I’m a Pear/Apple - Part 4. Yabadabadoo !

They are really lovely Whiff it sets me off when I see other peoples crafts. It’s also a great way to keep our minds of snacking too. Weigh in tomorrow but not expecting a loss this week!!

Just popping back from the Arts & Crafts thread, you are a very inspiring and clever lady Whiff and it might just entice me to pick up cross stitch again. Now would be a very good time.
Your SIL’s needle felting has produced some cute creations. Crafts are so rewarding.

Lesley Manville is a favourite Actress - I will look up “Magpie Murders”. Colder days are coming next week so I will put a day or two aside for TV.

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Tilly hope you recover very soon. After surgery mental health is just as important as physical. So if a naughty treat makes you feel happier then have it. No doubt they have given you some exercises to do as they do with every op even it's just breathing ones. Like MayBee says good excuse to catch up on some films or series . Have you watched Magpie murders it's on iPlayer it's very good. Lesley Manville is in it.

I have posted some pics of my work I finally got round to framing on arts and crafts forum under cross stitch . Blowing my own trumpet as usual.

My sister in law does needle felting these's are her latest creations . She has MS .

When I had a really bad knee a few years ago because I couldn’t walk much I made a point of watching all the films I’d been planning to watch for years. That took my mind off food.

It’s a poor excuse but I can’t weigh for 2 weeks as I am post-operative and not able to stand with weight on feet until then.
First my appetite deserted me 🙂,
now it is back,
so I will in all likelihood put a few pounds on. 🙁
Good luck Pear’s.

I braved the scales and haven't put as much weight on as I'd feared. Which is a relief.

MayBee is there a sit fit class near to where you live? It's not a easy way to exercise as some might think . But full on . In my class I am the youngest at 65 oldest 91. It's held in my local church. My instructor does a class in the local library .

But because of our ages and various health conditions we are up to date with our flu and covid jabs. You might be happier with a group like mine. We use resistance bands and weights . We do exercises sitting down and holding on to the back of the chair.

If you Google sit fit class for over 50/60's some should be in your area.

I’m desperate to start going to the gym again: I rejoined months ago. But still scared of catching covid by going somewhere that I don’t have to go to.

MayBee the main thing is did you enjoy your time away. If yes then I am glad. Everyday is a new start . So start again either today or tomorrow. If you have put on half a stone that's not such a great amount for 4 weeks away. You know what do now you are home. Negatively is the bane of anyone trying to weight. Took me decades to realise that. Slow learner moi🤦.

SachaMac well done . That's the thing with losing weight it's swings and roundabouts.

As I expected haven't lost any this week but my mojo is still there. So hopefully next week will see a loss. Been in the garden the last 2 days weeding and cutting things back ready for the winter. Lined my greenhouse ready for seed planting in January/ February.

NanKate it's the snacks which are always my undoing as well. That's why I don't have lunch on Thursday as I know I will have biscuits at my craft group and this week I made a Victoria sandwich filled with my cherry jam . One of my crafty friends gave me them off her tree.

Have a good week pears .

I'm back in my 'bit on, bit off, bit back on mode'.
0.8lb off this week so I'm ok about that - maintaining is great but I would really like a new lower number to maintain
Good luck fellow strugglers x

MayBee70 it’s so easy to let things slip and then the feelings of disappointment and failure flood in, been there done that. The difference is now you’ve acknowledged it and now is the time to get back on the wagon with all us Pears.

Until yesterday I have been following my restricted time eating and upping my protein. However I realise that yesterday I kept snacking admittedly on nuts, grapes, plus biscuits and I realised I was going down the slippery slope again where it becomes normal to snack.

This morning is a new day I’m back with you on the wagon. Onwards we go. 👍

So. 4 weeks away from home. Maintained my weight, probably lost some, too. Did my sauna and my walks. Did a fast most nights. Then travelled back on Sunday: very tiring journey and I don’t eat healthily when travelling. Extremely tired when I got home and realised I’d left my house in a much greater mess than I’d realised. Result is I’ve ate badly all week and bet I’ve put on half a stone. So annoyed with myself. Can’t seem to get a grip.

After a gain of 1lb last week I have somehow pulled things back and lost 1.5lbs this week. I have also been making soup, I found a big bag of casserole vegetables in the freezer so added s large onion, garlic clove and stock and threw it all in my soup maker. All free and nice and filling.
I agree the butternut squashes are very hard to peel WhiffSwedes are the same but I do them whole in the microwave, also known as a singing swede.

It’s good to change up our meals and as Autumn beckons soups replace salads.
I don’t always like soups I make so I tend to make ratatouille to up my veg intake. I freeze it in portions.
It makes a good meal with any oven baked for grilled fish.
I’m battling with maintaining, no weight gain, but no loss.
I applaud others who are losing - even one pound is a triumph.

That’s a good idea pricking then roasting the squash whiff, squashes are a devil to peel and if it’s gonna be puréed that’s a much easier way of peeling.
I add lentils to soups and stews too whiff, they are a good source of protein aren’t they ?
Yesterday I made Delias chestnut soup

Shirley think my favourite is red lentil,leek and sweet potato. Love leek and potato soup but found normal potatoes made the texture gloopy. But sweet potatoes taste delicious and gives the soup a lovely colour. Mind you the soup I am eating at the moment is red lentil always add 150g to every soup with butternut squash, cauliflower,onion and carrot. That's why I call it my red lentil and whatever soup it's whatever veg I have in. Have been know to make it with cauli, broccoli,onion and sprouts tasted good but my daughter did say no way would she eat it.

Because of my hands I can't peel butternut squash or sweet potatoes or cut veg into pieces. So I put whole butternut squash in foil lined tin with water prick it first and cover with foil always cook 2 squashes . Do the same with sweet potato. Once cold easy to peel and just cut squash into 3 and then freeze. I can just about top and tail onions and carrots . Use a flippy peeler to peel carrots and onion skin comes off easy . Courgettes and leeks easy to deal with but all go into the freezer whole apart from leeks which I cut in half after cleaning. So when I make a soup or stew everything is thrown in frozen apart from chicken if making a chicken stew . That's defrosted and put in whole. 5 oxos veg for soup chicken for stew. Herbs s&p and boiling water and simmer 90 mins.
Soup is blitz with stick blender and out into large plastic tub with lid . When I put my portion in a saucepan to reheat add extra water as it thickens with standing.

Stews I use kitchen scissors to cut into it but have to use scissors by holding each handle to cut as can't use them one handed . Put into 6 oven proof dishes to reheat. Again add extra water and if my cals are down either add extra veg from frozen or pasta,bulgar wheat or rice which I have cooked and packed into 100g bags and froze.

But because I live in my own and happy to eat the same meals each day it works for me. Plus I count cals and know exactly what goes into my meals. Don't eat meat but a large chicken breast or 300g Quorn mince or chicken pieces and 8 Quorn sausages which I cook the night before when reheating my last portion of dinner and cut each sausage into 8 using kitchen scissors.

Weird I know but it's how I lost 7st. But still battling to loose the last stone for 2 years now but one day I will get there.

Morning all. Up 1 lb 🙄. Can’t find an excuse,!

Evenings are drawing in now aren’t they? Back to making soups for lunches, tend not to make them in summer….I know you make soup everyday don’t you whiff? What’s your favourite?

Whiff you Pears keep ME going 👍

Thank you all for your best wishes. My cold must have reset my mojo lost 3lb this week. Couldn't believe it so weighted myself twice.

Every week I have to do a LFT which I do on a Saturday. I couldn't believe my eyes and did the test twice. I have Covid. Apart from being very tired and my limbs hurting more than usual I feel better than I did when I had my cold..

I had my Covid jab on Wednesday which must have helped with my symptoms. As I must have already been incubating Covid as it takes 7-10 days before a positive test. At least I still have my sense of taste and smell.

Will test again on Wednesday . No sit fit for me tomorrow. Even if I am negative on Wednesday will check with my craft group if it's ok to go Thursday as one of our group has cancer. She's had operation and radiotherapy but I don't want her to be at risk.

Four hope you are feeling well hence your tricky week.

NanKate having this thread means it gives us the incentive not to give up.

Have a good week pears and other fruits.

Keep plodding fellow strugglers - like NanKate says it is a constant battle - a marathon not a sprint.
Up half a pond this week but it's been a tricky week so I'm not surprised. Hope you're feeling better Whiff
to all of us who are off-colour.

So sorry Whiff you are unwell. It’s so unfair that although your calorie count is down you weight remains the same. 💐

It’s a constant battle for us all to lose weight, but we just keep soldiering on. Up we with Pears 🍐👍

Sorry you have had a rough week Whiff, there are many seasonal coughs, colds and tummy bugs about.
My weight is the same as last week so I am keeping off the 4lbs I lost.
It is nice to be able to do buttons up on trousers without them straining so I am keen to lose a little more.
Keep trying your best everyone. We all know how hard it is.

Four our bodies are weird had a cold since Friday . I don't get on very often but they knock me about. Sends HPX syptoms into over drive. Not going to my sit fit class tomorrow as my balance is bad. Didn't risk having my weekly shower even though I sit down. Been sleeping most of the days and my ribs hurt from coughing. Did LFT on Friday just to make sure it was a cold. Hardly eaten since Friday just porridge for breakfast and lunch. Wasn't hungry but though I had better try portion of my stew for dinner last night 2 spoonfuls and that was as much as I could eat.

Weighed myself and my weight is the same as last week. Would have thought I would have lost not eating much. But well below my cal allowance so my body is holding on to my fat reserves.

Going to have soup for lunch and see how much I can eat.

The human body sure is a weird thing .

Well it is certainly odd how the body balances out!
A few weeks ago I was stable and then we had a week away on a short break.
The Sunday before we were to go away on the Monday I lost 2lbs.
The next Sunday, after our week away I had put on over five pounds!
Last Sunday I had lost all the five pounds I had put on
Today I am plus one pound!
At least the damage done while we were away has been all but repaired so I'm ok about that.
Good luck everyone as we struggle along together!

Haha yes you’re spot on Tilly and the very thought of those fudge slabs has my mouth watering