Welcome!

Hi everyone thought I would start this blog to keep track of the bits & bobs I get up to each day. I am a stay at home mum with 3 children who are in their teens & twenties. I have had Chronic Lyme Disease for at least 14 years if not more. I am constantly trying to improve my condition. I am a great fan of moneysavingexpert.com and have discovered a few ways of upping my income without too much effort

Saturday 30 June 2012

30th June 2012 by Linda Graham

Today is weigh in day.  Sooo disappointed to find I have stayed the same, really  thought I'd lost some this week.   At least I haven't gained any.  I have lost 0.5" from my waist and 0.5" from my hips so the callanetics are working. Must keep plodding on.

Off to Lidl today to see what bargains can be had.   The email newsletter says they have sausages at half price so may stock up on those.

Menu

B: bakewell porridge
L: 4 egg Indian omelette. Nectarine
D: Spicy prawns & salad.  Kiwi fruit

Have decided I'm going to attempt some different recipies next week.

I got 3 pks of the  74p sausage, and 2 pks of 99p kippers., plus a variety of veg.  Did pretty well seeing has I only had £15 in my purse. The freezer is absolutely full!

Managed 20 mins of callanetics today.

Friday 29 June 2012

22nd June 2012 - My Diet by Linda Graham




I am always battling with my weight which as continued to pile on since the birth of my 3rd child 15 years ago.  Having Lyme Disease (LD) makes it difficult to exercise.  I have recently discovered I am lactose intolerant and I am gluten free because it helps with the LD.   Two years ago I went on an elimination diet and totally cut out sugar which was very beneficial for me.  Stupidly last Christmas when I was feeling sorry for myself  I caved in and started eating some of the Christmas chocolate lying around.  Since then it has been a struggle to get back to a sugar free diet.   This time I do not want to do totally sugar free but want to include fruit as I think this will be healthier.   For the last month I have been working towards a low carbohydrate diet.   When first diagnosed with LD I was advised to go on a diet high in protein & vegetables and low in carbohydrate but I have not really adopted that until now.    On this blog I intend to list each day's menu (as far as it is possible).  I know that my menu's are not totally carb free but I hope one day to look back and see how far I've come.  I have a milestone birthday coming up next year and I would love to be slim and healthier in time for that.  So here goes:






Breakfast :  Kallo Rice Puffs & Hazelnut Soya milk 
                   3 Sausages


Lunch     :   6 Nairn Gluten Free (gf) oatcakes, Lactofree (lf) spread, lf cheese
                   ramekin filled with salted peanuts.  1 Apple


Dinner   :     Chicken Breast, Indian fried cabbage, Roasted green beans
                    Low carb microwave sponge.


Drinks  : I only ever drink Rooibos (Redbush) Tea and Water unless otherwise stated.


I hope this will be an encouragement to other LD and ME/CFS suffers, or anyone just starting out on a low carb diet.

29th June 2012 by Linda Graham

Went to bed at 9pm last night and slept through 'til 8.30am, boy was I tired!   Think I over did it at the allotment on Wednesday.  Yesterday was very difficult, I was so tired I could not think straight and was glad when the day was over.  Today I intend to do my callanetics and perhaps hoover downstairs.  Got DD1 coming home for the weekend so don't want to be too tired whilst she is here.

Menu

B: Kallo Rice puffs with lf milk
L: Rosemary & Onion Crackers with lf spread & lf cheese.  Pistachio nuts
D: Pork Loin chop with roasted asparagus spears, cauliflower cheese & cabbage.  Low carb raspberry crumble & lf cream.

Thursday 28 June 2012

28th June 2012

Really tired today after spending yesterday afternoon in the allotment.  Think I over did it, will have to keep better track  of time next time.  As a result I need to have a very restful day today, all I'm planning to do is a small amount of ironing and preparing dinner for the family.

Menu

B: Bakewell porridge
L: 2 boiled eggs & asparagus spears.  Pistachio nuts.
D:  Chicken cacciatore (recipe from Atkins book) on a bed of cabbage.  Low carb raspberry crumble &cream.

 

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Allotment surprise!

Ended up spending 2 hours at the allotment this afternoon.   Cleared the grass/weeds from around the compost bins, or rather would have cleared it all, had not my weeding come to an abrupt end when out of the corner of my eye I saw something moving!    It turned out to be a largish toad!  I have a frog/toad phobia, I still shudder now when I think of it.   When I heard 'are you all right?' being shouted from another plot holder I realised I must have cried out.   I had thought I had the whole of the allotment to myself so was very embarrassed when I had to explain about my phobia, especially to a man!  I felt so foolish.  The time was not completely wasted,  I quickly moved to weeding the parsnip bed instead and covered them with nets to keep the pigeons off.  I'm dreading going down next time as I know I have to tackle the large weeds left near the bins.

27 June 2012



So nice to have an easier day today after such a hectic few days.  

Done 20 minutes of callanetics this morning and I'm off to the allotment this afternoon to tackle the mountain of weeds (weather permitting)

Menu

B: Bakewell porridge (really enjoying this)
L: 2 boiled eggs with asparagus spears. Peanuts, Nectarine
D: Pork loin chop, 2 sausages, cauliflower mash & Cabbage.  Low carb raspberry crumble & lf cream

Tuesday 26 June 2012

26th June 2012



B: Porridge (ran out of ground almonds)

L:  6 Nairn's gf oatcakes, lf spread & cheese.   Brazil nuts.  Strawberries & lf cream.

D:  Prawns in garlic butter, green salad, roasted green beans.  Nectarine.

Monday 25 June 2012

25th June 2012

Menu

B:  Bakewell porridge

L:  Rosemary &Onion crackers, lf spread, lf cheese, brazil nuts

D:  Meal out to Indian Restaurant (My birthday)

Saturday 23 June 2012

24th June 2012

HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY BETH

 Beth said she wanted a homemade cake as they taste better than shop bought! Her favourite is coffee, so thats what I've made

 

 

Menu For the Day

 B :  Bakewell porridge

L :  Rosemary & onion crackers with lf cheese

D : Eating out at a Carvery (Beth's choice). 

  

 

Saturday 23rd June 2012

Off to Lidl this morning.  Up until now I usually did my Lidl shop on a week day but I've just discovered that Lidl have half price sales at the weekend.   You can sign up to receive their weekly newsletter.  If you go to www.lidl.co.uk enter your postcode and choose the shop nearest to you, you will get sent the weekly half price deals to your email.  Hopefully I'll get some good bargains on low carb stuff today.


Must admit I'm feeling a bit disappointed today, I have my weekly weigh in on Saturday mornings and for the last 3 weeks the scales have been stuck at the same weight.  The tape measure has been the same, still no change.  I am determined to persevere  (I've no choice) the weight must come off.

 

 Menu

Breakfast  :  Kallo Rice puffs & hazelnut soya milk

Lunch :         6 Nairn's gf oatcakes with lf spread and lf cheese.

Dinner:         1 pork loin chop grilled, 2 sausages, a fried egg & salad.

                        low carb raspberry crumble & cream. 

 

Got stocked up on some meat items and also found flax and gf oats at Sainsbury's.  Tried baking Rosemary & onion crackers.   Had a little nibble and they are ok will use these instead of oatcakes.  Hope to cut out crackers altogther eventually.    Will  be able to have the bakewell porridge now that I've got gf oats.


Friday 22 June 2012

Welcome to My Blog by Linda Graham

Hi everyone thought I would start this blog to keep track of the bits & bobs I get up to each day.  I am a stay at home mum with 3 children who are in their teens & twenties.  I have had Chronic Lyme Disease for at least 14 years if not more.  I am constantly trying to improve my condition.   I am a great fan of moneysavingexpert.com  and have discovered great ways of upping my income without too much effort.