Miso Pumpkin Soup

They say that soups are like a hug for our insides, they warm us on a chill day from the inside out. We have been getting a lot of chill days in London this winter, and they only thing I love more than soup, is pumpkin soup.

This is souper (geddit) easy to make. Try it. If a mug of soup is a hug, this soup has you at the bottom of a naked scrum of sexy rugby boys!

1 large butternut squash
2 medium size sweet potatoes sweet potatoes
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 banana shallots, chopped
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoons white miso
6 cups vegetable stock (I used the Knorr jelly stock cubes made up with hot water)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Finely sliced spring onions, to garnish
Shichimi togarashi (Japanese chilli salt), to garnish

Step 1: Peel the pumpkin and sweet potato and cut into chunks about 5cm square, add the peeled garlic cloves and toss with the oil before dumping the lot in a large baking tray. Bake for 30 mins at 200 degrees celsius, take them out, toss them around and bake for another 10 mins (it is up to you if you decide to do the Hokey Pokey at this point).

Step 2: Sautee the ginger and shallots with a little bit of the vegetable stock (trying to keep the oil content down here!) Add in the roasted vegetables, vegetable stock and miso paste and bring to a gentle simmer. Leave covered for 20 mins until the vegetables are uber soft.

Step 3: Blend in batches and add back into a clean pot. Be careful - blenders and hot soup are never a great idea - I leave mine for 15mins to avoid the volcano effect, if you have an immersion blender, just blend everything together in the existing pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve: ladle into a bowl or mug and scatter with the sliced spring onions and a good sprinkling of the schichimi togarashi. Close your eyes. Imagine yourself at the bottom of that scrum. Enjoy. What you do after you have eaten this is at your own discretion (please send pictures!)

If you are on your liquids phase post-op, or doing a reboot, you could easily add powdered protein to this soup without changing the taste.

Three Cheese and Crab Souffle Bomb - sorry Omelette

Sorry for the radio silence, the last few months have been crazy, we moved...well we bought a house, THEN we moved, and now we are trying to renovate it while we are living here - crazy times.

And now I have a kitchen that is mine, MINE! And all my geekery and gadgets are slowly being unpacked and loved again - we have been in a month, there are still a few boxes to go, I will be fully unpacked by Xmas...hopefully!

Meanwhile, the last few months, weight is still coming off, albeit very slowly, with stalls lasting longer than I would like (not helped by small servings of crap food choices, and too much booze.)

This last weekend saw lots of cooking, and I enjoyed it again, but I have a bucket load of eggs to use up, so Sunday night I decided a souffle was in order....but I can't find my ramekins, so a souffle omelette was what we were going to get!

Without further ado, I give you my Three Cheese and Crab Souffle Omelette!

Ingredients

5 large eggs
50 grams mature Cheddar, finely grated
50 grams Parmesan cheese, finely grated
50 grams Gruyère, finely grated
15 grams butter
salt and freshly milled black pepper
100 grams fresh or canned (and drained) white crab meat
Finely chopped parsley, to serve

1. Separate your eggs and place the whites in a very very clean mixing bowl, I love my Kitchenaid and am loving any excuse to get it going again! Beat on a medium speed until still peaks form.
2. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl seasoned with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a large ovenproof frypan over low heat, heat your grill (you will need this in a few minutes)
4. Carefully fold the egg yolks into the egg whites, together with all of the cheddar and half of the parmesan cheese
5. Melt the butter in the frypan and tip in the egg mixture, use a spatula or spoon to gently spread around the pan and to loosen the sides inwards, sprinkle the remaining cheese and crab meat over the top, and allow to cook on a medium heat for 3-5 mins.
6. Transfer the pan under your grill and cook on high about 8-12cms away from the heat for 1-2 mins until brown and the cheese has melted and oozey.
7. To serve, sprinkle with the parsley and eat while it is hot!

Serves 2-3 people (well, one Hussyband, me, a bit for the cat - did I mention we got a cat?, and there were still leftovers this morning for breakfast!)

This works out about 300 calories per serving, with about 22 grams of protein and sod all carbs! A great (treat) for a Sunday night dinner. Or any meal really.

Bon appetite!

8 Months Surgiversary and Stats

It has been a busy few months - we have been helping the mother-n-law sell her house and buy a smaller property, we moved into a rental cottage about 30 mins west of London, and I had a few months contracting up in Manchester which kept me away from home.

I have not been to the gym as much as possible (ok at all) but I have been walking a lot.

We are now settled into the new house, and the sell/buy for the MIL will be complete in less than a month - so life is getting calmer.

Yesterday was my eight-month surgiversary - it was also ten years since I met the Hussyband, so we have a double celebration by going out to dinner. I managed most of a starter and stole a few bites of his pudding - a lush raspberry mousse.

I have been stalled almost constantly since we moved house - alternating between 111-113kgs for the last eight weeks. To say it has been frustrating has been an understatement. I have been constipated - lots - even though hitting my liquid requirements. I am adding in fibre supplements to try and fix this as I really hate Dulcolax which I have been taking once a week just to clear the pipes (funny story, popped two the other day and the plumber - a real one - finally showed up to fix the loo just as they kicked in....OOPS!)

A bad chest infection in April which resulted in ten days of antibiotics and steroids did not help matters either.

This morning I broke the stall, for how long I do not know, and hit 109.8kgs - first time I have been below 110kgs since about 1998.

In terms of measurements, I am still seeing shrinkage on the tape measure - 12cm off the hips and another 7cm off my waist since Feb. It is also becoming evident in my clothes - I am now wearing a size 14-16 dress depending on the cut/fabric (I do prefer 50's style dresses) and thankfully the boobs have stopped shrinking with them firmly planted at the moment as 36D.

There have been a lot of shopping expeditions of late - new bras, knickers and lots of new dresses, I should be right now for the next six months or so, and everything I have bought will be able to be taken in for next year (I am being careful about getting classic styles/shapes that are tailorable - getting a new wardrobe is almost as expensive as the surgery! Well, not quite.

Other than constipation I am not noticing much in the way of bad side effects. The hair loss has slowed back to normal levels, and there are days I still get exhausted and fall asleep early (who doesn't?) The only thing that is niggling me at the moment is a pulling feeling on the right side of my belly about 2 inches above the belly button - not sure if it is muscular or something internal but will touch base with the surgeon again soon and get him to check it out.

There is a lot of loose skin on my upper arms and belly now, which is annoying me, and hotter days is quite uncomfortable. I find the flapping noise most disconcerting when I exercise (the main reason I haven't been to the gym as much of late).

Stall aside I am still on track. I have lost over half of what I want to lose in the first eight months since surgery - aiming for around 80kgs - 30kgs to go! Doctors say you lose 50% in the first 6-8 months, 20% in the next six months, then the final 30% can take another 18 months.

Will take pictures again soon that are not selfies I promise!

Citrus Pepper Chicken with Quick Pickled Red Onions

I am currently working on a project that sees me up in Manchester most days of the week. With a lull in work this week I was able to come home late the other night and actually eat home cooked for a few days (crazy how excited that makes me!)

Having a glut of citrus in the kitchen from last weekend, I played the "Get Gerry To Pick A Protein" game (the closest I can get him to naming what he wants for dinner!) and DING-DING-DING we got winner winner chicken dinner!

So I played around with the cupboard and came up with a nice marinade, and decided it needed some zing, so whipped up these awesome pickled onions that I have been making for years and so really should share with you lot!

So without further ado....come on down!

Citrus Pepper Chicken with Quick Pickled Red Onions

For the chicken:
Juice of 3 limes
Juice of 3 lemons
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon of lemon pepper (or use more black pepper)
1 teaspoon of salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 skinless chicken thighs (I like them with the bone in)

For the Pickled Onions:
3 large red onions, thinly sliced
350ml of cider vinegar
2 star anise
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
8 coriander seeds
1 tablespoon of caster sugar

For the chicken: Combine the juices, oil, peppers, salt and garlic in a ziplock bag and shake well to mix. Toss in the chicken, mix well and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours (mix everything around every so often to make sure it is well marinated). When ready to cook, heat a grill pan over high heat and cook the chicken for about 3 minutes each side to get nice char marks, then place them on an oven tray and roast at 180 degrees for 10-15 mins to cook through.

For the pickled onions: Put the sliced onions in a colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water (I usually do this three times to really soften the onions). Sterilise your pickling jars (I like the lazy way of running them through the dishwasher on a hot cycle with no detergent). Bring the vinegar and other ingredients to a simmer for 10 mins, and  fill your pickling jars carefully with the onions, then pour in the vinegar mix (for me this does two 400ml jars) putting the whole herbs on top of the jar at the end. Seal and stick somewhere cold and dark.

The onions will keep for two weeks after opening in the fridge, or up to six months if unopened.

Serve with a good dollop of the lush red onions, and some sliced avocado, tomatoes and a wedge of lime (I just had some zucchini to use up as shown in the photo above!)

Serves 4 (or 8 if you are only eating one thigh!)

Nutritional Info (this approximate is according to MyFitnessPal)
Per Thigh: 109 calories, 9 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat, 3 grams of carbs (sneaky bastards get in everywhere), 1 gram of sugar and 3 grams of iron

Not calculated the onions - you only use a fork full and this makes about 4 cups!

Note: the leftover chicken, shredded, mixed with some onions and placed into a baby gem lettuce leaf made a very nice leftovers lunch for me today!

Haddock and Broccoli Pie

This week we moved into the sweetest little cottage in Twyford, about 40 miles west of London. I have not had access to a decent kitchen for about 3.5 years, I was prepping food upstairs on my desk/dining table/dumping ground then either slow cooking it upstairs, microwaving it, or transporting it downstairs to the stove.

But amongst the boxes and detritus of a house move, I was determined to cook for Good Friday (aka Pants-Free Friday - but that is another story!)

One of publications from home that I still read religiously since leaving Australia is the Donna Hay magazine - I love her recipes, they are guaranteed to inspire and delight, and I have an electronic subscription that pings it to my iPad every two months like clockwork. I spotted her Caramelised Leek and Broccoli Fish Pie a few weeks ago and knew that I wanted it to be the first thing I cooked in the new house.

Since having the surgery, I am more conscious of what I eat. I have cut right back on carbs and fats, hardly ever touch alcohol and my portions are tiny. Yes, me hardly touch alcohol. Crazy talk but true.

So to the pie. And happy Eatser....sorry Easter!

Haddock and Broccoli Pie (inspired by Donna Hay)

150 grams fresh sourdough

75 grams flat leaf parsley

75 grams unsalted butter, melted

sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 cup of chicken stock

2 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Head of broccoli, florets separated

600 grams fresh haddock (or other firm-fleshed white fish), cut into 3cm pieces

1 tablespoon of cornflour

150 grams reduced fat sour cream

150 mls of water

2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 200C degrees. While the oven heats, put the torn up sourdough, parsley, sea salt and pepper to taste into a food processor and blitz until you get a nice mix of crumbs and a few chunks of crust. Drizzle in the melted butter and blitz to mix. Spread the crumbs on a lined baking tray and toast in the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden....ok...so I toasted a little long, and lost a quarter of the crumbs to a charcoal like state...but I just pushed those ones to the side. Less carbs is a good thing!

While the crumbs cook, heat a large ovenproof fry pan on the stove. Add the chicken stock, leek, garlic and broccoli and saute covered for about 10-15 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, toss the fish with the cornflour and season with salt and pepper.

When the vegetables have softened, add the sour cream, water and mustard and stir to mix well, add the fish and stir again, then place the whole thing in the oven for 10 minutes. Once cooked, sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and enjoy!

Normal Serves = 6 (I eat about half a serve)

Calories: 470 | Protein: 35 grams | Fat: 14 grams | Carbs: 51 grams | Sugar: 4 grams | Iron: 26 grams (according to MyFitnessPal)

Things I will do differently next time: I have already halved the amount of butter by using stock instead of butter to soften the vegetables...I will next time use no butter on the crumbs, and instead spray them on the tray with 5 squirts Fry Light light olive oil spray (at 1 calorie per squirt). This would drop the calories to 377, and the fat to 4 grams - much better!

It is the little things that mean a lot

The last few months have been kind of crazy. As well as stalling lots, I am helping my Mother In Law sell this house and buy a flat in the area, whilst also moving us into a rental property in two weeks outside of London. 

This week we found out we were gazzumped on the flat, have a confirmed offer on the house, signed the lease on our cottage and I was offered a 10-week contract up in Manchester...well with all the real estate stuff going on, Manchester is sadly not an option at the moment, as we (and by we, I mean I) now need to find a new flat, plus shop for furniture and deal with estate agents and solicitors on behalf of the MIL.

Last night we went to the house warming of some lovely friends, and saw others who I have not seen since before surgery. There is now 32kgs less of me, so seeing people who see me so rarely is great for the ego - lots of compliments and congratulations. It is nice, as whilst I see the difference in my clothes and on the scale, when I stand in front of the mirror (which I hate doing) I cannot see a difference anywhere except my face.

I have stopped keeping bread in the house, but am allowing myself one day a week where I can have a bit - be it a nice piece of ciabatta with potted fish, a cheese toasted sandwich, or a slice of vegemite toast - I get one of these once a week. No exceptions now. I will not have a loaf in the house, the carb fix will be out and about. 

The lovely Debzillah introduced me to Teisseire Gourmet Drops - no added sugar, 7 calories in 100mls of the Caramel (which tastes amazing in coffee or even squirted into a glass of milk), and 10 calories/100mls of the Vanilla (which I am using in tea) - and remember that is per 100mls - you probably have less than 5mls in your beverage!

I have not added sugar now to a hot beverage in over three weeks - highly recommend these little suckers!

 

Spending time with friends and family after surgery can be hard - especially if you are not out of the surgical closet like I am - but don't hide away, control the situation, like a house party, or a coffee date, or if it has to be a meal, pick somewhere that does small plates so you don't feel like you are missing out (Japanese and Tapas are both full of healthy options).

Learn to accept the compliments that come your way, they are meant with love and support and are not a judgement of what you looked like before surgery, they are a reflection of how they see you now.

Kisses peoples, have a good week.

30 Second Poached Eggs

Yes, you read that right. Poached eggs in 30 seconds. No swirling, no vinegar, and no waiting!

After gastric sleeve surgery, we eat such small amounts, and they need to be protein rich, low fat, tasty, perfect bites. Eggs tick all of those boxes. One large poached or hard boiled egg gives 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of iron, and is only about 70 calories.

When I was first post-op, runny scrambled eggs were the go. Over the months, I have switched to hard boiled and poached as an easy meal - especially after a session at the gym.

Poaching eggs in the microwave is so easy. I use a small ramekin, you could also use a mug.

Fill the ramekin half full with cold water (if using a mug, go for about a third of the height of the mug in water). Carefully crack an egg in and microwave for 30 seconds (in a ramekin, about 45-60 seconds in the mug). Use a spoon and place the egg on a piece of kitchen paper to drain and you are done. You may need a little bit of trial and error depending on the strength of your microwave (mine is 900 watts).

Simples. So simple, even the Hussyband could make it (if he was out of bed before lunchtime on a weekend)!

This morning I had mine with two slices of smoked salmon (91 calories and 12 grams of protein), the yolk oozed out unctuously, you could add some toasted sourdough, and/or blanched asparagus to this to make it a larger meal. Or if you are up for the ultimate indulgence, turn it into an eggs benedict with the addition of hollandaise sauce and a muffin (but no carbs for me please!)

Facts and Figures - 5 Months Surgiversary

It has been a crazy two months since Christmas. Freelance work dried up as expected in January/February - and I have made the decision to go back into full-time work (I hate interviewing!) We are moving house in four weeks to Twyford (between Reading and Maidenhead, UK) so I have been house hunting for us, house hunting for my mother in law who is going to move into a much smaller place in West London, and helping her get this house on the market.

Oh, and I joined the gym. I made the painful decision not to go back to my beloved PT, as the gym he has moved to doesn't have a pool, and is (to be honest) kind of grotty. So I rejoined Virgin Active and been alternating between a few of their branches, concentrating on Booty Barre (a mix of ballet, pilates and yoga), swimming, aquaerobics and the gym floor where my program is mainly consisting of me not looking like a fool (rowing, treadmill, kettlebells, TRX and upper body weights).

I spent most of January stalled. Not a little stall. A big stall. The needle did not move on the scales from the second week of January until last weekend. I was seeing a difference in clothes, yay. But nothing on the evil machine. Yes yes, stalls are normal. But dammit, I am still allowed to hate them. I adjusted my calorie intake up an extra 100-200 calories and things seem to be moving again.

I am meeting my liquid targets of 2-3 litres of water a day. Some days are easier than others. Why was it so easy to drink a bottle of wine with dinner six months ago, but getting in 750 ml of water before lunch such a struggle?!?!?!?

Energy levels are good - if I do a double session at the gym I tend to crash early (or have an afternoon nap - oh the joys of the under-employed).

So the stats. This week was  five months since surgery, I had hoped to have lost more by now, but according to NOSC I am still ahead of the curve, and everyone loses at a different speed (yeah yeah - so sick of hearing that one, it is on par with "sip sip sip"). Hopefully, once we move and I go back to cooking everything from scratch again I will see more consistent results.

Height: 5'10" (nope, still haven't gotten any shorter)
Weight: 118.4 kg/261 lbs (a loss so far of 28.3 kg/62.4 lbs) 

Measurements: A total of 86 cms so far. The most noticeable being 28 cms off my hips. My boobs have shrunk (sob) but it hasn't been too bad, the majority of the shrinkage has been across my back, and I have gone from a 38DD to a 36C. The plus side of going to a C-cup means I can buy cheap bras from Primark for the first time ever! And they still have a great shape (my boobs that is). I am finding that whilst I am not losing a lot of cms on my arms, the skin is a LOT looser - future plastic surgery there I predict!

Foods I have loved this month: Prawns (that won't change - the ultimate post-gym lunch), Whipped Philadelphia Cream Cheese with Garlic and Chives, Burrata with roasted pumpkin, confit egg yolk and pine nuts (Charlottes W5), fresh mint tea (my go-to for getting in ridiculous amounts of water), Potted Mackeral (Hare and Hounds), and Microwave Poached Eggs - perfect eggy goodness in 90 seconds.

The joy of moving - I will be creating recipes again this time next month. I miss cooking. Almost as much as I miss being able to run around the house naked! Almost. 

Soy Marinated, Wasabi Deviled Eggs

On a naughty weekend away a few years ago in Paris, we had the most amazing deviled eggs over cocktails with our best man (and my adopted brother) Matt. I have been meaning to try to recreate these beauties for a while now, and a Xmas potluck this week gave me the perfect opportunity.

These little puppies are low in fat, high in protein, and oh-so moreish! I dare you to eat just one!

Postscript: You are probably wondering why the photo at the top is a sketch and not a pretty image of the following recipe. My piping bag exploded all over me and the table as I was filling the eggs. I managed to salvage enough to spoon fill the eggs, and they in turn were consumed before I thought to take a picture!

Ingredients
12 eggs
375mls soy sauce
60mls hot water
2 tablespoons of siracha
4 tablespoons of white sugar
4 tablespoons of mirin (rice wine vinegar) + 2 tablespoons extra
1/2 cup of reduced fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons of wasabi paste
2 green onions (scallions), minced

Steps

1. Hard boil the eggs - if in doubt, place the eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water to an inch above the eggs, bring to the boil, stick a lid on them, turn the heat off and leave for 13 minutes. Drain and place in a cold water and ice bath to cool. When cool, peel and set in a glass bowl.
2. Make the marinade - whisk together the soy, water, siracha, sugar and 4 tablespoons of mirin until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the marinade over the eggs and leave covered in the fridge to marinate for 4-24 hours.
3. Devils in the detail - slice the eggs in half when ready to serve, scoop the yolks out into a separate bowl and mash with the extra 2 tablespoons of mirin, mayonnaise, wasabi paste and green onions. Pipe or spoon the yolk mixture back into the egg whites. Sprinkle with green onions and or thinly sliced red chillies and chill until ready to serve.

Makes 24 halves, about 50 calories each (as you don't actually eat the marinade, according to MyFitnessPal).

Facts and Figures - 12 Week Stats

Seasons Greetings Festive People!

What a crazy year it has been....contracts all over the country, singing on stage, this surgery, and another year with my beloved, all gone by in the blink of an eye.

The last few weeks have included closing two bids, a week in Cornwall with a friend from Oz and her squidget, a week soaking up the sun in St Lucia (god I needed some sun this year!) and now Xmas is upon us, and we are readying for a week in Scotland in a secluded cottage, just the two of us,

Food consumption has been good, getting most of my liquid targets, and whilst I haven't started at the gym yet, I have been walking a lot (usually lugging a heavy backpack!)

So onto the nitty gritty...

Height: 5'10" (this really will never change!)
Weight: 125.1kg/275lbs (a loss so far of 21.6kg/47.6lbs) - I got a bit excited earlier this week thinking I had hit the 50lbs mark, but I just can't count!

Stats: A total of 69.5cm lost since surgery. 

	15-Sep-15	01-Nov-15	19-Dec-15
Arm Left	46	44	42.5
Arm Right	44	44	42
Calf Left	56	55	54
Calf Right	57	54	52
Thigh Left	89	84	80
Thigh Right	86	80	77
Bust	116	112	108
Natural Waist	109	105	102
Hips	160	148	136

Please Sir, I (Don't) Want Some More

One of the things you find after having had gastric sleeve surgery is that your need for portion sizes diminishes drastically. For the rest of my life, I will only ever eat a quarter to half a cup of food per meal.

Now, when cooking for myself at home, this is easy to deal with - I just serve myself a fraction of what I give the Hussyband (and then usually push what I still couldn't finish off my plate to him at the end as well!)

But eating out causes a whole other dilemma. The scenarios I have encountered so far include:

1. The Incredulous Server: who cannot fathom that a person of my size could possibly ONLY want a starter when my dining companion is having three courses. Not forgetting "Oh the horror!", that I do not want wine, as I am unable  to drink 30 mins pre-, during- or 30 mins post-eating. I mean, you are taking a valuable seat in our establishment and not spending more than £5-25 (depending on the quality of said establishment.)
2. The Disappointed Chef: when no other options are available for dining portion control (or the starters fail to entice my taste buds) and I am left with ordering a main size meal, there is the inevitable kerfuffle when the server clears my plate after I have finished dining, and 80% of the meal is still on it. My entreaties of "Of COURSE I enjoyed the meal, I just can't eat that much food!" are usually met with looks of disbelief as their judging eyes roam my (quickly shrinking) frame. 

In both these cases, I find myself having to explain my surgery to justify my eating needs. Now, I am obviously out of the surgery closet, but it does get tiring having to explain it to complete strangers, what I have already taken great pains to explain to my nearest and dearest (and those of you who I have also never met, but take the time to read this blog!)

I almost wish there were little cards like this that I could give to staff at restaurants, it would save me a lot of stress and reduce tears on bad days....

Fun Times

The PQQ for HS2 went in and looks promising, sadly the ITT has been pushed out until April-ish, and they don't want to pay for staff to sit there doing nothing for 5 months, so us loyal, hardworking contractors got stood down...by email, at 9 pm on a Thursday night, while I was on holidays. C'est la vie.

It has been a crazy few weeks, the last 3 weeks of the bid were manic and long, with weekend work and 12+ hour days not unusual. I had planned the week post-submission to be spent with friends from Oz, Nancy and Myf. We met up with them in Wales and spent a few days down at Little White Alice, an old friend of a holiday stay near Redruth in Cornwall where we have stayed previously with my parents as well as just the Hussyband and I when we need a recharge and escape from life.

Slightly stoked!

While in Cornwall we laughed, got adopted by a cat who would not leave our side (or maybe it was just that it knew we would spoil it...), soaked in a wood burning hot tub, ate well, and decompressed. Myf got to meet all the animals, visit a seal sanctuary and had an amazing pony ride which is still being talked about.

The day before we went away, my passport came back from the Home Office after a six-month holiday while it was processed for my Indefinite Leave to Remain. To celebrate, I got approval for a second week off (dont know why I bothered as a few days later we were stood down anyway!) and booked us a week in St Lucia for some much-needed sun. Sun is something you miss as an Australian living in London!

But first we had to get back to London. It was a loooong drive. We stopped off in Plymouth for lunch (I still dream about the mussels from The Samphire Bush) and an aborted attempted at finding the Beatles Bums sculpture on the Hoe. We flew past Stonehenge and could just make out the outline in the fast-falling dusk (next time Nancy!)

Kew at night!

The Thursday night saw us going out on a Girls Night, with Gerry staying home to study while we ladies (and the wee one) went to view the Christmas Lights at Kew Gardens. I highly recommend the excursion if you are in London - it is still on for a few more weeks!

Friday we said goodbye to our guests, who I still miss, hearing Myf giggle with my mother-in-law was priceless!

Heading out and looking in
dire need of sun

Early Saturday morning (way too early for a Saturday) we headed to Gatwick Airport for our flight to St Lucia. The flight was only 9-hours but felt so much longer as we had been up since sparrows. We were met by Gerry's cousin and godmother Marie and her husband Mike who took us to our resort Ti Kaye and then for dinner at The Hideaway (which you had to take a floating gazebo to get there!)

We had a glorious 5-days at Ti Kaye, swimming, snorkeling, lazing, sunning and laughing.  We took a guided tour and swam under a waterfall, walked through an active volcanic caldera and ate local food. Our last 2-days were spent with Marie and Mike, shopping, swimming, sunning (are you noticing a theme) and chilling out.

Coming back to London has been hard - not only due to the 20°C difference in temperatures, but I had picked up an 8-day contract that started (and with it long hours and working this weekend!)

And we have had Sleeve Wins while away (I have saved the best for last in this post)!

Say cheese!

• I am 400 grams away from having lost 20 kgs (that is 44 lbs for you non-metric people), I seem to be averaging 1-1.5 kgs a week now) - on track for being 125kgs by Christmas!
• I did not have to use the seatbelt extender on the flights
• I wore a bikini (OK - I like swimming naked, but St Lucia is not one of those countries where I can do so)
• The guys doing the renovations at the hotel liked watching me in the shower (OK - that was a win the first time, weird the second, then it just got creepy)
• I did not drink my holiday away - just a pina colada or rum punch a day and I was happy
• I smiled the entire holiday.

Stats and pics next week - I might have to break out a silly season jumper in honour!

Long Hours and Old Habits

Out in the real world, I work as a freelance Bid Manager - basically I sit at a desk for hours at a time, writing, doing graphics, arguing with engineers, editing, re-editing, more arguments, herd a few cats and bash my head against a wall. Most of the time this is a normal eight hour a day job. But at the pointy end, when we are about to submit a tender, it gets crazy. 12+ hour days, weekends, not seeing my beloved for more than 10-20 mins a day...you get the idea.

Now THOSE days mean that I sit at a desk, and don't move. I forget to drink enough, I don't go the loo enough. Eating habits are bad. In the past, that would also have included pizza at 9 pm as you could eat with one hand and type/scroll documents with the other.

Last Thursday I submitted a tender, well a prequalification for a tender, which is almost as painful. The last two weeks were long and grumpy, and well...long and grumpy.

The company I am doing work for at the moment is full of an amazing team, mostly Spanish, and they bring in LOTS of snacks...biscuits, cakes, tarts, tortes, Ohh carb filled treats of badness! But I have avoided them. OK, I did have one small bit of a gluten free brownie the other week...but, all things considered, that was nada!

But, I kept a stash of miso soup in my drawer, I made sure I went for walks, albeit brief, at lunch to get something to eat, mid-morning and afternoon to clear my head. And I managed to hit the majority of my liquid requirements (some days were better than others, but I have learned not to beat myself up about it).

Yes, some days will be better than others on our journey to losing weight. But if we took every setback as a fail, then we would lose hope. I know I would. Now I see bad days as just that and start each day afresh.

This is the first submission I have ever done where I wasn't drinking a bottle of wine almost every night to get to sleep nd shut my brain off. Win. I didn't resort to junk food to keep me fed. Win. So what if I didn't get 2-litres of water in a day? I got 1.5 litres in, and I did it healthily...so agan...WIN.

Now as I write this I am sitting in a gorgeous cottage deep in the heart of Cornwall, with my Hussyband snoring upstairs, friends from Oz in the other bedroom, and I have just scoffed a hard boiled egg instead of giving into the temptation of the Coco Pops on the table. WIN!

Now let us just hope we win the prequal as if we do that has me set for work for the next 12 months!

I Almost Forgot....6 Weeks Post Op Pics!

My beloved is up and I have made him take pics. So here we go, six weeks post-op pics...can you see a difference?

Facts and Figures - 6 Week Stats

Morning Ladies and Gents,

Sorry I have been so quiet of late - not much to say. I get up, schlepp into London, work, schlepp home, eat, sleep and repeat. Bleurgh.

I have been stalled for the last two and a half week, not getting enough water, and not enough fibre has meant I have been seriously constipated. As a result my body has gone into starvation mode. I think I have managed to address that the last few days - been getting my two litres of liquids last three days, and have stopped having a protein bar for breakfast on the Tube (gone back to Weetbix). Movement has returned on both the scales and my bowels (thank fuck!)

Last weekend we went to Bath for a belated birthdaversary (my 44th birthday and our 8th wedding anniversary were on the 13th of October). I caught up with a school friend who I have not seen for...well, a lot of years. And it was great to spend time (albeit too short) with her and her partner. Gerry and I had lots of soaking time in hot baths, massages for him and facials and manicures for me.

But we are not here today to talk about what I have been up to. Today is all about the stats...so without further ado.....

Height: 5'10" - well that should not, and has not changed!

Weight: 134kgs (295lbs) - so far I have lost 12.7kgs (28lbs)

Measurements: I have lost 34cms in total from various body parts. I see a distinct difference in my face, neck and boobs - I would say that I have dropped a cup size, and am now on the last hook on my bras. Also see a difference in my ankles - my winter ankle boots sit nicer. I think I am losing from the top and tail - everything is squeezing into my bottom! cms gone from the hips which is AWESOME.

My energy levels have been low, but I am getting through. sleeping like a log. I am managing to eat a quarter to half a cup of food at lunch and dinner...will add half a protein bar in  on the Tube home in the afternoons to see if I can keep my protein high, whilst not going overboard on calories. I am also finding a pint of milk a day helps both in getting my liquids in and not letting my calories drop too low.

Some foods are easier to eat than others, and I find I am getting sick of smoked salmon. But will post later this week on foods.

Stay well peeps - this tool is a journey, and the road is long and twisty with hills and valleys.

Baby It's Cold Outside...and Inside Too!

As the UK dives into one of it's two seasons....oh you didn't know we only have two? There is the season known as Cold, and the season known as Not-Quite-As-Cold-With-Occasional-Sunny-Periods. We are currently moving into Cold.

So, as I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, as the UK dives into the Cold, I am feeling every tingly, breezy, chilly bit. And we are still having tops of 12 during the day! At night it is dropping closer to zero, you can see your breath as you struggle to the Tube and of course when you get on the Tube you boil as you have so many layers on to battle the Cold.

Post weight loss surgery you will feel colder, your body is not getting as many calories, and you are burning your stores of body fat. Sadly, we are unable to hibernate like bears as we need to earn livings (and even I can't sleep that much!)

So now it is time for layers. Not too many that you look like the Michelin Man walking down the street, but not so few that we get chill burns either. The bright side is we get to accessorise with all the gorgeous hats, scarves and gloves that start to flood the market now. I am loving the cape coats that are popular this year, as they leave my arms free to bash unsuspecting commuters out of my way whilst keeping my core nice and warm.

I have a stash of reusable hand warmers for my pockets for when things get really nasty - I mean, it MIGHT snow again this year!

Guest Post from the Hussyband

When my wife first mentioned that she wanted this surgery I was shocked. My initial reaction was to say there is no way you are having major surgery to fix this. Like most people I had this idea that it was the easy way out, and comparing it to smokers saying they want to quit but not totally committed.

I remember trying to use logic to argue against it. "You are going to have surgery to stop you eating and drinking, so why can't you just do that without the surgery?"

My eureka moment was when discussing with my counsellor. She challenged me by saying what is the difference between taking medication and having an operation. There are many methods of treatment and the only thing that matters is that it works for that person. What works for one person may not be suitable for another.

Once I had my change of mind I was determined to support Elisa 100%. I made sure to look at the different options and understand why this one was the right one for her. I also looked around some of the forums to find advice for me to help support her for her journey. I found there wasn't a lot of support for me because most people seem to take this journey alone.

When it came to the day of the operation, I left work early to get home to take her to the hospital. I tried to stay calm to help her as she was already starting to get nervous.

We got to the hospital in plenty of time and Elisa was settled into her own room. Once all the paperwork was completed and the anithatist arrived, Elisa was taken down to the operation room and I went to the pub next door for dinner and the wait.

When I got back to the hospital she was just coming back to the ward and although in discomfort and very groggy she seemed fine, so I helped her settle as best as I could and headed home.

I got into the hospital the next day and Elisa was up (she hadn't much sleep as she had to keep walking around to help the gas disperse) and apart from a failed attempt at taking blood and a mixup with the cab Elisa was discharged without too much hassle.

Once home I did the best I could to make her comfortable and l had taken most of the week after surgery off so I think that helped. I was conscious of letting her do as much as possible so she would be able to cope once I went back to work.

The second week went by without any major issues and by the third she was heading into Central London to start a new job! We celebrated her birthday and our 8th wedding anniversary by going to the theatre and I gave her a necklace that I think she likes - no fancy restaurants this year, so I had to think of something different!

I am so proud of all the hard work and the pain that my wife has been through and will try and support her on her journey.

Gerry


Note from Elisa: I love my necklace and my husband. Not necessarily in that order!

Level Up - Phase 1 Complete

Sorry for the radio silence - settling into a new job left little energy for anything else the last week.

Thank god Phase 1is over. I feel like I need a gold crown and an animated facsimile of myself jumping up and down to celebrate.

Phase 1 was hard. The first three weeks post-op were liquids and purees the consistency of custard. For excitement, I could have chocolate mousse made with skim milk - whohoooo. I am so rock and roll baby.

Things that got me through Phase 1 included:

• Nutribullet - for turning chunky soups into smooth ones
• Set of scales for measuring food
• Measuring jug for liquids
• Measuring spoons - tablespoons were my most used, but I found the smallest measuring spoon was perfect for eating with the first week!
• Small/Medium plastic storage containers (for example breakfast was generally three tablespoons of Weetbix - I would squash two to three Weetbix up in a tub at a time, that lasts me just over a week, in the storage tub I keep a small 1 tablespoon measure so I don't have to go hunting,)

If you are UK based, the following foods will help give you some variety:

• Tesco Diet Chocolate Mousse (3 tablespoons was about 2/3 of a tub)
• Tesco Crab Pate (also the Smoked Salmon or the Mackeral) - half a container was one meal
• Ambrosia My Mini Custard - perfect serving size!
• John West Infusions Tuna - the chilli and garlic is best, half a tub plus a small dollop of cream cheese and a squirt of lemon or yuzu juice was amazing - throw it all together in a mini blender and pulse until smooth
• Lighter Life ready to drink shakes from SuperDrug - they give you 20g of protein per serve, perfect for drinking on your way to work for breakfast.

Foods that anyone would find useful that are generic:

• Miso soup - packets of instant miso, make as directed and just don't eat the chunky bits
• Flavoured Teas - I have been, and continue to, struggle with getting my 2 litres of liquids a day. Flavoured teas help. My current stash has all sorts of stuff - jasmine green tea, mixed berries, apple and mint.
• Speaking of Mint. Fresh mint, leaves only steeped in hot water. You can drink it hot, cold, luke warm. You can gargle it, You can even wash your face in it. It is fabulous, great for the inevitable gas that lurks like an unwanted guest at the end of a party.

So, now onto Phase 2. Adding texture, slowly increasing portion sizes and flavours.

Back to the Grindstone

I have been lucky, as a freelancer I was able to take time off not only post-op, but pre-op as well, so it made my 2 week liquid diet a bit easier to bear (no biscuits, rounds of tea, trips to the pub, stinky lunches...you get the idea).

Today I started a new contract in Central London working on a large bid for a consortium of companies. I was dreading taking the Tube into town, it is notoriously busy, crowded, full of cranky bastards who care for no one else's comfort bar their own.

In anticipation I had a chat with my lovely local station guards, and they gave me a "Baby On Board" badge, I had asked for a "I have just had major surgery so give me a seat you bastard" but they don't exist (yet! A niche market though.)

I got into town OK, coming home tonight I had to stand for about 10 minutes as the train was heaving with people and their noxious body odours, thankfully I had to stand near a door, but you try holding yourself and your breath for 5 mins!

Work was good, Nice people, and I have told them what I have done, so they are really helpful with things like lifting heavy objects, plugging in power cords at floor level and making sure I left a meeting to get my food as per schedule.

Knackered now....wonder if I can get the Hussyband to cook for himself tonight?

I am No Longer a Hermit - Eating Out

Today I ate outside the house for the first time since surgery two weeks ago. I was desperate for a bit of normality, so after getting my hair prettified I met up with a friend at one of my favorite local pubs.

Don't worry - I didn't drink!

I had a chat with the manager, and he brought the Chef out to see me. We went over what I can eat, the amounts and textures, and he went off to work his magic.

It was really nice to be out of the house, with a friend, in a pub. OK I wasn't drinking, but I didn't mind her wine, I didn't even ask to stick my tongue in it (the wine you filthy perverts).

The Chef pulled together a lovely chicken and artichoke mousse quenelle, together with a mashed carrot one. Both tiny and perfect.

I was daunted about going somewhere where I knew I would have to order off menu, but the staff were brilliant, curious about what I had done to myself, and a little shocked as I am known for liking my food and booze.

If you are worried about explaining to strangers what you need and why, don't be. Everyone I have had to explain this to over the last few weeks have been supportive and understanding. It is a tool for us to transform our lives, and by talking about it, we demystify the procedure. If people understand it, they will understand us.

Baby steps people. Try it somewhere you used to go to and know the staff. If you don't want to talk about in front of people you are dining with as they don't know, call and speak to the chef/manager in advance.

Just because we have undertaken this procedure, doesn't mean we need to be restaurant and social hermits.