New Year Revolutions!

Well so far I don't think I have done too bad! It's hard to judge really. I actually wish that I could go to WW this week and get it over with and get going again. But I have another week to go... 

OK confession time..

Chocolate Kimberley... Lots

Bread sauce... Lots, but not enough

Trifle... Once

Christmas Pudding... Twice

Roses... Not too many actually, must count the papers in the cup (guffaw guffaw)

Christmas Cake... I suppose if you average it out over the entire season it won't look so bad!

Turkey dinner... two

White bread... some

Marks and Spencer Chocolate and Toffee Biscuits... a whole box (but there is only 9 in a  box so if you even it out over....)

Salad... none

WW Zero point soup... none

Vegtables... only those mashed with or smothered in butter so I don't think they count as veg by that stage

So all in all it wasn't a bad Christmas day! Wish I could remember what I ate all the other days though...

Only kidding blog readers... panic not!

So my New Year Revolution will be... not sure actually. 

It'll no doubt be something to do with food. I am obsessed with it... haven't you noticed?

But the New Year is a great slate cleaner. We can start again. I know we regularly need to start again but the 1st of the 1st does have that extra bit of incentive. 

My hope is that I'll eat less rubbish and more wholesome stuff. And not just edible stuff, the spiritual larder could do with an overhaul too. But that's for another blog....

Twas the night before Christmas...

and all thro the house

Not a biscuit was eaten

Not even a choclate kimberley

Nah... it's not scanning and it's not true. 

Christmas tomorrow -- well later today actually and already I am full. 

Those darned Walkers Sensations Crisps. 

I'll try to be honest about my Christmas gorging.... Hardly anyone reads this anyway...

Although I do know of one or two :o)

Repeat after me... "I will not spend Christmas looking for what I've lost!"

By the end of Christmas Day how much will1 I have eaten?

I went over the "2 stone off" mark last week and I don't want to undo the work I've done, so I need to be careful. Some handy hints that I have been given are these.


1. Take Christmas Day and St. Stephen's Day totally off AS LONG AS you count up to the end of Christmas eve and start again on the 27th.


2. To help stem the tide of Roses eating, put every empty wrapper in a designated cup and no matter how bad count the wrappers at the end of each day. It will make you more aware of each sweet.


3. Christmas dinner is only another dinner. It may have an extra roastie or be smothered in bread sauce (yum yum) but it's a dinner. Enjoy it! (It's the food before and after it that's the problem!)


Sounds easy doesn't it. Problem is that most Christmas days I have Roses for breakfast. I'd have to have numerous "designated mugs" on the go. One in every room!


But there must be a way of handling food at Christmas.

My alternative handy hints are these.

1. Eat as much as you like on Christmas Day and St. Stephen's Day but jog on the spot for the whole of those two days. Not only are you constantly working off what you are eating but it's actually very hard to pour brandy butter over Christmas pudding if you are constantly on the move. Most of it will be spilled on the table... less points :)

2. Put all the Roses in the mug and just have empty wrappers in the tin... no points at ALL :)

3. As Christmas dinner is just another dinner get the biggest platter you can find put a normal dinner on it and then fill the empty space with mince pices, sherry trifle and... Roses. Let's see who's dinner is just another dinner NOW!?

I've decided to enjoy Christmas. Sometimes you have to determine in you heart to enjoy it! Tis the season to be jolly (and bloated).

And remember on Christmas Day.... Eat, Drink and be Merry... for tomorrow we diet!!

Have you got enough Christmas Carbs?

I got an email from a colleague in the states and in the middle of this business email she commented on the fact that they had just celebrated Thanksgiving and threw in the sentence... "My favorite traditional thanksgiving food is mashed potatoes!"

I thought, what a mental thing to say! But you know it was quite encouraging to know that I am not the only one who is obsessed with food; especially Carbohydrates!!!

Two words - Bread Sauce. (Or is it one word -- Breadsauce? Anyway...) It's my favourite traditional Christmas food! There! I have said it.

I love bread sauce and lots of it; all over my Christmas dinner. My husband is more a gravy man. Personally I can't see the joy of ruining a perfectly good dinner with gravy. He has a similar opinion on bread sauce though...

But it is typical of my obsession with food to associate the smells and tastes of Christmas fare with the season itself. The ham on the boil, the cinnamon scent of mulled wine, the clove scent of breadsauce, a slight whiff of Guinness off the pudding (and a strong whiff of Guiness off my Dad)!

I assciate these smells with the love and joy of being with my family. I love love LOVE Christmas and buying and wrapping gifts for me is as much fun as getting them. HONESTLY!


But I wonder on the first Christmas what the smells were?

The musty small of animals? The yeuchy smell of their waste? The stale smell of straw? The numerous body odours from two people who had travelled a long way, one of whom giving birth? Was it cold? Was it wet? Was it draughty?

It's not exactly chestnuts roasting on an open fire is it?!

But love, joy, family and gifts -- they we all there.
The love of God; God Himself coming to earth. The joy of the angels as they sang their Gloria, This new little family must have been amazed as the visitors kept arriving from all over the place. Did they realise that his arrival meant that we could all be part of God's family?
And what a gift? God definitely invented the concept of giving.
Giving his Son, who gave His life.
Amazing!

I've completely lost the carbs link but does it matter?

Getting Adl'd in Lildis...

We're trying to budget. or BADGGIT!!!! as the ad used to shout at us...

But where can I go.to save money AND get what I want? Oh no! Now I DO sound like ads on telly,,,


Are you paying too much for your car insurance? (eh.. no)
Are you happy with your whites? (eh... yeah)
Have you had an accident in the last year or two and would you like to sue the living daylights our of some poor unfortunate? (eh... no)
Are you up to your eyes in debt and stuggling to pay an already crippling loan -- and would you like to be even MORE in debt??????? (eh no... comment...)


I could go on but I'll only get upset and I have serioiusly digressed...


But it turns out that Adl (or Lildi -- always confuse them) are between 30-40% cheaper than Dunnes and Tesco. But they wouldn't have everything on my list. Do they even sell houmous and the Metre long pack of Jaffa cakes? I'd have to write 2 or 3 lists! I'm bored half way through one!


The last time I went to Lildi (or maybe it was Adl. -- always confuse them) was when I lived in Wales. I bought 3 bags of flour at 9p each, 7 tins of salmon in lemon juice at 47p each, a chinese rice bowl and chopsticks set at £1.99 and a bottle of cheap wine. For some reason I bought stuff I didn't need cos it was cheap.

I'm afraid to go back in case I spend my shopping money on cheap Christmas decorations and then STILL have to go to Dnnnes and get my houmous and jaffa cakes.

But I plan to give them a try and I'll let you know how I get on.

Did you ever have one of those days???

So you DO read my blog. Well hello to you wiley blog readers who don't leave comments.
You're most welcome. So for today's thought...

Recently I spent a day in my pyjamas. 36 hours or so actually...

Have you ever had a PJ day? Now they are slightly different from Duvet Days. Duvet Days are for slackers who wake up and before they've stuck their toe out of the bed they know they won't go to work. But as soon as they've called in sick and updated their Facebook status to verify their illness, (it's is more reliable than a doctor's cert these days...) they are up, showered and on the sofa with a tub of Häagen-Dazs watching Murder She Wrote and Loose Women.

PJ Days are Saturdays so it is permissable (but not always beneficial!) slacking. Maybe it was buying new PJs that inspired this day, but it wasn't an inspiring day so I doubt it!!

I wish I could say that I spent the day meditating on a Psalm and making a list of things to thank God for and praying through it. But no. I didn't! Nor did I write any Christmas cards, or even start my list. I do thank God for the day though. I genuinely felt unwell when I woke up but know that the rest did me good.

"What DID you do?" I hear you cry. (I really will have to do something about the voices in my head!) Well, I watched a couple of films (4 actually), I played Tetris for a bit (well over an hour), I looked out the window thought deep thoughts (for about 3 minutes). And ate!

AHHHH yeah you were waiting for the food reference weren't you...

Would you believe I was fed all day by my beloved?! Oh yes. He made my breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. I was furnished with drinks all day (Adam's Ale mainly, I mean come on...) And it was wonderful!

But was it a wasted day?

All depends on your definition of valuable time I suppose.

I'll say one thing.. It was a great day and my new PJs are VERY comfortable. Might just have to buy another pair -- but I can't really afford it.

Ah I have an idea!


Dear Santa,
I've been a really good girl this year.......

Anyone for 'stir-about'?

I've just rediscovered Porridge. No, not the old comedy series (I'm showing my age now). But good old Flahavans Oatlets. Hot, yummy, milky with a bit of sugar.

My dad calls it 'stir-about'. Seemingly it's what he had for breakfast every morning for... ever. Brown bread and stir about was the staple breakfast menu in my dad's day. Now has a fried breakfast every morning but that is for another blog...


But porridge is really gorgrous, filling and low in points. I had it for dinner one night this week; trying to save points before the weigh in. I know I'll probably get tired of it. Like I do all healthy stuff. Funny hnw I never get tired of chocolate!!!!


But this whole change of focus food wise.... it has to be a permanant. I know that now. I have lost and gained so much weight over the years. And I have learned that if I am not actively trying to lose weight then I am putting it on. I never stand still weight wise. Since I stopped doing weight watchers at the end of 2001, 7 years ago, I have gained 7 stone. SEVEN STONE! in 7 years. 1 stone for each year I've been off the wagon.

Thankfully I am on my way to the 2 stone down mark; but I don't think losing it is as much of an issue as keeping it off; permanantly!

I can't imagine myself being another 5/6 stone down. I can't look at it in those terms. It's too much. But I do need to look ahead a little. Cos Christmas is coming. And I could do a lot of damage to the weight loss if I'm not careful. Looks like I'll be eating lots of parridge...

Again I can see a parallel in my spiritual life. If I am not actively moving towards God I am naturally veering away from Him. I have always felt that the weight issue is a spiritual one for me. And now I see it as a picture constantly reminding me that I never stay still. I am either moving towards or away from God.

My staple food, my 'stir-about', the Word of God, is really wholesome and filling. I should stick to that really; but I should also remember that chocolate is always calling me away...

Did you miss me? Thought not but here I am anyway :)

It's quite strange to be blogging away here and no one taking very much notice of me. Except you Rich. I know you always read my ramblings (if only to make sure your wife hasn't completely lost it! -- ooppps too late!)

But what's on my heart tonight is not about food. Well not earthly food. Although I've just had coffee with a cinnamon and raisin bagel and some real butter. What a treat!

Anyway; today has been a fab day at church. I was really inspired by our guest speaker Clive Johnson. He was fantastic!! And as rich and me are seeking God for His plan for us and sensing some sort of call on our lives, this guy makes me want to get to know the heartbeat of God as well as I know my own.

For a few years now I have had this desire to speak. (shocked? I thought not,,,) When I worked in Care for the Family I loved going out on the road to work at seminars and events and would have loved to be up the front saying cool stuff. Lots of pride in there I know, but as I have changed over the last year that desire is still there but it has changed too.

I have a longing to encourage, to share the story of my stormy, pain filled, amazing walk with God. I want to tell anyone who needs to hear it... "You can make it, you can do this, it won't always be this bad, I know; cos I've been in the dark place and found the path out of it."

I want to encourage and inspire young people, especially girls, that they are treasure in God's sight, and worth far more love, affection, desire and passion than any teenage encounter will ever give them.

There are so many things I want to say. And as only 1 or 2 people read this blog I guess I'll have to pray about other ways of telling my story.

The other thing that has happened lately is a change in my singing. Well, actually a change in my attitude to my singing. I had this funny feeling after singing a few weeks ago. Didn't know what it was but it was nice. It happened a couple of times and I probably should have prayed about it but didn't.

I went into my boss's office a couple of weeks ago and he has a picture of Eric Lidell on his window ledge. I have seen it loads of times but I picked it up that day and read what was underneath it. It was the (seemingly) famous quote of his. When he runs he feels God's pleasure. I stopped in my tracks. THAT WAS IT. THAT WAS THE FEELING God's pleasure.

I couldn't believe it. I mean I can sing, I know that. But I'm no Kiri Te Kanawa by any means. But sometimes He's deligted to hear me sing and sometimes lets me know.

And it happended again this evening. What a feeling it is. I am so unworthy of His love, it's amazing.

My precious Father, help me abide in you and abide in me that I may be better at serving you. I love you Lord!

Getting your fill at the filling station

Yesterday was one of those 'Great and Terrible' days.

I was working at a FANTASTIC event in UCD and thought that as at some stage we'd be going for something half decent to eat, I could get away with a petrol station snack...

So off down the road I went in search of sustainence and found one of these new petrol stations, Topol or something. Anyway... all I could procure were muffins, croissants, crisps and a very dodgy apple. Oh and a bottle of water... There was one decidedly shrivelled-looking cheese ploughman's sandwich so I passed on that one.

So half a ton of carbohydrate later I was full and ready to sleep. I carried on working (cos I'm a trooper) and looked forward to my dinner.

A few hours later it was obvious that I would not get dinner. My colleage told me there was a garage down the road and that we could probably get some food there...

So back into the car; and all I could think of was that lovely cheese ploughman's sandwich that was there. But someone even more desperate than me had bought it. More pastry, more crisps and some chocolate. Oh and a bottle of water...

By the time the event was over I was hungry again. The only place open was Silvio's. More and more carbohydrates... Oh and a bottle of water...

Boy!!! the sugar hangover I had this morning! Never again... as the saying goes!

The All You Can't Eat Buffet

I went to my grand nephew Robert's Christening on Sunday. What a cute little man he is!

We went to Brown's Barn (off the N7) for refreshements afterwards and it was a great afternoon chatting and laughing with some of the family. There were lots of little ones there so we had fun colouring and spilling Coke. (The adults that is)

Then the food came out. Oh dear. Lovely yummy sambos of all fillings. Also hot 'picky' food like chicken gougers (as I like to call them), mini spring rolls, cocktail sausages and tinchy quiches.

HOW DO YOU EVEN BEGIN TO POINT THAT STUFF!?

But it is a dilema when eating out at an event like that. What can you eat in a selection like that?

You won't be surprised to know that I tasted everything, a few times, just to make sure they were as nice as they looked!!!

When I was thinking about it afterwards it kinda reminded me of the all you CAN eat buffet in the Garden of Eden. "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil..."
There was great freedom in the restrictions. You can have all this but even though it looks nice... you can't have that one thing.

So had there been 7 types of lettuce and a bucket of zero point soup, chances are I'd still have been chomping on those ol' chicken gougers....

The Credit Crunchie

I couldn't believe the price of my shopping last week. €191. I don't think I have ever spent that much on a weekly shop.

Ok so there were one or two items that were a tad surplice to requirements... Like the salad cutter. A knife has sufficed since the day I discovered lettuce but how and ever.... I digress...

So this week I was determind to spend less. So I wrote my list (as usual...) and kept it to the essentials. But then I got to the shops and realised two things.
1. Rich was in Wexford with the Laser card
2. I'd left the list at home

So I acquired €100 from my sister and headed to St. Bernard the Grocery Dispencer. For some reason though I had left the list, I brought the pen! So I added up all the groceries as I went along on the back of my hand. (You can still see it even though I have scrubbed my hand!) But as I neared the €100 I realised I wouldn't be able to get everything. But there was a great deal on 2 finger kit kats (only 2.5 points) and those Pink and White Wafers are only 60c!!! I mean come on.... they're only 1 point each.

Problem is that by the time I got all the low point goodies I didn't have enough for some of the not-quite-so necessaries. Washing powder etc.

I didn't get the toilet roll either. Rich can get it on Monday. We'll just have to tighten our belts til then :o)

Very Moro-ish

I had a Moro today. mmmmmmmmm yummy! Haven't had one of them in years!! 7 points though!!!!! (Told you I was obsessed) But it was worth it. It's a yum scrum chocolate bar. Although, ALL chocolate is lovely -- except corrib yeuggh!

Why though? Why is chocolate SO lovely? It does actually make me feel better. It was a taste explosion today after the last few weeks of Go-Ahead biccies and WW bars. Nice and all as they are...

What is it about choccie that is so addictive?!

In Allen Carr's book The Easy Weigh to Lose Weight, he describes the process of making chocolate, the merits or not of eating it at all. His tactic seems to be to put us off eating it by describing how bad it is for us and how un natural it is. (His book about giving up smoking does a similar thing.)

And to be honest; it worked... for a while. After reading it the thoughts of eating chocolate made me ill. I even went off coffee for a while.

I had the same experience with white bread after reading the GI book. It describes in detail the process of making white bread and it's a pretty gruesome read! How the heck does it taste so GOOD???? But again after a while it wore off. Sometimes I read the section again -- to remind me the importance of natural and less processed food.

Even though I know it's true; I need to read it again to reinforce it enough to affect my behaviour.

It's a bit like that with God's Word. I know how God wants me to live, I know what His word says about my attitude, behaviour, time, money etc. But I still need to read His word again and again to reinforce it enough to affect my behaviour...

If only I was addicted to reading the Bible. It's very more-ish -- I just need to develop more of a taste for it...

Never eat bread you can see through!

Yes that is one of my bug bears I have to say. I have always had a thing about WW bread. "You get 17 slices for a point Annmarie!!!" Yes but to what advantage?! Have you ever put tomato on it? It has the same effect as if you dipped normal bread into tomato soup.

Except it's cold.

And you've no spoon handy!

But I have to say - low fat bars and crisps etc have come a long way. I remember buying fat free choclate icecream years ago and it waws basically a cola sorbet! ugghggg

Having said that there probably is no substitute for natural unprocessed food. And it's a very biblical concept. When Daniel was offered all the 'rich' food in the royal court he decided that he would not eat it. (Anyone like Veggie Tales???? The bunny, the bunny, yeah I love the bunny.)

Daniel would only eat good food. Vegtables and water! But he was strong, fit and heard great things and did great things for God. Interesting eh?

No McTucky Fried Whopper for him then!

Probably too many points in it anyway...

I'm back.... and I'm on a lose cruise

Well I was right!
I haven't blogged in over a year. And what a year it has been.

My life has taken a turn for the better. And I am grateful to God for the new direction me and my beloved are heading in... but more of that later.

These days my thoughts turn to points. Not reward points from my club card, or 4 points for being caught speeding or even prizes!! which are apparently made of points!!!

No these days I am obsessed (in a healthy way) with weight watchers points.

Being someone of ample plumage I have decided to bite the bullet (the fat free one) and rejoin Weight Watchers. And when I say rejoin I mean for the 3rd time!

It is a real pain to be fat! Or should I say.... really painful!

For years it has defined me. A source of regular lectures from aunties and the reason that Stuart Morell told everyone in his class that he would rather go out with a pregnant cow than go out with me. So I told everyone in my class that Morellier fancied animals and laughed -- but boy it hurt!

And still I have cute little grand-nieces who poke my stomach and ask me what that is if it isn't a baby. I calmly and bravely explain that I eat too much and it's just my belly. But it hurts.

For some reason being fat is unacceptable! Where did my 4 year old grand niece learn that???????? Her mother my niece, loves me and I'm sure doesn't teach her daughter not to grow up to be like 'big fat aunty amo'. So where do they learn it?

My thoughts on the journey have turned to food. Or lack there of.

If you're on a similar journey please leave a comment.

I'd love some company. It's a long road!!!