thinly on toast and have that for breakfast, but I wouldn't be doing the 'reforming sugar-junkie me' any favours, of that I'm sure.

Oh well. I'm looking forward to trying it out properly at the weekend.
My Mum is coming over to stay with us for 10 days, arriving on Saturday, so I'm really looking forward to that too. I *love* having people to stay!

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 2:41 pm

Bet it's got plenty of vitamins and trace minerals, but it also has a 55% fruit sugar content. Dammit, this is DEFINATELY an S for sugar, and I HAVE TO LET IT ALONE!!!!!!!!!!! I suppose I could spread it thinly on toast and have that for breakfast, but I wouldn't be doing the 'reforming sugar-junkie me' any favours, of that I'm sure.

Well CJ... I disagree... The problem is that you probably won't want to stop at one teaspoon of it... But if you can eat it in very small, reasonable quantities, to satisfy your sweet need for the day, hey maybe it would be okay?

I started NoS using 4 tsp of sugar in my coffee and hot chocolate mix to boot on top of that... Now I use one teaspoon of natural delicious tasting turbinado sugar and about 1/4 cup of chocolate soymilk... I probably could even get used to using less, if I ever made a point to do so...
So, hey, maybe you can practice some Willpower and self control and see if you can limit your intake of this delicious, and seemingly not so unhealthy sweet, and use it ontop of your oatmeal or something...

But no eating it straight out of the jar endlessly! LOL...
Can you do that?

Hey a soda has eight or nine times as much sugar in it.. That's the real danger stuff on NOS...

Have fun with Mum!
Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 2:53 pm

Hi Deb,

Thanks for writing back. For the moment I've put the jar at the furthest point away in the back of the cupboard. I think I might just be allowed to have a little on a slice of toast with breakfast tomorrow, but the problem at the moment is that I'm DEFINATLEY snacking on it directly out of the jar with a teaspoon!!! The jar has 450g of it in too (it's about the size of a ben & jerrys tub). I just did a quick search on google and it turns out this stuff is super rich in iron - something that I generally have problems hanging on to enough of - so I suppose it's a worthy breakfast food... just NOT, as you say, on its own directly out of the tub

As for sugar in tea and coffee, I'm fortunate in that respect cos I never had any. It was never in there when I was growing up, so I never developed a taste for it. tea with sugar in tastes almost toxic to me! I can understand the attraction of a little maple syrup in coffee though.

I'm *so* looking forward to spreading this amazing foodstuff onto some nice eierkoken and serving them up with a plain vanilla icecream this weekend. I think that's going to be my big S day treat this week. Wow. I'm drooling at the thought of it! I had to go and brush my teeth to get rid of the delicious taste for now as it made me want to eat more.

Yeah. I suppose if the boy can have jam on his toast, I can put a (thin) layer of apple syrup on mine. mmmm. I'll give it some thought.

C.

cvmom · Post by **cvmom** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 4:03 pm

Hi CJ, long time no speak....

I understand about that stuff. Certain things trigger my desire for sweets. For some reason, when I eat persimmons I start craving sugar. Maybe they are just too sweet.

I had a small problem last night with some bread that my husband brought home from Il Fornaio last night. I didn't even get to put it on my plate because I was eating it while I was cooking. I know, bad, but again, "I'm Only Human!!"

Are you and the boy going home to England for Xmas? I only spent one Xmas in England and it flipped me out. No one told me that Xmas day and Boxing day are the two days of celebration. Here in America Xmas Eve is very special and we usually have a dinner and go to midnight mass (if we can stay awake). I remember just sitting around on Xmas eve watching a bit of telly and drinking tea and thinking "What is wrong with these people why aren't they in the Xmas spirit????" It made me really homesick...I guess it was one of those moments when it seemed so normal for my husband he never mentioned it.

Anyway....sorry to gab. Have a good day and keep that #$%t hidden in the back of your cupboard!!!
Dru

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 7:10 pm

Hi Dru,

Thanks for your reply. Steve and I are actually staying here for Christmas and New year - the three of us (Steve, me and Lyra-the-wondercat) are going to have a quiet christmas together in our new place. My parents we planning on coming over, but since my Nan got so sick they'll be spending christmas with my grandparents (my Dad's parents) instead.

We've got lots of visitors coming over for New Year though, so that will be hectic to balance the chilled-out christmas!

I've got my Mum over visiting though from Saturday, which will be great. My Dad is heading to Prague with some friends so she's coming over by herself. I guess we'll have a kind of mini, early, family christmas thing whilst she's here too. One year our family had "christmas day" in August because we already knew we wouldn't be together during the holiday season

I don't mind so much anyway - when we were kids, we went away on holiday (Ski-ing or suchlike) over christmas more often than not anyhow.

Your comment about sitting around the telly drinking tea really made me laugh. That's just typical Brit behaviour!

Well, you'll be pleased to hear that I've left the delicious sticky stuff alone now. We just had a great big "full English Breakfast" for dinner, cos we've finally found a place that sells PROPER ENGLISH STYLE BACON!

love to all,
C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:31 am

I just had a totally yummy breakfast, which made me think of Peetie too

I had a nice big bowl of natural yoghurt, with a handful of chopped up dried prunes and a teaspoonful of apple syrup in it.

I made a deal with myself, that I could have a little of that apple syrup with my breakfast, but in return I MUST NOT under any circumstances 'sneak eat' it directly out of the jar!!!

So. I've had some apple syrup today and enjoyed it 'legally'. I therefore have no need at all to touch it again today. It's enough.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:30 am

Well, my breakfast may well have been yummy-tasting, but there was definately insufficient protein in it to keep me going. My stomach is growling already and it's not even half past 11.

Hungry is good though. It means that my body is having to look elsewhere for fuel

Hopefully it's looking at my rather oversized butt!

Lunch will taste all the better for being hungry. And I know I can easily last another hour.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 10:42 am

Friday was....

NoS

MILA:

Yay for me! I didn't cave in to the calling of that yummy sticky apple syrup. Deb was right that a little with breakfast was all I needed to prevent my innner five-year-old from whinging about being "hard done by"

(although she didn't put it quite that way, of course

)

I did apply by after 6pm on friday modification last night though, and had about a third of a tub of Ben & Jerrys. That's two-thirds of a tub less than what my pre-NoS, out of balance self would have eaten at one sitting!!

This morning, had an apple turnover from the bakery on the corner for breakfast. Yummy S day.

Have a nice weekend everyone!
C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 6:24 pm

Not a bad day today, considering. My Mummy is here, so it's a little harder in some ways, cos she's *definately* a grazer!

Today I did only have 3 meals, but I did have an apple turnover with my lunch. It probably would've fitted on the plate with my toast and pate, but it would have definately been a vertical stacking job! I also had a coffee in town made with Bailey's Irish cream liqueur rather than milk - AND whipped cream on top too

I did do my SG though.

C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 2:56 pm

Today I had a piece of cake in the office. The Netherlands was the best performing business unit last year, so they celebrated. I could have said NO, but didn't.

Damage limitatation time though. My lunch was pretty small after the cake and I'm having a full roast chicken dinner tonight cos my Mum is cooking for us, so I'm saving myself now for that.

Cos I'm in the office today, I probably won't do the Shovelglove today, but I am going to my tuesday 'leaping torture'

class, so I'll have an hour of exercise anyway, so I don't think this is a problem.

Onwards.
C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:09 pm

Carolejo!
Even though you had some cake you didn't let that be and excuse for "%$@*'ing" up the rest of your meal or day...

This is the mark of a true dieting warrior!!!
No binges for you...
This is huge!
Have a great day and keep on being positive... You are going somewhere good!

Peace and Hugs,

Deb
Gotta run....

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:02 am

I did have a single gummy computer-mouse sweet that somebody else gave me in the office, but then I managed to walk past the pizza slice stall on my way home just as they were putting a new pizza out!

Yeah, it was very far from an ideal day, but you're right that I didn't turn it into a binge, Deb. All in all, I feel pretty neutral about it.

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:32 am

Deb. All in all, I feel pretty neutral about it.

This sounds like you are on that boring Switzerland diet!

I want a gummy mouse now too! LOL..

Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:21 am

We-ell, I can't say that I'm falling off the wagon, cos I'm still here and still going... but my progress is very bumpy this week.

With my Mother here the whole time, I just haven't wanted to be so strict about it all, so I've actually been out and about with her a lot, also eating a few treats. It's *still* nowhere near my pre-NoS consumption levels, but I think once she's left again I need to knuckle down for a week or so and try to do a PERFECT score.

Yesterday I didn't get any SG in, but we did walk all around the flower market in town and then all round the historical museum, so I don't feel too bad about it. Food-wise, breakfast was large and late, but did all fit on a plate (dodgy rhyming style here

). Lunch was a pancake with ham, pineapple and cheese (Super yummy, also fitted on a plate although the plate was BIG, but the pancake was thin!) but Dinner was a raclette, which is too hard even to virtually plate properly I think. THEN I ate some mint chocolate sticks with my coffee afterwards.

So, not a disaster day, but certainly not within the spirit of NoS either. Mum is leaving on the evening of the 12th, so from the 13th onwards I'm gonna try for a perfect 21 days again, to curb all this 'excess' that is creeping in. For now though, I'm not going to worry about it all too much. A few days of moderate 'naughtiness' will not hurt me. I'm also pretty confident that I'm not about to rush out and start consuming a pint of Ben and Jerrys every night either. Oddly, I still feel mostly in control. My weight is also down another kilo, so obviously it can't be all that bad.

Love to all,
C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:35 am

Hey, an odd thought just struck me...

...I think NoS is "the ONE".

What I mean by this is, the major difference I found between a truly serious, adult relationship with someone really special and your typical teenage 'fling' (not limited only to teenagers, but I use the term as a descriptor here) is that when it's a truly worthwhile and healthy relationship both of you KNOW without ever actually saying so that a proper row, no matter how bitter and nasty it might be at the time, is very unlikely to signal the end of the relationship.

If I haven't lost you completely, my very dodgy analogy is that for me, I know that even if I break the rules of NoS, this doesn't signal the END of the eating plan for me. Mentally I'm still there. I'm still committed. I'm very sure within myself that I'm never gonna fall out with the diet simply because I had a day of poor judgement / too much funny stuff / downright gluttony. I almost feel like NoS is a PERSON who forgives me and says "I acknowledge that yesterday wasn't so good, but that doesn't affect today. C'mon. Let's give it another shot and try to get today right."

So. That's my 'thought for the day'

Hopefully a few of you at least will understand what I mean. I hope that you too come to feel the same way about it.

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 8:31 am

I would like to add that "The One" wants you to be with NoS!
LOL...
And,,,,,,,,,,
You are the one!
(and Steve is important too... LOL...)
ps... When you have guests it's a lot tougher not to give in to little treats..
You'll be fine once Mummy goes home.. Hope you are enjoying each other..
I envy you because my Mom and I would be fed up with each other within five minutes or less

Love and a Oneness Heart,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 9:52 am

So, today is my last day with my Mummy here. It's been a lot of fun, but I really haven't been very 'good' from a NoS point of view!

My Monday morning weigh-in reflected that, at 89kg again. I'm really not unhappy at all though cos I know it's artificial and won't stay there.

We're just going to do the normal everyday stuff together today. A little bit of shopping and mooching about the house. I'll be able to catch up on work this evening once she's gone.

This weekend we went to visit a friend of mine in Kleve, Germany. We then went to a Christmas market and ate lots of very S-worthy treats

Fortunately I didn't bring any back here to Amsterdam with me!

Hope you all had a good weekend too.
C.

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 10:50 am

I've hauled myself into the office proper today, hopefully I'll get the new hard drive that arrived yesterday fitted into my laptop, as it's not behaving properly. I'm feeling pretty 'under the weather' myself today too - a bit of a cold. Minor sore throat, cough, low grade aches and pains, shivers and a runny nose. I know that Sick also begins with S, but I'm also aware that I'm not really very sick at all, so I'm fighting the urge to run off and use this as a lame excuse to eat a ton of junk. Especially as I wasn't well behaved at all (from a dietary point of view at least!

) yesterday. My breakfast (2 slices of homemade German black bread baked by my friend Katrin, topped with Old Gouda cheese and cooked ham) started out well, but then I had a portion of fries with Mayo and Ketchup mid morning, followed by half a large bag of salted crisps, a good-sized handful of chocolate coated peanuts, similar quantity of jelly sweets, some fruit biscuits, a large cookie filled with marzipan, an avocado with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar and half a large 4-cheese pizza. Blergh.

Today I've so far eaten a Fruit and nut roll, a madarin orange and drunk a lemsip (Evil-tasting hot lemon drink powder with paracetamol and decongestants - some people have suggested that it only works to make you feel better BECAUSE it tastes sooo bad!!!) and 2 cups of tea. It's nearly lunchtime though so I shall soon be turning my ham and cheese sarnies into ham and cheese toasties, using the toastie iron in the office kitchen. Mmmm. Toasties.... The thought of lunch has cheered me up a bit!

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:22 pm

Hi Carolejo!
Feel better my friend!
Instead of that nasty lemsip.. I suggest you try a hot version of the yummy lemonade I have been drinking/fasting with...

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (one lemon usually yields four tablespoons)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
10 oz of water
1 small pinch of cayenne pepper...

This helps relieve phlegm and flushes out toxins...
Oh, don't heat the whole concoction in the microwave, as you'll probably kill the goodness in the lemons.. Instead just warm up the water first then mix in the ingredients as a "tea"...

I promise you will love the taste!
No lemsip

I'd also say don't use this as an excuse to eat crap, as you have decided... Go for some good foods to help you heal...If you are sick, I'm sure Reinhard won't mind if you have a little more comfort "sick" food in the form of hot soups and sugar in your tea....

Have a nice day...
Peace and Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 2:32 pm

I think I will get some lemons on my way home and try your recipe tonight Deb.

C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 3:08 pm

Hey cool!
NB...
Don't use much cayenne pepper, but definitely include it because it helps stimulate your Lung Chi! You will get a nice warming effect and it helps clear the mucus...

Feel good girl!
Love,

Deb

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