Week 5- Keep Going

I tried Chicory last night in a salad with peppers, rocket leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, sunflower seeds with a homemade tomato and mushroom sauce on top. It was all nice except the chicory. I tried to find a recipe that didn't camouflage the taste too much but most of them said roast it, deep fry it or braise it. I didn't think it was worth all that, it's just like a bitter tasting lettuce.

As you will have read patience isn't always my strongest point, today I am finding it a bit frustrating because I keep seeing people running in the park and I so wish I could do that. It will come hopefully. Also the amount of the weight I have yet to lose hit me today. It's coming off ok I think. Although the lovely Matt at Radio Solent has my scales under his desk so I'm not totally sure of how much to date. In a way that is a good thing, as I mentioned in the last blog it's good to get away from becoming obsessed with diet and weight loss and then it becomes more of a natural healthy state of life (just sometimes want a little peak!!!)

I think I need to start setting myself some little challenges. Well, there is the swim across the channel, the Marathon and Tour De France, oh and then the Iron Man Triathlon. But maybe I need to start on a bit of a lower level!! I'll have a think and let you know. Or if anyone has any ideas let me know.

This picture is just cos it has the AHHHHHH factor!!!!

Tonight's challenge is to try Aduki Beans that are sprouting!! I am sure there will be a vegetable allotment in my stomach soon with all the seeds and sprouting things I'm eating!!! It's all good stuff!
Su's Dinner
2 small Sweet Potatoes dry roasted with onions and peppers and mushrooms with a topping of Cottage Cheese, Aduki Beans and Pumpkin Seeds.

Diet? What Diet?

A few people have been asking me what diet I am on.. I am not on one, in a way. My background has a history of every diet under the sun, including Cambridge Diets, various slimming clubs, fasting, feasting, starving and binging. I can tell you the calories, points, sins what ever for foods and for periods of my life these things have really worked.

This is a very personal plan so if you are following a diet and it works for you, all well and good.

I have found taking the emphasis off thinking about food and what I am allowed to have and what I can get away with each day has really helped. We all know what foods are good for us and which are not, and those which that are not particularly good but are nice as social foods or treats. Foods which are low on the Glycemic Index are a good basis for healthy eating, there are various lists on line.

I have done some reading into what foods do and which ones benefit us. I am now almost vegan but that wasn't a deliberate decision it just happened that the foods I eat, being vegetarian already, moved on a step further.

Moving into the realm of exercise has helped. The more you are active the more you get a buzz out of eating healthily. If you saw what I used to eat while slouched in my reclining chair you would be appalled, and I am quite embarrassed to say I could easily eat a multipack of crisps, boxes of cakes, bread....loads of stuff. I'd watch TV till 1am and then bed.

I love going round the health food shops now and daring myself to try to eat different things and looking out for wierd and wonderful fruit and veg. I'm going to try and eat a new food, to me, once a week. This week is Chicory. Not sure what you do with it but it is sitting in my fridge waiting to be used.

For me this is a new way of thinking and living and I think it's really exciting.

Hope this doesn't sound too self righteous!!!

Waves and Weights

This afternoon I went to the gym with my niece Catherine. Wil has a nasty stomach virus and is off work for a bit so I went in and did a bit of DIY PT!!

Did 20 mins on the Treadmill at 4.5k per hr. Heart rate was 125. Was careful not to strain the leg too much.

Moved on to the 'Dentist Chair' and did some work with weights and stretches on the wall.

Then on to the Bike. I find this is hard, it takes a lot of leg work to get anywhere but I will persevere. Didn't break my so far personal best of 3 min 1K. Cooled down on the Treadmill.

Then Catherine and I played in the spa. We managed to stay in the Sauna for 5 mins and then had a shower and realised the difference between the Tropical Rain and the Iceflow. Brrrrrrrr. We tried everything finishing up in the hot tub on the patio!!

In A Field of Daisies

This morning I went on a little tour of Romsey a town about 9 miles away. I wanted to find out more about the Wessex Cancer Trust and Romsey is the closest place where there is an outreach base. There is a shop which brings in money for the trust by selling all sorts of second hand things and WCT gifts. The staff were lovely and we had a bit of a chat. I left armed with Daisy notelets, paper, fridge magnets. On the way out I noticed a building, opposite with lots of info about WCT in the window.
This was the Jane Scarth House. I went in and was met by a very welcoming and lovely lady called Sylvia Shepherd. I explained that I wanted to find out more about the WCT and why. She invited me to sit and have a chat.

First of all the WCT had recently celebrated their 25th anniversary.
The Wessex Cancer Trust was established in 1981 to provide relief for those suffering form cancer, to promote research into cancer and to advance education into its causes, prevention and treatment.
In all they have raised over £11 million to fund all sorts of projectss. Including funding specialised nursing care and wards, mobile mammography vehicles and support for cancer sufferers and their families, both practical and financial.


The Jane Scarth House is an amazing resource. Experiencing cancer in any form is frightening and the Jane Scarth House provide invaluable practical and emotional support in the form of a drop in centre. There is a trained group of counselors, aromatherapy room, reflexologist and a small caring network of 'Befrienders'. Walking into the building you immediately feel welcome and at ease. Sylvia was very easy to talk to and we had a good chat about the work of the Trust, my experience of cancer in our family and how the fitness plan was going. She is also on the Advisory Board at Radio Solent. If you know of anyone in the Wessex area who is experiencing cancer get in contact with the WCT Jane Scarth House, treatment is free and it's so good to have that kind of support from people who understand.

My visit to Romsey has really helped me to focus on why we are involvedd with the Daisy Appeal. I am having the time of my life getting fitter and making new friends so it is good to remember the Daisy Appeal and what it's for.

Losing TheTrain of Thought

Last night I went to Brockenhurst by train. Now, I have a reputation for getting on wrong trains but have tried to beat it. Well, last night on my way to Brockenhurst I went to Bournemouth and anyone who knows the south coast will know that's not exactly a direct route from Winchester. Just as in the past Woking is not on the way to Basingstoke etc.... The train split in Southampton and I was on the wrong half. Not totally my fault as we couldn't hear the guard on the speakers...and I wasn't the only one.

I was due to meet Wil at the train station at Brockenhurst and had to make a few quick texts to change plans. I got to Bournemouth and ran (kind of!!!) over the bridge to catch the train back and promptly fell down two steps hurting the injured leg again.

Had a good session in the gym we worked on upper body stuff again, balance, and posture. Really felt those muscles working. But I need to work on my concentration. Sometimes if I'm worried about things I turn it into humour. I was constantly told off at school for making people laugh, which I don't think is a bad thing but sometimes you need to concentrate!!! When I concentrate I can pull in my stomach, hold in my buttocks, put my shoulders back, stand on one leg and lift weights in front of me...yay I really can!!! And it's really cool cos Wil has a good sense of humour. He needs it !!!

Had a go on the exercise bike too, because the saddle takes the weight it was better than I thought. I was doing the Tour De France well 2K of it. I have levels to work on there. It was so good to do something aerobicky. Because I can't do much walking at the moment I need to make my heart work out a bit. So I hope to improve on that each week.

Eating healthily is still going well although I may have got stuck in a rut in what I am eating. Need to be a bit more adventurous.

If you look on the last blog's comments you will see a fab recipe for Ragout from Freedom Bound Blog sounds yummy. Think I'll have it tonight for tea. Thanks Freebie

Walk In The Park

Had a lovely day today at Royal Victoria Country Park, Hamble near Southampton. Seven of the family got together and drove down. Jenny my eldest niece has just passed her driving test,
and has turned out to be a very good driver. Direction and guidance came from her husband Paul in the back seat!!!!

The park looks out on to the Solent. There were a lot of yachts, ships etc on the Solent today. Cowes week starts today. We had great entertainment watching two windsurfers trying to stay upright.

I took off for a while to do a walk. Leg is getting better but just a bit sensitive. I managed a 2 1/2 mile walk around the park grounds which are gorgeous.

Getting to grips with the Ball (literally). I position myself between the two sofas with several cushions surrounding for safety's sake!! Really want to crack this balance exercise. I read that after 40 balance naturally deteriorates so it's time to catch some quick!!! Tried to remember the exercises we do in the gym. The Ball is quite good just to sit on watching tv cos you are always trying to keep balance unless you lose concentration then you come into close contact with a sofa!!

Cinderella has got her ball

Foot is feeling so much better today. Just been to the gym. I started off with a warm up on the Treadmill whilst being entertained by Wil trying to blow up my Gym Ball. I love my Gym ball I am sure we are going to build a close relationship. It was fun trying to get the ball out of the gym into Ema's car and home and into the flat. I had to push quite hard to get it through some of the doorways, bit like giving birth!! It does take up most of the floor space in the flat so it will have to become a design feature. At the moment it keeps following me.
< Look at this poor woman she has been stalked by her ball for years



Gym session was challenging but Wil always makes it fun. We worked on muscles with names.Biceps, Triceps , External Obliques, Core, Soleus etc. Still not so good at balancing but when I concentrate and think of what all the muscles should be doing and why it becomes better. I wish I could do everything properly without having to downgrade some of them, my body shape gets in the way sometimes but hopefully that will change. I also have to work on keeping my head up straight. It moves about too much and when not in true alignment it multiplies the stress on the neck. So I could end up looking like one of those nodding dogs in the back of cars.

Went for a swim with Ema, who had been waiting in the pool till I was finished and was beginning to look like a prune. Met the lady who does the Yoga Class at the spa she was lovely and we had a chat. Hopefully I might get a chance to experience Yoga.

Feeling all motivated up again just need to be careful.Now I have my Gym Ball, New Trainers and Weights (could it be, this is serious) just need to find out where the batteries go!!

Just a quick blog to say a big thank you to all those who e-mailed or left comments with advice, commented on the blog and texted and sent best wishes for the FOOT, and encouragement to persevere. I have taken it all on board.

It is much better and I am trying to be sensible (which is a challenge). Should be back on the walking next week. It's the spa tonight (hurray). Hope to do some upper body work and swimming.

Spicy Chickpeas

I went to the Doctors today, I know two times in a month. It's not the Achilles tendon it's a muscle strain which can be sorted phew!!!!

Here is a recipe that looks well worth a try from Freedom Bound Blog He is famous for his chickpeas, so he tells me!!!!!

Freedom Bound said...
Not as colourful, but very scrummy, and may convert you to chickpeas!
Spicy chickpea casserole

This recipe tastes better if you make it up in advance to allow all the flavours to combine and then simply reheat it before serving
8oz (225g) [dry weight] chickpeas, soaked overnight or 2 x 400g tins of chickpeas
1 medium onion,
chopped 1 x 1 4oz (400g) can chopped tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cubes
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 heaped teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
8oz (225g) mushrooms,
sliced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fast-boil the soaked chickpeas for 10 minutes, then simmer for a further one hour until fairly soft. When the chickpeas are almost cooked, drain them, then rinse with boiling water. Or open the tinned chickpeas and drain!Place the onion and tomatoes into a medium saucepan with the stock cube. Add the coriander, cumin, chilli and season with salt and black pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.Stir the chickpeas into the tomato and spice mixture. Add the mushrooms and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Season well with salt and black pepper. Add the fresh coriander.Serves 3

Heel to Heal

Just had some amazing thunder storms in Winchester.

This week I have come to the first major physical hurdle in my exercise programme I have discovered the Archilles Tendon. Through no ones fault but my own I had heel that was tender for the last few days. Determined not to let it stop me I was stupid and did extra long walks, trying to walk off the pain, which I thought might just be my muscles getting used to exercise.

I forget that I am carrying the weight of another person on me and going from no exercise to pushing myself really hard has taken it's toll. Gym sessions are very well supervised by Wil but it's when I'm out on my own I want to go, literally, that extra mile.I wanted to ignore it and hoped it would go away, which so unwise in sports injuries.

Last night I was due to have a session with Wil in the gym and felt I should tell him. After some tests and consultation he wisely judged that this heel needs rest to get back into shape. We had a really good chat about nutrition and ways to exercise without straining the heel while it's on the mend. Swimming is the best as everything is supported.
I felt a bit down because I have a tendancy to want to run before I can walk, literally. It is so frustrating. Ilove doing the walks and the gym, but if I want to do more better look after the euipment. Hopefully we'll be ok for Fridays session.

Going to be brave and go into a Sports Shop tomorrow to look at trainers. Mine are very old and may have contributed to the problem.

BALL ALERT!!

I have bought my self a Gym Ball, got the right size this time. Just needs to be blown up. I have alerted all security services and the National Forces just incase I'm picked up on Radar.

I was watching the 'You are What You Eat' DVD. Dr Gillian MMcKieth takes her unhealthy victims to a room where spread out on a table is all the fat/sugar laden food that they eat in a week. It was interesting to see that the over all colour of these foods is brown. In contrast she then shows them what they will be eating and it's so colourful it takes their breath away. I've been inspired by this and have started to try and bring more colour in to meals. Tonights meal was quite unusual but very colourful and tasted lovely.

Su's Dinner
Cut a Galia Melon in half and scoop out the seed. Cut out some of the flesh roughly into cubes. Slice a small piece off the melon half's side so it will sit up like a dish.

Cut up into about 1" square cubes or thick slices, Courgettes, Onions, Chestnut Mushrooms
red, green and yellow peppers and melon flesh
Mix together a small amount of Olive oil, Balsamic vinegar and a teaspoon of honey add veg pieces so they are very lightly coated. (keep some of this sauce for later)
Put veg on a roasting tray and roast on a high heat for 10-15 mins
Mix into veg once roasted a handful of sprouting beans, pumpkin seeds, raisins (or grapes) and pile into the half melon.
Pour over the left over sauce.
Serve with watercress or mixed leaves.

It is lovely and has so many flavours and is very colourful. This kind of food you might expect to eat on holiday or in hotels but there is no reason why we can't do it ourselves

Dieting Daisies - Team Wil

Our Man At The BBC

Here are some pictures from yesterday at Radio Solent.
From L to R
Claire, Wil, Rosalie, and....me.
We all have a really good time when we are there. It's good fun. I am fascinated by the goings on during a broadcast. So much information coming in it's a real skill
to keep it all together.

This Jon Cuthill master of operations. He is lovely, so easy to talk to and had a way of getting information out of us which until now had been state secrets!!! Jon normally does the 9 - 12 slot and has an amazing feature of his show called Rubbish Rescue, it's a brilliant idea and well worth exploring.
see link

Team Wil and Mr Jon Cuthill

I've been waking up with a different man this week and today I got to meet him!!
Jon Cuthill has taken over from Julian Clegg while he is on holiday.
Today was our day in the studios of Radio Solent. Hope to have some pictures soon, but for now you'll have use your imagination. The picture above is the studio we were in.

Before I even get into the building I always have attack of the nerves, but the staff at Radio Solent are so welcoming we all soon feel at ease. It is the first time Team Wil have been together since the last broadcast. It was lovely to see Rosalie looking good after her holiday in Greece. Claire and I had a sneaky peek at the scales before we went into the studios.

Claire has done really well and lost 8lbs and people are beginning to notice. Well done

I lost 1st 2lbs, I have lot more to lose than everyone else so the weight will come off fast in the first few weigh- ins. Then on to the hard stuff.

Jon Cuthill started the interviews by teasing us with descriptions of big cooked breakfasts!! I think the interviews went really well, we were all relaxed and chatted quite freely. It's funny cos we are all shy about telling people what our weight is but Jon managed to get us all to say it on air. Wil set out the plan for the next three weeks and gave us loads of encouragement to go on with. We chatted to Jon for quite a while and all too soon it was over.

I made my way home on the train and developed quite a strong headache. I am hoping that these headches ( i have some form of headache most days) may be sorted out with the healthy eating and exercise and sorting out blood pressure etc.

When I got home I had intended to do a number of things but fell asleep for 2 hours, waking up wondering if it was all a dream!!!


Made a smoothie for lunch and I would have had eaten it too ,if only I had put the lid on the smoothie maker!!!! It took ages to clear up but my skin felt lovely afterwards!!

Really lazy day today. Didn't feel right, need to get out and do walking.

Night At The Smoothies

Today I did the 5k walk. It was the same route as the 5K race on Thursday. Walked it after tea so not to frighten too many people. It takes the path through the weirs which is beautiful in the evening. I did try to put in a few jogging strides but I have aquired what I call the Penguin Jog. It's kind of jogging, or making the movements with the top half whilst doing quick walking with the legs. It's a start!!!

I have set myself a task to jog across roads, which confuses a lot of people, because I suddenly start jogging as if there were cars coming, and no one else can see a car in sight. Quite often other people will pick up their pace too!! Legs felt really heavy on the way back. The walk took me just over 70 minutes so only about 1 hour behind the time the runners set!!! That maybe a good marker route to see how I am progressing.

Made a smoothie today. Another first!! It was lovely...

Quarter pint of Low Fat Soya Milk
A handful of All Bran (soak in soya milk)
1 Banana, Handful of Blueberries, Handful of Raspberries

Put it all in a smoothie maker/blender it looks and tastes gorgeous

Gates and Giraffes

Really have become more aware of posture. I feel like I'm pulling myself up out of my stomach, stretching up my neck. I think I beginning to take on the charateristics of a giraffe. It is so easy to slump on a stool or chair. And then I suddenly remember and sit up staright.

I've just come back from what I call the 5 Gates of Winchester Walk. It's more or less tracing the roads that mark the old city walls. It's about 2 and a half miles. It takes in the sites of North Gate, West Gate then Southgate, down to Kings Gate, around Winchester Cathedral, through Abbey Gardens to the site of the East Gate.

It's a lovely walk. Iwalked down to the Kings Gate, which is a gentle hill, I feel really self- conscious running in the street so I thought I would try and disguise what I was doing. As the hill got a bit steeper I had a little trot. Then I did a bit more, only a few steps. Then a car drew up beside me and it was some friends... 'Go for it Su!!' one of them shouted. A bit embarrassed but secretly smiling on the inside I walked briskly till I was out of sight. I will try some more later. I have never been able to run freely . It must be so good, maybe one day, at the moment i'm worried about the pressure on my knees. Need too build up slowly to that goal!!

In my quest to eat as healthily as I can I have been thinking of alternatives to flavoured and processed quorn. I find it quite hard, as a vegetarian (almost vegan), to find protein foods.
Wil recommended trying Quinoa (Keen Wah) . Quinoa is a bit like cous cous but it is a seed and contains essential amino acids and is high in protein. See www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa. So I had a go at making a dinner with it.

Su's Dinner
Rinse half a cup Quinoa in water (the seed has a natural coating of a chemical which deters insects and is a bit bitter if not rinsed off) .

Boil 1 cup of water and then put the Quinoa in simmer until the seed splits and looks slightly opaque. (about 10 mins)

Chop Onions, Red Peppers, Mushrooms, Courgettes and water fry (no fat but you could use olive oil) . Cook till just going soft

Add tomato puree , 2 pinches of ground ginger, soy sauce to taste .

Add a tin of chickpeas and the cooked Quinoa with it's own water.

leave for about 15 mins till the Quinoa has soaked up the liquid heat up again and add roughly torn basil leaves.

Tis Yummy and very healthy!!


Monday's weigh in is looming. I don't know for certain that I have lost weight as I left my scales at the studios, but I think I ought to have, I feel like I have. I feel so much better on the inside. Lots of people said they will be listening in, no pressure then!! LOL



Meanwhile here is a puzzle for you to try to see how your brain works...................

I had an amazing day at the Spa yesterday. I met Claire and litle Joe (son of) at the train station and they gave me a lift to New Manor Park. Claire had her session first. It is so cool that she can go straight on to the Cross Work Machine and warm up. To me that is one of the machines yet to be conquered. I warmed up with a short walk on the treadmill and then went for a swim .(my own version of the biathlon!!) . Went back into the gym and did a few more hundred miles on the treadmill, although I have never worked out kilometers but it seems a 100 miles is about 2K !!!!
Had a few problems with the knee again but Wil can always create a way round it. I've noticed my left arm and leg seem to be on a different workout from the rest of me and often try to go their own way. So another lesson learned , it's really important to concentrate on what your body is doing as well try to make it do it.

We then went up into one of the studios to do some coordination work. Walking through a ladder with different rhythms and movements on the floor. Well if I don't get the hang of that I could audition for a west end musical. It concentrates on rhythm and feels almost like tap dancing.

At the end of the session we had a chat about healthy eating. Going to really try and crack this one. There are so many chemicals to preserve, flavour and colour food it can't be good. I don't like tea and coffee so I drink loads of water and squash. Looked on the squash bottle the ingredients...not good... full of E numbers, preservatives, colours, even if it does help you win Wimbledon !!

The next part of the day was spent with Ali giving me a partial Deep Tissue Massage.
Being a bit embarrassed about my body and never having had a massage before I was slightly nervous, but she was lovley and put me at ease straight away. She found my back muscles and got the blood flowing through them and loosened some things. I was quite tense in some places and that is partially due to bad posture which I have alot of work to do on. When she had finished I felt like I was floating. Lovely expereince!!

Then back to the water . I'm pretty sure that my feet and hands are gradually becoming webbed, and the tail is coming on nicely. I will soon be ready to be realeased into the sea. I feel so at home in the water. Although I did spend the vast majority of this time in the hydro pool.

I got a lift back with a real live athlete who was coming to Winchester to do a 5k race. Wil!!

Three times around the tourist part of the city and then into the Abbey Grounds to finish. It was so exciting. There were hundreds of runners of all different types from the people who looked like they had run in the original Olympics, some who were just out for a bit of exercise, those who had no intention going any faster then a brisk walk and some serious runners. The atmosphere was lovely I sat next to a couple in their mid 50's who were having a go. The woman said that 3 years ago she cried and was sick when her husband made her run 100 metres now they do endurance runs together. Another inspiring story.

Wil was so fast..I wasn't sure of his finishing time but it was about 16-17 minutes. I do, what I think is a fast walk which 4k per hour. He did 5k in about16 mins

Well done Wil, very proud of you!!

I held the water!!!!