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!!!