Consolidation The not so very secret diary of Atropos, 11 &1/2

[Topaz63]

I think Pilates is excellent and once you've got a routine that is the right one for you, you can do it at home in-between classes. Min three times a week is good. I do one mat class and one equipment class per week, but will soon reduce cost by dropping the mat class as I can do those ones at home. I've been doing it for three years and it's made a massive difference to flexibility, muscular and joint aches and general toning.
Aqua aerobics or A fit are good but you always need a class for them. I enjoy it sometimes but Pilates is a better long term proposition (which Dukaners know all about).

 

[Atropos]

Thanks for the recommendation - but I already know that DVDs won't work - I leave the house at 6.3- and rarely make it back before 9.30pm, - to find the time to work out at either end of that schedule would compromise time spent cooking from scratch. (Weekends are better, but a weekend class.

But I can scrape time at points during the day, if I can find an affordable space/class withon walking distance of a work location!

 

[Topaz63]

Yes, I have had that prob, out early, back late. I was lucky in finding one during the lunch period not too far from work. The teacher was looking at running one at my workplace, if I organised a room and a few others to do it regularly. In the end we didn't do that but it is a possibility maybe?
If you can find a Pilates Foundation teacher they are particularly good. Their training is longer and more rigorous than some others.

 

[Sander23]

Acck - Doctor Who spoilers on minimins I'm so glad I took my lunch hour to watch the doctor on my dvr before reading diaries on my break.

 

[Atropos]

Acck - Doctor Who spoilers on minimins I'm so glad I took my lunch hour to watch the doctor on my dvr before reading diaries on my break.

Opps! Sorry - (at least I won't be able to do it again until September!)

 

[Atropos]

Actually, of course in keeping with the theme, that should be:

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry"

 

[Maintainer]

What've you done now?

 

[Atropos]

Nearly ruined someone's Doctor Who related "OMG what just happened!!!" moment.

 

[Maintainer]

oh! I wish the Daily Mail would stop putting "spoiler" stories on their internet front page too. OK the word "spoiler" is there, but I read fast and often see the headline too!

 

[anjuschka]

Hi, great to see how well you're doing on Conso! Trust me to be away at that exciting moment!
Re: bread - to start with I was really enjoying my cheese and tomato sandwich at lunchtime - or cheese on toast, but after while I managed to diversity and have other bready things like Pittas or Tortilla wraps (WM of course, and I weighed them at first to make sure) and cheese now goes into cooking or on pasta too!
Fruit: yes I nearly always have a portion at breakfast these days (ok so I'm having several fruit a day now...), either in quark/yoghurt, with porridge or even sliced on Dukan bread (mmhhh very sweet Spanish pears last week...)

Oh and PS wanted to say - try to weigh only once a week from now on.... It took me ages to settle on only one but it's much better (for the mind in my case).

 

[Atropos]

Hi Anja - great to have you back!

Good point about the diversity - it's a bit difficult as I am cooking for one, so a small loaf of bread or a bag of ripe peaches is lovely on day one, and less exciting by day 4.

My hand hovered over some gorgeous looking swedish crispbreads yesterday (real ones - all dark and sultry and rough around the edges) - but then I saw the price, backed down, and bought another loaf.

 

[Atropos]

Hmm - conso.

I experimented with swapping my gallette for bread at breakfast, and using the oatbran at night.

Didn't work as well - I had hunger pangs for almost the first time since starting Dukan, which I put down to changing the carb-protein proportions.

Luckily I now know that a quick dose of protein (eg - a tub of cottage cheese) will kill the pangs before I can get to anything more damaging (like a bag of crisps) - but I think it's back to gallette for breakfast and saving the wm bread for later in the day.

 

[Atropos]

OK - total whing-y vent mode coming up.

I have a new co-worker - he's a nice guy, friendly, generous, good at what he does - and he is driving me up the freaking wall!

He clears his throat. At 90 minute intervals. ALL BLOODY AFTERNOON.

Only in the Afternoons - and only after he has noisily eaten a big bag of kettle crisps. WHICH HE DOES EVERY DAY.

He's so noisy that HE HAS MANAGED TO MAKE CRISPS UNAPPETITSING. (so I should be thanking him).

He's cleared his throat FOUR TIMES since I started typing this....

Vent over.

 

[anjuschka]

Oh my commiserations! Headphones? Earplugs? ;-)

Re: the bread - I slice it and freeze it interleaved with greaseproof paper (or similar), especially at the beginning when I was baking myself 'special' loaves with no sugar or fat or seeds which the family found a bit boring... One slice will defrost in the toaster, 10 secs in the microwave or in 30mins(?) at room temp.

Re: the protein for breakfast - agree completely, I found that too. Even oatbran porridge is better than just bread.

 

[Topaz63]

(real ones - all dark and sultry and rough around the edges).

crispbread? Really? We don't get out enough!

 

[Maintainer]

Particularly the tiny portion of bread we're allowed in Conso. I too used to freeze it. A baker's "pain complet" here weighs 200g which is useful too so it does 5 days (used to do ONE MEAL!! haaaa!).

Even in Cruise, the days I don't have my oatbran for breakfast, I'm hungry midmorning (Fridays... and this week Thursday also because hairdresser appt so easier to eat muffins than chicken legs!)

 

[anjuschka]

Good point about the diversity - it's a bit difficult as I am cooking for one, so a small loaf of bread or a bag of ripe peaches is lovely on day one, and less exciting by day 4.

My hand hovered over some gorgeous looking swedish crispbreads yesterday (real ones - all dark and sultry and rough around the edges) - but then I saw the price, backed down, and bought another loaf.

Yes Me too. Crispbreads have always been a fave of mine. Especially any Swedish ones (WASA with Sesame! Not had that since I left home...). I have a recipe here for making your own (Dr Karg bread type with rye and loads of seeds), but am not brave enough to try it yet in case I eat the lot in one sitting (or maybe two)! So I stick to toasting my own home made rye bread which is nice too.

 

[Atropos]

I caved and bought some "FinnCrisps" last night instead of bread. Great, I thought - 5 days supply of wholemeal goodness in a crispy crunch form....

Uh - I now have ANOTHER box of cruncht goodness calling to me from the cupboard, only now with a sexy scandinavian accent...

Rather like a Wallander novel - this May Not End Happily

 

[m-mouse]

I love those Dr Kaarg crispbreads - trouble is I used to buy a pack kidding myself I was being healthy and end up eating the whole lot in one go!!

Atropos, does he sniff too? I hate sniffing!

 

[Atropos]

No - he doesn't sniff.

But one of the directors is a mouth breather....

Oddly enough, they are both given to lecturering me about food.

ThroatClearer is vegetarian (which is fine) but is constantly lecturing me on how unhealthy the Western diet is, while sucking sweets and eating crisps. Kettle crisps. Every day.

Mouth Breather eats like a horse, then goes on faddy detox fasts where he drinks nothing but a "Green Drink" - supposedly grass based, which comes as a powder, shipped from the states, and costs him £30 a week.

He told me all about the Doctor who sells it too him, and how he "electrifies" the packet before he posts it "to align the electrons" - he mentioned the guy's name - and BINGO. It was a quack who never finished his degree, bought a "PhD" from a dodgy website in Mexico and has been charged twice with practising medicine without a license.

MouthBreather has other health issues - and when he had a bad drug reaction last week his GP asked him what on earth he was drinking he 'fessed up and the "Green Drink" was banned.

I just find it funny that the fussy faddy eaters in our office are all men.