Good Morning and welcome to a New Year.

Let's make ourselves a promise that this time next year although we will still be visiting this thread to offer support, we won't be living up to the name of it. This year will be the year that we break out of the 100+ club.

Come on girls (and guys ) we can and we will do this

Morning All

I have a soft spot for this thread and often come in to see how you all are. This was my "safe" place when I first started and it was great to have support from folks who really knew what it was like to have a good bit of weight to lose.

I just wanted to wish you all the very best for 2010 xx

Morning

Well said the both of you

Happy New Year sisters

Making soup later for tomorrow, then its onwards and downwards, come on lets make this our year

Morning Ladies

Just poping in to say 'Happy New Year' and wish you all the best for 2010.

As you know like Jaci this was my 'safe place' too when I first started on the boards, and I will continue to come back and say Hello and see how you are all doing.

Laura xxxx

Nice to see you all

Just made myself a nice new ticker for the new year.

It should have been weigh day today but I decided not to step on the scales as I know the gain would be horrible and depress me. Going to start pepping again from Monday and weigh in next Friday, hopefully by then the damage will be reduced somewhat.

Morning Sisters

Boy!! my arms are aching from clearing the ice/snow from driveway yesterday, but at least it was a wee bit of exercise

Just wondering if I will take a trip into Tesco, my poor car hasn't been out since Christmas Eve

Have a good Saturday

Morning Sisters, well it's blooming freezing down here but thankfully no snow.

Went to sainsburys today and resisted all the chocolates and cakes that they had reduced. Went to twon afterwards for a wander round the shops but they were just full of rubbish Came home empty handed but with money in my purse

OH has just gone out so I'm about to snuggle on the sofa and watch mindless TV, enjoy Saturday xx

Afternoon folks
Is it ok to join you ladies as I have loads to lose and would like some company to try and help me on my way. Hopefully 2010 can be a good year for us all.

I have managed to be very good so far today and hoping to have a PEP perfect day today. I have been reading the PEP again but find it really hard to plan things. Any help welcome!

Mairi

Lovely to have you with us Mairi

Hi Mairi and welcome to the sisterhood

I'm dreading weigh in, have gained about a stone and a half (incl hols earlier in Dec)

Fresh start January lasses, need to work out when I can get back to class

Morning Folks
Well I actually managed to have a good PEP day yesterday! First one for 2 months! I am for some reason actually looking forward to wi on Tuesday as it lets me know the damage and then I can get on with losing it. Have a great day everyone.

Mairi

Afternoon ladies Well done Mairi

Looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow, class is Friday, joining a new one so its a total fresh start, need a group nwith more locl classes to fit in with my shifts so I don't end up missing a class or paying double for one because of my shift work. On nights tomorrow and Tuesday so may not be around much.

Have a good one

Afternoon

Cleared snow once again this morning then went to Tesco the store was very, very, quiet expected it to be a lot busier than it was Don't think people realised they were open from 6am Bought a good selection of veggies, I'm guilty, IN THE PAST, of not having my 5 a day so, trying hard to change that Just need to make a start with the exercise, OH back to work tomorrow, so I am going to get the Wii dusted off

Hope you all have a good rest of Sunday

Afternoon ladies, hope your having a good Sunday.

I've just given in to temptation and had a sausage baguette and it was bl**dy horrible, serves me right for being a

Looking forward to getting some kind of order back into my life from tomorrow.

Night all, sleep well and dream of getting to target this year

Morning all, first day of fresh start for me.

I dread to think how much I've put on, I was going to have a sneaky weigh in but decided to wait until Friday, that way any gain should be minimised - I Hope!!

First day back at work toda but it's just for 2 hours, see you later

Morning Sisters

Gawd!!! it was like getting a child all ready for first day at school this morning OH starting at a new place of work today, RAF Kinloss instead of RAF Lossiemouth. Had to make sure he had all his pens, folder, ID card, packed lunch (PEP friendly of course), mobile etc etc, he even got a new pair of boots as I said, just like a big kid Peace and quiet for a few hours, can get caught up in the house now

Have a good Monday

My aren't we early birds this morning

Day 1 today sisters, just had weetabix and banana.

I'm staying in bed today before my nightshift tonight, going to catch up on all the sleep I lost over the past two weeks ~ wish I had lost as much weight lol

Making a quorn chilli or bolognese when I decide to get up to take to work with me tonight.

Enjoy your day

Enjoy your day in bed Paula, I'm not at all jealous grrrrrrrr

Audrey, know what you mean about getting the OH ready, mine's been off for almost two weeks and last night was a case of getting his boots warmed , finding new gloves and hat, sorting out his bike and packing his lunch, was quite glad when he left this morning to get a couple of hours peace before I go to school.

Day has staretd well, helathy breakfast and got the bed stripped and in the wash, hope the day goes well for all of us

Morning Sisters

Hope your night shift went OK Paula
Is your school not affected by the weather AG? lots of schools up here are closed today, and this is supposed to be their first day back

More snow to clear this morning more exercise

Have a good Tuesday

Morning Sisters

No snow down here at the moment Audrey, although it is forecast for later on Really hope we don't get any I'd rather be at work than coping with the snow!

Hope you had a good night Paula, a nice sleep today.

Yesterday went to plan apart from two Ferrero Rochers that managed to sneak themselves into my mouth Today is all planned though, bag is ready for work with lunch and snacks and a lovely chicken stew all ready to reheat for tonight.

Morning

We have snow in Kilbarchan this morning and roads not gritted. Managed to have another good day yesterday and have even managed to bring my lunch in with me today which is a miracle. I am going to class at lunchtime to face the music and find out how much I have put on over my month and a half break. Oh AG two Ferrero Rochers sounds yummy! You did well as I would have eaten the box .

Have a great PEP day folks!

Mairi

Morning Mairi, I wasn't being good only having two Ferrero Rochers - that was all that was left in the box. If there'd been more then I would probably have eaten them as well

Well just back from wi and the damage wasnt as bad as I had expected I had only put on 4 1/2 lbs which isnt bad for a month and a half off eating what I wanted. Takes me ages to lose 1lb but going to try my hardest this week. So hard as there is a box of M&S biscuits and the dreaded Ferrero Rochers at the tea point and I am managing so far to ignore them AG

Hello ladies!

Fell off the wagon a few weeks ago now (hubby taken into hospital unexpectedly, Christmas, blah, blah, blah) but am determined to seriously get back into PEPing again. Have put a bit on but am drawing a line under it and starting fresh again today. First day back after the holidays and, dare I say, I am actually quite glad to get back into some sort of routine again . Mairi, I know what you mean about the temptations at work! So many folk have brought in their Christmas leftovers and wafting choccie tins around is just not what I need! I really need to stop being a martyr and just be happy with my lot today.

I've had weetabix and milk and have just had some veggie chilli and rice in a wrap for lunch and am having some fruit for afters . Not so bad really. Has anyone any other ideas for hot (microwaveable) veggie lunches? Can't bear the thought of salad on days like today !

Good to be back and to see familiar names and some new ones for me too!

Love, Kiramnut xx

Hello!

Icy here too but not so snowy that I could take the day off bah!

My boss has twice made comments about my food this week " that's a lot of soup", "no more of those!" (i was eating my snack of about 20 wasabi peas - they are healthy! Maybe they were too crunchy. Am very conscious of my size and obviously so is he! Ah well, can't say i blame him.

Kiramnut, hello, veggie lunch ideas - the SS chickpea and spinach curry is nice. Today i had a huuuge bowl (as my boss pointed out) of curried squash and sweet potato soup. I like spicy in this weather!

Curried squash and sweet potato soup sounds lovely, do you have the recipe?

Ooops - obviously you have the recipe, what I meant was would you please share it

I didn't have a recipe - here's an approximation

A squash (onion- or spaghetti-squash - look like wee green pumpkins - is what I use, but butternut would do)
2 tablespoons curry powder (i like it spicy)
2 or 3 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 sweet potatoes

I used a small green squash - either onion or spaghetti squash. (But you could use butternut, and if you use that you could just peel de-seed and cut up.)
Chopped top off spaghetti squash as it is too hard to peel, scooped out seeds - knob of butter or low fat spread inside, black pepper, nutmeg, salt - put top back on and bung in micro till insides are cooked and floury, about 15 mins. (BNS doesn't go floury but has the benefit of being a free vegetable, onion-squash is more starchy and is probably not a free veg)
Fry onions and curry powder in oil till soft, then add garlic and cook through.
Scoop out cooked squash and add to pot
Add about 3 pints chicken stock. Taste it and add more curry powder and seasoning if needed.
Peel and chop sweet potato in small pieces bung in pot and cook till soft. Taste it and season again if you need to.
Mash with a tattie champer for a nice chunky soup, or liquidise for a smooth. I like chunky

Thanks for the recipe, will be making myself a pot full at the weekend, will be good to take to work for lunch

That sounds lovely, Lisino . Will defo give that a try!

Have just made a batch of the mushroom soup that's in the small SS soup book and although a wee bit watery (I didn't have quite enough mushrooms in mine), it is really nice (2 checks in each portion though). My goodness, I am getting all Nigella these days what with learning to cook as well!

Had a horrible experience at work yesterday and I am still blushing when I think about it. Somehow I fell over a box which someone had left at the side of my desk and went head first into the coatstand, landing on one of my knees and keeling over onto my back. This was all in full view of everyone in the office. I felt like a huge, big, beached whale flailing about trying to get back up. I was in absolute agony but you know what it's like, you try to pretend there's nothing wrong just to try to maintain some kind of dignity. I've got a huge bruise on my knee and one on my chest where the umbrella holder stabbed me. I'm burning with the shame of it even now .

Anyway, just thought I'd share that with folks who might have a wee giggle but will maybe understand how mortifying it was! Back at work again tomorrow and will just try to make light of it.

Hope everyone's doing well and not suffering too much in this lovely weather!

Love, Kiramnut xx

Oh Kiramnut, that sounds so painful, hope you're feeling ok today

Sisters, where are you? Missing you all

Hi Folks

How is everyone today? Hope your feeling better today Kiramnut and that your are on the mend. Well I managed another good day yesterday. I even made a Shepherds Pie last night for tonights dinner and another one for the freezer. I hope my motivation keeps up this year.

It is so cold today. I cant wait for the light nights.

Mairi

Afternoon Sisters

Quite a good start for me 4lbs off shovelling all the snow obviously helped

Woo hooo! Well done Audrey!

Kiramnut I am feeling your pain!

Well done for having a good day Mairi

Hello AG and Paula xxx

afternoon one and all

Still snowy but if it makes you lose 4lbs I'm off to shovel it all away Seriously though, well done Audrey, what a fantastic start

Morning ladies.

Thanks for the kind words and support. Am still a bit bruised but managed to have a laugh at work about it yesterday. I really should stop taking everything so seriously.

Fantastic news about your weight loss, Audrey ! You're a real inspiration for those of us starting again after the Christmas excesses! Well done, Mairi too, you're so organised! I am going to try making one thing a week from scratch and making extra like you, Mairi, to stick in the freezer.

What's this weather like??? Is it bad where everyone else is? It was soooo cold this morning and my heating timer didn't come on as expected, then sat on a frozen bus (why does the heating only work on buses in the summer?) and then came in to the office where someone had turned the thermostat down to zero yesterday. Baltic! Now office is surrounded by freezing fog outside. It looks like a scene from a Sherlock Holmes film out there!

Have a good day all. Love, Kiramnut xx

Morning Kiramnut, weather sounds awful just started snowing again here, really fed up with it now

Paula, where are you hiding, if it's in bed then get out, I'm jealous Hope you are ok

Confession time - put on 3½lbs when I got weighed this morning, dread to think what it would have been if i'd got weighed last Friday

Off to work soon, a whole 3 hours today! Hope you have a good Friday

Morning

How is everyone today apart from freezing? Well done Audrey on your loss thats great. AG nevermind at least you know what the damage is and you can get some off by next week.

I had to go to the dentist to get stitches out last night so due to my mouth being sore I didnt eat a lot and managed to save 10 checks for the weekend. Pity they couldnt stitch my mouth together

Anyone got anything exciting planned for the weekend? I have nothing planned and I am trying to think what I can do with my wee boy as I normally walk and he goes on his wee bike but with this weather not possible.

Have a great day everyone.

Mairi

I have got a big huge telly being delivered today so will be watching that this weekend while i do ironing. Rock n Roll!

Nothing exciting this weekend Normal shopping and housework how boring :-(

Do plan to get my SS books out though and re-read everything and hopefully plan some meals.

Afternoon Sisters

OH had a day off today, as he starts 12 hour shifts tomorrow, so he took me for the weekly shopping my poor car hasn't moved since Christmas Eve I have been defrosting it every morning though The main road (A96) was OK, in fact, it was quite quiet for 9am in the morning, it's usually full of commuter traffic, but I guess everyone is staying at home. I think we have been quite lucky (if you can call it that) with the snow falls, not nearly as much as "up country" or "out and about" enough to keep me shovelling though

At least you know where you "start" now AG did you get "fractions" using your new laptop? it doesn't work on mine for some reason

Planning on getting "caught up in the house" whilst OH is working over the weekend, then I can keep quiet on Monday & Tuesday whilst he is "sleeping off" night shift

Have a good rest of Friday

Lovley to see you Audrey

We've got the shopping to tackle tomorrow, if there is any food on the shelves. Apparantely as fast as it gets delivered it's snatched away from people stock piling it

Whatever happens there's food in the freezer and cupboards (not all pep friendly but it's there if we need it) so we won't starve.

Morning Sisters

More snow wasn't expecting it as it was very frosty last night, had to clear round OH's car so he could get to work (he left at 6am) I tried to be as quiet as possible for the neighbours He got to work okay, said the main road (A96) was quite good, and that it was raining where he is

I have to go back into town this morning bought Mum some Arrowroot biscuits (like rich tea) yesterday, they are out of date November 2009, December I could understand, what with Christmas etc, but NOVEMBER, not acceptable

Hope the snow isn't affecting you too much, stay warm and have a good Saturday

Morning Audrey, hope you get on ok in town - stay away from the cake shops I'm only venturing to Sainsburys then having a lovely lazy weekend.

Did lots of housework last night, only the hoovering left to do (didn't think the neighbours would appreciate the noise of my cleaning that late ) and OH has volunteered to do that this morning so it;s shopping and then relax, what a perfect Saturday.

Whatever you're all doing hope you enjoy it.

Afternoon Sisters

Had a brilliant way of relieving stress last night I wanted to flatten tenderise the chicken breasts I was going to cook for tea. I don't have a proper meat tenderiser so I was thinking of what I could use, went out to the garage for a look and saw my OH's "persuader" If any of you are old enough to remember Ground Force with Alan Titchmarsh, Charlie Dimmock and builder Tommy Walsh well, Tommy used to use one, to "encourage" paving slabs its a rubber mallet/hammer thingy, so you can guess it's a bit heavier than a normal meat tenderiser by the time I was finished you could "see through" the fillet it WAS tasty though

Night at the TV methinks, Dancing on Ice is back yippee!!

Have a good rest of Sunday

I like your stlye Audrey - chicken you WILL be tender

You'll be pleased to know that I'm warm now, amazing what an hour under the duvet with a book does for your blood

I was just wondering if you give yourself a little reward each time you reach your mini goal?