h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

19 Lb that is.
now being the amount of weight I've lost, since starting the dieting thing, round about the 14th Febuary - I'm kinda impressed to be honest that its worked so well, just restricting calories down to 1500 per day, for a while, then since a month or so back increasing that to 1700 a day, still seem sto give a pretty constant 2 Lb a week loss, - have added in more activity, not least since I stopped the levothyroxin poisen that I've just been able to get out of bed every day and leave the house every day, so even if its only 20 minutes walking a day, to and fro the shops, or pub, at least it is activty, plus of course the circuit training, and now also the gym

A pair of skinny fit legging/trouser type things suddenly fit! - think I bought those last year, and they were way too tight on my legs, and also on my waist... now they're just right for my legs, (maybe a bit lose in places), and if anything, slightly on the cusp of being too lose on the waist also, a dress I got from teh charity shop last week (maybe the week before); was a tiny* bit too snug fitting when I got it... now fits perfect - its a size smaller than I normall go for (a size UK 22, as opposed to a UK size 24 or 26)

Was out last night to drinks with the local LGBT group which was fun, interesting conversations about music recording, moovies, and Berlin and travel, and Heathrow airport (oh and comuting and trains to London as per useual) had five pints of beer, but I'd allowed for that in that days calories (for four pints), and had two pints of spare caloires from the previous day today used up all the calories with food

went out earlier, luckily just before the rain started, to buy some food.... went to the international supermarekt, so got to have a nice walk through the wildlife area in the Victorian cematory opposie the house here....

got cucumber, avocado, fennel tea, tomatos, and a Turkish White cheese, that looked interesting, (think its just got 'whhite cheese' written on it'), and also got a pack of Polish cheese from there (err.. the one called something like 'Castle' we think) which we've had before

- seem to have lost all the weight I put on in Berlin, plus an extra 2 Lb, since getting back.... - do seem to have been passing an aweful lot more water since the trip, so some weird water retention thing ?

Had been feeling a lot ill since the trip, low blood sugars, light headed, feeling like I'm about to pass out, dizzy, - all symptoms of low cortisol (but could be a million and one other things), so have increased steroids a bit the past few days, but today feel more back to my useual self (and the crushing fatigue and muscle weakness has just vanished today too) - a lot more normal level of backgroudn brain fog and sensory halllucinations which is always nice - I know reality is overrated, but one does kind of vaguely have to live in it afterall - still getting odd bouts of feeling cold, which could easily just be my low nothing thyroid levels, or possibly low cortisol as well (low cortisole causing low BG can do that I think)

Oh, and don't think I've mentioned, in the past few weeks, my hair has suddenly had a growth supurt - I'd cut it a few times since August 2015, after radiotherapy and chemo had finished, to tidy it up then, and then I just wanted it short for a while, not having had short hair since I was a young kid... cut it last year, I think, a bit befor ethe wedding, and don't think I'v ehad a hair cut since then... - its pretty much at the 'very annoying' stage now, too short to put back in a band, but long enough to go all over my face - I think I may try grow it back again, afterall; I've got a lot more hairs per square inch of scalp now, post chemo, than I had before; its so much thicker and just differnt feeling hair to how it used to be; not just more hair strands per sq inch of scalp, but possibly 'thicker' individual hairs - plus the chemotherapy seems to have at least partially cured the scarring alopecha I had in one area of the scalp, from head opps back in 1993 - not that I'd recomend chemotherapy particularly in order to improve hair quality

getting later than I thought it was... really should go jump in a bath of boiling water with a mixture of gorgeous smelling scented, oiled moisturising things in it (plus a few more clothes I wanna try on after bathing.... - that I've not worn for over two years I think... (this is kinda exciting))

It's so nice to see more food and bath products in your journals again because of how much better you seem to be feeling. I nearly used the word normal there, but stopped myself just in time

Deb

<biggrin. pah. normal..... - I reject normal

gosh... was bowling last night.... my 12 Lb bowling ball.... not overly light.... - its half a stone lighter than the amount of weight I've lost so far! that just.... seems so weird!

ouch..... bowling last night, and gym yesterday morning.... slept so well last night, but now... so aching on my shoulders and bits of my legs - and circuit training a bit later this afternoon.... Trying to do some stretching now, get a few more bits of me arms moving like they should... especially my shoulders

Breakfasted on two giant flat mushrooms, grilled, and then put 30 grams of the Turkish white chese into teh 'open' side of the flat mushrooms, and melted that, whilst the two rashers of thick cut back bacon grilled - no bread, so only 330 KCal and so tasty these flat mushrooms from the local veg stall up the road are so good, and really do point out how totally tasteless supermarket mushrooms are; I've heard a rumour that most supermarket mushrooms get frozen at some part of their journey from being grown to ending up on the shops shelves.... that might explain why they're so tasteless but we've a couple of really decent veg stalls nearby, plus the shop nextdoor who buys all his veg from a London market every morning, and then we've the Turkish supermarekt not far away, plus the international supermarket that supurb veg really oughta go try stretch my back and shoulders out a bit supbur

I always forget to ask you about those mushrooms. But not this time!

What are they called? Portobello? Or something almost but not entirely different?

You see I will try to catch some over here, if I can.

I have already been on the lookout for duck's eggses, but for some strange reason they seem to be as uncommon over here as they are common over there.

I blame the white mice. It's a conspiracy I tell you! A vital part of the huge experiment I shouldn't wonder

I shall go for a walk in my hamster wheel while you contemplate my questions, hypotheses and theories

ahh... not sure on the mushrooms; these are, according to the veg stall label next the box, "large flat local mushrooms", - I think portabello are differnt, as are ... the other ones that the name of which excapes me... - I've not had duck eggs in ages!; though yes, its the same veg stall who has them, but I do still get hen eggs from him most of the time - I was quite disapointed though, when I had a goose eg.... yeh it was big, but not as nice a flavour I thought as the duck eggs....

I spend way too much time thinking about food - earlier I was considering differnt flours and heather or not one could make things like pastry from differnt flours to regular wheat, to make it lower cal... like using rice flour, or rye or... something... still not sure... maybe gram/chickpea flour might work, not sure... may try experiment at some point!

Please your mushrom pusher about those large flat ones, please?

Please *ask* your mushroom pusher is what I meant to say

Yep, was thinking I'd do that myself, he oughta know what variety they are... unless they can just get ordinary closed cap style mushrooms left to grow bigger... not sure... will ask him next time we're there to buy more.... err... probably next week now, sometime I guess

Sort of, yes.

Your standard white button mushrooms are the same type of mushrooms as "portabella", just a different strain. Portobello mushrooms, common mushrooms, button mushrooms, white mushrooms, swiss brown mushrooms, roman brown mushrooms, cremini mushrooms are all variants of an original species a Pennsylvania farmer found in his mushroom beds and cultivated.


You can buy kits to grow your own mushrooms like shitake

Yep--a friend of PaperKid's got an oyster mushroom kit as a trial "pet"--Phil was delicious!

Oh, and I should point out that the shiitake mushrooms grow out holes drilled in branches or logs, not .

I should set up a mushroom growing area in our loft or something.... we eat so many had some button mushrooms tonight, in with the bulghur wheet pilaf, along with the sausages (old smokey sausages from the local butcher), and onion and garlic, and various seeds and herbs

didn't sleep at all last night not sure why... maybe took the final steroid of the day a bit late, plus the long nap in the afternoon was probably way too long
Went to the gym, anyhows.... about 40 - 50 minutes on the bike today plus rowing machine about 400 Kcal burnt - slightly more calories than I'd eaten for breakfast with my morning steroids woke me up anyhow

Came homw for then showered, then walked into town and visited the bank and got a few other things, including some stuff to make lunch.... had quiche for lunch, with a large salad, then a short nap after the shower and eating Just had dinner, new potatos, green beans and smoked haddock, grilled and even adding on the crackers and cheese for supper later, I'm about 800 KCal under the goal for the day (not including/subtracting the exercise calories, which includes the gym plus about 40 minutes walking in total) - I'll probably try carry over these calories.... out tomorrow night for a meal with the LGBT group, then to a pub after