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

my nutritionalist person... she's trying to steel my cheese aparently I eat way too much... or should that be weigh too much - but, heck I've cut back so much on things like cheese already; butter's basically entirely gone now, cept in a few dishes, like risotto, where I use a very small weighed amount because... well because its risotto and it needs* butter but... my supper, which is invariably crackers with cheese, is being reduced on the front.. - I've already done this, but now even moreso.... heck; I've rduced the crackers down already too ... less, for the calory reduction and more for the saturated fat reduction this.... not cheese half fat, low fat, fat free not cheese stuff... it ... really just isn't cheese... but... I'll try... tonihgt was some crackers with not cheese... tomorrow I think Ill try the toast with cottage cheese, which is I seem to recall at least cheese tollerable taste wise . . I used to quite like cottage cheese, actually, just got out of th ehabbit of having it, I think...

had the second day of the beef and borlotti bean and mushroom stew slow cooker ting tonight, this time with bulghur wheet... and... there's still enough fo the stew left, for tomorrow... so that was 6 portions worth afterall, not just the four which means... that stew worked out at something insaine like 160 KCal a portion (not including rice or bulghur to accompany it), so, under 400 KCal including the carbs and, must have worked out dirt cheap per portion; the entire thing only had 250 G of beef (chunk) in it.... and just lots of onion and mushroom, about 400 G mushroom I think, an 300 G onions, plus the garlic, chopped tinned toms, and the borlotti beans lunch today was just fruit and breakfast was the last 60 G of black pudding, with mustard and toast, and tons of mushrooms about 1200 or 1300 KCal for the day, plus about 400 KCal walking earlier on in the day damnit... I really should* be losing weight damnit... - I guess I probably am, but gaining more or equal to the loss, ATM, with muscle gain Must sort out some more clothes soon, that are too big, to recycle back to the charity shops

Early night I think, up 8.30 to take drugs and stuff, and then go to the gym for about 10.30 to meet hte personal trainer

Nutritionalist was V happy today with my reduction in consumption But.... on the other hand, the size 14 skinny fit black leather jeans, now fit easily on my legs.... and I only* need to maybe lose.... another 3" off the waist and they'll fit... err.... no, I honestly can't ever recall ever* having a 28" waist before, but it'll be fun getting down to that, if I ever do (OK this might actually not even be possible.... but I didn't think returning to 32" from over 40" was possible, six months back ) - at this rate I'll have to get my corsets to the charity shop, if I lose much more as they'll be to lose on me actually... thnking of it, not worn a corset in ages, I must try them on soon just in case any are already ready to go to the charity shop - afterall, clearing cupboard and drawer space, does make room for new clothes

Emailed endo nurse this mroning, but no reply yet... must try to ensure they realise they've got to script me the testosterone again... fairly sure I'm getting low on testosterone now, my energy isn't quite at its useual recent level, and a dip like that useualy means something hormonally is gone back off kilter - but I'm not fully into hot flushes yet, though I'm thinking they're quite close again now - next injection of the testosteorne shoudl be a week this Friday I think... < phoned the cardiologist this morning, but didn't get anything useful from her, and didn't get an expected phonecall back with any useful information May phone her again tomorrow...

Still not certain the liquid levo is gona work, the dose I've been set on is so low, assuming it ever gets scripted, and, the smallest concentration, is 25 MCG per 5 ML drawn from the bottle... and my dose is half that.... I have to assume the way of measuring it will actually go down to 2.5 ML and that I can persuade the pharmacist to measur e out 28 doses for me in advance, as I can't see to use a measuring thinggy, to draw up the dose... also can't see any way a dose of 12.5 McG can get my bloods anywhere good, when 75 McG of the tablets never got me properly in the topend of normal range... yeh, I knwo the liquid has better absorbancy, but no t that* better think its bed time now

Do you grate your cheese? And if so, do you use the finest setting on the grater? I tried this recently and I couldn't believe how much further my 20g goes (which is how much I can usually get after I've used some of my dairy allowance as skimmed milk in coffee).

Deb

That's the problem with people these days, especially in the US. People are more than willing to pay extra for pre-grated cheese rather do it themselves. A zip locked bag of grated cheese contains about half of a standard block of cheese and costs much more. We're a society that values convenience over frugality.


MAKE AMERICA GRATE AGAIN!

equally.... - put the 'Great back in Gb.... - supermarkets nowdays... - serously?! and that is teh cheap, or easy way to buy and eat food?! Recently, I seem to have turned into ultra frugal cook, but in reality I'm just getting all* the flavour out of the ingredients in the dish; no ing need to cover it or anything in all those horrid looking pre-made sauces and filling the shelves at the shops My four days worth of slow cooker stewing beef, with mushrooms onions and beans, is now stretching to six meals well, 3 X two meal, for W and I... and that was with, err. a bit over half a poud (250 G) beef chunk from the butchers.... I can't imagine that works out more than maybe 75 pence a portion for the stew, and just some plain rice or bulghur to go with it and no need to resort to the 'cheaper' supermarket versions - I still can't get over the fact you can buy pre-grated cheese nowdays Its just grated cheese is a bit awkward on my nighttime supper crackers, sliced just works easier for that... and I'm not sure I could grate brie

well... I tried one of the low fat/zero fat cheese spread things last night... so thats one big giant fail of a food sort IMO I'd stick to crackers with nothing on, if it was a choice of only that kind of chene at all

Hummus is a good spreadable alternative on crackers and such. And there's a wide variety of flavors.

Hummous! I'd forgotten that exists! I think we'll be hunting for that in the next few days.... I'm pretty sure I recall i Used to like it the last time I had it at least

Over 20 years ago, I went to a week long retreat where the food was vegan. I'd no idea I had to prepare for going vegan, and very quickly found myself suffering from severe stomach- and headaches. It felt as if I was going to die. This all cleared up by the end of the week and I felt absolutely marvellous. I found at the end, I couldn't stomach the smell or taste of milk, and I became a de facto vegan before discovering that I didn't know how to do it properly and became a vegetarian for several years.

I suspect my son may need to come off dairy - well, milk and cheese - I think butter is OK. Difficult because he likes milk and cheese so much – rather like you, I think.

I found some excellent lemon flavoured hummus once. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find it again since

Might try to make my own one day

I *think* I found some like that at Lidl.

You could be right. Lidl or Netto. It was one of those one time offers, I'm afraid

It *was* very nice, though!

OK... We're going to hunt down some flavoured hummous once Ive demolished the pot of cottage cheese (otherwise something won't get eaten in time I thinks) in the meantime trying to manfully finish off the remainder of the tasteless not cheese spread stuff - actually it was more edible last nigt, having it on bread rather than on crackers BoB knows what is in the stuff though... probably worse than saturated full fat cheese IMO

I rarely have milk, as I only have black coffee and tea, but I've always eaten a lot of cheese well, until mid Febuary this year anyhow, when I've reduced it down so much... but still told to reduce more didn't have any cheese yesterday and not today, so far.... did have three pints in th epub last night, but have been for an hour and a bit walk today and the gym is tomorrow, and then again on Friday and Sunday Lunch today was tinned sardines, drained of the oil, with salad and a bit of wholemeal bread dinner will be grilled spiced chicken breast, with probably rice, natural yogart, pickled chillis, and robably a little salad

It's always hard thinking of 'giving something up'. Much better to concentrate on what you can have and enjoy. I cooked some sea bass yesterday with spinach and mash - absolutely delicious!

What was that song with the chorus about things you enjoy, "It's immoral, it's illegal, it will make you fat"?

I got used to drinking black only when I was still w*rking because I could never be sure to find but since I retired I make my own real at home and blend it with hot from the microwave.

I hear it's common for the Sami people in the northenmost Norway, Sweden and Finland to drink their with . I'm not sure I could get used to that. Specifically becase I have no need to try it

its horrible enough with milk! and I've not had it with milk since... err... dunno.... about 30 years ago I always prefered it black; I just really love the tast eof coffee, and,now, of tea, too, and as thats the taste I love, I don't see the need to add cow udder exudates to it Used to occasionally enjoy glass of cold but not had that in ages... hot choc I occasionally used to have too or rather coco

Hrrah! - was in the gym, today, discovered the exercise that left my arms aching so much th epast two days; the weird 'shrug' action whilst holding the bar at arms length, behind my back... - so, I guess that's a good exercise as those muscles obviously found it a strain.... so I did 100 reps of that today, plus 5 sets each of squats, inclined bench press, bench press, bicep curls, each set of 20 reps with the 20 KG bar, then did my useual stint in the climbing frame; leg raises, leg lifts, dips, pullups, and suchlike lots and lots of stretching inbetween bits (to hopefuly not ache too much tommorrow), then did 15 minutes on the exercise bike one hour fifteen minutes total time working out in the gym more than useual

Tomorow is a proper* gym day though; with my personal trainer so should get to do some hard stuff Must try get some more reverse flys in too, as I'm sure that is the other part of my aching arm areas and back, today (before the gym)

went off to an LGBT meeting ting tnight, a group trying to organise a local pride event.... some good ideas, but too much 'oranisational stuff', as in, seems more concerened with settin gup the comettee than anything else so doubt W and me will be offering to help out on that side of things - though there were a few good ideas admist all the wafle home late, so a late dinner; pasta with some greek fetta like cheese (which was actually Turkish I think), salad, and grilled wild salmon

Lunch was a kinda salad thing; spicey coated grilled chicken breast (that I cooked yesterday), in a bowl, with shreaded lettuce, cucumber, plain low fat yoghurt, and pickled chillies breakfast was boiled eggs with some toast

just did a few sets of pushups, as I was on the floor... err... that doesn't sound right - I was doing some yoga like stretches, to my back, and as I was 'down there' figured I might as well do some push ups

Still no reply from endocrine nurse. about my testosterone injection.

Still not any prescription of the liquid levothyroxin.

Still no reply from cardiology.

Still no informatiom back about the X-ray I had done on my fractured spine.

At least I've got the gym to keep me insaine ATM

oh! and oh! my new dress arrived!

Fabulus......

blue (a colour I don't have much of), velvet, ankle length, side split, and with beading al down the front, in the patturn of a tree, or plant, or soemthing

and... somewhat lose fitting, even though its a size down from my useual dress size - I looked wildly overdressed this evening, apparently; compaired to the lesbians who were there... I know its sterotyping... but... one was in dungerees.... anogher in jeans and a baggy jumper etc., etc., and I got to take the mic out of my favorate lesbien who was there, the research scientist one, as she came out of the building we were in, she didn't know which way to go... W and I knew the way, and showed her... and she was trying to go in the exactly opposite direction, to find her bike.... - so ... I might have just mentioemd that 'its true women just have no sense of direciton'..... she luckily* did find it funny, as I knew s she would knwo I was just joking.... which is just as well, as I'm pretty sure she would win in a fight with me I like her... she drinks pints...

But... this new dress is gorgeous.... and... only cost £5 on EBay looks basically brand new too; not even removed the silly extra hanging it by bits, in the armpits err, they've probably got a name lesibian,

Don't they have tea with rancid butter milk in Tibet?

Those long dangly bits for hanging the dress on the hanger. I don't know what they're called either but they're a blasted nuisance. I tend to cut them out.

Yepk I cut them out too... sometimes blouses have them in as well, and also on some skirts - I think all they're for, is to make the clothing 'look nice' when its on a hanger in the shop

... and they don't look so nice when they hang out when you wear them!

Absolutely not! and I've managed to do that a few times, having forgotten to remove them before heading out in a new dress or top There's an aweful lot more to have to think about, when wearing female clothing - hence I do often just throw on a pair of jeans and a top when my brain is just too much of a mush to figure out what I want to wear, and waht matches with what - though I do feel wildly under-dressed now, if I'm not in a proper dress, or skirt and top/blouse with leggins or tights or stockings which reminds me, I must shave my legs again tonight - I still can't get them as smooth with a razor as the chemo medicaitons did maybe I oughta try waxing

You can buy little machines to tackle leg hairs. They have rotating disks which come together to pull out the hairs. They're actually quite good, and if you use them regularly, it doesn't hurt as much. I don't know if the hairs get weaker, and thus easier to remove, or if you become inured to the pain.

How do you manage your wardrobe to do matching?