Aldi does it too? Well, so do I!

I'm an idiot! I can't believe I've had my Fitbit for 2 years and have only just figured out the weight loss calorie adjustment!

I wondered why the heck it kept telling me to eat as much as I was burning, and then I ended up gaining weight after guesstimating a bit too much. I've now started using the food log properly, and though the first 3 weeks of the year now look a bit candy striped as I've apparently missed my goals loads without realising, I'm now on track to do better. But, 2lbs lost every week so far regardless. Heeey! 😇😇

Might as well use these tools, they're free! If you don't have a tracker but do have a smartphone, try these. I also used a combo of Strava, Runkeeper and MyFitnessPal. And yes, I wasn't obese then, so those things did help.🏃

One of the things I've learned is that protein is such a huge factor in levels of satisfaction and avoiding cravings. And so is fat! I used to avoid fat and really load up on starchy carbohydrates. But, I actually think I've cracked this malarkey now. I eat nuts, seeds, avocados... the very things I used to avoid. I'm not hungry, and I feel great.

I must fess up though, and it pains me to say, but that First for Wellbeing thing may well have been right about the booze. I may have had my dreams haunted by missing bottles of Malbec, but I have not just gained in the wallet. I've gained actual time back. It means extra minutes in the morning, extra energy to fit in my exercise, less ennui generally. I don't get hangovers... but I now recognise I was extra tired and hungry thanks to booze. So happy to be weaning myself off that. Wonder what I'll do when it gets to February? (38 cans of cider in the kitchen...)

Absolutely no problem getting up for the last 3 weeks of Parkrun, and getting faster each week. 🏃 I even ran in the rain today! Plus I've already won 2 Workweek Hustle challenges on Fitbit.🏆

I'm also looking to save money and pay off my debts still, so this weekend I thought I'd address my new-found weakness for protein-rich snacks. I've tried various ones from Aldi: the Pecan Pie crush bars; the Macademia and Coconut Paleo bars and both flavours of Cacao brownie - almond and raisin and peanut and choc chip. They are tasty, have no nasty extras, and fit my macros. Unfortunately, they're almost as expensive as regular chocolate bars, which I wouldn't have bought every day, so they are adding significantly to my brought-in lunch costs.

I found this recipe for 'paleo' bars that looked so similar to something I was tempted by in a café near work, I just had to give it a go. But I tweaked the measurements to make them more Brit-friendly.

150g blanched almonds
55g walnuts
35g cocoa
20 dates (just the ones I had, bought from the awesome grocers in the arcade in Gold Street)
orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
pinch salt.

What that gives me nutrition-wise is this:



And cost-wise, this:
almonds: £1.49

walnuts: £0.55

cocoa: £0.33

dates: £1.24

orange: £0.16

Total: £3.77 - 31p per bar.

This compares very favourably to the Aldi Peanut and Choc Chip Cacao Brownie, which at £1.49 for 3 is 50p per bar, and much the same size.

Also, I can confirm, delicious!

I'm a tad busy writing tonight, otherwise I'd cosy up with a library book. I found The Doctor's Kitchen, which I've been listening to the podcast of. Soon, soon...

Chicken Rescue!

As promised, here is my rather dishevelled attempt at 80s style icon Caron Keating in her bin bag dress!

Well, one person remembered her wearing it, anyway. She might have been humouring me...
The advantage of wearing a wraparound binbag dress was that I could stow it away as soon as it became a nuisance. But the fact that it became a nuisance was because it was made of binbags. They tend to stretch, and the thing was constantly falling off.

Total number of people who bothered wearing fancy dress: 4, I think. Ah well. Mind, OH dressed as the second Doctor, so didn't even have the right decade.

Well, maybe the above can be my "before" image. One day into the new year and my new fitness regime is going awesomely! While OH slumbered, I went for my traditional New Year hike. 

I thought I'd go the 'pretty' way to get to the walk I wanted to do. Mind, the pretty way is not so pretty right now... loads of abandoned alcohol cans littering the way into the park behind the industrial estate, but at least the boggy conditions by the nature reserve seem to have deterred inconsiderate drinkers from going past the river.

Conditions were pretty squelchy as I went through the park, which is on the site of an old mill. Here you can see little eddies in the fast-flowing river.

 In order not to lose my shoes in the mud, I picked my way through the bracken at the back of the church.

 But the way really was very muddy! Some straw for the horses in a relatively dry spot, or a bit of equine line-dancing?

 Then on to the N6, Brampton Valley Way. It was a very busy day. People out with their dogs, their kids, their chicken...

Oh yeah, there was a chicken. Wondered what to do about that at first. A lot of people just shaking their heads and worrying about foxes, but the poor chuck was clearly just as worried by some of the dogs on leads who were showing her some interest. I was close to phoning the RSPB, but a family were out walking their Labradors, and they knew the owner, so were able to alert her to the fugitive fowl.

I continued apace, and wow, my Fitbit is currently on 23799 steps, just over 9 miles walked today!

It's so tempting to throw money after keeping fit and healthy and losing weight, especially at New Year, but I'm using what I have (the Fitbit!) and won't be joining any clubs. All it has been doing over Christmas is logging just how far behind I am with my steps groups... no more. I'm winning, winning the Workweek Challenge I tell you! Mwa ha ha ha ha....

Won't last. There are some very competitive bods in my group. I can sense them getting twitchy...

How Not to Be a Right 'Nana.

 

How are we all doing? Keeping up the resolutions? Good, good...

 

I have to say I am feeling pretty proud of myself so far...  firstly, I did the very first Parkrun of the year even though it was tipping it down with rain!! As a 'well done' I was allowed entry to a competition to win a place at the Virgin London Marathon. Maybe I'll do a marathon this year then? Or not... Oh Cripes; hope I don't actually win...

 

Then when I got in, I noticed OH had accidentally opened a letter for me from the bank. Apparently I'd gone over my overdraft limit and they were going to charge me £10. TEN SQUID! I was livid!

 

I have signed up for a text alert so I get notification if I am nearing my limit within £50 or so. I can then go into my account online and pay in money to my account before 3.30pm to make sure I don't get charged. On the day in question I got the alert because I was close to the limit. So I went online, made sure I wasn't actually over, and then checked again at various points through the day. So I knew darn well I hadn't been.

 

Most people would just shrug their shoulders and eat more chocolate at such news. But I work hard to earn every tenner and I'm not going to put up with a charge like that. I mean a tenner - that's a round!

 

I decided to call in at the bank in person and sort it out. If you are ever going to do this, you must remember the golden rules of (cuts both ways) customer service:

 

• Remember the person serving you is a human being; never be aggressive or rude. Keep your eyes friendly, your voice calm.
• Use phrases like, I understand why you have to say that, but; I appreciate your position on that particular issue, however. Basically, soften up before you say 'but'.
• They do have to be a gatekeeper and say no, but be persistent. And persistence shouldn't become aggressively persistent. If you reach an impasse, pause before going back to an earlier point.
• A good way of getting them to understand where you are coming from is to ask questions. "If these transactions were done overnight, shouldn't I have seen them on my statement in the day?"
• Don't argue about anything you know you are wrong about - you will trip up. They've seen it all and can spot chancers a mile off.
• Remember to say thank you - a lot. Thank them for checking the facts again, looking things up for you, and thank them after they have helped.

 

And, dear reader, you will be pleased to know after a bit of persistence, I got my money back. And then the same person was an absolute lovely and helped me bag up my post-Christmas piggy bank change so I could bank it.

 

It's worth noting that when you sign up to an overdraft facility it's at the bank's discretion. But they look at the long-term benefits of letting you have access to services like that (because they can make more money) and as long as you don't become a credit risk or a bit of a banking lemon, it does them more good to keep you on side. Hence, going into my branch  - often - works for me.

 

And then I ate the chocolate anyway.

 

So, week 1 of 2014 and I'm making the most of what I can get, which this week was bananas. I picked up a bag of 15 for 19p. Some of them were still good eaters, but there were a couple turning very brown, some black. This is the state people think chuck/banana cake, but we wanted to do something a bit different. I had a special request from OH, who doesn't really do breakfast, but wanted some energy bars to help fuel morning exercise. I adapted this recipe from one in an old, old Weightwatchers book to do the business:

 

Banana Energy Bars

 

Yes, they're full of sugar, so have limited claim to actually being 'healthy'. But they are full of all natural ingredients and you get slow release energy from the oats as well as fast release from the sugar.

 

Ingredients and facts:

 

 

• Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C, Gas mark 4. Line and grease your tray (about 17 x 25cm - I used a lasagna dish).

• In a saucepan, slowly melt together the 100g spread, 50g sugar and 50g honey. When it's all melted, set aside to cool down a bit.

• Sift 100g self-raising flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl, add the 125g oats, 50g sunflower seeds and 40g chopped dates.

• Mash the bananas together, mix in beaten egg. Add this to the flour mixture.

• Stir in the syrupy mixture.

 

• Pour into the baking tray/lasagna dish/whatever you have, and bake for 25 minutes or so. It should be firm to the touch and golden brown.

• Let it cool for a bit, then cut into 10 bars.

 



 

Of course, this didn't use many of the  bananas... tomorrow I will let you know what I did with the rest. Nothing rude... just another recipe thing.

 

In the meantime, listen to a creepy story read by creepy old me. It's live now on Pseudopod. I read The Violin Family by James Douglas, which won second place in the Escape Artist Forum's Flash Fiction Contest 2013.

Sometimes it's Good to Meet Your Heroes

This weekend we went to my good friend the poet and editor Jamie Spracklen's birthday party to celebrate him being a couple of weeks younger than me. Much fun was had!

Here are the birthday band, the Trans-Siberian March Band, who were jolly good.

Unfortunately, I ran out of battery so couldn't take many photos.

The next day, OH and I took advantage of the fact that we were passing through anyway to stop off at Hyde Park for the World Triathlon Grand Final. What a brilliant day! Yes, the weather was miserable, but I was surprised the place wasn't packed out. After all - it was totally free to go and watch!

On the way, we passed through the Italian Gardens in Kensington - so pretty!

The first thing we saw when we went through were some of the age-groupers finishing their race... next year, OH hopes this will be him. His first triathlon is in 2 weeks, and is just a bit shorter.

And here are some of our other pictures from the day... we found a good spot just by the penalty box so we could see the swimming and the cycling/running fairly close to the finish line.

So pleased with this one - first lap in of the cycling Johnny Brownlee was in the lead, Alastair was third. Alas it didn't stay that way.

is it raining?

 

 

It was a shame Alastair got injured (but he bravely kept on running).

 

Afterwards we got to meet him and his brother, who got beaten into second place by Gomez... but they seemed fine and very stoic. Lovely lads!

 



 

 

And this is what happy looks like... OH gets to meet World Triathlon Champion 2013 - Non Stanford!



Neil loves Non! I think the term is 'squee!'

All in all a fantastic day... However, I am pretty convinced that standing that long watching may be slightly more exhausting than taking part in an actual triathlon???

 

Mmm... maybe not. But maybe I was tired after getting my new PB at Parkrun on Saturday. Oh yes, I've gone sub 30 at 29 minutes, 52 seconds! Watch out Brownlees, might just chick you!

 

Mmm... again, maybe not...





Frugal Ways to Do What You Love. Plus Get a Free Virago E-Book!

I'm proud of my OH who has got into a bit of frugal fitness.  Here he can be seen running around in a kit that claims he is part of The Patriots under 16 squad,  though he is in fact a 41 year-old man playing 7 touch rugby (7 in the team - you only get 6 touches) with The Noyz, a team made up of a group of lads from his office.

One of the players commented about the opposition,  "Look at his pink socks! " He was taking the proverbial,  as pink sock lad was actually a lass. Yes,  this game is for all sorts,  young,  past it, and as The Noyz found with the team they were playing,  the current Saints' coaches.  Yep, the Noyz lost, and that was their excuse (one of them). But for just a tenner to join for the season,  they get to keep fit*,  have fun,  and after the final,  they will be able to watch a proper Saints match, as this is an incentive provided by Northampton Saints.  How much would that cost normally?  A lot more than a tenner...

 

*Scale of fitness achieved decreases in relation to number of post-match pints consumed. This week, this didn't happen. Don't think they were in the mood... Good-oh.

 

 

 

 

 For me, this week, doing the thing I loved involved a lot less running about... but did involve a little drinkie.

 

I went to see 2012 Edinburgh Award-nominated, utterly fabulous comedian David Trent perform his new hour long Edinburgh show (bit longer than an hour, as it went) This is All I Have for free last night. Yes, I know him, and his support act, the dour but very funny Jon Williams, but this wasn't a case of me using my - let's face it - pretty shit hot comedy credentials to blag my way into a gig. Which I could, by the way, but no, last night I was just an ordinary Joe, going to a gig, being a 'punter'.

 

July is the month to catch works in progress. They tend to be in smaller venues, perhaps advertised less showily. You're unlikely to catch really big names, like John Bishop, doing whole show previews, as they are more likely to just pop in and try a few minutes at a time as a surprise guest out at the Glee, or wherever... if they do write and/or practise, that is... But your up and coming, actual good comedians - ones who may have done a bit of telly, but are not ubiquitous by a long way - are likely to try out whole shows before audiences for very little money, or  even for free. Keep your nose to the ground: if you see 'Edinburgh Preview' on a poster, take a punt! The comics appreciate the support and the feedback, and you get the kudos of seeing their show first.

 

Anyway... for an Edinburgh Award-nominated comedian, David Trent's actual Edinburgh run this year is already a bargain, as you can see him 2 for £10 at The Pleasance Gardens... but he has nine more previews before then, so you should see if he's coming to a town near you an pop along. What to expect? A noisy, funny, multi-media bag of slightly risqué fun. David Trent's show is clever-clever, and this year, his show raises the bar with things to think a bit more deeply about, from how and what we teach our kids, to the evils of corporate messaging and corporate invasion of privacy.

 

Both he and Jon had great gigs last night, and the audience enjoyed them very much, as did I.

 

Okay... here's something you can have for free right now. Virago writers include bestselling and prize-winning authors such as Sarah Waters, Linda Grant, Marilynne Robinson, Sarah Dunant, Maya Angelou and Margaret Atwood, as well as writers of some of the most provocative and original non-fiction being published today, including Lyndall Gordon Kate Figes and Natasha Walter. 

 

Help yourself to an absolutely free collection of fiction from Virago to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

 

Which means that Virago is a whole month older than me. Ha! In your face, Virago. I win!

 

...and thanks for the free book.

 

Sunday Night is Bath Night

Daisy Steiner: "I can't just pluck another winter skincare dos and don'ts out of the air!"

Tim Bisley: "Why not?"*

 

Yes, because this blog is nowhere near enough geeky.

 

I promised myself a night of pampering after managing to fit in so much exercise the other week. No need to splash the cash though as I had everything I needed at home already. 

First,  a luxurious hair conditioning treatment.  Argan oil is touted as the wonder treatment de jour. Used in Morocco for centuries,  it's just catching on in the UK big time. 

I got a little 30ml sample from a friend whose family all live in Morrocco. If you went to a salon this treatment could set you back about £15 or possibly more.  Home treatments can be dear too. £5 for 50ml. I've seen Home Bargains online do 66 x 100ml for £17.99 so you could go in shares with a friend or stockpile, but I suggest checking your nearby HB shop out, or, if you have a specialist ethnic supermarket near you try there, as they will be a lot cheaper. These shops are also great for other natural beauty treatments like rose water and coconut oil at cheap prices. 

All you need to do is apply to your dry hair and scalp. 

It's great for multi-tasking this one... you really don't need much to really penetrate your hair so just wear an old tee-shirt, or clip on a towel, it's not going to really drip everywhere once it's on your head. Just don't go leaning back against your sofa or anything.

 

You need to leave the oil on for a minimum of 20mins, but I got on with an hour's worth of editing work.

 

...and yes, you can apply argan oil to your scalp if you have a dry scalp. It's pretty effective at combatting dandruff.

 

If you can't get hold of argan oil though, you can try olive oil, just on the ends, or even apply your usual conditioner, wrap your wet hair in a towel and stick a bag over the top to gently heat your hair and get more of the conditioner into it.

 

With 20 minutes to go, I applied my Home Bargains 25p chocolate mask. You don't need to use shop-bought masks though. Porridge oats in water can make a good exfoliating mask, or mashed banana or avocado for softness. As a teen, I used to use a paste made of caster sugar and water, but you have to be careful not to scrub off while it's still very grainy as it can be too harsh if you're not careful.

 

Mask, applied, pull a duck face. I mean muck face.

 

 

 

Then, you've got to get rid of it. Remove the mask with damp cotton wool or just splash it off with warm water. Then wash the gunk off your hair. Really wash it well. Use a second dollop of shampoo if needed. I chose to run a bath to do this - some purists will argue this is bad and wrong and a bit mucky, but all that argan oil goes in the water to soften your skin after it has been rinsed off your hair. Just remember to use clean water to rinse your hair in, or the oil will just stick back on and it will look like you haven't washed it at all.

 

I finished my pamper-evening with a hand and nail treatment of slightly warmed olive oil (just the cheap stuff), rubbing it into the cuticles. When rinsed off and dried, I used some Home Bargains emery board (79p) to shape and Aldi Lacura clear nail varnish (£1.99) - this is an attempt to save my nails ahead of my wedding, because they are flakier than the cast of TOWIE.

 

Sadly, I haven't earned my stripes too do this kind of thing again for a while... despite a park run of 31.11 on Saturday and a 4 mile walk on Sunday. But I have my gym induction tonight, so let's see how things go.

 

Oh, and there are no 'after' pictures. I am still ugly. But softer.

 

*I love Spaced.

Frugal Fitness

This weekend, I've kicked back with friends and it's been great. Lots of wedding planning has been done  - and a fair amount of booze consumed, too.

Change 4 Life  - Choose less Booze!

And so this month, OH and I are looking to get back on the health and fitness plan with renewed vigour.

I've been doing well on my Weight Watchers plan, but it's all gone a bit Pete Tong this weekend, and not even the 2 hour swimming stint I managed yesterday would have made a dent against all the mead and Merlot that went down my gob. But battle on we must. Not only do we want to look our best on the big day, but we both want to get and stay fit and healthy, because our future selves will thank us.

Now, frugality and exercise are nary bedfellows you might be thinking. Well, it depends!

Because he's very goal-driven, OH thrives on challenges and targets, so he has picked on triathlon training as the thing he is going for. We have agreed  to budget for this, because it can prove quite expensive, but it's important to him, and will help keep him alive for longer, so it's important to me too.

Club fees, competition registration, specialist publications, cross-country training shoes, wetsuits, trisuits, competition bike, crossover bag... my life, the list goes on, but thank goodness we got most of what we needed last year. Doesn't mean my fella doesn't still try to sneak in extras, like golf clubs. I don't care how much a new wood would improve his game - it's off-list. Sodding cheek...


Depeche Mode Sings! "Your Own Personal Jesus Trainer"

As for me,  I am watching the pennies as well as my weight. I am following the Weight Watchers plan, but I'm no longer a member, so am missing out on the encouragement and support that brings, as well as the financial incentive to stick to the plan. I can tell you, its much better to attend a lovely, supportive meeting as I did a couple of years ago, but I still have all the books and can benefit from their freely available online advice too. I like picking up tips from the community, best, and read Cookie Lou's blog. You can also see menu and recipe examples and there are even exercise demos.

There are lots of other useful places to find information for free. I love the Change 4 Life website and have used their recipes before, which are very simple. I think it's a site most suited to 2.4 children-type families, though, and there are only 2 of us. It's an NHS site, but there are also lots of tips on the NHS's main site too. Check out the fitness guidelines.

I'm a member of Parkrun, and do a 5km run (when not hungover) with those, and that's free. I've also got a Leisure card which I use to go swimming, and that gets me discounted rates.

Also, already owned so might as well use 'em - DVDs! I can pick and mix my routines from 6 aerobic, 2 pilates and on tai chi DVD.

And let's not forget walking, gardening, vigorous housework, dancing to Spotify and stair-climbing all count as calorie-burning activities. I am proud to say I've climbed the stairs at work instead of taking the lift all year so far.

So I'm in a great position to become my own personal trainer! But I'm gonna need a star chart...

2 hours of low intensity swimming on Sunday earns me 6 WW activity points. I hereby challenge myself to double this number by Wednesday night:

YYYYYYYYYYYY

<--------50%-------->

Success will earn me a pampering session - bubble bath, face mask, hair conditioning oil. All stuff I have in the house but haven't got round to using. I'll let you know how I do.