"Fall into Autumn with SW"

joedenise

@annabanana82 - sorry your DH is still not fit for work.  The problem with ESA is the people doing the tests aren't really  trained properly and it's really a case of telling them about your worst days and not how you are on a good day or on that particuar day.  It's probably worth your DH applying again and making sure he lays it on thick about how bad his bad days are.

If you really don't like your job would it be possible to get a transfer or a promotion to another section within your Department or even into a different Department?  There's usually opportunities within the CS to do that.  I did it more than once when I got fed up with a job!

@beanielou - are you in the Red Weather warning area?  I hope not as that looks absolutely awful!  I really feel for anyone living in that area.

Another good day's plan @MrsPorridge and a good loss after a couple of days away.

NornIronRose

Thanks JoeDenise. That's really useful. Will take a bit of time now and plan some meals. I do have milk in my numerous cups of tea so am at least having that. Might stick some bolognaise in the instant pot and that will be a couple of easy meals on pasta or jacket spud. I did do baby potatoes in the airfryer so was munching on those when I was hungry. 

Coxy11

Hi again,

@NornIronRose the HEAs and HEB need to be measured, so depending on how strong you have your tea you may be using more than one HEA measurement. I use skimmed milk and can have 350ml for 1 x HEA. There are some good HEBs out there if you want to mix things up - I recently discovered Warburton protein multi-seeded bagel thins - easy to grab and toast or use for an open sandwich and really filling. For your second HEA you can have cheese and reduced fat feta is 65g for an HEA portion which is loads. Regular feta is 45g for 1 x HEA. Have you downloaded the SW app? It's great to use when out and about as you can scan the barcode and find out syn values.  

Sorry things are tough for you and DH @annabanana82. Agree with getting another assessment for DH and also to moving within the CS. I'm not a career CS so have chosen to leave under VR.

Great loss @MrsPorridge x

My lunch was huge and slightly different to what I posted. I picked up some fresh figs at lunchtime so had JP with baked beans and feta, figs, lettuce and pickles. Sounds gross but was really lovely 

I could only get 20% pork mince in Sainsbobs so will dry fry and drain off all fat - hoping it won't be too gross!

beanielou

Not the red area thank goodness Denise. 

The one below. 

Amber. 

Girls night in tonight at my friends. 

Looking forward to non SW lasagne. 

Driving so no raspberry gin for me. 

strawb_shortcake

Thanks @joedenise and @Coxy11 I'm trying to convince him to reapply, it will only pay NI credits, but that's all he really needs for the time being. 

I have been looking at moving departments, it seems I can move to one department on marked time, but due to my qualifications will give me a £4000 a year skills allowance. I'm expecting to be working on a good programme for around 9 months from December so if that materialises I'll stay for that then move on either same department or another.

I've only been in my grade for 2 years so feel a long way off a further promotion 

Longwalker

@annabanana82 I feel your pain. I stayed with the NHS for more years then enough - because of the pay and pension, ended up having a breakdown and off work for nearly a year, had a gradual return to work, but found I still couldn't cope so ended up jacking. I was lucky in the sense that I was still very young and Mr L was earning big bucks. So My pension now is so small Im having to work , for me it was a small price to pay. Never again have I stayed in a job that Ive hated

I know not everyone is as lucky as I was 

@NornIronRose - step away from the scales  Seriously dont use your own scales. Wear the same clothes every week for weigh in and use the weigh in scales only . Im going to be freezing my butt off shortly as I weigh in with running leggings and a vest - no socks lol. Because I started in May when it was hot here, now its tipping down and cold I feel a bit of an idiot but hey ho. And now Ive lost weight and I look nice in my clothes I want to show off, but nope, running leggings and vest it is, skinny arms and legs for all to see lol

Where about are you? Im up in Ballymoney ( Im assuming you are here in NI ) So if you want to meet up for a chat and support get in touch 

As already offered, download the app and read your books. My first week I was recording my HEA and HEB wrong, thought I was eating way too many syns, and spent two days eating nowt but couscous 

I do eat very little but I dont go hungry ( unless Im on a bad shift at work )  My HEA's are fat free greek yoghurt which I have in the morning with half a HEB - oat bran - and lots of berries - speed . My other half of my HEB is a slice of Nevilles wholemeal - 2 slices of that is a HEB so I use one - which is my base to an open sandwich. My other HEA is a mix of dairy lea lights and milk. I drink just one coffee a day so use very little milk and I use the dairy lea lights as butter. So and open sandwich for me would be the bread spread with dairy lea light, then piled with beetroot, onions, tomatoes, rocket  ( all free ) then either turkey /chicken/ham or sardines or tuna . If Im on shift, then I swap to baby bell light and take a couple of those to nibble on in work to get me through. Meals are exactly the same as I cook for the family, unless it was like last night when they had fish and chips from the fryer and I took kippers and poached eggs and a huge plate of rocket and tomatoes and onions on top of my two slices of Nevilles 

Use your HEAs and HEBs - weigh them out and mix them up a bit. Use as much free and speed as you can. When you think of a snack think of some ham and pickles instead of crisp and chocolate, think of a fat free yoghurt and fruit - protein based snacks fill you the most 

Im away to weigh in - last one then Tuscany here I come

joedenise

Morning all, it's wet and windy here again but of course nothing compared to north of the country.  Glad to hear you're not in the red weather warning area @beanielou although amber can be pretty bad too.

Great post @Longwalker, great support to @NornIronRose.  Have you thought about wearing warming clothing over your running leggings and vest and then just stripping them off once you get to group?  A lot of people do that - I was known to do that when I was getting to target!  Now I just wear a pair of lightweight trousers and T-shirt to weigh.  The trousers are really old now - bought when I got to target back in 2012 but only worn for WI (not warm enough to wear most of the time!)

@annabanana82 - just because you've only been in post 2 years doesn't rule out promotion!  The Department I was in when I retired there was a woman who went from EO to G7 in less than 3 years and was actually in the process of waiting to go before the board for a G6 post when I left!  No idea whether she got it or not but quite honestly I wouldn't have been surprised if she did.  If you see a post which is a grade above yours that you fancy then put in for it - as long as your line manager will support you of course - nothing happens if they don't think you're ready but nothing to stop you moving sideways into another post or another Department.  Just keep your eyes open to the possibility.

DH has an appointment at the hospital this afternoon for an assessment to see whether they will do his cataracts.  Going to be at various hospitals over the next few weeks as he also has a pre op and operation at Canterbury next week and then another appointment at Medway for his dodgy knee in November!  Who'd believe it 3 appointments at 3 different hospitals within a period of about 6 weeks!

Today's plan:

B - fry up - sausages, egg, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, baked beans - P; S; F; 2
L - leek and potato soup, slice of bread - S; F; 0.5 HEB
D - 0.5 avocado, prawn mayo; beef stew, mash, slice of bread - P; S; F; 0.5 HEB; 5

HEA - milk
HEB - bread
Syns - low fat sausages 2; LTL mayo 0.5

Have a good day everyone.

beanielou

Denise. Hope DH’s appointment goes well. 

Longwalker

Well weighed in, lost a huge half a pound but Ill take that

I wanted more but Ive been nibbling all week and not counting it, wee picking at bits and somehow or other, a packet of chocolate digestives have disappeared into my stomach 

Just cant cheat, it shows on the scales 

So as I left group this morning I said Ill be back next week from Tuscany and will be needing the count down, Im going to keep going for a bit longer I think. Im at the top of my target weight, I know Im going to gain when away, and I want to get that off plus a bit more so I do have wiggle room going forwards. 

So Im afraid ladies you are stuck with me a while longer

NornIronRose

Thanks so much for the support and tips.  

Longwalker I'm from Belfast but have been in Luton for 20+ years now. Will retire back home eventually. 

Love the tip about using spread cheese on a sandwich. I gulped at the price and bought some light Baby Bels last night as I do love my cheese. I know they are rubbery compared to proper cheese but will still hit the spot if needed. 

Pleased that even though my stress levels have been through the roof the past few weeks, resulting in binge comfort eating, since I joined on Tuesday I have been careful to count everything. 

Was working til about 11 last night and was feeling miserable just because of life at the minute, but treated myself to a meringue nest with squirty cream and tinned peaches. Hit the spot! 

Had some turkey bacon with 2 fried eggs and baked beans for breakfast. On call this weekend so had to miss parkrun but will look forward to a run on Tuesday evening when I'm off. 

Well, got to move. Am moving home in a couple of weeks and still have some packing to do. Need to be productive today. 

Have a good day all. 
Hugs to those who are under the weather and that includes poorly husbands.