It's my life!: July 2010

Monday, 19 July 2010

Diet?! What diet?!

Today is Day 22 on the Atkins Diet and I am really chuffed that I have made it this far. I am determined to lose excess weight - especially before my birthday in September - it's a biggy! The BIG 6'O'! Eek...how did I get there?

Well, I have been eating some lovely foods and enjoying the 'diet' - WOE - way of eating - even though I have given up chocolate and all the sugary foods that I have gorged myself with over the years.

The diet consists of 'Phases'. Phase 1 is 'Induction' - or, the beginner's stage. I've slipped up a few times due to not understanding how I can eat 6 cups of veggies in one day and it has stalled me! It may sound easy but I have to make them add up to minimum 12-15 grams of carbohydrate. Certain foods are a no, no in Induction, so it's time consuming at first to calculate all that is necessary for a maximum weight loss....but hey...who would have thought this plate of food was a healthy breakfast?!

For lunch...a ham salad...with 3 cups of green veggies....and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and white wine vinegar dressing.

Sugar free jelly is allowed and my portion twice per day with double cream is what gives me incentive to keep going.

To date, I have lost 5 lbs! Not a lot but I am confident that once I sort my carbs, I will be able to lose weight faster - or more evenly. It does fluctuate due to water retention etc. I know I have lost inches by my clothes.

Roast chicken dinner with ...3 cups of vegetables....

...and jelly and cream for dessert.

Diet? What diet?! LOL.

Happy eating.

Thursday, 8 July 2010

KWA - Beside the Seaside!

I said that I would post more photos of my KWA (Kent Wives Association) days that my friends and I share every couple of months. On this occasion, I was hostess and we often have either a theme or colour scheme. I had both!! LOL. As I live by the sea, that is what I chose for the theme and the colours we wore were Fushia pink, Turquoise, Orange and Lime with a change into whites for the beach shoot. These photos were taken in 2008. Get your shades....there's lots of colour! LOL.

The table is laid....I punched out little fishes and dots in the said colours for table confetti.

I bought fresh seafood from the beachfront.....dressed crab, cockles, mussels and tiger prawns.

Paper napkins at the ready.

Some decorations around the conservatory....it's surprising once I had the idea in my head, just how much I was able to find in the shops.

I part filled a glass vase with sand and added shells, seaweed and drift wood that I had collected from the beach.

Music machine for some relevant music...coloured straws and coloured ice cubes.

Gifts for the girls....castle shaped bucket, spade, Margate rock, windmill, sweeties and candy floss. Pink foam shrimps in the fish shaped dish in front of the totes. Remember those?

I made bunting to hang along the wall with photos of my grandchildren on the beach and photos of myself and my sister when we were young.....and a few postcards.

Eden - throwing pebbles into the sea.

Dontcha just lurve the cozzies?! LOL. Myself and my sister.

Ewww....look at that seaweed.

Here we are on donkies...Tony and Silver....I so remember those.

You may recognise this beach hut which belongs to my father in law from a previous post.

I placed fish magnets on the side of my fridge/freezer - along with a couple of postcards and some fruit netting.

I bought each of my girlfriends a Margate rock and I unwrapped them for a photo opportunity. Margate ROCKS! Get it?! LOL.

I bought this new turquoise basket at a charity shop....it goes along with the colour scheme - filled with oranges.

Now I couldn't have a beach theme without a beach, could I? Sooo....I borrowed some sand from the local beach and placed it on large plastic sheeting on the patio. I have a length of turquoise fabric that I place around the edge of the sand to replicate the sea. Wind shields make a nice backdrop. Then I added accessories - swim ring, beach ball, bucket, spade, shells, flippers, snorkel, sun tan lotion, deckchairs and towels.

...even a picnic hamper and a fishing net.

In case you don't know who my friends are....from the left...Pam, Joan and Rita Bobita! LOL.

Joan and I used to live next door to eachother in London - 51 years ago and have been friends ever since.

We have such fun when we get together. Rita is the joker. She is Joan's cousin and I have known her for almost as long.

Pam is Joan's friend from secondary school and I have known of her since then but she emigrated to Australia for several years before returning after her husband died.

Joan and Pam turned 60 in April and Rita and I will become 60 in September.....not your little old ladies with grey curly hair...oh no! LOL. We can 'hip hop, beep bop 'til we drop' (Mrs Doubtfire).

Rita telling us one of her 'stories'. LOL.

COME DINE WITH ME!
Can you guess what was for lunch?.......Home made fish and chips with mushy peas....wrapped in newspaper! LOL....very traditional.

For dessert.....jelly and icecream....I made the 3 flavoured jelly in my clean castle bucket. Getting it out was more difficult than I expected and some of the turrets came off in my hand!