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Seasidegal58

Belated Christmas wishes redo. I hope you and your family had a wonderful time.

And here’s to a very prosperous and healthy 2020 to you - see you on the other side!
X:beer:

HairyHandofDartmoor

Happy new year Redo _party_

Seasidegal58

Happy new year redo! Hope all's well.
X

EssexHebridean

Another HNY from here Redo - hope all is good in your world!

redofromstart

Thank you - and a Happy New Year to you all too. I haven't had time to read anyone elses diaries much so hope everything is ok.

I spent most of my fortnight off sleeping, or doing things that should help make my day to day work load easier. I feel a lot calmer for it, and the house looks better downstairs at least but between work, boys and household stuff I'm solidly busy which leaves little time for luxuries like fiddling about on the personal laptop. I'm still reading in the bath though.

Very small rounding OP on the mortgage this month, much needed new beds for the boys and a tax bill that I want to pay out of cash flow rather than use the actual tax savings mean very little cash available. I've bought a few 99p kindle daily deals but other than that they day to day spending has been groceries, which is how it should be. I bought a nice work laptop bag in the sales but that was using Christmas present money.

Sun_Addict

Glad all is good

redofromstart

Nearly payday

Midweek musings

I have been asking myself what value I put on my time, on the basis that I have very little of the precious stuff available. The co-op might be a few pence more but it also saves an hour and £5 in fuel. The hour is more precious to me at the moment.

I'm spending a little more on food, but focusing on having nice food that is fast and easy to prepare. Buying things that I actually like and might eat is always a bonus. I signed up for a delivery saver from a big stupidmarket, and they do most of the hard picking and carrying work which also saves time and fuel. I still don't like buying fresh produce that way but its a massive improvement on me spending several hours a week food shopping.

I am making sure the house is warm enough for me to work in. Traditionally I have sat and shivered in the cold because there is 'only me' in. Its a daft mentality, I need to look after me too. I can afford to run the little oil heater. Its not like I'm sat in a t shirt with the heating on full blast, but its hard to break the austerity mind set of the famine years.

11 and a half months on from the nasty infection I still have stomach issues. I don't think I have walked more than a few hundred yards since. This has to be the next change focus, not least because I have to appear in a public place in a swimming costume in 4 weeks :eek:

I need to make more of an effort to look after me, to spend time on the things that make me happy not just focus on the relentless hamster wheel grind that is keeping on top of the job/house/family.

redofromstart

As an aside, I was in the hairdressers yesterday, reading the trash magazine which had a diet menu. Took photos of a couple of things that sounded ok with the intention that eating in the morning might stop me from snacking between every work call and email. .I am also trying to reduce dairy to see if it is another trigger.

With this in mind, this morning I lovingly weighed out my 30g of GF oats. Added 125ml of apple juice, and heated for three minutes until it was 'thick and creamy'. Dry fried a sliced banana for 30 seconds each side to scatter over the top together with a spoon full of sliced almonds. It also suggested that you add a teaspoon of brown sugar on the top. As an appetite suppressant it was amazing. It was absolutely revolting and a terrible waste of a nice banana. I am still dry retching thinking about it.

It also amused me just how much sugar there was in the whole thing, and then a suggestion to sprinkle more on top. OH made the very valid point that I would have had less calories and sugar with a banana and one of my lovely (bought) GF stem ginger oat cookies.

greenbee

The oat thing sounds grim. And I thought you did better on low carb anyway?

A couple of things to suggest - try doing the FODMAP diet to identify triggers (I've been through this with my mum recently and she's cut her dairy down and is avoiding onions, leeks and garlic), and read Megan Rossi's gut book and also the Michael Mosley Clever Guts book if you haven't already.

I got my head round the need to heat the house a couple of years ago. It's my workplace - and it probably costs less to heat it than it would for me to commute. Plus if my hands are cold I can't type!

Sun_Addict

Glad you've decided to focus on yourself. I have most of my shopping delivered as I don't have transport. I prefer to pick up fresh stuff myself though so have all the basics and heavy stuff delivered.

Now you've made me want a stem ginger biscuit, if they are those Nairn ones they are rather nice