Good news and Experimentation

Went to see Katie today, and feel very proud that I only gained 2 pounds over the whole Christmas period! I have also had an epiphany whilst watching the hairy bikers/dieters last night. It felt so nice to see others who had the same problems with food, but found a fab way of being clever with their food choices. It really has given me the motivation to up my game, and keep going with the hard work.
One of my favourite recipes from yesterday was the lasagne. Instead of using pasta sheets, they used leeks! It is ingenious ideas like that I need, so that I can still enjoy food and not feel like I'm missing out.
I got given a brilliant book for Christmas, giving me brilliant inspiration for new healthy, yet tasty recipes.
As I have the week off, I thought I had might as well try out some recipes whilst I have the free time to.
I am getting the whole family involved (including my Mr. Fussy :P), and hopefully they will like the recipes too. For me, I find getting everyone involved gives you the support you need when you are feeling low, frustrated, or craving certain foods.

This was dad's portion, so there
was more couscous

Tonight, I made sticky chicken with mango couscous. Really easy recipe, and nice and quick. Handy if you don't have much time to prepare a dish. It could also be altered in different ways to bring variety.
Not sure what to try for the rest of the week, but I'm sure I will find some more brilliant ideas from the book, online, and from family and friends.
If you have any ideas, let me know! x

Catching up and a new year

So I went to Berlin for the Christmas markets, and had a fabulous time with good friends.
Was pleasantly surprised that they had gluten free bread at my hotel, and felt fine, so will be trying gluten free and see how I get on.
My main worry was that dreaded seatbelt. I ended up easily putting it on, with room to tighten it as well, which really was a great boost.
Over Christmas and new year, I have definitely relaxed my eating, and felt much better for it within myself. I have tried to up my water intake, hopefully that will counteract some of the rich foods Christmas brings with it.
My first appointment with Katie this new year is tomorrow. I am expecting a gain after Christmas, so won't beat myself up about it, as I know that I can lose it just as easily again.
I will be able to get back to Zumba this week as well, which will be tough to start with. I am definitely looking forward to the challenge though.
Haven't made any new years resolutions this year, but hope that I can carry on my progress throughout this year.
Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year, and hope this year brings you joy and happiness.

Preparing for a Relaxing Christmas

Well I've had a little break from the blog at the moment. Life has been so busy, and I hadn't seen Katie for three weeks to be able to update with progress.
I have also been feeling down at the moment. I think with winter setting in, and not really seeing any daylight, it really does drag you down.
When I saw Katie on Friday, I told her how I've been feeling, and she just said to enjoy myself, and enjoy Christmas, and I'll see her in the new year.
I feel so much better knowing that I have the nod so to speak, and whilst I won't be going mad, I will be able to relax a bit.
What really did hit home to me though was a new thought process with food. 'Do I really need it?' and 'Is it worth it?' are new phrases I will use with food. Now I can visibly see the improvement in my body it is even more relevant.
I have also reached one of my goals I started out with, to feel more comfortable with the aeroplane seatbelt.
I will be going on my trip to Berlin next Friday, and don't need to worry about that anymore.
My visits to Katie will be changing too. I will be coming in every other week now, and will have my measurements taken as well, so if I haven't lost weight, I can still see I might have lost inches.
For now though, I will be looking forward to the Christmas party, and being with friends and family at one of my favourite times of year.
Maybe the odd bit of stollen too... :p

Catching up and being a loser again

It really has been too long since I have blogged, so will fill you in!

-I now have my degree in music (II:i), which I am very proud of, and have made some brilliant music friends/contacts in the process.

-I have a full driving licence, making life sooo much easier!

-Went on holiday with my Dad and brother to Turkey (

-And of course, that Ice Bucket Challenge!

My biggest change though, has been quite recent. I have been seeing two ladies at my doctors regarding my weight. This was after I had a bad run in with my doctor, who decides that every problem I have is because I am fat, and my boyfriend (who she has never met) is a feeder who "likes to keep his chubby girlfriend chubby".

Not very nice.

The girls who have been helping me, Chloe, and now Katie, have been the complete opposite- supportive, caring and give me good tips foodwise. They have made me keep a food diary, which I recommend to everyone, because you don't truly realise what you eat until you write it down!

After about 2 months(ish) I have lost 10 lbs, and feel so proud of myself!

I am quite nervous about my weigh in tomorrow though- went out to eat with the work girls last Friday, went away for the weekend, and had a takeaway this Friday, so not my healthiest, hopefully going back to Zumba after the summer break, with a fair amount of walking helped to combat that. Either way, I am starting to feel better with myself, and happier, and lucky to have my loved ones there supporting me every step of the way.

My next goal is to feel better about the seatbelt on a plane. It seems a bit of a strange goal to have, but I feel I really need to believe in myself more, and believe what the scales are telling me. 

I had such a panic when I went away on holiday last time about the seatbelt fitting, I couldn't really properly get excited about the flight and the trip for worrying about the seatbelt. 

My next trip away is to Berlin in December for the Christmas markets, and don't want to feel like that again. I'm enough of a worrywort as it is!

Also, I don't want to ruin my friends' trip with me harping on about the seatbelt of all things.

Hopefully we'll be too excited by the markets, and the Christmas atmosphere :D

Who wouldn't be excited to drink mulled wine/hot chocolate and go shopping???

So here goes..!

An Interesting Christmas...

Well, what an interesting Christmas in the Palmer household!
Christmas day was lovely- calm and peaceful. Starting off with church at 10am,  (I didn't make it to midnight mass due to me being a wuss) then epic lunch at the woodpecker with my Uncle and grandad (I prepared for this occasion, waay too excited for food this year!) to then get back round to ours for present opening.
We then had a new addition to our tradition this year, in the evening we went round to Grampy's house to see dad's side of the family. I was rather sceptical about seeing both sides of the family in one day, but surprisingly it was fine.
Boxing day however...
Dad was complaining of chest pains when he was driving me to work, called the ambulance when he got back home. Virtually straight after I went on shift I got sent home to be with my family. Went straight to the hospital to wait for dad in the ambulance, to then be in there for multiple hours.
I honestly thought in the beginning I was going to lose my dad.
After a couple of hours I realised he would of been rushed into theatre or put in a special unit if he was considered serious.
He came home this morning at 1:20 by a good church friend of ours, with what seems to be a cracked/fractured rib or two, and apparently some serious indigestion.
The doctor did notice some irregularity in his heart, so he is going in for a test, but I think what I am most annoyed about is their communication, or lack of it.
When I got to the hospital they had no idea where he was. A consultant came over when dad got in to majors unit, said that dad had a clot in his lung with no explanation at all, to then after some time get taken to MAU. The nurses then didn't tell us any information, we didn't find out about the planned 9:30 blood test for ages, and when I explained our family situation to a nurse, they said if he can go home tonight they'll put him in a taxi.
 I rung up the doctor to ask what was going on (the time they said they would know the results had very much been and gone) to then be told he was going to be sent home, giving one of three reasons for the chest pain (so they didn't know for sure what was going on inside my dad's body.)
I am sure that these doctors and nurses know what they are doing, but I felt that we were left. I was worried sick about my dad the whole time, (ditto dad) and that didn't get brought into account (with the exception of a very kind paramedic, who explained their procedure to me and not to worry about why he was taking so long to get to hospital.)
All it would of taken was a nurse to come over a short time after dad got into MAU to explain what would be going on and why.
I am so grateful that dad is home, that we got so much support from our friends and family, and that they hopefully have worked out the problem, but I just wanted dad and I to be treated like worried humans who needed an explanation, and dad to be treated a bit less than a waste of a hospital bed.
I know there are so many amazing, kind, caring nurses and doctors, some I know personally. I feel that these minority who don't care, let down the others. These people do amazing work every single working day of their lives. When my nan was in ITU, I was ringing up to see what was going on, and when I rushed to get there when nan died, the doctors and nurses were so kind. You could really tell that these nurses truly cared for their patients, and I'm sure the doctors did too.
I hope that if I have to be in hospital again (for whatever reason) that the nurses and doctors would just explain what is going on, like the amazing doctors and nurses did for me in ITU with my nan.
All I will focus on now is getting dad better, and to sort out the house for our party on the 30th. I hope that everyone who reads this post has had a wonderful, healthy Christmas, and will have a happy, if slightly drunken new year. x